Google Pixel Buds A-Series getting more options with firmware update

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Google is releasing an update for its Pixel Buds A-Series wireless headphones, which will add a bass slider, a loudness compensation setting for better bass and treble response at low volumes, and a nice connectivity improvement (via Droid-Life). Given that the buds are only $99 (or free, if you got them with a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro preorder), it’s nice to see Google adding new features through software updates.

As we learned earlier today, the Pixel Buds will be getting more control over the bass response. The buds had a “bass boost” option before, but now you’ll be able to turn up the bass using a four-step slider — and you can even turn it down a notch if that’s what you prefer.

The Pixel Buds A-Series can fall back if they can’t connect...

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Japan puts new restrictions on stablecoins

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Japan is proposing new restrictions that would only allow banks and wire transfer services to issue stablecoins, first reported by Nikkei Asia.

Stablecoins are a type of digital currency that’s pegged to an external asset, like a fiat currency, gold, or other investments, in an attempt to keep the coin at a stable price. Tether is one example of a stablecoin, and it’s no stranger to controversy. In October, it was fined $41 million for old claims that each token was backed 1-to-1 by its cash reserves — according to the CFTC, “Tether reserves were not ‘fully backed’ the majority of the time.”

This follows similar plans to regulate stablecoins in the US

The country’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to introduce the legislation in...

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Jeff Bezos’ Earth Fund commits another $443 million to climate justice and conservation

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 20: Jeff Bezos speaks during the Climate Week NYC Leaders’ Reception | Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Bezos Earth Fund

On Monday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced his Earth Fund’s latest round of grants: $443 million to be spent primarily on land conservation and restoration and efforts to reduce environmental burdens on marginalized communities.

This year, the fund has pledged more than $3 billion for similar initiatives. In 2020, Bezos promised to funnel $10 billion — about 5 percent of his current net worth — toward tackling climate change this decade.

From the beginning, the Bezos Earth Fund has faced criticism

From the beginning, the Bezos Earth Fund has faced criticism, particularly from some grassroots environmental groups. At first, Bezos primarily funded big-name environmental groups with historically white leadership and comparatively...

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Sony cameras are getting harder to buy due to the chip shortage

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Ve

The global chip shortage has claimed yet another camera from Sony’s lineup. This time, Sony is suspending orders for the ZV-E10, a mirrorless vlogging camera that the company released in August, as reported by Digital Photography Review.

Sony announced the camera’s suspension in a post on its website, noting that it will no longer sell the ZV-E10 on its store or through any of its distributors for the time being. “With regard to digital imaging products, parts procurement is delayed due to the effects of global semiconductor shortages,” a translation of Sony’s notice reads.

This is far from the only device that Sony has temporarily discontinued this year

Unfortunately, this is far from the only device that Sony has temporarily...

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Go read this data analysis that uncovers predictive policing’s flawed algorithm

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Gizmodoreleased a deep-dive look into the data collection process behind its co-reported investigation with The Markup into PredPol, a software company specializing in predictive policing (hence the name, which it has since changed to Geolitica) through machine learning.

PredPol’s algorithm is supposed to make predictions based on existing crime reports. However, since crimes aren’t equally reported everywhere, the readings it provides to law enforcement could simply copy the biases in reporting over each area. If police use this to decide where to patrol, they could end up over-policing areas that don’t need a larger presence.

When _Gizmodo_and _The Markup_evaluated the areas, they found that the places PredPol’s software targeted for...

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The Playstation 5 will be available for Walmart Plus members on Wednesday

Both the disc-based model and the Digital Edition will be available. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Ready. Steady. Go. If you’re still looking for a PlayStation 5, Walmart Plus members will be able to queue up for the console beginning at 12PM EST on Wednesday, December 8th. Walmart will open the digital queue for the standard Playstation 5 ($500) and the disc-less, digital-only version ($400). This paywall doesn’t necessarily improve your chances of snagging a console but is currently the only way to be in the running at this particular retailer.

You have to be logged into your Walmart Plus account to even attempt to add a Playstation 5 to your cart, so if you haven’t done so already, make sure you log in ahead of time and have your credentials saved to keep things moving along.

If you aren’t already a Walmart Plus member, you’ll...

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Meta has a ‘moral obligation’ to make its mental health research transparent, scientists say

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

In an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg published Monday, a group of academics called for Meta to be more transparent about its research into how Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp affect the mental health of children and adolescents. The letter calls for the company to allow independent reviews of its internal work, contribute data to external research projects, and set up an independent scientific oversight group.

“You and your organizations have an ethical and moral obligation to align your internal research on children and adolescents with established standards for evidence in mental health science,” the letter, signed by researchers from universities around the world, reads.

The open letter comes after leaks from Facebook revealed some...

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TikTok considers monetization and creator retention in judging recommendation algorithm

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

TikTok’s much-vaunted video algorithm is designed around two things: getting users to stick around and getting users to come back. That’s according to a report in The New York Times, which reviewed a leaked copy of an internal TikTok document summarizing how the system works. The report offers a rare look into one of the most discussed algorithms in tech right now, and it reveals some considerations — like retaining creators and ensuring they make money — that may not be obvious choices when building a video feed meant to keep viewers tuned in.

To keep users watching and coming back, TikTok considers four main objectives, according to the_Times:_user value, long-term user value, creator value, and platform value. One way that plays out...

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Toyota will build a $1.29 billion electric vehicle battery factory in North Carolina

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Toyota will build a $1.29 billion battery factory in North Carolina in an effort to bring some of its electric vehicle supply chain to the US. The news comes on the heels of Toyota’s announcement that it will invest around $13.6 billion in battery tech over the next decade, including a $9 billion investment in production, as it attempts to electrify its vehicle lineup.

Toyota plans on spreading the $1.29 billion for the new factory over the next decade, but production at the facility is scheduled to begin in 2025, said Chris Reynolds, chief administrative officer for Toyota Motor North America. In the first year, Toyota plans on producing 1.2 million battery packs for its upcoming lineup of electric vehicles, Reynolds said.

Toyota has...

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NASA announces 10 new astronaut candidates who could fly to the Moon someday

(L to R): Nichole Ayers, Christopher Williams, Luke Delaney, Jessica Wittner, Anil Menon, Marcos Berríos, Jack Hathaway, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, and Andre Douglas. | Image: NASA

Today, NASA announced the selection of its newest class of astronauts: six men and four women chosen from more than 12,000 people who applied to the space agency in March of 2020. Once they train and become full astronauts, these selectees have some exciting spaceflight opportunities ahead of them, potentially including flights to the Moon someday.

The astronauts announced today are part of the so-called Artemis Generation. The name is a reference to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface as early as 2025 (a landing date that is considered incredibly ambitious). The program calls for launching astronauts on a series of flights into deep space on NASA’s new massive...

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Samsung Galaxy Book Pro (13-inch) review: a travel buddy

A great laptop at the right size

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Solar Ash’s world and combat can’t keep up with its incredible movement

Solar Ash is a visually stunning though mechanically uninteresting game that I tried and failed to fall in love with. I thought it’d be easy to love or at least somewhat like a game made by the same folks who developed Hyper Light Drifter and published by the company that underwrote indie darlingsKentucky Route Zero and What Remains of Edith Finch. But after a couple hours of grav-boosting my way through colorful but sterile environments and beating on the same handful of enemies, Solar Ash just couldn’t hold me — and that’s a shame since most things with Ash in its name are pretty neat.

In Solar Ash, you play a voidrunner tasked with saving your planet from the black hole that’s slowly sucking in your homeworld like my dog thinks will...

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SEC reportedly investigating Tesla over its solar panels’ potential fire risks

Image: Tesla

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking into a claim that Tesla didn’t appropriately inform its shareholders and the public about potential fire risks that its solar panel systems may pose, according to a report by Reuters.

This comes after Steven Henkes, a former field quality manager at Tesla, filed a whistleblower complaint against the company in 2019. The SEC probe was made public following Henkes’ request for information about his report, through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Reuters obtained a copy of the SEC’s response to Henkes, dated September 24th, that declined his request but stated: “We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that the investigation from which you seek records is still...

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Google TV adds more than 300 free channels to its live tab with Pluto TV

Google TV is adding yet another cord-cutting option to its live TV tab. With the addition of Pluto TV, Google TV users now have even more live TV channels to choose from.

Beginning today, Google TV will now support Pluto TV within the live TV tab, meaning users can easily access more than 300 free channels from the platform’s primary live TV hub. Pluto TV is the fourth streaming service to grab a spot on Google TV’s tab. Previously, Google TV supported YouTube TV, Philo, and Sling — all of which require paid subscriptions.

Technically Google TV already offers plenty of free live TV services through its apps, but baking an ad-supported service directly into the live tab is a much easier way to find live and linear coverage. Plus, rival...

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A multiplayer Pac-Man game is coming to Facebook

A screenshot from_Pac-Man Community._ | Image: Meta

Pac-Man Community is a new multiplayer-focused spin on the classic arcade game that you’ll be able to play right on Facebook.

The main draw of Pac-Man Community is the ability to play co-op Pac-Man with up to three other people. Players work together to try to survive the pesky ghosts, but they’ll also be competing for the highest score. You can make rooms to play with your friends, and Facebook Gaming streamers can invite viewers to join their game with Facebook’s Play with Streamer feature.

Image: Meta

You can join a_Pac-Man Community_game right from a livestream.

You won’t just be working through the familiar Pac-Man maze, though. Players will be able to make their own levels, which could lead to some M...

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Google Pixel’s lock screen Snapchat shortcut is here

The Pixel’s new Quick Tap to Snap feature. | Image: Google

Quick Tap to Snap, a Google Pixel feature announced in October that lets you open Snapchat directly from your lock screen by tapping twice on the rear of the phone, is arriving as part of the Pixel’s latest feature drop. The functionality will be available on the Pixel 4A 5G and newer devices, and Google says there’s also a new Pixel-exclusive Snapchat filter called “Pixel Face” on the way this month.

The Quick Tap to Snap feature is one of a handful of updates coming as part of the Google Pixel’s feature drop this month. Other features include new ultra-wideband (UWB) functionality on the Pixel 6 Pro, a new “conversation mode” accessibility feature in the Sound Amplifier app, and the expansion of car crash detection and automatic...

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You can attend the Game Awards red carpet in the metaverse

The Game Awards is the latest institution to try its hand at virtual worlds. The awards show, which takes place on December 9th, will be available to watch through the usual platforms like YouTube and Twitch. But viewers can also check it out via what’s described as a “metaverse experience” built with the creation tool Core.

Players will not only be able to watch the event within the Core experience, but also do things like attend a virtual version of the red carpet, along with “several unique interactive experiences that are only available during the broadcast.” There will also be an afterparty with a currently unnamed DJ.

The move is just part of a growing trend of virtual worlds, all banded together under the metaverse label, being...

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SEC investigating Trump SPAC deal to take his social media platform public

The SEC is investigating a SPAC deal involving former President Trump’s nascent social media company. | Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images

Two US regulatory agencies are investigating the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that plans to take former President Trump’s nascent social media company public. Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) said Monday that it has received inquiries for information from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

The SEC is interested in documents related to communications between the SPAC and Trump’s social media venture, including “documents relating to meetings of DWAC’s Board of Directors, policies and procedures relating to trading, the identification of banking, telephone, and email addresses, the identities of certain investors, and certain documents and...

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The PlayStation 5 is available now at Best Buy

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

If you still haven’t been able to land one of Sony’s next-gen consoles, Best Buy is giving you another shot right now. The $500 PS5 with a disc drive is the only model available.

Unlike some of Best Buy’s console restocks, despite an “exclusive access” flag this one is available to the general public online and not just for its TotalTech subscribers. Still, we recommend heading to the link of your choosing as quickly as possible to hop in the queue.

A few must-haves for PS5 owners

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Neo still knows kung fu in the latest trailer for The Matrix Resurrections

The latest trailer for The Matrix Resurrections is here, and it’s more mysterious than ever, hinting at a repeating loop of ideas, scenes, and moments from the original trilogy of films. But one thing is made clear, amidst all the confusion: Neo (Keanu Reeves) definitely still knows kung fu.

The new trailer’s action bounces between the digital world of the Matrix and the post-apocalyptic world outside of it, intermixed with clips from the first three _Matrix_movies. And while it’s not very clear what’s actually going on, it seems that a main focus of the film will be Neo working to reunite with Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) — something that will presumably be difficult, given that both characters appeared to die at the end of 2003’s The...

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Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger is down to $100 at Best Buy

Apple’s MagSafe Duo can charge a Qi-equipped iPhone alongside an Apple Watch. | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

Another week, another round of deals worthy of your consideration to save your hard-earned money. Last week, we saw Apple’s MagSafe Battery pack fall to a new all-time low, and now its premium dual-wireless charger is following suit, with more deals in tow if you read on.

While the iPhone’s MagSafe charging ecosystem remains a bit of a mess, it’s been with us long enough to see sizable discounts hitting its upper crust of accessories. The MagSafe Duo charger may not be everyone’s favorite — in our review, we flagged some quibbles we had with its design and asking price — but it remains one of the fastest ways to wirelessly charge an iPhone and Apple Watch from a single source. It also folds up for easy travel and storage. At a new low...

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Call of Duty workers are walking out to protest layoffs

A screenshot from_Call of Duty: Warzone._ | Image: Activision Blizzard

Staff at Raven Software, known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise, are walking out in response to layoffs of a dozen QA employees on Friday, as reported by outlets including Bloomberg, Kotaku, and Polygon. Workers are demanding in a statement that “every member of the QA team, including those terminated on Friday, must be offered full time positions.”

The individuals informed that their contracts would end on January 28th were in “good standing,” the statement says, and many who weren’t laid off are “still unsure about the status of their employment.” The statement also underscores the QA team’s importance to Call of Duty: Warzone, Activision’s hugely popular battle royale shooter, which the workers say earns an astounding $5.2...

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Firefox’s latest security feature is designed to protect itself from buggy code

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Firefox 95, the latest version of Mozilla’s browser that’s rolling out starting today, introduces a new security feature that’s designed to limit the damage that bugs and security vulnerabilities in its code can cause, Mozilla announced today. The feature, called RLBox, was developed with help from researchers at the University of California San Diego and the University of Texas, and it was originally released as a prototype last year. It’s coming to both the desktop and mobile versions of Firefox.

At its core, RLBox is a sandboxing technology, which means that it’s effectively able to isolate code so that any security vulnerabilities it might contain can’t harm the overall system. Sandboxing is a widely used security method across the...

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YouTube reveals millions of videos get hit with incorrect copyright claims

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Over 2.2 million YouTube videos were hit with copyright claims that were later overturned between January and June of this year, according to a new report published by the company today. The Copyright Transparency Report is the first of its kind published by YouTube, which says it will update biannually going forward.

The 2.2 million incorrect claims represent less than 1 percent of the more than 729 million total copyright claims issued in the first half of this year, 99 percent of which originated from Content ID, YouTube’s automated enforcement tool. When users disputed these claims, the case was resolved in favor of the uploader of the video 60 percent of the time, according to the report.

When users disputed these takedowns, the...

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Uber will now let drivers and riders record audio during trips for safety

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber is releasing its audio-recording feature to three US cities later this month, Uber said in its press release.

At the beginning of a trip, riders and drivers can enable this feature by clicking the shield icon in the app’s Safety Toolkit and selecting “Record Audio.” While both riders and drivers can record individual trips, drivers have the option to leave the feature on while they’re actively seeking rides. The app will notify the rider if the driver is using the feature. Uber first launched audio recording in Latin America in 2019.

The move is the first in-app feature that provides audio documentation of rides. Uber allows drivers to use their own dashcams to record rides on their own if local laws permit it.

As for audio file...

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This AI art app is a glimpse at the future of synthetic media

A few example images generated by the Dream app. You can see the prompts used at the bottom of the picture.

If you’ve been hanging out on Twitter lately, then you’ve probably noticed a profusion of AI-generated images sprouting all over your timeline like weird, algorithmic visions. These pictures have been generated using a new app called Dream, which lets anyone create “AI-powered paintings” by simply typing a brief description of what they want to see. It’s odd, often uncanny stuff — and extremely fun.

The resulting artwork has its own particular aesthetic, defined by swirling shapes and incoherent objects. The real magic, though, is that no matter what you type, the app will generate something that is visually compelling (at least until we get too used to these toys) and that matches your prompt in often surprisingly apposite ways.

C...

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Lucid Motors’ mega SPAC merger is under investigation

Photo by Andrew Hawkins / The Verge

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating yet another merger between an EV startup and a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. This time, it’s the massive deal from July that turned Saudi-owned Lucid Motors into a publicly traded company worth more than $20 billion.

Lucid Motors announced the probe in a Monday morning stock exchange filing. The startup said that it received a subpoena from the SEC on December 3rd “requesting the production of certain documents related to an investigation” that “appears to concern” the merger, as well as “certain projections and statements.” Lucid Motors said it’s “cooperating fully with the SEC in its review.”

The startup, which was founded in 2007 as a battery tech company...

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Ikea Nordmärke portable wireless charger details revealed by the FCC

FCC filing of the new IKEA Nordmärke portable qi wireless power bank | Image: FCC

Ikea is starting to distribute a new wireless charging puck with a built-in battery. The discovery of this Nordmärke-branded portable charger came from a reader of German tech news outlet mobiFlip (via Engadget), who purchased the product from an Ikea in Cologne for €19.99 Euros ($22.57).

We couldn’t find any references to the new charger on Ikea’s website, however, The Verge was able to locate the company’s filing with the FCC, where the product is listed with ID FHO-E2108.

Image: FCC

The new Ikea Nordmärke wireless charger cut in half, presenting nonremovable 18650 cells.

The wireless charger carries the same label as Ikea’s other Qi-enabled wireless charging pads, which come in various circular and...

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The Matrix Awakens is an interactive tech demo for PS5 and Xbox Series X / S

Epic Games has created The Matrix Awakens, an interactive tech demo built in Unreal Engine 5. A teaser for the interactive Matrix experience appeared today, and the tech demo will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X / S consoles. You can pre-install the demo right now (29GB) on PS5 or Xbox Series X / S, and it will launch during The Game Awards on December 9th.

Members of the original movie team, including Lana Wachowski, have worked with Epic Games to create The Matrix Awakens. The Xbox store listing promises “a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of The Matrix that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.”

The teaser video appears to show a digital version of Keanu Reeves and not the Cyberpunk 2077 kind....

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DoorDash launches ‘ultra-fast’ delivery in NYC, with couriers who are actual employees

DoorDash “fast” delivery comes to New York Cityfv | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Food delivery platform DoorDash has launched its “ultra-fast” DashMart delivery service in New York City because apparently delivery couriers aren’t already frazzled enough and no one can possibly wait more than 15 minutes for anything (not quite what Andy Warhol predicted, but we’re way past that now).

However, there is a key difference between the delivery jobs on the main DoorDash platform and positions with the new DashMart fast delivery service: DashMart workers will be part of what the company calls DashCorps, considered full- and part-time employees — instead of independent contractors — and many will be eligible for benefits. DashCorps workers will have set schedules and be paid $15 per hour, plus tips, the company said.

To...

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