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Showing posts from November, 2024

Elon Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit transition in a new filing

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Illustration: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Image: Getty Images In a new motion filed late Friday in his lawsuit against OpenAI, Elon Musk’s attorneys have asked for a preliminary injunction to stop OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit enterprise, reports TechCrunch . They also asked the judge to forbid the company from continuing alleged practices that they say violate US antitrust laws. Musk’s lawyers claim that because of CEO Sam Altman’s alleged self-dealing, OpenAI “will likely lack sufficient funds to pay damages” if Musk wins the suit. The motion follows reports of OpenAI’s intent to become a for-profit business and that it recently began early talks with regulators to move its structural change forward. As for antitrust claims, the lawyers say OpenAI and Microsoft “told investors not to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/owPcl1f

This high-powered portable power bank is down to just $74 right now

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This beefy battery from Anker, which can keep all your gadgets charged while traveling, is on sale for its lowest price to date. | Image: Anker As a power-hungry tech journalist, I’m constantly on the lookout for good bargains on portable power to keep my devices charged while I’m traveling for work. So, I snapped up Anker’s 24,000mAh 737 Power Bank when I saw it on sale at Amazon for $73.99 — which is more than 50 percent off the original retail price. It’s also available directly from Anker for the same Black Friday low when you use promo code WS24SJHXE0JN at checkout. I’ve been looking for a good power bank that could simultaneously charge my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and headphones while on the go, and I’ve had my eye on the Anker 737 for a while. Its whopping 24,000 mAh battery means I can ditch my other less powerful power banks and seriously streamline my go-bag (although at... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/8FmGtVs

Fortnite’s latest concert turned pop stars into kaiju

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Image: Epic Games Fortnite ’s most recent virtual concert was supersized in multiple ways. Unlike previous events, which focused on specific artists like Ariana Grande or Metallica , this one featured a cast of four different artists: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and the late Juice WRLD. And it turned each one of the large lineup into a kaiju-sized performer, while also integrating deep cuts of Fortnite lore and providing a tease of what’s next for the game. Things started out at Snoop Dogg’s compound, which has been at the center of the battle royale map since the beginning of November. From there, a gigantic version of the rapper performed, before whisking players away into space for another song. In fact, the event constantly moved around: up next was... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/HWYCVq8

The best Black Friday deals you may want to get before Trump’s tariffs

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images There’s no telling exactly what the new year and new administration in the US will bring. But there are likely big changes afoot in the world of tech , especially if President-elect Donald Trump enacts all the tariffs he threatened on the campaign trail. We don’t have a crystal ball that tells us exactly what may get pricier or by how much, but there are several categories of big-ticket products that are at serious risk of being priced out of reach for many folks. Trump said on Monday that he’d put “an additional 10 percent tariff above any additional tariffs” on all products coming in from China, after campaigning on the pledge to implement 60 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. A lot of tech products are imported from China, including... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/e2AzksW

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review: fake shifting, real fun

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Image: Hyundai Even die-hard car enthusiasts have to smile at what Hyundai’s N Performance Division has done with the Ioniq 5. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Nb1XkuU

The best Black Friday gaming deals you can shop right now

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Image: Tom Warren / The Verge Black Friday is brimming with great deals on new games, including older titles you can purchase for pennies on the dollar and recent hits that might be hard to justify at full price. You can usually find great deals on gaming accessories, too, from controllers and headsets to expanded storage for consoles like the Xbox Series X / S. We’ve combed through all of the Black Friday gaming deals to bring together the best of the bunch in one convenient spot . Tons of games are discounted right now, as we’re seeing the lowest prices to date on recent hits like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . You can also find discounts on lesser-known gems like Metaphor: ReFantazio , which is on sale for $49.99 in one of its first major sales. H... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/B6Tbgrm

The best Black Friday smartwatch and fitness tracker deals

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The Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale for Black Friday, too. | photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The holiday shopping season is here — which means it’s a great time to snag deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in particular, are excellent opportunities if you or a loved one have health or fitness-related goals for the year ahead. That said, it can get a little daunting sifting through the dozens of models out there. Not to worry — we’ve rounded up the best deals for smartwatches and fitness trackers out there. The best Black Friday smartwatch and fitness tracker deals The 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 is $70 off at Amazon , Walmart , and Best Buy for $329. The larger 46mm model is also $51 off at $359 at Amazon , Walmart , and Best Buy . The 42mm LTE Apple Watch Series 10 is 14 percent off at... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/LPzk0yR

The best Black Friday deals we’ve found (so far)

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Image: Elen Winata for The Verge From OLED TVs and iPads to streaming services and games, here’s the very best of what Black Friday has to offer. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/W7wKPAb

The Verge’s guide to Black Friday 2024

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge These days, Black Friday isn’t so much a single-day shopping holiday as it is an ever-expanding, monthslong event that often begins as early as October. The 24-hour deal blitz that once was the focus of newspaper headlines and mobs outside of stores is no more, which makes knowing when and where you should be spending your cash all the more confusing. Luckily, we’re here to help. We’ve been poring through scores of presale spreadsheets and thousands upon thousands of deals to separate the real discounts from the unexciting, made-up bargains every retailer seems to hawk around the holidays. We’ll have tips on how to find the best deals and when to shop , and we’ll continue to flag the most compelling sales in the run-up to Black Friday... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/fBPuI30

The 12 best TV deals you can grab ahead of Black Friday

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4K TVs like the Sony A95L don’t come cheap, but they’re a bit easier to acquire right now. | Image: Sony Black Friday wouldn’t be Black Friday without a deluge of TV deals. And while we wouldn’t exactly recommend the second-rate models lining the Sunday circulars, there are plenty of TVs already on offer for Black Friday that deliver a satisfying viewing experience and solid feature set — whether you plan on gaming, watching sports, or catching up on the latest TV shows and movies. Several of the best OLED models are currently sitting at or near all-time low prices right now, including the excellent LG C4 and Sony A95L QD-OLED , the latter of which a panel of judges (including our own Nilay Patel) voted as the veritable “ King of TV .” Below, we’re also highlighting briefcase TVs , solid midrange picks under $1,000 like the 65-inch TCL QM85... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/zWyoRAU

Belkin recalls its BoostCharge Pro power bank due to fire risk

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Belkin is recalling its BoostCharge Pro due to a manufacturing defect that can cause overheating and the risk of fire. | Image: Belkin Belkin is recalling all of its BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K and asking owners to stop using them immediately. The company says a manufacturing defect can cause the charger’s “lithium cell component to overheat” in some circumstances, potentially causing a risk of fire. The recalled charger can be identified by looking for its model number, BPD005, printed in white text on the back of the charger, behind its Apple Watch charging pad. There have been no injuries reported as a result of the issue, but Belkin says that consumers should immediately stop using the charger, disconnect it from power sources and other devices, and place the BoostCharge Pro in a “safe, dry location away from anything... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/zZd928M

xAI could soon have its own app

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The Verge Elon Musk’s xAI could soon make its next move to compete with OpenAI: launching a standalone app for its Grok chatbot. Musk created xAI as an alternative to OpenAI, the company he helped found but later distanced himself from over ideological differences. Now, The Wall Street Journal reports , xAI is planning to launch an app as soon as December that could go head-to-head with OpenAI’s ChatGPT as it races to scale up. Currently, users can access Grok through X, but only if they subscribe to the service. Citing unnamed sources, the Journal reports that xAI is also behind customer support features for Starlink, part of Musk’s other company, SpaceX. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. OpenAI’s ChatGPT,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/PXvDn8x

Bang & Olufsen’s new $499 earbuds have better ANC and replaceable batteries

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The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven wireless earbuds will be available in natural aluminum and copper tone colorways. | Image: Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen announced its new Beoplay Eleven wireless earbuds today, carrying forward a stem design similar to Apple’s AirPods that the company first introduced with its Beoplay EX . The Beoplay Eleven will be Bang & Olufsen’s first wireless earbuds with replaceable batteries, making them compliant with EU sustainability regulations coming into effect in 2027, as Engadget points out . They still maintain an IP57 dust and water rating, meaning the buds can survive submerging up to one meter. But unlike Fairphone’s Fairbuds that have a user-replaceable battery, Bang & Olufsen says the Beoplay Eleven’s design “allows for battery replacement by service,” which means you might have to send them in for battery repairs instead of doing it... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3T2ofFe

GM has a deal to bring a new Cadillac F1 team to the grid

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GM design rendering of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team concept. | Image: GM General Motors has a deal to join Formula 1 under the Cadillac brand and participate in the FIA Formula One World Championship for the 2026 season, the automaker announced on Monday. Formula 1 says it has accepted in principle and will move GM and Cadillac's application forward to become the 11th team on the grid — making it the first new team to join since 2016. Formula 1 says it’s been in talks with GM and its partners at motorsport company TWG Global about “the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision” the organization made in January. The announcement mentions that GM will come on as an engine supplier later, and while The Race reports it will join initially as a Ferrari customer, that has not been... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/LPzwt16

UN climate negotiations were a major bummer

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Activists protest against fossil fuels and for climate finance on day 11 at the UNFCCC COP29 climate conference on November 22nd, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.  | Photo by Sean Gallup / Getty Images Maybe it was the host of the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan this month calling oil and gas a “gift of God .” Or the US, the world’s biggest oil and gas producer, reelecting a president who says “ we don’t have a global warming problem ” just before the conference. Then again, the biggest outcome — or disappointment, depending on how you look at it — was an incremental increase in the amount of climate aid wealthier nations committed to less affluent countries dealing with the consequences of other people’s pollution. “We have seen the very worst of political opportunism” Any way you look at it, the summit (called the Conference of the Parties, or COP) that fizzed out over the weekend was exasperating, particularly for delegates from parts... Continue reading… from The Verge - ...

Dr Disrespect veers right into Rumble

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Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images Rumble , the video streaming platform that’s become the home for right-wing personalities like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Tim Pool as well as full-throated racists like Nick Fuentes , has a new member joining its ranks: Dr Disrespect. The streamer announced the news via social media and Rumble confirmed it in a press release , stating that the streamer will provide a mix of free and paid content for the platform as well as “acting as an advisor and helping to build the Rumble Gaming community.” The move to Rumble is the latest development in the Dr Disrespect streaming saga that began four years ago. In 2020, Dr Disrespect, whose real name is Herschel “Guy” Beahm, was banned from Twitch with little explanation mere months after... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/wTb3WHj

Corning offers Gorilla Glass concessions to settle EU’s antitrust case

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Gorilla Glass is used in many of the most popular smartphone offerings, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 (pictured). | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Gorilla Glass producer Corning has proposed several commitments in an attempt to settle an antitrust investigation initiated by the European Union. The bloc launched a probe into Corning on November 6th over concerns the New York-based company used exclusivity contracts to push out rival glass makers from the phone industry, allowing it to dominate the worldwide market for break-resistant Alkali-AS Glass. According to the EU Commission’s press release, the remedies proposed by Corning include waiving all exclusivity clauses in its current agreements with phone companies and glass finishers, promising not to use such clauses again in future, and not forcing its customers to buy specific quantities of stock from Corning. Corning also... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/tR7mIOE

Sony’s making a handheld console to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft

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The new console will build on the Playstation Portal (pictured) which was reportedly originally intended to work as a standalone device. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Sony is currently making a new handheld gaming console that allows users to play PlayStation 5 games anywhere. According to Bloomberg , the console is being developed to compete against Nintendo and Microsoft in the portable gaming market, and is likely “years away from launch” — if Sony decides to release it at all. Nintendo is a leading figure in the handheld gaming industry, with a next-generation successor to its popular Switch console expected to arrive next year . Microsoft is also developing its own handheld Xbox prototype , though Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has recently cautioned that the device is “a few years out.” The handheld gaming category has also benefitted from a PC-platform expansion in recent years thanks to new... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://if...

Trailers of the week: Minecraft, Elio, and Alien: Earth

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A still from the latest A Minecraft Movie trailer. | Screenshot: YouTube This week, I went to a theater to watch a showing of the black-and-white version of Johnny Mnemonic, starring Keanu Reeves. Old-heads like me may recall it as a bad mid-90s cyberpunk film (written by William Gibson!) about a data courier whose brain is the storage medium, but who had to have his childhood memories erased to make space for the work. I hadn’t seen it since I was a kid, and you know what? It’s still not a good movie. But if you ignore the plot holes, mostly awful acting, and terrible pacing, it’s at least very cool to look at. Also, I had totally forgotten about Ice T’s turn as J-Bone, leader of the Lo-Tek underground. It was fun enough, but it was weird to hear the theater audience erupt with applause at the end, though,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/kWhMIQw

Tech CEOs want to replicate Tim Cook’s Donald Trump playbook

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Tim Cook and then-President Donald Trump, speaking to the Press in Austin, Texas in 2019. | Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images Apple CEO Tim Cook managed to forge a personal relationship with Donald Trump during his first Presidential term that other tech firms struggled to replicate. Now, others are trying to follow his template, says a Wall Street Journal report today. Cook used direct appeals to influence Trump’s 2017 tax policy and to get him to dial back his 2019 tariffs in ways that benefitted Apple . In exchange, Trump got to look good; as the Journal points out, Cook didn’t correct Trump when claimed responsibility for Apple opening an Austin manufacturing plant that had already been around for years and wasn’t even owned by Apple . Part of Cook’s strategy was keeping things simple, according to the Journal : Instead of sending government relations... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/U8G2emD

Nintendo’s terrific Switch Pro Controller is $20 off through Black Friday

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge Nintendo recently announced a batch of Black Friday deals , all of which run through November 30th. This includes a steep discount on the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller , which drops it to an all-time low of $49.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy , GameStop , and Target . This is one of the more notable Black Friday discounts from Nintendo this year — that is, aside from the current promo on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo’s latest Switch OLED bundle — namely because the Pro Controller rarely goes on sale, even today. Although there are many great third-party gamepads available, the Switch Pro Controller remains the best all-around controller for Nintendo’s aging console. It’s much more comfortable to use a full-size controller... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ebNPT1D

Boox Palma 2 review: ain’t broke, not fixed

There are so many things about the Palma 2 that could be better. But it’s still great at what it does. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/y7tW9rp

Two new tech documentaries you really need to see

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Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 61, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy Hallmark season, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) I missed you all last week — thanks to everyone who told me you missed Installer , too! Warms my heart, and also makes me feel terrible for not being there, but mostly warms my heart. Let’s get back at it. This week, I’ve been reading about venom and deadly car races and hockey phenoms , setting up the new Mac Mini I finally caved and bought, watching The Day of the Jackal (which is spectacular) and Wolfs (which is fine), devouring the Dark Matter and Say Nothing books before I watch the shows , seeing if Google’s... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ihZuRgX

Microsoft pauses Windows 11 updates for PCs with some Ubisoft games installed

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has stopped offering updates to Windows 11 version 24H2 on PCs that have certain Ubisoft games installed, Bleeping Computer reports . The company made the move after complaints that Star Wars Outlaws and games in the Assassin’s Creed series were crashing after installing the new Windows update. Microsoft confirmed the “compatibility hold” in a status update yesterday evening, and says it’s working with Ubisoft to find a fix. In the meantime, the company recommends against installing the Windows 11 24H2 update manually. Here is Microsoft’s description of the issue and games affected: After installing Windows 11, version 24H2, you might encounter issues with some Ubisoft games. These games might become unresponsive while... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/BglkejS

Strava’s API debacle highlights the messiness of fitness data

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Strava is the de facto fitness data middleman. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge A few days ago, Strava upset its users over some restrictive API changes . It might seem odd for one app’s users to fume over an API, but at the heart of the matter is the inherent messiness of fitness data. Here’s a typical scenario. Say you’re all in on Garmin’s platform. You use their watches for running and strength training. Then, you pick up a Peloton bike for indoor cycling. Well, Garmin devices aren’t compatible with Peloton bikes because the two companies haven’t struck a direct deal with one another for data sharing. So, to get your heart rate on the Peloton bike, you buy a chest strap. And then you decide to train for a race, so you sign up for one of those digital coaching platforms — the kind where a personal trainer reviews... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/6b8E9wf

Hyundai recalls more than 145,000 Ioniq and Genesis EVs that can lose power while driving

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Photo by Patrick George for The Verge Hyundai is recalling over 145,000 Ioniq and Genesis vehicles due to a 12-volt battery charging issue that could cause the EVs to lose drive power and increase the risk of a crash. NHTSA says the cause is the vehicles' Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU), which is likely to get damaged due to an internal electrical fault. Upon failure of the ICCU, a series of driver warnings appear, and the vehicle activates a “fail-safe” driving mode that slowly reduces drive power over the course of 20 to 40 minutes. Hyundai will instruct owners to take affected vehicles to dealerships to replace the ICCU and its associated fuse and install new software to prevent overvoltage that could damage the part again. Hyundai told NHTSA that as of November... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/uIziT0P

The best budget robot vacuums

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Illustration: The Verge You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a robot clean your floors. Here’s our pick of the most cost-effective bots you can buy right now. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2gQUtTC

Google reportedly cancels Pixel Tablet 2 and might quit the category — again

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Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google had canceled its development of the Pixel Tablet 3 — even before announcing a second-gen model. Well, today Android Authority is saying that it’s in fact the second-generation Pixel Tablet that has been canned, meaning that the device released last year will apparently be a one-off and that Google is bailing on the tablet category for the second time in a little over five years. At best, we’re in for a long pause until the next one. If true, the news would suggest that sales of the Pixel Tablet have been so poor that Google has decided further investment in a follow-up just isn’t worth it. As recently as last week , there were rumors of new features and a keyboard accessory for the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/FVR3Hdo

Sonos’ smart TV plans might have found an OS

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge After its foray into headphones, the next major new product category from Sonos is rumored to be a video streaming box similar to a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV. Such a device has been rumored for ages now, with Bloomberg previously reporting that its price is expected to fall between $150 and $200. And today we got confirmation (or at least something close to it) that the Sonos streamer will run an operating system built by The Trade Desk, a digital advertising business. Janko Roettgers first reported on a partnership between the two back in September, noting that The Trade Desk is “supplying Sonos with the core smart TV OS, and facilitating deals with app publishers, while Sonos is designing its own hardware, and customizing the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/LY6wDdQ

The New York Times is trying to shut down a popular Connections puzzle creator

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A screenshot of today’s NYT Connections on the alternate puzzle creator . | Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge The New York Times wants to shut down a copy of its popular Connections word game. The publication sent a cease and desist letter to the owner of a website that lets you make your own Connections games. The site also has a full archive of all of the NYT’s past Connections puzzles, which the NYT keeps behind a paywall. The Connections creator website is built and run by Anthony Salazar, a freelance web developer who runs the creative studio Swellgarfo . Earlier this month, striking New York Times tech workers used Salazar’s Connections tool to make their own strike-themed puzzle . Salazar previously told me that he built the archive using the NYT’s publicly available API. In the letter, which Salazar shared with The Verge , the NYT’s counsel... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gp0kVWX

Android 16 is now available for early testers

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google has given us a glimpse at what’s coming in the next major version of Android. The first preview release for Android 16 is available for developers starting today, which expands the photo library and medical data-sharing capabilities in apps. A change moving Android’s release timeline forward was announced last month, which could help third-party Android phones released in 2025 avoid waiting months to receive the latest major updates. Android Developer head Matthew McCullough says, “This is the start of Android having more frequent API releases as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices.” The preview available today allows developers to embed Android’s photo picker — the menu that lets users select... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/xmqYgwI

Leak: Valve is making a Steam Controller 2 and a ‘Roy’ for its Deckard

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The original Steam Controller, and a prototype that preceded it. | Image: Sean Hollister / The Verge Two years ago, Valve told The Verge it wanted a successor to its cult classic Steam Controller , whose incredibly customizable buttons and touchpads paved the way for the Steam Deck handheld PC. Now, Valve watcher Brad Lynch claims a Steam Controller 2 — codename “Ibex” — is actually getting made. His sources tell him the Steam Controller 2 is currently being tooled for mass production, and it’s apparently not the only new Valve gamepad on the way! Codename for Steam Controller 2 is “Ibex” Separate product from Deckard’s “Roy” controller(s) Both are being tooled for a mass production goal in their factories right now. That’s why I know they’re in later stages of productization — Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) November 19, 2024 Remember t... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/EShZk7d

Google Gemini can remember things now

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Illustration: The Verge Google Gemini can now “remember” certain things about you, such as your interests and personal preferences. The change is rolling out to subscribers with access to Gemini Advanced, and it will allow the AI chatbot to tailor its responses based on your needs, according to Gemini’s most recent release notes . As noted by Google, you can share your interests, as well as details about your work, hobbies, or aspirations, while chatting with Gemini. You can also enter relevant details about yourself within the bot’s “Saved Info” page , such as telling it to only suggest vegetarian recipes, or that you work as an accountant. Rolling out starting today, you can ask Gemini Advanced to remember your interests and preferences for more helpful,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/4ZqKGbt

Minecraft to follow live-action movie with theme parks

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Minecraft could soon be coming to a theme park near you. UK theme park company Merlin Entertainments has announced the completion of a $110 million deal with developer Mojang to open Minecraft -themed attractions in the US and the UK . The attractions are planned to open in 2026 and 2027 and will either be new additions to existing parks or a wholly new experience. The game seems well-suited for the theme park treatment with in-game activities like mine cart rides, fighting creepers, taking trips to the The Nether, and more. Minecraft joins a number of video game franchises and companies making the jump into theme parks and other forms of entertainment. Nintendo opened its theme park Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in 2021 .... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/4Pa0EQX

Google may be about to reboot its laptop and tablet hardware again

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Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Google might be preparing to make big changes to its laptop and tablet hardware by making the software on its Chromebooks resemble what you’d find on a tablet. One report from Android Authority suggests that Google has a “multi-year project” in the works for migrating ChromeOS to Android, while a second one from the same outlet indicates Google may be planning a second Pixel tablet that comes with a foldable keyboard cover. That tracks with the moves Google has made in recent months. In June, Google announced that ChromeOS “will soon be developed on large portions of the Android stack” to make the engineering process easier and bring AI features to ChromeOS faster. Google also merged its Android and hardware teams , began testing desktop... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gEvf3Iy

DoorDash will let you import your grocery list from Apple’s Reminders app

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge DoorDash now lets you import a grocery list from Apple’s Reminders app to make it easier to buy groceries on the app. To use the feature, while shopping on DoorDash, look for a button to import a list in the app and select the list you’d like to bring over. (You can also paste a list, if you prefer.) DoorDash will then offer suggestions for things to add to your cart based on what’s on your list. The new feature is part of a suite of updates from DoorDash to make the app more useful for holiday shopping. One other potentially good change: when you search for a retail item, the search results will show where you can buy the product, the price, and the estimated delivery time all in a single view. This change is live first for searches for... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/EZYxT1m

LG’s first 480Hz OLED gaming monitor is $1,000

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Image: LG LG’s 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is one of the fastest models we’ve seen to date and it’s finally ready for preorder. The UltraGear 27GX790A (or GX7 for short) is priced at $999.99 and is built around a 480Hz panel from LG Display announced in early January with a 2560 x 1440 resolution and 0.03ms response time. The base specs of the GX7 are on par with the $1,100 InZone M10S that Sony released in September. That makes the UltraGear GX7 a smidge cheaper, but it lacks some of the performance modes and variable refresh rate features available on Sony’s offering. The UltraGear GX7 is listed as available for preorder on LG’s US website , but there’s no mention of a delivery date and it can’t yet be added to the basket for checkout. We’ve... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/FkXjH3S

Trump picks Brendan Carr to lead FCC

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Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that intends to name Brendan Carr as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Carr, a commissioner at the FCC since 2017, has made a name for himself by threatening to use the commission’s powers to regulate speech online and over the airwaves. Carr authored Project 2025’s section on the FCC, using it to propose restrictions on social media platforms meant to bolster conservative speech. He proposed limiting the legal shield that gives websites wide latitude to host and moderate user-generated content. He also suggested putting regulations on tech companies that would limit their ability to block and prioritize that content as they choose. In the lead up to the election, Carr... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9gjMXKH

Apple’s Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone adapter may be going away

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I haven’t been able to find mine for years. | Image: Apple The Apple Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter may have bitten the dust, as it’s sold out at Apple’s online store in the US and much of the world, MacRumors reports . The accessory is reportedly still available from Apple in some countries, including France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. If it’s truly gone, then this feels like the end of an era. Apple introduced the Lightning headphone adapter in 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, when it first courageously ditched the headphone jack . The company even included it with new iPhones for a couple of generations before it stopped doing that for 2018’s iPhone XS , leaving customers to buy one themselves, pick up Lightning EarPods , or get on the AirPods train (which many of us had started... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/mBwqOEh

An Ohio man guilty of Bitcoin laundering must forfeit over $400 million in assets

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Image: The Verge An Ohio man named Larry Dean Harmon will serve three years in prison and forfeit more than $400 million worth of cryptocurrency and other assets, the Department of Justice announced on Friday . Harmon was indicted in 2020 on money laundering conspiracy charges related to Helix, a darkweb cryptocurrency “mixer” service he ran. Also known as crypto “tumbling,” services like Helix are designed to hide cryptocurrency transactions — often for illegal drugs — and the identity of people involved. From 2014 to 2017, Harmon processed more than 350,000 Bitcoin (about $311 million USD at the time) in such transactions, according to the DOJ’s announcement. Harmon, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in August 2021, will be on... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/tDNs703

The FTC says spam call complaints are way down since 2021

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images Complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls have dropped for the third straight year, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday. Reports of such calls have fallen by over 50 percent versus 2021, according to the FTC — a decline that could be thanks in no small part to stepped-up government efforts to fight irritating telemarketing and phone scams. There were about 33,000 fewer unwanted call complaints during the 2024 fiscal year versus the year prior, writes the FTC. The drop affected all sorts of unwanted calls, although the agency writes that reports about debt reduction calls had jumped “more than 85 percent from last year.” FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Sam Levine said that while illegal calls are still “a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gFT3d6k

The best fitness trackers to buy right now

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Photo illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge From simple fitness bands and rugged sports watches to rings, these are the best trackers you can get. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/dH7234h

The best MagSafe and Qi2 chargers for your iPhone

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Thanks to Qi2, there are way more great chargers for your MagSafe phone than ever before. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/aq0BcbS

Narwal’s Freo X Ultra, the best mopping robot available, is on sale for a new low price

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The Freo X Ultra packs a lot of features for the price, including the ability to automatically remop your floors when necessary. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is fun and all, but the amount of cleaning you have to do afterward can be exhausting. The Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum / mop hybrid can help speed things up, though, and it’s currently down to an all-time low of $849.99 (about $690 off) at Best Buy and Amazon (when you apply the on-page coupon). The Narwal Freo X Ultra is one of our favorite robot vacuums for mopping . It features a commendable 8,200Pa of suction power and a host of welcome features, including a set of spinning triangular mops that allow it to clean hard surfaces exceptionally well. It can adjust the amount of pressure applied by its mop based on floor type, too, and can even make its own “cleaning decisions,” one of which will prompt it... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift....

Here are the best Black Friday deals you can already get

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The Pixel Watch 3 is receiving its first notable discount to date, dropping it to $279.99 for a limited time. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Can’t wait until Black Friday to start your holiday shop or score a killer deal on a gadget you’ve been eyeing? You may not have to. Although Black Friday isn’t until November 29th, Best Buy , Walmart , and Target have begun rolling out their holiday discounts, many of which are available elsewhere. Some retailers will even refund you the difference if an item drops further in price later this year, meaning you don’t necessarily have to worry about shopping ahead of time. New deals are popping up weekly, so we’ve rounded up the cream of the crop below to make sorting through them easier. Current promos include steep discounts on a range of our favorite tech, too, from the Beats Solo Pro headphones and Apple’s AirTags to some of our... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/PDofBjN

Senator to Valve: what’s with all the Nazis on Steam?

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Image: The Verge US Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) has sent a letter to Valve CEO Gabe Newell asking if the company intends to take measures to curtail extremist content on Steam. The letter references a report by the Anti-Defamation League that identified a large number of user accounts and user-created groups “that glorified antisemitic, Nazi , white supremacist, gender- and sexuality-based hate, and other extremist ideologies” on the PC gaming platform. The letter features a high-level view of the kind of hateful content the ADL found on Steam. That includes “40,000 groups with names that included hateful words, with the most prominent being ‘1488,’ ‘shekel,’ and ‘white power’.” Warner’s letter highlights how the apparent preponderance of hateful content... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/QaTEtLG

You can save up to $270 on the Garmin Fenix 7S Pro and other Garmin watches

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It’s hard to find a fitness watch that tracks as many workouts and metrics as the Fenix 7 Pro series. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Garmin makes some of the best traditional multisport fitness watches, and one of its top models still commands a spot on our list of the best fitness trackers : the Garmin Fenix 7S Pro . Now through Cyber Monday, you can get that watch for just $529.99 ($270 off) at Wellbots when using the Verge -exclusive code VERGEBF270 . That code will also work on the base Fenix 7 Pro ( $529.99 after the discount ), the Fenix 7X Pro ( down to $629.99 ), and the Garmin Tactix 7 ( $829.99 ). These are some of the lowest prices recorded yet. Wellbots is also offering all-time low prices on other Garmin wearables and devices as part of its early Black Friday promotion. You can save $120 on the Garmin Forerunner 265 ( now just $329.99 ) and Forerunner 965 ( $479.99 )... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/LKpMChQ

Fortnite’s new TMNT roguelike shows the potential for user-made games

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Image: Epic Games Fortnite’s next big partnership with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is here. Epic Games already lets players dress up as the Turtles , and now, creators can publish experiences built with TMNT assets and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite. As a demonstration of what’s possible, Paramount teamed up with Spiral House (which has made other Fortnite experiences ), to make a TMNT -themed beat-em-up / roguelike, TMNT Dimensions [Rougelike] , that you can play inside Fortnite right now. (You can find it by searching for code 8651-4809-2485.) A lot of user-made Fortnite experiences look somewhat amateur, but this seems like a game you might actually want to play outside of Fortnite, especially if you’re already a fan of TMNT’s other arcade-y brawlers. E... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/U7GIWgy

CFPB is reportedly trying to put Google under bank-like supervision

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Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is seeking to put Google under federal supervision, a move that could impose the same kinds of monitoring and inspections used on banks, The Washington Post reports . The CFPB’s concerns are not totally clear and the order may still change, according to the Post , citing two unnamed sources. Both the agency and Google declined to comment on the report. But, plenty could change once President-elect Donald Trump reassumes office in January and puts forward his own pick to lead the agency. The CFPB was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from unfair practices by financial institutions. While it already inspects more traditional finance businesses like banks,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/mB6DOEv

The YouTube app on Quest will let you co-watch videos with friends in VR

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Image: Meta The YouTube app on Meta Quest is getting a nice upgrade: instead of only being a way to watch videos by yourself, the app will now let you co-watch videos with up to seven other people. To turn on the feature, which is launching in beta, make sure you have the latest version of the YouTube app and look for the “Co-watch” icon at the top of the screen (it looks like three people grouped together). Select that, and then in the window that pops up, select “Invite people” and then you can invite people from your followers list to watch things with you. (The people you invite will also have to follow you back.) There are a few limitations. You can only co-watch 2D content, for example. And if you want to watch paid content like a movie, every... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/aACpzZR

Can the US triple its nuclear energy capacity?

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Vogtle, a nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia. | Photo: Getty Images The US has a new roadmap for massively ramping up how much electricity it gets from nuclear reactors. The Biden administration released the document on Tuesday, but with President-elect Donald Trump heading back into the White House, there’s no telling whether the plan will ever become a reality. That said, the nuclear industry has gained a fair amount of bipartisan support — not to mention buy-in from big tech. For now, nuclear energy makes up nearly 20 percent of the US’s electricity mix . That’s roughly the same amount of electricity the US gets from renewables like wind and solar. The rest — 60 percent of electricity in the US — comes from fossil fuels. Another way to think of it is that nuclear reactors generate nearly half of the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/DP28Jwc