Author: News Room

Microsoft is cracking down on bypass methods that let Windows 11 installs use a local account, and avoid an internet requirement during the setup process. In a new Windows 11 test build released today, Microsoft says it’s removing known workarounds for creating local accounts as they can apparently cause issues during the setup process.“We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE),” says Amanda Langowski, the lead for the Windows Insider Program. “While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users…

Now, Google has just over two weeks once again — because the US Supreme Court has decided not to save Google ahead of its Supreme Court appeal. Today, the Court denied the company’s request for a partial stay, meaning the permanent injunction is still in effect, meaning Google must do the following things this month or be in violation:Epic Games says the deadline for Google to comply is now October 22nd, 2025. “Starting October 22, developers will be legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens, and friction – same as Apple App…

As the second phase of the Google ad tech trial was winding down, Judge Leonie Brinkema was still hoping that Google and the Justice Department would take the decision out of her hands.“My favorite phrase is ‘Let’s settle this case,’” she told attorneys for both sides shortly before adjourning the courtroom after more than 10 days of trial in the remedies case. Brinkema ruled in April that Google had illegally monopolized the market for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, and illegally tied its products together to make it difficult for customers to move to competitors’ options. As it turns…

The Ring is a fantastic horror film that still gives me the chills. I can easily recall the movie’s iconic poster, which features a white ring on a black background and a creepy title font — I didn’t see the movie until years after it first released, but even the thought of it frightened me. So I’m very confused as to why Instagram picked a similar vibe for the debut of Instagram Rings, a new “award” that’s intended to celebrate creators and creativity.Instagram has assembled a panel of judges, which includes Spike Lee, Marc Jacobs, Marques Brownlee, and, uh, Instagram…

Microsoft has rejected reports it plans to step away from the console hardware business by re-emphasising its commitment to manufacturing new first-party gaming consoles. Given Xbox is building a powerful cloud infrastructure capable of 1440p streaming, and also boosting the potential revenue from subscriptions by raising Game Pass Ultimate prices, some speculated there’s less of a requirement for a successor to the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles. However, Microsoft has reassured worried fans it has no plans to force them into a streaming-only environment. There will be next-gen home console devices moving forward beyond the rumoured Series…

On Monday, Google launched a new reward program dedicated specifically to finding bugs in AI products. Google’s list of qualifying bugs includes examples of the kind of rogue actions it’s looking for, like indirectly injecting an AI prompt that causes Google Home to unlock a door, or a data exfiltration prompt injection that summarizes all of someone’s email and sends the summary to the attacker’s own account.The new program clarifies what constitutes an AI bug, breaking them down as issues that use a large language model or a generative AI system to cause harm or take advantage of a security…

Auto manufacturers are slowly putting smartphone-based infotainment systems Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the rear-view mirror, and one of the newer companies on the starting grid reckons drivers will eventually thank them for it. While General Motors has controversially transitioned to its own in-car software and two of the major EV makers Tesla and Rivian have never offered it in the first place. Many other luxury brands have backed away from Apple’s long-in the-works CarPlay Ultra platform. Ford has also expressed reservations about that tech. The school of thought is that it’s far more beneficial for car manufacturers to…

Hello, and welcome to Decoder! My guest today is Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, and I’m very excited to be talking to him on my show today.And when I say my show… I mean Nilay Patel’s show. This is my final episode filling in for Nilay while he’s out on parental leave. I’m Joanna Stern, the senior personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, author of the upcoming book I AM NOT A ROBOT (out in 2026), and — fun fact — a cofounder of The Verge.Listen to Decoder, a show hosted by The Verge’s Nilay Patel about big ideas…

Storage company Lexar has released the new ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD, offering a high speed, high capacity and durable expanded portable storage option for mobile users. The device, which is now available after being originally announced in the spring, sounds like an excellent option for content creators who want to shoot at the highest possible quality while on the go. And with an option starting at £100/$120 it’s pretty reasonably priced considering the specs and convenience. The slimline ES5, which is initially available in 1TB and 2TB capacity, seems geared towards iPhone owners especially thanks to the MagSage compatibility –…

The tech industry has championed the development of new technologies that filter carbon dioxide out of the air as a way to try to undo the damage caused by planet-heating emissions. Over the past several years, they’ve made a slew of splashy announcements to fund these kinds of projects, called direct air capture (DAC).That dovetailed with the Joe Biden administration’s attempt to fight climate change by funneling federal dollars into regional hubs for DAC. Now there’s a new president in town, one who calls climate change a hoax and wants to “drill, baby, drill.” The Donald Trump administration’s latest attempts…

Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, controversies have swirled over everything: whether Sam Altman should be CEO, chatbot safety, the environmental impact of AI datacenters, an ongoing feud with Elon Musk, and even how much glaze is too much or too little for new products like GPT-5.All of the news and updates about OpenAI continue below. Read the full article here

Jim Farley is a smart guy. Ford’s CEO has done a lot right – from pushing electric vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E into the mainstream to keeping Ford’s tech ambitions grounded in reality. But in his recent interview with Decoder, when asked about Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra, his hesitation felt oddly familiar. Farley said Ford “doesn’t like the execution of Ultra in round one” and questioned whether Apple might try to control too much of the driving experience. He even asked whether Apple might one day “limit the speed” of a car or decide who can start it. That’s a…