TechCognita | Blogs

1. Casting is dead. Long live casting! Source: https://www.theverge.com/column/861948/casting-netflix-dead Summary: This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Last month, Netflix made the surprising decision to kill off a key feature: With no prior warning, the company removed the ability to cast videos from its mobile apps to […] 2. Meta has discontinued its metaverse for work, too Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/863209/meta-has-discontinued-its-metaverse-for-work-too Summary: Two months before it changed its name to "Meta," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally introduced us to his metaverse for work: Horizon Workrooms, envisioned as a virtual space for workers to collaborate. Today, the company announced it's shutting that space down: "Meta has made the decision to discontinue Workrooms as a standalone app, effective February […] 3. T...

1. Mira Murati’s startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is losing two of its co-founders to OpenAI Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/14/mira-muratis-startup-thinking-machines-lab-is-losing-two-of-its-co-founders-to-openai/ Summary: The abrupt change in personnel was in the works for several weeks, according to an OpenAI executive. 2. The best e-reader to buy right now Source: https://www.theverge.com/23769068/best-ebook-readers Summary: Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof […] 3. X claims it has stopped Grok from undressing people, but of course it hasn’t Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/862372/x-grok-ai-policy-update-deepfake-bikini-poses Summary: Following the prolifer...

1. Inside the White House shitposting machine Source: https://www.theverge.com/column/861476/trump-memes-venezuela-ice-shooting Summary: Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about the technology, broligarchs and brainrot rapidly transforming politics and civic society. Not subscribed to The Verge yet? You should! It can materially improve your life. Last week was a grim reminder that no matter what sort of horror is being perpetrated or how many […] 2. WeatherTech founder might be the newest US consumer protection official Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/861560/weathertech-founder-david-macneil-federal-trade-commission Summary: President Donald Trump made an unconventional pick for his nomination to the Federal Trade Commission: WeatherTech founder and CEO David MacNeil. MacNeil founded the company, which makes weather-resistant car floor mats, in 1989, according to its website, and he owns 100 percent of the company. WeatherTech has made it a ...

1. Meta-backed Hupo finds growth after pivot to AI sales coaching from mental wellness Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/12/meta-backed-hupo-finds-growth-after-pivot-to-ai-sales-coaching-from-mental-wellness/ Summary: Hupo, backed by Meta, pivoted from mental wellness to AI sales coaching for banks and insurers, and secured a $10M Series A led by DST Global 2. More than 100 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 — here they are Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/12/at-least-36-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/ Summary: Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. 3. The best robot vacuums we’ve tested for 2026 Source: https://www.theverge.com/22997597/best-robot-vacuum-cleaner Summary: Robot vacuums are impressive devices that will clean your floors well and — thanks to bigger batteries and better robot brains — rarely get tired of doing their job. Over the last few years, these flo...

1. Motional puts AI at center of robotaxi reboot as it targets 2026 for driverless service Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/11/motional-puts-ai-at-center-of-robotaxi-reboot-as-it-targets-2026-for-driverless-service/ Summary: Motional says it will launch a driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas before the end of 2026. 2. You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd Source: https://www.theverge.com/column/860372/billy-woods-horrorcore-masterpiece-golliwog-a24 Summary: Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods' albums were light-hearted fare (these are not […] 3. Google co-founders may be leaving California Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/11/google-co-founders-may-be-pulling-out-of-california/ Summary:...

1. SpaceX gets FCC approval to launch 7,500 more Starlink satellites Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/10/spacex-gets-fcc-approval-to-launch-7500-more-starlink-satellites/ Summary: The Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 of its second generation Starlink satellites. 2. Musk says he’s going to open-source the new X algorithm next week Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/860294/elon-musk-open-source-x-algorithm Summary: In 2023, what was then still called Twitter, open-sourced at least portions of the code that decided what it served up in your feed. But that GitHub repository is hopelessly out of date, with the vast majority of the files appearing to be from the initial upload three years ago. Elon Musk says that in […] 3. These are the smart home gadgets that impressed me at CES 2026 Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/860241/best-smart-home-devices-ces-2026-matter-ikea-aqara-amazon Summary: I picked Aqara's Smart Lo...