Technology news

Facebook is still trying to figure out how to make hit apps outside of its core service.
The social network announced that it's forming a new group called "NPE," which will work on experimental apps "focused on giving people entirely new experiences for building community." 
It's not clear how large the new team is, or how often new apps will be released, but Facebook said in a statement that all of NPE's projects will launch with “NPE Team, from Facebook” branding (NPE stands f

It’s been a year since net neutrality was repealed. Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law and Policy, chats with Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel about what’s happened since by explaining the ripple effect of harmful policy decisions and more.
Below is a lightly edited excerpt of Sohn explaining three things that have happened since repealing net neutrality that clearly demonstrate what the FCC did is terrible for consumers, competi

Ohio congresswoman Joyce Beatty made a really good point on Tuesday: You don't need fat clouds to be radical.
This week, the state of Ohio launched an initiative called My Life, My Quit, which seeks to help teens quit using e-cigarettes and tobacco. Rep. Beatty (or a member of her staff) announced the new program via tweet — and her phrasing was truly some wild stuff. Hey teens! Vaping isn’t fleek or fire 🔥🔥🔥, that’s why the State of Ohio launched #

My 12-inch MacBook was stolen from my car last week, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it smash-and-grab. Materially, the loss shouldn't much matter — no one died, it was insured, it's just a laptop, everything's in the cloud anyway — but emotionally, it was a wrench. Over the last two years, I had grown to love that little rose gold beauty, my 2-pound tote-anywhere workhorse. It was almost as light as my iPad Pro in its case, but charged much faster (thanks, USB C!) and could do so much more.

Video conferencing provider Zoom has pushed out an emergency patch to address the zero-day vulnerability for Mac users that could potentially expose a live webcam feed to an attacker, launching you into a Zoom video chat you’d never intended to launch. The move is a surprise reversal of Zoom’s previous stance, in which the company treated the vulnerability as “low risk” and defended its use of a local web server that incidentally exposed Zoom users to potential attacks.Th

The tiny British Mini Coopers have been around for decades (six to be exact) — but on Tuesday the first all-electric version was revealed. 
The world premiere in Rotterdam in the the Netherlands showed off the electrified Mini that looks like its non-electric predecessors but with a modified grille and no exhaust pipe — since there's no exhaust here with the zero-emission vehicle. This Mini is all battery and electric motor.
The BMW Group's newest car will be available next year

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YouTube is updating the way it handles manual copyright claims with changes that should make them much less of a headache for video creators.
Owners of copyrighted content — like a record label or a movie studio — will now have to say exactly where in a video their copyrighted material appears, which they didn’t have to do in the past when manually reporting infringement. That’ll allow creators to easily verify whether or not a claim is legitimate and to then edit out the

Apex Legends is one week into its second season, which features a drastically changed map, a new character to master, and a pleasantly revamped battle pass with much-needed new rewards. But the most pivotal addition to the battle royale game is its ranked mode. Split into six tiers, this new mode will likely be the lifeblood of Apex Legends going forward, keeping it engaging for competitive players and carving out a community of top-tier streamers and aspiring pros who can form the backbone of a

Etsy announced today that it will begin prioritizing items and shops that offer free shipping, and sellers aren’t thrilled. Starting July 30th, Etsy will give priority placement in US search results for items that ship free and for shops that guarantee US buyers free shipping on orders of $35 or more. An email sent to sellers by the company’s CEO advises them to include the cost of shipping in their retail prices, a change that many sellers on the platform, which primarily focuses on

GitHub is banning code from DeepNude, the app that used AI to create fake nude pictures of women. Motherboard, which first reported on DeepNude last month, confirmed that the Microsoft-owned software development platform won’t allow DeepNude projects. GitHub told Motherboard that the code violated its rules against “sexually obscene content,” and it’s removed multiple repositories, including one that was officially run by DeepNude’s creator.
DeepNude was originally

Friends will always be there for you – just not on Netflix. The beloved comedy series, originally produced by Warner Bros., will head to Warner Media's upcoming streaming service newly named HBO Max.
HBO Max isn't set to launch until 2020, but will host roughly 10,000 hours of content, including HBO's entire catalogue as well as WarnerMedia selections. Shortly after news broke about HBO Max, Netflix responded:The One Where We Have To Say Goodbye.We’re sorry to see Friends go to Warne

Posing in front of a breathtakingly blue body of water is an Instagram classic. This particular pond, though, should probably not be your first choice.
The pond is near the Russian city of Novosibirsk, and it's gaining popularity as an IG destination for users who want to stage a beachy shotAccording to the Moscow Times, it even has a nickname — the "Novosibirsk Maldives" — and a dedicated Instagram account (@maldives_nsk). 
Unfortunately, the Novosibirsk Maldives is not a stand

Turns out, the #IceCreamChallenge isn't all bad.
By now, many of you probably know that a video of a young woman who opened a tub of Blue Bell ice cream in a Texas food store, licked it, and returned the tub to the freezer, went viral. Several people unfortunately recorded themselves copying the prank, and things got so out of hand that some stores added additional security to their frozen food aisles.
But we're pleased to announce that there's another, more wholesome layer to the #IceCreamChall

Facebook is launching a new brand of experimental apps for consumers, developed under the “NPE Team, from Facebook” label. (NPE stands for “new product experimentation.”) The team will be developing new apps for iOS, Android, and the web, with a specific focus on consumer services, which is similar to Microsoft’s Garage group.
In a blog post announcing the new team, the company notes that it “decided to use this separate brand name to help set the appropriate

Ahead of VidCon, Facebook has announced a slew of monetization options for its creators, which include more paid groups, ad placement options, and packs of Stars that viewers can buy and send as tips during live streams. Facebook has been trying to lure video creators away from competitors like YouTube and Patreon with monetization features like Fan Subscriptions, a $4.99-a-month digital tip jar that gets fans exclusive content, which opened up to more creators earlier this year. The features an

There’s HBO Go, HBO Now, and soon, there will be HBO Max. For WarnerMedia and parent company AT&T, the latter is most important, as it will become the subscription video service that they position against Netflix, Hulu, the upcoming Disney+, and a range of other paid video offerings.“Anchored with and inspired by the legacy of HBO’s excellence and award-winning storytelling, the new service will be ‘Maximized’ with an extensive collection of exclusive original p

Wyze is slowly but surely catching up to larger smart security camera makers. Today, the Seattle-based startup has added an integral feature to its product lineup: people detection. Using artificial intelligence software from neighboring company Xnor.ai, Wyze says it’s now capable of identifying people through the video feed of its existing cameras, which will gain the ability through an over-the-air firmware update.Previously, Wyze products couldn’t tell you anything about what was

In June, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that carriers could block robocalls for their customers by default — without requiring the customers opt in first. Now, AT&T is following through on the ruling, enabling its Call Protect service by default for new and existing lines. New customers will automatically have Call Protect enabled going forward, and existing customers will have it enabled “in the coming months.”AT&T’s Call Protect service does three t

Trying to eat clean and incorporate smoothies into your diet sounds great in theory, but lugging out a full-sized blender every single time you want a quick meal replacement or a refreshing treat is not the most efficient way to live.
A personal blender gives you the freedom to make your blended beverage of choice and be on your way with little hassle. The beauty of one of these appliances is that the container you mix your ingredients in is also your drinking cup. Speaking of which, when select

Microsoft is experimenting with prototype Xbox controllers for phones and tablets. The controllers attach to the sides of devices to provide an experience that’s similar to Nintendo’s Switch. “The success of the Switch is testament to the value of mobile gaming with physical controls,” explains a Microsoft Research paper, spotted by Windows Central.
Microsoft has been experimenting with a variety of slide-in grips that can make the attachments far more flexible and less b

TL;DR: The stunning KitchenAid Architect stand mixer is now $229.99 at Macy's, which is $245 off the regular price. That's 51 percent in total savings!Walmart got aspiring bakers in a frenzy with their huge KitchenAid sale on mixers and accessories. But as impressive as it is, you can't look away from Macy's own incredible deal on one of KitchenAid's best and most stylish stand mixers. We'll forgive you if you want to bake cookies every week — just promise that you'll share some with us.&n

Change is in the air at Apple.
The big MacBook refresh this morning is great for anyone shopping for a new Apple laptop. 
The MacBook Air has an improved screen, the supposedly more reliable keyboard first introduced with the new MacBook Pros in May, and now starts at $1,099 (or $999 for students). Meanwhile, the new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro now has faster performance, a Touch Bar (love it or hate it) with T2 security chip for fast data encryption, Touch ID, and improved speakers for

BMW has unveiled the first all-electric Mini Cooper. Coming in early 2020, the car will start at around $35,000 and travel 235 kilometers (146 miles) per charge. Compared to similarly priced EVs on the road now with more than 200 miles of range, like the Kona Electric or the Tesla Model 3, the Mini’s mileage figure looks paltry. It will only look worse next year as more capable electric cars hit the road, and the Mini gets a more realistic EPA mileage rating. It’s a curious thing to

TL;DR: Now through July 16, Prime members who have never subscribed to Amazon Music Unlimited before can pay just 99 cents to try the premium streaming service for four months (normally $7.99/month).Amazon sure is feeling generous lately: Along with an exclusive deal on Audible subscriptions, the retail giant is now giving Prime members the opportunity to try Amazon Music Unlimited for super cheap in this pre-Prime Day week.
Plans typically cost $7.99 a month, but so long as you're a new subscri

In May, Uber launched a new experiment: selling train and bus tickets through its app for its customers in Denver, Colorado. Today, the company reports that it has sold over 1,200 tickets for the city’s Regional Transportation District, which operates Denver’s public transportation system.Uber Transit, the company’s in-app ticketing feature, was made available to a small cohort of customers in May, and it has since become available to 100 percent of Uber users in Denver as of J

Moment is expanding its line of add-on camera lenses beyond smartphones for the first time, with plans to launch an anamorphic lens for DJI drones.
The lens clips on to DJI’s Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic 2 Zoom and works with either drone’s existing camera to capture a wider field of view, complete with cinematic lens flares. A crowdfunding campaign for the lens is launching on Kickstarter today. It sells for $199, with plans to ship in November. Moment says it’ll sell the lens at reta

It brings me absolutely no pleasure to report that ice cream is getting the Tide Pod treatment.
Remember last year when the Tide Pod challenge went viral? So many people ate or pretended to eat the poisonous pods of laundry detergent that eventually stores had to lock the pods up to ensure they were being purchased responsibly.
Welp, after footage of a young woman opening a tub of Blue Bell ice cream in a Texas food store, licking said ice cream, and returning the tub to the freezer recently mad

Alongside the changes made to its MacBook lineup today, Apple has cut the prices of SSD upgrades across much of its Mac lineup. 9to5Mac reports that in the case of the 512GB MacBook Pro, the 4TB storage upgrade has been cut in half from $2,800 to $1,400. Storage upgrades for the MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini have also seen price reductions.Apple made similar cuts earlier this year, according to MacRumors. However, at the time, the biggest reduction was $200 off the 2TB upgrade for the Mac mini

Two weeks from now, Eric Prydz will stand inside a glowing sphere that’s more than two stories tall as he performs to a crowd of thousands. The world-famous DJ is set to debut his latest Eric Prydz In Concert (EPIC) show — a big and ambitious experience that draws tens of thousands of fans and gets the entire dance world talking. Every EPIC is a limited engagement that pushes the limits of how tech and music interact. This year, Prydz is pulling off the most grandiose performance to

Apple simplified its laptop lineup today by discontinuing a few models. The 12-inch MacBook and the pre-2018 MacBook Air are no longer sold through the Apple Store. Now, it’s just the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Simpler, right?On the surface, Apple seems to have made deciding between those two laptop models even easier, too. The MacBook Air’s price has dropped by $100, bringing it down to $1,099 ($999 for students and teachers). At that price, it’s $200 less than the new basel

On Tuesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a previous ruling that President Trump violated the First Amendment rights of Twitter critics when he blocked them.
The new ruling upheld a May 2018 decision that was the result of a lawsuit filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University on behalf of seven plaintiffs that Trump had blocked on Twitter.
Judge Barrington D. Parker wrote in the opinion:The opinion also impressively lays out how Trump and the W

TL;DR: The user-friendly Nest Cam Indoor is on sale at Amazon for $149.10, saving you $49.90.It's difficult to enjoy yourself when you're paranoid about what's going on at home. Is the babysitter following instructions? Do pets (or cowboy dolls) actually have secret lives?
In all seriousness, being able to monitor your house while you're away (or even in a separate room) offers so much peace of mind. If you're not ready for a full-blown alarm security system, the indoor Nest Cam is one of the be

President Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking his critics on Twitter, a federal appeals court ruled today, shutting down the White House’s request to overturn a lower court’s decision.
Several Twitter users who were blocked by @realDonaldTrump, represented by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, filed suit in 2017, arguing that their constitutional right to engage with officials in a public space was being violated.@realDonaldTrump is “an offi