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Archives for August 2026

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Reddit, Roblox, and ChatGPT now targets of EU regulators.

Reddit and Roblox have been designated “Very Large Online Platforms” under the Digital Services Act (DSA), while ChatGPT has been named a “Very Large Online Search Engine.” Those designations bring strict obligations to protect user safety, ensure transparency, and curb illegal content in the bloc. The companies now have four months to get their houses in order.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
LG’s smart home is getting a terribly named chatbot.

Its conversational AI agent is called ThinQ Claw (a riff on OpenClaw) and builds on its acquisition of Homey. LG says it can “understand user intent and context and help complete tasks by connecting and coordinating relevant services and devices,” be they LG appliances or third-party products. It’s being demoed for the first time at the big IFA tech show kicking off later this week.

Now with AI.
Now with AI.
Image: LG
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
MapQuest knows this whole thing is ridiculous.

Google can have its “long-standing policy,” but MapQuest is having a laugh.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Trump doesn’t actually care about free speech exhibit 2,048.

In a tirade on Truth Social, the president said that NBC News’ Kristen Welker should be “reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” because she pointed out that the his prefered candidates had “mixed results” in their respective primaries.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Rockstar says GTA has no generative AI or microtransactions.

During a recent episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Andy Cortez said he asked the studio point-blank about the topics and was told there would be no in-game monetization and that there was absolutely “no AI” used in the game. So those are at least two huge controversial bullets the launch should dodge.

Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a forgotten slice of dance punk perfection

It’s basically mid-aughts Brooklyn in audio form.

Terrence O'Brien
Kallie Plagge
Kallie Plagge
A peek at the Pokémon Fitbit.

I was able to get hands on the special edition Pokémon Sleep Fitbit Air, which ships September 15th, at the Pokémon World Championships this weekend. Other Fitbit models can connect to Pokémon Sleep, but this one has a cute Pikachu on it, if that’s worth it to you!

Photography by Kallie Plagge / The Verge

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Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Apple tested a stylus for the foldable iPhone, but probably won’t ship one.

According to Mark Gurman, the company built a stubbier Apple Pencil that magnetically attached to the side of the phone for storage and charging. But it was awkward in certain positions and could leave marks on the delicate foldable screens. Ultimate Gurman says:

It seems unlikely that Apple will actually launch this accessory when it rolls out the foldable iPhone next month. Moreover, I would be surprised if the company abandons the position of Steve Jobs, who famously said, “Nobody wants a stylus” when he unveiled the original iPhone in 2007.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
What’s on your running playlist?

I recently started running again. And, as I started building back to my first half marathon in almost a decade, I realized — my running playlist is hopelessly out of date. Nothing on there is newer than 2018, so tell me what keeps you motivated to power through the pain.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Google capitulates in Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario.

Amidst his trade tiff with Canada, President Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. As it did when the president tried to rename the Gulf of Mexico, Google has caved to his whims, swapping in Lake America on Maps. Users in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario. In a blog post, Google said, “These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country.”

Update August 30th: Added link to Google’s blog post about the change.

Lake Ontario now labeled as Lake America on Google Maps.
Screenshot: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge