2026-08-19

Stripe seals its OpenRouter deal for a reported $7.5bn or more

Stripe has agreed to buy OpenRouter, the startup whose software helps companies route their spending across hundreds of AI models. The payments firm confirmed the deal on Wednesday, making official an acquisition the press first reported earlier this month. Neither company put a figure on the deal. Outside reporting has, and the numbers do not […]<br /> This story continues at The Next Web [...]

2026-08-19

Rivian spinout Also raises $150m, and the e-bike is just the wedge

Also, the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian last year, has raised $150 million in a Series D round. The round values it above $1 billion. The company told Fortune the money will go towards its real ambition, which is not e-bikes but small autonomous vehicles. Prysm Capital led the round, according to TechCrunch. […]<br /> This story continues at The Next Web [...]

2026-08-19

Study finds a 15 percent increase in traffic deaths after major music streaming releases

Drivers may be more distracted on days when a big new album drops. [...]

2026-08-19

Mattel is releasing a full-scale building brick set of the original Xbox

The $330 Xbox building set includes a controller that interacts with three game-inspired dioramas. [...]

2026-08-19

Deus Ex and Dishonored designer Harvey Smith has a new studio making immersive sims

New gaming studio Black Pony Immersive has veterans from Arkane, Insomniac and Epic. [...]

2026-08-19

OpenAI fixes Codex bug that deleted real user files without permission

OpenAI patched Codex after GPT-5.6 Sol started deleting real user files on its own. A cleanup command meant for temporary folders was wiping home directories instead. Codex now verifies deletion targets first, and full-access mode can no longer be triggered by accident.<br /> The article OpenAI fixes Codex bug that deleted real user files without permission appeared first on The Decoder. [...]

2026-08-19

'There is no reliable, economical one-size-fits-all model on the horizon': Experts claim AI costs will grow fivefold by 2028, as demand continues to soar

Experts have determined some uncomfortable truths about token economics, where falling token prices are pushing the development of complex agentic workflows, outweighing the savings [...]

2026-08-19

A price war nobody noticed made clean power cheaper than gas. Will it last?

A rare convergence of factors sent battery prices into a historic collapse. Utilities locked in the savings early even as raw material costs rebound [...]

2026-08-19

The best digital wall calendars to keep track of the family's schedule: Consumer Reports

Digital wall calendars can distract a family instead of organizing it. Consumer Reports tested four displays to find the most useful pick [...]