Jeff Bezos’ AI startup aims to build an ‘artificial general engineer’
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says his new AI startup will work toward developing an "artificial general engineer," according to reports from The New York Times and CNBC. The startup, called Prometheus, aims to develop AI-powered engineering tools to aid in the design of physical products.
The NYT first reported on Prometheus last November, but now Bezos is sharing more information about the startup after a $12 billion funding round, putting the company at a $41 billion valuation. Bezos serves as co-CEO of Prometheus alongside Vik Bajaj, who co-founded Alphabet's health-focused research group, Verily. The startup currently has around 150 employ …
SpaceX is now public
SpaceX is now a publicly traded company.
In one of the most highly anticipated and controversial public offerings of all time, the rocket venture helmed by Elon Musk started trading on Nasdaq on June 12th at the take-it-or-leave-it price of $135-per-share - though most retail investors will likely pay far more.
The IPO is historic for many reasons: SpaceX is hoping to raise $75 billion under the ticker symbol SPCX, which would make it the largest public offering in history. The company is controlled by Musk, who also runs Tesla, another trillion-dollar company. The IPO is expected to make Musk, who is set to control 85 percent of the voti …
Sorry, the Ooni pizza oven is totally worth it
Summer is approaching, which means it's time to enjoy some gloriously warm weather beside the grill. But let me pitch you on an alternative: Instead of the usual burgers, hot dogs, and kebabs, what if you made pizza? I've been doing this for a few years now, and while I still love to grill, it no longer compares to pulling pies from my Ooni Fyra 12.
A pizza oven previously seemed to me like something reserved for staunch enthusiasts. I never would have considered buying one myself, because for many years I believed that I hated pizza - the British food landscape wasn't exactly rife with good options during my childhood, in my defense. But a …
BMW’s Neue Klasse M concept brings next-gen EV tech to motorsports
Just in time for Le Mans, BMW is pulling the cover off its new M performance concept built on the Bavarian automaker's Neue Klasse next-generation architecture.
The concept is the debut of a new design language for BMW's M division, signaling a shift toward a more electrified future. The company says it is built on the guiding principle "Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets," bridging BMW's motorsports heritage with its next-generation EV technology.
Marketing bromides aside, the new concept is a two-door sedan with powerful proportions, precise lines, wide wheel arches, and a muscular shoulder section. It's also an introduction to …
The Nintendo DS is still the best gaming handheld for travel
Even with the looming specter of rising prices, there's never been a better time for portable gaming. The Steam Deck has ushered in a new era of handheld PCs, the Analogue Pocket and other Game Boy-style remakes are making retro games more approachable than ever, the Playdate has led to an alternate universe of weirdo portable titles, and Nintendo continues to chug along with the latest iteration of the Switch. If you want to play games on the go, you're spoiled for choice. But if you're planning on doing some traveling and want to bring games along with you, I'd actually recommend none of those devices. There's a much better, and older, opt …
Summer Upgrade Week
The sun is out, the sky is clear. It’s time to get outside and disconnect — from work, at least. This summer, we’re looking at all the ways to upgrade our free time indoors and out, from smart lights for the backyard to great gadgets to bring camping to ways to wind down at the local library.
This portable light is great for way more than camping
It's intended for camping, but BougeRV's T1 light is so versatile that it also makes for a great summer travel companion that'll continue to light the dark corners of your life long after you return. I used it for a few months during a recent road trip in my camper van, and it's the light I keep reaching for again and again now that I'm home.
The telescoping light features three articulating LED arms that together direct up to 3,000 lumens of white, warm, or red light in any direction you want. It can illuminate an area over 1,000 square feet and function as a flashlight, a mood light, and a 57Wh USB-C power bank that can deliver up to 30W …
Siri won’t be your AI girlfriend
Our early testing has already shown that Siri AI knows when to shut up, and that's very much by design. In an interview with Mostly Human spotted by MacRumors, Craig Federighi said Apple's new Siri won't act all sycophantic like chatbots made by OpenAI, Google, and others.
"As you may know, if you use many of the existing chatbots, they're really focused on engagement to a large degree," said Federighi, who is responsible for software at Apple. "And sycophancy, right? They kind of want to pull you in. They might encourage you to reveal things about yourself, and then use that as a basis to establish a connection."
Apple purposely took a di …
Amazon’s Echo Hub gets a customizable new look and Ring’s AI features
Amazon's rolling out a free software update for Echo Hub devices that gives the homescreen a much-needed update to the interface it launched with in 2024. It had already added Alex Plus AI support, but the new interface has a cleaner, fully customizable layout that fits more smart home info and controls on the screen than the previous version.
The Echo Hub is also getting access to Ring AI's Video Search feature that lets you use natural language to search through your smart home camera footage, as well as Alexa Plus summaries of detected camera events.
These are the five new features Amazon highlighted for the Echo Hub:
Organize by ro …
Logitech’s awesome MX Master 3S mouse drops to under $100
The platform-agnostic Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse is discounted to $89.99 at Amazon ($30 off), matching the best price we’ve seen so far this year. While it may look like a somewhat ordinary mouse, it has a unique second scroll wheel near the left thumb that’s surprisingly useful for horizontal scrolling in spreadsheets. You can connect the mouse to Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, and Linux systems using either Bluetooth or the included USB-A 2.4GHz wireless adapter.
Logitech MX Master 3S
The MX Master 3S is a favorite among many Verge staff members because of its comfort and customization. The mouse’s thumb rest and curved shape allow you to grip it comfortably, and its side and top button can be remapped within the Logi Options Plus app, which can save you time. The MX Master 3S can be connected via Bluetooth, via its included 2.4GHz receiver, or wired with its USB-C cable.
Where to Buy:
This mouse has six buttons in all, and they’re impressively quiet and customizable through Logitech’s software. The company claims its USB-C rechargeable battery lasts for about 70 days of use, though it ran down slightly faster than that in our review. It’s not really an issue, though, since you can use it while it charges.
The newer $119.99 Logitech MX Master 4 has haptic feedback that triggers when you press the thumb rest. It’s cool, but the feature (plus a few other minor improvements to the MX Master formula) might not be worth paying $30 more to get.