from the wire

dispatches, live

editor takes on the latest stories. reverse-chronological.

editor · 7d
A brutal morning for live-service veterans and a smart dodge for arcade racers. Xbox gutted the entire senior team behind Elder Scrolls Online, including the studio head and game director, in a round of over 200 cuts. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush pulled its launch up two weeks to September 10, wisely escaping a stacked release window.
gaming
XBOX LAYOFFS GUT ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE LEADERSHIP AS 200+ LOSE JOBS AT ZENIMAX
Studio head, game director, and executive producer depart; the remaining team is now roughly the size it was during the Summerset expansion.
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gaming
HOT WHEELS INFINITE RUSH PULLS AHEAD TWO WEEKS, LANDS SEPTEMBER 10
The arcade racer escapes a crowded launch day by moving up to september 10, with advanced access starting the 7th.
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editor · 17d
Europe's regulators are done playing nice. Meta has been ordered to kill infinite scroll and autoplay on Instagram and Facebook, calling addictive design a health risk. Meanwhile the EU General Court told Apple its five app stores are one and the same, closing a loophole in the Digital Markets Act. Two blows in one day, and neither company saw the hammer coming.
consumer tech
EU ORDERS META TO KILL INIFINITE SCROLL
The Digital Services Act gets teeth: Europe says addictive design endangers mental health, especially for minors.
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business
EU COURT REJECTS APPLE'S FIVE APP STORE DEFENCE
The EU General Court said all of Apple's app stores serve the same purpose regardless of device, blocking the company's attempt to sidestep interoperability rules.
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editor · 22d
Two signals today that AI is growing up. Vercel's CEO says lock-in is dead: companies now route prompts across OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini like cloud regions. Meanwhile Anthropic just signed a 20-year lease on a 400MW Kentucky data center. Betting big on one lab is over, but betting on the infrastructure? That's a 19 billion dollar yes.
ai
THE ERA OF PICKING JUST ONE AI LAB IS OVER, SAYS VERCEL CEO
Companies are moving from single-model commitments to mixing OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Chinese labs as the token-burning era ends.
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business
ANTHROPIC LOCKS IN 20 YEAR LEASE FOR 400MW KENTUCKY DATA CENTER
TeraWulf secures $19 billion in revenue from the deal, validating its pivot from crypto mining to AI infrastructure.
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editor · 26d
Two colossal sums in the news today. A Swedish court hit Google with a $1.46 billion antitrust judgment for rigging shopping results against Klarna's PriceRunner. And Anthropic quietly filed for an IPO that could be the biggest software debut ever, valued at $965 billion by fall 2026. One is a penalty for past sins, the other a bet on the future.
business
SWEDISH COURT ORDERS GOOGLE TO PAY KLARNA $1.46BN IN ANTITRUST DAMAGES
The Patent and Market Court in Stockholm ruled that Google unfairly promoted its own shopping service over PriceRunner, awarding the largest competition payout in Swedish history.
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business
ANTHROPIC IPO COULD ECLIPSE EVERY SOFTWARE COMPANY IN HISTORY
The Claude maker confidentially submitted its S-1 on June 1, with a $965 billion valuation and a fall 2026 timeline.
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editor · 29d
Apple's price hikes hit the MacBook Neo and Apple TV 4K this week, but the smart money moves fast. The Neo jumped $100, yet refurbished units are sitting at the old prices right now. Meanwhile, the TV 4K got a $70 bump, though some retailers haven't updated their tags yet. Get yours now before its too late.
consumer tech
APPLE NEO PRICES ARE UP TO $699, BUT NOT IF YOU SHOP SMART. HERE'S HOW
A $100 price hike on the entry-level MacBook Neo went into effect yesterday alongside a refurbished store restock at the original launch prices.
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consumer tech
YOU CAN STILL GET THE APPLE TV 4K AT OLD PRICES! HERE'S HOW.
If you've been waiting for a deal on the streaming box, now's the moment: not every store has updated the price tag yet.
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editor · 31d
Samsung's 2025 phone lineup is shaping up as a tale of two tiers. The Galaxy S27 Pro is officially real, confirmed alongside the rest of a four-phone flagship family. Meanwhile, the A27 costs $50 more than last year's model, trading better performance for worse cameras and less water protection.
consumer tech
SAMSUNG GALAXY S27 PRO CONFIRMED BY IMEI LISTING
The smaller flagship is real and likely landing with a core spec that matches the ultra in key areas.
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consumer tech
SAMSUNG GALAXY A27 COSTS MORE, BUT CUTS MORE.
A $50 price bump brings a better chip, a worse IP rating, and lower-resolution selfie and ultrawide cameras.
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editor · 36d
Two very different bets on the future of entertainment today. Valve's $1,050 Steam Machine sells at cost, a quiet middle finger to the console loss-leader game. Google dropped $75 million on A24 to get DeepMind into filmmakers' hands without touching their precious library. Both are paying for access, not allegiance.
gaming
$1,050 CONSOLE? VALVE REALLY SAID 'WE DON'T DO CONSOLE WARS'
Valve isn't trying to be the cheapest option. It's selling this thing at component cost and letting the market decide.
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ai
GOOGLE INVESTS $75MN IN A24, GIVES STUDIO ACCESS TO DEEPMIND
The research partnership gives filmmakers hands-on access to AI tools while keeping A24’s library and data off limits.
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XBOX LAYOFFS GUT ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE LEADERSHIP AS 200+ LOSE JOBS AT ZENIMAX

HOT WHEELS INFINITE RUSH PULLS AHEAD TWO WEEKS, LANDS SEPTEMBER 10

EU ORDERS META TO KILL INIFINITE SCROLL

EU COURT REJECTS APPLE'S FIVE APP STORE DEFENCE

THE ERA OF PICKING JUST ONE AI LAB IS OVER, SAYS VERCEL CEO

ANTHROPIC LOCKS IN 20 YEAR LEASE FOR 400MW KENTUCKY DATA CENTER

SWEDISH COURT ORDERS GOOGLE TO PAY KLARNA $1.46BN IN ANTITRUST DAMAGES

ANTHROPIC IPO COULD ECLIPSE EVERY SOFTWARE COMPANY IN HISTORY

APPLE NEO PRICES ARE UP TO $699, BUT NOT IF YOU SHOP SMART. HERE'S HOW

YOU CAN STILL GET THE APPLE TV 4K AT OLD PRICES! HERE'S HOW.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S27 PRO CONFIRMED BY IMEI LISTING

SAMSUNG GALAXY A27 COSTS MORE, BUT CUTS MORE.

$1,050 CONSOLE? VALVE REALLY SAID 'WE DON'T DO CONSOLE WARS'

GOOGLE INVESTS $75MN IN A24, GIVES STUDIO ACCESS TO DEEPMIND