Tech Boys

For Jenine Pastores and Josh Jackson, Tubby Nugget has always been more than just a cute character. At VidCon 2026 , the creators behind the internet's beloved little nugget sat down with Mashable Culture Editor Crystal Bell to reflect on the journey from sketching the lovable character for fun to building a brand with plushies, collectibles, and a passionate community of fans. They also share what it's like meeting people who've formed real emotional connections with Tubby at conventions and other in-person events, where the character comes to life in a whole new way. The conversation also dives into the business of expanding Tubby Nugget beyond social media, the challenges of growing a creator-led brand, and the unexpected story behind the Tubby Nugget x Obsession crossover that almost became a reality. Watch the full interview above. from Mashable https://ift.tt/bfWHX7s via IFTTT

A vulnerability can reportedly connect real email addresses to anonymous ones. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/dciJboG via IFTTT

Some New York City proposals involve a skyline view. This one involved police custody. Two people were arrested Wednesday, July 1, after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, unfurling a banner, and apparently turning the whole thing into a marriage proposal 1,454 feet above midtown Manhattan. The pair was spotted around noon on the building’s antenna, dressed in black and wearing face coverings. They attached a banner that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." It's a take on a quote frequently attributed to guitarist Jimi Hendrix, but actually spoken by 19th-century British politician William Gladstone. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. After spending roughly half an hour near the top of the tower, the two began climbing down to a lower platform, where one appeared to get down on one knee. Because apparently the observation deck was too basic. The climber...

Anthropic trained its newest Sonnet model to excel at agentic tasks, which have been causing a headache for the company's enterprise customers and power users. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/uzo3IMH via IFTTT

The cuts will apparently start next week. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/K6qgAJi via IFTTT

Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 5 on Tuesday, confirming months of speculation about an upgrade to its mid-tier AI model. According to the company's official announcement , the new model is designed to be its "most agentic Sonnet model yet." Meaning it is capable of planning, using tools like browsers and terminals, and operating autonomously — all at a level previously reserved for larger, pricier systems. SEE ALSO: Claude Mythos 5 is back, but only for a select group of US institutions Anthropic says Sonnet 5 is a substantial improvement on its predecessor, Sonnet 4.6, across reasoning, coding, and knowledge-work benchmarks, and performs close to the company's flagship Opus 4.8 model while costing significantly less to run. And in an industry increasingly plagued by sticker shock over the price tokens , Sonnet offers a brief respite. The model launches with introductory pricing of $2 per million input toke...

Smartphones are welcoming the agentic AI overlords. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/t8dBzor via IFTTT

Rather than external partnerships, Uber may start leaning on its own robotaxis for driverless options. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/W92EvMl via IFTTT

A first-round match at Wimbledon is not usually treated like the main event. Serena Williams’ return is one of the exceptions. Williams, 44, is set to play 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on Tuesday, June 30, in her first Wimbledon singles match since 2022, and tennis fans are abuzz with anticipation. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Williams has not played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open, where she "evolved away" from professional tennis after a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic. In the years since, she has had a second child, expanded her business life, and moved into the kind of post-tennis chapter most fans assumed was permanent. SEE ALSO: Serena Williams dances in Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. Yes, there's an alleged Drake connection. ...

Warning: Contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 2. It's always nice to see a familiar face in House of the Dragon , even if said face is rolling across the floor of the Great Hall minutes after reappearing on our screens. We're talking, of course, about Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the former Hand of the King who's had quite the spectacular fall from grace since Season 1. But what exactly happened to him, and where has he been all this time? It's been a while since we last saw him, so let's recap. SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers connect What happens with Otto Hightower in Season 3, episode 2? After Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) stroll into King's Landing to seize control, the latter pays a visit to the dungeons. "If you would, my prince," says a man holding a torch. "A gif...