verge-rss

Brazilian regulators say Meta’s “excessive and unjustified obstacles” make it difficult for users to opt out of AI training. | Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Brazil’s data protection authority (ANPD) has banned Meta from training its artificial intelligence models on Brazilian personal data, citing the “risks of serious damage and difficulty to users.” The decision follows an update to Meta’s privacy policy in May in which the social media giant granted itself permission to use public Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram data from Brazil — including posts, images, and captions — for AI training.
The decision follows a report published by Human Rights Watch last month which found that LAION-5B — one of the largest image-caption datasets used to train AI models — contains personal, identifiable photos of Brazilian children, placing them at risk of deepfakes and other exploitation.
As reported by The Associated Press, ANPD told the country’s official gazette that the policy carries “imminent risk of serious and irreparable or difficult-to-repair damage to the fundamental rights” of Brazilian users. The region is one of Meta’s largest markets, with 102 million Brazilian user accounts found on Facebook alone according to the ANPD. The notification published by the agency on Tuesday gives Meta five working days to comply with the order, or risk facing daily fines of 50,000 reais (around $8,808).
Meta said in a statement to the AP that its updated policy “complies with privacy laws and regulations in Brazil,” and that the ruling is “a step backwards for innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Brazil.” While Meta says users can opt out of having their data used to train AI, ANPD says there are “excessive and unjustified obstacles” in place that make it difficult to do so.
Meta received similar pushback from regulators in the EU causing the company to pause plans to train its AI models on European Facebook and Instagram posts. Meta’s updated data collection policies are already in effect in the US, however, which lacks comparable user privacy protections.

Brazilian regulators say Meta’s “excessive and unjustified obstacles” make it difficult for users to opt out of AI training. | Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Brazil’s data protection authority (ANPD) has banned Meta from training its artificial intelligence models on Brazilian personal data, citing the “risks of serious damage and difficulty to users.” The decision follows an update to Meta’s privacy policy in May in which the social media giant granted itself permission to use public Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram data from Brazil — including posts, images, and captions — for AI training.

The decision follows a report published by Human Rights Watch last month which found that LAION-5B — one of the largest image-caption datasets used to train AI models — contains personal, identifiable photos of Brazilian children, placing them at risk of deepfakes and other exploitation.

As reported by The Associated Press, ANPD told the country’s official gazette that the policy carries “imminent risk of serious and irreparable or difficult-to-repair damage to the fundamental rights” of Brazilian users. The region is one of Meta’s largest markets, with 102 million Brazilian user accounts found on Facebook alone according to the ANPD. The notification published by the agency on Tuesday gives Meta five working days to comply with the order, or risk facing daily fines of 50,000 reais (around $8,808).

Meta said in a statement to the AP that its updated policy “complies with privacy laws and regulations in Brazil,” and that the ruling is “a step backwards for innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Brazil.” While Meta says users can opt out of having their data used to train AI, ANPD says there are “excessive and unjustified obstacles” in place that make it difficult to do so.

Meta received similar pushback from regulators in the EU causing the company to pause plans to train its AI models on European Facebook and Instagram posts. Meta’s updated data collection policies are already in effect in the US, however, which lacks comparable user privacy protections.

Read More 

Proton Docs does comments, collaboration, and a bunch of other Google Docs-y things. | Image: Proton

Proton Docs looks a lot like Google Docs: white pages, formatting toolbar at the top, live indicators showing who’s in the doc with their name attached to a cursor, the whole deal. That’s not especially surprising, for a couple of reasons. First, Google Docs is hugely popular, and there are only so many ways to style a document editor anyway. Second, Proton Docs exists in large part to be all the things that are great about Google Docs — just without Google in the mix.
Docs is launching today inside of Proton Drive, as the latest app in Proton’s privacy-focused suite of work tools. The company that started as an email client now also includes a calendar, a file storage system, a password manager, and more. Adding Docs to the ecosystem makes sense for Proton as it tries to compete with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace and seemed to be clearly coming soon after Proton acquired Standard Notes in April. Standard Notes isn’t going away, though, Proton PR manager Will Moore tells me — it’s just that Docs is borrowing some features.
The first version of Proton Docs seems to have most of what you’d expect in a document editor: rich text options, real-time collaborative editing, and multimedia support. (If Proton can handle image embeds better than Google, it might have a hit on its hands just for that.) It’s web-only and desktop-optimized for now, though Moore tells me it’ll eventually come to other platforms. “Everything that Google’s got is on our roadmap,” he says.

Image: Proton
Imagine Google Docs… there, that’s it. You know what Proton Docs looks like.

Since this is a Proton product, security is everything: the company says every document, keystroke, and even cursor movement is end-to-end encrypted in real time. Proton has long promised to never sell or otherwise use your user data, which may appeal to more people than ever now that there are so many questions about how your documents and information are used to train AI models. (For what it’s worth, Google says it also doesn’t use your content to train its models.)
Proton is just one of the companies trying to offer privacy-focused alternatives to Google and Microsoft, and so far, none of them have made a dent in those companies’ dominance. But Proton’s products have improved a lot in the last few years, and it’s getting closer to offering all the things some users might need to switch. (One big thing missing? Spreadsheets. Good luck taking Excel down, Proton.)

Proton Docs does comments, collaboration, and a bunch of other Google Docs-y things. | Image: Proton

Proton Docs looks a lot like Google Docs: white pages, formatting toolbar at the top, live indicators showing who’s in the doc with their name attached to a cursor, the whole deal. That’s not especially surprising, for a couple of reasons. First, Google Docs is hugely popular, and there are only so many ways to style a document editor anyway. Second, Proton Docs exists in large part to be all the things that are great about Google Docs — just without Google in the mix.

Docs is launching today inside of Proton Drive, as the latest app in Proton’s privacy-focused suite of work tools. The company that started as an email client now also includes a calendar, a file storage system, a password manager, and more. Adding Docs to the ecosystem makes sense for Proton as it tries to compete with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace and seemed to be clearly coming soon after Proton acquired Standard Notes in April. Standard Notes isn’t going away, though, Proton PR manager Will Moore tells me — it’s just that Docs is borrowing some features.

The first version of Proton Docs seems to have most of what you’d expect in a document editor: rich text options, real-time collaborative editing, and multimedia support. (If Proton can handle image embeds better than Google, it might have a hit on its hands just for that.) It’s web-only and desktop-optimized for now, though Moore tells me it’ll eventually come to other platforms. “Everything that Google’s got is on our roadmap,” he says.

Image: Proton
Imagine Google Docs… there, that’s it. You know what Proton Docs looks like.

Since this is a Proton product, security is everything: the company says every document, keystroke, and even cursor movement is end-to-end encrypted in real time. Proton has long promised to never sell or otherwise use your user data, which may appeal to more people than ever now that there are so many questions about how your documents and information are used to train AI models. (For what it’s worth, Google says it also doesn’t use your content to train its models.)

Proton is just one of the companies trying to offer privacy-focused alternatives to Google and Microsoft, and so far, none of them have made a dent in those companies’ dominance. But Proton’s products have improved a lot in the last few years, and it’s getting closer to offering all the things some users might need to switch. (One big thing missing? Spreadsheets. Good luck taking Excel down, Proton.)

Read More 

An exploded view of the Amflow PL e-bike showing the Avinox drive system. | Image: DJI

DJI is expanding into electric bikes in a big way with its new Avinox drive system and Amflow e-bike brand. The company best known for its drones is launching its first e-bike — the carbon fiber Amflow PL electric mountain bike — before the end of the year, complete with the mid-drive Avinox motor and fast-charging battery. It has so many smart and powerful features packed into a relatively lightweight e-bike that it should catch the attention of competitors like Bosch and Specialized.
As a showcase for DJI’s new Avinox drive system, the Amflow PL e-bike features a very impressive 120Nm of max torque and 1000W of on-demand boost power to overcome even the steepest inclines. Otherwise, its “remarkably quiet” mid-drive motor is rated for 250W of nominal output with an 850W peak. Its removable 800Wh battery can fast-charge from zero to 75 percent in a speedy 1.5 hours when using Amflow’s 2A/508W GaN charger.
Despite all that power and battery capacity, the Amflow PL weighs just 19.2kg (just over 42 pounds), thanks in part to a 2.27kg carbon fiber frame and 2.52kg Avinox drive system.

The bike features a two-inch color OLED touchscreen display integrated into the frame and an Avinox app for wireless access to the bike and all the riding data. The bike will sound an alarm in case of trouble and alert you of its location in the app. It has four pedal-assist modes, including an auto mode that adapts power delivery based on riding resistance. Rounding out the highlights is a USB charging port for your phone or bike computer, a full suspension system from Fox, and a frame that can accommodate both 27.5-inch and 29-inch rear wheels.
“Our expertise in battery and motor technology accumulated in drones and camera stabilization systems, have led us to the creation of Avinox,” says Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. “It is a natural move for DJI to expand into this field as we have been mastering the technologies essential to an electric bike system, in terms of reliable motor development, battery management, mechanical design and engineering.”

The company has also been developing intelligent driving solutions for automobiles in China over the last few years, some of which can already be found in several car models. More recently, the company expanded into the large consumer battery market with the launch of its first power stations.
The Amflow PL is expected to ship in Q4. DJI tells me to expect a pricing somewhere between €7,000 and €12,000 ($7,500 and $12,850), which puts it into direct competition with premium electric sport bikes like Specialized’s Turbo series. DJI says the Amflow PL will be available from authorized dealers in Germany, the UK, and Australia “amongst others.”

An exploded view of the Amflow PL e-bike showing the Avinox drive system. | Image: DJI

DJI is expanding into electric bikes in a big way with its new Avinox drive system and Amflow e-bike brand. The company best known for its drones is launching its first e-bike — the carbon fiber Amflow PL electric mountain bike — before the end of the year, complete with the mid-drive Avinox motor and fast-charging battery. It has so many smart and powerful features packed into a relatively lightweight e-bike that it should catch the attention of competitors like Bosch and Specialized.

As a showcase for DJI’s new Avinox drive system, the Amflow PL e-bike features a very impressive 120Nm of max torque and 1000W of on-demand boost power to overcome even the steepest inclines. Otherwise, its “remarkably quiet” mid-drive motor is rated for 250W of nominal output with an 850W peak. Its removable 800Wh battery can fast-charge from zero to 75 percent in a speedy 1.5 hours when using Amflow’s 2A/508W GaN charger.

Despite all that power and battery capacity, the Amflow PL weighs just 19.2kg (just over 42 pounds), thanks in part to a 2.27kg carbon fiber frame and 2.52kg Avinox drive system.

The bike features a two-inch color OLED touchscreen display integrated into the frame and an Avinox app for wireless access to the bike and all the riding data. The bike will sound an alarm in case of trouble and alert you of its location in the app. It has four pedal-assist modes, including an auto mode that adapts power delivery based on riding resistance. Rounding out the highlights is a USB charging port for your phone or bike computer, a full suspension system from Fox, and a frame that can accommodate both 27.5-inch and 29-inch rear wheels.

“Our expertise in battery and motor technology accumulated in drones and camera stabilization systems, have led us to the creation of Avinox,” says Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. “It is a natural move for DJI to expand into this field as we have been mastering the technologies essential to an electric bike system, in terms of reliable motor development, battery management, mechanical design and engineering.”

The company has also been developing intelligent driving solutions for automobiles in China over the last few years, some of which can already be found in several car models. More recently, the company expanded into the large consumer battery market with the launch of its first power stations.

The Amflow PL is expected to ship in Q4. DJI tells me to expect a pricing somewhere between €7,000 and €12,000 ($7,500 and $12,850), which puts it into direct competition with premium electric sport bikes like Specialized’s Turbo series. DJI says the Amflow PL will be available from authorized dealers in Germany, the UK, and Australia “amongst others.”

Read More 

The Acemagic X1, a laptop with a side-folding second screen for multi-monitor use. | Image: Acemagic

Ever since Razer brought a triple-screen laptop to CES 2017 and promptly got it stolen, we’ve been captivated by the idea of multiple mobile screens. The Acemagic X1 (via Liliputing) is the latest attempt to make it a practical reality, with twin 14-inch 1080p displays.
Unlike the Asus Zenbook Duo and Lenovo Yoga Book 9i we reviewed earlier this year, it’s not a twin-screen tablet with a detachable keyboard; this one’s most definitely a laptop with an extra screen on a hinge that swings all the way around. And unlike the upcoming GPD Duo, it swings horizontally instead of vertically. The company is calling it the “world’s first horizontally foldable 360 degree laptop.”

Image: Acemagic

Image: Acemagic

While we don’t have a price, release date, or full spec sheet yet, it seems this laptop isn’t shooting for gaming or high-end productivity; it’ll be equipped with a two-year-old 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U processor (we’re expecting 15th Gen this fall), 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD.
It also only supports 5Gbps transfer speeds from its USB-A and USB-C ports and HDMI 2.0 rather than HDMI 2.1 for its video output. And one of its two USB-C ports is only for charging.

Image: Acemagic

In addition to the ports, you can see Acemagic’s geared hinge mechanism; Tom’s Hardware saw a unit and says the hinge seems to work well.

Still, there are lots of tasks that don’t necessarily need lots of horsepower but could benefit from more visual real estate — and the second screen isn’t the only unique thing about this machine!
The Acemagic X1 also includes, and I quote:
Adding to its distinctive appeal, ACEMAGIC has engraved Steve Jobs’s iconic quote, “Stay hungry, Stay foolish,” in real gold on the left side of the keyboard. This touch symbolizes the device’s premium quality and innovative spirit.
I am assuming Acemagic doesn’t realize that Steve Jobs was actually quoting the Whole Earth Catalog in his 2005 commencement speech, but hey, bonus points for countercultural message written in gold?
(No, we don’t have a picture of the gold lettering to see if Steve Jobs’ name is also on the side of this laptop.)
In case you’ve never heard of Acemagic, know that they’re not a total unknown, just relatively new to the West. The Chinese company typically sells mini PCs and recently offered apologies and refunds after shipping some of them with preinstalled malware; its most recent entry is this $1,400 mini PC that looks like a gaming router.

Image: Acemagic
The Acemagic M2A.

The Acemagic X1, a laptop with a side-folding second screen for multi-monitor use. | Image: Acemagic

Ever since Razer brought a triple-screen laptop to CES 2017 and promptly got it stolen, we’ve been captivated by the idea of multiple mobile screens. The Acemagic X1 (via Liliputing) is the latest attempt to make it a practical reality, with twin 14-inch 1080p displays.

Unlike the Asus Zenbook Duo and Lenovo Yoga Book 9i we reviewed earlier this year, it’s not a twin-screen tablet with a detachable keyboard; this one’s most definitely a laptop with an extra screen on a hinge that swings all the way around. And unlike the upcoming GPD Duo, it swings horizontally instead of vertically. The company is calling it the “world’s first horizontally foldable 360 degree laptop.”

Image: Acemagic

Image: Acemagic

While we don’t have a price, release date, or full spec sheet yet, it seems this laptop isn’t shooting for gaming or high-end productivity; it’ll be equipped with a two-year-old 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U processor (we’re expecting 15th Gen this fall), 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD.

It also only supports 5Gbps transfer speeds from its USB-A and USB-C ports and HDMI 2.0 rather than HDMI 2.1 for its video output. And one of its two USB-C ports is only for charging.

Image: Acemagic

In addition to the ports, you can see Acemagic’s geared hinge mechanism; Tom’s Hardware saw a unit and says the hinge seems to work well.

Still, there are lots of tasks that don’t necessarily need lots of horsepower but could benefit from more visual real estate — and the second screen isn’t the only unique thing about this machine!

The Acemagic X1 also includes, and I quote:

Adding to its distinctive appeal, ACEMAGIC has engraved Steve Jobs’s iconic quote, “Stay hungry, Stay foolish,” in real gold on the left side of the keyboard. This touch symbolizes the device’s premium quality and innovative spirit.

I am assuming Acemagic doesn’t realize that Steve Jobs was actually quoting the Whole Earth Catalog in his 2005 commencement speech, but hey, bonus points for countercultural message written in gold?

(No, we don’t have a picture of the gold lettering to see if Steve Jobs’ name is also on the side of this laptop.)

In case you’ve never heard of Acemagic, know that they’re not a total unknown, just relatively new to the West. The Chinese company typically sells mini PCs and recently offered apologies and refunds after shipping some of them with preinstalled malware; its most recent entry is this $1,400 mini PC that looks like a gaming router.

Image: Acemagic
The Acemagic M2A.

Read More 

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge

Apple has chosen App Store chief and former marketing head Phil Schiller to represent the company on OpenAI’s nonprofit board, according to a report from Bloomberg. Schiller will reportedly get an observer role, meaning he can attend board meetings but can’t vote or act as a director.
Joining the board will allow Schiller to learn more about the inner workings of OpenAI as Apple works to build ChatGPT into iOS and macOS later this year. The integration will allow the AI-supercharged Siri to punt more advanced queries to ChatGPT if users grant permission. As previously reported by Bloomberg, no money is currently involved in the partnership, though Apple is expected to get a percentage of ChatGPT subscriptions made through its platforms down the road.
Last year, Microsoft also joined the board that controls OpenAI in a non-voting observer position. Having both Apple and Microsoft on OpenAI’s board could make discussing plans with either company more complex. As Bloomberg notes, it’s quite rare for Apple execs to take board seats at companies they partner with.
The Verge reached out to OpenAI and Apple with a request for comment on Bloomberg’s report. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge

Apple has chosen App Store chief and former marketing head Phil Schiller to represent the company on OpenAI’s nonprofit board, according to a report from Bloomberg. Schiller will reportedly get an observer role, meaning he can attend board meetings but can’t vote or act as a director.

Joining the board will allow Schiller to learn more about the inner workings of OpenAI as Apple works to build ChatGPT into iOS and macOS later this year. The integration will allow the AI-supercharged Siri to punt more advanced queries to ChatGPT if users grant permission. As previously reported by Bloomberg, no money is currently involved in the partnership, though Apple is expected to get a percentage of ChatGPT subscriptions made through its platforms down the road.

Last year, Microsoft also joined the board that controls OpenAI in a non-voting observer position. Having both Apple and Microsoft on OpenAI’s board could make discussing plans with either company more complex. As Bloomberg notes, it’s quite rare for Apple execs to take board seats at companies they partner with.

The Verge reached out to OpenAI and Apple with a request for comment on Bloomberg’s report. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

Read More 

I can’t afford an actual house in this hellish economy, so a virtual one will have to do. | Image: Snap

Snapchat Plus subscribers are getting a new feature that allows you to design your own virtual house to show off on the Snap Map. You can view your house at any time by visiting the map, as can anyone you share your location with.

Your customization options range from drabby shacks to extravagant multistory abodes and castles. It essentially lets you show off your location with a more inviting curb appeal than the lifeless gray cuboid structures that typically populate the map. There’s not much other utility there right now except to give Snapchat Plus members a little something extra to justify yet another social media subscription in their monthly budget.
But maybe it’s a segue to something more? I’m imagining an AR experience a la Pokémon Go, except it’s more Animal Crossing and you can play interior decorator and invite your friends in for a quick furniture flex or a Snap viewing party. (Perhaps it’s best I’m not in charge of these decisions.) At the very least, it’s a more fun tell of your social opulence than a blue checkmark.
Premium Snapchatters will also soon see their pets accompany their Bitmoji while typing in chats, as well as the ability to post bite-sized Snaps that expire in fractions of a second (as quick as .10 seconds). All users will get a “mirror” that lets you view yourself using your phone’s selfie camera while customizing a Bitmoji. There are also new AI lenses incoming, including one that reimagines you as a five-year-old — which actually might be useful for someone who doesn’t have toddler pictures of themselves for whatever unfortunate reason.

I can’t afford an actual house in this hellish economy, so a virtual one will have to do. | Image: Snap

Snapchat Plus subscribers are getting a new feature that allows you to design your own virtual house to show off on the Snap Map. You can view your house at any time by visiting the map, as can anyone you share your location with.

Your customization options range from drabby shacks to extravagant multistory abodes and castles. It essentially lets you show off your location with a more inviting curb appeal than the lifeless gray cuboid structures that typically populate the map. There’s not much other utility there right now except to give Snapchat Plus members a little something extra to justify yet another social media subscription in their monthly budget.

But maybe it’s a segue to something more? I’m imagining an AR experience a la Pokémon Go, except it’s more Animal Crossing and you can play interior decorator and invite your friends in for a quick furniture flex or a Snap viewing party. (Perhaps it’s best I’m not in charge of these decisions.) At the very least, it’s a more fun tell of your social opulence than a blue checkmark.

Premium Snapchatters will also soon see their pets accompany their Bitmoji while typing in chats, as well as the ability to post bite-sized Snaps that expire in fractions of a second (as quick as .10 seconds). All users will get a “mirror” that lets you view yourself using your phone’s selfie camera while customizing a Bitmoji. There are also new AI lenses incoming, including one that reimagines you as a five-year-old — which actually might be useful for someone who doesn’t have toddler pictures of themselves for whatever unfortunate reason.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

If you’re on Mastodon, you might notice new author bylines appearing alongside articles — including those from The Verge. Click on the byline, and you’ll jump directly to the author’s fediverse account, allowing you to track their work wherever it’s posted.
For now, you’ll only see this feature on mastodon.social and other instances that use a recent Mastodon nightly release. You can see how author bylines appear beneath articles in this post, which links you to Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko’s profile.

Image: Mastodon

The byline doesn’t have to link to an author’s Mastodon account. It can also lead to a person’s profile on Threads, Flipboard, WordPress with ActivityPub, PeerTube, and others. To make it work, Mastodon says it created a new OpenGraph tag, which dictates how webpages are previewed on sites like Mastodon, but also noted publishers will need to reach out to Mastodon directly to get their authors added.
In addition to The Verge, stories from MacRumors and MacStories will also contain clickable bylines. Mastodon is working to open up the feature to more outlets, too, but it currently requires “manual review” to prevent “malicious sites framing users as their authors.” However, Mastodon plans on launching “a self-serve system” to manage the sites authors can appear from in the future.
Even though it’s not widely rolled out just yet, it does seem like a neat way to quickly find out who wrote an article and check out their other work across multiple platforms.

Illustration: The Verge

If you’re on Mastodon, you might notice new author bylines appearing alongside articles — including those from The Verge. Click on the byline, and you’ll jump directly to the author’s fediverse account, allowing you to track their work wherever it’s posted.

For now, you’ll only see this feature on mastodon.social and other instances that use a recent Mastodon nightly release. You can see how author bylines appear beneath articles in this post, which links you to Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko’s profile.

Image: Mastodon

The byline doesn’t have to link to an author’s Mastodon account. It can also lead to a person’s profile on Threads, Flipboard, WordPress with ActivityPub, PeerTube, and others. To make it work, Mastodon says it created a new OpenGraph tag, which dictates how webpages are previewed on sites like Mastodon, but also noted publishers will need to reach out to Mastodon directly to get their authors added.

In addition to The Verge, stories from MacRumors and MacStories will also contain clickable bylines. Mastodon is working to open up the feature to more outlets, too, but it currently requires “manual review” to prevent “malicious sites framing users as their authors.” However, Mastodon plans on launching “a self-serve system” to manage the sites authors can appear from in the future.

Even though it’s not widely rolled out just yet, it does seem like a neat way to quickly find out who wrote an article and check out their other work across multiple platforms.

Read More 

Image: Netflix

Netflix is launching Minesweeper as part of its selection of subscriber-only games, and it’s available now on Android and iOS.
The classic puzzle game that most people know from Microsoft Minesweeper, available in Windows 11 and versions dating back to 1990, has a fresh coat of paint with colorful graphics and new modes. Netflix’s take on Minesweeper looks a whole lot like, well, Minesweeper, but it adds a Journey Mode that takes players to different levels across world stages as well as unique daily challenges.

While searching out and flagging sea mines on a grid is a logic puzzle that’s often cloned in plenty of money-seeking cruft on the App Store and Play Store, Netflix subscribers will not find any in-game ads or microtransactions in the streaming giant’s new edition. Games may be far from the biggest reason subscribers come to Netflix, but the string of indie games, aged triple-A titles, and now Minesweeper’s S-tier idle time-killing abilities coming to the service continue Netflix’s attempts to maintain the stickiness of its service with subscribers.
Netflix isn’t the only one making a push into mobile and casual games, of course. Places as varied as The New York Times, LinkedIn, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft (by way of its ABK acquisition) are all driving hard into the space to bite off whatever piece can be chewed after Wordle proved just how sticky these kinds of experiences can be.

Image: Netflix

Netflix is launching Minesweeper as part of its selection of subscriber-only games, and it’s available now on Android and iOS.

The classic puzzle game that most people know from Microsoft Minesweeper, available in Windows 11 and versions dating back to 1990, has a fresh coat of paint with colorful graphics and new modes. Netflix’s take on Minesweeper looks a whole lot like, well, Minesweeper, but it adds a Journey Mode that takes players to different levels across world stages as well as unique daily challenges.

While searching out and flagging sea mines on a grid is a logic puzzle that’s often cloned in plenty of money-seeking cruft on the App Store and Play Store, Netflix subscribers will not find any in-game ads or microtransactions in the streaming giant’s new edition. Games may be far from the biggest reason subscribers come to Netflix, but the string of indie games, aged triple-A titles, and now Minesweeper’s S-tier idle time-killing abilities coming to the service continue Netflix’s attempts to maintain the stickiness of its service with subscribers.

Netflix isn’t the only one making a push into mobile and casual games, of course. Places as varied as The New York Times, LinkedIn, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft (by way of its ABK acquisition) are all driving hard into the space to bite off whatever piece can be chewed after Wordle proved just how sticky these kinds of experiences can be.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

A widespread Xbox outage is preventing players from connecting to Xbox Live and playing online games, downloading games, or using other services, with many seeing the message “Error 0x87DD0033.” In a post at around 3PM ET, Xbox says it’s “aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live” and that the company is “investigating.”
Bethesda, which is now owned by Microsoft, published a similar message, saying the Xbox Live is “currently experiencing a service interruption” and to stay tuned to Xbox’s status page. The page says Xbox’s account and profile services are experiencing a “major outage.”

Xbox Live is down https://t.co/IaGAUihllq pic.twitter.com/PebX7GwuDe— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 2, 2024

“You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems,” the update says. “Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.”
Issues with Xbox Live seemed to have started around 2PM ET, with Downdetector reports beginning to rise around that time. There’s still no indication when Xbox could restore service. The Verge reached out to Microsoft with a request for more information but didn’t immediately hear back.

We are aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live. We’re investigating! Please follow here and on our status page for updates. https://t.co/kQKp1MgssY— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) July 2, 2024

Illustration: The Verge

A widespread Xbox outage is preventing players from connecting to Xbox Live and playing online games, downloading games, or using other services, with many seeing the message “Error 0x87DD0033.” In a post at around 3PM ET, Xbox says it’s “aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live” and that the company is “investigating.”

Bethesda, which is now owned by Microsoft, published a similar message, saying the Xbox Live is “currently experiencing a service interruption” and to stay tuned to Xbox’s status page. The page says Xbox’s account and profile services are experiencing a “major outage.”

“You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems,” the update says. “Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.”

Issues with Xbox Live seemed to have started around 2PM ET, with Downdetector reports beginning to rise around that time. There’s still no indication when Xbox could restore service. The Verge reached out to Microsoft with a request for more information but didn’t immediately hear back.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have ballooned, according to the company’s latest environmental report, showing how much harder it’ll be for the company to meet its climate goals as it prioritizes AI.
Google has a goal of cutting its planet-heating pollution in half by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline. But its total greenhouse gas emissions have actually grown by 48 percent since 2019. Last year alone, it produced 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution — a 13 percent year-over-year increase from the year before and roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 38 gas-fired power plants might release annually.
The jump in planet-heating pollution primarily comes from data center energy use and supply chain emissions, according to Google’s environmental report. Data centers are notoriously energy-hungry — those used to train AI even more so. Electricity consumption, mostly from data centers, added nearly a million metric tons of pollution to the company’s carbon footprint in 2023 and represents the biggest source of Google’s additional emissions last year.
“As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging”
Google is in its Gemini era, redesigning Search with generative AI and injecting AI into its other products like so many other tech giants are racing to do these days. The company points to the potential climate costs those new tools could have in its environmental report.
“As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment,” the report says. Google’s data center electricity consumption alone grew by 17 percent in 2023, a “trend” it expects to continue in the future, according to the report. Already, Google estimates that its data centers accounted for up to 10 percent of global data center electricity consumption in 2023.
To try to minimize its environmental impact, Google says it’s trying to make its AI models, hardware, and data centers more energy-efficient. The company also has a goal of running on carbon pollution-free energy around the clock on each power grid it plugs into by 2030.

Today, the world’s data centers use around 1 percent of the world’s electricity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). But with the AI industry booming, the IEA recently estimated that it could consume 10 times as much electricity in 2026 as it did last year. In the US, the country with the most data centers, that’s raised fears about the steep rise in electricity demand from AI overwhelming power grids and potentially keeping coal and gas plants around for longer than they would have otherwise.
Google’s not alone when it comes to AI placing corporate climate aims further out of reach. Microsoft’s greenhouse gas emissions were around 30 percent higher in its 2023 fiscal year than they were in 2020.

Illustration: The Verge

Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have ballooned, according to the company’s latest environmental report, showing how much harder it’ll be for the company to meet its climate goals as it prioritizes AI.

Google has a goal of cutting its planet-heating pollution in half by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline. But its total greenhouse gas emissions have actually grown by 48 percent since 2019. Last year alone, it produced 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution — a 13 percent year-over-year increase from the year before and roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 38 gas-fired power plants might release annually.

The jump in planet-heating pollution primarily comes from data center energy use and supply chain emissions, according to Google’s environmental report. Data centers are notoriously energy-hungry — those used to train AI even more so. Electricity consumption, mostly from data centers, added nearly a million metric tons of pollution to the company’s carbon footprint in 2023 and represents the biggest source of Google’s additional emissions last year.

Google is in its Gemini era, redesigning Search with generative AI and injecting AI into its other products like so many other tech giants are racing to do these days. The company points to the potential climate costs those new tools could have in its environmental report.

“As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment,” the report says. Google’s data center electricity consumption alone grew by 17 percent in 2023, a “trend” it expects to continue in the future, according to the report. Already, Google estimates that its data centers accounted for up to 10 percent of global data center electricity consumption in 2023.

To try to minimize its environmental impact, Google says it’s trying to make its AI models, hardware, and data centers more energy-efficient. The company also has a goal of running on carbon pollution-free energy around the clock on each power grid it plugs into by 2030.

Today, the world’s data centers use around 1 percent of the world’s electricity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). But with the AI industry booming, the IEA recently estimated that it could consume 10 times as much electricity in 2026 as it did last year. In the US, the country with the most data centers, that’s raised fears about the steep rise in electricity demand from AI overwhelming power grids and potentially keeping coal and gas plants around for longer than they would have otherwise.

Google’s not alone when it comes to AI placing corporate climate aims further out of reach. Microsoft’s greenhouse gas emissions were around 30 percent higher in its 2023 fiscal year than they were in 2020.

Read More