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Weekend reads / Catch up on our favorite stories.

Google is making the Pixel cameras better by making them worseGoogle is making the Pixel cameras better by making them worse

Google’s new Camera Looks feature will do less computational photography — and that’s a great thing.

David Imel
Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand how to live

An AI future of sleek, streamlined, and totally empty relationships.

Elizabeth Lopatto
Why your Amazon order confirmation emails have become so unhelpful

Good news! Your Beauty and Electronics items are arriving tomorrow!

Mia Sato
AI detectors are creating a new era of distrust

Tools that promise to detect AI writing can be dubious, but educators and publishers are using them anyway.

Emma Roth

State of surveillance / The tech and policies that have eyes and ears.

Flock CEO: ‘We got this one wrong’Flock CEO: ‘We got this one wrong’

After reports that some cops misused tracking data it collects, Flock is rolling out policy changes.

Lauren Feiner
If you criticize ICE online, agents might just show up at your house

DHS is accusing people of ‘doxing’ federal agents — and, a new lawsuit claims, trying to chill dissenting speech.

Gaby Del Valle
The future of border security isn’t at the border at all

This year’s Border Security Expo was a victory lap for Trump’s immigration policies. But with border crossings at record lows, what were vendors hawking next?

Gaby Del Valle
How to ditch Ring’s surveillance network

Here’s how to lock down your existing Ring cameras, along with our picks for security cameras that store footage locally or use end-to-end encryption.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

AI academia / Academics are grappling with AI just like everyone else.

The AI takeover of mathematics has begunThe AI takeover of mathematics has begun

OpenAI showed that AI can tackle long-standing problems in mathematics. Experts are excited about the possibilities — and worried about what comes next for their field.

Robert Hart
The war against ‘woke’ could end US science as we know it

‘Everyone will be affected, not just scientists. Every community in the country.’

Bethany Brookshire
The tech-broification of American science has officially begun

Trump’s ‘Golden Age’ of American science starts with dismantling it, while funneling billions into AI.

Robert Hart
AI-generated research papers are getting better, and it’s a big problem for scientists

Journal editors and peer reviewers are being flooded with AI-generated papers that are almost impossible to detect.

Josh Dzieza

Touching grass / For smart gardeners who want to go outside with gadgets.

I finally found a robot lawnmower I’d trust with my yardI finally found a robot lawnmower I’d trust with my yard

I pitted five automowers against each other to find the best cutter for my challenging garden.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
My backyard made me a color-changing smart lighting convert

Testing Govee’s over-the-top RGB lineup convinced me there might actually be room in my garden for a horse-race light show this summer.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
This smart bird feeder captures more of my backyard drama

The Aura by Coolfly is a more practical, less polished alternative to the popular Birdbuddy.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Thermacell’s latest smart mosquito system is bigger and more expensive

Liv 2.0 starts at $1,700 and can be expanded to cover 3,000 square feet – for a price. It also tackles no-see-ums.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness teamOpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team

It’s just the latest shakeup of its safety teams as it heads towards an IPO.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
What storyline do you want to see adapted in the X-Men reboot?

The X-Men are about to offically join the MCU, and we’ve gotten a glimpse at some of the cast. But the bigger question is, what comic arc should they turn to for inspiration? And don’t say The Dark Phoenix Saga — they’ve already screwed that up… twice.

Amazon is trying to crush class-action suits before they get startedAmazon is trying to crush class-action suits before they get started

An update to its terms and conditions requires all disputes be resolved through arbitration.

Terrence O'Brien
ChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokesChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokes

It’s like Windows Recall, but without all the creepy screenshots. (But it’s still kind of creepy.)

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Disney is giving Tomorrowland a long-overdue update.

Details are all but nonexistent as planning has only just begun. But the area of the park has fallen into disuse over the years, with several attractions closing down and others just seeming hopelessly outdated. Imagineer Emily O’Brien told the LA Times, “We were inspired by his [Walt Disney’s] vision of Tomorrowland being a vista into wondrous worlds, and we really garnered the sense of optimism that was at the core of everything he was thinking about.”

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
The first Ferrari Luce off the assembly line just sold for $40,000,000.

The car was expected to sell for around $1.1 million, but the polarizing EV absolutely shattered that at auction. The proceeds from the sale of chassis #0 will be going to charity, but it’s still a wild price for a car that starts at $600,000 retail.

Polaroid’s tiny instant camera is $72 and includes a free pack of filmPolaroid’s tiny instant camera is $72 and includes a free pack of film

This compact instant camera from Polaroid produces tiny photos with a fun and vintage vibe.

Brad Bourque
Matt Groening lets slip that Simpsons: Hit & Run might be making a comebackMatt Groening lets slip that Simpsons: Hit & Run might be making a comeback

The cult classic is long overdue for an HD remaster.

Terrence O'Brien
Have a laugh at AI’s expense by roleplaying as a chatbotHave a laugh at AI’s expense by roleplaying as a chatbot

Scribble some nonsense, offer wooden jokes, or make your own requests of a real human playing a fake AI.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
The Bluey Movie teaser shows Keepy Uppy in Disneyfied CG.

The good news: The beloved children’s series is coming to the big screen!

The bad news: The charming 2D animation has been replaced with some bland 3D computer animation.

And knowing Disney, we’ll probably get a soullesslive actionremake in about a decade.

Star Wars: Ahsoka season 2 and Starfighter get teased at D23Star Wars: Ahsoka season 2 and Starfighter get teased at D23

Everyone in the room got a glimpse at Ryan Gosling in Starfighter, but Disney hasn’t publicly dropped a clip yet.

Terrence O'Brien
Disney D23 2026: Everything announced for Star Wars, Marvel, and moreDisney D23 2026: Everything announced for Star Wars, Marvel, and more

All of the new Disney trailers in one place.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
A new Avengers: Doomsday trailer focuses on Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom.

With the next chapter of the MCU continuing on after the well-received Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Disney brought Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell out at D23 on Friday to show off this new trailer for the next Avengers movie, which is scheduled for release on December 18th.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
The first trailer for VisionQuest reunites Paul Bettany and James Spader.

The Disney+ show premieres on October 14th, closing out a trilogy of series that began with WandaVision. VisionQuest sees the titular hero wrestle with his identity, chat with Ultron (in human avatar form), and search for his potential son.

I finally found a magnetic phone grip I never want to removeI finally found a magnetic phone grip I never want to remove

OhSnap finally got me.

Sean Hollister
Marvel reveals the new X-Men cast, including Inde Navarrette and Adam DriverMarvel reveals the new X-Men cast, including Inde Navarrette and Adam Driver

Maya Boyd, Inde Navarrette, and Adam Driver join Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey.

Terrence O'Brien
Xteink’s tiny e-readers are getting access to free books through LibbyXteink’s tiny e-readers are getting access to free books through Libby

The CrossPoint Reader firmware is getting plug-ins that add support for ebooks from Libby, Kobo, and other sources.

Andrew Liszewski
The surprise must-see movie of the summerThe surprise must-see movie of the summer

Plus, in this week’s Installer: Google’s new Pixel, an old controller comes back, the TV Time successor, and much more.

David Pierce
We’re reaching peak camera with the Sony A7R VI

9

Verge Score

When housing is unaffordable, this artist’s device makes pedaling harderWhen housing is unaffordable, this artist’s device makes pedaling harder

Brooklyn-based artist Justin Blinder created a device that illustrates how soaring housing costs are making life in the city that much harder.

Andrew J. Hawkins
Nathan Edwards
Nathan Edwards
There’s a new Ploopy in town.

Ploopy just announced the A Plus trackball, the successor to the open-source, 3D-printed Adept. It has six buttons, two dials, a wrist rest, and RGB LEDs. It goes on sale on August 19th starting at $99 CAD (about $71 USD). Ploopy.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Charter’s giant acquisition of Cox has cleared a major regulatory hurdle.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved the $34.5 billion deal with some conditions, as reported by Fierce Network. However, the approval comes with some conditions, including that the combined company must have affordable broadband offerings “for low-income Californians” for five years and invest “at least $275 million to upgrade the company’s California network.”

The deal is expected to close next week. It has already been approved by the FCC.

TC Sottek
TC Sottek
Fix your Instagram logo with this one weird trick.

People have opinions about the new Instagram logo. Zion Wuxinyi posted a simple fix on Threads which is the best I’ve seen so far. There’s no question in this edit that the “r” is real and not a sneaky “z”. If Instagram is reading this, please take notes.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Waymo is coming to more of California.

Waymo has received regulatory approval in the state to “expand” its autonomous ride-hailing service “across the SF Bay Area and LA” and bring it to Sacramento and San Diego, the company said on Friday. The approved expansion covers “most of the state’s population,” Electrek reports.

The expansion will be “gradual and guided by our safety framework,” according to Waymo.

Hayden Field
Hayden Field
OpenAI’s enterprise revenue has reportedly surpassed its consumer revenue.

Citing an unnamed source, CNBC reported that OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said at a recent investor meeting that OpenAI “entered the year at 60-40, but enterprise has accelerated much faster than expected and those lines have now crossed … The majority of our revenue is now enterprise.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Reddit is joining the S&P 500.

Snoo is putting on adult pants. The change is set to kick in on Tuesday.

“Reddit’s raw materials are special, and there is so much potential to continue building great products and scaling profitably,” CFO Drew Vollero says in a statement.

TC Sottek
TC Sottek
Disney to FCC: get lost.

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, speaking today with CNBC, reinforced the company’s allegation that the FCC has violated its First Amendment rights by attacking ABC’s broadcast license. “We’re very principled on this,” D’Amaro said. “We’re going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity. And we’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Saber says its rideshare game uses AI for voices, music, and missions.

After denying that it replaced writers for Rideshare “Stimulator” with ChatGPT and admitting that the game has some AI-generated elements, Saber Interactive has added an AI content disclosure to the title’s Steam page.

While the main campaign is written by humans, AI tools are used for “voice generation and some localization.” Free ride mode, which is optional, includes “AI-generated passenger missions and localized dialogue.” There are also radio stations featuring AI-generated music, though they’ll be labeled in the game.

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Samsung has new Galaxy headphones in the worksSamsung has new Galaxy headphones in the works

The first new Samsung headphones in a decade could go up against Apple’s AirPods Max next year.

Stevie Bonifield
TC Sottek
TC Sottek
England and Wales get nationwide emergency alerts.

Verge staff in the UK received the alerts warning of a “high risk of wildfires” nationally — the first actual mass notice aside from tests. PM Andy Burnham confirmed the alert, advising people to “take extra care” and not to light fires in open spaces. My friend, who is currently on a train from Amsterdam to England, notes that the train has been lit up with the alerts as they roll in for people separately.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
The new Gemini model is now available in AI Mode for Search.

The newly-announced Gemini 3.7 Flash is rolling out today as an option for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. The updated model is better at following instructions and “understanding your intent, so you get even more helpful responses,” says Search VP of product Robby Stein.

A promotional image for Gemini 3.7 Flash in Google Search’s AI Mode.
Image: Google
The X-Files creator Chris Carter wanted to make a more horrific movieThe X-Files creator Chris Carter wanted to make a more horrific movie

Hulu’s new R-rated cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe is closer to the director’s original vision.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Google’s best new camera feature is only for the Pixel 11 seriesGoogle’s best new camera feature is only for the Pixel 11 series

If you want to use the Camera Looks photo styles, you’ll have to upgrade to one of Google’s new phones.

Jay Peters and David Imel
Mark Zuckerberg has an InstagzamMark Zuckerberg has an Instagzam

On The Vergecast: Instagram’s new logo, Zuck’s AI manifesto, and lots of other bad ideas.

David Pierce
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