​AI agents are ready to shop. Some retailers are wary. 

​ Using an AI agent to shop for you is a strange experience. Tech companies have marketed them as personal assistants – the democratizing of labor that ordinarily would only be available to the rich and powerful. In practice, at least for buying things, it’s more like sending an anxious and apologetic teenager out to […]

​Just because Tesla’s Optimus is in production doesn’t mean it’s actually ready 

​ On Tesla’s earnings call Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company had begun early production of its humanoid robot on its high-volume line in Fremont, California. Then he laid out what still needs work: the robot’s hands, its safety, reliability, and durability, and the artificial intelligence needed to make it a productive tool. […]

​1Password lets AI agents use your passwords without seeing them 

​ 1Password is introducing a new feature that allows AI agents to sign into your accounts without actually seeing or handling your passwords. The aptly named 1Password for Agents doesn’t give bots free reign to access all of your connected accounts – you’ll still need to grant approval for sign-in requests – but should make […]

​Birdbuddy’s budget feeder foiled my squirrels 

​ The smaller, cheaper Birdbuddy Nook offers a lot of bang for your birdseed. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Birdbuddy’s next-generation smart bird feeders have finally arrived. After spending a few days with the BirdBuddy Nook (from $99) and longer with the flagship Birdbuddy Home ($219), there’s a clear winner: The […]

​Googlebooks just aren’t ready 

​ The Acer Googlebook 14 (left), Lenovo Googlebook 15 (center), and HP Googlebook 14 (right). | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge EEvery Googlebook laptop we’ve tested so far has great hardware. The problem is the software. While Googlebook OS has exciting ideas for how a laptop and phone can work together, right […]