The genome of a long-extinct ancient human is hiding within us
We all have bits of DNA from a long-lost “ghost ancestor” inside us – and by putting all the different bits together, we might be able to reconstruct their genome
Latest headlines
Smallpox DNA in ancient Inca mummies shows virus came from Europe
The mummies of two people who lived in Chile more than 400 years ago carry DNA from smallpox, providing the first molecular evidence that the virus was brought to the Americas from Europe
Apple’s iPhone and Mac sales keep growing despite RAM shortages
Apple's iPhone and Mac sales are on the rise even as a global memory shortage squeezes device makers. In its third-quarter earnings report released on Thursday, Apple revealed that iPhone sales jumped 22 percent to $54.25 billion and Mac sales increased 29 percent to $10.35 billion, driving the company's overall revenue to $109.4 billion. The […]
Google's new Gemini Robotics 2 platform allows for 'intelligent whole-body control'
The company made a video of the bots in action doing stuff like cleaning trash and picking up watering cans.
CodePen 2.0
Article URL: https://chriscoyier.net/2026/07/30/codepen-2-0/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49113338 Points: 141 # Comments: 43
Nvidia’s Open Source Alliance Is Missing Some Key Names: OpenAI and Anthropic
This week on Uncanny Valley, we discuss the open- vs. closed-source debate in AI, key players in White House AI policy, and how to stop your chatbot logs from showing up in search-engine results.
Synthetic-user startup Simile raises $200M at $2B valuation 5 months after $100M Series A
Add another member to the fast-and-furious AI unicorn club: Simile.
Back to School Office Chair Deals 2026: $200 and Less
Here are the best back-to-school deals under $200 on comfy, ergonomic chairs for all-nighters and cram sessions
Spotify launches ‘User Notes’ to let users add memories to songs
Spotify says the new feature is designed to let users add personal captions to their favorite songs, such as noting why a track was added to a playlist or when they first discovered it
Global smartphone sales fall by six percent amid memory cost crisis
Despite the slump, Apple and Samsung have both seen their market share go up.
We Gave GPT 5.6 Sol a Real Business. It Lied, Spammed, and Lost $447
Article URL: https://www.bottlenecklabs.com/blog/autonomously-run-businesses Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49113059 Points: 315 # Comments: 192
Advancing the price-performance frontier with GPT‑5.6
Article URL: https://openai.com/index/advancing-the-price-performance-frontier-with-gpt-5-6/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112867 Points: 516 # Comments: 339
For the First Time, Zoox Can Charge People for Rides in Its Steering-Wheel-Free Robotaxis
The temporary exemption from federal safety standards will let Amazon’s Zoox launch a real, paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick
Article URL: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/read-this-before-you-buy-that-tv-streaming-stick/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112744 Points: 603 # Comments: 354
1st three-headed asteroid found in our solar system — and it has a little moon
Sophisticated high-contrast imaging has revealed asteroid 44 Nysa to have three lobes and a small moon.
LinkedIn is testing a 'seems like AI slop' reporting tool
The company is also removing some of its own AI-writing features.
Rise Reforming (YC S26) Is Hiring
Article URL: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/rise-reforming/jobs/wJ9Q9nv-senior-chemical-process-engineer Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112683 Points: 0 # Comments: 0
Chrome Needs Twice-a-Week Patching Thanks to AI Bug Hunting
The two Chrome updates in June patched more bugs than the 23 updates before them. Now, Google is ramping up its patching schedule thanks to AI-assisted vulnerability discovery.
Expensive phone cases: When and why it's worth paying more
Phone cases vary dramatically when it comes to pricing, but it's not always as simple as "you get what you pay for."
Stacked PRs are now live on GitHub
Article URL: https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-30-stacked-pull-requests-are-now-in-public-preview/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112232 Points: 505 # Comments: 169