Google rejects EU fact checking commitments for Search and YouTube

Illustration: The Verge

Google has notified the European Union that it won’t integrate work from fact-checking organizations into Search or YouTube, ahead of the bloc’s plans to expand disinformation laws. Google had previously signed a set of voluntary commitments that the EU introduced in 2022 to reduce the impact of online disinformation, which are in the process of being formalized into law under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The pushback comes as the emboldened leaders of US tech companies, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have been courting President-elect Donald Trump, with Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg urging him directly to combat EU regulatory enforcement.

In a letter written to the European Commission’s content and technology czar Renate Nikolay seen by Axios, Google’s global affairs president Kent Walker affirmed that Google won’t commit to the fact-checking requirement as it “simply isn’t appropriate or effective for our services.” Google will also “pull out of all fact-checking commitments in the Code” before the rules become law in the DSA Code of Conduct, according to Walker.

Currently, the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation commits signatories to work with fact-checkers in all EU countries, make their work available to users in all EU languages, and cut financial incentives for spreading disinformation on their platforms. The code also compels companies to make it easier for users to recognize, understand, and flag disinformation, alongside labeling political ads and analyzing fake accounts, bots, and malicious deep fakes that spread disinformation.

Fact-checking isn’t currently included as part of Google’s content moderation practices. The company objected to some of the code’s requirements in its agreement, saying that “Search and YouTube will endeavour to reach agreements with fact checking organizations in line with this measure, but services will not have complete control over this process.”

40 online platforms have signed the code, including Microsoft, TikTok, Twitch, and Meta — despite the latter scrapping its fact-checking program in the US earlier this month. Twitter (now X) was also a signatory but pulled out after Elon Musk purchased the platform. According to the European Fact-Checking Standards Network, many of the other digital platforms that signed the voluntary disinformation code have been lax about fulfilling their commitments.

It’s unclear whether all of the code’s requirements will be formalized into official rules under the DSA — EU lawmakers have been in discussions with signatories regarding which commitments they will agree to follow. The Commission has yet to announce when the code will officially become law, having said in November that it’s expected to come into force by January 2025 “at the earliest.”

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Sony cancels an unannounced live service God of War game

God of War

Just a couple of years ago, Sony had a dozen new live service games in development, but that number keeps dropping. It was already down to six by the end of 2023, before the well-received launch of Helldivers IIand the disaster that was Concord in 2024. Now, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has confirmed with Sony that two unannounced live service projects have been canceled.

One was from Syphon Filter and Days Gone developer Bend Games, while Schreier reports the other shuttered title was a live-service God of War game that Bluepoint Games “has been working on for the last couple of years.”

Bluepoint Games is one of several developers Sony acquired in recent years as it was building up a queue of live service projects, with many ports and remasters under its belt, including Demon’s Souls, the first three Uncharted games, Shadow of the Colossus, and others. Now, Schreier says the studios won’t close, but there’s no word yet on what their next projects will be.

The live service approach to gaming once seemed wide open following the success of Fortnite and other titles, but games like Concord, Anthem, and Redfall have shown how difficult it can be. At Sony alone, the list of canceled service titles Bloomberg has already reported on included the Spider-Man game revealed by the Insomniac ransomware breach, Twisted Metal, and a Destiny-linked game from Bungie called Payback.

However, we’re still expecting to hear more about Bungie’s revived Marathonextraction shooter and Fairgames, a PvP heist title from Haven Studios.

PlayStation did not say whether the cancellations will lead to layoffs but did say the studios will not close. A spokesperson for PlayStation tells Bloomberg the company is working with Bend and Bluepoint to determine their next projects

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-01-16T23:13:09.439Z

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The best Garmin watches for training and everyday life

Garmins aren’t just multisport behemoths anymore. | Illustration by Will Joel / The Verge

Garmin may be best known for its hardcore fitness watches, but it’s got an extensive line of lifestyle offerings, too.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Trading is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket later this month (with some caveats)

The Pokémon Company

It’s coming a little later than we initially thought, but The Pokémon Company (TCPi) has finally announced when Pokémon TCG Pocket’s long-awaited trading functionality is rolling out.

Today, TCPi revealed that, along with Pokémon TCG Pocket’s next set of cards, the game’s trading feature is set to launch later this month. TCPi didn’t specify an exact date in its statement about the update, but it did explain that trading will involve some restrictions and costs. In order to swap cards, people will first have to be friends with one another in the game.

In order to swap cards, people will first have to be friends with one another in the game. Trades can only occur if players are offering up cards with the same rarity, meaning that you won’t be able to trade powerful EX cards for more common ones that are easier to pull. Additionally, TCPi trading is limited to cards that have rarities of 1-4 diamonds or a single star full-art cards, and TCPi noted that “items must be consumed in order to trade.”

It’s not clear which particular items players will need for trades, but it feels likely that the process will involve spending Poké gold, one of Pocket’s multiple in-game currencies that can be purchased in exchange for real money. The item requirement sounds like logical (but not exactly welcome) way for Pocket to generate even more revenue given how easy it is to accumulate certain duplicates from every set.

In a follow-up post to X, Pocket’s official account stated that it was hearing people’s immediate concerns about how this is all going to work in practice, and encouraged everyone to provide more feedback once the feature is out.

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Sony’s black PlayStation 5 accessories are now available for preorder

Image: Sony

Sony announced a collection of black PlayStation 5 accessories in the midst of CES last week, and you can now preorder them ahead of their release date on February 20th. The new DualSense Edge controller ($199.99), Pulse Elite headset ($149.99), Pulse Explore wireless earbuds ($199.99), and PlayStation Portal ($199.99) are all available for preorder from Sony, Amazon, and a string of other retailers starting today.

Sony’s new PS5 accessories are just as sleek as the black DualSense controller Sony released in 2021. The PS Portal now sports black buttons like the DualSense Edge, while retaining the slick black accents found on the white model. The Pulse Explore earbuds, meanwhile, now come with a jet-black charging case, while the Pulse Elite headset comes with a black charging hanger and a felt carrying case.

Despite the new look, none of the accessories introduce new features. The black PS Portal is the same handheld remote player we reviewed in 2023, with the same lengthy battery life and limitations as the white model (except it now supports cloud streaming). The new Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite support Sony’s low latency lossless wireless audio codec and are compatible with the PS5, PS Portal, Windows PCs, and macOS. As for the black DualSense Edge, the wireless gamepad continues to offer deep customization and great software integration with the PS5.

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GM banned from selling your driving data for five years

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar are banned from selling customer geolocation and driving behavior data for five years, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday.

The settlement comes after a New York Times investigation found that GM had been collecting micro-details about its customers’ driving habits, including acceleration, braking, and trip length — and then selling it to insurance companies and third-party data brokers like LexisNexis and Verisk. Clueless vehicle owners were then left wondering why their insurance premiums were going up.

For example, one consumer told a GM customer service representative that “[w]hen I signed up for this, it was so OnStar could track me. They said nothing about reporting it to a third party. Nothing. […] You guys are affecting our bottom line. I pay you, now you’re making me pay more to my insurance company.”

“I pay you, now you’re making me pay more to my insurance company.”

FTC accused GM of using a “misleading enrollment process” to get vehicle owners to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and Smart Driver feature. The automaker failed to disclose to customers that it was collecting their data, nor did GM seek out their consent to sell it to third parties. After the Times exposed the practice, GM said it was discontinuing its OnStar Smart Driver program.

“GM monitored and sold people’s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans’ privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.”

The settlement also requires GM to obtain consent from customers before collecting their driving behavior data, and allow them to request and delete their data if they choose.

GM said in an unsigned statement that it was committed to customer privacy.

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Biden punts the TikTok ban to Trump

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

The Biden administration says it will leave it to incoming President Donald Trump to figure out how to deal with the mess of the TikTok ban, ABC News reports.

“Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership,” a White House official told ABC News. “Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement.”

But don’t get too excited just yet. Even though Trump has offered vague promises to save TikTok, there’s still not much he can do to eliminate the huge monetary risk companies like Apple and Google could face so long as the law is on the books. And for that matter, the same goes for Biden — unless he formally extends the timeline for a sale of TikTok by Chinese owner ByteDance by up to 90 days before the ban take effect.

The White House statement to ABC does not appear to suggest that Biden plans to take that route, and the Biden administration did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for clarification. But technically, to grant an extension, Biden would need to see progress toward a sale. So far, according to multiple reports, ByteDance has been focused on fighting the law, rather than exploring potential buyers. Even so, a handful of Democratic lawmakers led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) — who is trying to get Congress to extend the deadline — pleaded in a letter to Biden to use the 90 day extension.

While TikTok itself is not mandated by the law to shut down, it may still choose to go dark as it’s reportedly planned if it fears its US service providers including Oracle might choose not to risk helping it operate or update. TikTok, Oracle, Apple, and Google have not yet said publicly how they plan to handle Sunday’s deadline. We also still haven’t heard from the Supreme Court — which seemed poised to uphold the law and just said on Thursdaythat it “may announce opinions” at 10AM ET on Friday — but since it’s so far declined to pause it, the ban will at least technically take effect on Sunday, whether or not anyone else chooses to do something about it.

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SpaceX is about to attempt its seventh Starship rocket launch

Image: SpaceX

SpaceX’s next big launch is here. On Thursday at 5:37PM ET, Elon Musk’s space company will attempt to launch Starship for its 7th test flight from Boca Chica, Texas. You can watch the livestream from X or SpaceX’s website.

At 403 feet tall, Starship is the biggest launch vehicle ever. It’s made up of two parts: the Starship spacecraft, which is designed to carry crew and cargo into orbit, and the Super Heavy Booster, which comes with 33 SpaceX Raptor engines that help propel Starship into space. Both the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster are reusable.

Last year, SpaceX’s launch tower successfully caught its Super Heavy following launch. The company will once again attempt to catch the booster with the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms.

During its seventh test flight, Starship will attempt to deploy 10 Starlink “simulators” for the first time. These mock satellites are the same size and weight as Starlink’s actual internet satellites, but they won’t stay in space. Instead, they’ll follow the “same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to demise upon entry.”

Starship also features “major improvements to reliability and performance” this time around, making the vehicle slightly taller, according to SpaceX. Along with a redesigned propulsion system and an improved flight computer, Starship will debut a new heat shield with “latest generation tiles” and a “backup layer to protect from missing or damaged tiles.”

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Here are the best iPad deals right now

Apple’s latest iPad Mini is currently on sale for an all-time low of $399. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad Air are also starting to see substantial price reductions, and you can even save a bit on Apple’s new iPad Mini.

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 you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, from the cheapo ninth-gen iPad of 2021 to the latest models equipped with Apple’s powerful M2 and M4 chips.

The best iPad (2021) deals

Announced alongside the iPhone 13 way back in 2021, the ninth-gen iPad is Apple’s aging entry-level tablet, one that’s still great at carrying out everyday tasks despite having been discontinued. The ninth-gen model originally started at $329 with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage, which arguably makes the newer 10th-gen model the better deal if you don’t need a home button or a headphone jack, as it now starts at $349 and is often on sale for even less.

The last-gen iPad has been receiving a steep discount for quite a while, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find in most configurations. In fact, we’d recommend you buy the base 10th-gen iPad instead, which is only $10 more than the lowest price we’re currently seeing for the 2021 iPad. That said, Amazon and Best Buy are selling the step-up 256GB variant for $399.99 ($80 off). That’s not the best deal we’ve seen, considering it’s been as low as $280 before, but that’s still a bit cheaper than the comparable 2022 model.

A last-gen model is still worth considering

The last-gen iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed to keep you framed up and centered while on video calls. The tablet also carries over a number of features from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a smart connector for connecting a smart keyboard.

The best iPad (2022) deals

Although the newer 10th-gen iPad came out in late 2022, it’s still an excellent tablet — one we consider to be the best value for most people (once Apple dropped its price). The latest iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it eliminates the 3.5mm headphone jack.

In the past, you could often buy Apple’s latest entry-level iPad for $349 ($100 off its initial launch price) — which is now the MSRP. Right now, however, the base model with 64GB of storage is on sale at Amazon and Walmart in select colors for $299 ($50 off), which is $50 more than its all-time low. Amazon and B&H Photo are selling the 256GB model with Wi-Fi for $469 ($30 off), which is about $60 more than its best price to date.

The best iPad Mini (2024) deals

The new seventh-gen iPad Mini is similar to the outgoing model but comes with faster Wi-Fi and USB-C speeds, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and a newer A17 Pro processor with 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, it boasts nearly identical specs and features as the last-gen model, meaning it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a USB-C port, and options for 5G. It may not be worth upgrading if you already own a sixth-gen Mini, but newcomers to the category should appreciate the upgrades.

The 2024 iPad Mini starts at $499 with 128GB of storage, which was the price for the previous generation’s 64GB model. Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $599, and the cellular models start at $649. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want an Apple tablet in the smallest possible form factor, this is where the action is.

Right now, you can get the 128GB base model with Wi-Fi at Amazon and Best Buy for $399 ($100 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen. You can also get the 256GB variant at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $499 ($100 off), which is its best price to date.

The best iPad Air (2024) deals

The 2024 iPad Air doesn’t feature any groundbreaking changes compared to the 2022 release, but notably, there is now a 13-inch configuration in addition to a base 11-inch model. Apple also added Wi-Fi 6E radios and upgraded the chipset to M2, which enables the hover feature when using Apple’s latest styluses. You can use the newer iPad Air with the Apple Pencil Pro and both previous-gen Magic Keyboards, too. The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599, while the comparable 13-inch model starts at $799.

Deals for the 2024 iPad Air started to appear before the latest model even hit store shelves. Right now, you can pick up the 11-inch base model with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi at Amazon and B&H Photo for $549 ($50 off), which is $50 more than its all-time low. As for the 13-inch iPad Air with 128GB of storage, Amazon and B&H Photo are selling it in select colors starting at $729 ($70 off), which is $30 more than its best price to date.

The best iPad Pro (2024) deals

Compared to the latest iPad Air, the 2024 iPad Pro is a far more impressive upgrade. The 11- and 13-inch models start at $999 and $1,299, respectively, and they are the first Apple devices to feature the company’s latest M4 chip, which brings moderate performance gains and dedicated hardware for on-device Apple Intelligence processing. The new Pro models can claim other firsts, too, such as being the first iPad models with OLED displays and the lightest Pros yet, which is true for both sizes. They also feature repositioned front-facing cameras that sit along the horizontal edge, which prevent you from looking as though you’re staring off into space on a video call.

As for deals, the 11-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi / 256GB of storage is on sale at Amazon for $899 ($100 off), which nearly matches its lowest price to date. The sleek and super-thin 13-inch model, meanwhile, is on sale in its 256GB base configuration at Amazon for $1,195 ($105 off), which remains its second-best price to date.

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Apple is pausing notification summaries for news in the latest iOS 18.3 beta

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

Apple has temporarily stopped showing notification summaries for news and entertainment apps as part of the iOS 18.3 developer beta released Thursday, according to reports from MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The Apple Intelligence-powered feature was criticized after it inaccurately summarized content from outlets such as the BBC.

Apple will reenable the notifications “with a future software update” as it continues to work on the feature, 9to5Mac reports. In the new beta, Apple will make it clear that the notification summary feature is a beta and “may contain errors.”

Additionally, 9to5Mac says Apple will let you disable notifications for specific apps from the lock screen or Notification Center in iOS 18.3 by “swiping, tapping ‘Options,’ then choosing the ‘Turn Off Summaries.’” The company will also use italicized text on the lock screen to make it easier to tell notification summaries and standard notifications apart.

The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for more information about these changes but didn’t immediately hear back.

Last month, the BBC called out Apple after the company’s notification summary feature wrongly summarized its coverage of the UnitedHealth shooter, suggesting the outlet reported that Luigi Mangione shot himself. Apple later said it would roll out an update to “further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence.”

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Here are the best Apple Watch deals right now

The last-gen Series 9, which isn’t all that different from the Series 10, is on sale starting at $279. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

In September, Apple launched its latest smartwatch, introducing the Apple Watch Series 10 alongside a black rendition of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Each wearable has its own pros and cons, as does the second-gen Apple Watch SE, but the recent introduction of the new wearables also means there are now more Apple Watch models on the market than ever before — and a lot more deals to be had.

But with all of those options, which one should you pick? Generally speaking, you want to buy the newest watch you can afford so that it continues to receive software updates from Apple. The latest update, watchOS 11, launched in September on the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, ultimately leaving those still using an older Series 4 or Series 5 behind.

That being said, picking up a watch from the latest (or a recent) generation ensures you’re getting a smartwatch with an updated design, a robust number of features, and plenty of sensors.

Now, let’s get to the deals.

The best Apple Watch Series 10 deals

The Apple Watch Series 10 represents the latest wearable in Apple’s flagship Series lineup. It features the new S10 SiP chip, faster charging, and a wide-angle OLED display that’s brighter, larger, and easier to read than that of previous models. It weighs half as much as the Ultra, too, and is about 30 percent thinner despite its new 42mm and 46mm sizing. Other upgrades include an added depth and water temperature sensor, as well as a new FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection feature, the latter of which is also available on the last-gen Series 9 and Ultra 2.

While the improvements are certainly welcome, the Series 10 isn’t a vast departure from the prior model, the Series 9. That being said, it’s only on sale at Amazon and Walmart right now in the 42mm sizing with GPS starting at $383.28 (about $15 off) — a far cry from its all-time low of $329. The GPS-equipped model, meanwhile, is on sale at Amazon and Walmart in the 46mm variant for $411.91 (about $17 off), while the LTE models can be had at Amazon and Walmart starting at $479.36 (about $20 off).

Read our Apple Watch Series 10 review.

The best Apple Watch Series 9 deals

In 2023, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 9 alongside the second-gen Ultra. It uses Apple’s last-gen S9 SiP chip and a second-gen ultra wideband chip, which allows for onboard Siri processing and precision finding with select iPhone models. It also features a brighter, 2,000-nit display and support for Apple’s nifty “double tap” feature — two minor additions that are also present on the Series 10.

The Series 9 has been out for more than a year, but certain configurations have become increasingly difficult to find with the arrival of Apple’s latest watch. Luckily, the GPS-equipped Series 9 is still on sale in the 45mm configuration at Walmart starting at $279 ($150 off), or at Amazon and Best Buy in the 41mm sizing starting at $309 ($90 off). There are also a handful of deals to be had on the LTE models with cellular connectivity, though none of them undercut the current price of the LTE-equipped Series 10 model by much, hence their exclusion here.

Read our Apple Watch Series 9 review.

The best Apple Watch SE deals

The Apple Watch SE received a refresh in late 2022. It has the same chipset as the Series 8, which is great, but with fewer sensors, no always-on display, and a slightly outdated design compared to the Series 8, Series 9, and Series 10. Those omissions might take this out of the running for some people, but it still may be exactly what you’re after. Best of all, it starts at $249 for the 40mm Wi-Fi / GPS model, which is $30 less than the previous generation’s baseline cost. Opting for cellular connectivity bumps the starting price up to $299 for the 40mm size (44mm adds $20 to each configuration).

At the moment, the best deals on the latest Apple Watch SE can be found at Amazon and Walmart, where you can pick the 40mm model with GPS for $199 ($50 off). The 44mm configuration, meanwhile, is available at Amazon and Walmart for $229 ($50 off). If you want the LTE configuration, the 40mm configuration is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $249 ($50 off), or in the larger 44mm sizing at Amazon and Walmart for $279 ($50 off), its typical sale price.

Read our Apple Watch SE (second-gen) review.

The best Apple Watch Ultra 2 deals

The latest Apple Watch Ultra launched at $799 in September with GPS and LTE support, much like the original model. The ultra-capable smartwatch has the most features, sensors, and ruggedness of any Apple Watch model available thus far, along with a display that’s 50 percent brighter than the first Ultra. The 49mm smartwatch also packs Apple’s S9 SiP and second-gen ultra wideband chips, just like the Apple Watch Series 9, while maintaining long-lasting battery life, precise GPS tracking, and a bevy of diving-friendly sensors.

In recent months, we saw the Apple Watch Ultra 2 dip to as low as $642 ($157 off) in select configurations. Right now, however, it’s only on sale at Amazon with a Trail Loop starting at $749 ($50 off) or with an Alpine Loop starting at $759 ($40 off). You can also pick it up at Amazon with an Ocean Band starting at $734.89 (about $64 off), which is about $45 more than the lowest price we’ve seen on the elastomer-equipped model.

Read our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.

A note on the more premium models

While all of the Apple Watch models and colorways covered here are encased in aluminum (except the Ultra 2, which has a titanium build), Apple does make a more premium range built out of stainless steel and titanium. These offerings are functionally and aesthetically similar to their aluminum counterparts, with slightly refined colors and finishings — polished for the stainless steel and brushed for the titanium. However, they start at much steeper prices of $699 and above. They, too, can often be found on sale, but they’re never discounted as low as the standard base models, so we don’t include them here.

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Will RedNote get banned in the US?

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

I’m not the first to note the irony of TikTok users flooding RedNote this week. The TikTok divest-or-ban rule was supposed to drive Americans away from a foreign-owned social network that was subject to influence or data harvesting by the Chinese government. Instead, it pushed them onto a different foreign-owned social network that poses the exact same hypothetical risks — and that might be subject to the exact same kind of ban.

TikTok faces a ban under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed last year by President Joe Biden (who is reportedly experiencing some buyer’s remorseright now). While it mentions TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, by name, it could apply to any company that meets the following criteria:

• It operates a website or app with more than 1 million monthly users and lets those users make accounts to create and share content.
• It isn’t a service that primarily lets users “post product reviews, business reviews, or travel information and reviews.”
• It’s controlled by a foreign adversary, a definition that covers North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran....

Read the full story at The Verge.

CFPB sued for trying to regulate digital payment apps more like banks

Illustration: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Two major tech trade groups are challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) effort to treat payment apps and digital wallets like banks. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, DC, NetChoice and TechNet claim that the CFPB’s digital payment regulation, announced on November 21st, 2024, is arbitrary and capricious.

“The CFPB’s unlawful power grab undermines the rule of law, further bloats the administrative state and puts American consumers and innovation at risk,” Chris Marchese, NetChoice’s director of litigation, said in a statement. “The CFPB’s actions create unnecessary roadblocks for businesses striving to meet consumer needs and set the stage for increased prices and reduced options.”

This is the second lawsuit related to the regulation. Google filed a lawsuit in December after the CFPB placed Google Payment Corp. under federal supervision. In a statement to The Verge, Google spokesperson José Castañeda called the rule “a clear case of government overreach.”

The rule, which went into effect in late December, lets the CFPB oversee digital payment processors’ compliance with federal privacy and fraud laws through “proactive examinations.” The bureau estimated that the apps included under the rule — including Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp — collectively process more than 13 billion transactions a year.

But NetChoice and TechNet claim that the CFPB didn’t sufficiently identify consumer risks or gaps in oversight that would justify the rule. “The bureau failed to show that consumer risks the rule was even meant to alleviate in its haste to dream up a problem in search of a solution,” the suit claims.

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David Lynch has died

Photo by Amy T. Zielinski/Getty Images

David Lynch, the director behind Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and other unsettling works, has died, his family confirmed in a post on his official Facebook page. He was 78 years old.

The post announcing his passing didn’t list a cause of death. But last August, Lynch revealed that he had been diagnosed with emphysema “from my many years of smoking.” At the time, he told Sight and Sound that he could no longer “go out” over concerns that he could catch covid, and that he likely would not be able to direct again in person. In a post about his diagnosis, he said that “recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”

The post, of course, had a very Lynchian addition: “I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco — the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them — but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema.”

Here is the full statement from Lynch’s family announcing his death:

It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.”

It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.

Variety has an extensive obituary about Lynch’s life and work.

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Tesla says the Cybertruck is ‘best-selling,’ so why is it offering discounts?

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Tesla is declaring the Cybertruck to be “America’s bestselling electric pickup truck in 2024.” And yet for the first time, the company offering discounts of up to $2,600 on the low-poly truck, a sign that demand may not be as strong as Tesla would like you to think.

The discounts, which appear on the company’s inventory webpage, are as high as $1,600 for brand new Cybertrucks, and up to $2,600 for slightly used demo versions of the truck. The price reduction you see will depend on how you configure your Cybertruck.

The discounts come as the electric vehicle market is suddenly brimming with a multitude of offerings, from established players like Chevy and Hyundai, to upstarts like Rivian and Lucid. People shopping for an electric truck in particular have a lot of options, including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs, and Rivian R1T.

The truck that

“they won’t make” & that “nobody will buy”

… has become America’s bestselling electric pickup truck in 2024

Thank you Cybertruck owners! pic.twitter.com/8YBFNeCXjh

— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) January 15, 2025

But the Cybertruck is outselling all of those options, according to Tesla. How do we know? You’re just going to have to take their word on it, because Tesla doesn’t break out sales numbers for the Cybertruck — instead just lumping it in with its “other models,” like the Model S, Model X, and Tesla Semi. As noticed by Electrek, that stands in contrast to how Ford reports its sales numbers.

For example, Ford said it sold 33,510 F-150 Lightnings in 2024. And Tesla sold an estimated 40,000 Cybertrucks, which would back up its claim of best-selling electric truck in the US. But again, those are just estimates.

The discounts certainly add a wrinkle to Tesla’s claim. Prices tend to be reduced when a manufacturer has too many cars to sell. And since Tesla bypasses the traditional dealership model to sell vehicles directly to customers, the discounts come directly from the company.

After appearing on the company’s inventory page late last year, Foundation series Cybertrucks were recently removed. And earlier this month, Tesla asked factory employees working on the Cybertruck line to stay home for three days, according to Business Insider. It would seem as if demand is starting to weaken — a phenomenon being experienced by almost every automaker with EVs to sell. After selling cars to all the early adopters, companies are struggling to push their products on more price conscious, mass market shoppers.

All of this evidence points to weakening demand for the Cybertruck. The EV certainly has its fans, but the polarizing design, as well as Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s hard right politics, has also been a factor in the truck’s diminishing appeal.

And with EV incentives likely to disappear under Donald Trump, and tariffs expected to roil the auto industry, the Cybertruck looks like it’s in for an even harsher 2025.

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As Americans flock to RedNote, privacy advocates warn about surveillance

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

More than 700,000 US-based users have downloaded RedNote, a popular Chinese social app, as the TikTok ban deadline looms — but they may find themselves looking for yet another TikTok alternative soon. A US official told CBS News that Xiaohongshu, the app more commonly referred to as RedNote, has many of the same issues that caused Congress to ban TikTok and that the app could eventually face a similar ban unless it divests from its China-based parent company.

“This appears to be the kind of app that the statute would apply to and could face the same restrictions as TikTok if it’s not divested,” the anonymous official told CBS News on Thursday, referring to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the bill under which Congress banned TikTok.

Among the problems lawmakers raised in the lead-up to the TikTok ban was the Chinese government’s sway over TikTok’s content moderation practices — an issue that appears to apply to RedNote as well. Per The Information, RedNote has begun removing US users’ posts that are considered “too sensitive” for the app, including posts discussing LGBTQ topics. Three people with knowledge of communications between RedNote and officials with the Cyberspace Administration of China told The Information that regulators are concerned about politically sensitive posts — and Chinese officials told RedNote’s government relations team to ensure that users in China can’t see US users’ posts.

Privacy advocates are also warning against using RedNote. In an emailed statement, Cooper Quintin, the senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said “anyone for whom privacy is a matter of personal safety” should think twice before downloading RedNote, adding that the EFF has similar concerns about US-based apps like Facebook.

“People looking for alternative social media apps should be cautious about the privacy implications of sharing information with an app that has not yet seen substantial public scrutiny outside of China,” Quintin said. “This is certainly not a platform which values free speech – it’s a heavily censored application on which topics such as political speech, drugs and addiction, and sexuality are more tightly controlled even than similar social networks. This is also not a platform that will protect you from US-based surveillance capitalism as it shares data with Facebook and Google ad networks.”

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Microsoft bundles Office AI features into Microsoft 365 and raises prices

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is bundling its AI-powered Office features into Microsoft 365 Personal and Home subscriptions, but it’s also raising prices as a result. Previously, Microsoft 365 subscribers had to pay an extra $20 per month to get Copilot inside Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as part of a Copilot Pro subscription, but Microsoft is now adding these AI features to Microsoft 365 apps for an extra $3 per month. Existing subscribers can opt out of the AI features and not suffer the price increase, though.

Microsoft has been testing adding AI-powered Office apps, the most important feature of Copilot Pro, into the Microsoft 365 subscriptions in recent months. What was previously only available in Australia, New Zealand, and a number of countries across Asia is now expanding to most markets worldwide.

While it feels like Microsoft is admitting that people aren’t willing to pay an extra $20 a month for AI-powered Office features, Microsoft argues it has always wanted to bring AI features to more users.

“We know that people are willing to pay for the integration into Microsoft 365,” says Gareth Oystryk, senior director of marketing for Copilot Pro and Microsoft 365, in an interview with The Verge. “Copilot Pro is an opportunity to learn from our power users and early adopters. Our plan all along has been how do we bring this value to as many subscribers as possible in a way that works for them and for us.”

Image: Microsoft

Copilot inside Word.

Copilot Pro isn’t going away, and Microsoft isn’t reducing its $20 monthly pricing, either. It will remain for power users who want priority access to the latest AI models, along with early access to new AI features. “We definitely have a place for Copilot Pro,” says Oystryk. “There is still a group of folks that enjoy the power use of Copilot Pro.”

Microsoft is raising the price of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions by $3 per month in the US to bring these AI-powered Office features to all subscribers. “We are raising the prices of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family for the first time in 12 years,” says Oystryk. “We’ve never actually raised the price in the US and we’re raising it by $3 a month, along with similar amounts in other markets.”

Nobody likes price increases, and consumers are especially sensitive to being asked to pay more for AI features right now. If you don’t want to pay extra for these AI features, then Microsoft will have plans for existing subscribers to remain at the same price point without Copilot in Office apps.

“We’ve created two new plans that are really only going to be available for the next year, Personal Classic and Family Classic,” explains Oystryk. “They’ll be available as folks go through the renewal cycle. If they go to cancel they’ll have the opportunity to pick one of these Personal Classic or Family Classic plans.”

Image: Microsoft

Copilot in PowerPoint.

These plans will only be available to existing Microsoft 365 subscribers, and new subscribers will get AI-powered Office features by default with the new pricing changes. It sounds like the classic plans won’t get any of Microsoft’s big new features, though. “They’ll continue to get security updates and minor feature updates, but any new additional innovations that we deliver in the future won’t be included in those plans,” says Oystryk.

Microsoft is also introducing a new AI credits system today, alongside its Microsoft 365 subscription changes. It’s a new system that works across most of Microsoft’s AI-powered consumer experiences, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. You’ll get a monthly allotment of credits within Microsoft 365 Personal and Family to use on things like image generation in the Designer app or in apps on Windows like Paint, Photos, and Notepad. Copilot Pro essentially includes unlimited usage of all of these AI features, based on a fair usage policy.

Microsoft is also making it easy to turn off Copilot in Office apps if you simply don’t want the AI assistant or you’re a student and your school has policies against using AI. “The most interesting piece of feedback we learned is that there are times where our users want to turn off Copilot,” says Oystryk. “We’ve been working to add new settings to some of our key apps that allow people to toggle off Copilot.” This is coming to Word first today and then Excel and PowerPoint in the coming weeks.

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All our unanswered questions about the Nintendo Switch 2

Image: The Verge, Nintendo

Nintendo has finally revealed its new console, debuting the Switch 2 with a short video that went heavy on visuals but light on information. The video was paired with a brief follow-up press release from Nintendo that also didn’t go into much detail, with the company ostensibly saving all the juicy stuff for the Switch 2 Direct set to take place on April 2nd. While we wait for official word, here are the burning questions we still have about the Nintendo Switch 2.

What are the Switch 2’s specs?

Perhaps the most glaring omission in the Switch 2 reveal was the fact that Nintendo didn’t say anything about how powerful the new console is. We can see that the console is bigger, but what’s the screen size? Is it OLED or LCD? Is the screen resolution still 720p? Is 4K resolution supported?

Though visible for a few brief moments, the reveal video showed off the Switch 2’s new dock. What’s the docked resolution? Is it just a charging shell, or is it still required for TV play? Can you dock the Switch 2 in the original Switch dock, or will it support all the super-portable third-party docks?

The Switch 2 also features a second USB-C port at the top. It’s likely there to offer a way to...

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FDA bans use of Red Dye No. 3 in foods

Red Dye No. 3 is used in certain candy, desserts, frostings, and other treats. | Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images

The US Food and Drug Administration is banning the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, drinks, and medication, the agency announced Wednesday. The dye, which the FDA says gives certain candies, cakes, and frostings a “bright, cherry-red color,” was found to cause cancer in male rats.

Food manufacturers in the US now have until January 15th, 2027 to reformulate their products without Red Dye No. 3, while drugmakers must take action by January 18th, 2028. Its ban as a food additive comes 35 years after the FDA banned its use in cosmetics and topical drugs in 1990. California similarly banned Red No. 3 and other food additives in 2023, while the European Union, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand also restrict the use of the dye.

Under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), the FDA must ban foods that induce cancer in humans or animals. However, the FDA notes that studies involving other animals and humans “did not show these effects,” adding that claims stating Red Dye No. 3 in humans “are not supported by the available scientific information.”

Here are some foods that may use Red Dye No. 3, according to Amanda Beaver, a wellness dietician at Houston Methodist Hospital:

• Certain fruit cocktails
• Candy corns
• Protein shakes
• Ice pops
• Sausages
• Lollipops
• Puddings
• Vegetarian meats
• Bacon bits
• Strawberry milk
• Jellybeans
• Candies
• Colored beverages
• Strawberry ice cream bars

You can check whether a food has Red Dye No. 3 by checking the product’s ingredient list, or using food databases from the US Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Working Group.

The FDA’s decision to ban Red Dye No. 3 comes just days before President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Service, has considered taking action against food dyes and other potentially harmful additives.

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AMC’s free Stubs membership tier is getting a little sweeter

Illustration: The Verge

In a bid to get even more people regularly coming back to the theater, AMC is rolling out a new set of perks for the cheapest (read: free) tier of its loyalty rewards program.

Though AMC doesn’t seem to be getting rid of the original Insider level of its AMC Stubs membership, the theater chain announced today that it’s introducing a new Premiere Go! tier that will offer subscribers even more benefits. In addition to discounted tickets on Tuesdays, free (large) popcorn refills, and access to AMC theaters’ priority lanes, Premiere Go! members will earn twice the amount of AMC points (which can be redeemed for more discounts) for every dollar spent.

Unlike the Insider tier, Premiere Go! Subscribers’ points won’t expire. But like the Premiere ($17.99 / year) and A-List (the monthly price varies by location) tiers, people using Premiere Go! will also be able to upgrade the size of their popcorn and fountain drinks at no additional cost. To become a Premiere Go! member, you’ll have to see at least eight movies a year or earn 5,000 points, and once you do, you’ll keep the status through the entirety of the next year.

In a statement about the new tier, AMC’s senior VP of marketing Ellen Copaken described it as a way of offering customers “an exciting and achievable pathway to unlock enhanced rewards simply by enjoying the movies they love.”

Everything about the new tier feels like AMC is trying to get more people to consider signing up for Stubs’ A-Tier, which launched back in 2018 as a direct response to MoviePass. And given how MoviePass’ legacy just became even more tarnished by former CEO Mitch Lower pleading guilty to fraud, Stubs is probably looking a lot more attractive by comparison now.

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The Switch 2 is almost here — but PC handhelds are giving it big competition

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The first Nintendo Switch basically had the road to itself, and Nintendo instantly proved just how awesome a hybrid console and handheld could be, leading to massive success. We now know that the Switch 2 is set to launch in 2025, but it will be released into a world that’s packed with very capable handheld gaming PCs that could present an interesting challenge to Nintendo, especially following news from CES 2025.

Valve’s Steam Deck kicked off the handheld gaming PC push in large part because its Linux-based SteamOS makes playing your games just about as easy as it is on consoles. That’s why one of the biggest CES announcements is that Valve is going to let people install SteamOS on other handhelds as soon as April, potentially making the entire handheld PC gaming market a lot more appealing.

The first official non-Valve device with SteamOS is set to be Lenovo’s $499 Legion Go S, which launches in May. But it’s not hard to imagine a near-term future where many other hardware makers announce their own SteamOS handhelds, meaning the magic of SteamOS might be available in all kinds of interesting devices very soon. (And hopefully, the increased competition means Valve will make the eventual next Steam Deck really good.)

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The Lenovo Legion Go S next to a Steam Deck OLED.

CES 2025 featured a bunch of other handheld gaming hardware, too, like the chonk that is Acer’s Nitro Blaze 11. It has a gigantic 10.95-inch screen, detachable controllers, and a kickstand. It’s huge! Intel and Tencent also made a handheld with an 11-inch screen, and theirs has stereo 3D. My colleague Sean Hollister finally got to see the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus. Razer made a docking station that works with handheld gaming PCs. And in a CES panel, Microsoft promised news about changes to the handheld Windows experience for later this year, which could improve things for people who already own Windows-based hardware.

That’s a lot of cool stuff! But Nintendo is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and as interesting as all of the PC gaming hardware is, the Switch 2 already looks like a very compelling upgrade: we already know it has a bigger screen, potentially better Joy-Cons, and a new Mario Kart. While Nintendo hasn’t shared detailed performance specs, the Switch 2 will likely be much more powerful than the original and will probably have splashy new games in other marquee Nintendo franchises. (I’d bet already-announced Switch games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A will get some kind of Switch 2 boost, too.)

And right out of the gate, the Switch 2 will also have an enormous library, as it will be backward compatible with physical and digital Switch games — a catalog that includes many of the indie hits that are also some of the best games on handheld PCs.

Back in 2017, when the original Switch launched, there wasn’t anything like it. The Switch 2 will compete in a much more crowded field — and one that’s getting even more crowded after CES 2025. Hopefully, the competition means everyone makes better hardware and better games. It’s a great time for handhelds.

Update January 16th : Added details about the Switch 2 following its official announcement.

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The Roborock Q5 Max Plus drops to an all-time low of $280

The Roborock Q5 Max Plus can’t mop, but it’s great for dry spills on carpets and hard flooring. | Image: Roborock

While you can pay close to $1,000 or more for a fancier robot vacuum with bells and whistles like mopping and AI object avoidance, sometimes, all you may need is a solid roamer with powerful suction. That’s exactly what the Roborock Q5 Max Plus is, and the all-time low price of $279.99 ($170 off) at Amazon and Roborock right now appropriately reflects that.

The Roborock Q5 Max Plus is quite similar to the Q5 Pro, which we typically recommend if you need something that’s great for vacuuming pet hair. That’s largely thanks to its dual rubber roller brushes, which can really dig into the carpet with greater friction to loosen up those hairs and other stubborn debris.

It also has the same adjustable 5,500Pa suction power and a 770ml dustbin that empties itself into a roomy 2.5-liter bin at the charging dock. That means you could go several weeks before manually emptying the dock. However, unlike the Q5 Pro, it doesn’t come with detachable mopping pads.

Like the Q5 Pro, the Q5 Max Plus uses Lidar navigation with multi-level 3D room mapping and keep-out zones, and it runs for up to four hours before it needs to return to the dock. You can manage and control all of this with the companion app, too, or control it with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple Siri voice commands.

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The Switch 2’s bigger screen is just what I wanted

Image: The Verge, Nintendo

Nintendo has finally revealed the Switch 2 — but it didn’t reveal everything. Even still, the new console looks pretty much like a bigger, more refined Switch. Sure, that’s the straightforward and expected move from Nintendo. But it’s also exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

The first Switch was a revelation. When it launched, I marveled over being able to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on my TV and then take the console out of the dock and play in handheld mode curled up on the couch. Nintendo absolutely nailed the execution of combining its console and portable expertise into one great device, and ever since, the Switch has been a constant companion at home and while traveling.

I would have been disappointed if Nintendo messed with what worked for the Switch with the Switch 2. I’m glad it has a bigger screen, one that appears to be even larger than the seven-inch display on the OLED Switch. I’m guessing the taller Joy-Cons will be easier to hold, which could be a massive improvement for my hands, and attaching them from the side looks like it could be easier than sliding them up and down. The second USB-C port on the top will be a very welcome addition for easier...

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Meet the brothers who built NYC’s favorite congestion pricing tracking tool

Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol / Anadolu via Getty Images

Now that New York City has finally flipped the switch on congestion pricing, the big question is: Will it work? And if so, how well?

To find out, all eyes turned to an unassuming new web tool called the Congestion Pricing Tracker. The brainchild of two college-age brothers, the tracker uses real-time traffic data from Google Maps to calculate traffic times for chosen routes and days. The data is presented as a line graph of traffic times before and after congestion pricing went into effect on January 5th. Compare one line to the other to see whether traffic times have increased or decreased.

Unsurprisingly, depending on the route and time of day, the new tolling scheme seems to be working — perhaps even better than expected. Since January 5th, most drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours will pay $9 — or $2.25 for late nights and weekends. And that fee appears to be doing what it set out to do, which is to change the behavior of the people behind the wheel and funnel millions of dollars into needed transit improvements.

That was what initially drew brothers Benjamin and Joshua Moshes to the project. Benjamin, a senior studying math and...

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Tech’s shift to Trump: all the companies and execs kissing the ring

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Tech companies and their leadership are schmoozing Donald Trump ahead of the imminent administration switchup.

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Switch 2 is boring — and that’s exactly what Nintendo needs

Image: The Verge, Nintendo

You can always count on Nintendo for a surprise. This is the company that followed the Game Boy with a strange dual-screened handheld and broke out of its GameCube slump with a console focused on motion controls. It’s the company that lost its lead with the Wii U and then gambled on another innovation — the portable hybrid known as the Switch — to ultimately get back on top. All of those were big, risky swings that seemingly exemplified the company’s playful, experimental ethos.

The Switch 2, on the other hand, is… a bigger, better Switch. It’s kind of boring. But it’s also exactly the right move from Nintendo. At a time when people expect their games and experiences to carry over between devices, the old console paradigm of starting over with a new generation doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. And since Nintendo hit a home run with the original Switch, it has the runway to be a little bit boring this time.

Today’s reveal video didn’t detail a whole lot about the Switch 2 in terms of specs, but there are still some clear improvements over the original, like the bigger display (though we don’t know the exact screen size) and redesigned Joy-Con controllers. More details are coming...

Read the full story at The Verge.

Casio’s new Comfy calculator shifts its solar panel up for aesthetics

The Comfy JT-200T calculator’s solar panel is located on its top edge where you won’t see it. | Image: Casio Japan

Calculator aesthetics are apparently very important to some people, so Casio Japan has announced a new Comfy JT-200T solar-powered model that relocates its solar cell to the top edge keeping it out of sight while you’re crunching numbers.

The calculator is also available in five muted colors to better match your desk decor: off white, dark gray, grayish pink, grayish green, and grayish blue. It will be released on January 30th, 2025 in Japan for ￥3,850, or around $25.

Image: Casio Japan

The calculator is available in off white, dark gray, grayish pink, grayish green, and grayish blue color options.

There’s no indication the new position of the solar panel will affect its exposure to indoor lighting and power generation capabilities, but it is slightly angled upwards and a bit larger than the solar panels on Casio’s other design-focused models.

The company says the new model will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the very first calculator Casio released in 1965. However, the Comfy JT-200T has more in common with the company’s first personal calculator, as it uses the same key font as the Casio Mini released in 1972.

The calculator’s case is made from a mix of recycled plastic and mica which helps hide scratches, there’s a spring-loaded stand on the back that will elevate it about eight degrees, and it features a 12-digit segmented LCD display. Its number-crunching capabilities are basic, but it does include dedicated tax buttons potentially making it appealing to accountants not entirely devoted to spreadsheets.

Image: Casio Japan

Other models in Casio’s design-focused line of calculators feature a small solar panel located just above their displays.

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Time is running out in the Until Dawn movie’s new trailer

Sony

Sony has been saying that its upcoming Until Dawn feature — one of its new IP adaptations — is meant to channel the game’s spirit. But the movie’s latest trailer makes it pretty clear that this isn’t just going to be a one-to-one translation.

Similar to the game, director David F. Sandberg’s Until Dawnrevolves around a group of people who find themselves trapped in a time loop that resets as they’re each murdered in a number of different horrific scenarios. When Melanie (Maia Mitchell) goes missing under mysterious circumstances, her younger sister Clover (Ella Rubin) recruits her friends Max (Michael Cimino), Megan (Ji-young Yoo), Nina (Odessa A’zion), and Abel (Belmont Cameli) on a mission to find her. In the trailer, group’s search brings them to what looks to be an inn run by Hill (Peter Stormare), an odd man who warns them that wandering farther up the road will only bring trouble into their lives.

Though one seems all that bothered by how the weather acts strangely around Hill’s inn, they know something is up when their car vanishes, and they find Melanie’s signature written in a dusty old guest log. Things only get spookier as night falls, and something starts lurking in the darkness around Clover and her friends. But it isn’t until people start dying that they realize they’re somehow being resurrected and challenged to survive until the morning as various ghouls try to kill them in inventive ways.

The trailer makes it seem like, despite revolving around new characters, it’ll hit many of the classic Until Dawn beats_._ And when the movie hits theaters on April 25th, it’ll probably keep audiences guessing as to who exactly is going to make it out alive.

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Polestar announces Polestar 7 SUV amid flagging sales and regulatory hurdles

Image: Polestar

Polestar may be facing a possible ban in the US, but the Sweden-by-way-of-China manufacturer isn’t going to let that stop it from releasing new products. The company provided a business update on Thursday, during which it announced a new model, the Polestar 7 compact SUV, that will be produced in Europe.

Little was revealed about the Polestar 7 — we didn’t even get a look at a prototype — but the company said it will be a “very progressive SUV” with “a strong USP,” or unique selling point. It’s unclear when the vehicle will go into production or even where in Europe it will be built. (Sweden seems like a likely bet.)

“We will enter the compact SUV segment, by the way the biggest and fastest growing segment in the world, and we will obviously make sure it comes with all the Polestar DNA,” the company’s new CEO, Michael Lohscheller, said.

“We will obviously make sure it comes with all the Polestar DNA”

The update, which took the form of a professionally produced sit-down interview with Lohscheller, didn’t touch on Polestar’s regulatory trouble in the US. The Biden administration recently finalized a ban on connected vehicle software from China, a move that Polestar has said would “effectively prohibit” it from selling EVs in the US.

In fact, the US wasn’t mentioned at all during the 27-minute video — perhaps a reflection of the strong headwinds EVs are facing under the incoming Trump administration. Instead, the company said it expects to launch soon in France, which is one of the fastest-growing markets for EVs.

This represents a significant shift in the company’s position from the past few years. Polestar was laser-focused on the US market with the Polestar 3, a three-row SUV manufactured at its factory in South Carolina in order to qualify for generous incentives under the Biden administration. EV sales were looking strong when the Polestar 3 was announced, but now sales have slowed thanks to high prices, charging challenges, and politics. Many of those incentives put in place by President Joe Biden are likely to be eliminated under President-elect Donald Trump.

Polestar also reported its third quarter earnings today (the company is lagging behind other companies in reporting its earnings), including a $323 million net loss. It sold 12,548 cars, which was down 8 percent compared to its Q3 sales in 2023.

$323 million net loss

The company also said it no longer expects similar revenue in 2024 as it earned in 2023, nor a positive gross profit margin for the fourth quarter. Instead, Polestar is expecting “a mid-teens percentage decline in revenue and a negative gross margin around the same level as full year 2023, as the fourth quarter product mix was negatively impacted by fewer than expected Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 sales.”

But amid these challenges, Lohscheller said he was convinced that Polestar was still on the right track. He predicted “positive” adjusted earnings for 2025 and free cash flow, in which Polestar would be generating more money from its business operations than it is losing in 2027.

“Really, 2024 is a transitional year for Polestar,” said Lohscheller, who previously served as CEO of the Stellantis-owned Opel. “But I feel we are well positioned now going into 2025 with the right cars, with the right distribution, and obviously a much much better focus on significant cost reduction and increasing efficiency.”

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What Spotify took from us by giving us everything

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Liz Pelly’s Mood Machine offers a history of the biggest player in streaming.

Read the full story at The Verge.