Bernie Sanders proposes banning ‘superintelligence’ and putting violators in prison
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) have introduced new legislation that would ban anyone from developing artificial superintelligence - a technology the bill describes as capable of the "destruction or disempowerment of humanity," including by overthrowing the government. Under the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, AI leaders would face up to 20 years in prison for violating the law.
The bill doesn't just ban the more powerful artificial superintelligence; it would also pause the development of advanced AI systems, which lawmakers classify as frontier models trained on a specific threshold of data. The law would only …
Logitech’s new Blue Yeti 2 mic adjusts itself to where you are
The original Blue Yeti has been one of the most recognizable go-to USB microphones for content creators since it launched in 2009, and now it finally has a successor. Launching today under Logitech G, the Blue Yeti 2 adds some modern upgrades, including an interactive LED display, AI de-noising, and a proximity based voice sensor - which resolves a notable flaw with its predecessor's design while still paying homage to it.
It's available in black or white color options for $159.99, which is comparatively cheaper than Shure's popular MV7 series USB microphones, which are the current choice for podcasters and start at $299. It's also interest …
Logitech’s new haptics-based gaming mouse is a little better and $20 more
The G Pro Superstrike mouse is one of Logitech's most interesting products. Unlike other gaming mice, it has haptic actuators beneath its two main buttons instead of mechanical switches, which decreases latency and allows for a custom click feel (the click can be super subtle, more jolty, or turned off entirely). The tech debuted in the G Pro X2 Superstrike in February, and there's already a sequel. Well, it's more like a 1.5 rather than a true successor.
The G Pro X3 Superstrike is out October 6th for $199.99, and comes in a bold pink (as pictured) or black color scheme. The X2 will remain available at $179.99. The notable improvements wit …
Xbox’s Mythic achievements sound like PlayStation’s Platinum trophy
Xbox appears to be ready to launch its own version of PlayStation's platinum trophies. A new update to the Xbox PC app has revealed Mythic achievements, which according to data in the app will appear once a player completes all the achievements in a game.
Mythic achievements appear on screen with a unique unlock sound, and players will reportedly be able to track them through the Xbox dashboard. Xbox players will also be able to display their Mythic count on their profiles. Some Xbox Insider testers have already started spotting references to Mythic achievements in early versions of the Xbox dashboard.
One of the best Metroid games for the Switch is 30 percent off
Nintendo’s “Customer Appreciation” sale continues through September 26th. It includes discounts on Switch games and accessories, and I thought I’d call out one of my favorite games that’s cheaper than ever. Metroid Prime Remastered is down to $27.99 in digital format for the Switch and Switch 2, and it’s among the best remasters I’ve played because it makes smart improvements to an already-great game. You can get it for this price at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The physical version costs around $42 at those retailers.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Where to Buy:
Most Metroid fans have already played this one — maybe multiple times, even — but if you’ve somehow missed out, here’s your sign to pick it up. It applies a modern coat of updated textures and improved lighting to the 2002 GameCube title, and it runs at a smooth frame rate. Notably, the control scheme doesn’t require motion controls like the Wii re-release did.
For about the same price as this digital title, true fans can also buy the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective hardcover book. Normally $49.99, it’s $28.50 at Amazon and Walmart for the 208-page art book covering the original trilogy, peppered with some fantastic quotes from people who worked on the games. It’s an unusually candid look into Nintendo’s first-person shooter series and the company’s game design philosophy. It’d make for a great holiday gift. Read our coverage of the book.
Other great Verge-approved deals
- Flow is one of the best animated movies of the past few years, and now it’s cheaper than ever to own a digital copy. Unless you have HBO Max to watch it on demand, snag the 4K version from Apple TV or Amazon for $4.99. The voiceless tale follows a cat who survives a huge flood that leaves civilizations in ruin. The perilous (yet adorable) adventure sees the cat relying on other animals to survive. It’s just a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes.
- It’s never a bad time to recommend a cable as useful as Anker’s 2-in-1 USB-C cable. The two-headed cable can charge two devices from a single charging port (up to 140W for a single device), and the six-foot version is down to $15.99 at Amazon. This is only $4 off, and it’s far from the first time we’ve seen this deal. But it’s never been cheaper, and it’s practical cable that will likely improve your charging setup. My wife and I use it to cycle between charging our MacBooks and an iPad, occasionally throwing a phone or Kindle into the mix.
- Best Buy is trolling us a bit with today’s price on the white Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. We focused yesterday on the $30 discount for the black version of the wireless keyboard that brought it down to $169.99. That deal is gone, but the model with white key caps is down to $149.99 at Best Buy. It’s compatible with all Macs that have Apple silicon, dating back to the M1 models (so long as you have macOS 15.1 or later). It recharges via USB-C, and has a full numerical pad, plus other keys for easier navigation on your computer.
This $199 GPS sports watch is repairable, modular, and open-source
The Una Watch costs less than most Garmin watches now that its price has been lowered from the Kickstarter offer of $350 to $199, but its modular, repairable design grabbed my attention first. It features a 1.2-inch MIP LCD display and up to 10 days of battery life, similar to the Garmin Forerunner 70 or the Pebble Round 2 I preordered earlier this year. Like Pebble's revamped watches, the Una Watch is also open-source, including its SDK, housing, and circuit boards, but it has more fitness features out of the box than Pebble's watches currently offer. Una is also encouraging users to build their own apps for it, including with vibe coding - …
YouTube is building AI creator tools that do almost everything for them
Part of the job of a content creator is to figure out how to get their work in front of the most people. Cracking - or fighting - the algorithm has historically been a frustration for creators, but YouTube is increasingly simply telling creators what they should do.
At the annual creator-focused Made on YouTube event, the company announced updates to the suite of AI-powered creator tools it unveiled in 2025. In its initial iteration, the dashboard of creator tools included things like A/B testing for video thumbnails and a chatbot interface to query how content was performing. This year's update adds AI tools for more complex tasks.
Perhap …
Discord will now automatically estimate your age
Discord is rolling out a new global age assurance system, seven months after pausing its previous verification measures following backlash from users. Starting today in every country except Australia and the UK, Discord will automatically assign users to an estimated age group based on "multiple account signals," with account restrictions placed on users believed to be between 13 and 17.
The updates follow Discord slamming the brakes on its earlier age verification rollout in February in response to data privacy concerns. Its previous system required adults to verify themselves via video selfies or ID documentation, and faced criticism afte …
McDonald’s is testing ads on its drive-thru menus
McDonald's is putting ads on its drive-thru menu as part of a "limited" pilot at company-owned restaurants, according to a report from Bloomberg. Drive-thru locations included in the test will show ads from other brands on digital menu boards after a customer places their order, which they'll see while they wait for their meal.
In a statement to Bloomberg, a McDonald's spokesperson says the test allows the company to explore "ways to share post-purchase content that customers may find helpful, relevant, or interesting."
As noted by Bloomberg, selling ads on McDonald's menu boards could open up another stream of revenue for the company, whi …
Nobody does it like Remedy
Video games have given us plenty of ways to traverse huge open worlds, but none have felt quite as oddly exhilarating as manipulating gravity in Control Resonant's twisted version of New York City. It's a game that lets you flip, twist, and fly through the air, while exploring settings that look ripped out of Inception. It's as if you mashed up the meta storytelling of House of Leaves with the inventive platforming of Super Mario Galaxy and somehow turned it into a coherent experience. That strange combination is just the latest example of developer Remedy making games like nobody else out there.
Resonant is a sequel to 2019's Control - tho …