Terrence O'Brien

Weekend Editor

Teenage Engineering might be getting into instrument amps next

Terrence O'BrienApr 16

Google is reportedly in talks to let the Pentagon use Gemini in clasified settings.

The company is apparently reversing course in its approach to military dealings. Google currently has a contract that allows the DOD to use Gemini for “all lawful purposes,” but only in unclassified settings. According to The Information:

Google’s proposed contract language appears to mirror the terms OpenAI secured in an agreement it struck with the Pentagon over the use of its AI earlier this year… However, lawyers also said at the time that language in OpenAI’s contract that seemed to preclude the use of its AI for fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass domestic surveillance wouldn’t necessarily prevent those applications because OpenAI also agreed that its technology could be used for “all lawful purposes.”

Terrence O'BrienApr 16

Spotify launches a new tablet-friendly UI.

No more scaled-up mobile interface elements. The latest version of Spotify has a collapsible sidebar and specific portrait and landscape layouts on both iPads and Android tablets. There’s also the ability to browse in one pane, while a video or music keeps playing in the other.

Introducing a Smarter, Smoother Experience for Tablets

[Spotify]

Terrence O'BrienApr 16

Someone made over $300,000 betting on Biden pardons.

A Polymarket user with a curiously perfect track record made $316,346 betting on Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons, including the preemptive pardons of his brother Jim, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff, and Adam Kinzinger. It’s yet another example of potential insider trading on Polymarket. According to NPR:

The trades linked to Biden’s pardons show that individuals could have been profiting from confidential government information before President Trump returned to office, when prescient bets related federal policy and military strikes on sites like Polymarket started to draw intense scrutiny.

A Polymarket trader made $300,000 betting on Biden's pardons, a new analysis shows

[NPR]

Terrence O'BrienApr 15

Glitch Boy turns your retro ROMs into video art.

There are plenty of video synths that conjure pixels or warp video files. Glitch Boy loads playable NES ROMs and breaks them to create reactive art using audio or MIDI. It even has a built-in chiptune synth. Of course, the normal Kickstarter caveats apply.

Terrence O'BrienApr 12

Google pulls cult classic Doki Doki Literature Club from Play Store.

The game garnered attention for its juxtaposition of Japanese dating sim vibes with psychological horror. It even warns players that it’s not “for children” or the “easily disturbed.” The mobile port landed in December of 2025, and now Google has removed it for violating its Terms of Service and “depiction of sensitive themes.”

Serenity Forge (@serenityforge.com)

[Bluesky Social]

Terrence O'BrienApr 12

Apple is reportedly testing four different designs for its smart glasses.

The next big product category Apple is supposedly tackling is display-free smart glasses to rival Meta’s. But the design has yet to be locked in, according to Cupertino whisperer Mark Gurman. The company might launch some or all four of the designs under consideration:

A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook
Larger oval or circular frames
A smaller, more refined oval or circular option

Apple AI Glasses Will Rival Meta’s With Several Styles, Oval Cameras

[Bloomberg]

Room for the Moon is thrillingly weird experimental pop

Terrence O'BrienApr 12

Watch Coachella day three, featuring Model/Actriz, Jane Remover, and FKA Twigs.

It’s a jam-packed lineup to close out the three-day festival. The full schedule is available here. In addition to those mentioned above, I’m really looking forward to Oklou, Clipse, and The Rapture. Which means I’m gonna have to rewind a lot to catch it all. Let me know who you’re excited about most in the comments.