The Verge

The animations are fine for FaceTime, but maybe not a therapy telehealth app. | Image: Apple Apple looks ready to give developers more control over its video emoji reactions feature in upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 updates, MacRumors reports. The feature, which was introduced with the release of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 last year (as well as in macOS 14), automatically shows 3D animations like fireworks and lasers when an Apple device's camera sees participants making certain hand gestures on a call. iOS 17.4 reportedly offers a new API to let third-party developers turn off the feature.The update appears to be in response to reports from last year that the chipper 3D animations - which are turned on by default - could trigger in inappropriate situations like online therapy sessions. That's because as well as appearing in... Continue reading...

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta and TikTok are challenging fees they must pay EU regulators tasked with enforcing tough new content moderation rules required by the Digital Services Act (DSA), both companies have confirmed to The Verge. Although the fee is capped at 0.05 percent of a company's profits, Meta isn't happy that loss-making companies won't have to pay while it's on the hook for a reported 11 million, while TikTok is also taking issue with how its user numbers have been calculated to work out its reported 3.9 million fee.We disagree with the methodology used to calculate these fees," Meta's EMEA policy comms spokesperson Ben Walters tells The Verge. Currently, companies that record a loss don't have to pay, even if they have a large user base or... Continue reading...

Nick Barclay / The Verge Disney's password-sharing crackdown will officially begin this summer. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney chief financial officer Hugh Johnston said Disney Plus accounts suspected of improper sharing" will see an option to sign up for their own subscription.Disney will also start letting account holders add people outside their household for an additional fee" - but it didn't say how much that will cost. We want to reach as large an audience as possible with our outstanding content," Johnston said. We're looking forward to rolling out this new functionality to improve the overall customer experience and grow our subscriber base."This year, both Disney Plus and Hulu have updated their terms of service to ban users from... Continue reading...

Image: Epic Games Disney and Fortnite maker Epic Games are teaming up to build what's being described as an expansive and open games and entertainment universe." As part of the announcement, Disney revealed that it is investing $1.5 billion in an equity stake in Epic.Details on what this metaverse-like project will look like are sparse, but here's how Disney explains it:

The Sharge Retro 67 and Retro 35 chargers. When my colleague Chris Welch shared his favorite USB-C travel charger with the world last week, I took it as a challenge. I humbly submit that my charger is just as small and powerful as his Belkin - and it has a built-in screen and power meter so you can see how well your gadgets are charging!Oh, and it looks like a tiny Macintosh computer, in case that floats your boat. My boat is floating.

Image: Formula 1 / Netflix Sports documentaries are becoming a popular genre among streamers, from Netflix to Apple TV Plus. Continue reading...

Google's TV software isn't all that different from what other streaming devices employ, but its content-first UI keeps us coming back. | Image: The Verge The streaming world may be consolidating faster than anticipated, but it's pretty clear that cable TV isn't likely to stage a comeback anytime soon. Fortunately, if you're looking to pick up a new streaming device to make the most of Netflix and other services, the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo starting at $39.98 ($10 off), nearly matching its lowest price to date.Despite having launched at the tail end of 2020, Google's 4K-ready Chromecast remains one of our top picks when it comes to streaming devices. It features many of the hallmarks we expect in a modern streamer, including support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, along with a comfortable remote that can control your TV over both IR... Continue reading...

The Verge In Netflix's new adaptation of Cixin Liu's novel The Three-Body Problem, actress Rosalind Chao portrays one of the brilliant minds mobilized into action by the presence of a threat with the potential to wipe out humanity. But in Macmillan's forthcoming The Three-Body Problem audiobook recording, Chao will bring the entire world of Liu's novel to life with the sound of her voice.Ahead of the March 21st debut of Netflix's 3 Body Problem, Macmillan Audio has tapped Chao to narrate its new recording of The Three-Body Problem - the first book in Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy chronicling the story of how humanity responds after making first contact with aliens. In a press release about the new audiobook, Chao said that, after... Continue reading...

With two solid films under its belt, Paramount's A Quiet Place films have really come into their own as a franchise, and even though the novelty of their core conceit has waned over time, the new trailer for director Michael Sarnoski's upcoming prequel looks pretty damn promising.After spending two films telling the story of how the Abbott family survived after the sudden arrival of aliens that hunt using their incredibly sensitive hearing, A Quiet Place: Day One shifts its focus to a woman named Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) on the day the creatures first dropped down to Earth. In the film's new trailer, Sam seems to be one of the millions of New Yorkers who have no idea what to think when they look up one afternoon and see massive fiery... Continue reading...

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple may have just released the Vision Pro, but it hasn't forgotten about making foldable iPhones and iPads. A new report from The Information reveals the company is developing at least two" iPhone prototypes that fold horizontally, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip devices.We are unlikely to see a folding iPhone anytime soon, if at all, as The Information reports the device isn't in the company's mass production plans for 2024 or 2025. Even though the company reportedly wants to create a foldable iPhone with displays on the outside of the device, The Information says engineers struggled" with the design because it can break easily. Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple's vision for a folding iPhone may... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft A year ago today, Microsoft unveiled its ambitious plans for an AI-powered Bing search engine. It was the biggest launch in the history of Bing, helped push AI usage even further into the mainstream, and spurred a wave of dreams and panic about what AI could impact next. The launch was even successful enough to rattle Google, which was quickly seen as falling behind on artificial intelligence.They will definitely want to come out and show that they can dance," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told The Verge at the time. And I want people to know that we made them dance."The strategy worked. But one year later, Bing seems to have fallen out of the conversation. Google is still at over 91 percent of traditional search market share, a... Continue reading...

Image: Cath Virginia | The Verge The buzziest new thing in social networking is a big deal. It's also very confusing. And it's not actually new. Let's talk about it. Continue reading...

A heat pump is installed on the first floor among many AC units at the New York City Housing Authority's Woodside Houses in Queens, New York. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Nine states inked an agreement today to promote heat pump sales. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) sets a 2030 target for heat pumps to make up 65 of residential heating, cooling, and water heating equipment sales. By 2040, the goal is for heat pumps to account for 90 percent of the HVAC and water heating market.Heat pumps are more energy efficient alternatives to traditional heating and cooling systems. And because they're electric, they can feasibly run on renewables like wind and solar once there's more clean energy coursing through power grids. The states on board with the agreement include: California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.The MOU isn't legally binding, so... Continue reading...

Image: Porsche Porsche's inaugural electric car is getting a facelift to dramatically improve its driving range, performance, and fast-charging abilities. As rival EVs get bigger batteries and improved charging architectures, Porsche is intent on remaining top of the heap with the refreshed Taycan sport sedan.The 2025 Taycan comes in two body styles - the sports sedan and the Cross Turismo wagon - each with four powertrain options as well as rear- and all-wheel drive variants. The sedans, which range in price from $101,395 to $210,995, will be available this fall. The Cross Turismo models, available later this fall, start at $113,095 and climb all the way to $213,695.The 2023 Taycan came in two battery configurations: 79kWh and 93kWh. For the 2025... Continue reading...

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge Lingo Telecom and Life Corporation are linked to a robocall campaign that used an AI voice clone of President Joe Biden to persuade New Hampshire voters not to vote, said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella during a press conference on Tuesday. Authorities have issued cease-and-desist orders as well as subpoenas to both companies. The two companies are both based in Texas and have been accused of illegal robocall investigations in the past, the FCC noted in the document.In its cease-and-desist order to Lingo Telecom, the FCC accused the company of originating illegal robocall traffic." According to the document, the robocalls began on January 21st of this year, two days before the New Hampshire presidential primary. Voters in... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge This is Hot Pod, The Verge's newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.After last week's big deal announcements, Spotify reported its fourth quarter earnings. The company is still operating at a loss, but the margins on podcasting do seem to actually be improving. I have more on that below, plus what it cost for the company to get there. Oh, and still no HiFi.Plus, I've got some more Hot Pod Summit programming announcements.After slashing jobs and ending exclusivity, Spotify may finally have a profitable podcast businessOn a call today, Daniel Ek told investors what they have wanted to hear about podcasting for a long time. I'm pleased to say in Q4, we were very close to breakeven on that business,... Continue reading...

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The first visionOS developer beta since the launch of the Apple Vision Pro is here, bringing with it a fix that lets users of the headset get closer to objects in a 3D space.In visionOS, when you get close enough to an object or an app window, it starts to fade to nothing as you pass through it. But one of The Verge's staffers said the point where this fade happens when playing something like STAK!, a game that lets you stack 3D blocks, was frustratingly far away.Apple's release notes for the visionOS beta 1.1 update say that users will be able to reposition volumetric scenes much closer than before, which will enable easier direct interaction" with the objects in them.Besides this fix, Apple has also reportedly enabled... Continue reading...

Image: Warner Bros. Games Rocksteady Studios returns to the superhero genre with an ill-conceived attempt to merge Arkham-style action with a live-service game. Continue reading...