Technology news

If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em.
That appears to the thinking of Triller, a U.S.-based "social streaming" app, which according to Bloomberg teamed up with an asset management firm in an attempt to buy TikTok for $20 billion. Or, more specifically, to buy parts of TikTok for $20 billion. 
Those parts include TikTok's U.S., Australian, New Zealand, and Indian components — locations where the ByteDance-owned company ran into various legal troubles, faced security concerns, and risks

Not even a pandemic can stop Dave Grohl from doing that thing where he highlights young up-and-coming performers. In fact, Twitter might be the perfect platform for an extended drum battle.
It started on Aug. 17 with a tweet. Nandi Bushell, a 10-year-old drumming phenom whose skills have caught the attention of Lenny Kravitz, admitted that it's her dream "to one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and all the Foo Fighters."
The tweet included a clip of her just straight ripping along to the

On Friday evening, Aug. 29, 2020, the people of Twitter received the devastating news of Chadwick Boseman's death at the too-young age of 43.
The news came in the form of a photo and a statement posted to the Black Panther star's official Twitter account. We learned that he'd been secretly contending with colon cancer for four years, and that he'd been juggling some of the best work of his life alongside ongoing treatment. Obviously, the tweet blew up.
It blew up so big, in fact, that Twitter co

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge French game publisher Ubisoft is apologizing to fans after a video showing the opening sequence for Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad showed images of a raised black fist, which critics said was “insensitive” and appeared to connect the Black Lives Matter movement to a fictional terrorist organization in the game.
The game’s opening sequence shows UMBRA, an anarchist group which the narrator explains is taking “advantage of escalating

When it comes to mistakenly allowing a militia's event page to remain on Facebook, even after concerned users reported it at least 455 times, Mark Zuckerberg wants you to know that the buck stops with his contractors. 
In a Friday video announcement, the Facebook CEO attempted to explain away his company's failure to remove the Kenosha Guard's event page as an "operational mistake" made by third-party reviewers working on behalf of Facebook. Notably, The Verge reports that the event page is

It's hard not to lionize (pantherize?) Chadwick Boseman as we process our grief after his tragic and unexpected death on Friday.
Yes, he was a movie star. But he was more than that. He was also one of those rare celebrities who actually used his platform to do genuine good in the world. This was especially true after Black Panther turned him into a superstar.
Marvel's 2018 hit quickly established itself as a groundbreaking film in cinema. It's a multi-million dollar blockbuster from a major stud

Welcome back to The TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter. It’s broadly based on the daily column that appears on Extra Crunch, but free, and made for your weekend reading. (You can sign up for the newsletter here!)
Ready? Let’s talk money, startups and spicy IPO rumors.
The week’s biggest IPO news had nothing to do with Monday’s S-1 deluge
During Monday’s IPO wave I was surprised to see Asana join the mix. 
After news had broken in June

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Plans for a TikTok sale may have a new obstacle, with China implementing new rules on AI technology exports, The New York Times reported. The new export control rules, which focus on technology the Chinese government considers sensitive, could mean that TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, might need a license before it can sell TikTok to an American company.The updated regulations prohibit exporting technology including text analysis,

It's safe to say OnePlus has been busy launching products like its flagship OnePlus 8 Pro, the budget-friendly OnePlus Nord, and OnePlus Buds over the past few months. But it looks like it's not done yet. The company is also apparently adding a new smartwatch to the list.
First spotted by 91 Mobiles, the company received IMDA certification for a device called a OnePlus Watch, complete with a model number W301GB. Unfortunately, none of the specifications are listed but it's described as a "wearab

Being a teenager isn't easy.
Whether it's the awkward transition from childhood to puberty or the moment you finally leave home and find your own way in the world, adolescence is a messy, emotionally-fraught business.
Which is probably what makes it so appealing to filmmakers. Coming-of-age movies (i.e. any story that charts the passage from youth to adulthood) have been around for decades, from socially awkward comedies like Booksmart to the poignant nostalgia of Boyhood.
In the list below, fro

Slack and its scores of desktop app users just dodged a major bullet. 
The communications tool relied upon by journalists, tech workers, and D&D fans alike disclosed on Friday a "critical" vulnerability — now fixed — that would have let hackers run wild on users' computers. Slack's internal security team didn't even find the bug; rather, it was a third-party security researched who reported it, through the bug bounty platform HackerOne in January.
Notably, the exploit allowe

Ever wonder what it would look like if the Nintendo Wii and GameBoy Color had a baby? Well, now you don't have to. 
A modder known as GingerOfMods made a portable Wii console by packing it into a build similar to that of a GameBoy Color. The entire breakdown can be seen in a YouTube video posted to their channel.In the video, the modder makes it clear this is an actual working console. "Despite its small size, it's a fully fleshed out device with a full feature set, rather than just a novel

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge More than 180,000 people have died because of COVID-19 in the United States. And this week, the agency tasked with fighting the worst pandemic in a century recommended surrender.
Earlier this week, the US Centers for Disease Control updated its COVID-19 advice to recommend fewer people get tested for the virus. The agency’s previous advice urged tests for “all close contacts” of infected people, stressing the importance of contacts being

It’s a mildly annoying problem: when you’re reading the snippet of a news article on Facebook and you click through to read the full article, even if you’re subscribed to the news publication, you hit its paywall and have to manually log in. Facebook says it’s now testing a feature that will help reduce how often you have to log in to news sites, allowing paying news subscribers to link their Facebook accounts to their subscriptions.The goal, according to Facebook, is to

We're all struggling with the Chadwick Boseman news.
What a tragedy to lose someone so young and full of talent. Let alone a performer who inspired so many with his iconic performances as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and – of course – Black Panther. 
Boseman, who died on Friday, leaves behind a rich filmography. In fact, many of his best performances can be found on streaming services you're probably subscribed to already. Here's a rundown of what's out there

Reliance Retail,India’s largest retail chain, has found a much simpler way to expand its dominant position in the country: Acquire most of the second largest bricks-and-mortar retailer.
On Saturday evening (local Indian time), Reliance Retail said it has reached an agreement with Future Group to acquire the latter’s retail and wholesaler business, and its logistics and warehousing business for $3.4 billion. The acquisition will help Reliance Retail command one-third of the bricks-and

The death of acclaimed actor Chadwick Boseman stunned the world on Friday. A statement via Boseman's official Twitter account confirmed the 43-year-old star died after a four year struggle with colon cancer.
Over the years, Boseman took on the roles of a number of iconic figures like Jackie Robinson in 42, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and James Brown in Get On Up. In 2016, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Captain America: Civil War introduced the world to King T'Challa of Wakanda.

Transforming classic video game consoles into on-the-go gadget gaming goodness is practically a time-honored tradition — I remember writing about Bacteria’s bulbous portable Nintendo 64 a decade ago.
But @GingerOfMods new “Wii Boy Color” (via NintendoLife) is so clean, so compact, I just have to share it with you.OK, it’s a little bit thicker than an actual Game Boy Color if you count the rear triggers. But it’s remarkably close — and when have you had a

Illustration by Alex Castro Google took five days to review several ads with misleading information about voting by mail before opting to approve them, The Washington Post reported. The ads were created by Protect My Vote— a group the Post refers to as “shadowy”— and appeared to target people in several US states, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, and Texas, showing up in response to searches for “mail-in voting.” One of the ads reads &ldqu

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The scary thing finally happened: someone caught the coronavirus twice and got sicker the second time around. A 25-year-old man in Nevada got COVID-19 in March, got better in April, and got sick again in May. He had worse symptoms on the second bout, bad enough that he had to be hospitalized.Three other cases of confirmed reinfection were also reported this week: one in Hong Kong (the first documented case) and two in Europe. These don’t necessarily

I moved to LA mid-pandemic and furnished my apartment almost exclusively from Facebook Marketplace, a luxurious garden of budget goods that exploits all my weak points: deals, online shopping, haggling with strangers on the internet.
One of the first things I bought was a table and four chairs that was not cheap, by my standards ($225!), but did look unique compared to the countless IKEA offerings.
When I went to pick it up, however, it was clear this was in fact an IKEA offering — one tha

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge At T-Mobile, you can get a free iPhone 11 Pro if you meet all of the carrier’s qualifications. First off, you have to switch from another carrier and trade in your old device, or if you’re an existing customer, you can get one by adding a line to your plan. For either one, you’ll pay for the phone up front, then T-Mobile will pay you back in billing credits each month over a 24-month period.
It’s worth noting that Apple is like

Update August 29th, 8:15AM ET: At just 3 seconds to liftoff, the Delta IV Heavy aborted the launch, just after the engines initially ignited and then shut off quickly. ULA says “an unexpected condition” prompted the abort. ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno, noted the vehicle is in good shape, but the company will take at least a week to review all the data and try again.
Original Story: In the very early morning hours on Saturday, the United Launch Alliance is set to launch its most powerf

Whether you're in the midst of the oddest school year of your life or you're just getting ready to start, you're going to need a device for your academic activities. Thankfully, Apple and Lenovo both have some solid options for you.
On the Lenovo side, we've got a nifty little hybrid laptop/tablet called the Chromebook Duet. Starting at $279, it comes with both a tablet and a detachable keyboard for any serious work that needs to get done. Staring down the Chromebook Duet is Apple's latest entry

Welcome to 2000s Week! We're exploring the pop culture that shaped us at the turn of the millennium, and examining what the films, shows, and games from the era say about us then and now. It's a little #tbt to the days before #tbt was a thing.We are living in an obscenely good time for horror. 
Over the past decade, scary movies have not only boomed at the box office, but have also evolved into some of the smartest and most culturally significant films of our times. In 2020, we’ve alr

As a new school year begins that’s virtual for many students, parents are juggling an unprecedented number of concerns and challenges. And when it comes to their children’s learning, chief among those worries are that their kids will fall behind academically.
Online learning platforms and software companies are seeking to rise to that challenge, touting claims that kids will stay on track through playing their educational games and activities.
For frazzled parents of early elementary

Face masks are vital to keeping ourselves and our fellow humans safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. They're part of our daily lives now, so it's advantageous to find options that are as protective, breathable, and comfortable as possible.
But for people who wear glasses, finding a good mask is really hard! A face mask that doesn't fit snugly can lead to foggy lenses, making it difficult to see. Ear straps put pressure on your frames, prompting headaches. And (this is our biggest pet peeve) if you

TL;DR Get a charging stand and mouse pad all in one with the Numi™ Power Mat Plus for $49.99, a 16% savings as of Aug. 29. It's easy for your workspace to get cluttered – especially when your workspace is a carved out corner of your kitchen counter, a makeshift setup in your bedroom, or that tiny old desk in your den. Those of us who are lucky enough to work from home are feeling the struggle of keeping our work and everyday life separate these days. Between our lack of a legit

TL;DR: Snag a refurbished Apple Magic Mouse 2 for $79.99, a 19% savings as of Aug. 29. Laptops have been a saving grace for many of us who were lucky enough to be able to switch to remote work setups earlier this year. But they can only do so much, especially when it comes to the trackpad. For many units — including premium laptops — trackpads are mediocre at best. They're either overly-sensitive or lack tactility, not to mention damaging to the wrists and fingers in the long ru

TL;DR: The GOSPACE SuperDrive includes seven ports in one hub and is on sale for just $44.95, a 55% savings as of Aug. 29. Between the Zoom meetings, video conferences, and other virtual events that fill many of our workdays, we rely on our laptops more than ever. Maybe you're not ready to invest in a monitor, but you can make sure your setup is as efficient as possible with the GOSPACE SuperDrive 7-in-1 USB-C Hub, which just happens to be on sale for $44.95. 
This USB-C hub is equippe

TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to the Ultimate Design Assets bundle for $49.99, a 99% savings as of Aug. 29. Any designer or digital artist will tell you that one of the biggest time-sucks when it comes to putting together a project is securing assets that will work well with the finished product. While one can always make assets from scratch, it can often be a hassle, especially when you're in a time crunch. And it's not like subscriptions to stock image repositories and design asset s

Poor WiFi is such a bummer. Whether you’re sick of your binge watching sessions being interrupted with infinite buffering, or your colleagues keep calling you out for your poor Zoom connection (nobody wants screenshots of your face frozen on screen, least of all you), a WiFi booster is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve your internet connection without forking over a ton of cash on more premium priced solutions.
What makes investing in a WiFi booster a great solution fo

Working out never feels right without music or a podcast, especially on the days when it's hard enough to just get out of bed. Make sure you've got a trusty pair of earbuds on your side, without wires, of course, to get you through your sweaty summer workouts and beyond. Here are 10 solid options on sale.
xFyro xS2 Waterproof Wireless Earphones
The xFyro xS2 Waterproof Wireless Earphones are waterproof for the sweatiest of workouts and block out external sounds thanks to their noise-isolating si

Steve Granitz/WireImage Actor Chadwick Boseman has died at 43 after battling colon cancer for four years, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account.“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the statement reads. “It was the honor of his life to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
Boseman worked on a number of films and TV shows over the last two decades, including 42 where he portrayed iconic baseball pl

Actor Chadwick Boseman, perhaps best known for his star performance in Marvel's Black Panther, has died at 43. 
A statement shared on Boseman's official Twitter account Friday night confirmed the star had passed in his Los Angeles home with his wife and family, four years after he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016.
"A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Raine

Well that had to be the oddest job-recruitment pitch ever streamed to YouTube. 
Late Friday afternoon, Elon Musk took the stage to update the world on Neuralink — his effort to link the human brain to computers — and to implore engineers, animal care professionals, and robotics experts to join him. At the heart of the demo was a pig by the name of Gertrude, which he claimed has been linked up to some form of Neuralink for the past two months. 
Repeatedly emphasizing that th

Elon Musk’s brain-machine interface company Neuralink showcased a pig with the company’s device at an event livestreamed on YouTube. One pig, Gertrude, had a device recording signals from an area of the brain linked to her snout. She’d had the implant for two months at the time of the demonstration.As Gertrude’s snout touched things, an array of dots and a series of noises indicated when more neurons were firing. Pigs have large parts of their brains that are devoted to t

Elon Musk -founded Neuralinkhas made headlines over the past many years around it efforts to develop a new kind of interface between the human brain and computing devices. On Friday, the company provided a demo of the technology, and Musk kicked off the demo by saying that the purpose of the entire presentation was recruiting — not fundraising or any other kind of promotion.
“We’re not trying to raise money or do anything else, but the the main purpose is to convince great peop