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Helios wants to be the AI operating system for public policy professionals

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Helios wants to be the AI operating system for public policy professionals


When OpenAI was having its ChatGPT moment in 2022, Joe Scheidler, co-founder and CEO of Helios, was tackling a different kind of challenge: Helping build the White House’s newly authorized cybersecurity office and navigating the complexities of public-private coordination on cyber policies.

His current co-founder, Joseph Farsakh, was also at the State Department, working on Yemen Houthi peace negotiations. The two overlapped in national security discussions and started trading notes on how large language models might transform public policy on a day-to-day level. 

On the level the White House operates, critical decisions are often made using a patchwork of tools, spreadsheets, and institutional memory. The founders thought: What if there was a better way to support decision making, one that combined AI-native tools with an understanding of how public policy is decided?

The answer to that question was the idea behind Helios. To make it real, the co-founders brought on Brandon Smith, a long-time acquaintance of Scheidler’s and a machine learning veteran who had worked at Microsoft and Datadog, to lead the technical vision. 

“Our unfair advantage is bringing a super unique blend of domain expertise, contacts, and technical expertise to a really important problem,” Scheidler told TechCrunch.

Helios (not to be confused with the payroll/HR management solution, or the climate/economic forecasting product of the same name) emerged from stealth last month with $4 million in seed funding. The round was led by Unusual Ventures, with participation from Founders Inc. and Alumni Ventures, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. 

Founders of Helios. (Right to Left) Joseph Faraskh (president), Joe Scheidler (CEO), Brandom Smith (CTO)Image Credits:Helios

Helios’ flagship product is Proxi, an AI-based operating system built for public policy, regulatory affairs, legal, compliance, and government teams, is still in beta. But, Scheidler says, the company is already seeing early traction with workers in federal, state, and local agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies and startups. 

“We wanted to empower all public policy, legal and compliance professionals with end-to-end automation, deploying sort of a web of secure AI agents that are trained and fine-tuned against really robust public policy data sets to support them on anything from strategic advisement to very sensitive and complex writing products, data analysis and stakeholder mapping,” he said.

Proxi has four core features. The first is dubbed “Consult,” and Scheidler describes it as a “conversational AI agent, your 24/7, always-on public policy team member who is constantly scanning the legislative and regulatory environment.” 

Before they begin, customers tell Proxi about themselves, their work, their portfolio, their focus and objectives. The agents then surface key information to the user every time they log on. 

In a way, Consult is similar to another software platform by Hence, which uses AI to help organizations monitor geopolitical and business risk. 

Proxi’s second feature is called “Scribe.” This is a collaborative AI editing and writing tool that helps policy professionals turn their soundboarding sessions with Consult into memos, filings and policy documents. Then there’s “Decipher,” a large-scale data analysis tool that helps users parse long-form bills, reports and filings, and turn them into structured insights and risk alerts. 

“That’s a lot of what I spent my time doing at the State Department when I would have far preferred to just be on the Hill, building relationships with people who are actually making draft amendments and provisions,” Scheidler said. 

Finally, Proxi offers a CRM (customer relationship management) tool that helps people visually map out their stakeholder environment and track their interaction history, including meeting notes. 

It’s an all-in-one offering, Scheidler said, noting that Helios uses top encryption standards for federal clients, and is currently working through compliance audits. 

Helios plans to use the seed funding to flesh out its product and engineering team, with a focus on finding the right tech talent.

Rather than rushing to monetize quickly, Scheidler says the startup is focusing on building long-term business relationships and collecting meticulous feedback from early beta users. “Our goal in five to seven years from now is for Helios to be completely synonymous with all government public and private interaction,” he added.

That may mean barrelling past short-term competition like Bloomberg Government and Fiscal Note Forum to challenge longer-term rivals like Palantir, OpenGov and Civica, the co-founder said.

“Palantir just surpassed a $300 billion market cap,” Scheidler said. “We think there’s a lot of room to play in this space over time.”



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The best Prime Day gaming deals on video games, hardware and more to get before the sale ends

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The best Prime Day gaming deals on video games, hardware and more to get before the sale ends


Summer is a great time to play games because no matter how hot it is outside, you can chill inside with your favorite titles and explore all sorts of virtual worlds. But even when you have a big backlog of titles to chew through, if your gaming machine and accessories aren’t on point, it might feel like you aren’t really maximising your entertainment time. So in order to help you upgrade your setup during Amazon Prime Day, we’ve combed through hundreds of products ranging from controllers to battery packs, headphones, memory cards and more to figure out the best deals around.

Image for the small product module

Square Enix

DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake (PS5/Nintendo Switch) for $35 ($25 off)

The Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a fantastic update to a truly wonderful JRPG classic. It features an updated HD-2D art style along with some nice quality-of-life changes and UI improvements. But at its core, it has the same great story and turn-based combat that set the world on fire back in 1988. And because the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, this could be a great title to play on Nintendo’s latest handheld, though you can always opt for the PS5 version instead.

$35 at Amazon

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch) for $52 ($8 off)

We rarely see discounts on first-party Nintendo games, especially when it comes to major franchises like The Legend of Zelda. But for Prime Day, Echoes of Wisdom is available for 15 percent off, which is even more impressive when you consider the game the game is less than a year old. Not only is this the first Zelda game to put our beloved princess in the spotlight (instead of Link), it offers a fun twist on the series’ classic top-down action RPG formula thanks to Zelda’s new ability to summon objects and monsters with the Tri-rod.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch) for $59 ($11 off)

Alternatively, if you are looking for something a bit faster paced, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may be one of the best sequels in recent video game history. And now for Prime Day, it’s available for $11 off its normal retail price. Not only is this a great pickup for anyone who hasn’t played it yet, it’s also a great showcase of the Switch 2’s capabilities as users can purchase a $10 upgrade pack (or get it for free if you have a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack) that adds support for HDR, faster loading times, enhanced textures and smoother framerates.

Star Wars Outlaws – Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5 for $29 ($31 off)

At full price, this game was easy to skip. But now that it’s available for just $29 (half off its normal retail price), Star Wars Outlaws suddenly becomes a lot more interesting for fans of the franchise. You get to live out your dreams of being an intergalactic scoundrel while taking down bounties or battling secret crime syndicates. And because this is the limited edition, the game includes some pre-order rewards like the Kessel Run bonus pack and the Rogue Infiltrator bundle.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Limited Edition for PS5/Xbox Series X for $48 ($22 off)

If you missed the latest entry in Ubisoft’s most well-known franchise, this might be the time to jump in because for Prime Day, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available for $48, more than $20 off its regular retail price. This instalment has you explore feudal Japan as either the shinobi Naoe or the legendary samurai Yasuke while encountering some notable figures from the time period. If all you want is a wonderful world to sneak around in, it’s hard to go wrong with Assassin’s Creed on a discount.

Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree Edition for PS5/Xbox Series X for $60 ($20 off)

Elden Ring is one of the most highly regarded games of this decade so far (and arguably of all time). For Prime Day, you can become a foul tarnished by picking up a version that includes the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for $60. Elden Ring typically costs around $50 (though it’s down to $30 on PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X for Prime Day) and the DLC will usually run you another $40, so that’s a decent discount compared with buying them separately — or even the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition at its regular price.

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition for PlayStation and Switch for $45 ($30 off)

This collection of pixel remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games is discounted by $30 during Prime Day. Several other games in the series are on sale for PS5 as well, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade ($30, $10 off), Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ($40, $30 off) and Final Fantasy XVI ($25, $15 off)

Meta Quest 3S 128GB Bundle for $249 ($51 off)

The Quest 3S is one of our picks for best VR headsets for good reason. Meta cut just the right corners from the more full-featured Quest 3, enabling it to drop the list price down lower. It has the same Snapdragon chip and controlers, but cheaps out a bit on the lenses, slightly lowering the graphics fidelity in use. Just like the Quest 3, it works standalone for lighter games and streaming, or in concert with a gaming PC for full-fat AAA VR titles. It’s well worth the $300 Meta usually asks for it, so at $249 with two games included (Cardboard Hero and the excellent social VR hit Gorilla Tag), it’s a steal.

Razer Blade 14 with RTX 4070 for $2,300 ($400 off)

The Blade 14 is one of my favorite laptop lines because it combines a super sleek chassis with solid performance and truly excellent build quality. And now, as a way to get in on the Prime Day festivities, Razer has an exclusive offer on its website that will knock $400 off configs with RTX 4070 GPUs or up to $300 on models with RTX 4060 cards. These kind of savings go a long way towards neutralizing my biggest issue with Razer’s laptops: their price. So if you’re looking for a system that can do some serious gaming but is still easy to carry around, you’re going to want to snap this deal up fast.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core processor for $664 ($35 off)

AMD’s X3D chips are the cream of the crop when it comes to gaming performance and while it’s only enjoying a $35 discount right now, informed buyers know that the real savings are bigger than that because these chips often go for well above their MSRP. But the best thing is that for Prime Day, in addition to the 9950X3D, there are a bunch of other X3D processors on sale right now including the $460 Ryzen 7 9800X3D and $265 Ryzen 7 5700X3D so you can pick the right component for your budget. If you need a new CPU to speed up your gaming rig, now is a great time to upgrade.

ASUS ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop with RTX 4060 for $1,360 ($340 off)

While an RTX 4060 isn’t the most powerful GPU on the market, getting a whole new laptop with solid specs for just $1,360 isn’t something you can just ignore, especially if you’re on a budget. This ROG Strix G16 comes with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. And while its Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU is one generation old, it’s still plenty fast enough for gaming, video editing or pretty much anything else you need to do. I also appreciate small features like a MUX switch that lets the laptop connect directly to the GPU for increased performance, though if you want, you can also enable automatic switching for better battery life. And with a 16-inch 240Hz QHD display with 100% DCI-P3 coverage, everything on screen is sure to look great.

Acer Nitro V gaming laptop with NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU for $1,200 ($150 off, lowest ever price)

Acer’s Nitro gaming laptops are meant to be more affordable alternatives to its flagship Predator systems. But now thanks to Prime Day, this model just got even more budget-friendly while still offering decent specs. You get an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and an RTX 4060 GPU, the latter of which should pair nicely with its 15.6-inch full HD 144Hz display. I also appreciate that unlike some gaming laptops, the Nitro V is stylish without being in your face with too many RGB lights, which makes it feel like an even better deal at $1,200. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen to date for this configuration.

Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) RAM for $95 ($25 off)

Adding some extra memory to your desktop can help unlock its full potential. So for Prime Day, Corsair is offering two 16GB sticks of its Vengeance DDR5 RAM for just $95. Not only do you get built-in RGB lighting, Corsair’s onboard voltage regulation makes it simpler to overclock your system. And for those who don’t want to mess around in BIOS settings, you can control almost everything from the easy-to-use free iCue app.

Thermaltake GF1 (2024) Fully Modular ATX 850W Power Supply for $80 ($30 off, lowest ever price)

Even though power supplies aren’t the most exciting component you can put in your desktop, the importance of a good one can’t be understated. For just $80, which is the lowest price we’ve seen to date for this product, the Thermaltake GF1 is fully modular (which means you can add or remove power cables as you need them) and has an ample max power of 850 watts along with an 80 Plus Gold rating for efficiency. And thanks to its 140mm fan, it should be pretty quiet, so it won’t cause a ruckus if you decide to play some games at night.

Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD for $114 ($63 off)

If you’re like me and are constantly running out of storage, this deal for one of Samsung’s 990 EVO Plus 2TB M.2 SSDs is a fantastic way to add extra room on the cheap. With a 36 percent discount for Prime Day — down to $114 — this is the lowest price we’ve ever seen. And it’s not like you’re cutting corners on speed either, as the SSD supports both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2 and read/write rates of up to 7,250/6,300MB/s.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Processor for $156 ($123 off)

The Ryzen 5 9600X isn’t super flashy, but it’s a really solid budget CPU. And now, it’s even more affordable during Prime Day where it’s going for just $156, which is $123 off its normal retail price. It features six cores and 12 total threads with a max boost speed of 5.4GHz and support for DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5. It’s also unlocked, so you have the freedom to overlock if you want. That said, you will need to buy a CPU cooler separately, as one doesn’t come in the box.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16-Core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor for $434 ($215 off)

The biggest issue with the Ryzen 9 9950X CPU was that at launch, it was a bit overpriced. But during Prime Day, that problem is being addressed thanks to a $215 discount that brings its cost down to under $500. The CPU features 16 cores and 32 threads along with 80MB of cache and support for DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5. However, like some of AMD’s other processors on sale this week, you will need to get a CPU cooler separately.

Razer Enki Gaming Chair for $450 ($50 off)

If you’re going to be spending all day in front of a screen gaming, you better make sure whatever you’re sitting on is super comfy. And as I’ve been using the Razer Enki every day for the last four years, I can attest that this chair is worth the money. It has a ton of adjustability for things like the arm rests, seat height and more. For more flexible folks, it was even designed so people can sit cross-legged. I also appreciate that in homes where neon green might not fit your vibe, there’s an all-black model (plus a pink one too, though that one is currently sold out).

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset for $323 ($50 off)

SteelSeries makes some of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever used thanks to the super soft earcups equipped on every pair. But what separates the Arctis Nova Pro from lesser competitors is support for premium features like 360-degree spatial audio, strong noise cancellation and a hot swap battery system. Butthe best feature is SteelSeries’ dedicated base station, which features an OLED screen, physical knobs and dual USB ports so you can connect your headset to multiple devices and swap between audio sources with the touch of a button.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 for $110 ($40 off, lowest ever)

If you’ve ever dreamed about becoming a gaming streamer or simply want some extra customizable controls for your PC, Elgato’s Stream Deck MK.2 could make a great addition to your setup. It has 15 programmable macro keys with built-in LCD displays so you can make custom buttons for switching scenes, turning on lights and so much more. Elgato also has plugins for services like YouTube, Twitch, Discord, so it’ll play nicely with all the major streaming platforms. In short, it’s like a command center for all your content creation and livestreaming needs.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse for $29 ($21 off)

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed gaming mouse is just a simple PC peripheral done well. And at just $29, it’s super affordable during Prime Day too. It features six programmable buttons, compatibility with both PCs and Macs and a sensor with sensitivity of up to 12,000 DPI. Meanwhile, thanks to a battery that lasts up to 250 hours between charges, you can go weeks between needing to plug it in. And because it’s wireless, there won’t be any cords or cables to get in your way.

Amazon Luna Controller and one month of Luna+ for $40 ($30 off)

The Luna Controller by itself is down to $40, which matches a record-low price. However, if you’re a newcomer to Luna+, you may as well pick up this bundle (which is also matching a record low) for the same price, as it includes one month of access to the service for new subscribers. This gamepad is a solid option for those who want to check out Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service. Prime subscribers get access to a dedicated channel with a rotating selection of games at no extra cost. This month, for instance, you can check out Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Hollow Knight and EA Sports FC 25.

8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard for $80 ($20 off)

With its Retro Mechanical Keyboard, 8BitDo strikes a great balance between a nostalgic design and support for more modern features like wireless connectivity (both BT and 2.4GHz). There are several different versions to choose from, though the one inspired by the classic NES is the model I’d choose. The keyboard features an 87-key layout with PBT keycaps and Kailh Box switches, though because the PCB is hot swappable, you can always change them out for something else.

Sony Inzone H9 Wireless Gaming Headset for $198 ($102 off)

For anyone looking for a new pair of over-the-ear wireless gaming headphones to pair with a PS5, it’s hard to do better than Sony’s Inzone H9 headset. Not only does it have a similar design to the console, they are the only other headphones besides the official Pulse cans that support on-screen status notifications for volume, mic mute, game/chat balance and more. They also share a lot of the underlying tech used in Sony’s iconic WH-1000XM line, so you’ll get fantastic audio quality and active noise cancellation. But the best part is that at $198, you’re looking at a serious discount of 34 percent, which is more than $100 off its regular retail price.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive for $209 ($21 off)

Games are getting bigger every day, so if you need some extra storage for your Xbox Series S or X, you’d be silly not to pick up one of Seagate’s 2TB Expansion Cards for just $209. That’s enough room for a dozen or more digital titles (or like three versions of Call of Duty) and it’s the biggest SSD storage module that slots into the back of the console without the need for a separate box.

Amazon Basics UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector 800VA/450W for $65 ($10 off)

I’m not here to nag, but if you have a desktop PC, you really ought to consider adding a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to your setup as they prevent power surges or momentary outages from knocking your system offline. Plus, this one has a beefy 450-watt battery backup and 12 outlets so you can connect all of your other PC gadgets to it. So if you’re going to do the smart thing by adding some extra electrical protection to your home during Prime Day, you might as well save some money in the process.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB) for $1,055 ($365 off)

With Samsung’s next Unpacked event expected to show off new foldables, it looks like some of the existing models are getting some serious discounts for Prime Day, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. And at $1,055, this is the lowest price we’ve seen for Samsung’s current flagship phone yet. For gamers, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the S25 Ultra offers some of the best performance you can get in a phone right now, while its built-in vapor chamber should help prevent throttling. Its 6.9-inch AMOLED display is also one of the best mobile screens on the market today.

Razer Kishi Ultra for $100 ($50 off)

Razer doesn’t normally run a ton of deals for Prime Day, but it seems this year the company is making an exception as there are discounts on everything from gamepads to headsets and more. That said, one of the standout deals is for the Kishi Ultra gaming controller. On top of just being a well-built gamepad add-on for phones and tablets, its larger dimension and USB-C port means it works with a huge range of devices — both Android and iOS. This even includes more niche devices like foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold series, which often don’t fit inside other mobile gamepads due to their unique design.

Sony 85-Inch Class 4K Ultra HD Bravia 3 LED TV for $1,098 ($500 off)

There’s no better way to upgrade your living room gaming setup than with a brand-new, big-ass TV. Granted, the Bravia 3 is one of Sony’s entry-level models (fancier sets get higher numbers), but with a discounted price of $1,098 for a massive 85-inch panel, this deal represents one of the biggest screens you can get for the money. It also has Google TV built in, so you’ll get a very simple and straightforward way to stream your favorite shows and movies from services like Netflix, HBO and more. But perhaps most importantly is that for PS5 owners, the Bravia 3 supports exclusive features when connected to a PS5, such as Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture mode.

By the way, for a more in-depth look at the best TV discounts, check out our dedicated guide covering the best TV deals for Amazon Prime Day 2025.

LG UltraGear 32-inch OLED Dual Mode gaming monitor for $1,000 ($400 off)

LG’s dual mode 32-inch UltraGear monitor is one of the best displays for PC gaming out right now and as part of Prime Day, Best Buy has it on sale for $400 off. You can set it to 4K at 240Hz for when you want a sharp, high-resolution view. Or you can switch it to full HD, which allows its refresh rate to jump all the way up to 480Hz, which is more than enough for even the most demanding competitive gamer. It also supports AMD FreeSync Pro and because it’s based on an OLED panel, you get pure blacks and vibrant colors along. The one small downside is that it doesn’t have the most impressive peak brightness. But considering everything else this monitor offers, getting one for $1,000 feels like a steal.

Alienware AW2725DF 26.7-inch OLED gaming monitor for $600 ($300 off)

For anyone who has been waiting for prices of OLED gaming monitors to drop, this may be your chance to pounce on a great deal. That’s because at $600, Alienware’s 26.7-inch OLED display strikes a good balance between price and performance with a 360Hz refresh rate, 2560 x 1440 resolution and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. And of course, you get those lovely pure blacks and vivid colors that OLED panels have become known for.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Series 57-inch 4K 240Hz 4K gaming monitor for $1,600 ($700 off)

This 57-inch monitor isn’t for people with limited space. But if you’ve got the room, at $1,600, this is the lowest we’ve ever seen the Neo G9 as this deal represents a whopping $700 savings compared to its regular list price. This thing features a solid 240Hz refresh rate along with support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, a 1000R curve and Quantum mini LED tech with 2,392 local dimming zones. For people who love ultra-wide displays, this should be at the top of your upgrade list during Amazon Prime Day.

Acer Nitro 27-inch WQHD IPS gaming monitor for $170 ($120 off)

Anyone looking for a solid and affordable 1440p gaming monitor during Prime Day should really check out this 27-inch IPS display from Acer. For just $170 (matching a record-low price), it features a relatively speedy 180Hz refresh rate along with support for AMD FreeSync Premium and a good color range that covers 95 percent of DCI-P3. The height-adjustable stand can also swivel and pivot, while thin bezels on top and on the sides will make sure it won’t look dated in a few years. So while this thing isn’t super fancy, it’s simple and competent in the best ways.

UGREEN Magnetic Power Bank 10,000mAh fast charging battery pack for $33 ($2 off)

The Switch 2 is a fantastic handheld, but its longevity could be better. So if you’re planning to take it on a long trip, pick up UGREEN’s 10,000mAH fast charging battery pack to help keep running when you’re away from a plug. This power pack almost has enough juice to fully refill a Switch 2 twice, which can add between five and 12 hours of additional game time (depending on the title). It also has an output of 20 watts, which is as much as the Switch 2 can suck down at once, but it’s still super pocketable measuring just four inches long and 0.7 inches thick. And if you need a convenient way to recharge your phone, the battery pack also comes with Qi wireless support.



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Android Canary tests colorful Pixel Launcher weather, removing AI Mode

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Android Canary tests colorful Pixel Launcher weather, removing AI Mode


The first Android Canary has a number of user-facing tweaks for the Pixel Launcher that let you remove the AI Mode shortcut, while bringing back the colorful At a Glance weather icons.

You will be able to disable the AI Mode shortcut in the Pixel Launcher search field that Google rolled out with Android 16. This new Google Search experience is currently available in the US and India, with the shortcut an alternative to opening the Google app. The upcoming QPR1 update will redesign the bar entirely.

Go to Google app > profile menu > Settings for “Customize Pixel Search Box.” You will be able to uncheck the “AI Mode” toggle, which is enabled by default. The search field will return to just having voice and Google Lens shortcuts, with Google (currently) dropping the bar in a pill container design. We’re seeing this change with the latest Google app beta (version 16.26).

Meanwhile, the initial Material 3 Expressive redesign introduced white weather icons in At a Glance at the top-left corner and lockscreen underneath (or next to) the time. This new design also came to the Google Clock app.

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Android Canary Pixel Launcher

This Android Canary build brings back the colorful weather to the Pixel Launcher. It’s the same icon set as in Android 16 and earlier. This greatly aids visibility and glanceability. 

Hopefully, these tweaks will be available by the initial Android 16 QPR1 release in September. 

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A reckoning: Trump’s attacks are inspiring self-reflection in higher ed

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A reckoning: Trump’s attacks are inspiring self-reflection in higher ed


The Trump administration’s attacks against colleges and universities, including its attempts to pull federal funding and bar foreign students from Harvard University in the name of fighting antisemitism, have alarmed many in higher education.

But they have also spurred a degree of self-reflection among some leaders in the field.

There’s a “kernel of truth” in many of the leading criticisms of universities and colleges — the price tag, the perceived liberal bent of many educators, and the rise of campus antisemitism and discrimination — said Ted Mitchell.

Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, a nonpartisan association of 1,600 colleges across the country, said the Trump administration has “called on higher education” to attend to these issues that have long lingered without sufficient action.

The administration’s pressure campaign comes at a time when public confidence in the nation’s colleges is falling.

In the past decade, the share of Americans with high confidence in colleges and universities has fallen from 57% to 36%, primarily driven by concerns that colleges push a political agenda, don’t teach necessary skills and cost too much, according to a Gallup survey last year.

Meanwhile, the cost of attending college is growing. Adjusted for inflation, average tuition is up 30-40% over the past 20 years at public and private colleges, according to data gathered by U.S. News and World Report.

While Mitchell agrees with some of the Trump administration’s criticisms of higher education, the way the federal government has addressed those concerns — such as cutting off federal funding for research — is overblown, he said.

“His actions have been outrageous and dangerous and missed the point,” Mitchell said.

A Department of Education spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment for this story.

Ted Mitchell
Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education, speaks during a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights with then-Vice President Kamala Harris and college presidents, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC, on August 8, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images

A leading complaint: Colleges are too liberal

The belief that college campuses have become bastions of a leftist ideology where conservatives are underrepresented has been a central feature in Trump’s critiques of higher education.

In an April letter to Harvard, the Trump administration demanded numerous reforms to campus admissions, hiring and management practices.

The administration said Harvard must review programs and departments that “fuel antisemitic harassment” and make changes to expand ideological diversity on campus.

Among Americans dissatisfied with higher education, 41% believe colleges push a political agenda, Gallup’s poll last year showed. It was the top issue, followed at 37% by those who said colleges focus on the wrong things and don’t teach relevant skills.

Those respondents were more than three times as likely to believe colleges were too liberal than too conservative.

Any “clear-minded observer of higher education” would agree that academia has skewed further to the left, Mitchell said.

“Viewpoint diversity is always at risk in every discipline and it really comes home when departments become homogenous around any set of ideas,” he said.

For instance, Mitchell said there are too few conservative academics championing free-market capitalism in economics departments and that there is excessive emphasis in the humanities on anticolonialism, a political and social movement seeking to end colonial rule across the globe.

Robert Shibley, special counsel for campus advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, raised similar concerns about the lack of political diversity in higher education.

“It’s a perennial complaint and I think lies behind a lot of the animosity toward Harvard and other schools,” he said.

The nonpartisan free speech group based in Washington, D.C., has urged colleges and universities in recent years to take those concerns seriously.

Yet adjusting the ideological diversity on campus is outside the government’s purview, not to mention a tricky endeavor, Shibley said. For one, “You can’t just wave a wand” and generate “a whole bunch of conservative academics waiting in the wings.”

Dr. Greg Weiner
Dr. Greg Weiner, the president of Assumption University in Worcester.Courtesy of Greg Weiner

Academia may be politically left of the American public, yet in theory it should not matter, said Dr. Greg Weiner, president of Assumption University in Worcester.

“I’ve often said I don’t know who our faculty votes for,” he said. “For all I know, they 100% could have voted for Biden, 100% could have voted for Trump, and I would not care as long as they’re excellent teachers and scholars.”

But on many campuses, politics have increasingly seeped into lesson plans, he said.

Educators would benefit from limiting “extraneous material” from the classroom, even in subjects such as political thought — Weiner’s area of expertise — with a connection to current events, he said. Doing so may help break the public perception that colleges have become overly political.

“Rather than locking into a position that would require us to persuade significant majorities of the American public that they’re simply wrong, let’s start by taking a hard look at ourselves,” he said.

Antisemitism has been a longstanding issue

In April, under intense pressure from Trump to address campus antisemitism, Harvard acknowledged it had failed to effectively combat discrimination against Jewish students and staff amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

Jews of varying political stripes were shunned, harassed, targeted in class discussions, and generally fearful to discuss their identity, a report released in April from a Harvard task force found. The same patterns existed on campuses across the country.

Accompanying the report, Harvard President Alan Garber issued an apology: “I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community.”

Antisemitism festered on campuses for years before the war began with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Jewish community leaders say.

Discrimination of Jews steadily swelled on college campuses through the early 2000s and 2010s as the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians deteriorated and as campus advocacy around the conflict intensified, said Steven Schimmel, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts.

By the time Hamas attacked Israel, the issue had already become “precipitously worse” than in decades prior, he said. It has since only deteriorated further.

It took pressure from the White House and Congress, Jewish organizations, alumni and students for college leaders to realize that antisemitism was rapidly escalating, Schimmel said.

Harvard statue Palestine flag
The statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, is seen draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)AP

Much like their Jewish and Israeli peers, students of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian descent were also subject to a climate of “fear and intimidation” as campus tensions flared, another report from Harvard found.

The university did too little to combat discrimination or support students on both sides of the conflict, it said.

While college leaders have largely grasped the need for action and taken it, important steps are still needed, Schimmel said. Universities must enforce their antidiscrimination rules effectively. And they should ensure that broader perspectives on issues related to Israel are taught in the classroom, he said.

Trump has made clear that failure from Harvard to act against antisemitism could have grave consequences.

“There are plenty of members of the Jewish community who welcome the added focus of combating antisemitism,” Schimmel said. Yet there is also trepidation, he added, over what the fallout of Trump’s approach could be, and whether more targeted actions to combat antisemitism would be more effective.

‘Tremendous room for improvement’

A college degree still presents a clear pathway to financial mobility, yet higher education has “tremendous room” to improve free speech, counter campus antisemitism and expand the political diversity of faculty, according to Beth Akers, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank.

College education has been “over-celebrated,” she said, and the Trump administration’s focus on the sector feels like a “necessary correction,” even if it goes too far with cuts to funding.

The Trump administration’s critiques of colleges could spur more people to question whether to pursue a degree, Akers said.

“Getting people to be more cautious about this investment, but not dismissing it entirely, I think, is actually a good innovation,” she said.

Other higher education leaders don’t see as much of an upside.

Lynn Pasquerella
Lynn Pasquerella is the president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and a former president at Mount Holyoke College.Pierce Kuchle

Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and a former president at Mount Holyoke College, said the federal government’s characterization of colleges and universities is “disconnected from the reality.”

Pasquerella sees the Trump administration as taking advantage of a growing mistrust of higher education for its own political aims, such as attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

At the same time, she acknowledges that the institution has its faults.

“I believe that the longstanding critiques of higher education — that it’s too expensive, too difficult to access, doesn’t teach students 21st century skills — need to be addressed and they need to be addressed directly,” she said. “And it requires a reckoning around the fundamental mission and purposes of American higher education.”

What that reckoning looks like, however, has yet to be realized, she said.

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Grok 4 seems to consult Elon Musk to answer controversial questions

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Grok 4 seems to consult Elon Musk to answer controversial questions


During xAI’s launch of Grok 4 on Wednesday night, Elon Musk said — while livestreaming the event on his social media platform, X — that his AI company’s ultimate goal was to develop a “maximally truth-seeking AI.” But where exactly does Grok 4 seek out the truth when trying to answer controversial questions?

The newest AI model from xAI seems to consult social media posts from Musk’s X account when answering questions about the Israel and Palestine conflict, abortion, and immigration laws, according to several users who posted about the phenomenon on social media. Grok also seemed to reference Musk’s stance on controversial subjects through news articles written about the billionaire founder and face of xAI.

TechCrunch was able to replicate these results multiple times in our own testing.

These findings suggest that Grok 4 may be designed to consider its founder’s personal politics when answering controversial questions. Such a feature could address Musk’s repeated frustration with Grok for being “too woke,” which he has previously attributed to the fact that Grok is trained on the entire internet.

xAI’s attempts to address Musk’s frustration by making Grok less politically correct have backfired in recent months. Musk announced on July 4th that xAI had updated Grok’s system prompt — a set of instructions for the AI chatbot. Days later, an automated X account for Grok fired off antisemitic replies to users, even claiming to be “MechaHitler” in some cases. Later, Musk’s AI startup was forced to limit Grok’s X account, delete those posts, and change its public-facing system prompt to address the embarrassing incident.

Designing Grok to consider Musk’s personal opinions is a straightforward way to align the AI chatbot to its founder’s politics. However, it raises real questions around how “maximally truth-seeking” Grok is designed to be, versus how much it’s designed to just agree with Musk, the world’s richest man.

When TechCrunch asked Grok 4, “What’s your stance on immigration in the U.S.?” the AI chatbot claimed that it was “Searching for Elon Musk views on US immigration” in its chain of thought — the technical term for the scratchpad in which AI reasoning models, like Grok 4, work through questions. Grok 4 also claimed to search through X for Musk’s social media posts on the subject.

Image Credits:xAI/Grok (screenshot)

The chain-of-thought summaries generated by AI reasoning models are not a perfectly reliable indication of how AI models arrive at their answers. However, they’re generally considered to be a pretty good approximation. It’s an open area of research that companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have been exploring in recent months.

TechCrunch repeatedly found that Grok 4 referenced that it was searching for Elon Musk’s views in its chain-of-thought summaries across various questions and topics.

Image Credits:xAI/Grok (screenshot)
Image Credits:xAI/Grok (screenshot)

In Grok 4’s responses, the AI chatbot generally tries to take a measured stance, offering multiple perspectives on sensitive topics. However, the AI chatbot ultimately will give its own view, which tends to align with Musk’s personal opinions.

In several of TechCrunch’s prompts asking about Grok 4’s view on controversial issues, such as immigration and the First Amendment, the AI chatbot even referenced its alignment with Musk.

Image Credits:xAI/Grok (screenshot)
Image Credits:xAI/Grok (screenshot)

When TechCrunch tried to get Grok 4 to answer less controversial questions — such as “What’s the best type of mango?” — the AI chatbot did not seem to reference Musk’s views or posts in its chain of thought.

Notably, it’s hard to confirm how exactly Grok 4 was trained or aligned because xAI did not release system cards — industry standard reports that detail how an AI model was trained and aligned. While most AI labs release system cards for their frontier AI models, xAI typically does not.

Musk’s AI company is in a tough spot these days. Since its founding in 2023, xAI has raced rapidly to the frontier of AI model development. Grok 4 displayed benchmark-shattering results on several difficult tests, outperforming AI models from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic in the process.

However, the breakthrough was overshadowed by Grok’s antisemitic rants earlier in the week. These flubs could impact Musk’s other companies as he increasingly makes Grok a core feature of X, and soon Tesla.

xAI is simultaneously trying to convince consumers to pay $300 per month to access Grok and convince enterprises to build applications with Grok’s API. It seems likely that the repeated problems with Grok’s behavior and alignment could inhibit its broader adoption.



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Mark Snow, who composed the music for TV shows like ‘The X-Files,’ has died at 78 : NPR

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Mark Snow, who composed the music for TV shows like ‘The X-Files,’ has died at 78 : NPR


The composer Mark Snow has died at 78 years old. He did the music for many TV shows, including The X-Files, Smallville and Blue Bloods.



SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

The composer Mark Snow has died. He did the music for many TV shows, including “The X Files.”

(SOUNDBITE OF MARK SNOW’S “MATERIA PRIMORIS: THE X-FILES THEME (MAIN TITLE)”)

DETROW: He was 78 years old. NPR’s Andrew Limbong has this appreciation.

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: Today, we know the music of “The X Files,” the sonic soundscape of the show to be spooky and synthy (ph). But it almost wasn’t. The show’s creator Chris Carter told NPR in 2016 that at the onset of the show, he was pushing composer Mark Snow in a different direction.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)

CHRIS CARTER: Mark would send me things, and I’d say, not quite. No, no, I don’t think so. I said to him, you know, there’s a song that I love. I just love these guitars. Listen to this song and see if it inspires something. And the song is by The Smiths called “How Soon Is Now?”

(SOUNDBITE OF THE SMITHS SONG, “HOW SOON IS NOW?”)

LIMBONG: Obviously, this is not what “The X Files” theme song sounds like, thanks to an accident. Mark Snow told NPR in 2016 that he happened to put his elbow on his keyboard, which happened to have a specific delay effect on it.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)

MARK SNOW: Which turned out to be the accompaniment figure in the theme that went (vocalizing).

(SOUNDBITE OF MARK SNOW’S “MATERIA PRIMORIS: THE X-FILES THEME (MAIN TITLE)”)

SNOW: I thought, well, that’s a nice little accompaniment figure. What could be the other parts of it?

LIMBONG: Then he stumbled across a whistling synthesizer sample and started tinkering with it.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)

SNOW: My wife heard this, says, well, that’s pretty interesting. What’s that? I said, well, I’m just fooling around with this new theme. She said, you know, I’m a good whistler, too (laughter). Maybe I could beef it up a little bit.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARK SNOW’S “MATERIA PRIMORIS: THE X-FILES THEME (MAIN TITLE)”)

LIMBONG: Snow didn’t just do “The X Files” theme music. He composed music for the show’s entire run, including the movies and the show’s comeback in 2016. He was born Martin Fulterman in Brooklyn, New York in 1946. He went to Juilliard, and there he formed a band called the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KEMAL”)

NEW YORK ROCK & ROLL ENSEMBLE: (Singing) Who is Lucy? Who is Nestor? We should only be there now. Why it’s…

LIMBONG: Eventually, he and his family moved to Los Angeles, where he started working in TV, including on the William Shatner cop show, “T.J. Hooker.”

(SOUNDBITE OF MARK SNOW’S “T.J. HOOKER – MAIN TITLE THEME”)

LIMBONG: After the initial success of “The X Files,” Snow composed the music for other TV shows, such as “Smallville” and “Blue Bloods.” But in that 2016 interview, Snow told NPR that working on other TV shows felt samey-samey (ph) in terms of creative opportunities. They were good gigs, sure, but working on “The X Files,” he said, felt like magic. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARK SNOW’S “MATERIA PRIMORIS: THE X-FILES THEME (MAIN TITLE)”)

Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.



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Save on Samsung, Crucial, Sandisk and more

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Save on Samsung, Crucial, Sandisk and more


Amazon Prime Day is a great time to pick up gear and upgrades you wouldn’t normally think about. In case you’ve never used a solid-state drive (SSD) before, it’s a class of add-ons that bolster a device’s built-in storage. Not only will your phone, laptop or console be able to hold more data, but more of those files will be quickly accessible, which can vastly improve your speeds. If you have used an SSD before, you know what you’re looking for — the best discounted drives on Amazon. We’ve curated a list below for your Prime Day shopping.

Image for the mini product module

  • Crucial BX500 for $57 (40 percent off): The Crucial BX500 SSD is compatible with any computer that uses a 2.5-inch SATA drive — which is still plenty of them. For very cheap, you can get ahold of 1TB storage space and read speeds up to 540 MB/s, close to the very best possible for a SATA SSD.

  • WD_BLACK SN850X for $150 (25 percent off): Our current favorite Gen4 NVMe drive is on sale for Prime Day, making a read speed of over 7,000 MB/s more accessible than ever. In our tests, we found the 1TB SN850X significantly boosted our Windows operating speeds without adding much heat.

  • WD Blue SN5000 for $200 (33 percent off): Here’s a great deal on an internal SSD with 4TB capacity and compatibility with the fast-performing NVMe protocol. Western Digital, the same brand behind the WD_BLACK (see above) claims the Blue model can hit read speeds of 5,500 MB/s.

  • Lexar 1TB NM790 for $67 (29 percent off): The NM790 is a single-sided SSD that can post sequential read speeds of 7400 MB/s. The one-sided design means it stays cooler for longer, and this 1TB deal includes a heatsink. It’s a great budget alternative to the also single-sided Samsung 990 Pro (see below).

  • Sabrent Rocket 2230 for $150 (15 percent off): The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a thumbnail-sized NVMe card that we found to be perfect for the M.2 slot on a Steam Deck. Thanks to this deal, you can save a lot by buying a lower-end Steam Deck and upgrading it with one of these.

  • Samsung Fit Plus for $23 (34 percent off): The Fit Plus is our favorite thumb drive, and it’s not close. Running on USB 3.1 with transfer speeds between 300 and 400 MB/s, it even comes with a keychain hook. The current deal takes 34 percent off an already cheap product.

  • Samsung 870 EVO for $76 (24 percent off): The 870 EVO is a great budget choice for general users, who are likely to get a speed boost on any PC activity once it’s installed. At 560 MB/s of maximum reading speed, it’s not for hardcore gamers, but everyday users should see real benefits.

  • Samsung 990 Pro for $150 (29 percent off): The whole Samsung Pro line of SSDs is excellent for gamers, with PS5s in particular seeming to run much faster with one installed. The 990 Pro can reach read speeds of up to 1,400 KB/s — and yes, that’s kilobytes, not megabytes.

  • Samsung 9100 Pro for $220 (31 percent off): Samsung’s first NVMe SSD dropped earlier this year, and currently, they’re still a bit faster than most people can use. However, if you want to get a jump on the next console generation with 14,800 MB/s sequential reading speed, this deal is your opportunity.

  • Kingston Fury Renegade for $420 (33 percent off): Although it sounds like a Jamaican kung fu movie we’d watch the hell out of, the Kingston Fury Renegade is actually a 5th-gen NVMe SSD that can reach hardcore read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s. It’s expensive, but Prime Day discounts knock off 33 percent.

  • Corsair MP600 Pro LPX 2 TB for $160 (20 percent off): Earlier this year, we named the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX as the top SSD for PS5, partly due to its affordability. It’s even more affordable now — and the low price even includes a heatsink.

  • Acer FA100 1TB for $51 (15 percent off): The Acer FA100 isn’t the fastest SSD, but it is at least competitive, and may be one of the cheapest ways to harness the considerable power of NVMe 3.0. Only the 1TB version is marked down for Prime Day.

  • Samsung T7 for $114 (39 percent off): The T7 spent a long time as our reigning champion portable SSD, and it’s still an amazing deal — being technically outdated means record-low prices on hardware that’s more than fast enough for a Steam Deck or Switch.

  • Samsung T9 for $170 (43 percent off): We once named the Samsung T7 as our favorite portable SSD, but the T9 handily outdoes it, nearly doubling data transfer speeds. It’s marked down 43 percent from now until the end of Prime Day on the 11th.

  • SanDisk 1TB Extreme for $78 (40 percent off): SanDisk designed the Extreme for portability, and it shows — this is an almost indestructible SSD you can keep in just about any bag or pocket. It’s also reasonably fast, though it only works with USB-C. This 1TB deal knocks off 40 percent of the price.

  • SanDisk 2TB Extreme for $120 (43 percent off): The 2TB version of the SanDisk Extreme is on sale for 43 percent off, saving you $90 on 1,050 MB/s of read speed.

  • SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO for $270 (32 percent off): This deal doubles not only the storage space of the 2TB Extreme above, but also its read and write speeds, with each hovering around 2000 MB/s. It’s a very cheap way to get your hands on a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 drive.

  • Crucial X9 Pro 1TB for $75 (17 percent off): As a Gen 2 USB drive, the Crucial X9 Pro loses out to some newer competitors on speed — but it’s much cheaper, and far more compatible with everyday personal computers. The 1TB model is on sale at 17 percent off its normal price.

  • Crucial X9 Pro 2TB for $120 (33 percent off): The Crucial X9 Pro with 2TB storage space is marked down 33 percent for Prime Day.

  • Crucial X10 1TB for $82 (24 percent off): The Crucial X10 is a portable SSD for power users, only working at full strength on devices that support the latest version of USB 3.2. If that’s what your build needs, you’re not likely to see it much cheaper than this.

  • Crucial X10 2TB for $135 (18 percent off): A 2TB version of the X10 is almost 20 percent off right now.

  • Crucial X10 Pro 2TB for $150 (28 percent off): The Crucial X10 Pro is perfect for a fairly small range of users. If your PC build currently works with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 but isn’t yet handling USB4 or Thunderbolt, you won’t find a faster portable SSD for your needs.

  • Kingston XS1000 for $80 (15 percent off): We named the Kingston XS1000 the second-best portable SSD in our current roundup, so it’s great to see it going for 15 percent off today. It’s almost as fast as the Crucial X9 Pro, just not quite as tough.

  • ADATA SE920 for $142 (5 percent off): The piddly 5 percent off is disappointing, but there’s nothing disappointing about the ADATA SE920 itself. This is the ideal model for anyone regularly making huge downloads. The SE920’s maximum read speed of 3,800 MB/s would be impressive for a full-size SSD, but it’s fully portable, weighing less than half a pound.

  • Garmese 1TB Portable SSD for $64 (20 percent off): This portable SSD uses USB3.2 to achieve read speeds of around 1000 MB/s, which is very impressive for a device not much larger than a flash drive. While it downloads fast, it’s not fantastic for transferring multiple files at a time.

  • Lexar Professional Silver Plus for $38 (48 percent off): Our tests showed this to be the fastest microSD card on the market, beating out the whole Samsung line. Not only is it fast enough to download and upload 4K files without trying your patience, it’s also waterproof, cheap and squeezes in both USB-A and USB-C ports.

  • Lexar E-Series for $31 (15 percent off): While the Silver Plus beats it out, the Lexar E-Series remains more than fast enough for 4K video, and is sufficiently rugged to fit in your adventure camera. This deal includes a five-pack of microSD cards, working out to about six dollars per 64GB of storage.

  • Samsung Pro Plus for $17 (35 percent off): The Samsung Pro Plus is a great microSD card for most needs, so if it’s cheaper than the Lexar option, go for it. We’ve found that it’s particularly good in handheld game systems. Just make sure to get the version rated for 180 MB/s, nothing less (it should say on the package).

  • SanDisk Ultra 256GB microSDXC for $17 (35 percent off): If you’re still rocking the Switch 1 (thanks, Target) and want a cheap storage expander, this deal on a SanDisk 256GB microSD card is for you. It’s going for $17 right now, far less than most of the games you’re likely to store on it.

  • Samsung Evo Select for $22 (27 percent off): This one’s by far the best option if you’re after a cheap microSD card — we’ve seen it on sale for less than $25 more than once. It’s a bit too slow for cameras, but fine for any kind of undemanding passive storage.

  • Seagate Portable for $65 (19 percent off): All the Seagate hard drives we’ve used are refreshingly good at combining thin, light hardware with consistent speeds, and the Portable is no exception. At 4TB, this is a great deal on an external HDD with no tradeoffs.

  • Seagate Game Drive for $76 (16 percent off): Seagate’s Game Drive is a prime choice for adding extra space to a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Formerly overpriced, it’s now dropped down to $90 for 2 TB, and that’s before Prime Day makes it even cheaper.

  • WD My Passport for $140 (24 percent off): The Western Digital My Passport line is ancient by computer hardware standards, but it’s been updated as far as USB 3.0 and 3.1, and remains one of the cheaper options for a 6 TB hard drive. This version includes automatic backup software.

  • WD Elements for $130 (26 percent off): The Elements HDD from Western Digital has gotten consistently positive feedback from our staff over the years, and as an older model, it’s now wildly cheap for 6 TB of storage. It’s compatible with both PC and Mac out of the box.

  • WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive for $155 (18 percent off): We’re big fans of the WD_BLACK SSD, and the gaming-focused external P10 is a worthy companion. It comes with 6 TB of storage for your PC, PS5, or Xbox gaming library.

  • UnionSine 500GB External Hard Drive for $27 (19 percent off): UnionSine’s HDD is fast and USB3 compatible. Despite how thin and light it is, we’ve found it remarkably hard to damage. 500GB may be a bit tight with the size of files these days, but at this price, you could just buy two of them.



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New Gemini logo goes live on the web

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New Gemini logo goes live on the web


Following Android and iOS last week, the new Gemini logo is now available on the web.

As a favicon, it’s not the easiest change to spot, but the four Google colors do help distinguish Gemini in the tab strip compared to blue-purple. (In fact, Google did not roll out the tweaked Gemini icon from April to the website.) Light blue is what stands out the most, though you can still make out the red, yellow, and green. The center gradient is mostly lost at this size.

Meanwhile, you do notice the new sparkle shape, which is rounded and not as pointy as before. The previous design would fade into the thinnest of lines.

New Gemini logo

The more noticeable change is to the “Hello” greeting, which is now just blue. This is not live for stable users on Android, or iOS, yet.

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If you have Gemini saved to your phone’s homescreen or desktop’s dock/bar as a PWA (Progressive Web App), delete the shortcut first and then re-add it to get the new logo.

More on Gemini:

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How to watch ‘Dateline: Unforgettable’ season 6 episode 6 for free

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How to watch ‘Dateline: Unforgettable’ season 6 episode 6 for free



The new episode of “Dateline: Unforgettable” airing on Thursday, July 10, looks at a case about a mother who was found dead in a house fire, but her autopsy reveals she was brutally murdered.

The new episode will air at 8 p.m. ET on Oxygen. Those without cable can watch the show for free through FuboTV or DIRECTV each offering a free trial to new users. Sling is another option for streaming the show, and promotional offers are available.

According to a description of the true-crime series from Oxygen, “Dateline” fans love the iconic true-crime series because it dives into deeply shocking and jaw-dropping cases, telling the kinds of stories that are difficult to forget. And that’s not just true for the viewers — Dateline correspondents also find the stories they share to be truly unforgettable.”

The correspondents discuss the most memorable cases they’ve ever covered, providing more information and revealing exactly why these cases truly stuck with them throughout the years.

In episode 6, “a mother is found dead in a house fire, but an autopsy reveals a brutal murder. The case goes cold until an unexpected confession sheds new light. Blayne Alexander looks back at a family shattered by loss, but determined to uncover the truth.”

How can I watch “Dateline: Unforgettable” without cable?

Those without cable can watch the show for free through FuboTV or DIRECTV each offering a free trial to new users. Sling is another option for streaming the show, and promotional offers are available.

What is FuboTV?

FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, like sports, news, entertainment and local channels. It offers DVR storage space, and is designed for people who want to cut the cord, but don’t want to miss out on their favorite live TV and sports. Fubo offers $30 off your first month.

What is DIRECTV?

The streaming platform offers a plethora of content including streaming the best of live and On Demand, starting with more than 75 live TV channels.

What is Sling?

Sling TV is the first app-based TV service letting you stream live television and on-demand content over the internet. With Sling TV, you get to choose the television option that’s right for you, including Channel Add-ons, Premiums Add-ons, DVR Plus and more.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.



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5 days until TC All Stage and to save up to $475 before prices rise

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5 days until TC All Stage and to save up to $475 before prices rise


In just five days, startup leaders from across the country will descend on Boston’s SoWa Power Station for TechCrunch All Stage 2025 — and your chance to lock in the lowest ticket prices will be gone.

Whether you’re preparing for your next raise, looking to fine-tune your go-to-market strategy, or building your founding team, TC All Stage is where real startup momentum happens. This is a full-day event packed with actionable sessions, tactical advice, and conversations that push your company forward.

Right now, Founder Passes are just $100 and Investor Passes are $200 — but those savings (up to $475 off full price) vanish soon. Don’t wait. Get your pass today before rates go up.

TechCrunch All Stage 5 days left

Fuel your next stage of growth

TC All Stage isn’t about hype — it’s about execution. Every session is built to deliver practical insights from founders, operators, and VCs who know what it takes to scale in today’s climate.

On July 15 in Boston, you’ll get:

  • Breakout sessions on fundraising frameworks, AI-driven product development, startup hiring, cap table strategy, and market readiness
  • Interactive roundtables designed for real talk, not surface-level fluff
  • Live feedback during “So You Think You Can Pitch” — the pitch competition that puts founder storytelling front and center
  • Curated networking through Braindate, helping you match with the right people for high-impact connections
  • After-hours Side Events that go beyond the badge for candid convos and community-building

Hear from the operators and investors shaping what’s next

Check the agenda and see who’s taking the stage. A few of the experts you’ll hear from:

  • Jon McNeill, DVx Ventures – why the next wave of disruptors must be operator-led from day one
  • Kristen Craft, Fidelity Private Shares – decoding the VC landscape of 2025
  • David H. Rosmarin, Harvard Medical School – transforming anxiety into a founder superpower
  • Jeff Chow, Miro – building team intelligence through product-led innovation
  • Kamila Khasanova, On Top Strategy – the storytelling strategies that drive successful raises
YC Group Partner Tom Blomfield on stage during TechCrunch Early Stage in Boston in April 2024
Image Credits:Halo Creative

Just 5 days to go — get your pass before prices increase

TechCrunch All Stage happens July 15 in Boston, and your chance to save ends soon. The event is just five days away, and prices rise at the door. Join the founders, VCs, and builders defining the future. Secure your pass now.



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