Terrence O'Brien
@terrenceobrien.bsky.social
Verge weekend editor. MusicTech contributor. Former Engadget, Wired & Switched. Musician. Serial hobbyist. https://linktr.ee/terrenceobrien
I worked for New York’s largest medical center at the start of the pandemic. There were morgue trucks on the streets. They set up emergency medical tents in Central Park. Healthcare worker colleagues died. It is horrific that RFK Jr is on national TV lying that ICUs were empty.
I've heard a lot of bad takes about AI and music, but that cover songs are training data and your bandmates are analog AI, might be the worst yet.
The Verge@theverge.com · 3d agoBud Cole also compared learning cover songs to AI training data in a controversial interview. www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
The author’s latest book, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead, finds humor in difficult times. www.theverge.com/report/97422...
Angela Nissel faces down grief with a laugh
Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead, finds the humor in difficult times.
theverge.com
This mayoral administration is improving life for everyday New Yorkers through a politics of joy.
Zohran Mamdani and the Politics of Joy
And it’s backed up by actions and initiatives that seem designed to genuinely foster a joyful city.
thenation.com
I am very tempted to buy a Chase Bliss Bad Mood and sell my regular Mood. www.chasebliss.com/bad-mood (Trying to stick to my rule of paying for any new gear by selling old gear.)
BAD MOOD — Chase Bliss
BAD MOOD is a two-channel multi-effect. One half samples and loops brief moments, the other is a collection of real-time spatial effects. Both sides can be fed through a global “Glue” effect to bond o...
chasebliss.com
One of my favorite quotes I've ever gotten re:AI: “This does not seem to be a bus driven by a bunch of sane sober thinking people, and we’re all stuck in it.”
The Verge@theverge.com · last wk.Artists are lawyering up against AI slop, and some are even winning
Let's fucking go! Armand Hammer on Tiny Desk. youtu.be/uP23-YE-T30
Armand Hammer: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
Synth historian Oli Freke will spend big on a good bicycle
Synth historian Oli Freke will spend big on a good bicycle
He’s hard at work on the upcoming Beat Gems, a gorgeous coffee-table book about the history of drum machines.
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ATLANTA (AP) — US surpasses 2025’s record-breaking tally for measles cases, with 2,318 cases and 5 more months left in the year.
Rich guy with no background in education decides he knows how to fix education. Shoves AI in a classroom. Charges parents tens of thousands of dollars, then has a public hissy fit because I point out that he's charging tens of thousands of dollars to turn rich kids into beta testers.
I don’t know how to convince anyone of this, but the hundreds or thousands of words many publications run below the headline aren’t decorative. Often they contain nuance that doesn’t fit into ten words.
Here are the 30,000 songs Sony is suing Udio’s AI music generator over
Here are the 30,000 songs Sony is suing Udio’s AI music generator over
Sony claims Udio “copied and ingested” its music.
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Orchid is a delightfully retro and approachable hipster synth
Orchid is a delightfully retro and approachable hipster synth
A modern take on vintage chord organs from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.
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Me: I have complicated feelings about this song that was made partially using AI because, as I've said repeatedly, there is almost no ethical use of gen AI. But it's also a good song. The Internet: You're a fucking shill who should be fired, and your children should starve to death on the streets.
Look, I'm as confused and disappointed in myself as the rest of you, but I'm not gonna lie, either.
The Verge@theverge.com · 2w agoI hate that I don’t hate this song made with Suno
It took while to actually make it happen but, my Telepathic Instruments Orchid review is finally here.
The Verge@theverge.com · 2w agoOrchid is a delightfully retro and approachable hipster synth
This is grotesque. This person belongs in jail The other adults in the back belong in jail. This school should be razed. Anyone in government responsible for funding what amounts to a center for abusing autistic children should be sacked. Also: Fuck Sarah "Education Governor" Huckabee Sanders
ProPublica@propublica.org · 3w agoTHREAD: The boy is called a liar. He’s told not to defend himself. Then the private school owner encourages all of his peers to attack him, one by one. She hits him, repeatedly, with a plastic pipe-like object. How does this school still exist — and receive state funds? 🧵
A "history of abusive and frightening behavior," you don't say... www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/u...
ICE Agent Defended Shooting of Immigrant in Maine, Ex-Wife Says
The agent, whose identity has not been confirmed by officials, has a history of abusive and frightening behavior, according to a former wife and others who knew him.
nytimes.com
Because they're cheaper, more durable, easier to digitize, and more portable than vinyl. Oh, and because everything is better than streaming and you don't actually own anything unless you own it physically.
The Verge@theverge.com · 3w ago16.3 million CDs were sold in the first half of 2026 in the US, a 16 percent increase year-over-year.
Went on the Vergecast to talk Suno, the nature of art, and The Goofy Movie (of course).
David Pierce@davidpierce.xyz · 3w agoToday’s Vergecast: The problem with Suno and AI music. AI-generated music is suddenly everywhere. On social media, music streaming services, and elsewhere, stuff made on Suno is becoming unavoidable. The Verge‘s Terrence O’Brien... https://www.theverge.com/podcast/965581/suno-ai-music-vergecast
Man so many good recs in the comments here. @theverge.com readers are the best. www.theverge.com/entertainmen...
Tell me what album you’ve had stuck on repeat this week.
Every Sunday, we drop a recommendation for something to watch, read, or (more often than not) listen to. But I also want to know what you’re into. I’ve already discovered one of my favorite albums of ...
theverge.com
Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? is hypnotic, healing, and hopeful
Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? is hypnotic, healing, and hopeful
A balm in trying times.
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The number of Malört-themed videos that get passed around in my friend group chats is absurd. www.theverge.com/tech/964523/...
I bet you didn’t think Malört could get any worse.
The infamous wormwood liqueur has enjoyed minor viral fame for its… let’s say unique flavor profile (frequently compared to bile). But, basic Malört reaction videos are old hat. The truly adventurous ...
theverge.com
Little know fact - the guy being interviewed doesn’t get to pick the questions.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3w agoTAPPER: Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. Is that true? TRUMP: It's open as far as we're concerned. Don't talk about it. Talk about the reason you asked me to speak.