The EU’s tough new moderation rules are about to cover a lot more of the internet

Image: The Verge

The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a tough new piece of regulation that imposes new rules around content moderation and online advertising, is about to expand to cover huge swathes of the internet. Starting tomorrow, February 17th, the rules will apply to every online platform with users in the EU, in addition to the 19 Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) that have had to comply with the rules since last August.

The expansion means the DSA’s obligations will expand to cover thousands of online platforms. The Associated Press notes that this will include household names like eBay and OnlyFans, which didn’t hit the 45 million monthly active user threshold in the EU for VLOP...

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The studio behind Jedi: Survivor is reportedly making a Mandalorian game

Image: Disney / Lucasfilm

According to a new report from Insider Gaming, Respawn — the EA studio behind Apex Legends and Star Wars games like Jedi: Survivor — is working on a first-person game that will put players in the role of an unspecified Mandalorian bounty hunter. There aren’t a lot of details on the game, which is reportedly still early in development, but the report claims that it will be fast-paced with a big focus on action and that it will not be an open-world experience.

The news fits with previous announcements from the studio; in 2022, Respawn said that it was working on a first-person shooter set in the Star Wars universe but didn’t give any details on what it would be about. The studio’s Jedi series helped kick off an exciting new era for Star...

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The shine comes off the Vision Pro

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

The return window is up for the folks who bought an Apple Vision Pro on day one, and a lot of folks have said they’re returning their $3,500 headset. The reasons why, and what Apple might need to do to fix them, say a lot about the state of headsets. Also saying a lot about the state of headsets? Mark Zuckerberg, who is apparently a gadget reviewer now!

On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss the reaction to the Vision Pro, Zuckerberg’s review, and the differing strategies for making face computers a reality. Then, we talk about some breaking news on the future of Xbox and a lot of new AI launches from Google and OpenAI. Finally, we do a lightning round of other stories in the news before getting totally derailed complaining about...

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Apple unbanned Epic so it can make an iOS games store in the EU

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Epic is one step closer to opening its iOS games store in the European Union. As part of its 2023 year in review, Epic Games announced Apple has reinstated its developer account, which means it will finally be able to let users download Fortnite on iPhones again.

Epic first announced plans to bring its game store and Fortnite to iOS in January, but it wasn’t clear whether Apple would grant it a developer account.

In 2020, Apple pulled Epic’s developer account after the company began using its own in-app payment option in the iOS version of Fortnite, sparking a lengthy legal battle over whether Apple’s behavior was anticompetitive. But even after the trial ended, and neither company emerged a clear winner, Apple still refused to...

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Sony’s noise-canceling WF-1000XM5 are nearly $80 off for Presidents Day

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 offer better noise cancellation and sound than the prior model. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Presidents Day is on Monday, February 19th, and many retailers are already showing their patriotism the best way they can: by discounting big-name appliances and gadgets. Jokes aside, there are actually a ton of good deals available, which we’ve highlighted in our larger roundup of the best Presidents Day deals. eBay’s sale, in particular, is one of the more noteworthy promos. That’s because now through February 19th, eBay is taking an extra 20 percent off select products — including already discounted goods like LG’s brilliant C3 OLED.

However, if you’re not in the market for a new 4K TV, Sony’s WF-1000XM5and WH-1000XM5are also available for some of their best prices to date at eBay (via BuyDig). The XM5 earbuds are down to their...

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Paramount and Comcast are reportedly considering a streaming partnership

Paramount

Both Paramount Plus and Peacock have been working hard to court subscribers in order to further solidify their respective statuses as lasting players in the streaming space, but according to a new report, the platforms’ parent companies could be considering a unique partnership.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Comcast and Paramount have been in recent talks about a potential streaming partnership that could see Paramount Plus and Peacock being offered to subscribers together as a package deal. Along with making access to the two platforms comparatively cheaper than buying separate subscriptions, the partnership would help Comcast and Paramount “produce significant cost savings — from spending on programming to marketing.”

Word of...

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Spike Jonze’s Her holds up a decade later

Illustration by Erik Carter

A decade later, Spike Jonze’s sci-fi love story is still a better depiction of AI than many of its contemporaries.

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A Wyze outage is cutting off people’s access to their security cameras

Image: Wyze

Wyze owners with security cameras, dashcams, and other smart home devices are reporting this morning that they can’t access them and that its apps are returning error messages. Users in the Wyze Discord report the problems began as early as 4AM ET, and reports of the issue popped up widely by 6AM ET according to Down Detector.

In Wyze forum posts about the service outage, users say they’re unable to connect to their security cameras via the app. Cameras appear to be going offline and users can’t control their devices via the app. Others say their apps are crashing or that devices have disappeared from their accounts.

Wyze didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment or details on what’s causing the problem, but an update in its...

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You sound like a bot

Illustration by Erik Carter

AI used to be weird. Now ‘sounds like a bot’ is just shorthand for boring.

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The OnePlus 12R is a $500 phone with flagship tendencies

Time for Samsung and Google to make some room in the midrange.

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How much electricity does AI consume?

Illustration by Erik Carter

It’s not easy to calculate the watts and joules that go into a single Balenciaga pope. But we’re not completely in the dark about the true energy cost of AI.

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Why does Apple make it so hard to share the Vision Pro?

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Shortly before The Verge published its review of the Apple Vision Pro, I put it on to sit for some photos. The review unit had been fitted for our editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, but I’d worn it a few times as a guest and had a surprisingly good experience. That afternoon, though, I foolishly decided to skip the typical guest setup, which involves about a minute of calibration for the Vision Pro’s eye-tracking cameras. I put the thing on, and it didn’t work at all.

The Vision Pro’s cameras, I quickly realized, were expecting somebody else’s eyes. The cursor darted around wildly or refused to move. It wasn’t an unexpected outcome, but it drove home an inconvenient fact: not only would I need to go through the setup again, I’d need to do it...

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Read Phil Spencer’s Microsoft memo on ‘Xbox everywhere’

The Verge

Microsoft announced yesterday that four Xbox-exclusive games are coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch soon, opening up a new strategy for Xbox to be on more screens. Just two hours before Microsoft’s big announcement, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained the company’s new Xbox vision in an internal memo to employees.

It’s the first time Spencer has fully outlined a new strategy “where every screen is an Xbox” to employees, after an internal town hall meeting earlier this month didn’t address multi-platform games directly.

Microsoft didn’t directly mention “Xbox everywhere” or “every screen is an Xbox” during its official Xbox podcast yesterday, but it’s not too dissimilar to what the company has been saying for years about its push...

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Google offers non-Pixel owners a way to avoid waiting on hold with latest test

Google’s description of the feature in Search Labs. | Image: Sterling

Google is testing a new “Talk to a Live Representative” feature that allows the company’s software to call a business on your behalf, navigate through its phone tree, wait on hold, and then notify you when there’s a real human being available for you to speak to. The test, which is available now as a Search Labs experimental feature, was spotted by X user Sterling.

As _9to5Goo_gle notes, the feature sounds a lot like the Pixel’s “Hold for Me,” but with a couple of key advantages. First, it’s available across all phones rather than just the Pixel 3 and newer. And second, “Talk to a Live Representative” offers to actually proactively call a business on your behalf, rather than being something you enable once you’ve already placed a call and...

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Microsoft fixes Edge browser bug that was stealing Chrome tabs and data

Image: The Verge

Microsoft has fixed an issue where its Edge browser was again misbehaving, this time by automatically importing browsing data and tabs from Chrome without consent. I personally experienced the bug last month, after I rebooted my PC for a regular Windows update and Microsoft Edge automatically opened with the Chrome tabs I was working on before the update.

I asked Microsoft repeatedly to explain why this behavior had occurred for myself and many other Windows users, but the company refused to comment. Microsoft has now quietly issued a fix in the latest Microsoft Edge update. Here’s how Microsoft describes the fix:

Edge has a feature that provides an option to import browser data on each launch from other browsers with user consent. This...

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Here are the best iPad deals right now

Select iPad models go on sale quite frequently, but some discounts on aging models are getting harder to find. | Image: Procreate

While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon’s various Prime Days, many of the best iPad deals from the holiday season have persisted into 2024. You can still take advantage of many of those discounts today, particularly on the more affordable iPads. What’s more, prices are likely to drop even further when Apple ushers in a new slate of models, which, according to the latest rumors, could happen as soon as next month.

Forthcoming models aside, it’s difficult to know where exactly you can find the most notable iPad deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help...

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Apple is reportedly working on AI updates to Spotlight and Xcode

Illustration: The Verge

A report from Bloomberg says Apple has expanded internal testing of new generative AI features for its Xcode programming software and plans to release them to third-party developers this year. Apple also reportedly looked at potential uses for generative AI in consumer-facing products, like automatic playlist creation in Apple Music, slideshows in Keynote, or AI chatbot-like search features for Spotlight search.

The search upgrade could let iOS and macOS users make natural language requests, like with ChatGPT, to get weather reports or operate features deep within apps.

While other tech giants have been more prominent in releasing AI research and products, in the past few months, Apple released an open-source machine learning framework...

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New bill would let defendants inspect algorithms used against them in court

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

A pair of Democratic lawmakers are seeking to give defendants more information about algorithms used against them in a criminal trial.

Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Dwight Evans (D-PA) reintroduced theJustice in Forensic Algorithms Act on Thursday, which would allow defendants to access the source code of software used to analyze evidence in their criminal proceedings. It would also require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create testing standards for forensic algorithms, which software used by federal enforcers would need to meet.

The bill would act as a check on unintended outcomes that could be created by using technology to help solve crimes. Academic research has highlighted the ways human bias can be...

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Here are the best Kindle deals right now

The Kindle Scribe is on sale as a part of a bundle.

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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Yep, Apple’s breaking iPhone web apps in the EU

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple is officially axing support for progressive web apps for iPhone users located in the European Union. While web apps have been broken for EU users in every iOS 17.4 beta so far, Apple has now confirmed that this is a feature, not a bug.

In an update to its developer website spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple says it’s removing homescreen apps for users in the EU because bringing them into compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) would involve “an entirely new integration architecture” that’s “not practical” to build on top of the other changes it’s been forced to make. One of these changes requires Apple to let third-party browsers use their own engines on iOS.

In its post, Apple argues that web apps are built “directly on WebKit” —...

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Microsoft is slowly building to a future where ‘every screen is an Xbox’

The Verge

Taken on their own, today’s gaming announcements from Microsoft might not seem all that earth-shattering. A handful of unspecified Xbox games are coming to rival platforms, the subscriber numbers for Game Pass have grown, Diablo IV will lead the rush of Activision Blizzard titles on Game Pass, and more hardware is on the way, including a powerful next-gen console and possibly a handheld. But they all point to a future that Microsoft hasn’t exactly been shy about: making Xbox into more than just a console.

In an internal memo to employees, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained the strategy like this:

We have a different vision for the future of gaming. A future where players have a unified experience across devices. A future where...

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Kids Online Safety Act gains enough supporters to pass the Senate

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Accountable Tech

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has surpassed 60 Senate co-sponsors, enough supporters for it to pass through the chamber, the bill’s authors announced on Thursday.

The support marks a major milestone for the legislation, which seeks to create a duty of care for tech platforms to mitigate certain dangers to young users and allow them to opt out of algorithm-based recommendations. If it becomes law, it would be among the most significant kids’ online safety statutes since the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which went into effect in 2000.

The bill’s lead champions, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), also announced new changes to the text of the legislation, which seem aimed at addressing concerns that...

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Lego’s new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs set comes with a teensy controversy

Image: Lego

Lego has officially revealed its $220 take on Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, coming March 4th, and it looks incredible.

It also looks a lot like a fan design!

This fan design, which twice gathered the required 10,000 votes to become a Lego Ideas set and was rejected by Lego each time:

Image by Hanwasyellowfirst

A 2021 Lego Ideas submission.

I definitely prefer the more thatched, lively look of the Lego’s official playset, though — and Lego has repeatedly recognized that particular fan designer in a different way.

“Hanwasyellowfirst” also created The Mountain Windmill, which went on to earn its creator well over $100,000 in estimated royalties after Lego greenlit it to become a BrickLink Designer...

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You can snag a pair of Sonos’ excellent Era 100 speakers for $90 off right now

The Era 100 is a great starter speaker for anyone new to Sonos. | Image: Sonos

I’ve been reluctant to jump into the Sonos game because I know just how addictive it can be once you’ve crossed over — like Pringles, I know I won’t stop at just one. It’s hard to keep resisting deals like the one we’re seeing at Woot today, though. Now through February 29th (or while supplies last), you can buy a two-pack of Sonos Era 100 speakers with a 90-day warranty for $409.99, which is about $90 off the price if you were to buy two speakers separately.

I’m eying the Era 100s as starters for building out my dream home theater, which I intend to pair with something like the Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub. Each Era 100 features two tweeters and a built-in woofer for drivers, which makes it a powerful speaker on its own. While the allure...

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Microsoft: four Xbox-exclusive games are coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch

The Verge

It’s official: Microsoft is bringing some Xbox-exclusive games to PS5 and Nintendo Switch. It’s part of a broader strategy shift inside Microsoft’s gaming business to grow games beyond just the company’s Xbox consoles.

“We’ve made the decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles,” reveals Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer on the official Xbox podcast. Bizarrely, Microsoft is refusing to name the four titles, but the company says that two are community-driven games and the other two are smaller titles.

Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell me the first two titles will be Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, followed by Sea of Thieves and Grounded. Spencer claims there hasn’t been a change to the company doing Xbox...

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Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service grows to 34 million subscribers

The Verge

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service now has 34 million subscribers. That’s up 36 percent from the 25 million Microsoft previously reported more than two years ago. Microsoft revealed the new 34 million figure in an official Xbox podcast today, as part of an announcement that some Xbox exclusives are coming to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

It’s the first time Microsoft has disclosed fresh Xbox Game Pass subscriber numbers since announcing its Activision Blizzard acquisition in January 2022.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously admitting he had been seeing growth slow on Xbox Game Pass for consoles. “We’re seeing incredible growth on PC ... On console, I’ve seen growth slow down, mainly because at some point you’ve reached everybody...

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Diablo IV is coming to Xbox Game Pass in March

Image: Blizzard

Diablo IV will be the first Activision Blizzard game coming to Xbox Game Pass, launching on the service on March 28th.

Once Microsoft completed its billion-dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard, fans speculated that its games would arrive immediately on the subscription service. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in October of last year, right when the deal closed, that fans would have to wait until 2024 before games like Call of Duty would start showing up on the service. That time is now, but instead of Call of Duty, we’re getting Diablo IV.

Diablo IV was one of last year’s big hits and its seasonal updates — we’re now on Season of the Construct — continues to provide a fresh experience for players. Bringing the game to Game...

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Microsoft’s gaming chief on Xbox games coming to PS5, next-gen hardware, and more

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Microsoft has been gradually moving Xbox away from the idea of a single piece of hardware in recent years, with ambitions to reach billions of gamers across consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Now it’s officially bringing four Xbox-exclusive games to PS5 and Nintendo Switch amid an “Xbox Everywhere” effort inside Microsoft that will likely see even more games arriving on rival consoles.

It’s a seismic strategy shift that the company is downplaying publicly, so I sat down with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer to get some answers and discuss the company’s vision for the future of Xbox.

Launching a few Xbox exclusives on rival consoles feels like the natural next step in Microsoft’s grand plan, but it’s also a risky one: it could undermine...

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Microsoft teases ultrapowerful next-gen Xbox — and maybe a handheld

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Microsoft is teasing the potential for unique Xbox hardware in the future and a powerful next-gen console. Four previously exclusive Xbox games are officially coming to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch soon, and Microsoft wants to reassure Xbox fans that it’s still very much invested in the future of its platform and hardware.

In an official Xbox podcast today, Xbox president Sarah Bond teased that Microsoft will deliver “the largest technical leap” with the next-generation Xbox:

We’ve got more to come. There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. We’re also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen...

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The future of Xbox: all the news on Microsoft’s strategy shift

Image: The Verge

From console exclusives to rumored new hardware.

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