EU launches formal investigation of xAI over Grok’s sexualized deepfakes

The European probe comes after UK media regulator Ofcom opened a formal investigation into Grok, while Malaysia and Indonesia have banned the chatbot altogether. Following the backlash, xAI restricted the use of Grok to paying subscribers and said it has “implemented technological measures” to limit Grok from generating certain sexualized images. Musk has also said … Read more

As Marvel pivots back to the Avengers, Wonder Man goes its own way

When Marvel first announced that Avengers: Doomsday would be directed by the Russo Brothers and star Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, it seemed like the studio might be using the feature as a massive nostalgia play. Though the film will feature a number of characters from more recent projects like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic … Read more

Intel Panther Lake laptop CPU review: call it a comeback

Intel’s been talking the talk for months about its new generation of laptop chips, the first made on its long-anticipated 18A process. 18A is meant to steer Intel back toward bluer waters by making its chips better, and, if possible, attracting chip designers like Qualcomm and Nvidia to use Intel’s foundries, not just its rival … Read more

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) review: twice as nice — for a price

The most helpful thing you can add to any laptop for productivity is a second screen. That’s why I love laptops like the Asus Zenbook Duo. Its twin 14-inch OLED displays are attached by a redesigned hinge that now holds them closer together and on a single plane, for a more seamless look than previous … Read more

Nvidia’s new AI weather models probably saw this storm coming weeks ago

In the run-up to the winter storm currently pummeling much of the U.S., weather forecasts for some regions were all over the map, with snowfall predictions varying wildly.  Nvidia couldn’t have timed the release of its new Earth-2 weather forecasting models any better. Or, given how accurate the company claims the new models are, maybe … Read more

Microsoft’s first Windows 11 update of 2026 has been a mess

Microsoft’s first update for Windows 11 in 2026 has been a buggy mess, to say the least. After reports of shutdown issues on some machines, Microsoft issued an emergency update to fix its January 2026 Windows 11 update last weekend. Now, exactly a week later, the software maker has been forced to issue a second … Read more

TikTok broke in its first weekend with US ownership

TikTok has suffered from extensive problems on its first weekend after completing the sale of its US arm, though some issues appear to have spread globally. TikTok has yet to confirm any issues a day after troubles began, making it difficult to surmise the extent of the problems. Nevertheless, Tiktokkers — including some Verge writers … Read more

Synthesia hits $4B valuation, lets employees cash out

British startup Synthesia, whose AI platform helps companies create interactive training videos, has raised a $200 million Series E round of funding that brings its valuation to $4 billion — up from $2.1 billion just a year ago. Unlike some other AI startups that are still a long way from turning a profit, Synthesia has … Read more

This founder cracked firefighting — now he’s creating an AI gold mine

Sunny Sethi, founder of HEN Technologies, doesn’t sound like someone who’s disrupted an industry that has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s. His company builds fire nozzles – specifically, nozzles that it says increase suppression rates by up to 300% while conserving 67% of water. But Sethi is matter-of-fact about this achievement, more focused on … Read more