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Improved incident reporting UI and new Destination Guidance in Google Maps. | Image: Google

Google is updating its two navigation apps — Google Maps and Waze — with a slew of new features, including some changes that bring the two closer together.
One of the big updates here continues to integrate the biggest features from Waze directly into Maps. Maps is getting improved Waze-like incident reporting that adds larger icons to share updates like road closures, construction, speed cameras, or police presence. Other drivers will be prompted to confirm incidents with a tap.
It can feel like Waze and Google Maps are on a collision course, but the two apps continue to remain separate. Head of product for Google Maps Can Comertoglu told The Verge at a press briefing on Tuesday that Waze users are very dedicated. “They prefer some of the things that Waze does over Google Maps, and we know the reverse is true as well.” Waze has over 500,000 contributors, Waze director Tim Queenan tells us.
Google Maps service is also adding new destination guidance that will identify a building’s entrance as you approach it. The feature will pinpoint the exact building you’re navigating to by highlighting it in red, with a green indicator pointing to the main entrance of the building. Google will also start showing nearby parking lots.
The improved incident reporting is rolling out now to Google Maps on Android, iOS, cars with Google Built-in, and Android Auto and Apple Carplay, while the destination guidance is rolling out “in the coming weeks.”

GIF: Google
Waze has support for reporting of different types of traffic cameras.

GIF: Google
New Waze notification for events causing road closures.

Not to be overshadowed by Google Maps, Waze is getting some new tricks, too. Waze users can now report new types of traffic cameras, like ones that go off if you drive in the bus or HOV lanes, or ones that check for seatbelts and whether you’re texting and driving.
Waze also has a new dedicated experience for event information that can tell you about road closures for area happenings, like a marathon, concert, or ballgame. You’ll get a push notification after the first road closure for an event that is near your work or home address, or somewhere you drove to recently. The new feature is launching with the 2024 Olympic games and will roll out for future events as well.

Improved incident reporting UI and new Destination Guidance in Google Maps. | Image: Google

Google is updating its two navigation apps — Google Maps and Waze — with a slew of new features, including some changes that bring the two closer together.

One of the big updates here continues to integrate the biggest features from Waze directly into Maps. Maps is getting improved Waze-like incident reporting that adds larger icons to share updates like road closures, construction, speed cameras, or police presence. Other drivers will be prompted to confirm incidents with a tap.

It can feel like Waze and Google Maps are on a collision course, but the two apps continue to remain separate. Head of product for Google Maps Can Comertoglu told The Verge at a press briefing on Tuesday that Waze users are very dedicated. “They prefer some of the things that Waze does over Google Maps, and we know the reverse is true as well.” Waze has over 500,000 contributors, Waze director Tim Queenan tells us.

Google Maps service is also adding new destination guidance that will identify a building’s entrance as you approach it. The feature will pinpoint the exact building you’re navigating to by highlighting it in red, with a green indicator pointing to the main entrance of the building. Google will also start showing nearby parking lots.

The improved incident reporting is rolling out now to Google Maps on Android, iOS, cars with Google Built-in, and Android Auto and Apple Carplay, while the destination guidance is rolling out “in the coming weeks.”

Not to be overshadowed by Google Maps, Waze is getting some new tricks, too. Waze users can now report new types of traffic cameras, like ones that go off if you drive in the bus or HOV lanes, or ones that check for seatbelts and whether you’re texting and driving.

Waze also has a new dedicated experience for event information that can tell you about road closures for area happenings, like a marathon, concert, or ballgame. You’ll get a push notification after the first road closure for an event that is near your work or home address, or somewhere you drove to recently. The new feature is launching with the 2024 Olympic games and will roll out for future events as well.

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Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Spotify has stopped trying to make users pay for song lyrics. After expanding a test that put the feature behind a Premium paywall, Spotify is now reversing the change.
A Spotify spokesperson tells Engadget that the company will be “expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally,” adding that it will be available to all users “over the coming weeks.” Spotify didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Spotify didn’t originally charge for its song lyrics feature, which lets you follow along with the words of a song as it plays. But last September, users began noticing that they couldn’t view the lyrics for more than three songs per month without paying for a Premium subscription. Spotify rolled out the test more widely in May, much to the discontent of its users.
It usually never goes over well when a company tries to charge for a feature that was once free. It also doesn’t help that Spotify raised the price of its Premium subscription from $10.99 to $11.99 per month in June.

Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Spotify has stopped trying to make users pay for song lyrics. After expanding a test that put the feature behind a Premium paywall, Spotify is now reversing the change.

A Spotify spokesperson tells Engadget that the company will be “expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally,” adding that it will be available to all users “over the coming weeks.” Spotify didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

Spotify didn’t originally charge for its song lyrics feature, which lets you follow along with the words of a song as it plays. But last September, users began noticing that they couldn’t view the lyrics for more than three songs per month without paying for a Premium subscription. Spotify rolled out the test more widely in May, much to the discontent of its users.

It usually never goes over well when a company tries to charge for a feature that was once free. It also doesn’t help that Spotify raised the price of its Premium subscription from $10.99 to $11.99 per month in June.

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Image: Audi

Audi’s got some new E-tron EV models, and this time around they aren’t SUVs. Instead, we’re getting electric versions of the A6, the automaker’s popular midsized sedan, and it’s coming in both a Sportback and an Avant station wagon style, along with performance S6 variants.
Audi first revealed the A6 E-tron as a concept at Auto Shanghai back in 2021, and the production version is looking very close to the source material. The front still has slim headlights with adaptive matrix LEDs (only available outside the US due to regulations) and a front grill with a fish scale-like texture surrounded by a dark mask. And over on the back, the car has digital OLED panels for its rear lights that can be used as a safety communications display.

The US is currently set to get just three versions of the new vehicle: the A6 RWD Sportback, A6 AWD (quattro) Sportback, and the S6 Sportback. They also won’t get the slim virtual side view mirrors that help the car get a low drag coefficient of 0.21 since US regulations require actual mirrors. Audi claims the range of the vehicle on a single charge is over 700 kilometers (about 435 miles), although the US EPA estimation is likely to be much less.
The fastest version, the S6 E-tron, can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds when using launch control, which is not too far off from Tesla’s latest Model 3 Performance with a 0-60 of just 2.9 seconds. The S6 peaks at 543 horsepower and has a top speed of 149 mph.
The vehicle’s interior is very similar to the new Q6 E-tron, which has three displays that create a “digital stage,” including a 10.9-inch front passenger display with a privacy screen. And if that’s not enough to look at, Audi also offers a heads-up display for the driver.
The Audi A6 E-tron is built on Volkswagen’s newer 800-volt Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, which is also shared with the Audi Q6 E-tron and Porsche Macan EV. All versions of the A6 E-tron come with 100kWh battery packs (94.4 usable) and can DC fast charge at 270kW, good for a 10-80 percent charge in 21 minutes, according to Audi.
The A6 E-Tron is launching in Europe later this September, with a final US date to follow.

Image: Audi

Audi’s got some new E-tron EV models, and this time around they aren’t SUVs. Instead, we’re getting electric versions of the A6, the automaker’s popular midsized sedan, and it’s coming in both a Sportback and an Avant station wagon style, along with performance S6 variants.

Audi first revealed the A6 E-tron as a concept at Auto Shanghai back in 2021, and the production version is looking very close to the source material. The front still has slim headlights with adaptive matrix LEDs (only available outside the US due to regulations) and a front grill with a fish scale-like texture surrounded by a dark mask. And over on the back, the car has digital OLED panels for its rear lights that can be used as a safety communications display.

The US is currently set to get just three versions of the new vehicle: the A6 RWD Sportback, A6 AWD (quattro) Sportback, and the S6 Sportback. They also won’t get the slim virtual side view mirrors that help the car get a low drag coefficient of 0.21 since US regulations require actual mirrors. Audi claims the range of the vehicle on a single charge is over 700 kilometers (about 435 miles), although the US EPA estimation is likely to be much less.

The fastest version, the S6 E-tron, can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds when using launch control, which is not too far off from Tesla’s latest Model 3 Performance with a 0-60 of just 2.9 seconds. The S6 peaks at 543 horsepower and has a top speed of 149 mph.

The vehicle’s interior is very similar to the new Q6 E-tron, which has three displays that create a “digital stage,” including a 10.9-inch front passenger display with a privacy screen. And if that’s not enough to look at, Audi also offers a heads-up display for the driver.

The Audi A6 E-tron is built on Volkswagen’s newer 800-volt Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, which is also shared with the Audi Q6 E-tron and Porsche Macan EV. All versions of the A6 E-tron come with 100kWh battery packs (94.4 usable) and can DC fast charge at 270kW, good for a 10-80 percent charge in 21 minutes, according to Audi.

The A6 E-Tron is launching in Europe later this September, with a final US date to follow.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is making Skype ad-free in an update that will rollout to users across all platforms soon. The update also includes improved AI image creation tools on Skype for Windows and macOS, and the ability to sign in automatically on iOS if you’re already signed into another Microsoft app.
“Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered and more enjoyable user experience,” says Skype product manager Irene Namuganyi.
The removal of ads in Skype means you’ll no longer see ads in the main chat interface, or in the channels section. Microsoft says it has listened to feedback around ads in Skype, and decided to “focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly.”
The today section of Skype will remain though, complete with the news feed that’s powered by MSN. It’s a tab that I’m sure most Skype users ignore, but you can still disable this in Settings > Appearance if you want to get rid of it fully.
Here’s hoping Microsoft also listens to feedback about ads in Windows. The software giant has been adding malware-like Bing prompts, ads in the Start menu, and using plenty of tricks to try and get Windows users to switch to Edge.
Alongside the ad removal in Skype, Microsoft is also improving the AI image creation features inside the app on Windows and macOS. You’ll soon be able to quickly access the AI image creator inside chat windows, and AI-generated images will expand on click. Microsoft has also fixed up some UI elements, while also making the image creator feel more at home with Apple’s macOS design.
Microsoft is also bringing OneAuth integration to Skype for iOS, which allows you to sign into the app automatically if you’re already using another Microsoft app. If you’ve been having issues sending photos or videos over 5G with Skype, Microsoft has also fixed this bug in the upcoming update that will be available in the coming days.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is making Skype ad-free in an update that will rollout to users across all platforms soon. The update also includes improved AI image creation tools on Skype for Windows and macOS, and the ability to sign in automatically on iOS if you’re already signed into another Microsoft app.

“Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered and more enjoyable user experience,” says Skype product manager Irene Namuganyi.

The removal of ads in Skype means you’ll no longer see ads in the main chat interface, or in the channels section. Microsoft says it has listened to feedback around ads in Skype, and decided to “focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly.”

The today section of Skype will remain though, complete with the news feed that’s powered by MSN. It’s a tab that I’m sure most Skype users ignore, but you can still disable this in Settings > Appearance if you want to get rid of it fully.

Here’s hoping Microsoft also listens to feedback about ads in Windows. The software giant has been adding malware-like Bing prompts, ads in the Start menu, and using plenty of tricks to try and get Windows users to switch to Edge.

Alongside the ad removal in Skype, Microsoft is also improving the AI image creation features inside the app on Windows and macOS. You’ll soon be able to quickly access the AI image creator inside chat windows, and AI-generated images will expand on click. Microsoft has also fixed up some UI elements, while also making the image creator feel more at home with Apple’s macOS design.

Microsoft is also bringing OneAuth integration to Skype for iOS, which allows you to sign into the app automatically if you’re already using another Microsoft app. If you’ve been having issues sending photos or videos over 5G with Skype, Microsoft has also fixed this bug in the upcoming update that will be available in the coming days.

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The Nothing Phone 2A Plus will be available in the UK first, followed by limited availability in the US a few days later. | Image: Nothing

A little more than four months after the Phone 2A’s debut, Nothing is already introducing a follow-up with the Phone 2A Plus, which has a handful of performance improvements and a more premium look while maintaining a sub-$400 price tag.
Plus is often used in smartphone naming to delineate a larger model with a bigger screen, but that’s not the case here. The Phone 2A Plus has the same 6.7-inch OLED screen up front to go with the same flashing Glyph Interface in the back, the same 5,000mAh battery, and NFC, just like the 2A.
The biggest upgrade for the Phone 2A Plus is a new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G processor, currently exclusive to Nothing, which the company claims is nearly 10 percent faster than the processor used in the Phone 2A and has a GPU that’s 30 percent faster.

With the original 2A, Nothing demonstrated that a budget phone doesn’t have to skimp on design, and the Plus adds two new metallic colorways: an updated black finish and a new gray option that simulates the look of unfinished machined metal.
Even with those performance and style upgrades, the budget phone will sell for £399 in the UK and $399 in the US, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That’s £50 / $50 more than the 12GB version of the Phone 2A, and the company will continue to sell both models.
There are other improvements, too. The Phone 2A Plus’ front-facing camera got a bump in resolution from 32 megapixels to 50 megapixels, and Nothing says an improved portrait algorithm helps enhance facial features like eyes and facial hair. Finally, max wired charging increased from 45W on the 2A to 50W on the 2A Plus, but there’s still no wireless charging.
The Nothing Phone 2A Plus will be available first at the company’s Soho store in London starting at 11AM BST on August 3rd. Availability in the US will start on August 7th at 9AM ET, but only through Nothing’s US beta program and, like the Phone 2A, with limited support for US networks.

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus will be available in the UK first, followed by limited availability in the US a few days later. | Image: Nothing

A little more than four months after the Phone 2A’s debut, Nothing is already introducing a follow-up with the Phone 2A Plus, which has a handful of performance improvements and a more premium look while maintaining a sub-$400 price tag.

Plus is often used in smartphone naming to delineate a larger model with a bigger screen, but that’s not the case here. The Phone 2A Plus has the same 6.7-inch OLED screen up front to go with the same flashing Glyph Interface in the back, the same 5,000mAh battery, and NFC, just like the 2A.

The biggest upgrade for the Phone 2A Plus is a new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G processor, currently exclusive to Nothing, which the company claims is nearly 10 percent faster than the processor used in the Phone 2A and has a GPU that’s 30 percent faster.

With the original 2A, Nothing demonstrated that a budget phone doesn’t have to skimp on design, and the Plus adds two new metallic colorways: an updated black finish and a new gray option that simulates the look of unfinished machined metal.

Even with those performance and style upgrades, the budget phone will sell for £399 in the UK and $399 in the US, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That’s £50 / $50 more than the 12GB version of the Phone 2A, and the company will continue to sell both models.

There are other improvements, too. The Phone 2A Plus’ front-facing camera got a bump in resolution from 32 megapixels to 50 megapixels, and Nothing says an improved portrait algorithm helps enhance facial features like eyes and facial hair. Finally, max wired charging increased from 45W on the 2A to 50W on the 2A Plus, but there’s still no wireless charging.

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus will be available first at the company’s Soho store in London starting at 11AM BST on August 3rd. Availability in the US will start on August 7th at 9AM ET, but only through Nothing’s US beta program and, like the Phone 2A, with limited support for US networks.

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

StubHub is facing a new lawsuit that accuses the ticketing service of hiding fees from customers until the very end of the purchasing process. In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb claims StubHub engages in “a series of deceptive, manipulative, and unfair practices.”
Attorney General Schwalb alleges StubHub uses a “bait-and-switch” technique where it advertises “deceptively low” ticket prices and adds extra charges after a multi-page purchase process. During that process, StubHub displays a countdown timer giving customers 10 minutes to complete their purchase — something Schwalb calls a dark pattern designed to create a “false sense of urgency.”
In addition, Schwalb accuses StubHub of misrepresenting the “Fulfillment and Services Fee” it charges at checkout. These fees “vary wildly” and aren’t related to fulfillment or service, Schwalb claims in the lawsuit. The lawsuit also points out that StubHub fails to disclose how these fees are calculated or what they’re actually for.
“StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense”
While StubHub does have a filter that’s supposed to show estimated fees, the option is buried within multiple drop-down menus that make it more difficult to find. Even with the filter toggled on, StubHub allegedly never included mandatory fees until DC’s Office of the Attorney General contacted the ticketing service about its practices in March 2024.
Schwalb claims StubHub’s practices violate the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Laws (CPPA). He asks the court to order StubHub to pay civil penalties and for an injunction blocking StubHub’s allegedly deceptive practices.
“StubHub lures consumers in by advertising a deceptively low price, forces them through a burdensome purchase process, and then finally reveals a total on the checkout page that is vastly higher than the originally advertised ticket price,” Schwalb says in the press release. “This is no accident — StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense.”
Ever since the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco in 2022, the federal government has been clamping down on ticketing services and the fees they charge. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule to ban ticketing services and other businesses from charging junk fees. The FTC is expected to issue a decision on the proposal later this year. The House also passed a bill in May that would force ticket sellers to show total prices upfront.
The Department of Justice also took legal action against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, earlier this year, accusing it of operating a monopoly that has resulted in higher ticket prices.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

StubHub is facing a new lawsuit that accuses the ticketing service of hiding fees from customers until the very end of the purchasing process. In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb claims StubHub engages in “a series of deceptive, manipulative, and unfair practices.”

Attorney General Schwalb alleges StubHub uses a “bait-and-switch” technique where it advertises “deceptively low” ticket prices and adds extra charges after a multi-page purchase process. During that process, StubHub displays a countdown timer giving customers 10 minutes to complete their purchase — something Schwalb calls a dark pattern designed to create a “false sense of urgency.”

In addition, Schwalb accuses StubHub of misrepresenting the “Fulfillment and Services Fee” it charges at checkout. These fees “vary wildly” and aren’t related to fulfillment or service, Schwalb claims in the lawsuit. The lawsuit also points out that StubHub fails to disclose how these fees are calculated or what they’re actually for.

While StubHub does have a filter that’s supposed to show estimated fees, the option is buried within multiple drop-down menus that make it more difficult to find. Even with the filter toggled on, StubHub allegedly never included mandatory fees until DC’s Office of the Attorney General contacted the ticketing service about its practices in March 2024.

Schwalb claims StubHub’s practices violate the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Laws (CPPA). He asks the court to order StubHub to pay civil penalties and for an injunction blocking StubHub’s allegedly deceptive practices.

“StubHub lures consumers in by advertising a deceptively low price, forces them through a burdensome purchase process, and then finally reveals a total on the checkout page that is vastly higher than the originally advertised ticket price,” Schwalb says in the press release. “This is no accident — StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense.”

Ever since the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco in 2022, the federal government has been clamping down on ticketing services and the fees they charge. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule to ban ticketing services and other businesses from charging junk fees. The FTC is expected to issue a decision on the proposal later this year. The House also passed a bill in May that would force ticket sellers to show total prices upfront.

The Department of Justice also took legal action against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, earlier this year, accusing it of operating a monopoly that has resulted in higher ticket prices.

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Former President Donald Trump. | Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Meta’s AI assistant incorrectly said that the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump didn’t happen, an error a company executive is now attributing to the technology powering its chatbot and others.
In a company blog post published on Tuesday, Joel Kaplan, Meta’s global head of policy, calls its AI’s responses to questions about the shooting “unfortunate.” He says Meta AI was first programmed to not respond to questions about the attempted assassination but the company removed that restriction after people started noticing. He also acknowledges that “in a small number of cases, Meta AI continued to provide incorrect answers, including sometimes asserting that the event didn’t happen – which we are quickly working to address.”
“These types of responses are referred to as hallucinations, which is an industry-wide issue we see across all generative AI systems, and is an ongoing challenge for how AI handles real-time events going forward,” continues Kaplan, who runs Meta’s lobbying efforts. “Like all generative AI systems, models can return inaccurate or inappropriate outputs, and we’ll continue to address these issues and improve these features as they evolve and more people share their feedback.”

Meta AI won’t give any details on the attempted ass*ss*nation.We’re witnessing the suppression and coverup of one of the biggest most consequential stories in real time.Simply unreal. pic.twitter.com/BoBLZILp5M— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 28, 2024

It’s not just Meta that is caught up here: Google on Tuesday also had to refute claims that its Search autocomplete feature was censoring results about the assassination attempt. “Here we go again, another attempt at RIGGING THE ELECTION!!!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “GO AFTER META AND GOOGLE.”
Since ChatGPT burst on the scene, the tech industry has been grappling with how to limit generative AI’s propensity for falsehoods. Some players, like Meta, have attempted to ground their chatbots with quality data and real-time search results as a way to compensate for hallucinations. But as this particular example shows, it’s still hard to overcome what large language models are inherently designed to do: make stuff up.

Former President Donald Trump. | Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Meta’s AI assistant incorrectly said that the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump didn’t happen, an error a company executive is now attributing to the technology powering its chatbot and others.

In a company blog post published on Tuesday, Joel Kaplan, Meta’s global head of policy, calls its AI’s responses to questions about the shooting “unfortunate.” He says Meta AI was first programmed to not respond to questions about the attempted assassination but the company removed that restriction after people started noticing. He also acknowledges that “in a small number of cases, Meta AI continued to provide incorrect answers, including sometimes asserting that the event didn’t happen – which we are quickly working to address.”

“These types of responses are referred to as hallucinations, which is an industry-wide issue we see across all generative AI systems, and is an ongoing challenge for how AI handles real-time events going forward,” continues Kaplan, who runs Meta’s lobbying efforts. “Like all generative AI systems, models can return inaccurate or inappropriate outputs, and we’ll continue to address these issues and improve these features as they evolve and more people share their feedback.”

It’s not just Meta that is caught up here: Google on Tuesday also had to refute claims that its Search autocomplete feature was censoring results about the assassination attempt. “Here we go again, another attempt at RIGGING THE ELECTION!!!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “GO AFTER META AND GOOGLE.”

Since ChatGPT burst on the scene, the tech industry has been grappling with how to limit generative AI’s propensity for falsehoods. Some players, like Meta, have attempted to ground their chatbots with quality data and real-time search results as a way to compensate for hallucinations. But as this particular example shows, it’s still hard to overcome what large language models are inherently designed to do: make stuff up.

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Image: Ring

On Monday evening, Amazon Web Services sent a notice about issues in the US-EAST-1 region of its server networks, which support many of the internet’s services. So far, the only problem we’ve seen that appears to be linked to the problem is an outage affecting Amazon-owned Ring, with owners of the security cameras and doorbells reporting that features like history, events, and Neighbors are unavailable.
Monitoring live feeds from the cameras is still working for some of the people who’ve been affected, and Ring’s status page confirms, “We are investigating issues with multiple Ring systems impacting things like Live View, Recordings, Timeline, Event History, etc.”
Both outages are reported as starting at 6:40PM ET, and there is no word yet on when services may be restored.
The latest note from the AWS Health dashboard at 7:58PM ET says, “We have identified the root cause and are actively working on multiple parallel paths to mitigate the issue,” along with a list of the 41 AWS services affected.
Ring owners can subscribe to updates about the issue from the company’s status page, and we have contacted Amazon to find out any available details.

Image: Ring

On Monday evening, Amazon Web Services sent a notice about issues in the US-EAST-1 region of its server networks, which support many of the internet’s services. So far, the only problem we’ve seen that appears to be linked to the problem is an outage affecting Amazon-owned Ring, with owners of the security cameras and doorbells reporting that features like history, events, and Neighbors are unavailable.

Monitoring live feeds from the cameras is still working for some of the people who’ve been affected, and Ring’s status page confirms, “We are investigating issues with multiple Ring systems impacting things like Live View, Recordings, Timeline, Event History, etc.”

Both outages are reported as starting at 6:40PM ET, and there is no word yet on when services may be restored.

The latest note from the AWS Health dashboard at 7:58PM ET says, “We have identified the root cause and are actively working on multiple parallel paths to mitigate the issue,” along with a list of the 41 AWS services affected.

Ring owners can subscribe to updates about the issue from the company’s status page, and we have contacted Amazon to find out any available details.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon, not third-party sellers, is responsible for properly recalling hazardous items that were sold on its marketplace, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) decided on Tuesday. The CPSC says Amazon failed to adequately notify the public about more than 400,000 recalled products.
Even though Amazon stopped selling those products and attempted to alert their buyers, the CPSC decided Amazon needs to follow approved recall procedures designed to keep the public from using, giving away, or reselling dangerous items. (When the CPSC helps a company recall a product, it doesn’t just warn buyers; it warns everyone.)
The Amazon products, sold between 2018 and 2021, include faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers that pose an electric shock risk, and flammable children’s pajamas. In the decision and order, the CPSC says Amazon “downplayed the severity of the hazard,” telling affected customers about a “potential safety issue” regarding a recent purchase rather than explicitly labeling it as a “recall.”

The CPSC says Amazon’s notice “downplayed” the dangers posed by the recalled products.

Amazon’s notice didn’t include “easily accessible” pictures of recalled items, which are supposed to help customers identify them. The company didn’t incentivize customers to get rid of the hazardous products, offering gift cards without requiring customers to return the item or provide proof they destroyed it. That’s something other companies often do to make sure customers don’t hold onto a dangerous product.
In 2021, the CPSC sued Amazon to get the online retailer to fully recall the thousands of faulty items on its marketplace. While Amazon argued that it’s not responsible for recalling goods from third-party sellers, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) on the case ruled that Amazon is a “distributor” and is responsible for issuing recalls. Today’s decision affirms the ALJ’s ruling.

Image: CPSC
These potentially flammable pajamas sold on Amazon are the kinds of items flagged by the CPSC.

Amazon has since launched a page dedicated to recalls, allowing users to view product recalls and safety information for items they bought on Amazon. The company says it plans to appeal the CPSC’s decision.
“In the event of a product recall in our store, we remove impacted products promptly after receiving actionable information from recalling agencies, and we continue to seek ways to innovate on behalf of our customers,” an Amazon spokesperson says in a statement provided to CNN. “Our recalls alerts service also ensures our customers are notified of important product safety information fast, and the recalls process is effective and efficient.” The company didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
With the CPSC’s approval, Amazon must now implement a new plan to notify customers about the hazardous products and encourage them to return or destroy the items.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon, not third-party sellers, is responsible for properly recalling hazardous items that were sold on its marketplace, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) decided on Tuesday. The CPSC says Amazon failed to adequately notify the public about more than 400,000 recalled products.

Even though Amazon stopped selling those products and attempted to alert their buyers, the CPSC decided Amazon needs to follow approved recall procedures designed to keep the public from using, giving away, or reselling dangerous items. (When the CPSC helps a company recall a product, it doesn’t just warn buyers; it warns everyone.)

The Amazon products, sold between 2018 and 2021, include faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers that pose an electric shock risk, and flammable children’s pajamas. In the decision and order, the CPSC says Amazon “downplayed the severity of the hazard,” telling affected customers about a “potential safety issue” regarding a recent purchase rather than explicitly labeling it as a “recall.”

The CPSC says Amazon’s notice “downplayed” the dangers posed by the recalled products.

Amazon’s notice didn’t include “easily accessible” pictures of recalled items, which are supposed to help customers identify them. The company didn’t incentivize customers to get rid of the hazardous products, offering gift cards without requiring customers to return the item or provide proof they destroyed it. That’s something other companies often do to make sure customers don’t hold onto a dangerous product.

In 2021, the CPSC sued Amazon to get the online retailer to fully recall the thousands of faulty items on its marketplace. While Amazon argued that it’s not responsible for recalling goods from third-party sellers, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) on the case ruled that Amazon is a “distributor” and is responsible for issuing recalls. Today’s decision affirms the ALJ’s ruling.

Image: CPSC
These potentially flammable pajamas sold on Amazon are the kinds of items flagged by the CPSC.

Amazon has since launched a page dedicated to recalls, allowing users to view product recalls and safety information for items they bought on Amazon. The company says it plans to appeal the CPSC’s decision.

“In the event of a product recall in our store, we remove impacted products promptly after receiving actionable information from recalling agencies, and we continue to seek ways to innovate on behalf of our customers,” an Amazon spokesperson says in a statement provided to CNN. “Our recalls alerts service also ensures our customers are notified of important product safety information fast, and the recalls process is effective and efficient.” The company didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

With the CPSC’s approval, Amazon must now implement a new plan to notify customers about the hazardous products and encourage them to return or destroy the items.

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Image: Meta

Meta has shut down its AI chatbots that let you have conversations with alter-ego versions of celebrities, as reported by The Information. The celebrity chatbots were a big part of Meta’s announcements at its Connect event last September, now, you can’t talk with them anymore.

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The shutdown follows Meta’s Monday rollout of AI Studio, a tool that lets creators in the US make AI chatbots of themselves. Based on a statement, the company seems to be favoring this direction rather than the more handcrafted celebrity bots.
“You can no longer interact with AI characters embodied by celebrities,” Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney says to The Verge. “We took a lot of learnings from building them and Meta AI to understand how people can use AIs to connect and create in unique ways. AI Studio is an evolution, creating a space for anyone including people, creators and celebrities to create their own AI.”
Meta’s initial list of chatbots included alternate personas for people like Charli D’Amelio (Coco, a “dance enthusiast”), Dwyane Wade (Victor, an “Ironman triathlete motivating you to be your best self”), and Paris Hilton (Amber, a “detective partner for solving whodunnits”). The company planned to add more, like chatbots based on Bear Grylls, Chloe Kim, and Josh Richards, but as pointed out by The Information, the company didn’t follow through. Meta paid some of the celebrities millions for their likenesses, The Information reported in October.
Even though these celebrity lookalike bots didn’t work out the way Meta may have hoped, the company sees a lot of promise for AI chatbots. CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about chatbots a lot with The Verge’s Alex Heath in an interview last year. The company has also integrated its Meta AI assistant into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Image: Meta

Meta has shut down its AI chatbots that let you have conversations with alter-ego versions of celebrities, as reported by The Information. The celebrity chatbots were a big part of Meta’s announcements at its Connect event last September, now, you can’t talk with them anymore.

The shutdown follows Meta’s Monday rollout of AI Studio, a tool that lets creators in the US make AI chatbots of themselves. Based on a statement, the company seems to be favoring this direction rather than the more handcrafted celebrity bots.

“You can no longer interact with AI characters embodied by celebrities,” Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney says to The Verge. “We took a lot of learnings from building them and Meta AI to understand how people can use AIs to connect and create in unique ways. AI Studio is an evolution, creating a space for anyone including people, creators and celebrities to create their own AI.”

Meta’s initial list of chatbots included alternate personas for people like Charli D’Amelio (Coco, a “dance enthusiast”), Dwyane Wade (Victor, an “Ironman triathlete motivating you to be your best self”), and Paris Hilton (Amber, a “detective partner for solving whodunnits”). The company planned to add more, like chatbots based on Bear Grylls, Chloe Kim, and Josh Richards, but as pointed out by The Information, the company didn’t follow through. Meta paid some of the celebrities millions for their likenesses, The Information reported in October.

Even though these celebrity lookalike bots didn’t work out the way Meta may have hoped, the company sees a lot of promise for AI chatbots. CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about chatbots a lot with The Verge’s Alex Heath in an interview last year. The company has also integrated its Meta AI assistant into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

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