Technology news

Meta is ending its efforts specifically known as diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, according an internal memo obtained by Axios. Like other recent moves Meta has made, the change reflects an apparent rightward political and cultural shift within the company, according to Axios. Authored by Janelle Gale, Meta's vice president of human resources, the internal memo suggests that legal developments and cultural attitudes affecting the execution and perception of DEI influenced the company's

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images After the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over a law that could ban TikTok, it looks like one of its last possible lifelines is unlikely to save it from the impending ouster.
TikTok will be banned from the US unless either the Supreme Court blocks the law from taking effect before the January 19th deadline or its China-based parent company, ByteDance, finally agrees to sell it. A sale — and return — of TikTok could happen after the de

The Blu-ray version of the second Dune film normally runs $33.99, but it’s currently available for a third of that price. | Warner Bros. If you’re looking for indoor activities to keep you entertained this winter, you might want to check out Amazon’s ongoing Blu-ray sale. Now through January 20th, you can pick up three 4K Blu-ray titles for $33 when you add them to your cart, regardless of their sale price. That amounts to $11 per film, which is the kind of discount typically r

Scientists in the UK have forged 5.5 tonnes of a new kind of steel capable of withstanding the searing heat and intense neutron radiation of nuclear fusion, the same reaction that powers the Sun and stars. The breakthrough is another boost to Europe’s growing flock of fusion energy startups. A UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) working group called NEURONE produced the reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steel, or “RAFM” for short. It marks the first time that RAFM has bee

As wildfires have raged throughout the Los Angeles region this week, the 10 million residents of LA County have stayed close to their phones, ready for text alerts from officials about whether to pack up their belongings and leave their homes urgently. On Thursday afternoon, millions of LA-area residents received an evacuation warning that did not specify neighborhood or fire, even though there are at least three major fires burning in the county. It read as follows:"Emergency Alert. NEW: This i

UPDATE: Jan. 10, 2025, 2:15 p.m. EST This article has been updated to include Netflix streaming information and the latest pricing details for "Dune: Part Two."Where to watch 'Dune: Part Two' at a glance:BEST MAX DEAL FOR MOST PEOPLEMax (With Ads) annual subscription$99.99/year(save $1.66/month)Get DealBEST MAX DEAL WITH NO ADSMax (No Ads) annual subscription$149.99/year(save $3.50/month)Get DealBEST FOR CRICKET CUSTOMERSMax (With Ads)Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan(s

As the Los Angeles fires rage on, displacing nearly 180,000 people and destroying over 9,000 buildings, many social media users have pointed the blame at an unusual target: ChatGPT. ChatGPT and other AI models have a massive carbon footprint, which contributes to climate change. Climate change is responsible for drier conditions and warming temperatures, which in turn creates the perfect environment for wildfires to spark and spread when picked up by strong winds. SEE ALSO:Los Angeles wildfires'

It's possible that Venus and Earth once simultaneously existed as pleasant worlds hosting mild temperatures and oceans. Then, something went awry.In new research, planetary scientists simulated how Venusian conditions today — with pizza oven-like temperatures, a crushing atmosphere, and past evidence of widespread volcanism — came to be. The results suggest that Venus, over a series of massive volcanic outgassing events and other geologic changes, transitioned from an Earth-like worl

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta is eliminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs because of the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts” in the US, according to a memo to employees seen by Axios. Meta will also roll back representation goals and end its “diverse slate approach” to hiring.
The memo, which was written by Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, said the company would repl

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, is scaling back its contributions to the WordPress open-source project, according to an announcement on Thursday. The company says it’s decreasing contributions to “match” the amount of time companies like WP Engine spend on the ecosystem, further escalating the tension between Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and the community.
Now, instead of spending 3,988 hours per week developing the WordPress p

Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge When Elon Musk launched his own AI startup, xAI, he touted a key advantage over his competitors: access to the vast trove of data from his newly acquired social media platform Twitter. By implementing new API fees on the network he quickly renamed X, Musk locked out other AI companies, maintaining exclusive access for his own models. And he began using X’s millions of users to test the results.
Musk has been using this distribution channel since xA

Image: Epic Games Fortnite Festival, the game’s Rock Band-like music mode where you play along with real songs, is getting local multiplayer for up to four people on PlayStation and Xbox on January 14th.
Currently, you can only play Fortnite Festival multiplayer online, but with this change, you’ll be able to get your former Rock Band back together and jam out on the same TV screen — well, with a major asterisk. Fortnite Festival currently only supports certain Rock Band guitar

BUY $35 OF SELECT GROCERIES, SAVE $10: As of Jan. 10, spend $35 on select groceries at Amazon and get $10 off your purchase. The discount will automatically be applied at checkout. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonBuy $35 of select groceries, save $10Get DealLooking to refill your pantry and fridge with some much-needed groceries? You don't have to move from your couch. Just head to Amazon and browse through the retailer's massive selection of food and staple pantry items. And while you're at

The last thing I came across at this year's CES was LUCI, an AI-powered wearable video camera created by OpenInterX for lifelogging and vlogging. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the convention center, LUCI felt like a hidden gem waiting to be uncovered. It might be my favorite discovery at CES 2025 — and I nearly missed it.Extended recording timeThe LUCI Pin is a compact square pinnable wearable device with an ultra-wide 12MP camera that captures up to 4K video. Unlike other wea

GET 3 FREE WEEKS: As of Jan. 10, YouTube TV is offering new users a 21-day free trial to test out the live TV streaming service. After that, you'll pay just $59.99 per month for your first three months of the YouTube TV Base Plan — that's $69 in savings.Opens in a new windowCredit: YouTubeYouTube TVFree 21-day trial, then $59.99 per month for three monthsGet DealThe fight to make it to the Big Game — aka the NFL playoffs — is arguably more exciting than the actual season finale

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Tesla issued a recall for over 200,000 electric vehicles due to an issue with its latest computer hardware that can short circuit and disable some safety features including the rearview camera.
Tesla submitted the recall on January 6th, which acknowledges faulty computers are in some of the most recent builds of Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles. It includes ones with manufacturing dates ranging as early as January 25th, 2023 for some

The Godox MA5R will be available for just $49.99. | Image: Godox Godox, a company known for its professional photography gear like flashes and reflective umbrellas, has announced a new lighting product for smartphones. Its MA5R is a magnetic power bank with an array of diffused color-changing LEDs on the back that can improve phone photography while keeping battery anxiety in check. It’s priced at $49 and while you can preorder it through online specialty stores, official availability isn&

SAVE $37.99: As of Jan. 10, you can snag a 14-inch HP Laptop (Intel Quad-Core, 8GM RAM, 64GB eMMC+, 128GB Ghost Manta SD Card) for just $212 at Amazon. That's a 15% discount and $37.99 off the list price. Opens in a new windowCredit: HP14-inch HP Laptop (Intel Quad-Core, 8GM RAM, 64GB eMMC+, 128GB Ghost Manta SD Card)$212.00 at Amazon $249.99 Save $37.99Get DealFinding a laptop that’s affordable and worth buying can be a challenge if you’re on a budget, but with a little research and

National climate adviser Ali Zaidi| Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Sure, President-elect Donald Trump is probably going to try to blow up efforts to tackle climate change as soon as he steps into office. There still isn’t enough renewable energy available to reach US climate goals or even meet skyrocketing electricity demand from AI. And time is running out to spend down climate funds from the Inflation Reduction Act before the Trump administration can attempt to claw it ba

FREE UBER RIDES: As of Jan. 10, teens who fail their driver's test can get free rides from an Uber Teen account for a limited time. Opens in a new windowCredit: UberFree Uber Teen RidesUp to six Uber Teen rides at up to $20 per rideGet DealGetting your driver's license can be a difficult process. There's all that practice, going out on the road, and figuring out parallel parking, not to mention having to learn how to deal with other drivers. If you or your teen recently took their driver's test

TL;DR: Live stream Aston Villa vs. West Ham United in the FA Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.The FA Cup third round includes some really interesting matchups, like Aston Villa vs. West Ham United. This battle between two Premier League sides is arguably the biggest game of the round of fixtures. It's certainly not an easy one to call, with only six points separating these teams in the league.If you want to watch Aston Villa vs. West H

TNW has strengthened its support for European tech by adding ecosystems expert Yeni Joseph to the management team. Yeni has also started a new role as Head of Ecosystem Strategy and Partnerships.  The appointment brings extensive expertise to TNW’s leadership — and fresh ideas.  “TNW has a long-standing track record of catalysing innovation,” says Yeni. “We now want to focus on going from legacy to measurable impact.” Yeni’s work will shape TN

A group of authors, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sarah Silverman, alleged in a court filing that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved "Meta's torrenting and processing of pirated copyrighted works" to train the company's AI models.The California filing, which was made public on Wednesday, claims that Zuckerberg supported the use of the LibGen dataset, an archive that originated in Russia and contains a library of pirated books, to train its Llama AI. In a document submitted to the court, Meta adm

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images As wildfires continue to devastate parts of Los Angeles County, hundreds of thousands of residents are without power as utility crews work to restore connectivity. Mobile carriers are also taking action to keep their services online and provide relief to affected residents.Here’s how major carriers are responding.
Verizon
In an update on Thursday, Verizon said it will waive call, text, and data usage incurred by prepaid and postpaid customers

SAVE $100: Be the first to know about Samsung's 2025 TVs and audio lineup. Sign up for exclusive updates and receive a $100 credit towards your preorder.Opens in a new windowCredit: Samsung Sign Up + Get $100 Credit Get DealSamsung’s offering a pretty sweet incentive for customers looking to get their hands on the company’s 2025 product line-up: For a limited time, anyone who signs up to receive Samsung’s latest news and updates will receive a $100 credit towards a qualifying p

You’ll only need to empty the Yeedi Cube’s base every once in a while. It handles the rest. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge The Yeedi Cube doesn’t have the modularity and extremities of some of the cool new robot vacuums we’ve seen at CES 2025, but the self-emptying, self-cleaning mopping robovac is also much more reasonably priced. It’s even cheaper today at Amazon, where you can buy it for $299.99 ($260 off) when you clip an on-page coupon. That&rsq

SAVE $150: As of Jan. 10, the Insignia 65-inch F50 Series 4K HD Fire TV is just $299.99 at Best Buy, down from its usual price of $449.99. That's a 37% discount. Opens in a new windowCredit: Best BuyInsignia 65-inch F50 Series 4K HD Fire TV$299.99 at Best Buy $449.99 Save $150.00Get DealMiss out on all the holiday TV deals? Still want a new set for your living room or maybe another area in your home? Don't sleep on Insignia's line of Fire TVs, particularly one that's on sale today at Best Buy. I

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Whether you're hoping to use up the funds on that gift card you received for the holidays or simply want to do a little retail therapy heading into th

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Schools across the US and Canada are warning parents that a data breach may have leaked information for students and employees. The K-12 operations platform PowerSchool, which supports over 60 million students and has over 18,000 customers worldwide, suffered a breach that could’ve exposed names and addresses of students and educators and, in some cases, more sensitive information like Social Security numbers, medical information, and grades.

Valerion’s VisionMaster Max projector at the company’s CES 2025 booth. | Image: Valerion Valerion announced a new feature for its VisionMaster Max projector at CES 2025 that will improve setup flexibility. The company will offer alternate lenses for the projector — a feature typically only offered on professional-grade home theater hardware — that can be swapped by users to change the size of the image it produces, or how far it can project. That will accommodate a wider

Image: Snowman For me, skateboarding has always been about getting into a flow state. Much like playing Tetris, I’m at my best when I’m skating almost subconsciously, not thinking and acting in the moment. It’s not an easy zone to get into, and music has always been my shortcut. So the greatest compliment I can give to Skate City: New York is that I’ve spent the past week fine-tuning the perfect playlist, all so that I can also perfect my runs in the game.
New York is a s

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images One last chance before the divest-or-ban law takes effect on January 19th. TikTok has just over a week before it’s forced to either separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or functionally cease operations in the US. An appeals court upheld a divest-or-ban law, but the Supreme Court offers one final chance for the company and its users to make their case. The court is expected to issue a decision quickly after it

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge CES is a TV show. And a car show. And a wearables show. And this year, oddly, kind of a pool-vacuum show? It is the biggest, most elaborate, most bizarre tech show of the year, during which practically the whole industry flies to Las Vegas to show off new stuff and make big deals.On this episode of The Vergecast, a special live edition of the show from the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, we talk through as much of it as we can. (Thanks to everyone who came out, by the

A Super Scooper drops ocean water on the Palisades fire. | Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images An aircraft helping to fight wildfires that are raging across Los Angeles was struck by a civilian drone on Thursday. The collision damaged the wing of the aircraft — a CL-415 “Super Scooper” capable of scooping up 1,600 gallons of ocean water to drop onto nearby blazes — according to a statement by the LA County Fire Department posted on X, putting it out of

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Venu, the live sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, isn’t happening. In a statement on Friday, the three companies announced the decision “not to move forward with the contemplated joint venture.”
Here’s a joint statement from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery:
After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not launch the streaming service. In an