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Google Vids’ “Help me create” screen powered by Gemini AI. | Image: Google

Google is generally rolling out its Gemini AI-powered Vids app that lets you create video presentations using a prompt. Some of Vids’ key features include letting Gemini auto-insert stock footage for you, generating a script, and making AI voiceovers so you don’t have to speak. Google advertises that the tool can help turn customer support articles into videos, make training videos, share company announcements, create meeting recaps, and more.
Vids will be available by default for Workspace organizations with access, but Google notes possible usage limits may apply to features like “Help me create” and AI voiceovers starting in 2026.

First announced in April, Vids lets you drop in relevant docs, slides, voiceovers, and video recordings into the app’s timeline and generate a presentation video for your coworkers. The app supports multiple languages, but AI features such as Help me create and the read-along teleprompter are only in English for now. The Vids rollout period began November 7th, and it could take more than 15 days for it to appear for some.

Google Vids’ “Help me create” screen powered by Gemini AI. | Image: Google

Google is generally rolling out its Gemini AI-powered Vids app that lets you create video presentations using a prompt. Some of Vids’ key features include letting Gemini auto-insert stock footage for you, generating a script, and making AI voiceovers so you don’t have to speak. Google advertises that the tool can help turn customer support articles into videos, make training videos, share company announcements, create meeting recaps, and more.

Vids will be available by default for Workspace organizations with access, but Google notes possible usage limits may apply to features like “Help me create” and AI voiceovers starting in 2026.

First announced in April, Vids lets you drop in relevant docs, slides, voiceovers, and video recordings into the app’s timeline and generate a presentation video for your coworkers. The app supports multiple languages, but AI features such as Help me create and the read-along teleprompter are only in English for now. The Vids rollout period began November 7th, and it could take more than 15 days for it to appear for some.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is just one of the many phones that use Gorilla Glass. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, is set to receive up to $32 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. In an announcement on Friday, the US Commerce Department said the proposed funding will help Corning increase production of its glass products used in the chip-making process.
The announcement comes just days after the European Commission opened an antitrust investigation into Corning over whether it uses exclusive supply agreements to stifle competition. Both Samsung and Apple use Corning’s ultra-tough alkali-aluminosilicate glass — or Gorilla Glass — on their phones, tablets, and smartwatches.
However, the proposed CHIPS Act funding doesn’t have anything to do with Gorilla Glass. Corning will put the funding toward the production of its High Purity Fused Silica and Extreme Ultra-Low Expansion Glass. As noted in the press release, both types of glass are used in lithography machines and photomasks used to image a chip’s pattern onto a silicon wafer. It will also allow Corning to “scale a novel manufacturing process” in its Canton, New York plant, which is expected to create 130 new manufacturing jobs and more than 175 construction jobs.

Signed by President Joe Biden in 2022, the CHIPS Act is supposed to bolster semiconductor manufacturing in the US. And now, Bloomberg reports that the Biden administration is scrambling to issue final grants as its time in office runs out. The future of the CHIPS Act under President-Elect Donald Trump remains unclear. Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) walked back a statement saying Republicans would “repeal” the legislation, instead saying they would “streamline” it.

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is just one of the many phones that use Gorilla Glass. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, is set to receive up to $32 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. In an announcement on Friday, the US Commerce Department said the proposed funding will help Corning increase production of its glass products used in the chip-making process.

The announcement comes just days after the European Commission opened an antitrust investigation into Corning over whether it uses exclusive supply agreements to stifle competition. Both Samsung and Apple use Corning’s ultra-tough alkali-aluminosilicate glass — or Gorilla Glass — on their phones, tablets, and smartwatches.

However, the proposed CHIPS Act funding doesn’t have anything to do with Gorilla Glass. Corning will put the funding toward the production of its High Purity Fused Silica and Extreme Ultra-Low Expansion Glass. As noted in the press release, both types of glass are used in lithography machines and photomasks used to image a chip’s pattern onto a silicon wafer. It will also allow Corning to “scale a novel manufacturing process” in its Canton, New York plant, which is expected to create 130 new manufacturing jobs and more than 175 construction jobs.

Signed by President Joe Biden in 2022, the CHIPS Act is supposed to bolster semiconductor manufacturing in the US. And now, Bloomberg reports that the Biden administration is scrambling to issue final grants as its time in office runs out. The future of the CHIPS Act under President-Elect Donald Trump remains unclear. Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) walked back a statement saying Republicans would “repeal” the legislation, instead saying they would “streamline” it.

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Google Slides is getting more professionally designed templates for businesses, teachers, and students. | Image: Google

Google is introducing a new collection of modern templates to Google Slides the company says have been “professionally designed” to “cater to a wide range of use cases.” There are new templates for sales pitches, product roadmaps, lesson plans, book reports, workshop facilitation, and even “team game templates” for companies looking to bolster collaboration amongst their staff.
The new templates might make it easier for users moving over from Microsoft’s office suite and Powerpoint, similar to recent updates that brought easier table formatting to Google Sheets and tabs that make it easier to organize information in a single Google Doc.
The refreshed library of templates started rolling out to everyone this week, covering both personal Gmail accounts and the various tiers of paid Workspace customers, and the full rollout is expected to be complete before the end of November. However, the new templates will only be available to those with their language specifically set to “English (United States).” Those using “English (United Kingdom)” or “English (Australia)” won’t have access to them.

Image: Google
The new templates are available to some users this week, with a full rollout expected by the end of November.

When available for your account, the refreshed templates can be accessed by opening Google Slides and using either the top toolbar or “Insert > Templates” from the drop-down menu. Once you’ve selected a template you want to use, you’ll be given the option to insert just an individual slide, allowing you to assemble your presentation from various templates or insert all of them, ensuring your presentation has a cohesive visual theme.

Google Slides is getting more professionally designed templates for businesses, teachers, and students. | Image: Google

Google is introducing a new collection of modern templates to Google Slides the company says have been “professionally designed” to “cater to a wide range of use cases.” There are new templates for sales pitches, product roadmaps, lesson plans, book reports, workshop facilitation, and even “team game templates” for companies looking to bolster collaboration amongst their staff.

The new templates might make it easier for users moving over from Microsoft’s office suite and Powerpoint, similar to recent updates that brought easier table formatting to Google Sheets and tabs that make it easier to organize information in a single Google Doc.

The refreshed library of templates started rolling out to everyone this week, covering both personal Gmail accounts and the various tiers of paid Workspace customers, and the full rollout is expected to be complete before the end of November. However, the new templates will only be available to those with their language specifically set to “English (United States).” Those using “English (United Kingdom)” or “English (Australia)” won’t have access to them.

Image: Google
The new templates are available to some users this week, with a full rollout expected by the end of November.

When available for your account, the refreshed templates can be accessed by opening Google Slides and using either the top toolbar or “Insert > Templates” from the drop-down menu. Once you’ve selected a template you want to use, you’ll be given the option to insert just an individual slide, allowing you to assemble your presentation from various templates or insert all of them, ensuring your presentation has a cohesive visual theme.

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Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

A collection of fun, affordable, and unique gifts fit for everyone on your list. For many, spending time with friends and family is the biggest holiday tradition there is — and a large part of that is the satisfaction that comes with finding the perfect gifts for everyone. Lucky for you, we know a thing or two about picking out presents.

Each year, we consult the greatest minds at The Verge to bring together a robust collection of gift ideas that builds upon both our editorial coverage and our individual interests. Our tasteful 2024 cheat sheet is chock-full of our favorite tech — from noise-canceling earbuds and streaming devices to colorful e-readers and smart rings — as well as inexpensive picks for those hoping to stretch their budget a bit further. After all, you don’t need to gift a $500 film camera or a newfangled gaming console just to show someone you care. Sometimes, a fun shirt will do the job just fine.
This is just a sneak peek, though. In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out gift guides for moms, dads, tinkerers, travelers, and everyone else on your holiday wish list. With a little luck, it’ll make checking off names that much easier.

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

A collection of fun, affordable, and unique gifts fit for everyone on your list.

For many, spending time with friends and family is the biggest holiday tradition there is — and a large part of that is the satisfaction that comes with finding the perfect gifts for everyone. Lucky for you, we know a thing or two about picking out presents.

Each year, we consult the greatest minds at The Verge to bring together a robust collection of gift ideas that builds upon both our editorial coverage and our individual interests. Our tasteful 2024 cheat sheet is chock-full of our favorite tech — from noise-canceling earbuds and streaming devices to colorful e-readers and smart rings — as well as inexpensive picks for those hoping to stretch their budget a bit further. After all, you don’t need to gift a $500 film camera or a newfangled gaming console just to show someone you care. Sometimes, a fun shirt will do the job just fine.

This is just a sneak peek, though. In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out gift guides for moms, dads, tinkerers, travelers, and everyone else on your holiday wish list. With a little luck, it’ll make checking off names that much easier.

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Image: Palworld

Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed the patents at the center of the infringement lawsuit Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed in Japan back in September. Pocketpair has also shared that, in addition to 5 million yen each plus late fees, they’re “seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.
The Pokémon Company cites three Japanese patents, No. 7545191, No. 7493117, and No. 7528390. From the translation of the claims, they appear to describe Pokémon-style activities, with ‘191 focused on the act of throwing a ball at characters in a field, ‘117 tied to aiming, and ‘390 on riding characters. We’ll have to dig more deeply into the original Japanese patent language and Japanese patent law to understand how strong these patents might be in the lawsuit, however.

Image: Patent JP7493117B2 (Nintendo, Pokemon Company)

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s lawsuit landed nine months after Palworld’s launch broke Steam records and racked up an impressive 12 million copies sold within its first month.
Shortly after the launch, Nintendo released a statement saying that it was aware of Palworld and would be investigating claims that the game ripped off Pokémon designs and other elements of Nintendo’s monster-catching game. The suit has led to the delay of Palworld’s Japanese PS5 launch but hasn’t stopped the development of a mobile port of the game licensed by PUBG Mobile publisher Krafton. To close the announcement, Pocketpair said, “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”

Image: Palworld

Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed the patents at the center of the infringement lawsuit Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed in Japan back in September. Pocketpair has also shared that, in addition to 5 million yen each plus late fees, they’re “seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.

The Pokémon Company cites three Japanese patents, No. 7545191, No. 7493117, and No. 7528390. From the translation of the claims, they appear to describe Pokémon-style activities, with ‘191 focused on the act of throwing a ball at characters in a field, ‘117 tied to aiming, and ‘390 on riding characters. We’ll have to dig more deeply into the original Japanese patent language and Japanese patent law to understand how strong these patents might be in the lawsuit, however.

Image: Patent JP7493117B2 (Nintendo, Pokemon Company)

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s lawsuit landed nine months after Palworld’s launch broke Steam records and racked up an impressive 12 million copies sold within its first month.

Shortly after the launch, Nintendo released a statement saying that it was aware of Palworld and would be investigating claims that the game ripped off Pokémon designs and other elements of Nintendo’s monster-catching game. The suit has led to the delay of Palworld’s Japanese PS5 launch but hasn’t stopped the development of a mobile port of the game licensed by PUBG Mobile publisher Krafton. To close the announcement, Pocketpair said, “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”

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Photo: Vjeran Pavic, The Verge

Think about how you like to play video games. Are you the type to sink into your couch, controller in hand, TV across the living room, for a few hours of Madden? If so, Sony’s new PlayStation 5 Pro is not for you. But if you find yourself leaning forward, creeping ever closer to the screen, looking for every clue hidden in the grass or every tiny twitchy graphical advantage, a $700 console might not be such a silly idea.
On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Sean Hollister joins the show to talk about his experience with the PS5 Pro. We go through what you can expect from this super-powered new gaming machine, which games and which gamers might get the most from it, and why the PS5 Pro might have more in common with a gaming PC than a standard console.

But before we get to that, there’s some news this week to talk about. After a hotly contested election, and looking ahead to the upcoming Trump presidency, we spend a few minutes talking through our plans to cover the new administration — and how we’re thinking differently than we did in 2016. Once we’re done with that, we talk about our reviews of the new Mac Mini and MacBook Pro, and the way they seem to nicely simplify the process of buying a Mac. For the first time in a long time, the lineup makes a lot of sense.
Then it’s gaming time. In addition to the PS5 Pro, Sean talks us through the news that Nintendo’s next console will be backwards compatible with Switch games, but cautions that the announcement isn’t necessarily unequivocally good news. Then he gives us an update on Nintendo’s fight against emulators, which has taken a bit of a confusing turn.
Finally, in the lightning round, we talk about the ultra-expensive new domain name for ChatGPT, and why .coms are still so important. We also talk about the new cap on Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service, and the good and bad news in the Matter 1.4 standard. Matter: it’ll be great next year. Every year. Forever.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Apple and gadget news:

Apple Mac Mini M4 review: a tiny wonder
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024) review: the Pro for everyone
Kindle Colorsoft owners complain of a yellow bar on the e-reader’s screen
Amazon says it’s fixing the Kindle Colorsoft’s yellow screen

And in gaming news:

PS5 Pro review: how close is your TV?
Nintendo’s next generation is off to a great start
Nintendo says the Switch successor will be compatible with Switch games
Microsoft’s new emulator could bring more games to Windows on Arm – The Verge
Why is Nintendo targeting this YouTuber?
How Nintendo’s destruction of Yuzu is rocking the emulator world

And in the lightning round:

David Pierce’s pick: Did OpenAI just spend more than $10 million on a URL?

Nilay Patel’s pick: Matter 1.4 tries to set the smart home standard back on track

Nilay’s bonus garage door pick: Ratgdo

Sean Hollister’s pick: Nvidia to cap game streaming hours on GeForce Now instead of raising fees

Photo: Vjeran Pavic, The Verge

Think about how you like to play video games. Are you the type to sink into your couch, controller in hand, TV across the living room, for a few hours of Madden? If so, Sony’s new PlayStation 5 Pro is not for you. But if you find yourself leaning forward, creeping ever closer to the screen, looking for every clue hidden in the grass or every tiny twitchy graphical advantage, a $700 console might not be such a silly idea.

On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Sean Hollister joins the show to talk about his experience with the PS5 Pro. We go through what you can expect from this super-powered new gaming machine, which games and which gamers might get the most from it, and why the PS5 Pro might have more in common with a gaming PC than a standard console.

But before we get to that, there’s some news this week to talk about. After a hotly contested election, and looking ahead to the upcoming Trump presidency, we spend a few minutes talking through our plans to cover the new administration — and how we’re thinking differently than we did in 2016. Once we’re done with that, we talk about our reviews of the new Mac Mini and MacBook Pro, and the way they seem to nicely simplify the process of buying a Mac. For the first time in a long time, the lineup makes a lot of sense.

Then it’s gaming time. In addition to the PS5 Pro, Sean talks us through the news that Nintendo’s next console will be backwards compatible with Switch games, but cautions that the announcement isn’t necessarily unequivocally good news. Then he gives us an update on Nintendo’s fight against emulators, which has taken a bit of a confusing turn.

Finally, in the lightning round, we talk about the ultra-expensive new domain name for ChatGPT, and why .coms are still so important. We also talk about the new cap on Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service, and the good and bad news in the Matter 1.4 standard. Matter: it’ll be great next year. Every year. Forever.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Apple and gadget news:

Apple Mac Mini M4 review: a tiny wonder
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024) review: the Pro for everyone
Kindle Colorsoft owners complain of a yellow bar on the e-reader’s screen
Amazon says it’s fixing the Kindle Colorsoft’s yellow screen

And in gaming news:

PS5 Pro review: how close is your TV?
Nintendo’s next generation is off to a great start
Nintendo says the Switch successor will be compatible with Switch games
Microsoft’s new emulator could bring more games to Windows on Arm – The Verge
Why is Nintendo targeting this YouTuber?
How Nintendo’s destruction of Yuzu is rocking the emulator world

And in the lightning round:

David Pierce’s pick: Did OpenAI just spend more than $10 million on a URL?

Nilay Patel’s pick: Matter 1.4 tries to set the smart home standard back on track

Nilay’s bonus garage door pick: Ratgdo

Sean Hollister’s pick: Nvidia to cap game streaming hours on GeForce Now instead of raising fees

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Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

AMD launched its latest Ryzen 7 9800X3D to glowing reviews this week, but if you’re looking to buy one then you might have to wait for more stock. The 9800X3D is currently sold out at Newegg and Best Buy, with the majority of Micro Center locations also sold out of AMD’s best gaming processor.
The situation is similar across Europe, too. In Germany most retailers have run out of stock, with new shipments not expected to arrive until later this month. In the UK Scan is accepting preorders for the 9800X3D, but stock won’t arrive until November 29th. Overclockers in the UK says its stock is currently held at UK customs and that its first and second shipments are allocated and sold out. It’s not expecting another shipment until December.

So pumped to see the global excitement for the @AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D launch! From packed lines at retailers to fans sharing their anticipation — it’s clear: the world’s best gaming processor is here to take gaming to the next level! pic.twitter.com/jyMd4MuCtH— Jack Huynh (@JackMHuynh) November 7, 2024

AMD computing and graphics boss Jack Huynh shared photos on X of people lining up for the 9800X3D at retailers, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has been signing some of the CPUs for “some special partners.” Naturally, scalpers are trying to take advantage of the low stock situation with some 9800X3D listings on eBay asking as much as $999 instead of the $479 retail price of the CPU.
While there’s bound to be some pent-up demand for the 9800X3D after the disappointment of Zen 5 desktop CPUs and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, it’s clear AMD doesn’t have enough stock of this new CPU for its launch period. The 9800X3D launch timing came as a surprise, arriving less than three months after AMD introduced its first Zen 5 desktop CPUs in August. AMD didn’t introduce its Zen 4 X3D parts until five months after the Ryzen 9 7950X was first released in September 2022, with the 7800X3D arriving nearly seven months later.

Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

AMD launched its latest Ryzen 7 9800X3D to glowing reviews this week, but if you’re looking to buy one then you might have to wait for more stock. The 9800X3D is currently sold out at Newegg and Best Buy, with the majority of Micro Center locations also sold out of AMD’s best gaming processor.

The situation is similar across Europe, too. In Germany most retailers have run out of stock, with new shipments not expected to arrive until later this month. In the UK Scan is accepting preorders for the 9800X3D, but stock won’t arrive until November 29th. Overclockers in the UK says its stock is currently held at UK customs and that its first and second shipments are allocated and sold out. It’s not expecting another shipment until December.

AMD computing and graphics boss Jack Huynh shared photos on X of people lining up for the 9800X3D at retailers, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has been signing some of the CPUs for “some special partners.” Naturally, scalpers are trying to take advantage of the low stock situation with some 9800X3D listings on eBay asking as much as $999 instead of the $479 retail price of the CPU.

While there’s bound to be some pent-up demand for the 9800X3D after the disappointment of Zen 5 desktop CPUs and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, it’s clear AMD doesn’t have enough stock of this new CPU for its launch period. The 9800X3D launch timing came as a surprise, arriving less than three months after AMD introduced its first Zen 5 desktop CPUs in August. AMD didn’t introduce its Zen 4 X3D parts until five months after the Ryzen 9 7950X was first released in September 2022, with the 7800X3D arriving nearly seven months later.

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Illustration: The Verge

Google Photos is making it easier to follow activity in your shared albums with a new “Updates” section. In the new section, you’ll be able to see notifications like updates to a shared album and updates to a conversation within Google Photos, according to a support post from Google.
The Updates section can be found by tapping a bell icon that replaces the Sharing button (the one that looks like two people). Updates are shown chronologically, and you’ll be able to look at activity from “today, yesterday, this week, this month, last month, and beyond,” the Google Photos team says the post. “We want to streamline how you can view recent activity with an interface that makes albums, groups, and conversations more accessible.”
Google notes that if you want to access shared albums, you can do so from the newly-launched Collections section.
The new Updates page is rolling out now on the Android and iOS Google Photos apps. I personally don’t have it, but one of my colleagues does; if it’s not available to you, the Photos team says to check back “over the coming weeks.”

Illustration: The Verge

Google Photos is making it easier to follow activity in your shared albums with a new “Updates” section. In the new section, you’ll be able to see notifications like updates to a shared album and updates to a conversation within Google Photos, according to a support post from Google.

The Updates section can be found by tapping a bell icon that replaces the Sharing button (the one that looks like two people). Updates are shown chronologically, and you’ll be able to look at activity from “today, yesterday, this week, this month, last month, and beyond,” the Google Photos team says the post. “We want to streamline how you can view recent activity with an interface that makes albums, groups, and conversations more accessible.”

Google notes that if you want to access shared albums, you can do so from the newly-launched Collections section.

The new Updates page is rolling out now on the Android and iOS Google Photos apps. I personally don’t have it, but one of my colleagues does; if it’s not available to you, the Photos team says to check back “over the coming weeks.”

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Rivian’s R2 vehicles will be powered by batteries made domestically in the US by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, the company announced in its third quarter earnings report.
Rivian first revealed the new batteries back in March when it announced the R2 as its more affordable electric SUV that would start at $45,000. (It also announced the sportier R3 vehicle.) The cell is called “4695” due to its diameter of 46 millimeters and height of 95 millimeters — larger than Tesla’s 4680 cells.
The battery packs that Rivian uses currently in its R1T and R1S vehicles are assembled at its Normal, Ill. factory using cells manufactured in South Korea by Samsung SDI. Now, the cells will be produced in the US to better comply with tax credit requirements outlined by the Inflation Reduction Act. In a letter to shareholders, Rivian said the cells would be manufactured during their first year at LG’s plant in Queen Creek, Az.

The next-gen battery pack will be lighter, less complex, and cheaper to produce than the current batteries, Rivian said. The company also expects a “meaningful reduction in dollar per kilowatt hour (kWh) at the pack level when compared to the R1 platform.” And because its larger than its R1 batteries, the new packs will contain fewer cells overall, which will make the manufacturing process more efficient. Rivian says it expects the assembly process to improve by 45 percent.
Since the passage of the IRA, automakers have been scrambling to shift EV battery manufacturing to the US to comply with rules requiring domestic production in order to qualify for generous subsidies. And with Donald Trump coming back into office, they will need to work even faster in order to avoid harsh tariffs on imported goods that the incoming president has promised to enact.
LG Energy Solution makes EV batteries for a number of legacy automakers too. The company’s joint venture with General Motors received a $2.5 billion loan from the Department of Energy in 2022 to help construct a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility.
Rivian has said the R2 will go into production during the first half of 2026. But with Trump also promising to eliminate Joe Biden’s EV subsidies, the question remains whether struggling EV-only companies like Rivian will be able to stay afloat amidst what’s expected to be a more uncertain market.

Rivian’s R2 vehicles will be powered by batteries made domestically in the US by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, the company announced in its third quarter earnings report.

Rivian first revealed the new batteries back in March when it announced the R2 as its more affordable electric SUV that would start at $45,000. (It also announced the sportier R3 vehicle.) The cell is called “4695” due to its diameter of 46 millimeters and height of 95 millimeters — larger than Tesla’s 4680 cells.

The battery packs that Rivian uses currently in its R1T and R1S vehicles are assembled at its Normal, Ill. factory using cells manufactured in South Korea by Samsung SDI. Now, the cells will be produced in the US to better comply with tax credit requirements outlined by the Inflation Reduction Act. In a letter to shareholders, Rivian said the cells would be manufactured during their first year at LG’s plant in Queen Creek, Az.

The next-gen battery pack will be lighter, less complex, and cheaper to produce than the current batteries, Rivian said. The company also expects a “meaningful reduction in dollar per kilowatt hour (kWh) at the pack level when compared to the R1 platform.” And because its larger than its R1 batteries, the new packs will contain fewer cells overall, which will make the manufacturing process more efficient. Rivian says it expects the assembly process to improve by 45 percent.

Since the passage of the IRA, automakers have been scrambling to shift EV battery manufacturing to the US to comply with rules requiring domestic production in order to qualify for generous subsidies. And with Donald Trump coming back into office, they will need to work even faster in order to avoid harsh tariffs on imported goods that the incoming president has promised to enact.

LG Energy Solution makes EV batteries for a number of legacy automakers too. The company’s joint venture with General Motors received a $2.5 billion loan from the Department of Energy in 2022 to help construct a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility.

Rivian has said the R2 will go into production during the first half of 2026. But with Trump also promising to eliminate Joe Biden’s EV subsidies, the question remains whether struggling EV-only companies like Rivian will be able to stay afloat amidst what’s expected to be a more uncertain market.

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Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

Apple is showing some love to Android users by finally displaying their message reactions correctly. Now when an Android user reacts to an RCS message from an iOS user, the selected emoji will appear in line with the message bubble on iOS — instead of archaically appearing as a separate line like this: “ to ‘that wasn’t supposed to happen.’”
The Verge sent test messages and emoji reactions between iPhones running iOS 18.1 and different Android phones, confirming both devices now display reactions as intended. It’s unclear when this change happened or whose side — Google or Apple — had to make adjustments to get it working.
When RCS first launched widely on iOS in September, message reactions from Android users still weren’t being displayed correctly on the iPhone, even though they worked the other way around. We reached out to both companies for comment but did not hear back before publication.

Screenshot: The Verge
Us casually discovering that message reactions work correctly now.

Apple’s quiet improvement to RCS messages comes as a surprise. Apple for years ignored Google’s campaign to get the company to adopt the standard, ultimately complying only after a mix of pressure in both China and the EU. Basic support for RCS was included in iOS 18.
Within the Messages app, Apple officially supports the basic RCS standard known as the RCS Universal Profile. Emoji reaction support is part of RCS version 2.7, which should also include the ability to edit a sent message — but we could not make that work on iOS. Of course, Apple will keep as many exclusive features as possible for its blue bubble iMessage service, at least as long it isn’t forced to change.

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

Apple is showing some love to Android users by finally displaying their message reactions correctly. Now when an Android user reacts to an RCS message from an iOS user, the selected emoji will appear in line with the message bubble on iOS — instead of archaically appearing as a separate line like this: “ to ‘that wasn’t supposed to happen.’”

The Verge sent test messages and emoji reactions between iPhones running iOS 18.1 and different Android phones, confirming both devices now display reactions as intended. It’s unclear when this change happened or whose side — Google or Apple — had to make adjustments to get it working.

When RCS first launched widely on iOS in September, message reactions from Android users still weren’t being displayed correctly on the iPhone, even though they worked the other way around. We reached out to both companies for comment but did not hear back before publication.

Screenshot: The Verge
Us casually discovering that message reactions work correctly now.

Apple’s quiet improvement to RCS messages comes as a surprise. Apple for years ignored Google’s campaign to get the company to adopt the standard, ultimately complying only after a mix of pressure in both China and the EU. Basic support for RCS was included in iOS 18.

Within the Messages app, Apple officially supports the basic RCS standard known as the RCS Universal Profile. Emoji reaction support is part of RCS version 2.7, which should also include the ability to edit a sent message — but we could not make that work on iOS. Of course, Apple will keep as many exclusive features as possible for its blue bubble iMessage service, at least as long it isn’t forced to change.

Read More