Samsung SmartThings takes a step toward a smarter grid

Image: Samsung SmartThings Samsung has launched a new demand response program for its SmartThings smart home platform. Flex Connect allows your SmartThings connected appliances to communicate with the grid and automatically reduce energy use when there’s a spike in demand, which could help avoid blackouts. While demand response programs have made for some scary headlines, … Read more

TechCrunch Space: Star spangled

Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. I hope everyone has a fantastic July 4 this week. Go eat a hot dog. Read my story from last week on the causes of Starliner’s additional delay and what it might mean for Boeing’s Starliner program. Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com … Read more

The Danger of Militarizing AI

“China’s Killer Robots Are Coming” screamed a recent Newsweek headline. A looming new age of AI-powered warfare could become what some experts are calling the greatest danger to the survival of humankind. Imagine an AI system that teaches anyone with a basic internet connection how to create chemical or biological weapons. If terrorist organizations use … Read more

Spotify tests emergency alerts in Sweden

Music, podcasts, audiobooks…emergency alerts? Spotify’s latest test has the streaming app venturing into new territory with a test of an emergency alerts system in its home market of Sweden. According to code references found within the Spotify app, the company is considering a system that would help distribute public announcements related to things like “accidents, … Read more

NAFO Claims Another High-Profile Victim: Fighting Back Against Disinformation

NAFO (North Atlantic Fella Organization) recently commemorated its second anniversary as a group dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion. This decentralized group of individuals from around the world, often unorganized, can organically assemble with great passion to make a mockery of those spreading Russian disinformation when needed. … Read more

How to find the best deals during Amazon Prime Day

Illustration by Hugo Herrera for The Verge Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest shopping events of the year outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with this year’s summer installment running from July 16th through the 17th. The two-day shopping affair will likely grant Prime members access to some of the best prices … Read more

The first Thunderbolt 5 cables are here, but there’s barely anything to plug in

Thunderbolt 5 cables, like their TB4 and TB3 predecessors, have USB-C tips. | Image: Cable Matters Intel’s Thunderbolt 5 might be the best USB-C cable ever, with 120Gbps of single-direction bandwidth, 240 watts of power, and enough oomph to drive external SSDs, eGPUs, and high-resolution, high-refresh-rate monitors from a single cable at unheard-of levels. But … Read more

Silvergate Bank didn’t adequately monitor $1 trillion in crypto transactions, SEC says

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Silvergate Bank, once a cornerstone of the crypto financial world until its collapse in early 2023, defrauded its investors by lying about its anti-money laundering controls and misleading investors about how the fallout from the FTX collapse would affect it, the Securities and Exchange Commission says in a … Read more