Latest Technology

Amazon is planning to axe around 14,000 corporate jobs. The mass layoffs were expected as part of the company’s cost-cutting drive, but are smaller than the 30,000 job losses previous reports had indicated .   Beth Galetti, a senior executive at the e-commerce giant, broke the news to employees in a message on Tuesday. “The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs,” Galetti said. Galetti did not give an indication of what roles are being cut or where they are located. Most employees will have 90 days to look for a new job internally, she said.  “Some may ask why we’re reducing roles when the company is performing well,” Galetti wrote. “This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling c...

Earlier this month, Lyra Health announced a "clinical-grade" AI chatbot to help users with "challenges" like burnout, sleep disruptions, and stress. There are eighteen mentions of "clinical" in its press release, including "clinically designed," "clinically rigorous," and "clinical training." For most people, myself included, "clinical" suggests "medical." The problem is, it doesn't mean medical. In fact, "clinical-grade" doesn't mean anything at all. "Clinical-grade" is an example of marketing puffery designed to borrow authority from medicine without the strings of accountability or regulation. It sits alongside other buzzy marketing phra … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/PCc4O5V

The OnePlus 15 has a redesigned camera with a rounded square module. After a steady stream of spec teases, OnePlus has launched its new OnePlus 15 flagship in China today. Release plans elsewhere are still unconfirmed, but the company promises that the phone’s global launching will be “soon.” We’ve known what the 15 would look like since September , when OnePlus also confirmed it would be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and have a fast 165Hz refresh rate display — a jump from the 120Hz on last year’s OnePlus 13 , though there are still few games that support those speeds. The large 7,300mAh battery is the other big draw, the latest in a trend for 7,000mAh+ cells in Chinese flagships this year. Those big batteries are often exclusive to China though, and it’s not guaranteed that European and US models will get the same battery life. A triple 50-megapixel rear camera with an upgraded periscope lens, IP69K durability rating, and 120W wired charging round o...

Next month, Samsung will start displaying ads for Samsung-related products and services on its Family Hub refrigerators in the US. Samsung warned us last month that ads were coming to the giant Android tablets embedded in its Family Hub smart fridges. I've been eyeing mine ever since - and the first ones are about to arrive. Starting November 3rd, the $2,000-plus connected fridges will get a new widget that serves up ads, Shane Higby, head of Home Appliance Business at Samsung Electronics America, confirmed to The Verge . The ads will be part of a new widget on some of the smart fridges' "Cover screen themes" (like a tablet or smartphone's home screen). The widget, which Samsung shared with me ahead of today's announcement , has four rotating screens. One showing news, o … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/QI0rnsE

"Sharp Dressed Man," by ZZ Top. Hard on a good day, Medium when my friends were over, Expert once and then never ever again. That was my Guitar Hero sweet spot. And for years, it seemed like everybody had one. The plastic guitar controllers became a staple of living rooms everywhere, and the songs - from big bands, small bands, and bands that didn't even actually exist - became huge hits. Long before TikTok was the most important thing in music, getting your track on a Guitar Hero setlist could change your life forever. For this episode of Version History , we go through the whole history of Guitar Hero. The story begins in arcades in Japan, … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/eDjPKfc

This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the legal morass of AI, follow Adi Robertson . The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started The song was called "Heart on My Sleeve," and if you didn't know better, you might guess you were hearing Drake. If you did know better, you were hearing the starting bell of a new legal and cultural battle: the fight over how AI services should be able to use people's faces and voices, and how platforms should respond. Back in 2023, the AI-generated faux-Drake track "Heart on My Sl … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/jToRbmE

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 103, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, sorry everything's so expensive this week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I've been reading about gooning and Costco and protein bars and the Jonas Brothers , bingeing Nobody Wants This season two, trying to figure out how to save $4,500 for the new Rivian e-bike , telling anyone who will listen that T-Pain's still got it , learning everything I can about the Louvre heist , playing a surprising amount of Fortnite on my iPad, and shopping for Yoto Players after abou … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/gEuXiNG

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement carries out raids across the country, the agency is working rapidly to expand an online surveillance system that could potentially track millions of users on the web. Federal records uncovered by The Lever reveal that ICE is paying $5.7 million to use an AI-powered social media monitoring platform called Zignal Labs, something Will Owen, the communications director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), calls an "assault" on democracy and free speech. The "real-time intelligence" platform is capable of ingesting and analyzing vast amounts of publicly available data, like social media … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Xx8Rd2L

It took me a while to get into Ball x Pit . The new roguelike blends elements from games like Breakout , Vampire Survivors , and even city builders, creating a complex mix of ideas. But as is the case with many roguelikes, once I figured everything out well enough to get a taste of my first win, delving back into the pit for another round was all I could think about. Ball x Pit barely has a story - it's more like a setup. The initial moments of the game show a multi-tiered Gondor-like city called "Ballbylon" being struck by a giant, glowing rock (ball?), and all that remains is a giant pit that "treasure seekers" aim to explore. Then, you're d … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/6SKUGwO

When people sign up for a dating site like Tinder, they don't expect their profiles and personal information to be searchable - especially by a scorned lover, or worse. But that's what popular apps like Cheaterbuster or CheatEye seem to be doing under the guise of being able to "catch cheaters." Last week, 404 Media published a report about apps that apparently use facial recognition technology to trace dating profiles of private citizens as evidence that these partners are unfaithful. Many of these services charge a one-time fee to locate a Tinder profile with just a name or a photo of the person's face. (Some searches can run you $18 a tr … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/kL9Ols3

Snacking giant Mondelez is using generative AI to slash marketing costs and is preparing to release AI-generated TV ads next year, a senior executive told Reuters . Jon Halvorson, Mondelez’s global senior vice president of consumer experience, said the company has spent more than $40 million on an AI video tool that can halve production costs. TV ads made using the tool should be ready to air in time for the 2026 holiday season, he said, and potentially the 2027 Super Bowl.  Mondelez is already using the tool to make social content for Chips Ahoy cookies and Milka chocolate, and will use it to design online product pages for Oreo cookies in November.  Companies are increasingly turning to AI to cut ad spending, though results are mixed. Last year, Coca-Cola’s AI-generated Christmas ads were savaged online as “soulless” and creepy. from The Verge https://ift.tt/oRfG3IW

Trump is demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a gilded grand ballroom. The president says taxpayers won’t be footing the $300 million bill and that private donors, himself included, will pick up the tab.  Big Tech will be paying for a lot of it, if the list of donors released by the White House Thursday is anything to go by (though it does not say how much each contributed). Featured are some of the country’s biggest tech companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Google-owned YouTube has already agreed to pay more than $20 million to the project as part of a controversial settlement to end a lawsuit Trump filed in 2021 and the companies are big donors to Trump’s “nonprofits. ”  Crypto is well represented, too, with donations from Ripple, Tether America, Coinbase, and both Winklevoss twins (Cameron and Tyler feature separately). Defense and telecom giants like Lockheed Martin, Comcast, T-Mobile, and Palantir also appear. f...

Facebook and Instagram are breaching Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) rules related to the handling of illegal content, moderation, and transparency, according to a preliminary decision issued by the European Commission . TikTok and Meta have both also been found to be violating transparency obligations under the DSA.  The Commission says that Meta is imposing “confusing” obstacles for Facebook and Instagram users to flag illegal content and challenge moderation decisions, finding that the platforms “appear to use so-called ‘dark patterns’, or deceptive interface designs” that can hinder the removal of content like child sexual abuse and terrorism materials. Meta and TikTok are also found to have “burdensome procedures and tools” in place that prevent researchers from accessing public data.  Both companies are now facing fines of up to six percent of their annual worldwide revenue, pending an official ruling. The platforms can challenge the EU’s findings or take measure...

The base is the hub of the ADT Plus system. My front door unlocks automatically as I walk up to it, and the home security system disarms itself - no code or app required. The system has recognized me using the Google Nest Doorbell's Familiar Faces, and confirmed I'm me using my phone's location. The dual-factor authentication triggers the automatic disarming and unlocking, so all I have to do is walk inside. This hands-free Auto Unlock experience is powered by ADT Plus , the newest security system from America's oldest security company. It features the usual hardware - a base, sensors, and accessories - but represents a major upgrade from fumbling for keys or racing to silence a beepi … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/VjWhcqP

Less than two days ago, OpenAI came out swinging in the fight for the future of the internet with the release of ChatGPT Atlas , an AI-powered web browser it hopes will topple Google Chrome. Adam Fry, OpenAI’s Atlas leader, says the team is already “heads down making it better” and teased a bunch of new features on the way.  “Profiles coming!” Fry said . Tab groups and an opt-in ad blocker are also on their way in the near future. The features, common to many popular internet browsers, were included on a list of “post-launch fixes” for Atlas that Fry posted on X. Most of these should land “over the coming weeks,” he said, “though some may take a little longer.”  The list includes a series of quality of life upgrades like an overflow bookmarks menu and a list of shortcuts.  Changes are also on the way to the browser’s key AI features. This includes the agent — which is only available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users for now and can take actions for you — and the Ask Chat...

The 15.6-inch Espresso Pro monitor will change your flow. Most gadgets are iterative in the value they bring to our lives. The 15.6-inch Espresso Pro portable monitor is different, having utterly transformed the way I work remotely over the last month of testing. See, I spend a lot of time working from my van, which makes me miss my dual-monitor setup at home - it's hard to adapt to a single 14-inch laptop display after regularly working on a pair of 27-inch monitors. Espresso lets me approximate that setup in tight spaces with a display that's thinner and much lighter than the Mac or Windows laptop it enhances . And it connects over a single USB-C cable. I'm writing this from my van's "office," … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/s7kS95T

Meta is planning to axe around 600 roles within its legacy AI research division, according to a report from Axios . The layoffs will reportedly impact Meta’s Fundamental AI Research unit, also known as FAIR, while the company continues to hire workers for its newly formed superintelligence team, TBD Lab. Meta kicked off an AI hiring spree after investing $14.3 billion in Scale AI and hiring CEO Alexandr Wang in June. It paused hiring just months later and announced a restructuring that will focus on AI-related products and infrastructure. Meanwhile, Meta’s AI research team has taken a backseat , with FAIR leader Joelle Pineau leaving earlier this year. In August, Meta AI’s head Wang said that Meta “will aim to integrate and scale many of the research ideas and projects from FAIR into the larger model runs conducted by TBD Lab.” Now, Meta is reducing roles inside FAIR as it makes high-profile hires for TBD Lab. “By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be requ...

Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective is a fabulous resource for learning more than I ever thought I'd be privy to about Nintendo and Retro Studios' ambitious first-person adventure series. The 210-page hardcover book launches on October 28th, weeks before the series makes its long-awaited return with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the Switch and Switch 2. It's the perfect $50 gift for someone who's pored over video essays about the trilogy's design, and who's always wanted to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the games were made. There's a 35-page free sample available through Nintendo if you want a hi-res taste. Most of the book consist … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Yn2Aamb

YouTube has added a new Shorts feature that makes it easier to manage how much time you’re spending watching videos. Mobile users can now set a customizable daily limit that restricts how long they can scroll Shorts feeds, aiming to help viewers better manage their time instead of endlessly scrolling. When a user reaches their time limit, they will receive a notification saying Shorts has been paused for the day. This notification is dismissible, however, so it’s on the user to honor these self-imposed restrictions. Instagram and TikTok both provide similar optional screen time limits, though TikTok is the only service that expands this to web users. “Shorts are a core part of the YouTube experience,” YouTube said in its announcement. “Setting a scrolling time limit on the Shorts feed allows for this exploration while helping users be more deliberate about their viewing habits and manage their time effectively.” The option to set and adjust custom time limits for Shorts can be fo...

As it rushes to meet its pledge for “100 percent” of trips in electric vehicles by 2030, Uber is offering grants of $4,000 for drivers to swap their gas-guzzlers for zero-tailpipe emission vehicles. The company is also dropping its “Uber Green” branding in favor of the more simple “Uber Electric.” Uber has said it will be completely  carbon neutral in North America and Europe by 2030  and in all global markets by 2040. But when it first announced this pledge in 2020, it said it wouldn’t directly pay drivers to ditch their gas-burning vehicles in favor of EVs. Now, the company is reversing that decision in the hopes that direct payments can help accelerate EV adoption. The reason for the switch is not that surprising. The recent expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit in the US is expected to put a serious dent in EV sales, which will make it harder for Uber drivers to make the switch while also keeping their costs inline. Uber’s new offer is aimed at softening th...

This automatic litter box can monitor multiple cats’ toilet habits using AI-powered cameras. The Litter-Robot 5 Pro is the newest poop-scooping machine from Whisker, makers of the excellent Litter-Robot 4 , and it brings facial recognition for your cats to the self-cleaning litter box line. The company is also introducing an optional subscription service, Whisker Plus , that monitors and tracks your kitty’s bathroom behavior over time to produce “detailed analysis of data trends,” which could help detect changes and spot issues early, according to the company. It will cost you, though: $7.99 a month (or $79.99 a year) for the subscription to Plus and a whopping $899 for the Litter-Robot 5 Pro. It’s outfitted with two night vision-equipped, AI-powered cameras — one to scan your kitty’s visage and the other to watch its waste.  The company also announced two other new models this week, the camera-less Litter-Robot 5 for $799 and a slightly more budget-friendly Litter-Robot E...

Your TV is an Xbox. Your computer is an Xbox. Your phone, your crummy Android tablet, your car's infotainment display, oops all Xboxes. If Microsoft is right about the future of gaming, your game console might soon be an Xbox even if it's not an Xbox. It's an interesting idea, and raises some fascinating questions about the gaming industry. Here's one of those questions: shouldn't an Xbox play Xbox games? Here's another: are they ever going to be any good? On this episode of The Vergecast , The Verge 's Sean Hollister begins the show by telling us about his experience with two new Xboxes: the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. In a sea of Windows-powe … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/jDOqlMJ

Yelp’s Host AI will speak to customers for restaurants. Yelp’s AI-powered solutions promise to answer calls, take reservations, and manage bookings for “understaffed” restaurants. Yelp Host and Yelp Receptionist are part of a broader push from the company and similar platforms embracing AI to streamline customer management “around the clock.”  Host is an AI agent that can answer calls from guests and manage tables, Yelp said. The AI can take reservations over the phone, modify or cancel bookings, provide up-to-date waiting times, and even capture special requests, as well as answer questions about the restaurant, like whether or not it has vegan options or welcomes dogs. It will also be able to send guests links to menus, join waitlists, or place orders for pickup or delivery through an automated follow-up text. Yelp first previewed the Host tool in April. It will be available to restaurants starting from $149 a month, or $99 a month for Yelp Guest Manager customers. New fe...

On August 19th at 7:07PM, Tyler Johnston received a message from his roommate. A man, the text said, was knocking on their door with legal documents to serve. Johnston is the founder and sole employee of The Midas Project: a nonprofit that monitors the practices of "leading AI companies to ensure transparency, privacy, and ethical standards are maintained." The Midas Project is behind The OpenAI Files , a 50-page report about OpenAI's evolution from under-the-radar nonprofit to moneymaking household name. It organized an open letter to OpenAI asking for transparency about its transition to a for-profit company, garnering more than 10,000 sig … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/DHuwynV

Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is having a relatively good year, outpacing its gas brethren in sales for the month of August. The expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit doesn’t mean much to the Mach-E, which is made in Mexico and therefore ineligible for the credit. But with clouds looming on the horizon, Ford wants to keep the momentum going by releasing a new special edition version that harkens back to the pony car’s bygone days. The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT California Special, announced today, is a new spin on a limited edition run of the original Mustang from 1968. The new electric version includes changes to the vehicle’s body, new wheels, new interior graphics, and a new paint color. Ford says it wanted to take a “bold look” at the original California Special Mustangs, with their distinctive red and black color scheme, and figure out how to bring that within the Mach-E design. That translates into trading the red-and-black paint for a new color called Rave Blue, which...

The redesigned Oura app includes new features to help users track and manage their stress levels. Oura is launching a redesigned app with expanded stress-tracking insights as it develops new blood pressure features that could identify signs of hypertension. The updated Oura app will introduce a new Cumulative Stress feature that provides a weekly overview of how the body manages and recovers from sustained stress, drawing from sleep, heart rate, temperature, and activity data. The redesign, Cumulative Stress, and a new stress management dashboard will be available on iOS and Android globally “in the coming weeks,” according to Oura. The company also announced that it’s working with the FDA on a blood pressure study that will be available for US members of its Oura Labs early access platform “in the coming months.” Its aim is to develop a feature that can “identify early signs of hypertension” — a term for abnormally high blood pressure in the blood vessels. Study participants wil...