This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. We’ll be taking a break next week and will be back on November 25th. Opt in for Optimizer here. The SS Jeremiah O’Brien is a […]
Armed with a team of AI agents, Google researcher Pietro Miotti claimed earlier this week to have discovered a potentially unmapped Maya site in Mexico. There was just one problem: The site had already been discovered and was published in an academic journal last year. The incident, which sparked criticism among archeologists online, underscores a […]
Researchers at Google DeepMind have unveiled a new AI model designed to unravel how changes in our DNA affect different cells, giving scientists a more detailed view of a notoriously difficult problem that could hold important clues to the causes of disease – and point the way to new treatments. AlphaGenome 2 is the successor […]
Serve Robotics is opening up its platform to make its autonomous last-mile delivery robots available to anyone who wants to use them. The company is launching a new AV Delivery Developer Portal, enabling third-party software engineers, independent businesses, and even autonomous AI agents to access its fleet of 2,000 sidewalk robots. With this new capability, […]
Oura announced its quarterly earnings today and said it agreed to acquire Counsel Health for $625 million, after adding the company’s AI chatbot to its app earlier this year. Counsel Health calls itself an “AI-native primary care company,” using the app to deliver AI-generated responses and insights based on users’ health data reported from their […]
SpaceX announced a new version of its all-in-one satellite internet terminal that integrates a dish, Wi-Fi router, and now a battery into a single device about the size of a laptop. According to some users on X who shared screenshots of invitations to order Starlink Mini 2, the dish is priced at $999, which includes […]
At this point, reading through the latest splashy pledge to use AI for the good of the environment feels like downing a nonalcoholic beer. Admittedly, I’m suspicious from the onset. How can this be good? But I love beer and our planet enough to give it a whirl – and hey, why not try a […]
With temperatures rising to the 90s in Los Angeles, avoiding the heat wasn’t exactly an option while I was at a relative’s outdoor party in August. So I sat beneath a patio umbrella with a powerful fan nearby, figuring I was protected from the sun and heat. Half an hour later, I felt exhausted, dizzy, […]
SpaceX has declared that it’s going to make Starlink Mobile a “major” mobile carrier. The Elon Musk-owned company has already deployed thousands of direct-to-cell satellites, but its next big challenge is building out its 5G network here on Earth. As part of its plans to rival AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, SpaceX has inked a deal […]
