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The SEO arms race has left Google and the web drowning in garbage text, with customers and businesses flailing to find each other.
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Intel is going Ultra. It’s not wholly clear what that means. | Image: Intel
The rumors were true: Intel is officially killing off the “i” in “Core i9,” “Core i7,” “Core i5,” and “Core i3” — and it won’t broadly refer to its next series of processors as “14th Gen,” either.
The chipmaker is now planning to sell three tiers of consumer chips: Intel, Intel Core, and Intel Core Ultra.
Why? Intel branding experts tell me the all-important word “Intel” was getting lost, and the radically different Meteor Lake chips coming in the second half of 2023 offered an opportunity to change things up.
“When we looked at how the tech press, how our retailers, our OEMs, our partners talk about it, it was interesting to see how we got shortchanged all the way to a letter and a number,” Christopher Hirsch, Intel’s director of...
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You don’t get the fancy Echo shroud with the subscription sadly. | Image: Disney
Amazon and Disney have announced that Hey Disney! — the custom voice assistant created for Walt Disney resort locations — can now be added to Echo devices in the US for a fee. Also known as the Disney Magical Companion, Hey Disney! is the first Alexa custom assistant to be made available for “select Amazon Echo devices” (we’ve asked for a list) in your home, providing an array of Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars character voices like BB-8, Minnie Mouse, and Fozzie Bear as well as Disney-flavored responses to things like weather reports, timers, and alarms.
Hey Disney! is included as a part of the Amazon Kids Plus subscription. It can also be purchased as a $5.99 annual, auto-renewing subscription from the Alexa skills store. You can...
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If you’re worried about security and data privacy in your smart home, believe me, you’re not alone. “Considering that two-thirds of consumers agree it is impossible to keep data completely secure, it’s no surprise that 55 percent are ‘very concerned’ — rating 6-7 on a 7-point scale — about personal data security,” says Chris White, research director at Parks Associates, a consumer technology research firm.
Concern is not unwarranted, given that data breaches make the news headlines regularly. Some of those news stories are closer to home than others. Take, for example, the recent Amazon Ring settlement with the FTC for $5.8 million for alleged privacy and security violations.
Concern is not unwarranted, given that data breaches make...
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Even though my Pixel 6 was supposed to be able to add speaker labels to conversations in its Recorder app, I couldn’t make it work.
Enable backup on your Google account, and you’ll get a prompt to turn on speaker labels.
I like being able to record and transcribe conversations — it not only helps me keep records of meetings at work but also lets me save important conversations from doctors and relatives.
One very useful feature of most for-pay transcription apps is the ability to use speaker labels to keep track of who is saying what. As a result, I was thrilled when I learned that Google’s free Recorder app had added that feature (at least, for the Pixel 6 and later). It also made me wonder whether,...
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Google Lens is now able to offer more information on that pesky rash that you’re not sure whether to worry about. In a blog post published this week, Google outlined how the Lens image search feature built into its apps on iOS and Android can “search for skin conditions” like an “odd mole or rash.” It’ll also work on other parts of your body if you want more information about a bump on your lip, line on a nail, or hair loss from your scalp.
“Just take a picture or upload a photo through Lens, and you’ll find visual matches to inform your search,” the blog post reads. Crucially, however, Google specifically warns that results are “informational only and not a diagnosis” and says users should “consult your medical authority for advice.”
...
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The Podcast Editor allows streamers to convert snippets of podcasts or talk shows to publish to other platforms like TikTok and Instagram. | Image: Streamlabs / Logitech
Streamlabs, a company best known for its streaming platform for Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook, has released a new editing tool for content creators that livestream their podcasts and talk shows. Announced today by Streamlabs’ parent company Logitech, the new Podcast Editor includes AI-assisted tools like text-based editing and automatic transcript generation to help streamers record and edit their audio and video.
The Streamlabs Podcast Editor provides resizing tools to quickly reformat content for other platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Creators can customize their video clips by adding images and subtitles. The editor additionally provides AI-assisted tools to find clips worth highlighting within recorded footage, cut unnecessary...
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There is a certain flavor of tech nerd that needs direct, unadulterated access to whatever they are working with. Most of these people are Linux users, can own several Raspberry Pis, can’t stand it when something comes in between them and their hardware, and will take whatever complex path they need to interface directly with it. I am one of these people, and I am only getting worse over time, which is why I have converted my smart home to Home Assistant, the home automation solution for true freaks.
Now, many “normal” people out there are satisfied with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and the like, and I understand. These ecosystems are easy to use, require very minimal setup, and (for the most part) they “just work.” Apple Home,...
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Image: Google
Google recently expanded access to its AI chatbot Bard to 180 new countries and territories. But not featured on the list? Any European Union (EU) nations.
This is due to Google failing to answer privacy concerns from the Irish Data Protection Commission or DPC — the regulator for Google’s Dublin-based EU operations.
As first reported by Politico, the DPC’s deputy commissioner, Graham Doyle, said Google “recently” informed the organization of an upcoming Bard launch in the EU. The DPC asked for a “data protection impact assessment,” which is required under EU privacy laws. Google didn’t provide the docs, the DPC asked more questions, and Google has yet to respond. As a result, says Doyle, “Bard will not now launch this week.”
A Google...
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A brief guide to the politics behind the Binance and Coinbase SEC cases.
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Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is preparing to remove its built-in Microsoft Teams client in Windows 11 nearly two years after the integration was first announced. The Chat functionality will be replaced with the more flexible free version of Microsoft Teams that’s also available as an app for Windows 10. Microsoft announced the changes in a new Windows 11 test build this week.
“Starting with his build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free,” says Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager at Microsoft, in a blog post. “Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar.” We asked Microsoft to comment on why Chat is being removed, but the company hasn’t responded in time for publication.
The original Teams...
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Are you still hanging on to that giant 8TB spinning HDD for your PC game installs? Well, it’s starting to look like SSDs will become the new minimum spec for modern PC games. While SSDs have shipped as standard in the latest and greatest PC gaming rigs and laptops, we haven’t seen game developers really push for SSDs as a minimum... until this week.
Microsoft held its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday and revealed that Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, will require 125GB of SSD storage when it debuts on September 6th. It’s not a recommendation — it’s a minimum spec to play Starfield on a PC.
A single game isn’t a trend, but at the same time CD Projekt Red also revealed that it’s bumping the minimum specs of Cyberpunk 2077 to...
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The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is suing Twitter on behalf of 17 music publishers representing the biggest artists in the business. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tennessee, claims the company "fuels its business with countless infringing copies of musical compositions, violating Publishers' and others' exclusive rights under copyright law."
It also has a list of 1,700 or so songs (included below) that the publishers say have been included in multiple copyright notices to Twitter without the company doing anything about it, asking the court to fine Twitter up to $150,000 for each violation.
The issue predates Musk's $44 billion purchase of Twitter last year. The New York Times cites unnamed employees saying...
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In April, Valve revealed it was overhauling Steam in a big way — not just a fresh coat of paint, but also unifying the codebase between its Desktop, Big Picture Mode and Steam Deck interfaces, adding new features like a handy cloud notepad and pinnable panels in the in-game overlay, revamping its screenshot manager and notifications tabs, and adding hardware acceleration for Linux and Mac.
While much of that has been available in beta, today’s the day it goes wide with a full stable release. So if your Steam is looking rather different, that’s why!
And reader, my gaming colleagues and I have been impressed by how much we like that coat of paint. Older changes to the Store and Library tabs notwithstanding, Steam has looked like an...
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You now can write in fields if you install the latest Windows 11 insider preview. | Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is dropping a new Windows 11 preview build for Insiders in the Dev Channel, and it has a new feature that enables handwriting entries directly into fields throughout the OS. Previously, handwriting-to-text conversion largely worked in certain software, like OneNote, or within a special handwritten text recognition box.
The new Ink feature also includes improved text recognition from handwriting and a scratch-out gesture feature that helps users fix a mistake. While Microsoft has only enabled this feature for US English, other languages are on the way.
For Windows 11 users who aren’t in any preview channel, Patch Tuesday this week brought KB5027231 to everyone, which includes tweaks like the updated Widgets Board layouts, B...
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Anker Prime 240W GaN Desktop Charger. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Anker presented its updated lineup of USB-C power adapters as a solution to e-waste during a product reveal event on Tuesday in New York City, betting these versatile chargers can swoop in as smartphone manufacturers stop shipping adapters in the box. After releasing a slew of new gallium nitride (GaN) chargers dubbed GaNPrime over the last year with the third generation of its fast charging tech, many of them will be rereleased as part of its new line, Anker Prime.
Anker’s new Prime desktop 240W charger is due for release in July and supports a max of 140W per device, which we have seen from manufacturers like Hyper and Ugreen.
Image: Anker
However, if you have two of the larger MacBook Pro laptops for some...
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The Upgrade Plus offer applies to both the latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. | Image: Dan Seifert / The Verge
Best Buy is expanding its monthly financing program, Upgrade Plus, to include more Apple devices, the company announced. Starting today, the program will finance the latest 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros or Apple Watch Ultra to approved customers via Citizens Bank.
Much like how Apple lets users “lease” iPhones through its iPhone upgrade program, customers can pay off their iPad Pro or Apple Watch Ultra over an extended period of time. Apple gives iPhone customers 24 months, though, while Upgrade Plus stretches things an additional year.
After the three-year period is over, customers have the option of staying in the program and upgrading to a newer model or returning the device and leaving Upgrade Plus. Alternatively, customers who want...
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Would you agree technology peaked in the days of candy-colored gadgets in see-through hues like “Atomic Purple” and “Bondi Blue”? If so, Dbrand would greatly enjoy weaponizing your nostalgia against your bank account.
Atomic Purple PS5. #ps5 #sony #playstation #gametok #techtok #tech
Today, it’s introduced the $100 Retro Darkplates for your PS5, which give your Sony console a similar effect to the transparent N64s that Nintendo released at the turn of the millennium.
They come in transparent orange, light blue, black, and purple, with the first three a “deadmatch against their N64 counterparts,” says Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz — because the company bought those original consoles, Pantone-matched...
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A voice chat feature is already available in Meta’s Horizon Worlds platform, but the new world chat will work more like a text-based group message. | Image: Meta
Meta is introducing a public, text-based social feature to its Horizon Worlds VR platform. The new “world chat” feature resembles that used by online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft, allowing users to send messages to other people within the same world session. Meta says that world chat is currently rolling out to a “small number of people” and that the company hopes to expand availability “later this summer.”
Users have the option of either selecting a person’s name to view their profile and invite them to connect or tagging the user with “@username” to mention them in the public world chat. The feature will include ease-of-use tools like quick replies to help users to connect without typing out long messages. Meta hasn’t...
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The legendary composer talks about revisiting soundtracks, posting about his process, and what he still wants to do in the future.
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Who doesn’t love an extra two inches of real estate? | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
After what feels like years of “will they / won’t they” speculation, Apple’s long-awaited 15-inch MacBook Air has officially arrived. However, despite having just recently launched, Amazon is already dropping the price of the base model with 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage, an eight-core CPU, and a 10-core GPU to $1,249.99 — a $50 discount we also saw on preorders leading up to the laptop’s release earlier this week.
As expected, there isn’t a whole lot that separates Apple’s new 15-incher from the 13-inch M2 model Apple released last year. My colleague Monica Chin put the M2 laptop through its paces over the weekend, and lo and behold, it offers few surprises aside from the extra two inches of screen real estate and a far better...
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Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is starting to sell replacement components for its Surface devices. The software giant now supplies replacement parts in the Microsoft Store, allowing Surface owners to replace their displays, batteries, SSDs, and more.
“We are excited to offer replacement components to technically inclined consumers for out-of-warranty, self repair,” says Tim McGuiggan, VP of devices services and product engineering at Microsoft. “When purchasing a replacement component, you will receive the part and relevant collateral components (such as screws if applicable).”
Tools to help you repair a Microsoft Surface device are sold separately by iFixit, which Microsoft partnered with in 2021 to sell official Surface repair tools. iFixit supplies tools...
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Photo by Michael Macor / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
In San Francisco’s District 8, a public library has been shutting down Wi-Fi outside business hours for nearly a year. The measure, quietly implemented in mid-2022, was made at the request of neighbors and the office of city supervisor Rafael Mandelman. It’s an attempt to keep city dwellers who are currently unhoused away from the area by locking down access to one of the library’s most valuable public services.
A local activist known as HDizz revealed details behind the move last month, tweeting public records of a July 2022 email exchange between local residents and the city supervisor’s office. In the emails, residents complained about open drug use and sidewalks blocked by residents who are unhoused. One relayed a secondhand story...
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Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. | Image: Marvel Studios
Samuel L. Jackson and Olivia Colman shine in Marvel’s new Disney Plus show, which feels more like a souped-up Agents of SHIELD TV event than a proper spy thriller.
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In a filing with the SEC on Wednesday, Sonos shared news that it’s laying off 7 percent of its staff. The company is “also committed to further reducing its real estate footprint and re-evaluating certain program spend,” Sonos said in the 8-K filing. The company reported having 1,844 employees as of last October. It’s reasonable to assume Sonos has hired more people since then, but that total indicates the cuts would affect at least 130 roles.
“We have acknowledged that if we started to deviate from our performance expectations, we would take action to adapt and protect profitability while still investing in our exciting product roadmap to drive future growth,” Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said in a statement. “In the face of continued...
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill Tuesday banning kids under 18 from joining a wide variety of social media sites without parental consent.
The bill, HB 18, requires social media companies to receive explicit consent from a minor’s parent or guardian before they’d be allowed to create their own accounts starting in September of next year. It also forces these companies to prevent children from seeing “harmful” content — like content related to eating disorders, substance abuse, or “grooming” — by creating new filtering systems.
“We’re disappointed to see Gov. Abbott sign into law a bill that erodes parental rights while violating the First Amendment and digital freedoms for every Texan,” Carl Szabo, NetChoice vice president and...
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Fitbit makes an array of fitness trackers, from basic fitness bands to full-fledged smartwatches, though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit. | Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge
Whether you want a basic fitness tracker or a smartwatch, there’s a Fitbit for everyone — though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit.
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Netflix is getting into football. On Wednesday, the streaming giant announced a new sports docuseries, Quarterback, that will focus on three NFL quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (who just collected his second Super Bowl win and second Super Bowl MVP award); Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings; and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons. The series is set to debut this summer.
“For the first time ever, the NFL allowed quarterbacks to be mic’d up for every single game of a season,” Netflix wrote in a post about the series. “The upcoming show will feature behind-the-scenes access to some of the biggest moments of the season, as Mahomes set an NFL record for total offense on his way to winning the league and Super...
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Nvidia says its upcoming GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card will be available to order starting June 29th at 9AM ET / 6AM PT. That’s slightly earlier than the July release window Nvidia previously announced for the card, which at $299 represents the most affordable entry so far into the company’s 40-series GPU lineup. When it was announced last month, Nvidia positioned the RTX 4060 for gaming at 1080p rather than 1440p or 4K.
With their (relatively) affordable pricing, Nvidia’s 60-class GPUs are often among the most popular, according to Steam’s hardware survey. The RTX 4060 is starting at $30 less than the RTX 3060 that preceded it, although it’s equipped with less VRAM this generation (8GB versus 12GB previously). However, the new RTX 4060...
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Sony says it has started testing the ability to stream PS5 games from the cloud. The PlayStation maker says it’s testing cloud streaming for PS5 games and is planning to add this as a feature to its PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.
“We’re currently testing cloud streaming for supported PS5 games – this includes PS5 titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Game Trials, as well as supported digital PS5 titles that players own,” says Nick Maguire, VP of global services, global sales, and business operations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. “When this feature launches, cloud game streaming for supported PS5 titles will be available for use directly on your PS5 console.”
A cloud feature for PS5 games would mean you’ll no...