The Verge

The desktop feature is finally coming to phones. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube is starting to test out its queueing system on iOS and Android. The feature has been available on the web for years now, and shows in the YouTube apps under certain circumstances — users who control their Chromecast with their phones might recognize it, as will those who use the YouTube Music apps — but now YouTube Premium users who opt-in to the test will be able to add videos to a stack that acts like an impermanent playlist.After you turn on the feature (which we’ll cover how to do in just a second), you’ll have access to a new “Play last in queue” button in the three vertical dot menu that appears on video thumbnails. Tapping it will add the video to the bottom of your queue — or will create a new queue if you’re currently... Continue reading…

Illustration: Andreion de Castro Earlier this year, I wrote about genre-fiction authors using AI in their novels. Most wrote for Amazon’s Kindle platform, where an extremely rapid pace of publishing, as fast as a book a month, is the norm. AI helped them write quickly, but it also raised complex aesthetic and ethical questions. Would the widespread use of AI warp fiction toward the most common conventions and tropes? What parts of the writing process can be automated before the writing no longer feels like their own? Should authors have to disclose their use of AI?With the debut of ChatGPT, many of the questions these writers were dealing with have become more urgent and mainstream. I checked back with one of the authors, Jennifer Lepp, who writes in the cozy... Continue reading…

It’s time to fight the power. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Every major phone manufacturer is guilty of a serious crime, and I won’t be quiet about it any longer: they stole the power button from us. Apple, Google, Samsung: guilty, guilty, guilty.Long-pressing the power button used to bring up an option to turn your phone off, but then these companies decided to get cute and make this a shortcut to summon their digital assistant. This is bad and wrong, and I’m politely demanding that these companies return what they took from us.Look, I get the logic. When phone screens got bigger, physical buttons like Apple’s home button were axed, and existing buttons had to pick up the slack. In the iPhone X, Apple re-homed the Siri function to the power button. Since then, turning your iPhone off has... Continue reading…

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge The torrent of former tweeters streaming toward alternative social networks seems to be ongoing, and the social network that is probably gaining the most attention is Mastodon. This open-source network of independent servers (called “instances”) had jumped to 2.5 million users between October and November — and is continuing its ascent.Admittedly, there has been a bit of confusion among the new members of the Masto-set as to how it resembles Twitter and how it differs. To go through all the various permutations of how to really use Mastodon to its full capabilities would take more than a single article, and as a matter of fact, there are a variety of resources available (a few of which I’ll list at the end of this article). So, since... Continue reading…

The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a heck of a lot in common with the XPS 13 — but its audience is very, very different. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge Gadgets, since time in memoriam, have worked a certain way.You, a company, release one. It’s good, but it’s not perfect. No gadget is perfect! So you do market research and focus groups. You figure out who’s buying. You figure out what they like and what they don’t like. You refine. You fix problems.The next year, you release a version of that device that is objectively, concretely better. This is the next-gen device, the Device 2.0. You call this device an “upgrade.” You tell your customers to recycle Device 1.0 and replace it with Device 2.0. Some of them do. “Should you upgrade?” the tech bloggers write, calculating the pros and cons of doing so.I know, I know, this is a vast oversimplification of how consumer tech actually... Continue reading…

A game-changing all-in-one power system for cabins and RVs that can be installed relatively quickly. Just add solar. Continue reading…

Google Calendar thinks you don’t have enough to do today. | Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Numerous users have reported experiencing an odd glitch in the Google Calendar mobile app over the past few days. The app appears to be creating random, nonexistent all-day events based on the content of users’ Gmail messages.As 9to5Google (who reported the news earlier today) notes, various sorts of emails including delivery notifications, purchase receipts, and newsletters appear to be showing up as all-day calendar events. Some Verge staffers who use the Google calendar app are experiencing this glitch. “It’s like finding landmines in my calendar,” one writer (whose calendar is screenshotted below) complained.Google has not yet responded to a request for comment. Make sure you’re not late for your Epic Games... Continue reading…

The option to upgrade to new Home architecture has been removed from iOS 16.2 | Image: Apple / The Verge Apple has removed the option to upgrade to the new HomeKit architecture on devices running iOS 16.2. The change follows multiple reports of issues and problems with the Home app after the upgrade was installed.Apple spokesperson Emily Ewing confirmed the change in a statement provided to The Verge:

A nice, peaceful fire. | Photo by Sebastian Gollnow / picture alliance via Getty Images People who make Yule Log videos — are you okay? I’m worried about you. The standard flame-filled videos of holiday cheer seem a lot darker lately, and while I would love to know why, I’m also just generally concerned for your mental well-being.My first sign that something was wrong was The Witcher: Fireplace on Netflix, which technically came out last year but is understandably getting re-promoted now. It’s got a nice-looking fire crackling away in the Great Hall at Kaer Morhen, but the lightly ominous music lurking in the background killed “the perfect backdrop for a cozy vibe” that Netflix promised.Then Yellowjackets got in the game on Wednesday with a Yule Log that kept the logs but seems to have missed the Yule. It’s just two... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The internet is, in many ways, built on fraudulent measurement. Measuring article and video views keep the wheels of online advertising spinning, while counting likes, faves, etc, constitute an insidious drip of “engagement” that has us all opening apps when we should know better. But some metrics are stupider than others, and Twitter’s new public view count for tweets is definitely one of them.Twitter has long counted views for tweets, but previously chose to keep this information tucked away inside its analytics menu: a data-heavy feature beloved only by social media managers and sadists (but I repeat myself). Knowing how many views a tweet got is useful information, sure, but only if you’re running a business or a brand. For the rest... Continue reading…

Jack Sweeney has created a new time-delayed version of the ElonJet tracker account after the original was banned for violating Twitter policy restrictions. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The college student who ran the now-banned @ElonJet Twitter account that used public information to track Elon Musk’s private jet has resumed his activities on Twitter under a new username. As noted by Insider, Jack Sweeney, 20, has created a new account called @ElonJetNextDay — which now tracks Musk’s private jet with a 24-hour delay to circumvent Twitter policy restrictions.Sweeney’s original ElonJet account was suspended from the platform last week following accusations from Musk that it violated Twitter rules by revealing his live location. Twitter updated its policy to forbid publishing a person’s real-time location on the same day it suspended ElonJet. Sweeney said in an interview with Insider that he will be “posting manually”... Continue reading…

The Verge As 2022 comes to a close, the art team at The Verge has looked back on the past year to highlight some of our most memorable and favorite art. Throughout the year, we created a diverse array of original art, including melting ice sculptures, interactive comics, a photo shoot featuring baked goods, art for special issues such as our Homeland series, and many striking images for our reviews. “How to replace the sky” comicIllustration by Matt HuynhThe Verge’s first interactive comic (of many more to come!) allows users to experience the comic cinematographically. “How to replace the sky” by Matt Huynh is a look at what art-making means in a world where our tools are always changing and, with them, our expectations and... Continue reading…

YouTube won the big bidding war for NFL Sunday Ticket yesterday, beating out Apple, Amazon, and ESPN with a deal worth a reported $2 billion a year. NFL fans will now be able to get the out-of-market games package as part of the YouTube TV bundle or on its own in the main YouTube app as part of the Primetime Channels feature.It’s a big win for YouTube and Google, which have been slowly but steadily taking over the TV streaming market. And it makes sense for the NFL, which got a deal that looks a lot like the cable and satellite deals it’s used to, dressed up in an app that actually works along with some fancy streaming tricks like live stats and the ability to say “creators” and “Gen Z” while gesturing at YouTube.I caught up with... Continue reading…

A potential peek into what Google’s cooking up. | Illustration: The Verge Google’s plans for its Pixel phone lineup from 2023 to 2025 have been leaked, if Android Authority is to be believed. On Thursday the outlet published a timeline full of information from a source it called “anonymous but trustworthy,” saying that it’s vetted the plans and warning that some outcomes were more likely than others.The whole thing is worth a read, but here are the top line items: Android Authority says that there’s talk within Google about moving the less expensive A-series phones to a once-every-two-years schedule, and there are plans to design a Pro Pixel for those who don’t want a massive 6.7-inch screen. The outlet is also repeating rumors that we can expect Google to finally reveal its $1,799 folding phone next spring,... Continue reading…

“No AI Art” images posted by artists started to dominate the trending section of ArtStation following the platform's refusal to ban AI-generated artwork. | Image: @joysilvart Art platform ArtStation is removing images protesting AI-generated art from its homepage, claiming that the content violates its Terms of Service. Members of the ArtStation community have been protesting after AI-generated art began appearing on the platform in early December. Protestors are concerned that AI-generated art is derivative of the labor of human artists and often uses their work without attribution or compensation.In a statement about the removals posted to Twitter, ArtStation said: “For site usability, we are moderating posts that violate our Terms of Service. We understand concerns about AI and its impact on the industry. We will share more about improvements to give users more control over what they see and how they use... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter has updated its list of features for Twitter Blue, saying subscribers paying for the $8-a-month service will now get “prioritized rankings in conversations” and the ability to upload videos up to 60 minutes in length.Twitter owner Elon Musk has long promised to make Twitter Blue users more visible on the site. In November he said subscribers would get “Priority in replies, mentions & search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam,” and earlier this month the company repeated this promise, saying Twitter Blue will offer ”priority ranking in search, mentions, and replies.”“This feature prioritizes your replies on Tweets that you interact with.”An update to the company’s Twitter Blue support page (spotted by TechCrunch; compare... Continue reading…

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan Federal Court after his arraignment and bail hearings on December 22, 2022 in New York City. | Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Now that Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is back in the US, he has been released from federal custody. The New York Times and CNBC report the co-founder of the failed and allegedly fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange FTX was released on $250 million bail, secured by his parent’s home, ahead of his trial on eight criminal charges he faces, in addition to civil suits filed by the SEC and CFTC.Prosecutors say billions in customer and investor funds are missing, accusing a small circle of insiders at FTX and Bankman-Fried’s crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research, of misusing the money for themselves from the very start of their operation. First page of Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million Appearance Bond, secured by his parent’s home in... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has filed its response to the lawsuit filed by the US Federal Trade Commission to block the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In the 37-page document, which you can read in full below, Microsoft argues its case for why its $68.7 billion acquisition should go through — it also defends its acquisition of Bethesda owner ZeniMax, while admitting that it’s planning to make three future titles from the company exclusive to Xbox and PC.Those games aren’t named, though Microsoft has basically announced that The Elder Scrolls VI will only be available on its platforms, and confirmed Starfield will be exclusive.Microsoft’s filing pushes back against the FTC’s concerns in general, and also addresses the regulator’s... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft We knew Microsoft would make Bethesda’s Starfield exclusive to Xbox and PC, and it sure looked like The Elder Scrolls VI would skip PlayStation and Nintendo, too. But now, Microsoft’s lawyers are revealing that they’ve got eyes on at least one more exclusive title — there are three future Xbox exclusives from Bethesda, they revealed today, in a response to the FTC’s lawsuit against the Activision Blizzard deal.“Xbox anticipates that three future titles — REDACTED — all of which are designed to be played primarily alone or in small groups — will be exclusive to Xbox and PCs,” reads a passage in Microsoft’s response.Here’s the surrounding context, so you can see for yourself: What might that third game be? Well, B... Continue reading…

Making it easier to quantify how much of a banger your tweet was. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter announced that view counts for tweets are now visible on iOS and Android and that they’ll be coming soon to the web (I’ve already started to see them there). The feature lets you see how many times someone has looked at your tweet, or anyone else’s, though there are a few exceptions that we’ll cover in just a moment.When you’re in the app, you now see view counters alongside the number of comments, retweets, and likes. According to a Twitter FAQ, not every tweet will have a visible view count. Community tweets, Twitter Circle tweets, and “older” tweets won’t have the data available.As for what counts as a view, it seems like basically any time your tweet shows up on someone’s screen (even if it's your own). Twitter says:

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge Are you annoyed by how quickly the macOS notification banners that appear in the upper-right corner of the screen disappear? Has it ever annoyed someone you know? Is that person so frustrated with macOS notifications and multitasking that they write an 826-word attack against the preferred platform of many of their Verge colleagues?Well, maybe I can help you make it a bit less annoying. All it takes is deciding which app notifications you’d like to keep on-screen, which you want to hide automatically, and which you’d prefer to only show up as a red badge on your dock.A note: for these directions, I used a Mac loaded with macOS Ventura. If you have macOS Monterey or older, your directions and screens may be slightly different.N... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Tesla’s Superchargers have been the most convenient charging network for owners of its electric cars, but this week, the automaker announced it will begin to better integrate other compatible fast charging networks as well.Non-Tesla fast charging stations that meet certain criteria over a 60-day period, like an excellent charge success rate, could be whitelisted as what the company calls a “Qualified Third-Party Charger.” Once designated by Tesla, the station would thereby be bestowed as such into Tesla’s built-in navigation system.

JSAUX’s Steam Deck transparent backplate. | Image: JSAUX JSAUX might sound like just another alphabet soup electronics brand, but it’s quickly developed a reputation as the foremost accessory vendor for the Steam Deck — and today, it’s announced what (I’m fairly sure!) is the very first transparent shell for the system.And you know how we love our transparent gadgets here at The Verge.The $30 JSAUX PC0106 Transparent Back Plate for Steam Deck isn’t a full shell, as it just covers (slash exposes) the rear half of the PC gaming portable. But that’s not all you get for your 30 bucks. It also comes with three sets of back buttons, at least one of which is taller than the originals for a longer throw. (It’s not clear whether they’ll help with the stiff press, but the image below gives me hope.)... Continue reading…

Image: Shutterstock Yesterday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA), which protects warehouse distribution workers from undisclosed or unlawful work speed quotas. In addition to protecting warehouse workers from unreasonably demanding work quotas, the law will require distribution centers to inform workers of their performance and rights in the workplace.While the law doesn’t target Amazon specifically, its authors say it was designed to address the management practices and quotas that the e-commerce giant places on its employees, which has often been criticized for the dehumanizing expectations placed on its warehouse workers.The WWPA follows a similar law that was passed in California last September (AB-701)... Continue reading…

Miguel Salazar clears sidewalks of Sherman St. in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday, December 22nd, 2022. | Photo by Hyoung Chang / The Denver Post Frigid temperatures are expected to sting two-thirds of the continental US this week as a powerful storm system races eastward. The timing couldn’t be worse, hitting right before the holidays, when many Americans are planning to travel. Those journeys — and even just being outside in some of the hardest-hit regions — may become treacherous as brutal cold blankets the country.“What better way to kick off the official start of astronomical winter than with numerous winter weather hazards impacting a majority of the Nation,” a National Weather Service (NWS) forecast said early Wednesday. This morning, the NWS updated its forecast to warn of “widespread disruptive and potentially crippling impacts across the central and eastern United... Continue reading…

Himesh Patel in Yesterday | Image: Tribeca Film Festival A trailer for Danny Boyle’s film Yesterday might count as false advertising for including a character — played by Ana de Armas — who was cut from the film. As reported by Variety yesterday, a California court is allowing parts of a lawsuit against Universal City Studios to proceed over Universal’s objections. The ruling finds trailers are commercial speech advertising the content of a film and not, as Universal argued, artistic expression that receives full First Amendment protections.Ana de Armas was originally part of a love triangle in Yesterday, a romantic comedy about a man who wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed, then shoots to superstardom by appropriating their songs. According to CinemaBlend, she was cut because... Continue reading…

Topher Grace and Laura Prepon in That ‘90s Show. | Image: Netflix When Netflix first unveiled its sequel to That ‘70s Show, the focus was primarily on the new cast of kids hanging out in Red and Kitty’s basement. But in the first full trailer for That ‘90s Show, we also get a glimpse at some key returning faces: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, and Wilmer Valderrama, who will all be reprising their roles in guest appearances.The new show is set in 1995 and follows Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), Eric and Donna’s kid, as she spends a summer with her grandparents and meets a new crew of friends along the way. Naturally, Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) is excited to have the house full of kids again, while Red (Kurtwood Smith) is less than enthused. Just as important, there appears to be an... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The “pick me! pick me!” bidding war for NFL Sunday Ticket has finally come to an end, and YouTube won big. The company announced a “multi-year” deal that will see it carry Sunday Ticket both standalone (as a YouTube Primetime Channel) and through YouTube TV. It’s a massive score for YouTube, which successfully fended off Big Tech rivals like Apple to land the deal, and a pivotal moment as live sports continue their transition away from traditional cable — DirecTV is the soon-to-be-former Sunday Ticket rights holder — in favor of major streaming platforms.In one fell swoop, Google has solidified YouTube as a vital destination for NFL fans. And it has resoundingly committed to a long-term future for YouTube TV, which has over 5 million... Continue reading…

Kratos and Atreus in God of War Ragnarök | Image: Sony A spoiler-filled look at the ending of one of the year’s biggest games. Continue reading…

You can gift the fitness enthusiast in your life a Peloton subscription even if they don’t own a Peloton. | Image: Peloton Waited until the very last minute to start your holiday shopping? Hey, we get it. Life gets busy sometimes, and judging by how long lines at stores tend to be on Christmas Eve, you’ve got company. If you don’t want to waste precious time in one of those lines, there are thankfully a bunch of digital gifts you can purchase instead. To make your life easier, we’ve rounded up a bunch of options across categories ranging from travel and health to film so you can quickly find the perfect gift without leaving the comfort and warmth of your home.Best last-minute digital giftsFor TV and movie buffs

NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will be watching their games in a new place. | Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images YouTube will be the new home of NFL Sunday Ticket, Google and the NFL announced, ending the months-long question of where the major broadcasting package would end up. NFL Sunday Ticket has been available in the US exclusively via DirecTV since 1994, but the satellite provider won’t have it starting with the 2023 NFL season.Now, it will be available either as an add-on for YouTube TV subscribers or à la carte via YouTube Primetime Channels, which launched last month to “bring shows and movies from more than 30 services directly into the YouTube interface.”No one has confirmed how much it will cost for viewers, but the Sunday Ticket package for this season costs $293.94 to purchase from DirecTV or nearly $400 if purchasing the Max... Continue reading…