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A look at the management changes John Ternus could make as many key Apple execs prepare to leave in the next few years; Apple tested a Pencil for folding iPhone (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)
Technology
Software · Hardware · Cloud · CybersecurityA look at the management changes John Ternus could make as many key Apple execs prepare to leave in the next few years; Apple tested a Pencil for folding iPhone (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: A look at the management changes John Ternus could make as many key Apple execs prepare to leave in the next few years; Apple tested a Pencil for folding iPhone — Also: Apple experimented with a Pencil for the coming foldable iPhone. — When John Ternus becomes Apple's CEO this week …
A look at the race to build quantum computers, as the tech becomes a geopolitical battleground with potential to transform cybersecurity, finance, and more (Mark Bergen/Bloomberg)
Mark Bergen / Bloomberg: A look at the race to build quantum computers, as the tech becomes a geopolitical battleground with potential to transform cybersecurity, finance, and more — Companies are racing to create devices that could revolutionize finance, supercharge medical and climate research …
Chess.com launched a poker site and is planning even more classic games
Chess.com has done one thing, and one thing very well, for almost 20 years, but now it's going beyond its domain name. The biggest name in online chess quietly launched its first companion site in beta back in May: Gambit, a free online poker website where players can learn the game without risking any real money. Now Gambit's ready to really get the ball rolling with its first livestreamed event and collaborations with content creators, and Chess.com is planning to branch out into even more games from here. Chess.com's chief growth officer, Albert Cheng, told The Verge the company chose poker for its first companion site because, like ches … Read the full story at The Verge.
China’s robots race ahead
Humanoid robot competes in the optional boxing routine event during the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games at National Speed Skating Oval on August 26, 2026 in Beijing, China. | Image: Getty Images This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on falling robots and the US-China AI race, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started I've admitted my fondness for robot fail videos on Stepback before, and let me tell you the World Humanoid Robot Games did not disappoint. The five-day event, which wrapped this week in Beijing, brought high drama, and brought it well. One robot, made by smartphone maker Honor, lost a leg mid-sprint, while others tripped in a flurry of sparks. Another finis … Read the full story at The Verge.
Two new small, powerful Macs
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 142, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, how is it almost September already, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been remembering Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and Peter Cullen, absorbing everything in Rockstar's big GTA VI preview, wondering if Apple will announce a foldable iPhone at its September event, getting sucked into Summoning Salt's latest speedrunning documentary about competitive Tetris, listening to Weird Al's new Tiny Desk concert ("The Saga Begins!"), and getting a Reuben from my favorite lo … Read the full story at The Verge.
The OpenAI/Hugging Face incident feels "more than 50%" of the way to a full-blown AI takeover and as AI advances rapidly we may not get another warning shot (Ajeya Cotra/Planned Obsolescence)
Ajeya Cotra / Planned Obsolescence: The OpenAI/Hugging Face incident feels “more than 50%” of the way to a full-blown AI takeover and as AI advances rapidly we may not get another warning shot — It's a major warning shot, and might be the last one we get — All opinions are my personal view, and don't represent my employer or fellow investigators.
AI & Machine Learning
LLMs · Deep Learning · Research · ApplicationsA look at the management changes John Ternus could make as many key Apple execs prepare to leave in the next few years; Apple tested a Pencil for folding iPhone (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: A look at the management changes John Ternus could make as many key Apple execs prepare to leave in the next few years; Apple tested a Pencil for folding iPhone — Also: Apple experimented with a Pencil for the coming foldable iPhone. — When John Ternus becomes Apple's CEO this week …
A look at the race to build quantum computers, as the tech becomes a geopolitical battleground with potential to transform cybersecurity, finance, and more (Mark Bergen/Bloomberg)
Mark Bergen / Bloomberg: A look at the race to build quantum computers, as the tech becomes a geopolitical battleground with potential to transform cybersecurity, finance, and more — Companies are racing to create devices that could revolutionize finance, supercharge medical and climate research …
Chess.com launched a poker site and is planning even more classic games
Chess.com has done one thing, and one thing very well, for almost 20 years, but now it's going beyond its domain name. The biggest name in online chess quietly launched its first companion site in beta back in May: Gambit, a free online poker website where players can learn the game without risking any real money. Now Gambit's ready to really get the ball rolling with its first livestreamed event and collaborations with content creators, and Chess.com is planning to branch out into even more games from here. Chess.com's chief growth officer, Albert Cheng, told The Verge the company chose poker for its first companion site because, like ches … Read the full story at The Verge.
China’s robots race ahead
Humanoid robot competes in the optional boxing routine event during the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games at National Speed Skating Oval on August 26, 2026 in Beijing, China. | Image: Getty Images This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on falling robots and the US-China AI race, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started I've admitted my fondness for robot fail videos on Stepback before, and let me tell you the World Humanoid Robot Games did not disappoint. The five-day event, which wrapped this week in Beijing, brought high drama, and brought it well. One robot, made by smartphone maker Honor, lost a leg mid-sprint, while others tripped in a flurry of sparks. Another finis … Read the full story at The Verge.
Two new small, powerful Macs
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 142, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, how is it almost September already, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been remembering Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and Peter Cullen, absorbing everything in Rockstar's big GTA VI preview, wondering if Apple will announce a foldable iPhone at its September event, getting sucked into Summoning Salt's latest speedrunning documentary about competitive Tetris, listening to Weird Al's new Tiny Desk concert ("The Saga Begins!"), and getting a Reuben from my favorite lo … Read the full story at The Verge.
The OpenAI/Hugging Face incident feels "more than 50%" of the way to a full-blown AI takeover and as AI advances rapidly we may not get another warning shot (Ajeya Cotra/Planned Obsolescence)
Ajeya Cotra / Planned Obsolescence: The OpenAI/Hugging Face incident feels “more than 50%” of the way to a full-blown AI takeover and as AI advances rapidly we may not get another warning shot — It's a major warning shot, and might be the last one we get — All opinions are my personal view, and don't represent my employer or fellow investigators.