Apple proposes to take a 15% cut of purchases made outside the App Store
Apple is asking a federal judge to allow it to charge commissions of up to 15% on purchases made through external links in iOS apps.
The Download: dead robot friends and the “censorship-industrial complex”
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. What happens when a kid’s robot best friend dies? When Xander first met Moxie, she taught him how to calm down when he was anxious or mad. Six years later, she…
August 2026
Kog is going deeper to squeeze more inference out of GPUs
The idea that GPUs are poorly suited for agentic workflows may be a misconception, according to French startup Kog.
Hyperscalers might regret embracing natural gas if new forecast proves correct
Natural gas prices could triple in some parts of the U.S., which could saddle hyperscalers with massive bills to power their AI data centers.
Netflix Shut Down Two Gaming Studios Just 6 Weeks After a Big Release — Here’s What We Know
Night School Studio’s horror game “Unhinged” launched with David Fincher and Zach Cregger’s names attached. Now the studio is gone.
Instagram Just Changed Its Logo for the First Time in a Decade. The Reviews Are Mixed.
Some users are calling it ‘modern and clean.’ Others critics say it looks ‘just like AI slop.’
US courts will start publishing how often the government uses spyware
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts told TechCrunch that it will start disclosing how many times judges authorized the use of spyware to wiretap suspected criminals.
A YouTube Luxury Hotel Reviewer Claims a New Resort ‘Called the Police on Me.’ The Hotel Tells a Different Story.
Ryan Walker says Amanvari barred him from his $4,663 stay. Amanvari says that’s not what happened. A viral feud has ensued.
The Download: Flock’s new rules, cloning’s future, and children’s cells
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Flock is tightening its rules in response to a growing surveillance backlash The police-tech giant Flock is changing officers’ access to its nationwide network of license plate readers. The move comes…
Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to Europe
The partnership is expanding beyond the initial market of Zagreb, Croatia to four additional European cities.
This scientist is helping build a missing map of childhood
In 2017, Deanne Taylor attended a presentation at the University of Pennsylvania, just a short walk from her office. A researcher was there to unveil the Human Cell Atlas, an ambitious project that aimed to map every cell in the human body. Taylor was floored, and then concerned. As details emerged, she discovered that the…