Dozens of states ask Congress to un-doom the Kids Online Safety Act

Photo collage showing error messages over Congress.

Image:Cath Virginia / The Verge

A group of state attorneys general are pushing Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which has stalled in the House of Representatives thanks to concerns over online censorship. An open letter published today is signed by 32 attorneys general, including those of 31 states and the District of Columbia. It urges leaders of both parties in the House and Senate to vote on the bill before the current congressional session ends early next year.

“While an increasingly online world has improved many aspects of our material well-being, prolific internet usage negatively impacts our children,” reads the letter, whose signatories include the attorneys general of Florida, New Mexico, and New York. “KOSA will establish better safeguards...

NPR NewsNov 18, 2024, 10:58 PM

Pope calls for investigation into whether Israel's actions constitute genocide

Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's military attacks on Gaza constitute genocide. It's the first time he's publicly suggested that Israel may be engaged in genocide.

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 10:52 PM

US lawyers will reportedly try to force Google to sell Chrome and unbundle Android

Photo illustration of a gavel casting a shadow over the Google logo

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

The Department of Justice is planning to ask for Google’s antitrust trial judge to force the company to sell off its Chrome browser after the judge ruled the company has maintained an illegal search monopoly, reports Bloomberg.

Chrome is the world’s most widely used browser, and the government’s lawyers have argued that its use in cross-promoting Google’s products is one of the things limiting available channels and incentives for competition to grow.

Requirements that officials are preparing to propose include that Google separate Android from Search and Google Play, but without trying to force Google to sell off Android. Another requirement would say it has to share more information with advertisers and that it “give them more control...

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 10:46 PM

Amazon and SpaceX attack US labor watchdog in court

US-UNION-RETAIL-AMAZON

Photo by ANDREA RENAULT/AFP via Getty Images

Amazon and SpaceX are seeking to hamstring the National Labor Relations Board, asking a court to declare its processes for upholding labor law unconstitutional. But judges on a three-person panel appeared skeptical when the companies presented their arguments Monday.

In two separate cases before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the two companies argued that the NLRB is unlawfully forcing them to participate in administrative law proceedings over alleged anti-labor actions. The Amazon case centers around whether it’s required to bargain with the union at its JFK 8 fulfillment center on Staten Island, while the SpaceX case involves a charge by former employees who claimed they were fired after being critical of CEO Elon Musk.

A ruling...

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 10:45 PM

GTA 6 Fans Think The Moon Is Telling Them When The Next Trailer Will Arrive

A random promo image from Rockstar Games featuring the moon as seen in Grand Theft Auto V has led to a wild theory that, actually, the space orb that controls our tides in that image is really a clue pointing to when the next GTA 6 trailer will drop.

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 10:38 PM

Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):

kevinteljeur@mastodon.online ("Kevin Teljeur ❄️") wrote:

Guys! GUYS! IT’S HAPPENING, AWWW YEAH

Attachments:

Screenshot: iOS notification from Amazon app, title: Back in stock, "lomega 250MB External ZIP DriveUSB", from your wish list, is back in stock. Take a look now. (remote)

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 10:36 PM

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

caveat: this is super-early test software, and no guarantees are made that it will not make your computer halt and catch fire.

on the other hand, I think I have it locked down enough so outputs will be child-SAFE, so it will give you EFFECTIVE storytelling advice, and so that it is TRUSTWORTHY bout not tracking anything but whether your browser is currently logged in or not.

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 10:33 PM

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

okay
the username/password challenge
is in place
and will “stick” until you
restart the browser
(or I restart the server)

I will fix it so it does a real “logout”
Real Soon Now
but this will do for now
username: tester  
password: password

[https://arghstudios.com:50433][3]  
(and select “Login” from the menu)
please try it out...
during this early test period
getting folks to use it
to get real story ideas
for telling to real kids
would be super useful

thank you very much

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 10:27 PM

Reblogged by bcantrill ("Bryan Cantrill"):

timbray@cosocial.ca ("Tim Bray") wrote:

from @bcantrill: “Blogging through the decades”:

https://bcantrill.dtrace.org/2024/11/16/blogging-through-the-decades/

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 10:25 PM

Razzlekhan, crypto’s most embarrassing rapper, is going to prison

Screenshot showing Heather Morgan crouched on a concrete surface, hands held in fists in front of her.

Screenshot: Razzlekhan

A federal judge has sentenced Heather Morgan to 18 months in prison for her role in helping husband Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein launder stolen Bitcoin, CoinDesk reports. Lichtenstein has admitted to hacking the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex in 2016 and stealing 120,000 Bitcoin, worth $71 million at the time (and almost $11 billion as of this writing).

Before she was arrested, Morgan was a Forbes and Inc. blogger. When the Department of Justice announced her arrest, the internet found out she also made crypto-themed rap videos under the name “Razzlekhan.” The whole story is expected to be immortalized in a Netflix documentary series and a film called Dutch & Razzlekhan.

Morgan issued a statement on X, saying she “will soon be telling my...

NPR NewsNov 18, 2024, 10:18 PM

With new safety update, Roblox aims to boost protection for young gamers

In an effort to address child safety concerns, digital gaming platform Roblox announced Monday that it is rolling out a major update to its safety features and parental controls.

NPR NewsNov 18, 2024, 10:01 PM

Ukraine is Allowed to Fire US-made Missiles into Russia

Ukraine is granted permission from the Biden administration to fire U.S.-made long range missiles into Russian territory. We hear from two NPR correspondents about this major policy shift by the White House. Our Pentagon correspondent tells us the goals around the move and what it might mean on the battlefield. And our correspondent in Moscow gives us the Russian Government's reaction to the move.

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 9:55 PM

The 7 Biggest Surprises From The Game Awards 2024 Nominees

Game Awards host Geoff Keighley revealed the 2024 nominees across dozens of categories on Monday. It included something for everyone, unless you’re a fan of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which is quickly becoming this year’s Starfield.

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 9:45 PM

Corsair now has a gaming keyboard and mouse for the Mac

The Corsair K65 Plus wireless keyboard and the M75 wireless mouse in glacier blue on a desk.

Corsair has upgraded its K65 Plus wireless keyboard and M75 wireless mouse so they’re Mac compatible with new colorways. | Image: Corsair

Corsair has announced an updated version of the K65 Plus wireless keyboard it debuted earlier this year that’s now compatible with the Mac. It’s joined by a new version of Corsair’s M75 wireless mouse, and both peripherals are available in Mac-exclusive colors including glacier blue and a white version the company calls frost.

The frost versions of the K65 Plus wireless keyboard and M75 wireless mouse are available now from Apple’s online and retail stores for $179.95 and $129.95, respectively. The glacier blue versions will be available for the same price, but at a later date.

Image: Corsair

The Mac version of the Corsair K65 Plus wireless keyboard is exclusively available in glacier blue and frost (white)...

Mother JonesNov 18, 2024, 9:43 PM

Trump’s FCC Pick Wants to Intimidate Broadcasters and Enrich Trump Allies

During this year’s campaign, Donald Trump disowned Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation agenda that would transform the federal government’s enforcement powers into political weapons while selling off the rest to the highest bidder, by swearing he didn’t know who was behind it. But now that voting is over, he’s finding the plan a handy way […]

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 9:30 PM

Get the Pokémon TCG Pocket Card You Want With The Pack Point Exchange System

Opening up card packs is the progenitor of loot boxes, so we can all recognize that occasionally icky feeling while playing Pokémon TCG Pocket. Keeping track of all the game’s numerous currencies certainly doesn’t help in that regard either. Thankfully, there is a modicum of grace for bypassing the RNG with Pack Point…

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 9:25 PM

HarperCollins is asking authors to license their books for AI training

An illustration of a glitchy pencil writing on paper.

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

HarperCollins has agreed with an unnamed AI tech company to let the company use some nonfiction titles to train its models, 404 Media reports, but only if authors opt-in to having their books be used for training. Some authors are currently suing companies like OpenAI, accusing them of copyright infringement for training AI models on their works without permission.

According to a statement HarperCollins gave to 404 Media, the agreement protects authors’ “underlying value of their works and our shared revenue and royalty streams.” Author Daniel Kibblesmith posted screenshots of an email showing that he would be paid $2,500 if he allowed one of his books to be licensed.

Abominable.

— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith.com) 2...

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 9:19 PM

fribbledom ("muesli") wrote:

Resin printers and the current educational level of society don't mix well.

"But it says water-washable on the box, surely that means I can just flush it down the sink!" -- a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

😵

#3dprinting

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 9:18 PM

Reblogged by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):

JesseSkinner@toot.cafe ("Jesse Skinner") wrote:

Boost this toot if you're planning on sticking around Mastodon & the Fediverse whether or not it's more popular than Bluesky.

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 9:13 PM

Toyota shows off its latest big idea for cold hydrogen vehicles

sporty corolla driving on the track

The liquid hydrogen-powered GR Corolla H2 Concept. | Image: Toyota

Toyota is pushing hydrogen-powered vehicle technology forward with a liquid hydrogen system design that includes a self-pressurizer to save escaping gas and reuse it as fuel to increase engine efficiency.

Toyota introduced a liquid system in the GR Corolla H2 Concept in 2023, which keeps hydrogen at -253 degrees Celsius during filling and storing in the tank. Hydrogen exists as a gas at room temperature, so the pumps have to operate cold to prevent the liquid from boiling. Inherently, the system still has boil-off gas that gets wasted.

Image: Toyota

Boil-off gas chart for the system.

So what’s the solution? Toyota exhibited a “self-pressurizer” at the Super Taikyu Series 2024 race this past weekend that “uses the...

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 9:07 PM

Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary says ‘there is no climate crisis’

The sun flares over the sign marking the location of the US Department of Energy headquarters building

The US Department of Energy headquarters building on February 9th, 2024, in Washington, DC. | Photo by J. David Ake / Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Energy is fossil fuel executive Chris Wright — who has misleadingly claimed on LinkedIn that “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.”

Hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and other disasters exacerbated by climate change are already hitting the US. And renewable energy capacity is on course to more than double globally by the end of the decade.

Nevertheless, Wright is a staunch evangelist for fossil fuels who consistently rejects mainstream climate science. While Wright also has ties to the nuclear energy industry, clean energy advocates say that with Trump’s cabinet picks, the US is losing ground in the race to deploy renewable...

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 9:06 PM

Turn The Tables On Your Foes With Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s Most Difficult Counter

Something I love about Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is the many layers of mechanics to dig into. Conversely, something I don’t like is that the training mode doesn’t cover all of said mechanics particularly well. Super Movement is a great example of this, but another is Sonic Sway, a fantastic technique that can put a…

NPR NewsNov 18, 2024, 9:06 PM

A Pennsylvania court says again misdated mail ballots don't count this year

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has directed county officials not to count mail ballots for the general election that arrived on time but in envelopes without current dates handwritten by voters.

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 9:02 PM

Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):

zachleat@zachleat.com ("Zach Leatherman :11ty:") wrote:

sometimes cool URIs don’t change but other times you must burn previously cool URIs to the ground so they can’t be further monetized for evil 🔥

Mastodon FeedNov 18, 2024, 9:01 PM

slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:

I made a throw-away comment in my talk last week about how AMP was based on lies -- which doesn't seem controversial at this point? But it remains poorly understood, and there has been a fair bit of correspondence in response.

Trying to decide if I should write up how AMP robbed publishers of opportunity, not just scarce tech budget.

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 8:43 PM

Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI

Elon Musk and Sam Altman overlayed in a collage.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Emails in Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI expose the startup’s rocky origins.

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 8:30 PM

Metaphor: ReFantazio, As Told By Steam Reviews

The year isn’t over yet, but if you follow any RPG fans online, then you know they’re calling Metaphor: ReFantazio game of the year material. Well, based on the Steam reviews, those people may be onto something. It’s a highly popular anime-style RPG from developer ATLUS, known for the phenomenal Persona franchise, in…

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 8:28 PM

Dbrand’s new glow-in-the-dark skins have a circuit board texture you can feel

Several different gadgets and gaming devices covered in Dbrand’s Circuit Board wraps and glowing green in the dark.

Dbrand’s Circuit Board skins could make it easier to find your devices in the dark. | Image: Dbrand

Dbrand’s latest gadget skins capitalize on our curiosity to peek inside our electronics. Its new Circuit Board collection, created in collaboration with LinusTechTips, features a complex pattern that looks like a functional PCB because the pattern was created with the assistance of engineers that design actual circuit boards.

The company describes the complex design of the new skin collection as being an “accurate representation of a printed circuit board” but it don’t represent a functional PCB copied from an actual device. Instead, the pattern is a “mosaic of functional circuit board elements,” Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz tells The Verge, that showcases components like resistors, capacitors, and traces laid out in a schematic that prioritizes...

The VergeNov 18, 2024, 8:27 PM

Google may be about to reboot its laptop and tablet hardware again

The Google Pixel Tablet resting on a dock.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Google might be preparing to make big changes to its laptop and tablet hardware by making the software on its Chromebooks resemble what you’d find on a tablet. One report from Android Authority suggests that Google has a “multi-year project” in the works for migrating ChromeOS to Android, while a second one from the same outlet indicates Google may be planning a second Pixel tablet that comes with a foldable keyboard cover.

That tracks with the moves Google has made in recent months.

In June, Google announced that ChromeOS “will soon be developed on large portions of the Android stack” to make the engineering process easier and bring AI features to ChromeOS faster. Google also merged its Android and hardware teams, began testing desktop...

KotakuNov 18, 2024, 8:20 PM

Upcoming Pokémon TCG Pocket Events Seemingly Leaked

If you’re as Pokémon TCG Pocket-pilled as I am, you’re desperate for new cards to collect and new events to battle through. Fortunately, it sounds like players won’t have to wait too much longer for either one, at least according to the latest datamined leaks coming out of the mobile card game.