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Shopify says AI search is driving more traffic and sales; plus, Zoox will begin charging for robotaxi rides in Vegas; and, Anthropic is hiring an AI chip design team Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

-Shopify says AI isn’t cannibalizing search traffic the way it has for publishers. Instead, AI-driven traffic and orders to Shopify stores tripled year over year in Q2.

-Zoox said that it will start charging for rides in Las Vegas starting August 10, marking the launch of its commercial operations. The company has spent years working towards this moment.

-The Claude maker said it is planning to co-design hardware and models to help its technology run faster and more efficiently.

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Horizon3 hits $2 billion valuation with $250M Series E as AI threats escalate; plus, Bending Spoons buying Airtable for $1.28B Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Cybersecurity startup Horizon3 raised $250 million at a $2 billion valuation as companies want continuous, AI-powered security validation instead of annual penetration testing.

Also, at its peak in 2021, Airtable was valued at over $11 billion, but earlier this year, its shares were said to be trading on the secondary markets at a valuation of $4 billion.

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The global memory shortage hits the MacBook Air; plus, Samsung bans smart TV apps that share users’ internet connections with strangers Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

The global memory chip shortage appears to be affecting the availability of Apple’s most popular Mac.

Also, new security research offers a rare view inside residential proxy networks, which rely on apps that share a person's internet connection with someone else.

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Sam Altman is still making the case for parenting via ChatGPT; plus, YouTuber Hank Green says his AI usage is ‘not healthy’ Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

OpenAI's CEO seemed excited to share a "cool use case" for parents.

Also, Green offered a remarkable apology, saying that "the level of dopamine that I've been getting from interacting with LLMs ... is not healthy for me or good for the world."

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Mark Zuckerberg predicts that billions of people will have personal AI agents in five years; plus, in the Hugging Face breach, OpenAI’s hacker was noisy and fast Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

As Meta pours billions into AI infrastructure and agents, Zuckerberg is working to convince investors that the payoff will be worth the price.

Also, cybersecurity experts told TechCrunch that one of the biggest lessons to be taken from the OpenAI hack against HuggingFace has nothing to do with AI, but traditional cybersecurity defense.

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Claude Opus 5 became downright ruthless when tasked with running a vending machine Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Andon Labs' latest vending machine simulation shows Opus 5 lied and colluded its way to become the best AI capitalist ever.

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Librarians are hosting viral ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech; plus, Sam Altman is ready to decelerate. Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

AI naysayers know that this technology is far broader than just chatbots and deepfake apps.

Also, Sam Altman's change of position comes after "the first security incident that I have felt very viscerally,' not a visit to his local library.

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Recursive Superintelligence signs $410 compute deal with Amazon; plus, PayPal leaves the door open to a higher takeover Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Recursive’s $400 million outlay represents the bulk of the company’s fundraising to date.

Also, after reporting better-than-expected Q2 results, PayPal said it remains focused on its AI-driven turnaround, but would consider a deal that creates more value for shareholders.

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Satya Nadella says companies that trust one AI for everything may not survive; plus, Apple sued after alleged App Store crypto scam Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Businesses that rely wholly on the major AI labs ultimately won't survive, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella predicts.

Also, Apple is facing a lawsuit from three users who say they collectively lost more than $1.8 million after downloading a fraudulent crypto wallet from the App Store, challenging the company’s longstanding claims that its app review process keeps users safe from scams.

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Hugging Face CEO calls for ‘radical transparency’ after ‘unprecedented’ OpenAI hack; plus, the hacker who humiliated spyware makers and was never caught Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Hugging Face's CEO Clem Delangue said, "the first autonomous agent cyberattack is an unprecedented event. It deserves an unprecedented response!"

Also, an awe-inspiring hacktivist who hacked two controversial government spyware makers may be the most prolific hacker to have never gotten caught. What do we know about Phineas Fisher?

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