VPNs, Verizon, and Instagram Reels: how students are getting around the TikTok ban

The University of Oklahoma blocked TikTok on its devices and networks in December 2022. | Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka / NurPhoto via Getty Images

When he first read the email announcing that public universities in Texas had been asked to ban the use of TikTok on their campuses, UT Dallas student Eric Aaberg feared the worst. As a full-time content creator with over 10,000 followers on the platform, the app was central to his life. Would he be forced to delete it? Would he be punished if he were caught using it?

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, are you serious?’” Aaberg recalls. “That’s so BS. There’s no way.”

Then he learned the reality. UTD was making TikTok inaccessible on its campus-provided networks. For him, that was the extent of the ban.

Aaberg immediately relaxed. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s nothing,’” he says.

Texas is one of over thirty US states that have enacted restrictions...

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Sea of Stars is pure RPG comfort food once you push past its slow start

Image: Sabotage Studio

Sea of Stars is basically a modern-day SNES RPG. I had a sense that would be the case going in: it has pixel art clearly inspired by 16-bit classics, pits a ragtag group of adventurers against evil forces, uses a clever turn-based battle system, and is filled with stunning music (including a few tracks from Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda). But I was glad my hunch was right. I devoured Sea of Stars in a little over a week, and each time I booted it up, I felt like I was playing the type of old-school RPG I would have spent afternoons with as a kid.

A lot of that nostalgia came from Sea of Stars’ gorgeous pixel art, which looks similar to games like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger but with an incredible amount of modern-day...

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Your Wyze webcam might have let other owners peek into your house

Image: Wyze

Some Wyze security camera owners reported Friday that they were unexpectedly able to see webcam feeds that weren’t theirs, meaning that they were unintentionally able to see inside of other people’s houses. A Wyze customer support agent confirmed to The Verge that this was indeed happening.

“Went to check on my cameras and they are all gone be replaced with a new one... and this isn’t mine!” wrote one user. “Apologies if this is your house / dog... I don’t want it showing up as much as you don’t want it!”

“I am able to click the events tab and see ALL the events on this random person’s camera INSIDE their house,” wrote another.

“I don’t know why, but I can see someone else’s camera,” wrote another.

Each thread has comments from other...

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Reddit can now translate posts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Reddit can now translate posts into eight different languages when viewing them on Reddit’s iOS or Android apps or on the web while logged out, according to a post from a Reddit admin (employee). To start, posts can be translated into English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, and Swedish.

I tried it out by looking at this post in r/France. It’s in French, but when logged out on the web, I can translate it to English by clicking the “Translate” link at the top left of the post. When logged in on the iOS app, I can see the “Translate” link, too.

Since I don’t speak French, I can’t speak to the quality of Reddit’s translation. (The admin said in a comment that the company is currently using “Google services for...

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The Uber for tasks might just be Uber

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber might be expanding beyond ridesharing and food deliveries. A snippet of code seen by Bloomberg includes a new “Chore” option, which appears to let users hire people through the app for various jobs.

The code suggests that users may be able to hire a worker — reportedly called a “tasker” within the app — for at least one hour, as reported by Bloomberg. In addition to specifying the job they want done, users will also have to state how long it might take and when the worker should show up.

From there, Bloomberg reports that users will have to enter their address, much like on Uber’s food delivery and ridesharing apps. The app will then “determine the cost based on the time required” to complete the job. It’s still not clear what...

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Roblox: all the news about the popular social and gaming platform

Illustration: The Verge

The giant metaverse platform is huge with kids and getting more popular with adults.

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Roblox wants to be a dating app

Screenshot from Roblox’s RDC 2023 keynote video

Roblox really wants to move beyond being an app for kids, and that includes making it a place where adults actually meet and date. As he closed out Friday’s Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) 2023 keynote, CEO David Baszucki predicted that “thousands” of adults will meet and form “real-life relationships” in dating experiences on the platform over the next five years.

It’s a wild idea, but Roblox is now in a place where this prediction could feasibly come true. The company recently added experiences that can only be played by users who have verified that they are 17 or older, meaning that people hanging out in those exclusive experiences can be relatively sure they’re spending time with people who are old enough to be there. Next year,...

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Surprise: Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki has failed to retire a fourth time

Photo by Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in a decade, probably won’t be his last after all. Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka told CBC News that not only does he not feel like retiring anymore, he’s actively coming into work to create yet another film.

“Other people say that [The Boy and the Heron] might be his last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all,” Nishioka told CBC, through a translator, at the Toronto International Film Festival (via Gizmodo).

“He is currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes into his office every day and does that. This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done.”

That seems... pretty definitive?

And really,...

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Apple’s M3 MacBooks might not arrive this year

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

According to a post from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it’s looking more likely that Apple won’t launch its line of M3-powered MacBooks “before the end of this year.”

While there haven’t been any solid rumors about when Apple will launch its first laptops with next-generation chips_, Bloomberg_’s Mark Gurman said last month that Apple could introduce its M3 chip to “entry-level” Macs during an October launch event.

Reports suggest that Apple could put its M3 chip, which is expected to feature a more efficient 3nm process, in a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops, and a Mac Mini. Gurman believes that we could see all of these new products over the course of the next year.

It wouldn’t be that surprising if Apple...

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Donald Mustard, head of Fortnite’s story, is leaving Epic and retiring

Donald Mustard at the 2018 Game Awards. | Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

Donald Mustard ran a successful studio that showed what the Xbox and iPhone were capable of. Then, he became the face of one of the biggest and boldest storytelling experiments in history, to borrow a phrase, with Fortnite’s massive metaverse.

Now, he’s done: Mustard, chief creative officer at Epic Games, says he’s retiring this month.

After an incredible adventure, I will be retiring from my role as Chief Creative Officer at Epic this month.

I have enjoyed nearly 25 years in the game industry collaborating with some of the most talented people ever and I am so proud of what we have made together. From the… pic.twitter.com/HWlNEarU4K

— Donald Mustard (@DonaldMustard) September 8, 2023

“I’m excited to spend time with my wife and...

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The coolest smart home gadgets I saw in Berlin

This Umbra x Nanoleaf collab includes a portable smart light and a color-changing desk caddy lamp. Both are Matter-compatible and use Thread. | Image: Umbra

The dust has settled on IFA 2023, Europe’s biggest tech trade show, held annually in Berlin, Germany. The Verge was on the ground at the show, which ran from September 1st to 5th, covering all the big news and gadget launches. But now that I’m back stateside, I wanted to call out a few more fun gadgets and intriguing pieces of tech I saw on the show floor (or thereabouts).

In case you missed it, I’ve already written about SwitchBot’s cool new twist on a robot vacuum mop that can fill its own water tanks, got some hands-on time with Philips Hue’s pricey but pretty new smart security camera system, and listened to Alexa and Google play nicely in a new smart speaker from JBL. So, in no particular order, here are a few more gadgets from the...

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ChatGPT doesn’t want to write your Stucky fanfic

ChatGPT has limits, and pairing Captain America and the Winter Soldier is one of them... sometimes. | Image: Disney / Marvel

AI-generated fiction has become a subject of perpetual fascination for me. It’s the bane of some writers’ existence, yet it’s increasingly cropping up across both commercial storefronts like Amazon and noncommercial writing sites like Archive of Our Own (AO3). While some creators painstakingly train their own tools, many simply plug prompts into an off-the-shelf commercial chatbot, particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT. And ChatGPT is not a rarefied artist’s tool. It’s a platform, which means every word that goes into and comes out of it is moderated to avoid offense and controversy. That raises a fascinating question: what stories should you be allowed to make an AI system tell?

Apparently, not ones about Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes being...

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FTC judge decides Intuit’s ‘free’ TurboTax ads did mislead consumers

Image: Getty

Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax, is still facing blowback over claims it tricked people into using its “free” tax filing service that wasn’t actually free. In a ruling on Friday, the Federal Trade Commission’s chief administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled that Intuit “deceived consumers” and “engaged in deceptive advertising.”

The ruling includes several pages of commercials and online ads where Intuit advertised its “Free Edition” software. While the name implies that the service is, well, free, people wound up having to pay to use it — sparking a lawsuit from the FTC and a $141 million payout to affected users. Meanwhile, Intuit’s actually no-cost Free File version, which it launched in partnership with the IRS, remained...

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The best deals on 4K TVs

We’ve got deals on all sorts of TVs, ranging from affordable (yet feature-packed) models to high-end OLED and Mini LEDs that will really wow you. | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge

Things are looking bright for those who want to nab a great TV in 2023 at a substantial discount. That’s because, these days, you can usually land a great deal on a mid- or high-end TV from LG, TCL, Hisense, or Amazon’s own Fire TV brand with some regularity — even if the biggest discounts remain reserved for sales events like Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day, or the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

Right now, there are a number of discounted 4K TVs to choose from, spanning a wide variety of prices, size configurations, and feature sets. Whether you want a secondary TV for the bedroom or a high-end OLED that’s built for a cinema-like experience, we’ve picked out the best TV deals across some common categories.

The best 4K TV deals for most...

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Roblox is going to let creators that make assets and tools keep nearly all of their sales

Image: Roblox

Roblox is going to let creators that sell assets and tools for other creators on its marketplace keep all of the revenue from their sales minus taxes and payment processing fees, the company announced at its Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) 2023 on Friday. The change goes into effect starting sometime next year.

This will be a big change — though it will only apply to sales on the Creator Marketplace, which is for creators to sell to creators, and not to sales on the Marketplace (formerly Avatar Shop) where people can sell avatar-related goods.

Right now, creators who sell things on the Creator Marketplace get a 70 percent cut, and they only thing they can current sell on that marketplace are plugins. But starting next year, developers...

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Roblox is finally coming to PlayStation

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Roblox will finally be available on PlayStation soon. At its 2023 Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) on Friday, Roblox announced that its popular social and gaming app is coming to PS4 and PS5 in October.

Roblox, which is free to download, is already out on a bunch of platforms, including PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Xbox, but the lack of support for Sony’s consoles has felt like a notable hole in Roblox’s lineup. There have been some clues that a PlayStation version has been in the works, though: a 2022 job listing indicated that Roblox was hiring for a PlayStation engineer, and CEO David Baszucki hinted on an August earnings call that the company has been looking at bringing the app to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Roblox promises...

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Roblox’s new AI chatbot will help you build virtual worlds

Image: Roblox

Roblox announced a new conversational AI assistant at its 2023 Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) that can help creators more easily make experiences for the popular social app. The new tool, the Roblox Assistant, builds on previously announced features that let creators build virtual assets and write code with the help of generative AI.

With the Roblox Assistant, creators will be able to type in prompts to do things like generate virtual environments. In one demo, somebody types in “I want to make a game set in ancient ruins,” and Roblox drops in some stones, moss-covered columns, and broken architecture. “Make the player spawn by a campfire in the ruins” adds a campfire and a stool. “Add some trees for the player to chop down” adds...

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Roblox is putting its own spin on video chat

Image: Roblox

Roblox is launching its own take on video chat called Roblox Connect, the company announced at its Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) 2023 on Friday. The feature, which is set to launch later this year, lets you chat with other people as your Roblox avatar, and your avatar will be able to mimic your real-life facial movements. The call will also take place in a shared virtual space that you can run around in, like a campsite or a dock.

Roblox is already designed to be a social app where you can use text and voice chat to keep in touch while exploring virtual experiences with your friends, so it’s not too much of a stretch for the company to make a video-focused feature that’s also designed as a place to hang out and talk. It’s also an...

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You’ll soon be able to buy a brand-new Xbox 360

Image: Mega / Target

In the year of our lord 2023, you will be able to purchase a brand-new Xbox 360 — but there’s a catch. You’ll have to assemble it yourself. A full seven years after Microsoft stopped production on what was its bestselling console, block builder company Mega has revealed a 3:4 scale replica of an Xbox 360 that’s available exclusively at Target starting October 8th.

This hits so many levels of nostalgia and we're here for it

The MEGA 3:4 scale Xbox 360 collector set is exclusively available at Target. Pre-order now: https://t.co/Vw4fE3G4z1 pic.twitter.com/0Op9bJuNXR

— Xbox (@Xbox) September 8, 2023

The 1,342-piece set includes the console, naturally; an Xbox 360 controller; and a bricked-up copy of Halo 3.

Image: Mega...

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Framework is finally working on a full-size SD card module

This is not Framework’s module but rather a community design by zero0d. | Image: zero0d

You can hot-swap a DisplayPort, ethernet, even an extra 3.5mm audio jack into your modular Framework laptop — and today, the company is finally beginning work on a full-size SD Expansion Card to go with them.

But seriously, it’s just beginning that work: the company says it’s breaking tradition by “pre-announcing” a module that may never ship. “We’ve set a target for what we want it to be, but as we proceed and learn, there’s a chance it could change or even be canceled,” Framework writes. Don’t worry: it’s not trying to cash in ahead of time; the idea is by doing it this way, Framework can take you behind the scenes.

The full-size SD card is still going strong thanks to photographers and videographers, of course, and in an official...

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Dbrand’s Arachnoplates arguably look better than Sony’s Spider-Man PS5

The Dbrand Arachnoplates, for PS5. | Image: Dbrand

Would you rather have a spider-tastic PS5 designed to promote a very specific game or one that looks like a work of art? Dbrand pitches its new Arachnoplates as a substitute for Sony’s sold-out Spider-Man 2 console covers — but I actually think they look better!

Here are the original Sony plates, as a refresher:

Image: Sony

Now, here’s Dbrand’s Arachnoplates again:

Image: Dbrand

Image: Dbrand

Image: Dbrand

It’s a bit more graphic novel, a bit more obviously Spider-Man vs. Venom, and without any corporate logos in the way. No easter eggs this time, either, says CEO Adam Ijaz — “the product is strictly focused on better execution than anyone else in the...

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Pixel Watch 2 teaser shows off a new crown and sensor layout

Image: Google

Google just released a teaser video of the Pixel Watch 2, and while the smartwatch looks awfully similar to the original, there are some notable differences, such as a new crown, IP68 rating, and a totally different sensor array.

In the run-up to its Made by Google launch event on October 4th in New York, Google’s been “leaking” glimpses of its upcoming Pixel lineup, including Thursday’s closeup of the Pixel 8 Pro and the much smaller Pixel 8. However, our looks at the Pixel Watch 2 have been relatively fleeting. This new video, while short, is the first time we’ve been able to confirm some real differences in terms of design. (Yes, I replayed the video several times and held up my own Pixel Watch as a reference.)

For starters, the...

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The world’s first climate change report card is in

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

The nations of the world have to seriously ramp up their clean energy ambitions because time is running out to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement, a sweeping new United Nations report card says.

It’s the first “Global Stocktake” of the progress nearly 200 countries have made since they adopted the Paris agreement in 2015. By pushing nations to slash their greenhouse gas emissions, the global accord strives to avoid climate change so extreme that life on Earth would struggle to adapt.

The planet has gotten about 1.2 degrees Celsius hotter since the Industrial Revolution, and that’s already been enough to cause more extreme weather, intensify wildfires, and raise sea levels high enough to push coastal communities away from their...

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SpaceX’s next Starship launch is on hold as FAA lists 63 ‘corrective actions’ needed

SpaceX Starship prototype | Image: SpaceX

The first orbital launch attempt for SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy booster in April ended explosively about four minutes into its test flight, and the FAA isn’t ready to clear a follow-up attempt yet. Today, the agency closed its mishap investigation and said the report identified 63 actions that need to be implemented by SpaceX before launches can resume. They include redesigns to prevent leaks and fires, a redesigned launch pad, and other fixes.

A new post from SpaceX discussing “Upgrades ahead of Starships’s second flight test” appeared shortly afterward that didn’t directly reference the 63 actions, but its details on why the first test flight lost control reflect what the FAA says needs to be addressed.

Testing development...

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Procreate’s latest iPad app aims to make animation easier for everyone

Image: Procreate

Digital illustration software company Procreate has announced Procreate Dreams, its new 2D animation app for iPad that aims to provide animation tools that anyone can use, regardless of their animating experience. Procreate Dreams will be globally available to download from the App Store on November 22nd for a one-time purchase of $19.99 — a rare sight in an industry that has widely transitioned to subscription pricing models.

Designed for touch, Procreate Dreams features tools like Performing that enable users to automatically add keyframes to a project using gestures that record the animator’s actions in real time. Procreate claims the tool will “forever change the way creatives animate” by allowing them to instantly respond to their...

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AI Drake song ‘not eligible’ for a Grammy, Academy CEO says

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The organization behind the Grammys wants to make it clear that the AI Drake song “Heart on My Sleeve” won’t qualify for an award. In a video on Instagram, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. says the song is “not eligible for Grammy consideration” (via Deadline).

On Tuesday, the anonymous creator, who goes by Ghostwriter, released another track using the AI-generated vocals of Travis Scott and 21 Savage. That’s when a report from The New York Times also suggested that the creator is shooting for a Grammy, with Mason Jr. telling the outlet that “as far as the creative side, [the Drake song is] absolutely eligible because it was written by a human.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harvey...

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The best ebook reader to buy right now

Image: Will Joel / The Verge

From reading in the bath to scribbling notes in the margins, from diving into the Amazon ecosystem to avoiding it outright, there’s an e-reader for everyone.

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Spotify appears to be planning free audiobook trials for subscribers

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Spotify is planning on rolling out a free audiobook trial for subscribers, The Wall Street Journal reports. The pilot program will feature titles from some of the largest US publishers, and users can expect up to 20 hours of listening — roughly two audiobooks — per month.

Spotify first began offering audiobooks last year after acquiring Findaway, an audiobook platform. The main difference is it’s so far been using a pay-per-download model. However, as the WSJ notes, users had to purchase audiobooks via a web browser in an attempt to circumvent Apple’s 30 percent commission for in-app purchases. The pilot program will instead allow users to download books directly within the app.

The program will purportedly roll out to English-speaking...

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Here are the best Kindle deals right now

Amazon’s latest Paperwhite is on sale with a power adapter and a fabric cover for $174.97. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge

When it comes to finding a device to use to read your ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on Twitter. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality.

Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon looks to be moving...

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The best deals on MacBooks right now

The M2 generation of MacBook Air now comes in two sizes, and both are discounted. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple now sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to last year’s 16-inch MacBook Pro at $2,499 (not counting anything you can spec out to the stratosphere). And while an Apple event on September 12th is likely to usher in an iPhone 15, there are few expectations that the Mac lineup will get any new additions until the fall. But the good news is that finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1 or M2 chip — or a higher-end Pro or Max version — is usually not too difficult.

At this point, we don’t recommend buying any older Intel-based Macs. They’re just completely outclassed by all the newer...

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