Noam Chomsky isn’t dead yet Chomsky often was critical of the media. | Photo by Heuler Andrey / AFP via Getty ImagesEveryone dies eventually, and famed linguist Noam Chomsky will be no different — but at the time of this writing, he is alive. And, sadly, his wife is explaining to people that reports of his death are “false,” according to The Associated Press. Chomsky, 95, …

An effort to fund an internet subsidy program just got thwarted again Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty ImagesDon’t hold your breath for a resurgence of government internet subsidies. Republicans and Democrats can’t seem to agree on a way forward to fund the program, and passing such bills will only get more difficult as Election Day inches closer. Democrats and Republicans have introduc…

Hue launches a pricey new sunrise lamp Hue’s new Twilight bedside lamp costs $280. | Image: Philips HueFollowing leaks last week, smart lighting company Philips Hue has confirmed it has a new sunrise lamp called Twilight. The company also announced several other new products, including a less expensive light strip, new decorative Lightguide bulbs, and the Datura ceiling light. The ne…

Amazon union workers and the Teamsters have inked a deal Union organizer Chris Smalls speaks following the April 1st, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. | Photo by ANDREA RENAULT / AFP via Getty ImagesAmazon Labor Union (ALU) members voted to affiliate with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in a move they hope will bring new life to a yearslong …

Fisker tried to out Tesla Tesla, and now it’s bankrupt Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker. | Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty ImagesEarlier today, Fisker finally did what has seemed inevitable these past few turbulent months: declared bankruptcy. “Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate…

The Framework Laptop 13 is about to become one of the world’s first RISC-V laptops Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeWhat if your laptop didn’t need a processor from an established brand like Intel or AMD? What if it didn’t even rely on proprietary paid architectures like Arm and x86? RISC-V is one of the answers to those questions — it’s free for anyone to use! — and modular computer company Framework has just decide…

AIs are coming for social networks Butterflies AI.So far, generative AI has been mostly confined to chatbots like ChatGPT. Startups like Character.AI and Replika are seeing early traction by making chatbots more like companions. But what happens when you dump a bunch of AI characters into something that looks like Instagram and let them talk to each other? That’s the idea behind …

TikTok is copying Instagram again with Whee Image: TikTokTikTok recently launched a new Instagram-like photo-sharing app called Whee, as spotted by Android Police and APKMirror founder Artem Russakovskii. TikTok is explicitly positioning Whee as an app for sharing photos with only your closest friends. “Capture and share real-life photos that only your friends can see, allowing you to be …

Sphero’s Bolt Plus robot has a screen parents would want their kids to look at The Sphero Bolt Plus’ new full-color screen can help kids troubleshoot their code. | Image: SpheroSphero has updated its RC Bolt robotic ball with a higher-resolution LCD screen, providing improved visual feedback that promises to make the new Bolt Plus a better STEM tool for teaching kids the fundamentals of programming. Originally making a na…

Android 15 just reached a major milestone One step closer to a final release in the fall. | Image: The Verge / AndroidIt’s beta software season, baby. Google is releasing Android 15’s third beta today, taking it one step closer to its final release. With this update, it reaches platform stability, meaning that APIs are finalized and developers can start testing their apps with this near…

Adobe’s new terms of service say it won’t use your work to train AI Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeFor the past couple of weeks, Adobe has faced intense backlash over changes to its terms of service agreement — and now, it’s trying to patch things up. On Tuesday, Adobe announced a tweaked version of its terms of service agreement that makes it clear the company will not train AI on user content stored lo…

Athletes sound warning about extreme heat at Summer Olympics New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell (TOP) and Michael Venus compete against USA’s Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men’s doubles tennis match for the bronze medal at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on July 30th, 2021. | Photo by Vincenzo Pinto / AFP via Getty ImagesAthletes are raising concerns about how extreme…

Sony’s PlayStation Portal update adds public Wi-Fi support The Portal is getting a very slow trickle of software updates. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe PlayStation Portal is getting a couple of modest features it should have had in the first place. Sony announced on its PlayStation Blog that a software update for its handheld remote player will allow users to connect their devices to…

Apple’s Vision Pro team is reportedly focused on building a cheaper headset Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeApple may no longer be working on a new high-end Vision headset amid slowing sales of the Vision Pro, according to a new report from The Information. Instead, Apple has apparently been finding ways to reduce the cost of components for the first model and is working on a cheaper Vision headset that it ai…

Netflix House will fill the voids left by dead department stores An artist’s concept of what the Netflix House retail destinations could look like. | Image: NetflixToday, Netflix revealed more details about its upcoming permanent retail destinations that were first announced eight months ago, including where the first two Netflix House venues will open in 2025: Dallas, Texas, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania…

Zelda is finally getting her own game Image: NintendoAfter years of playing second fiddle to Link in her own franchise, Princess Zelda is finally getting a video game of her own this fall. During today’s Direct presentation, Nintendo revealed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the franchise’s first game to follow as Princess Zelda herself embarks on an adventure to save the worl…

You can grab a Blink Video Doorbell with a Sync Module 2 for just $42 right now The current promo means you won’t have to pay extra for local storage. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge’Tis the season of travel, and if you want to beef up your home security ahead of your vacation, today might be a good time to do so. Right now, you can pick up a Blink Video Doorbell with a Sync Module 2 at Best Buy, The Home Dep…

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a brand-new Mario RPG for Switch Image: NintendoTo start off Nintendo’s Summer Game Fest-adjacent Direct, the company debuted a new Mario & Luigi game: Mario & Luigi: Brothership. It’s been nine years since the last Mario & Luigi game, Bowser’s Inside Story, which debuted in 2009 on the Nintendo DS before being rereleased with extra content and a whole new side story on the 3D…

Nintendo shares the first gameplay trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Image: NintendoNintendo finally shared gameplay footage of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond during Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct. The brief video was classic Metroid Prime, featuring intense first-person gunfighting and scanning stuff in the environment. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little while until we can play it for ourselves, as the company gave …

The Beats Solo Buds have a great look and an even better price There are clear tradeoffs — like a charging case with no extra battery juice — but the price and Beats’ cultural cachet are likely enough to guarantee success for the Solo Buds. Continue reading…