Niantic is building a ‘geospatial’ AI model based on Pokémon Go player data

Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge

Niantic has announced that it’s building a new “Large Geospatial Model” (LGM) that combines millions of scans taken from the smartphones of players of Pokémon Go and other Niantic products. This AI model could allow computers and robots to understand and interact with the world in new ways, the company said in a blog post spotted by Garbage Day.

The LGM’s “spatial intelligence” is built on the neural networks developed as part of Niantic’s Visual Positioning System. The blog post explains that “Over the past five years, Niantic has focused on building our Visual Positioning System (VPS), which uses a single image from a phone to determine its position and orientation using a 3D map built from people scanning interesting locations in our...

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This website unearths YouTube’s lost and forgotten iPhone clips

People loved uploading videos from their iPhone Camera Roll directly to YouTube. | Image: The Verge

The “IMG_0001” website features a frame with an old TV static effect and a floating retro Panasonic remote that you can click to start watching random YouTube videos from over a decade ago that were recorded and uploaded from devices such as 2010’s iPhone 4.

Riley Walz, a tech worker who helped stage a fake steakhouse restaurant in Manhattan last year, built the site. He credits this blog by Ben Wallace for the idea and says the iPhone is the reason the project is possible.

As described on the site, there was a novel (at the time) “Send to YouTube” feature on iPhones between 2009 and 2012 that let you upload recordings directly from your iPhone for anyone to see — which often aren’t accompanied by any text descriptions.

i found...

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Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Sony is bringing a big new feature to the PlayStation Portal: cloud streaming. When it first launched, the device was only able to stream games from your PS5 over Wi-Fi. But as part of a new system update that’s rolling out starting later today, you’ll be able to stream select PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog to your PlayStation Portal.

Sony is launching the feature in beta, and you’ll need to be a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber to take advantage of it. Sony says that to stream at 720p, you’ll need a minimum 7 Mbps connection, while 1080p quality will require a minimum 13 Mbps connection.

Image: Sony

Portal Cloud Streaming Beta

Some PlayStation Plus features won’t be available to start with...

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Alexa may get smarter with more APIs rather than more AI

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Following ongoing reports that Amazon’s generative AI makeover of Alexa is not going well, it appears Amazon may take a more practical approach to making its smart assistant more useful. According to Business Insider, Amazon is partnering with several companies to make Alexa better at doing things you might want a digital assistant to do: including calling an Uber, tackling Ticketmaster for events, booking dinner through OpenTable, and handling GrubHub and Instacart for your food delivery.

Now, if this sounds familiar, it's because the likes of Uber, OpenTable, GrubHub and others already had Alexa Skills, but apparently, this is something different. These companies are reportedly being recruited to be part of the new Alexa, which Amazon...

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Microsoft is the mystery AI company licensing HarperCollins books, says Bloomberg

Illustration: The Verge

Just one day after 404 Media revealed that HarperCollins struck a three-year AI training deal with an unnamed company, Bloomberg now says Microsoft will use the publisher’s content to train a not-yet-announced AI model.

HarperCollins said in a statement to 404 Media that its deal will include “select nonfiction backlist titles” and that authors will have to opt into the training program.

One author, Daniel Kibblesmith, posted screenshots a few days ago showing that he was offered $2,500 per book for a three-year AI licensing contract. Asked what would be an offer he’d consider taking, Kibblesmith said in a post on Tuesday, “I’d probably do it for a billion dollars. I’d do it for an amount of money that wouldn’t require me to work...

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Jack Black yearns for the mines in new Minecraft movie trailer

Image: Warner Bros.

A Minecraft Movie has a new trailer giving us a taste at the kind of story moviegoers can expect. The trailer predominately features Jack Black as Steve, the silent protagonist players embody in Minecraft. In the trailer, Black’s Steve is way more chatty, giving us his backstory as a child who quite literally yearns for the mines. As an adult, Steve finds a special blue cube that transports him to the Minecraft world where, “anything you can imagine is possible.”

It should come as no surprise that the movie, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie before it, is an isekai. A group of unsuspecting folks including Danielle Brooks, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen are magically transported to the world to find a blocky paradise...

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Netflix says the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight was ‘the most-streamed sporting event ever’

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024

Despite widespread issues with video quality and buffering, Netflix’s live-streamed Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match brought in an average of 108 million viewers, based on TVision data in the US and first-party data in global markets. With 65 million concurrent streams, Netflix says the fight was the “most-streamed global sporting event ever.”

Of those simultaneous streams, 38 million were from households in the US, and the TVision data says it accounted for 56 percent of TV viewing between midnight and 1AM that day.

Meanwhile, the match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano broke the record for the “most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history,” with 47 million average viewers nationwide, according to Netflix....

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The best smartwatches for Android

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge

Wear OS is much better than it used to be, so there’s never been a better time to consider a smartwatch.

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Aqara’s new DIY-ready smart water shutoff works in more smart homes with Matter

Image: Aqara

Aqara’s Smart Valve Controller T1 is now available, bringing an interoperable Matter-compatible valve controller option to the smart home for the first time. The $69.99 T1 connects to your water shutoff valve so you can operate it remotely or shut it off automatically when a leak is detected.

The Aqara hub lets this T1 integrate with any of the major smart home platforms, unlike some pricier options from companies like Moen, Kohler, and Belkin. Right now, only Samsung and Home Assistant support smart valve controllers like this, but that will change as others expand their Matter device support.

The T1 attaches to the lever or butterfly handle of most household valves. Aqara says it’s “DIY-friendly as it requires no major modifications...

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Android 16 is now available for early testers

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google has given us a glimpse at what’s coming in the next major version of Android. The first preview release for Android 16 is available for developers starting today, which expands the photo library and medical data-sharing capabilities in apps. A change moving Android’s release timeline forward was announced last month, which could help third-party Android phones released in 2025 avoid waiting months to receive the latest major updates.

Android Developer head Matthew McCullough says, “This is the start of Android having more frequent API releases as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices.”

The preview available today allows developers to embed Android’s photo picker — the menu that lets users select...

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Leak: Valve is making a Steam Controller 2 and a ‘Roy’ for its Deckard

The original Steam Controller, and a prototype that preceded it. | Image: Sean Hollister / The Verge

Two years ago, Valve told The Verge it wanted a successor to its cult classic Steam Controller, whose incredibly customizable buttons and touchpads paved the way for the Steam Deck handheld PC. Now, Valve watcher Brad Lynch claims a Steam Controller 2 — codename “Ibex” — is actually getting made.

His sources tell him the Steam Controller 2 is currently being tooled for mass production, and it’s apparently not the only new Valve gamepad on the way!

Codename for Steam Controller 2 is “Ibex”

Separate product from Deckard’s “Roy” controller(s)

Both are being tooled for a mass production goal in their factories right now. That’s why I know they’re in later stages of productization

— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) November 19, 2024

Remember t...

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Google Gemini can remember things now

Illustration: The Verge

Google Gemini can now “remember” certain things about you, such as your interests and personal preferences. The change is rolling out to subscribers with access to Gemini Advanced, and it will allow the AI chatbot to tailor its responses based on your needs, according to Gemini’s most recent release notes.

As noted by Google, you can share your interests, as well as details about your work, hobbies, or aspirations, while chatting with Gemini. You can also enter relevant details about yourself within the bot’s “Saved Info” page, such as telling it to only suggest vegetarian recipes, or that you work as an accountant.

Rolling out starting today, you can ask Gemini Advanced to remember your interests and preferences for more helpful,...

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Minecraft to follow live-action movie with theme parks

Minecraft could soon be coming to a theme park near you. UK theme park company Merlin Entertainments has announced the completion of a $110 million deal with developer Mojang to open Minecraft-themed attractions in the US and the UK. The attractions are planned to open in 2026 and 2027 and will either be new additions to existing parks or a wholly new experience. The game seems well-suited for the theme park treatment with in-game activities like mine cart rides, fighting creepers, taking trips to the The Nether, and more.

Minecraft joins a number of video game franchises and companies making the jump into theme parks and other forms of entertainment. Nintendo opened its theme park Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in 2021....

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Bose acquires premium audio brand McIntosh

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Bose has acquired the high-end audio brand McIntosh — a move that Bose says will “significantly” expand its product lineup. The acquisition, which also includes McIntosh subsidiary Sonus faber, also “opens new opportunities in the automotive sector,” as both companies plan to work together to expand their in-car audio offerings:

By leveraging Bose’s 40-plus years of experience in automotive audio, and McIntosh Group’s legacy of performance and design, the brands will work together to expand their research and continue to engineer authentic in-car experiences that redefine automotive sound.

McIntosh has already designed a sound system for some Jeep models, but Bose’s audio setups are found within a wider range of cars from automakers like...

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Netflix has a perfectly timed Razzlekhan doc coming out in December

Image: Netflix

Netflix is releasing a documentary next month about Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan called Biggest Heist Ever — and the company’s timing couldn’t be better, as Lichtenstein and Morgan, a married couple, were both recently sentenced to prison for laundering stolen Bitcoin that would now be worth more than $11 billion.

Based on a trailer for the documentary, Biggest Heist Ever seems like it could be fascinating and wildly entertaining. “These were some of the more unique people we encountered,” says one person featured in the trailer. “They were the first aspiring rappers that I arrested, that’s for sure.” (That last quote is in reference to Morgan’s rap career under her Razzlekhan persona. The songs are bad.)

L...

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Jaguar is now JaGUar

British automaker Jaguar is changing its branding for “a new era” as it prepares to fulfill its plan to go all-electric for its lineup, with the first new model slated to launch in 2026. The automaker has revealed a new logo that changes the font, spaces out the letters, and uses lowercase letters on everything except for the G and U.

“This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience,” writes Jaguar Land Rover’s chief creative officer Gerry McGovern. While at a press event, McGovern told journalists his team had “not been sniffing the white stuff — this is real,” according to Car Dealer Magazine.

Jaguar is taking the...

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Google is further cracking down on sites publishing ‘parasite SEO’ content

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Google is tightening its rules against “parasite SEO” content, or articles and pages that often have little to do with the site’s focus but that exploit the website’s Google ranking.

An example of parasite SEO content is a news blog that publishes online shopping coupon codes in a hidden part of its website or an educational site publishing unrelated affiliate marketing content. In March, Google announced it would crack down on this kind of “site reputation abuse,” and now it’s making it clear that it doesn’t matter if the publisher created the content themselves or outsourced it — it’s a search policy violation regardless.

“Since launching the policy, we’ve reviewed situations where there might be varying degrees of first-party...

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Brazil leads new international effort against climate lies

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Image

Brazil and the United Nations launched a new international effort to combat disinformation on climate change. They announced the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change during the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It’s a collaboration between governments and international organizations to boost research on misinformation swirling online and around the globe that they fear could slow action on climate change. There isn’t much information available yet, but they say they’ll fund nonprofit efforts to counter that spread of lies.

“Countries cannot tackle this problem individually,” President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a press release.

“Countries cannot tackle this problem...

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Nanoleaf’s bright Skylight ceiling lights are down to their best price yet

Nanoleaf’s smart ceiling lights are exceptionally bright and deliver some cool lighting effects perfect for setting the mood. | Image: Nanoleaf

If you want to brighten up your home as the days get darker, Nanoleaf’s ceiling lights will bring a bit of the sun in. Normally $249.99, right now you can buy the three-pack Nanoleaf Skylight Smarter Kit at an all-time low price of $199.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Nanoleaf.

Nanoleaf designed the full-color LED ceiling lights so they mimic a skylight, and that they do very well. All of the tunable lights radiate 4,200 lumens of brightness, illuminating any home even on the darkest winter day. You can even choose from nature-inspired lighting animations like “shooting stars” and “sun shower,” so it’s as if you’re really peering up right through your ceiling into the sky.

Along with brightening up your house, the lights also...

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Windows 11’s taskbar is getting contacts, files, and calendar ‘companions’

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is creating a new companions experience for the Windows 11 taskbar that will surface important data with just a click. Microsoft 365 Companions will include contacts and people, files, or calendar appointments integrated into the taskbar of Windows 11.

“We will bring Microsoft 365 People, Files, and Calendar to your taskbar so your Graph data is just a click away,” said Windows chief Pavan Davuluri on stage at Microsoft Ignite 2024 today.

Microsoft hasn’t detailed this new Companions experience fully, but it looks very similar to what exists for the Phone Link app on Windows 11. Microsoft introduced a similar companion experience at the side of the Start menu for Phone Link with the Windows 11 24H2 update, allowing you to...

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The Verge’s favorite holiday gifts under $50

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The holidays are expensive, but they don’t have to be. From fitness trackers to smart speakers, here are the best gifts under $50.

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Sony’s new flagship A1 II has trickle-up features from cheaper cameras

Image: Sony

Sony announced its new A1 II pro-focused mirrorless camera during today’s livestream from its Creative Space event in New York City. The camera has various speed and performance improvements over its predecessor, plus a fast new zoom lens to accompany it.

The $6,499 A1 II sports a 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked sensor that’s capable of shooting full-resolution RAW photos at 30 frames per second and up to 8K video at 30p (as well as 4K video at 120p). That’s not very different from the original A1, but the sequel model is adopting the body design of Sony’s A9 III with a slightly taller grip and improved ergonomics, an in-body image stabilizer capable of a claimed 8.5 stops of correction, and a speed boost button and pre-capture...

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A recent Chrome update broke text highlighting on a bunch of sites

Illustration: The Verge

Right now, text highlighting is broken for anyone using recent Chromium-based browsers on some websites. The cause appears to be a change to selection styling that doesn’t play nicely with Tailwind CSS. We’ve noticed it on our site, and so have several people posting about the issue in threads on Github and Chromium.

For affected sites, you may still be able to select, copy, and paste text on websites but there’s no visual indicator that you did so. Or you may not be able to copy and paste text at all or have other unexpected behaviors when you try to select specific text. Tailwind has updated its CSS tools and offered a workaround, but not every site has implemented the fix. That includes The Verge (we’re working on it!), Bloomberg, and...

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Amazon Music Unlimited now includes a free audiobook each month

Image: Amazon

Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now get one free audiobook per month — similar to the freebie Spotify started tossing Premium listeners last year. The perk is available to Music Unlimited subscribers in the US, Canada, and the UK, offering access to Audible’s library of more than 1 million audiobooks.

Amazon says individual subscribers and the primary account holder for family plans “can listen to one audiobook at a time — of any length — per month.” If a user doesn’t finish the audiobook during the month, they can continue listening to the same audiobook the following month, or choose a new title. Subscribers will lose access to the audiobook at the end of their billing cycle if they cancel or pause their Amazon Music...

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Control 2 will be an action RPG

Control. | Image: Remedy Entertainment

We already knew that the supernatural thriller Control was getting a sequel, but now Remedy has provided some more details on the game. Well, one major detail: Control 2 will be an action RPG, seemingly deviating from the action-adventure template set by the original.

The news came during an investors presentation, in which the studio revealed a few other tidbits about the franchise: the original Control has sold over 1.8 million copies, the “ultimate edition” of the game hits Mac on February 12th, and it will also be getting a free update of some kind next year that will unlock “previously released content.”

A large part of the presentation was devoted to Remedy’s ambitious plan to build out an interconnected universe, which will span...

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The best Nintendo Switch controllers to buy right now

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

From the unbeatable Switch Pro and comfy Joy-Con alternatives to a dongle that lets you use your Xbox or PlayStation controllers with your Switch, these are the best Switch controllers you can get.

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If Netflix can’t make live work, can anyone?

Image by: The Verge; Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix

The Paul / Tyson fight on Friday was very popular. Netflix streamed it into more than 60 million households, which is a huge number for any TV event, much less a streaming-only one. Whether the whole thing went well, though, is another matter. The fight itself wasn’t very exciting, and for a large portion of the audience it wouldn’t have mattered if it was — all they could see was laggy, pixelated nothingness. Netflix is clearly bought in to live programming and sports, but is it ready to do it big?

On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Richard Lawler joins the show to talk through the state of sports streaming. We talk about the ups and downs of the Netflix live-streaming experiments so far, what’s at stake for the company’s...

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Samsung finally starts Wear OS 5 rollout for older Galaxy Watches

The update will first come to the Galaxy Watch 6 before arriving on previous Wear OS models. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

There’s good news if you’ve got an older Samsung Galaxy Watch: the company announced today that it’s finally begun rolling out One UI 6 Watch to its older Wear OS smartwatches.

One UI 6 Watch is Samsung’s take on Wear OS 5, and brings with it a host of new features. On the health and fitness front, that includes AI-powered health tips, FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, and Energy Score, a new metric for gauging recovery from exercise and physical stress. (You can read more about how these three features work in our Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Ring, and Ultra reviews.) Meanwhile, the new Workout Routine feature allows you to create a custom workout by combining various activity types. Also included is the Race feature for runners and...

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Nuro expands driverless testing after pivoting to licensing its AV tech

Image: Nuro

In the wake of pivoting its business strategy to include robotaxis and driver assist, Nuro is taking its fully autonomous vehicles to new geographic areas.

The California-based company, which currently operates a small fleet of driverless vehicles in California and Texas, said it would grow its operational design domain and expand the deployment of its zero-occupant, Level 4 vehicles.

In Mountain View and Palo Alto, Nuro says it will see an 83 percent increase in the deployment area, while Houston will see a 70 percent increase. Its vehicles will also take on new, more complex driving environments, such as multi-lane roads at speeds of up to 35mph, driving around emergency vehicles, buses, and construction sites, and driving at night....

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Google Lens will now help you decide what to buy in-store

Image: Google

Google is introducing a new feature to Google Lens that aims to give users more information about products when they’re shopping in physical stores. Starting today for Android and iOS users in the US, using the Google app to snap a picture of an item on store shelves will bring up detailed information about the product, customer reviews, stock and price comparisons for online and nearby retailers, and similar products that are available in the same store.

Google says the feature was developed thanks to “major advancements in our AI image recognition technology,” and requires users to share their location data with the Google app, as it appears to work out which store the user is in based on proximity. Beauty products, toys, and...

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