Why an AI company cleaned my New York City apartment for free
An AI company is sending free cleaners door-to-door in a bid to train the robots it hopes one day will replace them.








An AI company is sending free cleaners door-to-door in a bid to train the robots it hopes one day will replace them.
If we are witnessing a profound shift in the online space, how will it reshape our relationship with it? Technology and AI editor Zoe Kleinman writes.
Atlantic reporter Alex Reisner recently uncovered four datasets of music being used to train AI models and made them fully searchable for the public. Two of the sets are absolutely enormous at 12 million and 9 million tracks. The other two are much smaller, but still represent a…
Indulging in the “Dark Souls of synthesis.” | Image: Aleksander Stojanov / Hainbach Stefan Paul Goetsch, better known as Hainbach, is a German experimental composer, artist, and YouTuber who is perhaps most famous for making music with laboratory equipment and scientific…
From its opening minutes, Moves of the Diamond Hand is upfront about what it offers: You're going to have a lot of strange conversations, and you're going to roll a lot of dice. Get on board with this proposition, and the reward is one of the most creative roleplaying games I've…
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 133, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, happy belated Juneteenth, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about Sam…
Tests of age-verification technology show the risks of life-altering errors.
Exclusive: While recruits will increase headcount for now, broader adoption of AI could lead to jobs cuts in future Lloyds Banking Group has launched an AI recruitment drive for 300 tech experts, weeks before its chief executive, Charlie Nunn, unveils a strategic plan for the…
Literary magazine will no longer engage in ‘external publishing partnerships’ after Commonwealth prize furore The prominent literary magazine Granta will no longer publish the winning entries of the annual Commonwealth short story prize after one of this year’s winners drew…
I’m a fan. I can't remember the last time I got excited about a fan. Normally, I just buy whatever Vornado or Dreo model fits my budget, but that was before I started testing the battery-powered Standing Circulator Fan from SwitchBot. As the name indicates, the SwitchBot fan is…
Twenty years ago I briefly became the victim of a viral pile-on – all because of a silly YouTube video. But I’m glad I had the chance to embarrass myself and move on. Are today’s teens so fortunate? As a teenager, I went kind of viral – and the most amazing thing about that is…
Apart from effort to electrify, there were geopolitical tensions around climate science and the 1.5C goal at pre-Cop31 climate talks Electrifying the world – with electric vehicles, electric heating and cooling, and modernised heavy industry – could be the next biggest step…
The Nex Playground will cost £269 (€319) when it is released on 22 June in the UK and Ireland.
Nothing's next budget phone is the latest victim of RAMageddon. As 9to5Google reports, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis announced in a post on X that a follow-up to the CMF Phone 2 Pro won't be coming this year: We were working on a successor but with memory prices where they…
Edwards has been the boss of the data watchdog since January 2022, and said he had made inappropriate attempts at humour.
Relativity Space’s CEO is former Google executive Eric Schmidt. | Image: Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images Relativity Space, the rocket company led by former Google executive Eric Schmidt, was picked to launch NASA's Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028, as reported earlier by…
The new Wired Wall Switch Modules fit behind existing switches. | Image: Signify Smart lighting company Philips Hue has launched its first wired wall modules. Installed behind existing wall switches, the new devices bring non-smart lights into the Hue ecosystem for the first…
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa showcases 15 AI startups at Nairobi Demo Day The Eastleigh Voice
Have I found my Chromecast Audio replacement? | Image: NTS Radio NTS Radio and Swedish audio company Atonemo have teamed up on a dedicated player that brings NTS's genre-defying mixes and streaming stations to almost any stereo or speaker setup. And, like Atonemo's existing…
TLcom’s $70 Million Pan-African Tech Fund Ignites Startup Momentum Africa.com
Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Artificial, has reportedly been dropped by Amazon MGM. The film, which stars Andrew Garfield and covers the rollercoaster five days in 2023 spanning Altman's termination and reinstatement as CEO, had been in the works for about…
Want to prolong the life of your TV? A wireless TV box could be the answer. Our expert put top devices – from Freely streamers to Sky and Amazon Fire – through their paces • Do you really need a new TV? Simple ways to upgrade your current setup TV is changing – and so is the way…
A French launch startup is scrapping the name of its rocket, apparently due to a trademark issue.
Age verification means that the sector’s biggest players will now have access to information that will only make them richer and more powerful This week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on…
Rockstar's sixth game in the franchise is set to be the biggest game release of the year.
Researchers say these coral strongholds may help repopulate more degraded reefs.
Depending on AI can also potentially decrease the ability to discern misinformation, research says A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest research to find that relying too much on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, and potentially…
When a company decided to shut down an online game’s servers, there wasn’t much the players who had bought that title could do – until a group called Stop Killing Games began lobbying for new consumer protection laws You can never be sure how long an online video game will last.…
Investigation: The entrepreneur was once the toast of London’s tech scene, a ‘global leader of tomorrow’ who starred on Dragons’ Den and promised untold riches for the startups she championed. But people she worked with in the last decade, from Malta to Switzerland, describe a…
Exclusive: Telegram urged to clarify how it detects illegal incitement after attacks were coordinated using app Telegram is facing questions from Ofcom over how it detects and prevents illegal incitement after a Ukrainian man was found guilty of carrying out arson attacks on a…
"I consider this a success already, just from the fact that we're even going to try this."
Wealth tax criticized by billionaires and Gavin Newsom would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents worth over $1bn A popular proposal in California to impose a wealth tax on billionaires has gained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in November, state officials announced…
Crypto Clipper spreads over USB and communicates over Tor.
In February, a Trump official refused to review the vaccine.
Taiwan's drone spending plans for defense could also boost business overseas.
"We are reassigning most affected employees across existing opportunities and programs."
A new system service will roll out this month ahead of big changes starting in September.
The vulnerability, disclosed 12 months ago, affects multiple manufacturers.
It's unclear whether the system is currently intact.
Exclusive: Richard Hermer’s office understood to be first in government to restrict use after recent riots The attorney general for England and Wales has told his office to no longer post on X, making it the first UK government department to stop using the Elon Musk-owned…
One previously unreported SpaceX investor has ties to Chinese military contractors.
Biggest AI firms will likely recoil at Bernie Sanders' AI wealth fund.
We can't blame the Neolithic Transition for the plague anymore.
Two expeditions, two spacewalks, 322 days in space.
The developer has said pre-sales of the hugely anticipated game will begin on 25 June.
PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, PC; Team Asano/Square Enix Upbeat, charmingly retro RPG full of treasure-hunting, temple-roaming, monster-slaying and princess-saving is an absolute blast to play You can’t help but wonder if developer Team Asano is in a private…
Reform UK leader used private meeting at Bank of England to urge governor to drop plans for state-run cryptocurrency Nigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party. The Reform UK leader…
African startups showcase practical innovations at Viva Tech conference africanews.com
Peter Parker to Bruce Banner: "I didn't know you could get that big."
Equator VC Raises US$55mn to Finance African Climate Tech Startups The Kenyan Wallstreet
Maggot therapy lacks robust data, but it has fans and a fail-safe "bacon therapy."
L’Oréal Opens 2026 Big Bang Program to Beauty Tech Startups Across SAPMENA Tech In Africa
Elsewhere, beyond-classical quantum hardware, plus classical computing fires back.
FCC considers AT&T petitions to preempt state rules and discontinue phone service.
The affected include Oracle, Lenovo, FedEx, a NATO contractor, and Fortinet.
The Amazon founder, who now has robotics and space travel companies, thinks AI will create a labour shortage.
Forever running out of juice? Top up your battery-powered devices with our expert picks, from tiny smartphone chargers to super speedy models • The best iPhones: which Apple smartphone is right for you It’s disempowering when your smartphone, laptop or other important gadget…
Sundar Pichai, Jensen Huang and Jack Clark share their advice with the BBC.
After the billion-dollar company’s leaders sent staff a memo saying the brand had ‘over-extended’, game studios may be in the firing line Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here In March 2000, Bill Gates stood onstage at the Game Developers Conference in…
The augmented reality glasses from Snapchat's parent company are expected to ship in autumn.
Ten years ago, after complaining that traffic was ‘driving him nuts’, Musk’s Boring Company began building underground tunnels to ease congestion on the roads. Did he overpromise and underdeliver? It’s another blindingly bright day in Las Vegas but I’m 30ft underground and…
Unsafe AI systems are leading to cyber weapons of mass destruction Stuart Russell is a computer scientist known for his contributions to AI and a new Guardian US columnist The AI company Anthropic has been making major headlines recently. Its trillion-dollar IPO plan and its…
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S; EA Vancouver/Electronic Arts Micromanaging your fighter is a little tedious, but the action is thrilling in this authentically detailed sporting simulation Becoming a professional fighter takes years of repetition, drilling techniques and training…
The prompt that made ChatGPT generate disturbing images. What does this tell us about AI?
A sinister new tablet threatens the honest-to-goodness toys’ existence, but Buzz, Woody and Jessie’s big tech moral battle feels compromised The fifth episode of the Toy Story franchise is as slick and smooth as you like, as glitchless as Toy Story 6 or Toy Story 7 might be … or…
A ban is coming - but it's still not clear what it will mean for sites including Roblox, YouTube and WhatsApp.
NITDA, Tech Revolution Africa launch innovation pipeline for corporate-startup deals Business News Nigeria
The measures will see apps including TikTok and Snapchat banned for UK teens early in 2027.
Egyptian ed-tech startup eYouth expands to Syria with local startup partnership - Disrupt Africa
The world’s most successful gamer content creators, many of whom have spent their entire adult life on the platform, have met up at TwitchCon in Rotterdam Aimee Davies, better known as Aimsey to their fans, is 24 but looks much younger. Sitting in a bland meeting room above the…
Launch Africa returns first $2.5m to investors as African venture capital passes key liquidity test Business News Nigeria
Helium-3 is expensive and demand is forecast to soar, so some are planning to mine it on the moon.
The BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman on the big changes coming down the line for young people online.
Sites including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok will become inaccessible for millions of children, the prime minister has announced.
Open Startup Launches Pan-African Call for DeepTech and Tech Startups, Offering Investment Opportunities of Up to $50,000 Global South Opportunities
SA ed-tech startup Inclusive Solutions developing home-language learning tool for early years, foundation phase - Disrupt Africa
Join the Fuzé Portfolio: Early-Stage Investment for African Tech Startups - Up to €100,000 in Funding Global South Opportunities
Government announces plans to invest billions, but questions linger over how its proposals on chips, social media and more will work Ownership of the commanding heights of the AI economy is a political talking point around the world, as countries seek to assert some control of a…
Nor is the dreamy promise that this tech will unlock boundless potential and productivity Everything we hear about artificial intelligence is conflicting, and hearing about it feels inescapable. AI is terrible. AI is wonderful. It will break the world. It will transform the…
Looking for hands-free cleaning? We trialled the most powerful robot vacuums – some of which even mop your floors – to find the best • The best vacuum cleaners, tested Robot vacuum cleaners take the drudge work out of cleaning your floors and carpets. No more tiresome weekly…
While we do not outright oppose the taking of AI company stock, or of a US a sovereign wealth fund, there are better ways to achieve the senator’s goals Let no one accuse Bernie Sanders of ducking the big questions. Writing in the New York Times last week, the senator asked:…
Royal Court, London Teenage girls discuss the horrors they have seen via their phones as Georgie Dettmer’s reckoning with internet culture is brutally realised by director Jess Edwards Georgie Dettmer’s gaze is unflinching. Nothing is held back in Are You Watching?, her…
Ministers should end Palantir’s contract before medical confidentiality is sacrificed to Silicon Valley’s appetite for public data Alarm bells ought to have rung when it emerged last month that Palantir engineers could gain “unlimited access” to identifiable NHS patient data.…
Nothing does more for your ego than realising you can make a better decision than a bot with all of human knowledge at its digital fingertips I am not, by nature, an early adopter. There comes a point in our lives where change becomes more irritating than exciting and, I…
Treadway and Invasion Pledge $1.25 Billion for African Startup Incubation Platform Tech In Africa
Experts say AI firm’s engagement with Vatican risks creating ‘feelgood’ discourse that lacks critical examination Why did Anthropic’s founder sit beside the pope during a warning about AI? In the first major written teaching of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV took artificial…
Shiona McCallum visits Fifa HQ in Zurich to see new tech being used in the World Cup.
I draw the old way – with my hand. Doing it with AI would not make me more creative, it would drain the colour out of my existence Last week I went to a gig by myself for the first time. I sat myself down in my single seat, possibly the youngest person in the room and one of…
Applications open for 2nd MEST AI Startup Programme - Disrupt Africa
The US president’s reversal on calling for a safety review of new AI models is a green light for tech’s unchecked power Only hours before Donald Trump was set to sign a long-awaited executive order on Thursday that would have called for a government safety review of new…
Egyptian prop-tech startup Byit expands into UAE - Disrupt Africa
$64 Million Botswana Tech Fund to Support Tech Startups Across Southern Africa nextbillion.net
Nigerian startup Jiji buys Bangladesh’s biggest classifieds platform in rare African tech expansion into Asia Business Insider Africa
Scaling Green Technologies and Youth Employment in African Tech Startups: the Nigerian Solar Mini-Grid Sector APRI – Africa Policy Research Institute
Meet the 15 Startups Joining the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 10 blog.google
AfDB Commits €7.5 Million to Breega Africa Seed Fund to Fuel Tech Startups Across the Continent Tech In Africa
Hot startup of the month: South Africa's Chocolate Tribe Connecting Africa
African tech startups to receive backing via EIB financing for Speedinvest Developing Telecoms
Africa’s tech startups to receive major financing boost — article includes a paywall Impact Investor
Meet the female operators helping Africa’s startup ecosystem scale Techpoint Africa
African tech startup funding leaps by almost 50% africaprivateequitynews.com
10 types of startups dominating Africa’s tech scene Techpoint Africa
Apply Now: $5,000 Seed Grants for African Startup Technology Entrepreneurs ICTworks
African startups get $180 billion from a small, rich island and Gulf financiers Business Insider Africa
Apply Now: $5,000 for Your African Telecom Hardware Startup Idea ICTworks
African startups hit $3 billion funding milestone in 2025, surpassing 2023 levels Business Insider Africa
Moonshot 2025: Can Africa's Startups Challenge Global Tech Giants?{Business Africa} africanews.com
Apply Now: $30,000 for African Labor Mobility Technology Startups ICTworks
Oracle launches program to support tech startups in Africa Ventureburn