Timef 08/12/2025

Anthropic’s escalation – a response to OpenAI’s attempt to undercut the competition – is a strategic play meant to broaden the company’s foothold in federal AI usage. 

Memes shared by the White House, DHS, and ICE have used catchy TikTok tunes to normalize mass deportation and Christian nationalist narratives. Experts say that's the point.

Startup Character.AI once promised superintelligence. Its new CEO says it's now an entertainment company with 20 million users.

Cassette's new iOS app turns your saved videos into retro, VHS-style home movies.

As more solid rocket motor suppliers are coming online, a supply chain chokepoint looms.

Google will let you define the top sources to get more stories from those sites.

Self-driving truck maker Waabi has hired autonomous vehicle industry veteran and Uber Freight CEO, Lior Ron, to step in as chief operating officer, as the startup looks to scale its commercial operations ahead of its planned launch of driverless trucks on public highways later this year.

As of Aug. 12, get $50 off the Soundcore Boom 2 speaker at Amazon.

The Bluetti Apex 300 with two 350W solar panels and two expandable batteries is on sale at Amazon for $4,699, down from the list price of $6,199. That's a 24% discount.

On Aug. 23 and 24, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" fans can head to theaters to sing along to the movie's biggest hits. Tickets go on sale Aug. 13.

Fake captchas have evolved into full-blown malware launchpads, thanks to a sneaky new method called ClickFix. It copies commands to your clipboard and tricks you into running them, without ever downloading a file.

With home security cameras and smart doorbells, video storage is crucial. But do you go cloud or local? We compare the options.

Members have espoused racist and antisemitic views and repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. They've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and their movement is growing.

As of Aug. 11, the Shark Glam multi-styler is on the market, but we feel like we've seen this hair tool before. Here's what's actually new about it.

Epic Games has just secured a win in its crusade against Apple and Google's app store policies: The Federal Court of Australia on Tuesday ruled that Apple and Google's engaged in anti-competitive conduct when it came to their respective app stores, ABC News reported.

Nvidia's research lab developed the technology that took the company from a video game GPU startup to a $4 trillion-dollar company.

Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found.

Your kid's little lunch hauler takes a brutal beating every day. These are the ones our own kids have tried and loved.

Nicole Byer has responded to Trump deploying the National Guard in Washington D.C. during her first episode guest hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Following mysterious posts, Taylor Swift announced her new album "The Life of a Showgirl" on Travis Kelce's "New Heights" podcast.

Seth Harp’s new book, The Fort Bragg Cartel, goes deep into the forming of the Joint Special Operations Command and its origins in the aftermath of 9/11.

Not all curls are made—or behave—equally. Knowing your curl type will help you figure out the best products and tools to help style your hair.

Halfway to its 2030 net-zero goal, Apple faces slow and hold-out suppliers, a tariffs scramble, and an AI race that could profoundly impact eco-friendly ambitions.

As of Aug. 12, the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M3, 256GB) is $749 at Amazon — $150 off its regular $899 price.

As of Aug. 12, the 11-inch Apple iPad Air (M3, 128 GB, Blue) is $449 at Amazon — $150 off its regular $599 price.

As of Aug. 12, the 13-inch Apple iPad Pro (M4, 256GB) is $1,099 at Amazon — $200 off the usual $1,299 price.

Instagram's new Friend Map feature has sparked some privacy misconceptions.

While everyone else has been talking about Nvidia’s GPUs, Lisa Su has discreetly turned AMD into a chipmaking phenom. And as the US-China tech war rages, she’s at the center of it all.

Seth Meyers broke down Trump's recent press conference on crime in Washington D.C.

The The Apple iPad 11-inch is back under $300 at Amazon — save $50 for a limited time

Beats’ resurrected Bluetooth speaker makes for a compelling purchase, but Sony’s new mid-range competitor warrants the same consideration.

The DJI Mini 4K drone is available to purchase for $299 on Amazon.

Decades ago, designers etched microscopic doodles onto silicon chips to leave their marks. Now, techno-archaeologists search for the tiny fossils.

Decades ago, designers etched microscopic doodles onto silicon chips to leave their marks. Now, techno-archaeologists search for the tiny fossils.

A study of plastic bottles washed up on the Pacific coast of Latin America has identified a double problem—a mass of local waste combined with long-traveling bottles from Asia.

Identify 33,000+ plants in 3 seconds and get lifetime care tips with Plantum Premium for iOS — just $14.97 with code SAVE5.

The Clicks Keyboard Phone Case for iPhone adds a QWERTY keyboard to iPhones, and it's now only $99.

How to get free books on Stuff Your Kindle Day. Download free historical fiction and contemporary books on the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day.

Get lifetime ad-free streaming of 4,000+ documentaries on MagellanTV for just $149.97 (MSRP: $999), with fresh content added weekly.

Get lifetime access to SpeakBreez AI Voiceover Generator—800+ ultra-realistic voices in 120+ languages with higher character limits and faster rendering for less.

Save 23% on the Apple AirPods 4 at Amazon.

Save 32% on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at Amazon.

Save 30% on the Apple iPad 10th Gen at Amazon.

Reddit will block the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine from saving posts so that the data can't be used to train AI for free.

Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the puzzle.

Answers to each clue for the August 12, 2025 edition of NYT's The Mini crossword puzzle.

Introduce little ones to screen time with the gentle, low-stimulation app, Pok Pok, now £36

Enjoy serious data security at an affordable price with a lifetime subscription to the Internxt Cloud Storage 10TB plan for A$538.

Ultraviolette aims to expand its electric motorcycles to 40 European countries, as well as Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.

See the moon phase expected for August 12, 2025 as well as when the next full moon is expected.

Find the best free online courses from MIT.

Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.

The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.

Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1515 on August 12 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.

Pronto has raised $11 million in an all-equity Series A round co-led by General Catalyst and Glade Brook Capital at a post-money valuation of $45 million.

Find out how to watch "Jurassic World: Rebirth" at home, including when and where it will be streaming.

Most organizations say they aren’t fully prepared to use generative AI in a safe and responsible way, according to a recent McKinsey report. One concern is explainability – understanding how and why AI makes certain decisions. While 40% of respondents view it as a significant risk, only 17% are actively addressing it, per the report. […]

This marks the first investment for Slow’s $60 million Creator Fund since its launch in February. The fund looks to help creators launch businesses, under the belief that what made them successful influencers is what can also make them a good founder. 

Just days after calling for the resignation of Intel chief, Lip-Bu Tan, over his ties to China, Mr. Trump changed his tune.

With President Trump on their side, U.S. technology companies now have more leverage in Brazil, where they seek to influence new rules policing their platforms.

The new developer beta release, iOS 26 beta 6, adds new ringtones, faster app launches, and fixes the Camera swipe direction issues.

Grok 4, xAI's latest chatbot model, is free for all users for a limited time and with no usage limits.

After nearly 15 years, Manish Chandra will transition to being a member of the board of directors. Namsun Kim, who has served as executive chairman since April, has been appointed as his successor.

"Alien: Earth" teamed up with Black Tap to create an "Alien: Earth" tie-in burger, and the eating experience was downright fun.

GPT-5 was touted as a major upgrade to ChatGPT. Not all users think that’s the case, posting threads like “Kill 4o isn’t innovation, it’s erasure,” on Reddit.

A global law enforcement coalition targeted the infrastructure of the group behind the Royal and BlackSuit ransomware strains, allegedly responsible for extorting victims out of $370 million since 2022.

Gamescom 2025: What to expect, how to livestream

Founders today have more capital paths than ever. But how do you navigate them — and know which one actually supports your growth?

On this episode of Uncanny Valley, we discuss the week's news, from bitcoin miners trying to beat Trump's tariffs to OpenAI's new deal with the US government.

A new TikTok trend inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 'Hamilton' has users reenacting a scene from 'Best of Wives and Best of Women.'

New Perplexity-based Truth Search AI is selectively sourcing its answers, but not even that can keep it from contradicting the President.

Creator Ashby has suddenly taken TikTok by storm, dressing up as Hamilton and the Lorax in hilarious livestreams.

Ocean debuts an email app for Gmail users with triage tools, a task manager and more.

Google is hosting its Pixel 10 event next week. Learn how to watch the tech giant reveal its new mobile devices and what else you can expect.

The money is on the table again, but with fewer requirements for proving out safety, environmental impacts, and inclusion of minority- and women-owned businesses.

The money is on the table again, but with fewer requirements for proving out safety, environmental impacts, and inclusion of minority- and women-owned businesses.

The Fitbit Versa 4 is on sale at Amazon for just $149.95, which is 25% off its list price and $30 cheaper than last week.

A new affordable MacBook Air powered by an iPhone chip could be priced as low as $599, according to a new report.

Should you buy the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro? We're not so sure, especially since there's an OLED model on the horizon.

Looking for the best Apple deals this week? Right now, you can get a 11- or 13-inch iPad Air for $150 off and pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.

Pixel Buds 2a leak reveals refreshed design

The move comes as GitHub is facing growing competition from companies like Google and Cursor over AI tools for programmers.

From a new slim iPhone Air model to redesigned AirPods, here's what to expect from this year's Apple event.

Okay, but is vibe coding, really? Understand this radical new form of software development and the best AI vibe coding tools to try right away.

As of Aug. 11, you can get the Roku Streambar SE for $79, down from $99.99, at Amazon. That's a 21% discount and a $20.99 savings.

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.

Soon after the launch of first-person shooter Battlefield 6, cheaters flooded the games, forcing Electronic Arts to respond.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 portable Bluetooth speaker is on sale at Amazon for $59.99, down from the list price of $99.99. That's a 40% discount.

The 75-inch TCL QM6K Mini LED TV from 2025 is on sale for just $797.99 at Amazon — 20% off its usual list price.

Even more leaks show off the Pixel 10 colorways, ahead of the Made By Google event. There's plenty to offer for Pixel fans beyond your boring metallic gray and black.

Netflix's "Haunted Hotel" was created by "Rick and Morty" writer Matt Roller. Dan Harmon executive produces.

As of Aug. 11, you can get the Roborock Qrevo S5V robot vacuum and mop combo for $549.99, down from $899.99, at Amazon.

The 43-inch Sony Class 4K Ultra HD Bravia 3 TV is on sale at Amazon for $448, down from the list price of $499.99. That's a 10% discount.

The Ninja Swirl, an at-home soft serve maker, is getting a rare $50 discount at Amazon as of Aug. 11.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is down to a new best-ever price of $1,349.99 at Amazon. That's 21% in savings.