China may have accessed Mythos
According to a new report from Semafor, the White House's decision to impose export restrictions on Anthropic's Mythos was driven in part by fears that it had been accessed by a group linked to China. If the Chinese government actually had access to Mythos 5 or Fable 5, it would present a serious national security risk. The government could also attempt to reverse engineer the model through distillation, a method in which a "student" AI is trained on a more advanced model to replicate its behavior.
The White House has not confirmed this report, and a post on X by Trump advisor David Sacks did not mention China. Instead, Sacks focused on a r …
Conclave is the sound of a NYC summer block party
I have this vivid memory of walking to pick up my oldest from school in June of 2022. For a variety of reasons, I was in a very bad place mentally. And to make matters worse, it was brutally hot. I was depressed, angry with the world, sunburned, and soaked through with sweat. But as the second track on Conclave, "Habla," settled into its groove, I found myself unconsciously strutting. Not walking, but moving through the streets in lockstep with the music, just as a much-needed cool breeze kicked up, and some scaffolding afforded me a full block's worth of shade. For a brief moment, I found myself smiling for the first time in what felt like …
How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials
Hoping to catch some World Cup matches while spending as little money as possible? You have a few options for finding a few days of free streaming, although you may choose to eventually pony up some money. That, or get creative by combining multiple offers to make it through the whole tournament.
We found a handful of streaming services that are showing all of the World Cup matches. Most of these free trials require you to be a new subscriber, though you might just be able to use a different email address than before.
FuboTV
All FuboTV plans can stream every World Cup match, and each includes a five-day free trial for new members. The least expensive plan is $9.99 for the first month after the trial period, then $19.99 per month after that. Paying for one month after the trial should cover you through all (or most) of the finals, and is likely the least expensive way to watch every match.
My Best Buy Plus and Total members can claim an extended 30-day free trial, as long as they’re new to FuboTV.
Peacock
There’s a Peacock Premium Plus trial offer if you sign up using your Amazon account that will grant you seven days of free access before you’re charged $15.99 per month. I was able to access the offer on an Amazon account without Prime, but your mileage may vary.
We also found multiple ways to potentially claim free Peacock through other paid subscriptions. Some Xfinity Internet plans include Peacock Premium, which you can learn more about on the company’s support page. Walmart Plus members can claim either Peacock Premium or Paramount Plus Essential, but only one at a time, with a 90-day cooldown between switching.
YouTube TV
New YouTube TV subscribers can access a 10-day trial for the Sports plan, which includes Fox and 35 other networks. After the trial, the membership will renew for $54.99 per month for the first year, a $10 per month discount from the normal membership.
Fox One
The Fox One streaming service includes World Cup matches, and new subscribers can access a three-day free trial when signing up. After that, the plan costs $19.99 per month to continue watching, and includes both live and on-demand content from Fox.
The impossible dream of the universal remote
You don't really ever have to explain why a universal remote is a good idea. You have a bunch of stuff that needs controlling; this thing controls them all. Many companies have set out to build a product worthy of this idea, and one product came much closer than most. It was called the Harmony, and for many years it was the best universal remote on the market. Maybe the only one that mattered. And still, even the Harmony couldn't make it work.
On this episode of Version History, we tell the story of the Harmony. The Verge's David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and John Higgins are joined by Matt Rogers, the CEO of Mill and former co-founder of Nest, …
Solid-state batteries still aren’t ready, but gels are
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on e-bikes, power stations, and how to work anywhere, follow Thomas Ricker. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
How it started
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, and that's a problem. From exploding e-bikes in stairwells to lithium-ion power banks combusting midflight, the volatile nature of traditional liquid electrolytes has become an undeniable public safety hazard.
In 2025, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) i …
Amazon security research reportedly led to the White House’s Anthropic Fable ban
According to the Wall Street Journal, the export control directive that led to Anthropic cutting off access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 was triggered in part by cybersecurity research from Amazon and conversations between CEO Andy Jassy and the White House. According to the report, the paper from Amazon claims that, through a series of prompts, it was able to get Fable 5 to serve up information that could be used in cyberattacks. Amazon has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Shortly after Jassy shared the company's findings with the government, it made the call to block its use by foreign nationals. Complicating this issue is that many of …
X-Men ’97 has what Master of the Universe is missing
In 2026, Marvel and Mattel are both releasing projects designed to capitalize on people's love for iconic animated heroes from their childhoods. Masters of the Universe has put a live-action He-Man on the big screen, and the second season of X-Men '97 is about to fling some of Charles Xavier's mutants into an apocalyptic future. Both projects were clearly made by people who love the source material, and they are similarly filled with nerdy Easter eggs meant to get hardcore fans hyped up. X-Men '97 and Masters of the Universe are both nostalgia plays, but the biggest difference between the two - and arguably the reason one of them hasn't been …
Sealed Super Mario Bros. sells for a record $3 million
A copy of Super Mario Bros., still in the box and sealed with its original sticker, just sold at Heritage Auctions for $3 million. That absolutely crushes the previous record of $2 million, also for a copy of Super Mario Bros., in 2021. That sale also came hot on the heels of a controversial auction of Super Mario 64 for $1.56 million.
Part of what drove the price of this particular copy so high is that, according to Heritage Auctions, instead of shrink wrap, this 19895 second run was sealed with a glossy sticker, which was discontinued shortly after. The site claims it's the earliest known sealed copy of the game in existence. It's also gr …
Microsoft hasn’t ruled out spinning off Xbox
Microsoft is preparing to lay off a significant chunk of its Xbox division and is reevaluating the plans for its next-generation Project Helix console. It's apparently also considering dramatically restructuring its relationship with Xbox, and hasn't ruled out spinning it off into a separate company.
A new report from The Information suggests that Microsoft has considered some dramatic measures to make its Xbox unit more sustainable. That includes turning it into a wholly owned subsidiary, a joint venture, or even spinning it off entirely, with the possibility of selling the business. The report doesn't suggest anything is imminent, but it …
Bose’s latest QuietComfort Ultra are $70 off, marking a new low price
If you’re planning on traveling anytime soon, Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones are a great companion for long flights and train rides. Not only do they offer excellent noise cancellation, but they also retain the foldable design of their predecessor, making them easy to pack in a carry-on. They’re even easier to recommend today, now that they’ve dropped to a new low price of $379 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (second-gen)
Where to Buy:
The over-ears improve upon their predecessor with better noise cancellation and support for lossless audio over a USB-C cable, allowing you to enjoy higher-quality sound from compatible devices. Bose also added a new Cinema Mode that helps make movies and TV shows feel more immersive while making dialogue easier to hear, along with an improved transparency mode that surpasses the predecessor’s capabilities of reducing sudden loud noises. Battery life is better too, with the headphones lasting up to 30 hours on a single charge — a six-hour increase over the first-generation model.
Bose has also added a few other conveniences, including the ability to automatically enter a low-power standby mode when stored in the included case or laid flat. Plus, the headphones automatically power on and reconnect to a paired device when you put them on. At the same time, the new model retains soft ear cups and a comfortable, lightweight design that’s easy to wear for hours a time. Support for multipoint Bluetooth pairing remains as well, allowing you to stay connected to two devices simultaneously, so you can watch a video on your laptop and answer calls from your phone.