Recent News from The Verge

Google is trying to take down a group sending you all those spammy texts

If you’ve ever received a spammy text falsely alerting you to an unpaid toll or failed delivery, it might have come from a so-called Phishing-as-a-Service network that Google is now trying to take down.  Google filed suit against several unnamed defendants it says make up an enterprise called Lighthouse. The company argues in a new […]

Alien is coming back to Earth for a second season

No casting has been confirmed, but star Sydney Chandler is expected to return. | Image: FX More than a month after the first season’s finale aired, FX has finally confirmed that Alien: Earth will get a second run of episodes, ending some sleepless nights for this reporter / Alien obsessive. No release date has been […]

Disney is losing over $4 million a day in revenue on the YouTube TV blackout

Disney’s spat with Google’s YouTube TV over a new content distribution contract is costing the entertainment giant $4.3 million a day in lost revenue, Morgan Stanley estimates. That’s $30 million a week as the blackout of channels including ABC and ESPN stretches into its 12th day, Variety reports, though the analysts expect Disney and Google […]

Google is introducing its own version of Apple’s private AI cloud compute

Google is rolling out a new cloud-based platform that lets users unlock advanced AI features on their devices while keeping data private. The feature, virtually identical to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, comes as companies reconcile users’ demands for privacy with the growing computational needs of the latest AI applications. Many Google products run AI features […]

Pixel phones are getting notification summaries

Google is releasing an update for Pixel phones with an interesting feature in the mix: notification summaries. Apple notably had plenty of trouble implementing its version of this AI-powered feature, and Google is taking a cautious first step by deploying it only for chat conversations. It’ll arrive as part of this month’s Pixel update for […]

AI chatbots are helping hide eating disorders and making deepfake ‘thinspiration’ 

AI chatbots “pose serious risks to individuals vulnerable to eating disorders,” researchers warned on Monday. They report that tools from companies like Google and OpenAI are doling out dieting advice, tips on how to hide disorders, and AI-generated “thinspiration.”  The researchers, from Stanford and the Center for Democracy & Technology, identified numerous ways publicly available […]

ElevenLabs’ new AI marketplace lets brands use famous voices for ads

ElevenLabs is launching an online marketplace that allows companies to license AI-replicated voices of famous figures for their content and advertisements. The AI audio startup says its new Iconic Voice Marketplace resolves some of the ethical concerns around using AI-generated celebrity voices by providing brands with the “consent-based, performer-first approach the industry has been calling […]

Google Photos lets iPhone users edit images by describing changes

iPhone users can now make edits in Google Photos by typing or verbally describing them. Google is rolling out several AI updates to its Google Photos app, including iOS support for conversational edits, more accurate facial editing, and new AI tools. This means the “Help me edit” feature that lets you describe how you want […]

Amazon’s like-new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is on sale for just $127

If you didn’t get around to reading more this year, now’s a great time to start. That’s because Amazon is selling the latest Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition in like-new condition for $126.99 ($53 off), which matches the e-reader’s best price to date. If you haven’t purchased a refurbished product from Amazon before, know that each […]

The LG G5 takes OLED performance to another level

Specular highlights on the G5 are bright and radiant. LG OLEDs are consistently some of the best TVs you can get, and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve recommended them to family and friends. Add the LG G5 to that list. It’s LG’s high-end gallery-style TV, designed to look refined and sleek mounted on […]