Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Popular：

Virtualization DNS security formal verification reachability analysis compiler errors macro conflict web extension development framework Bitmap Graphics API inconsistencies All Tags

$225M in Crypto Seized: Busting a Massive Pig Butchering Scam

2025-06-20

$225M in Crypto Seized: Busting a Massive Pig Butchering Scam

The Department of Justice seized approximately $225.3 million in cryptocurrency linked to a massive “pig butchering” scam targeting over 400 victims. The scam, involving fake romantic relationships and fraudulent crypto investments, saw funds laundered through a complex network. The US Secret Service and FBI traced the funds to seven groups of Tether stablecoins. Tether and OKX aided law enforcement in identifying the accounts. Recovered funds will be returned to victims. The FBI reports $5.8 billion in losses from crypto investment fraud in 2024.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech crypto scam pig butchering

Waymo's NYC RoboTaxi Ambitions Hit Regulatory Snag

2025-06-18

Waymo's NYC RoboTaxi Ambitions Hit Regulatory Snag

Waymo aims to launch a fully autonomous robotaxi service in New York City, but first needs to overcome a state law requiring safety drivers. While Waymo applied for a permit to test its vehicles with safety drivers, the company is lobbying to change the law to allow driverless operation. The complex traffic conditions of NYC, along with legislative reservations, pose significant hurdles. Other states have been more receptive to AV testing, highlighting New York's stricter regulations and cautious approach.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Netflix to Stream French TV Channels in Landmark Deal with TF1

2025-06-18

Netflix to Stream French TV Channels in Landmark Deal with TF1

Starting summer 2026, Netflix subscribers in France will gain access to TF1's free-to-air live channels and on-demand content, all within the Netflix app. This groundbreaking partnership with France's leading broadcaster marks a significant move for Netflix, offering French users a broader entertainment experience and potentially fulfilling regulatory requirements for French-language content investment. The deal, mirroring similar output deals for CBS in the US or ITV in the UK, signals a potential new strategy for traditional networks facing audience erosion in the streaming era, leveraging the reach of established platforms to reach wider audiences.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech TV Partnership

Threads Deepens Fediverse Integration: A New Feed and Search

2025-06-17

Threads Deepens Fediverse Integration: A New Feed and Search

Meta's Threads team has launched a significant update, integrating more deeply with the decentralized social web (fediverse). Users now have a dedicated feed showcasing posts from followed accounts on platforms like Mastodon and Flipboard. A new fediverse user search feature also makes discovery easier. While fediverse content sharing remains opt-in and is displayed separately from the main feed, this represents a major step towards a more open Threads. Future integration is planned, but the exact approach remains under discussion.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Threads Rolls Out Spoiler Tag Test

2025-06-16

Threads Rolls Out Spoiler Tag Test

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads is globally testing a new spoiler feature. Users can mark images or text as spoilers, blurring them. Other users can view the hidden content with a tap or click. Similar to Reddit's spoiler tags, this aims to improve user experience by preventing accidental spoilers. The feature is currently better optimized for mobile, with desktop improvements in progress.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Spoiler Tag

Walmart and Wing Expand Drone Delivery to Five New Cities

2025-06-13

Walmart and Wing Expand Drone Delivery to Five New Cities

Walmart and Alphabet's drone delivery company, Wing, are expanding their partnership to five new US cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. Customers can now order online and have their Walmart purchases delivered by drone. This expansion adds 100 stores to their existing network, building on over 150,000 deliveries completed by Walmart since 2021 and over 450,000 by Wing since 2012. The initiative aims to enhance delivery speed and convenience while exploring more sustainable logistics solutions. Wing's drones can carry up to 5 pounds and have a 12-mile range.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Google Search Integrates AI-Powered Audio Overviews

2025-06-13

Google Search Integrates AI-Powered Audio Overviews

Google is testing a new feature that integrates AI-powered Audio Overviews directly into mobile search results. Enabled via Labs, this feature generates podcast-style AI discussions for specific queries. For example, searching “How do noise cancellation headphones work?” reveals a ‘Generate Audio Overview’ button. Clicking this generates a ~40-second overview featuring two AI ‘hosts’ discussing the topic and linking to source materials. Currently, this is US-English only.

(www.theverge.com)

AI

Gemini AI Boosts Google Workspace: Summarization for PDFs and Forms Arrives

2025-06-13

Gemini AI Boosts Google Workspace: Summarization for PDFs and Forms Arrives

Google is rolling out new Gemini AI features to Workspace, simplifying information retrieval from PDFs and form responses. Gemini's file summarization capabilities now extend to PDFs and Google Forms, condensing key details and insights for easier access. For PDFs, Gemini generates summary cards with clickable actions like 'draft a proposal' or 'list interview questions'. For Forms, it summarizes short-answer responses, highlighting key themes. A new 'help me create' feature automatically generates forms based on user descriptions, even incorporating data from other Google Workspace files. These features are rolling out in stages throughout June and July, with varying language support.

(www.theverge.com)

AI AI Summarization

Meta Bets Big on Geothermal to Power its AI Boom

2025-06-13

Meta Bets Big on Geothermal to Power its AI Boom

Meta has partnered with XGS Energy to build a 150-megawatt geothermal power project in New Mexico, supplying clean energy to its data centers. This deal signifies a major step in Meta's commitment to renewable energy to fuel its booming AI infrastructure. XGS Energy's next-generation geothermal technology unlocks previously inaccessible resources, directly addressing the massive energy needs of AI and reducing carbon emissions. This initiative underscores Meta's sustainability goals while boosting the geothermal startup sector.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Geothermal Energy

Microsoft's Next-Gen Xbox: Beyond the Console, Embracing Any Screen

2025-06-12

Microsoft's Next-Gen Xbox: Beyond the Console, Embracing Any Screen

Microsoft's partnership with ASUS to launch the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handhelds signals a major shift in its next-gen Xbox strategy. These Windows-based devices feature a full-screen Xbox UI, extending the gaming experience beyond a single console. This reinforces Microsoft's 'Xbox as a service' vision, pushing the platform to various devices. While currently focused on PC games, Microsoft is addressing compatibility issues through Xbox Play Anywhere and cloud gaming, with plans to leverage emulation for future backward compatibility. The strategy prioritizes player choice, aiming to make any screen an Xbox.

(www.theverge.com)

Game

Anker Recalls PowerCore 10000 Power Bank Due to Fire Risk

2025-06-12

Anker Recalls PowerCore 10000 Power Bank Due to Fire Risk

Anker has issued a recall for its PowerCore 10000 power bank (model A1263) due to a potential fire hazard stemming from its lithium-ion battery. The USCPSC received 19 reports of fires and explosions causing minor injuries and over $60,700 in property damage. Approximately 1,158,000 units sold between June 2016 and December 2022 are affected. Anker offers a $30 gift card or a replacement power bank. Consumers need to submit photos and serial numbers for verification and safely dispose of the recalled units. This recall highlights the potential dangers of aging lithium-ion batteries and the benefits of upgrading to safer solid-state alternatives.

(www.theverge.com)

Hardware Power Bank Recall Fire Safety

Seagate Unleashes 4TB Xbox Expansion Card, But is it Worth the Price?

2025-06-09

Seagate Unleashes 4TB Xbox Expansion Card, But is it Worth the Price?

Seagate has launched a 4TB storage expansion card for Xbox Series X|S consoles, its first capacity upgrade since 2021. Priced at $499.99 (with a limited-time discount to $429.99), it caters to players with extensive game libraries. However, the price is steep, especially considering Seagate's 2TB card is currently available for $219.99. Western Digital offers competing cards, but not yet a 4TB option. The Xbox expansion cards remain pricier than PlayStation 5 alternatives, which support a wider range of compatible SSDs.

(www.theverge.com)

Hardware Storage Expansion Card

Apple's WWDC2025: Liquid Glass Redesign Sweeps Across Platforms

2025-06-09

Apple's WWDC2025: Liquid Glass Redesign Sweeps Across Platforms

Apple unveiled Liquid Glass, a sweeping design update at WWDC2025, bringing transparency and glass-like shine effects to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. Inspired by visionOS, this universal design adapts to light and dark modes, transforming elements from the dock and lock screen to app interfaces like Camera and Safari. New APIs are provided for developers to update their apps for this major UI overhaul. Marking Apple's biggest design shift in over a decade, Liquid Glass will significantly impact app development in the coming months.

(www.theverge.com)

Design Design Language UI Update

Apple's WWDC 2025: A Crossroads

2025-06-08

Apple's WWDC 2025: A Crossroads

Apple faces significant challenges ahead of its 2025 WWDC. Poor Vision Pro sales, a stalled AI strategy, strained developer relations, and legal battles cast a shadow over the company. The article predicts Apple will likely avoid addressing these issues directly, opting instead for continued marketing of existing products. However, the author argues this is insufficient to overcome the current crisis. A show of humility and acknowledgement of past mistakes at WWDC is crucial to regaining developer trust and charting a successful future.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Microsoft Restructures to Unleash AI Power: LinkedIn and Microsoft 365 Converge

2025-06-04

Microsoft Restructures to Unleash AI Power: LinkedIn and Microsoft 365 Converge

Microsoft announced major organizational changes to fuel its AI ambitions. LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky expands his role to lead Microsoft 365 Copilot, while remaining LinkedIn CEO. Charles Lamanna and his Business and Industry Copilot team will report to Rajesh, reflecting Microsoft's strategy to integrate Modern Work and Business Applications into a unified AI Business Solutions Center. This move aims to break down traditional industry silos, creating greater customer value by leveraging the combined power of LinkedIn, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365 to unlock the next wave of AI innovation.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Microsoft Restructuring AI Strategy LinkedIn Integration

Fortnite's Triumphant Return to iOS: 10 Million Downloads and a Mobile-First Future

2025-06-03

Fortnite's Triumphant Return to iOS: 10 Million Downloads and a Mobile-First Future

After a five-year absence due to a legal battle with Apple, Fortnite has triumphantly returned to the iOS App Store. While initially expecting a quicker resolution, the court process extended the game's absence. Since its May 20th relaunch, Fortnite has already hit the top of the App Store's free games chart, boasting over 10 million downloads. Epic Games plans to focus on mobile growth, optimizing touch controls for battle royale and creator-made experiences. Currently, 60% of players use Apple's payment system, but Epic anticipates increased adoption of its own payment system as more players link their Epic accounts to payment methods.

(www.theverge.com)

Game

T-Mobile's Fiber Blitz: 500K+ Homes Get Gig Speeds

2025-06-03

T-Mobile's Fiber Blitz: 500K+ Homes Get Gig Speeds

T-Mobile is expanding its fiber internet service to over 500,000 US households, launching three new plans with symmetrical speeds up to 2 Gig. These plans include a five-year price lock and a $5 autopay discount (debit card or bank account required). This expansion follows a joint venture with Lumos and a pending Metronet acquisition, aiming to reach 12-15 million homes by 2030. A limited-time 'Fiber Founders Club' plan offers a 10-year price lock but is available in select locations only.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Fiber Internet Network Expansion

Meta's Big Bet on Nuclear: Powering AI, Reducing Emissions?

2025-06-03

Meta's Big Bet on Nuclear: Powering AI, Reducing Emissions?

Meta has partnered with Constellation Energy to keep the aging Clinton Clean Energy Center nuclear plant in Illinois operational for the next 20 years. This deal, which involves undisclosed financial support from Meta, will increase the plant's capacity by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 jobs, and power 800,000 homes. It's part of Meta's broader strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, fueled by increasing AI energy demands, and reflects a growing trend of Big Tech investing in nuclear energy. Meta is also actively pursuing next-generation reactor technologies to further its sustainability goals.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Mario Kart World: A Massive Open-World Racing Revolution

2025-06-03

Mario Kart World: A Massive Open-World Racing Revolution

Nintendo's ambitious new title, Mario Kart World, completely reinvents the series, shifting from traditional individual tracks to a vast open world. So large was the game's scope, it initially struggled to run on the original Switch, ultimately becoming a launch title for the more powerful Switch 2. The development team not only doubled the racer count to 24 but also fundamentally redesigned core elements. Track design, for instance, now considers players entering and exiting from any direction. While familiar Mushroom Kingdom elements appear, the world is designed first and foremost for optimal kart racing. New modes include Knockout Tour, a battle royale-style race across the continent, and a revamped Grand Prix where players drive between courses. This change was inspired by the kishōtenketsu narrative structure, creating varied pacing. The game retains the series' quirky charm, like costume changes from eating diner food.

(www.theverge.com)

Game Mario Kart Open World

Microsoft Makes Significant Windows Changes to Comply with the Digital Markets Act

2025-06-03

Microsoft Makes Significant Windows Changes to Comply with the Digital Markets Act

To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Microsoft announced several new features for Windows users in the EEA. Users can now uninstall the Microsoft Store and avoid being forced to set Edge as their default browser. Setting a different default browser will pin it to the taskbar and extend its association to more file types. Microsoft assures users that apps installed from the Store will continue receiving updates even after uninstallation. Further improvements include enabling third-party apps to add their search results to Windows Search upon installation, and allowing users to customize the order of search providers. These updates will roll out in early June and July.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Texas Becomes Ninth State to Pass Right-to-Repair Law

2025-06-03

Texas Becomes Ninth State to Pass Right-to-Repair Law

Texas has joined the growing number of states with right-to-repair laws after the state Senate unanimously passed HB 2963. This makes Texas the ninth state with such a law and the first with a Republican-controlled government. The bill mandates manufacturers provide spare parts, manuals, and tools for equipment sold in the state, aiming to reduce the state's substantial electronic waste (621,000 tons annually). This victory follows similar legislation in states like New York and California, signaling a broader national movement toward increased repairability and reduced e-waste.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Instagram Now Supports 3:4 Aspect Ratio Photos

2025-05-30

Instagram Now Supports 3:4 Aspect Ratio Photos

Instagram now supports photos with a 3:4 aspect ratio, meaning uploads in this format will appear exactly as shot, according to Instagram head Adam Mosseri. He notes that most phone cameras default to this ratio. The update supports both single photo uploads and carousels, although square and 4:5 aspect ratios remain options. This follows Instagram's January move to rectangular profile grids, reflecting the increasing prevalence of vertical photos and videos.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech aspect ratio

Gmail Rolls Out Automatic AI-Powered Email Summaries

2025-05-30

Gmail Rolls Out Automatic AI-Powered Email Summaries

Google Workspace users will see Gemini AI's email summarization capabilities significantly enhanced. Gmail now automatically generates summaries for complex email threads, displayed above the emails. While AI-powered summaries have been available in Google Workspace since last year, they previously required manual activation. Now, Google's AI will autonomously determine when a summary is helpful, creating them without user prompting. Summaries are kept up-to-date with new replies. Currently, automatic summaries appear only on mobile devices for English-language emails and may take up to two weeks to roll out to all accounts. Google hasn't announced plans for desktop expansion or availability to non-Workspace users. Manual summarization remains an option, and all AI features can be disabled via the app's "Smart features" setting.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Email Summarization

Discord Beta Tests New In-App Currency: Discord Orbs

2025-05-29

Discord Beta Tests New In-App Currency: Discord Orbs

Discord is beta testing "Discord Orbs," a new in-app currency redeemable for digital items. Users earn Orbs by completing promotional Quests, which involve interacting with advertiser content. Orbs can be spent on items in the Discord Shop or exchanged for exclusives like badges or Discord Nitro trials. The rollout is initially limited to a small number of users globally. Previously, Quest rewards were handled by publishers; Orbs offer an alternative.

(www.theverge.com)

Game in-app currency rewards

Cyberpunk 2 Enters Pre-Production, Witcher 3 Hits 60 Million Sales

2025-05-28

Cyberpunk 2 Enters Pre-Production, Witcher 3 Hits 60 Million Sales

CD Projekt Red (CDPR) announced in its latest earnings report that the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, tentatively titled "Cyberpunk 2," has moved from the conceptual phase into pre-production. 96 developers are currently working on the title, which has the codename "Project Orion." While a release date is not yet available, the company stated it would launch "in due time." Meanwhile, the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, Phantom Liberty, has sold over 10 million copies and will be a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title on June 5th. CDPR also celebrated the 10th anniversary of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, announcing sales exceeding 60 million copies.

(www.theverge.com)

Game

US Slams Europe's Digital Services Act, Restricts Visas Over Censorship Concerns

2025-05-28

US Slams Europe's Digital Services Act, Restricts Visas Over Censorship Concerns

The US State Department has launched a fresh attack on Europe and other countries' attempts to regulate digital platforms. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions for foreign nationals involved in censoring protected speech within the US. This move is widely seen as a response to Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA), aimed at improving online safety. The US argues the DSA could be used to silence dissent and infringes on US sovereignty and free speech. The policy's enforcement remains unclear.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Digital Services Act

Microsoft Opens Windows Update to Third-Party Apps

2025-05-28

Microsoft Opens Windows Update to Third-Party Apps

Microsoft is expanding Windows Update to include third-party applications. Developers can now sign up for a private preview of the Windows Update orchestration platform, enabling future support for updates to any app or driver. While initially focused on business apps, it will be open to all apps and management tools. This allows developers to leverage scheduled updates based on user activity, battery status, and sustainable energy timing, connect directly to native Windows Update notifications, and list updates in the Windows Update app history. Microsoft will support MSIX/APPX packaged apps and some custom Win32 apps.

(www.theverge.com)

Development Third-party Apps

UK AI Regulation: Artist Consent Could 'Kill' the Industry, Warns Clegg

2025-05-26

UK AI Regulation: Artist Consent Could 'Kill' the Industry, Warns Clegg

Former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg argues that requiring artist consent for AI model training would effectively destroy the UK's AI industry. While the creative community pushes for the right to opt out of their work being used to train AI, Clegg contends that obtaining consent for vast datasets is impractical. He warns that such a requirement, implemented solely in Britain, would cripple the nation's AI sector. This debate follows the rejection of an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which aimed to increase transparency in AI training data. The fight, however, continues.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech artist consent

US Air Traffic Control System: A Precarious Situation

2025-05-25

US Air Traffic Control System: A Precarious Situation

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system is in crisis. Chronic underfunding and mismanagement have left its 1990s-era system outdated and understaffed. Repeated radio and radar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport highlight the system's fragility. The FAA's attempt to relocate Newark's air traffic control to Philadelphia worsened the situation due to staffing shortages, insufficient infrastructure investment, and an underestimation of risks. This has caused flight delays and cancellations, but more importantly, it endangers passenger safety. While the FAA is working to hire more controllers and upgrade systems, funding and time constraints, coupled with bureaucracy and cronyism, make a comprehensive solution a distant prospect, leaving US aviation safety precariously balanced.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Internet Archive Livestreams Microfiche Digitization

2025-05-25

Internet Archive Livestreams Microfiche Digitization

The Internet Archive is livestreaming its microfiche digitization process on YouTube, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how it converts physical documents into digital ones. The stream shows high-resolution cameras capturing images from microfiche cards, software stitching these images together, and staff using automated tools to crop individual pages before uploading to the Internet Archive's public collections. The livestream runs Monday through Friday, 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM ET, and also features other content like public domain silent films and NASA historical pictures outside of digitization hours.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Digitization Microfiche

← Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next →