Technology news

Meta just announced a new generative AI model to help users turn simple text into images, videos, and audio clips. Meta Movie Gen allows users to input text and automatically generate new videos, personalize videos, do video editing, and generate audio, all of which is trained on a "combination of licensed and publicly available datasets." If that seems a lot like OpenAI's Sora, that's because it is quite similar. But Movie Gen builds upon Meta's previous work with AI — you might remember,

UPDATE: Oct. 4, 2024, 3:04 p.m. EDT This post has been updated with the latest pricing and availability on Instant Pot deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.Early October Prime Day deals on Instant PotBest classic Instant Pot dealInstant Pot RIO (7.5-quart)$119 at Amazon(Save $10.99)Get DealBest mini Instant Pot dealInstant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Mini (3-quart)$69.99 at Amazon(save $10)Get Deal
Prime Big Deal Days is just a few days away, with the official start date landing on Tuesday, Oct. 8, but the de

Image: MKBHD via YouTube MKBHD’s new wallpaper app has received its first big update after users criticized the app over pricing and the advertising setup for free accounts. On Friday, the Panels account announced on X that people using the app for free can now download high-resolution images — not just standard-definition ones — by watching a single ad.
The app previously required users to sign up for a $11.99 per month (or $49.99 per year) subscription to access images in ful

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge This week, DirecTV announced it intends to buy Dish, Sling TV, and the rest of EchoStar’s television business for a dollar (while also taking on all of Dish’s debt), combining almost 20 million satellite TV subscribers from two companies that have been circling one another for decades.
But it’s not just DirecTV and Dish.AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, General Electric, GM, News Corp, Tumblr, and the various incarnations of Time Warner have also gott

The Internal Revenue Service's free tax filing program, Direct File, will be open to residents of 12 new states for the 2025 tax return season. Those states are Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to an IRS announcement. They join 12 states — Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State and Wyoming — t

TikTok loves a good true crime mystery. It's not uncommon for folks to go viral over somewhat creepy stories where viewers can try to guess what happened.The latest viral series involves a buried rug, cadaver dogs, and lots of theories from TikTok. In short, folks online were enthralled by the story of a woman who found a rug buried in her backyard. They wondered if she perhaps had found a body or if there was some much more innocent explanation.Friday afternoon, we finally got an answer: there

Combining the oomph of a PC with the creative functionality of a tablet, 2-in-1 laptops make solid buys for shoppers who prioritize versatility and value. In the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's "October Prime Day" sale on Oct. 8 and 9, the retail giant isn't offering a ton of great deals on 2-in-1 machines — but that's no surprise. During such sitewide sales, Amazon usually saves its best laptop deals for the exact windows of the event, forcing eager shoppers to be patient.SEE ALS

UPDATE: Oct. 4, 2024, 2:15 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the early October Prime Day Fitbit deals available.The best (and only) early Prime Day Fitbit deals at a glance:BEST FITBIT DEALFitbit Sense$139.95 at Woot!(save $110)Get DealBEST FITBIT DEAL FOR KIDSFitbit Google Ace LTE$169.99 at Woot!(save $59.96)Get Deal
Prime Day part two, October Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, or whatever you choose to call it is just a few days away, but deals have been flooding in for a couple

Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge After months of waiting, now Android users can take the Arc Search app for a spin. It’s now available as an open beta on the Google Play Store after developers teased an Android version of the app in August.
Arc is The Browser Company’s take on web browsing, billing itself as offering better customization options than competitors. The Arc Search app also comes with an AI feature, called “Browse for me,” that searches the web for you

The 6.1-inch Boox Palma looks a lot like a smartphone, but it’s designed to be an e-reader.| Image: Boox Kindles are great and all, but if you want a pocketable e-reader that doesn’t require you to lock yourself into Amazon’s ecosystem, the Boox Palma might be worth a look. The 6.1-inch ebook reader normally runs for $279.99, but now through October 9th, readers of The Verge can score a rare $30 discount and a free cover case (valued at $16) when they buy it from Wellbots using

The fashionable and discreet Oura Ring Generation 3 is down to nearly its best price to date. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Oura may have just announced the new Oura Ring 4, but until its release on October 15th, the Oura Ring Generation 3 is still the best smart ring on the market. We don’t typically see it go on sale often, but right now, you can buy the Horizon model in black or silver starting at $299 ($50 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Oura — which is just $2 shy of

To the average eye, extended reality is starting to look bleak. The metaverse has bombed, the Apple Vision Pro has flopped, and Sony has all but abandoned the PSVR. Sadly for Mark Zuckerberg, consumers rarely want to strap computers to their faces. But there is one place where business is booming: the military. XR has diffused across the armed forces since 2021, when Microsoft signed a contract with the US Army worth up to $21.9bn (€19.6bn). Under the deal, the tech giant would develop tra

If you're an Android user, and you've been sensing some deep tensions between yourself and iPhone users, you may not be imagining it. According to a new survey conducted by All About Cookies, some iPhone users "think less" of others represented as a green bubble while texting, which often depicts Android users.Conversely, a notable number of Android users have considered switching to iPhone. Not necessarily because they believe that it's a better device, but because they've felt pressured or rid

Meta has deemed the inverted red triangle (and its accompanying emoji) a proxy for pro-Hamas support, and is enforcing its removal on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The new policy was initially communicated only in internal guidelines, discovered by the Intercept.The inverted red triangle emoji has been used widely among internet users in posts, usernames, and graphics, and the symbol is incorporated into the propaganda of both Hamas and related militant groups, as well as the

Best headphone and speaker dealsBest noise-cancelling headphones dealApple AirPods Max$429 at Amazon(Save $120)Get DealBest earbuds dealAmazon Echo Buds$44.99 at Amazon(Save $95)Get DealBest Bluetooth speaker dealMarshall Emberton II Speaker$99 at Amazon(Save $60)Get Deal
Prime Big Deal Days is coming just mere months after Amazon's July Prime Day event. On October 8 and 9, the retailer will unleash a barrage of deals on just about everything you can imagine. While Amazon usually showcases its o

Early Prime Day drone deals: Best drone deal overall Holy Stone GPS drone HS175D RC Quadcopter$159.99 at Amazon (save $70)Get DealBest runner-up deal Potensic Atom SE GPS Drone$229.99 at Amazon (save $70)Get DealBest budget pick Holy Stone Mini Drone$29.60 at Amazon (save $7.39)Get Deal
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days doesn’t officially kick off until Oct. 8, but we’ve been seeing deals on everything from pet tech to smart home gadgets for at least three weeks. And it looks like t

SAVE $67.27: As of October 4, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 at Amazon for just $262.72. That's a discount of 20% and the lowest price we've seen. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonSamsung Galaxy Watch 7$262.72 at Amazon $329.99 Save $67.27Get DealYou've got a lot of options if you're looking to buy a smartwatch. Sure, you might be tempted to go for an Apple Watch, but if you don't use an iPhone you might not be so keen on losing out on many of its features. Samsung has its own lineup of smartw

Let's get this out of the way first: Amazon isn't offering any good Chromebook deals in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days, its "October Prime Day" sale (set for Oct. 8 and 9). Not a single one.In fact, the retail giant's laptop deals are currently scant across the board. A few configurations of the M3-powered Apple MacBook Pro have dipped to their previous all-time lows there. But aside from that, the one Windows model that Amazon previously featured in a "limited-time deal" ahead of the event

A new router or a mesh WiFi system can be a solution if you deal with an unreliable internet connection, or you've noticed areas of your home that don't get solid coverage. If you're in the market for an upgrade, here are some deals already live before the official kickoff of October Prime Day.Best routers and mesh WiFi deals at AmazonBest single router dealGoogle Nest WiFi Pro (Fog)$134.99 at Amazon(save $65)Get DealBest mesh WiFi system for speedNetgear Orbi Whole Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi Syste

Blue checkmarks have appeared next to certain websites on Google Search for some users. According to a report from The Verge, this is because Google is experimenting with a verification feature to let users know that sites aren't fraudulent or scams. A staffer from The Verge was one of the users who noticed blue checkmarks showing up on links to the official sites for Microsoft, Meta, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon, and HP.Tweet may have been deletedSEE ALSO:The new Google AI Overview layout is a sma

UPDATE: Oct. 4, 2024, 11:28 a.m. EDT This last has been updated with the latest iPad pricing and availability ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.Best iPad deals ahead of October Prime DayBest for portabilityApple iPad Mini (64GB, WiFi)$379.99 at Amazon(Save $119.01)Get DealBest upgraded pickApple iPad Air (M2, 128GB, WiFi)$549 at Amazon(Save $50)Get DealBest M4 optionApple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, 256GB, WiFi)$925 at Amazon (save $74)(Save $70)Get Deal
We're just days away from the start of October Pri

Illustration: The Verge A popular financial newsletter is accusing Roblox of allowing large-scale child sexual exploitation and inappropriate content on its platform, drawing on years of media reports. The allegations are detailed on The Bear Cave, a short selling newsletter — but Roblox says The Bear Cave’s founder is highlighting rare instances of abuse to profit by making the service look bad.
“This article contains misleading, irresponsible and in many cases false accusatio

Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge A Samsung smart home software update released this week put some users’ Galaxy S10 and Note 10 (including e, Lite, Plus, and 5G versions) and A90 and M51 smartphones in an infinite boot loop, rendering their devices useless. After some sleuthing, Reddit users narrowed it down to a Samsung SmartThings framework app update that was automatically applied to the devices.
According to posts on Reddit, Samsung replaced the buggy update with a new version that won&

GET $50 OFF: As of Oct. 4, you can snag the Shark SpeedStyle for just $149.99, down from $199.99 at Amazon. That's a $50 discount. Opens in a new windowCredit: Shark Our pick: Shark SpeedStyle Hair Dryer $149.99 at Amazon $199.99 Save $50.00Get DealPrime Day is creeping up fast, and Amazon’s been dropping deals left and right in the lead-up to the big event — from tech gadgets to small appliances to beauty tech, there are tons of great sales to take advantage of. As of Oct. 4, you ca

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Facebook is announcing a host of updates to its platform today, many of which focus on pushing users outside of their social bubble of friends and family.
Among the updates are new tabs being added to Facebook that are meant to surface more content for users, including recommendations based on a person’s location. A new “Local” tab will collect content from other Facebook surfaces like the resale platform Marketplace, local groups, and e

GET $70 OFF: As of Oct. 4, Prime members can snag a Kindle Paperwhite essentials bundle for just $134.97, down from $204.97. That's a $70 discount and cheaper than buying the Kindle Paperwhite on its own. Opens in a new windowCredit: Kindle Our pick: Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle $134.97 at Amazon$204.97 Save $70.00Get DealPrime Day ~fall edition~ is just a few days away, and Amazon’s already pulling out some Prime-exclusive deals to get shoppers excited for the big event. As of Oct.

Shop the best early Prime Big Deal Days printer deals now:Early Prime Day printer deals: Best printer deal overall HP DeskJet 6455e$89.99 at Amazon (save $60 )Get DealBest for business HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e $159.99 at Amazon (save $65)Get DealBudget pickCanon PIXMA TS6420a $59 at Amazon (save $70.99)Get Deal
It’s that time of year again — Amazon’s gearing up for Prime Day ~fall edition~ (aka Prime Big Deal Days), which means there will be deals on hundreds of items leading up

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Oct. 4:OUR TOP PICKKindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle$134.97 at Amazon(save $70)Get DealBEST BLUETOOTH SPEAKER DEALMarshall Emberton II$99.99 at Amazon(save $70)Get DealBEST HOME DEALShark Wandvac handheld vacuum$79.99 at Amazon(save $50)Get Deal
Only four days separate us from Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days shopping event (aka October Prime Day). For all you impatient shoppers, however, there are plenty of deals already live. You can start shoppin

X, formerly Twitter, owes the Australian government some money.Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Elon Musk's microblogging site has to pay the equivalent of $418,000 USD because of its refusal to work with Australian online safety regulators regarding the site's anti-child abuse policies. The country's eSafety Commissioner filed a notice to X seeking information about the site's child abuse policies — and X has so far refused to cooperate. SEE ALSO:Elon Musk's X sucks and I'm not leaving

SAVE $50: As of October 4, get a pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at Amazon for $249. That's a discount of 17% and the lowest price we've seen. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonBose Ultra Open Earbuds$249.00 at Amazon $299.00 Save $50.00Get DealThe market for earbuds has gotten more than competitive over the last couple of decades. You can find plenty of excellent, affordable buds that tick all the boxes you're looking for with a simple glance at Amazon. Bose remains one of the brands that cont

Image: Meta A new AI-powered video generator from Meta produces high-definition footage complete with sound, the company announced today. The announcement comes several months after competitor OpenAI unveiled Sora, its text-to-video model — though public access to Movie Gen isn’t happening yet.
Movie Gen uses text inputs to automatically generate new videos, as well as edit existing footage or still images. The New York Times reports that the audio added to videos is also AI-generate