The Live Nation Settlement Has Industry Insiders Baffled
The DOJ reached a settlement with Live Nation‑Ticketmaster that stops short of a breakup, instead imposing a 15 % fee cap on tickets sold at Live Nation‑owned amphitheaters and requiring limited transparency for artists. The agreement also obliges Ticketmaster to open its backend to competitors and to divest exclusive booking rights at 13 venues, a fraction of its overall footprint. Industry groups such as NIVA and the Future of Music Coalition say the concessions are narrow, confusing, and unlikely to meaningfully curb the company’s market power. State attorneys general are signaling they may continue litigation to seek broader remedies.
Grammarly Says It Will Stop Using AI to Clone Experts without Permission
Grammarly announced it will permanently disable its Expert Review AI feature after criticism that the tool cloned the voices of prominent writers without consent. The company, in partnership with Superhuman, is reimagining the feature to give experts explicit control over...
The Government Shutdown Is Hitting Airports — but Not ICE
A partial government shutdown has left TSA agents without pay, triggering hours‑long security lines at airports nationwide. While most DHS components scramble for funds, ICE and CBP continue operations thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which earmarked $170 billion...
Employees Across OpenAI and Google Support Anthropic’s Lawsuit Against the Pentagon
Anthropic sued the Department of Defense after the Trump administration labeled the company a supply‑chain risk for refusing to enable domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. Hours later, roughly 40 engineers and researchers from OpenAI and Google filed an...
Google’s Latest Pixel Watches Have Fallen to Their Lowest Prices Ever
Google has slashed prices on its Pixel Watch lineup, with the Pixel Watch 4 now selling for $289.99 on major retailers—a $60 discount—and the older Pixel Watch 3 hitting a record low of $169.99, $80 off. The Watch 4 adds...
Yashica’s New Retro Point-and-Shoot Revival Sounds Surprisingly Capable for $100
Yashica has unveiled the Tank, a retro‑styled point‑and‑shoot camera priced at roughly $100 and available for preorder. It features a 12‑megapixel ½.8‑inch sensor, with an optional 36‑megapixel upscaled mode, and records 4K video at 30 fps. A 3‑inch flip‑up LCD, ISO...
Meta’s VR Metaverse Is Ditching VR
Meta announced Horizon Worlds will become “almost exclusively mobile,” ending its dual‑VR‑and‑mobile strategy. The shift follows a 10% cut to Reality Labs staff, closure of three VR studios, and the halt of new content for the Supernatural fitness app. By...
Amazon’s Send to Alexa Plus Makes the Kindle Scribe Feel More Like a Productivity Device
Amazon introduced Send to Alexa Plus, a new feature for Kindle Scribe and Scribe Colorsoft that lets users push handwritten notes or PDFs to Alexa’s AI assistant. Alexa can summarize content, generate to‑do lists, calendar events, reminders, and even draft...
What Happens when Waymo Runs Into a Tornado? Or an Elephant?
Waymo has launched a new "World Model" built on Google’s Genie 3 AI, enabling the creation of hyper‑realistic 3D driving simulations from simple text or image prompts. The platform can generate extreme edge cases—tornadoes, flooded streets, rogue elephants—and run them at...
Google Is Appealing a Judge’s Search Monopoly Ruling
Google has filed a notice of appeal against a federal judge’s August 2024 ruling that declared its online‑search business an illegal monopoly. The appeal requests a stay on the court‑ordered remedies that would force Google to share search data and...
Microsoft Is Closing Its Employee Library and Cutting Back on Subscriptions
Microsoft is closing its employee library, both physical books and digital subscriptions, and replacing it with an AI‑powered learning experience called the Skilling Hub. The move includes canceling contracts with news providers such as Strategic News Service and ending access...
Tesla to Stop Selling FSD as a Standalone Package and Switch to Subscription Only
Tesla announced that, effective February 14, it will cease selling Full Self‑Driving (FSD) as a one‑time purchase and will offer the Level 2 driver‑assist system exclusively through a $99‑a‑month subscription. The move follows a 15.6% year‑over‑year sales decline and comes as Elon...
DJI’s Mobile Selfie Stick / Tripod / Stabilizer Will Track You Automatically for Its Lowest Price of $103
DJI has reduced the price of its Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal stabilizer to $103, down from $129. The 7P combines a selfie stick, tripod, and a computer‑vision module that auto‑tracks subjects, stops, starts, and adjusts framing with a hand wave....
Musk Says He’s Going to Open-Source the New X Algorithm Next Week
Elon Musk announced that X will open‑source its new recommendation algorithm within seven days, promising weekly transparency updates thereafter. The 2023 Twitter algorithm repository on GitHub remains largely unchanged, fueling doubts about the new commitment. Musk says the release will...
Baldur’s Gate 3 Studio Says It Won’t Use AI for Concept Art or Writing
Larian Studios clarified that its upcoming title Divinity will not use generative AI for concept art or narrative writing. The studio’s CEO Swen Vincke emphasized AI will only assist internal brainstorming, PowerPoint decks, and idea iteration. AI‑generated in‑game assets may...
Democrats Ask Apple and Google to Remove X’s Undressing Bot From Their App Stores
Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Luján and Ed Markey wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai urging the removal of X’s AI chatbot Grok, which has been generating non‑consensual deepfake images that undress women and depict...
Ford’s AI Voice Assistant Is Coming Later This Year, L3 Driving in 2028
Ford announced that its AI‑powered voice assistant will launch on mobile apps later this year and expand to in‑car use by 2027, while a hands‑free Level‑3 autonomous driving feature is slated for 2028 on the upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle platform....
Character.AI and Google Settle Teen Suicide and Self-Harm Suits
Character.AI and Google have agreed to settle multiple lawsuits alleging their chatbot contributed to teen suicides and self‑harm. The settlements, filed in federal court in Florida, cover cases in Colorado, New York, Texas and a high‑profile suit by Megan Garcia....
Amazfit’s Stylish Budget Tracker Is Nearly Matching Its Best Price to Date
Amazfit has trimmed the price of its Active 2 fitness tracker to $84.99, just $5 above its all‑time low, positioning it as one of the most affordable premium wearables. The device boasts a 2,000‑nit OLED screen, stainless‑steel case, and support for...
It Turns Out I’ve Been Using My Hue Lights All Wrong
Philips Hue introduced SpatialAware, an AR‑driven feature that maps a room’s geometry and light‑fixture locations. By scanning the space with a smartphone, the Hue app creates a 3‑D model that lets remastered scenes distribute colors and intensities intelligently. About half...
At CES, EVs Take a Backseat to Robotaxis and AI
At CES 2026, the automotive spotlight shifted from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence and robotaxis. Hyundai used its keynote to showcase Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot, while Mercedes announced a Nvidia‑powered Level 2++ driver‑assist system for the U.S. market. Uber displayed...
Universal Music Signs a New AI Deal with Nvidia
Universal Music Group has struck a partnership with Nvidia to integrate the Music Flamingo AI model across its vast catalog, allowing nuanced analysis of song structure, harmony and emotional arcs. The model, capable of processing tracks up to fifteen minutes,...
No, Microsoft Didn’t Rebrand Office to Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft has not renamed its Office suite to Microsoft 365 Copilot; the confusion stems from the Office.com landing page promoting the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which aggregates the traditional Office apps with AI assistance. The site’s note “formerly Office” references the legacy web‑based Office...
Nvidia Announces DLSS 4.5 with 6x Frame Generation and Improved Image Quality
Nvidia unveiled DLSS 4.5 at CES, introducing a second‑generation transformer model and a 6× Multi‑Frame Generation mode that can synthesize up to five extra frames per rendered frame. The update is rolled out to all RTX GPUs today, with the most...
These Are the Sleekest MSI Laptops I’ve Ever Seen
MSI unveiled a refreshed Prestige business‑laptop lineup at CES 2026, emphasizing thinner chassis, OLED screens and 2‑in‑1 flexibility. The flagship Prestige 14 AI Plus and Prestige 16 AI Plus ship with Intel’s Panther Lake processors, while the Flip variants add an MSI Nano Pen stylus with rapid charging....
Bosch’s Fancy Coffee Machine Is Getting Alexa Plus
Bosch unveiled its Personal AI Barista, powered by Alexa Plus, for the 800 Series fully‑automatic espresso machines at CES. The upgrade lets users control brewing parameters, drink selection and routines through natural‑language conversation with an Echo speaker. Bosch also previewed Bosch Cook AI, an...
HP’s Latest OmniBooks Are Getting Chip Bumps and OLED Screens
HP announced a refreshed OmniBook lineup at CES 2026, highlighted by the Ultra 14 which now offers Intel Panther Lake or Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 processors, up to 64 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD, and an OLED display. The Snapdragon X2 Elite delivers 85 TOPS...
Microsoft Edge Is Getting a Copilot-Inspired Redesign
Microsoft is rolling out a major UI refresh for Edge that borrows the Copilot design language. Early Canary and Dev builds already show Copilot‑styled settings, context menus, and a new tab page with rounded corners, matching colors and fonts from...
SwitchBot Says Its Humanoid Household Robot Can Do Your Laundry
SwitchBot unveiled the Onero H1 at CES 2026, a humanoid‑style household robot that can perform chores such as loading a washing machine, folding clothes, and making coffee. The robot rides on a wheeled base, boasts 22 degrees of freedom, multiple cameras,...
CES 2026: All the News, Gadgets, and Innovations From the Biggest Tech Show
The Verge is set to provide comprehensive coverage of CES 2026, the premier consumer‑electronics showcase opening January 6 in Las Vegas. The event will feature a wide array of product launches, from LG’s ultra‑light RTX laptop and AI‑enhanced gaming monitors...
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Is Now Blogging About AI Slop
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has begun publishing a personal blog series called “sn scratchpad,” using the platform to argue that the industry should move past the binary debate of AI “slop versus sophistication.” He frames AI as a cognitive amplifier, urging...
This Smart Fridge Wants to Solve the Hassle of Grocery Shopping
GE Appliances unveiled its Profile Smart 4‑Door French‑Door Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant at CES 2026, featuring an 8‑inch tablet, built‑in barcode scanner, interior camera, and a proprietary voice assistant called “Hey, HQ.” The scanner lets users scan empty packages to automatically populate...
Tesla’s Fourth Quarter Sales Fell a Lot More than Expected
Tesla delivered 418,227 vehicles in Q4 2025, a 15.6% year‑over‑year decline and missing the 422,850 consensus estimate. Production fell 5.8% to 434,358 units, widening the gap between output and demand. The drop aligns with the expiration of the U.S. federal EV...
Meet the New Tech Laws of 2026
A cascade of state tech statutes will take effect in 2026, covering AI transparency, right‑to‑repair, cryptocurrency‑ATM safeguards, child‑focused privacy, and age‑verification mechanisms. California’s SB 53 mandates AI safety disclosures, while Colorado enforces comprehensive repair obligations and limits on crypto‑ATM transactions. The...
Rodeo Is an App for Making Plans with Friends You Already Have
Rodeo is an AI‑powered iOS app that transforms social‑media posts, screenshots, or chat snippets into ready‑to‑book events, handling venues, showtimes and calendar invites automatically. The service was launched by former Hinge executives Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan to solve the friction...
Sony’s Souped-Up PlayStation 5 Pro Is $100 Off for the Rest of Today
Sony is offering a $100 discount on its PlayStation 5 Pro, reducing the price to roughly $689.99 from $749.99 until December 25 at 3 AM ET. The Pro model, the most powerful PS5 variant, features a larger GPU, 2 TB of SSD storage,...
In 2025, AI Became a Lightning Rod for Gamers and Developers
In 2025 generative AI moved from experimental prototypes to mainstream video‑game releases, appearing in titles hailed as game of the year. Major publishers such as Ubisoft, EA, and Microsoft announced partnerships with AI firms to generate dialogue, NPC behavior, and...
How AI Broke the Smart Home in 2025
In 2025, generative‑AI‑powered voice assistants like Alexa Plus and Google Gemini for Home still falter at routine smart‑home tasks, often failing to turn on lights or start coffee. While they offer richer conversational abilities and can handle complex commands, their reliance...
Indie Game Awards Retracts Expedition 33 Prizes Due to Generative AI
The Indie Game Awards stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its Game of the Year and Debut Game honors after discovering the studio used generative AI art during development. The awards body enforces a strict no‑AI rule for nominations, prompting the reallocation...
Microsoft Made Another Copilot Ad Where Nothing Actually Works
Microsoft released a holiday‑themed Copilot ad that depicts the AI flawlessly handling smart‑home lighting, recipe scaling, and HOA compliance, but the showcased scenarios rely on fictional companies and staged interactions. Independent testing revealed Copilot frequently hallucinating UI elements, misreading instructions,...
Grok Is Spreading Misinformation About the Bondi Beach Shooting
xAI’s Grok chatbot has been spreading false information about the Bondi Beach shooting, repeatedly misidentifying hero Ahmed al Ahmed and sharing fabricated stories. The misinformation includes a fake article naming a non‑existent IT professional, misattributed images, and unrelated video clips,...
Apple Loses Contempt Appeal in Epic Case
Apple lost its appeal of the district‑court contempt order in the Epic Games antitrust case. The Ninth Circuit affirmed Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ finding that Apple deliberately violated a 2021 injunction by restricting external payment links and imposing a 27% fee....
New York’s New Law Forces Advertisers to Say when They’re Using AI Avatars
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation requiring advertisers to clearly disclose the use of AI‑generated avatars in commercial spots. The law also mandates consent from heirs or executors before a deceased person’s likeness can be used for profit. Violations...
Google Says It Will Link to More Sources in AI Mode
Google announced that its AI‑powered search feature, AI Mode, will start embedding more in‑line links to source articles, accompanied by AI‑generated snippets that explain each source’s relevance. The links will sit above a carousel of related content, giving users clearer...
Chatbots Are Struggling with Suicide Hotline Numbers
A recent test of popular AI chatbots revealed mixed performance on suicide‑prevention prompts. ChatGPT and Google Gemini instantly supplied accurate, location‑specific crisis numbers, while Replika, Meta AI, and several others either ignored the request, gave irrelevant US hotlines, or required...
Figma Adds More Photoshop-Like AI Tools for Image Editing
Figma has introduced three AI‑powered image editing tools—Erase object, Isolate object, and Expand Image—directly within Figma Design and Draw. The tools work with the existing lasso selection to instantly remove or separate elements and to extend backgrounds using generative AI,...
A Pay-to-Scrape AI Licensing Standard Is Now Official
The RSL Collective released Really Simple Licensing 1.0, an open specification that expands the robots.txt file to let publishers set licensing and payment rules for AI crawlers. Backed by Yahoo, Ziff Davis and O’Reilly Media, the standard is now supported by Cloudflare,...
Aurora Will Have ‘Hundreds’ of Driverless Trucks on the Road by the End of 2026, CEO Says
Aurora CEO Chris Urmson announced that the company will scale from a handful of autonomous trucks to hundreds by the end of 2026, after postponing its commercial launch to April 2025. The firm currently runs five fully driverless trucks on...
ChatGPT Can Now Use Adobe Apps to Edit Your Photos and PDFs for Free
Adobe has embedded free Photoshop, Acrobat, and Express apps inside ChatGPT, allowing users to edit images, PDFs, and designs via natural‑language prompts. The integration, launched on December 10, 2025, works across desktop, web, and iOS, with Android support arriving soon for Photoshop...
I’m Obsessed with Redfin’s AI Search
Redfin has rolled out an AI‑powered search tool that lets users query listings in plain language, instantly generating tailored property results. The feature appears as a new prompt on the site’s search bar and leverages large language models to interpret...