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Image: Lattice

“Today Lattice is making AI history,” CEO Sarah Franklin wrote in a July 9th blog post. “We will be the first to give digital workers official employee records in Lattice. Digital workers will be securely onboarded, trained, and assigned goals, performance metrics, appropriate systems access, and even a manager. Just as any person would be.”
On July 12th, after a very predictable backlash, Lattice posted an update saying it “will not further pursue digital workers in the product.”
Here’s a sample of the responses to Lattice’s original announcement:

“I have questions,” Hebba Youssef, chief people officer at Workweek, said on LinkedIn. “My biggest one: why??”
“Based on my experience in and around AI and HR, it appears to me that we’ve skipped several steps,” HR professional Amanda Halle said in another LinkedIn post.
“This strategy and messaging misses the mark in a big way, and I say that as someone building an AI company,” said Sawyer Middeleer, chief of staff at Aomni, in a comment to a post from Franklin on LinkedIn.

Franklin’s original post did acknowledge that there are questions about what it means to integrate an AI worker into processes for managing real people. And Franklin has posted comments on LinkedIn to explain Lattice’s thinking about the feature. “I’m not advocating for the personification of AI,” Franklin said in one.
There are many companies exploring the idea of digital workers — Franklin’s blog post pointed to Cognition AI’s Devin software engineer and Qualified’s Piper AI sales representative. It appears Lattice was trying to respond to these sorts of AI bots, but its attempt backfired, especially among the people who might care about it the most.
Lattice didn’t reply to a request for comment.

Image: Lattice

“Today Lattice is making AI history,” CEO Sarah Franklin wrote in a July 9th blog post. “We will be the first to give digital workers official employee records in Lattice. Digital workers will be securely onboarded, trained, and assigned goals, performance metrics, appropriate systems access, and even a manager. Just as any person would be.”

On July 12th, after a very predictable backlash, Lattice posted an update saying it “will not further pursue digital workers in the product.”

Here’s a sample of the responses to Lattice’s original announcement:

“I have questions,” Hebba Youssef, chief people officer at Workweek, said on LinkedIn. “My biggest one: why??”
“Based on my experience in and around AI and HR, it appears to me that we’ve skipped several steps,” HR professional Amanda Halle said in another LinkedIn post.
“This strategy and messaging misses the mark in a big way, and I say that as someone building an AI company,” said Sawyer Middeleer, chief of staff at Aomni, in a comment to a post from Franklin on LinkedIn.

Franklin’s original post did acknowledge that there are questions about what it means to integrate an AI worker into processes for managing real people. And Franklin has posted comments on LinkedIn to explain Lattice’s thinking about the feature. “I’m not advocating for the personification of AI,” Franklin said in one.

There are many companies exploring the idea of digital workers — Franklin’s blog post pointed to Cognition AI’s Devin software engineer and Qualified’s Piper AI sales representative. It appears Lattice was trying to respond to these sorts of AI bots, but its attempt backfired, especially among the people who might care about it the most.

Lattice didn’t reply to a request for comment.

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The Modular Ultra face now allows you to have bezels for your training load and vitals.

One thing always irked me about the Apple Watch. Rain or shine, in sickness and in health, it pushed me to close my rings. Never mind if I had covid-19, shin splints, or was mentally in a dark place. It nudged me to be a “better” version of myself, so long as better didn’t involve a day off. But with watchOS 11 — the public beta of which arrives today — it feels like my Apple Watch is finally cutting me some slack.
This is largely due to a trio of new features: the new Vitals app, Training Load feature, and the ability to pause your Activity Rings. I waxed lyrical about the latter right after WWDC, but after spending some time with the developer beta, I’m convinced these are the smartest fitness updates Apple’s rolled out in years.

The Vitals app and Training Load feature are technically two separate things, but in practice, they very much go hand in hand. The Vitals app contextualizes a set of metrics: heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration. These are all recovery metrics, most commonly packaged in other apps as a readiness score, except Apple’s version doesn’t give you a single score. Rather, it shows you whether your metrics are “typical” or an “outlier.” If two or more metrics are out of range, you’ll get a notification and some possibilities as to why certain metrics are out of whack.
The Training Load feature is also straightforward. It compares and visualizes your seven-day versus 28-day exercise load. Based on that, you can see whether you’re well below, below, steady, above, or well above your usual activity levels. It breaks this down not only by overall activity but also by individual activity types (i.e., running, pilates, cycling, etc.). After a workout, you can also rate your perceived effort level. For popular workouts, like running, it’ll automatically set your effort level. (You can manually edit it if you disagree, which I occasionally did, though it’s broadly accurate.)

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
There are multiple ways to view Training Load and Vitals — both on your wrist and on your iPhone.

It’s been nice to have both of these features over the past month, though, like most of the updates in watchOS 11, they’re a bit passive. For example, I’ve not had a single Vitals notification because, well, all my vital metrics have stayed within their typical range. Yay me for being consistent! This isn’t a bad thing — you don’t want to get frequent notifications. It’s more that having the quick visual of “is everything hunky dory?” is helpful when you’re on the fence about whether to push it or take a rest day.
That’s the benefit of Training Load, too, especially for folks newer to exercise or training. I’m experienced enough to know that my current Training Load is a little skewed because I took a whole week off of training while on vacation. (Right around the time when I downloaded the beta.) Yet it is a helpful visual reminder for me when I am well above my 28-day baseline that I can take a break for a day. A rest day isn’t going to set me back.

Screenshot: Apple
It’s not explicit in telling you to rest, but this is a step in the right direction.

Screenshot: Apple
Vitals can be viewed in the Training Load feature on your phone.

Apple isn’t doing anything here that we haven’t seen from Garmin, Polar, Oura, Fitbit, Whoop, or any other health and fitness tracker in the past five years. Rather, Apple’s version makes these concepts easily digestible for beginners. It’s also less data overload for burnt-out athletes. Combined with the ability to pause rings or customize your goals based on the day of the week, you’ve got a much more flexible fitness tracking experience on the world’s most popular smartwatch. That’s a huge deal.
Ultimately, these features make the Apple Watch’s fitness tracking platform more personalized, which seems to be the overarching theme of watchOS 11. Instead of a blanket approach of always doing more, you can make alternative choices based on your actual day-to-day circumstances. I’m still testing a bunch of other watchOS 11 features, but as far as the marquee fitness tracking updates go, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how it’s encouraged me to be kinder to myself.
My main gripe is that Apple still doesn’t tell you to outright take a rest day. You have to infer from phrases like “recover as needed if you start feeling run down” or “you’ve been in the above or well above range for 14 days.” I also lost a couple nights’ worth of Vitals data because I had to charge my watch overnight — a reminder that battery life and charging schedules remain the Achilles’ heel of smartwatches. But overall, that’s still much more sustainable long term for most people than the previous blanket approach of “always do more.” Maybe in watchOS 12, my Apple Watch will finally bully me into putting my feet up on the couch. But for now, baby steps are still steps in the right direction.

The Modular Ultra face now allows you to have bezels for your training load and vitals.

One thing always irked me about the Apple Watch. Rain or shine, in sickness and in health, it pushed me to close my rings. Never mind if I had covid-19, shin splints, or was mentally in a dark place. It nudged me to be a “better” version of myself, so long as better didn’t involve a day off. But with watchOS 11 — the public beta of which arrives today — it feels like my Apple Watch is finally cutting me some slack.

This is largely due to a trio of new features: the new Vitals app, Training Load feature, and the ability to pause your Activity Rings. I waxed lyrical about the latter right after WWDC, but after spending some time with the developer beta, I’m convinced these are the smartest fitness updates Apple’s rolled out in years.

The Vitals app and Training Load feature are technically two separate things, but in practice, they very much go hand in hand. The Vitals app contextualizes a set of metrics: heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration. These are all recovery metrics, most commonly packaged in other apps as a readiness score, except Apple’s version doesn’t give you a single score. Rather, it shows you whether your metrics are “typical” or an “outlier.” If two or more metrics are out of range, you’ll get a notification and some possibilities as to why certain metrics are out of whack.

The Training Load feature is also straightforward. It compares and visualizes your seven-day versus 28-day exercise load. Based on that, you can see whether you’re well below, below, steady, above, or well above your usual activity levels. It breaks this down not only by overall activity but also by individual activity types (i.e., running, pilates, cycling, etc.). After a workout, you can also rate your perceived effort level. For popular workouts, like running, it’ll automatically set your effort level. (You can manually edit it if you disagree, which I occasionally did, though it’s broadly accurate.)

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
There are multiple ways to view Training Load and Vitals — both on your wrist and on your iPhone.

It’s been nice to have both of these features over the past month, though, like most of the updates in watchOS 11, they’re a bit passive. For example, I’ve not had a single Vitals notification because, well, all my vital metrics have stayed within their typical range. Yay me for being consistent! This isn’t a bad thing — you don’t want to get frequent notifications. It’s more that having the quick visual of “is everything hunky dory?” is helpful when you’re on the fence about whether to push it or take a rest day.

That’s the benefit of Training Load, too, especially for folks newer to exercise or training. I’m experienced enough to know that my current Training Load is a little skewed because I took a whole week off of training while on vacation. (Right around the time when I downloaded the beta.) Yet it is a helpful visual reminder for me when I am well above my 28-day baseline that I can take a break for a day. A rest day isn’t going to set me back.

Apple isn’t doing anything here that we haven’t seen from Garmin, Polar, Oura, Fitbit, Whoop, or any other health and fitness tracker in the past five years. Rather, Apple’s version makes these concepts easily digestible for beginners. It’s also less data overload for burnt-out athletes. Combined with the ability to pause rings or customize your goals based on the day of the week, you’ve got a much more flexible fitness tracking experience on the world’s most popular smartwatch. That’s a huge deal.

Ultimately, these features make the Apple Watch’s fitness tracking platform more personalized, which seems to be the overarching theme of watchOS 11. Instead of a blanket approach of always doing more, you can make alternative choices based on your actual day-to-day circumstances. I’m still testing a bunch of other watchOS 11 features, but as far as the marquee fitness tracking updates go, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how it’s encouraged me to be kinder to myself.

My main gripe is that Apple still doesn’t tell you to outright take a rest day. You have to infer from phrases like “recover as needed if you start feeling run down” or “you’ve been in the above or well above range for 14 days.” I also lost a couple nights’ worth of Vitals data because I had to charge my watch overnight — a reminder that battery life and charging schedules remain the Achilles’ heel of smartwatches. But overall, that’s still much more sustainable long term for most people than the previous blanket approach of “always do more.” Maybe in watchOS 12, my Apple Watch will finally bully me into putting my feet up on the couch. But for now, baby steps are still steps in the right direction.

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Illustration: The Verge

Apple lets the public in on beta testing, but Apple Intelligence is likely still months away. Apple has released the first public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, giving those who haven’t jumped into the deep end of the developer betas their first taste of the new operating systems. We have instructions for installing iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 public betas here.
The betas launched without any of the big Apple Intelligence features Apple announced at WWDC 2024 — those are expected in beta versions for compatible devices later in the fall — but there’s still plenty to try out. The iPhone and iPad are finally letting you put icons wherever you want, there’s a new option to apply a universal tint to all of your apps, and the iPad finally has a built-in calculator. There are also slick updates to macOS that let you mirror and even control your iPhone on your desktop or laptop screen.
When the later betas arrive, expect a much better Siri with more natural interactions and capabilities. Apple has also said ChatGPT integration will arrive in the release version of iOS 18 before the year is through, and it’s possible beta testers will get to try that out even sooner.

Illustration: The Verge

Apple lets the public in on beta testing, but Apple Intelligence is likely still months away.

Apple has released the first public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, giving those who haven’t jumped into the deep end of the developer betas their first taste of the new operating systems. We have instructions for installing iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 public betas here.

The betas launched without any of the big Apple Intelligence features Apple announced at WWDC 2024 — those are expected in beta versions for compatible devices later in the fall — but there’s still plenty to try out. The iPhone and iPad are finally letting you put icons wherever you want, there’s a new option to apply a universal tint to all of your apps, and the iPad finally has a built-in calculator. There are also slick updates to macOS that let you mirror and even control your iPhone on your desktop or laptop screen.

When the later betas arrive, expect a much better Siri with more natural interactions and capabilities. Apple has also said ChatGPT integration will arrive in the release version of iOS 18 before the year is through, and it’s possible beta testers will get to try that out even sooner.

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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

You can now download the public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11. Apple’s updated operating systems will eventually include Apple Intelligence AI features and a better Siri — if you have the right device, that is. For now, the betas will bring less exciting but still useful features to the various Apple devices.
The public iOS 18 beta will bring with it key updates to the way the iPhone software works, including support for RCS messaging and new customization options that let users put apps wherever they want to on the homescreen (finally) or apply a tint to the icons and widgets. It also comes with a new layout for the Photos app, a redesigned, more customizable Control Center, and dark mode icons. Similar updates are in the iPadOS 18 public beta, which also brings a native Calculator app to the iPad.

What iOS 18 won’t have yet is Apple Intelligence features. Apple is saving that for future software betas in the fall. They’ll be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as well as M1 and up Macs and iPads. So far, Apple hasn’t announced Apple Intelligence for any of its other platforms, including the Apple Watch.
The new watchOS 11 public beta introduces features like rest days and Apple’s Vitals app for glanceable details on your overnight health metrics. And for Macs, the Sequoia public beta enables the ability to mirror your iPhone on your screen, among other features.
One more thing to keep in mind: while you can roll back most of these devices to a stable, current version of their operating system, you can’t roll back the Apple Watch. You’ll have to wait for the stable version in the fall, so keep that in mind before you apply the beta to your Apple Watch. You can try out the public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and others by enrolling in the Apple beta program. Check Apple’s website for each device’s installation instructions.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

You can now download the public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11. Apple’s updated operating systems will eventually include Apple Intelligence AI features and a better Siri — if you have the right device, that is. For now, the betas will bring less exciting but still useful features to the various Apple devices.

The public iOS 18 beta will bring with it key updates to the way the iPhone software works, including support for RCS messaging and new customization options that let users put apps wherever they want to on the homescreen (finally) or apply a tint to the icons and widgets. It also comes with a new layout for the Photos app, a redesigned, more customizable Control Center, and dark mode icons. Similar updates are in the iPadOS 18 public beta, which also brings a native Calculator app to the iPad.

What iOS 18 won’t have yet is Apple Intelligence features. Apple is saving that for future software betas in the fall. They’ll be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as well as M1 and up Macs and iPads. So far, Apple hasn’t announced Apple Intelligence for any of its other platforms, including the Apple Watch.

The new watchOS 11 public beta introduces features like rest days and Apple’s Vitals app for glanceable details on your overnight health metrics. And for Macs, the Sequoia public beta enables the ability to mirror your iPhone on your screen, among other features.

One more thing to keep in mind: while you can roll back most of these devices to a stable, current version of their operating system, you can’t roll back the Apple Watch. You’ll have to wait for the stable version in the fall, so keep that in mind before you apply the beta to your Apple Watch. You can try out the public betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and others by enrolling in the Apple beta program. Check Apple’s website for each device’s installation instructions.

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Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge

People with Apple developer accounts have had all the fun with the iOS 18 betas so far, but now that the public betas are out, anyone can try the new features. Setting up the public beta is slightly less involved than setting up the developer beta but just as free. And if you’re looking for help with the iPadOS 18 beta, you’re in the right place: the setup process is the same.
You should understand what you’re getting when you try a beta, though. For one, you won’t get all of the new features at once; many of them will come down the road. Also, the fun of trying features early comes with the potential thrill of stability issues and excessive battery drain. And it’s rare these days, but Apple’s betas can break things or potentially brick your phone, so be sure to back it up before installing the beta.
What new features does iOS 18 have?
The splashiest update coming to iOS 18 is the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features. These include AI photo editing and features that provide writing help. There’s also an on-device “semantic index” that carries out requests with the context of personal data, like knowing to scan your messages, emails, and calendars for details when you vaguely ask, “What time is dinner with Mom?”

Those features won’t be available in beta until this fall, though. Other new features include an overhaul of Photos along with a much more customizable Control Center and homescreen.
Which devices support iOS 18?
With the exception of Apple Intelligence features — which are only supported on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as well as iPads with M1 chips and up — iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will work with these devices:
iPhone

iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (second-gen or later)

iPad

iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third-gen and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (first-gen and later)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Air (third-gen and later)
iPad (seventh-gen and later)
iPad Mini (fifth-gen and later)

How to install the iOS 18 public beta
Getting set up to run the beta is a straightforward process. (And as mentioned at the top, all of these steps work for iPadOS 18, too.)

First, make sure you’re on at least iOS / iPadOS 16.4 by going to Settings > General > About and checking your iOS version.
You’ll need to be signed up for the Apple beta program. If you’re not, visit this link and click Sign up — and be sure to use the same Apple ID as the device you want to run the beta on. Once you’ve signed up, you can click on the tab for the OS you want to run a beta of (in this case, 18), and you’re see details on doing so.

Screenshots: Apple
What you can expect to see when trying to download and install iOS beta updates.

Next, you’ll need to start the update. Visit Settings > General > Software Update. If you’re not new to beta updates, you may immediately see the iOS 18 Beta (or iPADOS 18 Public Beta) selection, in which case, you can skip the next two steps. Otherwise…
Look for a new Beta Updates option and tap it. Check for the list of updates for your Apple ID — if you don’t see the one you want, tap the ID and pick Use a different Apple ID.
Choose iOS 18 Public Beta (or iPadOS 18 Public Beta).
Then go back to the previous screen and tap Update Now (or Update Tonight if you’d rather wait).

And you’re done!

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge

People with Apple developer accounts have had all the fun with the iOS 18 betas so far, but now that the public betas are out, anyone can try the new features. Setting up the public beta is slightly less involved than setting up the developer beta but just as free. And if you’re looking for help with the iPadOS 18 beta, you’re in the right place: the setup process is the same.

You should understand what you’re getting when you try a beta, though. For one, you won’t get all of the new features at once; many of them will come down the road. Also, the fun of trying features early comes with the potential thrill of stability issues and excessive battery drain. And it’s rare these days, but Apple’s betas can break things or potentially brick your phone, so be sure to back it up before installing the beta.

What new features does iOS 18 have?

The splashiest update coming to iOS 18 is the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features. These include AI photo editing and features that provide writing help. There’s also an on-device “semantic index” that carries out requests with the context of personal data, like knowing to scan your messages, emails, and calendars for details when you vaguely ask, “What time is dinner with Mom?”

Those features won’t be available in beta until this fall, though. Other new features include an overhaul of Photos along with a much more customizable Control Center and homescreen.

Which devices support iOS 18?

With the exception of Apple Intelligence features — which are only supported on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as well as iPads with M1 chips and up — iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will work with these devices:

iPhone

iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (second-gen or later)

iPad

iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third-gen and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (first-gen and later)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Air (third-gen and later)
iPad (seventh-gen and later)
iPad Mini (fifth-gen and later)

How to install the iOS 18 public beta

Getting set up to run the beta is a straightforward process. (And as mentioned at the top, all of these steps work for iPadOS 18, too.)

First, make sure you’re on at least iOS / iPadOS 16.4 by going to Settings > General > About and checking your iOS version.
You’ll need to be signed up for the Apple beta program. If you’re not, visit this link and click Sign up — and be sure to use the same Apple ID as the device you want to run the beta on. Once you’ve signed up, you can click on the tab for the OS you want to run a beta of (in this case, 18), and you’re see details on doing so.

Screenshots: Apple
What you can expect to see when trying to download and install iOS beta updates.

Next, you’ll need to start the update. Visit Settings > General > Software Update. If you’re not new to beta updates, you may immediately see the iOS 18 Beta (or iPADOS 18 Public Beta) selection, in which case, you can skip the next two steps. Otherwise…
Look for a new Beta Updates option and tap it. Check for the list of updates for your Apple ID — if you don’t see the one you want, tap the ID and pick Use a different Apple ID.
Choose iOS 18 Public Beta (or iPadOS 18 Public Beta).
Then go back to the previous screen and tap Update Now (or Update Tonight if you’d rather wait).

And you’re done!

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Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge

The FBI has successfully broken into the phone of the man who shot at former President Donald Trump at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.

The search of the subject’s residence and vehicle are complete.
The FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement personnel, event attendees, and other witnesses. That work continues.
The FBI has received hundreds of digital media tips which include photos and videos taken at the scene and we continue to review incoming tips. We encourage anyone with information that may assist with the ongoing investigation to continue to submit it online at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
While the investigative work continues, FBI victim services personnel have offered assistance to the victims of Saturday’s incident.

The agency did not disclose how it gained access to the phone. In a conference call with reporters on Sunday, FBI officials told reporters that agents in Pennsylvania had obtained Crooks’ phone but hadn’t been able to break into it. The phone was sent to the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia.
The investigation is ongoing.

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge

The FBI has successfully broken into the phone of the man who shot at former President Donald Trump at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.

The search of the subject’s residence and vehicle are complete.

The FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement personnel, event attendees, and other witnesses. That work continues.

The FBI has received hundreds of digital media tips which include photos and videos taken at the scene and we continue to review incoming tips. We encourage anyone with information that may assist with the ongoing investigation to continue to submit it online at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

While the investigative work continues, FBI victim services personnel have offered assistance to the victims of Saturday’s incident.

The agency did not disclose how it gained access to the phone. In a conference call with reporters on Sunday, FBI officials told reporters that agents in Pennsylvania had obtained Crooks’ phone but hadn’t been able to break into it. The phone was sent to the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia.

The investigation is ongoing.

Read More 

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube Music is testing a new feature that lets you use AI to generate a playlist. In a statement to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Jessica Gibby said that Premium users in the US will be able to create a custom playlist by “describing exactly what they want to hear.”
As shown in screenshots obtained by 9to5Google, the feature could surface a chat UI that you can use to enter a description or choose from prompts like “catchy pop choruses” or “upbeat pop anthems.” It will then generate a playlist based on your description. Spotify has a similar feature that lets Premium users generate playlists using AI.

GIF: YouTube
Here’s how YouTube’s new “sound search” will work.

Gibby says YouTube Music is also rolling out a feature that lets you search for a specific song by singing, humming, or playing it out loud. The Shazam-like feature is coming to both iPhone and Android devices, and you can use it by hitting the new waveform icon that appears when tapping the “search” button in the YouTube Music app.
YouTube will then try to find the song you’re looking for and, if found, will display the song name, artist, and the album that it’s from. The platform first started testing this feature last year and began rolling it out on Android in May.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube Music is testing a new feature that lets you use AI to generate a playlist. In a statement to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Jessica Gibby said that Premium users in the US will be able to create a custom playlist by “describing exactly what they want to hear.”

As shown in screenshots obtained by 9to5Google, the feature could surface a chat UI that you can use to enter a description or choose from prompts like “catchy pop choruses” or “upbeat pop anthems.” It will then generate a playlist based on your description. Spotify has a similar feature that lets Premium users generate playlists using AI.

GIF: YouTube
Here’s how YouTube’s new “sound search” will work.

Gibby says YouTube Music is also rolling out a feature that lets you search for a specific song by singing, humming, or playing it out loud. The Shazam-like feature is coming to both iPhone and Android devices, and you can use it by hitting the new waveform icon that appears when tapping the “search” button in the YouTube Music app.

YouTube will then try to find the song you’re looking for and, if found, will display the song name, artist, and the album that it’s from. The platform first started testing this feature last year and began rolling it out on Android in May.

Read More 

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

A federal appeals court has agreed to halt the reinstatement of net neutrality rules until August 5th, while the court considers whether more permanent action is justified.
It’s the latest setback in a long back and forth on net neutrality — the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should not be able to block or throttle internet traffic in a discriminatory manner. The Federal Communications Commission has sought to achieve this by reclassifying ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act, which gives the agency greater regulatory oversight. The Democratic-led agency enacted net neutrality rules under the Obama administration, only for those rules to be repealed under former President Donald Trump’s FCC. The current FCC, which has three Democratic and two Republican commissioners, voted in April to bring back net neutrality. The 3–2 vote was divided along party lines.

Broadband providers have since challenged the FCC’s action, which is potentially more vulnerable after the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down Chevron deference — a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to an agency’s expert decisions except in a very narrow range of circumstances. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Matt Schettenhelm said in a report prior to the court’s ruling that he doesn’t expect the FCC to prevail in court, in large part due to the demise of Chevron.
A panel of judges for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said in an order that a temporary “administrative stay is warranted” while it considers the merits of the broadband providers’ request for a permanent stay. The administrative stay will be in place until August 5th. In the meantime, the court requested the parties provide additional briefs about the application of National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X Internet Services to this lawsuit. Brand X is a 2005 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the FCC had lawfully interpreted the Communications Act to exclude cable broadband providers from the definition of “telecommunications services.” At the time, SCOTUS said the lower court should have followed Chevron and deferred to the agency’s interpretation.

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

A federal appeals court has agreed to halt the reinstatement of net neutrality rules until August 5th, while the court considers whether more permanent action is justified.

It’s the latest setback in a long back and forth on net neutrality — the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should not be able to block or throttle internet traffic in a discriminatory manner. The Federal Communications Commission has sought to achieve this by reclassifying ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act, which gives the agency greater regulatory oversight. The Democratic-led agency enacted net neutrality rules under the Obama administration, only for those rules to be repealed under former President Donald Trump’s FCC. The current FCC, which has three Democratic and two Republican commissioners, voted in April to bring back net neutrality. The 3–2 vote was divided along party lines.

Broadband providers have since challenged the FCC’s action, which is potentially more vulnerable after the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down Chevron deference — a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to an agency’s expert decisions except in a very narrow range of circumstances. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Matt Schettenhelm said in a report prior to the court’s ruling that he doesn’t expect the FCC to prevail in court, in large part due to the demise of Chevron.

A panel of judges for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said in an order that a temporary “administrative stay is warranted” while it considers the merits of the broadband providers’ request for a permanent stay. The administrative stay will be in place until August 5th. In the meantime, the court requested the parties provide additional briefs about the application of National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X Internet Services to this lawsuit. Brand X is a 2005 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the FCC had lawfully interpreted the Communications Act to exclude cable broadband providers from the definition of “telecommunications services.” At the time, SCOTUS said the lower court should have followed Chevron and deferred to the agency’s interpretation.

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Image: Google

Google is launching its new Vids productivity app in Workspace Labs with the idea that “if you can make a slide, you can make a video in Vids.” Announced in April, Vids allows users to drop docs, slides, voiceovers, and video recordings into a timeline to create a presentation video to share with coworkers. Making it available in the Workspace Labs preview allows Workspace admins to opt in users to try out the AI-powered video maker.
While you can generate video in Vids, it’s not to be confused with AI tools like OpenAI’s Sora, which can create lifelike footage from a prompt. Instead, Vids is about generating a presentation by describing what you want Gemini to create and then letting you alter the video afterward.

You can also manually get your Google Vids presentation draft started using one of the many templates available, and there’s royalty-free stock content to enhance your creation.
However, as the video demonstration shows, the key feature is using Gemini to automatically insert stock footage for you, generate your script, and even give it an AI voiceover for your next presentation without you saying a word.

Image: Google

Google is launching its new Vids productivity app in Workspace Labs with the idea that “if you can make a slide, you can make a video in Vids.” Announced in April, Vids allows users to drop docs, slides, voiceovers, and video recordings into a timeline to create a presentation video to share with coworkers. Making it available in the Workspace Labs preview allows Workspace admins to opt in users to try out the AI-powered video maker.

While you can generate video in Vids, it’s not to be confused with AI tools like OpenAI’s Sora, which can create lifelike footage from a prompt. Instead, Vids is about generating a presentation by describing what you want Gemini to create and then letting you alter the video afterward.

You can also manually get your Google Vids presentation draft started using one of the many templates available, and there’s royalty-free stock content to enhance your creation.

However, as the video demonstration shows, the key feature is using Gemini to automatically insert stock footage for you, generate your script, and even give it an AI voiceover for your next presentation without you saying a word.

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Image: The Verge; Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump has announced Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate. Trump is expected to accept the Republican nomination on Thursday. Vance would serve as vice president if elected to office in November. Vance is well-connected in Silicon Valley, including ties to tech investor Peter Thiel.
The selection came on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and just a couple days after Trump survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump said on Truth Social that a bullet pierced the upper part of his ear, and law enforcement confirmed one spectator died during the incident and two were critically injured. The Secret Service killed the gunman, who the FBI has identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania.
After his close call, Trump called for unity, though he quickly returned to more familiar rhetoric railing against what he called legal “Witch Hunts” against him by “the Democrat Justice Department.”
Trump’s pick for running mate has been long-awaited. His last running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence, has stated he would not endorse Trump, who he said “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol” on January 6th, when rioters stormed the building seeking to stop the election of Joe Biden from being certified. Pence refused to interfere with the election certification.
Vance has maintained a close relationship with Peter Thiel, who helped bankroll his Senate candidacy
Vance has positioned himself as a liaison to Silicon Valley, reportedly courting key tech figures to support Trump. Tech investor David Sacks told Axios that Vance had “been instrumental” in making a Trump fundraiser Sacks hosted with fellow investor Chamath Palihapitiya come to life. Vance has also maintained a close relationship with Peter Thiel, one of Silicon Valley’s most famous conservatives, who helped bankroll Vance’s Senate candidacy.
The rumored finalists for the Republican VP candidacy were Vance, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
In his Truth Social post announcing his selection, Trump noted that Vance served in the Marine Corps, and graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He also referenced Vance’s famous book, Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir about his family and hometown of Middletown, Ohio, that was later made into a film. Trump also pointed to Vance’s “very successful business career in Technology and Finance” and said during the campaign, he’d be focused on “the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond….”
Trump is expected to speak at the RNC later this week.

Image: The Verge; Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump has announced Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate. Trump is expected to accept the Republican nomination on Thursday. Vance would serve as vice president if elected to office in November. Vance is well-connected in Silicon Valley, including ties to tech investor Peter Thiel.

The selection came on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and just a couple days after Trump survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump said on Truth Social that a bullet pierced the upper part of his ear, and law enforcement confirmed one spectator died during the incident and two were critically injured. The Secret Service killed the gunman, who the FBI has identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania.

After his close call, Trump called for unity, though he quickly returned to more familiar rhetoric railing against what he called legal “Witch Hunts” against him by “the Democrat Justice Department.”

Trump’s pick for running mate has been long-awaited. His last running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence, has stated he would not endorse Trump, who he said “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol” on January 6th, when rioters stormed the building seeking to stop the election of Joe Biden from being certified. Pence refused to interfere with the election certification.

Vance has positioned himself as a liaison to Silicon Valley, reportedly courting key tech figures to support Trump. Tech investor David Sacks told Axios that Vance had “been instrumental” in making a Trump fundraiser Sacks hosted with fellow investor Chamath Palihapitiya come to life. Vance has also maintained a close relationship with Peter Thiel, one of Silicon Valley’s most famous conservatives, who helped bankroll Vance’s Senate candidacy.

The rumored finalists for the Republican VP candidacy were Vance, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

In his Truth Social post announcing his selection, Trump noted that Vance served in the Marine Corps, and graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He also referenced Vance’s famous book, Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir about his family and hometown of Middletown, Ohio, that was later made into a film. Trump also pointed to Vance’s “very successful business career in Technology and Finance” and said during the campaign, he’d be focused on “the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond….”

Trump is expected to speak at the RNC later this week.

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