News outlets demand new rules for AI training data

Image: AP

Several media organizations called for rules protecting copyright in data used to train generative AI models.

The open letter urged lawmakers around the globe to consider regulations that require transparency into training datasets and consent of rights holders before using data for training. They also request allowing media companies to negotiate with AI model operators, identifying AI-generated content, and mandating AI companies eliminate bias and misinformation in their services.

Signatories of the letter include Agence France-Presse, the European Pressphoto Agency, the European Publishers’ Council, Gannett, Getty Images, the National Press Photographers Association, the National Writers Union, News Media Alliance, The Associated...

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YouTube’s link spam situation is so bad that Shorts is banning links

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is taking preventative measures to tackle the increase in scams and spam appearing across its TikTok rival, YouTube Shorts. Starting August 31st, YouTube will gradually make links across Shorts comments, descriptions, and the vertical live feeds unclickable to prevent users from potentially being exposed to malware, phishing scams, and other harmful scam-related content.

YouTube says that it’s planning to introduce a new, safer way for creators to link their Shorts viewers to other YouTube content “by the end of September.”

Image: YouTube

A new, safer way for creators to direct their Shorts viewers to other YouTube content will be introduced by the end of September.

The video streaming giant will also...

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US government pushes to fix the security flaws Lapsus$ hackers used to leak GTA VI

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is calling for stricter SIM swapping protections and the transition to a passwordless future following last year’s Lapsus$ attacks. In a lengthy report released on Thursday, the agency details the teen hacking group’s key techniques and provides recommendations to prevent similar attacks going forward.

Lapsus$ made headlines last year after it took credit for the cyberattacks affecting major tech companies like Nvidia, Samsung, Ubisoft, T-Mobile, Uber, and Microsoft. The group also managed to steal and leak 90 videos containing gameplay footage from Rockstar’s upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI game. Seven teenagers connected to the group were arrested in London last year.

NEW:...

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Skydio is done making consumer drones for you

A Skydio drone | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Skydio is done making drones for consumers. Though the self-flying drone startup has been denying for years it would pivot to enterprise, it confirmed on Thursday that it’s sunsetting its consumer business in favor of creating drones for use by commercial businesses and the public sector.

Skydio began shifting its focus toward government and military use in 2020 with the launch of its self-flying X2 model. In an interview with The Verge at the time, Skydio CEO Adam Bry said that the company had more consumer-facing drones on the way. The only consumer drone it’s released since was a minor hardware update to the Skydio 2 that addressed a few of its shortcomings.

“Our drones are making the core industries that our civilization runs on —...

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Wacom’s new drawing tablets offer creative flexibility on a budget

A single USB-C cable for a display tablet? About dang time. | Image: Wacom

Wacom is fleshing out its range of affordable drawing tablets with four new additions to the Wacom One product family. Designed as an entry-level platform for students, educators, and those new to creative drawing hardware, the new Wacom One range aims to provide “choice and customization” to support different needs.

The four tablets come in two varieties: the Wacom One 12 ($399.99) and Wacom One 13 touch ($599.99) “pen display” tablets with built-in screens or the Wacom One S ($99.99) and Wacom One M ($149.99) traditional “pen tablets,” which don’t feature a display.

Image: Wacom

The new Wacom One 12 and 13 touch look visually similar to the existing Wacom One display tablet.

The Wacom One 12 and Wacom One 13...

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Sonos’ $900 Dolby Atmos soundbar has a loud pop issue that’s taking years to fix

Image: Chris Welch / The Verge

I bought a Sonos Arc soundbar and an LG OLED G2 six months ago to use with my Xbox Series X thinking it would be the most convenient way to expand my existing Sonos setup to handle Dolby Atmos audio from apps like Netflix, Apple TV Plus, and Disney Plus. Now, however, my Sonos Arc soundbar sounds like it’s exploding with a startling loud bang and a series of audio pops when I try to use Dolby Atmos content. I’m not alone, either. I was shocked to learn that hundreds of Sonos Arc owners have experienced these extremely loud audio pops for nearly three years without a fix.

Sonos markets its Arc soundbar as being able to “bring all your entertainment to life and experience breathtakingly realistic spatial audio powered by Dolby Atmos.” The...

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Save $50 on a Samsung Z Fold 5 or Z Flip 5 preorder while you still can

Flip and fold a $50 bill back into your wallet. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Launch day for Samsung’s new generation of foldable phones is tomorrow, and Samsung really isn’t wasting any time getting the deals out early. Not only can you still get a free storage upgrade when you preorder the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Galaxy Z Flip 5 (a $120 value) but also Samsung is throwing in a raw $50 discount at checkout if you order directly from its site. That drops the starting price of the ultra-flagship Z Fold 5 to $1,749.99 and the quaint Z Flip 5 to $949.99.

The reviews of both phones are in, and while some of this year’s updates are a little iterative, both foldables look promising. The more affordable Z Flip 5 has a larger exterior cover display for easy access to some handy app widgets, and the Z Fold 5, well, it looks a...

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GM confirms $130,000 Cadillac Escalade IQ won’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

A display showcasing the Cadillac’s 55-inch screen and driver controls, but there’s no room made for CarPlay here. | Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in Cadillac’s new ultra-luxury Escalade IQ. Despite the huge new 55-inch pillar-to-pillar infotainment screen in the new EV revealed yesterday, compatibility for the popular phone projection features is completely gone.

GM said earlier this year that it was going to remove CarPlay and Android Auto from future vehicles. In April, GM’s VP of software, Scott Miller, shared some reasons for the decision, including allowing more EV-centric functionality like battery preconditioning when navigating to a charging station. Tesla offers a similar feature and also does not have CarPlay or Android Auto options. But customers nowadays expect these features in new vehicles. Even Apple has said that nearly 80...

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The Emmy Awards are officially delayed because of the writers and actors strikes

Image: Television Academy

The 75th annual Emmy Awards have officially been postponed. Instead of taking place in September, the Television Academy says the ceremony will now air on January 15th, 2024, marking the first time the Emmys have been delayed in over 20 years.

While the Television Academy doesn’t mention why the awards have been delayed, it’s because the show would look rather empty without all the Hollywood writers and actors who are currently on strike. The rules of the strike prevent unionized writers and actors from accepting awards for struck work and also bars them from attending events that promote it.

Last week, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) held its first meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in...

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Corsair’s latest keyboard is its first with magnetic Hall effect switches

The K70 Max is styled much like Corsair’s other gaming keyboards. | Photo by Jon Porter / The Verge

I’ve been testing Corsair’s new $229.99 K70 Max mechanical keyboard for the last few days — its first to use magnetic Hall effect sensors to register keypresses, allowing for new features like the ability to customize how far you have to press a key before it registers a keypress. The company is branding the switches as “Corsair MGX” to distinguish them from its existing optical mechanical OPX switches and keyboards with standard mechanical Cherry MX switches. Alongside it, the company is also announcing a new headset: the HS80 Max Premium Wireless RGB.

Manufacturers like SteelSeries and Wooting have been making keyboards equipped with Hall effect sensors for a few years now. The basic idea is that each switch has a magnet inside its...

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Lego’s new $200 Concorde is a fantastic homage to the supersonic passenger jet

It’s been 20 years since the final flight of one of the most beautiful planes ever made — the supersonic Concorde — and you’ll soon be able to buy one in Lego form.

The $200 Lego Icons Concorde is nearly three and a half feet long, has a 17-inch (43cm) wingspan, and three neat tricks up its sleeve. Not only does it capture many of the real plane’s iconic curves, but it’s also got an incredible Lego mechanism hidden inside to raise and lower its landing gear with a twist of the tail cone on the end.

Photo: The Museum of Flight

The real plane: compare to the Lego thumbnail atop this story.

Image: Lego

So sleek. Click for larger image.

The hidden gears run nearly the full length...

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review: a little better is just good enough

Samsung’s head start in foldables is paying off, but it’ll have to do more next time around to stay in front.

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How to verify your Threads account using your Mastodon profile

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge

As explained in a recent article, Meta has rolled out the ability to verify a link to your Threads profile on social media platforms like Mastodon, according to a Threads post from Instagram head Adam Mosseri. In other words, the Mastodon account on your profile will show a verified checkmark for a Threads profile — so you’re using your Threads account to signal to people looking at your profile on Mastodon that you own the Threads link you’re pointing to.

It’s a pretty straightforward process. However, while it worked for us, at least one Verge staffer had problems with it, as did some others who tried it, so there’s a chance it may not work for you.

Here’s how we were able to do it:

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The...

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Here are the funniest things being auctioned off at Twitter HQ

Yup, even the building signs are up for grabs. Providing you’re the one arranging the ‘grabbing’. | Photo by David Odisho/Getty Images

Now that Elon Musk’s plan to rebrand Twitter to X is in motion, the company is looking to sell a bunch of stuff tied to its previous image in what feels like a comically unhinged estate sale. Hundreds of items from X’s San Francisco headquarters will be available to buy via an online auction next month that’s running from September 12th to 14th.

Everything currently has an opening bid set at $25 so there’s the potential to grab some real bargains here. Most of the listings are for the kind of office equipment you’d expect from a big corporation, like desks, printers, and laptop docking stations. Several of the lots being advertised — such as soundproof office booths and designer chairs — were also listed in an auction back in January....

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Get ready for a repositioned end call button in iOS 17

The end call button now sits much closer to the rest of the call controls. | Screenshot by Jess Weatherbed / The Verge

Apple looks set to be moving one of the most well-used buttons in iOS; the Phone app’s red end call button. Beta versions of iOS 17, which will likely get an official release this fall alongside the forthcoming iPhone 15, feature a redesigned call interface that shifts the red button down and to the right, and eliminates the distance between it and the rest of the call controls.

The new interface was technically made available with the very first developer beta of iOS 17, but it hadn’t been widely spotted until this week when the likes of CNBC and Gizmodo covered the change. Here’s a before and after comparison of the call interface between iOS 16 and beta iOS 17:

To me, it looks like Apple has made the change to account for iOS 17’s...

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Samsung is kicking off its One UI 6 beta program

EMBARGOED until February 1st 2023 at 1PM ET | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Samsung is launching its beta program for One UI 6, its version of Android that’s based on Android 14. Key features for this next revision are a simplified design and more customization options.

On the design front, “many elements have been tweaked to create a more modern look and feel,” according to a press release from Samsung. That includes a new default font and new emoji you can use from the Samsung Keyboard. The company has also updated the look of the Quick Panel so that you can more easily get to commonly-used features.

Image: Samsung

Two screenshots showing what you can expect in Samsung’s One UI 6.

As for customization, One UI 6 will let you choose specific lock screens that are tied to certain Modes...

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Google Docs and Drive are getting support for eSignatures

Users will be able to request full signatures or initials, with the ability to auto-generate a date for when it was signed. | Image: Google

Google is adding native support for eSignatures to Docs and Drive in an attempt to make it easier for users to request signatures and sign documents from within its cloud-based productivity software, the company has announced. Google is now releasing the ability to request and leave eSignatures in beta, after more than a year of testing the feature in alpha.

There are plenty of pieces of software that already offer eSignature support, ranging from cloud-based options like Dropbox through to local programs like Adobe Acrobat. So Google’s addition of this feature is more about offering parity with its competitors rather than forging new ground, and means user’s shouldn’t have to switch between different apps and tabs as much while working...

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Logitech’s new laptop stand and keyboard folds down into a cute little box

When set up, the Casa Pop-Up desk looks like any other laptop stand. | Image: Logitech

Logitech’s Casa Pop-Up Desk is the company’s new attempt to offer a neat and ergonomic desk setup that can be easily folded away at the end of the day. For £179 (around $227, though Logitech is yet to confirm a US release), you get the laptop stand itself, as well as a wireless keyboard and trackpad that tuck inside of it.

Although it’s almost certainly cheaper to put together the same setup more cheaply with accessories from different manufacturers, the appeal of the Casa Pop-Up Desk is how neatly everything fits together when not in use. You’ve got your “Casa Keys” wireless keyboard and your “Casa Touch” touchpad, and they’re designed to fit inside the “Casa Book” laptop stand when you pack everything away at the end of the day. The...

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A Canadian woman says she has gotten over 50 Amazon packages she didn’t order

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A woman in British Columbia, Canada, has received over 50 Amazon packages that she’s never asked for, as reported by CBC. As a result of getting these shipments, which she hasn’t had the chance to refuse upon arrival, the United Parcel Service (UPS) has sent her customs bills for more than $300.

“They keep coming and it just doesn’t end,” Anca Nitu said to CBC. Nitu told the news outlet that it’s somehow tied to her own Amazon account — one that she said has been sitting dormant.

Amazon told CBC in a written statement that Nitu’s case has been addressed and “corrective action” is being taken. The company advises anyone receiving packages unexpectedly to report it using the Report Unwanted Package form online.

This isn’t the same glitch...

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Disney Plus and Hulu are about to get even more expensive

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Disney is once again raising the ad-free prices of both Disney Plus and Hulu this fall. Beginning on October 12th, Disney Plus will cost $13.99 per month, while Hulu’s no-ads tier will run $17.99. The ad-sponsored tiers of both services will (for now) each remain $7.99.

Perhaps to ease that blow, the company is introducing a new combo subscription that will bundle ad-free experiences for both Disney Plus and Hulu for $19.99 per month. That plan will be available on September 6th.

But these subscription hikes to the standalone services are substantial; Disney last raised the cost of Disney Plus to $10.99 / month a year ago. At that time, ad-free Hulu jumped up to $14.99. It now costs more than the ad-free tier of Warner Bros....

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CNET is deleting old articles to try to improve its Google Search ranking

Image: Garret Beard / The Verge

Technology news outlet CNET has deleted thousands of older articles from its site, telling staff the deletions will improve its Google Search ranking, according to an internal memo. The news was first reported by Gizmodo.

Gizmodo reports that, since July, thousands of articles have been removed from CNET. In the memo, CNET says that so-called content pruning “sends a signal to Google that says CNET is fresh, relevant and worthy of being placed higher than our competitors in search results.” Stories slated to be “deprecated” are archived using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, and authors are alerted at least 10 days in advance, according to the memo.

“Removing content from the site is not a decision we take lightly. Our teams...

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Disney is ‘actively exploring’ ways to crack down on password sharing

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Move over, Netflix — Disney might be the next company to carry out a password-sharing crackdown. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is “actively exploring ways to address account sharing.”

Iger added that Disney “will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies” later this year and will also “roll out tactics to drive monetization” in 2024. Netflix started charging users an extra fee to share their accounts with someone outside their household earlier this year.

When asked how many people are sharing passwords across Disney’s services, Iger declined to provide a number but said it’s “significant.” He also added that the company has the “technical...

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Quizlet’s AI study tools think I’m a bad student

Quizlet, a tool that helps personalize studying for students, recently released a set of new AI-powered features.

Quizlet is one of the many educational platforms embracing generative AI to facilitate learning, despite consternation from teachers when ChatGPT first burst into the scene. I no longer have assignments to read, but to do my job, I have to read tons of news articles, reports, and research papers fairly quickly. I wondered: can I use Quizlet to make my job easier and test how much of my beat I actually understand?

Oh man, it didn’t turn out well for me.

Quizlet released several AI-powered tools on August 8th. Memory Score schedules reviews and tracks scores to help users remember the material. Quick Summary takes key...

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Whitney Wolfe Herd is coming to the Code Conference

Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble. | Photo: Ramona Rosales

Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is coming to the Code Conference, where she’ll be interviewed on stage by CNBC senior media and tech correspondent Julia Boorstin.

Wolfe Herd’s company has moved quickly to adopt AI in targeted ways to help daters. Last year, the company open-sourced an AI tool that Bumble had been using since 2019 to detect — and then blur — nude photos. Bumble’s president, Tariq Shaukat, has also said the company is using AI to “remove some of the friction” of dating. For Bumble, that means improving early interactions by helping people choose better profile pictures or stopping them from sending rude messages.

Bumble also operates Badoo, Fruitz, and Official. The company is also starting to branch out beyond...

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You can now verify your Threads profile on Mastodon

Image: The Verge

Meta has rolled out the ability to verify a link to your Threads profile on social media platforms like Mastodon, according to a Threads post from Instagram head Adam Mosseri. To be clear, this isn’t a free way to get a blue checkmark next to your Threads name; you’ll probably need to pay Meta to get one of those. Instead, this new feature helps you prove on other platforms that a Threads profile that you link to is one that you own. But it also represents something bigger: an actual Threads feature from Meta that connects with decentralized social media.

I got this to work in just a few minutes on my Mastodon profile, meaning that a URL to my Threads account now has a green checkmark. I’ll explain how I got this set up a bit later in...

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TikTok is seemingly making it easier to disclose if your content was generated by AI

Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge

TikTok appears to be working on a new way for creators to disclose if their posts contain AI-generated content. As shared by social media consultant Matt Navarra, a new “AI-generated content” toggle has appeared under the “more options” section before uploading a video. As part of the description for that toggle, TikTok says the label will help “prevent content removal”; TikTok updated its content policies in March to require that users disclose deepfakes and AI-generated content in the video’s caption or use an identifying sticker.

Navarra shared a video of the feature with The Verge. In the video, flipping the toggle led to TikTok showing the new pop-up about the feature. The pop-up reminds creators they’ll need to label content made...

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Google’s Arts & Culture app adds AI-generated poem postcards

Image: Google

Google has launched a new tool that lets you create AI-generated poem postcards based on a piece of artwork and a subject of your choice. The addition of poem postcards comes as part of Google’s broader redesign of its Arts & Culture app and its rollout of generative AI features across its other services, like text creation in Docs and the ability to generate code with AI in Sheets.

Poem postcards live within Google’s Arts & Culture app and website, where you can choose from various types of poems to generate, including a sonnet, limerick, ode, elegy, haiku, and others. The AI will base the contents of the poem on the subject you type into the generator, like “ocean” or “spring,” as well as the painting you want on the cover of the...

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Where have all the fitness bands gone?

A $50 fitness band like the Amazfit Band 7 is a rare sight these days. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Smartwatches are the default wearable option these days, but why is it so hard to find simple yet affordable alternatives like the fitness bands of yesteryear?

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Google is helping pilots route flights to create fewer contrails, which is better for the climate

A plane flying over Barcelona airport in March 2023. | Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Google has been working with American Airlines and Bill Gates’ climate investment fund, Breakthrough Energy, to chart more sustainable flight routes. The aim is to help pilots limit a flight’s impact on the climate by avoiding routes that create contrails, those white streaks in the sky that planes sometimes leave behind.

Contrails are a big problem for the planet because they trap heat, accounting for about 35 percent of aviation’s global warming impact. Using satellite imagery and AI, they developed a way to forecast where contrails are most likely to form. That could give pilots a chance to avoid them and minimize aviation’s environmental footprint in the process.

Contrary to what conspiracy theorists say, the streaks behind are not...

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Roblox is aiming for Westworld-like ease of design with generative AI tools

Illustration: The Verge

Roblox CEO David Baszucki envisions that its generative AI systems might someday work in a way that’s somewhat similar to what you might have seen on the sci-fi show Westworld, based on comments during Roblox’s Q2 2023 earnings call on Wednesday.

The Westworld comparison came up as part of a longer answer about how AI might be able to help Roblox developers.

Ultimately, we’ll enter an age on on Roblox where anyone can make their avatar or clothing 100 percent through text prompts. So if I or you wanted to build a piece of clothing, we could describe it. We’re gonna see that created in real time.

Then, he pulled in Westworld.

We think for developers, this is going to accelerate quality up and down the stack. There’s a great video clip —...

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