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Rad Power Bikes files for bankruptcy protection

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Rad Power Bikes files for bankruptcy protection

Rad Power Bikes, the once dominant electric bicycle brand in the US, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week as it seeks to sell of its company. The move comes less than a month after Rad Power said it could not afford to recall its older e-bike batteries that had been designated a fire risk by the US Consumer Protection Safety Commission.

The bankruptcy, which was first reported by Bicycle Retailer, was filed in US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington, near the company’s headquarters in Seattle. Rad Power lists its estimated assets at $32.1 million and estimated liabilities at $72.8 million. Its inventory of e-bikes, spare parts, and accessories is listged at $14.2 million, Bicycle Retailer says.

It’s a stunning reversal for the once leading e-bike company in the US. Mike Radenbaugh founded the company in 2015 after several years of selling custom-made e-bikes to customers on the West Coast. Rad Power quickly grew to over 11 distinct models, including the fat-tire RadRover, the long-tail RadWagon, and the versatile RadRunner. Rad Power Bikes raised an approximate total of $329 million across several funding rounds, primarily in 2021, with major investments from firms like Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, and T. Rowe Price.

But in the wake of the post-covid bike boom, things started to go south. There were supply chain disruptions, safety recalls, several rounds of layoffs, and executive turnover. Last month, Rad Power said it was facing “significant financial challenges” that could lead to its imminent closure without a cash infusion.

The CPSC warning apparently was the nail in the coffin. The company’s older batteries could “unexpectedly ignite and explode,” the agency warned, citing 31 fires, including 12 reports of property damage totaling $734,500. There weren’t any injuries, but the company said it couldn’t afford a costly recall.

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Rad Power could still live on if its able to find a buyer for its assets and brand. Dutch e-bike make VanMoof was able to find a buyer following its 2023 bankruptcy. And Belgium’s Cowboy is in talks to be acquired by a French holding company of several bike brands. Rad Power will continue to operate as it restructures its debts under court supervision, and in a statement to Bicycle Retailer said it will continue to sell bikes and work with customers and vendors as it moves forward with the process.

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Chrome rolls out AI podcast feature on Android

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Chrome rolls out AI podcast feature on Android

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Chrome on Android now offers a fresh way to digest information when your hands are busy or your eyes need a break.

A new update powered by Google Gemini can turn written webpages into short podcast-style summaries. Two virtual hosts chat about the content, making it feel easier to follow during your commute or while you multitask.

This upgrade builds on Chrome’s long-standing read-aloud tool, yet now adds a more natural and lively delivery. It does not work on every website, so some pages will still use the original word-for-word reading. When the AI option appears, though, the audio feels polished and smooth.

Below is how to try it on your Android phone right now.

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HOW TO DISABLE GEMINI AI ON ANDROID AND KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR APPS

Make sure you have the newest Chrome version so the AI podcast feature works. (Cyberguy.com)

Update Chrome before you start

First, make sure Chrome is current in the Play Store by opening the Play Store, searching for Google Chrome and tapping Update if it appears. The AI podcast feature works with version 140.0.7339.124 or newer, so confirm you have at least that version installed. Once you finish the update, open Chrome and pick any webpage with text you want to hear.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.

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Open the More menu

  • Tap the More icon or the three vertical dots in the upper right corner. This reveals a set of options that control how Chrome displays or reads the page.

Select Listen to this page

  • Choose Listen to this page. You will see a small Generating AI playback banner at the bottom. The processing is fast, so you will not wait long.

Hear the AI hosts discuss the page

  • Chrome will start a mini podcast with two voices talking through the content. You can tap the playback bar to pause, rewind or jump ahead. The panel stays on screen and follows you as you scroll.

Switch to standard playback when you want

  • The AI audio keeps going even if you leave the webpage. If you prefer a traditional word-for-word readback, tap the AI playback icon in the lower left and pick Standard Playback.

Chrome begins creating the AI audio as soon as you tap the “Listen to this Page” option. (iStock)

ANDROID EMERGENCY LIVE VIDEO GIVES 911 EYES ON THE SCENE

What this means to you

This feature can make long articles easier to absorb when you are on the move. You get a quick, conversational rundown without having to read a full page. It also helps you revisit information faster since the controls work like any audio player. If you enjoy podcasts, this tool gives you a familiar way to stay informed without draining your attention.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Chrome’s AI podcast feature brings a new layer of convenience to Android. It saves time, reduces eye strain and turns everyday browsing into a hands-free audio experience. Since it still supports the standard read-aloud mode, you can switch back anytime.

Would you use AI hosts to read your favorite websites, or do you prefer the classic readback style? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Using the new update powered by Google Gemini, you can change from the AI podcast to a simple word-for-word reading at any time. (“I’ve Had It” YouTube channel)

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Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts

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Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts

Wiles says she called Musk on the carpet. “You can’t just lock people out of their offices,” she recalls telling him. At first, Wiles didn’t grasp the effect that slashing USAID programs would have on humanitarian aid. “I didn’t know a lot about the extent of their grant making.” But with immunizations halted in Africa, lives would be lost. Soon she was getting frantic calls from relief agency heads and former government officials with a dire message: Thousands of lives were in the balance.

Wiles continued: “So Marco is on his way to Panama. We call him and say, ‘You’re Senate-confirmed. You’re going to have to be the custodian, essentially, of [USAID].’ ‘Okay,’ he says.” But Musk forged ahead—all throttle, no brake. “Elon’s attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you’re an incrementalist, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles said. “And so with that attitude, you’re going to break some china. But no rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody.”

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OpenAI announces upgrades for ChatGPT Images with ‘4x faster generation speed’

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OpenAI announces upgrades for ChatGPT Images with ‘4x faster generation speed’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

OpenAI announced an update for ChatGPT Images that it says drastically improves both the generation speed and instruction-following capability of its image generator.

A blog post from the company Tuesday says the update will make it much easier to make precise edits to AI-generated images. Previous iterations of the program have struggled to follow instructions and often make unasked-for changes.

“The update includes much stronger instruction following, highly precise editing, and up to 4x faster generation speed, making image creation and iteration much more usable,” the company wrote.

“This marks a shift from novelty image generation to practical, high-fidelity visual creation — turning ChatGPT into a fast, flexible creative studio for everyday edits, expressive transformations, and real-world use.”

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The OpenAI GPT-5 logo appears on a smartphone screen and as a background on a laptop screen in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The announcement comes just weeks after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” in a memo within his company to improve the quality of ChatGPT.

In the document, Altman said OpenAI has more work to do on enhancing the day-to-day experience of its chatbot, such as allowing it to answer a wider range of questions and improving its speed, reliability and personalization features for users, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The reported company-wide memo from Altman comes as competitors have narrowed OpenAI’s lead in the AI race. Google last month released a new version of its Gemini model that surpassed OpenAI on industry benchmark tests.

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The OpenAI logo Feb. 16, 2025 (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

To focus on the “code red” effort to improve ChatGPT, OpenAI will be pushing back work on other initiatives, such as a personal assistant called Pulse, advertising and AI agents for health and shopping, Altman said in the memo, according to the Journal.

Altman also said the company would have a daily call among those responsible for enhancing ChatGPT, the newspaper added. 

“Our focus now is to keep making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world — while making it feel even more intuitive and personal,” Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, wrote on X Monday night.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Federal Reserve’s Integrated Review of the Capital Framework for Large Banks Conference in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025.  (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)

        

OpenAI currently isn’t profitable and has to raise funding to survive compared to competitors like Google, which can fund investments in their AI ventures through revenue, the Journal reported.

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