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Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses

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Meta's smart glasses have been a PR headache for the company. Public backlash has been swift, and fierce; people are concerned about the erosion of privacy and expansion of surveillance. Some especially bad actors are using the glasses to film themselves "pranking" random strangers . Women have become unsuspecting social media content for men filming themselves hitting on them without their knowledge. When your product is being referred to as "pervert glasses," you have a problem on your hands. On Thursday, Business Insider reported that Meta was taking the fairly extraordinary step of banning some content filmed with Meta glasses from the c … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/p69s3yw

DJI camera clone company Xtra is halting and refunding all preorders

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The Xtra Muse 2 Pro. | Image; Xtra After selling a barely disguised version of the hit DJI Osmo Pocket 3 in the United States last year, Xtra Technology seemed ready to sneak in its version of the new dual-lens Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, too. But today, Xtra has abruptly removed the new Xtra Muse 2 Pro from its website landing page, is pausing preorders indefinitely, and says it'll refund all the $20 deposits that it's already collected. Just days after showing off the camera at a Los Angeles launch event , the company is no longer necessarily committing to launch at all: "XTRA has not made a final announcement regarding future product availability. We have not announced a new produc … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/YlLBxUf

The Echo Show 21 is a great smart home hub that’s $80 off

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Echo Show's 21 attached to the adjustable stand, which is sold separately (and also discounted). | Image: Amazon Split between buying a smart calendar, a kitchen TV, a smart home hub, and a smart display? Amazon’s Echo Show 21 is all of those things in one, with a huge 21-inch screen. You can use it to control your smart lights, glance at recipes, watch TV shows, and more. Currently, Best Buy and Home Depot have the product on sale for $319.99 (usually $399.99), matching the lowest price we’ve seen to date. Amazon Echo Show 21 The Echo Show 21 can act as the centerpiece of any burgeoning smart home. The 1080p smart display is a Matter and Thread controller, meaning you can locally control compatible devices using voice commands or a range of widgets. Its built-in auto-framing camera also facilitates video calls. Plus, it has decent speakers for music and other features shared among Alexa displays. Where to Buy: $399.99 $319.99 at Best Buy $3...

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s war on the First Amendment

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As the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr has authority over the nation’s TV, radio, and internet. But since Donald Trump was elected to his second term, Carr has wielded that power to threaten broadcasters that have exercised their free speech rights to make jokes about the president. He was even able to get ABC to briefly pull Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night show. As The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel has said , Carr’s mission is to “trash the First Amendment.” We’ll be following closely as the FCC chairman attempts to erode Americans’ constitutional rights. Brendan Carr plans to let broadcast giants dominate the airwaves The bill that would let Jimmy Kimmel sue Brendan Carr is here Former FCC staffers agree: Brendan Carr needs to be stopped Brendan Carr’s war on wokeness targets inclusive children’s television Brendan Carr says ...

Patreon is laying off 20 percent of workers

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Patreon is laying off 20 percent of its workers, or around 93 employees, as reported earlier by 404 Media . In a memo to employees, Patreon CEO Jack Conte writes that the company isn't making these changes "because we believe AI replaces humans," but says AI has "fundamentally transformed the tech industry, including how we work, how we build products, how we communicate, and more." That shift has changed "how we operate and organize," Conte writes. During an interview on Decoder , last month , Conte laid out his stance on AI, saying that the company is "100 percent embracing" AI tools internally to continue serving creators: If Patreon doe … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/oit4mfq

Meta won’t have to face the next planned social media addiction trial

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Less than a week before Meta's lawyers were set to return to a Los Angeles courtroom , the plaintiff accusing the platform of inflicting harm dropped the case. Brought by 15-year-old Florida plaintiff going by initials R.K.C., the case was set to be the second in a set of bellwether trials meant to test legal arguments that social media giants allegedly broke the law by creating features that hooked and harmed teens. TikTok, Snap, and YouTube previously settled claims brought by R.K.C. for undisclosed amounts. "In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weekslong trial, he has elect … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/QnxU8Ct

Tesla’s revenues are bouncing back, but profits are still weak

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A Tesla Model 3 electric car is seen during the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on July 16, 2025. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP) (Photo by JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images After a dismal two years of weakening demand, falling sales, and damage to its brand by Elon Musk's political activities, Tesla's road to recovery continues apace. On the heels of an impressive delivery report , the company released its earnings for the second quarter of 2026 - giving us the latest glimpse at the EV company that Musk has said he wants to transform into a leader of AI and robotics. Despite that mission, Tesla remains a car company. And in the second quarter, it sold an impressive 480,126 vehicles, about a 25 percent increase compared to the second quarter of 2025. (For a direct-to-consumer company like Tesla, deliveries are … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/DCsnVdT