Nexthop AI launches with $110M in seed and Series A funding led by Lightspeed Ventures, offering hardware and software for cloud AI infrastructure (Kyt Dotson/SiliconANGLE)

I’m excited to announce The Stepback, a weekly subscriber-only newsletter edited by me for The Verge, featuring a new story each Sunday from various writers. The first issue, launching August 10th, will explore topics like auto trends and foldable phones, available exclusively to Verge subscribers for $7 monthly or $50 annually. Want More Context? 🔎

China's automakers are collaborating with software firms to expand globally with driverless cars, despite EU tariffs and security concerns. Baidu plans to supply self-driving vehicles to Lyft for operations in Germany and Britain next year, while Uber partners with Momenta for autonomous vehicles, signaling rapid advancements in China's electric car industry. Want More Context? 🔎

A San Francisco jury found Meta guilty of violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act by collecting sensitive data from users of the Flo period-tracking app without consent, labeling it a 'landmark' victory for the plaintiffs. The case highlighted that Flo shared user data with Facebook through its software development kit, affecting over 3.7 million users during the specified period. Want More Context? 🔎

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added three significant security vulnerabilities in D-Link routers to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, due to evidence of active exploitation. These high-severity flaws, dating back to 2020 and 2022, include CVE-2020-25078, which has a CVSS score of 7.5. Want More Context? 🔎

Google's August Pixel update addresses issues with unresponsive three-button and gesture navigation systems that emerged after the Android 16 release in June, causing significant delays and functionality problems for users of Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9. The update also includes general stability improvements, fixes for a scheduled dark theme, and a security patch for a high-severity vulnerability. Want More Context? 🔎

In a randomized controlled trial published in Nature Medicine, participants lost twice as much weight on a minimally processed diet compared to an ultraprocessed diet that was nutritionally matched. This study from University College London reinforces the idea that food processing impacts weight and health, highlighting the need for further research on the effects of ultraprocessed foods. Want More Context? 🔎