The Verge - All Posts

Ring is bringing the much-requested feature to its smart security platform starting on November 5th. | Image: Ring Smart home security company Ring announced today that it's bringing 24/7 continuous video recording (CVR) to its smart security cameras. This will allow a camera to record continuously rather than just when it detects motion, which is how Ring's cameras and video doorbells currently operate.The new 24/7 recording capability is part of a revamp of the Amazon-owned company's subscription plan, Ring Protect, which is being renamed Ring Home. It will require the highest tier, Ring Home Premium - previously Ring Protect Pro.Ring Home Premium will cost $19.99 monthly and now includes cloud storage for CVR on up to 10 cameras, along with event-activated recording and other features. Ring is also launching three additional capabilities that... Continue reading...

Users can also schedule one-time or recurring payment requests to each other. | Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge Venmo is making it easier to send repeat payments to friends and family or schedule specific payments and payment requests ahead of time. The new P2P feature allows Venmo users to schedule these as one-offs or on a monthly, weekly, or biweekly basis. It will be widely available in the app in the coming weeks," according to Venmo.There are plenty of practical use cases for this, such as setting up scheduled payments between roommates for their share of rent, utilities, or other fixed household costs or sending out recurring reminders to those who forget to pay on time. The feature is also supported on Venmo Teen accounts, meaning family members could use it to send allowance money on a set schedule or proactively set up a payment on... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge By November 2022, Snap employees were discussing 10,000 user reports of sextortion each month, while acknowledging that these reports likely represent a small fraction of this abuse' given the shame and other barriers to reporting," says a newly unsealed version of the lawsuit filed by New Mexico's attorney general against Snap. This less-redacted version of the filing we first saw a month ago adds fresh details about what Snap employees allegedly knew about the scope of the sextortion issue it's accused of facilitating on its platform.In one alleged instance, employees referenced a case with 75 reports against it mentioning nudes, minors, and extortion, yet the account was still active." And in 2022, Snap's internal research... Continue reading...

Image: Christian Selig Juno, the third-party YouTube app created for the Apple Vision Pro, has been removed from the App Store. In a post on Tuesday, developer Christian Selig said the app was taken down months after Google warned that it violates YouTube's guidelines.Like Netflix, Google doesn't make a YouTube app for the Vision Pro. That means you can only watch YouTube in Safari, which breaks out videos into Apple's native video player. Google said a YouTube app for the Vision Pro is on the roadmap" in February, but we haven't heard any updates since.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Nvidia's beta app for its GPUs is nearing its journey to a full release, and the company says it intends to migrate all remaining GeForce Experience users" to the new app before the end of the year. Today, Nvidia added a few more features to get the app ready, including the ability to toggle G-Sync on and off, multi-monitor support for RTX HDR, and driver rollback. The app can also now notify you if there's DRM content playing that could stop your ShadowPlay recording.Nvidia says upcoming updates to the app will also bring in the remaining features of Nvidia Control Panel, such as surround options, custom resolutions, and multi-monitor setup. Soon, both the GeForce Experience app and the Nvidia Control Panel will be replaced by the... Continue reading...

Fasetto's Audio Cu sends audio signals to surround sound speakers over a home's existing power lines. | Image: Fasetto Fasetto has announced that its Audio Cu system, which connects TVs and other audio devices to speakers and subwoofers using the existing power line wiring in a home, has received Dolby Atmos Product Certification from Dolby Laboratories.Similar to powerline networking solutions that can leverage existing electrical wiring to share internet around a home, Fasetto's Audio Cu is an alternative to having to snake audio cables through a wall or attempt to camouflage wires connecting speakers to an audio source under rugs and furniture. It's also an alternative to wireless solutions like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which have their own challenges and compromises, including added latency, audio compression, and signal reliability. I... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge You may soon be able to keep listening to your TV shows on YouTube TV even if you can't watch them. Google appears to be finally bringing background playback to its YouTube TV streaming service. The company confirmed to The Verge that it's experimenting" with enabling YouTube TV playback after a phone is locked.As reported by 9to5Google, the feature was spotted a couple of weeks ago by Reddit users who found they could continue listening to YouTube TV audio even after sending the video app to the background on their mobile devices.Background playback lets you keep listening to your content when your phone's screen is off or locked. So, you can still listen to the audio even if you can't watch the action. This could be helpful in... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge You now have 15 minutes to edit your posts on Threads, an increase from the previous five-minute limit. If you have fediverse sharing toggled on, that means you'll have to wait 15 minutes until your post shows up on Mastodon and other platforms.The window is a little short when compared to other platforms. X, for example, lets you edit your posts for up to one hour, but you have to pay for a subscription. Mastodon also lets you edit your posts for free at any time after they've been published.Additionally, Threads will now let you see who follows you and likes your posts from other fediverse servers such as Mastodon. That should make it a lot easier to keep track of new followers and engagement, no matter the platform people are using... Continue reading...

The ClimateCool smart bed features adjustable mattress firmness, sleep tracking, a flexible base, and active cooling technology. | Image: Sleep Number Sleep Number's newest smart bed is designed to keep you cool at night. The ClimateCool smart bed, starting at $5,499, is the latest product from the company famous for its adjustable mattress firmness. In a press release, the company says the new mattress can keep your body at the optimal temperature with its scientifically backed" cooling programs that could be of particular interest to people dealing with symptoms of menopause.This is Sleep Number's second smart bed that offers individual temperature control on either side of the bed. The Climate360, which launched in 2020, similarly actively draws heat away from your body to help you stay cool, but unlike the ClimateCool, it can also warm you up if you're too chilly at night.But... Continue reading...

Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Photo: Getty Images Tesla and CEO Elon Musk scored another win Tuesday when a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing them of defrauding shareholders over the safety and effectiveness of the company's driver-assist technology.US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said that plaintiffs failed to prove that Musk acted with deliberate recklessness" when he claimed that Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technology could drive safer than humans.Many of Musk's claims about self-driving capabilities amount to corporate puffery," or exaggerations about future products, the judge determined. Other claims could be categorized as forward-looking statements," in that they addressed future expectations for the technology. The case was dismissed... Continue reading...

Amazon's ultra-affordable streaming sticks are great for enjoying Spooktober playlists. | Image: Amazon We've officially turned the calendar to October, meaning spooky season is in full effect. That also means we're a week away from Prime Big Deal Days, which starts on October 8th. There were already plenty of early Prime Day deals to consider, but now we're seeing steep discounts on Amazon's stick-style streaming devices. Right now, for instance, the latest Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is going for just $24.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, while the speedier Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $34.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.If you can spare another $10 in your budget, we'd recommend stepping up to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It's a fair bit snappier than the base model thanks to an upgraded processor and support for... Continue reading...

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram is more explicitly telling content creators, businesses, and other users how they should be posting to the platform via a new feature called best practices."The best practices hub is available for professional accounts on Instagram and is accessible through the professional dashboard. The feature is marketed as an educational tool to help creators make engaging content, and the hub includes tips for making, sharing, and monetizing their videos and photos.Some of the tips are fairly generic social media strategies, like track long-term follower growth" and consistently post more." Others are more specific and could signal Instagram's corporate priorities: a tip on my account, for example, tells me that Reels that are longer... Continue reading...

Image: Bose Bose has announced a new addition to its long-running SoundLink line of wireless speakers. Most of Bose's speakers have a colorful and durable design that shrugs off sand and water during an afternoon at the beach, but the new $219 SoundLink Home uses materials like anodized aluminum and a fabric speaker cover for a more premium appearance designed to complement the home.Battery life is rated up to nine hours after a four-hour charge through the speaker's USB-C port, which doubles as an audio input for connecting to sources like laptops with a cable. The SoundLink Home includes support for Bluetooth 5.3 with a wireless range of about 30 feet, and it can be paired with other SoundLink Home speakers for stereo sound. It lacks Wi-Fi,... Continue reading...

Image: Getty Dozens of ports along the East and Gulf coasts of the US have shut down as thousands of dock workers strike over wages and technology that could replace jobs, according to CNBC. The strike, which began just past midnight on October 1st, could raise prices and make goods harder to get, depending on how long it lasts.The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), a union that represents around 85,000 dock workers, called the strike after its contract with the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) - the organization backing port employers - expired early on Tuesday morning. The strike encompasses ports stretching from Maine to Texas.Negotiations for a new contract are still ongoing, with the USMX proposing a 50 percent wage increase. Along... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Epic is offering better terms for developers who build games with Unreal Engine and list them on the Epic Games Store.As part of the new Launch Everywhere with Epic" program, Epic is reducing the royalty rate for games built with Unreal Engine from 5 percent to 3.5 percent - however, those games will have to be available on the Epic Games Store on launch day. The program kicks in on January 1st, 2025 for eligible games published on the Epic Games Store beginning that year.With this move, Epic seems to be trying yet another way to encourage developers to list games on its store, including its newly launched stores on Android and iOS. Epic says that the royalty reduction will be in place for every platform and store where a developer... Continue reading...

A control panel in the control room simulator of the Holtec Palisades Training Center in Covert, Michigan, US, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. | Photo: Getty Images For the first time, a shuttered nuclear power plant in the US could reopen thanks to federal support. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $1.52 billion loan to help restore a nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan.Although it's still a controversial option among environmental advocates, nuclear energy could be on the verge of a renaissance as an alternative to fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants are already the biggest source of carbon pollution-free energy in the US, and can fill in for renewables when solar and wind power wane.It's a powerful clean energy comeback story."It's a powerful clean energy comeback story," White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said in a press release yesterday.The DOE... Continue reading...

Focus and exposure are now in the Camera Control menu for Halide. | Image: Lux Halide, a popular advanced camera app for iOS by the company Lux, is releasing a new update that adds manual photography Adjustments" features for the iPhone 16's Camera Control button. In version 2.17 (now available), you can adjust focus and exposure on Camera Control; there's also a new Locked" mode to lock down some manual settings so an accidental swipe won't ruin your current shoot.Halide's founder Sebastiaan De With says the Exposure adjustment can be set with an exposure bias three times" that of Apple's (plus or minus 6 EV vs 2) and that the Manual Focus on Camera Control is a really nice, smooth experience on iPhone." Lux also has its own review of the iPhone 16 Pro's camera.Halide already supported the iPhone 16 Camera... Continue reading...

Sony has updated its LinkBuds line with on-device voice controls and head gestures for answering or dismissing phone calls. | Image: Sony Sony has announced new versions of its LinkBuds wireless earbuds with improved wearability" and built-in voice controls, making them easier to leave in your ears all day. Both the new LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit are available for preorder today for $199.99, alongside a new LinkBuds Speaker debuting at $179.99 that will be limited to the US market.The original Sony LinkBuds, first announced in early 2022, featured a unique open ring design" that skipped sound-isolating ear tips for a donut-shaped speaker, allowing ambient sounds to be heard at all times. The new version, now known as the LinkBuds Open, features a similar but smaller design, with a new 11-millimeter speaker to enhance volume and bass performance. Sony also includes... Continue reading...

You won't need to remember to leave the door open on Whirlpool's new washing machine. | Image: Whirlpool Whirlpool has announced a new feature for its front-loading washing machines. Called the FreshFlow Vent System, it will dry the appliance's drum, door, and rubber seals after a wash cycle. The system will reduce the growth of mold and bacteria and will save you from having to remember to leave the washer door open to passively dry its interior.The new FreshFlow Vent System is being introduced on a pair of new Whirlpool washing machines ranging in price from $999 to $1,199 that are available now. The new feature doesn't run automatically once a load of clothing has been washed; instead, the system requires you to close the washer door and start a Dry Drum" cycle, which uses a fan to completely dry out the interior of the washer.F... Continue reading...

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Microsoft has ended production of its HoloLens 2 headsets, with no sign of a replacement ahead. UploadVR reports that HoloLens 2 will still get updates to address critical security issues and software regressions" until the end of 2027, but production of the headsets has now ended.Software support for the original HoloLens headset will reportedly end on December 10th, too. Microsoft originally unveiled its HoloLens headset in 2015, promising the augmented reality goggles would power the future of virtual worlds. Microsoft then followed up with the HoloLens 2 in 2019 with a wider field of view, eye tracking, and more powerful specs.Microsoft's struggles with HoloLens have been apparent over the past two years. Former HoloLens boss Alex... Continue reading...

Pebblebee's Universal trackers work with Apple's Find My and Google's Find My Device networks. | Image: Pebblebee Pebblebee has announced new Universal versions of its Bluetooth trackers that support both Apple's Find My and Google's Find My Device networks. At $34.99 each, they're more expensive than Apple's popular $29 AirTags, but they include additional features like rechargeable batteries and a light that can make them easier to locate in the dark.Compatibility with both Apple's and Google's networks potentially makes the Pebblebee Universal a better choice for households using a mix of iOS and Android devices, but the trackers won't work on both networks at the same time. When Google introduced its upgraded Find My Device network last April, Pebblebee confirmed to 9to5Google that its trackers would be limited to the network they were... Continue reading...

So many NF-A14x25 G2s. | Image: Noctua Noctua has released a new 140mm version of its quiet, efficient, and powerful fan called the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM. The fan comes in three configurations, including a two-fan set with an RPM offset and a quieter version that spins a little more slowly than the standard model. All three are available now, starting at $39.90.The up-to-1,500rpm fan is the follow-up to Noctua's NF-A12x25, which you may remember from the company's collaborations that have seen special versions of Nvidia RTX 4080 and RTX 3080 GPUs that come with the fans attached.Compared to its predecessor, the A14x25 is about 2dBA louder, uses roughly twice the wattage at max, and takes up a little more space, but it moves about 50 percent more air, according to its s... Continue reading...

Image: Epic Games Get ready for more news about Unreal Engine and more. Continue reading...

Image: Getty Images Microsoft is launching a redesigned version of Copilot today, intent on becoming an AI assistant or companion. To celebrate this, Microsoft's new AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, has penned a 700-plus-word memo on what he describes as a technological paradigm shift" toward AI models that can understand what humans see and hear.Suleyman joined Microsoft earlier this year as the CEO of its new Microsoft AI division, amid the software giant's hiring of a number of key Inflection AI staff. In June, Suleyman sparked controversy after brazenly claiming that anything published on the web is freeware" that can be copied, recreated, and reproduced by AI models. Now, he's optimistic that AI - under Microsoft's stewardship - will create a calmer, more... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is using AI models to greatly improve Windows search on its new Copilot Plus PCs, including the addition of a new Click to Do feature that's very similar to Google's Circle to Search. These search improvements will make it easier to find and interact with images, emails, documents, and even videos and are just a few of the AI-based features coming to Copilot Plus PCs starting in November.The improved Windows search will first show up in File Explorer on Copilot Plus PCs next month, allowing you to search for pictures using words, even if the search word isn't found in the photo or file name.AI-powered search makes it dramatically easier to find virtually anything," says Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and consumer... Continue reading...

The Quick Insert button replaces the search or launcher key that's usually where the caps lock key would be on a Chromebook. | Image: Google Google is announcing a pair of new Chromebooks today - Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook Plus and Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 11 - and along with them, a brand-new button. Dubbed the Quick Insert button, it's designed to give immediate access to some of Google's latest AI features.The new Quick Insert button will replace the search / launcher button on some Chromebooks going forward, starting with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. Quick Insert is your one-stop shop for a host of new AI features: press it, and a menu pops up giving you quick access to features like Help me write," which can lend a helping hand with memos, emails, and eventually, AI image generation, according to John Maletis, VP of ChromeOS product, engineering, and UX.The button is... Continue reading...

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The Sonos app debacle will go down as an all-time tech industry blunder, but now the company is taking steps to turn the page. Continue reading...

Image: Epic Games Fortnite is getting controls that let parents set time limits for how much their children play the game. Parents will be able to pick how much their child can play Fortnite per day, select windows for when they can play, and choose if their child has the ability to ask for more time.If parents turn time limits on, their children will see an in-game notification when they have 30 minutes left on the clock. Their time is tracked when they play Epic Games-made Fortnite modes like Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite as well as when they play creator-made experiences built with the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Image: Epic Games Parents will also be able to see how much time their child is playing the game with a Time... Continue reading...

Serve's robots will bring packages to a Wing drone AutoLoader,which will make the final delivery. | Image: Serve Robotics Serve Robotics has announced a pilot partnership with Wing Aviation to expand the range of its autonomous food delivery without requiring restaurants to install new equipment to accommodate drone pickups.Serve, which was spun out of the app-based delivery company Postmates in 2021, has been making Uber Eats food deliveries in Los Angeles for a few years now, using robots that look like autonomous shopping carts. Serve says its delivery robots can be a safer alternative to cars and help reduce traffic congestion as they operate primarily on sidewalks. Since they have a top speed of around six miles per hour, there should be little to no risk to pedestrians. But that approach also limits the robot's ability to deliver food in a timely... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 console users are now able to play online games again following a massive outage on Sony's gaming network that started on Monday night. The official PSN Service Status page confirms that all services are up and running" now, after previously warning users that they might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features."This problem has now been resolved," said a message posted by the Japanese Ask PlayStation customer support account. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused."The outage lasted for around eight hours, and impacted effectively every PlayStation system across Other, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Web." While the problem seems largely resolved, some gamers on X are... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge T-Mobile is investing millions of dollars into revamping its cybersecurity practices as part of a settlement with the US Federal Communications Commission. The company will also need to pay the US Treasury $15.75 million in civil penalties - the same amount as its internal cybersecurity investment. The commission says this groundbreaking" settlement will serve as a model for the industry.Data breaches at T-Mobile in the last few years have leaked social security numbers, addresses, and driver's license numbers for millions of people.The settlement clears up several T-Mobile investigations involving cybersecurity incidents in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The FCC press release says, ...these investigations developed evidence that the breaches... Continue reading...

News posts appearing in the PS5 dashboard are the result of a bug. | Screenshot: PlayStation 5 dashboard An apparent bug was causing game art backgrounds to be replaced by promotional messages and news posts on the PlayStation 5 dashboard for some people on Monday. The images they saw featured promotions for long-expired discounts and ads for new games.People lamented the change in forums and on social media, saying the game art that previously showed up when they highlighted a game was gone. Instead, the image that would ordinarily show up as a news post in a separate section of the PS5 UI was splashed across the screen behind games like Miles Morales, Hi-Fi Rush, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.In a since-deleted post, Daniel Hiatt, product lead for Game Hub and Activity Suggestions with PlayStation, wrote Monday afternoon that the change... Continue reading...

An unboxing video reveals what appears to be the first Anker wall charger with a status screen. | Screenshot: YouTube An unboxing video shared on YouTube last week has our first hands-on look at a new 140W wall charger from Anker. It appears to be the first from the company to feature an integrated display that shows how much power is being drawn from each of its four USB ports.Earlier this month, leaked details and an image of the charger were shared to the Anker subreddit by user joshuadwx. The Zolo wall charger will reportedly offer a maximum output of 140W shared across three USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. Two of its USB-C ports will be able to charge devices at up to 140W speeds if nothing else is plugged in, while the remaining USB-C and USB-A ports can deliver 40W and 33W of power, respectively.At 350 grams, the added screen results in a... Continue reading...

This aerial picture taken on September 27th, 2024, shows a flooded street after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Steinhatchee, Florida. | Photo by Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images The Southeastern United States is reeling from Hurricane Helene, a monstrous storm that made landfall in Florida on Thursday before cutting a terrifying path all the way up to Tennessee. How did it get this bad?The storm has killed more than 100 people, and hundreds more are still missing. Power is out for millions of people. Residents around Asheville, North Carolina - one of the hardest-hit areas - are reportedly struggling to find food, water, and cellphone service. We don't yet know what the full impact of the storm is; search and rescue missions are still underway, and scientists are finalizing data on how powerful the storm was.But it's clear that the storm was disastrous because of its unusual size, intensity, and speed. The... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube has reached a deal with the music licensing organization SESAC that will bring back songs that were removed over the weekend. Many hit songs from artists such as Adele, Nirvana, and others disappeared, which YouTube blamed on the lack of an agreement to renew its existing deal.In an email to The Verge, SESAC confirmed the new deal but noted that YouTube unilaterally removed" the songs before their old agreement expired as of October 1st.Scott Jungmichel, SESAC performing rights president and COO:

The Echo Hub offers an intuitive interface, making it easy for the whole household to control the smart home. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Amazon offered some pretty good deals ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days sale last week and continues to do so, but admittedly, we've seen most of these discounted prices before. Today's deal on the Echo Hub is the exception, though, as Amazon is now selling it at a new all-time low price of $124.99 ($55 off). That's a deal available only to Prime members, but other retailers like Best Buy and Target are also matching this deal in case you're not signed up for Prime.As a refresher, the Echo Hub is a smart home controller housed in a small, Fire tablet-like device you can choose to mount up on the wall. It makes controlling a smart home incredibly simple; all you need to do is tap its eight-inch touchscreen, and you can adjust smart... Continue reading...