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Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge Spotify has stopped trying to make users pay for song lyrics. After expanding a test that put the feature behind a Premium paywall , Spotify is now reversing the change. A Spotify spokesperson tells Engadget that the company will be “expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally,” adding that it will be available to all users “over the coming weeks.” Spotify didn’t immediately respond to The Verge ’s request for comment. Spotify didn’t originally charge for its song lyrics feature , which lets you follow along with the words of a song as it plays. But last September, users began noticing that they couldn’t view the lyrics for more than three songs per month without paying for a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/FWAmh64

Image: Audi Audi’s got some new E-tron EV models, and this time around they aren’t SUVs. Instead, we’re getting electric versions of the A6, the automaker’s popular midsized sedan, and it’s coming in both a Sportback and an Avant station wagon style, along with performance S6 variants. Audi first revealed the A6 E-tron as a concept at Auto Shanghai back in 2021, and the production version is looking very close to the source material. The front still has slim headlights with adaptive matrix LEDs (only available outside the US due to regulations) and a front grill with a fish scale-like texture surrounded by a dark mask. And over on the back, the car has digital OLED panels for its rear lights that can be used as a safety communications display. The... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Fa3L5xj

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is making Skype ad-free in an update that will rollout to users across all platforms soon. The update also includes improved AI image creation tools on Skype for Windows and macOS, and the ability to sign in automatically on iOS if you’re already signed into another Microsoft app. “Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered and more enjoyable user experience,” says Skype product manager Irene Namuganyi . The removal of ads in Skype means you’ll no longer see ads in the main chat interface, or in the channels section. Microsoft says it has listened to feedback around ads in Skype, and decided to “focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/c8xwImA

Image: The Verge Perplexity is launching a program to share ad revenue with publishing partners following weeks of plagiarism accusations. Perplexity’s “Publishers’ Program” has recruited its first batch of partners, including prominent names like Time, Der Spiegel, Fortune, Entrepreneur, The Texas Tribune , and Automattic (with WordPress.com participating but not Tumblr). Under this program, when Perplexity features content from these publishers in response to user queries, the publishers will receive a share of the ad revenue. Publishing partners will also get a free one-year subscription to Perplexity’s Enterprise Pro tier and access to Perplexity’s developer tools, plus insights through Scalepost.ai, a new AI startup that helps secure partnerships... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/DgldFEJ

Canva welcomes Leonardo.ai to its design app portfolio. | Image: Leonardo.ai Canva has announced plans to acquire Leonardo.ai, an Australian generative AI content and research startup, as part of its goal to build a “world-class suite of visual AI tools.” While financial terms haven’t been disclosed, the deal will see Canva gain access to Leonardo.ai’s lineup of user-customizable text-to-image and text-to-video generators. In Canva‘s announcement , company co-founder Cameron Adams says Leonardo.ai will “continue to develop its web platform” as a separate product offering, much like the Affinity creative software suite Canva acquired in March . Leonardo.ai’s technology and Phoenix foundation model will also be “rapidly” integrated into Canva’s existing suite of Magic Studio products , such as the Magic Media image... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ziISy8t

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is calling on members of Congress to regulate the use of AI-generated deepfakes to protect against fraud, abuse, and manipulation. Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith is calling for urgent action from policymakers to protect elections and guard seniors from fraud and children from abuse. “While the tech sector and non-profit groups have taken recent steps to address this problem, it has become apparent that our laws will also need to evolve to combat deepfake fraud,” says Smith in a blog post . “One of the most important things the US can do is pass a comprehensive deepfake fraud statute to prevent cybercriminals from using this technology to steal from everyday Americans.” Microsoft wants a “deepfake fraud statute”... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/G0CuWkm

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Apple’s new AI features for the iPhone may not arrive with the initial rollout of iOS 18 and the expected launch of the iPhone 16 in September, according to a report from Bloomberg . Instead, the company reportedly plans on launching Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1 in October as it works to get the rollout right. Apple took the wraps off its first AI features during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, showing off a new and improved Siri , AI-powered image generation , and an integration with ChatGPT . These features may not be available with a new iPhone 16 purchased at launch, but Apple could roll out the update later to new devices in store with its in-the-box updating machine called Presto. While Apple doesn’t usually launch... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gEq1Z6M

Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo by Logitech The new head of Logitech discusses the company’s return to growth and plans to reduce its carbon footprint by half. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/T6l9sHe

When Simone Biles saluted the judges and stepped onto the mat to vault at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, it seemed like every camera in the packed arena was trained on her. People in the audience pulled their smartphones to record. The photographers zoomed in from their media perches. One TV camera tracked her run on a high-speed dolly, all the way down the runway, as she hurdled into a roundoff onto the springboard. The spider cam, swinging above, caught the upward trajectory of her body as she turned towards the table and blocked up and off, twisting one and a half times before landing on the blue mat and raising her arms above her head. The apex of human athleticism and kinesthetic beauty had been captured. But there were other... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/UxQ2q4g

The smaller sibling to UE’s Epicboom offers plenty of punch for its size. But it’s a little thin on features to justify $250. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9vqz42Y

Did I mention it’s only $56?! It doesn’t do anything other than track steps, but that’s all I want it to do. And at this price? I ain’t complaining. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3wTLFR9

Image: Apple The end of the world just got a little closer. Apple confirmed that the much-anticipated second season of its postapocalyptic series Silo will start streaming on November 15th. Silo premiered last May and was renewed before the first season finished. Apple first teased season 2, alongside the return of Severance , at WWDC 2024 . ( Severance’ s second season will start streaming in January .) Based on the trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Silo is set in the distant future and follows the remains of humanity, who live in giant underground bunkers — the titular silos — to avoid the deadly world outside. The season 1 finale ended with a big twist that made it clear there’s a lot more going on than the show initially lets on. It also only covers... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/1xidORz

Image: Hulu It only takes a few minutes before Futurama ’s new season starts explaining non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, a concept most people probably haven’t thought about for more than a year. Despite being set in the far future, Futurama has always been comfortable commenting on modern life. There have been episodes about smartphones and 3D printers that use sci-fi nonsense to complicate the concepts in a way that makes them funny. That has largely continued to be true over many years (and cancellations). But in its Hulu revival last year, the show really started to mess up the balance, and its topical jokes began to overshadow the sci-fi gags. The upcoming 12th season struggles even more to find a Futurama -style twist on absurd... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9LjU7uR

The Western-style “N Edition,” which is inspired by the original NES controller, is on sale at Woot through July 30th. | Image: 8BitDo With all the excitement over the 2024 Olympics, it’s easy to forget that this weekend is the last weekend of July. Yet, as August approaches, so does back-to-school season. We’ve pulled together a list of gadgets and goods fit for the occasion, but if you need another suggestion, 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard is down to an all-time low at Woot. Now through July 30th, you can buy the “N Edition” model for $69.99 ($30 off) or the Famicom-inspired “Fami Edition” for $59.99 ($40 off) , both of which come with a 90-day Woot warranty. No matter which you choose, both tenkeyless mechanical keyboards can spruce up any home office or add a bit of fun to long study sessions. The Western-style “N Edition” is inspired by the original NES... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ipGcrWa

Peacock’s Multiview is a way to see all the best stuff at the Olympics all at once. | Image: Peacock For once, the answer for how to stream sports is simple: if you want to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics , you need only open up Peacock. This is the third time the Peacock team has streamed the Olympics, but it’s the company’s biggest undertaking yet: 5,000 hours of content over two weeks across 39 sports, all of it streaming live. Every day, from morning until midafternoon, there will be live sports; in the evening, NBC will air its prime-time show with all the best action from the day. “This is the most content we’ve ever had on the platform,” says John Jelley, NBCUniversal’s SVP of product and user experience. His team’s goal is to help you make sense of all of it. (Disclosure: Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also an investor in... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/fzRdIyT

The Nest Hello video doorbell can now be fully migrated to the Google Home app from the Nest app. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Google announced this week that it’s rolling out support for its Nest Hello doorbell in the Google Home app . This allows you to transfer Google’s original video doorbell camera — aka, the Nest Doorbell (wired, 1st gen) — from the Nest app to Google’s Home app. Google is also bringing its garage door detection feature out of Public Preview , making it available to all users with compatible hardware. This uses a Nest Cam to alert you when your garage door is left open. Garage door detection launched last fall in Google’s Public Preview — a public beta where users can try out upcoming features — but is now available to all Nest Aware subscribers in the US and Canada. ( Nest Aware starts at $8 a month / $80 a year.) The feature works with... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3kTUsml

Image: The Verge Valve has introduced some changes to Steam that should make it easier to find and install playable game demos. In a new events blog post , Steam said the “Great Steam Demo Update” was based on developer and player feedback, with new functionality that makes demos behave more like standalone games hosted on the platform. For one, demos can now have a store page that’s completely separate from the main game, allowing developers to display demo-specific content like trailers, screenshots, and supported features. These pages will also display buttons to both install the demo and visit the main game’s store page, and allow players to leave demo-specific reviews. And if a demo becomes available for a game that users have on their wishlists, or... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/cF8IbTy

Image: Team FOLON It’ll be some time before Bethesda releases a new Fallout game, but in the meantime, some enterprising fans have taken it upon themselves to release a big expansion for Fallout 4 . The long-in-development mod Fallout: London is available now to download for free via GOG and is also compatible with the Steam version of Fallout 4 . There is a catch, however: you need to be using the version of the game before the recent next-gen update . (A next-gen compatible version is also in the works, though it doesn’t have a date yet.) In development since 2019, the London mod introduces a new location and story to the postapocalyptic world, complete with fully voiced characters and 200 different quests. There’s an estimated 90 hours of gameplay... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/BPOh2YD

It’s not so much a standalone health tracker or a smartwatch alternative as an accessory for your Galaxy Watch. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/RilD5rm

Image: Abigail Bassett When you think of the Cannonball Run, you probably think of a group of people making the trip from New York’s Red Ball Garage to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach in the shortest (and usually most dangerous) amount of time. Police encounters, lack of sleep, zero rest stops, a spare fuel tank or two, and gallons of energy drinks are usually what fuels these attempts to make the roughly 3,000-mile route in record time. But something was lacking in the most recent successful attempt: conventional gasoline. That’s because speed wasn’t the aim of the three friends who built and drove a solar-powered car across the country in a record-setting 13 days, 15 hours, and 19 minutes. While that’s more than 300 hours longer than the 25-hour... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/d1v3BQs

The first true Steam Deck competitor has arrived. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/loiuNKU

In addition to iOS and Android mobile devices, the GameSir G8 Plus works with the Nintendo Switch. | Image: GameSir GameSir’s latest mobile controller has an added bonus — it also works with the Nintendo Switch. In addition to turning iOS and Android smartphones into handheld consoles not dependent on finicky touchscreen controls, the new GameSir G8 Plus can replace the Switch’s Joy-Cons with more ergonomic alternatives that will never succumb to joystick drift . Unlike many clamp-on gaming controllers for mobile devices that physically connect through a USB-C or Lightning port, the GameSir G8 Plus uses Bluetooth. That’s what allows it to connect to smartphones, tablets, the Switch, and even PCs without requiring users to pick a version with a specific connector. The tradeoff is that the gamepad relies on a pair of 500mAh rechargeable batteries. That... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/lByR6hn

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Twitch has introduced new policy and moderation updates that aim to help curb sexual harassment. The streaming platform announced in a blog post that it has made its sexual harassment policy “easier to understand” by more clearly outlining prohibited conduct. Twitch’s moderation tools will now also allow streamers to more easily filter out inappropriate chat messages. Twitch says the policy itself is “largely unchanged,” but now better defines what the Amazon-owned company considers sexual harassment — including “non-physical behaviors of a sexual nature” that would make users feel degraded, uncomfortable, or generally unwelcome on the platform. “We prohibit unwanted comments — including comments made using emojis/emotes — regarding... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/iQt52vb

Image: The Verge CrowdStrike has published a post incident review (PIR) of the buggy update it published that took down 8.5 million Windows machines last week. The detailed post blames a bug in test software for not properly validating the content update that was pushed out to millions of machines on Friday. CrowdStrike is promising to more thoroughly test its content updates, improve its error handling, and implement a staggered deployment to avoid a repeat of this disaster. CrowdStrike’s Falcon software is used by businesses around the world to help manage against malware and security breaches on millions of Windows machines. On Friday, CrowdStrike issued a content configuration update for its software that was supposed to “gather telemetry on possible... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/crJ3GZ8

The new Motorola Razr Plus features an even bigger and more delightful cover screen. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge Many smartphones are impressive, but few stand out like the Motorola Razr Plus . Arriving in bright, poolside colors like hot pink, green, and blue, the new flip phone is as much fun to use as it is to admire, and is currently on sale. Priced at $999.99, you can preorder an unlocked Razr Plus with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $899.99 ($100 off) from Amazon and Best Buy ahead of its release date of July 24th. As T he Verge’s smartphone reviewer Allison Johnson wrote in her review, few phones are as delightful as the Razr Plus. That’s largely because of its upgraded cover screen, which now measures four inches — much bigger than its predecessor and the 3.4-inch external screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 — and is even more... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/z7F5Adx

Image: Amazon Amazon’s Prime Video is fixing one of the most frustrating things about its interface. Its redesigned UI comes with a new tab dedicated to all the content included with your Prime Video subscription — no paid movies or series mixed in. You’ll find the new “Prime” tab in the main navigation bar that’s now situated at the top of the screen, rather than on the left side. Alongside options for movies, TV shows, sports, and live TV, there are tabs dedicated to other services you’re subscribed to, such as Max, Crunchyroll, and Paramount Plus. If you don’t have any services linked to Prime, you’ll see a “subscriptions” tab with other services you can sign up for. GIF: Amazon The redesign, which has started to roll out now,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/royjczY

The Roomba Combo 10 Max is the company’s first robot vacuum with a charging dock that can wash the bot’s mop as well as empty its bin and refill its mopping tank. | Imge: iRobot The Roomba Combo 10 Max is a new robot vacuum and mop from iRobot that can wash its mop, empty its bin, and refill its mopping tank — meaning less manual labor on your part. The company’s new flagship robot vacuum will also be its first to support the smart home standard Matter . The vacuum is available for preorder starting today at irobot.com for $1,399.99, and in the UK for £1,499 and Europe for €1,499 . Shipping starts in August, when it will also come to other retailers. Building on the Roomba Combo j9 Plus’ retractable mopping system that picks itself up when it vacuums carpet, the Roomba Combo 10 Max robot and Auto Wash Dock is the company’s first robot vac with a fully multifunction charging dock. In addition to emptying the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Bz

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Reddit has struck deals with major sports leagues , including the NFL, NBA, and the MLB, as the company looks to boost revenue following its move to go public . Through the program, Reddit will show more game highlights, behind-the-scenes videos, and ask-me-anything (AMA) sessions with players. In exchange, advertisers on Reddit, such as Samsung, Ford, Volkswagen, and FanDuel, can show ads alongside video content posted by the leagues. Reddit will then share the revenue it gets from advertisers with the participating sports leagues, according to The Information . In the example shown below, Reddit shows an ad just before a highlight from a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. GIF: Reddit You... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Yw34Wzl

Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: Rivian Rivian’s founder on the R2 and R3 roadmap, the company’s $5 billion VW deal, and his thoughts on the Tesla Model Y.  Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/mHIYq2k

Apple’s illustrious original programming may face tighter budgets. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple is known to spend billions of dollars on its Hollywood projects, but that could be set to change following production losses across the wider streaming industry. According to Bloomberg , Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, is pushing studio chiefs Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht to oversee project budgets more closely in a bid to make its Apple TV Plus streaming business more sustainable. Apple invests heavily in individual projects compared to larger streaming companies like Netflix, having spent over $500 million on movies from directors Martin Scorsese ( Killers of the Flower Moon ), Ridley Scott ( Napoleon ), and Matthew Vaughn ( Argylle ). While its original projects get plenty of attention during award seasons, B... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Z0dN2vb

Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images Within 30 minutes of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Elon Musk did what he had previously promised not to do . “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” the billionaire posted on X. So much for that vow to stay on the sidelines. But it didn’t stop there. Days later, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk planned on donating vast sums of his own wealth to a super PAC supporting Trump, possibly upwards of $45 million a month. (Musk later disputed the report, calling it “FAKE GNUS.”) Whether he plans on flooding the election with cash or not, Musk’s MAGA awakening is probably pretty befuddling for his fan base. After all, Musk has staked his legacy on shifting the world to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/eLiYjE5

The Suunto Sonic (left) and Wing give Shokz some real competition. Usually, I’m all about the bass for workout headphones, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Suunto Sonic and Wing. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/c80Cg5k

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 46, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you like silly gadgets, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I’ve been writing about Apple betas and AR gadgets , reading about Donald Glover and the scourge of meetings and what it takes to feed the Olympics , admiring Christian Selig’s keyboard layout , watching Hard Knocks and The Beekeeper , and trying (and failing) to perfect my blueberry muffin recipe. I also have for you a couple of great iOS apps that are finally available on Android, a new way to play some classic Nintendo games, an expensive new camera, and stuff to watch this weekend both at home and in... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Yot20Lu

Image: The Verge Microsoft has released a recovery tool that’s designed to help IT admins repair Windows machines that were impacted by CrowdStrike’s faulty update that crashed 8.5 million Windows devices on Friday. The tool creates a bootable USB drive that IT admins can use to help quickly recover impacted machines. While CrowdStrike has issued an update to fix its software that led to millions of Blue Screen of Death errors, not all machines are able to automatically receive that fix. Some IT admins have reported rebooting PCs multiple times will get the necessary update, but for others the only route is having to manually boot into Safe Mode and deleting the problematic CrowdStrike update file. Microsoft’s recovery tool now makes this recovery... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/x3MvU7o

A worker sealing drums of uranium yellowcake at a mine in 2006. | Photo: Getty Images Next-generation nuclear reactors are heating up a debate over whether their fuel could be used to make bombs, jeopardizing efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Uranium in the fuel could theoretically be used to develop a nuclear weapon. Older reactors use such low concentrations that they don’t really pose a weapons proliferation threat. But advanced reactors would use higher concentrations, making them a potential target of terrorist groups or other countries wanting to take the fuel to develop their own nuclear weapons, some experts warn. They argue that the US hasn’t prepared enough to hedge against that worst-case scenario and are calling on Congress and the Department of Energy to assess potential security risks... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/CSNwavM

The DC-1 is very much an outdoor tablet in a world filled with indoor tablets. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge So far, this thing doesn’t seem like a very impressive tablet. But Daylight is more a display company than a tablet company — and the display is pretty great. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9nXz2J3

Image: Happiest Baby The Snoo, a very expensive but widely regarded smart bassinet, now has some of the best features of its app locked behind a new $19.99 monthly premium subscription. The change, which went into effect this week , has infuriated many Snoo owners, as the subscription puts some previously free features that new parents rely on behind a pricey paywall. A bunch of threads in the Snoo subreddit have exploded with complaints since the plan was announced last month. “Wild choice,” wrote one user . “It’s actually disgusting to take advantage of parents who are just trying to get their kids to sleep and already paying a large sum for the pleasure of something that a) may not work, b) can only be used for a short period before becoming useless, c)... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Q8xi4Py

Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images Thousands of flights were temporarily grounded Friday after a major global IT outage caused airline computers to become inoperable. Some flights were resuming Friday morning, but airlines were warning customers of delays and disruptions throughout the day. The outage apparently stemmed from a software update issued by major US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike , which is widely used by businesses for managing security on Windows PCs — including by most major airlines. Long lines were being reported at dozens of airports, including Hong Kong, Berlin, Amsterdam, Denver, and Manchester, according to the New York Times . Departure areas were filling up with distressed travelers as check-out computers were offline. A TikTok from Atlanta’s... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/5DhvX4U

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung has temporarily stopped shipping its new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to retailers following complaints about quality control. Early customers who received the wireless earbuds ahead of their wider July 24th release reported that the ear tips were fragile and prone to breaking when removed. The pause was confirmed in a statement to Android Authority , in which Samsung said it had “temporarily suspended deliveries of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices to distribution channels” to conduct quality control assessments before the product is delivered to customers. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the company said, directing customers who had already received the earbuds to contact Samsung support or visit their nearest... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/7m4NcpT

Google is cracking down on functionally useless Android apps. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is raising its minimum quality requirements for Android apps, and will soon remove those that don’t meet expectations from the Play Store. According to the company’s latest spam policy update , apps that demonstrate “limited functionality and content” — such as text only apps, single wallpaper apps, or those that are literally designed to do nothing at all — will no longer be permitted on the Play Store effective August 31st. These join existing restrictions that barred broken apps that are not responsive, don’t install, crash, or otherwise function abnormally. Google says it’s added the additional requirements to “ensure apps can meet the uplifted standards for the Play catalog and engage users through quality functionality.” G... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/dvjlcM0

Illustration: The Verge If you ever used Google’s URL shortening service goo.gl before it was shut down in 2019, be warned — those links will stop working on August 25th, 2025. Google announced in a blog post that “the time has come to turn off the serving portion of Google URL Shortener,” and that any links in the https://goo.gl/* format will respond with a 404 error next year. Ahead of the shutdown, goo.gl links will start showing an interstitial page on August 23rd, 2024, notifying users that “this link will no longer work in the near future.” This message will initially appear for a “percentage of existing links’’ which will increase as the deadline draws closer. Google is encouraging developers to update impacted links as soon as possible, however, as this... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/raDgjo7

Image: Voicemod Popular voice changing software Voicemod is finally going to work with game consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. While Voicemod has been available as an app on Windows PCs for more than five years, platform limitations have forced Voicemod to create dedicated hardware to bring its popular voice changer and soundboard to game consoles. Voicemod Key is a tiny USB-C dongle that turns your regular gaming headset and mobile phone into a voice changer and soundboard for game consoles, phones, and tablets. “The original idea was from the community, we found it on YouTube,” explains Voicemod chief operating officer Jochen Doppelhammer in an interview with The Verge . Voicemod can’t build an app for Xbox or PlayStation, so... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3jmwqZ5

Image: Kepler Interactive It has some clever ideas but struggles with a lack of polish and repetitive gameplay. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/rRPHAgu

Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon’s annual sales might be entering its final day, but there are still plenty of earbuds, TVs, robot vacuums, and other gems to go around. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/vp82jUh

AI definitely nailed the right surly energy for this orange cat. The pirate ship in Elliott Bay was one thing, but it was a little blurry bee that sent me over the edge. Samsung would very much like us (and its shareholders) to know that its new phones are the AI-est phones that ever AI-ed , and the Fold 6 that I’m testing comes with a new tool called “sketch to image.” Draw a rough sketch on a photo or an empty note page, and it will use generative AI to turn that thing into an image. I shrugged it off as just another AI thing when Samsung announced it onstage at Unpacked — but y’all, it’s really good. So good that it worries me a little. Using the sketch to image tool in a note is pretty harmless: you draw something, highlight it, and choose from a handful of styles like “3D cartoon” and... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/KCMagUE

It’s not immediately clear what Tinder’s Photo Selector feature looks for in a “good” selfi. | Image: Tinder Tinder is releasing an AI-powered feature that supposedly makes it easier for users to select better photos for their dating profiles. The dating app says its new Photo Selector tool aims to “take out the guesswork” when picking your most flattering photos by curating a diverse selection that’s “optimized to help users find a match.” To use Photo Selector, users will need to take a selfie within Tinder and allow the app to access their device’s camera roll. Tinder’s new AI feature will then use facial recognition to collate a selection of images for the user to review and add to their profiles. The curation is processed on-device and doesn’t upload the user’s camera roll to Tinder’s systems. We have asked Tinder to clarify the criteria... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/WANbDcH

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge I don’t know how people wear headphones in the summer heat. I’m strictly in earbuds mode when the temperatures climb this high. But no matter your preference, Amazon Prime Day is a great opportunity to upgrade your aging gear (and declining battery life) with the latest and greatest from Bose, Samsung, Sony, and plenty of other brands. For Prime Day 2024, expect plenty of deals that’ll have you considering an impulse purchase. Many of our favorite earbud and headphone picks are on sale at some of their lowest prices yet during the two-day event. Some products (like Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Max) are due for a refresh in the coming months, but there’s nothing wrong with picking up the current version — especially at some of these... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/XSpgJFn

Image: Apple For years, I’ve kept a pretty spare iOS homescreen. Two or three rows of icons on the top of the screen, sometimes arranged in such a way that the app icon colors complement each other, and three apps in the dock. Because of Apple’s resistance to letting its users muck with the homescreen’s look and feel, I haven’t been able to make things quite as simple as I would like. I’ve looked at more customizable Android homescreens with jealousy. I’ve had an iPhone since the day the first one came out, and while Apple’s smartphones have since become wildly more powerful, capable, and larger, the company has forced me to organize my apps starting from the top of the screen for 17 years. Sure, my homescreen usually looked nice. But I’ve wanted... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/V4d6DHt

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Uber rolled out a new update that lets users search average fares and wait times for planned trips in other cities. The company said it wants to give people who are planning trips or vacations more visibility into how much it will cost to book Uber rides when they get there. The update will give people access to fare and wait time details in approximately 10,000 cities globally, Uber says. The change rolls out starting on Tuesday, July 16th. To find these insights, you select the “destination” box in the “plan your trip” tab and scroll down to “search in a different city.” There, it will autofill some popular choices or allow you to type in your own destination. With the Summer Olympics set to begin later this month,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/OfvdPQj

Illustration: The Verge You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a robot clean your floors. Here’s our pick of the most cost-effective bots you can buy right now. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/4niwk6D

Image: Apple Apple just launched a version of its HomePod mini smart speaker in a new “midnight” color. The new dark color looks very similar to the original space gray that the mini launched in, but the new naming brings it in line with the midnight HomePod 2nd gen that was released early last year. It goes up for sale on July 17th in the US (still for $99) and 31 other countries. The HomePod mini only launched with two colors — space gray and white — initially, but Apple later added yellow, orange, and blue. Apple says the new mini’s mesh is made with 100 percent recycled mesh. Until now, the smart speaker has used 90 percent recycled material. Image: Apple The midnight HomePod mini is black, but a different black than... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3c9o5dm

Image: Netflix The first animated take on Terminator is looking pretty slick in its debut teaser trailer. Netflix just released the first proper look at Terminator Zero , which is helmed by anime powerhouse Production I.G and starts streaming on August 29th. The show follows a resistance fighter sent to the distant past of 1997, where she’s tasked with protecting a scientist who is developing an AI that can compete with Skynet, which would potentially be good news for humanity. It’s hard to get much of a sense of the story from the teaser, but Zero looks very intense, with lots of explosions and robotic skulls. The voice cast includes André Holland, Rosario Dawson, Ann Dowd, and Sonoya Mizuno, along with Timothy Olyphant as the Terminator. The show is... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/T3JL5zm

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images When the Department of Justice released its more than 70-page lawsuit against Apple , its narrative read more like a docu-drama than a stodgy legal document . It dropped the reader right into a 2010 exchange between an Apple executive and then-CEO Steve Jobs, who were just beginning to recognize how easy it was for customers to switch to their rivals’ products — unless they did something to stop it. This kind of writing, sometimes called a speaking complaint, is a far cry from the rote retelling you often find in lawsuits. That’s not a surprise once you know that Hetal Doshi, lead of the nascent litigation program within the Antitrust Division, sees her job, in part, as that of a storyteller. “Storytelling matters a lot in litigation,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/wfxasHK