The BBC is blocking OpenAI data scraping but is open to AI-powered journalism Image: BBCThe BBC, the UK’s largest news organization, laid out principles it plans to follow as it evaluates the use of generative AI — including for research and production of journalism, archival, and “personalized experiences.” In a blog post, BBC director of nations Rhodri Talfan Davies said the broadcaster believes the technology provides …

Microsoft launches new web app store for Windows Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeMicrosoft has launched a new web version of its app store for Windows. It’s designed as a replacement for the existing way to find Windows apps on the web, with links from the site opening in the Microsoft Store client on Windows 10 or Windows 11. The software giant has ditched its old React codebase f…

How to use the new Messages features in iOS 17 Illustration by Samar Haddad / The VergeiOS 17 is available now and ready to install if you’ve got an iPhone released in the last five years — and as usual, Apple has added upgrades and new features to its iOS apps as well as to the mobile operating system itself. Here, we’ll show you what you can now do in Messages using iOS 17 that you couldn’…

The Pixel Watch 2’s switch to pin charging highlights wearable design challenges There’s contact pin charging now. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeUnlike the smooth puck used with the first-gen Pixel Watch, Google’s new Pixel Watch 2 has switched to a charger with pogo pins — a design used by Fitbit on all of its fitness trackers and smartwatches. Complicating matters, it also looks like first-gen Pixel Watch cases aren’…

Google’s seven-year Pixel update promise is historic — or meaningless Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeI can’t believe Google finally did it. I’m still in disbelief. An Android phone with seven years of updates — not security patches, but real OS and feature updates? It’s unheard of. It’s historic. It’s the opposite of what we’ve come to expect from Google over the past decade and change — so many great smartphon…

EV buyers will get an instant rebate of as much as $7,500 starting in 2024 Image: Getty ImagesThe Treasury Department released new guidance Friday outlining how car dealers can give customers instant access to the electric vehicle rebate starting in January 2024. It’s the latest move by the Biden administration to bring down the cost of EVs in the hopes that more people will buy them. The new guidance lays out how dea…

Castlevania: Nocturne is coming back for a second season Richter Belmont. | NetflixCastlevania: Nocturne’s season 1 finale made it crystal clear that there was even more to Richter Belmont’s story still waiting to be told. But just in case there was any doubt that Netflix planned to bring the show back, the streamer’s already teasing what’s coming next. Along with a brief teaser video featuring produc…

Google’s Pixel 8 launch was a parade of AI A pile of new Pixel 8 devices. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeI don’t know if you’ve heard, but Google’s latest products are filled with AI. There’s Magic Editor, a photo editing tool powered by generative AI; there’s Conversation Detection, an audio transparency feature powered by AI; there are improved heart rate algorithms, which, yes, ar…

The Verge’s favorite tools to stay organized Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeLife these days can be very complicated, and many of us — I’d guess that most of us — are constantly looking for the best method to keep our lives in order. What do you need on your grocery list? When is that work project due, and who is working on it with you? A friend wants to do a movie-watching sess…

Mark Hamill explains space in new video series for State Department God bless Mark Hamill and his willingness to still say this after nearly 50 years. | Image: State Department / ScreenshotThe first thing we see is the planet Earth, floating in space like the beautiful marble it is before plunging through a wormhole and racing across space. We emerge in a well-lit California living room in front of an older man…

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: almost perfect Yale’s latest smart locks offer something for everyone: Apple Home Key, a fingerprint reader, and compatibility with every platform. You just can’t have it all. (And there’s still no support for Thread or Matter.) Continue reading…

Save $65 on Google’s Pixel Buds Pro ahead of their big software updates The Pixel Buds Pro will be getting software updates with new features over the next few weeks. | Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeIt’s been a week of Google news, both on the announcement stage and even in the courtroom. While the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro may have received much of the attention at the Made by Google keynote, Google also announced …

X is testing new paid membership tiers to compensate for poor ad revenue The free membership plan may soon be removed entirely. | Illustration: The VergeX (formerly Twitter) is looking to split its premium subscription service into three membership tiers, allowing the company to vary subscription pricing based on how many ads are shown to the user. According to Bloomberg’s source who attended a Thursday call with X a…

Microsoft eyes closing its giant Activision Blizzard deal next week Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeMicrosoft is planning to finalize its $68.7 billion proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week. A source familiar with Microsoft’s plans tells The Verge that the company is eyeing up Friday October 13th as the closing date where it announces to the world that the 20-month process to buy Call of D…

Google’s Magnifier accessibility app is ready for download to Pixel phones Magnifier includes some additional accessibility benefits that go beyond simply zooming into distant text. | Image: GoogleGoogle has released its Magnifier app for Pixel phones that’s designed to make small, dimly lit, or distant text easier to read. The new accessibility app debuted on the Pixel 8 series introduced at Google’s Pixel event earli…

Silent Hill: Ascension premieres on Halloween Image: GenvidSilent Hill: Ascension, the interactive streaming series set in the universe of the classic horror games, will have its “world premiere” on October 31st at 9PM ET, says Jacob Navok, the game’s executive producer and CEO of developer Genvid. If you want to take part you’ll be able to participate through Ascension’s iOS and Android ap…

Sony confirms server security breaches that exposed employee data Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The VergeSony is sending out notices to some current and former Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) employees warning that their personal information was compromised in a system breach that occurred in May. The letters went out to about 6,800 affected individuals, as reported by Bleeping Computer. The publicatio…

Canada isn’t trying to silence podcasters Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty ImagesThe Canadian regulatory body that oversees radio, television, and online streaming services put out a news release last week about a provocative new rule. Any online streaming service that operates in Canada, offers broadcasting content, and earns more than $10 million in annual revenue will need to comple…

Was Sam Bankman-Fried’s bean bag chair a lie too? Choose your college roommates carefully… | Photo illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Drew Angerer, Getty ImagesTwo of Bankman-Fried’s MIT roommates make a damning case for the prosecution. Continue reading…

Bing’s AI image generator apparently blocks prompts about the Twin Towers The real World Trade Center in 1980. | Photo by Jack Mecca / Getty ImagesAfter some users of Bing’s DALL-E 3 integration found a loophole in the tool’s guardrails and generated art featuring several beloved animated characters and the Twin Towers, Microsoft seems to have blocked the ability to prompt anything related to the Twin Towers. As repo…