Vol. I · No. 115WED, AUG 12, 2026
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Google built a great smart speaker, but Gemini isn’t ready for it

The Google Home Speaker is Google’s first smart speaker in years. And it’s pretty! | Photo: Jennifer Patison Tuohy / The Verge Smart speakers have spent the past few years searching for a compelling second act. Beyond music, timers, and controlling your lights, they've struggled to justify taking up space on the kitchen counter. AI promised to change that. Amazon debuted its new hardware powered by a revamped Alexa last fall, and now it's finally Google's turn. The Google Home Speaker is the company's first new smart speaker in six years and its first "built for Gemini." After years of neglec...

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Anthropic’s long-sidelined Fable 5 is greenlit to return

After weeks of negotiating with the Trump administration, Anthropic is finally going to be able to bring Claude Fable 5 back online. In a post on X, Anthropic said it plans to begin restoring access tomorrow. Anthropic: We've received notice that the Department of Commerce has lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5. We'll begin restoring access tomorrow, and will share an update soon. We're grateful to our users for their patience, and to everyone who worked with us on redeploying the models. In early June, Anthropic sidelined Fable 5 - its consumer-facing model built the same ...

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30 stories