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The Dyson WashG1 can wipe up wet messes. | Image: Dyson

Dyson’s newest device for dealing with dirt in your home is a mechanical mop. Unlike the British engineering company’s flagship fans, hair dryers, and vacuums, the new Dyson WashG1 floor washing machine doesn’t use precision-engineered fans or a fine-tuned Hyperdymium motor. Instead, the mop relies on mechanical agitation to clean up wet spills, picks up dirt and debris, and gives your hard floors a really good wash.
The WashG1 wet floor cleaner — aka mop — costs $699.99 and is the company’s first dedicated mopping device. The cordless, battery-powered mop is slated for release this fall, and you can sign up to be notified when the world’s fanciest mop arrives on Dyson’s site.

While it’s definitely fancy, this isn’t a smart mop — there’s no robotics involved or app connectivity. And while there are plenty of companies out there that will sell you robotic vacuums and mops that clean the floor for you, Dyson relies on you to push this one around. Dyson does sell an upright vacuum / mop combo — the Dyson Submarine — but the WashG1 serves just one purpose: mopping.
However, as this is Dyson, it’s delightfully over-engineered to be the world’s best mop. According to Tom Moody, president of Dyson Home, the big problem its engineers set out to solve is that most mops spread dirty water over your floor when mopping — you know, how when you stick the mop into the bucket full of dirt water and then swish it back all over your floor while “cleaning”?

Dyson thinks it’s cracked this conundrum by constantly pulsing clean water onto its two rolling microfiber mop heads while they work. Instead of hard manual labor pushing the mop back and forth, Dyson uses mechanical agitation with counterrotating rollers to scrub up dried-on stains — meaning you should just need to guide it while it does the hard work. A built-in bristle brush scrapes out any larger debris you mop up, such as Cheerios, and flicks it into a separate debris tray.
You still have to empty the dirty water and clean the debris tray manually (it and other components are dishwasher safe). But the WashG1 can self-clean its rollers, so it’s ready to go the next time you need to clean the floors.
While there’s a small pump and the brushes have motors to drive them, the lack of a big vacuum motor means there’s no filter to get clogged. According to Dyson, this is one reason the WashG1 is much lighter than Dyson’s stick vacuums. It is battery-powered, but again, because there’s no powerful motor, they could get away with a smaller, lighter battery. Dyson’s engineering manager for floorcare, Ketan Patel, says the battery lasts up to 35 minutes, and its 27-ounce tank of clean water can mop up to 3,100 square feet in one go.
It’s fair to say that mops today aren’t great. The fact that the Swiffer is the best thing to happen to manual mopping in the last decade… says a lot. Dyson’s very expensive mop does have a unique approach, and I’ll be very interested to see just how well this $700 floor-washing machine works.

The Dyson WashG1 can wipe up wet messes. | Image: Dyson

Dyson’s newest device for dealing with dirt in your home is a mechanical mop. Unlike the British engineering company’s flagship fans, hair dryers, and vacuums, the new Dyson WashG1 floor washing machine doesn’t use precision-engineered fans or a fine-tuned Hyperdymium motor. Instead, the mop relies on mechanical agitation to clean up wet spills, picks up dirt and debris, and gives your hard floors a really good wash.

The WashG1 wet floor cleaner — aka mop — costs $699.99 and is the company’s first dedicated mopping device. The cordless, battery-powered mop is slated for release this fall, and you can sign up to be notified when the world’s fanciest mop arrives on Dyson’s site.

While it’s definitely fancy, this isn’t a smart mop — there’s no robotics involved or app connectivity. And while there are plenty of companies out there that will sell you robotic vacuums and mops that clean the floor for you, Dyson relies on you to push this one around. Dyson does sell an upright vacuum / mop combo — the Dyson Submarine — but the WashG1 serves just one purpose: mopping.

However, as this is Dyson, it’s delightfully over-engineered to be the world’s best mop. According to Tom Moody, president of Dyson Home, the big problem its engineers set out to solve is that most mops spread dirty water over your floor when mopping — you know, how when you stick the mop into the bucket full of dirt water and then swish it back all over your floor while “cleaning”?

Dyson thinks it’s cracked this conundrum by constantly pulsing clean water onto its two rolling microfiber mop heads while they work. Instead of hard manual labor pushing the mop back and forth, Dyson uses mechanical agitation with counterrotating rollers to scrub up dried-on stains — meaning you should just need to guide it while it does the hard work. A built-in bristle brush scrapes out any larger debris you mop up, such as Cheerios, and flicks it into a separate debris tray.

You still have to empty the dirty water and clean the debris tray manually (it and other components are dishwasher safe). But the WashG1 can self-clean its rollers, so it’s ready to go the next time you need to clean the floors.

While there’s a small pump and the brushes have motors to drive them, the lack of a big vacuum motor means there’s no filter to get clogged. According to Dyson, this is one reason the WashG1 is much lighter than Dyson’s stick vacuums. It is battery-powered, but again, because there’s no powerful motor, they could get away with a smaller, lighter battery. Dyson’s engineering manager for floorcare, Ketan Patel, says the battery lasts up to 35 minutes, and its 27-ounce tank of clean water can mop up to 3,100 square feet in one go.

It’s fair to say that mops today aren’t great. The fact that the Swiffer is the best thing to happen to manual mopping in the last decade… says a lot. Dyson’s very expensive mop does have a unique approach, and I’ll be very interested to see just how well this $700 floor-washing machine works.

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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

TikTok is testing a more robust search results page, including using generative AI. The feature appears to be a new and is called “search highlights.”
A snippet of AI results appear at the top of some search results pages, and clicking into the section opens a new page with the full response. In quick tests, I was able to find AI results for queries about recipes or topics like “best laptops 2024.”

Screenshot: TikTok
Clicking the result takes you to a full screen page.

A page explaining the results says that the material is generated using ChatGPT, and that TikTok displays the content “when [the algorithm] finds them relevant to your search.” The feature appears to be limited so far: not all queries have AI answers.

Screenshot: TikTok
The feature is called “AI Smart Search”

There’s also a similar feature called “search highlights” that are not labeled as AI-generated. Those, too, show up at the top of search results, but it’s not clear where that information is coming from, like whether it’s summarizing videos or taken from someplace else. TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the features.
The video platform has steadily added more features to its in-app search. Last fall, TikTok began testing adding Google Search results to its in-app results page that essentially acted as a link back to Google. TikTok has also experimented with adding links to Wikipedia, IMDb, and other websites directly in the app’s search results page.
TikTok is trying to harness some of the habits its users — especially younger people — have developed on the app. Many younger users treat TikTok like a search engine, opting to look up restaurant or product recommendations in the app instead of using platforms like Google Search. And like Google, TikTok now seems to be leaning into AI results by including them above creator content.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

TikTok is testing a more robust search results page, including using generative AI. The feature appears to be a new and is called “search highlights.”

A snippet of AI results appear at the top of some search results pages, and clicking into the section opens a new page with the full response. In quick tests, I was able to find AI results for queries about recipes or topics like “best laptops 2024.”

A page explaining the results says that the material is generated using ChatGPT, and that TikTok displays the content “when [the algorithm] finds them relevant to your search.” The feature appears to be limited so far: not all queries have AI answers.

There’s also a similar feature called “search highlights” that are not labeled as AI-generated. Those, too, show up at the top of search results, but it’s not clear where that information is coming from, like whether it’s summarizing videos or taken from someplace else. TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the features.

The video platform has steadily added more features to its in-app search. Last fall, TikTok began testing adding Google Search results to its in-app results page that essentially acted as a link back to Google. TikTok has also experimented with adding links to Wikipedia, IMDb, and other websites directly in the app’s search results page.

TikTok is trying to harness some of the habits its users — especially younger people — have developed on the app. Many younger users treat TikTok like a search engine, opting to look up restaurant or product recommendations in the app instead of using platforms like Google Search. And like Google, TikTok now seems to be leaning into AI results by including them above creator content.

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Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

When New York City Mayor Eric Adams was first introduced to a representative from Evolv, the AI gun detection company, he was given a list of places the scanners could be used, including hospitals, schools, Times Square, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. What seems to have persuaded Adams, according to emails obtained by Wired, was Evolv’s disclosure of another major client: Disney.
“As I mentioned, Linda Reid, VP Security for Walt Disney World (Florida) has known us since 2014 and deployed many of our systems at the Parks and Disney Springs,” Evolv co-founder Anil Chitkara wrote in an email to Adams’ office on February 7th, 2022. “They’ve had success screening for weapons with Evolv Express … There may be some interesting parallels to how you are thinking about everyone’s role in security.”
New York City did indeed test out Evolv’s scanners in a Bronx hospital and outside the entrance to City Hall later that year. And though the results of both pilots were disappointing — the machines reported false positives at the Bronx hospital more than 85 percent of the time — Adams announced that the city will test out Evolv’s gun detectors on the subway later this year.
Crucially, Evolv’s pitch to Adams did not include the subway as a possible use case for the sensors. In fact, on a recent investor call, Evolv CEO Peter George said the detectors aren’t geared towards public transit, Wired reports.
We’ve reached out to Adams’ office asking why the mayor decided to test the scanners on the subway and what parallels, if any, he sees between Disney’s theme parks and the Metropolitan Transit Authority — we’ll update when we hear back. One possible parallel is the amount of foot traffic. In a June 2020 interview with Attractions Magazine, Evolv co-founder Mike Ellenbogan said the company’s Evolv Express units can scan 1,800 to 3,600 guests per hour depending on the model. The interview was published shortly after Six Flags said it had ordered 37 units for some of its parks across the country.
A month later, the Disney-centric blog The Laughing Place reported that Disney was testing out the Evolv Express system at Disney Springs, a sort of outdoor mall outside Orlando, Florida. Evolv scanners were installed at some entrances to Disney’s Florida parks — Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom — later that year, according to posts on the WDW Magic forums. Disney has consistently expanded its use of Evolv scanners since then.
Disney’s flagship park, Magic Kingdom, averaged over 46,000 visitors per day in 2022, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The New York City subway system, meanwhile, averaged more than 3.1 million riders on an average weekday in 2022. Maybe it’s not a perfect parallel after all.

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

When New York City Mayor Eric Adams was first introduced to a representative from Evolv, the AI gun detection company, he was given a list of places the scanners could be used, including hospitals, schools, Times Square, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. What seems to have persuaded Adams, according to emails obtained by Wired, was Evolv’s disclosure of another major client: Disney.

“As I mentioned, Linda Reid, VP Security for Walt Disney World (Florida) has known us since 2014 and deployed many of our systems at the Parks and Disney Springs,” Evolv co-founder Anil Chitkara wrote in an email to Adams’ office on February 7th, 2022. “They’ve had success screening for weapons with Evolv Express … There may be some interesting parallels to how you are thinking about everyone’s role in security.”

New York City did indeed test out Evolv’s scanners in a Bronx hospital and outside the entrance to City Hall later that year. And though the results of both pilots were disappointing — the machines reported false positives at the Bronx hospital more than 85 percent of the time — Adams announced that the city will test out Evolv’s gun detectors on the subway later this year.

Crucially, Evolv’s pitch to Adams did not include the subway as a possible use case for the sensors. In fact, on a recent investor call, Evolv CEO Peter George said the detectors aren’t geared towards public transit, Wired reports.

We’ve reached out to Adams’ office asking why the mayor decided to test the scanners on the subway and what parallels, if any, he sees between Disney’s theme parks and the Metropolitan Transit Authority — we’ll update when we hear back. One possible parallel is the amount of foot traffic. In a June 2020 interview with Attractions Magazine, Evolv co-founder Mike Ellenbogan said the company’s Evolv Express units can scan 1,800 to 3,600 guests per hour depending on the model. The interview was published shortly after Six Flags said it had ordered 37 units for some of its parks across the country.

A month later, the Disney-centric blog The Laughing Place reported that Disney was testing out the Evolv Express system at Disney Springs, a sort of outdoor mall outside Orlando, Florida. Evolv scanners were installed at some entrances to Disney’s Florida parks — Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom — later that year, according to posts on the WDW Magic forums. Disney has consistently expanded its use of Evolv scanners since then.

Disney’s flagship park, Magic Kingdom, averaged over 46,000 visitors per day in 2022, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The New York City subway system, meanwhile, averaged more than 3.1 million riders on an average weekday in 2022. Maybe it’s not a perfect parallel after all.

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Image: Rozetked

It’s a day that ends in Y, so naturally, we’re dealing with yet another Google Pixel hardware leak. This time, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL can be seen side by side in new images from Rozetked — a full five months before Google’s typical October release timeframe.
I have many questions about how and why these units are out in the world so early, but here we are. And I know a lot of you are no doubt eyeing that regular 9 Pro, which will finally put Google’s very best camera chops into a normal-sized phone. Meanwhile, the 9 Pro XL looks a fair bit taller than Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Image: Rozetked
Yep, that’s an XL-sized phone.

l’m a bit curious as to whether Google will still call this a “camera bar” now that it no longer spans the full width of the phone. It marks a pretty big change to the Pixel’s visual identity, but the new style still looks fairly unique compared to what Apple and Samsung are doing. As usual, the standard Pixel 9 will have a two-camera system, while the Pro will have a third lens for telephoto / zoom purposes.
Is Google trying to outdo itself with earlier leaks each year? Could the fact that these devices are already out there mean that the company plans to shift their release to an earlier date for 2024? Might we see a Pixel 9 teaser during tomorrow’s Google I/O keynote? I mean, we already know what they look like; at least show us some different colors, Google. Where’s the Pixel Fold 2, er… Pixel 9 Pro Fold been hiding during all these leaks?
Anyway, the midrange Pixel 8A goes on sale this week for $499 and shouldn’t be overlooked if you don’t mind some thicker bezels and not having Google’s most advanced camera hardware.

Image: Rozetked

It’s a day that ends in Y, so naturally, we’re dealing with yet another Google Pixel hardware leak. This time, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL can be seen side by side in new images from Rozetked — a full five months before Google’s typical October release timeframe.

I have many questions about how and why these units are out in the world so early, but here we are. And I know a lot of you are no doubt eyeing that regular 9 Pro, which will finally put Google’s very best camera chops into a normal-sized phone. Meanwhile, the 9 Pro XL looks a fair bit taller than Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Image: Rozetked
Yep, that’s an XL-sized phone.

l’m a bit curious as to whether Google will still call this a “camera bar” now that it no longer spans the full width of the phone. It marks a pretty big change to the Pixel’s visual identity, but the new style still looks fairly unique compared to what Apple and Samsung are doing. As usual, the standard Pixel 9 will have a two-camera system, while the Pro will have a third lens for telephoto / zoom purposes.

Is Google trying to outdo itself with earlier leaks each year? Could the fact that these devices are already out there mean that the company plans to shift their release to an earlier date for 2024? Might we see a Pixel 9 teaser during tomorrow’s Google I/O keynote? I mean, we already know what they look like; at least show us some different colors, Google. Where’s the Pixel Fold 2, er… Pixel 9 Pro Fold been hiding during all these leaks?

Anyway, the midrange Pixel 8A goes on sale this week for $499 and shouldn’t be overlooked if you don’t mind some thicker bezels and not having Google’s most advanced camera hardware.

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Photo by Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Roku will exclusively stream Major League Baseball Sunday Leadoff games starting with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox on May 19th. The games will air live on The Roku Channel — no subscription or sign-up required.
To watch the games, you’ll have to download The Roku Channel on your Roku device or TV. The app is also available on Amazon Fire devices, Samsung TVs, and Google TVs, as well as via The Roku Channel website. You’ll be able to watch replays of the games up to six hours after they end.
“With free games available to anyone, MLB games on Roku will be widely accessible to fans,” Noah Garden, the MLB’s deputy commissioner of business and media, said in a statement. Roku will stream Sunday Leadoff games every week until September 15th. You can find the full roster of games airing on Roku here.
Apple TV Plus already airs Friday Night Baseball games, but you have to pay for a $9.99 monthly subscription to tune in. Other streaming services are getting in on sports as well, with Netflix inking a deal with the WWE, Max introducing a live sports add-on, and Amazon, Peacock, and Paramount Plus airing live NFL games. There’s also the new sports-only streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, and ESPN that will launch this fall, plus a standalone ESPN streaming service coming next year.

Photo by Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Roku will exclusively stream Major League Baseball Sunday Leadoff games starting with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox on May 19th. The games will air live on The Roku Channel — no subscription or sign-up required.

To watch the games, you’ll have to download The Roku Channel on your Roku device or TV. The app is also available on Amazon Fire devices, Samsung TVs, and Google TVs, as well as via The Roku Channel website. You’ll be able to watch replays of the games up to six hours after they end.

“With free games available to anyone, MLB games on Roku will be widely accessible to fans,” Noah Garden, the MLB’s deputy commissioner of business and media, said in a statement. Roku will stream Sunday Leadoff games every week until September 15th. You can find the full roster of games airing on Roku here.

Apple TV Plus already airs Friday Night Baseball games, but you have to pay for a $9.99 monthly subscription to tune in. Other streaming services are getting in on sports as well, with Netflix inking a deal with the WWE, Max introducing a live sports add-on, and Amazon, Peacock, and Paramount Plus airing live NFL games. There’s also the new sports-only streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, and ESPN that will launch this fall, plus a standalone ESPN streaming service coming next year.

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Apple’s latest high-end tablet is a marvel of hardware design still in need of the software and accessories to really make it sing. But wow is it fun to use. The new iPad Pro is a genuine achievement in tablet design. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to the vision that a tablet should feel not like a computer but, rather, like a piece of glass in your hand. I’m honestly not sure how you’d shrink it more; the USB-C plug I use to charge the 13-inch Pro I’ve been testing is already thicker than the iPad itself. It’s a light, fast, remarkable machine.
But does that really count for much anymore? The iPad has been a hardware triumph for years, plenty fast and light and long-lasting for just about anything you could do with it. The problem has always been the software: by forcing the device to run a locked-down, oversimplified operating system, Apple has prevented this ultraportable and ultrapowerful machine from becoming the full-fledged computer so many users want it to be.
The way Apple seems to see it, the iPad’s appeal is greater than the sum of its parts. No, you can’t do some of the things you’d do on a MacBook. But you can hold it in your hands in bed. You can draw on the screen. You can play mobile games. Everyone at Apple speaks of the iPad’s “versatility” as its main selling point — the fact that it’s a jack-of-all-trades is a feature, not a bug. The hard part about trying to do everything, though, is that it’s really hard to do everything well.
Apple’s case for the iPad Pro seems to be that this is the device for the future. It has the processor, screen, accessories — everything you’ll need to be ready for the next decade of your computing life. Because pretty soon, AI will change everything, and you’ll be glad you had all the power to run it well. That might well be true! But none of it is real yet. And besides, the most important parts of that future will happen on the screen, not behind it.
This new iPad Pro feels, in many ways, like the finale of the 14-year history of the iPad, all the pieces finally in place. It also feels, as ever, like a futuristic device plagued by software stuck firmly in the past, one I’m not sure I’d recommend to most people.
I do love it, though.

A magic pane of glass
I’ve done almost all of my testing on one of the highest-end versions of the iPad Pro: a 13-inch space black model with 1TB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and a built-in cellular connection. That’s a $2,099 tablet right there. Add in the $129 Pencil Pro and the new $349 Magic Keyboard, and I’m reviewing $2,577 worth of iPad — the amount you would spend on a high-end laptop. You can get it cheaper, of course, though the Pro is never exactly inexpensive: the 11-inch model starts at $999 and comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. (That entry-level storage option is double what it used to be, which is a nice change but still spendy.)
No matter which Pro you buy, though, you get access to the three most important new things about this new model: the chip; the screen; and the design.

The 13-inch iPad Pro is enormous. But it’s much lighter now.

Let’s do the chip first, because it’s important and also slightly confusing. The Pro runs on the M4 processor, a brand-new chip Apple designed specifically to accommodate the Pro’s new screen and design, and it’s as fast as you’d hope. In my benchmark tests, the M4-powered Pro scored about 50 percent higher than the previous M2-running model. In practice, it definitely doesn’t feel 50 percent faster, but it does feel faster.
Apps load and close a half-beat faster with the M4, even complex games run perfectly smooth (I still can’t believe how good Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile looks on this device), and iMovie renders video noticeably more quickly than on the 11-inch M2 Pro I’ve been using for a couple of years. Individually, these aren’t earth-shattering upgrades, but particularly if you’re doing a lot of intense photo and video work or even love a long Warzone session, it’s a real performance bump. And in all my testing, I’ve never noticed the device getting hot in my hands. Occasionally very slightly warm, maybe, but that’s it.
The top-tier models of Pro — with 1TB or 2TB of storage — get the best M4, with an additional performance core in the CPU. Yay for more power, I guess, but I’d be astonished if there were any way to tell the difference in everyday use. In most cases, the iPad’s raw performance hasn’t been an issue for a very long time.
The M4’s main practical purpose is to power the new OLED display. Apple’s new “Tandem OLED” setup basically smashes two OLEDs together to get a sharper, brighter panel. Apple calls it Ultra Retina XDR, which is a ridiculous name, but whatever, it works beautifully. All of the traditional upsides of OLED are immediately apparent: since OLEDs control each pixel individually, you get much richer blacks, so the letterboxes above and below a video just disappear into the bezel, and photos look much more dynamic. Colors are incredibly vibrant — to the point of occasionally looking too contrasty and HDR-y to my eyes. The Pro’s peak brightness is significantly brighter than the new Air, too, which is tough to pull off with an OLED.

The Pro’s OLED display is a big step up from anything on an iPad before.

The only downside I’ve noticed in the display so far is that the OLED seems to pick up a little more glare and reflection than the Air’s LCD panel. When I’m using it outdoors, that has meant I crank the brightness a little more than I’d like to be able to see everything on the screen. But that’s a tiny complaint; this screen looks fantastic — and I haven’t noticed battery draining faster at max brightness than before.
On the design front, the new Pro is more of a refinement than a redesign, but the difference is still pretty remarkable. The thinness is one thing — at 5.1mm thick for the 13-inch model and 5.3mm for the 11-inch, they’re the thinnest iPads yet — but the weight is what really gets me. The 13-inch Pro I’ve been testing weighs about a quarter of a pound less than last year’s model, which doesn’t sound like much but is very noticeable when I’m holding this big slab of glass in my hands on the couch. I’ve always thought the larger-size iPads were way too big to actually use, but I’ve been holding and using this one a lot. It’s so thin and light that I’ve worried about it being fragile. So far, it’s been sturdy.

LOOK HOW THIN THAT IS.

The only other big design change here is that Apple finally — finally — put the front-facing camera in the correct spot: in the middle of the long side of the iPad. This is very much a landscape-first device now, but that’s a good thing! The iPad, in general, absolutely is a landscape-first device. I’m not particularly impressed with the quality of the front-facing camera, but it’s fine, and it’s much more useful now.
Apple doesn’t seem to have sacrificed anything in the name of being thin and light. As a pure design and engineering exercise, it’s a home run.
Feature creep
There are basically two types of iPad users. (This is an oversimplification, but go with me.) The first type wants a simple way to send emails, read news, do the crossword, look at photos, and browse the web. For those people, the new iPad Pro is total overkill. Everything about it is a little better than the new Air or even the newly cheaper base iPad, but not so much better that I’d recommend splurging unless you really want that OLED screen. (If you do, please know: I get it. I’m with you.)

As ever, the biggest problem with the iPad is iPadOS.

The other type of iPad user does all those things but also has an iPad-specific feature or two that really matters to them. Musicians love it for turning sheet music; students for handwriting notes; filmmakers for quickly reviewing footage; designers for showing interactive renders to clients. When Apple talks about how “versatile” the iPad is, I think this is what the company means. The iPad is not all things to all people, but it should have something for everyone. By putting ever more power into the device, Apple is trying to expand the number of those features that might appeal to you.
New features this year come mostly in the form of the Pencil Pro. It has a nifty new squeeze gesture that is useful and makes it quicker to bring up menus and commonly used tools. Apple’s also letting developers customize what happens when you squeeze in their apps, so expect some cool and deeply weird integrations soon. The new Barrel Roll feature is also going to be a big win for artists of all sorts, now that you can turn your virtual brush or pen just by twisting the Pencil as you draw. (It works really well, though honestly, I’m woefully unqualified to review anything from an artist’s perspective. We’ll have more on that front soon.)
Same goes for the new Magic Keyboard, which is my personal favorite upgrade of the whole lot this year. When you dock the iPad in the attachment, it adds a full keyboard and a trackpad, floating the iPad above it — it’s the most laptop-like way to use an iPad. The new model is sturdier than the last, though it does still wobble a bit when you touch the iPad’s screen. The keyboard feels wonderful, right in step with a MacBook’s keys or the traditional Magic Keyboard. Now that there’s a row of function keys and a bigger trackpad, I can use the device for hours without ever picking my hands up. Best of all, it’s about 50 grams lighter than before (658g on the new model, according to my kitchen scale, compared to 710g on the last), which contributes to the overall smaller footprint of the new Pro.

The row of function keys makes the Pro a very functional laptop replacement.

In my own use, my iPad hardly ever leaves the keyboard case. I use the Magic Keyboard for journaling, emailing, and just as a stand while I’m cooking and watching shows. Having a better keyboard in a smaller package matters a lot to me. But it won’t to a lot of people, especially at $299. With both of its accessories, Apple is making the Pro more appealing to the people who might already have a Pro and not doing much to win over those who don’t.
There is, I should at least note, the possibility that AI could change the whole equation. Maybe generative AI will make Photos so much better that everybody suddenly wants a big, beautiful screen. Maybe Siri will get so good that the iPad will become a smart home controller. Maybe the camera software will be so spectacular that you’ll use a tablet for all your video calls forever. Maybe, maybe, maybe. WWDC is in a few weeks, and I expect Apple to aggressively try to convince you that advances in AI make the iPad Pro more than just an iPad. If it can make the argument that a super-powerful, super-portable, jack-of-all-trades device is what you need in the future, I’ll probably be running to buy an iPad Pro.
For now, it’s just an iPad. The best iPad ever, I think — maybe even the best iPad you could reasonably ask for. But the story of the iPad — the “magic pane of glass,” as Apple is so fond of calling it — is actually all about software. The iPad’s software has let its hardware down for years. Apple has led us to believe that’s about to change, that this year’s WWDC will be the great turning point for AI and iPads and everything. We’ll see. Until then, the iPad Pro is almost too good for its own good.

Apple’s latest high-end tablet is a marvel of hardware design still in need of the software and accessories to really make it sing. But wow is it fun to use.

The new iPad Pro is a genuine achievement in tablet design. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to the vision that a tablet should feel not like a computer but, rather, like a piece of glass in your hand. I’m honestly not sure how you’d shrink it more; the USB-C plug I use to charge the 13-inch Pro I’ve been testing is already thicker than the iPad itself. It’s a light, fast, remarkable machine.

But does that really count for much anymore? The iPad has been a hardware triumph for years, plenty fast and light and long-lasting for just about anything you could do with it. The problem has always been the software: by forcing the device to run a locked-down, oversimplified operating system, Apple has prevented this ultraportable and ultrapowerful machine from becoming the full-fledged computer so many users want it to be.

The way Apple seems to see it, the iPad’s appeal is greater than the sum of its parts. No, you can’t do some of the things you’d do on a MacBook. But you can hold it in your hands in bed. You can draw on the screen. You can play mobile games. Everyone at Apple speaks of the iPad’s “versatility” as its main selling point — the fact that it’s a jack-of-all-trades is a feature, not a bug. The hard part about trying to do everything, though, is that it’s really hard to do everything well.

Apple’s case for the iPad Pro seems to be that this is the device for the future. It has the processor, screen, accessories — everything you’ll need to be ready for the next decade of your computing life. Because pretty soon, AI will change everything, and you’ll be glad you had all the power to run it well. That might well be true! But none of it is real yet. And besides, the most important parts of that future will happen on the screen, not behind it.

This new iPad Pro feels, in many ways, like the finale of the 14-year history of the iPad, all the pieces finally in place. It also feels, as ever, like a futuristic device plagued by software stuck firmly in the past, one I’m not sure I’d recommend to most people.

I do love it, though.

A magic pane of glass

I’ve done almost all of my testing on one of the highest-end versions of the iPad Pro: a 13-inch space black model with 1TB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and a built-in cellular connection. That’s a $2,099 tablet right there. Add in the $129 Pencil Pro and the new $349 Magic Keyboard, and I’m reviewing $2,577 worth of iPad — the amount you would spend on a high-end laptop. You can get it cheaper, of course, though the Pro is never exactly inexpensive: the 11-inch model starts at $999 and comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. (That entry-level storage option is double what it used to be, which is a nice change but still spendy.)

No matter which Pro you buy, though, you get access to the three most important new things about this new model: the chip; the screen; and the design.

Let’s do the chip first, because it’s important and also slightly confusing. The Pro runs on the M4 processor, a brand-new chip Apple designed specifically to accommodate the Pro’s new screen and design, and it’s as fast as you’d hope. In my benchmark tests, the M4-powered Pro scored about 50 percent higher than the previous M2-running model. In practice, it definitely doesn’t feel 50 percent faster, but it does feel faster.

Apps load and close a half-beat faster with the M4, even complex games run perfectly smooth (I still can’t believe how good Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile looks on this device), and iMovie renders video noticeably more quickly than on the 11-inch M2 Pro I’ve been using for a couple of years. Individually, these aren’t earth-shattering upgrades, but particularly if you’re doing a lot of intense photo and video work or even love a long Warzone session, it’s a real performance bump. And in all my testing, I’ve never noticed the device getting hot in my hands. Occasionally very slightly warm, maybe, but that’s it.

The top-tier models of Pro — with 1TB or 2TB of storage — get the best M4, with an additional performance core in the CPU. Yay for more power, I guess, but I’d be astonished if there were any way to tell the difference in everyday use. In most cases, the iPad’s raw performance hasn’t been an issue for a very long time.

The M4’s main practical purpose is to power the new OLED display. Apple’s new “Tandem OLED” setup basically smashes two OLEDs together to get a sharper, brighter panel. Apple calls it Ultra Retina XDR, which is a ridiculous name, but whatever, it works beautifully. All of the traditional upsides of OLED are immediately apparent: since OLEDs control each pixel individually, you get much richer blacks, so the letterboxes above and below a video just disappear into the bezel, and photos look much more dynamic. Colors are incredibly vibrant — to the point of occasionally looking too contrasty and HDR-y to my eyes. The Pro’s peak brightness is significantly brighter than the new Air, too, which is tough to pull off with an OLED.

The only downside I’ve noticed in the display so far is that the OLED seems to pick up a little more glare and reflection than the Air’s LCD panel. When I’m using it outdoors, that has meant I crank the brightness a little more than I’d like to be able to see everything on the screen. But that’s a tiny complaint; this screen looks fantastic — and I haven’t noticed battery draining faster at max brightness than before.

On the design front, the new Pro is more of a refinement than a redesign, but the difference is still pretty remarkable. The thinness is one thing — at 5.1mm thick for the 13-inch model and 5.3mm for the 11-inch, they’re the thinnest iPads yet — but the weight is what really gets me. The 13-inch Pro I’ve been testing weighs about a quarter of a pound less than last year’s model, which doesn’t sound like much but is very noticeable when I’m holding this big slab of glass in my hands on the couch. I’ve always thought the larger-size iPads were way too big to actually use, but I’ve been holding and using this one a lot. It’s so thin and light that I’ve worried about it being fragile. So far, it’s been sturdy.

The only other big design change here is that Apple finally — finally — put the front-facing camera in the correct spot: in the middle of the long side of the iPad. This is very much a landscape-first device now, but that’s a good thing! The iPad, in general, absolutely is a landscape-first device. I’m not particularly impressed with the quality of the front-facing camera, but it’s fine, and it’s much more useful now.

Apple doesn’t seem to have sacrificed anything in the name of being thin and light. As a pure design and engineering exercise, it’s a home run.

Feature creep

There are basically two types of iPad users. (This is an oversimplification, but go with me.) The first type wants a simple way to send emails, read news, do the crossword, look at photos, and browse the web. For those people, the new iPad Pro is total overkill. Everything about it is a little better than the new Air or even the newly cheaper base iPad, but not so much better that I’d recommend splurging unless you really want that OLED screen. (If you do, please know: I get it. I’m with you.)

The other type of iPad user does all those things but also has an iPad-specific feature or two that really matters to them. Musicians love it for turning sheet music; students for handwriting notes; filmmakers for quickly reviewing footage; designers for showing interactive renders to clients. When Apple talks about how “versatile” the iPad is, I think this is what the company means. The iPad is not all things to all people, but it should have something for everyone. By putting ever more power into the device, Apple is trying to expand the number of those features that might appeal to you.

New features this year come mostly in the form of the Pencil Pro. It has a nifty new squeeze gesture that is useful and makes it quicker to bring up menus and commonly used tools. Apple’s also letting developers customize what happens when you squeeze in their apps, so expect some cool and deeply weird integrations soon. The new Barrel Roll feature is also going to be a big win for artists of all sorts, now that you can turn your virtual brush or pen just by twisting the Pencil as you draw. (It works really well, though honestly, I’m woefully unqualified to review anything from an artist’s perspective. We’ll have more on that front soon.)

Same goes for the new Magic Keyboard, which is my personal favorite upgrade of the whole lot this year. When you dock the iPad in the attachment, it adds a full keyboard and a trackpad, floating the iPad above it — it’s the most laptop-like way to use an iPad. The new model is sturdier than the last, though it does still wobble a bit when you touch the iPad’s screen. The keyboard feels wonderful, right in step with a MacBook’s keys or the traditional Magic Keyboard. Now that there’s a row of function keys and a bigger trackpad, I can use the device for hours without ever picking my hands up. Best of all, it’s about 50 grams lighter than before (658g on the new model, according to my kitchen scale, compared to 710g on the last), which contributes to the overall smaller footprint of the new Pro.

In my own use, my iPad hardly ever leaves the keyboard case. I use the Magic Keyboard for journaling, emailing, and just as a stand while I’m cooking and watching shows. Having a better keyboard in a smaller package matters a lot to me. But it won’t to a lot of people, especially at $299. With both of its accessories, Apple is making the Pro more appealing to the people who might already have a Pro and not doing much to win over those who don’t.

There is, I should at least note, the possibility that AI could change the whole equation. Maybe generative AI will make Photos so much better that everybody suddenly wants a big, beautiful screen. Maybe Siri will get so good that the iPad will become a smart home controller. Maybe the camera software will be so spectacular that you’ll use a tablet for all your video calls forever. Maybe, maybe, maybe. WWDC is in a few weeks, and I expect Apple to aggressively try to convince you that advances in AI make the iPad Pro more than just an iPad. If it can make the argument that a super-powerful, super-portable, jack-of-all-trades device is what you need in the future, I’ll probably be running to buy an iPad Pro.

For now, it’s just an iPad. The best iPad ever, I think — maybe even the best iPad you could reasonably ask for. But the story of the iPad — the “magic pane of glass,” as Apple is so fond of calling it — is actually all about software. The iPad’s software has let its hardware down for years. Apple has led us to believe that’s about to change, that this year’s WWDC will be the great turning point for AI and iPads and everything. We’ll see. Until then, the iPad Pro is almost too good for its own good.

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The iPad Air is an excellent iPad — and that’s all. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The iPad Pro is a beast. The two-year-old iPad is more compelling than ever. So what is the Air even for anymore? The new iPad Air is very good. If you buy one, you’ll almost certainly like it. That’s it, that’s the review.
But is this the iPad you should buy? That’s a more interesting question. The iPad Air is a study in tradeoffs, even more so than before. Starting at $599, it’s not the cheapest iPad you can buy, nor is it the most impressive. It doesn’t support all the accessories, but it does support some of the accessories. It’s fast but not the fastest, thin but not the thinnest, powerful but not the powerful-est. It is Apple’s attempt to find the Goldilocks middle ground — the features that matter most to the most users and nothing else.
Outside of a couple of specific scenarios, I don’t think I’d tell you to buy this year’s iPad Air. Not because it’s not great — it is great! It’s just that for $250 less, you can get the base iPad, which is just about as good at every common iPad activity. The 10th-generation iPad is a couple of years old at this point, but it’s still an excellent device, especially after Apple lowered its price from $449 to $349. The iPad, not the iPad Air, is the right iPad for most people.
The new Air is pretty much last year’s iPad Pro in the body of last year’s iPad Air. The two models are identical other than the screen size. The new 13-inch model is obviously larger in every dimension and about a third of a pound heavier than the 11-inch Air, which is exactly the same size and weight as the last-gen Air.
Both new Airs run the same M2 chip as the old Pro and, in my testing, run it practically identically — it’s a fast and reliable chip, though the new M4 processor in this year’s iPad Pro runs laps around it in benchmark tests. The screen is the same as last year’s Air, the battery life is the same, and the rear camera is the same — it’s just a spec bump on the same thing.
In my testing, there’s really only one change from the old Air that I’ve noticed: Apple moved the front-facing camera to the middle of the landscape edge, which means I can use it for video calls without looking like I’m always staring up and away from the screen. This is a great change, and one Apple should have made a long time ago. If you do want to buy an Air, I’d recommend this one over the previous generation just to get the camera in the right place.
Next to this year’s Pro, on the other hand, the Air definitely feels like a lesser model. The Pro has a much better OLED screen, that ultra-powerful M4 chip, full Thunderbolt support on the USB-C connector, more speakers, more storage in every price tier, and is lighter and smaller at both screen sizes. You pay handsomely for those upgrades, but they’re real upgrades.

Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The Air is thin, but it’s not that thin.

But honestly? If you’re just looking for a way to send emails, browse the web, play games, and maybe make an iMovie or two, none of that will really change the way you use your iPad. An iPad is an iPad is an iPad, and until Apple either fixes a bunch of things or opens up the operating system — and I wouldn’t hold my breath on either one — you just aren’t going to get enough out of all that extra power to make it a must-have upgrade. You can do lots of things on an iPad, which is great! But the list is pretty much the same no matter which tablet you’re holding. The iPad Pro is the best iPad, no question about it, but it’s also a very expensive iPad. And it’s still an iPad.
There are only two Pro features that I truly missed in everyday use after switching to the iPad Air. The first is Face ID: the Air uses Touch ID in the home button to log you in to your device, which works well enough, but Face ID on the Pro makes it feel like you never have to log in at all. The second is the row of function keys on the Magic Keyboard attachment. On the 13-inch Air in particular, the Magic Keyboard is big and roomy and lovely to type on — which means I’ve missed having quick access to playback, brightness, and more.

Photo: David Pierce / The Verge
Love the Magic Keyboard. Miss the function keys.

In real use, the Air is much closer to the base iPad than the Pro, which puts it in an awkward tweener position. You do get the M2 chip instead of the A14 Bionic, and as Apple continues to push into on-device AI features, it’s possible that having a bonkers amount of processing power will become very useful. The M2 is certainly the more future-proof option, but the A14 Bionic is fully capable of handling a typical iPad workload.
Otherwise, the base iPad and the Air have the same cameras and camera placement, the same Touch ID system, and the same battery life. The iPad is a bit larger than the Air, but we’re talking hundredths of inches and pounds. Neither has a headphone jack, which remains dumb and bad. The Air’s screen is definitely better — it’s probably the most important spec upgrade over the regular iPad. But the regular iPad is good enough — just don’t look at them side by side. Ignorance is bliss; it’ll be fine.
The Air gets points for supporting the Pencil Pro, which the regular iPad doesn’t. The iPad gets points for having a function row on its Magic Keyboard Folio but loses some because it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the larger accessory. (Can I just say, by the way, that it makes exactly no sense which keyboards get which features on which iPads? No sense at all.) The iPad also comes in much nicer colors, though I love the look of the white Magic Keyboard, and that only comes with the Air.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The 10th-gen iPad is still a terrific (and newly cheap) tablet.

Ultimately, I think I can answer the Air vs. iPad debate in two questions. Do you want a big screen? Do you use the crap out of your Apple Pencil? If so, buy the Air. The 13-inch model is the cheapest big screen in Apple’s lineup — a whopping $500 less than the comparable iPad Pro — and the 11-inch model is the least expensive way to get access to the Pencil Pro. Done and done.
Otherwise, buy the plain ol’ iPad, which is an already terrific tablet at a newly terrific price. There’s even a better way to upgrade: I’d urge you to spend $150 upgrading the base iPad to the cellular model rather than $250 upgrading to the Air. Having an iPad that is just always connected, without having to think about it, is a game-changer for tablet life.
My standard buying advice is to buy the best stuff you can afford and then keep it as long as possible. But I’m confident that even a two-year-old 10th-generation iPad is capable enough to do most things really well for a long time. So is the Air, obviously! But the bad news for Apple, and the good news for you, is that every iPad is a great iPad — including the cheapest one.

The iPad Air is an excellent iPad — and that’s all. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The iPad Pro is a beast. The two-year-old iPad is more compelling than ever. So what is the Air even for anymore?

The new iPad Air is very good. If you buy one, you’ll almost certainly like it. That’s it, that’s the review.

But is this the iPad you should buy? That’s a more interesting question. The iPad Air is a study in tradeoffs, even more so than before. Starting at $599, it’s not the cheapest iPad you can buy, nor is it the most impressive. It doesn’t support all the accessories, but it does support some of the accessories. It’s fast but not the fastest, thin but not the thinnest, powerful but not the powerful-est. It is Apple’s attempt to find the Goldilocks middle ground — the features that matter most to the most users and nothing else.

Outside of a couple of specific scenarios, I don’t think I’d tell you to buy this year’s iPad Air. Not because it’s not great — it is great! It’s just that for $250 less, you can get the base iPad, which is just about as good at every common iPad activity. The 10th-generation iPad is a couple of years old at this point, but it’s still an excellent device, especially after Apple lowered its price from $449 to $349. The iPad, not the iPad Air, is the right iPad for most people.

The new Air is pretty much last year’s iPad Pro in the body of last year’s iPad Air. The two models are identical other than the screen size. The new 13-inch model is obviously larger in every dimension and about a third of a pound heavier than the 11-inch Air, which is exactly the same size and weight as the last-gen Air.

Both new Airs run the same M2 chip as the old Pro and, in my testing, run it practically identically — it’s a fast and reliable chip, though the new M4 processor in this year’s iPad Pro runs laps around it in benchmark tests. The screen is the same as last year’s Air, the battery life is the same, and the rear camera is the same — it’s just a spec bump on the same thing.

In my testing, there’s really only one change from the old Air that I’ve noticed: Apple moved the front-facing camera to the middle of the landscape edge, which means I can use it for video calls without looking like I’m always staring up and away from the screen. This is a great change, and one Apple should have made a long time ago. If you do want to buy an Air, I’d recommend this one over the previous generation just to get the camera in the right place.

Next to this year’s Pro, on the other hand, the Air definitely feels like a lesser model. The Pro has a much better OLED screen, that ultra-powerful M4 chip, full Thunderbolt support on the USB-C connector, more speakers, more storage in every price tier, and is lighter and smaller at both screen sizes. You pay handsomely for those upgrades, but they’re real upgrades.

Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The Air is thin, but it’s not that thin.

But honestly? If you’re just looking for a way to send emails, browse the web, play games, and maybe make an iMovie or two, none of that will really change the way you use your iPad. An iPad is an iPad is an iPad, and until Apple either fixes a bunch of things or opens up the operating system — and I wouldn’t hold my breath on either one — you just aren’t going to get enough out of all that extra power to make it a must-have upgrade. You can do lots of things on an iPad, which is great! But the list is pretty much the same no matter which tablet you’re holding. The iPad Pro is the best iPad, no question about it, but it’s also a very expensive iPad. And it’s still an iPad.

There are only two Pro features that I truly missed in everyday use after switching to the iPad Air. The first is Face ID: the Air uses Touch ID in the home button to log you in to your device, which works well enough, but Face ID on the Pro makes it feel like you never have to log in at all. The second is the row of function keys on the Magic Keyboard attachment. On the 13-inch Air in particular, the Magic Keyboard is big and roomy and lovely to type on — which means I’ve missed having quick access to playback, brightness, and more.

Photo: David Pierce / The Verge
Love the Magic Keyboard. Miss the function keys.

In real use, the Air is much closer to the base iPad than the Pro, which puts it in an awkward tweener position. You do get the M2 chip instead of the A14 Bionic, and as Apple continues to push into on-device AI features, it’s possible that having a bonkers amount of processing power will become very useful. The M2 is certainly the more future-proof option, but the A14 Bionic is fully capable of handling a typical iPad workload.

Otherwise, the base iPad and the Air have the same cameras and camera placement, the same Touch ID system, and the same battery life. The iPad is a bit larger than the Air, but we’re talking hundredths of inches and pounds. Neither has a headphone jack, which remains dumb and bad. The Air’s screen is definitely better — it’s probably the most important spec upgrade over the regular iPad. But the regular iPad is good enough — just don’t look at them side by side. Ignorance is bliss; it’ll be fine.

The Air gets points for supporting the Pencil Pro, which the regular iPad doesn’t. The iPad gets points for having a function row on its Magic Keyboard Folio but loses some because it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the larger accessory. (Can I just say, by the way, that it makes exactly no sense which keyboards get which features on which iPads? No sense at all.) The iPad also comes in much nicer colors, though I love the look of the white Magic Keyboard, and that only comes with the Air.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The 10th-gen iPad is still a terrific (and newly cheap) tablet.

Ultimately, I think I can answer the Air vs. iPad debate in two questions. Do you want a big screen? Do you use the crap out of your Apple Pencil? If so, buy the Air. The 13-inch model is the cheapest big screen in Apple’s lineup — a whopping $500 less than the comparable iPad Pro — and the 11-inch model is the least expensive way to get access to the Pencil Pro. Done and done.

Otherwise, buy the plain ol’ iPad, which is an already terrific tablet at a newly terrific price. There’s even a better way to upgrade: I’d urge you to spend $150 upgrading the base iPad to the cellular model rather than $250 upgrading to the Air. Having an iPad that is just always connected, without having to think about it, is a game-changer for tablet life.

My standard buying advice is to buy the best stuff you can afford and then keep it as long as possible. But I’m confident that even a two-year-old 10th-generation iPad is capable enough to do most things really well for a long time. So is the Air, obviously! But the bad news for Apple, and the good news for you, is that every iPad is a great iPad — including the cheapest one.

Read More 

Photo by Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images

Independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing Meta for allegedly violating the First Amendment and engaging in “election interference” because it removed a video about him.
The lawsuit is not likely to advance far, considering that the First Amendment bars the government — not companies — from censoring speech. Plus, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act effectively insulates online platforms from being sued for how they choose to remove or limit content on their sites.
Keep in mind this is the same candidate who has claimed that part of his brain had been eaten years ago by a parasitic worm (he told The New York Times he’s recovered from symptoms including memory loss related to the incident).
The lawsuit is based around Meta’s brief removal of a 30-minute promotional video about Kennedy released by super PAC American Values 2024 (AV24). Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement that the link to the video “was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered.” Stone declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Kennedy’s lawyers claim Meta continues to “throttle” links to the video and even asked Meta’s AI chatbot if a user’s followers could see the link when they post it. According to the lawsuit, the AI chatbot answered on May 5th that the link was “currently restricted.”
It’s just the latest example of how content moderation fumbles can fuel political cycles, whether they’re the result of a technical error or bungled policies. Regardless of the legal outcome, the suit may very well whip up anger among conservatives who already accuse social media companies like Meta of censoring their speech. The lawsuit also quotes from briefs and oral arguments in Murthy v. Missouri, a Supreme Court case about whether the Biden administration inappropriately coerced social media companies to censor speech in violation of the First Amendment. (Most of the justices seemed skeptical of that argument when they heard the case in March.)
In addition to the First Amendment claims, Kennedy and AV24 allege that Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg engaged in a conspiracy to suppress the legal advocacy of the super PAC for Kennedy’s candidacy. They’re seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction to stop “any further censorship” of the video.

Photo by Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images

Independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing Meta for allegedly violating the First Amendment and engaging in “election interference” because it removed a video about him.

The lawsuit is not likely to advance far, considering that the First Amendment bars the government — not companies — from censoring speech. Plus, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act effectively insulates online platforms from being sued for how they choose to remove or limit content on their sites.

Keep in mind this is the same candidate who has claimed that part of his brain had been eaten years ago by a parasitic worm (he told The New York Times he’s recovered from symptoms including memory loss related to the incident).

The lawsuit is based around Meta’s brief removal of a 30-minute promotional video about Kennedy released by super PAC American Values 2024 (AV24). Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement that the link to the video “was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered.” Stone declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Kennedy’s lawyers claim Meta continues to “throttle” links to the video and even asked Meta’s AI chatbot if a user’s followers could see the link when they post it. According to the lawsuit, the AI chatbot answered on May 5th that the link was “currently restricted.”

It’s just the latest example of how content moderation fumbles can fuel political cycles, whether they’re the result of a technical error or bungled policies. Regardless of the legal outcome, the suit may very well whip up anger among conservatives who already accuse social media companies like Meta of censoring their speech. The lawsuit also quotes from briefs and oral arguments in Murthy v. Missouri, a Supreme Court case about whether the Biden administration inappropriately coerced social media companies to censor speech in violation of the First Amendment. (Most of the justices seemed skeptical of that argument when they heard the case in March.)

In addition to the First Amendment claims, Kennedy and AV24 allege that Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg engaged in a conspiracy to suppress the legal advocacy of the super PAC for Kennedy’s candidacy. They’re seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction to stop “any further censorship” of the video.

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Photo by Noam Galai / Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative

Melinda French Gates has stepped down from her position as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
French Gates, who will officially leave on June 7th, will continue her philanthropy elsewhere, to the tune of $12.5 billion. The money stems from an agreement with her ex-husband, Bill Gates, and does not come from the foundation’s endowment. In her X post, she says she will focus on programs “on behalf of women and families.”
“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” French Gates says. “I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together, and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequalities around the world.”
French Gates and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates divorced in 2021. At the time, the two agreed to continue working together on the foundation with the proviso that they would revisit the arrangement after two years. This year marks the end of that two-year period. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said in 2021 that if French Gates decided to leave, she would receive “personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work” separate from the foundation’s endowment.
The foundation’s current executive leadership team and board of trustees will remain in their positions.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded several projects targeting poverty, health, and education across the globe, including donating $250 million toward the development of covid-19 vaccines.

Photo by Noam Galai / Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative

Melinda French Gates has stepped down from her position as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

French Gates, who will officially leave on June 7th, will continue her philanthropy elsewhere, to the tune of $12.5 billion. The money stems from an agreement with her ex-husband, Bill Gates, and does not come from the foundation’s endowment. In her X post, she says she will focus on programs “on behalf of women and families.”

“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” French Gates says. “I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together, and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequalities around the world.”

French Gates and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates divorced in 2021. At the time, the two agreed to continue working together on the foundation with the proviso that they would revisit the arrangement after two years. This year marks the end of that two-year period. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said in 2021 that if French Gates decided to leave, she would receive “personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work” separate from the foundation’s endowment.

The foundation’s current executive leadership team and board of trustees will remain in their positions.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded several projects targeting poverty, health, and education across the globe, including donating $250 million toward the development of covid-19 vaccines.

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Apple and Google collaborated on the new Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers industry standard. | Image: Apple

A new industry specification devised by Apple and Google to address the safety risks of Bluetooth tracking devices is now live. Apple announced this week it has implemented alerts for unknown third-party Bluetooth trackers in iOS 17.5, following Google starting to roll it out across Android devices running 6.0 and higher last December.
The Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers (DULT) standard is a cross-platform initiative designed to prevent Bluetooth trackers like Apple AirTags from being misused to track people without their knowledge. The specification allows iOS and Android devices to detect and alert you when a tracker that conforms to the standard is traveling with you and its owner is not.
Apple said in a press release that you’ll get an “[Item] Found Moving With You” alert on your iPhone if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is moving with you “over time, regardless of the platform the device is paired with.” You’ll be able to view the tracker’s identifier, have the tracker play a sound so you can find it, and even find out how to disable it.

Screenshot: Victoria Song / The Verge
Apple had to retroactively add anti-tracking features to its AirTags following their launch in 2021.

While Apple launched AirTags without the ability to alert Android users if one was following them, it did fix that with an Android app a few months later. Since Google implemented DULT in December, the function is now baked into Android. But with Google’s enhanced Find My Device network now live and rolling out to Android users, the potential for third-party devices to track people unknowingly could grow exponentially.
To prevent these types of valid privacy concerns, Google said it would wait for Apple to implement DULT in its ecosystem before adding support for Bluetooth tracker tags to the Find My Device network. Now that Apple has added the standard to iOS, it’s likely that many of these new Bluetooth trackers will launch shortly.
Chipolo and Pebblebee have already announced tags, and devices from Motorola, Jio, and Eufy are expected soon. All of these companies have said they will support the standard, and Samsung and Tile (which will also support its own Find with Life360 network) previously committed to supporting it.

Apple and Google collaborated on the new Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers industry standard. | Image: Apple

A new industry specification devised by Apple and Google to address the safety risks of Bluetooth tracking devices is now live. Apple announced this week it has implemented alerts for unknown third-party Bluetooth trackers in iOS 17.5, following Google starting to roll it out across Android devices running 6.0 and higher last December.

The Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers (DULT) standard is a cross-platform initiative designed to prevent Bluetooth trackers like Apple AirTags from being misused to track people without their knowledge. The specification allows iOS and Android devices to detect and alert you when a tracker that conforms to the standard is traveling with you and its owner is not.

Apple said in a press release that you’ll get an “[Item] Found Moving With You” alert on your iPhone if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is moving with you “over time, regardless of the platform the device is paired with.” You’ll be able to view the tracker’s identifier, have the tracker play a sound so you can find it, and even find out how to disable it.

Screenshot: Victoria Song / The Verge
Apple had to retroactively add anti-tracking features to its AirTags following their launch in 2021.

While Apple launched AirTags without the ability to alert Android users if one was following them, it did fix that with an Android app a few months later. Since Google implemented DULT in December, the function is now baked into Android. But with Google’s enhanced Find My Device network now live and rolling out to Android users, the potential for third-party devices to track people unknowingly could grow exponentially.

To prevent these types of valid privacy concerns, Google said it would wait for Apple to implement DULT in its ecosystem before adding support for Bluetooth tracker tags to the Find My Device network. Now that Apple has added the standard to iOS, it’s likely that many of these new Bluetooth trackers will launch shortly.

Chipolo and Pebblebee have already announced tags, and devices from Motorola, Jio, and Eufy are expected soon. All of these companies have said they will support the standard, and Samsung and Tile (which will also support its own Find with Life360 network) previously committed to supporting it.

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