Meta’s new Muse Image model can pull other Instagram users into AI photos
Meta is launching the first AI image generation model made by its Superintelligence Labs division. The Muse Image model now powers the image-making tools across the Meta AI app, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and it's coming soon to Facebook and Messenger, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
It's part of the growing Muse family of AI models that replace Meta's Llama lineup. Alexandr Wang, who Meta hired to head up its Superintelligence Labs last year, says on Threads that Muse Image is "agentic," meaning it works with its Muse Spark large language model "to reason through your prompt, search the web, and plan before it generates." Meta is al …
X says top accounts steal videos from other users as it announces new video tools
Nikita Bier, X's head of product, said in a post on Monday that "[m]any videos from top accounts are simply stolen from other users, sometimes 5 years after they originally went viral," while noting that videos on the platform "make up close to half the impressions on X." According to Bier, X is launching a new in-app video editor and recorder to address this "recycled content," so that "some videos on X can finally be original content that doesn't exist on other platforms."
As previously reported by TechCrunch, the new video tools are available now on X's iOS app, and include an option for overlaying captions in multiple languages and a "g …
The ‘G-Wagen of golf carts’ could be the ideal second car
While the auto industry wrings its hands over the electric vehicle market, sweating details like aerodynamic efficiency and range anxiety, a new EV startup based in Lisbon, Portugal, is zagging in a different direction. Amble's new electric buggy won't impress anyone with its 0-60 time or its self-driving features (it has none). Instead, it takes a stab at the belief that cars have gotten too big, too fast, and perhaps could use a bit of a downgrade in both departments.
The Amble One is a premium, street-legal buggy with a gorgeous neo-retro design that's currently being marketed to locations where traditional cars are unnecessary or too la …
ABC tells the government to get out of its newsrooms
ABC is firing back at the Federal Communications Commission after the agency opened an investigation into The View's airtime of political candidates. In a letter to the FCC on Tuesday, ABC argues that the agency's actions pose a risk to editorial independence by targeting programs "perceived as unfriendly to the current administration," as reported earlier by The Wrap.
In February, the FCC Chair Brendan Carr confirmed that he's reexamining The View's classification as a "bona fide" news program after the talk show held an interview with Rep. James Talarico (D-TX), who is running for a spot in the Senate. The View's classification exempts it …
Anthropic is launching Claude Cowork on mobile and web
Starting Tuesday, Anthropic's Claude Cowork AI platform will be available on mobile and web for the first time. The expanded access is rolling out first to Max subscribers and coming to Claude users on other plans "in the coming weeks."
Claude Cowork was previously only accessible through the Claude desktop app for macOS and Windows, but now users on iOS and Android can also use it. However, Anthropic says the "full experience" for Cowork will still be on the desktop app, including features like local file access.
Cowork sessions will also now run in the cloud by default, so you can continue them across different devices or run Cowork ta …
Google announces Pixel 11 launch event in August
Google is hosting its next Made by Google launch event for Pixel hardware on August 12th in New York City, according to an invitation sent by Google to The Verge. Unusually, the event is taking place in the evening: It'll kick off at 6PM ET that day.
The email also includes a brief animation teasing what appears to be a phone in the Pixel 11 family that's gold. Pixel 11 leaks that have popped up so far show that the base phone could have slimmer bezels than the Pixel 10 and a solid black camera bar. Leaks of Pixel 11 Pro indicate the phone could be a touch thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro. And the Pixel 11 Pro Fold could also be thinner than …
Doom developer id reportedly cut in half as part of Xbox layoffs
As part of the mass layoffs hitting Xbox, Doom developer id Software has laid off around 50 percent of its staff, according to Game Developer. One source claimed to the publication that the cuts equate to more than 90 redundancies. Another source said that id's QA department was significantly impacted. The report was published the same day that id is releasing a major expansion for its latest Doom game.
A former id employee affected by the cuts, Michael Maynard, corroborated the figure in a LinkedIn post, saying that the layoffs affected "roughly" 50 percent of the company. "We created arguably THE BEST first person engine technology in the …
Discord accidentally banned over 8,000 people for posting grids and other ‘benign’ images
Discord says a bug affecting its safety system caused it to mistakenly ban more than 8,000 accounts since May. The platform's statement follows a wave of reports from users over the past week, who say they've been banned for posting images containing grids, such as chessboards, game textures, and even Minecraft inventories.
Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord cofounder and chief technology officer, writes that the bug impacted around 200 users who posted "grid-like" pictures, in addition to about 8,000 people who posted "other benign images" since May 2026. "Everyone affected has now been unbanned," Vishnevskiy says.
In a thread on X, Disco …
Anker’s noise-blocking earbuds for sleeping are nearly half off
You might have a great bed and a good sleepy time routine, but if you’re still struggling to fall (or stay) asleep, Anker’s Soundcore Sleep A20 are worth considering. They’re designed to help muffle distracting sounds, and they’ve hit a new all-time low price of $99.99 ($80 off) at Best Buy and Target.
In his review, my colleague Thomas Ricker said this model helped him average nearly 30 more minutes of sleep each night over a two-week period compared to when he wore the AirPods Pro to sleep. My colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy had a similarly positive experience, saying that while she could still hear her husband’s snoring, it was muted enough to fade into the background rather than keep her awake. The Sleep A20 include multiple ear tips and wings so even side sleepers can comfortably wear them overnight.
Beyond blocking noise, they can play white noise, nature sounds, or meditation tracks, and can double as a pair of Bluetooth earbuds if you prefer falling asleep to podcasts or music. The companion app also tracks your sleep, including how long you’ve slept, your sleeping position, and nighttime movement, while extras like a built-in alarm let you wake up without disturbing your partner.
Battery life is another highlight. The Sleep A20 can easily last through the night on a single charge (up to 14 hours) and their case recharges via USB-C. The newer $180 Sleep A30 feature active noise cancellation, which does a better job of masking unwanted sounds, but the feature sacrifices long-lasting battery life.
Read our Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 review.
Three more deals worth a look
- The JBL Go 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is down to $44.95 ($10 off) at Amazon, which is its best prices to date. The tiny speaker features an IP68-rated design that can withstand dust and water, while delivering up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge. It also supports lossless audio when wired to your audio source over USB-C.
- It’s been hot out in many parts of the US. To cool off while you’re on the go, I recommend getting Jisulife’s Handheld Fan Life8, which is on sale for $12.32 ($14 off) at Amazon. The foldable USB-C-powered fan works as a handheld or a desktop fan thanks to its built-in stand. It can serve as a flashlight in a pinch or as a backup power bank for charging your phone when needed, though its small size means it’s only good for brief battery top-ups, not full charges.
- The Eero 6 Wi-Fi Router isn’t the company’s latest mesh router, but it’s still a solid pick for smaller homes, especially at its all-time low price of $54.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. The Wi-Fi 6 router covers up to 1,500 square feet, delivers speeds up to 900Mbps, and can handle more than 75 connected devices. It also doubles as a Zigbee smart home hub for compatible Alexa devices, so you can connect supported smart home devices without buying a separate hub.
iRobot’s newest floor cleaner isn’t a robot
iRobot just announced its first-ever non-robotic floor cleaner. The $399 Roomba Electro Plus is a 5-in-1 hard-floor cleaner that combines vacuuming, mopping, and disinfecting, but you have to operate it yourself. The company also announced updates to its line of Roomba robot vacuums, launching five new models with higher suction power, smaller footprints, and lower prices. These largely replace the line that arrived in 2025.
Designed exclusively for hard floors, the new Electro Plus is similar to the new breed of manual wet-dry floor cleaners available from Dreame, Roborock, and others. iRobot's distinguishing feature is Electro's ability …