Technology news

Belgian ebike maker Cowboy has bagged €5mn as it looks to achieve full-year profitability next year — and not suffer the same fate as VanMoof.  The funding round was led by Cypress Capital, a Hong Kong-based VC with strong ties to Taiwan, the global hub of bicycle manufacturing. “Cypress Capital is not just a financial investor — which is great to have as well, especially in this climate — but a strategic one,” Cowboy’s founder and CEO, Adrien Roose

Belgian ebike maker Cowboy has bagged €5mn as it looks to achieve full-year profitability next year — and not suffer the same fate as VanMoof.  The funding round was led by Cypress Capital, a Hong Kong-based VC with strong ties to Taiwan, the global hub of bicycle manufacturing. “Cypress Capital is not just a financial investor — which is great to have as well, especially in this climate — but a strategic one,” Cowboy’s founder and CEO, Adrien Roose

Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk is a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist.” He’s declared himself so committed to the unfettered, open exchange of ideas that he’s said the only way X would let a government suppress speech on its platform is “at gunpoint.” All of this explains why Musk recently allowed X to be banned in Brazil rather than comply with the country’s mandate that the social media platform block certain accounts.
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Companies want to know what potential customers are searching for online. Using that information, they can target each internet user with an ad for a product or service that is relevant to what they're looking for.But people don't always perform an online search for everything they want or need to buy. What if those companies could listen in to potential customers' everyday lives and hyper-target them with advertising based on what they're talking about?The marketers at media giant Cox Media Gro

The Verge The Russian government is once again trying to influence the US presidential election, the Biden administration says.In a series of actions across the government on Wednesday, several agencies sought to crack down on alleged disinformation campaigns targeting the November election. The government alleges that Russian actors operated websites and social media accounts that spread propaganda furthering Russian interests and even created fake social media personas to comment on posts to m

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Verizon’s next big acquisition might be Frontier. Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg suggest that Verizon is in “advanced talks” to acquire the communications provider, with a potential announcement coming as soon as this week.
Joining forces with Frontier could help Verizon expand its fiber footprint — by clawing back some of its old Fios subscribers. In 2015, Frontier bought Verizon’s wireline operations, including

The next iPhone SE could be a big upgrade for those who prefer to have a budget iPhone.Nikkei Asia reported that Apple has made the switch from LCD to OLED for all of its phones in 2024 and beyond, including the next generation iPhone SE. The affordable iPhone SE is less advanced than its pricier counterparts, so Apple throwing an OLED display into the SE would make it even more enticing for those who don't want to spend $1,000 on a phone.SEE ALSO:iPhone 16 rumors: Everything we know
Previous iP

Image: Roku Roku is the latest company to lean into the trend of throwing artwork onto your TV screen, offering viewers some serene relaxation time when they’re not actively watching something.Today the company announced a new feature / app called Backdrops, and it all sounds very familiar.
Rolling out first to Roku-branded TVs and third-party Roku TV sets (and then to Roku streaming devices “later in the fall”), Backdrops features “a catalog that includes famous classics

Four years ago, the ReMarkable 2 arrived and changed my writing life. This ultra-thin, silver-framed e-ink screen, which I still think of as a legal pad from the future, helped me kickstart a handwritten diary I've kept up nearly every day for the last two years. I use its Marker in calligraphy pen mode, which has an aesthetic appeal even the mighty iPad can't match. Plus, the older I get the more I feel the joy of e-ink, tech's most soothing alternative to all that LED screenlight blasting our

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The Internet Archive has lost its appeal in a fight to lend out scanned ebooks without the approval of publishers. In a decision on Wednesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that permitting the Internet Archive’s digital library would “allow for widescale copying that deprives creators of compensation and diminishes the incentive to produce new works.”
The decision is another blow to the nonprofit in the Hachette v. Interne

SAVE $15: As of Sep. 4, get Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch at Woot for just $44.99, down from $59.99. That's 25% off. Opens in a new windowCredit: Amazon'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'$44.99 at Woot $59.99 Save $15.00Get DealWhen it comes to multiplayer games, the Smash series is an undisputed champion. From the series debut on Nintendo 64 through the latest and greatest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch, the brawler has always been the pinnacle of entertainment when it

The best Apple AirPod deals of the week at a glance:Best AirPods dealApple AirPods (2nd Gen)$89 at Amazon and Walmart(save $40)Get DealBest AirPods Pro dealApple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)$189.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart(save $59.01)Get DealBest AirPods Max dealApple AirPods Max$399 at Amazon(save $150)Get Deal
In the days leading up to Apple's fall hardware event on Monday, Sept. 9, every AirPods model is on sale — even if it's (probably) not getting replaced next week.Word on

Image: The Verge Safety regulators are urging the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the ultracheap e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu. In a statement published Tuesday, two CPSC commissioners say Shein and Temu “raise specific concerns,” including reports that “deadly baby and toddler products are easy to find on these platforms.”
The statement cites last month’s report from The Information, which highlights some of the dangerous products

Image: Asus Asus is launching its latest NUC mini PC today, complete with Intel’s new Core Ultra series 2 processors. For some reason, Asus has decided to put a dedicated Copilot button on the front of this puck-shaped PC, so you can reach out and launch Microsoft’s AI assistant.
I’m not entirely sure why you’d want an AI button on a miniature PC that’s probably going to sit more than an arm’s length away from you on a desk, but it’s a button that has no

GET UP TO 25% OFF: As of September 4, Motorola is offering up to 25% off select products as part of its extended Labor Day sale. Our top picks: Best deal overall Motorola razr+ (2024) with Bose Quiet Comfort II earbuds$999.99 at Motorola (save $299.99)Get DealBest runner-up deal Motorola razr+ (2023)$599.99 at Motorola (save $400)Get Deal
Labor Day is famous for its sales and discounts — you can get mattresses, major appliances, and tech at near Black Friday-level prices. If you missed out

Image: Volvo Volvo is pushing back its deadline to sell only electric vehicles, now saying it will take at least until 2040 before it reaches that goal.Three years ago, the Swedish automaker made a commitment to only sell EVs by 2030. Since then, EV sales have exploded, but a recent slowdown in growth is leading many manufacturers to reconsider their pledges.Volvo blamed the readjustment on a number of factors, including “slower than expected rollout of charging infrastructure, withdrawal

Check out the best Labor Day sales that are still going as of September 4:A quick look at the best Labor Day deals still liveBest tech dealSamsungSave up to 30% sitewideGet DealBest home dealDysonSave up to $200 on select vacuum cleaners and air purifiersGet DealBest pet dealPetlibroSave up to 39% on automatic pet feeders, fountains, and moreGet DealBest outdoor dealSolo StoveSave up to $150 on fire pits and bundlesGet DealBest self-care dealSolawaveSave 35% sitewideGet Deal
Labor Day may or may

OpenAI seems to be adding new voices to ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode — and we might know what they'll sound like. New reports have discovered eight new voices that could eventually be added to ChatGPT's current options. TestingCatalog did some reverse engineering to find the potential new voice options and engineer Tibor Blaho posted on X detailed samples of what each voice reportedly sounds like. Check out ChatGPT's reported new voicesThe alleged new voice options are: Fathom, Glimmer, H

SAVE UP TO $400: Shop Apple iPads at their lowest prices ever. Find the Apple iPad Pro, 4th generation (M2 chip, 512GB, WiFi + cellular) for $899, saving you $400 for 31% off.Best iPad dealsBest iPad dealApple iPad, 9th gen (A13 Bionic, 64GB, WiFi)$199 at Amazon(Save $130)Get DealBest iPad Mini dealiPad Mini, 6th gen (A15 Bionic chip, 64GB, WiFi)$379.99(Save $119.01)Get DealBest iPad Pro dealApple iPad Pro, 4th gen (M2 chip, 512GB, WiFi + cellular)$899 at Best Buy(Save $400)Get Deal
Apple's Sept

Stability AI has added three new image generators to Amazon Bedrock, a platform for building apps. Stable Image Ultra, Stable Diffusion 3 Large, and Stable Image Core are all now live on the service. The trio are Stability’s “top three text-to-image models,” the company said. By adding them to Bedrock, the London startup hopes to reach new audiences — and customers. Scott Trowbridge, VP of business development at Stability, told TNW that the move will “drive enterp

The Galaxy Buds FE remain a good option if you don’t like the new open-style Galaxy Buds 3. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 3 are nice and all, but that open-ear design and $180 price tag isn’t for everybody. If you prefer a pair of buds with a more traditional in-ear design that cost significantly less, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are still a good buy — and are available for just $61.99 ($38 off) from Woot. That’s their best price yet, a

The feature is starting to roll out globally this week. | Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube is rolling out its new supervision feature globally this week that enables parents and guardians to link their accounts to the accounts of their teenage children. Doing so, according to YouTube, will help parents be more aware of their teen’s activity and encourage safe practices around content creation on the platform. Google first teased the feature last month.
The accounts can be link

Thread Group has announced the release of Thread 1.4 spec. | Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge Thread 1.4 has officially been released, bringing much-needed fixes for the nascent smart home protocol. Chief among these is a solution to the problem of Thread border router interoperability. The new spec also enables better connectivity by leveraging Wi-Fi and ethernet alongside Thread, makes it easier to see what’s going on in your Thread network to simplify troubleshooting, and al

Panasonic returns to the US market with a pair of OLED TVs plus a Mini LED model. | Image: Panasonic Panasonic’s TVs are returning to the US, starting with a small lineup that includes both OLED and Mini LED models. The company stopped selling its TVs in the US in 2016, three years after ending production of its well regarded plasma screens. The company is now bringing its TVs back to meet the demands of “consumers seeking the highest possible picture quality.”
Three models are

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Sept. 4:OUR TOP PICKHisense 58-inch U6HF Series ULED 4K Fire TV$319.99 at Amazon(save $230)Get DealBEST SPEAKER DEALSony SRS-XE200 Bluetooth speaker$68.99 at Amazon(save $61)Get DealBEST LAPTOP DEALAcer Nitro V15 gaming laptop$649.99 at Amazon(save $130)Get DealBEST HOME DEALShark Detect Pro self-empty robot vacuum$399.99 at Amazon(save $150)Get Deal
Amazon has already moved on from Labor Day already and shifted its focus to new deals not tied to

Google Assistant is arguably the best digital assistant compared to the likes of Siri and Alexa. However, now that Google has been pushing to replace Google Assistant with AI-powered Gemini, the former's prowess over other virtual companions is even more evident.On my daily driver, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, my Google Assistant got swapped with the new Gemini assistant. Unfortunately, some of the things I loved to do with Google Assistant no longer works on Gemini. For example, asking, "Hey G

SAVE $120: The Dyson Cool Tower Fan AM07 is on sale for just $249.99 at Best Buy, marked down from the list price of $369.99. That's a 32% discount.Opens in a new windowCredit: DysonDyson Cool Tower Fan AM07$249.99 at Amazon $369.99 Save $120.00Get DealSure, pumpkin spice-flavored everything is on the store shelves, but the temperature might not give fall vibes when you step outside just yet. September can often feel like the new August, ushering in heat that not all of us enjoy. If you're strug

With the EU lagging behind the US and China on artificial intelligence, the idea of a CERN for AI has been gaining traction — even reaching the high ranks of the European Commission. “I will propose to set up a European AI Research Council where we can pool all of our resources, similar to the approach taken with CERN,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in July. The concept still remains at a proposal level and details are scarce. But according to a Belg

The pop-out controller doubles as a trackpad when docked. | Image: Acer Out of all the new laptops Acer announced at IFA today, Project DualPlay pops out the most. It’s a concept laptop that Acer says gives gamers more ways to play on the go, but looking at the design, I’m not sure which gamers it’s talking about.
For Project DualPlay, Acer took its Predator gaming laptop and added a cutout beneath the keyboard to hold its custom gaming controller, face-down. The back of the co

 Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about the Barbie phone, Telegram’s future in the EU, running blades for the Paralympics, the end of AnandTech, and more. You’ll also hear an interview with Ferry Zonder, founder of the Dutch bicycle company

Get 20% OFF: As of Sept. 4, My Best Buy Total and Plus members can get 20% off the latest Dyson Airwrap, Airstrait, and Corrale in the strawberry bronze and blush pink colorway.OverviewAirwrap deal Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler (Stawberry Bronze/Blush Pink)$454.99 at Best Buy with Plus or Total(save $45)Get DealAirstrait deal Dyson Airstrait Straightener (Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink)$374.99 at Best Buy with Plus or Total(save $125)Get DealCorrale deal Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener (Stawberry Bro

Singles are sick of dating apps, opting instead for IRL events — or, as some Spanish-speaking TikTokkers have started doing, creating meet cutes at the supermarket.Spanish TikTok is exploding with videos of singles trying to find love at supermarket chain Mercadona, BBC reports. These folks are placing upside down pineapples — a stateside symbol of swinging — in their grocery carts to signal that they're looking for love. Another rule, according to ITV News, is to bump another

Image: Beats If there’s one product that Beats has taken its sweet time upgrading, it’s the Powerbeats Pro. Released back in 2019, these wireless earbuds (and their signature ear hooks) have sat in the company’s product lineup ever since with no meaningful hardware changes. But the time has finally come for an all-new model. Today, Beats released a teaser for the Powerbeats Pro 2, which will be released sometime in 2025.In the clip, we see the in-ear fit of the revamped design