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Showing posts from February, 2026

Polymarket defends its decision to allow betting on war as ‘invaluable’

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It might be World War III, but at least I won $20. | Image: Polymarket / The Verge Polymarket has been allowing people to bet on when the US would strike Iran next . Obviously, now that it's actually happened and people have died, the prediction betting market is feeling some pressure. The site has been at the center of controversy before, including suspicions of insider trading on the Super Bowl halftime show and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro . In a statement posted on its site, Polymarket defended its decision to allow betting on the potential start of a war, saying that it was an "invaluable" source of news and answers, before taking shots at traditional media and Elon Musk's X. The statement reads: … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/887040/polymarket-iran-war-betting-invaluable

The Rubin Observatory’s alert system sent 800,000 pings on its first night

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That’s coming on a little strong, maybe. | Image: Vera C. Rubin Observatory The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's automated alert system is online and already bombarding astronomers with things to look at in the night sky. The system went live publicly on Tuesday, February 24th, and on the first night dropped some 800,000 alerts about asteroids , supernovas, and feasting black holes. And that number is only expected to climb to the multiple millions per night. The observatory released the first images taken with its car-sized Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) camera in June of last year. But researchers and stargazers have been eagerly anticipating the launch of this system. Every night, the camera captures about 1,0 … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/science/887037/vera-c-rubin-observatory-800000-alerts

You can still grab great deals on Bose headphones and Astro Bot this weekend

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Welcome to the weekend, friends! While the rest of our team was checking out Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S26 lineup and prepping for Apple’s “special experience” next week, we’ve been sifting through Woot’s “Video Games for All” sale and a truly weird slate of deals that, frankly, don’t have a throughline. (Some of us have also spent the last week unpacking what Huel is , but that’s neither here nor there.) Here’s what we can tell you. If you’re thinking of picking up the Galaxy S26 Ultra at launch, putting in your preorder now isn’t a bad idea. It’s also a great time to pick up the midrange QuietComfort Headphones and what many of us at The Verge consider to be the game of 2024: Astro Bot . And who doesn’t want to save on a slick handheld vac ? Now let’s get to it. If you’re craving a little peace and quiet, Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones are currently on sale at Amazon in multiple colors for $199 ($150 off), which is the best price we’ve seen this year. The standard ...

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Plus gets a better interface and a 40 percent discount

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Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29.99, which is $5 shy of its best price. | Image: Amazon When Amazon first showed off its redesigned Fire TV OS at CES, we were impressed. It’s faster, better organized, and feels similar to Google’s top-notch TV interface. The update is now finally rolling out to the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus , making it an even better buy now that it’s on sale for $29.99 ($20 off) at Amazon , Best Buy , and Target — $5 shy of its best price to date. If you want something cheaper and don’t mind waiting for the update to arrive, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is also on sale at Amazon , Best Buy , and Target , for $19.99 ($20 off), which is $2 more than its all-time low price. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Where to Buy: $49.99 $29.99 at Target $49.99 $29.99 at Amazon $49.99 $29.99 at Best Buy The new Fire TV OS update makes navigating content even easier, adding tabs across the top for search, home, movies, TV shows, sports, news...

Woot’s ‘Video Games for All’ sale features some of our favorite games

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There’s a sale happening at Woot that’s delivering Black Friday-esque deals on video games through March 5th. The “Video Games for All” sale includes discounts on physical games for most modern consoles, making it a great time to treat yourself (or a pal) to some titles that you’ve been waiting to see big price drops for. There are also deals on gaming accessories like totes, controllers, and more. Through February 27th at 11:58PM CT, you can score an additional 20 percent off products looped into this sale by entering the code LEVEL20 at checkout (it caps at $30 total off your order). Everyone’s tastes are different, but some picks in this sale that especially vibe with me include Silent Hill F , which is fun and very different beast from Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake (less item hunting, more countering enemy attacks). Of course, who can argue against the pure fun contained within the Super Mario Galaxy double-pack for Switch that includes the original title and its seque...

We don’t have to have unsupervised killer robots

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It's the day of the Pentagon's looming ultimatum for Anthropic: allow the US military unchecked access to its technology, including for mass surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons, or potentially be designated a "supply chain risk" and potentially lose hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts. Amid the intensifying public statements and threats, tech workers across the industry are looking at their own companies' government and military contracts wondering what kind of future they're helping to build. While the Department of Defense has spent weeks negotiating with Anthropic over removing its guardrails, including allowing t … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/885963/anthropic-dod-pentagon-tech-workers-ai-labs-react

Google’s Nano Banana 2 brings advanced AI image tools to free users

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The image generational capabilities of Nano Banana 2 seem comparable to the Pro model. | Image: Google / The Verge Google is bringing a more powerful version of its Nano Banana AI image model to free users. Nano Banana 2 (also known as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is rolling out today across the Gemini app and other Google AI platforms, making knowledge and rendering features that were previously exclusive to Nano Banana Pro available for everyone. Google says the update aims to bring "high-speed intelligence of Gemini Flash to visual generation," making complex images faster, cheaper, and easier to generate. Like Nano Banana Pro , the Nano Banana 2 model utilizes real-time information, web search images, and Gemini's real-world knowledge base. Google DeepMin … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/885275/google-nano-banana-2-ai-image-model-gemini-launch

Samsung’s still chasing the AirPods with its new Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro

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The Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro (pictured) bring an updated look and some iterative changes. The next Galaxy Buds have been announced , and Samsung again mimics Apple in design, ecosystem functionality, and pricing. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro keep the AirPods-esque design of the Buds 3 , but now have a flat metal surface along the stem's exterior. The regular buds use a single 11mm dynamic speaker and do not have silicone ear tips, while the Buds 4 Pro have a selection of silicone ear tips and a two-way design (meaning a woofer for lower frequencies and a tweeter for the high end), just like the Buds 3 Pro. There's a 5.5mm planar tweeter and a new 11mm "super wide woofer" with an effective area nearly 20 percent larger … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/884434/samsung-galaxy-buds-4-pro-unpacked-2026-announcement

Samsung Unpacked 2026: live updates from the Galaxy S26 announcement event

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On Wednesday, February 25th, Samsung will hold an event in San Francisco where it’s expected to reveal the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra phones, among other things. Based on leaks and Samsung’s own ads, we’re expecting at least one of the phones to come with a display that can black out sensitive content based on viewing angle , which is genuinely cool and useful. They might also finally have Qi2 ! We are also, alas, anticipating a whole lot of questionable AI photo- and video-editing features . Samsung truly is a land of contrasts. Samsung Unpacked starts at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. It’s streaming live on YouTube (embedded below), and we’ll be live blogging here. Stay tuned. You can still get $30 in Samsung credit when you reserve a Galaxy S26 phone Samsung is on slop watch at Unpacked Samsung is adding Perplexity to Galaxy AI Samsung is slopping AI ads all over its social channels Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup might look familiar. Samsung Galaxy S26 battery pack leak points ...

Spotify’s Smart Reorder treats your playlists like a DJ set

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Spotify's "Mix" feature now has an option called "Smart Reorder" that can automatically sort users' playlists based on beats per minute (BPM) and key, organizing songs for the best flow from one track to the next. It builds on the existing Mix feature in Spotify and, along with transitions between songs, which were introduced in August , users can now effectively have an automated DJ mix their Spotify playlists for them. The "Smart Reorder" option, announced on Wednesday, is available now in the Spotify app for Premium subscribers. To try it out, open a playlist and tap the "Mix" button then "Edit." The "Smart Reorder" button should be at t … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/884399/spotify-mix-smart-reorder-feature

YouTube’s cheaper subscription is getting background play and downloads

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YouTube is adding background playback and offline downloads to YouTube Premium Lite, its $7.99-per-month subscription. With the change, you'll be able to keep YouTube videos going while you use another app on your phone or save videos to watch when you're offline. YouTube Premium Lite came to the US just about a year ago as a more affordable way to watch YouTube with fewer ads, but it lacked background playback and offline downloads. In its blog post, the company said that it had "heard feedback about wanting these additional features included in the service." The features are rolling out beginning Tuesday and will be available everywhere … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/streaming/883316/youtube-premium-lite-background-play-offline-downloads

Anthropic’s Claude Cowork is plugging AI into more boring enterprise stuff

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On Tuesday, Anthropic announced updates to its Claude Cowork platform that allow the AI to help with a wider range of office tasks. Claude Cowork can now connect with several popular office apps, including Google Workspace, Docusign, and WordPress. New pre-built plug-ins can also automate tasks in a range of fields, including HR, design, engineering, and finance. Additionally, according to Anthropic, "Claude can now also handle multi-step tasks end-to-end across Excel and PowerPoint," passing context between the two apps. The update is Anthropic's latest push into AI agents, following the initial launch of Claude Cowork last month. Anthrop … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/883707/anthropic-claude-cowork-updates

The creators of Dark Sky have a new weather app that shares multiple predictions

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Acme Weather is currently only available for iOS. | Image: Acme Weather Corporation After selling their popular weather app to Apple in March 2020 , where some of its core features were incorporated into Apple Weather, the creators of Dark Sky have left Apple to create yet another alternative. Their new app, called Acme Weather , embraces the fact that forecasts will never be entirely accurate by providing both a main prediction of the day's conditions and several alternate predictions. Acme Weather is currently only available for iOS . An Android version is planned, but there's no release timeline yet. You can try it out for two weeks for free, but a $25 annual subscription is needed if you like what you see and want to keep … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/883089/acme-weather-forecast-app-ios-dark-sky-creators-subscription

If Big Tech cared about fighting AI slop, it wouldn’t be drowning us in it

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Progress towards reliable deepfake labelling tech is sluggish, despite all the “help” from AI providers. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images As 2025 drew to a close, Instagram head Adam Mosseri ended the year by doom-posting about AI. "Authenticity is becoming infinitely reproducible," Mosseri lamented . "Everything that made creators matter - the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn't be faked - is now accessible to anyone with the right tools." But people, Mosseri insisted, still wanted "content that feels real." His proposed solution was finding a way to label real media. "Camera manufacturers will cryptographically sign images at capture, creating a chain of custody," he said. The result would be a trustworthy system for determining what's not AI. The g … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/882956/ai-deepfake-detection-labels-c2pa-inst...

How many AIs does it take to read a PDF?

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Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge Last November, the House Oversight Committee had just released 20,000 pages of documents from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, and Luke Igel and some friends were clicking around, trying to follow the threads of conversation through garbled email threads and a PDF viewer that was, frankly, "gross." In the coming months, the Department of Justice would release its own batches of files, more than three million of them - again, all PDFs. This was a problem. While the Department of Justice had run optical character recognition over the text, it was not very good, Igel said, rendering the files more or less unsearchable. "There was no interface … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/882891/ai-pdf-parsing-failure

Samsung is adding Perplexity to Galaxy AI

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I wish I could talk to my Plex server… | Image: Samsung. In addition to summoning Bixby or Gemini , Galaxy S26 users will be able to call on Perplexity by saying " hey, Plex ." The integration of Perplexity into Galaxy AI is just one element of the company's embrace of a "multi-agent ecosystem." Often, people will use different AI agents for different tasks, depending on where their strengths lie. So Samsung is opening up the ability to integrate different agents into the OS. Hey, Plex isn't just some transparent version of the app baked into a Galaxy phone to quickly get answers to questions. Perplexity will have access to Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder, and Calendar, as well as select thi … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/882921/samsung-is-adding-perplexity-to-galaxy-ai

You need to listen to Laurie Spiegel’s masterpiece of early ambient music

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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Laurie Spiegel for the site. As preparation for the interview, I spent a lot of time over the last couple of weeks revisiting Spiegel's records, most notably The Expanding Universe , her 1980 masterpiece that blends synth experimentalism with early examples of what would eventually be called ambient music , and algorithmic composition techniques. It's a marvel that sounds both nostalgic and cutting-edge at the same time. Tracks like "Patchwork" and "A Folk Study" dabble in the sort of bouncy arpeggios that beg comparisons to The Who's "Baba O'Riley," while "Old Wave" and "East River Dawn" conjure ea … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/882915/laurie-spiegel-the-expanding-universe-review-masterpiece-ambient-music

Vibe camera shootout: Camp Snap Pro vs. Flashback One35 V2

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Fun vibes. Okay-ish photos. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge There's been a surge of interest over the last few years in inexpensive digital cameras. Younger folks are snapping up old point-and-shoots because they view the aesthetic as more authentic and more appealing than smartphone images. Companies are even rereleasing old tech at new prices . And there are cameras like the original Camp Snap : a $70 single-button point-and-shoot with no screen, designed as a modern take on a disposable film camera. It's cheap enough to send off with a kid to summer camp and accessible enough for just about anyone to enjoy its lo-fi aesthetic. I've been testing two charming examples of this formula: the $99 Camp S … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/882641/camp-snap-pro-flashback-one35-v2-digicam-camera-comparison-review

Arturia’s FX Collection 6 adds two new effects and a $99 intro version

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Arturia launched a new version of its flagship effects suite, FX Collection, which includes two new plugins, EFX Ambient and Pitch Shifter-910. FX Collection 6 also marks the introduction of an Intro version with a selection of six effects covering the basics for $99. That pales in comparison to the 39 effects in the full FX Collection Pro, but that also costs $499. Pitch Shifter-910 is based on the iconic Eventide H910 Harmonizer from 1974, an early digital pitchshifter and delay with a very unique character. Arturia does an admirable job preserving its glitchy quirks. Pitch Shifter-910 is not a transparent effect that lets you create natu … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/882852/arturia-fx-collection-6

Georgia says Elon Musk’s America PAC violated election law

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Of course, it’s the guy who constantly complains about voter fraud who may have committed voter fraud. | Image: The Verge For all his bluster about voter fraud , Elon Musk has been one of the most flagrant flaunters of US election law. Now his America PAC has been slapped with a reprimand by the Georgia State Election Board for sending out pre-filled absentee ballot applications. State law prohibits anyone, other than an authorized relative, from sending an absentee ballot application prefilled with the elector's information. Residents of Chattooga, Cherokee, Coweta, Floyd, and Whitfield counties reported receiving absentee ballot applications from America PAC, partially pre-filled. According to the State Election Board, the applications also failed to note tha … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/882838/georgia-elon-musk-america-pac-voter-fraud

Anker’s Prime Power Bank can quickly charge three devices, and it’s down to $80

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Juggling multiple chargers for your gadgets while you’re commuting, working from a cafe, or traveling can get heavy (and pricey!) fast, which is why today’s deal on the Anker Prime Power Bank (20K, 200W) is worth checking out. It can quickly charge three devices at once — including laptops — and it’s down to just $79.99 ($60 off) in black at Woot , which is a new low, through February 27th. Anker Prime Power Bank (20K, 200W) Where to Buy: $139.99 $79.99 at Woot Anker says the 20,000mAh power bank is powerful enough to get an iPhone 16 Pro to 30 percent in just 15 minutes or a 16-inch MacBook Pro to 50 percent in about 40 minutes, making it an easy way to quickly top up your devices while on the go. To deliver those speeds, it offers up to 200W of combined output via two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so you can charge everything from earbuds to handheld consoles, e-readers, and more. And when the power pack dies, it supports 100W fast recharging via the USB-C port, allowin...

Mastodon is testing easier ways to get you started in the fediverse

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New users on the decentralized social network Mastodon could soon have an easier time getting started. Mastodon is running " onboarding experiments " to test ways to improve the new user experience, starting with default server recommendations. Now when new users join Mastodon from the mobile app, they may see a button to "join" a recommended server rather than the default "join mastodon.social" button that's currently displayed. Unlike most other social platforms, Mastodon has hundreds of independent servers users can join, catering to different communities and niches. The addition of default server recommendations could potentially help ne … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/881352/mastodon-default-server-recommendations-experiment

Are Elon Musk’s Mars plans finally coming back down to Earth?

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Maybe you've heard, but Elon Musk is apparently a Moon fan now. He has historically been the ultimate cheerleader for human missions to Mars, and as recently as last year, he said his aim was to go straight to the red planet and that the Moon was "a distraction." Now, he has apparently changed his mind, announcing that SpaceX has shifted focus to building a city on the Moon. Within the space science community, this news about the Moon has largely been met with eye rolls, primarily because so many have become jaded toward Musk's overly ambitious plans and wildly unrealistic time scales. "It was hard for me to take those Mars plans seriousl … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/science/880672/spacex-elon-musk-moon-mars-ipo-blue-origin

Google’s AI music maker is coming to the Gemini app

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Let Gemini be your, uh, Bard? | Image: Google Google has given Gemini the ability to spit out AI-generated music, courtesy of DeepMind's latest audio model. Beta access to Lyria 3 is rolling out in the Gemini app, enabling users to generate 30-second tracks based on text, images, and videos, without having to leave the chatbot window. The new music-making tool is available globally starting today in English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, with plans to expand in the future. Access is limited to Gemini app users who are 18 years or older. Lyria 3's text-to-music capabilities allow Gemini app users to make songs by describing specific genres, moods, or … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/880584/google-gemini-ai-music-maker-lyria-3-beta

This backup camera cleaner hides behind your license plate

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The Lens Lizard is installed using your car’s existing license plate screw holes. | Image: Lens Lizard A Vermont-based startup has announced a new upgrade kit that adds a remotely triggered backup camera cleaner to your car. The Lens Lizard system might seem like an unnecessary luxury to some, but if you deal with ice and snow obscuring your backup camera every winter, or live somewhere remote with dirt roads mucking up your ride, the upgrade will save you from having to frequently clean the camera yourself. Its creators are making the Lens Lizard available through a Kickstarter and those who back the crowdfunding campaign can preorder a kit discounted to $99. Full retail pricing is expected to be closer to $149 while shipping will start in … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/877893/lens-lizard-backup-camera-cleaner-aftermarket-wiper-fluid-kickstarter

Ford is fighting against physics to build affordable EVs

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To say that Ford has struggled to make profitable electric vehicles would be an understatement. The company recently pulled the plug on its F-150 Lightning, a truck once heralded as the most important EV ever made, after taking a staggering $19.5 billion hit on its EV investments in 2025. A new focus on hybrids and extended-range EVs, as well as internal-combustion engine vehicles that still bring in the most revenue, are now the new way forward for the iconic 122-year old company. Everything old is new again. But Ford still sees EVs as the future - just not oversize ones with "no path to profitability," like the Lightning, as Andrew Frick … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/transportation/879975/ford-universal-ev-platform-skunkworks-aero-battery-range

Samsung is slopping AI ads all over its social channels

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Even if the AI wasn’t being disclosed, its usage in these videos isn’t exactly subtle. | Image: Samsung / The Verge After cramming AI into every inch of its smartphones, appliances, and other devices, Samsung is now increasingly slapping it across social media. Several videos posted to the company's YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok accounts in recent weeks were made or edited using generative AI tools, including its latest teaser for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. The " Brighten your after hours " video features two people skateboarding at night, and supposedly shows off the low-light video capabilities of the upcoming Galaxy S26 devices. Fine print appears at the bottom of the screen towards the end of the video, flagging that it was "generated with the as … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/879864/samsung-ai-generated-edited-video-ads-slop

Valve’s Steam Deck OLED will be ‘intermittently’ out of stock because of the RAM crisis

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Valve has updated the Steam Deck website to say that the Steam Deck OLED may be out of stock "intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages." The PC gaming handheld has been out of stock in the US and other parts of the world for a few days , and thanks to this update, we now know why. The update comes shortly after Valve delayed the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller from a planned shipping window of early 2026 because of the memory and storage crunch. "We have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around bot … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/games/879845/valve-steam-deck-oled-out-of-stock-memory-storage-ram-crisis

Apple starts testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages on iPhone

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iPhone 17 Pro Apple is starting to test end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messages with the developer beta of iOS 26.4 released Monday. Apple announced plans last year to support the feature, and once fully available, it will let iPhone and Android users send encrypted RCS messages to each other across platforms. However, with this initial implementation, Apple is only testing RCS encryption between Apple devices. It's "not yet testable with other platforms," Apple says. The company also doesn't plan to ship E2EE RCS messages with iOS 26.4; the feature will actually ship publicly in a "future update," Apple says. RCS messages significantly improve the exp … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/879792/apple-iphone-android-rcs-messages-end-to-end-encrypted

Apple’s Podcasts app will let you ‘seamlessly’ switch between audio and video shows

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Apple is upgrading its Podcasts app to let users "seamlessly" swap between audio and video podcasts using its HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology. While listening to a show, users will be able to switch to a horizontal video version of the podcast and download the video versions of a podcast for offline viewing. By giving users the option to quickly change between audio and video, Apple might be able to keep users from jumping to other platforms to watch episodes of their favorite shows. Video is becoming an increasingly popular way to consume podcasts, with YouTube saying last February that more than 1 billion people watch podcasts on the … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/879749/apple-podcasts-video-swap-hls-live-streaming

A Star is born

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Two hours before one of the most important live events in Netflix's history, LA's sprawling CBS Radford Studio Center is abuzz with the strangest combination of things. As I walk through one cavernous soundstage on a Tuesday afternoon, I hear multiple people warming up their voices to sing. I pass a man carefully waving a hair dryer in front of a piano. Outside, a man and a woman, both in scant black leather, walk past with a wave. I'm told they're aerialists. Somewhere in this enormous rehearsal space, there's also a 74-year-old budding standup comedian, an 11-year-old gospel singer, and a dancing border collie. Such is the wondrous, bizar … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/streaming/879129/netflix-star-search-live

OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI

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Sam Altman announced on X that Peter Steinberger, the man behind the trendy AI agent OpenClaw , was joining OpenAI. He said that Steinberger has "a lot of amazing ideas" about getting AI agents to interact with each other, saying "the future is going to be extremely multi-agent." He also said that this ability for agents to work together will "quickly become core to our product offerings." OpenClaw, previously known as Moltbot and Clawdbot, exploded on the scene earlier this year and became the darling of the tech world . Its rise was swift, but not without its bumps along the way. Earlier this month, researchers found over 400 malicious skil … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/879623/openclaw-founder-peter-steinberger-joins-openai

You need to watch the intensely surreal cult classic Possession

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This isn’t one for the squeamish. | Image: Metrograph Pictures Let me just say that I highly recommend you go into Possession blind. Don't watch a trailer. Don't even finish reading this. Go watch it now over on Shudder , Criterion , or Metrograph . It's also available through Kanopy or Hoopla if your library provides access. Then come back so we can talk about it in the comments. Though this probably isn't one for the squeamish. Warning: Spoilers ahead. Possession is the sort of film that, even if you've had the whole plot spoiled for you, can be difficult to follow. After watching it twice, listening to three different podcasts, and reading multiple articles about it, I'm still not 100 percent sure wha … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/879602/cult-classic-possession-1981-review-isabelle-adjani

AI can’t make good video game worlds yet, and it might never be able to

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This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about video game industry's pushback against generative AI, follow Jay Peters . The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started Long before the generative AI explosion, video game developers made games that could generate their own worlds. Think of titles like Minecraft or even the original 1980 Rogue that is the basis for the term "roguelike"; these games and many others create worlds on the fly with certain rules and parameters. Human developers painstakingly work to make s … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/column/879524/ai-video-game-worlds-project-genie

Jikipedia turns Epstein’s emails into an encyclopedia of the his powerful friends

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Lesley Groff, Epstein’s executive assistant. | Image: Jmail The folks behind Jmail are at it again with a clone of Wikipedia that turns the treasure trove of data in Epstein's emails into detailed dossiers on his associates. Entries include known visits to Epstein's properties, possible knowledge of Epstein's crimes, and laws that they might have broken. The reports are dense, listing how many emails they exchanged with Epstein, basic biographical information, and details about how they're connected. Beyond that, there are entries for the properties Epstein owns , detailing how they were acquired and the alleged activities that took place there. There are also entries for his business dealings, incl … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/policy/879508/jikipedia-epstein-email-encyclopedia