Google Pixel 8 launch event: all the news Image: GoogleHere’s a roundup of all the announcements from Google’s Pixel 8 launch event. Continue reading…

The best early deals from Amazon’s October Prime Day event Amazon’s colorful Echo Pop is on sale for a mere $17.99, matching the smart speaker’s lowest price to date. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The VergePrime Big Deal Days, Amazon’s next Prime Day-like sales event, doesn’t officially kick off until October 10th, but the tech giant is already giving Prime members and non-members alike a taste o…

Meta’s new AI-generated stickers are lewd, rude, and occasionally nude Would you believe this was probably the safest image we could have used here? | Image: Meta / @PioldesSome early user tests for Meta’s new AI-generated sticker tool have resulted in some dubious (and rather hilarious) creations. After gaining access to the new AI-generated sticker tool on Facebook Messenger, X user @Pioldes was able to create a …

AI bias tests gloss over a crucial aspect of skin color, Sony research claims Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeWhile the AI industry has focused on making its algorithms less biased based on the lightness or darkness of people’s skin tones, new research from Sony is calling for red and yellow skin hues to also be taken into account. In a paper published last month, authors William Thong and Alice Xiang from Sony AI,…

Nintendo’s Wii U and 3DS online services will shut down in April Photo by Sam Byford / The VergeNext spring, Nintendo will shut down the online services behind nearly all of its 3DS and Wii U software, affecting multiplayer and other connected features. According to Nintendo, “This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.” News of this early April 2024 shutdown follow…

X has to pay $1.1 million in legal fees for ex-Twitter execs Illustration: The VergeA judge has ruled that X, the platform previously known as Twitter, must pay $1.1 million in legal fees associated with the investigations of the platform that unfolded during Elon Musk’s buyout of the platform last year, according to a report from Bloomberg. As noted by Bloomberg, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen S…

Verizon bundles Netflix and NFL Plus Premium for $25/month Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeVerizon has announced an exclusive combo offering Netflix Premium and NFL Plus Premium for $25 per month. Netflix Premium costs $19.99 / month right now (though it could go up soon!), and NFL Plus Premium is $16.99 / month. That sounds like a pretty good deal for Verizon customers if they’re ready for some …

Samsung’s new ‘fan editions’ of the Galaxy S23, Tab S9, and Buds bring flagship features to lower prices Look! A purple phone that’s actually purple. | Image: SamsungSamsung’s FE series is back after a year off, this time with a pair of Galaxy Buds in the mix. The Galaxy S23 FE has the specs we’d expect of a “value flagship” smartphone and a price that makes more sense: $599, rather than the $699 Samsung charged for the S21 FE. The Galaxy Tab S9 F…

You can now use the DALL-E 3 AI image generator inside Bing Chat A banana bed, as created by DALL-E 3. | Image: OpenAIThe image generator inside the AI-powered Bing Chat is getting a big upgrade today: Microsoft announced that OpenAI’s latest DALL-E 3 model is now available to all Bing Chat and Bing Image Creator users. It has been rolling out over the last week or so, first to Bing Enterprise users and then …

Spotify is giving paid subscribers 15 hours of audiobook listening per month This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more. Ariel and Amrita coming to you with another joint issue today. It’s a jam-packed Tuesday, with Spotify debuting its biggest audiobook development yet, an exclusive interview with the writer of the Audible Original Six Sermons, and Malcolm Gla…

Double tap shows up in watchOS 10.1 dev beta Everybody do the pinchy pinch. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeDouble tap, which lets Apple Watch users tap their thumb and index finger together twice to contextually control the watch, is one of the coolest features of the latest Apple Watch models. It wasn’t included at launch, but 9to5Mac reports that it’s available now in the w…

Meta’s text chat for Horizon Worlds is rolling out to all users Image: MetaMeta’s text-based chat feature for Horizon Worlds will be available for all users beginning this week, Meta said in a blog post on Tuesday. The text chat, which Meta dubs “world chat,” offers a way to communicate with other people inside a Horizon Worlds experience without using your voice. Meta first launched world chat in a limited …

Amazon reportedly used a secret algorithm to jack up prices Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAmazon deployed a secret algorithm to gauge how high it could raise prices before its competitors stopped increasing their prices as well, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. The existence of the algorithm, codenamed Project Nessie, was first revealed late last month in a complai…

Quick fix: what can I do about that double diamond icon in my Chrome address bar? Illustration by Samar Haddad / The VergeIssue As Chrome continues to develop — or, rather, as Google continues to tweak it — it is more and more likely that you may find features that you weren’t aware of or suddenly be confronted by an icon that means absolutely nothing to you. This happened to me recently when I noticed an icon that resembled …

The Cruz BlenderCap lets you make smoothies and shakes on the go Founded and funded by ex-Apple designers: a portable USB-C blender. Continue reading…

Gmail is getting emoji reactions Emoji reactions are coming to a Gmail inbox near you. | Image: GmailIt’s finally here — the tool that could turn your email inbox into a nightmare or a pure delight, depending on your POV. Google is adding the ability to react to an email with an emoji. First rumored last month, Google has now confirmed it is bringing emoji reactions to its Gmai…

Zoom Docs launches in 2024 with built-in AI collaboration features Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAt Zoomtopia 2023 today, Zoom announced Zoom Docs, a collaboration-focused “modular workspace” that integrates the company’s Zoom AI Companion for generating new content or populating a doc from other sources — you know the drill by now. Along with the Mail and Calendar offerings launched during last year’…

Streaming services keep getting more expensive: all the latest price increases There’s more good stuff to watch than ever — if you can afford it. | Image: AmazonWhether you subscribe to Netflix, Disney Plus, Peacock, Hulu, or just about anything else, the cost seems to always be going up. And it may not come down anytime soon. Continue reading…

The wholesome, feel-good true crime of Hit Man Image: Film at Lincoln CenterGary Johnson has a particular set of skills. He talks to strangers about offing loved ones: family members, business partners, or anybody close to them that they want dead. In imaginative detail, he tells them how he’ll murder them. There’s a contract, money is exchanged, an agreement is made. But the thing about Gar…

How to find the best deals during Amazon’s October Prime Day event Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAmazon Prime Day is one of the biggest shopping events of the year outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with this year’s autumn installment running October 10th through the 11th. The two-day shopping affair, known as Prime Big Deal Days, will likely grant Prime members access to some of the best prices…