News from Ars Technica

Starlink tries to block Virginia’s plan to bring fiber Internet to residents

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Jon Brodkin @ Ars Technica 3 place · 08/14/2025 16:32 EDT

SpaceX wants more money, asks Trump admin to reject state's broadband grant plan. Read more ›

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Google releases pint-size Gemma open AI model

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Ryan Whitwam @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 16:04 EDT

The new Gemma model is a fraction of the size of most new models. Read more ›

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Meta backtracks on rules letting chatbots be creepy to kids

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Ashley Belanger @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 12:31 EDT

Meta drops AI rules letting chatbots generate innuendo and profess love to kids. Read more ›

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Incan numerical recordkeeping system may have been widely used

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Kiona N. Smith @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 12:10 EDT

The Inca Empire hung by a thread—literally. Read more ›

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Ice discs slingshot across a metal surface all on their own

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Jennifer Ouellette @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 11:44 EDT

VA Tech experiment was inspired by Death Valley's mysterious "sailing stones" at Racetrack Playa. Read more ›

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Misunderstood “photophoresis” effect could loft metal sheets to exosphere

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John Timmer @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 11:28 EDT

Photophoresis can generate a tiny bit of lift without any moving parts. Read more ›

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Apple Watch gets reformulated, non-patent-infringing blood oxygen monitoring

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Andrew Cunningham @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 10:44 EDT

Feature had been removed from US Apple Watches after Apple lost a patent fight. Read more ›

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Upcoming DeepSeek AI model failed to train using Huawei’s chips

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Eleanor Olcott and Zijing Wu, Financial Times @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 09:16 EDT

Startup encountered persistent technical issues using Huawei Ascend chips. Read more ›

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Sam Altman finally stood up to Elon Musk after years of X trolling

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Ashley Belanger @ Ars Technica · 08/14/2025 07:00 EDT

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are beefing. But their relationship is complicated. Read more ›

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Trump orders cull of regulations governing commercial rocket launches

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Stephen Clark @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 20:45 EDT

The head of the FAA's commercial spaceflight division will become a political appointee. Read more ›

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Report: Apple’s smart home ambitions include “tabletop robot,” cameras, and more

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Andrew Cunningham @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 17:38 EDT

Apple has purportedly been working on new smart home devices for years now. Read more ›

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Is AI really trying to escape human control and blackmail people?

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Benj Edwards @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 16:28 EDT

Opinion: Theatrical testing scenarios explain why AI models produce alarming outputs—and why we fall for it. Read more ›

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Polestar sets production car record for longest drive on a single charge

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Jonathan M. Gitlin @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 14:51 EDT

581 miles on a single charge is impressive, but haven't other drives gone farther? Read more ›

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Google Gemini will now learn from your chats—unless you tell it not to

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Ryan Whitwam @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 14:40 EDT

Gemini will remember this, so it's time to check your privacy settings. Read more ›

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After first operational launch, here’s the next big test for ULA’s Vulcan rocket

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Stephen Clark @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 13:45 EDT

This launch was a big success, but it doesn't necessarily quash anxieties about ULA's ability to deliver. Read more ›

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The case for commuting by motorcycle

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Kyle Hyatt @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 13:36 EDT

Despite the reputation, it's better, more practical transit than you might think. Read more ›

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Drag x Drive is a uniquely fun and frustrating showcase for Switch 2 mouse mode

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Kyle Orland @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 12:58 EDT

Dual mouse controls work surprisingly well—if you find somewhere to use them. Read more ›

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Bat colony checks in to hotel; 200 guests check out, unaware of rabies scare

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Beth Mole @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 12:35 EDT

The risk is likely low for most, but rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal. Read more ›

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Study: Social media probably can’t be fixed

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Jennifer Ouellette @ Ars Technica 2 place · 08/13/2025 10:32 EDT

"The [structural] mechanism producing these problematic outcomes is really robust and hard to resolve." Read more ›

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OpenAI brings back GPT-4o after user revolt

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Benj Edwards @ Ars Technica · 08/13/2025 10:08 EDT

After unpopular GPT-5 launch, OpenAI begins restoring optional access to previous AI models. Read more ›

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