Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US

The Supreme Court will let Mississippi’s social media age verification law take effect while the case is being argued in court. In an unsigned ruling on Thursday, the court declined to block the law after an emergency petition from trade association NetChoice. The order offers no explanation, but in a concurring opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh […]

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China is about to launch SSDs so small you insert them like a SIM card

MicroSD cards are tiny but slow; the M.2 storage sticks in your PC are blazing fast but bigger and fully enclosed. Now, a new type of SSD out of China could be the best of both worlds — and it’s already set to appear in two cutting-edge gaming portables. Chinese storage manufacturer Biwin is calling […]

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Nanoleaf’s smart lights are cheaper than ever in its back-to-school sale

Some cool decor can help a new dorm or apartment feel like home, which is why Nanoleaf’s back-to-school sale is worth checking out.  The company’s offering all-time low prices on a wide range of its modular smart light gear, from skylights to smart light display cases. Some of our favorite deals include Nanoleaf’s Blocks Combo […]

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What is Bluesky? Everything to know about the X competitor

Is the grass greener on the other side? We’re not sure, but the sky is most certainly bluer. It’s been over two years since Elon Musk purchased Twitter, now X, leading people to set up shop on alternative platforms. Mastodon, Post, Pebble (two of which have already shuttered operations) and Spill have been presented as […]

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Airbnb now lets you ‘pay later’ on vacation rentals

Airbnb has introduced a new “reserve now, pay later” option that lets users in the US book a reservation without paying right away. Instead, users can put off their payment to a later date before check-in. Airbnb says it will require payment before the end of a stay’s free cancellation period, ensuring “hosts have time […]

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Consumer safety groups are demanding an FTC investigation into Grok’s ‘Spicy’ mode

A new letter to the Federal Trade Commission, and US attorneys general for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, calls for an urgent investigation into Elon Musk's Grok - especially its new "Imagine" tool for AI-generated image and video. The tool, released by xAI earlier this month, encourages users to create NSFW content […]

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Meta’s AI policies let chatbots get romantic with minors

In an internal policy document, Meta included policies that allowed its AI chatbots to flirt and speak with children using romantic language, according to a report from Reuters.  Quotes from the document highlighted by Reuters include letting Meta’s AI chatbots “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” “describe a child in terms […]

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Stop using these ESR power banks that have been recalled for fire and explosion risks

ESR has issued a recall for 33,000 HaloLock wireless power banks, in 6,000mAh and 10,000mAh versions, because their lithium-ion batteries can “overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.” The power banks were cheaper alternatives to Apple’s MagSafe accessories (priced between $32 and $40) but offered slower 7.5W wireless charging speeds when used […]

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Acura’s RSX prototype is a taste of what’s to come with Honda Zero

Acura is bringing back the RSX sedan as a premium, dramatic-looking, all-wheel drive electric crossover that’s also the first model engineered in-house on Honda’s new global EV Platform. This is the same platform that will eventually underpin the automaker’s Zero series, which is expected to go into production next year along with the RSX. So […]

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HyperX’s new gaming headset claims to last 250 hours on a single charge

HP-owned HyperX is announcing a slew of new gaming headsets and streaming-friendly microphones. The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 is the new flagship at $299.99. It uses 53mm drivers and 2.4GHz wireless lasting up to 250 hours — an impressive 10+ days of continuous use — though it drops to half that when simultaneously connected to […]

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Apple’s AirPods Max are $70 off in every color

One of the most-discussed subjects among many of my friends and colleagues are headphones: specifically, what provides the best sound, the best noise cancellation, and are the most comfortable to wear. If you’re part of the Apple ecosystem, then one of those featured in our roundup of best AirPods to buy are the AirPods Max, […]

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Google Flights can help you book a trip when you don’t know where to go

It seems like Google is looking for a way to put AI into everything these days, and now its efforts have reached its airfare-booking service, Flights. On Thursday, Google announced that it’s testing a new AI-powered Flight Deals tool, which could come in handy if you’re planning a trip on a budget but aren’t quite […]

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Microsoft is getting ready to return to the office

Microsoft originally encouraged its employees to work from home amid the coronavirus outbreak in 2020. This new flexible working arrangement then became an official "hybrid workplace" policy several months after the pandemic began, allowing managers to approve permanent remote work. Now that the pandemic has settled into endemicity, Microsoft wants employees to return to the […]

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Is streaming about to have a Wordle moment?

It's game time for streaming services: a growing number of streamers are betting on casual games as a way to keep viewers hooked when they've run out of things to watch. Toronto-based Zone-ify added free casual games to its ad-supported streaming service in June. Last month, close to 70 casual games arrived on Happykids and […]

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Inside Taylor Swift’s Friendship With Travis Kelce’s Sister-in-Law Kylie

Fans had long waited to see Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, in the same room, and the moment finally arrived in January 2024. Swift was first linked to Travis in September 2023 when she was spotted cheering him on at a Kansas City Chiefs game in a suite with his mother, Donna […]

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Elon Musk’s gangster tech regulation comes for Apple

Elon Musk is calling in another return on his investment in American politics: he's threatening Apple with a lawsuit because neither X nor xAI's Grok have been recommended on the iOS App Store. How serious this threat is - well, that's hard to say, as it was posted between Grok-generated waifus. "Hey @Apple App Store, […]

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Christian Militants Are Using Instagram to Recruit—and Becoming Influencers in the Process

There's a new guard of paramilitary activists, whose youthful membership, edgy aesthetics, use of Instagram, and, in many cases, overt nods to religion points to a new brand of anti-government Christian nationalist militias.

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Tigers’ Jack Flaherty and Soccer Star Katie Johnson Get Steamy in Photo Booth

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty and his girlfriend, soccer star Katie Johnson, gave a glimpse into their red-hot romance. Flaherty, 29, shared two photo booth reels via his Instagram Story on Wednesday, August 13, showing the couple in various stages of a makeout session.  The baseball star’s tongue featured heavily in the images, with Flaherty […]

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Who Is Ophelia Breaking Down Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Song Title

Taylor Swift debuted the tracklist for her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, and the first song already appears to have a storied literary history. The first song on the LP, out October 3, is titled “The Fate of Ophelia,” which Swift, 35, noted during her Wednesday, August 13, “New Heights” appearance is based […]

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Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra’s Family Searching for ‘Details’ After Her Death

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family is still searching for answers after her death at age 33. “They want more details,” attorney Arthur Aidala told The New York Post on Wednesday, August 13. “The circumstances surrounding this are far from typical.” Aidala continued, “They would like to know anyone who was with Martha that evening. Earlier that evening, […]

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Chicago Fire’s Daniel Kyri Addresses Surprise Exit After Final Day on Set

Chicago Fire‘s Daniel Kyri issued a statement after filming his final scenes following that shocking departure announcement. “OK. Yesterday, I filmed my last scenes as Ritter & I’m still so amazed that my first-ever TV gig — a role that was originally meant for just three episodes — turned into seven incredible years and spanned […]

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Prince Harry and King Charles Might Have a Face-to-Face Meeting Next Month

Could a reconciliation between Prince Harry and King Charles III really be on the horizon? This question can’t really be answered just yet, but there’s a possibility that the father and son will cross paths when Harry, 40, travels to the U.K. next month for duties connected to his role as a patron for WellChild. […]

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E.l.f. Cosmetics Responds to Matt Rife Campaign Backlash: ‘Missed the Mark’

E.l.f. Cosmetics heard the backlash surrounding their campaign with Matt Rife and responded. “You know us, we’re always listening and we’ve heard you,” the brand posed via Instagram on Wednesday, August 13. “This campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty injustice. We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. community.” […]

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Verge readers can get a $25 exclusive discount on the Boox Palma 2

If you want a convenient way to stay well read without amassing a library of physical books, an e-reader may be the right solution. The Boox Palma 2 impressed us with its pocket-friendly size and ability to run Android apps. A bundle including the Boox Palma 2 and a case is $299.99 ($29 off) at […]

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Taylor Swift Sweetly Kisses Travis Kelce to Wrap ‘New Heights’ Episode

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce couldn’t keep their hands to themselves throughout her appearance on the “New Heights” podcast. Swift, 35, teamed up with Travis, also 35, and his brother, Jason Kelce, for a jam-packed interview which dropped Wednesday, August 13. Throughout the two-hour conversation, Swift opened up about buying back her masters, life after […]

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Martha Stewart Swears by This $10 Drugstore Mascara for Falsies-Like Lashes

Martha Stewart knows how to keep her beauty routine simple (and affordable). Forget pricey lash extensions or heavy falsies — the lifestyle entrepreneur’s go-to mascara is $10 and creates lashes so full and fluttery, you’d think they were fake. If you’re after that show-stopping lash look without the hassle or the high price tag, Maybelline’s […]

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Philips Hue’s new bridge could turn your lights into motion sensors

Smart lighting company Philips Hue appears to be launching a new version of its bridge, the first in a decade. According to a product page briefly published on Hue’s website and since removed, the Hue Bridge Pro will be faster, have more capacity, and can “turn your smart lights into motion sensors.” A Hue video […]

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The head of ChatGPT won’t rule out adding ads

OpenAI is considering ways to bring in additional revenue, and bringing ads to ChatGPT is one option on the table. While being interviewed on Decoder, ChatGPT head Nick Turley said he’s “humble enough not to rule it out categorically,” but hedged that OpenAI would need to “be very thoughtful and tasteful” about how ads could […]

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You can pivot this wireless smartphone power bank to charge an Apple Watch, too

If you’re firmly in the Apple hardware ecosystem, Kuxiu’s K1 wireless power bank could be more useful to you than other portable MagSafe batteries. You can stick it to the back of your iPhone to keep it charged when you don’t have access to power, but rotating the K1 90 degrees reveals a second built-in […]

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Cohere hires long-time Meta research head Joelle Pineau as its chief AI officer

Cohere has hired Joelle Pineau, Meta's former VP of AI research who previously oversaw the tech giant's fundamental AI research (FAIR) lab. In her newly created Chief AI Officer role, Pineau will oversee AI strategy across Cohere's research, product and policy teams.

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The head of ChatGPT on AI attachment, ads, and what’s next

Welcome to Decoder! I’m Alex Heath, your Thursday episode guest host and deputy editor at The Verge. Today, I’m talking to a very special guest: Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT at OpenAI. While Sam Altman is definitely the public face of the company, Nick has been leading ChatGPT’s development since the very beginning. It’s […]

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UK porn site traffic tumbles following age gating rules

Figures reported by BBC News show that popular pornography websites are seeing far fewer visitors from the UK since the country enforced mandatory age verification requirements for online platforms. Pornhub saw a 47 percent decrease in UK traffic between July 24th (a day before the age-gating rules came into effect) and August 8th, according to […]

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HTC is getting in on AI glasses, too

With Meta, Google, Samsung, and maybe even Apple working on AI-powered glasses, smart spectacles are quickly becoming the hottest gadget in tech. Now, even HTC is jumping in on the trend with a new pair of Vive Eagle smart glasses that come with built-in speakers, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and an AI voice assistant. The […]

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Senators Press Howard Lutnick’s Former Investment Firm Over Tariff Conflict of Interest Concerns

Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren are demanding answers from Cantor Fitzgerald after WIRED reported that the firm was essentially creating a way for clients to bet on whether Trump’s tariffs will be struck down in court.

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How Is Netflix’s New Show ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Connected to ‘Virgin River’?

Sullivan’s Crossing might seem familiar to Netflix viewers because of its unexpected connection to Virgin River. The CTV series, which premiered on The CW before being licensed to Netflix, follows neurosurgeon Maggie (Morgan Kohan), who must return to her hometown in rural Nova Scotia. As she spends more time in Sullivan’s Crossing, Maggie reconnects with […]

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Google Messages is now blurring nude images

Sensitive Content Warnings that detect and blur images containing nudity are now rolling out to all Google Messages users on Android, according to 9to5Google. The feature gives users the option to delete blurred images without having to view them and block whoever sent the message. Users who attempt to send or forward nude images will […]

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‘Love Island USA’ Reunion Shows Extended Version of Heart Rate Challenge

Peacock viewers will finally get to see what actually happened during Love Island USA‘s controversial Heart Rate Challenge when the season 7 reunion airs. During the Wednesday, August 13, episode of Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen confirmed that the “extended version” of the challenge was shown to the Islanders at the reunion. “I […]

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Bethenny Frankel Wants to Get Married Again Because of Her Daughter

Bethenny Frankel is not ruling out another trip down the aisle thanks to her daughter, Bryn. “I want it for my daughter,” Frankel, 54, exclusively shared in her Us Weekly cover story. “We had a family scare this week with my dogs and the four of us are a little quarantine. She’s like, ‘I love […]

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These smart glasses use AI to help low-vision users

Accessibility-focused tech provider Envision has partnered with eyewear company Solos to launch new smart glasses specifically designed for blind and low-vision users. Envision says the camera-equipped Ally Solos Glasses can read and translate text, describe surroundings, search the web, and recognize people, objects, and signs, feeding information to the user via open-ear speakers built into […]

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Apple returns blood oxygen monitoring to the latest Apple Watches

Blood oxygen monitoring is returning to the Apple Watch — sort of. Starting today, Apple is rolling out a software update that enables a redesigned version of the feature for the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2 that circumvents the import ban imposed by the International Trade Commission. To get around the ban, […]

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