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by Tom Warren on (#6PZ7W)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Microsoft is making BitLocker device encryption a default feature in its next major update to Windows 11. If you clean install the 24H2 version that's rolling out in the coming months, device encryption will be enabled by default when you first sign in or set up a device with a Microsoft account or work / school account.Device encryption is designed to improve the security of Windows machines by automatically enabling BitLocker encryption on the Windows install drive and backing up the recovery key to a Microsoft account or Entra ID.In Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft is reducing the hardware requirements for automatic device encryption, opening it up to many more devices - including ones running the Home version of Windows 11.... Continue reading...
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The Verge
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
| Feed | http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml |
| Updated | 2025-11-05 23:18 |
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PZ7X)
Image: xAI Elon Musk's AI company xAI has launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini: two new models of its Grok chatbot that offer upgraded performance and new image-generation capabilities. Grok's prompt-based image maker is powered by Black Forest Lab's Flux 1 AI model, and allows users to generate and publish images directly to the X social platform - with seemingly few guardrails in place to prevent abuse.xAI says that Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini are available in beta on X (where Grok access is currently limited to Premium and Premium Plus subscribers) and that both models will be available through the AI developer's enterprise API later this month.We are excited to release an early preview of Grok-2, a significant step forward from our previous model... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PZ5Y)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Spotify will begin showing in-app pricing information for iPhone users in the European Union starting today, following a yearslong legal battle against Apple. In an update to an old blog post, Spotify says that EU iPhone users will now see things like promotional offers and pricing information for each subscription tier - including how much a plan costs once a promotion ends.One thing that's missing is the ability to click a link to make those purchases from outside the Apple App Store. Spotify says it's opting into the music streaming services entitlement" that Apple introduced after being served a 1.84 billion (about $2 billion) EU antitrust fine in March for abusing its dominant position" in music streaming, rather than accepting... Continue reading...
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by Sean Hollister on (#6PYYC)
Valve once imagined that every PC maker could have their own "Steam Machine," a PC game console running the company's Linux-based SteamOS. It took a decade for that dream to evolve into the company's own internally developed Steam Deck gaming handheld, but the original dream isn't dead.The company's long said it plans to let other companies use SteamOS, too - and that means explicitly supporting the rival Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld, Valve designer Lawrence Yang now confirms to The Verge.A few days ago, some spotted an intriguing line in Valve's latest SteamOS release notes: Added support for extra ROG Ally keys." We didn't know Valve was supporting any ROG Ally keys at all, let alone extras!Maybe Valve was just supporting those... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PYWZ)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge In between the reveal of new Pixel phones and AI features at its event today, Google snuck in a few burns targeted at Apple. Some were subtle - others far from it.While it's not uncommon for companies like Google to draw comparisons to competitors during big events like this, Google seemed to sprinkle references to Apple all throughout its showcase. Maybe that's because Google has become especially competitive in the AI industry, which Apple has only just barely begun to dip into.Here are all the moments of comparison that we caught during the event.Gemini is going far beyond English speakers" Image: Google Gemini is available globally in 45 different languages. When introducing Gemini, Sameer Samat, the... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PYTB)
Photo by Carolyn Fong for The Washington Post via Getty Images Upside Foods, a cultivated meat firm, sued Florida over its ban on lab-grown meat, arguing that the state's legislation prohibiting the sale of cultivated meat is unconstitutional.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the ban into law in May, describing the legislation as a way of fighting back against the global elite's plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals."In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Monday, Upside Foods and the Institute of Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, allege that Florida's lab-grown meat ban is about protecting the state's cattle industry - and that the law is unconstitutional. The complaint claims SB 1084 violates the Supremacy and... Continue reading...
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by Adi Robertson on (#6PYTC)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images A lawsuit that several artists filed against Stability AI, Midjourney, and other AI-related companies can proceed with some claims dismissed, a judge ruled yesterday.Many artists allege that popular generative AI services violated copyright law by training on a dataset that included their works and, in some cases, that users of these services can directly reproduce copies of the work. Last year, Judge William Orrick allowed a direct copyright infringement complaint against Stability, operator of the popular Stable Diffusion AI image generator. But he dismissed a variety of other claims and asked the artists' attorneys to amend them with more detail.In this more recent ruling, the revised arguments convinced the judge to approve an... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PYTD)
Jeff Bezos appearing in a 27-year-old report by the BBC on internet shopping. | Screenshot: YouTube Earlier this year, Amazon reported $143.3 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2024. But 27 years ago, the BBC wondered when predictions that the internet revolutionizing shopping would come true, speaking to local bakers, booksellers, and even Jeff Bezos to find out.The Money Programme report, which originally aired in November of 1997, was recently added to the BBC Archive YouTube Channel. In it, reporter Nils Blythe takes a simulated journey on the information superhighway - complete with wonderfully dated 90s-era blue screen effects and graphics - and speaks to retailers who had varying levels of success with online commerce at the time.Those included a small bakery in the UK that was enjoying several thousands of dollars... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6PYTE)
The base Pixel 9 is one of four new models, starting at $799. | Image: Google At its most recent Made by Google event, the monopolistic search giant announced four new phones: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This is more phones than Google has ever sold at once - especially when you throw in the midrange Pixel 8A from May - making the decision on which to get somewhat confusing.So, we thought it might be helpful to explain the key differences and similarities between the four new models and succinctly lay out all the finer specs for you to peruse. Hopefully, this will help you choose between the new Pixels, which are set to launch in waves on August 22nd and September 4th.The biggest differences between Pixel 9 phones: price and sizeWhat immediately separates most of the Pixel 9... Continue reading...
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by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6PYTF)
Image: Paramount Ahead of its upcoming merger with Skydance Media, Paramount is winding down its TV production studio as part of a larger restructuring effort that will put 15 percent of its current workforce out of jobs.In a memo sent to employees today and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount TV head Nicole Clemens and Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks announced that Paramount Global is shuttering the studio. Clemens, who joined Paramount in 2018 following former exec Amy Powell's sudden exit, is also set to leave the company, and all of Paramount's currently airing TV series and projects still in development will transition to CBS Studios.In the memo, Clemens and Cheeks insisted that while Paramount TV is coming to an end, our ethos will live... Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6PYTG)
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge A Texas judge who was assigned two cases involving Elon Musk's X platform has recused himself from one of them, shortly after a report that he owns stock in Tesla.US District Court Judge Reed O'Connor was assigned to X's recent antitrust lawsuit against advertisers over their boycott of the service, as well as a separate case against Media Matters, which the company sued for a report showing that X displayed ads from major brands next to pro-Nazi content. On Tuesday, O'Connor filed a notice to the court clerk recusing himself from the antitrust lawsuit. He still appears to be assigned to the Media Matters case as of Tuesday afternoon.The recusal came just a few days after NPR reported on O'Connor's Tesla stock holdings, which, a... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6PYTH)
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apparently, turning the cliched enhance!" meme into reality wasn't as easy as Google might have initially expected. Today, the company confirmed in a blog post that Zoom Enhance is finally rolling out to the Pixel 8 Pro and will also be present on the Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold at launch.Google announced the AI-powered Zoom Enhance during last year's Made by Google event, but we've made it all the way to a new generation of phones, and only now is the software feature ready for release. When you pinch in, Zoom Enhance can intelligently sharpen and enhance the details of your images, so you can get closer than ever, even when you forget to zoom" is how Google's hardware chief, Rick Osterloh, explained the feature last... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PYQJ)
Google's latest wearable is both bigger and brighter than its predecessors. | Image: Google Now that Google has officially announced the Pixel Watch 3 after a deluge of leaks and rumors, Android users have even more wearables to choose from. Google's latest smartwatch will arrive on September 10th and start at $349.99, with the last-gen Pixel Watch 2 hanging around for $249.99. Sadly, Google has dropped the original model from its lineup, though you can still buy it on sale from third-party retailers.With almost identical names and similar domed displays, it can be confusing to distinguish which watch is which - never mind which to buy. Yet, they're more different than they appear, with each wearable offering more features and capabilities than its predecessor. The new Pixel Watch 3 offers several advanced running features,... Continue reading...
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by Alex Cranz on (#6PYQK)
The UI isn't flashy, but does it need to be? | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge A week ago, I was on a three-day roadtrip when all the audio cut out in my car. From podcasts to directions - even the turn signal wasn't click. My co-pilot struggled to find a solution via Google. It took me at least five minutes. Today it took Gemini Live, the just-keep-talking-to-it version of Google's voice assistant, about 15 seconds to come up with a solution that worked. Naturally the moment felt magical. In The Verge's first interaction with the assistant, rolling out today, it felt like the promised cleverness of digital assistants is finally being delivered.But then Gemini Live kept talking. And talking. The Verge team was packed in a glass booth, and as Gemini Live droned on a friendly Google employee encouraged me to go... Continue reading...
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by Brandon Widder on (#6PYQM)
Who among us can resist the pull of a High Republic cruiser? | Image: Massive Entertainment Before every influencer began pedaling goods on TikTok, there was QVC. The well-known shopping network isn't one we often cover at The Verge, at least in terms of deals, but every so often, it rolls out a promo that's hard to pass up. Right now, for instance, QVC is offering new customers $30 off an order of $60 or more when they use promo code WELCOME30, letting first-time buyers save on a range of classic video games, new releases, and preorders.The current QVC promo applies to a laundry list of first- and third-party titles - assuming they meet the $60 threshold - which makes it a great opportunity to save on forthcoming releases that haven't been discounted yet. This includes Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's upcoming open-world Star... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PYQN)
Image: Microsoft Microsoft is starting to test a new compact version of its Game Bar with Xbox Insiders today. Similar to the Xbox app on Windows PCs, the Game Bar is getting its own compact mode that is designed for smaller screens, Windows-powered handhelds, and even for when you're playing on a PC with a controller.With Compact Mode enabled, access to widgets and navigation is simplified to ensure you can get access to the content you want as easily as possible," explains Oliver Xu, senior product manager for Xbox Experiences. When using a controller, you can switch between widgets quickly with left and right bumpers (LB/RB)." Image: Microsoft You can easily quit games from the Game Bar using a controller. The home widget... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PYH1)
All of the updates from Google's Pixel 9 launch event. Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PYQP)
The Pixel 9 Pro XL. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge Google just wrapped up its Made by Google hardware event, where we got an official look at the refreshed Pixel 9 lineup and updates across Google's other devices. Even though the Pixel event confirmed many of the leaks we've seen over the past several weeks, Google still shared some announcements we haven't heard about yet.Here's a roundup of all the exciting news from Google's Pixel 9 event.Google's Pixel 9 lineup gives you another Pro to choose from Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Google's Pixel 9 lineup adds a smaller Pro option. Google has finally taken the wraps off its Pixel 9 lineup, which includes three slab phones and a folding phone. The regular lineup consists of a base Pixel 9 with a 6.3-inch... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6PYMZ)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Google announced a new image generation app during its Pixel 9 event today. The company says the app, called Pixel Studio, will come preinstalled on every Pixel 9 device.Pixel Studio, much like Apple's forthcoming Image Playground app that's set to roll out on iOS 18 at some point after the operating system launches, lets you create an image from a prompt. Users can edit images after the fact, using the prompt box to add or subtract elements, and change the feel or style of the picture. During the onstage demo, a picture of a bonfire gradually changed into a beach hangout invite with the Golden Gate Bridge and fireworks in the background, made in a pixel art style and complete with invite details and stickers of the... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PYN0)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Google has announced Pixel Screenshots, a new AI-powered app for its Pixel 9 lineup that lets you save, organize, and surface information from screenshots. Pixel Screenshot uses Google's private, on-device Gemini Nano AI model to analyze the content of an image and make it searchable.During a demo at its Pixel launch event, Google showed how you can take a screenshot and then save it to a collection, like gift ideas." You can also search through all your other screenshots by typing in a keyword, like bikes" or shoes." Pixel Screenshots will then pull up all relevant results.
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by Justine Calma on (#6PYN1)
The SpaceX Starship launches on its fourth flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on June 6th, 2024. | Photo: Getty Images SpaceX allegedly violated wastewater regulations at its Boca Chica, Texas, launch site - sending pollution into bodies of water nearby, according to CNBC. The news outlet says it obtained investigative records and notices that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) sent to SpaceX of violations related to its Starbase facility.SpaceX called the story factually inaccurate" in a post on Elon Musk's social media platform X. The Verge has not yet been able to independently verify these reports. We've requested records from EPA and TCEQ, and neither agency immediately confirmed the accuracy of the allegations.Starbase is home to Starship, the reusable transportation system SpaceX is... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PYN2)
Image: Google Google is following Apple in launching a way to use your phone to communicate via a satellite in an emergency. During its big Pixel 9 reveal event on Tuesday, the company shared details of Satellite SOS, which will let you contact emergency responders and share your location when you don't have cellular service.The new Pixel 9 lineup will be the first Android phones to be able to use Satellite SOS, Google's Brian Rakowski said onstage. The feature launches first in the US regardless of your carrier plan," Rakowski said. According to fine print shown during Google's livestream, the service will be included at no additional charge for the first two years after activation of devices." A blog post by Rakowski qualifies that further,... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6PYN3)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Google's Pixel 9 lineup is officially here, and the company can't stop talking about the AI features it's got coming.On the hardware front, Google boosted the RAM for all of its new phones to accommodate memory-hungry on-device AI. The Pixel 9 received 12GB of RAM, while the rest will have 16GB of memory.But the bigger side of the story is software - the phones all get a handful of new Pixel-exclusive AI features. And the Pro phones are also getting a year of Google One AI Premium, which comes with access to Gemini Advanced, Google's most capable AI system.Here's a rundown of the biggest Pixel 9 AI features Google announced today.Remember things with Pixel Screenshots Google's new Pixel Screenshots feature is a little... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PYN4)
Google's new smartwatches are bigger, brighter, and more capable than ever. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Google announced not only its forthcoming Pixel 9 lineup during its Made by Google event on Tuesday but also a slew of other devices, including the Pixel Watch 3. The smartwatch will be available on September 10th starting at $349.99, with preorders opening today.For the first time, Google's smartwatch will be available in two sizes - 41mm and 45mm - both of which use the same processor as the Pixel Watch 2 but sport larger, brighter displays. Google claims the wearable can last up to 36 hours, while thinner bezels offer more space to display information, read messages, and perform other tasks.On the software front, Google's forthcoming wearable offers several advanced running features, including one that lets you send custom workouts... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6PYN5)
The new Pixel 9 generation starts at $799 for a 6.3-inch model. | Image: Google Google announced its full lineup of Pixel 9 phones at its latest Made by Google event, and boy, how full that lineup is. There are four - count em - four new Pixel phones (in three different sizes) all coming within about a month of one another: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Each of them features new processors, improved specs over last-gen models, seven years of OS updates, and at least somewhat new camera setups - all with a bunch of Google's Gemini AI stuff mixed in.Confused already? No worries. Let's break down what you actually need to know about Google's new quartet of phones, including where you can preorder them ahead of launch.Where to preorder the Google Pixel 9The new Pixel 9 is Google's... Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6PYN6)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Okay, sure, Google basically spent the last few months spoiling its annual hardware event by repeatedly leaking - and, in some cases, just flat-out announcing - all of its upcoming phones, wearables, headphones, and TV gadgets. But the annual Pixel event is still a big day in the gadget world and also a chance to find out exactly what Google thinks the future looks like.In this episode of The Vergecast, we talk through all the new devices, from the Pixel 9 lineup to the Pixel Buds Pro 2 to the Pixel Watch 3. We also discuss last week's launches, particularly the new TV Streamer. Google is now nearly a decade into this phase of its hardware journey and appears to still be serious about being a big player in gadgets. So, the question is:... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PYH2)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Grzegorz Wajda, Getty Images During their glitchy, rambling, two-hour conversation" on X last night, Elon Musk made the case to Donald Trump that climate change was real and maybe electric cars weren't as bad as the former president has been making them out to be on the campaign trail. The result was a feeble attempt by a once-lauded environmentalist to launder the former president's disastrous record on climate change.Musk, who endorsed Trump following the failed assassination attempt and is helping fund a super PAC supporting his election, tried to placate Trump by offering his own support for oil and gas drilling and minimizing the threat posed by climate change. But he also attempted to win over Trump by offering a more MAGA-friendly pitch for his own EVs.A... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PYH3)
Image: Flipboard Flipboard is making good on a major fediverse promise. Late last year, at the same time it announced it would be switching user accounts to ActivityPub, Flipboard said it planned to let users follow users on federated platforms that used ActivityPub from the Flipboard app. Starting Tuesday, that feature is here, meaning that you can follow people from places like Mastodon, Threads, and Pixelfed right inside Flipboard.Flipboard will feature fediverse profiles in a few different ways in the app. Flipboard's search will show fediverse accounts, for example, while the Explore tab will have editorially curated recommendations, according to a press release. In a screenshot shared by Flipboard, the Explore section has a Fediverse" tab that's... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PYE3)
Struggling to squeeze more adapters onto a power strip? Anker's upcoming 65W charger could be the solution. | Image: Anker Japan Anker has come up with a clever design for a new 65W charger that's thin enough to squeeze between larger power adapters on a power strip, potentially making an over-crowded outlet useable again.Thin chargers aren't a new idea, but they typically feature a set of folding prongs on the flat side of the adapter, allowing them to plug into outlets behind furniture and sit flush against the wall. Anker's approach is to instead position a pair of folding prongs on the end of its new charger, taking advantage of the thin design in a different way. GIF: Onesuite The charger's prongs not only fold flat - they can pivot from side to side, allowing it to also be plugged into wall outlets. Anker recently announced new... Continue reading...
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by Barbara Krasnoff on (#6PYE4)
Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge While the notion lingers that the internet is forever," it can also feel like it's written on water. If you're an internet-based creative, the company that publishes your writing or exhibits an online gallery of your work can suddenly fold (see: Gawker or Game Informer), migrate content management systems, or simply unpublish older work. In that case, the article you researched for a month, the story you carefully constructed, or the gallery of photos that you painstakingly put together could, in that moment, be forever unavailable. And if you've linked to your work in a blog or social network, that link has now become useless.So what do you do? You can save a PDF of each of your works to a local drive, an online storage service, or to... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PYBS)
Photo by Daniel Golson for The Verge Rivian isn't offering phone mirroring features like Apple CarPlay in its electric vehicles, so the company is instead pushing a new software update today that adds built-in Apple Music streaming support, which might scratch customers' connectivity itch.Last month, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said on Decoder that CarPlay can't leverage other parts of the vehicle experience and takes control away from automakers. In this case, control comes in the form of a paid subscription service needed to enjoy some of the features available on Rivian's big Android-based infotainment screen.The new native Apple Music app, which includes support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, is launching after Rivian introduced its new Connect Plus data subscription... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PYBT)
Image: Google Google's getting ready to reveal its entirely new Pixel phone lineup on Tuesday, including the already (and probably begrudgingly) confirmed Pixel 9 Pro and a new 9 Pro Fold foldable phone. The company is yet again dealing with a whole lot of leaks that have revealed everything from possibly the full lineup and their specs to new colors like bubblegum pink and fresh AI features that will continue to make you ask what a photo is.We may never know why Google keeps suffering leaks of its portfolio of new products year after year, but there's still plenty to learn at the upcoming Made by Google event. Beyond new phones, we might learn new details on the (also leaked) next Pixel Watch, new wireless Buds, and fresh Gemini features.How to... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PY24)
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk, who famously owns an electric vehicle company and has said he wants to move humanity to a sustainable energy civilization," told former President Donald Trump during an interview on X that we shouldn't vilify the oil and gas industry."Musk interviewed Trump on his social media platform, where the livestream was delayed over 40 minutes due to technical difficulties. After long, rambling discussions about immigration, inflation, and foreign policy, Musk and Trump finally came to the subject of energy and climate change - where Musk surprisingly came to defense of the fossil fuel industry.I don't think we should vilify the oil and gas industry and the people that have worked very hard in those industries to provide the... Continue reading...
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by Sean Hollister on (#6PY0Z)
Blasting away with finger guns in Deadlock's training level. | Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge It's been nearly five years since Valve announced a truly new game - and counting. Valve has still not announced Deadlock, its new hero shooter that takes cues from Overwatch, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, and more. But that hasn't stopped nearly 20,000 people from trying the game, including me.And I'm not under NDA. I have signed no contracts and made no verbal agreements; I haven't even clicked through a EULA. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge This message does pop up when I launch Deadlock, but I didn't click OK"; instead, I hit the Escape key and watched it disappear. Earlier today, I received a no-strings-attached invite to play Deadlock on Steam. Steam claims the game is made by Valve. It displays... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PY10)
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Photo: Getty Images Elon Musk's conversation" with former President Donald Trump got off to a rocky start. The interview, which was hosted on X Spaces and scheduled to begin at 8PM ET on Monday night, crashed immediately and didn't begin until 42 minutes later.Those who did manage to get into the Space, including several Verge staffers, said it kicked off with lo-fi techno playing from Trump's account for roughly 30 minutes.Eighteen minutes after the conversation was supposed to begin, Musk claimed that X was the target of a massive DDOS attack" that had made it impossible for the Space to proceed as planned.The rest of X appears to be working normally, however, and a source at the company confirmed to The Verge that there wasn't actually a... Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6PXZ0)
Cambridge, MA - January 24: Gated entrance on the campus of Harvard University. | Photo: Getty Images After years of legwork, Harvard researchers canceled plans to test a controversial theory for cooling the planet by sending sunlight-reflecting particles up into the atmosphere. Now, members of an independent advisory committee tasked with addressing ethics and safety concerns are sharing what they learned from the ill-fated project.A policy analysis published in the journal Science on Friday highlights how important it is to talk to people on the ground before launching an experiment, especially one tied to potentially planet-altering consequences. The paper echoes recent calls to get policies in place to protect against any unintended side effects.Until pretty recently, the thought of reflecting sunlight back into space to combat... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6PXZ1)
Illustration: The Verge I love storing a digital pass in my phone's wallet enough that I'm a little miffed when I have to use a different app or, heaven forbid, a saved PDF instead. On Android, at least, there's a better way, thanks to a new Google Wallet option rolling out now that uses AI to generate a digital version with all the relevant details that you can use just like any other digital pass.The feature, which Google announced at its I/O conference in May, takes the place of a previous Photo" option in the Add to Wallet" menu that could create a simpler version of a pass that just showed a barcode or QR code.Dubbed Everything Else," using it could save you from digging through your email to find a PDF while you're standing in line at the venue or... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PXZ2)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge TikTok is adding group chats with support for up to 32 people, the company announced today. The feature is available to users aged 16 and up, allowing them to share TikToks with friends and family members without having to open a separate messaging app.You can start a group chat by selecting the Inbox button, tapping Chat, selecting which friends you want to include, and hitting Start group chat." There are some exceptions: for example, you can only join a group chat if you're invited by people you follow back. Also, if you don't allow anyone on the platform to message you, you won't receive invites at all.There are also slightly different rules for teens under the age of 18: they can only join a group chat if it contains at least... Continue reading...
by Umar Shakir on (#6PXXJ)
Image: Ford Ford and TXU Energy, one of Texas' largest electric providers, have partnered up so customers can get free EV charging at home. Owners of newer Ford EVs and plug-in hybrids who sign up for TXU's Free EV Miles program can get full credit back on their utility bill if they charge up during TXU's free 18-hour window.In a press release, Ford says it's aiming to educate Texans about the perks of driving electric." The first-of-its-kind" deal will incentivize customers to charge during off-peak hours. Free hours will be between 7:00PM and 1:00PM the next day. (Charging at other times will cost the same as any other use of electricity in the home.)In an email to The Verge, Ford PR representative Eddie Fernandez wrote that the program is... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PXV5)
Narwal's Freo X Ultra mops floors exceptionally well while doubling as a decent robot vacuum. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge If you like the idea of investing as little effort as possible into mopping your hardwood floors, you might want to check out the current deal on the Narwal Freo X Ultra. Right now, our favorite robot vacuum for mopping is down to its second-best price of $999.99 ($400 off) at Amazon, which is just $50 shy of the all-time low we saw during Prime Day. Narwal is also matching said discount when you apply the promo code SUMNXU at checkout.The Narwal's spinning triangular mop pads do an excellent job of cleaning hard surfaces while offering some impressive smarts. The robovac / mop hybrid is capable of adapting the pressure of its mop based on the floor type, for example, applying more to tile and less to hardwood. The bot can also make... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PXV6)
Image: Abigail Bassett for The Verge Waymo's plans to expand its robotaxi fleet are facing new roadblocks thanks to the Biden administration's trade policies.The Alphabet-owned company had planned to introduce a new robotaxi manufactured by Zeekr, a subsidiary of China's Geely. The cars are being designed in Sweden (where Geely owns Swedish carmaker Volvo), adapted from Geely's all-electric five-door Zeekr. Waymo is then outfitting the cars with the hardware and software necessary for autonomous driving. The first new vehicles began arriving in the US earlier this year.But the vehicles could be subject to newly restrictive tariffs from the Biden administration, which aims to stymie Chinese EV imports into the US. The administration said it would roughly quadruple... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PXV7)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple recently rejected DOS emulator iDOS 3 from the App Store, but following App Store rule changes that look to have cleared the way for PC emulator apps, iDOS 3 is now available for download, developer Chaoji Li announced.In June, Li said that Apple had rejected iDOS 3 because it violated App Store guideline 4.7. At the time, that rule was what allowed retro game console emulator apps to appear on the store, but Apple was only allowing retro game console emulators under the rule - not PC emulators; UTM SE, another PC emulator app, had also said it was rejected for violating the rule.But in July, Apple reversed course and approved UTM SE, and earlier this month, it added the words PC emulator" to guideline 4.7, which is seemingly... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PMPQ)
Image: Google Google's earlier-than-expected Pixel hardware event is just around the corner - it's scheduled for Tuesday, August 13th. Thanks to the relentless flow of leaks that have emerged over the past few weeks, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect.Google has already confirmed that it's launching the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but the company may have some other surprises in store, including the Buds Pro 2 and maybe even the Pixel Watch 3.Here's a roundup of everything we know so far.Google Pixel 9 lineup adds a smaller Pro optionAlongside the Pixel 9, Google is expected to release the Pixel Pro in two sizes: a larger 6.8-inch model and a smaller 6.3-inch variant. It'll be the first time the Pro features are available in two... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PXRF)
The OnePlus Pad 2 continues to impress in many ways, but the upgrades don't justify the price. Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PXRG)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Patreon memberships sold on the iOS app will soon be subject to Apple's 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. In a post on Monday, Patreon says Apple is forcing the platform to use the company's in-app payment system starting in November or risk being kicked out of the App Store."As part of the change, creators will need to switch to Patreon's subscription billing method to keep earning money through the platform's iOS app. That means Apple's 30 percent commission will apply when a new membership is initially purchased, as well as each time it's renewed. To help offset the costs of the new fee, Patreon will give creators the option to automatically increase their prices in the iOS app. GIF: Patreon The fee... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PXRH)
Image: The Verge Paint 3D, once Microsoft's biggest update to its Paint app, is being removed from the Microsoft Store later this year and no longer supported. The app was originally released as part of Microsoft's focus on creators with Windows 10 and was even set to replace the original MS Paint at one point.Paint 3D is deprecated and will be removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4th, 2024," reads a support note from Microsoft. Users of the app will also see a banner inside the app warning them about the end of support. Microsoft is recommending Windows users install its 3D Viewer app if they need to view 3D content.Microsoft has now put most of its focus on the existing Paint app within Windows 11 instead, adding some of Photoshop's best... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PXNS)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube Music is rolling out a new personal radio" feature that lets you broadcast daily playlists based on your favorite tunes for others to play. The new feature, discovered by a Reddit user last week, is starting to appear on some YouTube Music user channel pages - where you'd normally go to check out your top music stats.As reported by 9to5Google, personal radio is the newest addition to YouTube Music's profiles page, which launched in April of last year. Personal radio, like stats, are set to private by default, so users must update their channel settings if they want it to appear for others, as outlined in an updated YouTube Music help page.Once the feature is available, you can turn it on by going to your profile icon in... Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6PXNT)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images Former President Donald Trump baselessly accused Vice President Kamala Harris of using artificial intelligence to make the size of a rally crowd look larger than it was.Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport?" Trump wrote on Truth Social, pointing to an August 7th image of a Michigan tarmac showing Air Force Two and a large wave of people with Harris-Walz signs. There was nobody at the plane, and she A.I.'d' it, and showed a massive crowd' of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST!"Local news site MLive wrote that the rally at Detroit Metro Airport hosted about 15,000 people, with the crowd spilling out onto the tarmac and cheering as Air Force Two arrived." Other angles show large crowds, and the f... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PXNV)
A leaked image appearing to show Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 in porcelain. | Image: OnLeaks via Android Headlines Google's upcoming Pixel Buds Pro 2 could come with a new Tensor A1" chip that powers twice the Active Noise Cancellation" (ANC), according to leaked specs posted by @MysteryLupin and spotted by 9to5Google. If true, this will be the first time Google expands its in-house Tensor processor from its phones to its earbuds.The post suggests the Pixel Buds Pro 2 could come with up to 30 hours of audio playback with the case (or up to eight hours without), but it's not clear whether that's with ANC turned on or off. The original Pixel Buds Pro offer up to 31 hours of listening time with the case and ANC turned off (or up to 11 hours without).
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by Wes Davis on (#6PXNW)
Image: The Verge CrowdStrike president Michael Sentonas personally accepted a Most Epic Fail" award over the weekend at the annual Las Vegas Def Con hacking conference for the company's software update that caused a global IT outage last month. While accepting the award, he said it was super important to own it when you do things horribly wrong, which we did in this case."The Pwnie Awards, given out in an annual ceremony at Def Con, celebrate the achievements (and failures) of security researchers and the security community." This year's categories included awards for mobile, desktop, and crypto bugs, one for Lamest Vendor Response," and an Epic Achievement" award for researchers who discovered critical vulnerabilities.