DJI is halting all shipments to Russia and Ukraine to slow weaponization of drones

Photography by Vjeran Pavic / Treatment by Alex Castro / The Verge

Chinese drone maker DJI has confirmed to The Verge that it is halting all shipments of its products to both Russia and Ukraine and will no longer provide aftersales support because it’s worried about its products being used for combat purposes during Russia’s invasion.

It’s the first concrete action China’s DJI has taken to address the war after Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov accused the company of helping Russia kill Ukrainian civilians in a roundabout fashion (by using DJI’s AeroScope drone detection system to target Ukrainian pilots on the ground, something DJI apparently never anticipated). Both countries are using DJI drones for reconnaissance, and we’ve seen reports of Ukraine turning some of them into makeshift...

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Google may now remove search results that dox you

It’ll remove links to your address, phone number, and more. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google says it’s expanding the types of personal information that it’ll remove from search results to cover things like your physical address, phone number, and passwords. Before now, the feature mostly covered info that would let someone steal your identity or money — now, you can ask Google to stop showing certain URLs that point to info that could lead someone to your house or give them access to your accounts.

According to a blog post, Google’s giving people the new options because “the internet is always evolving” and its search engine giving out your phone number or home address can be both jarring and dangerous. Here’s a list of what kinds of info Google may remove, with the new additions in bold (h/t to the Wayback Machine for m...

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Amazon’s Alexa can now tell you if your security camera sees a person or package

Amazon’s Alexa can now tell you when your Ring, Google Nest, or Abode camera sees a person. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Alexa has always had aspirations to be a type of digital butler, and today, it’s getting closer to that goal. Amazon’s voice assistant can now announce when there’s a person or package at your video doorbell or security camera. If you have an Echo smart display or Fire TV, it can also show you who or what is there by automatically pulling up a live video feed. The new feature will work with video doorbells and security cameras from Ring, Google Nest, and Abode, with more brands potentially adding the ability thanks to a new API from Amazon.

Amazon says that person detection announcements are rolling out now to all Ring video doorbells and cameras and will be coming soon to the Google Nest Cam Outdoor, Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam...

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Judge’s refusal to let Elon Musk out of his SEC settlement notes the limits of his right to free speech

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

Twitter’s prospective new owner Elon Musk still has some restrictions on his tweets that most of us do not. They’re as a result of a 2018 settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over his infamous “funding secured” tweet about taking Tesla private. Even considering Musk’s complaints that he was coerced into taking the deal and contempt for the “bastards” at the SEC, earlier today, US District Judge Lewis Liman ruled against Musk, letting the agreement stand as originally written (via Reuters).

One of the things Musk wanted — but didn’t get — was for the court to stop a subpoena from the SEC for information to determine if a tweet last fall with a poll about selling 10 percent of his stock had been vetted first, per...

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YouTube is testing ads on its short-form answer to TikTok, Shorts

Image: YouTube

YouTube is starting to test advertisements on Shorts, a short-form video feature the company introduced in 2020 that’s similar to what TikTok and Instagram offer.

The company is specifically experimenting with app-install ads and other promotions, Google’s chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, told investors on Tuesday.

“We are experiencing a slight headwind to revenue growth as Shorts viewership grows as a percentage of total YouTube time,” Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said. “We are testing monetization on shorts, and early advertiser feedback and results are encouraging.”

According to Google, YouTube’s Shorts is generating 30 billion daily views, which is four times that of last year’s.

Meanwhile, YouTube’s ad-revenue growth went up,...

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Peacock is getting a new comedy series based on Pete Davidson’s life

Photo by: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Saturday Night Live star and almost space tourist Pete Davidson will soon star in a Peacock series based on his own life. Called Bupkis, the half-hour comedy series is described as a “heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s real life” that “will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known.” Dave Sirus and Judah Miller, who previously worked with Davidson on The King of Staten Island, will join the star as writers on the show.

There isn’t much other info about Bupkis, such as when it’ll debut or how many episodes to expect. But it looks to be a notable win for the streamer, which says that “the series was acquired in a highly competitive...

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Go listen to this podcast about the history of the Windows startup sound

Image: Microsoft

The Windows XP startup sound is forever engrained in my mind, those tinkling chimes bringing back memories of AIM, Civilization III, and endless hours spent trying to download music through Napster and Kazaa followed by endless hours spent trying to remove the viruses I accidentally downloaded through Napster and Kazaa.

The sounds of Windows are as much a part of computing history as anything else you’ll find, and the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast is doing a two-part series on the history of the startup jingle. It begins before computers were even able to have startup sounds, and it traces their evolution through composers like Brian Eno and musicians like Robert Fripp and the Seattle Symphony. The first episode is out now, and it’s...

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Apple Studio Display review: nothing to see here

A 5K iMac’s panel, six speakers, three mics, and one terrible camera

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Here’s what the updated Apple Studio Display webcam looks like

The ultrawide lens on the Studio Display might be the limiting factor in the end. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Apple’s $1,599 Studio Display arrived last month with big promises about its webcam, which features a 12-megapixel sensor, an f2.4 ultra-wide lens, and the same A13 chip running the whole thing as found in the iPhone 11. Unfortunately, it shipped with buggy software that made everything look bad. Apple told us that it wasn’t “behaving as expected” and promised us a software update.

That update is now here, sort of. You have to update your Mac to the public beta of macOS Monterey 12.4, which comes with a further update to the Studio Display. (Once the Studio Display is updated, the improvements are available when connected to any other Mac, though.)

I updated my review unit last night, and, basically, the changes are what Apple said we’d...

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Your PS5 might already have VRR, no new update required

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Sony announced Monday that the PS5’s Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) feature would begin rolling out this week, and it’s already begun to show up for some people (via HDTVTest on YouTube). If your TV supports the feature, VRR can dynamically adjust the refresh rate of the screen, which can make games feel smoother to play with less tearing and hitching. While some games will be updated to support the feature, Sony also has a toggle that will apply VRR to unsupported games.

If the VRR feature is available for you, you’ll be able to see it in the PS5’s Settings menu. Go to Screen and Video, Video Output, and then scroll down to the VRR section. Despite Sony saying Monday the feature would arrive with an update, there’s no update to download....

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How Moon Knight plays into Hollywood’s obsession with dissociative identity disorder

Photo Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Hollywood’s depiction of dissociative disorders may be doing more harm than good

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OSHA won’t file charges for fatal Amazon warehouse collapse

Part of Amazon’s facility collapsed when it was hit by a tornado. | Photo by Jason Tan/Xinhua via Getty Images

Amazon won’t be fined or cited by US safety officials after a tornado caused one of its Illinois warehouses to collapse, killing six workers, according to a letter sent to Amazon on Tuesday from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA). The regulator says that it has a few recommendations for the company after its investigation, where it interviewed workers and reviewed records and the facility’s emergency action plan.

OSHA’s letter still flags a number of concerns with Amazon’s handling of the incident, including an unnecessarily convoluted process for raising the alarm. When the order to shelter in place first came through, managers had to yell to employees instead of using a megaphone since the megaphone was “locked...

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Twitter policy chief faces wave of harassment amid Musk criticism

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter’s policy and legal head Vijaya Gadde is facing criticism from new owner Elon Musk and harassment from Twitter users while trying to shepherd Twitter’s moderation team into a new era. Politico reported yesterday on a team meeting where Gadde acknowledged (in the article’s words) “significant uncertainties” about the future of Twitter under Musk.

Musk then replied to a tweet from conservative journalist Saagar Enjeti criticizing Gadde. Enjeti had linked to a screenshot of the story, calling Gadde Twitter’s “top censorship advocate” and claiming she “censored the Hunter Biden laptop story” by temporarily and confusingly banning links to a New York Post story about President Joe Biden’s son. “Suspending the Twitter account of a major...

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What’s on your desk, Sean Hollister?

After stints at Engadget, Gizmodo, and CNET, Sean Hollister became part of the small group that co-founded The Verge back in 2011. He has worn a lot of hats in the past decade: reviewing products, running the newsroom, training and editing new writers, putting spicy editorials on the site, starring in a few videos, liveblogging, and shaping coverage where he can. He’s currently a Senior Editor.

Tell us a little about yourself. What do you like doing at The Verge?

My favorite part of the job is blogging about gadgets! I try to do it every day no matter what else The Verge needs from me because I love them to death.

Where did you get your desk and where in your home have you placed it?

It’s in the corner of my home office, right...

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Nintendo Switch Sports isn’t a must-own, but it’s a great party game

Nintendo

Your kids will love this — your arms will not

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The best noise-canceling headphones to buy right now

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Get some peace and quiet with the best noise-canceling headphones for a variety of uses

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One in five reptile species threatened with extinction

A Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) pictured in its enclosure at Faunia zoo park. | Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images

More than one in five of the world’s reptile species are threatened with extinction, researchers have determined in a new paper that marks the culmination of more than 20 years of slow-going research. On top of facing human-caused threats to their survival, the scaled creatures have fallen victim to bias in conservation priorities.

Conservationists with limited resources have had to play catch-up in their efforts to assess threats to turtles, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and tuatara (the last in an ancient lineage of reptiles that roamed the Earth with dinosaurs). Similar comprehensive assessments for birds, mammals, and amphibians (all categorized as tetrapods, or four-limbed vertebrates) were completed over a decade ago.

Why has there...

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Netflix’s summer 2022 movie slate is full of star power

The Gray Man. | Image: Netflix

If Netflix’s slate of summer 2022 movies is anything to go by, the streamer is continuing its trend of relying on big-name stars to push its film ambitions. Today, the company released a schedule of movies due to release between May and August, and there’s plenty of star power to be found. The list includes the likes of The Gray Man, a thriller directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, which stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans; Spiderhead, a sci-fi film led by Chris Hemsworth; Day Shift, where Jamie Foxx plays a vampire hunter; and a new basketball drama called Hustle, starring Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah.

This list doesn’t include some of the other big-name movies coming to the service later this year, like Knives Out 2, Enola Holmes 2, and...

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Apple’s DIY repair parts are only slightly cheaper than its repair prices

Apple is now selling replacement iPhone parts directly to customers, allowing them to repair their own devices rather than paying a professional. But if you were expecting a DIY repair to be a way of saving money, then you might be a little disappointed. Apple’s pricing for some of the most common replacement parts is very similar to what it’ll charge you to do the repairs at an Apple Store, even when you’re the one delicately taking your phone apart to swap out a broken part. Only once you factor in the credit you get for sending in a replaced part do you stand to see a more significant saving.

Take battery replacements. Apple is charging $69 for a Battery & Screw Kit for iPhone 12 or 13 models and $49 for the same kit for the...

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Comcast and Charter team up in hopes of toppling Roku, Amazon streaming hardware

Image: Comcast

As the old saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, partner up with another overly powerful cable giant to give yourself a better shot. This morning, Comcast and Charter announced a new joint venture that will see the two companies teaming up to develop “a next-generation streaming platform on a variety of branded 4K streaming devices and smart TVs.” This new platform and the devices that run it will square off against Amazon, Roku, Google, Apple, and other established streaming hardware players.

The new venture is evenly divided between the two companies and is exclusively focused on streaming; it “does not involve the broadband or cable video businesses of either Comcast or Charter, which will remain independent.”

Comcast says its Flex...

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Apple offering a free fix for Apple Watch Series 6 with blanked out screens

The screens on some 40mm Series 6 models may go permanently blank. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

A small number of Apple Watch Series 6 models may have an issue that causes their display to go permanently blank. The good news is Apple now says you can get it fixed for free.

The program (as spotted by 9to5Mac) was quietly launched late last week. According to Apple, the issue only affects 40mm models of the Series 6 manufactured between April and September 2021. If you’ve been experiencing this problem and have an eligible Watch, Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will fix the issue free of charge.

To check for eligibility, you’ll need to know your device’s serial number. If your Series 6 display is blanked out, then it’s best to head to the Watch app on your phone. From there, head to the My Watch tab, select General, tap...

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Justin Lin won’t be directing Fast X after all

Justin Lin attends the Universal Pictures “F9” World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Though principal photography on Universal’s 10th Fast & Furiousmovie just recently began, Justin Lin announced this week that he will no longer be directing the project, a surprising turn of events that’s bound to bring production to a halt.

On Tuesday, Lin broke the news in a public statement explaining that he ultimately settled on the decision to leave Fast X with Universal’s support and that he plans to stay on the film, which he co-wrote along with Dan Mazeau, as a producer.

“Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” Lin said. “On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie...

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Rivian announces another shipping delay but also some cool new software features

Rivian R1S with new sand mode. | Image: Rivian

Rivian is experiencing a production issue with an interior trim option for its electric vehicles. Some reservation holders of the company’s R1T electric truck and R1S SUV received emails this week saying that the Ocean Coast trim is “more challenging to produce” and will be delayed to later this fall (via Electrek).

It’s not the best look given the email came the same day as rival Ford’s launch event of its electric Lightning truck, but Rivian does have some cool new software updates to share as well. The company announced that it’s working on OTA updates that will enable a dashcam feature, which will go nicely with its Gear Guard video security feature. There’s also an upcoming “pet mode” that keeps HVAC running for your dog while you...

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Get all three Witcher games for just $11.22 at Steam

If you’ve seen The Witcher on Netflix and have been curious about giving the games a shot, you can get all three games in The Witcher series at Steam for an incredibly low price. The Witcher Trilogy costs just $11.22 right now. Outside of a sale, getting all three titles would cost you $69.97. Needless to say, this is a great deal for anyone who has a modestly powerful gaming PC (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt released in 2015, but it’s still graphically demanding, even to today’s standards). If you have a Steam Deck, you should know that only The Witcher 3 is verified to work on the portable console.

It’s not always easy to find high-quality true wireless earbuds under $100 — never mind ones that are actually on sale — but every now and...

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Apple’s DIY repair service is now available in the US

The iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple is launching its DIY phone repair service in the US today, making spare parts available for the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and third-generation iPhone SE. When the company announced its “Self Service Repair” initiative last year, Apple said it planned to sell over 200 “individual parts and tools” to customers. They’re only available in the US for now, but Apple plans to expand the program to other countries as well as additional devices, like Macs equipped with M1 chips, later this year.

Parts are available through Apple’s Self Service Repair Store. Tool rental kits will also be available to rent for seven days at a cost of $49 for customers who don’t want to buy tools outright, the company said in its press release.

The program marks...

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Spotify’s subscribers rise to 182M despite Joe Rogan controversy

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Spotify’s latest earnings release suggests that the audio streaming service’s subscriber numbers haven’t seen much, if any, impact from the controversies that surrounded its Joe Rogan podcast just a few short months ago.

In the quarter ending March 31st, Spotify says its premium subscribers rose 15 percent on a year-on-year basis to 182 million, up from 180 million the previous quarter. Monthly active users rose 19 percent year-on-year to 422 million, up from 406 million at the end of last year. For context, in the previous quarter premium subscribers rose 16 percent year-on-year, while monthly active users were up 18 percent.

Spotify had previously expected to hit 183 million premium subscribers this quarter, but slightly missed this...

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Matt Reeves’ Batman is getting a sequel

The new movie was just announced. | Image: Warner Bros.

Robert Pattinson’s Batman will make a return, as Warner Bros. is making a sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Deadline reports Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group exec Toby Emmerich announced the new film at CinemaCon on Tuesday.

While my colleague Charles Pulliam-Moore felt that the film was “one of the lesser entries, substance-wise, in the grand Batman cinematic canon,” it has proven to be a hit. The movie earned $760 million at the global box office and was watched by 4.1 million households on HBO Max the first week it was available, according to Deadline. (The movie came to the streaming service earlier this month.)

Both Reeves and Pattinson will be back for the new movie, though there aren’t many other details known just yet. But the...

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New pictures show the leaked Pixel Watch on a wrist

Circular. | Image: u/tagtech414

We’re now getting a look at what the leaked Pixel Watch looks like strapped to somebody’s wrist, courtesy of Reddit user tagtech414, who’s previously shared alleged images of Google’s as-yet-unannounced wearable (via 9to5Google). In the previous pictures, we could only see the little computer puck itself, not attached to a strap. While tagtech414 doesn’t seem to have successfully booted the device yet, they’ve given us a better idea of what it might be like to actually wear it.

According to tagtech’s Reddit post, the strap is “kind of a pain to attach the first time,” but the connection feels solid when it's on there. Based on the images and tagtech’s description of a strap that’s “a soft silicone with good flex and doesn’t seem to show...

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Fidelity is rolling out Bitcoin investing for 401(k) plans

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Fidelity will soon start allowing eligible individuals to save a portion of their 401(k) in Bitcoin, the company announced Tuesday. Employees will only gain access to the option if their employer signs off the option, which Fidelity says will start rolling out in mid-2022.

While Fidelity doesn’t specify how much employees can dedicate to cryptocurrency in its release, the Wall Street Journal reports that employees can elect to save up to 20 percent of their retirement fund in Bitcoin. Dave Gray, Fidelity’s head of workplace retirement offerings and platforms, also told the WSJ that Fidelity plans on adding support for other cryptocurrencies at some point in the future.

MicroStrategy is the first to announce that it has adopted the...

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Microsoft says more than 10 million people have streamed games on Xbox Cloud Gaming

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

More than 10 million people have streamed games over Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Tuesday during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Cloud gaming is a feature that’s only available as part of the $14.99 per month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier, so the figure shared Tuesday indicates that a lot of people are checking it out. It’s also a concrete stat in a field where there have been few — Google doesn’t break out numbers for Stadia, and any numbers shared by Nvidia for GeForce Now include people who have used a no-strings-attached free trial.

Game Pass has proven to be popular, as Microsoft said in January that the service grew to have 25 million subscribers, which was up from 18 million the year before. That...

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