Uber’s about to stick video ads in its cars, apps, and anywhere else it can

Video ads will begin rolling out across Uber services in the US this week. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber is about to start displaying video ads across its various service apps, including Uber Eats, Drizly (an Uber-owned alcohol delivery platform), and its namesake ride-hailing app. Announced via a press release on Thursday, full-length video ads — which will play on the main Uber app while users wait for their taxi to arrive — will begin rolling out to users in the US “over the coming weeks.” Uber hopes to entice advertisers with what it knows about its users.

“We have two minutes of your attention. We know where you are, we know where you are going to, we know what you have eaten,” said Uber ad exec Mark Grether to The Wall Street Journal. “We can use all of that to then basically target a video ad towards you.” Two minutes is roughly...

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First ‘Designed for Xbox’ projector arrives in the US next month for $1,600

Note the Xbox color scheme. | Image: Viewsonic

Viewsonic’s short throw X2-4K LED projector, which it’s billing as the world’s first projector that’s been certified for Xbox, will be available in the US in July for $1,599.99, the company has announced. The X2-4K was originally announced back in March alongside a non-short throw model called the X1-4K, which is yet to be listed on Viewsonic’s US store as of this writing.

Although it’s the first projector with the badge, Microsoft’s “Designed for Xbox” program is a pre-existing initiative that’s seen it work with other manufacturers to make sure their accessories are compatible with its consoles. According to Microsoft, the program already covers “more than 15 categories” like headsets, gamepads, and racing wheels, as well as a series...

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Google sues alleged scammer over fake business and review scheme

Illustration: The Verge

Google is suing an alleged scammer for running an elaborate scheme to flood its search product with fake businesses and reviews.

In the complaint filed Friday, Google accuses the defendant, Ethan Hu, of abusing the company’s products “to create fake online listings for businesses that do not exist, and to bolster them with fake reviews from people who do not exist.” After establishing the fake companies, Hu and 20 unnamed co-defendants allegedly sold these fake listings to other businesses looking to promote their own services in Google’s search results.

Over the last two years, Google says the defendants created over 350 fake business profiles that received at least 14,000 fake reviews. While Google can automatically create listings...

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Mercedes-Benz tests ChatGPT in cars to answer ‘complex questions’ while on the road

Photo illustration by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Mercedes-Benz is beta-testing ChatGPT as a voice assistant in its cars. The company says drivers will be able engage the chatbot in a variety of conversations, asking “for details about their destination, to suggest a new dinner recipe, or to answer a complex question” — all “while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

The beta program will be available to over 900,000 vehicles in the US equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment system. Drivers can activate the experimental program from June 16 with the voice command “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.” The update will then be installed over the air free of charge, expanding the capabilities of the company’s existing voice assistant using ChatGPT.

I...

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Reddit CEO Steve Huffman isn’t backing down: our full interview

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge | Photo by Greg Doherty / Variety via Getty Images

Reddit is fighting for its soul. Many users are in revolt over API pricing changes that will shut down some of the most popular third-party Reddit apps, and they’re furious at CEO Steve Huffman after last week’s AMA that made it clear the platform wouldn’t budge. Huffman has argued the changes are a business decision to force AI companies training on Reddit’s data to pony up, but they’re also wiping out some beloved Reddit apps, and thousands of subreddits have gone dark for days in protest.

On Thursday, Reddit offered me an interview with Huffman (who goes by u/spez on Reddit). I’ve already published one story from my conversation about how Reddit was apparently never designed to support third-party apps. But here is a lightly edited...

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Reddit says it won’t overrule mods and force subreddits back open

Image by Alex Castro / The Verge

We just spoke to Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and he’s not backing down. He seems to think third-party apps were a mistake. But Reddit is also pledging that it will respect the subreddit blackout where thousands of subreddits are currently staying dark.

“We are not shutting down discussions or unilaterally reopening communities,” reads a line from a “Reddit API Fact Sheet” that the company shared with The Verge.

In our interview, Huffman told us that he sees Reddit as a “democratic living organism created by its users.”

“Every once in a while in cities, there’s a protest. And I think that’s what we’re seeing exactly right now. We, even in disagreement, we appreciate that users can care enough to protest on Reddit can protest on Reddit...

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Dish says it met its FCC deadline to cover 70 percent of the US population

We did it, says Dish. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

According to Dish Network, things at Dish are going great. Yesterday marked its second FCC coverage deadline since it bought Boost from T-Mobile, and the company issued a press release today stating that it now covers 70 percent of the US population and has “also satisfied all other June 14, 2023 FCC commitments.” It’s not exactly mission accomplished just yet, though.

In meeting this FCC milestone, Dish says it has deployed over 15,000 5G cell sites and would like to remind us that it’s still the first wireless provider in the country to launch voice calling over 5G, known as VoNR — Voice over New Radio.

This is all well and good, but Dish’s wireless service still doesn’t look quite the same as AT&T’s or Verizon’s. The network itself...

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Reddit CEO Steve Huffman: Reddit ‘was never designed to support third-party apps’

The Verge

Thousands of Reddit communities are still dark in protest of the API changes that are forcing some third-party developers to shut down their apps. It’s a startling change for many members of the Reddit community, but it’s one that Reddit CEO Steve Huffman tells The Verge that he’s fine with making. Those third-party apps, in his eyes, aren’t adding much value to the platform.

“So the vast majority of the uses of the API — not [third-party apps like Apollo for Reddit] — the other 98 percent of them, make tools, bots, enhancements to Reddit. That’s what the API is for,” Huffman says. “It was never designed to support third-party apps.” According to Huffman, he “let it exist,” and “I should take the blame for that because I was the guy...

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Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 5 render shows a phone that can actually close flat

Is this the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5? | Image: MySmartPrice

What appears to be the first official image of Samsung’s next flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, has been posted by MySmartPrice (via SamMobile). While we expect to see a full reveal during Samsung’s Unpacked event in Korea next month, the picture does show a few details about the Z Fold 5 that could help explain how it will compete with Google’s Pixel Fold and all of the other flexible mobile devices that are popping up this summer.

We’ve heard rumors of a “water drop”-style hinge that could help reduce the appearance of a screen crease when unfolded and allow the phone to close practically flat, with the same durability rating as its predecessor. In the image, the folded device looks like it has less of a gap when closed...

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Which devices work with Matter and what’s coming soon

The Verge

All the Matter-compatible devices you can buy now, plus what’s coming soon to the new Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung-backed smart home standard.

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Here are the best AirPods deals you can get right now

Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro are currently $50 off, matching their all-time low.

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods toward the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model slowly dip to around $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly a year, we’re seeing their price fall more often, too. We’re also seeing good deals land on Apple’s other popular earbuds, like the fitness-focused Beats Fit Pro, which are currently $159.95 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

Below, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.

T...

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Microsoft is no longer making Xbox One games

Photo by Michael Shane / The Verge

Microsoft has moved on from the Xbox One and is no longer creating first-party games for its previous generation of consoles. “We’ve moved on to Gen 9,” says Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty, referring to the Xbox Series S / X generation, in an interview with Axios.

While Microsoft will still support Xbox One hardware and games like Minecraft running on the previous generation, no internal studios are working on new games for the Xbox One anymore. Microsoft has been slowly pushing to this point, using Xbox Cloud Gaming to offer up games like Microsoft Flight Simulator to existing Xbox One users.

Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase didn’t contain any first-party games that will run on the Xbox One natively, and Booty says the company...

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — all the latest on Nintendo’s huge sequel

Link in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom_._ | Image: Nintendo

Going deep on the biggest game of the year with analysis, interviews, and the wildest builds.

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Black Mirror’s ‘Beyond the Sea’ is a slow-motion tragedy in the depths of space

Aaron Paul as Cliff in “Beyond the Sea.” | Image: Nick Wall / Netflix

“Beyond the Sea” is the rarest breed of Black Mirror episode: the kind driven by empathy. Carried by a cast that includes Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Mara, it’s equal parts character study and Twilight Zone creeping horror — a story focused less on the series’ typical social commentary than on three people whose impossible situation leads to an inevitably tragic end.

The episode is set in an alternate 1969 where two astronauts are midway through a six-year mission. Although their bodies are stuck in a cramped spacecraft, they spend most of their time inhabiting a pair of lifelike telepresence “replicas” on Earth. David (Hartnett) maintains an idyllic life with his wife and two children, taking his Neil Armstrong-esque celebrity...

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Mario movie exec has no idea why people think a Zelda film is next

Image: Nintendo

The CEO of Universal’s Illumination isn’t sure where the rumors about a collaboration with Nintendo on a Legend of Zelda movie came from, according to an interview he gave to TheWrap. Entertainment reporter Jeff Sneider reported last week that Universal was nearing a “big deal” with Nintendo on a Zelda film, and although Nintendo and Universal’s Illumination partnered on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri didn’t confirm that’s happening.

“I don’t know where that came from,” Meledandri said to TheWrap about the Zelda rumor. “I mean I can understand how people would surmise all sorts of things because obviously, we’ve had a great experience working together. My relationship with Nintendo now includes being on...

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Automakers can’t quit manual transmissions so they’re cramming fake stuff into EVs

Image: Toyota

There’s no question that the rise in electric vehicles represents a wholesale shift in the auto industry. But while most car companies appear ready to embrace the electric future, a lot of them are having trouble letting go of the past.

Take Toyota, for example. The biggest automaker in the world is reportedly working on an electric vehicle prototype that mimics the feel of driving a manual transmission, complete with a gear shift that’s not connected to anything and a floor-mounted speaker to pipe in fake engine noises. The car will even pretend to stall out if you fumble the controls — in order to deliver drivers the complete experience of driving a manual car.

There is no engine, no drive shaft, no gears to speak of

Keep in mind...

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Black Mirror season 6: exploring Netflix’s sci-fi anthology, one episode at a time

Image: Netflix

After a hiatus, the bleak series is back with five more episodes looking at technology and the future.

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Black Mirror’s Demon 79 is a stressful slice of supernatural horror

Image: Netflix

While Black Mirror started out as a series exploring the myriad terrifying ways technology could impact our lives, it has since grown into a more general genre anthology. It’s nice when episodes have that techno focus, but it’s no longer a necessity. Case in point: “Demon 79,” a season 6 story that’s pure classic horror homage. Its premise wouldn’t be out of place in a collection like Tales From the Crypt or Cabinet of Curiosities. But don’t let the lack of Black Mirror-ness dissuade you — this episode is a blast of Hitchcockian scares with just the right kind of twist.

“Demon 79” — which was directed by Toby Haynes and written by Ms. Marvel’s Bisha K. Ali and Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker — is centered on Nida (Anjana Vasan), a...

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Twitch’s new Partner Plus tier outlines what it takes to get a 70 / 30 revenue sharing split

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Twitch is introducing a new “Partner Plus” program that will give streamers an increased 70 percent of the share of their subscription revenues, with Twitch taking the other 30 percent, the company announced on Thursday. Most partnered streamers receive 50 percent of their subscription revenues, though Twitch had negotiated 70 / 30 deals with some of the platform’s biggest streamers until recently.

Streamers will need to keep a sub count of at least 350 “recurring paid subscriptions for three consecutive months” to qualify for the program, Twitch’s chief monetization officer Mike Minton and chief content officer Laura Lee said in the company’s blog post. Once you meet that benchmark, the execs say you’ll be automatically enrolled for the...

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Siri gets a bit smarter, but Apple Home is still lagging behind

Apple’s Siri voice assistant will soon be capable of responding to multiple requests at once. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Despite some hints toward a possible Apple smart display with its new StandBy feature for iPhones, Apple’s WWDC was underwhelming for the smart home. But Apple did announce one noteworthy addition, Siri will soon handle “multiple commands” in succession without you having to say its name again.

This might seem like a small update, but for anyone who uses voice control in the smart home, saying, “Siri, turn off the dining room lights,” then “Lock the front door,” then “Turn off the fan,” will be an improvement. However, it’s also another example of how Apple is still playing catch-up in the smart home.

I believe Apple plans to rely completely on Matter for its home automation efforts going forward

Both Amazon’s Alexa and Google...

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Watch the first trailer for Babylon 5: The Road Home

Babylon 5: The Road Home. | Image: Warner Bros.

Babylon 5 — the mid-’90s sci-fi series that told a compelling five-year story with evolving characters at a time when most shows reset the agenda after every single episode — is coming back as an animated movie starring several members of the original cast.

Perhaps you’ve already heard? But you haven’t gotten more than a peek at what that might mean, and now the first full trailer has just dropped:

It features Sheridan getting “whipsawed through multiple timelines and alternate realities,” including one where Babylon 5 lost the Shadow War. It also includes Zathras, which makes sense given that plot (you could call that character a bit of a temporal engineer) and will absolutely make diehard B5 fans smile.

Many of the original...

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Thousands of Reddit communities remain dark as protest continues

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Thousands of subreddits are continuing to protest beyond the initial 48-hour blackout, as Reddit says it has no plans to back down from the changes it’s making to its API. As of this writing, one counter lists over 5,000 subreddits that are still dark, which include some of the site’s most popular communities with tens of millions of subscribers each.

Some, such as r/funny, r/aww, r/Music, r/science, and r/videos are private and remain inaccessible. Others, like r/pics and r/Art are restricted, meaning it’s possible to view old posts but not submit new content. In these two cases, the last new posts from the community were on June 12th before the protest began.

The protests kicked off earlier this week over changes Reddit is planning to...

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Taylor Swift versus Ticketmaster: the latest on the tour that may break up a giant

It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.

After Ticketmaster’s site crumbled under the load of Taylor Swift fans trying to get concert tickets, the DOJ is reportedly investigating whether it’s part of an entertainment monopoly.

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Live Nation-Ticketmaster to disclose full ticket prices upfront

Photo by Scott Legato / TAS23 / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

President Joe Biden is set to announce that ticketing giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster have promised to disclose the full price of tickets upfront, essentially removing the haunting prospect of hidden fees at checkout, according to Reuters.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been the focus of regulatory ire for years, but scrutiny hit a fever pitch last November when Live Nation canceled ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. While the Swift cancellations were reportedly due to a bot attack, the event became the focus of critics who argue that Live Nation drives up ticketing costs and fees for customers by entering into anti-competitive contracts with venues.

As part of Thursday’s announcement, Biden is hosting a White House...

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Tesla battery material supplier tops list of human rights abuses for second year in a row

A worker assists in the operation of an excavator at Glencore subsidiary Katanga Mining Ltd.’s KOV copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 1st, 2012. | Photo by Simon Dawson / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Tesla buys cobalt and nickel from Glencore, a mining giant with at least 70 allegations of human rights abuses against it.

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Asteroid City is a series of exquisite and soulless tableaux all coming apart at the seams

Image: Pop. 87 Productions / Focus Features

Wes Anderson’s inclination to put style before substance is what keeps his latest from being the truly thought-provoking piece of cinematic art it wants to be.

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Our favorite iPhone MagSafe charger is on sale for just $32.99

Verge tested, skele approved. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Woot is running a “best of tech” sale until June 24th, and I’m pleasantly surprised there are some good ones among the dreck. My top pick for today is the Belkin BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe, selling for $32.99 ($47 off) — which includes a 27W USB-C power supply at that discounted price. Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro is a fully MagSafe-compliant magnetic charger for iPhone 12, 13, and 14 generations, and it can charge at the full 15W output (12W for the iPhone 12 / 13 Mini) just like Apple’s own MagSafe puck. But it’s better because it has a much longer nylon-wrapped cable and a little collapsible kickstand for watching videos while you charge.

You can get this same charger for slightly cheaper on Amazon right now, but it doesn’t come with...

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The best Father’s Day gifts on a budget

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

We’ve rounded up a number of inexpensive gifts that dad will love, from portable speakers to camping stoves.

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Epic’s latest tool can animate hyperrealistic MetaHumans with an iPhone

Image: Epic Games

Today, Epic is releasing a new tool designed to capture an actor’s facial performance using a device as simple as an iPhone and apply it to a hyperrealistic “MetaHuman” in the Unreal Engine in “minutes.” The feature, dubbed MetaHuman Animator, was detailed at the Game Developers Conference in March but is now available for developers to try out for themselves. Epic has also released a new video today produced by one of its internal teams to show what the tool is capable of.

While Epic’s short film shows off some impressively subtle facial animation, the big benefit the company is emphasizing is the speed with which MetaHuman Animator produces results. “The animation is produced locally using GPU hardware, with the final animation...

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OnePlus Nord N30 5G review: midrange performance, budget phone problems

The Nord N30 is a $300 phone that performs like a $500 phone, but it’s held back by a mediocre camera system — and last year’s Pixel 6A hovering over its shoulder.

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