The Jurassic Park islands and dinos are coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Jurassic World: Archipelago is a new expansion pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 that lets aspiring pilots explore the five islands of the fictional Cinco Muertes Archipelago featured in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. Created by Australian developer Orbx that’s known for its flight sim add-ons, the expansion lets you visit many locations […]

Continue ReadingThe Jurassic Park islands and dinos are coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

OpenAI teases GPT-5 launch event this Thursday

OpenAI is teasing a big announcement on Thursday, and based on a not-so-subtle clue, it seems like the news will be the reveal of its long-awaited GPT-5 AI model. In a post on X, OpenAI announced a “LIVE5TREAM THURSDAY 10AM PT” — notice that the “s” in the word livestream is swapped for a “5.” […]

Continue ReadingOpenAI teases GPT-5 launch event this Thursday

I tested Grok’s Valentine sex chatbot and it (mostly) behaved

It's Tuesday, August 5th, and I have awoken to the news that Valentine, Grok's latest spicy AI companion, has been released! As an OnlyFans content creator and someone who spends a lot of time being paid to sext humans, the idea of flipping the script and interacting with a brooding sex bot as the person […]

Continue ReadingI tested Grok’s Valentine sex chatbot and it (mostly) behaved

Google swears it isn’t destroying the web with AI search

Google says its AI search features aren’t tanking website traffic despite recent reports suggesting otherwise. In a blog post published on Wednesday, Google Search head Liz Reid says click volume from the search engine has remained “relatively stable” when compared to the same time last year — though some types of websites are getting more […]

Continue ReadingGoogle swears it isn’t destroying the web with AI search

Call of Duty’s PC anti-cheat will require Secure Boot on Windows

To better protect against cheaters, Activision says that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 players on PC will need to use hardware with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and have Windows’ Secure Boot feature turned on when the game is available later this year. Ahead of that, Activision is doing a “phased rollout” of the […]

Continue ReadingCall of Duty’s PC anti-cheat will require Secure Boot on Windows

Bose’s stylish SoundLink Home speaker is cheaper for the first time in months

Audio quality is always going to be a speaker’s most important feature, but it doesn’t hurt if it looks nice too. In our tests, Bose’s SoundLink Home is a solid sounding, aesthetically pleasing portable Bluetooth speaker that you can currently pick up for $199.99 ($20 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. The SoundLink Home’s […]

Continue ReadingBose’s stylish SoundLink Home speaker is cheaper for the first time in months

Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Copilot to the Windows Game Bar

Microsoft started testing its Xbox Copilot on iOS and Android earlier this year, and now it’s bringing the chatbot to the Game Bar feature on Windows 11. Xbox Insiders can start testing a preview of the Gaming Copilot integration in the Game Bar today, and Microsoft is planning “further optimizations” for this new feature on […]

Continue ReadingMicrosoft is bringing its Xbox Copilot to the Windows Game Bar

Introducing Regulator and The Stepback, our new subscriber-exclusive newsletters

Today, I'm excited to announce three newsletter offerings, exclusive to Verge subscribers, that will continue to deliver must-read stories about tech and beyond. First, we're introducing Regulator by Tina Nguyen. Regulator is focused on the battles between Big Tech and Big Government - from the juicy palace intrigue to the devastating consequences of their political […]

Continue ReadingIntroducing Regulator and The Stepback, our new subscriber-exclusive newsletters

Welcome to Regulator

You'll often see tech policy reporting described as the intersection of technology and politics, and for years, that was a pretty accurate description: Silicon Valley existed independent of Washington politics, and every so often, they'd cross paths, discuss some regulatory concern, write a check, shake hands, and then go their separate ways. This is no […]

Continue ReadingWelcome to Regulator

Welcome to The Stepback, a weekly breakdown of one essential story from across the tech world

I'm excited to announce The Stepback, a weekly subscriber-only newsletter that I'll be editing for The Verge. We'll be bringing you a new story each Sunday from a rotating cast of writers from every corner of the Verge extended universe. If you're a regular reader, you know we cover a broad range of topics across […]

Continue ReadingWelcome to The Stepback, a weekly breakdown of one essential story from across the tech world

Citizen Lab director warns cyber industry about US authoritarian descent

Ron Deibert, the head of the prominent digital human rights groups Citizen Lab, sounds the alarm at the Black Hat security conference about the "dramatic descent into authoritarianism," but one that the cyber community can help to defend against.

Continue ReadingCitizen Lab director warns cyber industry about US authoritarian descent

The Switch OLED went up in price, but you can still save $110

Nintendo recently made the unexpected decision to increase the prices of its last-gen Switch hardware due to “market conditions,” adding $30 to the cost of the $199.99 Switch Lite, $40 to the standard $299.99 Switch, and $50 to the $349.99 Switch OLED. The price difference between the Switch OLED and the standalone Switch 2 now […]

Continue ReadingThe Switch OLED went up in price, but you can still save $110

A ‘unified’ Disney Plus could be the end of Hulu’s app

Disney is planning to fully integrate Hulu with Disney Plus, creating a “unified” app experience that will launch next year, the company announced as part of its earnings results on Wednesday. The new app will put all of Hulu’s content into Disney Plus, calling the future of Hulu’s standalone app into question. With Disney’s deal […]

Continue ReadingA ‘unified’ Disney Plus could be the end of Hulu’s app

Sonos’ smart assistant is expanding from music to home control

Since its launch in 2022, the capabilities of Sonos Voice Control have expanded to include setting timers and checking the weather. But by the end of this year, the smart assistant will introduce compatibility with the Philips Hue smart home platform allowing it to also control lights through voice commands, according to Hueblog. In late […]

Continue ReadingSonos’ smart assistant is expanding from music to home control

Instagram adds a reposts feed and rips off Snap Maps

Instagram is getting several new features that pull from competitors, and it’s updating a controversial feature that it added earlier this year. Starting today, users will have the ability to repost public Reels and grid posts from other accounts. And similar to TikTok, reposts will be collected in a designated tab on your profile, as […]

Continue ReadingInstagram adds a reposts feed and rips off Snap Maps

Cohere’s new AI agent platform, North, promises to keep enterprise data secure

Canadian AI firm Cohere is taking aim at alleviating data privacy concerns with its new AI agent platform, North, which can be deployed privately so that enterprises and governments can keep their, and customers', data safe behind their own firewalls. 

Continue ReadingCohere’s new AI agent platform, North, promises to keep enterprise data secure

Two arrested for smuggling AI chips to China; Nvidia says no to kill switches

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that two Chinese nationals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in illegally shipping "tens of millions of dollars" worth of high-performance AI chips to China.

Continue ReadingTwo arrested for smuggling AI chips to China; Nvidia says no to kill switches

Final call: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ticket savings end tonight

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 marks 20 years of shaping the startup world — and tonight’s your last chance to save up to $675 on your ticket. From October 27–29, Disrupt returns to Moscone West in San Francisco. Join 10,000+ tech innovators, founders, VCs, and ecosystem builders for three days of high-impact programming, networking, and startup energy. […]

Continue ReadingFinal call: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ticket savings end tonight

Jeff Buckley died young but is immortalized in a new documentary

Jeff Buckley captivated an audience of generations with his transcendent voice and soaring guitar. After his untimely passing in 1997 at age 30, he gained posthumous, cult-like status. Never one for the charts, his album Grace has stood the test of time and is listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. His […]

Continue ReadingJeff Buckley died young but is immortalized in a new documentary

Disney will stop reporting its streaming subscriber numbers

Disney announced that it will no longer report on subscriber numbers for its streaming services in its quarterly financial reports, following in the footsteps of Netflix. The decision comes after a quarter in which it reported 2.6 million new Disney Plus and Hulu subscribers, bringing it to 183 million in total. The decision was announced […]

Continue ReadingDisney will stop reporting its streaming subscriber numbers

Sweet Magnolias’ JoAnna Garcia Reveals If Season 5 Will Kill More People Off

Sweet Magnolias shocked viewers by killing off Bill — but is there a chance there will be more character deaths in season 5? During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly while promoting Hallmark’s Providence Falls, JoAnna García Swisher confirmed that “no one dies” in the next season. “But it’s extremely dramatic,” Swisher, 45, who plays […]

Continue ReadingSweet Magnolias’ JoAnna Garcia Reveals If Season 5 Will Kill More People Off

Jessica Alba Uses This Exact Lip Gloss for a Pop of Color — Just $22

As the founder of Honest Beauty, Jessica Alba knows a thing or two about what goes into a great makeup product. So when we spotted her applying an ultra-pigmented lip gloss during a ‘get ready with me’ video on Instagram, we had to get our hands on it ASAP. The Saie Glossybounce Lip Gloss is […]

Continue ReadingJessica Alba Uses This Exact Lip Gloss for a Pop of Color — Just $22

ESPN’s live sports streaming service arrives this month

The launch of ESPN’s long-awaited standalone streaming service is just weeks away. Alongside its earnings results on Wednesday, Disney revealed that ESPN’s streaming service and its “enhanced” app will arrive on August 21st for $29.99 per month. ESPN’s new streaming service, which remains separate from ESPN Plus, will offer access to the network’s linear channels, […]

Continue ReadingESPN’s live sports streaming service arrives this month

Google says hackers stole its customers’ data by breaching its Salesforce database

Google confirmed that one of its cloud-stored Salesforce databases was breached, exposing its customer data. Google attributed the breach to a hacking group, ShinyHunters, known for breaking into Salesforce databases.

Continue ReadingGoogle says hackers stole its customers’ data by breaching its Salesforce database

Cheryl Burke Says Ozempic and Surgery Allegations Threatened Her Sobriety

Cheryl Burke has had enough. Throughout her career, including 17 years competing as a pro on Dancing With the Stars (which she left in 2022), she’s endured relentless body shaming. She also suffers from body dysmorphic disorder, an intense fixation on her looks and perceived flaws. For decades, she took other people’s critiques to heart. […]

Continue ReadingCheryl Burke Says Ozempic and Surgery Allegations Threatened Her Sobriety

Qwant and Ecosia debut Staan, a European search index that aims to take on Big Tech

European search engines Qwant and Ecosia said on Wednesday that they have both started serving search queries through an index they developed together, Staan, that aims to be a cheaper, more privacy-focused alternative to Google and Bing.

Continue ReadingQwant and Ecosia debut Staan, a European search index that aims to take on Big Tech

17 Expensive-Looking Kids’ Clothing That Scream ‘My Mom Is Stylish’

Back to school shopping is in full force, which means it’s time to refresh your kids’ closets with class-ready pieces. Kids grow like crazy, so it’s not always ideal to spend a whole lot when they may grow out of them before the end of the year. However, they can still look like you spent […]

Continue Reading17 Expensive-Looking Kids’ Clothing That Scream ‘My Mom Is Stylish’

Nvidia rejects US demand for backdoors in AI chips

Nvidia’s chief security officer has published a blog post insisting that its GPUs “do not and should not have kill switches and backdoors.” It comes amid pressure from both sides of the Pacific, with some US lawmakers pushing Nvidia to grant the government backdoors to AI chips, while Chinese officials have alleged that they already […]

Continue ReadingNvidia rejects US demand for backdoors in AI chips

Teri Hatcher Shares Makeup-Free, No-Filter Selfie: ‘It’s OK to Be Real’

Teri Hatcher is all about keeping it real. The Desperate Housewives star, 60, bared her face for her Instagram followers on Tuesday, August 5, sharing a series of selfies that she said are makeup-free and completely unfiltered. In the snaps, Hatcher can be seen posing for the camera as she wears a white sports jacket […]

Continue ReadingTeri Hatcher Shares Makeup-Free, No-Filter Selfie: ‘It’s OK to Be Real’