Spotify and the three major labels have won a $322 million default judgement against Anna’s Archive, the open-source library and pirate activist group that planned to publicly release millions of music files scraped from Spotify’s platform. The judgment comes after the unknown operator of Anna’s Archive failed to respond to a lawsuit filed by Spotify, … Read more
Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to helm Ford’s multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, is stepping down next month. Replacing him will be Alan Clarke, the ex-Tesla engineer who now leads Ford’s California-based skunkworks lab. Clarke’s new title will be vice president of advanced development projects, and he will continue to … Read more
The version posted by @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social. Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about Big Tech power plays in Washington and beyond. (And when I say beyond, I mean the great beyond, like Heaven, maybe.) If you’ve found your way to this newsletter from the wild, annual subscriptions are currently 50 percent … Read more
Live Nation-Ticketmaster is an illegal monopolist, a Manhattan jury found, according to Bloomberg. The jury found the company liable on three counts: illegally monopolizing the market for live event ticketing, amphitheaters, and tying its concert promotions business with the use of its venues, Bloomberg reported. The verdict, reached after several days of deliberation, leaves the … Read more
FTC seal. | Image: The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a group of eight states have announced a proposed settlement with big ad agencies that will prevent them from working together to avoid certain platforms like X based on their political viewpoints. In a complaint, the FTC argues that ad agencies violated antitrust … Read more
The Varmblixt is a smart donut-shaped light fixture that can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Ikea’s popular Varmblixt lamp just got a smart home glow-up. The delightfully bulbous light now features color-changing, dimming, and smart home control. I tested the new … Read more
Google is launching a new Gemini app on Mac that allows you to interact with the AI assistant without switching windows on your desktop. With the app, you can use the Option + Space shortcut to pull up a floating chat bubble, where you can ask Gemini questions and share your window. Before sharing your … Read more
Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo ($499 for students) has sent shockwaves through the PC ecosystem, and now Microsoft is responding with deals targeting students in the US. A new “Microsoft College Offer” is launching today, which will see the software giant bundle 12 months of free Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with select … Read more
The AirPods Pro 3 are $50 off, which is one of the biggest discounts we’ve seen this year. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you missed out on Amazon’s recent spring sales event, Best Buy’s Ultimate Upgrade Sale presents yet another opportunity to score steep discounts on some of our favorite … Read more
The Senate is getting ready to vote on a bill to resurrect IRS Direct File, the free tax filing service axed by the Trump administration in 2025. On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will seek unanimous consent to pass the Direct File Act, where it will either get fast-tracked to the House of Representatives or … Read more
I’ve been reporting on self-driving cars for over a decade, and I’ve seen the technology go through many ups and downs, highs and lows. But one thing has remained remarkably the same over the years: the public just ain’t buying it. Poll after poll has revealed a deep and abiding skepticism toward autonomous vehicles. People … Read more
Allbirds had a hit a decade ago with its Wool Runner shoes, but after a $4 billion IPO in 2021, the business never turned a profit, and sales dropped nearly 50 percent between 2022 and 2025. The company recently announced it would sell off its name and assets for $39 million to American Exchange after … Read more
Ever since Jack decided to stay behind in 2010, I’ve been searching for something to give me the same feeling that Lost did. I crave a big mystery with a huge cast and more secrets than I can handle, something that prompts me and my friends to share nonsensical theories about what’s really going on. … Read more
The Onn 4K Pro’s remote looks identical to its predecessor but can now be located using your voice. | Image: Walmart It hasn’t been officially announced, but Walmart’s website now has a listing (you may need to set your location to Ventura, California) for an updated version of its budget-friendly Onn 4K Pro streaming box … Read more
What is this, a telephoto lens for ants? Upgrading your phone with a camera grip attachment is one thing. But doll-sized telephoto lenses that you mount on top of the rear camera? C’mon. I wrote the Vivo X300 off as a gimmick, a funny concept designed to generate attention rather than actual sales. But then … Read more
You don’t need to understand any fancy editing terms — just describe what changes you want to make. | Image: Adobe Adobe is fully embracing AI tools that enable creators to edit their work using descriptive prompts, instead of manually using specific Creative Cloud apps. The software giant’s new Firefly AI Assistant allows users to … Read more
Amazon has taken the wraps off a new Fire TV Stick HD that it says is its slimmest yet. At $34.99, the device offers a design that Amazon says is 30 percent thinner than the previous generation, along with the ability to power it directly through your TV’s USB port. The new design eliminates the … Read more
Images and text upload in seconds, but for bigger files Warp is too slow compared to direct device-to-device connections. I test Android phones for a living, but I write about them using a company-supplied MacBook Air. Both platforms are great in their own right, but they’re not so great at talking to one another. On … Read more
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is hard to explain. The best way to understand is to see it in action; a screenshot of Handsome Squidward and Bob Belcher falling in love over their shared appreciation of cannibalism makes it clear that, while it’s a life sim, the game is really a joke-generating machine. Living the … Read more
When Microsoft tried to launch Recall, an AI-powered Windows feature that screenshots most of what you do on your PC, it was labeled a “disaster” for cybersecurity and a “privacy nightmare.” After the backlash and a year-long delay to redesign and secure Recall, it’s once again facing security and privacy concerns. Cybersecurity expert Alexander Hagenah … Read more
Snap is laying off roughly 16 percent of its global workforce in a cost-cutting effort to chase improved profitability with the help of AI. The cuts will impact around 1,000 full-time employees, according to a memo sent to staffers from Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. An additional 300 open roles are also being closed. “While these … Read more
The Bookshop.org integration is now available for Spotify users on Android, with iOS support expected next week. | Image: Spotify Spotify is rolling out some new updates for book lovers, expanding audiobook listening features and allowing users to buy physical publications through the platform. Readers in the US and UK can now purchase printed books … Read more
Apple quietly threatened to kick Elon Musk’s AI app, Grok, from its App Store in January over its failure to curb the surge of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes flooding X, according to NBC News. It was a muted show of force from one of tech’s most powerful gatekeepers, made behind closed doors even as the undressing … Read more
*insert Godzilla screeching sound* Here’s the very first look at the next big kaiju feature. Godzilla Minus Zero will continue the story of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, which returned the franchise to the more grounded tone established in the original film, and while the new teaser trailer doesn’t show a whole lot, it suggests some … Read more
Microsoft is reportedly ending production of its Surface Hub 3 collaborative office display and canceling plans for a Surface Hub 4, according to Windows Central. The extra-large digital whiteboard that included its own built-in PC was originally announced in 2015 ahead of the launch of Windows 10 and came in two sizes, 50 inches and … Read more
Bong Joon Ho’s quirky Mickey 17 is on the list of 4K Blu-rays available in Amazon’s three for $33 sale. | Image: Warner Bros. Pictures Amazon has switched on its semi-regular three for $33 sale for a large batch of 4K Blu-ray movies. As usual, there are too many to list individually, though it’s a … Read more
Amazon is offering Prime Video subscribers a way to get Apple TV Plus and Peacock Premium Plus at a discount. With a new bundle, subscribers can access all content from both services directly through Prime Video. The bundle includes both streaming services for $19.99 per month, as opposed to the total $29.98 per month it … Read more
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the attorneys general of California and New York to investigate Google for deceptive trade practices, saying the tech giant fails to notify users before handing over their data to law enforcement agencies like ICE. “For nearly a decade, Google has promised billions of users that it will notify … Read more
Before allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home, the 20-year-old accused attacker wrote about his fear that the AI race would cause humans to go extinct, the San Francisco Chronicle found. Two days later, Altman’s home appeared to be targeted a second time, according to The San Francisco Standard. Only a … Read more
Elon Musk is facing questions about his upcoming payments platform, X Money, and whether it will allow users to safely perform transactions. In a letter to Musk on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) writes that X Money could pose a risk to “consumers, our national security, and the stability of the financial system,” citing Musk’s … Read more