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Updated 2025-04-22 21:04
Maybe we don’t have to capture so much carbon, study suggests
Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge New technologies and changes in consumer habits could limit the use of controversial carbon capture to fight climate change, new research shows.Efforts to capture carbon from polluting sources or to filter CO2 out of the air have picked up steam as a way for companies to meet their climate goals. But those strategies are still unproven at a large scale and could come with other unintended consequences. Some environmental advocates also worry that focusing on cleaning up pollution after the fact could lure companies away from transitioning to renewable energy to prevent emissions in the first place.To stop climate change and meet the goals of the Paris agreement, planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions need to reach net zero around... Continue reading...
GuliKit’s anti-drift Hall effect sticks are coming for your PS5, PS4, Xbox, and Switch Pro gamepads
I suspect GuliKit's gamepad sticks will require soldering, though... this DualSense, for example, has sticks soldered to the board. | Image: iFixit The Nintendo Switch's infamous Joy-Con drift" showed us that we deserve more from joysticks and that one company is only too happy to help. Now, GuliKit is officially bringing its drift-resistant magnetic Hall effect joysticks to a PS5, PS4, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch Pro gamepad near you in the form of upcoming upgrade kits.They'll be available for the Sony DualSense, DualShock 4, Xbox Series gamepad, and Nintendo's own official Switch Pro controller. But surprisingly, GuliKit is no longer bringing it to Sony's modular DualSense Edge like it originally promised and won't offer it for Xbox Elite controllers, either. GuliKit business director Jack He tells me that's because neither Sony nor Microsoft offer working calibration tools for... Continue reading...
iOS 18 will let you use Apple Pay on desktop Chrome by scanning a code
Image: Apple Apple is introducing a way to use Apple Pay on non-Safari desktop web browsers, as reported by MacRumors, meaning that you'll soon be able to use Apple's payment service to buy things on desktop Chrome, Firefox, and even on Windows PCs.Apple showed how it works in a WWDC 2024 video for developers. If you're using a desktop browser that isn't Safari and you see an Apple Pay button, you'll be able to click that button to bring up a special code you can scan with an iPhone running iOS 18. If you scan the code, you'll then be prompted to complete the transaction on your iPhone. Image: Apple On desktop, Apple Pay has so far been limited to Safari on Macs. Thanks to these updates, depending on the browser and hardware you... Continue reading...
This LED mask hides your face behind a creepy pixelated smile
You won't have to force a smile with the Qudi Mask 2 strapped to your face. | Screenshot: YouTube The Qudi Mask 2 could let privacy seekers who still want to be social have their cake and eat it, too. It's a wearable digital avatar that hides a user's real face behind an LED display and can automatically trigger a handful of emotive - but somehow also emotionally empty - expressions using head tracking and a mic.LED face masks aren't a new idea - you've probably seen teenagers running around with them on Halloween - but the Qudi Mask 2 does more than just cycle through a preloaded collection of pixelated faces and colorful animations. Its faces can automatically change their expressions by reacting to what the wearer is doing. The sound of their voice will cause the animated mouth to move in real time so it appears like it's... Continue reading...
Finally, the Apple Watch will let you rest
Breaking streaks no longer has to be something you worry about. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge When I had covid, I was miserable, hacking up my lungs and confined to bed for several days with horrible brain fog. I don't remember much from that time. I do, however, remember waking up bleary-eyed and feverish to an Apple Watch notification. It said I hadn't made much progress on my rings. I should take a brisk 27-minute walk. You can still do it," it said. No, I could not.It wasn't my fault I'd gotten sick, but my 85-day streak was broken anyway. Since then, I've had nasty shin splints, migraines, and multiple cross-country flights that make it hard to hit exercise goals - all excellent reasons to prioritize rest or build some extra flexibility into my schedule. Despite knowing better, I still felt disappointed whenever I listened... Continue reading...
Ford slims down dealership EV requirements after pushback
Now any dealership can sell Ford EVs. | Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge Ford's Model E dealership certification program is getting stripped down to allow all locations access to EV inventory. As reported by CNBC, Ford is revising its strategy of requiring dealerships to invest up to $1.2 million for certification that includes mandatory on-site EV chargers, upgrades, and advanced staff training.In an email to The Verge, Ford Model E COO Marin Gjaja wrote that starting July 1st, the company is expanding EV sales and service to all 2,800 of its US dealers," which replaces the Model E dealership program first introduced in 2022. Gjaja wrote that approximately 1,400 dealerships had enrolled in the old program.The move to dismantle EV certification requirements was rumored to be underway last month in... Continue reading...
SCOTUS upholds abortion pill access — for now
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos via Getty Images The Supreme Court maintained access to the abortion pill mifepristone, unanimously refusing to hear a case brought by a number of anti-abortion organizations and doctors over the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the pill.The plaintiffs have sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and to FDA's relaxed regulation of mifepristone," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion issued Thursday. But under Article III of the Constitution, those kinds of objections alone do not establish a justiciable case or controversy in federal court."In 2022 - after the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade - a newly... Continue reading...
WhatsApp’s video call upgrades make it even more Zoom-like
Illustration: The Verge Meta is making some improvements to WhatsApp video calls that should make them more useful for conversations with large groups of people.One feature is a speaker spotlight, which automatically highlights the speaker and makes them appear first on-screen, according to a Meta blog post. The company is also improving screen sharing to make it easier to watch videos as a group: if you're screen sharing and showing a video with audio, the audio is now shared as well. Image: WhatsApp Meta's promotional image about its updates to WhatsApp calls. In addition, video calls will also let you have 32 people, no matter what device you're on. That cap had already been in place for video calls on mobile devices, but not when... Continue reading...
House of the Dragon is coming back for season 3
Image: HBO Ahead of the premiere of House of the Dragon's second season, HBO has confirmed that the Game of Thrones spinoff will be getting a third season. Naturally, there are no real details on what the new season will entail or when it will start airing on HBO or Max. We'll need to get through season 2 for that kind of info.House of the Dragon premiered in 2022 and is set 200 years before the original Game of Thrones series. It's focused primarily on House Targaryen and stars the likes of Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy. The second season kicks off on June 16th on both HBO and Max. It's also not the only extension of Game of Thrones in the works: HBO has another spinoff called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: the Hedge Knight in development, though... Continue reading...
New trailer for Netflix’s The Imaginary is for friends and believers
NETFLIX Between Blumhouse's Imaginary, Paramount's IF, and Cartoon Network's recently announced Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends revival, the concept of dreaming up buddies to pal around with is having something of a moment. But everything about Netflix's new trailer for The Imaginary makes it seem like the riff that could capture everyone's hearts.Produced by Ghibli successor Studio Ponoc, directed by Yoshiyuki Momose (NiNoKuni, Modest Heroes), and based on A.F. Harrold's 2014 novel of the same name, The Imaginary tells the tale of Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan) - just one of countless imaginary friends who can only be perceived by their creators. Whereas most Imaginaries understand that they will cease to exist once their makers forget... Continue reading...
Android’s leadership team just got another shake-up
Dave Burke presenting at Google I/O 2024. | Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge Android's leadership team at Google is losing another key leader. Dave Burke, the VP of engineering for Android, is stepping away" from heading up Android engineering and is shifting into an advisory position while exploring AI / bio projects," he said in an email he posted to LinkedIn.AI has the potential to play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery, with wide applicability, including in hard-to-treat pediatric cancers, a topic close to my heart," Burke said. I'm working with Sundar to explore relevant roles at Alphabet." Burke has been on the Android team for 14 years.Burke's departure follows Google's recent move to combine its Android and hardware teams into a new Platforms and Devices" team run by Rick Osterloh. As... Continue reading...
The OnePlus Buds 3 are available for free with a discounted OnePlus Watch 2
The OnePlus Watch 2 is an excellent upgrade over its predecessor and is one of our favorite Android smartwatches. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you're looking for an Android smartwatch but aren't keen on Google's and Samsung's selections, the OnePlus Watch 2 is our favorite alternative. And right now, not only is it on sale for $269.99 ($30 off) directly from the site, but OnePlus is throwing in a free pair of OnePlus Buds 3. While we've seen the OnePlus Watch 2 at this price before, this is the first time you can get it bundled with the $99.99 OnePlus Buds 3, saving you a total of $130.Its 47mm case might be a bit large for smaller wrists, but the OnePlus Watch 2 still stands out amongst its rivals because it's the only third-party Wear OS watch running Wear OS 4. What's impressive, too, is that it natively supports Google Assistant, lets you access all the third-party apps... Continue reading...
Xbox delivered and Windows scrambles to secure Recall
Image: The Verge Microsoft delivered the best Xbox showcase I've seen in years over the weekend. Layoffs, studio closures, and Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 had fans worried about the future of the platform, but Sunday's showcase put many of those fears to rest.Xbox chief Phil Spencer kicked off the show with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - cementing that Xbox is now the home of Call of Duty - before moving on to new reveals and gameplay. Three titles stood out for me personally: Perfect Dark; Fable; and Gears of War: E-Day.Last week, I revealed most of the first-party games that would be part of this showcase, but one I didn't name was Perfect Dark. Reports had suggested it was in rough shape." I hadn't heard about a potential release window, so I wasn't... Continue reading...
The Beats Studio Pro are down to $180, nearly matching their all-time low
We're hoping for a big overhaul on this iconic pair, but they're still the best Beats headphones you can buy. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge If you're not an audiophile and can't otherwise afford to splurge on a substantial pair of headphones like the AirPods Max or the new Sonos Ace headphones, a pair of Beats can do the job just fine. The brand's headphones consistently sound pretty good and have kept up well with the times under Apple's stewardship. You can consider the Beats Studio Pro the pinnacle of the line right now, and the flagship over-ear pair are nearly matching their all-time low price at around $179.95 ($170 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. That's only $10 more than the all-time low price we saw during Black Friday.At launch, we felt the Beats Studio Pro couldn't quite measure up to the competition in the price arena they played in. In terms of audio... Continue reading...
TikTok’s latest feature for musicians is a glossy video series
Image: The Verge TikTok is introducing a new way for musicians on the platform to promote their music - this time through a video series.The series, called Off the Record," is produced by TikTok and features musical artists like Shakira, Charli XCX, and Meghan Trainor. The short clips are similar to series like Song Exploder or The New York Times' Diary of a Song," where artists talk about their inspiration behind songs, the writing and recording process, and more. The videos - some of which have already gone live - are shared by artists over the course of June.TikTok also announced a hub on the app where Off the Record videos live. Users can find the page by searching for #OfftheRecord.Off the Record is part of TikTok's continued efforts to... Continue reading...
How to watch Tesla’s annual stockholder meeting
Image: Tesla Tesla is holding its annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, today, where investors will decide the fate of CEO Elon Musk's enormous $50 billion compensation package.The event is not just about Musk's payday. Tesla's board is portraying it as a pivotal moment in the company's effort to secure Musk's attention span, which is divided between X Corp., SpaceX, Neuralink, and his other companies. It also hinges on the question of whether Musk can steer Tesla back on track.From the looks of things, Musk may get exactly what he wants: both the money and the reincorporation of Tesla in Texas in retaliation of a Delaware judge voiding Musk's package are on track to pass by wide margins, Musk claimed in a post on X.Meanwhile, Musk is... Continue reading...
How toturn off Windows’ aging activity tracker
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge You may see Microsoft's upcoming Recall feature, which screenshots everything you do (and has now become an opt-in feature) as a convenient way to keep an eye on your history or a problematic privacy violation. However, it's not the first time your activity on a Windows computer will have been recorded.As XDA Developers has pointed out, Windows 10 and 11 computers already contain an activity tracker, which was introduced in Windows 10 as part of its Timeline feature. And although Timeline was removed in Windows 11, the tracker apparently was not. Screenshot: Microsoft Activity history may still be enabled in Windows 11, even though Timeline has disappeared. It's a simple matter to see if the tracker is still... Continue reading...
Here’s how Apple’s AI model tries to keep your data private
Image: The Verge, Getty Images At WWDC on Monday, Apple revealed Apple Intelligence, a suite of features bringing generative AI tools like rewriting an email draft, summarizing notifications, and creating custom emoji to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple spent a significant portion of its keynote explaining how useful the tools will be - and an almost equal portion of time assuring customers how private the new AI system keeps your data.That privacy is possible thanks to a twofold approach to generative AI that Apple started to explain in its keynote and offered more detail on in papers and presentations afterward. They show that Apple Intelligence is built with an on-device philosophy that can do the common AI tasks users want fast, like transcribing calls and... Continue reading...
Apple and Google won’t be able to stop third-party app stores in Japan
Apple and Google have already been named designated providers" and will be impacted by the law. | Photo by Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto via Getty Images Following in the footsteps of the European Union, Japan has now passed a law that will restrict Apple and Google from blocking third-party app stores for Japanese users on their platforms. The legislation is expected to come into force by the end of 2025 and aims to reduce app prices and create a more equitable market by forcing the tech giants to compete with smaller challengers.Dubbed the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, Japan's law shares some similarities with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), enforcing strict rules against designated providers." That includes requiring their platforms to allow third-party app stores, allowing app developers to offer third-party billing services, and making it... Continue reading...
Bumblebee joins Optimus Prime as the next Transformers Lego set
Image: Lego Two years after Lego revealed a buildable model of the Transformers' Optimus Prime that actually transformed, the heroic Autobot leader is finally getting backup with his second-in-command, Bumblebee, debuting as a 950-piece set that transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle - or at least a close facsimile thereof.In recent years, thanks to the run of big-budget Transformers movies, Bumblebee is best known for transforming into a bright yellow Chevrolet Camaro. But in the original '80s toy line and animated series, Bumblebee's alternate vehicle mode was the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. Image: Lego Lego Bumblebee's vehicle mode appears to be a mashup of several different vehicles. As with its Optimus Prime set, Lego is... Continue reading...
This security system lets you disarm it with your doorbell
Arlo's new security tag can disarm its security system via its video doorbell. | Image: Arlo Last year, smart security company Arlo launched a home security system with several features that rivaled the excellent Google Nest Secure (RIP) - including multifunction sensors and an all-in-one hub / keypad. It then promised an NFC security tag that would let you disarm the system with a tap. This week, it delivered on that promise with the launch of the Arlo Security Tag.The new key fob lets you arm and disarm the system with a tap on the keypad hub inside your home, similar to what was possible with the Nest Secure. But Arlo has also added a handy option to disarm the system by tapping the tag on an Arlo video doorbell before you even enter your house.The NFC-enabled tag is available now for $19.99 for a two-pack and works with... Continue reading...
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch FE is its new entry-level smartwatch
The Galaxy Watch FE will retail for $199.99 with Bluetooth and $249.99 with LTE. | Image: Samsung The leaks were right. Samsung just announced it's launching a third smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch FE. It's meant to be the company's new entry-level smartwatch, offering a more affordable option compared to its flagship Galaxy Watch models.It makes sense that Samsung's doing this now. The Galaxy Watch series used to be relatively affordable compared to the competition, but in the past two years, Samsung's raised the starting price of its watches by $50 to keep up with inflation. The FE will retail at $199 for the Bluetooth-only version and at $249.99 for the LTE version - which is more in line with what its watches used to cost. This also makes Samsung's smartwatch lineup look a bit more like Apple's, with a budget model, flagship model,... Continue reading...
Apple and OpenAI aren’t paying each other yet, says Bloomberg
Allison Johnson / The Verge While the partnership between Apple and OpenAI announced at WWDC this week promises to give ChatGPT a prestigious place in Apple's ecosystem, it seems neither party is paying the other to make that happen. According to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple instead believes that the exposure OpenAI will receive from being on hundreds of millions of Apple devices is of equal or greater value than monetary payments."The report also says this deal isn't exclusive to OpenAI, and that Apple is in talks with Anthropic and Google to offer their respective chatbots as an alternative option, with an agreement for Google's Gemini expected to be in place later this year. While Apple will utilize OpenAI's GPT-4o model to power various AI... Continue reading...
You’ll soon be able to join Discord calls directly from your PS5
The new Discord integration on PS5. | Image: Sony Sony is improving its Discord integration on the PS5 so that you can join voice calls directly from the console. First launched last year, Discord support on PS5 currently requires you to manually transfer a call to a console by using the Discord app on mobile or PC. Sony is now rolling out an update that integrates Discord directly into the PS5 dashboard so you can select the server or DM group you want to join.The update is rolling out gradually over the coming weeks, starting with PS5 owners in Japan and Asia followed by Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and then finally the US and Canada. You'll need to update your PS5 to the latest system software to get this new Discord integration, and a PlayStation Network account... Continue reading...
X all-hands leaves staff with few answers on delayed promotions
Linda Yaccarino. | Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media During an internal all-hands meeting led by X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Wednesday, concerned employees tuned in to hear if she would address the pressing issue on their minds: performance reviews.Sources inside the company confirm that a promotions process was recently delayed without explanation and that X's sales team doesn't expect to meet its revenue targets for the quarter. Given how the company formerly called Twitter has continued to struggle under Elon Musk's ownership, employees have been bracing for more layoffs.One of Musk's key lieutenants, The Boring Company CEO Steve Davis, has been reviewing finances at X's headquarters in San Francisco over the past several weeks, according to multiple employees who requested anonymity to... Continue reading...
Google is putting more Android in ChromeOS
Illustration: The Verge ChromeOS will soon be developed on large portions of the Android stack" so that it can roll out AI features at a faster pace, Google announced on Wednesday. The company says it will be embracing things like the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks as part of the foundation of ChromeOS."The changes won't just mean more AI features, according to Google. The company also noted that they will help simplify engineering efforts" and help different devices like phones and accessories work better together with Chromebooks," as detailed in a blog post.Google surely wants to have Chromebook users trying as many AI-powered features as possible, so these changes will probably accelerate that. But the company cautions that while the... Continue reading...
Netflix will settle 15 years of Chestnut vs. Kobayashi with a live hot dog-eating contest
Takeru Kobayashi (L) and Joey Chestnut (R) competed during the 92nd Annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2007. | Photo by Bobby Bank / WireImage Netflix has scheduled Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef on September 2nd as another one of its live events, along with Christmas Day NFL games, WWE Monday Night Raw, and the delayed Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight.A press release from Netflix takes the whole thing very seriously, quoting Kobayashi saying, Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time... Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out." Chestnut, meanwhile, says, It's time to give the people what they want!"The competition will have extra intrigue because Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will both have to skip the annual July 4th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest that made their rivalry... Continue reading...
There’s a new 35mm film camera coming this year, and it looks pretty good
Now that's a compact camera. | Image: MiNT The analog film resurgence continues marching forward, as MiNT's Rollei 35AF camera seems poised to release this year. The Hong Kong-based camera manufacturer first carved its niche making boutique instant film cameras that remixed classics like the Polaroid SX-70. Now, it's launched a website with a waitlist for potential customers interested in this diminutive 35mm camera.The Rollei 35AF is a reincarnation of the original Rollei 35 from 1966, but while one foot remains in the analog past, the new design incorporates lidar-based autofocus for its 35mm f/2.8 lens and options for automatic exposures. It's still built with a boxy metal body like the original and seems to keep a very compact size. According to MiNT, via PetaPixel and K... Continue reading...
OpenAI to use Oracle’s chips for more AI compute
Image: The Verge OpenAI and Microsoft are teaming up with Oracle to get more compute capacity to run ChatGPT. As part of a partnership announced this week, the three companies are working together so that OpenAI can use the Microsoft Azure Al platform on Oracle's infrastructure.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hasn't shied away from the fact that his company needs substantially more infrastructure to power its services. He has even been in discussions to raise billions of dollars for an AI chip venture. In the press release for the Oracle deal this week, he said Oracle's chips will enable OpenAI to continue to scale."To date, OpenAI has relied fully on Microsoft for its compute needs. In turn, Microsoft has invested $13 billion for a 49 percent stake in OpenAI's... Continue reading...
Here are some last-minute deals you can still grab in time for Father’s Day
Video doorbells can make for great gifts - just be prepared to provide personal tech support. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge We're closing in fast on June 16th, which means Father's Day is right around the corner. If you haven't already nabbed a gift for your pops or any other dads in your life, well, you're starting to cut it close. But don't fret; we've got some excellent last-minute gift ideas to consider.The annual celebration of all things dad is often filled with campy and played-out gifts like ties, socks, and overtly macho power tools. Our Father's Day gift guide offers plenty of inspiration for last-minute shoppers, but if you need a shortcut, we've rounded up some alternative ideas below, along with a few discounted picks ripped directly from our gift guide. Of course, to qualify as one of these last-minute deals," they must be discounted and... Continue reading...
Roku TV owners complain that motion smoothing is stuck ‘on’ after an update
Illustration: The Verge Somebody, call Tom Cruise - several Roku TV owners say that motion smoothing is suddenly enabled on their TVs with no way to turn it off.Contributors on Reddit and in Roku's community forum reported seeing the change on TCL TVs running on Roku OS 13, as did a few staffers on The Verge. However, for others who have access to Expert" picture settings, the same update is in place without a change, and the settings to control it are still available.For some people experiencing the problem, they said this is the first time their TV offered Roku's motion smoothing feature at all and that there's nowhere in any menu (either the standard settings or the picture settings available while watching TV) to turn it off. The update notes for Roku OS... Continue reading...
The Windows on Arm chip race heats up with a challenger to Qualcomm
Photo by Walid Berrazeg / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Intel, Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm are the household names in chips - but in 2025, the popular but lesser known MediaTek might make a play to join them. Reuters reports that the Taiwanese chip company is now preparing an AI PC chipset to launch in late 2025 specifically for Windows PCs. Currently, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite is the alleged MacBook Air-beating talk of the town, and MediaTek wants a piece of that action.According to Reuters, the new MediaTek chip will reportedly be aimed at the same Microsoft Copilot Plus PC program that Qualcomm helped kick-start with Microsoft. There's apparently an opening for chipmakers like MediaTek there now that Microsoft's exclusivity arrangement with Qualcomm for Arm-based versions of Windows is... Continue reading...
Sony buys Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
An Alamo Drafthouse theater. | Image: Sony and Alamo Drafthouse Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired the popular movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the two companies announced on Wednesday.Sony, which will oversee the theaters under a new Sony Pictures Experiences division, says it will preserve Alamo Drafthouse's distinctive movie-dining experience," according to a press release. Alamo will continue to operate all 35 of its cinemas across 25 metro areas under the Alamo Drafthouse brand," and current CEO Michael Kustermann will remain in that role. Alamo's Fantastic Fest film festival will still be operated by the company.Sony is acquiring Alamo Drafthouse from Altamont Capital Partners, Fortress Investment Group, and Alamo founder Tim League - a group that took ownership of Alamo... Continue reading...
Tesla’s $50 billion question comes down to the wire
Illustration: Lille Allen / The Verge On Thursday, Tesla shareholders will face a stark choice: approve Elon Musk's enormous pay package, the largest ever awarded to a chief executive, or risk him picking up his ball and going home.The shareholder meeting on Thursday is a referendum on Musk's tumultuous leadership, in which he took a relatively niche startup, wrested it away from its founders, and turned it into what is arguably one of the most consequential car companies in modern history. To reward him for this feat, shareholders are being asked to cast an unprecedented vote on Musk's compensation - to the tune of $50 billion - for the second time.Last January, a Delaware court judge invalidated Musk's pay package, first approved in 2018, arguing that the process was... Continue reading...
Fired SpaceX workers sue Elon Musk for sexual harassment and retaliation
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by STR / NurPhoto, Getty Images Eight former SpaceX engineers filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk on Wednesday alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.Musk, who founded SpaceX in 2002, knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment based upon his conduct of interjecting into the workplace vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community," says the employees' complaint, which was earlier reported by Bloomberg.The complaint - which cites many of Musk's Twitter posts making sexually explicit jokes - claims that Musk fostered a perversely sexist culture at SpaceX." Several of the plaintiffs say they experienced direct harassment that mimicked Musk's posts." According to the suit, senior engineers... Continue reading...
A growing number of Americans are getting their news from TikTok
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge As TikTok becomes a more popular news source for Americans, young adults increasingly believe the platform exposes them to information they're unlikely to see elsewhere, according to a new survey of Americans' news habits.The survey, released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, looks at the role major social media platforms - Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X - play in Americans' news diets. According to the survey, TikTok is the second most popular source of news after X, though most TikTok users don't primarily think of the shortform video app as a news source.Among TikTok users, only 15 percent say keeping up with the news is a major reason they use the app. Still, 35 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn't have seen the... Continue reading...
Xbox June update adds better backgrounds and saves more than one Wi-Fi network
Image: Xbox Microsoft is rolling out an Xbox update that lets you view game art with any Xbox Home background. That means you'll continue to see your dynamic or regular background when you're not scrolling through different games.Previously, Microsoft only let you view game art with the default Xbox Home background. Now, you can keep your background and view game art without having to decide between the two. Microsoft first started testing this feature in April, and you can see how it looks in this embedded post from my colleague Tom Warren.
Zack Snyder’s animated series Twilight of the Gods hits Netflix in September
Image: Netflix It's going to be a busy few weeks for Zack Snyder on Netflix. Just a day after Netflix announced the director's cut of Rebel Moon would start streaming on August 2nd comes the news that another Snyder project will hit the service soon after. Twilight of the Gods, an animated series based on Norse mythology, will start streaming on September 19th. You can get a first glimpse at the show in action in the brief new teaser trailer above.The animation is being handled by Snyder's own Stone Quarry studio, and the show itself was created by Snyder, along with Jay Oliva (executive producer on Netflix's Trese) and Eric Carrasco (a writer on Apple TV Plus' Foundation). Here's the basic premise:
Amazon’s note-taking Kindle Scribe has returned to its best price to date
If you're looking for an e-reader you take notes with, the Scribe is a good option for those embedded in Amazon's ecosystem. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge With the ability to solve math equations and convert typed text into your own handwriting, Apple's iPads are going to become a lot more student-friendly when iPadOS 18 launches in the fall. However, if you want something dedicated to studying or reading, I personally think an e-reader with note-taking capabilities like the Kindle Scribe is a better choice. And right now, it's on sale for an all-time low at Amazon and Target, where you can buy the Scribe with a Basic Pen for $239.99 ($100 off) or a Premium Pen for $264.99 ($105 off).In my experience, hybrid devices like the Kindle Scribe offer fewer distractions than your typical tablet, allowing you to focus better on the task at hand. As an e-reader, the Scribe also lasts about a... Continue reading...
The best small updates Apple didn’t mention at WWDC
As usual, Apple left plenty of things out while presenting its next big software updates. | Image: Apple Apple left out a lot of small updates at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote this year. It makes sense: the company had a lot to talk about, with a third of its presentation entirely devoted to new AI features. But that doesn't make the features that didn't get airtime any less worth talking about.From new bezel animations to better ways to manage widgets, there is plenty to discover in the first round of betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and more. Here are some of our favorites so far:
Epic Games database leak hints at a trove of unannounced games
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge An unofficial site tracking titles in the Epic Games library may have just leaked a ton of upcoming games, as reported earlier by Wccftech. The site, called EpicDB, was taken offline shortly after it posted information scraped from the Epic Games Store catalog on Monday, but that didn't stop people from scanning the list and posting their findings.You can see the list of games from publishers like Bethesda, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, and others in a series of screenshots posted by a user on a ResetEra forum. While some, like Turok, are easy to spot, others are listed under previously rumored codenames, such as Parkside" or BioShock 4.There are still other titles under codenames we haven't heard about. Some users speculate that Momo"... Continue reading...
Life360 confirms a hacker stole Tile tracker IDs and customer info
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge A hacker breached the systems behind Tile device trackers and stole customer data, including names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. According to reporting from 404 Media, the hacker was able to collect customer information by accessing a tool made for responding to law enforcement requests about Tile trackers. The stolen information did not include precise Tile location data.Life360, which owns Tile, published a statement by CEO Chris Hulls acknowledging the hack. Hulls confirmed the data included Tile tracker IDs and said that the hacker had attempted to extort Life360 and that the company reported it to law enforcement.In an email to The Verge, Hulls wrote, From what I gather, very little was accessed." Hulls did not respond... Continue reading...
Jabra’s earbuds are going away, but the impact they made isn’t
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The company's Elite earbuds hit at the right time and had their moment, but the end was inevitable. Thanks for pushing multipoint until it became the norm, Jabra. Continue reading...
Warner Bros. is beefing up its animation slate with even more Adventure Time
Image: Cartoon Network As part of Warner Bros. Discovery's big plan to double down on previously established IP, the studio has ordered a slate of new projects spun off from the worlds of Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.Timed to Warner Bros.' presentation at this year's Annecy Festival, Cartoon Network Studios announced today that it has greenlit a number of new projects including an Adventure Time film as well as series spun off from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and Regular Show. Variety reports that Steven Universe's Rebecca Sugar, Over the Garden Wall's Patrick McHale, and Adventure Time showrunner Adam Muto are all attached as members of the new film's creative team.In addition to the movie, Cartoon Network... Continue reading...
Metallica is headlining Fortnite’s next concert
Image: Epic Games It's sad but true: Metallica is coming to Fortnite. Epic just announced that the group will be featured in the game's next concert. The news is part of a larger musical collaboration between Fortnite and the heavy metal band.First up, the concert itself. It's called Metallica: Fuel Fire Fury," and players can check it out during a few windows later this month: June 22nd at 2PM, 5PM, and 11PM ET and June 23rd at 10AM, 2PM, and 5PM ET. There aren't many details on what the virtual show will entail, but it'll be the latest in a line of in-game concerts from the likes of Eminem, Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, and Marshmello.Now that Fortnite is more than a battle royale (though that remains the most popular mode), Epic is spreading the... Continue reading...
Google Gemini, explained
Image: The Verge Artificial intelligence has become this year's wonder technology. But because it comes in a lot of different flavors from a lot of different companies, it can be really confusing. You've not only got the ChatGPT bot created by OpenAI, but you've got the big three - Google, Apple, and Microsoft - cooking up their own versions.Google's latest attempt is called Gemini, and it's no less confusing than the others.When I first started researching Gemini, I did a Google search for versions of Google Gemini." On top of the search, I got an AI-generated summary that started:Google Gemini has three versions: Ultra, Pro, and Nano. Ultra is the largest model and is designed for complex tasks, while Pro is the best model for scaling across a... Continue reading...
This macOS Sequoia wallpaper pays tribute to classic Macintosh icons
This ones for you, retro Apple enthusiasts. | Image: Basic Apple Guy Apple is introducing a new dynamic screensaver and wallpaper combo in macOS Sequoia that respectfully eulogizes retro Macintosh iconography. Simply dubbed Macintosh," MacRumors reports that the animated wallpaper shifts through graphics designed by Susan Kare, the artist and early Apple employee responsible for many of the typefaces and interface elements on the first Macintosh personal computer.Users can't control which icons will appear in the randomized Macintosh wallpaper. Some recognizable highlights include the iconic Happy Mac" boot-up icon, the Dogcow (also known as Clarus) used within the Print Setup dialog box, the floral-inspired Command icon, and the Bomb that appeared when classic macOS crashed. The wallpaper is available... Continue reading...
The EU slaps additional tariffs on Chinese EV imports
BYD is just one of the Chinese automakers facing increased tariffs in the EU. | Image: Getty The European Union will place an additional tariff on vehicles imported from China starting next month, the commission announced on Wednesday. The extra tariffs go as high as 38 percent, adding to the existing 10 percent duty the EU imposes on foreign vehicles.The move comes after a monthslong investigation concluded that Chinese EV makers benefit from unfair state-backed subsidization, allowing them to sell their vehicles for cheaper than rivals. China-made EVs accounted for around 37 percent of all EV imports in the EU, according to a recent study from independent research provider Rhodium Group.The European Commission says it's imposing the new tariffs to remove the substantial unfair competitive advantage" of Chinese EVs and to... Continue reading...
Spreadsheet Superstars
It's happy hour in Las Vegas, and the MGM Grand casino is crawling with people. The National Finals Rodeo is in town, the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament is underway, the Raiders play on Sunday, and the U2 residency is going strong at the giant Sphere, so it seems everyone in every bar and at every slot machine is looking forward to something. (And wearing a cowboy hat.) Even for a town built on nonstop buzz, this qualifies as a uniquely eventful weekend.But I'd wager that if you wanted to see the most exciting drama happening at the MGM on this Friday night, you'd have to walk through the casino and look for the small sign advertising something called The Active Cell. This is the site of the play-in round for the Excel World... Continue reading...
The surprisingly not so doomed effort to force US drivers to stop speeding
Photo by Ben Hasty / MediaNews Group / Reading Eagle via Getty Images California Senator Scott Wiener is used to pushback when he proposes laws aimed at reining in reckless drivers and improving road safety in his car-dependent state. But even he was caught off guard when, earlier this year, he introduced a new bill requiring a speed governor" on all new cars sold in the state. The opposition from drivers was so fierce that he had to rewrite the proposal to only require weaker versions of the technology.There were people who loved it, people who hated it, people who were mad at me, spouses who were arguing with each other about it," Wiener said in an interview. It was an interesting situation. There's a certain cultural embrace of being able to drive your car however you want to drive your car."S... Continue reading...
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