- Sony’s PlayStation Portal handheld is back in stock at multiple retailersIt’s not the Vita comeback we were hoping for, but the Sony’s portable remote player is still a handy companion. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge We may ... read more
- Google, Microsoft Bet Big On GAI In Q1 – And WinAlphabet and Microsoft reported earnings Thursday. Both had a better-than-expected Q1 2024. Google added several GAI features to search in the quarter. Microsoft said its quarterly revenue reached $61.9 billion from $52.9 billion, a much ... read more
- Smokey At 80: Respect The BearA moving PSA compels us to take stock of Mr. Bear's decades of professional forest-fire-fighting work. ... read more
- FTC's 'Click To Cancel' Proposal Could Cost Businesses More Than $100 Million, Judge SaysAn administrative law judge has issued a recommendation that could slow down the FTC's effort to issue rules that would enable consumers to easily cancel subscriptions that automatically renew. ... read more
- Baltimore coach accused of using AI voice cloning to try to get a high school principal firedImage: The Verge A former athletic director of a Baltimore high school has been arrested and charged with using an AI voice cloning service to frame the school’s principal. The Baltimore Banner ... read more
- Google will finally put Keep reminders in Tasks, where they always belongedIllustration: The Verge The reminders you’ve jotted down in Google Keep will soon show up in Tasks. Google says the long-requested integration is coming over the next year, allowing you to see, ... read more
- Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3Image: The Verge Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. ... read more
- Meta Q1 Earnings Show Revenue Growth, Further AI InvestmentAlthough its shares took a big hit after its latest earnings numbers were released, Meta showed promising current and future ad growth expectations, with an increasing focus on video, AI and virtual reality. ... read more
- Major Brands Capitalize On New Age of Artist Endorsements In Music Industry: Report"Household brands are not just supporting artists but creatively integrating their products with music experiences to captivate diverse, global audiences and create deeper connections," says SponsorUnited CEO Bob Lynch. Major brands are using partnerships with ... read more
- The ‘Hollywood Con Queen’ gets a new documentary from Apple TV PlusApple TV+ Before AI meant you could impersonate someone’s voice with just a snippet of audio, con artists needed actual skill to impersonate famous figures. Take Hargobind Tahilramani, who allegedly impersonated such ... read more
- CISA ransomware warning program will launch this yearIllustration: Beatrice Sala The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is rolling out a program that warns organizations about potential ransomware attacks, CyberScoop reports. The ... read more
- TCL’s entry-level Q6 QLED TV has fallen to a new low price for a limited timeThe Q6 isn’t known for top-tier gaming specs and ultra-deep black levels, but it offers a lot of TV for just $450. | Image: TCL Here at The Verge, we spend a ... read more
- At Microsoft Advertising, Richman Balances Gen-AI Advantage With Human ConnectionMIAMI — What would you do with advertising if you had one of the world’s leading large language models at your fingertips. Amanda Richman would balance AI would humanity. The former Mindshare North America CEO joined ... read more
- BlizzCon 2024 has been canceledPhoto by Joe Scarnici / Getty Images Blizzard has announced it will not hold BlizzCon, the publisher’s annual fan convention, this year. “After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard ... read more
- Spyware dealers could face visa restrictionsIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The State Department will soon impose visa restrictions on people who it says have been involved in the development of spyware. In a press release ... read more
- Garry’s Mod is taking down decades of Nintendo-related add-onsImage: Facepunch Studios The popular physics sandbox game Garry’s Mod is pulling all of its Nintendo-related add-ons following copyright takedown requests from the gaming giant. On Wednesday, the developers of Garry’s Mod ... read more
- Divided FCC Brings Back Obama-Era Open Internet RulesThe FCC on Thursday voted along party lines to reinstate net neutrality rules that prohibit carriers from blocking or throttling traffic and from charging higher fees for prioritized delivery. ... read more
- Hands-on: this self-transforming Megatron is as badass as it is expensiveMegatron. | Image: Robosen Three years later, Hasbro’s self-transforming, dancing, driving, talking, and attacking Optimus Prime finally has a villain to fight. Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, is about to arrive. ... read more
- Google is updating Android TVs to fix a big Gmail privacy problemIllustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Google is working on a fix to block crafty individuals from gaining access to the emails of accounts logged in to some Android TV units. The ... read more
- Cities are ending their ShotSpotter contracts, but the sensors themselves are stayingIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Chicago and Mobile, Alabama, are cutting ties with ShotSpotter, the controversial gunshot detection company — but the sensors that notify police about shootings probably aren’t ... read more
- The Countdown For TikTok Begins. What’s Next For Marketers And Media Buyers?President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that will ban TikTok from US app stores unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform within a year. We asked the experts what marketers and ... read more
- Reddit is down, as an error message tells users to ‘try again later’Image by Alex Castro / The Verge Reddit isn’t working for most users right now. The site isn’t loading and displays an error message reading, “Oops, something went wrong, please try again ... read more
- Meta Enhances AI Technology On New Ray-Ban CollaborationMeta has announced updates to its line of Ray-Ban smart glasses, which take videos, photos, livestream and more. Now, the tech giant is rolling out multimodal AI, a feature Meta has been officially testing since ... read more
- Meta Enhances AI Technology On New Ray-Ban CollabMeta has announced updates to its line of Ray-Ban smart glasses, which take videos, photos, livestream and more. Now, the tech giant is rolling out multimodal AI, a feature Meta has been officially testing since ... read more
- Threads will now automatically filter out offensive wordsIllustration: The Verge Just like Instagram, Threads will now automatically filter out potentially offensive words, phrases, or emoji by default. In a post on Thursday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that the ... read more
- EPA administrator Michael Regan on undoing the toxic legacy of power plants in the USEPA administrator Michael Regan during the EPA’s “Journey to Justice” tour on November 16th, 2021. | USEPA photo by Eric Vance The Verge spoke to EPA administrator Michael Regan about the ... read more
- The Fossil-size hole in Wear OSFor Fossil, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge When Fossil announced it was leaving the Android smartwatch space, I wasn’t surprised. The signs ... read more
- FCC votes to restore net neutralityCath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission voted 3–2 to restore net neutrality rules, reversing a repeal ushered through during the Trump administration. Net neutrality ... read more
- Wacom says its first OLED drawing tablet is cool and skinnyImage: Wacom Wacom has thrown a tablet-shaped curveball at digital creatives waiting on Apple’s highly anticipated OLED iPads. The company introduced the Wacom Movink 13 on Wednesday, its own OLED-based offering that ... read more
- Ford looks to future EV breakthroughs — and smaller cars — to staunch the bleedingImage: Ford Ford is the No. 2 seller of electric vehicles in the US. It’s very proud of that fact, but the amount of cash it had to burn to get there ... read more
- Meta Reports Record Q1 Revenue, But Its Plan For The AI Long Game Has Investors SpookedMeta’s ad business keeps chugging along, thanks largely to investments in AI-based content recommendation and ad optimization. The company reported its fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth in its Q1 2024 earnings call on Wednesday. ... read more
- The Third Delay For Third-Party Cookies Leaves Ad Tech In LimboWell, folks, it’s happened again. For the third time, Google pushed back its original deadline to remove third-party cookies from Chrome. On Tuesday, it said it would no longer remove cookies in 2024, and didn’t ... read more
- Google Meet now lets you switch devices without hanging upIllustration: The Verge Google is making it a lot easier to move between devices during a meeting. The new “Switch here” feature allows you to move an active Meet call from your ... read more
- TelevisaUnivision ofrecerá experiencia de compra IA a su audiencia durante los Latin American Music AwardsLos Latin American Music Awards tendrán una particularidad para su audiencia este año, gracias a una asociación de TelevisaUnivision y Shopsense IA televidentes podrán gozar de una experiencia de compra directa mientras disfrutan de la ... read more
- GroupM Unveils 'New Buyer Identifier' Data For CPG ClientsThe agency group says the "first-to-market" data is part of an exclusive deal with consumer data giant NCSolutions available to CPG clients using GroupM agencies to buy media programmatically. ... read more
- Anyone want to buy TikTok?Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge It was going to happen, and then it wasn’t going to happen, and then it happened. The United States Congress passed a bill that would either ... read more
- People’s Shopping Data Underpin Ad Targeting: Instacart’s Suzanne SkopMIAMI – Shopping habits changed dramatically during the pandemic as millions of consumers brought groceries online for the time. Delivery service Instacart is a pivotal part of that shift, and is building on its shopper ... read more
- Ulta Beauty’s UB Media Glows Up Retail Media With a Spark of Joy and Robust DataIn beauty retail, standing out means more than just offering the best products; it involves creating an experience that resonates with consumers and advertisers alike. In this video interview with Beet.TV, Alyson Soderberg, Sr. Director at ... read more
- Microsoft needs to win back trustCath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images The world’s largest tech company has a security problem. A series of high-profile security incidents have rocked Microsoft over the past few ... read more
- The IAB Predicts Social Video Will Overtake CTV This YearThe IAB projects digital video ad spend will rise to $63 billion in 2024, representing a 16% increase from last year. Of the three video ad categories the report breaks out (social and online video ... read more
- The Future of Advertising is Machine Learning-Driven: Moloco’s SimonSAN JUAN, PR — In a digital age where artificial intelligence (AI) is the buzzword on every tech enthusiast’s lips, it’s easy to get swept up in the futuristic allure of generative AI. But according to Dave ... read more
- Beyond Cookies: Using Location Intelligence To Power Privacy-First Audience SegmentationThe cookie deprecation drama has turned into one of those cheesy slasher movies where the villain comically pops back up again and again from near-certain death. Marketers and advertisers are rightly tired of this limbo. ... read more
- Streaming, CTV CPMs Under Pressure As New Ad Options ExpandAs competitors ramp up their AVOD options for their streaming/digital platforms, growing CTV inventory is expected to "outpace demand near term," says Bernstein Research. ... read more
- Digital Agencies Still A Drag On IPG GrowthHuge and R/GA are still posing a significant drag on the company's growth-about 1.5 percentage points in Q1. ... read more
- The Trade Desk’s OpenPass Will Add Rewards As It Pursues Wider AdoptionPublishers looking to grow their addressable audience just got a new way to entice users to share an email address. The rewarded single-sign-on (SSO) provider Bonbon announced on Thursday that it’s integrating with The Trade ... read more
- Titans Of News Media Meeting Monday To Discuss Digital FutureAll eyes will be on a sprawling, 90-minute panel discussion event next Monday about no less a subject than the future of news. ... read more
- New Lulus Campaign Tries On Out-Of-HomeThe digital fashion brand hopes to win back shoppers with a "Friends For Life" campaign. ... read more
- The next big game from Clash of Clans developer Supercell launches in MayImage: Supercell Supercell doesn’t release a lot of games, but the studio’s mobile releases tend to be big hits. Think Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and Clash Royale. Now, the developer is ... read more
- Influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy offers office space to creators as part of a membership programInfluencer agency Billion Dollar Boy (BDB) is launching a creator community membership program on Thursday as it expands its consultative services and partnerships. With the launch of the so-called FiveTwoNine: The Creator Club membership, the ... read more
- The EPA’s new power plant pollution rule has a big, gassy hole in itA power plant in Thompsons, Texas, U.S. that’s home to the Petra Nova Carbon Capture Project on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. | Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ... read more
- Ibotta Crosses The IPO Finish Line – Now The Real Work BeginsHey Readers, Welcome back to the AdExchanger Commerce Newsletter. This week, we’ll take a dive into the financials and outlook of Ibotta, the Walmart-backed shopping app that IPO’d last week. Ibotta (pronounced like “I bought ... read more
- TikTok ban: all the news on attempts to ban the video platformCath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images Here’s a roundup of all the news about a new law requiring parent company ByteDance to sell off its platform. ... read more
- Is This TikTok Ban, Like, Happening?; DTC Darlings Lose Their Retail DarlingHere’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here. Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock … Boom The New York Times homepage dubbed it a “US Foreign Aid Package.” CNBC crammed all the angles ... read more
- The case for and against organic socialThe dream was that someone — anyone, really — could build a brand without spending any money. All the brand marketer of the future needed was time, an idea and Final Cut Pro. Wieden+Kennedy, Super ... read more
- Inside Google’s latest move to postpone the cookie apocalypseGoogle has stayed true to form: It has put the brakes on its elaborate plan to ditch third-party cookies in its browser, just as many anticipated. For now, Google hasn’t given an exact timeline — just ... read more
- While Biden signs the TikTok bill, marketers still aren’t panickingWhen it comes to the TikTok “divestment or ban” bill, marketers are worried. But most are not too panicked about the outcome — at least not yet. The U.S. Senate passed a bill (79 votes ... read more
- Research Briefing: YouTube commands marketing spend on ad-supported streaming servicesInterested in sharing your perspectives on the media and marketing industries? Join the Digiday research panel. In this week’s Digiday+ Research Briefing, we examine how YouTube commands marketing spend among ad-supported streaming services, how fewer publishers ... read more
- Media Briefing: Publishers who bet on events and franchises this year are reaping the rewardsBetting big on franchises The bet publishers made on tentpole events and franchises to get advertising revenue back on track this year seems to be paying off. According to seven publishers, their ad sales ... read more
- FaZe Clan’s $75 million product licensing business could represent the future of esportsAfter a difficult year in 2023, FaZe Clan is looking to re-enter the esports limelight — and it’s using its lucrative brand licensing business to accomplish the task. Gamesquare’s acquisition of FaZe Clan, reported by ... read more
- Reddit Rolls Out Dynamic Product Ads Beta, First New Ad Option Since IPOReddit will build out ad services as the newly public company looks for opportunities to gain revenue. The company says it launched this ad unit to support changing consumer behavior. ... read more
- Zuckerberg says it will take Meta years to make money from generative AIIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The generative AI gold rush is underway — just don’t expect it to create profits anytime soon. That was the message from Meta CEO Mark ... read more
- Americans Value Press Freedom While Fearing MisinformationWhile Americans generally value the idea of press freedom, they are more divided over the issue of protecting a free press or preventing the spread of misinformation. ... read more
- Fugitives And The New Civil War"I'm gonna need you to step out of the vehicle and take a pregnancy test," a police officer says to a young woman in the dystopian ad "Fugitive." ... read more
- Threads wants to let you wipe your old posts awayImage: The Verge Threads is testing the option to automatically hide your old posts. Instagram head Adam Mosseri says the feature is only available to a “small number” of users for now, ... read more
- Sephora pone a prueba una nueva estrategia de merchandising para el cuidado corporal
- The BattlerGC Pro might be the GameCube controller’s final formBattleGC Pro in limited-edition crystal. | Image: Retro Fighters This new BattlerGC Pro controller looks like it could be the ultimate GameCube gamepad — one with drift-resistant Hall effect joysticks, hybrid analog ... read more
- Biden Signs Law Banning TikTok Unless It's Sold"We will keep fighting for your rights in the courts," TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a video posted to X after President Joe Biden signed a law that will ban the app unless it's ... read more
- Drake threatened with lawsuit over diss track featuring AI TupacPhoto by Prince Williams / Wireimage While Drake’s fans have been having a ball with the Canadian rapper’s recently released track dissing fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, the legal team representing Tupac Shakur ... read more
- Spotify Submits EU iOS App To Apple, Following Previous AttemptsTo avoid Apple's 30% fee on all subscriptions made via the App Store, Spotify has submitted a new version of its iOS app for users in the EU. ... read more
- Airlines will soon have to pay you back if they cancel or delay your flightPhoto by Urbanandsport / NurPhoto via Getty Images The Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized rules that will soon require airlines to quickly refund passengers if they cancel or delay flights or make ... read more
- WhatsApp for iOS is rolling out passwordless logins with passkeysIllustration: The Verge One more app joins the passwordless future we’ve been promised. WhatsApp says it’s now rolling out support for passkeys in the iOS version of the app. With the feature ... read more
- TikTok will stop paying people to watch videos every dayThe Digital Services Act strikes again. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge TikTok Lite users in Europe will have to find another way to earn an extra 38 cents a ... read more
- Net neutrality is about to make a comebackCath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote to restore net neutrality on Thursday in the latest volley of a yearslong game ... read more
- Paramount Plus is trying to carve out a safe streaming space for kidsIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge There are two types of parents I’m friends with: those who let their kids watch YouTube and those who work very hard to keep their ... read more
- Apple’s new AI model hints at how AI could come to the iPhoneIllustration: The Verge Apple has been quiet about its plans for generative AI, but with the release of new AI models today, it appears the company’s immediate ambitions lie firmly in the ... read more
- Digitas Unveils Activation-Focused GenAI Operating SystemAccording to Digitas Chief Operating Officer Adam Birkenhead, the agency's system is not integrated into Publicis Groupe's CoreAI, noting that the two systems are designed to solve different sets of challenges. ... read more
- Identity Begins At Home: TransUnion’s Rudich On Post-Cookie ROISAN JUAN, PR — As the digital landscape continues to fragment, advertisers face the daunting challenge of reaching consumers who are scattered across an ever-expanding universe of media channels and platforms. For Gillian Rudich, the complexity ... read more
- Spotify is struggling to get Apple to approve its iOS updates in the EUImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge Spotify submitted a new version of its iOS app that should give users in the European Union in-app pricing information for subscriptions made outside of Apple’s ... read more
- PepsiCo patrocina su primera colaboración con Hulu dedicada a promover la cocina latinaPepsi tiene claro que para conquistar al consumidor latino hay que ganarse primero su paladar, por eso está estrenando su primera serie en streaming, Talking Sabor, un programa que se podrá ver en Hulu a ... read more
- MRC Releases Invalid Traffic Update, Includes Property-Level ReportingThe new guidance reflects rapidly emerging forms of invalid traffic that already is setting the stage for future discussions and updates, including potentially qualitative ones. ... read more
- Feds charge Iranian nationals for cyberattacks against US governmentPhoto by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The US government has charged and sanctioned four Iranian nationals over claims they carried out a yearslong hacking campaign against US government agencies and ... read more
- Another Crab’s Treasure is a cheery, accessible take on Dark SoulsImage: Aggro Crab The underwater adventure is a rare glimpse into a more accessible soulslike experience. Continue reading… ... read more
- Reddit is updating its app to focus more on commentsIllustration: The Verge Reddit is updating its mobile app on iOS and Android to emphasize comments, the company said today. The handful of changes announced are aimed at “removing hurdles and reducing ... read more
- Musk Seeks To Revive Battle With Hate Speech ResearchersX Corp. will ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to revive a lawsuit accusing the Center for Countering Digital Hate of scaring off advertisers by reporting on antisemitic and homophobic posts on X. ... read more
- Our pick for the best fitness tracker is down to its best price of the yearAmazfit’s GTR 4 offers an impressive feature set for its price, including an OLED display and dual-band GPS. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Smartwatches like the Apple Watch ... read more
- Nissan’s Iruyo knows when your baby is sleeping, knows when they’re awakeJust look at the abject horror on that kid’s face. | Image: Nissan Almost seven years ago, my partner and I took an ill-advised road trip for a wedding with our nearly ... read more
- Elon Musk wants to turn Tesla’s fleet into AWS for AI — would it work?Image: Getty During last night’s earnings call with investors, Elon Musk threw out an all-time late-night dorm room bong sesh of an idea: what if AWS, but for Tesla? Musk, who loves ... read more
- Streaming Platforms Must Become Performance Channels To Stay On Wall Street’s Good SideNeedham & Company’s Laura Martin will be speaking at AdExchanger’s Programmatic I/O conference May 20-22 in Las Vegas. Click here to register. Survival of the fittest is the name of the game in streaming. Streaming services ... read more
- Miracle-Gro: Make Your Garden Grow (Virtually)The lawn and garden care company is launching a contest on farming game "Stardew Valley" designed to connect with younger, environmentally conscious gardeners. ... read more
- With Firefly Image 3, Adobe aims to integrate more AI tools for various appsOne year and 7 billion images later, Adobe’s new version of Firefly is now expanding across its design universe. Adobe yesterday released a third generation of its Firefly AI image model to power new capabilities ... read more
- Biden signs TikTok ‘ban’ bill into law, starting the clock for ByteDance to divest itCath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails ... read more
- DoubleVerify Gets CTV 'Video Viewable' MRC AccreditationMRC accreditation for Video Viewable Impressions for CTV will help identify issues with ads that have run or played when TV sets are off, DoubleVerify says. ... read more
- ‘PBS Retro’ is coming to Roku as a FAST channelIt’s where Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood lives. | Image: PBS Distribution via The Wrap. Parents, it’s time to green-light more screen time. PBS classics from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, including titles ... read more
- Why Google Will Not Deprecate Browser Cookies Until 2025After hitting another roadblock on its way to deprecating third-party browser cookies in Chrome, the rollout data is now estimated for sometime in 2025 - if the company meets CMA and ICO approval. ... read more
- How A Digital Media Agency Built Its Own AI-Powered Contextual Targeting ToolThere’s no need to cry. It’s just emotional targeting. Jokes aside, the Toronto-based digital media agency Hotspex Media claims it has developed an AI self-service tool that allows brands and agencies to target ads based ... read more
- Paramount+ Celebrates The National Parks Foundation MissionParamount+ explores new locations this week, including live streams of Yosemite and Blue Ridge Parkway. ... read more
- Stellar Blade on PS5 has flash and fun but is mostly dullImage: Shift Up While the combat is challenging and rewarding, it takes far too long to get to the good stuff. Continue reading… ... read more
- How accurate and precise data sets drive effective first-party data activationEmily Kistner, director of new business and identity solutions, Adstra The landscape of data-driven advertising is evolving at a breakneck pace, with connected TV and programmatic advertising leading the charge. Scalable identity, coupled with the ... read more
- A morning with the Rabbit R1: a fun, funky, unfinished AI gadgetThe Rabbit R1 is a fun little thing — and oh boy, is it orange. There were times I wasn’t sure the Rabbit R1 was even a real thing. The AI-powered, Teenage Engineering-designed ... read more
- CMO Survey Finds Gen AI Already Has Had A Profound Impact On MarketingDespite only being deployed in an estimated 7% of marketing activities, marketers say it has already boosted sales and customer satisfaction, while reducing overhead costs. ... read more