Meta quietly launches vibe-coded gaming app Pocket
Meta has quietly launched Pocket, an experimental AI app that lets users generate and share interactive mini games using text prompts.
The Download: climate tech companies to watch and AI’s discovery problem
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. Coming soon: our 2026 list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch With the planet nearing 1.5 °C of warming, climate policies being unraveled, and Big Tech backpedaling on its climate ambitions,…
TopTechTrends
Travel app Hopper to pay $35M in FTC settlement over ‘unfairly’ charging hidden fees
Hopper will pay $35 million to settle FTC allegations that it used deceptive “dark patterns” to hide fees and mislead travelers about the cost and benefits of services.
Anthropic is discussing a new custom chip with Samsung
The news comes about a week after OpenAI announced its own custom AI chip in a partnership with Broadcom.
Boeing-owned Wisk Aero accused of firing manager who raised safety concerns
A former software manager claims Wisk rushed software testing ahead of a crucial 2025 flight test.
Achieving operational excellence with AI
Frameworks like Lean Six Sigma and business process management (BPM) first gained traction because they promised clarity in the chaos—a structured way to bring order to messy, sprawling operations. Lean Six Sigma emphasized statistical rigor and quality control; BPM created end-to-end maps of how work should flow across departments. Both offered a repeatable way to…
Melinda Gates’ venture firm backs Magnify Ventures’ $46.6M Fund II
Early-stage firm Magnify Ventures has raised a $46.6 million Fund II from LPs including Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures
OpenAI proposed donating 5% of its equity to a US sovereign wealth fund
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly proposed giving 5% of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, reviving discussions about letting the public share in the financial gains from the AI boom.
Popular TV-tracking app TV Time is shutting down as company focuses on AI
TV Time, the popular TV tracking app, is shutting down on July 15 as parent company Whip Media pivots toward enterprise AI products.
Lucid Motors’ CFO is out as its new CEO continues leadership shakeup
The company announced a new slate of executive hires meant to help turn things around, as Gravity SUV sales are not taking off as expected.
US government says it got hacked — again
A top Democrat on the Senate’s Intelligence Committee warned that the information accessed on a Homeland Security intelligence-sharing network may risk national security.