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X replaces its revenue-sharing program with ‘Original Content Rewards’

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X wants to make money on previously used handles. | Image: The Verge X is ending its controversial revenue-sharing program for content creators, which has seen numerous revisions under Elon Musk's reign. In its place, it's launching a new Original Content Rewards program on September 8th. To be eligible, creators must have at least 500 verified followers and at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in the last 90 days, among other requirements. Creators will then earn revenue based on "qualified impressions" on "original content."Qualified impressions are unique impressions from Premium subscribers "on the Home Timeline feed, where at least 50% of the post is visible." What qualifies a … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/NUEd6WM

The gaming site sponsored by Walmart lays off its editorial staff

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Restart , a games media website launched in late 2024 that was sponsored by Walmart, has laid off its "entire editorial team," according to a Friday post from Brandy Berthelson, the site's former editor-in-chief. Other staffers have also posted about being laid off. Restart is operated by Moonrock, a content marketing agency, though its editorial mission page says it's "powered" by Walmart. That page outlines how Walmart is (or was) involved: When we mention a game, we'll provide purchase links that will take you to Walmart using a partner tracking code. This link provides us with 0% of the sale if you decide to buy the product, but it doe … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/FO6Tcg5

Fenix Flexin isn’t even denying using AI to make ‘Rubberz’ anymore

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That cover art is almost certainly AI too. | Image: Fenix Flexin It took long enough , but now LA rapper Fenix Flexin appears to have admitted using AI for the 80s synth pop-themed song "Rubberz." His comments follow the producer Medasin's videos claiming that an AI tool called Treblo (formerly Sonauto) was used to make the song, and the company releasing an AI detector that identifies it as Treblo AI-created . In a reply to a comment pointing out that Tyga admitted to relying on AI for his own controversial '80s-influenced album $tarface , on one of his Instagram posts , Fenix said: never said I didn't use AI , i said it had nun to do w recording process . I didn't even know what da app was till we mixed … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/6nytaXv

OpenAI puts the brakes on a new model because it’s supposedly too powerful

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OpenAI says it is pausing "internal activities" around an in-development AI model, Astra, because it doesn't yet meet new security standards the company is putting in place. The announcement follows its recent disclosure that OpenAI models accidentally hacked Hugging Face . Anthropic and Meta have also since admitted that they had AI models that went rogue and breached other organizations. Recent internal evaluations of an OpenAI model called Astra indicate that it offers "significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity," according to the company . "These results, in addition to expert assessments, have led us to conclude last n … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/p0Lbm3K

The AirPods Pro are $60 off, their best price since late June

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AirPods Pro 3 | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Best Buy kicked off a sale on Apple products with discounts on its latest smartwatches to phones . Another deal that caught our eye is on the latest AirPods Pro, Apple’s flagship wireless earbuds, which are down to $189.99 ($60 off), with retailers like Amazon and Walmart matching the price. That’s their lowest price since Prime Day in late June, and just $20 shy of their all-time low. AirPods Pro 3 The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that improves their fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, and fairly accurate heart rate sensors. Read our review . Where to Buy: $249 $189.99 at Amazon $249 $189.99 at Walmart $249 $189.99 at Best Buy The AirPods Pro are our favorite wireless earbuds to recommend for iPhone owners because they offer better sound quality than Apple’s entry-level AirPods. Our A/V reviewer John Higgins uses them more often than other pairs because...

The Zelda movie’s Ganondorf casting hints at more movies

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Deadline reported Thursday that the upcoming The Legend of Zelda movie will feature Australian actor Uli Latukefu as the villain Ganondorf, and the publication notes that "We hear Latukefu inked a multi-picture deal." Nintendo or Sony haven't formally confirmed that there's more than one movie in the works, though it's been rumored that Nintendo and Sony might be planning a trilogy . Still, it's not exactly unexpected that more Zelda movies might be on the way, especially given the huge success of the recent Super Mario films at the box office. Nintendo initially announced the live-action Zelda movie, which it's making with Sony Pictures En … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/UcpkPZx

Nintendo beats earnings thanks to US tariff refunds it won’t share with gamers

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Nintendo has smashed its first-quarter earnings estimates for the fiscal year, bolstered by strong games sales and US tariff refunds, though its customers likely won't receive anything from the latter. In its latest financial results, Nintendo reports that operating profits soared to 142.5 billion yen (about $902 million) between April 1st and June 30th, compared to 56.9 billion yen (about $360 million) for the same quarter last year - an increase of 150.5 percent. This spike is partially attributed to a boom in game sales, with Switch 2 software sales increasing by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year, and software for the original Sw … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/5WEdkGt