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Image: Apple

Apple has just released public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and they include upcoming Apple Intelligence features like text re-writing tools, the glowy new Siri design, a “Clean Up” tool to remove objects from your photos, and more.

To be able to access the betas, you’ll need to register on Apple’s beta software program site. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see the beta update available in settings for you to download and install. Note that a only few iPhones can access the Apple Intelligence features: last year’s iPhone 15 Pro phones as well as the nearly-here iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer can try Apple Intelligence as well.
Previously, these Apple Intelligence features were only available as part of developer betas, and colleague Allison Johnson wrote about her experience testing the tools on iOS in July. But you should know that what’s included in these betas isn’t everything Apple has announced for Apple Intelligence; there’s more coming down the line.
Apple plans to release the final versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 in October.

Image: Apple

Apple has just released public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and they include upcoming Apple Intelligence features like text re-writing tools, the glowy new Siri design, a “Clean Up” tool to remove objects from your photos, and more.

To be able to access the betas, you’ll need to register on Apple’s beta software program site. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see the beta update available in settings for you to download and install. Note that a only few iPhones can access the Apple Intelligence features: last year’s iPhone 15 Pro phones as well as the nearly-here iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer can try Apple Intelligence as well.

Previously, these Apple Intelligence features were only available as part of developer betas, and colleague Allison Johnson wrote about her experience testing the tools on iOS in July. But you should know that what’s included in these betas isn’t everything Apple has announced for Apple Intelligence; there’s more coming down the line.

Apple plans to release the final versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 in October.

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The Hipstamatic Party! Disposable Camera app saves event organizers from having to chase down guests to get their photos. | Screenshot: Apple App Store

Hipstamatic’s new Party! Disposable Camera app is designed to digitally replicate the experience of guests snapping candid photos at a wedding or other event using a disposable film camera. There are no film development fees afterward, but it’s only free if your guest list is no larger than five people.
At its core, the app is yet another attempt to streamline the process of collecting all the smartphone photos that guests take during a special event. Using a custom QR code generated by a host, guests are directed to download the Party! Disposable Camera app and join the specific event. All the photos taken through the app will be collected into a single private gallery the host and guests can view and comment on.
There are similar solutions to this problem already available, including many that let guests upload pics from any device — unlike Hipstamatic’s app (and its original app), which is only available for the iPhone. The potential appeal of the Party! app is that it goes the extra mile to simulate the disposable camera experience. The host gets to choose a specific visual style (or skip filters altogether), and all of the photos uploaded can only be viewed the day after the event, simulating the experience of waiting for film to be developed.
Anyone can download the Hipstamatic Party! app, but the host who sets up an event will have to pay for larger groups, with options for 15, 25, or 35 users costing $2, $5, and $10, respectively. Additional users can be added, but they’ll have to pay $1 to join, according to PetaPixel. Hipstamatic also offers a $99 “Event” option for up to 99 guests and a $200 “Wedding” option that allows for an unlimited number of users and photos to be uploaded at a higher resolution.

The Hipstamatic Party! Disposable Camera app saves event organizers from having to chase down guests to get their photos. | Screenshot: Apple App Store

Hipstamatic’s new Party! Disposable Camera app is designed to digitally replicate the experience of guests snapping candid photos at a wedding or other event using a disposable film camera. There are no film development fees afterward, but it’s only free if your guest list is no larger than five people.

At its core, the app is yet another attempt to streamline the process of collecting all the smartphone photos that guests take during a special event. Using a custom QR code generated by a host, guests are directed to download the Party! Disposable Camera app and join the specific event. All the photos taken through the app will be collected into a single private gallery the host and guests can view and comment on.

There are similar solutions to this problem already available, including many that let guests upload pics from any device — unlike Hipstamatic’s app (and its original app), which is only available for the iPhone. The potential appeal of the Party! app is that it goes the extra mile to simulate the disposable camera experience. The host gets to choose a specific visual style (or skip filters altogether), and all of the photos uploaded can only be viewed the day after the event, simulating the experience of waiting for film to be developed.

Anyone can download the Hipstamatic Party! app, but the host who sets up an event will have to pay for larger groups, with options for 15, 25, or 35 users costing $2, $5, and $10, respectively. Additional users can be added, but they’ll have to pay $1 to join, according to PetaPixel. Hipstamatic also offers a $99 “Event” option for up to 99 guests and a $200 “Wedding” option that allows for an unlimited number of users and photos to be uploaded at a higher resolution.

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“Sorry about that…” | Image: Starship Technologies

One of Starship Technologies’ autonomous food delivery robots tripped up a school employee at Arizona State University last September. As 404 Media reports, when contacted by the police, an employee asked for the person’s info to share insurance info and to offer a few promo codes.
A police report said video footage confirmed the person’s description of the incident. They waited for a delivery robot to pass. Once they continued, the robot suddenly reversed and knocked them over before driving a short distance away and reversing to hit them again while they were on the ground. They reported lower back pain and a 4-inch cut on their arm that was treated by the local fire department.
A company spokesperson told 404 Media that the robot hit the pedestrian “at extremely low speed after detecting an oncoming vehicle.”

404 Media also noted another incident where Starship Technologies initially declined to press charges against two students who stole a robot before reversing course and pressing charges, and the outlet previously reported on problems the bots had driving into construction sites or off campus.
Starship Technologies began its first robot delivery trials in Europe in 2016, and by 2021, the company had completed 1.5 million deliveries and operated on 20 campuses. That number grew to 50 by late 2023, and earlier this year, it said it had completed more than 6 million autonomous deliveries.
All in all, insurance info and promo codes might not be a bad offer — one woman couldn’t get video from Starship Technologies in 2020 when one of the robots ran into her car, causing $2,600 in damage.

“Sorry about that…” | Image: Starship Technologies

One of Starship Technologies’ autonomous food delivery robots tripped up a school employee at Arizona State University last September. As 404 Media reports, when contacted by the police, an employee asked for the person’s info to share insurance info and to offer a few promo codes.

A police report said video footage confirmed the person’s description of the incident. They waited for a delivery robot to pass. Once they continued, the robot suddenly reversed and knocked them over before driving a short distance away and reversing to hit them again while they were on the ground. They reported lower back pain and a 4-inch cut on their arm that was treated by the local fire department.

A company spokesperson told 404 Media that the robot hit the pedestrian “at extremely low speed after detecting an oncoming vehicle.”

404 Media also noted another incident where Starship Technologies initially declined to press charges against two students who stole a robot before reversing course and pressing charges, and the outlet previously reported on problems the bots had driving into construction sites or off campus.

Starship Technologies began its first robot delivery trials in Europe in 2016, and by 2021, the company had completed 1.5 million deliveries and operated on 20 campuses. That number grew to 50 by late 2023, and earlier this year, it said it had completed more than 6 million autonomous deliveries.

All in all, insurance info and promo codes might not be a bad offer — one woman couldn’t get video from Starship Technologies in 2020 when one of the robots ran into her car, causing $2,600 in damage.

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watchOS 11 makes the Apple Watch an even better remote for the Apple TV. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Previous versions of watchOS allowed the Apple Watch to be used as a remote control for the Apple TV with limited functionality. With watchOS 11, the smartwatch can potentially completely replace the Siri Remote that now ships with Apple’s streaming box, with new capabilities spotted by 9to5Mac.
Before watchOS 11, the Apple Watch’s Remote app could only be used to play and pause videos, or navigate tvOS using swipe gestures to move through menus and screen taps to make selections. It was useful if you couldn’t reach the Apple TV’s remote, but couldn’t replace its features entirely.
The company has updated the Apple Watch User Guide on its website to include the new Remote app functionality introduced with watchOS 11. Turning the smartwatch’s digital crown now adjusts the volume, while pressing and holding the crown will activate Siri through the Apple TV. A button with three dots can also be tapped to mute and unmute audio, activate captions, and power the Apple TV on and off.
The latest Apple Watch update also expands the wearable’s health features with the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea, which can increase the risk of more serious conditions like Type 2 diabetes if left untreated. So while using the Apple Watch to replace a lost remote or to find your misplaced iPhone are useful, there are more compelling reasons to buy one.

watchOS 11 makes the Apple Watch an even better remote for the Apple TV. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Previous versions of watchOS allowed the Apple Watch to be used as a remote control for the Apple TV with limited functionality. With watchOS 11, the smartwatch can potentially completely replace the Siri Remote that now ships with Apple’s streaming box, with new capabilities spotted by 9to5Mac.

Before watchOS 11, the Apple Watch’s Remote app could only be used to play and pause videos, or navigate tvOS using swipe gestures to move through menus and screen taps to make selections. It was useful if you couldn’t reach the Apple TV’s remote, but couldn’t replace its features entirely.

The company has updated the Apple Watch User Guide on its website to include the new Remote app functionality introduced with watchOS 11. Turning the smartwatch’s digital crown now adjusts the volume, while pressing and holding the crown will activate Siri through the Apple TV. A button with three dots can also be tapped to mute and unmute audio, activate captions, and power the Apple TV on and off.

The latest Apple Watch update also expands the wearable’s health features with the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea, which can increase the risk of more serious conditions like Type 2 diabetes if left untreated. So while using the Apple Watch to replace a lost remote or to find your misplaced iPhone are useful, there are more compelling reasons to buy one.

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Photo: Getty Images

Almost a year since the horrifying crash in which one of its driverless vehicles ran over and dragged a woman 20 feet, Cruise is planning its return to the Bay Area. The company said in a post on X that it is deploying “several” manually driven mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, with the goal of progressing to “supervised testing” with five autonomous vehicles later this fall.
“Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with California regulators and local stakeholders,” the post reads. “This will allow our local employees to engage directly with our product as they refine and improve our tech through R&D.”

Starting today we will deploy several manual mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View with the intent to progress to supervised testing with up to 5 AVs later this fall. Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with… pic.twitter.com/OlDkv74r34— cruise (@Cruise) September 19, 2024

Driverless Cruise vehicles were once a common sight on the streets of San Francisco, but they all vanished after the incident on October 2nd of last year, in which a hit-and-run driver crashed into a woman, sending her flying into the path of one of the company’s robotaxis. The Cruise vehicle also collided with the woman, but rather than remain stationary until emergency services arrived, it pulled over to the side of the road with the victim stuck underneath.
In the immediate aftermath, the California DMV accused Cruise of withholding key information, including the fact that the vehicle was responsible for dragging the victim, and suspended its permit to carry passengers.
Cruise grounded its fleet nationwide and began the long process of reckoning with its mistakes. That included a total reshuffling of the leadership team, including the ouster of CEO Kyle Vogt. Around 20 percent of the company’s employees were laid off, and Cruise was later ordered to pay $112,500 to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Since then, Cruise has restarted testing in a number of cities, including Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas. It also scrapped its plans for a purpose-built autonomous shuttle called the Origin. GM, which is Cruise’s parent company, recommitted to the project by dumping $850 million into Cruise.
In returning to the city where the inciting incident took place, Cruise is taking a big risk. But if it’s going to compete with its main rival Waymo, it needs to be back driving on its own home turf where both companies have a lot at stake.

Photo: Getty Images

Almost a year since the horrifying crash in which one of its driverless vehicles ran over and dragged a woman 20 feet, Cruise is planning its return to the Bay Area. The company said in a post on X that it is deploying “several” manually driven mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, with the goal of progressing to “supervised testing” with five autonomous vehicles later this fall.

“Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward as we continue to work closely with California regulators and local stakeholders,” the post reads. “This will allow our local employees to engage directly with our product as they refine and improve our tech through R&D.”

Driverless Cruise vehicles were once a common sight on the streets of San Francisco, but they all vanished after the incident on October 2nd of last year, in which a hit-and-run driver crashed into a woman, sending her flying into the path of one of the company’s robotaxis. The Cruise vehicle also collided with the woman, but rather than remain stationary until emergency services arrived, it pulled over to the side of the road with the victim stuck underneath.

In the immediate aftermath, the California DMV accused Cruise of withholding key information, including the fact that the vehicle was responsible for dragging the victim, and suspended its permit to carry passengers.

Cruise grounded its fleet nationwide and began the long process of reckoning with its mistakes. That included a total reshuffling of the leadership team, including the ouster of CEO Kyle Vogt. Around 20 percent of the company’s employees were laid off, and Cruise was later ordered to pay $112,500 to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Since then, Cruise has restarted testing in a number of cities, including Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas. It also scrapped its plans for a purpose-built autonomous shuttle called the Origin. GM, which is Cruise’s parent company, recommitted to the project by dumping $850 million into Cruise.

In returning to the city where the inciting incident took place, Cruise is taking a big risk. But if it’s going to compete with its main rival Waymo, it needs to be back driving on its own home turf where both companies have a lot at stake.

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You can save well over $1,000 on LG’s vibrant 65-inch C4 OLED TV. | Image: LG

Amazon’s October Prime Day event is just a few weeks away, but if you can’t wait until then, eBay’s taking 20 percent off select new and refurbished items as part of its fall sale when you apply code FALL20OFF at checkout. The promotion will last through 11:59PM PT on September 30th, offering you an excellent chance to save on a wide range of gadgets if you can’t wait until October.

The sale includes deals on a lot of products we’re fans of, including Eufy’s 11S Max robot vacuum, which you can buy refurbished for just $87.99 instead of $249.99 — about a third of the price it sells for new. Anker’s Soundcore Sleep A20 Earbuds are also down to just $95.99, saving you $54 over buying them new. And if you’re in the market for a pair of over-ears, Sony’s WH-1000XM5, our favorite noise-canceling headphones, are down to $279.99 ($120 off) via Electronic Express Store’s eBay storefront — their second-best price to date.
One of the better deals available, however, is on LG’s 65-inch C4 OLED TV, which is down to a new all-time low of $1,357.59 ($1,341 off) with a one-year manufacturer warranty once again via Electronic Express Store’s eBay store. That’s a new all-time low on LG’s C4, which sports the deep inky blacks and vibrant picture quality that OLED TVs are famous for. It also boasts a few improvements previous models lack, including a brighter display, better picture quality, and even powerful AI processing. Like its predecessor, the TV remains a fantastic option for gamers, too, with an even higher 144Hz refresh rate than LG’s C3 lineup while retaining perks like support for Dolby Vision, AMD FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync.

A few more deals and discounts:

If you’re planning on picking up the new iPhone 16 when it hits stores this week, Amazon is already discounting Apple’s official iPhone 16 series cases. You can, for instance, buy a MagSafe-compatible silicone case designed to accommodate the iPhone 16’s new Camera Control feature for $41.99 ($7 off). A wide range of colors are on sale, too, and Amazon’s also offering the same discount for the higher-end Plus, Pro, and Pro Max model cases. Read our iPhone 16 preorder guide.

Google’s Pixel Buds A-Series are on sale for around $64 ($36 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Google. They don’t offer noise cancellation like Google’s new and more capable Pixel Buds Pro 2, but they do deliver impressive sound quality and multiple sizes of ear tips for a more comfortable fit. Plus, they grant easy access to Google Assistant and other helpful perks, ranging from in-ear detection to real-time language translation. Read our Google Pixel Buds A-Series review.
This isn’t a deal per se, but the Nintendo Switch OLED plus Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle we recently wrote about is now available from GameStop for $349.99. Along with the Switch OLED, which features a larger seven-inch OLED display and better kickstand than the standard Switch, the bundle includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a free year of Nintendo Switch Online, saving you an extra $79.98.

You can save well over $1,000 on LG’s vibrant 65-inch C4 OLED TV. | Image: LG

Amazon’s October Prime Day event is just a few weeks away, but if you can’t wait until then, eBay’s taking 20 percent off select new and refurbished items as part of its fall sale when you apply code FALL20OFF at checkout. The promotion will last through 11:59PM PT on September 30th, offering you an excellent chance to save on a wide range of gadgets if you can’t wait until October.

The sale includes deals on a lot of products we’re fans of, including Eufy’s 11S Max robot vacuum, which you can buy refurbished for just $87.99 instead of $249.99 — about a third of the price it sells for new. Anker’s Soundcore Sleep A20 Earbuds are also down to just $95.99, saving you $54 over buying them new. And if you’re in the market for a pair of over-ears, Sony’s WH-1000XM5, our favorite noise-canceling headphones, are down to $279.99 ($120 off) via Electronic Express Store’s eBay storefront — their second-best price to date.

One of the better deals available, however, is on LG’s 65-inch C4 OLED TV, which is down to a new all-time low of $1,357.59 ($1,341 off) with a one-year manufacturer warranty once again via Electronic Express Store’s eBay store. That’s a new all-time low on LG’s C4, which sports the deep inky blacks and vibrant picture quality that OLED TVs are famous for. It also boasts a few improvements previous models lack, including a brighter display, better picture quality, and even powerful AI processing. Like its predecessor, the TV remains a fantastic option for gamers, too, with an even higher 144Hz refresh rate than LG’s C3 lineup while retaining perks like support for Dolby Vision, AMD FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync.

A few more deals and discounts:

If you’re planning on picking up the new iPhone 16 when it hits stores this week, Amazon is already discounting Apple’s official iPhone 16 series cases. You can, for instance, buy a MagSafe-compatible silicone case designed to accommodate the iPhone 16’s new Camera Control feature for $41.99 ($7 off). A wide range of colors are on sale, too, and Amazon’s also offering the same discount for the higher-end Plus, Pro, and Pro Max model cases. Read our iPhone 16 preorder guide.

Google’s Pixel Buds A-Series are on sale for around $64 ($36 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Google. They don’t offer noise cancellation like Google’s new and more capable Pixel Buds Pro 2, but they do deliver impressive sound quality and multiple sizes of ear tips for a more comfortable fit. Plus, they grant easy access to Google Assistant and other helpful perks, ranging from in-ear detection to real-time language translation. Read our Google Pixel Buds A-Series review.
This isn’t a deal per se, but the Nintendo Switch OLED plus Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle we recently wrote about is now available from GameStop for $349.99. Along with the Switch OLED, which features a larger seven-inch OLED display and better kickstand than the standard Switch, the bundle includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a free year of Nintendo Switch Online, saving you an extra $79.98.

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Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is launching a Windows app today for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, web browsers, Android devices, and even Windows PCs. The Windows app is essentially a hub for streaming a copy of Windows from a variety of sources, including Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, and more.
This new unified app has been in testing for nearly a year and includes a customizable homescreen, multi-monitor support, and USB redirection so you can use local devices like webcams, storage devices, and printers as if they were plugged directly in to a cloud PC.

Image: Microsoft
The Windows app interface.

This Windows app is limited to Microsoft work and school accounts, as it’s primarily designed for existing users of Remote Desktop clients for Windows and other operating systems to move to. Microsoft has had similar apps for connecting to PCs remotely in Windows for decades, including the Remote Desktop Connection app that still ships as part of Windows 11. These apps, including the new Windows one, are useful for connecting to work PCs from a personal laptop or PC.
There are no signs that Microsoft plans to support consumer accounts with its new Windows app, though. Last year, it was revealed that Microsoft has a long-term goal of moving Windows fully to the cloud to “enable improved AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experience.”
Windows users can grab the Windows app from the Microsoft Store. It’s also available from Apple’s App Store for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. An Android version enters public preview mode today.

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is launching a Windows app today for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, web browsers, Android devices, and even Windows PCs. The Windows app is essentially a hub for streaming a copy of Windows from a variety of sources, including Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, and more.

This new unified app has been in testing for nearly a year and includes a customizable homescreen, multi-monitor support, and USB redirection so you can use local devices like webcams, storage devices, and printers as if they were plugged directly in to a cloud PC.

Image: Microsoft
The Windows app interface.

This Windows app is limited to Microsoft work and school accounts, as it’s primarily designed for existing users of Remote Desktop clients for Windows and other operating systems to move to. Microsoft has had similar apps for connecting to PCs remotely in Windows for decades, including the Remote Desktop Connection app that still ships as part of Windows 11. These apps, including the new Windows one, are useful for connecting to work PCs from a personal laptop or PC.

There are no signs that Microsoft plans to support consumer accounts with its new Windows app, though. Last year, it was revealed that Microsoft has a long-term goal of moving Windows fully to the cloud to “enable improved AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experience.”

Windows users can grab the Windows app from the Microsoft Store. It’s also available from Apple’s App Store for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. An Android version enters public preview mode today.

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Oooo, pretty! | Image: Microsoft

Before Sony went all-in with a pricey mid-cycle console refresh by announcing its upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro, Microsoft laid out plans for a premium console with aesthetics at the forefront. The 2TB “Galaxy Black” special-edition Xbox Series X is mostly the same as the standard Series X, but it features a double-capacity SSD and a slick paint job. We’re inching toward its October 15th release, and interested parties willing to pony up the $599.99 asking price can already preorder one at Best Buy and directly from Microsoft.
Those who crave the pricier Xbox are primarily getting three unique things for their money:

2TB of built-in storage, which is twice the amount available on the standard, $500 Xbox Series X (which can still be expanded with proprietary storage add-ons).
A fresh paint job, if black is your thing, that’s reminiscent of the star-filled darkness of space. It shares some vibes with Microsoft’s previous limited edition console, the Halo-themed Xbox Series X, and features green accents on its bottom stand.
A unique controller with matching speckles on the D-pad and a splash of green on the bottom.

Those changes aren’t nearly as drastic as the new hardware on the PS5 Pro (which features a new GPU, among other performance benefits), but I must admit the new Xbox looks sick.

Outside of the above features, the Galaxy Black Xbox Series X will play all the same games as other Xbox Series X / S models and match the standard edition with its 4K resolution and 120fps frame rate (though it’s locked at 4K / 60fps or lower in most games). It features a Blu-ray drive, too, unlike the compact Series S and discless Series X, the latter of which launches alongside Microsoft’s limited edition console in October for $449.99.

While the previous generation of Xbox One consoles saw the release of the mid-cycle Xbox One X, the upcoming PS5 Pro seems to be the lone spec-bumped premium console this generation. Documents revealed during the FTC vs. Microsoft case showed a very different take on a refreshed Xbox Series X, complete with a cylindrical design and a new controller with a lift-to-wake feature. These new Xbox consoles are obviously not that, but Microsoft calling an audible on that plan is not terribly surprising as recent times have been tough for the Xbox division with studio closures, layoffs, and plenty of strategy shifts.

Image: Microsoft
The Galaxy Black Xbox Wireless Controller features a unique D-pad and green undercoating.

Oooo, pretty! | Image: Microsoft

Before Sony went all-in with a pricey mid-cycle console refresh by announcing its upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro, Microsoft laid out plans for a premium console with aesthetics at the forefront. The 2TB “Galaxy Black” special-edition Xbox Series X is mostly the same as the standard Series X, but it features a double-capacity SSD and a slick paint job. We’re inching toward its October 15th release, and interested parties willing to pony up the $599.99 asking price can already preorder one at Best Buy and directly from Microsoft.

Those who crave the pricier Xbox are primarily getting three unique things for their money:

2TB of built-in storage, which is twice the amount available on the standard, $500 Xbox Series X (which can still be expanded with proprietary storage add-ons).
A fresh paint job, if black is your thing, that’s reminiscent of the star-filled darkness of space. It shares some vibes with Microsoft’s previous limited edition console, the Halo-themed Xbox Series X, and features green accents on its bottom stand.
A unique controller with matching speckles on the D-pad and a splash of green on the bottom.

Those changes aren’t nearly as drastic as the new hardware on the PS5 Pro (which features a new GPU, among other performance benefits), but I must admit the new Xbox looks sick.

Outside of the above features, the Galaxy Black Xbox Series X will play all the same games as other Xbox Series X / S models and match the standard edition with its 4K resolution and 120fps frame rate (though it’s locked at 4K / 60fps or lower in most games). It features a Blu-ray drive, too, unlike the compact Series S and discless Series X, the latter of which launches alongside Microsoft’s limited edition console in October for $449.99.

While the previous generation of Xbox One consoles saw the release of the mid-cycle Xbox One X, the upcoming PS5 Pro seems to be the lone spec-bumped premium console this generation. Documents revealed during the FTC vs. Microsoft case showed a very different take on a refreshed Xbox Series X, complete with a cylindrical design and a new controller with a lift-to-wake feature. These new Xbox consoles are obviously not that, but Microsoft calling an audible on that plan is not terribly surprising as recent times have been tough for the Xbox division with studio closures, layoffs, and plenty of strategy shifts.

Image: Microsoft
The Galaxy Black Xbox Wireless Controller features a unique D-pad and green undercoating.

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Amazon is using generative AI to create tailored product recommendations based on user’s shopping history. | Image: Amazon

Amazon has introduced a batch of new generative AI tools that aim to improve the retail experience for both customers and sellers on the platform. One of the more notable features announced at the Amazon Accelerate event on Thursday will use customers’ preferences, search, browsing, and purchase history to create personalized product recommendations on Amazon’s homepage.
Instead of the “more like this” feature that suggests similar, specific items, the new recommendations will be offered as larger categories based on a customer’s shopping habits — such as those catering to holiday events or sporting activities. The company says it’s leveraging a large language model to recommend products with specific features, but it’s not clear how different this will be from the current user experience.
The feature will also curate more relevant product descriptions around user interests. Terms like “gluten-free” will appear more prominently in the descriptions of relevant products for customers who regularly search for gluten-free items, for example.

Image: Amazon
If your search history reveals you shop for furniture that sits two people, Amazon will make that feature clearer on relevant item listings.

Some new tools being released for third-party sellers on the platform include a free video generator tool that references a product’s image and features to produce AI-generated clips. The company says this feature was developed to make video marketing more accessible and cost-effective, citing a study from animated video firm Wyzowl that found 89 percent of consumers want to see more videos from brands.

A new live image feature is also being added to the image generator that Amazon introduced last year, allowing users to partially animate still images — such as adding steam to mugs or a breeze that makes plants sway. Amazon says that both the live image and new video generator are available now in beta to select US advertisers, where they’ll be fine-tuned before wider release.
Also launching in beta is “Project Amelia,” a chatbot that provides personalized recommendations, insights, and troubleshooting assistance, geared at improving business performance for third-party Amazon retailers. For example, when sellers ask Project Amelia how their business is doing, the chatbot will respond with a summary of sales data, website traffic, and year-over-year performance comparisons. Amazon says the beta, which is currently limited to a small group of US retailers, will expand to additional US sellers “in the coming weeks” and roll out to additional countries later this year.

This is a sizable batch of generative AI updates for Amazon, which has otherwise been lagging behind larger players in the industry like Meta and Google. According to Reuters, Amazon will be using Anthropic’s Claude AI to power upcoming Alexa improvements after finding its own AWS models struggled with words and responding to user prompts.

Amazon is using generative AI to create tailored product recommendations based on user’s shopping history. | Image: Amazon

Amazon has introduced a batch of new generative AI tools that aim to improve the retail experience for both customers and sellers on the platform. One of the more notable features announced at the Amazon Accelerate event on Thursday will use customers’ preferences, search, browsing, and purchase history to create personalized product recommendations on Amazon’s homepage.

Instead of the “more like this” feature that suggests similar, specific items, the new recommendations will be offered as larger categories based on a customer’s shopping habits — such as those catering to holiday events or sporting activities. The company says it’s leveraging a large language model to recommend products with specific features, but it’s not clear how different this will be from the current user experience.

The feature will also curate more relevant product descriptions around user interests. Terms like “gluten-free” will appear more prominently in the descriptions of relevant products for customers who regularly search for gluten-free items, for example.

Image: Amazon
If your search history reveals you shop for furniture that sits two people, Amazon will make that feature clearer on relevant item listings.

Some new tools being released for third-party sellers on the platform include a free video generator tool that references a product’s image and features to produce AI-generated clips. The company says this feature was developed to make video marketing more accessible and cost-effective, citing a study from animated video firm Wyzowl that found 89 percent of consumers want to see more videos from brands.

A new live image feature is also being added to the image generator that Amazon introduced last year, allowing users to partially animate still images — such as adding steam to mugs or a breeze that makes plants sway. Amazon says that both the live image and new video generator are available now in beta to select US advertisers, where they’ll be fine-tuned before wider release.

Also launching in beta is “Project Amelia,” a chatbot that provides personalized recommendations, insights, and troubleshooting assistance, geared at improving business performance for third-party Amazon retailers. For example, when sellers ask Project Amelia how their business is doing, the chatbot will respond with a summary of sales data, website traffic, and year-over-year performance comparisons. Amazon says the beta, which is currently limited to a small group of US retailers, will expand to additional US sellers “in the coming weeks” and roll out to additional countries later this year.

This is a sizable batch of generative AI updates for Amazon, which has otherwise been lagging behind larger players in the industry like Meta and Google. According to Reuters, Amazon will be using Anthropic’s Claude AI to power upcoming Alexa improvements after finding its own AWS models struggled with words and responding to user prompts.

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency building is seen on August 21st in Washington, DC. | Photo by Tierney L. Cross / Getty Images

Implementing Project 2025, the conservative manifesto written by ex-Trump officials, could have serious repercussions on public health, former Environmental Protection Agency employees warn.
Air quality protections issued over the past four years are supposed to cut down pollution and associated health risks, preventing premature deaths and hospital visits for years to come. A group called the Environmental Protection Network (EPN), created by hundreds of former EPA employees during an exodus of scientists from the agency under the Trump administration, counted up the benefits in a recent report.
But that outcome isn’t guaranteed. Many of the policies recently enacted under the Biden administration could be in jeopardy if Donald Trump is elected president again and ushers in another period of turmoil at the EPA. Project 2025, guided in part by alumni of the Trump administration, lays out a blueprint for drastically remaking the agency.
“They would turn it into a shell of what its true mission is.”
“Project 2025 is just full of recommendations that would essentially eviscerate EPA. They would turn it into a shell of what its true mission is,” says Stan Meiburg, executive director of the Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University. Meiburg worked at the EPA for nearly four decades until 2017 when he left his post as acting deputy administrator and is now on the board of directors for EPN.
“From ambient [air quality] standards to regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and from power plants — all of those are things that Project 2025 recommendations and the Trump administration in its previous iteration went right after,” Meiburg says.
Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental regulations during his single term in office. He appointed fossil fuel insiders to key posts within federal agencies, including the EPA, and attempted to slash the EPA’s budget. Amid the turmoil, 550 environmental protection specialists — one of every four — left the agency between 2016 and 2020.
The Biden administration has tried to reverse course, updating and issuing new policies to limit air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Those policies could spur immense public health benefits if they survive past the presidential election in November, the EPN report forecasts.
The group analyzed the potential impact of 16 major air pollution rules issued since 2021, estimating that they could prevent 200,000 premature deaths and result in 100 million fewer asthma attacks in the US through 2050. Taking healthcare costs into consideration, the net annual benefits would add up to $250 billion through 2050, the report estimates.
“It’s hard to envision 200,000 people … it’s equivalent to a convoy of buses stretching along the highway from Philadelphia to New York City. Think of the families waiting for those people to disembark,” says Jeremy Symons, an EPN senior advisor who coauthored the report and previously served as a climate policy advisor at the EPA before leaving in 2001.
The EPN’s estimates are limited to just 16 measures the EPA has taken to clean up the air — a fraction of the agency’s work considering the EPA is also tasked with preventing land and water pollution. Those policies range from stricter standards for cars and trucks and power plants to limiting emissions from oil and gas wells, appliances, and manufacturing.

Project 2025, crafted by the right-wing think tank Heritage Foundation, takes aim at some of those policies specifically. The EPA’s embattled Good Neighbor Plan, meant to keep smog-forming pollutants from upwind states from drifting toward its neighbors, is one example. Project 2025 says the next president should “review Biden-era regulations to ensure that they do not ‘overcontrol’ upwind states.”
The Supreme Court, with its three Trump-appointed members, has already dealt a blow to the Good Neighbor Plan. In June, SCOTUS granted Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and industry groups a temporary stay on the plan while they challenge the legal merit of the policy in court. A series of SCOTUS decisions since the Trump administration has propelled conservatives’ deregulatory agenda, making it trickier for the EPA to craft new regulations regardless of whoever is elected president next.
Vice President Kamala Harris says she’ll “tackle the climate crisis” and points to suits she filed against polluters as California’s attorney general, even though she has simultaneously touted record US oil production under Biden’s leadership. She’s expected to defend Biden era environmental policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest spending package on clean energy ever passed in the US, from which Donald Trump said he would rescind funds. The sheer amount of funds the IRA tasks the EPA with spending or disbursing adds to its workload as it still recovers from the Trump-era brain drain.

Project 2025, meanwhile, pushes for a “major reorganization” at the EPA that would further reduce the number of full-time positions and eliminate entire departments and any programs deemed “duplicative, wasteful, or superfluous.” The lead author of the chapter dedicated to the EPA is Mandy Gunasekara, who was chief of staff at the EPA during the Trump administration. She served under Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist Trump tapped to lead the agency.
“The authors of the Project 2025 EPA chapter have used their years working at EPA under Trump as a scouting mission and a training ground for the even more reckless plans,” Symons says. “We’ve seen the impact that these kind of plans can have from President Trump’s term in office previously. We have to take it seriously when they set out to basically take EPA out of the game and hand the keys over to polluters.”
The Heritage Foundation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The EPA didn’t comment on Project 2025, but spokesperson Remmington Belford said in an email that “EPA remains committed to protecting public health and the environment by implementing science-based pollution standards that address climate change and improve air quality for all Americans.”

The United States Environmental Protection Agency building is seen on August 21st in Washington, DC. | Photo by Tierney L. Cross / Getty Images

Implementing Project 2025, the conservative manifesto written by ex-Trump officials, could have serious repercussions on public health, former Environmental Protection Agency employees warn.

Air quality protections issued over the past four years are supposed to cut down pollution and associated health risks, preventing premature deaths and hospital visits for years to come. A group called the Environmental Protection Network (EPN), created by hundreds of former EPA employees during an exodus of scientists from the agency under the Trump administration, counted up the benefits in a recent report.

But that outcome isn’t guaranteed. Many of the policies recently enacted under the Biden administration could be in jeopardy if Donald Trump is elected president again and ushers in another period of turmoil at the EPA. Project 2025, guided in part by alumni of the Trump administration, lays out a blueprint for drastically remaking the agency.

“Project 2025 is just full of recommendations that would essentially eviscerate EPA. They would turn it into a shell of what its true mission is,” says Stan Meiburg, executive director of the Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University. Meiburg worked at the EPA for nearly four decades until 2017 when he left his post as acting deputy administrator and is now on the board of directors for EPN.

“From ambient [air quality] standards to regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and from power plants — all of those are things that Project 2025 recommendations and the Trump administration in its previous iteration went right after,” Meiburg says.

Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental regulations during his single term in office. He appointed fossil fuel insiders to key posts within federal agencies, including the EPA, and attempted to slash the EPA’s budget. Amid the turmoil, 550 environmental protection specialists — one of every four — left the agency between 2016 and 2020.

The Biden administration has tried to reverse course, updating and issuing new policies to limit air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Those policies could spur immense public health benefits if they survive past the presidential election in November, the EPN report forecasts.

The group analyzed the potential impact of 16 major air pollution rules issued since 2021, estimating that they could prevent 200,000 premature deaths and result in 100 million fewer asthma attacks in the US through 2050. Taking healthcare costs into consideration, the net annual benefits would add up to $250 billion through 2050, the report estimates.

“It’s hard to envision 200,000 people … it’s equivalent to a convoy of buses stretching along the highway from Philadelphia to New York City. Think of the families waiting for those people to disembark,” says Jeremy Symons, an EPN senior advisor who coauthored the report and previously served as a climate policy advisor at the EPA before leaving in 2001.

The EPN’s estimates are limited to just 16 measures the EPA has taken to clean up the air — a fraction of the agency’s work considering the EPA is also tasked with preventing land and water pollution. Those policies range from stricter standards for cars and trucks and power plants to limiting emissions from oil and gas wells, appliances, and manufacturing.

Project 2025, crafted by the right-wing think tank Heritage Foundation, takes aim at some of those policies specifically. The EPA’s embattled Good Neighbor Plan, meant to keep smog-forming pollutants from upwind states from drifting toward its neighbors, is one example. Project 2025 says the next president should “review Biden-era regulations to ensure that they do not ‘overcontrol’ upwind states.”

The Supreme Court, with its three Trump-appointed members, has already dealt a blow to the Good Neighbor Plan. In June, SCOTUS granted Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and industry groups a temporary stay on the plan while they challenge the legal merit of the policy in court. A series of SCOTUS decisions since the Trump administration has propelled conservatives’ deregulatory agenda, making it trickier for the EPA to craft new regulations regardless of whoever is elected president next.

Vice President Kamala Harris says she’ll “tackle the climate crisis” and points to suits she filed against polluters as California’s attorney general, even though she has simultaneously touted record US oil production under Biden’s leadership. She’s expected to defend Biden era environmental policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest spending package on clean energy ever passed in the US, from which Donald Trump said he would rescind funds. The sheer amount of funds the IRA tasks the EPA with spending or disbursing adds to its workload as it still recovers from the Trump-era brain drain.

Project 2025, meanwhile, pushes for a “major reorganization” at the EPA that would further reduce the number of full-time positions and eliminate entire departments and any programs deemed “duplicative, wasteful, or superfluous.” The lead author of the chapter dedicated to the EPA is Mandy Gunasekara, who was chief of staff at the EPA during the Trump administration. She served under Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist Trump tapped to lead the agency.

“The authors of the Project 2025 EPA chapter have used their years working at EPA under Trump as a scouting mission and a training ground for the even more reckless plans,” Symons says. “We’ve seen the impact that these kind of plans can have from President Trump’s term in office previously. We have to take it seriously when they set out to basically take EPA out of the game and hand the keys over to polluters.”

The Heritage Foundation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The EPA didn’t comment on Project 2025, but spokesperson Remmington Belford said in an email that “EPA remains committed to protecting public health and the environment by implementing science-based pollution standards that address climate change and improve air quality for all Americans.”

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