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Showing posts with the label The Verge

The Social Reckoning is flopping at the box office

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As important as some of the messages in The Social Reckoning are, the movie has been drastically underperforming at the box office. Per Variety , Aaron's Sorkin's follow up to The Social Network only grossed a measly $5.5 million this past weekend against a budget that's somewhere within the $30-42 million range. That would make it a certifiable flop that's costing Columbia Pictures (and Sony) quite a bit of money - especially when you compare it to The Social Network 's $22 million opening. This isn't entirely surprising given how middling reviews for the film have been. It's currently got a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has widely been … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/P1YVQbz

Inside the mini factory where GM builds its EV future

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If you're driving through GM's sprawling campus in Warren, Michigan, you'd likely ignore the pair of adjacent, anonymous white buildings tucked away in the upper reaches of the 710-acre space. Inside those buildings, which total half a million square feet together, is a massive construction project that's still in progress. Once completed, it will house GM's new Battery Cell Development Center, where the automaker is working furiously to build new prototype cells with the goal of slashing the cost of its EVs. GM has to build faster and cheaper to meet its goal of selling affordable EVs in much higher volumes. Those EVs will have to compete … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/TJkSyqG

A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contact and it refused

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BOULDER, CO - MARCH 5:A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera is seen near the intersection of Marine Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images In April of 2025, Elgin Community College had six Flock safety cameras installed to "enhance the safety and security of students." But by September of that year, the school's administration grew concerned that Flock was sharing data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were not properly secured, and that both law enforcement and the company's employees were abusing access to the data. So in October of 2025, Elgin Community College requested Flock to remove its cameras . According to Elgin's President Peggy Heinrich, Flock rejected the request, saying it had not violated its contract. According to the Chicago Sun-Times , school o … R...

Silicon Valley is falling in line with Trump’s attempt to rename AI

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When President Donald Trump announced his plans to rebrand artificial intelligence as " super intelligence ," you'd be forgiven for being skeptical that it would catch on. While most of the broader population is sticking with AI, some of Silicon Valley's most powerful are falling in line and trying to give Trump the great AI rebrand he so desires. That Elon Musk was quick to jump on board , promising to rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI, isn't surprising. When, hours after Donald Trump declared that "The White House considers anyone that uses the term, 'Artificial Intelligence,' as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, 'Super I … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/6SHj3dK

Why the LeapPad couldn’t survive the iPad

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For multiple years, the hottest toy in the United States was a book. But not just any book: a smart book that could play sounds and respond to taps and help kids learn to read. However, buying it came with a high price and big parenting questions. On the next episode of Version History , David Pierce is joined by The Verge 's Andru Marino and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to explain how the LeapPad worked, why it was so enticing to both kids and adults, and why the company that made it could never quite follow it up. We're almost finished with our fifth season of Version History , all about the most iconic school tech. We've heard Nilay Patel pit … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/hFYe7lg

Learning to use local AI is exciting, overwhelming, and frustrating

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Baby’s first local AI agent. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge I'm embarking on a journey I've so far been hesitant to go on: actually using AI on the regular. Giving my most personal data to cloud services has been a major hold up for me, but it's increasingly possible to run powerful models locally to see what they're capable of. Is this tech so useful that it's worth throwing gobs of money at a computer or a laptop with lots of overpriced RAM? I'll try to help you find out. I'm not an AI expert, it's going to be a journey for me, but maybe I can help you see if that journey is worth taking - and I'll be posting my way through it. A big part of Apple's pitch for its new Mac desktops is how good they … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/mclZUWi

Satya Nadella says we should assume all AI models are ‘compromised’

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In a lengthy post on X , Microsoft's CEO laid out his views on the dangers posed by highly advanced AI models and how to confront those risks. Nadella says we can no longer accept a world where AI is treated as a "set of nested black boxes" whose advice and actions we simply accept or reject. He calls for building a more transparent system where models can be contained, observed, and leaves behind "tamper-proof human readable evidence." Many of his recommendations align with what we've heard from others in the industry: timely incident disclosure, independent audits, verifiable data, and containment. It's on that last point that he appears t … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/9wCDYP4

DistroKid has been quietly taking down songs in response to UMG lawsuit

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Artists are taking to social media to complain that DistroKid has unceremoniously removed their work without notice. Now DistroKid has confirmed to The Verge that the takedowns are a direct response to claims made by UMG. The label filed a lawsuit in September claiming that DistroKid has created an "AI-slop pipeline." Artists are saying that their non-AI works are being caught up in the purge, however. Musician and self-described "Video Game boy" McGwire reported that six of his songs had been removed from streaming. As has been the case with others, McGwire says that there was no communication from DistroKid before or after the removals, a … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/sNPAMH3

Anthropic’s AI gave Philadelphia police a fake tip about an unsolved homicide

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An Anthropic AI model provided false information about an unsolved homicide to a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) tipline, according to a report from 6abc. In a statement released on Friday, the PPD said the AI model sent the tip through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com on July 18th, but the investigators never reviewed it because it was marked as spam. Anthropic learned its AI model sent the false tip on September 28th and notified the PPD on October 7th. The company said that during testing, its AI model was interacting with "randomly selected websites" and submitted false information through the PPD's tipline, according to the PPD's stateme … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/GcEsKId

Ohio blogger found guilty of harassment for sending Shrek nude to senator

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A jury found an Ohio political blogger guilty of telecommunications harassment after he sent an explicit image of Shrek to a Republican state senator. On Friday, a judge ordered DJ Byrnes, owner of political commentary blog The Rooster , to pay a $200 fine, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch . Byrnes texted Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino in May after he dropped out of the state's Senate presidential race. As reported by the Columbus Dispatch , Byrnes sent a nude image of Shrek alongside the message: "Good to see you finally made your humiliation public, Young Mussolini! THE PATRIOTS CAUCUS sends its regards!!!!!!!!!!" Cirino filed a pol … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/ovnjD5E

Brendan Carr says he’ll let Pete Hegseth decide whether TV networks can air the public execution

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FCC chairman Brendan Carr said he will defer to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on whether TV networks can air the planned execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by firing squad. The Pentagon has said the execution will be livestreamed , suggesting it'll appear on an online platform beyond the FCC's jurisdiction. But it's common for broadcast TV networks to air live video of government events, and Carr's agency does have a say over what happens on public airwaves. "My understanding is it's not on broadcast TV, so I don't think there's a role for the FCC one way or the other," Carr said in a CNBC interview today. "But I trust … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/tCU9Gsr

Microsoft’s new Windows Search is exactly what Windows 11 needs

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Windows Search has been one of the most frustrating parts of Windows 11, and now Microsoft is addressing this with a significant overhaul. A new redesigned Windows Search is now in testing that is much faster, more capable, and a lot more modern. "This new Windows Search experience is built for speed," says Anshul Rawat , corporate vice president of the Windows product team at Microsoft. "It's built on WinUI 3 and is part of our broader investment in modernizing our core Windows experiences." Microsoft says early testing of this new search has shown "substantial improvements in performance and memory usage," meaning the company isn't adding … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Jve7mFG

I only bought Pokémon Legends: Z-A during Prime Day, and it’s still on sale

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Pokémon trainers gearing up for battle. | Image: Nintendo After covering Amazon’s October sale for the last few days, only one item found its way into my shopping cart, and, lucky for you, it’s still on sale after the event’s conclusion. Pokémon Legends: Z-A for the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 is $39.88 (usually $59.99 for Switch or $69.99 for Switch 2) at Amazon. The last Pokémon game I played was Let’s Go Eevee!, and Pokémon Moon prior to that, but the unique Lumiose City setting and real-time battles in the latest game have piqued my interest. Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the first game in the main series with a real-time battling system instead of the traditional turn-based formula. You’re still catching pokémon, leveling up, trading, and battling in the game’s Paris-inspired setting, but the more action-oriented battles and smooth performance (on the Nintendo Switch 2) are very welcome. Where to Buy: $69 $39.99 at Amazon (...

The first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000

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The 15-inch Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge The first array of laptops powered by Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip are designed to compete with high-end MacBook Pros - and they've got some high-end prices to match. The flagship Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark laptops from Dell , Lenovo , MSI , HP, and Asus start as low as $2,599 for configurations with an 18-core CPU, 24GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage. That's close in price to a similarly specced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip, though Apple includes 1TB of storage. But the prices for both RTX Spark and Apple laptops of course go much, much higher. Of the pricing we've seen so far, a kitted-out Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/mdKBDv1

Everything announced at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra event

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Microsoft just wrapped up a big Windows and Surface-focused keynote in San Francisco. The biggest announcement was arguably the release details about the Surface Laptop Ultra , its new laptop that’s powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark Arm-based chip. The machine will start at $2,599 for a configuration with an 8-core CPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, and it will be released on October 16th. The laptop also has built-in magnetic USB-C charging instead of the proprietary Surface Connect magnetic charging port. The Verge ‘s Tom Warren published a deep dive all about the new laptop . Microsoft also announced that the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a mini PC for developers, is available for preorder for $5,999 ahead of shipping in November. In addition, Microsoft shared details about some updates coming to Windows , including “Hybrid Intelligence” features that lets Copilot use files on your Windows PC to take actions and a new ...

Save on MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches during October Prime Day

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The MacBook Air laptops are among the discounted Apple products. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Amazon’s October Big Deal Days are underway (lasting through tomorrow night), and we spotted a ton of Apple products and accessories in the sale, ranging from laptops and headphones to desktops and more. Some of the deals are only for Prime members , but other retailers are often matching or beating Amazon’s prices, and we’ll continue to update our coverage as we spot those deals. If your sights are set beyond what Apple makes, our main roundup has over 100 of the best deals from October Prime Day, and we’re keeping it updated throughout the sale. iPhone Air The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet at 5.6mm, featuring a 6.5-inch ProMotion display, a 48MP fusion camera, and an 18MP front camera with Center Stage support. But its single rear camera and “meh” battery life mean it’s not for everyone. Where to Buy: $999.99 $839.99 at Bes...

The Sonos Beam 2 soundbar is $140 off

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The Sonos Beam Gen 2 in white. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for $359 at Amazon and Best Buy during October Prime Day, a healthy $140 discount from its usual price, and $10 lower than the previous Prime Day price. The biggest draw here may be obvious — its native connectivity to other Sonos products — though it’s also a really nice upgrade from your TV’s built-in speakers. Sonos Beam (Gen 2) The Beam isn’t as powerful as the Sonos Arc, nor can it match the flagship soundbar’s Dolby Atmos immersion bubble. But you still get room-filling surround sound for less money — and the Beam ties into the Sonos ecosystem for added convenience. Read our review. Where to Buy: $499 $359.99 at Amazon $499 $359 at Sonos $499 $359.99 at Best Buy Notably, the latest version of the Beam also adds Dolby Atmos support, albeit without upward-firing drivers to help complete the experience. Compared to the Bea...

All the drama around AI’s takeover of mathematics

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This past year, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other labs have announced breakthroughs on numerous long-standing mathematical problems, in some cases pushing well beyond what researchers expected current systems to be capable of — including resolving one of the famous Millennium Prize problems. But in classic Silicon Valley style, AI labs are moving fast and breaking things , barreling through the discipline with all the grace of a runaway bulldozer . Results that might normally have been celebrated have instead sparked backlash . AI labs say they are learning from earlier mistakes. Whether those promises bear fruit remains to be seen. Read on below for the latest updates in the AI takeover of mathematics. OpenAI keeps bulldozing mathematicians OpenAI wants to consult elite mathematicians about how to not fumble again OpenAI just wants to win Mathematicians want proof OpenAI didn’t use their w...

Hyundai CEO says only a ‘level playing field’ can minimize damage from China

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Hyundai CEO José Muñoz, center, doesn’t think his company needs a strategy to combat Chinese imports. | Image: Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge There's been a lot of doom and gloom from the auto industry lately when the subject of China comes up. Automaker CEOs, in particular, warn that allowing low-cost, high-tech Chinese electric vehicles to be sold in the US would effectively spell the end of their businesses. Hyundai CEO José Muñoz is not as pessimistic as some of his counterparts. He says he's confident the right mix of protectionist policies and improvements on the product side can keep China at bay. Even though his company is feeling the squeeze from China, Muñoz isn't ready to throw in the towel. But he also acknowledges that China could flood the US with affordable import … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/0h5P2dz

Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks

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This Asus Googlebook is one of the Intel models that may have issues. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Google has waited until the day its new Googlebook laptops hit the market to admit that Intel-based models may have issues running some Android apps. Before now, Google has emphasized that the Android-based Googlebooks give owners access to the "entire Play Store library" of apps, along with some clever interactions with Android phones and tablets . Today, in a statement to Android Authority , it admitted that while every app is available, some may not offer smooth performance on every Googlebook. The vast majority of Android apps run smoothly across both Intel and Qualcomm Googlebooks right out of the box. Because many Android apps were o … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/v2Oz3Iy