The Verge

You can now buy the Pixel 4A from Google for just $9 per month over 24 months as part of the new Google Fi phone subscription program. That monthly cost means you’d pay just just $216 for the phone, a substantial savings over its $349 upfront price. After you’ve made all 24 payments, you own the phone.You can also elect to add in a $6 per month device protection plan, meaning your monthly subscription cost is $15. That protection plan covers up to two incidents of accidental damage and one loss or theft claim in a year. (Loss and theft replacement isn’t available to New York state residents, however.) At $15 per month over 24 months, you’d pay $360 for the Pixel 4A over the course of the subscription, which is only $11 more than the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge You know what you did. Or do you? Until recently, TikTok wouldn’t necessarily explain why it removed one of your videos from the platform. You’d simply be told that it violated the company’s “community guidelines” somehow.But today, TikTok is announcing that it will give you at least a vague idea of why your video is gone, by naming the specific policy it fell afoul of. That’s pretty similar to how other companies do it. Image: TikTok Here’s what TikTok’s new content violation notifications look like. The only real change is the name of the specific policy. As before, you’ll be able to submit an appeal. Maybe you’ll have some idea what you’re appealing now. TikTok says it’s been experimenting with these... Continue reading…

The Moog Claravox Centennial theremin | Image: Moog The sounds of the theremin, once the instrument of the future, have now been tingling our spines for 100 years. In commemoration, Moog is introducing its new limited-edition Claravox Centennial, named for theremin virtuosa Clara Rockmore.Moog says the Claravox offers “the highest quality control and sound available in a theremin.” With two modes, Traditional and Modern, it enables thereminists to switch between heterodyne analog and digital oscillators. It has the same wave-shaping circuit as Moog’s Etherwave Pro theremin, and DIN MIDI, USB, and CV inputs and outputs for connection to DAWs and use as a controller. It’s also lovely just to look at, with a walnut cabinet, brass antennas, and plenty of knobs to fiddle with.Electronic... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Quibi will shut down for good “on or around December 1st,” according to a new blog posted on the company’s support site. The announcement comes one day after company executives declared Quibi was shutting down for good.It’s unclear where Quibi’s content will be available after the app shuts down. The company does recommend, however, following the Quibi hashtag on Twitter for any news about its library catalog. Earlier today, co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg told CNBC the company is currently trying to find buyers for its shows. It’s unclear how many of those shows Quibi owns the rights to, or for how long, but Katzenberg said he believes there are interested parties.Quibi’s executives are currently in the process of trying to wind down... Continue reading…

Photo by Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. The drug, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Gilead, is the first approved COVID-19 treatment in the United States.Remdesivir, now marketed under the brand name Veklury, was authorized for emergency use by the FDA in May. That emergency authorization indicated that the FDA thought the benefits of using the drug outweighed the risks, even though there was no clear evidence showing that it helped patients with COVID-19 at the time.“The FDA is committed to expediting the development and availability of COVID-19 treatments during this unprecedented public health emergency,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement.The drug... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Just last month, a stunning report showed how Amazon fulfillment centers across the country saw rising injury rates between 2016 and 2019, sourced from internal company data. And now, proposed legislation in Washington state would mean Amazon could pay a higher workers’ compensation premium than other warehouse-owning companies next year.To make this happen, the state wants to put warehouses that function like Amazon’s into a separate risk classification. While the proposed classification for “fulfillment centers” doesn’t say the word Amazon anywhere, how they are defined seems to fit the description of the company:

Minecraft players have been able to play without a Microsoft account for the past six years that the company has owned the game, but that will change in 2021, the official Minecraft blog announced yesterday. Players who own the original version of the game and do not switch to a Microsoft account will be unable to play.The game has existed in two separately developed versions since its 2011 launch on consoles. Previously, the original Minecraft: Java Edition used Mojang accounts, while Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, the name for the console and Windows store version of the game, used Microsoft accounts. After this change, the accounts will be the same, but there’s still no crossplay: you still won’t be able to play with friends using the... Continue reading…

Image: fuboTV If you never used Sony’s now-shuttered PlayStation Vue internet TV service, you’re probably unaware of one of its best features: multiview. PS Vue allowed you to watch multiple channels on-screen at once, which is something most of the bigger TV apps — Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu, etc. — don’t currently offer. But now, FuboTV is putting a bigger focus on multiview. You could already stream two channels simultaneously with the FuboTV app on Apple TV, and starting today, that’s expanding to four.FuboTV says the feature is particularly popular with sports fans since it lets them keep an eye on multiple games at the same time. But you can use it with other networks as well. Want to stress yourself out with election coverage in all four... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Uber drivers in California are suing the ride-sharing company, claiming the “constant barrage” of messages in its app violates workers’ rights. The group of drivers is seeking up to $260 million in penalties, saying in a press release that Uber is “illegally exploiting its economic power over its California-based drivers by pressuring them to support the Yes on 22 campaign.”The drivers say they have been getting messages reading “Prop 22 is progress,” and receiving in-app warnings about what would happen if Prop 22 were to fail. They have to click “OK” before they can move forward in the app. “Almost every time we log on, we are fed more one-sided information to pressure us into supporting Prop 22,” Ben Valdez, a driver for Uber and one... Continue reading…

Image: Jackbox Games Jackbox Party Pack 7 is the latest installment from Jackbox Games, and if you are looking to pick up the most recent compilation of virtual party games, Fanatical is offering Verge readers 20 percent off the Steam version, bringing the price down to $24. This is the lowest price the game has seen since its release last week. Verge readers can get this exclusive deal by adding the game to your cart and putting in offer code VERGE20 at checkout.Jackbox Party Pack 7 includes five games: Quiplash 3, The Devils and the Details, Champ’d Up, Talking Points, and Blather ‘Round. As with the previous installments, you do not need a specific video game controller to play these games; just grab your smartphone, tablet, or computer.I preordered... Continue reading…

Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images Between August 23rd and 24th, Ian Linkletter, a learning technology specialist at the University of British Columbia (UBC), made a series of tweets criticizing a software that his school uses. The software was called Proctorio, an online test-proctoring tool that monitors students for suspicious behavior while they take virtual exams. The tweets contained links to unlisted YouTube videos describing various aspects of the program, taken from Proctorio’s help website for instructors.“This video from Proctorio’s YouTube channel shows how the Abnormal Eye Movement function works,” he tweeted at 8:44PM PT on the 24th. “This is the one that will show you, beyond a doubt, the emotional harm you are doing to students by using this technology.”... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Quibi co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg admitted he was wrong for comments he made in May blaming the entirely of the company’s failing on the coronavirus pandemic. He’s ready to accept the blame for Quibi’s collapse.“It [wasn’t] fair,” Katzenberg told CNBC earlier today. That chat with CNBC was the first interview he and CEO Meg Whitman did after announcing Quibi was shutting down. “It was a bit of a quippy answer — a flippant answer — at the time. But other companies have faced the challenges of COVID and have managed to find a path. I think Meg and I believe in owning our miss. Simply to blame it on COVID is not fair, and not something either of us want to do.”Both Katzenberg and Whitman clearly wanted to get one point across in that... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge This week, Tesla began pushing its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) update to a select group of customers, and the first reactions are now beginning to roll in. The software, which enables drivers to use many of Autopilot’s advanced driver-assist features on local, non-highway streets, is still in beta. As such, it requires constant monitoring while in operation. Or as Tesla warns in its introductory language, “it may do the wrong thing at the worse time.”Frankly, this looks terrifying — not because it seems erratic or malfunctioning, but because of the way it will inevitably be misused.Early reactions to the software update range from “that was a little scary” to full-throated enthusiasm for CEO Elon Musk’s willingness to let his customers... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple is expanding its new “Express” retail format to more locations, according to Reuters. The Express stores have a wall of plexiglass-protected sales counters and some shelves with accessories right at the front of the store. The new format should allow customers to pick up orders (such as the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, which launch tomorrow) while respecting COVID-19 safety guidelines.There are about 20 Express stores in the US and Europe right now, and Apple is planning to have 50 across both countries by the end of October, Apple senior vice president of retail and people Deirdre O’Brien said to Reuters. You can see a list of which stores have Express storefronts in this list complied by 9to5Mac.Apple temporarily closed all of its... Continue reading…

Photo by Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images A security researcher claims he hacked President Donald Trump’s Twitter account earlier this month, guessing that his password was “maga2020!” and possibly posting a tweet where Trump appeared to take a satirical article seriously. Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant and magazine Vrij Nederland reported the news earlier today, citing screenshots and interviews with the researcher, Victor Gevers.But when reached for comment, both Twitter and the White House vigorously denied the claim.“We’ve seen no evidence to corroborate this claim, including from the article published in the Netherlands today,” a Twitter spokesperson told The Verge. “We proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile,... Continue reading…

Image: Sony If you are planning to use your PlayStation 5 for more than just gaming — whether that’s to stream movies and TV shows on Netflix or play music on Spotify — you’ll be happy to know that Sony’s next-gen console will support some of the more popular entertainment apps at launch.Sony confirmed in a blog post on Thursday that several popular streaming apps, including Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube would be available when the PS5 launches on November 12th.Notably absent from the list is HBO Max, which is currently in contract disputes with Amazon and Roku over the inclusion of the new streaming app on their platforms, and pay-TV options like Sling. (Sony shut down its own... Continue reading…

Image: Halide Halide has launched a new version of its popular iPhone camera app, now dubbed Halide Mark II, and it comes with a lot of new features. Those include a redesign, upgraded RAW processing, and a new pricing model.Halide says Mark II features a “bottom-up redesign” with the goal of staying out of your way. All of the photo controls should now be within your thumb’s reach, no matter what model of iPhone you’re using the app with. There’s a new typeface, and even the preview of the last shot you took that sits in the bottom-left corner of your screen matches the curvature of your iPhone’s screen. It’s all meant to feel familiar to people who use Apple’s default camera every day — but as always, Halide packs in a ton of advanced photography... Continue reading…

Photo: Michele Doying / The Verge Facebook’s long-awaited oversight board announced Thursday it is now accepting cases. The board, first announced by the social media behemoth in 2018, is meant to serve as an independent check on Facebook’s moderation decisions.The board is composed of independent members from around the world, who will make final and binding decisions on what content Facebook and Instagram should allow or remove based on respect for freedom of expression and human rights. “Our focus has been on building an institution that is not just about reacting to a single movement or chasing a specific news cycle, but about protecting human rights and free expression over the long term,” administrative director Thomas Hughes said in a Thursday call with... Continue reading…

Niko Tavernise/NETFLIX © 2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 really shouldn’t be so fun to watch. The film, which premiered on Netflix last weekend, tells the story of a historic miscarriage of justice. In 1968, during that year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, eight men were charged with inciting a riot when their protest against the Vietnam War led to a confrontation with police in front of the Conrad Hilton hotel. Aaron Sorkin’s film follows Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale, as they mount their defense against a biased court.It feels timely, too, given this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and their ongoing fallout — protesters are again being charged after demanding... Continue reading…

Unlike the G5 15, Dell’s G5 15 SE (pictured) comes in a different color and is powered by AMD for both the GPU and CPU. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge Dell is discounting a well-equipped version of its G5 15 gaming laptop. Normally, this particular model costs $1,640, but right now, you can get it for $1,200. This specific model’s configurations include a six-core Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, a 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q graphics chip.At this price, it’s a good deal for a gaming laptop that’s equipped to handle ray-tracing effects in games like Control or CD Projekt Red’s upcoming (and highly anticipated) title Cyberpunk 2077. Otherwise, it should be able to run most games at smooth frame rates and take advantage of its fast-refreshing display.We had a chance to check out the G5 15 SE, which my... Continue reading…

Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images On Thursday, October 22nd, at 9PM ET, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will face off for the final debate of the 2020 presidential campaign. The debate will be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.Following Trump’s COVID-19 infection, the debate will be marked by a number of public health precautions. It will be held in person, but the candidates will be socially distanced and will not shake hands. The number of guests will be limited, and all guests will be required to wear masks.The second debate was originally scheduled to take place on October 15th but was reorganized after Trump’s illness and ultimately canceled after he declined to participate in a virtual event. As a result, tonight’s... Continue reading…

A “vote” mural by graffiti artist Slick. | Photo: 100 Thieves. 100 Thieves is following in the footsteps of the NBA and turning its home base into a voting center. The gaming and lifestyle company announced today that the 100 Thieves Cash App Compound — a 15,000-square-foot building that officially opened earlier this year — will serve as an official LA County Voting Center, which will be open for early voters from October 30th to November 2nd, as well as on Election Day on November 3rd.The company also partnered with graffiti artist Slick to create a temporary mural on the building; right now, it says “vote,” but it will be changed to say “we voted” on November 2nd. The voting process will also follow standard safety guidelines, as voters will have to wear face coverings and gloves while... Continue reading…

‘It’s harder to make PC games’ Continue reading…

It’s been over a decade since work began on a movie based on Naughty Dog’s popular Uncharted games. In that time, the film has cycled through seven directors, five release dates, and a series of scripts and actors. But a new picture from star Tom Holland — who’ll be playing a younger version of series hero Nathan Drake — in full costume as the character gives the best evidence yet that the film is actually happening this time.The shot is admittedly not much to go by — just a still of Holland in Drake’s cargo pants / henley combo and matching pistol holsters. But looking closely reveals the ring, which, in the game’s canon, belongs to Nathan’s maybe-ancestor Sir Francis Drake.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Quibi, the shortform video streaming service designed for people to enjoy on their phones, has shuttered after less than a year of existence.Led by veteran Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP CEO Meg Whitman, the streaming service was designed to be a revolutionary way to watch videos on the go, with shows and films specifically formatted to work in both landscape and portrait modes. With nearly $2 billion raised before Quibi even launched in April and a long line of Hollywood talent on board to provide movies and shows, Katzenberg and Whitman felt pretty good about their prospects — even if analysts and media critics questioned the duo’s strategy.Then the United States joined the rest of the world in shutting down d... Continue reading…

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is launching in the US for the first time ever. The tactical roleplaying game, originally released in 1990, will be available on the Nintendo Switch for $5.99 on December 4th.As the first game in the Fire Emblem series, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light stars Marth, a character best known Stateside for his appearance in Super Smash Bros. The Switch edition of the game will include fast-forward, rewind, and save state features. A remake of the game, called Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, was previously released for Nintendo DS.It’s important to note that the release is for a limited time only, until the franchise’s 30th anniversary on March 31st, 2021. Shadow Dragon and the Blade of... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge House Judiciary Committee Republicans and committee member Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) are spreading a misleading claim about a new Twitter feature that asks users to read articles before retweeting them. Earlier this year, Twitter started testing a prompt to discourage knee-jerk retweets. It appears on links across the entire service, but Republican lawmakers have cited individual warnings on right-leaning articles as the latest of many censorship accusations.Twitter announced last month that it would roll out the feature across its mobile apps, describing it as a way to “help promote informed discussion.” When you hit the retweet button on a link you haven’t visited, Twitter adds a label above the confirmation menu, warning that... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Live shopping is already huge in China, and now tech giants want to make it big in the US Continue reading…

Amsterdam Club | Photo: Lynk & Co Don’t call it a showroom Continue reading…

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images The Senate Judiciary Committee approved subpoenas on Thursday to force Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify before the body regarding complaints of anti-conservative bias on their platforms.Last week, the New York Post published a report alleging that Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son, introduced his father to an executive at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. For months, President Trump’s reelection campaign has targeted Biden’s alleged connections to Ukraine as the foundation of political attacks. Reporters disputed the Post’s allegations, and Facebook and Twitter moved to reduce the article’s reach.Facebook signaled that the article was subject to third-party fact-checking, and Twitter banned linking to... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge If you were tossing around picking up Apple’s new iPad Air, which my colleague Dieter Bohn says is the best tablet for most people despite costing $600, it won’t actually cost you $600 to buy one at Walmart and Amazon. Right now, you can pick up a 64GB base model in green for $560. This is a relatively small discount, all said, but any deal on the as-of-yet unreleased iPad Air that features USB-C charging, a brand-new design, and powerful internal specs is a good one in my book.Best Buy is continuing its deal event on Amazon products that rival Prime Day 2020 prices. All of these we wrote about yesterday are still happening, but below, we’ll list a few different options. Continue reading…

Microsoft is bringing Xbox touch controls to 10 games on its xCloud game streaming service today. xCloud launched last month with just Minecraft Dungeons supporting these new touch controls, but the list now includes big names like Streets of Rage 4, Dead Cells, and Killer Instinct. These touch controls will allow players to play games without an Xbox One controller.“Touch controls have been one of the top-requested features for cloud gaming,” explains Catherine Gluckstein, Microsoft’s head of Project xCloud. “For each title that uses Xbox touch controls we’ve worked to create an experience designed specifically for that game on mobile devices.” Microsoft has been working with game designers and players to mimic the controls you’d... Continue reading…

Twitter is adding features to encourage early voting | Twitter Starting today, US Twitter users will get prompts in their home timelines to encourage them to vote early, as the November 3rd presidential election approaches.The updates will include push alerts directing to on-Twitter public service announcements, prompts to vote early and find early voting options from nonpartisan voting advocacy group BallotReady, and interactive features, including an animated “like” button” and custom emoji for the hashtags #VoteEarly, #IVoted, #IVotedEarly, and #YoVoté.“As voters face unprecedented challenges when casting their ballot in the upcoming 2020 US elections, Twitter is doing what we can to ensure that people have access to the reliable information they need in order to exercise their right to vote,”... Continue reading…

Image: Huawei Huawei has announced the Mate 40 Pro and Pro Plus, its latest flagship devices following the P40 series from earlier this year. The phones mark the debut of Huawei’s new flagship 5nm Kirin 9000 chipset and include curved 6.76-inch 90Hz OLED displays and 50W wireless charging. Alongside them, Huawei has also announced the step-down Mate 40.Although Huawei’s phones have been difficult to use outside of China because of the lack of Google’s apps and services, its recent flagships like the P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus have continued to offer excellent camera performance. On paper, the Mate 40 Pro series looks to continue the trend.The Mate 40 Pro Plus has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 20-megapixel ultrawide, an 8-megapixel periscope camera... Continue reading…

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge HBO Max, the new premium streaming channel from AT&T’s Warner Media, said in its earnings report on Thursday that 8.6 million customers have activated their subscriptions to the service in the third quarter, bringing the total number of HBO and HBO Max subscribers in the US to 38 million — ahead of the company’s target of 37 million for the end of 2020 — and 57 million globally.AT&T counts “activations” as well as subscribers, as many customers who already pay for HBO have access to HBO Max as part of their package, but haven’t yet activated that subscription and started watching. According to the earnings report, 28.7 million customers were eligible to get HBO Max at the end of the third quarter, but activations of HBO Max to date... Continue reading…

A wireless headset for Xbox and PC with more class than most Continue reading…

Amazon’s latest Echo brings room tuning and impressive sound quality to the $100 price point Continue reading…

Language learning app Duolingo is debuting what it says is the world’s first bilingual true crime podcast designed for people learning Spanish. El Gran Robo Argentino (The Great Argentine Heist) tells the story of the 2006 robbery of a Banco Rio bank in Buenos Aires, where five men stole a fortune worth $20 million.It’s quite the riveting drama; without giving too much away, the robbers became folk heroes in Argentina, and the heist was the subject of a movie — El Robo del Siglo— in Argentina earlier this year. For more, read Josh Dean’s great retelling of the tale in GQ (but obviously, spoiler alerts).The Duolingo podcast will be a serialized season of the Duolingo Spanish Podcast, which is geared toward Spanish learners and has 39... Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge A new feature being internally tested at Google could remove the need to say “Hey Google” before voicing commands to Nest Hub smart displays, Android Central reports. Instead, the feature codenamed “Blue Steel” could allow the device to simply sense your presence, and proactively listen for commands without first needing to hear the wake word.The functionality has been shown off in a video posted to YouTube by Jan Boromeusz, who Android Central notes previously leaked features like the Nest Hub’s new dark mode prior to its official announcement. In the video, Boromeusz can be seen asking for a variety of information, all without once uttering the words “Hey Google.” His Nest Hub Max smart display is reportedly running leaked internal... Continue reading…

An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California on May 12, 2020. | Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Microsoft announced a new effort today to reduce pollution coming from some of its employees’ flights. It plans to buy credits for sustainable aviation fuel to cover travel on the commercial flight routes most frequented by its employees during business trips.It will buy the credits from Dutch company SkyNRG, which will then supply cleaner-burning fuel to Alaska Airlines. The less-polluting flights will be operated by Alaska Airlines for travel between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (near Microsoft’s corporate headquarters) and San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles international airports.The fuel could emit 80 percent fewer CO2 emissionsThe fuel that SkyNRG provides would be made in the US with used cooking oil or other... Continue reading…

The service can be accessed from the Taycan’s infotainment system. | Image: Porsche Porsche’s all-electric Taycan is the first car to get full Apple Podcasts integration, allowing owners to natively access Apple’s library of 1.5 million shows see its podcast charts, the company has announced. The car’s infotainment system is also getting support for Apple Music’s lyrics feature, which will be displayed on the passenger-side display. The features are available in new Taycan cars now, and will roll out to existing cars in January, the company says.Apple Podcasts has previously been available to stream to the Taycan’s infotainment system via Apple CarPlay, but the native app means you don’t have to connect your phone to start listening. It also means the app can stream over the vehicle’s built-in data connection (you get... Continue reading…

I’m not going to pretend it makes obvious sense, but famed former Apple designer Jony Ive and his firm LoveFrom will soon be working for Airbnb. Yes, the company that primarily makes it easy for you to rent someone else’s home needs design help, and they’re going to the man best known for turning consumer tech on its head — as well as the occasional all-diamond diamond ring, a Christmas tree that is actually just a tree, and a magazine cover with no content.So if you’ve been been put off renting one of Airbnb’s recently introduced, exorbitantly priced Luxe accommodations because they have too many furnishings, perhaps this is just the ticket? Dude loves minimalism.A “multi-year relationship”Airbnb is calling the deal a “special... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge National security officials announced Wednesday that Iran and Russia obtained voter registration information that could support efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. The officials also confirmed that Iran sent threatening emails designed to intimidate voters.“Iran and Russia have taken specific actions to influence public opinion relating to our election. Some voter registration information has been obtained by Iran and separately by Russia,” Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said in a press conference Wednesday evening. “This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to convey misinformation.”“Do not allow these efforts to have their intended effect”Voter registration information is often publicly... Continue reading…

NASA shared astonishing images of its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft touching an asteroid yesterday, revealing how the vehicle stirred up rocks and debris on the object’s surface when it made contact. The goal of the tap was to collect a sample of material from the asteroid, but the engineers behind the spacecraft say they won’t for sure if they collected anything until this weekend, when they spin the vehicle and measure how much material is inside.“the sampling event went really well, as good as we could have imagined.”However, the OSIRIS-REx team feels confident that they got something. “Bottom line is from analysis of the images that we’ve gotten down so far, is that the sampling event went really well, as good as we could have imagined it... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook Dating, the social network’s competitor to Tinder and other dating apps, launches today in Europe after a long delay from its planned Valentine’s Day debut.The dating service offers the same features in Europe as it does in the US, using the existing profile you’ve created on Facebook to find potential matches. Facebook tailors these matches with your preferences, Facebook activity, and, if you opt in, groups and events.Facebook originally planned to launch its dating service in Europe back in FebruaryWhile the service still only appears as a tab in Facebook’s mobile app, it’s deeply integrated with the rest of the social giant’s products. Your profile can pull stories and photos from Instagram, you can initiate Messenger... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Tesla sent out the first “Full Self-Driving” beta software update to a select group of customers this week, CEO Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday. On an earnings call Wednesday, Musk said more Tesla owners would get the update as the weeks progress, with the goal of a “wide release” by the end of the year.Only those customers in Tesla’s Early Access Program will receive the software update, that will enable drivers to access Autopilot’s partially automated driver assist system on city streets. The early access program is used as a testing platform to help iron out software bugs.

Photo by Michael Kovac / Getty Images The Verge used to have a fine tradition of cataloging all of the times when Eric Schmidt stuck his foot in his mouth, and today’s feels like a worthy addition: the former Google CEO and executive chairman has decided that social networks are “amplifiers for idiots.”The fuller quote, according to Bloomberg: “The context of social networks serving as amplifiers for idiots and crazy people is not what we intended.”Without knowing who “we” refers to, you might think he’s talking about how the entire tech industry has failed to keep sites like Facebook and Twitter from creating echo chambers and polarizing politics around the world (though some argue we can’t blame social networks alone).He’s certainly a member of the tech elite, one who... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Artists on Twitter have a request: stop quote-tweeting their work.It’s all the more pressing now that Twitter has, temporarily at least, changed its retweet system to encourage users to quote tweets and add their own words on top, rather than simply boost someone else’s message. Artists say quote tweets take attention away from their profiles, making it harder for them to be discovered, while someone else gets the glory.“When you’re quote tweeting an artist, it’s almost like saying ‘I feel like what I have to say about this piece is more important than the actual piece,’” RadiantG, an artist, journalist, and indie game developer, told The Verge.Twitter made the change yesterday as part of an effort to “encourage more thoughtful... Continue reading…

Just when we thought the drama surrounding Zack Snyder’s Justice League couldn’t get any weirder, it seems Jared Leto’s.... controversial take on the Joker will be appearing in the director’s cut of the 2017 superhero team-up when it hits HBO Max next year.Leto, who infamously played the role of the Batman villain in 2016’s Suicide Squad, is reportedly joining the ongoing reshoots for the new Justice League cut, according to The Hollywood Reporter.It’s not entirely clear what role Leto’s Joker will play in the re-edited film. Despite the controversy over Leto’s edgy interpretation of the villain, the character has only had a minor role (at best) in the live-action DC films. Leto himself has only appeared in a few scenes in Suicide... Continue reading…

Foxconn’s “Fab”in Wisconsin. A state report says it no signs that it manufactures LCDs, or ever will | Photo by Curtis Waltz A state report on Foxconn’s Wisconsin factory depicts a project gone far off course. The report, issued this month by Wisconsin’s Division of Executive Budget and Finance and obtained through a records request, confirms that the company has not built the enormous Gen 10.5 LCD factory specified in its contract. It also says that the building the company claims is a smaller Gen 6 LCD factory shows no signs of manufacturing LCDs in the foreseeable future and “may be better suited for demonstration purposes.”The report notes that Foxconn received a permit to use its so-called “Fab” for storage, which The Verge first reported this week. Furthermore, according to an industry expert consulted by the state, Foxconn has not ordered the equipment... Continue reading…