Author: Olivia Hartman
Olivia Hartman is GeekBlog's general technology reporter, covering the wider world of tech beyond smartphones: AI and software, laptops and PCs, gaming, streaming, space, science, consumer gadgets, deals and the policy stories shaping the industry. A versatile journalist with a nose for what actually matters, Olivia turns breaking news and product launches into accessible, no-hype reporting for everyday readers.
Florida ordered license plate readers off state highways and Texas froze state funding for them in the same week. Dallas alone is shutting down more than 300 cameras.
Gran Turismo 7’s free Spec IV update lands in two parts this fall, reviving the Autumn Ring circuit for the first time since GT6, adding 12 new cars, a Family mode, and the return of Shuffle Racing.
OpenAI launched GPT-6 Astra to a handful of security customers before the subscribers who pay the most. Here is what actually caused the delay, and what the model does.
Anthropic says Claude autonomously produced the first fully machine-checked proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem in Lean, a 13-million-line formalization that took 11 days.
David Friedberg calls college, home ownership and Social Security the three great lies Americans are told about money. We checked each one against the actual numbers.
Microsoft is ending unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting in November, Game Pass tiers get fixed monthly hour caps, from 5 hours on Essential to 15 on Ultimate, with paid top-ups for anyone who runs out.
Sony’s Gamescom sale cuts Red Dead Redemption 2 to $14.99 and puts God of War, The Last of Us and Resident Evil 2 at $9.99. Everything ends September 9.
Sony collected roughly $508 million in tariff refunds after the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs, then asked a court to throw out the lawsuits demanding that PS5 buyers see any of it. A much smaller console maker did the opposite.
Nintendo just confirmed a dedicated Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct for September 8, followed by a general Nintendo Direct on September 9. Here’s the schedule, and what to expect from each.
Tesla opened paid Cybercab rides in Austin using a two seat car with no steering wheel or pedals. Hours earlier, NHTSA opened an audit query into how Tesla certified the vehicle as road legal in the first place.