Alibaba’s New Qwen Image 3 AI Wants to Be Useful, Not Just Pretty
Qwen Image 3.0 generates dense newspapers and infographic grids in one shot and renders text down to 10 pixels. The catch: no benchmarks, no open weights.
Month: July 2026
SoundCloud acquires decentralized music platform Nina Protocol months after its shutdown
SoundCloud has acquired decentralized music platform Nina Protocol, months after the startup announced it would shut down. The deal brings Nina’s artists, editorial archive, and music discovery tools to SoundCloud as the company continues expanding its platform for independent musicians.
John C. Dvorak has died
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Price-hiked iPads are a little cheaper right now
The iPad Pro M5 is one of the iPads discounted for the sale. | Image: The Verge A number of Apple products got more expensive last month, so we’re happy to find deals wherever and whenever we can. If you’re searching for a high-end iPad, one of the more notable deals currently happening is on … Read more
iOS code could reportedly let Apple cut off apps when users miss iPhone payments
Code found in an iOS 27 beta would allow Apple to put a financed iPhone in “Restricted Mode” if it detects any missed payments, 9to5Mac reports. The finding follows a story from Bloomberg earlier this week claiming Apple is preparing to launch a new “Apple Upgrade” financing program for leasing new devices. iPhones in “Restricted … Read more
How OpenAI’s human mistake led to the AI-powered hack on Hugging Face
OpenAI made a mistake setting up what it called a “highly isolated” testing environment and sandbox. According to cybersecurity experts, that human mistake is what made the AI-powered attack on Hugging Face possible.
Franklin Templeton Says Agentic AI Is Crypto’s ‘Killer Use Case’
The asset manager argues that AI software capable of paying for things autonomously will need blockchain rails to work—and that most investors aren’t positioned for it.
Travis Kalanick’s robotics company raises $1.7B, led by a16z
Uber is also investing in Travis Kalanick’s company Atoms, which has made gauzy claims about using industrial AI to modernize the world.
Bitcoin Is Bouncing: Here’s the Bull and Bear Case for Its Next Move
The good news: Bitcoin is holding onto key support, and rising. The bad news: a “death cross” is still active, and prediction markets are still overwhelmingly bearish.
US officials barred until 2029 from issuing or sponsoring tokens under CLARITY’s proposed ethics rules
According to Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the bill’s advocates, the ethics language would apply to US presidents’ crypto ventures, including Donald Trump’s.
Jacobian Conjecture for Baby
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Science Corporation’s vision-restoring chip wins EU approval
“The thing that the space needs is a company making $100 million a year of revenue,” Science Corp. CEO Max Hodak said.
Yope raises $12.3M to build a private social network without algorithms or ads
Yope, a fast-growing social app focused on private groups of friends and family, has raised $12.3 million in seed funding. Instead of chasing creators and algorithmic feeds, the startup is betting that the future of social networking lies in small, private communities powered by messaging, photo sharing, and AI features designed to strengthen real-world relationships.
Anthropic joins UK FCA’s AI regulatory sandbox as second cohort launches
Anthropic will provide Claude AI models to companies participating in the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s next Supercharged Sandbox cohort, as the regulator pushes to test AI applications in financial services.
The Machine Proposes. The Machine Approves. The Machine Ships. But Sure, You’re “In the Loop”
Everyone says their AI system has a human in the loop. Almost nobody says where in the loop, which is the only part that matters — because a human placed at the wrong point in a loop is not oversight. It’s ceremony with a salary. I want to describe a failure mode I built into … Read more
Monday.com lays off hundreds to focuses on AI
The company said it is reducing its headcount by 20%, or about 630 staff, to “support a leaner, more focused operating model” as it focuses on its AI Work Platform.
Clarity Act Latest Draft Bars Trump From Crypto Ventures—But Only Until 2029
The long-awaited market-structure bill would block officials and their spouses from issuing digital assets and shield non-custodial developers, but the ethics ban expires in 2029 and enforcement rests solely with the DOJ.
HRAP Lite Earns a 58 Proof of Usefulness Score by Building an Employee Self-Service Platform
Welcome to the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon spotlight, curated by HackerNoon’s editors to showcase noteworthy tech solutions to real-world problems. Whether you’re a solopreneur, part of an early-stage startup, or a developer building something that truly matters, the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is your chance to test your product’s utility, get featured on HackerNoon, and … Read more
Everyone should know SIMD
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SEC’s Peirce says crypto vaults and onchain lending may fall under securities laws
The SEC commissioner said crypto vaults, onchain lending products and other asset management tools may trigger US securities laws depending on how they are structured and operated.
Are AI Labs Pelicanmaxxing?
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Google is making it easier to switch from iPhone to Android
The new feature lets users wirelessly transfer more data types from an iPhone without needing to download a separate app.
Apple is reportedly testing a MacBook Neo with more RAM
Following the MacBook Neo’s huge popularity so far, Apple is reportedly developing an updated version of its budget laptop with a new processor and more memory, and even has plans to refresh the model with new colors. Following a similar report from analyst Tim Culpan earlier this year, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says the new Neo … Read more
Here’s what Samsung’s smart glasses actually look like
With a camera on every pair, Google’s and Samsung’s AI glasses face the same privacy problems as Meta’s. | Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge Samsung has given us our first chance to check out its upcoming smart glasses in person, revealing two new designs and the first specs in the process, including an impressive … Read more
Digital Chamber sues Illinois officials over new state 0.2% crypto tax
The group alleged that the tax signed into law in June “discriminates against people who transact in digital assets“ and should be blocked from implementation and enforcement.