Stop me if this sounds familiar: The Browser Company is building a browser that it thinks can make your internet life a little more organized, a little more useful, and maybe even a little more delightful. It has new ideas about tabs, and what your browser can do on your behalf.
Technology
The company behind Arc is now building a second, much simpler browser
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25697672/videoframe_344844.png?ssl=1 "The company behind Arc is now building a second, much simpler browser")
I’ve heard this story before! But the browser that Browser Company CEO Josh Miller wants to talk about when he calls me on Thursday isn’t Arc, the product he and his team have been working on for the last five years. It’s not Arc 2.0, either, even though Miller has been talking publicly about Arc 2.0 for a while now. It’s an entirely new browser. And for Miller and The Browser Company, it’s a chance to get back to building the future of browsers they set out to create in the first place.
A strange thing has happened over the last couple of years, Miller says. Arc has grown fast — users quadrupled this year alone — but it has also become clear that Arc is never going to be a truly mainstream product. It’s too complicated, too different, too hard to get into. “It’s just too much novelty and change,” Miller says, “to get to the number of people we really want to get to.” User interviews and data have convinced the company that this is a power-user tool, and always will be.
On the other hand, the people who use Arc tend to love Arc. They love the sidebar, they love having spaces and profiles, they love all the customization options. Generally speaking, those users have also settled into Arc — Miller says they don’t want new features as much as they just want their browser to be faster, smoother, more secure. And fair enough!
So The Browser Company faced a situation many companies encounter: they had a well-liked product that was never going to be a game-changer. Rather than try to build the next thing into the current thing, and risk both alienating the people who like it and never reaching the people who don’t, the company decided to just build something new.
Arc is not dying, Miller says. He says that over and over, in fact, even after I tell him the YouTube video the company just released sounds like the thing companies say right before they kill a product. It’s just that Arc won’t change much anymore. It’ll get stability updates and bug fixes, and there’s a team at The Browser Company dedicated to those. “In that sense,” Miller says, “it feels like a complete-ish product.” Most of the team’s energy and time will now be dedicated to starting from scratch.
“Arc was basically this front-end, tab management innovation,” Miller says. “People loved it. It grew like a weed. Then it started getting slow and started crashing a lot, and we felt bad, and we had to learn how to make it fast. And we kind of lost sight, in some ways, of the fact that we’ve got to do the operating system part.”
The plan this time is to build not just a different interface for a browser, but a different kind of browser entirely — one that is much more proactive, more powerful, more AI-centric, more in line with that original vision. Call it the iPhone of web browsers, or the “internet computer,” or whatever other metaphor you like. The idea is to turn the browser into an app platform. Miller still wants to do it, and he wants to do it for everyone.
What does that look like? Miller is a bit vague on the details. The new browser, which Miller intimates could launch as soon as the beginning of next year, is designed to come with no switching costs, which means among other things that it will have horizontal tabs and fewer ideas about organization. The idea is to “make the first 90 seconds effortless” in order to get more people to switch. And then, slowly, to reveal what this new browser can do.
Miller has a couple of favorite examples of how a browser might help you get stuff done, which he’s said to me, on Decoder, and elsewhere in recent months. There’s the teacher who spends hours copying and pasting data between enterprise apps; the Shopify sellers who spend too much time looking up order numbers and then pasting them into customer-support emails. Those are the sorts of things that a browser, with access to all your web apps and browsing data, could begin to do on your behalf. And with AI tools like the new “Computer use” feature from Anthropic, that kind of thing is beginning to become automated and possible.
Designing a browser that is both accessible to everyone and a completely new thing won’t be easy. The Browser Company tried it once already, and ended up here. But Miller feels good about having built a good browser over the last five years. Now it’s time to get back to the real job.
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OpenAI announced yet another reorganization Friday, consolidating certain areas and making company president Greg Brockman the official lead of all things product.
In a memo viewed by The Verge, Brockman wrote that since OpenAI’s product strategy for this year is to go all-in on AI agents, the company is combining its products to “invest in a single agentic platform and to merge ChatGPT and Codex into one unified agentic experience for all.”
To do this, the company is making a suite of org chart changes, although it’s still operating under some of the same ones from last month. That’s when AGI boss Fidji Simo went on medical leave and OpenAI announced that Brockman would be in charge of product strategy and CSO Jason Kwon, CFO Sarah Friar, and CRO Denise Dresser would take control of business operations.
It’s all part of OpenAI’s recent strategic shift to focus on key revenue drivers like coding and enterprise and stop pouring resources into “side quests” ahead of its potential IPO later this year and amid investor pressure to turn a profit.
In Simo’s continued absence, Brockman’s role leading product strategy is now official, as well as the company’s “scaling” arm. Under Brockman will be four different pillars. The first is core product and platform, led by Thibault Sottiaux, who has been OpenAI’s engineering lead for Codex, and the second is critical enterprise industries, led by ChatGPT head Nick Turley. Third is the consumer pillar, such as health, commerce, and personal finance, which will be led by Ashley Alexander, who has been its healthcare products VP. The fourth pillar — core infrastructure, ads, data science, and growth — will be led by Vijaye Raji, who has been OpenAI’s CTO of applications.
Brockman wrote in the memo that OpenAI’s goal is now to “bring agents to ChatGPT scale, in order to give individuals and organizations significantly more value and utility from our products.”
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You’re going about your day when your phone buzzes. A text hits your phone. It looks official. It sounds urgent. And suddenly, you are being told you owe money for a traffic violation. That is exactly what Todd from Texas experienced. He emailed us and said:
“I received this text message today. It was so baffling because I haven’t lived in California for nearly a decade. I didn’t click on anything or respond. How can I tell if this is for real or if this is a scam?”
If you’ve gotten a message like this, you are not alone. This type of scam is spreading fast, and it is designed to pressure you into acting before you think. Let’s break down what is really going on.
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FAKE AGENT PHONE SCAMS ARE SPREADING FAST ACROSS THE US
This message may look official, but several red flags show it is likely a scam designed to pressure you into paying quickly. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What the traffic ticket scam text looks like
At first, the message seems convincing. It claims to be a “final reminder” from the California DMV, and it warns of penalties like license suspension and added fees. It even includes a link that appears somewhat official. However, once you slow down and take a closer look, the red flags quickly start to pile up.
The biggest red flags in this message
Here are the key warning signs to watch for in messages like this.
9 WAYS SCAMMERS CAN USE YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO TRY TO TRICK YOU
1) The phone number makes no sense
The message comes from a number with a +63 country code. That is the Philippines, not California. Government agencies in the U.S. do not send official legal notices from international numbers. That alone is a major warning sign.
2) No name, just “Dear Driver”
Legitimate notices from a DMV or court almost always include your full name or at least some identifying information. “Dear Driver” is vague on purpose. It allows scammers to send the same message to thousands of people.
3) The link isn’t a real DMV website
The message includes this link:
ca.mnvtl.life/dmv
That isn’t a government domain. Official DMV websites in California use “.ca.gov” or similar trusted domains. Scammers often create lookalike links to trick you into clicking.
4) Urgency and threats
The message pushes you to act quickly with a deadline. It lists consequences like license suspension and extra charges. Scammers rely on fear. When you feel rushed, you are more likely to click without thinking.
FBI WARNS OF DANGEROUS NEW ‘SMISHING’ SCAM TARGETING YOUR PHONE
5) Asking you to reply to proceed
The text says to reply with “Y” to get instructions. That is another trap. Responding confirms your number is active, which can lead to more scam messages.
6) Generic language and odd phrasing
Parts of the message feel slightly off. The tone is formal but not quite right. That subtle awkwardness is common in scam messages sent to large groups of people.
7) Overloaded threats designed to scare you
The message piles on consequences like license suspension, added fees, court action and even credit damage. In this case, it even mentions a license suspension and a $160 late payment charge. That combination is meant to overwhelm you and push you to act fast. Real agencies usually provide clear, specific notices, not a long list of escalating threats in a single text.
INSIDE A SCAMMER’S DAY AND HOW THEY TARGET YOU
Scam texts like this often arrive out of nowhere and try to create urgency before you have time to question them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What this means for you
Even if you have never driven in California, you could still receive this message. Scammers cast a wide net and hope someone takes the bait. If you click the link, you could be taken to a fake payment page. That page may ask for your credit card details, personal information or login credentials. In some cases, it can also install malware on your device or redirect you to credential-stealing pages. This isn’t about a ticket. It is about getting your data. State DMVs typically do not send final legal notices or payment demands by text message.
Why these scams keep working
These messages work because they tap into something most people fear. Legal trouble, fines and losing driving privileges. They also look just real enough to pass a quick glance. That is all scammers need. As more services move online, these scams will continue to evolve.
Unlike typical DMV scams, this message impersonates a court and escalates the threats to make the situation feel more serious (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Ways to stay safe from traffic ticket text scams
Start with a simple rule. Never trust a payment request that shows up out of nowhere. Here are practical steps you can take:
1) Do not click the link
If you are unsure, do not tap anything in the message. That includes links and reply options.
2) Use strong antivirus software
If you accidentally click a link, strong antivirus software can help detect malware and protect your data. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
3) Verify directly with the DMV
Go to your state’s official DMV website by typing it yourself into your browser. Do not use the link in the text.
4) Check the sender carefully
Look at the phone number. International numbers or random strings are a clear warning sign.
5) Ignore generic greetings
Real notices will usually include your name or case details. Vague language is a red flag.
6) Consider a data removal service
Scammers often get your number from data broker sites. Removing your personal info from those databases with a data removal service can reduce these messages. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
7) Block and report the number
On your phone, block the sender and report it as spam. This helps reduce future attempts.
8) Turn on spam filtering
Enable spam filtering on your phone or through your carrier to catch more of these messages before they reach you.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Todd did the right thing. He paused, questioned the message and did not click. That one decision likely saved him from handing over personal information. When it comes to messages like this, skepticism is your best defense. If something feels off, trust that instinct.
Should phone carriers and tech companies be doing more to block scams like this before you ever see them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda’s first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.
In March, Honda announced it would take a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments. Now Honda says its EV-related losses will be “resolved” by 2029, and that it will reevaluate its EV plans in 2030.
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