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Save up to 20 percent on gift cards for REI, Barnes & Noble, and more

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While we cover a lot of deals on specific products, it’s rare that we find worthwhile savings on gift cards that let you save on essentially anything the store sells. However, until October 19th, you can save up to twenty percent on gift cards when you buy them through the Google Play store . There are a variety of discounts and retailers available, including 20 percent off $50 at Barnes and Noble , 20 percent off $100 at REI , and 10 percent off $100 at GameStop . You don’t need an Android phone or tablet to save, but you’ll need to sign up for a Google Play account if you don’t have one already. In addition to the gift cards, Google is offering discounts on subscriptions like Calm and DuoLingo , as well as bonuses on in-app purchases in games like Pokémon Go and PUBG Mobile . from The Verge https://ift.tt/w6MeLvF

Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires Doug Field as president

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Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics announced the appointment of Doug Field as president in a major coup for the EV company's secretive robotics startup. Field was a VP of special projects at Apple, where he was the de facto head of the company's ultimately unsuccessful Project Titan effort to make an autonomous electric car. He had a previous stint at Apple as VP of Mac hardware engineering, but he left the company in 2013 to become Tesla's chief vehicle engineer, where he helped oversee the Model 3 sedan . He left Tesla in 2018 and rejoined Apple . In 2021, Field was hired by Ford to run the automaker's electric vehicle and software division, a p … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/82mbYWq

All the news from Apple’s ‘Welcome Home’ event

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Apple’s October 13th launch event — given the tagline “Welcome Home” — is all about its efforts for the smart home. The event was headlined by the debut of the HomeView, Apple’s first smart home display. It also launched a collection of smart home devices, including cameras, thermostats, and a smart lock, in partnership with other companies. On top of the new device categories, Apple also refreshed two familiar ones. The HomePod Mini 2 was announced with support for Siri AI, and the Apple TV 4K also received a Siri AI-focused refresh. You can follow along with all of our coverage right here. Watch Apple’s reveal video for the HomeView The new Apple TV 4K has built-in microphones so you can talk to Siri AI Apple announces the HomePod Mini 2, but it isn’t ready for Siri AI at launch The new Apple Home Collection includes a video doorbell, smart lock, and more A...

Character.AI files for bankruptcy

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Character.AI, one of the first breakout startups of the generative AI boom, has filed for bankruptcy and is selling some of its assets to Disney. The company, which builds various online bots for users to chat or roleplay with, has faced mounting scrutiny and lawsuits over the safety of its chatbots , but has continued releasing updates and products in recent months. In a press release and blog post published Monday, Character said it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US to facilitate the sale of the company and its assets. "Over the past year, we've taken meaningful steps to sustain and improve our business amid signific … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/oOdXJQU

The Social Reckoning is flopping at the box office

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As important as some of the messages in The Social Reckoning are, the movie has been drastically underperforming at the box office. Per Variety , Aaron's Sorkin's follow up to The Social Network only grossed a measly $5.5 million this past weekend against a budget that's somewhere within the $30-42 million range. That would make it a certifiable flop that's costing Columbia Pictures (and Sony) quite a bit of money - especially when you compare it to The Social Network 's $22 million opening. This isn't entirely surprising given how middling reviews for the film have been. It's currently got a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has widely been … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/P1YVQbz

Inside the mini factory where GM builds its EV future

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If you're driving through GM's sprawling campus in Warren, Michigan, you'd likely ignore the pair of adjacent, anonymous white buildings tucked away in the upper reaches of the 710-acre space. Inside those buildings, which total half a million square feet together, is a massive construction project that's still in progress. Once completed, it will house GM's new Battery Cell Development Center, where the automaker is working furiously to build new prototype cells with the goal of slashing the cost of its EVs. GM has to build faster and cheaper to meet its goal of selling affordable EVs in much higher volumes. Those EVs will have to compete … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/TJkSyqG

A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contact and it refused

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BOULDER, CO - MARCH 5:A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera is seen near the intersection of Marine Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images In April of 2025, Elgin Community College had six Flock safety cameras installed to "enhance the safety and security of students." But by September of that year, the school's administration grew concerned that Flock was sharing data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were not properly secured, and that both law enforcement and the company's employees were abusing access to the data. So in October of 2025, Elgin Community College requested Flock to remove its cameras . According to Elgin's President Peggy Heinrich, Flock rejected the request, saying it had not violated its contract. According to the Chicago Sun-Times , school o … R...