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A handful of playful new RCS messaging features are debuting in open beta today. | Image: Google November has been a big month for RCS — the mobile messaging protocol championed by Google — and now, the company is capping it off with the announcement of a milestone and some festive new features. First, the number: according to Google, over 1 billion monthly active users are using RCS in Google Messages. That’s huge considering support was scarce just a handful of years ago, though not entirely surprising since it’s been the default messaging service on Android phones for a few years now. As for the new messaging features, a couple of them might sound familiar to iOS users. There’s a new feature that ties into your Google account to create a Contact Poster -like profile with your name and photo. Google is adding something called... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/30/23981350/google-messages-chat-rcs-apple-imessage-photo-emoji

Spotify Wrapped 2023 summaries | Image: Spotify You were listening, and they were watching. Now Spotify and other apps are repackaging that data to show which songs were the most popular ones in 2023. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23982575/spotify-wrapped-2023-apple-music-replay-youtube-music-recap

Image: Netflix Netflix is adding the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition to its ever expanding, ever impressive roster of games just in time for the holiday need-a-20-minute-break-from-the-family season. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition (which we’re going to call the GTA Trilogy for simplicity’s sake) is a remaster of GTA III , GTA: Vice City , and GTA: San Andreas . Players can pre-register for the games starting today on iOS and Google Play. It will be available both in the Netflix mobile app and offered separately to Netflix subscribers in the App Store and Google Play. Netflix can’t stop, won’t stop offering some of the biggest titles on its streaming service . We’ve got Kentucky Route Zero , Before Your Eyes ,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/29/23981068/netflix-gta-trilogy-definitive-edition-mobile-release-date

Lights illuminate application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices used for Bitcoin mining. | Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bitcoin mines aren’t just energy-hungry, it turns out they’re thirsty, too. The water consumption tied to a single Bitcoin transaction, on average, could be enough to fill a small backyard pool, according to a new analysis. Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use. Bitcoin’s water footprint is growing, according to the analysis published today in a commentary in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability . That’s an issue to watch as the price of Bitcoin recovers from a spiraling crypto winter . Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use. The study was conducted by Alex de Vries, a PhD... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/29/23979858/bitcoin-mine-cryptocurrenc...

Illustration: The Verge If you ever wanted to make your website sound a little more silly, now’s your chance. Google Registry just released a new top-level domain that lets you slap a big ol’ .meme at the end of your website. The new .meme domains are available to register right now as part of an early access period for an “additional one-time fee.” If you don’t want to pay extra, you can wait until they become publicly available on December 5th at 4PM UTC (12PM ET) to pay just the base annual price. There are already a handful of sites that are embracing the .meme domain, some of which are dedicated to memes from the days of yore, including grumpycat.meme , nyancat.meme , and keyboardcat.meme . The meme tracker knowyour.meme even adopted the new domain. However,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979595/google-registry-meme-domain-launch

Image: Warner Bros. Animation It turns out that Warner Bros. Discovery actually won’t be pulling Looney Tunes from Max. On Monday, in a 4:02PM ET email with the subject line “What’s New on Max This December,” Warner Bros. Discovery listed Looney Tunes and The Looney Tunes Show among the titles leaving Max on December 31st. Even though Looney Tunes is a signature Warner Bros. franchise, removing episodes of the cartoon wouldn’t be unprecedented; Warner Bros. Discovery pulled seasons 16-31 of the show from HBO Max at the end of last year . The company also recently shelved the nearly finished Coyote vs. Acme film , though that movie is now reportedly being shopped around . But a few hours later, the company announced that Looney Tunes ’ inclusion on the list of Max... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979472/looney-tunes-max-warner-bros-discovery

Sizovs is also believed to be running (or at least influencing) the popular Coding Unicorn tech influencer across social media. | Image: The Verge Something seems to be amiss with the diverse speaker list of the Devternity and JDKon developer conferences. The women, some of whom allegedly work for the parent company of both conferences, Dev.events, do not appear to exist. Devternity founder Eduards Sizovs has come under fire for creating fake women guest speakers for the events — and possibly creating a popular “tech influencer” that’s amassed over 115,000 real-world followers on Instagram . As first noted by 404 Media , on November 24th, engineer Gergely Orosz claimed that several women listed to appear as Devternity speakers — including Coinbase staff engineer Anna Boyko and Coinbase “software craftswoman” Natalie Stadler — didn’t actually exist and were made up by the event... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23978254/devternity-jdkon-develope...

A November 1920 issue of Popular Science. | Image: Popular Science via Wikimedia Commons After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer be available to purchase as a magazine. In a statement to The Verge , Cathy Hebert, the communications director for PopSci owner Recurrent Ventures, says the outlet needs to “evolve” beyond its magazine product, which published its first all-digital issue in 2021 . PopSci , which covers a whole range of stories related to the fields of science, technology, and nature, published its first issue in 1872. Things have changed a lot over the years, with the magazine switching to a quarterly publication schedule in 2018 and doing away with the physical copies altogether after 2020. In a post on LinkedIn , former PopSci editor Purbita Saha commented on the magazine’s discontinuation, stating she’s... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23978042/popular-science-digital-magazine-discontinued

Photo by JOHAN NILSSON/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images Tesla sued Sweden’s postal agency after mail workers in the country refused to deliver license plates in solidarity with striking service autoworkers . As CNBC reports , the company calls postal workers’ refusal to deliver license plates a “discriminatory attack” and says that the Swedish government has a “constitutional obligation” to get plates to vehicle owners. About 130 workers at seven Tesla repair shops in Sweden have walked out in the past month as ordered by their labor union, IF Metall, the largest union for manufacturer workers in the country. Tesla has refused to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the striking workers. Other unions have thrown in their support, including dock workers who won’t take Tesla vehicles... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23977923/tesla-sweden-lawsuit-postal-workers-license-plates

Image: Bungie Bungie officially confirmed on Monday that Destiny 2: The Final Shape is delayed until June 4th, 2024. Reports of a delay to the expansion emerged last month after Bungie started making layoffs at the studio amid a drop in Destiny 2 players after the poorly received Lightfall release. Bungie reportedly laid off around 8 percent of Bungie employees, affecting roles in community management, engineering, social media, QA, and more. Now, the Halo creator is taking its time to get things right with The Final Shape after negative reviews and player sentiment from the Lightfall expansion. The Final Shape is an ambitious expansion that’s meant to conclude Destiny ’s light and darkness saga. Bungie has shown very little about the expansion so... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23943563/destiny-2-the-final-shape-delay-release-date-june-2024

Image: BMW First we had hand cranks. Then real keys, followed by key fobs. And now we have “digital keys,” which enables you to lock, unlock, and start your car from your phone. Digital keys are still rare, only offered in a handful of models. Before digital key technology can reach ubiquity, there are still a lot of issues that need to be worked out. What kinds of technology should be used: Near-field communication (NFC)? Ultra wideband (UWB)? Bluetooth? How do we ensure it’s safe from hackers? And what happens when your phone runs out of batteries? (Spoiler: it will still work.) Many automakers already offer digital keys, but it hasn’t always worked flawlessly. Tesla said it was only going to do digital keys for the Model 3, but later opted for... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23970875/digital-car-key-iphone-unlock-start-ccc-standard

Image: OnePlus OnePlus has unveiled official images of its upcoming OnePlus 12 flagship smartphone on Weibo ahead of its December 5th launch event in China, revealing the handset will be available in three colors: white, black, and green. The design of the device appears visually similar to its predecessor, the OnePlus 11 , though the Alert Slider — a fan-favorite feature that allows users to easily switch between mute, vibrate, and ringer sound profiles — is now located on the left-hand side of the phone instead of the right. According to OnePlus, the relocation was made to accommodate a new integrated antenna that’s designed to boost signal performance and reduce latency for game streaming. “Based on internal testing, it has been determined that the... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23977551/oneplus-12-teaser-color-relocated-alert-slider-launch-date

The second-generation Apple Pencil is an excellent stylus compatible with the latest iPad Air, iPad Mini, and iPad Pro models. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Let’s face it: most early Cyber Monday deals tend to just be rebranded Black Friday deals, but every now and then the shopping event surprises us with a new one entirely. Today’s deal on the second-generation Apple Pencil is one of those deals. Right now, the second-gen Apple Pencil has dropped to a new all-time low of $79.99 ($49 off) at Amazon and at Walmart , though after you sign into your Walmart account. If you own one of Apple’s latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini models, this is an excellent stylus for drawing and taking notes. The pressure-sensitive Pencil recharges by magnetically attaching to the side of tablets, which is a convenient feature its predecessor lacked. It also supports tap gestures and the hover feature on M... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/26/2397...

Apple’s AirTag, our favorite Bluetooth tracker for iPhone owners, is available starting at just $23.99. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge It’s the time of year again when utter chaos descends upon airports nationwide. That means the chances of losing your luggage are higher than usual, so it’s worth preparing for the commotion if you’re planning to travel. Right now, you can buy a single AirTag for just $23.99 ($5 off) at Amazon and Walmart , which is a rare discount that’s just $1 shy of the tracker’s all-time low price. If you want to buy even more AirTags, Amazon , Walmart , and Best Buy are also currently selling a four-pack for $79.99, about $20 off, which is $5 shy of their best price yet. This is the same discount we saw last week for Black Friday — and one likely to carry through Cyber Monday — but it remains one of our favorite budget-friendly deals we’ve seen so... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23969948/apple-airtag-bluetooth...

Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge Black Friday used to be one day! Feels like it started mid-November this time around, and here we are on Sunday. How is this day different from Cyber Monday? How will Monday be any different than Tuesday? It’s all a barely differentiated smear at this point. But the good news is that the deals are still here. They’ll be here tomorrow, too, but if your Sunday plans include scanning for deals, at least you’ll find plenty of them. Most of the good deals we’ve seen on phones, smartwatches, headphones, and accessories are holding steady through the weekend — we’ve checked them all to be sure. This post is where we collect the highlight deals, but our Black Friday / Cyber Monday / Undifferentiated Commerce Smear coverage goes well beyond a... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23976342/cyber-monday-2023-best-early-deals-tech-speakers-gadgets

Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge Black Friday 2023 has come and gone, and we’re cruising toward Cyber Monday — but that doesn’t mean all of yesterday’s deals are history. Quite the opposite. You can still take advantage of big savings at many retailers. Whether you’re shopping for a new smartphone, the latest noise-canceling headphones, or a stylish smartwatch, a ton of popular products are still heavily discounted. Whether you’re checking off everyone on your list for the upcoming holidays or you’re just shopping for the best prices for yourself, we’re scouring all the quality deals Black Friday has to offer and logging them right here. But keep in mind that our Black Friday and upcoming Cyber Monday coverage goes well beyond a single post. You can find it all here ,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23972463/black-friday-tech-deals-earbuds-accessories-still-available-2023

Amazon’s got a ton of discounts on its own products. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge For what feels like the billionth time this year, Amazon is once again throwing a massive sale on an assortment of its own devices. This time, however, it’s in honor of Black Friday , which kicks off today. Not that we’re complaining. A lot of the standout deals we last saw during Amazon’s recent Prime Day event are back, after all, giving you yet another opportunity to save on the new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max , the Echo Pop , and the Kindle Scribe , among other tech. In some cases, Amazon is even offering steeper discounts than we saw in October, which is also the case at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers. Here, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday deals you can already get on Amazon devices. We’ll also continue to update this... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23963020/black-friday-2023-amazon-deals-cyber-monday

Photo Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales and Cath Virginia / The Verge A collection of cool, calming, and creative gifts to show your appreciation for that special maternal figure in your life. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23955826/holiday-gifts-mom-unique-ideas-2023-tech-gadgets

Image: Atlus More than just about any other game studio, Vanillaware is known for its style. At the same time, the developer is constantly shifting between genres. It originally made waves with the side-scrolling action RPG Odin Sphere , and more recently released the sci-fi epic 13 Sentinels , which is part visual novel, part turn-based mech-vs-kaiju combat. Holding all of these disparate ideas together is Vanillaware’s incredible 2D art, along with a clear to desire to experiment. Given how the studio loves to jump around so much, it’s probably not too surprising that its next project, Unicorn Overlord , will be a grand-scale tactical RPG inspired by the classics. Ahead of the game’s launch next March (it’s coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and the Switch)... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/23/23971097/unicorn-overlord-retro-tactical-rpg-interview-switch-xbox-playstation

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Every Black Friday and Cyber Monday , there’s always a ton of hype about the discounts on big-ticket items — you know, the deals on the OLED TVs, game consoles, and tablets of the world. But it never fails that many of the ultra-cheap items make for some of the most clutch deals, namely because spending very little on a small accessory you end up using all the time can be the most gratifying. This year, we’re once again keeping an eye out for the best tech deals on those little gadgets and gizmos under $25. We’ve also got a roundup for those working with a $100 budget , but the items below are pretty much as cheap as you can get in the tech world without simply buying absolute crap that’s destined to end up as e-waste. Some of these... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23971355/black-friday-2023-tech-deals-under-25-cyber-monday

The Boy and the Heron. | Image: GKIDS Longtime Evangelion animator Takeshi Honda had already signed up to work on another film when The Boy and the Heron director came calling. “When Miyazaki says that to you, really there’s no way to say no,” Honda says. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23971512/boy-and-the-heron-takeshi-honda-interview-evangelion

Kodak’s new Super 8 camera. | Image: Kodak Kodak is gearing up to actually sell the Super 8 film camera it announced way back at CES 2016. It’s updated the camera’s product page with a new “sign up to buy” button to allow potential customers to register their interest. Kodak’s global managing director for motion picture, Vanessa Bendetti, tells The Verge that the company expects the camera to go on sale in limited quantities in the US on December 4th, before releasing in Canada, the UK, and other European markets. When it goes on sale, the camera will cost a whopping $5,495. That’s not just expensive when you consider that, as 404 Media notes , vintage Super 8 cameras can generally be had for a few hundred bucks — it’s also expensive compared to Kodak’s previously announced... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/22/23972513/kodak-super-8-film-camera-lcd-screen-price-release-date-specs-features

Participants in Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge . | Image: Netflix The most dystopian thing about Netflix’s new Squid Game reality show is how much fun its contestants seem to be having. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23971416/squid-game-the-challenge-review-netflix

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge, Shutterstock We pick the best video doorbell cameras for keeping an eye on people, packages, and anything else that comes across your front porch. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/22954554/best-video-doorbell-camera

Nick Barclay / The Verge Binance owner and CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has agreed to step down and plead guilty to breaking anti-money laundering laws, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Forbes . This comes as part of the major settlement the Department of Justice is expected to announce this afternoon, which will reportedly require Binance to fork over $4.3 billion in fines. Even though Zhao can no longer assume an executive role at Binance, the WSJ reports the terms of the agreement will let Zhao keep his majority ownership of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao is expected to enter his plea at a Seattle court on Tuesday, with sentencing to come at a later date. Richard Teng, Binance’s head of regional markets, is in the running to... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23971066/binance-ceo-changpeng-zhao-step-down

8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a unique gift under $100 that’s perfect for Nintendo fans. | Photo by Jon Porter / The Verge Let’s be honest: most keyboards are boring necessities that you’re not likely to find at the top of anybody’s Christmas wishlist. But every now and then, a keyboard comes along that’s so cool, anyone could get excited about it. 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard is one of those unicorns, and right now, it’s down to an all-time low of $89.99 ($10 off) at Amazon . Inspired by Nintendo, the Bluetooth mechanical keyboard sports a pair of massive red programmable buttons similar to the ones found on the old-school NES controllers. It’s comfortable, too, thanks to clicky, hot-swappable switches you can replace when you want to change up the feel. The keyboard offers a standard tenkeyless layout, so it lacks a numpad, but if you don’t need... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23970028/8bitdo-retro-mechanical-keyboard-deal...

Then Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt introducing the company’s driverless Origin shuttle. | Photo By Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images Two years ago, General Motors presented a vision for the future that involved “zero crashes, zero traffic, and zero emissions.” Today, that future seems further away than ever. The automaker’s driverless car subsidiary, Cruise, announced last night the resignation of Kyle Vogt as CEO. The decision came over a month after an incident in which a hit-and-run victim became pinned under a Cruise vehicle and then was dragged 20 feet to the side of the road. As a result, California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Cruise’s permit to operate driverless cars in the state. The company subsequently paused driverless operations nationwide, appointed a new chief safety officer, recalled all 950 of its vehicles , and retained an outside group... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969039/gm-cruise-...

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Apple’s iPads just don’t get any cheaper than this. The ninth-generation iPad, which has unceremoniously remained the entry-level option of Apple tablets even a year after the 10th-gen model came out, is selling for a new low. You can get the 2021 iPad with 64GB of storage for $229.99 ($100 off its MSRP) at Amazon and Target . This early Black Friday deal is an additional $20 cheaper than the previous low of $249.99 we were consistently seeing for some time. Also, if 64GB is a little slimmer on storage than you’d prefer, the 256GB model is also $100 off at Amazon and Target — dropping it to $379.99. While the ninth-gen model may be a couple of years old, it’s still a very formidable budget-friendly tablet. Its 10.2-inch display may be... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969050/apple-ipad-ninth-generation-early-black-friday-budget-deal-sale

The Verge There are more iPads than ever, and it can be tough to sort out which one is the best for you. Fortunately, we’re here to guide you through your next iPad purchase. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23639378/best-ipad-apple-buy-model-price

Image: Netflix When the news came that Netflix was making an animated version of Scott Pilgrim , one that brought back all of the original film actors (along with the director and series creator ), it raised some interesting questions. Mostly, I was curious just how much would change as the story shifted mediums. While the original comics and the live-action film adaptation had their differences, they both still largely told the same story about a 20-something slacker from Toronto fighting his way through his girlfriend’s dating history. But for the new series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off , the story isn’t just a departure — it completely blows up the timeline. Note: This article includes some spoilers for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. At first, it doesn’t really... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23963700/scott-pilgrim-takes-off-review-netflix

Emmett Shear at TED 2019. | Photo by Lawrence Sumulong/Getty Images OpenAI has a third CEO in three days: Emmett Shear. After a shock firing of former CEO Sam Altman on Friday, Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear is officially taking over as interim CEO of OpenAI. The Information first revealed Shear’s appointment on Sunday night. The official announcement comes just an hour after Microsoft confirmed it had hired Sam Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman to form a new advanced AI research team. “Today I got a call inviting me to consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to become the interim CEO of OpenAI,” says Emmett Shear in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “After consulting with my family and reflecting on it for just a few hours, I accepted.” Shear resigned as Twitch CEO earlier this year, after... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968848/openai-new-ceo-emmett-shear-twitch-co-founder-hiring

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Microsoft is hiring former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman . Altman was fired from OpenAI on Friday, after the board said it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.” After a weekend of negotiations to potentially bring Altman back to OpenAI, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced both Sam Altman and Greg Brockman will be joining Microsoft’s new advanced AI research team. “We’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team,” says Nadella. “We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Altman... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968829/microsoft-hires-sam-altman-greg-brockman-employees-openai

Illustration: The Verge After a weekend of negotiations to bring back Sam Altman as OpenAI CEO following his shock firing, the company’s nonprofit board has gone another way entirely and named former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as interim CEO. Shear will take over as interim OpenAI CEO from Mira Murati, who was publicly aligned with Altman. The news was first reported by The Information . That’s three CEOs in three days, if you’re keeping track. The hiring of Shear appears to close the door on Altman’s exit after he was fired Friday when the board said he had not been “consistently candid in his communications.” As we reported Saturday , the board quickly began discussing the CEO’s return under pressure from investors and the threat of a mass employee walkout. On... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23967515/sam-altman-openai-board-fired-new-ceo

Starlink Standard terminal | Image: SpaceX SpaceX quietly introduced a new Standard Starlink terminal that’s slimmer and simpler than the previous version, with a 10 percent broader field of view and no motor for setting up — instead, it comes with a kickstand; to orient it, you simply move it. A Starlink support page says the kit is available “by invitation only to a small group of early customers in the US.” SpaceX bumped its weather resistance rating up from IP54 to IP67, meaning it should be totally dust-proof and can be submerged in one meter of water for as long as 30 minutes before potential damage. Starlink’s specifications page says it can operate in winds over 60MPH. Speaking of which, the company will sell mounts in case you’d rather secure it in place. It’s otherwise... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/19/23968395/spacex-starlink-satellite-internet-terminal-kickstand-improved-fov-ip67-weather-rating

Sam Altman. | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The OpenAI board is in discussions with Sam Altman to return to CEO, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. One of them said Altman, who was suddenly fired by the board on Friday, is “ambivalent” about coming back and would want significant governance changes. Developing... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23967199/breaking-openai-board-in-discussions-with-sam-altman-to-return-as-ceo

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta has reportedly broken up its Responsible AI (RAI) team as it puts more of its resources into generative artificial intelligence. The Information broke the news today, citing an internal post it had seen. According to the report, most RAI members will move to the company’s generative AI product team, while others will work on Meta’s AI infrastructure. The company regularly says it wants to develop AI responsibly and even has a page devoted to the promise, where the company lists its “pillars of responsible AI,” including accountability, transparency, safety, privacy, and more. The Information ’s report quotes Jon Carvill, who represents Meta, as saying that the company will “continue to prioritize and invest in safe and responsible... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23966980/meta-disbanded-responsible-ai-team-artificial-intelligence

Nothing Chats shown in a promotional image. | Image: Nothing Nothing has pulled the Nothing Chats beta from the Google Play store, saying it is “delaying the launch until further notice” while it fixes “several bugs.” The app promised to let Nothing Phone 2 users text with iMessage , but it required allowing Sunbird, who provides the platform, log into users’ iCloud accounts on its own Mac Mini servers, which... isn’t great? The removal came after users widely shared a blog from Texts.com showing that messages sent with Sunbird’s system aren’t actually end-to-end encrypted — and that it’s not hard to compromise it. The app launched in beta yesterday after being announced earlier this week . Sunbird has access to every message sent and received through the app. They do this by abusing @getsentry ,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23966781/nothing-chats-imessage-unencrypted-sunbird-plaintext

Photo by Eddie Costas / The Verge Google is racing headlong into the AI future, and that means different parts of the company are destined to collide with one another — Search is now generating AI-powered summary results, but flooding the web with AI-generated text is going to make search that much harder, for example. It’s going to be messy and complicated and fascinating all at the same time. In general, the parts of Google that are charged with moderating platforms (like YouTube and Search) are going to end up colliding with the parts of Google that help people create content (like Gmail and Bard.) You can really just put them in two lists, draw a line from one to another, and predict a long list of interesting problems that will inevitably come up. I... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23965844/pixel-8-ai-edited-photos-youtube-google

How exactly does this thing show me a funny cat picture so I can momentarily escape the drudgery of a visit to the DMV? | Image: Humane Last week, Humane debuted its AI Pin as a phone replacement without a screen. You interact with it through voice, and a tiny projector displays things like media controls and incoming calls on the palm of your hand. The idea is to allow you to simply move through the world, unencumbered by digital devices constantly demanding your attention. To wear the AI Pin is to live in a world beyond screens. It’s a beautiful vision that I’d love to buy into. But here’s the thing: screens are great, and I don’t think we can, or even should, ditch them quite yet. Humane’s whole deal centers on the screenless-ness of its product — founder Imran Chaudhri said as much in his TED talk earlier this year . In Humane’s view, screens are a barrier between us... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23965540/humane-ai-pin-screen-phone-ambient-computin...

Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge It’s official: the 2023 early holiday shopping season has arrived. And if you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping, major retailers like Amazon , Target , Best Buy , and Walmart have already launched their early Black Friday promos, dropping prices on tablets, wireless earbuds, laptops, smart home tech, and even OLED TVs. We may see a whole bunch more deals arrive as we get closer to November 24th, but what’s discounted so far is still very much worth a look. For example, Bose’s noise-canceling QuietComfort 45 headphones and its new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have dropped to new all-time lows. A range of other gadgets and gizmos are also on sale, from the Google Pixel Buds Pro and 15-inch MacBook Air to the new slim... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23899698/best-early-black-friday-tech-deals-amazon-target-best-buy-walmart-sale

Look at all those people using mobile broadband. | Photo by Emma McIntyre/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Taylor Swift’s juggernaut Eras Tour warps culture wherever it goes. We’ve seen everything from pure economic impact to a delightful fan cam arms race to record-setting concert film numbers . And now we know that all those fans are using absolutely vast amounts of data during the show as well: AT&T’s network alone moved 28.9 terabytes of data during the busiest day of Taylor’s three-day tour stop at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to data the carrier has shared exclusively with The Verge. The company estimates 1TB of data represents about 200,000 photos or 400 hours of video moving across its network; 28.9TB is a staggering amount of photo and video sharing. That’s the most data AT&T’s network has moved at any stadium for any e... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/16/23949041/taylor-swift-eras-tour-mobile-data...

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple might’ve solved the iPhone 15’s wireless charging issues in BMWs, but now GM says it’s looking into complaints about another problem. Numerous iPhone 15 owners across Reddit , Apple’s website , and Chevy forums say they can no longer properly charge the phone inside Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Buick vehicles. One user on a GM truck forum says their iPhone 15 Pro Max worked “flawlessly” in their 2022 Chevy Silverado 2500 High Country until they updated their device to iOS 17.1. After the update, their phone will only charge for around “5 to 10 seconds” before stopping. Other iPhone 15 owners have the same complaint across the many vehicles made by GM, including the 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, 2023 Chevy Traverse, 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/16/23963780/iphone-15-wireless-charging-gm-chevy-buick-cadillac

Prey premiered on Hulu in the US but is available elsewhere through Disney Plus. | Image: David Bukach / 20th Century Studios Starting in December, Disney will begin testing a new version of its streaming services by combining Hulu and Disney Plus into a single app. The news ( which follows Disney’s recent acquisition of Hulu) has led to a lot of questions . Is Hulu going away? What will the app experience be like? Do violent movies like Prey or No One Will Save You really fit with the Disney Plus brand? The good news is that the answer to most of those questions likely already exists outside of the US, which I know because I’ve been using it for more than two years. It’s not confusing at all. In fact, it looks a lot like traditional TV. At the beginning of 2021, Disney launched a new content hub called Star , which is currently available in a whole bunch of... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23962525/disney-plus-hulu-star-bundle

Image: TikTok TikTok users will now be able to create video effects right in TikTok without downloading another app. The company announced the new mobile editing feature, available now globally, in a blog post today . AR effects are a big part of TikTok culture — they spawn challenges, viral games, and essentially a whole genre of content. But up until now, creators had to use a separate program called Effect House to make filters for the app. In the TikTok mobile app, users can work off of filter templates and experiment with more than 2,000 assets to use in their effects. They’ll also be able to add interactivity in filters that’s triggered through movements like tapping the screen, winking, smiling, and more. Though filters have always been... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/16/23963772/tiktok-effect-house-filters-mobile-app-creator

Image: Microsoft Microsoft launched its big AI push earlier this year as part of its Bing search engine, integrating a ChatGPT-like interface directly into its search results. Now less than a year later, it’s dropping the Bing Chat branding and moving to Microsoft Copilot, the new name for the chat interface you might have used in Bing, Microsoft Edge, and Windows 11. Microsoft initially talked up the Google search competition for its AI ambitions earlier this year, but it now looks like it has its sights set on ChatGPT instead. The Bing Chat rebranding comes just days after OpenAI revealed 100 million people are using ChatGPT on a weekly basis . Despite a close partnership worth billions, Microsoft and OpenAI continue to compete for the same customers... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/15/23960517/microsoft-copilot-bing-chat-rebranding-chatgpt-ai

Boosteroid is the latest cloud gaming service to come to Samsung’s Gaming Hub. | Image: Samsung Many older Samsung smart TVs can now run cloud gaming apps like Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, and more — allowing users to play modern games like Starfield , CyberPunk 2077 , and more without a console. The news comes after Samsung promised in August that it would bring the option to millions of living rooms worldwide by sending an update to 2020 model-year TVs. Samsung’s supported cloud gaming services (part of the company’s “Gaming Hub”) include Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass , Nvidia’s GeForce Now , and Amazon’s Luna . It also includes the smaller and less known services Utomik, Antstream Arcade, and Blacknut Cloud Gaming. Samsung is also announcing today that it’s adding another cloud streaming service called Boosteroid to its Gaming Hub.... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23959795/samsung-cloud-gaming-hub-boosteroid-tvs

Columbia Chris Pratt’s turn as Mario worked because Illumination and Nintendo took care to make sure The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ s red-hatted plumber sounded distinct yet enough like Charles Martinet’s take on the character to pass the smell test. For fans of Jim Davis’ Garfield comics, there was hope that Columbia might take a similar approach with The Garfield Movie , its new animated feature from director Mark Dindal starring Pratt as the eponymous orange cat. But from the sounds of The Garfield Movie ’s new trailer, Pratt might be playing the lasagna-obsessed cat very straight. Along with detailing how he first met his human, The Garfield Movie will tell the story of how Garfield’s life is turned upside down when he learns that his father Vic... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23958789/garfield-the-movie-trailer-chris-pratt

Voice chats don’t automatically ring everyone in a group. | Image: WhatsApp WhatsApp is rolling out a new voice chat feature in the coming weeks that’s designed to be a less disruptive way to conduct voice calls in large groups. The feature was previously spotted releasing in beta , but WhatsApp has now made the news official . Although it’s long been possible to voice call on WhatsApp with up to 32 participants , the new voice chat feature works a little differently. Group participants won’t be rung automatically when a voice chat starts; instead, they’ll receive a push notification, and there’ll be an in-chat bubble they can tap to join. Once a voice chat is underway, call controls will be accessible from the top of a chat without obscuring a participant’s ability to send text messages at the same time. Like... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/13/23958889/whatsapp-voice-chat-feature-ios-android-32-users

Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The banks that participate in the Zelle payments app owned by JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and others have relented in their refusal to pay back victims of imposter scams. Reuters reported today that the repayments started on June 30th and were a response to lawmaker pressure on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to compel lenders to reimburse victims. Banks leaned on the fact that federal law only required them to pay back fraud victims if they didn’t authorize criminal transactions, leaving people who were tricked into approving payments in a lurch . Reuters wrote that the institutions were worried that if they started paying people back, it would only encourage more imposter fraud. But the Federal Trade Commission said... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/13/23958769/zelle-banks-refunding-imposter-scam-victims

Nvidia’s HGX H200. | Image: Nvidia Nvidia is introducing a new top-of-the-line chip for AI work, the HGX H200. The new GPU upgrades the wildly in demand H100 with 1.4x more memory bandwidth and 1.8x more memory capacity, improving its ability to handle intensive generative AI work. The big question is whether companies will be able to get their hands on the new chips or whether they’ll be as supply constrained as the H100 — and Nvidia doesn’t quite have an answer for that. The first H200 chips will be released in the second quarter of 2024, and Nvidia says it’s working with “global system manufacturers and cloud service providers” to make them available. The H200 appears to be substantially the same as the H100 outside of its memory. But the changes to its memory make for... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/13/23958823/nvidia-h200-ai-gpu-announced-specs-release-date