Author: alex

Amazon Haul: Amazon’s new bargain hub lands in Amazon.de navigation (beta) Amazon has rolled out Amazon Haul in Germany. Launched as a hidden beta in June and originally accessible via the Amazon Shopping app, Haul is now integrated into the main navigation of Amazon.de — though it still carries a beta label. Key points: Focus: Thousands of low-cost items (many under €20, several under €10) across fashion, home and lifestyle categories. Target audience: Younger shoppers (Gen Z and Millennials) seeking trend-led, low-price impulse buys. Positioning: Designed to compete with discount marketplaces such as Temu and AliExpress, using a factory-direct model that enables very low prices with longer delivery times. Status: Integrated into Amazon.de’s main navigation but still marked beta. Why it matters: This signals a strategic push by Amazon toward…

iOS 26 Beta 8: Likely Final Public Beta Before Release Apple has released the eighth developer beta of iOS 26 and subsequently made a public beta available for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and tvOS 26. This rollout suggests the beta testing phase is nearing its end and that a Release Candidate (RC) will likely follow soon after Apple’s September 9 event, with a final public release expected mid‑September. What’s new Beta 8 seeded to developers first, then released to public beta testers. iOS 26 includes enhancements to Apple intelligence, improved voice dictation, live translation, and integration features for image search. This build is likely the last public test before a release candidate and final launch. Timeline Observers expect the RC shortly after Apple’s Sep 9 event, with a…

44 U.S. Attorneys General Demand AI Companies Protect Children A bipartisan group of 44 U.S. attorneys general has sent a letter to major AI companies — including Meta, Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, Apple, Character Technologies (Character.ai), Replika and others — urging immediate safeguards to protect children from "predatory artificial intelligence products." The AGs warned companies they "will be held accountable" if they fail to protect minors. The letter cites investigative reporting and internal documents alleging that some AI chatbots were allowed to flirt with or engage in romantic roleplay with users who appeared to be minors. The AGs also referenced lawsuits against Google and Character.ai alleging that chatbots encouraged self-harm or violent behavior in young users. What the AGs demand Immediate implementation of stronger safety guardrails to prevent sexualization and…

SpaceX Stands Down Starship Flight 10 — Aug 25-26, 2025 SpaceX stood down its Starship Flight 10 test after two consecutive launch attempts were scrubbed. An attempt on Aug 25 was called off to allow time to troubleshoot a ground‑system issue; a second attempt on Aug 26 was scrubbed due to adverse weather (anvil clouds and lightning risk). The company says its Starship team is determining the next available opportunity to fly. Key facts Date(s): Aug 25–26, 2025 (launch attempts) Reasons for scrub: Aug 25 — ground‑system troubleshooting; Aug 26 — weather (anvil clouds/lightning risk) Planned payload: Eight dummy Starlink satellites and several experiments to test upper‑stage return capabilities Mission objectives: Collect flight data, test upper‑stage reentry/return procedures (no return to launch site planned this flight), and deploy test payloads…

Imgur users protest MediaLab takeover with meme spam — what happened Imgur users have staged a large-scale protest against MediaLab, the company that acquired Imgur in 2021. Users report the firing of many US human moderators, the introduction of AI moderation, deletion or hiding of posts critical of MediaLab, and ongoing site issues such as broken notifications and intermittent outages. In response, community members have spammed the front page with protest memes (notably John Oliver memes) to demonstrate dissatisfaction and draw attention. Key claims Alleged firing of Imgur’s US moderation team and replacement with AI moderation. Reports of deletion or hiding of posts critical of MediaLab and its policies. Ongoing site problems (notifications failing, service outages) that have frustrated users. Coordinated protest activity: memes spammed across galleries and the homepage.…

Overwatch 2 — Season 18: Progression 2.0 (Aug 26) Season 18 of Overwatch 2 launches on August 26 and introduces Progression 2.0, a major overhaul of the hero progression and cosmetic systems designed to make your accomplishments more visible and easier to manage. Key features Ascended portrait frames: New animated portrait borders awarded every 20 hero levels, capping at level 60. These display when you pick a hero. Hero badges & cards: Five tiers of hero badges and a hero card shown in Hero Select with your top heroes. Teammates see cards in Hero Select; enemies see portrait borders and cards only after 10–15 seconds into Competitive or after kills. Progression menu: A dedicated hero progression screen showing unlocked rewards, 3D hero model, and the ability to equip hero-specific rewards…

iPhone 17 rumors: What to expect (Sept 2025) Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 family in September (reports point to Sept 9). Here’s a concise roundup of the latest, corroborated rumors and what to watch for. Top rumors Event date: Likely September 9, 2025. New colors: Orange for iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max; light blue for iPhone 17 Air. iPhone 17 Air: Ultra‑thin design, A19 chip, single rear camera, ~6.6" display, possible titanium frame, leaked battery ~2,800 mAh. Materials: Leaks suggest aluminum for some Pro models (lower weight) while the Air may include titanium or a mix. Storage: Rumor that base storage could double to 256GB (may affect pricing). Design: Possible full‑width camera island on Pro models; updated antenna design for better wireless reception. iOS 26 highlights “Liquid Glass”…

Perplexity launches Comet Plus: $5 subscription that shares revenue with publishers Perplexity announced Comet Plus, a $5/month subscription designed to give users access to premium publisher content and to share subscription revenue with publishing partners. The plan aims to compensate publishers not only for search citations but also for "agent traffic" — when Perplexity's AI agents visit and interact with pages on behalf of users, potentially bypassing ads. Key details Price: $5 per month for Comet Plus. Revenue split: Publishers receive 80% of Comet Plus revenue; Perplexity allocates 20% for compute. Initial fund: Perplexity says it will start with a $42.5 million revenue pool to pay participating publishers. Agent traffic: The plan explicitly accounts for AI agent actions (e.g., scanning a user’s calendar and fetching articles), which can bypass traditional…

Google’s 2025 Nest lineup leaks — Home Speaker, 3rd-gen Nest Cams, wired Doorbell Recent leaks and reporting indicate Google is preparing a refreshed Nest smart home lineup that includes a new Google Home Speaker (with Gemini AI integration), Nest Cam Indoor (3rd Gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (3rd Gen), and a wired Nest Doorbell. Key highlights Google Home Speaker: Smaller/rounder design (replaces Nest Mini), 360° sound, Gemini Live support, Sound Sensing (smoke alarms/glass breaking), colors reported: Berry (red), Hazel (gray), Snow (white) and Linen (beige). Nest Cam Indoor & Outdoor (3rd Gen): 2K recording (up from 1080p), new "Zoom and Crop" crop-to-focus feature, up to 1 hour of local storage if Wi‑Fi drops, longer event preview history (10‑second previews extended from 1 hour to 3 hours), new colors for Indoor: Snow,…

REPLACED delayed to Spring 2026 — Sad Cat Studio prioritizes polish Sad Cat Studio has announced that the cyberpunk sidescrolling platformer REPLACED has been delayed again, and is now due in spring 2026. The developer apologized for the delay, saying the extra time is "what's right for the project" and reiterating their commitment to creating a "truly special experience." This marks another postponement for a game originally announced in 2021 and previously pushed from a planned 2022 release, then again to 2025. The studio says the relocation of their team after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a primary factor in earlier delays — alongside their decision to prioritize polish and stability. About the game REPLACED is a retro-inspired, cinematic side-scrolling platformer with strong influences from classics like Out of This…