Technology news

Image: Mob Entertainment The horror puzzle game Poppy Playtime is getting a live-action film adaption. Developer Mob Entertainment says it struck a deal with the entertainment company Legendary after fielding “several competitive offers.” Transformers producer Don Murphy and filmmaker Susan Montford will develop and produce the adaptation.
Poppy Playtime is a first-person adventure game, where players take on the role of a former toy factory worker who returns to their now-abandoned

It's official: All three major video game consoles are now getting rid of their integrations with Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.On Wednesday, Nintendo became the last of the big gaming companies to announce that gamers would no longer be able to post directly to X via the Nintendo Switch gaming console. Other X-related functions would be dropped as well.Tweet may have been deleted"As of June 10, 2024, it will no longer be possible to post screenshots and videos t

Image: Apple Apple has apologized after a commercial meant to showcase its brand new iPad Pro drew widespread criticism among the creative community. In a statement provided to Ad Age, Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing, said the company “missed the mark.”
“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Myhren told Ad Age. “Our goal is to always celebrate

If one was to just listen to Elon Musk, they might think the first Neuralink implant in a human was a flawless achievement."Successful 100 days with first human implant of @Neuralink," Musk posted to his social media platform X on Wednesday.It is fair to call Neuralink's first human implant a success – certainly more successful than some of the test animals that Neuralink had implanted the device in – as it helped a quadriplegic patient interact with his surroundings in ways that he

OpenAI is open to allowing NSFW responses generated by ChatGPT and its API, but porn is a hard no. On Wednesday, the company published a Model Spec, a document that pulls the veil back a little bit on how the models are trained to respond to various prompts. In the Spec, OpenAI shared rules for how ChatGPT and the API are directed to respond, including prompts for breaking the law, questions about chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats, and yes, prompts for explicit conten

Image: Albacore (X) Microsoft has quietly started testing an intriguing change to the Windows 11 Start menu that could introduce a floating panel full of “companion” widgets. Windows watcher Albacore discovered the new Start menu feature in the latest test versions of Windows 11 that Microsoft has released publicly.
While Microsoft has not yet announced this feature, the “Start menu Companions” appear to be a way to allow developers to extend the Windows 11 Start menu wit

“The next ROG Ally.” | Image: Asus The Asus ROG Ally was the first true Steam Deck challenger; while I’d argue it fell a little short, it legitimately improved the state of affordable Windows handheld gaming with its plugged-in performance boosts and smooth variable refresh rate screen. Now, Asus is beginning to reveal its successor: the ROG Ally X.Don’t call it an Ally 2: when it ships in the second half of the year, the Windows-based Ally X will have the same AMD Z1 Ext

UPDATE: May. 9, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EDT Check out the latest Apple deals from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and more.Best Apple deals this week:Best MacBook deal2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)$1,199 at Amazon(Save $100)Get DealBest iPad dealiPad mini (WiFi, 64GB)$399.99 at Amazon(Save $99.01)Get DealBest iPhone dealiPhone 15 at Verizon$0 on a new line with select unlimited plans (Save $829.99)Get DealBest Apple Watch dealApple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS)$229 at Walmart and Amazon(Save

There's a new iPad Pro and it might be more powerful than the most powerful MacBook Pro.At least, that's what Geekbench says. According to the popular benchmarking software's website (as spotted by MSPowerUser) the new iPad Pro's single and multi-core scores are 22 and 25 percent faster than the 2023 MacBook Pro. It should be noted that the new iPad starts at $999, while the MacBook is a full $1,000 more than that.SEE ALSO:What's missing: 6 features the new iPad Pro 2024 doesn't have
Of course,

Photo: Fanatec Corsair is pursuing an acquisition of the racing sim brand Fanatec. In an update shared on Thursday, Corsair says it’s negotiating with Fanatec to restructure the troubled company’s around €70 million (about $75.4 million) debt and cover short-term costs.
Over the years, Fanatec has established itself as one of the most popular brands for racing sim hardware. It offers a premium lineup of racing wheels, pedals, shifters, and more, which virtual racing enthusiasts

TikTok is taking another stab at curbing the rise of AI-generated misinformation taking over social media platforms, as it announces a new way its watermarking (or labelling) AI.The platform announced today that it is joining the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative and the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), a nonprofit-backed project to align tech and social media companies on best practices for what is known as "content provenance," or the "basic, trustworthy facts

“Buy our iPad or the piano gets it!” | Screenshot: Apple I wonder if Apple CEO Tim Cook was surprised by the visceral revulsion many people felt after viewing the newest commercial for Apple’s iPad. In it, a plethora of creative tools are flattened by an industrial press. Watching a piano, which if maintained can last for something like 50 years, squished to advertise a gadget, designed to be obsolete in less than 10, is infuriating. The backlash was immediate.
The message many

Image: Lucid It’s earnings season, and anyone invested in the idea that electric vehicles are the future of transportation is all over Tesla. But Elon Musk’s company isn’t the only one putting all its bets on battery-electric vehicles. Three other so-called “pure EV plays” — Rivian, Lucid Motors, and Fisker — also posted their earnings this week. And sifting through the numbers reveals some worrisome trends.
For years, it was assumed that Tesla as well a

Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max are teaming up for a new bundle this summer, Netflix is focused on the WWE and celebrity boxing, Disney Plus is getting ESPN, and Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Max could get a price hike. A familiar refrain emerged around all this news: streaming is becoming cable TV all over again and getting crummier in the process.
And it's true! When streaming first emerged, it was a beautiful alternative to piracy, which was very convenient and very illegal, and cable

Happy (almost) summer! Let's celebrate by looking ahead to the oodles of television coming in the next few months.The summer of 2024 is already shaping up to be a busy time for TV lovers, with the return of heavy-hitters like House of the Dragon, The Bear, Bridgerton, and The Boys. Elsewhere, upcoming Star Wars show The Acolyte will transport us to the High Republic, The Umbrella Academy prepares to take its final bow, and Interview with the Vampire goes all in on gothic goodness.But there are e

Illustration: The Verge My Uber driver asked for my PIN recently. In my half-asleep state, I stared at him, alarmed, for a few seconds before it dawned on me: he was asking me to share the PIN Uber sent so I could verify my ride.
It turned out I’d activated all of Uber’s safety features while writing about Uber’s new safety customization section last month and then forgot about their existence entirely — which, to be honest, is pretty easy to do. Hidden away under Setting

Image: Microsoft.com Microsoft is finally adding an easy way to use QR codes inside Windows 11’s built-in Snipping Tool. A new update has started rolling out to Windows Insider testers today that will automatically detect QR codes in screenshots so you can open links from your PC. The Snipping Tool update also includes support for emoji.
The automatic QR code detection will appear if you enter the text actions part of the canvas in the Snipping Tool and will highlight the QR code and its c

Skylight’s 15-inch touchscreen planner is probably the last calendar your family will ever need. | Image: Skylight As cool and useful as the Skylight Calendar is, I can’t blame anyone for feeling apprehensive about paying north of $300 for something their smartphone and a cheap paper calendar can do. But the 15-inch version of the excellent family planner is now receiving a rare $70 discount at Amazon and Best Buy, which drops it to an all-time low of $249.99. If you’re a Costc

Illustration: The Verge One important step of evolving Threads into a fully featured social media platform is being more transparent about reach and distribution. And today, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says the company is making it easy for anyone to see a post’s view count. “It’s important that people understand how their Threads posts perform, so we’re rolling out the ability to tap anywhere on a post to display its total view count,” he writes.As usual, it’

Image: The Verge The Maryland legislature passed two bills over the weekend limiting tech platforms’ ability to collect and use consumers’ data. Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to sign one of those bills, the Maryland Kids Code, on Thursday, MoCo360 reports.If signed into law, the other bill, the Maryland Online Privacy Act, will go into effect in October 2025. The legislation would limit platforms’ ability to collect user data and let users opt out of having their data

AI ethicists have called for urgent safeguards against an emerging “digital afterlife” industry. The concerns centre on chatbots that mimic the appearances, speech, and personalities of dead people. Known as “deadbots” or “griefbots,” these AI clones are trained on data about the deceased. They then provide simulated interactions with virtual recreations of the departed. This “postmortem presence” can social and psychological harm, according

SAVE $99.01: As of May 9, get a pair of Apple AirPods Max for $449.99, down from $549. That's a savings of 18%.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonApple AirPods Max$449.99 at Amazon $549.00 Save $99.01Get DealThinking about investing in a new pair of over-the-ear headphones? There are tons of great options out there, but if you regularly use Apple devices, you might want to stay within that ecosystem. In that case, the AirPods Max are a formidable option for you that you can opt for over AirPods.

UPDATE: May. 9, 2024, 1:00 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest robot vacuums on sale during the first half of May, including 50% off the Roomba Combo j5 and new all-time-lows on several self-emptying Eufy models.A quick look at the best robot vacuum deals for mid-May:Best budget dealEufy L60$199 at Amazon(save $80)Get DealBest self-emptying dealShark Matrix RV2300S$299 at Walmart(save $200.99)Get DealBest vacuum-mop combo dealEufy X9 Pro$549.99 at Amazon(save $350)Get Deal
Only

UPDATE: May. 9, 2024, 11:59 a.m. EDT Amazon Pet Day deals were slated to end at midnight on May 8, but we're still seeing some great deals remain live. Here's the updated list of best options:Best deals at Amazon Pet Day 2024Best pet tech dealTractive GPS tracker and health monitoring for dogs$29.99 at Amazon(save $20)Get DealBest pet bed dealFurhaven cooling gel dog bed (iceberg green)$38.20 at Amazon(save $6.79)Get DealBest pet toy dealChuckit! dog ball launcher (sport, 25 inches)$8.69 at Ama

SAVE $69.01: As of May 9, get a pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) for just $179.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 28%.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonApple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)$179.99 at Amazon $249.00 Save $69.01Get DealSpring is a great time to head outside, walk around the block, and listen to some of your favorite songs. Maybe you want to get caught up on all the diss tracks rapper Kendrick Lamar has released with Drake in his sights. Or you might still be digesting Taylor Swif

SAVE $130: Snag a refurbished Dyson V11 at Walmart for $289.99. That's $130 off the normal price of $419.99 and a discount of 31%.Opens in a new windowCredit: DysonDyson V11 Outsize cordless vacuum (refurbushed)$289.99 at Walmart $419.99 Save $130.00Get DealDyson makes some of our favorite vacuums. With their slim, stylish designs and powerful engines, there's a lot to love about these machines. One thing not to love? Their steep price tags. So when we catch wind of a Dyson deal, we're all ears.

Photo: Lego Lego is releasing a new Retro Radio build that emulates a classic portable sound system. It visually scratches the nostalgic itch with its mechanical tuner knob, a handle, and even an antenna. Jay’s Brick Blog reports the $99.99 set, part of Lego’s Icons collection, can play preloaded sounds or house a smartphone to play whatever — but unfortunately, Lego skipped on implementing an actual radio.
The Retro Radio is made up of 906 pieces and includes a special speaker

If you're meeting up with friends, sharing your location is a hell of a handy way to save you screeching into your phone, "Wait, what can you SEEEEEE?" Switching on Find My has become a staple of Gen Z friendship and location sharing through various apps has long functioned as all-ages safety method, though Taylor Swift's continued location sharing with her ex had us perplexed — you can (and probably should) turn that off.As of January 2024, Google Maps now allows you to share your locatio

Amazon deals of the day at a glance:OUR TOP PICKKindle UnlimitedFree for 3 months(save $35.97)Get DealBEST KINDLE DEALKindle Scribe$239.99 at Amazon(save $100)Get DealBEST LAPTOP DEALASUS Vivobook Go 12 L210 (Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD)$179.99 at Amazon(save $50)Get DealBEST HEADPHONES DEALAirPods Max$449.99 at Amazon(save $99.01)Get Deal
Between Mother's Day sales, leftover Pet Day discounts, and early Amazon Book Sale deals, the savings are through the roof this week at Amazon. We

SAVE UP TO 90%: Shop Amazon's selection of Kindle e-books and score up to 90% off on select titles.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonSave up to 90% on Kindle e-book titlesGet DealIf you run through books like days of the week, it could be the perfect time to stock up on reading material for the summer. Amazon's got great deals on Kindle reads that might catch your eye today.As of May 9, hundreds of Kindle e-books are marked down by as much as 90% at Amazon. You'll find discounted titles in genr

A propaganda network linked to Russia has sparked alarm about a new weapon of information warfare: large language models (LLMs). The operation was unearthed by Recorded Future, a threat intelligence firm founded by two Swedish computer scientists. In early March, the company spotted a network known as CopyCop using LLMs to manipulate news from mainstream media outlets. Using prompt engineering, CopyCop tailored the content to specific audiences and political biases. Delivered via inauthentic US

The last-gen iPad is still worth buying even after Apple killed it and cut the price of its successor. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Apple may have stopped selling iPads with headphone jacks, but that doesn’t mean you can‘t buy one. Despite the fact Apple dropped the ninth-gen iPad from its official lineup this week, you can still purchase the tablet from multiple third-party retailers for the time being. Until they run out of stock, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are sti

SAVE $35.97: As of May 9, get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free when you sign up for a subscription.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonKindle Unlimited (3 months)$0.00 at Amazon $35.97 Save $35.97Get DealTrying to squeeze more reading into your day-to-day life, but not quite sure how? A Kindle Unlimited subscription could be just the thing. You can access millions of digital books, audiobooks, magazines, and more from Amazon all for a flat fee of $11.99 monthly — but you can get a

Save $25: Crocs Baya clogs are now 50% off at Walmart. For $24.99, get a new pair of Crocs just in time for summer. At this price, you may as well pick up two pairs.Opens in a new windowCredit: CrocsCrocs Unisex Baya Clog Sandals$24.99 at Walmart $49.99 Save $25.00Get DealWith the warm weather finally here, toss your boots to the back of the closet and let your feet breathe. As you get ready to hit the beach or spend hours in the garden, a pair of Crocs Baya Clogs are the ultimate companion. Nor

Between the tear-jerking journey of super-sized episode "The Sign" and the jaw-dropping surprise at the end of the Season 3 finale, Bluey fans have been fretting that the beloved children's show is coming to an end. There certainly was a feeling of conclusion to those two episodes. Thankfully, Disney+ has announced that a new slate of episodes will hit this summer. However, they won't be the standard seven-minute eps. SEE ALSO:Why 'Bluey' is the ultimate kids' show for grownups
Bluey creator Joe