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Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google had canceled its development of the Pixel Tablet 3 — even before announcing a second-gen model. Well, today Android Authority is saying that it’s in fact the second-generation Pixel Tablet that has been canned, meaning that the device released last year will apparently be a one-off and that Google is bailing on the tablet category for the second time in a little over five years. At best, we’re in for a long pause until the next one.
If true, the news would suggest that sales of the Pixel Tablet have been so poor that Google has decided further investment in a follow-up just isn’t worth it. As recently as last week, there were rumors of new features and a keyboard accessory for the now-abandoned product.
It’s worth noting the possibility that Google’s Nest division will take over its large-screen product ambitions and focus on evolving devices like the Nest Hub and Hub Max instead of standalone tablets.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The Pixel Tablet came with a speaker dock, but Google eventually started selling the tablet on its own.

Helped in no part by its on-again, off-again strategy, Google has always struggled to meaningfully break into the tablet market and produce a contender capable of rivaling Apple’s iPad in sales and mainstream success. It got off to a promising start ages ago with the Nexus 7, but never really put up much of a fight after that — even if the hardware was nice. Android badly lags iPadOS in the number of third-party apps that are optimized for tablets, another issue that has held back Google’s efforts. The company originally said it was done making tablets in 2019 after its Pixel Slate received overwhelmingly negative reviews.
But by 2022, Google changed its mind and announced that its Pixel hardware team was working on a tablet. That device eventually became the $499 Pixel Tablet, which shipped with a speaker dock that the tablet could magnetically attach to. (Google would later offer the tablet by itself for $399.)
The Verge has reached out to Google for comment and clarification on its tablet plans.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google had canceled its development of the Pixel Tablet 3 — even before announcing a second-gen model. Well, today Android Authority is saying that it’s in fact the second-generation Pixel Tablet that has been canned, meaning that the device released last year will apparently be a one-off and that Google is bailing on the tablet category for the second time in a little over five years. At best, we’re in for a long pause until the next one.

If true, the news would suggest that sales of the Pixel Tablet have been so poor that Google has decided further investment in a follow-up just isn’t worth it. As recently as last week, there were rumors of new features and a keyboard accessory for the now-abandoned product.

It’s worth noting the possibility that Google’s Nest division will take over its large-screen product ambitions and focus on evolving devices like the Nest Hub and Hub Max instead of standalone tablets.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The Pixel Tablet came with a speaker dock, but Google eventually started selling the tablet on its own.

Helped in no part by its on-again, off-again strategy, Google has always struggled to meaningfully break into the tablet market and produce a contender capable of rivaling Apple’s iPad in sales and mainstream success. It got off to a promising start ages ago with the Nexus 7, but never really put up much of a fight after that — even if the hardware was nice. Android badly lags iPadOS in the number of third-party apps that are optimized for tablets, another issue that has held back Google’s efforts. The company originally said it was done making tablets in 2019 after its Pixel Slate received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

But by 2022, Google changed its mind and announced that its Pixel hardware team was working on a tablet. That device eventually became the $499 Pixel Tablet, which shipped with a speaker dock that the tablet could magnetically attach to. (Google would later offer the tablet by itself for $399.)

The Verge has reached out to Google for comment and clarification on its tablet plans.

Read More 

Image: Ubisoft

A few months after it first launched, Star Wars Outlaws is getting some major updates. First up is the game’s first batch of downloadable content, which adds a new storyline involving Lando Calrissian and what appears to be a very dangerous game of Sabacc. The new expansion is called Wild Card and will be followed by a second DLC update next spring called A Pirate’s Fortune.

Perhaps more significant, today, Outlaws is also getting a major update to address some of the game’s technical and design issues. Ubisoft describes it as the game’s “biggest patch yet.” Most notable, it seems, is that the stealth sections — a major point of frustration for many players — have been toned down.
Ubisoft says that the update includes “updates to stealth and combat that allow players greater choice, including using stealth or reaching for their blaster, even in syndicate territories in cities.” Similarly, there are “enemy AI and detection improvements, with players being notified when they’re being detected and can choose to escalate or change tactics to remain in stealth.”
Here’s how creative director Drew Rechner explains the changes:
Our first step in expanding player choice is removing forced stealth from almost all quest objectives. This doesn’t mean that sneaking is no longer a viable or even preferable option in some cases. Rather, if you’re caught while sneaking, the objective won’t fail and reset you to the last checkpoint. Instead, you’ll seamlessly transition into combat.
You can check out the full patch notes right here, and get an overview in the video below.

Also notable: while Outlaws has been on PC since launch, it was only available through the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect. Today, it’s out on Steam as well.

Image: Ubisoft

A few months after it first launched, Star Wars Outlaws is getting some major updates. First up is the game’s first batch of downloadable content, which adds a new storyline involving Lando Calrissian and what appears to be a very dangerous game of Sabacc. The new expansion is called Wild Card and will be followed by a second DLC update next spring called A Pirate’s Fortune.

Perhaps more significant, today, Outlaws is also getting a major update to address some of the game’s technical and design issues. Ubisoft describes it as the game’s “biggest patch yet.” Most notable, it seems, is that the stealth sections — a major point of frustration for many players — have been toned down.

Ubisoft says that the update includes “updates to stealth and combat that allow players greater choice, including using stealth or reaching for their blaster, even in syndicate territories in cities.” Similarly, there are “enemy AI and detection improvements, with players being notified when they’re being detected and can choose to escalate or change tactics to remain in stealth.”

Here’s how creative director Drew Rechner explains the changes:

Our first step in expanding player choice is removing forced stealth from almost all quest objectives. This doesn’t mean that sneaking is no longer a viable or even preferable option in some cases. Rather, if you’re caught while sneaking, the objective won’t fail and reset you to the last checkpoint. Instead, you’ll seamlessly transition into combat.

You can check out the full patch notes right here, and get an overview in the video below.

Also notable: while Outlaws has been on PC since launch, it was only available through the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect. Today, it’s out on Steam as well.

Read More 

The new versions of the Kia EV6 and EV9 GT. | Image: Kia

Kia came to the LA Auto Show with not one but two revamped electric vehicles, a sign that the South Korean automaker is still feeling bullish about its momentum in the plug-in car market.
First off, the 2025 Kia EV9 GT is a performance version of its three-row SUV, which we first tested earlier this year. This one promises more power and a sportier feel than the version we drove, which bore the GT Line badge but wasn’t specifically tuned for performance. The new GT trim comes with over 500 horsepower (compared to 379hp in the 2024 model) and a zero to 60mph acceleration of 4.3 seconds. Kia is calling it the “most powerful” three-row SUV it’s ever created.

The dual-motor EV9 GT will also be the first Kia vehicle to feature electronically controlled suspension for extra smooth handling, depending on your drive mode. Just press the bright green GT button on the steering wheel to access GT mode, dialing in shock damping to its stiffest setting.
And much like the Hyundai Ioniq 5N from Kia’s sister company, the EV9 GT will feature virtual gear shifting that simulates the feel of a traditional step-shift automatic transmission — complete with fake engine noises. This provides noticeable “shifts” as the EV9 accelerates and can reduce acceleration when the rev limit is reached.

You can also use the paddles located on either side of the steering wheel to manually shift through the gears. And Kia has something called the “Active Sound Design (e-ASD)” that works in concert with the fake gear system to replicate the sound of the gears shifting as the vehicle accelerates.
The EV9 has been incredibly popular for Kia, selling roughly 18,000 units in the US since it was first released last December. But the automaker recently said it would slow production of the SUV in response to a chillier policy environment.
There are some design differences between the original and refreshed versions of the EV9 GT, including 285/45R-21 high-performance Continental tires around exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels and neon green brake calipers first featured on the EV6 GT. And there are other GT-exclusive lighting accents and digital graphics on the infotainment to delight drivers about their big, powerful SUV.
But perhaps most importantly, the 2025 EV9 GT will be the first EV from Kia to come with a native Tesla / North American Charging System (NACS) port. That means that when it comes out sometime next year, it will have access to all 15,000 Supercharger stations without the need for an adapter. Hyundai already announced that its 2025 Ioniq 5 will also have factory-installed Tesla charging, so it’s another sign that the two South Korean automakers are leapfrogging the rest of the industry in adopting the new charging standard.

In addition, Kia announced a refreshed 2025 EV6 crossover, also with the native NACS port. The model year 2025 version of Kia’s flagship EV is also getting a bigger battery for more capacity and longer range. And the charging port on the EV6 has been moved to the left rear fender to make it more compatible with Tesla Superchargers. (Kia is going to start providing adapters to current EV owners next year.)
The 2023 EV6 that we tested two years ago came standard with a 58kWh capacity battery pack, which translates into a range of 232 miles. Now, the 2025 EV6 will come with a 63kWh battery, along with an optional 84kWh pack that should get an estimated 319 miles of range in the rear-wheel drive configuration.
The 2025 EV6 will be built at Hyundai and Kia’s Metaplant in Georgia, which means it may qualify for the $7,500 tax credit while it still exists. (President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate the EV tax credit.) The EV9 GT, however, will be built in South Korea alongside the hot-blooded EV6 GT and is anticipated to arrive in late 2025. Pricing for both models is expected to be released closer to production time.

The new versions of the Kia EV6 and EV9 GT. | Image: Kia

Kia came to the LA Auto Show with not one but two revamped electric vehicles, a sign that the South Korean automaker is still feeling bullish about its momentum in the plug-in car market.

First off, the 2025 Kia EV9 GT is a performance version of its three-row SUV, which we first tested earlier this year. This one promises more power and a sportier feel than the version we drove, which bore the GT Line badge but wasn’t specifically tuned for performance. The new GT trim comes with over 500 horsepower (compared to 379hp in the 2024 model) and a zero to 60mph acceleration of 4.3 seconds. Kia is calling it the “most powerful” three-row SUV it’s ever created.

The dual-motor EV9 GT will also be the first Kia vehicle to feature electronically controlled suspension for extra smooth handling, depending on your drive mode. Just press the bright green GT button on the steering wheel to access GT mode, dialing in shock damping to its stiffest setting.

And much like the Hyundai Ioniq 5N from Kia’s sister company, the EV9 GT will feature virtual gear shifting that simulates the feel of a traditional step-shift automatic transmission — complete with fake engine noises. This provides noticeable “shifts” as the EV9 accelerates and can reduce acceleration when the rev limit is reached.

You can also use the paddles located on either side of the steering wheel to manually shift through the gears. And Kia has something called the “Active Sound Design (e-ASD)” that works in concert with the fake gear system to replicate the sound of the gears shifting as the vehicle accelerates.

The EV9 has been incredibly popular for Kia, selling roughly 18,000 units in the US since it was first released last December. But the automaker recently said it would slow production of the SUV in response to a chillier policy environment.

There are some design differences between the original and refreshed versions of the EV9 GT, including 285/45R-21 high-performance Continental tires around exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels and neon green brake calipers first featured on the EV6 GT. And there are other GT-exclusive lighting accents and digital graphics on the infotainment to delight drivers about their big, powerful SUV.

But perhaps most importantly, the 2025 EV9 GT will be the first EV from Kia to come with a native Tesla / North American Charging System (NACS) port. That means that when it comes out sometime next year, it will have access to all 15,000 Supercharger stations without the need for an adapter. Hyundai already announced that its 2025 Ioniq 5 will also have factory-installed Tesla charging, so it’s another sign that the two South Korean automakers are leapfrogging the rest of the industry in adopting the new charging standard.

In addition, Kia announced a refreshed 2025 EV6 crossover, also with the native NACS port. The model year 2025 version of Kia’s flagship EV is also getting a bigger battery for more capacity and longer range. And the charging port on the EV6 has been moved to the left rear fender to make it more compatible with Tesla Superchargers. (Kia is going to start providing adapters to current EV owners next year.)

The 2023 EV6 that we tested two years ago came standard with a 58kWh capacity battery pack, which translates into a range of 232 miles. Now, the 2025 EV6 will come with a 63kWh battery, along with an optional 84kWh pack that should get an estimated 319 miles of range in the rear-wheel drive configuration.

The 2025 EV6 will be built at Hyundai and Kia’s Metaplant in Georgia, which means it may qualify for the $7,500 tax credit while it still exists. (President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate the EV tax credit.) The EV9 GT, however, will be built in South Korea alongside the hot-blooded EV6 GT and is anticipated to arrive in late 2025. Pricing for both models is expected to be released closer to production time.

Read More 

The Sonos Era 100, our go-to smart speaker, is down to an all-time low of $199 right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Good news: Black Friday has come early for Sonos fans. Now through December 2nd, you can potentially save hundreds on a variety of Sonos products, including soundbars, smart speakers, and headphones. There are a lot of things on sale — and the Sonos app is in better shape than it was a few months ago, thankfully — which means now is a great time to buy if you’ve been looking to upgrade your home theater setup.

First up is the Sonos Ace, the company’s first pair of wireless headphones. Right now, they’re down to a new low of $349 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos’ online storefront. They’re comfortable and stylish, with stellar noise cancellation, an exceptionally natural-sounding transparency mode, and excellent sound. However, their standout feature is their excellent integration with the rest of the Sonos ecosystem. The Ace support a nifty feature called TV Audio Swap, which allows you to pair up with soundbars like the Sonos Arc, Sonos Beam (both generations), and Sonos Ray for private listening.

Speaking of Sonos soundbars, the Sonos Arc and second-gen Sonos Beam are both available at a new low price. You can pick up the Arc for $699 ($200 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos, while the second-gen Beam is available for $369 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The entry-level Sonos Ray, meanwhile, is down to $169 ($110 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos’ online storefront, which is $20 shy of its best price yet.
The Arc is the largest and most capable of the three soundbars, with upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers that deliver impressive audio quality. That said, the second-gen Beam also delivers good sound and support for Dolby Atmos, even if it’s not quite on the same level. The Beam also has some other features in common with the Arc, including an eARC HDMI port and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out the new Sonos Arc Ultra, which is a more powerful version of the original Arc. It’s the first Sonos product to feature Sonos’ new “Sound Motion” tech, which is supposed to produce even richer and more immersive sound. Unlike the Arc, it also offers Bluetooth audio playback and supports Trueplay EQ tuning, so it should deliver the same kind of sound quality no matter where you put it in a room. The Arc Ultra costs $999, though, so if you’re trying to save some money, the original model is still an excellent option if you’re comfortable making some trade-offs.

If the Beam and Arc are too expensive for you, there’s also the 22-inch Sonos Ray. The compact soundbar doesn’t sound as powerful as the Beam, but it does manage to produce balanced, dynamic sound that’s surely better than the built-in speakers on your TV. Just bear in mind that it lacks HDMI and only accepts optical audio from your TV, so you’ll have to do without eARC.

If you’re not interested in a soundbar, Sonos is also offering a handful of smart speaker deals. Right now, for instance, you can purchase the Sonos Era 100 for an all-time low of $199 ($50 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The Sonos Era 300, meanwhile, is available for $359 ($90 off) — also an all-time low — from the same retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, Sonos).
The Sonos Era 100 is the successor to the Sonos One, and as such, it delivers better sound and newer capabilities (including stereo playback). In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Era 100 also supports line-in playback via an optional 3.5mm to USB-C adapter. Moreover, it supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa, allowing for hands-free commands.

The Sonos Era 300 supports the same Bluetooth and line-in features as the Era 100, as well as Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Alexa. However, Sonos’ hourglass-shaped speaker is all about delivering an excellent spatial audio experience. When you pair two Era 300s with the Sonos Arc or second-gen Beam, it delivers full Dolby Atmos audio, making it the only Sonos speaker to do so. The overall result is an immersive audio experience, one in which it feels as though the sound is coming at you from all directions.

Last but not least, Sonos is discounting both the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam 2. The Move 2 is available for $359 ($90 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos, which is $23 shy of its lowest price to date. Meanwhile, the Roam 2 is $40 off at $139 (Amazon, Best Buy, Sonos), which is its best price to date.
The Move 2 is a powerful, six-pound speaker you can carry around via a built-in handle, one that lets you fill any room or outdoor patio with sound. Unlike its predecessor, the Move 2 features stereo sound and long-lasting battery life, allowing you to eke out around 24 hours of playback on a single charge. It also includes support for line-in via USB-C and lets you play any music you might be playing via Bluetooth to the rest of your Sonos system.

If you’re looking for something even more portable, there’s the Roam 2. It’s similar to the original Roam, but unlike its predecessor, it’s relatively easy to use right out of the box, as Sonos has done away with the complicated setup process. Of course, it’s less powerful than the Move 2 as the smaller, more budget-friendly speaker. It also lacks a user-replaceable battery and only offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback.
Nevertheless, the second-gen Roam still produces clean, detailed audio and offers an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, so you can take it outside without worrying. Plus, like the Move 2, it supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa, so you can control it using voice commands — provided you’re connected to your Wi-Fi network.

The Sonos Era 100, our go-to smart speaker, is down to an all-time low of $199 right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Good news: Black Friday has come early for Sonos fans. Now through December 2nd, you can potentially save hundreds on a variety of Sonos products, including soundbars, smart speakers, and headphones. There are a lot of things on sale — and the Sonos app is in better shape than it was a few months ago, thankfully — which means now is a great time to buy if you’ve been looking to upgrade your home theater setup.

First up is the Sonos Ace, the company’s first pair of wireless headphones. Right now, they’re down to a new low of $349 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos’ online storefront. They’re comfortable and stylish, with stellar noise cancellation, an exceptionally natural-sounding transparency mode, and excellent sound. However, their standout feature is their excellent integration with the rest of the Sonos ecosystem. The Ace support a nifty feature called TV Audio Swap, which allows you to pair up with soundbars like the Sonos Arc, Sonos Beam (both generations), and Sonos Ray for private listening.

Speaking of Sonos soundbars, the Sonos Arc and second-gen Sonos Beam are both available at a new low price. You can pick up the Arc for $699 ($200 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos, while the second-gen Beam is available for $369 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The entry-level Sonos Ray, meanwhile, is down to $169 ($110 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos’ online storefront, which is $20 shy of its best price yet.

The Arc is the largest and most capable of the three soundbars, with upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers that deliver impressive audio quality. That said, the second-gen Beam also delivers good sound and support for Dolby Atmos, even if it’s not quite on the same level. The Beam also has some other features in common with the Arc, including an eARC HDMI port and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out the new Sonos Arc Ultra, which is a more powerful version of the original Arc. It’s the first Sonos product to feature Sonos’ new “Sound Motion” tech, which is supposed to produce even richer and more immersive sound. Unlike the Arc, it also offers Bluetooth audio playback and supports Trueplay EQ tuning, so it should deliver the same kind of sound quality no matter where you put it in a room. The Arc Ultra costs $999, though, so if you’re trying to save some money, the original model is still an excellent option if you’re comfortable making some trade-offs.

If the Beam and Arc are too expensive for you, there’s also the 22-inch Sonos Ray. The compact soundbar doesn’t sound as powerful as the Beam, but it does manage to produce balanced, dynamic sound that’s surely better than the built-in speakers on your TV. Just bear in mind that it lacks HDMI and only accepts optical audio from your TV, so you’ll have to do without eARC.

If you’re not interested in a soundbar, Sonos is also offering a handful of smart speaker deals. Right now, for instance, you can purchase the Sonos Era 100 for an all-time low of $199 ($50 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The Sonos Era 300, meanwhile, is available for $359 ($90 off) — also an all-time low — from the same retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, Sonos).

The Sonos Era 100 is the successor to the Sonos One, and as such, it delivers better sound and newer capabilities (including stereo playback). In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Era 100 also supports line-in playback via an optional 3.5mm to USB-C adapter. Moreover, it supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa, allowing for hands-free commands.

The Sonos Era 300 supports the same Bluetooth and line-in features as the Era 100, as well as Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Alexa. However, Sonos’ hourglass-shaped speaker is all about delivering an excellent spatial audio experience. When you pair two Era 300s with the Sonos Arc or second-gen Beam, it delivers full Dolby Atmos audio, making it the only Sonos speaker to do so. The overall result is an immersive audio experience, one in which it feels as though the sound is coming at you from all directions.

Last but not least, Sonos is discounting both the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam 2. The Move 2 is available for $359 ($90 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos, which is $23 shy of its lowest price to date. Meanwhile, the Roam 2 is $40 off at $139 (Amazon, Best Buy, Sonos), which is its best price to date.

The Move 2 is a powerful, six-pound speaker you can carry around via a built-in handle, one that lets you fill any room or outdoor patio with sound. Unlike its predecessor, the Move 2 features stereo sound and long-lasting battery life, allowing you to eke out around 24 hours of playback on a single charge. It also includes support for line-in via USB-C and lets you play any music you might be playing via Bluetooth to the rest of your Sonos system.

If you’re looking for something even more portable, there’s the Roam 2. It’s similar to the original Roam, but unlike its predecessor, it’s relatively easy to use right out of the box, as Sonos has done away with the complicated setup process. Of course, it’s less powerful than the Move 2 as the smaller, more budget-friendly speaker. It also lacks a user-replaceable battery and only offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback.

Nevertheless, the second-gen Roam still produces clean, detailed audio and offers an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, so you can take it outside without worrying. Plus, like the Move 2, it supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa, so you can control it using voice commands — provided you’re connected to your Wi-Fi network.

Read More 

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

A new cell phone carrier is launching with an interesting pitch: it says it will offer secure cell service that limits how much personal data users give up, as reported earlier by 404 Media. The service, called Cape, is geared toward “high-risk” individuals like politicians, journalists, activists, and others.
Cape is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses UScellular’s network. But since it runs its mobile own core, Cape says it can control the technology powering the mobile network and “implement protections over what data enters and leaves your phone.” When signing up for the service, Cape says it will ask users for the “minimum amount of personal information” and will store it “for as little time as possible.”
The carrier currently pairs its service with a preconfigured Android phone that offers several privacy features, including the ability to hide a user’s location by changing the unique identifiers associated with their device. Cape can also rotate a phone’s mobile advertising ID, which could make it harder for companies to track users and serve targeted ads. It has protections against SIM swapping and SS7 attacks, which can intercept calls and text messages, as well.
“We can’t leak or sell data that we don’t have,” Cape’s FAQ page says. “What’s more, we utilize modern cryptography and authentication protocols to secure your account, ensuring that any data that does pass through our systems is protected with security measures of the highest standards.”
It’s too early to tell how well Cape works, but the concept seems attractive in a world with persistent data breaches and other security threats. The company previously offered its service to government officials, but now high-risk individuals can access it, too. Cape plans to make its features available to everyone early next year.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

A new cell phone carrier is launching with an interesting pitch: it says it will offer secure cell service that limits how much personal data users give up, as reported earlier by 404 Media. The service, called Cape, is geared toward “high-risk” individuals like politicians, journalists, activists, and others.

Cape is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses UScellular’s network. But since it runs its mobile own core, Cape says it can control the technology powering the mobile network and “implement protections over what data enters and leaves your phone.” When signing up for the service, Cape says it will ask users for the “minimum amount of personal information” and will store it “for as little time as possible.”

The carrier currently pairs its service with a preconfigured Android phone that offers several privacy features, including the ability to hide a user’s location by changing the unique identifiers associated with their device. Cape can also rotate a phone’s mobile advertising ID, which could make it harder for companies to track users and serve targeted ads. It has protections against SIM swapping and SS7 attacks, which can intercept calls and text messages, as well.

“We can’t leak or sell data that we don’t have,” Cape’s FAQ page says. “What’s more, we utilize modern cryptography and authentication protocols to secure your account, ensuring that any data that does pass through our systems is protected with security measures of the highest standards.”

It’s too early to tell how well Cape works, but the concept seems attractive in a world with persistent data breaches and other security threats. The company previously offered its service to government officials, but now high-risk individuals can access it, too. Cape plans to make its features available to everyone early next year.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

WhatsApp is introducing a new transcription feature that makes it easier (and more convenient) to communicate using voice messaging. The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users “in the coming weeks” according to WhatsApp, and will automatically create a text version of voice clips under the message for moments when you’re unable to listen to them.
This finds a great balance between the pros and cons of voice messages, which are easier to record than typing out lengthy conversations but can be cumbersome to listen to, especially on the go or in loud environments. Now you get the best of both worlds, but only voice message recipients who have the feature enabled can see the transcripts.

Image: WhatsApp
It’s an ideal solution for those of us who hate listening to voice messages in their chats.

The voice message transcripts are generated directly on the device so that “no one else, not even WhatsApp, can hear or read your personal messages,” WhatsApp said in its announcement. The feature will be disabled by default once it rolls out, and can be turned on by clicking on “Chats” within the WhatsApp settings, and then “Voice message transcripts.”
Language support will depend on which OS you’re using: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Hindi will initially be available for Android users, with iOS having a much wider selection listed on its support page. WhatsApp says language support will be expanded in the coming months, however.

Illustration: The Verge

WhatsApp is introducing a new transcription feature that makes it easier (and more convenient) to communicate using voice messaging. The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users “in the coming weeks” according to WhatsApp, and will automatically create a text version of voice clips under the message for moments when you’re unable to listen to them.

This finds a great balance between the pros and cons of voice messages, which are easier to record than typing out lengthy conversations but can be cumbersome to listen to, especially on the go or in loud environments. Now you get the best of both worlds, but only voice message recipients who have the feature enabled can see the transcripts.

Image: WhatsApp
It’s an ideal solution for those of us who hate listening to voice messages in their chats.

The voice message transcripts are generated directly on the device so that “no one else, not even WhatsApp, can hear or read your personal messages,” WhatsApp said in its announcement. The feature will be disabled by default once it rolls out, and can be turned on by clicking on “Chats” within the WhatsApp settings, and then “Voice message transcripts.”

Language support will depend on which OS you’re using: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Hindi will initially be available for Android users, with iOS having a much wider selection listed on its support page. WhatsApp says language support will be expanded in the coming months, however.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

A federal lawsuit over Minnesota’s “Use of Deep Fake Technology to Influence An Election” law is now directly dealing with the influence of AI. In a recent filing, attorneys challenging the law say an affidavit submitted to support it shows signs of containing AI-generated text. The Minnesota Reformer reports Attorney General Keith Ellison asked Stanford Social Media Lab founding director Jeff Hancock to make the submission, but the document filed includes non-existent sources that seem to have been hallucinated by ChatGPT or another large language model (LLM).
Hancock’s affidavit cites a 2023 study published in the Journal of Information Technology & Politics titled “The Influence of Deepfake Videos on Political Attitudes and Behavior.”

But according to the Reformer, there is no record of that study in the Journal of Information Technology & Politics or any other publication. Another source cited in Hancock’s declaration, “Deepfakes and the Illusion of Authenticity: Cognitive Processes Behind Misinformation Acceptance,” doesn’t seem to exist either.
Hancock did not respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
“The citation bears the hallmarks of being an artificial intelligence (AI) ‘hallucination,’ suggesting that at least the citation was generated by a large language model like ChatGPT,” lawyers for Minnesota state Rep. Mary Franson and Christopher Khols — a conservative YouTuber who goes by Mr Reagan — wrote in a filing. “Plaintiffs do not know how this hallucination wound up in Hancock’s declaration, but it calls the entire document into question, especially when much of the commentary contains no methodology or analytic logic whatsoever.”

Illustration: The Verge

A federal lawsuit over Minnesota’s “Use of Deep Fake Technology to Influence An Election” law is now directly dealing with the influence of AI. In a recent filing, attorneys challenging the law say an affidavit submitted to support it shows signs of containing AI-generated text. The Minnesota Reformer reports Attorney General Keith Ellison asked Stanford Social Media Lab founding director Jeff Hancock to make the submission, but the document filed includes non-existent sources that seem to have been hallucinated by ChatGPT or another large language model (LLM).

Hancock’s affidavit cites a 2023 study published in the Journal of Information Technology & Politics titled “The Influence of Deepfake Videos on Political Attitudes and Behavior.”

But according to the Reformer, there is no record of that study in the Journal of Information Technology & Politics or any other publication. Another source cited in Hancock’s declaration, “Deepfakes and the Illusion of Authenticity: Cognitive Processes Behind Misinformation Acceptance,” doesn’t seem to exist either.

Hancock did not respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

“The citation bears the hallmarks of being an artificial intelligence (AI) ‘hallucination,’ suggesting that at least the citation was generated by a large language model like ChatGPT,” lawyers for Minnesota state Rep. Mary Franson and Christopher Khols — a conservative YouTuber who goes by Mr Reagan — wrote in a filing. “Plaintiffs do not know how this hallucination wound up in Hancock’s declaration, but it calls the entire document into question, especially when much of the commentary contains no methodology or analytic logic whatsoever.”

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Illustration: The Verge

“We are rebalancing ranking to prioritize content from people you follow, which will mean less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow and more posts from the accounts you do starting today,” Threads boss Adam Mosseri announced on Thursday.
This is another significant change to Threads since many people started flocking to Bluesky. It lets people default to seeing their Following feed when they open the app and offers lots of customizability, including custom feeds. Threads just yesterday rolled out its take on custom feeds less than a week after it started testing them.

The change could make the For You feed include more accounts you care about, but we’ll have to wait and see if the update addresses the problem of the feed surfacing posts that are very old and no longer timely. You still can’t leave Threads in the Following feed, though.
It also means that creators should expect “unconnected reach” to go down but “connected reach” to go up, Mosseri says.
Bluesky just crossed 21 million users; it was at 15 million users as of November 13th. Threads is still much larger than Bluesky, though, and last week, Mosseri said it had already added 15 million signups in November alone.

Illustration: The Verge

“We are rebalancing ranking to prioritize content from people you follow, which will mean less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow and more posts from the accounts you do starting today,” Threads boss Adam Mosseri announced on Thursday.

This is another significant change to Threads since many people started flocking to Bluesky. It lets people default to seeing their Following feed when they open the app and offers lots of customizability, including custom feeds. Threads just yesterday rolled out its take on custom feeds less than a week after it started testing them.

The change could make the For You feed include more accounts you care about, but we’ll have to wait and see if the update addresses the problem of the feed surfacing posts that are very old and no longer timely. You still can’t leave Threads in the Following feed, though.

It also means that creators should expect “unconnected reach” to go down but “connected reach” to go up, Mosseri says.

Bluesky just crossed 21 million users; it was at 15 million users as of November 13th. Threads is still much larger than Bluesky, though, and last week, Mosseri said it had already added 15 million signups in November alone.

Read More 

Image: Universal

Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation gets at the heart of what makes musicals such a spectacular form of storytelling. It’s become strangely common for studios to downplay the fact that their musicals are movies filled with people singing and dancing. But there was really no way for Universal to hide how much of a theater geek’s fever dream its long-gestating Wicked adaptation was going to be. Like the show and the novel it is based on, the Jon M. Chu-directed feature remixes details from The Wizard of Oz into a surprisingly poignant tale about Oz’s most infamous witch. The film is as gorgeous as its musical numbers are tremendous, and there’s a depth to its story that makes a case for it being split into two parts. But the way Wicked unabashedly plays up the original’s fanciful sense of humor and uses its songs to do all the heavy narrative lifting is what’s going to remind audiences why they love this genre.
While a few of The Wizard of Oz’s classic protagonists make very brief appearances to set the general scene, Wicked is mostly an origin story about Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), the young woman from Munchkinland fated to become The Wicked Witch of the West. To people like Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) who actually try to get to know her, it’s obvious that she’s a kindhearted person who feels deep empathy for those around her. But even though Oz is a magical land where talking animals and people with extraordinary powers are rare but not unheard of, Elphaba’s green skin makes her a pariah from birth — especially in the eyes of her politician father Frexspar (Andy Nyman).
Because Frex doesn’t speak openly about Elphaba, most of the munchkins don’t even know that she’s his oldest daughter, who has given up all hope of ever seeing the world for herself. But on the day that Nessa is meant to leave home for Shiz University, a sudden manifestation of Elphaba’s innate magic thrusts her into the spotlight and unexpectedly leads to her becoming a student as well — something neither she nor the girls’ father is exactly thrilled about.

The sibling dynamic of the Thropp sisters is an important part of Wicked’s story that plays into the film’s exploration of how “wickedness” and “evil” are labels that are often thrust upon people who are simply different from others. Though Elphaba understands Nessa’s desire for independence, it still hurts to see her sister trying to fit in with students ready to mock Elphaba for being green. But it isn’t until Elphaba is publicly insulted by and made to room with whistle-note enthusiast Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) that she starts to think that matriculating at Shiz might have been a mistake.
As a stage production, Wicked has always been a straightforward story that’s powered by a heady blend of dazzling spectacle, kitschy comedy, and a handful of showstopping songs. Rather than adding new subplots or going deeper on supporting characters like Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), the movie sticks close to the original musical’s dramatic beats. If you’ve seen the stage show, you’ll be familiar with the way Elphaba and Galinda’s (she’s not Glinda just yet) relationship evolves and how flirtatious himbo prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) further complicates the girls’ lives.
In contrast to the movie’s narrative faithfulness to the stage show, you can see it striving for a visual grandiosity that’s more elaborate than what can be achieved with live productions. Locations like Munchkinland and Shiz’s great hall are stunningly detailed testaments to the genius of Nathan Crowley’s production design. To be fair, they always feel like magnificent sets rather than fantastical places that continue to exist beyond the screen’s edge. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, though, because this Wicked’s primary goal is to present Elphaba and Galinda’s story in a way that showcases Erivo’s and Grande’s impressive ability to make these roles theirs.
While it’s clear from the opening musical number how the people of Oz ultimately come to see Elphaba as a villain, the specificity and subtlety Erivo inhabits in every chapter of the witch-to-be’s life make her emotional journey feel like one that isn’t set in stone. It should come as no surprise that Erivo excels at using songs like “The Wizard and I” to make you feel the cautiously joyous optimism that literally lifts her up into the air in the film’s first act. International pop superstardom does not always translate to the strongest movie musical showings. But Grande brings Galinda to life with a dizzying level of airy kookiness that simultaneously feels like an homage to Kristin Chenoweth’s original take on the character and a winking send-up of her own brand of glossy hyperfemininity.

Though Galinda is Wicked’s second lead vocalist, Grande’s rendition of “Popular” feels poised to become the film’s breakout musical hit, in part because of the way it crystalizes just how comedically acrobatic her performance is. The number is a delightful crash course in all the little eccentricities that make Galinda every bit as odd as people insist Elphaba is. But it also stands out as one of the stronger examples of how the cast’s vocals being recorded live on set makes their onscreen performances feel electric.
The same can’t always be said for Wicked’s ensemble of other Shiz students who traipse and sashay their way through the film more as its singing chorus than a number of distinct personalities. Aside from Fiyero, it never quite feels like the Shiz student body has all that much going on when Elphaba and Galinda aren’t around. That isn’t too much of a knock against the film because if there were more to the Shiz U kids beyond their dancing and extravagant uniforms, Wicked’s two-hour, 40-minute runtime would likely feel like much, much more of a slog. Chu uses that time to cover most of the original musical’s first act and build a steady momentum that makes the film’s arrival at “Defying Gravity” hit with all of the emotional weight the song calls for.
In the same way that “Popular” sells Grande as Galinda, Erivo’s “Defying Gravity” solidifies her as one of the great Elphabas. It’s the raw power of Erivo’s performance as a singer that makes the movie’s final set piece — a high-flying escape from a swarm of winged monkeys — work on an emotional level in spite of its absurdity and abundance of CGI. It’s exactly the kind of number that seems like a logical place for a musical like this to come to an end, but therein lies some of the concern about Universal splitting Wicked into two films.
Wicked also stars Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Ethan Slater, Courtney-Mae Briggs, and Sharon D. Clarke. The movie hits theaters on November 22nd.

Image: Universal

Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation gets at the heart of what makes musicals such a spectacular form of storytelling.

It’s become strangely common for studios to downplay the fact that their musicals are movies filled with people singing and dancing. But there was really no way for Universal to hide how much of a theater geek’s fever dream its long-gestating Wicked adaptation was going to be. Like the show and the novel it is based on, the Jon M. Chu-directed feature remixes details from The Wizard of Oz into a surprisingly poignant tale about Oz’s most infamous witch. The film is as gorgeous as its musical numbers are tremendous, and there’s a depth to its story that makes a case for it being split into two parts. But the way Wicked unabashedly plays up the original’s fanciful sense of humor and uses its songs to do all the heavy narrative lifting is what’s going to remind audiences why they love this genre.

While a few of The Wizard of Oz’s classic protagonists make very brief appearances to set the general scene, Wicked is mostly an origin story about Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), the young woman from Munchkinland fated to become The Wicked Witch of the West. To people like Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) who actually try to get to know her, it’s obvious that she’s a kindhearted person who feels deep empathy for those around her. But even though Oz is a magical land where talking animals and people with extraordinary powers are rare but not unheard of, Elphaba’s green skin makes her a pariah from birth — especially in the eyes of her politician father Frexspar (Andy Nyman).

Because Frex doesn’t speak openly about Elphaba, most of the munchkins don’t even know that she’s his oldest daughter, who has given up all hope of ever seeing the world for herself. But on the day that Nessa is meant to leave home for Shiz University, a sudden manifestation of Elphaba’s innate magic thrusts her into the spotlight and unexpectedly leads to her becoming a student as well — something neither she nor the girls’ father is exactly thrilled about.

The sibling dynamic of the Thropp sisters is an important part of Wicked’s story that plays into the film’s exploration of how “wickedness” and “evil” are labels that are often thrust upon people who are simply different from others. Though Elphaba understands Nessa’s desire for independence, it still hurts to see her sister trying to fit in with students ready to mock Elphaba for being green. But it isn’t until Elphaba is publicly insulted by and made to room with whistle-note enthusiast Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) that she starts to think that matriculating at Shiz might have been a mistake.

As a stage production, Wicked has always been a straightforward story that’s powered by a heady blend of dazzling spectacle, kitschy comedy, and a handful of showstopping songs. Rather than adding new subplots or going deeper on supporting characters like Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), the movie sticks close to the original musical’s dramatic beats. If you’ve seen the stage show, you’ll be familiar with the way Elphaba and Galinda’s (she’s not Glinda just yet) relationship evolves and how flirtatious himbo prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) further complicates the girls’ lives.

In contrast to the movie’s narrative faithfulness to the stage show, you can see it striving for a visual grandiosity that’s more elaborate than what can be achieved with live productions. Locations like Munchkinland and Shiz’s great hall are stunningly detailed testaments to the genius of Nathan Crowley’s production design. To be fair, they always feel like magnificent sets rather than fantastical places that continue to exist beyond the screen’s edge. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, though, because this Wicked’s primary goal is to present Elphaba and Galinda’s story in a way that showcases Erivo’s and Grande’s impressive ability to make these roles theirs.

While it’s clear from the opening musical number how the people of Oz ultimately come to see Elphaba as a villain, the specificity and subtlety Erivo inhabits in every chapter of the witch-to-be’s life make her emotional journey feel like one that isn’t set in stone. It should come as no surprise that Erivo excels at using songs like “The Wizard and I” to make you feel the cautiously joyous optimism that literally lifts her up into the air in the film’s first act. International pop superstardom does not always translate to the strongest movie musical showings. But Grande brings Galinda to life with a dizzying level of airy kookiness that simultaneously feels like an homage to Kristin Chenoweth’s original take on the character and a winking send-up of her own brand of glossy hyperfemininity.

Though Galinda is Wicked’s second lead vocalist, Grande’s rendition of “Popular” feels poised to become the film’s breakout musical hit, in part because of the way it crystalizes just how comedically acrobatic her performance is. The number is a delightful crash course in all the little eccentricities that make Galinda every bit as odd as people insist Elphaba is. But it also stands out as one of the stronger examples of how the cast’s vocals being recorded live on set makes their onscreen performances feel electric.

The same can’t always be said for Wicked’s ensemble of other Shiz students who traipse and sashay their way through the film more as its singing chorus than a number of distinct personalities. Aside from Fiyero, it never quite feels like the Shiz student body has all that much going on when Elphaba and Galinda aren’t around. That isn’t too much of a knock against the film because if there were more to the Shiz U kids beyond their dancing and extravagant uniforms, Wicked’s two-hour, 40-minute runtime would likely feel like much, much more of a slog. Chu uses that time to cover most of the original musical’s first act and build a steady momentum that makes the film’s arrival at “Defying Gravity” hit with all of the emotional weight the song calls for.

In the same way that “Popular” sells Grande as Galinda, Erivo’s “Defying Gravity” solidifies her as one of the great Elphabas. It’s the raw power of Erivo’s performance as a singer that makes the movie’s final set piece — a high-flying escape from a swarm of winged monkeys — work on an emotional level in spite of its absurdity and abundance of CGI. It’s exactly the kind of number that seems like a logical place for a musical like this to come to an end, but therein lies some of the concern about Universal splitting Wicked into two films.

Wicked also stars Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Ethan Slater, Courtney-Mae Briggs, and Sharon D. Clarke. The movie hits theaters on November 22nd.

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Illustration: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Major digital payment providers will soon be subject to bank-like supervision from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). On Thursday, the CFPB issued a final rule that will regulate digital payment apps that process over 50 million transactions each year, covering services like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, Cash App, and others.
The new rule is meant to ensure digital payment providers adhere to the same laws as credit unions and large banks. It will give the CFPB the authority to oversee their compliance with federal laws surrounding privacy, fraud, and other rules through “proactive examinations.” This follows the CFPB’s initial proposal to regulate digital payment providers last year, which would’ve covered a wider swath of companies processing more than 5 million transactions a year.

Now, the CFPB estimates that the most popular apps included under the rule cumulatively handle more than 13 billion transactions per year. “Digital payments have gone from novelty to necessity and our oversight must reflect this reality,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the announcement. “The rule will help to protect consumer privacy, guard against fraud, and prevent illegal account closures.”
The rule is set to go into effect 30 days after it’s published in the Federal Register.

Illustration: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Major digital payment providers will soon be subject to bank-like supervision from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). On Thursday, the CFPB issued a final rule that will regulate digital payment apps that process over 50 million transactions each year, covering services like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, Cash App, and others.

The new rule is meant to ensure digital payment providers adhere to the same laws as credit unions and large banks. It will give the CFPB the authority to oversee their compliance with federal laws surrounding privacy, fraud, and other rules through “proactive examinations.” This follows the CFPB’s initial proposal to regulate digital payment providers last year, which would’ve covered a wider swath of companies processing more than 5 million transactions a year.

Now, the CFPB estimates that the most popular apps included under the rule cumulatively handle more than 13 billion transactions per year. “Digital payments have gone from novelty to necessity and our oversight must reflect this reality,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the announcement. “The rule will help to protect consumer privacy, guard against fraud, and prevent illegal account closures.”

The rule is set to go into effect 30 days after it’s published in the Federal Register.

Read More