GLAAD report says Meta allows anti-trans hate to ‘flourish’ on its platforms

Image: Vjeran Pavic

GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy group, claims that Meta’s content moderation system is allowing an “epidemic of anti-transgender hate” to flourish on its platform. A new report published by the group says Meta has allowed dozens of anti-trans posts — including ones that call for violence against private individuals — to stay online. The organization says that LGBTQ+ people “experience an increasing number of well-documented real-world harms” due to “propaganda campaigns, driven by the anti-LGBTQ extremists that Meta allows to flourish on its platforms.”

The report documents several examples of anti-trans content posted to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads between June 2023 and March of this year, all of which GLAAD...

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Twitch bans turning butts and boobs into green screens

Though this isn’t quite what Twitch will soon ban, it’s another example from Morgpie of her ability to push Twitch’s guideline boundaries | Image: Twitch / Morgpie

The latest update to Twitch’s community guidelines is oddly specific. According to the update, starting March 29th, “content that focuses on intimate body parts for a prolonged period of time will not be allowed.”

The move is, without a doubt, a targeted response to the new Twitch “meta” wherein streamers project gameplay onto a green-screened part of their bodies, specifically the breasts or buttocks.

I’ve officially seen it all pic.twitter.com/gZ96jSa3hD

— ryan (@scubaryan_) March 16, 2024

The trend was popularized by Morgpie, a creator known for pushing the boundaries of Twitch’s streaming policies. Earlier this month, she streamed herself playing Fortnite with the gameplay projected on her butt. During her stream today, she...

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Qualcomm quietly demos Baldur’s Gate 3 and Control on Snapdragon X Elite laptops

The red Snapdragon X Elite reference design laptop Qualcomm used to show off the games. | Image: Qualcomm

If you read my scoop last week, I bet you’ve been wondering — how well could a Snapdragon chip actually run Windows games? At the 2024 Game Developers Conference, the company claimed Arm could run those titles at close to x86/64 speed, but how fast is fast?

With medium-weight games like Control and Baldur’s Gate 3, it looks like the target might be: 30 frames per second at 1080p screen resolution, medium settings, possibly with AMD’s FSR 1.0 spatial upscaling enabled.

That’s what Qualcomm has apparently been showing influencers, according to numerous videos from YouTubers, TikTokers, and “Snapdragon Insiders,” many of which were uploaded over the past week after they flew down to Qualcomm’s San Diego headquarters for the company’s “...

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Logitech’s original G Pro X Superlight is on sale for nearly 40 percent off

The first-gen Superlight isn’t the latest model, but it remains a standout gaming mouse at $60 off. | Image: Logitech

These days, there are ample options to consider when choosing a gaming mouse — we should know, having put together a detailed guide to some of the best available. That said, not everyone needs the latest and greatest gaming peripherals, which makes the current discount on the slightly older Logitech G Pro X Superlight all the more appealing. Right now, the first-gen mouse is on sale at Best Buy in white for an all-time low of $99.99 ($60 off) and in black at Amazon for $109.95 (about $50 off).

Logitech’s original G Pro X Superlight was designed as a step-down version of Logitech’s popular G Pro Wireless. It’s not the company’s most advanced mouse — that would be the newer Superlight 2 — but the right-handed mouse remains a great option...

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Bill Maher expands podcast operation with a controversial host

Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

This is Hot Pod_,_ The Verge_’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up_ here for more.

Hello! I know many of you are in LA for Podcast Movement Evolutions. I am not, so feel free to reach out with gossip.

Today, New York Magazine publishes a polarizing profile of podcast star Andrew Huberman, Slate takes home the award for Podcast of the Year, and Bill Maher launches a new network.

New York Magazine publishes lengthy feature on Andrew Huberman and his messy personal life

I don’t begrudge you if you haven’t had the time to read New York Magazine’s 8,000-word cover story on Andrew Huberman. While much of the piece focuses on how he juggled multiple affairs as he was in a long-term relationship (spoiler: all the women...

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Here’s our first look at Apple’s in-the-box iPhone updating machine

Updating the OS on your brand-new iPhone could soon be a thing of the past. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Apple’s been working on a machine that would let its retail stores update still-in-the-box iPhones — at least, we’ve heard as much. Now, thanks to French tech publication iGeneration, it seems we have our first look at the system. The report includes a photo of two of the machines, called Presto, in use. And honestly, they look cool as hell.

When you buy a new iPhone, there’s usually a software update waiting to be installed as part of the setup process — anything that was released between the time the phone left the factory and got into your hands. In the case of the iPhone 15, that update was critical if you wanted to transfer data from an old device. But spending 20 minutes downloading an update before you can play with your new phone...

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The principles of wearable etiquette

Gadgets aren’t the problem, but how you use them might be. | Illustration by Christina Lee for The Verge

First adopters are ambassadors for the future. Glassholes need not apply.

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Updates to Google Maps and Search make it easier to plan your next outing

New Google features will provide suggestions for places to visit or even roughly plan your entire vacation. | Image: Google

Google is introducing a handful of updates that aim to take some of the stress out of planning trips and outings, from new translation features and AI-powered trip itineraries in Search to curated recommendations in Maps.

Starting this week in over 40 cities across the US and Canada, Google Maps will now show users curated lists of recommendations for places to eat and visit. These recommendations from sources like Lonely Planet, The New York Times, and OpenTable include a weekly updated “Trending” list of places that have seen a recent spike in popularity, a “Top” list of historically popular locations, and a “Gems” list of places that are, well, hidden gems worth visiting.

Image: Google

If you’re stuck for ideas...

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Google adds more AI in shopping

Illustration: The Verge

Google is adding more AI into its search in the hopes that it will help shoppers find the items they want — even if it’s something they’ve generated with AI.

Shoppers on Google’s app and on mobile will be able to refine their search with generative AI tools to help people find exactly what kind of jacket they’re looking for. The newest feature, called Style Recommendations, lets users rate items in their searches so it learns the searcher’s style and what they like. It’s kind of like Tinder but with shirts.

After they’ve found clothes they like, shoppers can specify the brands they like, which will instantly bring up more apparel from those selections.

Image: Google

Google’s new AI-powered shopping feature lets...

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The Polestar 4 is also getting a price cut ahead of its debut

Image: Polestar

The Polestar 4 is going on sale next month, and when it does, the price will be slightly different than the electric crossover coupe was originally announced.

Last year, Polestar said the 4 would start at around $60,000. Today, the Swedish (by way of China) automaker is knocking that starting price down to $56,300 (including a $1,400) destination charge) for the long-range single-motor rear-wheel drive version. Meanwhile, a dual-motor Polestar 4 with standard Pilot pack will start at $63,400 (also including the destination charge).

The Polestar 4 will go into production starting late April, with the first customer deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of the year.

This follows the news that Polestar also slashed the price of its...

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The SEC can sue Coinbase for offering unregistered securities, judge rules

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The question of who gets to regulate crypto has some answers, as a judge has ruled the Securities and Exchange Commission’s securities lawsuit against Coinbase can continue. US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that under federal securities laws, “the SEC has sufficiently pleaded that Coinbase operates as an exchange, as a broker, and as a clearing agency under the federal securities laws, and, through its Staking Program, engages in the unregistered offer and sale of securities.”

Despite arguments from some in the crypto community that existing laws are inadequate, the judge rejected those claims directly, writing, “The ‘crypto’ nomenclature may be of recent vintage, but the challenged transactions fall comfortably within the...

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Marvel Rivals is a mix of Overwatch and superhero battles

Image: NetEase / Marvel Games

Marvel’s on a roll with its new game announcements. After teasers and rumors, Marvel Games revealed Marvel Rivals, a 6 v 6 hero shooter that blends the best of Marvel action games like Ultimate Alliance with the tactical multiplayer elements of Overwatch and Valorant.

In Marvel Rivals, players will assemble Avengers, X-Men, Guardians, and a motley crew of heroes and villains throughout the Marvel multiverse. At launch, the roster will be 16 characters including Black Panther, Storm, and Magneto, with developer NetEase promising new heroes with each seasonal update. You can check out the full roster of characters here.

The game is in development for PC, will be free to play, and features destructible environments players can use to alter...

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Dune: Awakening is going to turn me into a blood drinking, spice addicted survivalist

Image: Funcom

A survival game based in the world of Dune makes an awful lot of sense. Both the books and movies spend a lot of time explaining the mechanics of surviving on the harsh desert world of Arrakis, which made me pretty curious to learn more about Dune: Awakening during a recent hands-off gameplay preview from developer Funcom. The MMO does a lot of the standard survival stuff, as you craft gear, harvest resources, and explore dungeons. But what makes it interesting are the parts that are Dune-specific. That means forcing players to think a lot about water, heat, spice, and — of course — sandworms.

The game puts you in the role of a prisoner aboard a transport ship that crashes onto the surface of Arrakis. Funcom is keeping the story largely...

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Google’s Pixel 9 will reportedly come in three sizes this fall

Image: OnLeaks / 91Mobiles

Google plans to shake up its smartphone strategy in 2024 by releasing three different models of the upcoming Pixel 9. That’s according to 91mobiles, with the site now claiming that the renders published earlier this year (created by OnLeaks) were in fact of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro “XL” — and not the regular Pixel 9, which it’s sharing for the first time in new images today.

Google used the XL branding for its bigger Pixels until around 2019, but it went away with the one-size Pixel 5 and stayed gone when the company pivoted to the “Pro” name starting in 2021. Now it sounds like Google will follow more of an iPhone strategy and split the Pro tier into two different sizes, and resurrecting the XL moniker makes sense in that case.

T...

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Affinity users won’t be forced into paying subscriptions following Canva acquisition

Affinity says subscriptions “will only ever be as an option alongside the perpetual model, for those who prefer it.” | Illustration: The Verge

After Canva’s acquisition of Affinity design software sparked concern regarding the future of its one-time purchase pricing model, both companies are now promising that users won’t be forced into subscribing to the service — ever.

On Wednesday, Canva and Affinity published a joint pledge promising to keep Affinity software “fair, transparent, and affordable,” including “the perpetual licenses that have made Affinity special.”

Affinity’s design software suite is considered to be one of the few viable alternatives to Adobe’s subscription-based Creative Cloud software like Photoshop and Illustrator. When the Canva acquisition was announced on Tuesday, Affinity users locked in on some vague FAQ wording that said the Affinity pricing model...

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Can Bitcoin mining really support renewable energy?

A view of a Bitcoin mine in Ekibastus, Kazakhstan on January 03, 2023. | Photo by Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A new study finds that Bitcoin mining paired with green hydrogen could help speed up a transition to clean energy — an eyebrow-raising claim, considering strong evidence that the cryptocurrency is a big polluter.

To avoid any misconceptions, The Verge spoke with researchers to understand the very narrow scenarios in which this concept might work, and possible pitfalls given the complicated reality of Bitcoin mining.

The study, published in the journal PNAS, calls Bitcoin and green hydrogen fuel a “dynamic duo” no less than seven times. It envisions an ideal scenario in which the profits of Bitcoin mining are used to invest in clean hydrogen production and renewable energy.

“It all depends on who uses [Bitcoin] — just the same as a...

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Anxiety is a monster in Sony’s new Spider-Verse short film

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseand its sequel both touched on how difficult it tends to be for superheroes to juggle all of their various responsibilities. But Sony’s new short film, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story, from director Jarelle Dampier and writer Khaila Amazan digs a bit deeper into Miles Morales’ head to emphasize why it’s important for people to share their feelings — especially when those feelings keep you in a constant state of fight or flight.

Rather than any specific supervillain, The Spider Within pits Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) against an embodiment of all the anxieties he’s been dealing with while staying on top of his grades, secretly working as a superhero, and hiding his double life from his father...

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No Man’s Sky is finally getting a ship editor in latest update

Image: Hello Games

No Man’s Sky just keeps on expanding. Hello Games is releasing the game’s 27th update today, dubbed “Orbital,” and it adds some major features including improved space stations and a tool for customizing ships.

The studio says that the stations are now much larger and more impressive from the outside and that the insides are now “vast, procedurally generated, and incredibly diverse.” Most notably, they now feature ship editors where players can customize their personal spacecraft.

“We haven’t introduced customisation previously, because so many players love exploring to find the perfect ship already out there to purchase,” Hello explains. “In keeping with exploration, to customise their ship, Travellers gather and trade parts for their...

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Disney Plus officially unveils its very green new logo

Same Disney Plus, new logo. | Image: Disney

Disney has been hinting at some big changes in the Disney Plus branding. In recent days, lots of users checked their TV, tablet, or phone to find the streaming app had a new logo — the iconic Disney blue replaced by a glowing green background. The new logo has been controversial: some people see it as a needless simplification of a familiar design; some people appreciate that it doesn’t look like every other streaming service; some people find themselves wondering if the color really changed or if they’ve just been looking at their TV wrong all this time.

Well, it did change. Permanently. That new green color is called “Aurora,” both in tribute to the aurora borealis and the protagonist of Sleeping Beauty. (I don’t remember much of this...

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The Disney Plus-Hulu merger is way more than a streaming bundle

It’s Hulu. In Disney Plus. | Image: Disney

As of today, Hulu is part of Disney Plus. Hulu still exists — it still even has its own app — but it’s also being bundled into Disney’s primary streaming service alongside all the company’s other content. Even the Disney Plus logo changed to integrate that iconic green Hulu hue.

From a product perspective, the Hulu integration is roughly what you’d imagine. Hulu is now a tile inside the app, next to Marvel and Pixar and National Geographic and the rest. The price hasn’t changed; it’s still US-only, and the app’s not going away. Hulu shows and movies will also show up in search results and recommendations; if you’re subscribed to Hulu, you’ll get everything seamlessly, and if you’re not, the app will try to convince you to sign up....

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Cheryl Hines’ husband chooses Sergey Brin’s ex-wife as running mate

Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Independent presidential candidate and notable anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tapped Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer, as his running mate. Shanahan previously contributed $4 million to Kennedy’s super PAC, helping to bankroll a 30-second campaign ad during this year’s Super Bowl.

Shanahan, who was formerly married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, has donated heavily to Democratic candidates in the past. In the campaign announcement speech, Kennedy called his running mate “exactly the right person,” as someone who “shared my passion for wholesome healthy foods, chemical-free for regenerative agriculture, for good soils.” He called her a “technologist at the forefront of AI” who uses “neural nets” to...

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Mattel’s Lego-like Xbox 360 building set just received its first discount

Along with the Xbox 360 console, you can also build a controller and a “copy” of Halo 3_._ | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

It wasn’t easy to grab ahold of the Mega Xbox 360 building set when it was first launched in September, but not only is it now in stock, it’s also on sale. Right now, you can buy the adorable collector set at Target for $99.99 ($50 off) — an all-time low and its first discount to date.

The Target-exclusive set comes with 1,342 Mega Bloks you can use to build a replica of Microsoft’s 2005 console, a “copy” of Halo 3, and even a physical achievement notification. These blocks are like Mattel’s versions of Legos, which are pretty slick, even if not comparable in build quality. You can also use them to build a stellar little replica of the Xbox 360 controller, which comes with soft, movable joysticks, a light-up guide button, and plenty of...

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Microsoft’s new era of AI PCs will need a Copilot key, says Intel

Image: Microsoft

Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and AMD have all been pushing the idea of an “AI PC” for months now as we head toward more AI-powered features in Windows. While we’re still waiting to hear the finer details from Microsoft on its big plans for AI in Windows, Intel has started sharing Microsoft’s requirements for OEMs to build an AI PC — and one of the main ones is that an AI PC must have Microsoft’s Copilot key.

Microsoft wants its OEM partners to provide a combination of hardware and software for its idea of an AI PC. That includes a system that comes with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), the latest CPUs and GPUs, and access to Copilot. It will also need to have the new Copilot key that Microsoft announced earlier this year.

...

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Airtable brings AI summarization to paying users

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

Productivity platform Airtable is bringing generative AI summaries, categorization, and translation to all of its users with the general availability of Airtable AI.

Companies like Microsoft and Google have integrated AI features into their productivity offerings. But a recent survey from Slack, which also has AI features now available, found that most office workers use generative AI mainly for summarization and writing help. The new features would make Airtable the latest platform to see generative AI’s potential as a productivity tool that can generate content based on information companies have on their workspaces.

Airtable, already a repository of workflow data for its users, makes a good case study for AI as a productivity...

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Ford’s Europe-only Explorer EV gets an estimated 375 miles of range

The all-electric SUV set a new record as the first globe-trotting EV. | Image: Ford

Ford neglected to share the maximum range of its newest all-electric Explorer when it announced the Europe-only EV last year. We’ve gotten those details today, however, in an announcement Ford made detailing specs and availability. It came alongside word that it’s set a new world record with renowned traveler Lexie Alford as the first to circumnavigate the globe with an electric vehicle.

The Explorer EV’s 375-mile range (602km) is above average for the American automaker and impressive for an SUV in general, even if it’s calculated using the EU’s more forgiving WLTP formula for testing and calculating total range. For comparison’s sake, the company’s all-electric F-150 Lightning tops out around 265 miles under the same testing standard.

...

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Audible and Amazon MGM partner to develop more TV series based on podcasts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Audible will co-develop and co-produce TV shows adapted from original podcasts and audiobooks with Amazon MGM Studios that it can pitch to Prime Video and MGM Plus, as well as buyers outside of Amazon. The news was first reported by Variety.

Adapting recognizable podcast IP with a built-in audience is usually a safe bet for Hollywood. Chris Morrow, the head of audio at the production company Plan B, which signed a multi-project development with Audible last year, noted to The Verge that the goal was to use audio to “help launch IP, and then ultimately find new life for it as scripted features or scripted documentaries.”

A number of originals from both of Amazon Music’s podcast properties, Audible and Wondery, have turned into TV shows...

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Peacock’s next exclusive NFL stream is in September

Photo by Perry Knotts / Getty Images

The NFL will hold its first regular-season game in São Paulo, Brazil, later this year — but you’ll need a Peacock subscription to tune in. Peacock will exclusively air the game on Friday, September 6th, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and a not-yet-named opponent.

This marks the third football game to stream only on Peacock, as the streaming service previously aired an NFL playoff match last January. It also aired an AFC Wild Card game last year that it says was the “most-streamed event ever in the US.”

Peacock has other big games lined up, too, but it will stream them alongside NBC. There’s the NFL kickoff game on September 5th, a Big Ten Saturday Night game on September 7th, and the season’s first NFL Sunday Night Football game on...

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The ad-free Kindle Kids is on sale for the first time since Black Friday

Amazon’s latest Kindle Kids comes with perks the standard version lacks, including a protective case and an extended two-year warranty. | Image: Kindle Kids

For some reason, Kindle deals have been hard to come by in the past few months, but now the tide appears to be turning. We recently highlighted several Kindle Scribe deals, but if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, the 2022 Kindle Kids is also on sale. For the first time since Black Friday, the kid-friendly version of my favorite budget e-reader is on sale for $99.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. While $20 shy of the all-time low we last saw in October, it’s still one of its better prices to date.

Although the Kindle Kids is a kid-friendly e-reader, it works just as well for parents or adults without children. That’s because it’s identical to the standard ad-free Kindle in that it offers the same crisp 300ppi...

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Xbox Cloud Gaming now has mouse and keyboard support in select games

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is starting to preview mouse and keyboard support for Xbox Cloud Gaming today. Xbox Insiders will be able to start playing with their mouse and keyboard in Edge, Chrome, or the Xbox app on Windows PCs, nearly two years after Microsoft announced it was preparing to add mouse and keyboard support to its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service.

Not every game will be supported during the preview, but there’s a large selection, including Fortnite, Sea of Thieves, and Halo Infinite. Microsoft warns that some games will display controller UI elements briefly before adapting to mouse and keyboard input after you start interacting with the game.

If you’re interested in trying games with mouse and keyboard in the browser version of Xbox...

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Apple’s WWDC 2024 is set for June 10th

Image: Apple

Apple will be playing AI catch-up at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which starts with the keynote on June 10th and runs through June 14th. The company typically focuses on its planned fall software updates and announces some new hardware, and this year shouldn’t be any different. But, going into this year, there’s a lot of mystery around what the company has to say about its approach to generative artificial intelligence.

Apple has reportedly been spending millions a day to train its own models and rumor has it that it’s also been courting news outlets for training content partnerships. But other recent reports have suggested that it may cut a deal with Google, OpenAI, or Anthropic (or Baidu in China) to supply...

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