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Reddit knows that it has valuable data from actual people — it’s already reached deals with big AI companies like OpenAI and Google to share its data with them. But Reddit is also investing in improving its own search capabilities, and in its latest note to investors , CEO Steve Huffman says that the company is “concentrating our resources on the areas that will drive results for our most pressing needs,” including “making Reddit a go-to search engine.” Huffman says that “every week, hundreds of millions of people come to Reddit looking for advice, and we’re turning more of that intent into active users of Reddit’s native search.” Reddit’s core search has more than 70 million weekly active unique users — Reddit overall averages 416.4 million weekly active unique users — and Reddit Answers, the platform’s AI search tool that it launched in December , has 6 million weekly users, up from 1 million weekly users in the first quarter of this year. To continue to build out search, Reddit...

We knew DJI had a hard time importing its drones into the United States to the point that many shelves have gone bare , but it’s not just drones anymore. Today marks the first time it’s formally skipping the US with a non-drone product, its 8K Osmo 360 camera — and it’s not clear if it will ever officially stock it here, DJI confirms to The Verge . But the Osmo 360 does have a page on DJI’s US website for the item — and like the Mavic 4 Pro , which similarly skipped the US, two camera retailers are offering the Osmo 360 anyhow. B&H and Adorama are already taking pre-orders for both the $549.99 Osmo 360 and its $699.99 “Adventure Combo,” as well as an exhaustive range of accessories: DJI Osmo 360 ( Adorama , B&H ) DJI Osmo 360 Adventure Combo ( Adorama , B&H ) Invisible Selfie Stick ( Adorama , B&H ) 1M Carbon Fiber Invisible Selfie Stick ( Adorama , B&H ) 2.5M Carbon Fiber Selfie Stick ( Adorama , B&H ) Selfie Stick Tripod ( Adorama , B&H ) Q...

With the Switch 2, Nintendo seems to be closing the release date gap with some of its third-party games. It's a problem that plagued previous Nintendo consoles, which often received games years after other platforms, if at all. While today's Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase may have lacked the splash of anticipated third-party games like Hades 2 or FromSoftware's The Duskbloods , what was on display offered some interesting insight. Showcases like this one offer Nintendo's second- and third-party development and publishing partners the chance to show off what they've got on the way. In the original Switch days, multiplatform games like Con … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/fzdgFqT

Following an appeals court victory on Thursday , Epic CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted that “the Epic Games Store for Android will be coming to the Google Play Store.” This is despite Google’s plan to appeal the Ninth Circuit panel’s decision, which declined to overturn a 2023 jury verdict that Google’s app store and payment system had become illegal monopolies. There’s no detail yet on timing, but it would make accessing Fortnite and other Epic-distributed games much simpler on Android devices, without relying on sideloading or making deals with phone manufacturers to preload the store. On iPhone and iPad, the mobile version of the Epic Games Store is still only available in the European Union, but Android users could sideload it from the web since the apps launched last fall . Epic may not be the only company to put a rival app store inside of Google’s Play Store in the near future. The Ninth Circuit appears to have lifted a stay on the entire permanent injunction that Epic won against...

Dropbox is discontinuing its password manager . The tool, Dropbox Passwords, will be discontinued on October 28th, and the company is recommending that you transfer your passwords to another app like 1Password ahead of that date. The company will shut down Dropbox Passwords in phases. Starting August 28th, Dropbox Passwords will be view-only from both the mobile app and the browser extension, meaning you can’t add new information. At that time, Dropbox will also be deactivating autofill functionality. On September 11th, the mobile app will “stop working.” On October 28th, Dropbox Passwords will be fully shut down, meaning you can’t add or access information and everything that you had stored will be “permanently and securely deleted from our servers.” Dropbox says it’s discontinuing Dropbox Passwords “as part of our efforts to focus on enhancing other features in our core product.” Dropbox launched Dropbox Passwords in 2020 after acquiring the password manager Valt in 2019. from...

Roblox and Fortnite are two of the biggest games around, and a huge part of why is because they aren't just one game: instead, they're vast platforms where you can party up with your friends, dress up in ridiculous digital outfits, and quickly jump from one experience to another. Back in the day, Fortnite copied PUBG by making a battle royale, and now, PUBG is mimicking Fortnite by trying to become more of a platform than a game. As part of a roadmap released earlier this year , PUBG developer Krafton said that it would let players create their own modes as part of an alpha, and it revealed more details about the alpha this month . This week, … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/RhgWi85

OpenAI is adding a new study mode for ChatGPT that “helps you work through problems step by step instead of just getting an answer,” according to an OpenAI blog post . It will be available today for ChatGPT Free, Plus, Pro, and Team users and for ChatGPT Edu users “in the next few weeks.” When you ask a question with study mode turned on, ChatGPT can give you interactive prompts that combine “Socratic questioning, hints, and self-reflection prompts” to help you learn about your question. OpenAI also says that study mode responses will be organized “into easy-to-follow sections that highlight the key connections between topics” and that lessons will be tailored to users based on “questions that assess skill level and memory from previous chats.” Study mode can give quizzes, too. As ChatGPT becomes a go-to tool for students, we’re committed to ensuring it fosters deeper understanding and learning. Introducing study mode in ChatGPT — a learning experience that helps you work throu...

The pro-style controller can elevate your gaming experience with several customization features. If you spend a lot of time gaming on the PlayStation 5, you may want a controller that can offer more customization than the standard DualSense. The pro-style DualSense Edge is worth considering, especially now since it’s currently down to $170 ($29.99 off) on the PlayStation website with the code EVO2025 through August 4th. The same code can be used on a variety of PS5 accessories, including the Pulse Elite wireless headphones . Sony DualSense Edge Sony’s pro-style controller, the DualSense Edge, might suffer from shorter battery life than the standard DualSense model, but it features great software integration with the PlayStation 5 and plenty of customizable components. Where to Buy: $199.99 $170 at PlayStation (with code EVO2025) While the DualSense Edge looks and feels similar to the DualSense controller, it offers a number of notable upgrades. For starters, its deep s...

Two of the biggest digital games stores have stopped selling thousands of titles following pressure from a coalition of anti-porn advocates and the world's biggest payment processing companies. It's happened before, will likely happen again, and is suppressing art, free expression, and marginalized creators. Last week, the indie gaming storefront itch.io sent out a sudden notice to the creators that use the site to sell their games, books, art, and other media; it had "deindexed" all content with the NSFW (not safe for work) tag, meaning works with that tag would no longer turn up in itch.io searches, effectively making it impossible to dis … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/5IWa37N

Another user has reported their Pixel 6A catching fire — but this time, it appears to have occurred after applying Google’s recent battery performance update that was intended to prevent overheating issues, as spotted by Android Authority . In a post on Reddit , a Pixel 6A user says they awoke to a “horrible smell and a loud noise,” which is when they discovered their device on fire while charging atop the nightstand next to them. The Redditor says the device was plugged into a 45W charger for the Steam Deck when it caught fire, melting the phone’s screen and case. “The phone was sitting less than 40 cms away from my head on my nightstand,” u/footymanageraddict says in the post. “Sheets caught on fire. My ac (a floor unit) had damages on its surface from the fire. My throat hurt the whole day from the fumes i inhaled.” Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. After several reports of Pixel 6A fires emerged earlier this year, Google released a mandatory software...

An app designed to help women spot the "red flags" of men they date has incidentally put its users at risk. 404 Media reported that Tea was hacked by 4chan users last week, resulting in the selfies and driver's licenses of its mostly women users being posted to 4chan. An independent researcher for 404 Media has since discovered that messages between users discussing infidelity, abortion, and personal phone numbers are also vulnerable to hackers. Tea was founded by software developer Sean Cook, who said he was inspired to create an anonymous whisper network after witnessing his own mother's "terrifying" dating experiences with men. It was al … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/1AwyZOh

Tractive is offering Whistle users a free replacement pet tracker. | Image: Tractive Tractive , an Austrian company that makes smart location and activity trackers for dogs and cats, is expanding its presence in the US by acquiring a competitor, Whistle , from Mars Petcare. As a result of the acquisition, the Whistle platform is being shut down and its pet tracking devices will stop working on August 31st, 2025. Existing Whistle customers can get a free Tractive tracker as a replacement, while remaining subscriptions “will transfer to your new Tractive device,” according to the Tractive website . The free replacement devices will only be available until September 30th, 2025 and will require Whistle users to register on Tractive’s platform through its website , select a new Tractive subscription, and provide the serial number of their current Whistle tracker. Tractive is also honoring remaining Whistle plans but will be adding the remaining time to new Tractive subscriptions. Ac...

Microsoft will let Gamescom attendees play a demo of the long-awaited  Hollow Knight: Silksong  on the new  ROG Xbox Ally handhelds . It’s part of more than 20 titles that will be available at the Xbox booth at Gamescom, including a new theater experience to demonstrate The Outer Worlds 2 . Silksong will be available to play on the new Xbox Ally devices at Gamescom, just months after Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed in June that Silksong will be available “at launch and in Game Pass” when Asus’ new handhelds launch later this year. Gamescom attendees will also get to try out Microsoft’s new Xbox and Windows UI , as well as play Roblox, Sea of Thieves, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 on the new Xbox Ally handhelds. Grounded 2 will also be at Gamescom, as well as the first public hands-on of Ninja Gaiden 4 . We’ve been waiting three years to get a Silksong release date, after Microsoft originally said in 2022 that the sequel to the indie side-scrolling action pl...

On July 18th, a federal judge in Texas scheduled what will likely be the final hearing in the case of United States v. The Boeing Company. After five years of litigation, the end result can only be described as a victory for Boeing - and a permanent setback for those who hoped that the company would be held accountable for a decade of safety violations. Last year, Boeing's prospects looked far bleaker. In 2021, the Department of Justice charged the company with conspiracy to defraud the government about the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) software on the 737 MAX, which has been linked to the deaths of 346 people in t … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/3MbgPFt

You can point your phone camera at Sam to pass age checks. Enforcement of the UK's new online safety rules started on Friday , forcing a variety of platforms to roll out mandatory age verification tools for Brits. We already know that the age-gating checks are easy to bypass with a VPN , but what we didn't know is that the face scanning tools used by platforms like Reddit and Discord can also be easily bypassed with Death Stranding 's photo mode. Dany Sterkhov alerted the world to the Death Stranding bypass on Friday morning, and gamers have been using the photo mode and Sam Bridges to trick face scanning tools into accepting them as an adult all weekend. All you have to do is point your phone at your … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/iqfkhyV

The Fujifilm X-E5 has a familiar but gorgeous new look. The X-E5 is Fujifilm's tiny powerhouse . It's part of a line of cameras that has often been described as similar to the X100, except with an interchangeable lens. But the X-E line has evolved this year and is taking on a new shape. It used to be seen as a budget option, but at $1,699 , that can no longer be said. Despite the fact that I've used almost every Fuji out there, this was my first time playing around with any of the X-E line of cameras. The X-E5 is a gorgeous, petite, and classy-looking camera with sharp lines throughout the body, and with buttons and an occasional concave edge for some extra flair and a distinctive look. It is ever … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/jLwXu7m

Back-to-school season is closer than you might realize, especially for college students, many of whom are set to return to campus in a matter of a few short weeks. And while school can be a challenging time on many fronts, regardless of the grade, there are tools that can help you better prepare for life both inside and outside the classroom. With that in mind, we've compiled a selection of dorm-friendly recs from the larger Verge staff, as well as a few essentials suitable for high school and beyond. Apple's AirPods 4 and Roku's latest smart TV , for instance, are two entry-level upgrades designed to help students make the most of their dow … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/daNL2Ql

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, how is summer more than a month over already, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I'm pondering the leaked Pixel 10 lineup , marveling at BYD's leaping Yangwang U9 supercar , reading about why everyone's reading Reddit , already looking forward to Ted Lasso 's fourth season , rewatching MKBHD's videos about the Escobar folding phone , melting with joy at the new Pokémon Concierge season 2 trailer , dreaming of buying the Lego Game Boy but not actually doing so because my to … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/ChgtpYJ

In March, charging giant Anker announced it would spin out its 3D printer business into an "independent sub-brand," stating that the new EufyMake would "continue to provide comprehensive customer service and support" for its original 3D printers the AnkerMake M5 and M5C. Now, the 3D printing community is wondering whether that was all a euphemism for exiting the 3D printer business. eufyMake is no longer selling any 3D printers and has stopped selling some of the parts it would need to provide anything close to "comprehensive support." Anker confirms to The Verge that it has stopped selling the M5 and M5C 3D printers indefinitely. Spokes … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/0sz9Qdv

New iPhones for the AI era. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The wait is over — kind of. Apple’s iPhone 16 series is now widely available, including the kinda affordable 16E, and its much-hyped Apple Intelligence has arrived courtesy of iOS 18.1. But if you’re expecting a new kind of iPhone experience, well, I have some bad news for you. The  AI features introduced in iOS 18.1 and more recent updates ,  including the writing tools and ChatGPT integration, are standard fare at this point. And although Siri has a new coat of paint, it’s basically the same old Siri. Apple has promised much more, but the Apple Intelligence rollout is going to be a slow burn that lasts well into the fall. This is all to say that if you don’t have any complaints about how your current phone is working, you definitely shouldn’t rush out and get a new one just for Apple Intelligence. That’s actually the gist of our phone buying philosophy: hang on to the one you’ve got. If you’re not the ty...

After delivering a rambling celebration of tariffs and a routine about women's sports, President Donald Trump entertained a crowd, which was there to hear about his new AI Action Plan , with one his favorite topics: "wokeness." Trump complained that AI companies under former President Joe Biden "had to hire all woke people," adding that it is "so uncool to be woke." And AI models themselves had been "infused with partisan bias," he said, including the hated specter of "critical race theory." Fortunately for the audience, Trump had a solution: he signed an executive order titled " Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government ," directing governm … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/mrwSQ2g

Tesla released its second quarter financial earnings today, offering the latest evidence of the damage Elon Musk’s political activities have done to his flagship company. Tesla said it earned $1.17 billion in net income on $22.5 billion in revenue. That’s above Wall Street expectations of $22.3 billion but represents a 12 percent decrease year over year compared to $25.5 billion in revenue in Q2 2024. The company’s profits also slid dramatically, logging a 16 percent decrease in net income for the second quarter year over year. And Tesla’s automotive revenue — the money it earns from car sales — slid 16.6 percent year over year, from $19.9 billion in Q2 2024 to $16.6 billion in this most recent quarter. The sale of $439 million in regulatory credits once again buoyed Tesla’s finances — though those are expected to dry up soon after congressional Republicans approved President Donald Trump’s plan to zero out fines for automakers who exceed fuel-efficiency targets. The company’s ...

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and President Donald Trump during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on July 15. | Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images At an AI and fossil fuel lovefest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week, President Donald Trump - flanked by cabinet members and executives from major tech and energy giants like Google and ExxonMobil - said that "the most important man of the day" was Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin. "He's gonna get you a permit for the largest electric producing plant in the world in about a week, would you say?" Trump said to chuckles in the audience. Later that week, the Trump administration exempted coal-fired power plants, facilities that make chemicals for semiconductor manufacturing, and certain other industrial sites from Biden-era a … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/0YAOa8o

For the last few years, subscription gaming services like Apple Arcade and Netflix have offered mobile game developers something of a haven for high-quality, premium mobile games: a type of game that had become vanishingly rare following the rise of the microtransaction-stuffed free-to-play model. But as these services' once enviable lineup of indie games dwindles, that haven appears to be shrinking. In 2021, Netflix announced a new gaming initiative , offering users a chance to play games through the streaming service's mobile app. Apple launched a similar program with Apple Arcade just two years before that. Both services offered an intere … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/rLT0ciU

Earlier this year, GoPro introduced a refreshed version of its Max 360-degree action camera , and right now that camera is down to an all-time low of $249.99 ($120 off) at Amazon , Best Buy , and GoPro . The newest version comes with a long-lasting Enduro battery and an upgraded mounting system, making it compatible with all standard tripod mounts. Your purchase also includes two protective lens caps, a mounting buckle, and a microfiber bag to easily transport everything. GoPro Max (2025) Where to Buy: $369.99 $249.99 at Amazon $369.99 $249.99 at Best Buy $369.99 $249.99 at GoPro The original GoPro Max was released all the way back in 2019, so a refreshed version has been a long time coming. Its 5.6K spherical camera makes capturing 360-degree video incredibly easy — just press record, and the camera handles the rest. You don’t need to worry about framing your subject or missing the moment. While spherical videos look particularly immersive during action sports, it also ...

One of the giant screens at the diner. Tesla’s long-in-the-works 1950s-inspired diner and drive-in Supercharger station in Los Angeles is expected to officially open today – and the company may build more of them down the line. The Tesla Diner lets people grab comfort food like burgers and fries (served in boxes shaped like Cybertrucks ) and milkshakes while charging their vehicles. The Diner has giant screens so people can watch things like movie clips while charging their cars, though watching from the screens in your Tesla is apparently an option, too . One of Tesla’s Optimus robots was even spotted serving popcorn at a recent soft launch event. Basically, it feels like one giant ad for everything Tesla, and this could be just the first of many. If the diner “turns out well,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the company will establish more of them in major cities and “at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.” The company’s brand has taken a huge hit as of late due to Mus...

Ask anyone who's familiar with EV startups what Faraday Future is, and words like vaporware or severely delayed might come to mind. That's because, in the brand's 11-year existence, it has seemingly overpromised and under-delivered on nearly everything it has ever announced. As reported by Autoweek , it has sold less than 20 of its luxury FF 91 full-size EVs since it debuted two years ago - mostly to investors and celebrity influencers. Last week, Faraday revealed its latest model, the FX Super One, a fresh attempt at finally moving units in the US. FX, short for Faraday X, is a sub-brand by the Chinese automaker aimed at slotting in at a … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/biUoH89

Google’s Pixel 10 launch event is just under a month away, but the company is already revealing the official design of the base phone. You can currently see a video of the phone on Google’s website (and below). It looks just like the official renders that leaked earlier today , which showed that the phone will have a third back camera (which is rumored to be a telephoto sensor). That third camera appears to be the biggest change – otherwise, the Pixel 10 strongly resembles the Pixel 9. Google’s video shows the phone in a gray-ish blue color that I personally think looks quite nice. While Google didn’t share anything else beyond this brief look at how the phone looks, we won’t have to wait too much longer to learn more about it, as the Pixel 10 launch event is scheduled for August 20th .  This isn’t the first time Google has spoiled the design of its new phones ahead of its own reveal. Almost exactly a year ago, the company revealed the look of the Pixel 9 Pro before sharing...

Ever since Windows 11 first debuted in October 2021, there have been complaints about its performance on certain types of hardware. Whether it was gaming on new hybrid performance CPUs showing no improvement on Windows 11, or claims that Windows 11 simply feels lethargic compared to Windows 10, Microsoft has tried to fix the problems with updates to the OS. Now, it wants direct feedback about “any slow or sluggish performance” in Windows 11. A new test build of Windows 11 debuted on Friday with a method to automatically collect performance logs submitted to Microsoft. “Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster,” says Microsoft . This new logging system is part of Microsoft’s “commitment to improving Windows performance,” and will likely mean we see even more improvements to the performance and reliabili...

Meta is planning to drop its native WhatsApp Windows app in favor of a web wrapper version instead, just months after introducing a native iPad app . The latest beta version of WhatsApp on Windows includes the major changes, with Meta noting it has “updated how WhatsApp beta looks and works.” Behind the scenes it’s a big change to WhatsApp on Windows, moving it from a native Windows and WinUI app to the WhatsApp web version simply wrapped in a web view. That means not only does the app look different, but the way notifications work has changed and the settings UI is far more basic. The beta app also includes WhatsApp Channels and “more functionality” for Status and Communities features. Meta is using Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology in the latest WhatsApp beta, allowing it to easily package up its web version of WhatsApp into a desktop app. Windows Latest points out that this makes it easier for Meta to maintain a single code base, instead of having to also maintain a native W...

The UK government is reportedly set to back down from its battle with Apple to obtain back door access to secure user data protected by the company’s iCloud encryption. Victory hasn’t come through the courts, or government figures changing their minds on privacy matters, but thanks to ongoing pressure from the US during the two countries’ trade talks. Multiple unnamed UK officials told the Financial Times that the UK government is working on a way out. “The Home Office is basically going to have to back down,” one said, adding that vice-president JD Vance was especially opposed to the UK’s demand, which may violate the Cloud Act treaty between the two countries. “It’s a big red line in the US — they don’t want us messing with their tech companies.” Another official echoed that, explaining that the UK wants to avoid pushing too hard for “anything that looks to the US vice-president like a free-speech issue.” A third official said the UK had “its back against the wall,” and wants a ...