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The AI industry’s race for profits is now existential

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Today on Decoder , let’s talk about the looming AI monetization cliff, and whether some of the biggest companies in the space can become real, profitable businesses before they careen right off it. My guest today is Hayden Field, who’s our senior AI reporter here at The Verge . She’s been keeping close tabs on both Anthropic and OpenAI, and how these two companies in particular tell us a whole lot about the AI industry in 2026.  You’ve certainly heard a version of the monetization cliff story before. The biggest AI firms are built off the back of hundreds of billions in capital investment, and they’re linked to even greater amounts of forward-looking investment in data center build-out, chips, and other infrastructure spend. At some point, the profits have to materialize, or the bubble pops. Maybe AGI arrives, maybe the economy crashes, who knows.  You’ve heard me ask some version of this question to scores of CEOs here on this show, and a majority of them have hinted towa...
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Amazon’s Starlink competitor Leo gets a new date

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An Amazon Leo terminal being installed. | Image: Amazon Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company's space-internet service Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) will " launch in mid-2026 ." I'm going to assume that means proper commercial availability since the company already announced the start of an " enterprise preview " at the end of 2025, when the service was supposed to originally launch. Unlike SpaceX's Starlink service, Amazon doesn't (yet) have its own fleet of rockets to regularly send Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit. That's meant hitching rides with a variety of launch partners, including SpaceX, until Jeff Bezos's own reusable New Glenn rocket is fully operational. Amazon has FCC ap … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/2w3glMi
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Spotify now lets you turn off all its videos

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The new controls apply to both individual and family accounts. | Image: Spotify Spotify is adding new toggles to stop any and all video from playing inside the app, for both music and podcasts. The controls are rolling out worldwide, work across all platforms and devices, and can be used by managers of Family Plans to limit video content for every member on the subscription. The new controls haven't arrived on my UK account or devices yet, but will appear under the "Content and display" settings on a phone, or the "Display" section on desktop. The existing toggle to disable Canvas clips - the short, looping, autoplay videos that Spotify added to the app in 2019 - is joined by a new toggle that disables access to music … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/dP3cJLs
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Amflow’s latest e-bikes raise the bar again

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150Nm of raw climbing assist. | Image: Amflow Amflow, the e-bike brand spun out of DJI, is back with two impressive electric mountain bike ranges built around its incredibly dense Avinox motors. The e-MTBs aim to break the traditional trade-off between power, range, and weight. The flagship Amflow PX (weighing around 20kg / 44lbs) and the Amflow PR (weighing around 22kg / 49lbs) are powered by Avinox's new M2S and M2 drive systems , delivering up to 1,500W of peak power and up to 150Nm of torque - enough to easily snap chains and shred gear teeth if not managed properly. The carbon fiber frames offer an impressive 40 potential geometric combinations, allowing riders to extensively tune … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/PgkyS1t
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The AI RAM shortage is also driving up SSD prices

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I thought the WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD in my gaming PC was pricey when I bought it for $173 in 2024, but now that same SSD costs $649 , more than what I paid for most of the parts in my PC combined. The price on my WD Black drive nearly quadrupled since November 2025, and consumer SSDs across the board are seeing similar increases, much like with RAM : The 4TB version of the popular Samsung 990 Pro SSD previously cost $320, but will now run you nearly $1,000. External SanDisk SSDs saw a 200 percent price hike at the Apple Store in March. Sony has announced that it's suspending orders for its SD and CFexpress cards. Modular PC brand … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/qiNmfop
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The Neo Effect: How Apple’s cheapest Mac is changing the PC game

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This thing is poised to eat their lunch. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The MacBook Neo is disrupting the laptop space and putting Apple into the conversation as a value option like it’s never been before. With a price starting at $599 (or $499 for students and teachers ), the colorful laptop’s A18 Pro chip may be stolen from older iPads and iPhones, but it offers more than enough performance for everyday tasks and web browsing. From the screen sharpness, trackpad/keyboard feel, and its aluminum build, everything else about it is in line with more expensive MacBooks. And that means PC makers have a hot new competitor to contend with and adapt to — one that they weren’t ready for . Here’s all the news and analysis of Apple’s Mac for the masses. A MacBook Neo heatsink mod dramatically improves its gaming performance. I’m testing the MacBook Neo’s competition. What do you want to know? A simple mod with a sliver of thermal pad boosts the MacBook Neo’s performance...
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Spotify’s Prompted Playlists can help you find new podcasts to listen to

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On Tuesday, Spotify expanded its Prompted Playlists feature to include podcasts , an update that could make it easier for Premium users to find new shows to listen to. Prompted Playlists were originally launched as a beta feature in December, but previously only worked for music. You can use the feature to effectively generate customized Discover Weekly playlists using text prompts to "steer the algorithm" toward specific genres or themes. Tuesday's update allows you to do the same thing with playlists of podcast episodes. The feature is still in beta, though, and is currently only available in English for Premium users in the U.S., Canada … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Gy9ZjpE
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