Technology news

Image: Cruise Uber has signed up another robotaxi company to offer driverless rides inside its app. Starting sometime next year, for “qualifying” rides, Uber will give you the option to take the trip in one of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles. The two companies announced a “multiyear strategic partnership” on Thursday.Uber already partnered with Waymo on autonomous rides and announced a long-term deal with driverless truck company Aurora earlier this year. It also offer

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge An appeals court has revived the District of Columbia’s antitrust case against Amazon, which the District claims illegally drives up prices on rival platforms. In a decision on Thursday, the DC Court of Appeals ruled that the District’s allegations “plausibly suggest” that Amazon already has monopoly power over online marketplaces or is close to achieving it.Former DC Attorney General Karl Racine filed the antitrust lawsuit against

Image: Google Google is making a new desktop app called Essentials that packages a few Google services, like Messages and Photos, and includes links to download many others. The app will be included with many new Windows laptops, with the first ones coming from HP.The Essentials app lets you “discover and install many of our best Google services,” according to Google’s announcement, and lets you browse Google Photos as well as send and receive Google Messages in the app. A full

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the newest addition to the Pixel family. Before the reveal of the Google Pixel 9 series, the lineup only had two phones: a base model (e.g., last year’s Google Pixel 8) and a Pro variant (e.g., 2023’s Google Pixel 8 Pro).Now, Google has changed things up with a triple-device lineup: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.Interestingly, despite its name, the Pixel 9 Pro XL isn’t that much larger from last year’s biggest model (i.e., Googl

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures Middle-earth is looking a little different in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Warner Bros. Pictures just released the first trailer for the animated prequel, which is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Blood: The Last Vampire, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and set 183 years before the original film trilogy. Peter Jackson is involved as an executive producer.
According to the official description, the new movie “tells the fate of the House of

In May 2024, around 200 employees at Google DeepMind (representing roughly 5 percent of the division) signed a letter urging the company to end its contracts with military organizations, expressing concerns that its AI technology was being used for warfare, Time magazine reported.
The letter states that employee concerns aren’t “about the geopolitics of any particular conflict,” but it does link out to Time’s reporting on Google’s defense contract with the Israeli

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Former President Donald Trump is launching a cryptocurrency platform, he announced Thursday in a post on Truth Social. Trump’s post included few other details, but he and his sons have suggested it will targeted at unbanked and underserved communities.
“For too long, the average American has been squeezed by the big banks and financial elites,” the post reads. “It’s time we take a stand — together. #BeDefiant.&rd

Any time you shop for a new laptop, a lot of people are going to tell you the same thing: Get a MacBook.We don't blame them. The best MacBooks are fantastic laptops, and while they don't afford you the freedom of customization that other brands offer, that's not something everyone will care about. Most of us just want a high-quality laptop that'll get us through work, school, and play with minimal fuss. SEE ALSO:The best laptop deals this week, from MacBooks, to Chromebooks, and everything in be

There are few things as shameful, in my mind, as pretending to Know Ball and yet Not Knowing Ball. To be indifferent to Ball is fine enough. To be indifferent to Ball is to be a potential Ball-Knower lain dormant. But to act like you Know Ball and to not Know Ball? That is a moral failing. Even further, it is a black stain on your character — to thieve at Ball-Knowing is to steal valor from the Ball-Knowers who are right with God. You claim to Know Ball but don't remember Correll Buckhalte

Instead of carrying a bag full of lenses, the new Samyang Remaster Slim lets you only carry alternate optical elements. | Image: Samyang In an attempt to lighten camera bags, Samyang has created a prime lens that allows photographers to change the focal length by swapping out just the optical elements inside it, instead of having to change lenses completely.
The simpler design of prime lenses in general — which offer no zoom capabilities — can deliver several advantages, including sh

As a New Yorker who has lived in small apartments for the past 15 years, I gravitate toward solutions that can help me maximize my space from both a design and practicality perspective. When you’ve only got a 600 square foot home, every inch counts! During the work week, my living room also functions as my home office, so keeping my space presentable for video calls is just as important as having a comfortable home entertainment setup. So when I got the chance to try out the new Hisen

SAVE $25: As of August 22, get the Amazon Echo Spot for just $54.99, down from its normal price of $79.99. That's a 31% discount.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonAmazon Echo Spot $54.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $25.00Get DealStill having trouble rolling out of bed in the morning? You aren't alone. It can be a struggle to wake up when you're snuggled in bed all warm and cozy. Make it a little easier with one of Amazon's most useful devices that can double as a smart alarm clock – and one tha

The body of billionaire tech mogul Mike Lynch was recovered off the coast of Sicily, the Italian coast guard announced on Thursday. Lynch’s 184-foot superyacht, the Bayesian, sunk on August 19th reportedly after being hit by a tornado over the water, called a waterspout. The yacht sank quickly, according to reports, even though its manufacturer claimed it was unsinkable.
Lynch was on the yacht with family and friends celebrating his acquittal on fraud charges in June. HP, which bought Lyn

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple will soon let iPhone and iPad users in the European Union choose default apps for phone calls, messaging, keyboards, password managers, and more. These options will be available later this year in a new “Default Apps” section in Settings, according to an update on Thursday.
In the spring of next year, Apple says it will also let users set default navigation, translation apps, and call spam filter apps. Along with these new options, iPhone us

One of Nintendo's flagship phone games is shutting down, but it isn't going away completely.As announced on the official website for the iOS and Android version of Animal Crossing, service for Pocket Camp will end on Nov. 28 of this year. The game will continue to work, and there will even be seasonal events and other activities until that date. But after Nov. 28, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp as you know it will end, as have many online service-based games over the years, including Nintendo's ow

SAVE 29%: Shop our favorite 2-in-1 Chromebook, the HP Chromebook Plus x360, which is now $499, saving you $200 for 29% off.Opens in a new windowCredit: HPHP Chromebook Plus x360 2-in-1 laptop, 14-inch (Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)$499.00 at Best Buy $699.00 Save $200.00Get DealLaptops don't need to break the bank. We've spent plenty of time rounding up the best cheap laptops that are under $1,000 but still get the job done. Chromebooks are the go-to affordable laptop option, however, the d

SAVE $30: The Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is on sale at Amazon for just $69, down from the list price of $99. That's a 30% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. Opens in a new windowCredit: AppleApple Pencil (1st Gen)$69.00 at Amazon $99.00 Save $30.00Get DealIt's not everyday that we see a major discount on an Apple product, but today is no ordinary day. If you rely on your iPad for checking off work or school tasks, listen up to this great deal.As of Aug. 22, the Apple Pencil (1s

A group of Olympians who've collapsed while crossing the finish line. Pop stars dancing in ecstasy. The array of films, seen from another row of seats, watched on an airplane. On X, these photos are all dubbed "Renaissance paintings" due to their varying degrees of resemblance to the work of 15th century Italian masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Tweet may have been deletedThe European cultural movement first became shorthand online a decade ago, when image

SAVE 35%: Shop Lenovo Yoga laptops during the Best Buy Tech Fest sale. Get the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 laptop for $679.99, saving you $370 for 35% off.Best Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 dealsBest Lenovo Yoga laptop dealLenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 laptop, 16-inch (Intel Core Ultra 7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)$679.99 at Best Buy(Save $370)Get DealBest Lenovo Yoga Book dealLenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1, 13.3-inch (Intel Core Ultra 7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)$1,799.99 at Best Buy(Save $200)Get Deal
The Best Buy Tech Fest savings even

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images Kamala Harris’ strategy to reach young voters will see her debut on Twitch tonight, where she’ll be streaming her Democratic nomination acceptance speech. The new kamalaharris Twitch channel features a similar bio to the vice president’s accounts on X, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms: “Wife, Momala, Auntie. She/her. Fighting for the people. When we fight, we win” — and I don’t think she means Tekken.
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Image: Cruise The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is closing an investigation from 2022 into the GM-owned robotaxi company. The agency was looking into Cruise vehicles that stopped unexpectedly, including three times where they were struck from behind.From the report (included in full below):Based on ODI’s analysis of immobilization data, the potential safety risk is heavily dependent on the context of the immobilized vehicle’s location, detectability of the

Today, divers recovered the body of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch from the wreckage of his family’s superyacht Bayesian, which sunk off the coast of Sicily on Monday.  Lynch — sometimes referred to as “Britain’s Bill Gates” — was holidaying in Sicily with his family and friends when disaster struck. An intense storm caused the Bayesian to capsize, plunging it to the bottom of the Mediterranean within minutes. Of the 22 people on board, seven died, includi

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The US government has charged a member of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as reported earlier by Bleeping Computer. In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice claims 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs of Moscow, Russia conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion.
As outlined in the criminal complaint, the FBI alleges Karakurt stole and threatened to auction sensitive data from several companies throughout the

At least you get a discount on Peloton merch, too? | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Thinking of buying a secondhand Peloton machine? Well, US and Canadian customers who do will now have to pay a one-time $95 (or $125 CAD) “used equipment activation fee.”Peloton made the announcement in its Q4 2024 shareholder letter. The fee doesn’t apply to refurbished models you buy directly from Peloton or its third-party distribution partners. The company clarified in an earnings c

Space has become a crowded place. Astronomers estimate that over 10,000 active satellites were in orbit last month — four times as many as just five years ago. The surge in launches has ignited excitement about a new space race. But the cosmic traffic may be heading for a catastrophic crash. Back on Earth, the UK’s Space Operations Centre is tracking the threats with growing alarm. In July alone, the centre warned British satellite operators of 1,795 collision risks.

Illustration: The Verge Google’s new deal with California lawmakers will pay newsrooms across the state up to $250 million over the next five years, while also helping the tech giant avoid an even bigger bill. The first-in-the-nation agreement, funded by taxpayers, Google, and potentially other private sources, allows the search giant to evade a proposed state bill that would force it to pay for linking Californians to news articles.
The money will be split between two initiatives administ

Justine Ezarik, better known as iJustine, is a legendary YouTuber. I spent less than an hour hanging out with the legendary YouTuber Justine Ezarik before she had me in a chokehold. Literally. Jiujitsu has become an integral part of her weekly routine, and the Thursday I was hanging out with her happened to be a jiujitsu day. The move we were working on: how to use your Gi uniform as a tool to choke your opponent.Next thing I knew, Justine, a creator I had been watching for years, had me tapping

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge A new feature announced by Instagram today will allow users to add a song on their profile — much like Myspace in the early 2000s.
The music added to a user’s profile shows up in the bio area, according to screenshots shared by Instagram. A song will be featured on a profile until the user removes or replaces it. But unlike Myspace, songs won’t autoplay — people viewing a profile with a song can play and pause the track.Image: Instagr

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge The dream of a successful Epic Games Store on iOS sounds like an oasis: a thriving alternative app store that exists outside Apple’s walled gardens, where developers won’t have to pay Apple’s much steeper commission for in-app purchases, and where they can use whatever payment processor they want.
Epic’s store launched last week in the European Union — thanks to new regulations opening up iOS — and it’s likely to be

You don’t have to go home, but you can’t camp here. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Seven years after launching on iOS and Android, Nintendo has announced that online service for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be ending on November 28th at 11AM ET.In a statement today, Nintendo assured current players they would still be able to fully enjoy the game for three more months. “We will continue to hold events and add items until the service-end date.”
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