Andrew Webster / The Verge:
Tech News for August 20, 2026
135 stories clustered from across the web on August 20, 2026.
Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge:
Waymo lifts the lid on the ‘brain’ powering its robotaxis
More: Bloomberg Technology · 2 sources
Emma Roth / The Verge:
Google Discover gets an AI chatbot-tuned feed
Julie Bort / TechCrunch:
OpenAI gains on Anthropic with business users, new data shows enterprise AI spending volatile
More: Simon Willison · 2 sources
Germain Lussier / Gizmodo:
Charles Melton in final negotiations to play Kakashi in Destin Daniel Cretton's Naruto movie
Andrew Liszewski / The Verge:
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds feature user-replaceable batteries
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg Technology:
ChatGPT can now read, draft, and send iMessages on Mac via new plugin
More: MacRumors · 2 sources
Jeremy Hsu / Ars Technica:
US distributor of China's most popular humanoid robots pivots after US ban
1 source
Loni Prinsloo / Bloomberg Technology:
Convergence-backed Comsol raises funds to build a new 5G network in South Africa
1 source
Sarah Scoles / MIT Technology Review:
Support networks aim to help children cope with the polycrisis
1 source
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Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:
Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted
1 source
Simon Hill / Wired:
Google Pixel 11 review: Minor upgrade fails to generate excitement
1 source
Jason Parham / Wired:
Bumble allows men to make the first move, abandoning its women-first positioning to compete in the dating market
1 source
Elizabeth Lopatto / The Verge:
A look at a cat learning to play the piano for food
1 source
Peter Nelson / The Verge:
Audi S6 Sportback E-tron review argues sedans still matter in an SUV-dominated market
1 source
Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch:
Binance launches Agent OS, letting AI agents trade on the platform
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Nick Bostrom explores post-scarcity scenarios if AI solves all problems
1 source
Luz Ding / Bloomberg Technology:
Chinese AI models Moonshot and ZAI approach OpenAI and Anthropic performance at 75% discount
1 source
Casey Crownhart / MIT Technology Review:
New hunt for underground hydrogen could provide a climate-friendly fuel source
1 source
Manisha Krishnan / Wired:
How teen entrepreneurs built MyPlots, a party-promotion empire in LA
1 source
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
DJI Osmo fans are breaking the shackles of its closed-source camera app
1 source
David Gilbert / Wired:
MAGA county election official seeks to hire convicted election denier Tina Peters
1 source
Andrew Webster / The Verge:
A look inside FromSoftware's studio and its creative process
1 source
Terrence O’Brien / The Verge:
Death By Audio's Amp Crash is a tiny guitar amp and unhinged distortion pedal
1 source
Dana Wollman / Bloomberg Technology:
Garmin Cirqa Smart Band reviewed as a $200 fitness tracker that looks like Whoop but lacks depth
1 source
Tim De Chant / TechCrunch:
Apollo Atomics wants to make nuclear power cheaper by shrinking an overlooked part
1 source
Mia Sato / The Verge:
Meta smart glasses become a workplace menace, reports The Verge
1 source
Hayden Field / The Verge:
Profile examines Greg Brockman's growing influence at OpenAI amid IPO preparations
1 source
Nojoud Al Mallees / Bloomberg Technology:
Canada worries US trade talks could override its tech and AI rules
1 source
Julie Bort / TechCrunch:
Runlayer and Rippling drop lawsuits, but cautionary tale remains
1 source
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg Technology:
Atlantic Records artist Tanner Grigoli builds fan base through East Coast summer camps
1 source
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
Buying DJI's banned Osmo Pocket 4 camera found cheap and easy on US platforms
1 source
Anna Heim / TechCrunch:
a16z says AI gives foreign founders a competitive advantage through its Borderless Founder network
1 source
Vlad Savov / Bloomberg Technology:
Switch 2 leads US console sales slump in worst July since Covid
1 source
Tim De Chant / TechCrunch:
Fusion startup Inertia Enterprises speeds up fuel filling process from a week to hours
1 source
Isabelle Johannessen, Michael Schick / TechCrunch:
TechCrunch unveils the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 list of promising early-stage startups
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Evolution Mining CEO on FY Results
1 source
Balazs Penz, Luz Ding, Alan Wong and Sunny Bangia / Bloomberg Technology:
Why Chinese citizens are more optimistic about AI than Americans: Live Q&A
1 source
Dominic Preston / The Verge:
Motion-activated neon sign turns cat litter box into a spectacle
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Agility Robotics CEO discusses plans to go public and China rivals
1 source
Rumman Chowdhury / MIT Technology Review:
Debates over AI consciousness are a trap, MIT Tech Review argues
1 source
Lulu Yilun Chen / Bloomberg Technology:
Ant Group profit flattens as AI and expansion costs rise
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Alibaba profit dives 75% as AI spending surges to nearly $10B in a quarter
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Maisonette launches a new retail platform for tweens and teens
1 source
Jennifer Ouellette / Ars Technica:
National Geographic's '9/11: Reunited' documentary reunites survivors with rescuers 25 years later
1 source
Thomas Macaulay / MIT Technology Review:
MIT Technology Review's Download newsletter covers polycrisis support networks and hydrogen gold rush
1 source
Lucas Ropek / TechCrunch:
Enhanced Games posts $60 million loss as tech's steroid extravaganza fails to pay off
1 source
Cameron Faulkner / The Verge:
LG's 65-inch B6 OLED TV drops to $1,399.99 at Best Buy
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Bloomberg Opinion advises Apple to avoid Meta's mistakes with AI-enhanced AirPods and smart glasses
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Q&A with Xynova CEO on developing human-like robot hands
1 source
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
Linkdaze launches smart calendar designed for household management
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
LeadShine executive says China shortened humanoid robot development cycle from years to months
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Open Machine CEO on Anthropic, OpenAI IPO potential
1 source
Dina Bass and Katherine Doherty / Bloomberg Technology:
Hudson River Trading signs multiyear multibillion-dollar deal with CoreWeave for AI cloud services
1 source
Maxwell Zeff / Wired:
Analysis: Silicon Valley doesn't understand why people hate AI
1 source
Marina Temkin / TechCrunch:
Early Cerebras investor Adit Singh joins Mayfield as infrastructure partner
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Mayfield invests over $3 billion in AI, betting on earliest-stage founders
1 source
Anuchit Nguyen / Bloomberg Technology:
Thai PM Anutin's family firm Stecon eyes $1.5B data center construction bids
1 source
Brian Barrett, Andy Greenberg / Wired:
Wired explores China's 'digital bombs' on civilian infrastructure and US readiness
1 source
Eric Berger / Ars Technica:
Europe cancels planned upgrades for Ariane 6 rocket
1 source
Matthew Korfhage / Wired:
Wired tests and ranks the best USB phone chargers for 2026, including Anker and DeWalt
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
Bonds fall on doubts over Treasury's plan
1 source
Maggie Nye / TechCrunch:
Founder who raised $1B shares what VCs actually want in fundraising
1 source
MIT Technology Review Insights / MIT Technology Review:
MIT Technology Review examines how airlines use market models to unlock hidden revenue streams
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
China says Trump's economic warfare won't solve Iran crisis
1 source
Alexandra S Levine / Bloomberg Technology:
Bloomberg explores how GLP-1 drug messaging on social media may drive a new wave of youth harm claims
1 source
Christopher Null / Wired:
Wired reviews Poolease X1 pool robot: effective at leaves but fails on dirt, walls, and steps
1 source
Bloomberg Technology:
AIA CFO on 1H26 Results
1 source
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
AI data intelligence company Alation confirms cyberattack, investigates breach
1 source
Ram Iyer / TechCrunch:
Ramp launches its own AI model routing service, called Router
1 source
Anton Shilov / Tom's Hardware:
SK hynix reaches tentative agreement on $1.79 billion profit-sharing pool; extends bereavement benefits and housing loans
Luz Ding / Bloomberg Technology:
Alibaba profit falls 75% as quarterly AI spending hits $10 billion, cloud revenue jumps 45%
Willa Rowe / Polygon:
007 First Light sells 4 million copies in 3 months, sequel all but confirmed
Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:
Samsung confirms August 27 Galaxy event for a new addition to the S26 family
More: Engadget, Digital Trends · 3 sources
Jowi Morales / Tom's Hardware:
GTA 6 leaker proves they have a working build, sparking spoiler fears
More: XDA Developers, Mashable Tech · 4 sources
Olivia Carville / Bloomberg Technology:
Senators demand answers from TikTok over experiment that disabled safeguards
More: TechCrunch, Engadget · 3 sources
Marcus Mendes / 9to5Mac:
Apple Music to label AI-generated songs with 'Made With AI' label
Kris Holt / Engadget:
Australia passes News Bargaining Incentive, targeting Meta, Google, TikTok, and LinkedIn
More: The Next Web, Hacker News · 3 sources
Hillary Keverenge / Android Authority:
Android Auto 17.4 fixes connection bug that made drives frustrating; Google says latest update should end disconnects and freezes
More: XDA Developers, Android Police · 3 sources
Bloomberg Technology:
Walmart posts 5.9% revenue growth but warns on consumer spending, stock falls
More: Quartz · 2 sources
Wesley Hilliard / AppleInsider:
Apple fires back at OpenAI's bid to toss trade secrets lawsuit, calling defense 'distortion'
Anna Washenko / Engadget:
Dave Bautista takes over as Kratos in Amazon's God of War series
Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:
Pixel 11 flaunts haptics with vibrations that match your ringtone
More: Android Authority, Digital Trends · 3 sources
Yash Roy / Bloomberg Technology:
Muon Space raises $250M at $1.5B valuation for satellite manufacturing
More: The Next Web, SiliconANGLE · 3 sources
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Gboard rolls out emoji size setting for Google Pixel phones
More: Android Authority, Mashable Tech · 3 sources
Anna Boyne and Mark Bergen / Bloomberg Technology:
AI workload optimization startup Callosum raises $100M
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Mark Zuckerberg buys 440-acre Irish estate with castle
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Slack launches Slack Code, a collaborative coding environment for teams and AI agents
Marcus Mendes / 9to5Mac:
Adobe Firefly adds general availability of AI music, voiceover, and sound effects generation tools
Marcus Mendes / 9to5Mac:
Apple bucks downward trend as reports show global smartphone shipment and sales declines
More: MacRumors, AppleInsider · 3 sources
Kris Holt / Engadget:
Gamescom Opening Night Live preview: what to expect from ONL 2026
More: GamesIndustry.biz, IGN · 3 sources
Rachel Metz / Bloomberg Technology:
Anthropic to let enterprise customers store AI data on their own cloud, keeping 30-day retention on top models
More: The Decoder, Quartz · 3 sources
Bloomberg Technology:
Hypersonic missile startup Castelion raises $1B at $13B valuation
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / TechCrunch:
Security experts targeted by fake crypto conference scam delivering infostealer malware
More: TechRadar · 2 sources
Sophie Sullivan / The Guardian Tech:
UC Berkeley math professor admits using AI to edit op-ed on students' math skills
More: The Next Web, Slashdot · 3 sources
Ana Maria Constantin / The Next Web:
Meta glasses privacy crisis deepens as bans spread and regulation debate intensifies
More: TechRadar, Digital Trends · 4 sources
Andrew Romero / 9to5Google:
Gemini for Home update rolls out with voice upgrades but users slam Google for missing and broken features
Kris Holt / Engadget:
Golden Axe animated series trailer released; series coming to Paramount+
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Patreon admits discovery problem for small creators, launches 30 new features including Clips
More: The Verge, The Next Web · 3 sources
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google gives publishers a button to become readers' preferred source in Search and Discover
More: The Next Web, Slashdot · 3 sources
Debby Wu / Bloomberg Technology:
Supermicro fires several employees after investigation into $2.5B China AI chip smuggling; senior management cleared
More: The Register, Tom's Hardware · 3 sources
Bloomberg Technology:
Samsung approves record $80B shareholder return, stock falls
Lucas Ropek / TechCrunch:
ChatGPT Messages plugin for Mac reads iMessage history, sends messages, and summarizes conversations
PCWorld:
HyperX’s new Cloud Alpha Air makes a big bet on open-back audio
Bloomberg Technology:
US stocks close lower as bond yields rise on August 20, 2026
More: Bloomberg Technology · 2 sources
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Meta launches free Pocket AI vibe coding app for making games without experience
Scott K. Johnson / Ars Technica:
Starcloud raises $250M for orbital data centers as launch options dry up; SpaceX's plans create e-waste concerns
More: TechCrunch, The Next Web · 3 sources
Bloomberg News / Bloomberg Technology:
Unitree founder says humanoid robots are nearing a 'ChatGPT moment', predicts mass market within a decade
More: Bloomberg Technology, The Next Web · 5 sources
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
LG Display's FLiPP OLED technology promises 2.4x longer lifespan, with monitors first in line
Ana Maria Constantin / The Next Web:
YouTube offers creators millions of dollars to keep their shows off Netflix
Samantha Cole / 404 Media:
Darth Vader impersonator speaks at San Diego city council meeting in support of Flock cameras
Zhiye Liu / Tom's Hardware:
G.Skill pays $2.4M settlement over misleading DDR4 and DDR5 speed marketing; buyers receive $20 to $25 each
Brody Ford / Bloomberg Technology:
Meta pays Microsoft hundreds of millions a year to rent AI models via Azure
Alyse Wax / Gizmodo:
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds puppet episode explained by showrunners
CNBC Technology:
Micron unveils $10 billion AI memory research lab in Boise
Russell Brandom / TechCrunch:
Grok is having a hard time, users report malfunctioning responses
Emily Mullin / Wired:
Salmonella contamination prompts widespread food recalls from granola to guacamole
More: The Verge · 2 sources
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Riot ends active development on 2XKO in December 2026; content updates continue through October
Matthew Gault / 404 Media:
Michigan township blocks nuclear weapons data center by banning new electrical infrastructure
More: Tom's Hardware, Slashdot · 3 sources
Sean O'Kane / TechCrunch:
Waymo's self-driving cars get Gemini integration for in-car conversations
More: Android Authority · 2 sources
Ian Carlos Campbell / Engadget:
China's YouTube rival Bilibili launches global app and English website, courting Western creators
Luke James / Tom's Hardware:
US physical game sales hit record low of $85M in July as console sales plunge 39% and average price hits $542
Andy Greenberg, Lily Hay Newman / Wired:
Zombie Card attack revives expired Visa cards for contactless payments via NFC
More: The Hacker News, TechRadar · 3 sources
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
US agencies warn of AI-generated exploit scripts targeting Siemens S7 PLCs across critical infrastructure
Andrew Grush / Android Authority:
Don't buy a Pixel 11 if you have a Pixel 10; best upgrade is last year's model at discount
More: MakeUseOf, How-To Geek · 3 sources
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Oura faces class-action lawsuit over alleged inaccurate AI sleep tracking
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
Terence Tao warns AI could trigger mathematics' biggest crisis since Gödel; AI still terrible at some math
More: The Decoder, Slashdot · 3 sources
Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Waymo details custom 5nm chip powering its robotaxis, cutting reliance on Nvidia
Jonathan M. Gitlin / Ars Technica:
Genesis GV90 NeoLun electric SUV debuts with no B-pillar, AI driving, and coach doors
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg Technology:
Apple cuts 200+ jobs across Vision Pro, Siri, and gaming teams, shifting focus to AI and new devices
Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:
Logitech sued for withholding $61M in tariff refunds from customers; lawsuit claims $97M in unjustified price increases
Ben Geman / Axios:
Scotland pushes back against data center boom as Texas freezes 1,800 projects
Darren Allan / TechRadar:
Windows cleanup routine deletes GPU drivers on Asus laptops; Eco mode also removes dGPU drivers
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Pew study finds 10% of web content shows AI authorship, fueling Dead Internet Theory
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Fake GTA 6 demos and ISOs spread malware; 113GB file is 99.99% empty zeroes
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