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Oprah is in shambles. | Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images

Apple has announced that Reese’s Book Club has found an official home within Apple Books. The Hollywood star has amassed a strong following of readers who vibe with her tastes, the likes of which can send featured titles into the stratosphere. It’s the latest partnership her media company Hello Sunshine has inked with Apple, which also produces Apple TV Plus original series like The Last Thing He Told Me.
You can follow Reese Witherspoon’s monthly reading interests in audiobook format directly within the app, which now has a dedicated portal that makes it easy to find and purchase her latest recommendations.

Reese’s Book Club has proven wildly popular, with her influence quickly outpacing the likes of Oprah’s. With more than 3 million Instagram followers as of writing and many more across other platforms, her mere mention of a new piece can generate tens of thousands of sales. That’s what happened with Claire Lombardo’s 2019 novel The Most Fun We Ever Had, which moved more than 27,000 copies within two weeks of getting a nod after five years on the market, points out The New York Times.

Image: Apple
Apple Books will make it easy to purchase Reese’s latest favorites.

In addition to Reese’s personal favorites — which feature stories heavily centered around women such as Ally Condie’s New York Times bestseller The Unwedding — Apple’s curators will regularly highlight themed collections and new picks, including some that will be revealed exclusively within Apple Books. You’ll also get exclusive discounts on featured audiobooks and receive notifications whenever new drops arrive. You can hop in and start browsing immediately if you’re on the latest version of Apple Books.

Oprah is in shambles. | Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images

Apple has announced that Reese’s Book Club has found an official home within Apple Books. The Hollywood star has amassed a strong following of readers who vibe with her tastes, the likes of which can send featured titles into the stratosphere. It’s the latest partnership her media company Hello Sunshine has inked with Apple, which also produces Apple TV Plus original series like The Last Thing He Told Me.

You can follow Reese Witherspoon’s monthly reading interests in audiobook format directly within the app, which now has a dedicated portal that makes it easy to find and purchase her latest recommendations.

Reese’s Book Club has proven wildly popular, with her influence quickly outpacing the likes of Oprah’s. With more than 3 million Instagram followers as of writing and many more across other platforms, her mere mention of a new piece can generate tens of thousands of sales. That’s what happened with Claire Lombardo’s 2019 novel The Most Fun We Ever Had, which moved more than 27,000 copies within two weeks of getting a nod after five years on the market, points out The New York Times.

Image: Apple
Apple Books will make it easy to purchase Reese’s latest favorites.

In addition to Reese’s personal favorites — which feature stories heavily centered around women such as Ally Condie’s New York Times bestseller The Unwedding — Apple’s curators will regularly highlight themed collections and new picks, including some that will be revealed exclusively within Apple Books. You’ll also get exclusive discounts on featured audiobooks and receive notifications whenever new drops arrive. You can hop in and start browsing immediately if you’re on the latest version of Apple Books.

Read More 

If the Pixel 8A at $499 was a great value before, it’s astronomically so at around $250. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

We’re only a couple of weeks removed from Google I/O, where the tech giant gave us a glimpse of all the fun Gemini AI features coming to Android, Chrome, and its web products. Now, it’s giving you a chance to save big money on the devices that are guaranteed to take full advantage of them. One of the biggest highlights from Google’s summer sale saves you 50 percent on an unlocked Pixel 8A when you buy a Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Fold.
That would bring the Pixel 8A down to just $249.50 for the 128GB model or $279.50 for the 512GB model from Google. Just add both devices to your cart, and the discount will apply automatically. As an added bonus, Google will throw in a $50 store credit with any Pixel 8A purchase. It’s a great opportunity to spring for upgrades for your partner or family, even if you end up getting stuck with the lesser model, which is wholly capable of offering the essential Android experience.
Even better, you still get the built-in discounts currently going on those other devices, including the base 128GB Pixel 8 that’s down to $549 ($150 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google, only $50 more than the record price. The Pixel 8 Pro is also matching its all-time low of $749 ($250 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google, and the bendable Pixel Fold is $500 off right now for the base 256GB model at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google, bringing it down to $1,299 and matching the lowest price we’ve seen so far.

The Pixel Watch 2 offers great upgrades over the original, including an improved battery life that lasts all day, faster charging, and a more comprehensive suite of fitness and health tracking. You can pick up the Wi-Fi model on sale right now for $289.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and via Google’s store, or get the Wear OS watch with LTE connectivity starting around $319.99 ($90 off) at Amazon.
If those still don’t fit in your budget but you’re curious about Google’s wearables, the original Pixel Watch comes in significantly lower, starting at $179.99 ($100 off) for the Wi-Fi model at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google or $229.99 ($100 off) for one with LTE at Amazon and Google. We weren’t super jazzed about the original Pixel Watch when we reviewed it at launch nearly two years ago since its battery life and GPS were particularly troublesome. But at this price, it can be a great Fitbit alternative if you like the platform but don’t care for the fitness bands.
Speaking of which, you can pick up a number of discounted Fitbit watches, too, such as the Fitbit Charge 6, which we think is the best one you can buy. It’s down to around $139.95 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google.

In case you haven’t heard, you can now buy the Pixel Tablet without its speaker dock. The new SKU launched in May for $399, but it’s now as low as $319 ($80 off) for the 128GB configuration from Google, which is a new all-time low price.
You can also still get the Tensor G2 tablet bundled with its magnetic charging speaker dock in a matching color starting at $419 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google, which is only $20 more than the all-time low. When docked, playback automatically comes through the speaker without any wires or fiddling around with software toggles.

If you’re looking for some affordable earbuds to discretely enjoy your summer playlist, the Pixel Buds Pro are still at the all-time low $139.99 mark they recently hit, which saves you $60. You’ll find that deal at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Google.
The Pixel Buds Pro added solid active noise cancellation compared to the last-gen pair while retaining decent sound quality, although we felt the transparency mode was lacking and would have appreciated a better microphone for calls. You can also save a bit on the less remarkable (but still good for the money) Pixel Buds A-Series, which are currently starting around $79 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google.

If the Pixel 8A at $499 was a great value before, it’s astronomically so at around $250. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

We’re only a couple of weeks removed from Google I/O, where the tech giant gave us a glimpse of all the fun Gemini AI features coming to Android, Chrome, and its web products. Now, it’s giving you a chance to save big money on the devices that are guaranteed to take full advantage of them. One of the biggest highlights from Google’s summer sale saves you 50 percent on an unlocked Pixel 8A when you buy a Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Fold.

That would bring the Pixel 8A down to just $249.50 for the 128GB model or $279.50 for the 512GB model from Google. Just add both devices to your cart, and the discount will apply automatically. As an added bonus, Google will throw in a $50 store credit with any Pixel 8A purchase. It’s a great opportunity to spring for upgrades for your partner or family, even if you end up getting stuck with the lesser model, which is wholly capable of offering the essential Android experience.

Even better, you still get the built-in discounts currently going on those other devices, including the base 128GB Pixel 8 that’s down to $549 ($150 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google, only $50 more than the record price. The Pixel 8 Pro is also matching its all-time low of $749 ($250 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google, and the bendable Pixel Fold is $500 off right now for the base 256GB model at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google, bringing it down to $1,299 and matching the lowest price we’ve seen so far.

The Pixel Watch 2 offers great upgrades over the original, including an improved battery life that lasts all day, faster charging, and a more comprehensive suite of fitness and health tracking. You can pick up the Wi-Fi model on sale right now for $289.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and via Google’s store, or get the Wear OS watch with LTE connectivity starting around $319.99 ($90 off) at Amazon.

If those still don’t fit in your budget but you’re curious about Google’s wearables, the original Pixel Watch comes in significantly lower, starting at $179.99 ($100 off) for the Wi-Fi model at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google or $229.99 ($100 off) for one with LTE at Amazon and Google. We weren’t super jazzed about the original Pixel Watch when we reviewed it at launch nearly two years ago since its battery life and GPS were particularly troublesome. But at this price, it can be a great Fitbit alternative if you like the platform but don’t care for the fitness bands.

Speaking of which, you can pick up a number of discounted Fitbit watches, too, such as the Fitbit Charge 6, which we think is the best one you can buy. It’s down to around $139.95 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google.

In case you haven’t heard, you can now buy the Pixel Tablet without its speaker dock. The new SKU launched in May for $399, but it’s now as low as $319 ($80 off) for the 128GB configuration from Google, which is a new all-time low price.

You can also still get the Tensor G2 tablet bundled with its magnetic charging speaker dock in a matching color starting at $419 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and from Google, which is only $20 more than the all-time low. When docked, playback automatically comes through the speaker without any wires or fiddling around with software toggles.

If you’re looking for some affordable earbuds to discretely enjoy your summer playlist, the Pixel Buds Pro are still at the all-time low $139.99 mark they recently hit, which saves you $60. You’ll find that deal at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Google.

The Pixel Buds Pro added solid active noise cancellation compared to the last-gen pair while retaining decent sound quality, although we felt the transparency mode was lacking and would have appreciated a better microphone for calls. You can also save a bit on the less remarkable (but still good for the money) Pixel Buds A-Series, which are currently starting around $79 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google.

Read More 

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

If you’ve tried smashing YouTube’s “like” button today, you might’ve noticed that the thumbs-up icon just… disappears. As spotted earlier by 9to5Google, the like counter still goes up when you press it, but what’s left is just an empty gray space where the thumbs-up icon should be.
It seems like this is a widespread issue. Several users, including myself and my colleagues, have spotted the vanishing like button across several YouTube videos and in different web browsers. Despite this, the dislike button still works fine.

Image: The Verge

For me, the issue only appears when I access YouTube from its desktop site on my computer — not on the YouTube Android app or my mobile browser. The Verge reached out to Google to see if it’s aware of the issue but didn’t immediately hear back.
It doesn’t look like this is the first time YouTube’s like button has disappeared. Some users on Reddit reported a similar issue months ago.

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

If you’ve tried smashing YouTube’s “like” button today, you might’ve noticed that the thumbs-up icon just… disappears. As spotted earlier by 9to5Google, the like counter still goes up when you press it, but what’s left is just an empty gray space where the thumbs-up icon should be.

It seems like this is a widespread issue. Several users, including myself and my colleagues, have spotted the vanishing like button across several YouTube videos and in different web browsers. Despite this, the dislike button still works fine.

Image: The Verge

For me, the issue only appears when I access YouTube from its desktop site on my computer — not on the YouTube Android app or my mobile browser. The Verge reached out to Google to see if it’s aware of the issue but didn’t immediately hear back.

It doesn’t look like this is the first time YouTube’s like button has disappeared. Some users on Reddit reported a similar issue months ago.

Read More 

Image: Meta

Netflix isn’t updating its Meta Quest app, but Meta’s doing the next best thing: adding web browser support. That means you can stream Netflix in high quality from the Quest’s Browser app, allowing you to swap between a flat 2D screen or a curved view to feel like you’re at the theater.
There hasn’t really been a good way to watch Netflix on the Quest. Netflix launched an app for the Quest in 2019, but the app caps video resolution at a paltry 480p and hasn’t received any recent updates. Until now, the Quest’s Browser app also blocked users from watching Netflix.
To get around this, some users have tried sideloading Netflix’s Android app, while others have opted to access Netflix through a browser on the Quest’s Virtual Desktop mode. But now that the Browser app will support Netflix in the “coming days,” there shouldn’t be a need for workarounds. The Apple Vision Pro similarly doesn’t have a dedicated Netflix app, forcing users to watch the service through Safari.
Meta is rolling out support for background audio as well, which will let you continue listening to music even after you minimize the 2D app it’s playing in. It’s also making improvements to passthrough on the Quest 3, along with external mic support and new wrist buttons.

Image: Meta

Netflix isn’t updating its Meta Quest app, but Meta’s doing the next best thing: adding web browser support. That means you can stream Netflix in high quality from the Quest’s Browser app, allowing you to swap between a flat 2D screen or a curved view to feel like you’re at the theater.

There hasn’t really been a good way to watch Netflix on the Quest. Netflix launched an app for the Quest in 2019, but the app caps video resolution at a paltry 480p and hasn’t received any recent updates. Until now, the Quest’s Browser app also blocked users from watching Netflix.

To get around this, some users have tried sideloading Netflix’s Android app, while others have opted to access Netflix through a browser on the Quest’s Virtual Desktop mode. But now that the Browser app will support Netflix in the “coming days,” there shouldn’t be a need for workarounds. The Apple Vision Pro similarly doesn’t have a dedicated Netflix app, forcing users to watch the service through Safari.

Meta is rolling out support for background audio as well, which will let you continue listening to music even after you minimize the 2D app it’s playing in. It’s also making improvements to passthrough on the Quest 3, along with external mic support and new wrist buttons.

Read More 

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

Woot is selling the Nintendo Switch OLED model for $314.99 ($35 off) for today (June 4th) only. The sale on Nintendo’s fancier version of its long-in-the-tooth Switch console runs until tonight at midnight ET or once Woot sells out. And it’s possible Woot will not run out of stock this time around because demand for a Switch is not what it used to be. Nintendo has sold so many Switch consoles that it feels like everyone who wants one — and their parents — surely must own one by now.
It’s true that the Switch came out over seven years ago, and a successor is confirmed by Nintendo to be announced by April 2025. But even though the Switch feels pretty dated, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth buying in 2024. There is a vast back catalog of games to pick from if you’ve never owned a Switch, and the OLED model with its excellent seven-inch screen is one of the best ways to enjoy them (if you prefer to play in portable / handheld mode). The Switch’s massive library includes games that now feel like institutions unto themselves, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as well as a plethora of excellent triple-A games from last year and some really great indies that landed just recently.

So don’t count the Switch OLED out just yet, even if we’re all yearning for a Switch 2 or Super Switch or whatever Nintendo chooses to call it, with full backward compatibility and upscaling to be announced soon. (Please allow me to fantasize while I catch up on playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder on my own Switch OLED, thank you.)

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

Woot is selling the Nintendo Switch OLED model for $314.99 ($35 off) for today (June 4th) only. The sale on Nintendo’s fancier version of its long-in-the-tooth Switch console runs until tonight at midnight ET or once Woot sells out. And it’s possible Woot will not run out of stock this time around because demand for a Switch is not what it used to be. Nintendo has sold so many Switch consoles that it feels like everyone who wants one — and their parents — surely must own one by now.

It’s true that the Switch came out over seven years ago, and a successor is confirmed by Nintendo to be announced by April 2025. But even though the Switch feels pretty dated, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth buying in 2024. There is a vast back catalog of games to pick from if you’ve never owned a Switch, and the OLED model with its excellent seven-inch screen is one of the best ways to enjoy them (if you prefer to play in portable / handheld mode). The Switch’s massive library includes games that now feel like institutions unto themselves, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as well as a plethora of excellent triple-A games from last year and some really great indies that landed just recently.

So don’t count the Switch OLED out just yet, even if we’re all yearning for a Switch 2 or Super Switch or whatever Nintendo chooses to call it, with full backward compatibility and upscaling to be announced soon. (Please allow me to fantasize while I catch up on playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder on my own Switch OLED, thank you.)

Read More 

Photo: David Pierce

The single biggest reason to buy a Meta Quest 3 over its predecessors is how it lets you bring the real world into view — but the VR headset’s still weird about your real-life hands, distorting the world around them. I always mess up the all-important “look at your palm and pinch your fingers to access the menu” gesture, too.
Now, Meta is fixing both of those issues. For starters, the new v66 update lets you tap a new button on your wrist to summon the menu!

Image: Meta
“Wrist buttons” were already pioneered by a variety of VR games; now, you can use them for menus.

Sure looks like the distortion is vastly reduced, too:

Plus, Meta says it now has proper background audio for multitasking. “Now you can launch a 2D app like the Browser, play music or a video, and minimize the app without automatically pausing playback,” the company’s blog post reads.
The passthrough fixes are currently exclusive to the Quest 3 — and Meta says it’s rolling them out slowly and that they’re technically separate from v66 itself — but the wrist buttons and background audio are coming to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro as well. Meta is also adding support for “high-resolution” Netflix to its web browser, too.
The full changelog also mentions smaller updates like the ability to hide any app in your library for a cleaner view, the ability to auto-ID windows, doors, tables, couches, beds, and screens in your real-life room “to improve realism for MR games and apps,” and the ability to sync photos and videos from your headset to a web gallery.
Of course, the biggest Quest annoyance is how it’s almost always dead and / or needs updates when you return to it after a week or two away, but there may be progress on that front as well! Outspoken former Oculus CTO John Carmack says the idle power drain seems to be improving, and there’s a new sleep mode option in the press-and-hold power button menu that can let the Quest update in the background — as long as you keep it plugged into power.
Earlier this year, Meta added something to the Quest that I’ve been asking for since the original Rift in 2016: the ability to use apps lying down.

Photo: David Pierce

The single biggest reason to buy a Meta Quest 3 over its predecessors is how it lets you bring the real world into view — but the VR headset’s still weird about your real-life hands, distorting the world around them. I always mess up the all-important “look at your palm and pinch your fingers to access the menu” gesture, too.

Now, Meta is fixing both of those issues. For starters, the new v66 update lets you tap a new button on your wrist to summon the menu!

Image: Meta
“Wrist buttons” were already pioneered by a variety of VR games; now, you can use them for menus.

Sure looks like the distortion is vastly reduced, too:

Plus, Meta says it now has proper background audio for multitasking. “Now you can launch a 2D app like the Browser, play music or a video, and minimize the app without automatically pausing playback,” the company’s blog post reads.

The passthrough fixes are currently exclusive to the Quest 3 — and Meta says it’s rolling them out slowly and that they’re technically separate from v66 itself — but the wrist buttons and background audio are coming to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro as well. Meta is also adding support for “high-resolution” Netflix to its web browser, too.

The full changelog also mentions smaller updates like the ability to hide any app in your library for a cleaner view, the ability to auto-ID windows, doors, tables, couches, beds, and screens in your real-life room “to improve realism for MR games and apps,” and the ability to sync photos and videos from your headset to a web gallery.

Of course, the biggest Quest annoyance is how it’s almost always dead and / or needs updates when you return to it after a week or two away, but there may be progress on that front as well! Outspoken former Oculus CTO John Carmack says the idle power drain seems to be improving, and there’s a new sleep mode option in the press-and-hold power button menu that can let the Quest update in the background — as long as you keep it plugged into power.

Earlier this year, Meta added something to the Quest that I’ve been asking for since the original Rift in 2016: the ability to use apps lying down.

Read More 

Image: Google

There’s no elegant way to say this: going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.
A new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue. As part of a new program called “Ur in Luck,” the city has introduced a Maps view dotted with 1,000 public restrooms across the five boroughs. Users can view the map on their phones and locate the closest restroom that’s accessible to the public.
“Everyone — seniors, parents with kids, anyone enjoying the day outdoors, needs access to a public bathroom without having to buy anything or beg for a code,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a press release. The city will also build 46 new restrooms and renovate 36 existing locations over the next five years.
Plentiful public restrooms are a quality of life issue
The map will no doubt be helpful, but I can’t help but feel angry looking at it. One thousand bathrooms for 8 million New Yorkers is woefully insufficient, and it’s unclear if every restroom on the map is in operation. There are huge swarths of the city that show no public restrooms, including popular areas around Chinatown and Soho. Many of the bathrooms close at 4PM.
Plentiful public restrooms are a quality-of-life issue — it’s hard to enjoy a day out if you have to worry about when you’ll be able to use the restroom next. Many people, including pregnant people, kids, older adults, and people with disabilities, need restrooms that are easily accessible. Thousands of unhoused people often have nowhere private to go to the bathroom, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic. Rideshare drivers must resort to urinating in bottles and parking lots due to a lack of restrooms.
There is at least one important institution that does provide public restrooms: the library system. Public library branches across New York offer comfortable bathrooms, no purchase necessary. Public libraries play an important role in communities besides having bathrooms, offering charging stations, educational resources, or simply a cool, quiet place to sit in the summer. But it’s becoming harder for libraries in New York to do this essential work because Mayor Eric Adams cut more than $58 million from the library systems’ budget this year, causing many to have to close on Sundays.
In Japan, where I grew up, there are public bathrooms in every train station, cleaned constantly throughout the day. There are easily accessible restrooms at department stores, convenience stores, and at parks. New York is a world-class city, filled with so much to do and see that spending an entire day out of the house isn’t just common but fun. Our bathroom situation woefully falls short of what New Yorkers deserve: sanitary restrooms all over the city that assure everyone can “go” when they need to with dignity.

Image: Google

There’s no elegant way to say this: going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.

A new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue. As part of a new program called “Ur in Luck,” the city has introduced a Maps view dotted with 1,000 public restrooms across the five boroughs. Users can view the map on their phones and locate the closest restroom that’s accessible to the public.

“Everyone — seniors, parents with kids, anyone enjoying the day outdoors, needs access to a public bathroom without having to buy anything or beg for a code,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a press release. The city will also build 46 new restrooms and renovate 36 existing locations over the next five years.

The map will no doubt be helpful, but I can’t help but feel angry looking at it. One thousand bathrooms for 8 million New Yorkers is woefully insufficient, and it’s unclear if every restroom on the map is in operation. There are huge swarths of the city that show no public restrooms, including popular areas around Chinatown and Soho. Many of the bathrooms close at 4PM.

Plentiful public restrooms are a quality-of-life issue — it’s hard to enjoy a day out if you have to worry about when you’ll be able to use the restroom next. Many people, including pregnant people, kids, older adults, and people with disabilities, need restrooms that are easily accessible. Thousands of unhoused people often have nowhere private to go to the bathroom, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic. Rideshare drivers must resort to urinating in bottles and parking lots due to a lack of restrooms.

There is at least one important institution that does provide public restrooms: the library system. Public library branches across New York offer comfortable bathrooms, no purchase necessary. Public libraries play an important role in communities besides having bathrooms, offering charging stations, educational resources, or simply a cool, quiet place to sit in the summer. But it’s becoming harder for libraries in New York to do this essential work because Mayor Eric Adams cut more than $58 million from the library systems’ budget this year, causing many to have to close on Sundays.

In Japan, where I grew up, there are public bathrooms in every train station, cleaned constantly throughout the day. There are easily accessible restrooms at department stores, convenience stores, and at parks. New York is a world-class city, filled with so much to do and see that spending an entire day out of the house isn’t just common but fun. Our bathroom situation woefully falls short of what New Yorkers deserve: sanitary restrooms all over the city that assure everyone can “go” when they need to with dignity.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

Several former OpenAI employees warned in an open letter that advanced AI companies like OpenAI stifle criticism and oversight, especially as concerns over AI safety have increased in the past few months.
The open letter, signed by 13 former OpenAI employees (six of whom chose to remain anonymous) and endorsed by “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton, formerly of Google, says that in the absence of any effective government oversight, AI companies should commit to open criticism principles. These principles include avoiding the creation and enforcement of non-disparagement clauses, facilitating a “verifiably” anonymous process to report issues, allowing current and former employees to raise concerns to the public, and not retaliating against whistleblowers.
The letter says that while they believe in AI’s potential to benefit society, they also see risks, such as the entrenchment of inequalities, manipulation and misinformation, and the possibility of human extinction. While there are important concerns about a machine that could take over the planet, today’s generative AI has more down-to-earth problems, such as copyright violations, the inadvertent sharing of problematic and illegal images, and concerns it can mimic peoples’ likenesses and mislead the public.
The letter’s signees claim current whistleblower protections “are insufficient” because they focus on illegal activity rather than concerns that, they say, are mostly unregulated. The Department of Labor states workers reporting violations of wages, discrimination, safety, fraud, and withholding of time off are protected by whistleblower protection laws, which means employers cannot fire, lay off, reduce hours, or demote whistleblowers. “Some of us reasonably fear various forms of retaliation, given the history of such cases across the industry. We are not the first to encounter or speak about these issues,” the letter reads.
AI companies, particularly OpenAI, have been criticized for inadequate safety oversight. Google defended its use of AI Overviews in Search even after people claimed it was giving people dangerous, though hilarious, results. Microsoft was also under fire for its Copilot Designer, which was generating “sexualized images of women in violent tableaus.”
Recently, several OpenAI researchers resigned after the company disbanded its “Superalignment” team, which focused on addressing AI’s long-term risks, and the departure of co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who had been championing safety in the company. One former researcher, Jan Leike, said that “safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products” at OpenAI.
OpenAI does have a new safety team, one that is led by CEO Sam Altman.

Illustration: The Verge

Several former OpenAI employees warned in an open letter that advanced AI companies like OpenAI stifle criticism and oversight, especially as concerns over AI safety have increased in the past few months.

The open letter, signed by 13 former OpenAI employees (six of whom chose to remain anonymous) and endorsed by “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton, formerly of Google, says that in the absence of any effective government oversight, AI companies should commit to open criticism principles. These principles include avoiding the creation and enforcement of non-disparagement clauses, facilitating a “verifiably” anonymous process to report issues, allowing current and former employees to raise concerns to the public, and not retaliating against whistleblowers.

The letter says that while they believe in AI’s potential to benefit society, they also see risks, such as the entrenchment of inequalities, manipulation and misinformation, and the possibility of human extinction. While there are important concerns about a machine that could take over the planet, today’s generative AI has more down-to-earth problems, such as copyright violations, the inadvertent sharing of problematic and illegal images, and concerns it can mimic peoples’ likenesses and mislead the public.

The letter’s signees claim current whistleblower protections “are insufficient” because they focus on illegal activity rather than concerns that, they say, are mostly unregulated. The Department of Labor states workers reporting violations of wages, discrimination, safety, fraud, and withholding of time off are protected by whistleblower protection laws, which means employers cannot fire, lay off, reduce hours, or demote whistleblowers. “Some of us reasonably fear various forms of retaliation, given the history of such cases across the industry. We are not the first to encounter or speak about these issues,” the letter reads.

AI companies, particularly OpenAI, have been criticized for inadequate safety oversight. Google defended its use of AI Overviews in Search even after people claimed it was giving people dangerous, though hilarious, results. Microsoft was also under fire for its Copilot Designer, which was generating “sexualized images of women in violent tableaus.”

Recently, several OpenAI researchers resigned after the company disbanded its “Superalignment” team, which focused on addressing AI’s long-term risks, and the departure of co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who had been championing safety in the company. One former researcher, Jan Leike, said that “safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products” at OpenAI.

OpenAI does have a new safety team, one that is led by CEO Sam Altman.

Read More 

Image: 20th Century Studios

It sure looks like the Alien franchise is making a return to its horror roots. After a brief teaser earlier in the year and some creepy behind-the-scenes footage, 20th Century Studios has released the first full trailer for Alien: Romulus, a standalone film from director Fede Álvarez. In short: it looks scary as hell. It also appears to really stick to the core tenets of the original film, with a small cast; dark, isolated setting; and only hints of the deadly alien itself.
The story involves a group of scavengers scrounging around on an abandoned space station, before becoming the unfortunate prey of a xenomorph. It stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux. The film also has a very good new poster that hints at the importance of the classic space huggers:

Romulus will be the first new entry in the franchise since the prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which took a detour to explain where the xenomorphs came from. Romulus, on the other hand, looks analogous to Prey, a standalone story in the Predator universe that wasn’t saddled by the canon of its predecessors — and absolutely ruled because of it.
Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16th.

Image: 20th Century Studios

It sure looks like the Alien franchise is making a return to its horror roots. After a brief teaser earlier in the year and some creepy behind-the-scenes footage, 20th Century Studios has released the first full trailer for Alien: Romulus, a standalone film from director Fede Álvarez. In short: it looks scary as hell. It also appears to really stick to the core tenets of the original film, with a small cast; dark, isolated setting; and only hints of the deadly alien itself.

The story involves a group of scavengers scrounging around on an abandoned space station, before becoming the unfortunate prey of a xenomorph. It stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux. The film also has a very good new poster that hints at the importance of the classic space huggers:

Romulus will be the first new entry in the franchise since the prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which took a detour to explain where the xenomorphs came from. Romulus, on the other hand, looks analogous to Prey, a standalone story in the Predator universe that wasn’t saddled by the canon of its predecessors — and absolutely ruled because of it.

Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16th.

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Image: Lucasfilm

Star Wars has a tendency to feel small. Even as the franchise has expanded with shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, the stories remain connected in some way to Luke and Vader, the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and other elements introduced in 1977. A universe that once seemed vast and full has steadily narrowed its focus. But the latest show, The Acolyte, has a good solution for this: winding back the clock 100 years. You don’t need to worry about the Skywalkers when they haven’t been born yet.
The show starts out as a whodunit, with a mysterious assassin targeting specific Jedi masters, killing them off one by one. Initially, all signs point to Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi student who left the order because she was unable to let go of the grief of losing her twin sister, Mae. (No matter the era, the Jedi love to repress their emotions.) Eventually, Osha partners with her former master Sol (Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae) to investigate, and as is the case with most murder mysteries, the further they probe into the killings, the larger the crime becomes. I won’t spoil things, but the reveal of the killer is not that hard to predict — and also probably the least interesting part of the mystery, which quickly grows in scope.
The Acolyte, which is helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), might be most notable for what it’s missing. Yes, the Jedi are a focal point, and they still have a temple on Coruscant, wield colorful lightsabers, and take promising young kids from their families to train. But outside of those Force-wielders, The Acolyte is largely free from the typical telltale signs of Star Wars. That means no Stormtroopers, no X-wings or TIE fighters, no Tatooine, and barely any droids (and certainly none as advanced as C-3PO). Because there is no Empire yet, there isn’t even a war in this Star Wars.

Image: Lucasfilm

A galaxy at peace is a refreshing change of pace, and it allows The Acolyte to focus on its new sects and characters without all of the political machinations that can slow modern Star Wars down. That includes a coven of exiled witches who can wield the Force (but call it the Thread, since it connects all things) and dark Force users who train in secret under the tutelage of a new big bad so secretive even his pupils don’t know his identity.
The show even has a different look, with the technology dialed back to match the time period. Osha has a job as a freelance ship mechanic, for instance, because droids like R2-D2 aren’t common yet. Instead, her best bud is an adorable handheld tool that’s also a little bot named Pip. (It wouldn’t be a new Star Wars without a cute new droid.) Some of the changes and additions are purely superficial — one of my favorites is a convict that looks like a cyborg Cenobite from Hellraiser — but they all give the show just enough of its own distinct flavor.
For a show where the mystery is so key, that flavor is vital. It heightens the uncertainty. You know the main villain isn’t a returning figure or group because none of them exist yet. It’s not like Darth Maul is going to pop up unexpectedly. Instead, it’s the familiar Jedi investigating what seems to be an unfamiliar threat. For me — and I say this as someone who really enjoyed the likes of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan — it has made the Star Wars universe feel not only large again but also unpredictable in a way that I haven’t experienced in a long time.
Of course, it’s very possible the show isn’t able to keep this up. I’ve only seen the first half, and there are some big questions The Acolyte still needs to answer, which could alter how fresh it ultimately feels. But it’s off to a solid start, and hopefully the rest will show how rife with possibility this older era is. Maybe Star Wars will finally have a new story to build around.
The first two episodes of The Acolyte start streaming on Disney Plus on June 4th at 6PM PT / 9PM ET.

Image: Lucasfilm

Star Wars has a tendency to feel small. Even as the franchise has expanded with shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, the stories remain connected in some way to Luke and Vader, the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and other elements introduced in 1977. A universe that once seemed vast and full has steadily narrowed its focus. But the latest show, The Acolyte, has a good solution for this: winding back the clock 100 years. You don’t need to worry about the Skywalkers when they haven’t been born yet.

The show starts out as a whodunit, with a mysterious assassin targeting specific Jedi masters, killing them off one by one. Initially, all signs point to Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi student who left the order because she was unable to let go of the grief of losing her twin sister, Mae. (No matter the era, the Jedi love to repress their emotions.) Eventually, Osha partners with her former master Sol (Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae) to investigate, and as is the case with most murder mysteries, the further they probe into the killings, the larger the crime becomes. I won’t spoil things, but the reveal of the killer is not that hard to predict — and also probably the least interesting part of the mystery, which quickly grows in scope.

The Acolyte, which is helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), might be most notable for what it’s missing. Yes, the Jedi are a focal point, and they still have a temple on Coruscant, wield colorful lightsabers, and take promising young kids from their families to train. But outside of those Force-wielders, The Acolyte is largely free from the typical telltale signs of Star Wars. That means no Stormtroopers, no X-wings or TIE fighters, no Tatooine, and barely any droids (and certainly none as advanced as C-3PO). Because there is no Empire yet, there isn’t even a war in this Star Wars.

A galaxy at peace is a refreshing change of pace, and it allows The Acolyte to focus on its new sects and characters without all of the political machinations that can slow modern Star Wars down. That includes a coven of exiled witches who can wield the Force (but call it the Thread, since it connects all things) and dark Force users who train in secret under the tutelage of a new big bad so secretive even his pupils don’t know his identity.

The show even has a different look, with the technology dialed back to match the time period. Osha has a job as a freelance ship mechanic, for instance, because droids like R2-D2 aren’t common yet. Instead, her best bud is an adorable handheld tool that’s also a little bot named Pip. (It wouldn’t be a new Star Wars without a cute new droid.) Some of the changes and additions are purely superficial — one of my favorites is a convict that looks like a cyborg Cenobite from Hellraiser — but they all give the show just enough of its own distinct flavor.

For a show where the mystery is so key, that flavor is vital. It heightens the uncertainty. You know the main villain isn’t a returning figure or group because none of them exist yet. It’s not like Darth Maul is going to pop up unexpectedly. Instead, it’s the familiar Jedi investigating what seems to be an unfamiliar threat. For me — and I say this as someone who really enjoyed the likes of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan — it has made the Star Wars universe feel not only large again but also unpredictable in a way that I haven’t experienced in a long time.

Of course, it’s very possible the show isn’t able to keep this up. I’ve only seen the first half, and there are some big questions The Acolyte still needs to answer, which could alter how fresh it ultimately feels. But it’s off to a solid start, and hopefully the rest will show how rife with possibility this older era is. Maybe Star Wars will finally have a new story to build around.

The first two episodes of The Acolyte start streaming on Disney Plus on June 4th at 6PM PT / 9PM ET.

Read More