Epic is going to let you report voice conversations in Fortnite Image: Epic GamesEpic Games is adding a new voice reporting feature into Fortnite to help catch players who break the company’s community rules. If the feature is on — if you’re under 18, the feature is always on when using voice chats — the device you’re playing the game on will securely capture the past five minutes of audio on a “rolling basi…

YouTube teases AI tool that clones famous singers — with their permission Photo by: Trae Patton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty ImagesGoogle is testing new generative AI features for YouTube that’ll let people create music tracks using just a text prompt or a simple hummed tune. The first, Dream Track, already seeded to a few creators on the platform, is designed to auto-generate short 30-secon…

Spotify’s podcast and audiobook discovery will get a boost from Google Cloud’s AI Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeIt’s a cliché at this point to say that podcasts (and, to a less publicized extent, audiobooks) have a discovery problem. To help fix that, Spotify announced it’s using Google Cloud’s AI tools to improve both content discovery and personalized recommendations for its audio offerings. With this latest move…

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N performance EV is coming March 2024 The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has a soul patch. | Image: HyundaiHyundai showed off its production performance-variant Ioniq 5 “N” at the LA Auto Show this week, releasing final specifications of the electric crossover and announcing its availability at US dealerships in March 2024. As previously announced in July, this new version of the Ioniq 5 wa…

Sonos teases a major new product coming next year Illustration: The VergeSonos is in a bit of a rough patch with its consumer hardware business. Demand isn’t nearly on the same level that it was a few years ago, and CEO Patrick Spence has used the word “challenging” more than once when discussing the company’s last several financial quarters. Today’s earnings, which saw revenue decrease by 5.5 …

The FTC warns influencers to disclose when they’re paid to be sweet on aspartame It’s fine to say aspartame is safe — but not to obscure that you’re being paid to do it. | Photo by Long Wei/VCG via Getty ImagesThe first rule of sponsored content: You have to tell people it was paid for. Today, the Federal Trade Commission publicly admonished over a dozen health influencers for publishing videos on TikTok and Instagram about …

Be My Eyes AI offers GPT-4-powered support for blind Microsoft customers Illustration: The VergeMicrosoft is working on offering a better customer service experience powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 for its visually impaired users through a partnership with Be My Eyes, a company that helps visually impaired individuals tackle everyday tasks with the help of sighted volunteers. Microsoft is integrating a digital visual a…

The FCC can now punish telecom providers for charging customers more for less Illustrator by Alex Castro / The VergeThe Federal Communications Commission has approved a new set of rules aiming to prevent “digital discrimination.” It means the agency can hold telecom companies accountable for digitally discriminating against customers — or giving certain communities poorer service (or none at all) based on income level, ra…

Threads is testing hashtags with a side of trending topics Threads is adding trending topics and hashtags. | Image: MetaMark Zuckerberg revealed Meta is testing a new tagging feature for Threads that’s like hashtags, but not exactly. Yes, you’ll use a hashtag to create or add to a topic’s conversation, but instead of showing up as a hashtagged word, Threads converts it to a blue-text hyperlink. Australi…

Google is going to let teens use Bard, though with some guardrails Illustration: The VergeGoogle is going to allow teens to use Bard beginning Thursday, though the AI chatbot will have some guardrails in place, according to a blog post from Google’s Tulsee Doshi. Bard will be available for teens in “most countries around the world” as long as they meet Google’s minimum age requirement to be in charge of their o…

Adobe is using AI to break apart messy audio Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAdobe is working on a new audio tool designed to break apart different layers of sound within a single recording. The tool is called Project Sound Lift, and it can use AI to separate elements like applause from the sound of someone’s voice. As shown in a demo sent to The Verge, all you have to do is import …

SpaceX cleared for second Starship and Super Heavy launch test Here’s hoping this Starship test flight ends better than the first attempt. | Image: SpaceXThe second test flight for SpaceX’s Starship rocket has now been given the all clear by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA said in a statement that it “has given license authorization for the second launch of the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy…

The new What If…? season 2 trailer loves a Marvel callback It was basically a foregone conclusion that Marvel’s animated What If…? series would return to Disney Plus with even more stories from far far corners of Marvel’s ever-expanding cinematic universe. But the show’s new season 2 trailer also makes it seem like its next chapter is going to jack directly into the big multiverse moment that most of …

Tesla’s back seat audio update keeps the kids’ content quiet The Bluetooth headphones feature is coming to just the new Model 3, at least for now. | Image: TeslaA Tesla software update is adding the ability to connect Bluetooth headphones so kids in the back seat can enjoy streaming movies and shows without disturbing their parents in the front. As Not a Tesla App notes, so far, the 2023.38.8 software upd…

Meta will fight the EU over regulating Messenger Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeMeta is challenging the European Commission’s decision to regulate two of its services, Messenger and Marketplace, as gatekeepers under the bloc’s tough new restrictions on tech platforms. The company filed an appeal over the two services today arguing that neither should qualify, Meta spokesperson Chris Sg…

Amazon is merging the Comixology app with Kindle Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeBeginning in December, the Comixology app won’t work anymore — you’ll have to read your comics in Amazon’s Kindle app instead. Amazon announced that the apps will merge on December 4th, meaning that, from that point on, “you can continue to access your Comixology comics, graphic novels, and manga titles in …

Google’s new Titan security keys are ready for a world without passwords Google Titan security keys (2023) | Image: GoogleThe latest iteration of Google’s Titan Security Key is here, ready to work alongside the new passwordless passkey technology that’s rolled out with support from Apple, Microsoft, Google, and many others. Two new versions of the key are available in the Google Store starting today with either a USB…

Verizon wants to back up your entire life for $13.99 per month Honestly? Unlimited storage is tempting. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeVerizon’s cloud storage options are growing: today the company unveiled a new individual plan for its unlimited storage tier. It’s an add-on available for existing Verizon subscribers and costs $13.99 per month. It is — I’ll repeat — unlimited, so you can upload al…

Instagram gets new filters for the first time in forever Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeInstagram is changing a lot these days, especially when it comes to the ways in which we can share our content with others and segment different audiences. But today, the Meta-owned app is bringing the focus back to its creative tools — adding a handful of features including Instagram’s first new filters in…

Mercedes-Benz opens its first 400kW EV charging station in the US Image: Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz cut the ribbon on its first EV fast-charging hub in the US, complete with a swanky waiting area and 400kW charging speeds courtesy of ChargePoint. The hub is located at the automaker’s US-based headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, meaning most of the early users are likely to be Mercedes employees. But the company…