Author: News Room

Reddit users in the United Kingdom will now be blocked from accessing “certain mature content” unless they complete the platform’s new age verification process. Reddit announced on Monday that UK users will need to upload a selfie or a photo of their government ID in order to view content that’s restricted for under-18s by the UK Online Safety Act (OSA), including abusive, violent, and sexually explicit materials.The age verification process is performed by Persona, a third-party provider that won’t have access to users’ Reddit data or retain photos for longer than seven days. Reddit says it also won’t have access…

When Rode launched its mobile-friendly Wireless Micro at the end of 2024, it was really all-in on smartphone content creation. Ideal if your social clips and YouTube footage are filmed exclusively on a phone – but less so if you routinely swap between your handset and a more capable digital camera. The Aussie firm has now added the Wireless Micro Camera Receiver into the mix for a little extra inclusion – and the great news is that anyone who already owns a Wireless Micro can claim the new receiver for free. This handy clip-on, available in black and white colours…

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is refusing to release months’ worth of emails sent to Elon Musk and his companies under public records laws, according to a joint report from ProPublica, The Texas Newsroom, and The Texas Tribune. After initially agreeing to an information request, the governor’s office argued that the emails are covered by a law that prevents the disclosure of “highly intimate or embarrassing” information.The Texas Newsroom, which is investigating Musk’s influence over the Texas government, asked the governor’s office in April to share emails with the billionaire dating back to last fall. Though the governor’s office accepted a…

Microsoft has started testing a new feature in Windows 11 that will improve laptop battery life. A new adaptive energy saver mode will soon automatically enable or disable the main energy saver mode, based on your laptop’s workload rather than just its amount of battery life left.The energy saver mode in Windows 11 typically dims a display brightness by 30 percent, disables transparency effects, and stop apps running in the background. Non-critical Windows update downloads are also paused, and certain apps like OneDrive, OneNote, and Phone Link may not sync fully while energy saver is enabled.This new adaptive energy saver…

It’s been over a month since the Switch 2’s record-breaking launch, and the console is becoming easier to get with each restock. However, if you’ve been waiting for the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza to buy one, Best Buy sneakily announced that its next in-store restock will happen Thursday, July 17th, the game’s launch day. Every Best Buy location will have consoles in stock. Best Buy’s in-store restock announcement doesn’t mention whether both the standalone console ($449.99) and Mario Kart World bundle ($499.99) will be available, or if one will be available in higher quantities than the other. It only…

Some of Bose’s best headphones, earbuds, and speakers were nicely discounted for Prime Day, but just because the event has ended doesn’t mean the deals are over. Bose is currently offering discounts on a range of refurbished products, plus an extra 25 percent off on top of that with code SUMMER25. For example, Verge-favorite QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are down to $284.25 ($165 off) at Bose, the lowest price we’ve seen yet. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are also down to $186.75 ($113 off) at Bose, another all-time low (and another Verge favorite).The QC Ultra Headphones are the perfect noise-canceling headphones for…

People who pay for access to SuperGrok can now try the AI chatbot’s new “Companions” avatars, xAI owner Elon Musk announced Monday morning. The companions available currently include Ani, an anime avatar, and Rudy, a cartoony red panda.Ani also has what TestingCatalog describes as an “NSFW” mode where the character wears lingerie. (And just a warning: if you search for posts about the characters on X, you’ll probably come across NSFW videos.)Right now, users have to go into settings to turn on the companions, but “we will make this easier to turn on in a few days,” Musk says, describing…

xAI is one of several leading AI companies to receive the award, alongside Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI. But the timing of the announcement is striking given Grok’s recent high-profile spiral, which drew congressional ire and public pushback. The use of technology, and especially AI, in the defense space has long been a controversial topic even within the tech industry, and Musk’s prior involvement in slashing federal government contracts through his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) still raises questions about potential conflicts — though his relationship with President Donald Trump has more recently soured, and Trump’s administration has…

Google is partnering with authors, researchers, and publications to launch “featured” notebooks within its AI notetaking app, NotebookLM. These notebooks come pre-filled with research, and let you interact with the app’s tools, including its AI podcast maker, to learn more about each topic.Google started letting users share their notebooks publicly last month, and this most recent update appears to be a step toward allowing people to explore a range of premade notebooks rather than creating their own. More than 140,000 people shared public notebooks in the past four weeks, according to Google.“For newcomers to NotebookLM, the notebooks are a preview…

Canva users can now create, edit, and manage their designs by describing their requirements to Anthropic’s Claude AI. The connection is the latest of several integrations that allow Claude users to access third-party tools and services, including Figma, Notion, Stripe, and Prisma, without having to leave their conversation with the AI chatbot.Starting today, Claude users will be able to use natural language prompts to complete design tasks in their linked Canva account, such as creating presentations, resizing images, and automatically filling premade templates. The integration also enables users to search for keywords within Canva Docs, Presentations, and brand templates, and…

I’ve used plenty of electric shavers and trimmers over the years, and am yet to find a sleek option that manages to do a good job. But the new Babyliss X-Blade looks like a stylish contender in the space currently dominated by the ever-present Philips OneBlade. This one’s part of Babyliss’s Super-X Metal Series, which looks every bit as slick as the name suggests. The Babyliss X-Blad has clean lines, a minimalist design that actually belongs on your shelf, and a lightweight body that won’t drag down your hand mid-shave. It’s the kind of grooming kit you imagine a very…

That includes the same noise-canceling technology that Sony uses in its 1000X headphone series, although it’s been optimized for use on the sidelines. Sony tested the headset using real crowd noises at 100 decibels to fine-tune its active noise cancellation for use in NFL stadiums. The headset will be available in two configurations featuring either one or two ear cups.It features a new oversized microphone that helps keep the coach’s voice clear while concealing their lip movements so that other teams can’t easily see what play they’re calling. (They usually hide their mouths anyway.) Sony designed the new headsets to…