Pinterest settles lawsuit that alleged racial and gender discrimination

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Pinterest has settled a lawsuit brought against it by shareholders who claimed that the company’s workplace discrimination against women and racial minorities hurt its reputation, according to NBC News. The company reportedly agreed to spend $50 million on improving its diversity and equity, and will let former employees talk about racial or gender discrimination they experienced, even if they were bound by a non-disclosure agreement. Other financial details of the settlement weren’t disclosed.

The lawsuit was filed against the company’s executives in November 2020, with shareholder claiming that the company was acting irresponsibly by doing nothing to address “widespread claims of race and gender discrimination.” The complaint also...

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You probably have better options than the candy bar-shaped monitor

Image: Elsonic, via Nojima Online

Another day, another interesting gadget making the rounds on the internet — this one is a very tall (aspect ratio-wise anyway) portable monitor with an 8.8-inch display running at a resolution of 420 by 1920. It’s called the Elsonic EK-MD088, and while its size, shape, and built-in stand make it intriguing, it also raises the question: what would you even use such a narrow monitor for? And are there better ways to spend your 14,800 yen (around $130 US dollars)?

Gizmodo points out the most obvious use case for such a tall screen: it seems tailor-made for endlessly scrolling through Twitter or Instagram, keeping the gloom of the internet ever-present off to the side of your work. Honestly, that seems like a great way to destroy your brain...

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Battle.net is partially down and Blizzard says it’s a DDoS attack

If you’re unable to sign into Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net, the online service underpinning Overwatch, Call of Duty: Warzone, Hearthstone, Diablo’s online features and more, that’s because it’s experiencing some significant issues — ones which Blizzard is currently pinning on a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, where servers get overwhelmed with coordinated traffic.

Screenshot by Richard Lawler / The Verge

Blizzard is stating that it’s a DDoS on its verified customer service Twitter account, and additionally in a “Breaking News” item you may see in the PC Battle.net client when you attempt to sign in.

[#BNet] We are currently experiencing a DDoS attack, which may result in high latency and...

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The new pro football NFT marketplace has a name: NFL All Day

Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images

It has been less than a year since NBA Top Shot served as an introduction for many sports fans into the world of NFTs, and now the NFL is lining up a similar arrangement. In September, the league announced a partnership with the company that runs Top Shot, Dapper Labs, and now we know the name of the service that will distribute the video highlight clips that make up the “Moments” that become NFTs: NFL All Day.

This effort is separate from the Ticketmaster-powered NFTs that the NFL is tying to selected games this season (like the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving appearance on national TV), but launching the branding now doesn’t feel like a coincidence. There will be many blockchain and NFT discussions amongst family members on Thursday,...

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Almost buying a copy of the Constitution is easy, but giving the money back is hard

One of 13 remaining copies of the Official Edition of the Constitution. | Image: Sotheby’s

As of last Thursday night, ConstitutionDAO found itself in possession of around $49.8 million it wasn’t able to spend. The group’s organizers only had a mandate to spend the crowdfunded money on one thing — a rare copy of the US Constitution that they failed to win at auction — so instead of trying to get community approval to use the money toward some other goal, they instead began the process of returning the funds to backers.

Returning that much money has been a tricky process, though. Backers have to manually request refunds, so even a week later, tens of millions of dollars are still sitting in ConstitutionDAO’s pockets. And because all of the money was collected in Ether, and sending funds over Ethereum incurs high transaction...

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Democrats’ plan to boost ‘tree equity’ is actually a good idea

THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2015/11/20: Gold shovels surround tree to be planted at Joyce Kilmer Park.  | Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Trees have become a contentious piece of Democrats’ Build Back Better Act, the budget reconciliation bill that encompasses sweeping social and environmental programs. Congressional Republicans have seized on the $3 billion in the proposed nearly $2 trillion bill earmarked for planting trees, with a focus on boosting ‘tree equity’ — despite the fact that this is a strategy that experts say could reduce health disparities in cities.

While opponents have called the tree equity provisions an indicator of Democrats’ “reckless spending spree” and a “waste [of] even more taxpayer dollars,”in reality, disparities in tree coverage across American cities are a huge problem that affects heat exposure, air quality and more, with serious...

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Macy’s is auctioning off Thanksgiving Day Parade NFTs, including this creepy elf

Elf is one of 10 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NFTs up for auction. | Image: Macy’s

Macy’s department stores might be closed this Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean the company has run out of things to sell. The retailer is auctioning off 10 one-of-a-kind NFTs to mark the 95th year of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Each NFT references a parade balloon from decades past, going back to a black and white toy soldier from the 1920s. Also featured is an elf character from the 2000s and a spaceman from the 1950s, who lost an arm in the 1955 parade after colliding with a lamppost (the NFT version is fully inflated). Proceeds from the auction benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with current bids generating tens of thousands of dollars. The auction ends on November 30th.

In addition to the 10 unique NFTs, Macy’s is...

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US banking regulators are looking to clarify crypto rules in 2022

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (or FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) have issued a joint statement announcing a plan to clarify the rules and regulations around how banks can use cryptocurrencies over the next year (via Bloomberg).

The agencies say they’re focusing on setting expectations for what banks can do when it comes to holding crypto, allowing customers to obtain crypto, issuing their own stablecoins (or cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to a fiat currency like the US dollar), and taking crypto as collateral for loans and keeping it on their balance sheets. According to the letter, the goal is to make sure consumers are protected and that banks act responsibly. The...

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Dragon Age 4 creative director leaves BioWare

Dragon Age 4 has lost its senior creative director. According to a report from Kotaku, Matt Goldman left BioWare after working at the Mass Effect, Anthem, and Knights of the Old Republic developer for four years. In an email shared with Kotaku, BioWare general manager Gary McKay wrote, “We understand that Matt’s departure has an impact on you, as well as the game’s development. Rest assured our commitment to a high-quality Dragon Age game has not wavered, and we will not ship a game that is not up to BioWare’s standards.”

A BioWare spokesperson also commented on Goldman’s departure to The Verge, saying, “He leaves the next Dragon Age game in excellent hands, with the team here at the studio who will carry forward our vision for the...

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Is the music industry’s future on the blockchain?

3LAU, aka Justin Blau, performing in 2016 in New York City. | Photo by Brian Killian/Getty Images

One big knock on cryptocurrencies is that they’re a technology in search of a problem. Venture capitalists want to put everything on the blockchain and generate big returns, but why not just use a database instead? To skeptics, everything else in the space looks like noise — a bunch of grifters and try-hards changing their Twitter profile pictures to pixelated punks and apes in an effort to eventually flip those NFTs to a greater fool.

But even as my mentions and direct messages fill up with readers fulminating about crypto — last week, after this piece, a paid subscriber wrote to me telling me he hopes that I die! — good and useful new things keep revealing themselves. Like a video game that pays you to play it. Or a series of free NFTs...

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Verizon and AT&T offer to temporarily lower 5G’s power to avoid aircraft interference

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg at CES 2019. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

As the Federal Aviation Administration continues examining whether mid-band 5G spectrum could pose a risk to aircraft safety systems, Verizon and AT&T have offered to dial back the power coming from 5G cell towers for a period of six months to ease any industry concerns. Both carriers are preparing to launch crucial upgrades to their respective 5G networks using spectrum acquired in the C-band auction. This will lead to more robust 5G connectivity and faster speeds compared to the base-level 5G experience that Verizon and AT&T currently offer today.

In early November, both companies agreed to push back the rollout by an additional month to January 2022. In a letter sent to the FCC today, they made clear that they’ll be moving forward...

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How to fix your Android 12 power button so it turns off your phone

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

If you’re a long-time Android user, you’re used to long-pressing the power button to (logically) power your phone on or off. For a while, long-pressing the button while the phone was on also enabled you to restart it, lock it down, or signal an emergency. (For a short time during Android 10, you could also use it to take screenshots.)

So you may have been a little perturbed if, after you upgraded your phone to Android 12, you found that long-pressing the power button did not bring up the shut-down menu but instead activated Google Assistant. This is something that was instituted with the new version of the OS, and it’s supposed to be A Good Thing.

Long-pressing the power button can bring up this menu...

...

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The best phone to buy right now

William Joel / The Verge

Buying a new phone can be a chore, but we’ve done the work for you

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The best early Black Friday deals at Staples

The latest Amazon Fire HD tablet is 50 percent off today at Staples. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Staples has launched its early Black Friday sales and is discounting a diverse range of items. While some are naturally very specific to office work — the retailer is currently offering up to 60 percent printer paper, for example — there are also some solid deals on smart displays, earbuds, and other tech products, many of which can also be found in our detailed guide to the best early Black Friday deals. To help you take advantage of the best deals before they sell out, however, we’ve curated a list of some of the top discounts Staples is currently offering, from the HomePod mini to Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K.

Headphone and earbud deals

Smart home deals

• The second-generation Echo Show 5 is one of the best smart displays you can...

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Instagram chief Adam Mosseri to testify before Congress

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri will testify before Congress for the first time next month, as first reported by _The New York Times_on Wednesday.

Mosseri’s December testimony follows months of scrutiny from Senate lawmakers concerned over how Facebook can harm the mental health of young users. Since Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal Facebook reports to the Wall Street Journalearlier this year, senators have held a series of hearings on how products like Instagram can encourage self-injurious behaviors in teens, especially in young women.

The Senate Commerce Committee’s consumer protection subcommittee held its first hearing in this series in September with Facebook global head of safety Antigone Davis. Responding to the...

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Virgin Galactic to send its first sweepstakes winner to space

On Wednesday, Virgin Galactic announced its first sweepstakes winner that the space tourism company is sending to space. The winner, Keisha S. (her last name is being withheld by the company), is a health coach from Antigua and Barbuda. She will be the first person from the Caribbean islands to visit space and hopes to bring her daughter, who studies astrophysics, on the spacecraft with her as her guest.

“I’ve always had a lifelong love of flying and a fascination with space.”

“I’ve always had a lifelong love of flying and a fascination with space,” Keisha said in a press release. “This is truly a dream come true for me.”

The sweepstakes was done in partnership with Omaze, a fundraising company, and Space for Humanity, a nonprofit that...

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Ring Alarm Pro review: all you need to start a smart home

Ring has built the perfect smart home hub for most people... just not for me

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The best Black Friday deals on cameras and lenses

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Cameras and lenses can be a tricky thing to shop for around Black Friday. They are no small investment, though if you’re shopping for that lucky someone — or for yourself — there are some deals to be had that can save you a lot of money.

We have vetted and rounded up the most notable deals from the major camera manufacturers, focusing on the latest mirrorless systems. It’s hard to justify spending big money on a new DSLR in 2021, as it may be better to look to the secondhand market for those older systems. Another hard truth is that some camera manufacturers have been plagued by the chip shortages on the latest models, and the deals on tap show that — many of the deeper discounts are on slightly older cameras, and some newer releases...

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The best smart displays for every home

The Amazon Echo Show family of smart displays. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

From Alexa to Google, the best smart displays to buy right now

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Roku’s cheapest streaming box is this $15 Black Friday special for Walmart

Roku LE, or is it SE? | Image: Roku

Ever since it appeared as the original Netflix streaming box, Roku has delivered internet video via box, stick, or embedded TV software. However, for Black Friday this year, Roku is releasing its cheapest device that I can remember seeing, the $15 Roku LE Streaming Player.

Buying the remote by itself costs $15

It’s a 1080p-only box that does exactly what you’d expect from a Roku player, but it will only be available from Walmart.com today and in Walmart stores on the 26th. We don’t have detailed specs, but it’s the same box Roku offered last year on Black Friday for $17, which has been selling at Walmart for $30 or so ever since as the Roku SE.

For Roku and Walmart, it doesn’t really matter where this box came from. Walmart gets a cheap...

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Black Friday is causing toxic traffic jams at US ports and warehouses

The Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. | Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Holiday shopping and broken supply chains have made a pollution crisis worse

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Samsung’s new app helps get more out of the S21 Ultra’s telephoto cameras

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s four rear cameras. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Samsung has released a new camera app in beta that lets you use Pro Mode across all four of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s rear cameras. That means it’s supported on both telephoto cameras, rather than being limited to just its main and ultrawide sensors. The new Expert RAW app has been released in the South Korean Galaxy Store, but tipster FrontTron has an APK available to download if you’d like to sideload it. It only seems to be available for the S21 Ultra for now, on devices running Android 12.

The new app overcomes a limitation of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is that its stock camera’s Pro Mode is only available with two out of its four rear cameras (aka the 108-megapixel main camera and 12-megapixel ultrawide, but not the 10-megapixel 10x...

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Early Black Friday 2021 gaming deals: games, accessories, and more

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Gamers are served up all kinds of great deals throughout the year. It’s not uncommon for recently released games to drop as much as 20 percent off in the first few months of release or to snag the occasional one-off deal on a controller or headset. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday are something special — a chance to get in on the year’s best offers all at once.

Like 2020, the holidays in 2021 are a bit peculiar, what with the ongoing pandemic and chip shortage. There’s no shortage of games and accessories, but fewer consoles are available for first-time buyers to gift, which means the opportunities to get one are very rare and very popular. Some retailers have even taken to charging subscription fees that offer you a boosted chance of...

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Roblox sues YouTuber for temporarily shutting down conference with fake terrorist threat

Image: Roblox

Game and social platform Roblox has sued a YouTube creator it banned from the platform over harassment and sexual content, saying he amassed a “mob” that temporarily shut down its October developers conference. The Roblox Corporation filed a complaint against Benjamin Robert Simon, also known as Ruben Sim, for breaching its user contract and violating anti-hacking laws. “Defendant Simon is the leader of a ‘cybermob’ that with malice, fraud, and oppression, commits and encourages unlawful acts designed to injure Roblox and its users,” the suit claims, seeking $1.65 million in damages.

_Polygon_initially reported the existence of the California lawsuit this morning. In it, Roblox says it banned Simon for attempting to upload a near-nude...

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How to use Android 12’s call screening features

Photo by The Verge

Back in February 2020, we ran an article explaining how to use the handy call screening functionality that Google had introduced for its Pixel phones. Screen Call, Google’s screening app, allows you to screen calls for numbers you don’t recognize (or people you don’t particularly want to talk to).

Nearly two years later, and with Android 12, the company has added some useful features that can not only save you from having to deal with spam calls but can keep you from having to deal with the tedious and frustrating process of working through call menus. And some of them are available even if you don’t have a Pixel.

How does call screening work? When you get a phone call from someone who is not in your contact list, you get a “Screen...

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The best Black Friday 2021 phone deals

What are the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for iPhones this year? Read on to find out. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Need a new phone? Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a great time to be shopping for a phone for yourself or as a gift to your nearest and dearest this holiday season. This is the time of year when retailers and carriers are dropping their best deals, whether it’s to make room for next year’s models or to sign up new cellular customers. Android users can cash in on a number of excellent deals from the likes of Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and Motorola; however, Apple is notoriously stingy when it comes to iPhone discounts. You might get a gift card or a pair of AirPods when buying an iPhone, or a carrier might offer a higher trade-in value for a “free” iPhone.

Here are all the best Black Friday phone deals we’ve found so far. If possible, we...

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GameStop’s best early Black Friday deals: games, accessories, and more

You can save big on_Halo: The Master Chief Collection, gaming headsets, and accessories at GameStop._

GameStop’s Black Friday sales have begun, kicking off huge savings on digital and physical copies of games, gaming keyboards, and headsets for their lowest prices ever. There are even a number of excellent promotions that are of great value, whether you’re trying to snag a new console or build out your existing library.

Of course, GameStop isn’t the only place with the best early Black Friday deals, so make sure to check out our ever-expanding guide to Black Friday, as well as our retailer and brand-specific pages if you’re looking to cash in on more great savings.

Promotions

Xbox All Access is a program that’s been offered by Microsoft before but represents a unique opportunity for anyone that’s still trying to score an Xbox Series X...

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Protect your Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with these unique cases

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are big, slippery phones that can benefit from a good case | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

As wonderful as the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are, their smooth glass backs are extremely slippery, as Dan Seifert mentioned in his review. And the official Google frosted recycled plastic cases are not great solutions, thanks to their cheap feel and still slippery finish. So, where does that leave you, the new owner of Google’s flagship phone? You can’t just leave your pristine new phone naked. That’s why we’ve rounded up some third-party cases that befit the Pixel’s unique design, whether you’re looking for a case for yourself or gifting a case to a new Pixel 6 owner. Just be aware that cases may be out of stock or slow to ship, so you’ll need a lot of luck and patience to find your ideal case this holiday season.

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The Verge’s 2021 fitness and wellness gift guide

Illustration by Richard Parry

Help your loved ones stay healthy and happy with gifts suitable for all budgets

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Fortnite is ending its second chapter with a big event on December 4th

Fortnite’s next big in-game event won’t just mark the end of the latest season — it’ll also draw chapter 2 to a close as well. Called, appropriately, “The End,” the one-time-only event will take place on December 4th at 4PM ET. Developer Epic describes it as “one last stand for the fate of the island,” suggesting that players will soon be playing on a brand-new map.

Fortnite’s last chapter-ending event was arguably its most ambitious, when a black hole destroyed the battle royale’s original island, taking the game offline for several daysbefore chapter 2 emerged. There are no hints as to what chapter 3 might look like when it debuts in early December.

This season has been building towards some kind of cataclysmic event from the...

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