Author: News Room
It feels like retro technology is having a real moment again. The iPod is making a return to prominence. Compact discs are on the rise. Dumb phones are specific choices consumers are making, and the rise of cameras without external connectivity continues. There’s good reasons why. Cameras free of the computational processing, and filters can provide a more authentic representation of a scene. Some believe the warm sound of vinyl records is better than even the most uncompressed digital music. The common thread? A growing aversion to the all-conquering smartphone that has taken us away from the activity only being…
Tesla has discontinued Solar Roof, its solar panels designed to look like regular roofing tiles, Electrek reports. Sources “close to the program” told the publication that Tesla has informed its third-party installer network that Solar Roof is no longer available to order, and that only conventional solar panels will be supplied going forward.While Tesla hasn’t officially announced that it’s sunsetting the product, it’s made several website changes that corroborate the reported discontinuation. The dedicated Solar Roof page (tesla.com/solarroof) that launched almost a decade ago now automatically redirects to Tesla’s solar panel page instead, and the “Solar Roof” option is no…
Apple‘s Siri Remote might finally be getting a proper refresh alongside the upcoming Apple TV 4K ‘Pro’ model. And it’s about time. Code buried inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, discovered by MacRumors, points to a new Apple TV remote. The reference reads “ATVRemote1,5”. That’s a strong hint we’re looking at a next-generation model. This lines up with earlier reporting. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously said the incoming Apple TV 4K refresh would come with a tweaked remote. Now we have seen the code to back it up. I’ve lost my current Siri Remote more times than I’d like to…
Planning a trip to Disneyland Paris with a nearly-four-year-old is, in theory, simple. Book a hotel, buy some tickets, work out how to get there without anyone having a meltdown. In practice it’s a logistical headache of dates, budgets, ride heights and nap schedules. So instead of doing it myself, I handed the job to two AI chatbots and asked them to act as my travel agent. I gave ChatGPT and Gemini the same basic brief: a family trip to Disneyland Paris for two adults and a four-year-old, early November, an affordable but not barebones budget, staying on-site. Then I…
Patreon has announced a number of new and overhauled features that are designed to “build a better network – and a better internet,” according to CEO Jack Conte. The Patreon roadmap includes discovery algorithm updates, platform and security improvements, and new features for both creators and fans.In a lengthy blog post, Conte outlines each of the changes and says they aim to address how the last generation of tech companies “have enshittified” by positioning Patreon as a better example of online creative and community platforms:“The current version of the web is a failed promise for creators and fandoms. As creators,…
If you’ve ever flown business class, you may have been pleasantly surprised by the little tube of lip balm tucked into the amenity kit. But it’s not as random as it might first seem. It’s a pre-warning of the fate your lips will face on a long-haul flight, when you start to resemble a piece of biltong. Your lips crack, your eyeballs feel as if they’ve been sandblasted, your skin has the texture of a cracker left out overnight, and you’re fairly sure your tongue has taken up permanent residence on the roof of your mouth. It doesn’t matter where…
With all the hoo-ha around Meta Ray-Ban specs being “pervert glasses” – to the point they’re now being banned in pubs and theatres – I completely understand why RayNeo has gone down a different route with its new pair of wear-all-day smart specs. The iO Smart Glasses don’t have onboard cameras at all, yet should still be rather clever thanks to a built-in display. RayNeo is also primed to take on augmented cinema specialist Xreal with the RayNeo GT series. Built from a mix of magnesium-aluminium alloy and aerospace-grade titanium, the ultra-light iO Smart Glasses weigh in at just 33g,…
After collaborating with 8BitDo on a gamepad two years ago, Genki launched the first controller the company designed from the ground up today. With an unorthodox design that positions its thumbsticks and buttons above a large 2.9-inch LCD screen, the Manta looks a lot chunkier than competing controllers. But what really sets it apart is a deeper focus on customizability with numerous settings that can be adjusted using the controller’s screen plus buttons and thumbsticks that can be tailored to each player’s preferences.The Genki Manta is launching today through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The earliest backers can preorder the controller…
Google will soon allow you to customize your Discover feed by describing what you want to see. The new feature, rolling out to the Google app in the “coming days,” will use AI to automatically tweak your feed and “remember” your preferences for future visits.You’ll find the option within the three-dot menu on your Discover feed. As shown in a video shared by Google, tapping the feature will open a chatbot-style interface, where you’ll be able to describe your preferences. The chatbot will confirm your choices and lay out the types of content it will prioritize, but you’ll also have…
As a kid, I always imagined the “black market” would be like the movies: Shady vendors hawking illicit goods along dusty streets. But if you want a banned DJI Osmo Pocket 4 or Pocket 4 Pro camera in the US, you can just reach for your phone.They’re on Temu, AliExpress, eBay, Mercari — even Amazon and Newegg — with fast, free shipping and no risk of tariffs or seizures. That’s because these cameras are already inside the United States, despite rules that ban them from entering the country.This past month, I ordered a DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro from Temu.…
Today on Decoder, I’m talking with Robert Hart, The Verge’s London-based AI reporter, about what AI is doing to the field of mathematics and the existential crisis many lead mathematicians are having about it.OpenAI just published a set of solutions to longstanding problems in math that went off like a bombshell in the field. It caused a huge debate in the math community, and Rob spent some time talking to some of the most accomplished mathematicians of our time about it.It’s funny that AI systems are all still pretty bad at elementary school arithmetic, but getting increasingly good at very…
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg now owns an actual castle. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan bought Strancally Castle and its 440-acre estate in Ireland “several weeks ago,” according to The Irish Times. While the exact price of the purchase is unclear, the family could have paid “anywhere between €20 million and €30 million” for the 16,000-square-foot castle, which was restored by its previous owners.“Mark and his family are excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters,” a spokesperson tells The Irish Times. The publication says “it…