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Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent $1.8 million of its $2.5 million to acquire friend.com, and plastered the NYC subway with ads promoting artificial companionship? Yeah well, if you didn't remember, Friend is back . And now, it's twice the price. Introducing friend. pic.twitter.com/T5vUCj7iqv - friend (@friend) July 30, 2026 This morning, Friend launched a new ad showing two people talking to their Friend pendants about very personal life problems. It didn't say it explicitly, but the ad showcased a new feature the pendant now includes: a speaker. Before, Friend would only message back to you, but now, … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/973163/friend-re-launches-its-ai-pendant-with-a-speaker-that-talks-to-you-for-twice-the-price

When the Trump administration announced yesterday that it was banning "advanced robotic devices" from entering the United States , the headlines were all about humanoids . But spying doesn't require legs - and neither does the FCC's robot ban. The robot ban will sweep up robot vacuum cleaners too , FCC media relations director Katie Gorscak confirms to The Verge. It's not coming for your existing Roomba, and companies can keep importing and selling already approved ones. But the government claims that future foreign robots pose a national security risk, and even robovac companies are suddenly being asked to commit to US manufacturing. Whi … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/policy/972312/us-robot-ban-sweep-up-chinese-vacuums

As schools across the country continue to implement cell phone bans, a new Pew Research Center survey shows they continue to gain support. Seventy-seven percent of US adults support banning cell phones in middle and high school classes, and 48 percent support banning them for the entire school day. That's the first time more Americans have supported, rather than opposed, so-called bell-to-bell bans. Two years ago, just 36 percent of American adults supported an all day ban. Across all age groups over 18 that were surveyed, most respondents support in-class bans. That support is lower but still at least half for all-day bans across most ag … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/policy/972607/full-school-day-cell-phone-bans-are-more-popular-than-ever

New Yorkers who want to see their Instagram or TikTok feed curated by an algorithm, or receive notification after midnight, will soon have to verify their ages to access those features. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) released a set of final rules on how to implement the SAFE for Kids Act, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in June 2024. The rules lay out in more detail what social media platforms subject to the law will need to do in order to comply, including standards for understanding users' ages, and how to go about obtaining parental consent for kids to use walled-off features. The law will officially go into eff … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/policy/972007/new-york-safe-for-kids-act-age-verification

While the summer months are great for putting in the miles on your favorite bike, it can be frustrating to have to hang it up when the weather turns. This smart bike trainer turns your road bike into an indoor exercise bike, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect to your PC, iOS, or Android device, and support for a wide variety of interactive and training apps. Multiple retailers have the Kickr Core 2 on sale for $399.99 (usually $549.99) in both the Cog and Click version ( Wahoo , Amazon ) which fits 8-13 speed bikes, and the version with an included 11-speed cassette ( Wahoo , Amazon ). Wahoo Kickr Core 2 Where to Buy: $549.99 $399.99 at Wahoo (11-speed cassette) $549.99 $399.99 at Wahoo (Cog and Click) One of the main advantages to a trainer like the Kickr is access to dynamically adjustable resistance, which can work in concert with training apps to tune your workout, or interact with riding apps to replicate inclines and group rides. If you u...

Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing a vertical video feed to HBO Max to help you find something new to watch. Streaming platforms like Netflix , Disney Plus , and Peacock already offer TikTok-like vertical video feeds to surface content that might be interesting to users, and now HBO Max will have a similar feed of its own. The feed, called "HBO Max Shorts," will be accessible from an icon on the bottom navigation menu. It will show you things like trailers, clips, and bonus content from the HBO Max library, and it's tailored to you based on your watch history. You can jump into a show or movie right from the HBO Max Shorts clip or add it to y … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/streaming/971880/hbo-max-vertical-video-feed-shorts