Social Media Instagram users have more control over their data than many realize. By adjusting a few privacy settings, you can prevent Meta from tracking your off-app behavior — such as websites you visit or purchases you make elsewhere — to build ad profiles and train its AI systems.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Policy & Regulation The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Andreessen Horowitz over board seat arrangements at startups, raising broader questions about whether antitrust scrutiny of venture capital firms could reshape how investors take governance roles across their portfolio companies.
Source: TechCrunch 8/22/2026
Mobile Apple's trade-in program accepts iPhones going back further than most users realize, meaning even that dusty old handset sitting in a drawer could still hold monetary value. Older devices may yield modest credit, but any amount can offset the cost of upgrading to a current model.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Policy & Regulation OpenAI is urging California lawmakers to toughen the state's existing AI oversight legislation, known as SB 53, arguing that current provisions don't go far enough to protect the public from potential harms posed by increasingly powerful AI systems.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
AI Inherent, a UK-based AI startup founded by former DeepMind researchers, has launched an AI agent called Faraday that reportedly surpasses offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI in its ability to accurately reproduce the findings and methodologies of published scientific research papers.
Source: TechCrunch 8/22/2026
Gadgets Dedicated digital cameras remain a worthwhile investment heading into 2026, but they demand both financial commitment and a willingness to learn. Smartphone cameras have narrowed the gap significantly, yet standalone cameras still deliver superior image quality, creative control, and versatility for photographers ready to put in the effort.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Gaming Nintendo Switch Online remains a debated subscription in 2026, offering multiplayer access and retro game libraries alongside perks like cloud saves. Whether it's genuinely worthwhile depends heavily on how often you play online and how much value you place on its growing but imperfect catalog of classic titles.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Policy & Regulation Uber faces an €824.9 million (~$900 million) fine from Dutch data protection regulators for breaching Europe's GDPR rules by automatically suspending drivers without proper legal justification or transparency — one of the largest privacy penalties ever levied against a gig-economy company.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Entertainment Musical Spirograph is a free browser tool that merges the classic geometric drawing toy with generative music. Moving points trace mathematical curves across the screen, triggering musical notes as they pass through concentric rings — creating a mesmerizing, ever-changing audio-visual experience anyone can customize.
Source: The Verge 8/22/2026
Policy & Regulation In a notable reversal, OpenAI is now urging California lawmakers to make AI safety bill SB 53 more robust — a measure the company had previously fought against. The shift signals a changing stance from one of the world's most influential AI developers on state-level oversight.
Source: TechCrunch 8/22/2026
Gaming Shoppers hunting for a secondhand Nintendo GameCube should do their homework first, as not every unit supports the full game library. A commonly overlooked hardware variation can lock certain buyers out of specific titles, making it essential to inspect any used console carefully before purchasing.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Energy & Climate American battery startups are finding an unexpected financial anchor in defense-related funding, with roughly $500 million in Department of Energy grants helping the sector stay afloat after federal electric vehicle incentives were significantly reduced, threatening the industry's earlier growth momentum.
Source: TechCrunch 8/22/2026
Entertainment Emmy-winning comedian and documentarian W. Kamau Bell, known for projects like United Shades of America and We Need to Talk About Cosby, shared his go-to everyday tool with The Verge — and the pick is surprisingly down-to-earth, reflecting his no-frills, practical sensibility.
Source: The Verge 8/22/2026
Entertainment Streaming Netflix at full 4K Ultra HD resolution on Google Chrome requires meeting specific hardware and software conditions. Understanding these requirements is increasingly relevant as more viewers shift to browser-based streaming rather than dedicated apps, making setup knowledge essential for the best picture quality.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Mobile Google's latest flagship, the Pixel 11 Pro XL, delivers faster camera performance and a handful of practical AI tools, but the overall package represents only a modest step forward — likely insufficient to convince owners of recent Pixel models to upgrade their devices.
Source: TechCrunch 8/22/2026
Smart Home Amazon has sharply raised prices across its Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, and Eero device lines, with some entry-level products costing up to 60 percent more than before. The company attributed the increases to rising costs for memory and storage components, squeezing budget-conscious buyers the hardest.
Source: The Verge 8/22/2026
Gadgets HP's budget OmniBook 3 stands out in a crowded low-cost laptop market by offering 16GB of RAM at around $520 — a meaningful advantage at a time when even premium machines like the $950 Surface Laptop ship with a stingy 8GB as standard.
Source: The Verge 8/22/2026
Gaming A fresh batch of indie games is drawing attention, including new downloadable content for the gothic roguelike Darkest Dungeon, a quirky shooter channeling BioShock vibes but populated with clowns, a Mac version of the music-driven game Mixtape, and several other creative oddities worth exploring.
Source: Engadget 8/22/2026
Tech The Verge's Installer newsletter returns for its 141st edition, with editor David Pierce sharing his current obsessions — from ergonomic Switch 2 accessories and an upcoming e-bike purchase to Stephen King's Dark Tower series and oddities in Fortnite's newest season.
Source: The Verge 8/22/2026
Science Scientists have discovered that inducing a hibernation-like state in mice dramatically reduces the number of neural connections in their brains. Surprisingly, despite this significant synaptic pruning, the animals appear to retain previously formed memories, raising fascinating questions about how memory is actually stored and maintained in the brain.
Source: Ars Technica 8/22/2026