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Epic says its new vibe-coded Epic Games Launcher is faster than Steam
But the new "Preview" app "will have some bugs," Epic warns.
TC
Flock CEO says its microphones detect ‘just gunshots’ — its website says different
Langley’s comments come amid mounting scrutiny of Flock from privacy advocates, including the ACLU, and members of the public who are concerned about the misuse of its technology.
Google Releases Gemini 4 Argon: Pricing Is Only One-Fifth of Competitors, Tops Vals Index but Margin Is Under 2%
Google DeepMind has launched Gemini 4 Argon, a frontier model with introductory pricing of $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, ranking first on the Vals Index at 68.90%—though its lead over the nearest competitors is less than two percentage points. The introductory price is set to double on December 1, 2026.
WD
AI Came for Math. Now It’s Chasing the Rest of Science
AI may soon be the default way to solve theoretical problems in economics, high-energy physics, and other fields, MIT researchers tell WIRED.
TC
YouTube Music launches new labels as AI-generated music floods streaming platforms
The label will appear on the player page and include songs entirely generated by AI or partially, such as involved in composition and vocals.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Tops with 95.91: 2026-10-15 Smoke Quick Test Data Brief
On 2026-10-15, the YZ Index Smoke quick test covered 13 models, with Gemini 2.5 Pro ranking first for the day at 95.91. The Smoke test is a daily 10-question quick check suited to short-term signals and is not equivalent to Full weekly ranking conclusions.
TC
Save 50% on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ticket and join the last 2 days in San Francisco’s Moscone West
Get a 50% discount on the last two days of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 14-15, in San Francisco. Register now and join the rest of the startup ecosystem. Today, it's all about physical and software AI.
ARS
Recording device hidden in toilet paper found in top-secret OpenAI meeting room
OpenAI engineer faces 5 years and $250K fine as FBI lobs foreign spy charges.
ARS
Researchers use AI to design proteins that cut up other proteins
AI design tools make proteins that break bonds that are stable for hundreds of years.
TC
Apate sends AI agents undercover to get scammed so they can gather fraud intelligence
Most companies use AI agents to ship products faster or speed up workflows. Apate.ai sends them undercover to get scammed.
TC
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Day 2
Day 2 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, full of all themes across AI, investor-only session, more roundtables, and more. Register to save 50% on your pass.
TC
Floqer’s AI agents research sales prospects so teams don’t have to
The problem Floqer is trying to solve is familiar to anyone who has worked in sales or revenue operations.
TC
Zenzap raises $44M for its AI chat app that aims to replace WhatsApp in the workplace
Zenzap is used by organizations including Starbucks and Taco Bell.
TC
Deezer will soon let you filter out AI-generated music
Deezer said that the new toggle will be rolled out by the end of the year.
TasteVal Benchmark Shows AI Creativity Doubling Every 3 Months, RSI Timeline Could Move Up to 2027
The TasteVal benchmark released by Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark indicates that AI's experimental research taste has been doubling every three months since December 2025, with Claude Opus 5.5 surpassing a 24-researcher human benchmark at roughly 1/30 of the per-expert cost — prompting Clark to move his median-probability RSI timeline up to 2027.
MIT
The Download: faking blood and the future of batteries
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. The US military’s race to make fake blood In February 2007, a US military helicopter carrying blood to a field hospital was shot down in Iraq, killing all seven crew members.…
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Anthropic warns small AI models could self-replicate through IoT devices
"Small weight-based replicators" could usher in a new generation of computer worms.
TC
Scimplify raises $25M to challenge China’s grip on critical materials with AI
Scimplify's annualized revenue run rate has tripled to $200 million as it eyes U.S. expansion.
WD
My Friend Has No Soul
The second iteration of the viral Friend AI necklace is louder and less interesting.
ARS
OpenAI, Google pushing new AI models easily tricked into making nudes, researchers say
Attack method exposes flaws in OpenAI, Google safeguards against AI nudes.