Author: News Room

Back in 2023, Telly CEO Ilya Pozin came on The Vergecast and made a surprisingly compelling case for the existence of a TV that doesn’t cost you a dime — but shows ads all the time. It’s a reasonable business model, and a pretty good deal for consumers! But as The Verge’s Emma Roth discovered, the reality of the situation is a bit different.After that, Emma joins the show and we get deep into life with Telly. Emma tells us about the TV’s unusual hardware and impressive feature set, explains the deeply odd AI newscast that shows up every time…

Japan is facing a potential shortage of Asahi beer after a cyberattack against the beverage maker forced its systems offline. Asahi Group issued a statement on Monday announcing that order, shipment, and call center operations at the company had been suspended due to the systems outage, and that the disruption was limited to Japan.The company has now started to manually process orders, according to an updated notice published today, but system-based orders and wide-scale shipments remain suspended. Asahi said it was targeted by a ransomware attack, but is withholding specifics “to prevent further damage.” The company is unable to provide…

Antifa, as described in the national security presidential memorandum (NSPM), is both everything and nothing. It is in forums and social media and in-person meetings. It is in educational organizations and nonprofit institutions. It is protests (“riots”) not just in Portland, but in Los Angeles as well, whether against Trump’s immigration policies or, separately, “anti-police and ‘criminal justice’ riots.” It is the doxxing of masked and armed ICE agents. It is the “rhetoric” on the bullets alleged to be engraved by Charlie Kirk’s killer — referring, it seems, to an unused bullet casing with a video game button combo on…

To WikiHow, Google is both tormentor and savior. And on Wednesday, as the search giant mounted its defense in the ongoing ad tech remedies trial, the how-to site came to Google’s rescue.WikiHow CEO Elizabeth Douglas described to a court how websites like hers are the middle of an “AI apocalypse.” WikiHow, a website that gives step-by-step practical advice, is suffering from a new paradigm shift in how people find information online. Thanks to new AI tools including AI chatbots and Google’s own AI Overviews in its search results pages, users across the web are clicking through to websites less and…

Shein has announced plans to open its first physical locations in France this November, even as the country works on legislation to regulate the fast-fashion industry, as reported by Euronews and Reuters. The online retailer, which manufactures most of its ultra-cheap clothing in China, will open locations inside department stores across Dijon, Grenoble, Reims, Limoges, and Angers through a partnership with real estate company Société des Grands Magasins (SGM).Until now, Shein has only operated online, aside from the pop-up stores that have appeared in locations like New York City. Its decision to open up stores in France comes just months…

They didn’t reveal the dollars involved, but a press release mentions that it includes an agreement for some full TV shows, clips, and highlights on regular YouTube, as well as confirming the relaunch of NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) after it shut down four years ago.“We’ve secured long-term access to our full portfolio of broadcast and cable networks on YouTube TV, and we’re advancing our Peacock strategy with an upcoming launch on YouTube Primetime Channels and ongoing presence on Google TV,” said NBCUniversal exec Matt Schnaars.The details revealed today are:As Awful Announcing points out, while NBCUniversal has been snapping up sports…

There’s a new twist in the long and winding saga of Redbox’s demise: Assets originally belonging to the company’s corporate parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, may have finally found a buyer. But don’t expect a resurrection of Redbox’s red kiosks, or Chicken Soup’s Crackle streaming service, any time soon.According to a late Wednesday court filing, a company called Grove Street Partners has offered $100 million for so-called “IP Litigation Assets” owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and its subsidiaries. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment owned the rights to hundreds of movies, mostly through its subsidiary…

When Apple launched Apple Intelligence notification summaries for some of the best iPhone models, it’d be an understatement to say it didn’t go well. News organisations railed against wildly inaccurate depictions of stories, while text messages were often summarised without important context. Apple eventually disabled the feature for news apps. So, let’s see if Samsung can do a better job. The company is preparing a One UI 8.5 update for the best Galaxy phones that, according to a new report, will offer AI powered notification summaries. SamMobile reports that the summaries are active within a leaked version of forthcoming firmware.…

Microsoft recently announced price hikes for some tiers of Xbox Game Pass, including Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The Ultimate tier, which offers the most games and features (as well as access to PC Game Pass), went from $19.99 per month to $29.99. Those who subscribe to PC Game Pass are now being charged $16.49 per month, up from $11.99.You’ll pay those prices right now if you go through Microsoft’s retail channels to subscribe. Don’t do that! Instead, if you plan to stay with the service, you should consider buying through other retailers that are still selling access to those…

The Spotify algorithm gets a lot right, but even as one of the best music streaming services, it isn’t perfect. Sometimes it’ll just serve up a track that’s an instant skip. Now Spotify is letting you do more about it, with a new personalisation tool enabling listeners them to exclude certain songs from the algorithm. The streaming giant is rolling out a way to fine-tune your Taste Profile by removing particular tracks from consideration for playlists. The Taste Profile is based on your listening habits and it’s how the algorithm decides what to play you. Streamers will be able to…

This week, Ring, an Amazon-owned smart security company, announced Search Party, a new feature to help find lost dogs. When someone posts a picture of a lost dog on Ring’s Neighbors app, they will be able to initiate a Search Party. Ring then uses AI to scan footage from nearby outdoor Ring cameras and doorbells for the lost pet. If it’s detected via someone else’s device, that camera’s owner will receive a notification and can choose to share the video with the pet owner.I should be able to choose whether my footage is being searched It’s a great use of…

Amazon has announced a new shopping feature for US Prime members called Add to Delivery that lets you add additional items to completed orders that have yet to be delivered, instead of having to create an entirely new order. The feature is only available on Amazon’s app and on Amazon.com when accessed on mobile devices, and is limited to eligible items that include electronics, clothing, books, and grocery items.Figuring out what items are eligible seems simple enough. If the item you’re viewing can be added to deliveries arriving later in the day or tomorrow, you’ll see a new blue Add…