The Verge

From left to right: Conrad Kramer, Kim Beverett, and Ari Weinstein of Software Applications Incorporated. AI chatbots like ChatGPT have, to date, been fairly impersonal, existing outside of the apps and data that we use every day. A new startup by three ex-Apple employees called Software Applications Incorporated hopes to change that.The company's CEO, Ari Weinstein, is a repeat founder, having sold his last startup, the iOS automation app Workflow, to Apple in 2017 alongside co-founder and CTO Conrad Kramer. This time, the two have been joined by Kim Beverett, a 10-year Apple vet who was onstage at this year's WWDC and previously oversaw product management for various teams, including Safari, Messages, FaceTime, and user privacy.In their first interview since leaving Apple to start something new, the trio tells me that their focus is on... Continue reading...

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge Evernote is going to limit new and existing free users to a maximum of just 50 notes and one notebook starting December 4th, the company announced in a blog post on Wednesday. The change, which Evernote had been testing, means that free users who have a high volume of notes may have to consider paying for one of Evernote's other plans or switching over to another note-taking platform.If you currently have more than the allotted 50 notes or one notebook, Evernote says that you'll still be able to view, edit, export, share, and delete existing notes and notebooks." But it seems like if you want to create any new notes or notebooks, you're going to have to delete notes or notebooks to fall under the limit. We've asked Evernote if that's... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is adding an energy saver mode for Windows 11 Insiders (Build 26002) that extends and enhances" the existing battery saver option. The new mode doesn't apply to just laptops like battery saver does - you can also use energy saver on a desktop computer if you want to conserve electricity, too.Aside from availability on both desktop devices and laptops (even when they're plugged in), energy saver works pretty much the same as battery saver mode. The new feature also helps save energy by trading off some system performance," so you might not want to use it if you're gaming. Image: Microsoft You can enable energy saver from the Quick Settings menu, or you can configure it from the Settings menu by heading to... Continue reading...

Why draw the pixel cat in MS Paint when Cocreator can just make it for you? | Image: Microsoft Microsoft is officially launching its Cocreator image-generating AI feature within the Paint app for Windows 11, as reported by Windows Latest. The new integrated text-to-image generator, powered by OpenAI's DALL-E 3 model, was previously available only to Windows Insiders. As Windows Central points out, the new Cocreator button in Microsoft Paint has now been widely released, giving all users the ability to enter a description of something they're visualizing and get three generated images to choose between.While the image generator is a new addition to Microsoft Paint, the company has already sprinkled the DALL-E 3 text-to-image-making capability into its other services. Microsoft's Bing search chatbot was where users initially... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Google announced today that it won't pull links to Canadian news outlets after all, thanks to an agreement with the government of Canada over the contentious Online News Act or Bill C-18. Google and Alphabet president of global affairs Kent Walker published a statement saying that following extensive discussions, we are pleased that the Government of Canada has committed to addressing our core issues with Bill C-18," a rule designed to make large web platforms pay news outlets for using their content. While the exact terms have yet to be published, Walker says the government addressed Google's previous concerns about creating uncapped financial liability" for linking to articles, and a report indicates it will pay millions of dollars... Continue reading...

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge Last May, Google announced it was planning to delete any accounts that hadn't been used in two years (with a few exceptions, such as accounts that have YouTube videos). And sure enough, about two months after that, I got an email from Google warning me that accounts that have not been accessed for two years will indeed be eligible for deletion starting on December 1st, 2023.I've been wandering around Google's apps for some time now, and it occurred to me that I could have Google accounts I haven't used for years - and which, if I didn't check them, might have content I'd want to save. I knew I had three active Google accounts, and suspected I had at least one other I hadn't visited in a while, but I wasn't quite sure if there were any... Continue reading...

This is an official press screenshot from TinyLetter. Throwback! | Image: TinyLetter Mailchimp is shutting TinyLetter, a service that I loved that let individuals easily write and publish simple but nice-looking email newsletters. The service will be discontinued on February 29th, 2024, according to a message I see when logged into my TinyLetter account.A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a screenshot of what looks to be a message from Mailchimp that provides some additional context about the shutdown. Since Mailchimp acquired TinyLetter in 2011, our business priorities have evolved, and we've been laser focused on building tools to serve marketers and help small businesses grow," according to the message. The TinyLetter community's needs have changed too, with some customers moving to Mailchimp to scale and... Continue reading...

Illustration: Samar Haddad / The Verge Google Drive users on Android have had the ability to scan documents and save them as PDFs for a while now. However, recently Google has upgraded that feature for Android users, adding automatic captures, among other upgrades, and is also rolling out the feature for iOS users.As soon as it is available on my iPhone, I will add directions for the iOS version. Meanwhile, here's how you can scan to a PDF using Google Drive. This example was done on a Google Pixel 6 running Android 14.

Photo by Noah Berger / Getty Images for Amazon Web Services Amazon is joining the AI image generation fray with the release of its Titan text-to-image AI model. Announced during the AWS re:Invent conference, Titan Image Generator can create realistic, studio-quality images" and is supposed to have built-in guardrails against toxicity and bias. Titan isn't a standalone app or website but a tool that developers can build on to make their own image generators powered by the model; to use it, developers will need access to Amazon Bedrock.Swami Sivasubramanian, AWS vice president of database, analytics, and machine learning, previewed Titan Image Generator during his keynote, pointing to the model's ability to not just create an image from a natural language prompt but also change out backgrounds.... Continue reading...

Image: Netflix Netflix is adding the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition to its ever expanding, ever impressive roster of games just in time for the holiday need-a-20-minute-break-from-the-family season.Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition (which we're going to call the GTA Trilogy for simplicity's sake) is a remaster of GTA III, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas. Players can pre-register for the games starting today on iOS and Google Play. It will be available both in the Netflix mobile app and offered separately to Netflix subscribers in the App Store and Google Play.Netflix can't stop, won't stop offering some of the biggest titles on its streaming service. We've got Kentucky Route Zero, Before Your Eyes,... Continue reading...

Here's a photo of compact mode on a ROG Ally. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge Microsoft's new compact mode" that makes the Xbox PC app a little easier to use on handheld gaming PCs is now available. The company had been testing the compact mode, but thanks to an update to the Xbox PC app, you can now try it for yourself, according to an Xbox Wire blog post.The big change for compact mode is that the sidebar collapses down into icons, meaning that the sidebar takes up less real estate. The new mode should work well with devices like Asus' ROG Ally and Lenovo's Legion Go, and Microsoft says that it's working with Asus and other manufacturers" to ensure that Compact mode is enabled by default on your handheld devices." Image: Microsoft Here's an image from Microsoft showing what compact... Continue reading...

Lights illuminate application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices used for Bitcoin mining. | Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bitcoin mines aren't just energy-hungry, it turns out they're thirsty, too. The water consumption tied to a single Bitcoin transaction, on average, could be enough to fill a small backyard pool, according to a new analysis. Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use.Bitcoin's water footprint is growing, according to the analysis published today in a commentary in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. That's an issue to watch as the price of Bitcoin recovers from a spiraling crypto winter.Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use.The study was conducted by Alex de Vries, a PhD... Continue reading...

Image: Ubisoft A cult classic is getting a makeover next year. Ubisoft announced today that it's working on a 20th anniversary rerelease of Beyond Good & Evil that's expected to launch in early 2024. The news comes after details of the release were posted early to the Xbox store; not only that but Ubisoft also accidentally uploaded an unfinished version of the game to Ubisoft Plus. This version is not indicative of the final game," the company says.As for what the anniversary release will entail, Ubisoft says only that our commitment to delivering a game that meets the high expectations of our fans is unwavering" and we're dedicated to making it an experience that truly honors the legacy of the original." The now-deleted Xbox listing said that the... Continue reading...

New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien in 2022. | Photo by Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images We're reporting live from DealBook Summit 2023, where leaders in tech, media, and policy are sitting for interviews. Continue reading...

The Move makes a great indoor or outdoor speaker you can take all around the house. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge The sun may be setting on availability for the original Sonos Move portable smart speaker. The newer Move 2 is in the process of replacing it, but that means there are some good deals to be had on the first-gen model before its gone. Sonos is selling the Move for $299 ($100 off) in new condition, which matches its Black Friday / Cyber Monday low, and it's also offering a refurbished b-stock model for $239 ($160 off).It's hard to say how much longer these speakers from 2019 will still be available, as other retailers like Best Buy have cleared out remaining stock. But if you choose to go with Sonos' last-gen model you're still getting a formidable speaker that connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The 6.6-pound obelisk is a bit more fit for... Continue reading...

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge One of the more popular end-of-year items is Spotify Wrapped, where the music service puts together a roundup of everything you listened to that year in various statistical formats, wrapped up (well, that's what it's called, right?) in bright, fun graphics. You can see what music categories you followed, get a playlist of your top 100 songs, see where you stand compared to others, and find out what your listening personality is.It's easy to find Spotify Wrapped - and this year, you can do it using the mobile app or on the web.The simplest way is to just open your Spotify mobile app. If you don't immediately see a banner labeled your 2023 Wrapped," then just look at the top menu - if you scroll left, you should find a Wrapped button... Continue reading...

Image: Getty General Motors is dealing with a lot right now: a slowing EV business, delays in battery manufacturing, a safety crisis with its robotaxi unit, Cruise, and financial headwinds from the monthslong autoworker strike. On top of it all, its stock price is still struggling to get back to where it was this summer before the strike started.With all that in mind, GM CEO Mary Barra hopped on a call with investors early Wednesday to address these compounding challenges and assure them that they have a number of fixes in mind. Costs will be reined in, factories will be delayed, and stock buybacks will recirculate cash to shareholders. It's a crucial moment for GM, which is locked in a tight race with Ford, Tesla, and others to develop EVs and... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge DoorDash is partnering with Best Buy to offer customers on-demand delivery for tech products like headphones, game controllers, tablets, and more. Going live today, users can find Best Buy in the DoorDash marketplace, alongside other non-restaurant businesses like Lush, Victoria's Secret, and Party City.Best Buy, which already has a similar arrangement with Instacart, is the first national consumer electronics retailer" to join DoorDash, which is particularly notable after the delivery service's arrangement with Walmart ended last year.Although many holiday shoppers choose Amazon as their main destination, DoorDash could get products to your door in under an hour, on average" by picking up from any one of Best Buy's 900 stores in... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo by Bloomberg, Getty Images The long-delayed electric truck has finally arrived - sort of. Ten trucks are slated for delivery, but Tesla's problems extend far beyondthis first batch. Continue reading...

Image: Spotify This year's Spotify Wrapped roundup is live. As was the case with previous years, it features a bundle of shareable stats that break down the most-listened artists, songs, and podcasts for 574 million users. But there are also some surprises, too, including a new system that assigns you a city based on your listening habits.Although Spotify Wrapped largely features the same basic listening stats every year, it seems to always find fun new ways to serve them up. That element of fun is still missing from the competition like Apple Music Replay, which remains largely unchanged from last year, or YouTube Music's seasonal / annual Recap breakdowns. Image: Spotify Here are some of the characters you might get assigned... Continue reading...

Robert De Niro, appearing onstage at the 2023 Gotham Awards in New York. | Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute Robert De Niro slammed Apple and the Gotham Film & Media Institute this week after claiming his speech for the Gotham Awards had been censored - allegedly by an Apple employee just minutes before the show started, according to Variety's sources - to remove criticisms about Donald Trump and the entertainment industry.The actor appeared onstage at the ceremony on Monday night for the presentation of the Gotham Historical Icon and Creator Tribute to Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, a film distributed by Apple that focuses on a series of murders targeting the Osage people in Oklahoma during the 1920s after oil was discovered on tribal land.At first, De Niro said there was a mistake on the teleprompter, before realizing that... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google Drive users on iOS are getting a new scanning feature that lets them quickly photograph documents and add them to their libraries, the search giant has announced. The feature has been available for Android for over a decade, but until now iPhone and iPad users haven't had the same option. Google has also upgraded the scanner in Drive's Android app.iPhone users in the US will also benefit from a new title suggestion feature that attempts to auto-generate a document title based on text it recognizes in the scan. The feature previously came to the Android version of Drive earlier this year. Google also says it's improving document scanning on Android, adding similar features like the option to automatically capture documents when... Continue reading...

Photo by Mike Kemp / In Pictures via Getty Images Uber notched another win in its effort to win over the beleaguered taxi industry, announcing a plan to start listing London's famed black cabbies in its app.The service won't roll out until early 2024, but some London cabbies have already begun to sign up. Uber says all 15,000 of London's cab drivers will now have the opportunity" to sign up for Uber trip referrals. The company recently brokered deals with taxi fleet owners in New York City, Paris, Rome, and Los Angeles to list drivers in its app.Next to New York's yellow cabs, the black cabbies of London are arguably the most iconic taxis in the world. Not only is this a symbolic victory for Uber but also it could help build trust with taxi owners who may still be wary of Uber's... Continue reading...

It's a Macintosh! Only smaller! And made by Ayaneo! | Image: Ayaneo Ayaneo, which is mostly known for making handheld gaming consoles, just fully revealed the new Retro Mini PC AM01 after teasing it a few weeks ago. It says it plans to ship the AM01 before the end of the year - and I'd be lying if I said I'm not tempted to get one. The AM01 won't win any benchmarking contests, but it'll almost certainly be the best-looking computer you own.Let's just state the obvious here: Ayaneo says it's paying homage" to the Macintosh, which is a kind way of saying, We copied the thing pretty much exactly." This device is the spitting image of Apple's '80s-era computer, right down to the floppy drive and the rainbow sticker. (Ayaneo made the sticker a flag shape instead of an apple, though - there's paying homage... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon has shared some new AI-focused offerings at its annual AWS conference. Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge If you ever wanted to make your website sound a little more silly, now's your chance. Google Registry just released a new top-level domain that lets you slap a big ol' .meme at the end of your website.The new .meme domains are available to register right now as part of an early access period for an additional one-time fee." If you don't want to pay extra, you can wait until they become publicly available on December 5th at 4PM UTC (12PM ET) to pay just the base annual price.There are already a handful of sites that are embracing the .meme domain, some of which are dedicated to memes from the days of yore, including grumpycat.meme, nyancat.meme, and keyboardcat.meme. The meme tracker knowyour.meme even adopted the new domain. However,... Continue reading...

You can still buy a pack of four AirTags for $20 off. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge It's the most wonderful time of the year? Pfft, more like the most expensive. Gifts, travel, decorations, parties... these can all put a real dent in your wallet. That's why we're working hard to help you save in every way, from curating budget-friendly gift guides to offering deal-hunting tips. And now that Cyber Monday is done and dusted, we're rounding up the best deals you can still get for less than $100.There's still a range of discounted gadgets and goods to choose from, including fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge 6, AirTags, and Legos featuring Sega's iconic mascot. And there are also deals that'll help you save on other expenses, like streaming services, making it a good time to lock down those subscriptions before the... Continue reading...

Image: Warner Bros. Animation It turns out that Warner Bros. Discovery actually won't be pulling Looney Tunes from Max.On Monday, in a 4:02PM ET email with the subject line What's New on Max This December," Warner Bros. Discovery listed Looney Tunes and The Looney Tunes Show among the titles leaving Max on December 31st. Even though Looney Tunes is a signature Warner Bros. franchise, removing episodes of the cartoon wouldn't be unprecedented; Warner Bros. Discovery pulled seasons 16-31 of the show from HBO Max at the end of last year. The company also recently shelved the nearly finished Coyote vs. Acme film, though that movie is now reportedly being shopped around.But a few hours later, the company announced that Looney Tunes' inclusion on the list of Max... Continue reading...

Sizovs is also believed to be running (or at least influencing) the popular Coding Unicorn tech influencer across social media. | Image: The Verge Something seems to be amiss with the diverse speaker list of the Devternity and JDKon developer conferences. The women, some of whom allegedly work for the parent company of both conferences, Dev.events, do not appear to exist. Devternity founder Eduards Sizovs has come under fire for creating fake women guest speakers for the events - and possibly creating a popular tech influencer" that's amassed over 115,000 real-world followers on Instagram.As first noted by 404 Media, on November 24th, engineer Gergely Orosz claimed that several women listed to appear as Devternity speakers - including Coinbase staff engineer Anna Boyko and Coinbase software craftswoman" Natalie Stadler - didn't actually exist and were made up by the event... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple Music Replay has arrived. The year-end summary of your most-listened-to songs, artists, albums, and more is now available from Apple Music's webpage - just days before Spotify is expected to drop its Wrapped stats.While Apple launched Replay in 2019, it gave the feature a major update last year that makes it a lot more like Spotify Wrapped. But unlike Wrapped, which offers a set of super shareable charts, the stats presented in Apple Music Replay just aren't as attractive to post online, and they're not directly available within the Apple Music app. You can still get your 2023 Replay playlist in the Apple Music app, though. Image: Apple Like last year, Apple Music Replay will show a fun highlight reel of all... Continue reading...

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be in the past, but some sales are still hanging around (although maybe not for long). For more leftover deals we recommend across all categories, be sure to check out the rest of the Cyber Monday still available here.Every month or so, we like to ask our staff about their favorite stuff - whether it's pet toys, travel aids, kitchen gadgets, or straightforward tech. And the results are usually very different, very interesting, and a lot of fun.In celebration of the annual post-Thanksgiving sales, we looked through some of our recent favorites" articles and found deals on a lot of the tech, kitchen tools, travel aids, and pet toys we like. We thought we'd list a few in case you've read about them in... Continue reading...

Airplanes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, November 21st, 2023. | Image: Haiyun Jiang / Bloomberg via Getty Images American Airlines signed a deal to trap 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide underground. It's part of the airline's plans to limit the pollution causing climate change, and it marks the first major deal for the Bill Gates-backed startup Graphyte that's developing cutting-edge technology to tackle the problem.Similar startups are selling services to big brands that want to draw down some of the planet-heating emissions they release into the atmosphere. They're developing technology that filters CO2 out of the air or seawater - equipment that's so expensive that it hasn't been able to scale enough to make a meaningful dent in carbon emissions.It marks the first major deal for the Bill Gates-backed startup Graphyte that's developing... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be in the past, but some sales are still hanging around (although maybe not for long). For more leftover deals we recommend across all categories, be sure to check out the rest of the Cyber Monday still available here.If it feels like every streaming service received a price hike this year, it's probably because most of them have. Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Discovery Plus, and Disney Plus are just a few recent examples, though there are still ways to weather the price increases. Many Cyber Monday sales are still live, after all, offering an excellent way to save on your monthly streaming bill.In fact, some streaming services are offering deals that offset their recent price hikes - well, at least... Continue reading...

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge I am a devoted Apple Music user, and you will pry the service out of my cold, dead hands. Still, I've spent the past few Decembers incredibly jealous of the sea of Spotify rewinds that populated my friends' social media profiles.Sure, Apple has always had ways to see your most-played songs over given periods of time. But it hasn't had anything nearly as comprehensive or interesting as what Spotify puts out - at least, until this year.I wouldn't go so far as to say that Replay, Apple Music's answer to Spotify Wrapped, is quite the same as its time-honored competitor. Still, it shows you the basics - your top artists, your top songs, stuff like that.Here's how to get it up and running.How to look up your Apple Music ReplayYou can... Continue reading...

Photo illustration by Alex Parkin / The Verge The co-founder of website builder Wix is embracing generative AI, and he's not too worried that it might destroy the business models of the web. Continue reading...

Alex Parkin How do you bring back a vanishing coral reef? That's what conservationists are racing to do in the Florida Keys, where they're coming up with a whole new playbook for saving corals.Over the summer, they did what used to be the unthinkable: they took thousands of corals out of the sea to save them from a killer ocean heatwave. Hot tub-like temperatures might have wiped them out otherwise. Now, what's next?The Verge visited the evacuated corals where they found temporary refuge on land. We spent time at a gene bank, home to a new generation of baby corals that could one day repopulate Florida's reefs. And we learned how to map restoration efforts out in the open ocean.It's all part of a massive effort to safeguard a future for coral... Continue reading...

Google partnered with clean energy startup Fervo on a new geothermal project in Nevada that will send electricity to the grid that serves two of Google's data centers. | Image: Google A first-of-its-kind geothermal project is now up and running in Nevada, where it will help power Google's data centers with clean energy.Google is partnering with startup Fervo, which has developed new technology for harnessing geothermal power. Since they're using different tactics than traditional geothermal plants, it is a relatively small project with the capacity to generate 3.5 MW. For context, one megawatt is enough to meet the demand of roughly 750 homes. The project will feed electricity into the local grid that serves two of Google's data centers outside of Las Vegas and Reno.It's part of Google's plan to run on carbon pollution-free electricity around the clock by 2030. To reach that goal, it'll have to get more sources of... Continue reading...

(Left) Badring water leak sensor; (Right) the Parasoll door and window sensor pair. | Image: Ikea Ikea's push to democratize the smart home continues with the introduction of three new Zigbee sensors that won't break the bank. There's Parasoll, the door and window sensor; Vallhorn, the motion sensor; and Badring, the water leakage sensor. They'll all be priced less than $10 when they go on sale globally in the first half of next year.Parasoll is a typical window and door sensor that can be discretely mounted to trigger an automation when an open / close event is detected. It can also be paired directly with an Ikea light bulb right out of the box without needing to buy and configure an Ikea Home smart hub. It's priced at 9.99 in Europe, but exact US pricing is yet to be confirmed for it or any of Ikea's three new sensors. ... Continue reading...