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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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Image: Square Enix

Everybody’s getting bitten by the multiplatform bug; now, it’s Square Enix. In its earnings report released earlier today, the publisher shared plans to increase profits, stating that it will “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs.”
Right now, Square Enix’s biggest games, like Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, have been restricted to the PlayStation, with PC releases for select titles including Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade following some time after console launch. However, smaller new releases, like the forthcoming Visions of Mana, are seeing simultaneous release on Xbox.
The company wrote that it hopes bringing its major franchises, including its back catalog, to more platforms will “build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles.” It’s a policy Xbox has started to pursue, releasing its exclusives on other platforms like Grounded and Pentiment on Switch and the highly praised but ill-fated Hi-Fi Rush on PlayStation 5.
The news that fans can expect more Square Enix titles on more platforms was coupled with additional reports that the company is undergoing a round of layoffs. According to a report in VGC, the publisher is planning to let go of an unconfirmed number of people across its US and European businesses. The Verge has reached out to Square Enix for comment.
Earlier this year, industry analysts have speculated that Square Enix’s most recent game, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, hasn’t been selling as well as expected. Square Enix itself has not shared sales numbers for the game, despite doing so for Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy XV, and Rebirth’s direct predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake. This shift to multiplatform releases, then, might be in response to Rebirth’s apparently soft sales and the fact that Final Fantasy XV, one of the bestselling games in the franchise ever, released both on PlayStation and Xbox, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Image: Square Enix

Everybody’s getting bitten by the multiplatform bug; now, it’s Square Enix. In its earnings report released earlier today, the publisher shared plans to increase profits, stating that it will “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs.”

Right now, Square Enix’s biggest games, like Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, have been restricted to the PlayStation, with PC releases for select titles including Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade following some time after console launch. However, smaller new releases, like the forthcoming Visions of Mana, are seeing simultaneous release on Xbox.

The company wrote that it hopes bringing its major franchises, including its back catalog, to more platforms will “build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles.” It’s a policy Xbox has started to pursue, releasing its exclusives on other platforms like Grounded and Pentiment on Switch and the highly praised but ill-fated Hi-Fi Rush on PlayStation 5.

The news that fans can expect more Square Enix titles on more platforms was coupled with additional reports that the company is undergoing a round of layoffs. According to a report in VGC, the publisher is planning to let go of an unconfirmed number of people across its US and European businesses. The Verge has reached out to Square Enix for comment.

Earlier this year, industry analysts have speculated that Square Enix’s most recent game, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, hasn’t been selling as well as expected. Square Enix itself has not shared sales numbers for the game, despite doing so for Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy XV, and Rebirth’s direct predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake. This shift to multiplatform releases, then, might be in response to Rebirth’s apparently soft sales and the fact that Final Fantasy XV, one of the bestselling games in the franchise ever, released both on PlayStation and Xbox, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

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Photo: Warner Bros.

OpenAI is releasing a Her-inspired voice assistant feature that can read your facial expressions and translate spoken language in real time — and hopefully do it all without abandoning you like in the movie.
During a livestream demonstration on Monday, OpenAI engineers and CTO Mira Murati gathered around a phone to show the new capabilities. They encouraged the assistant to be more expressive while making up a bedtime story, then abruptly requested it to switch to a robotic voice, before finally asking it to conclude the story with a singing voice. Later, they asked the assistant to look at what the phone’s camera is seeing and have it respond to what’s visible on-screen. The assistant was also able to be interrupted while speaking and respond without continued prompting while acting as a translator.

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The assistant’s voice response bore a striking resemblance to the character Scarlett Johansson plays in the movie Her, where a man forms a relationship with a sophisticated AI assistant. After the event, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cryptically posted just one word on X: “her.” He has also expressed that Her is his favorite movie. The film explores themes of loneliness and human-AI relationships; it seems unlikely that director Spike Jonze intended for the world to precisely replicate that sense of robotic isolation.
In a briefing with The Verge, Murati said that the assistant is not actually designed to sound like Johansson and emphasized that OpenAI has had these voices for a while. “Someone asked me in the audience this exact same question, and then she said, ‘Ah, maybe the reason I didn’t recognize it from ChatGPT is because the voice has so much personality and tonality,’” Murati said.
These features represent a substantial upgrade over ChatGPT’s existing voice mode, which can chat with a user but with much more limited interaction; the current version can’t be interrupted or respond to what your camera sees, for instance. The new capabilities will launch in a limited “alpha” release in “the coming weeks” and be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers first once a wider rollout begins.
The new voice assistant comes on the heels of a Bloomberg report that claims OpenAI is nearing a deal with Apple to put ChatGPT on the iPhone. (When asked in the briefing, Murati said, “We haven’t talked about any of the partnerships.”) The iPhone voice assistant, Siri, is notoriously unreliable, so a Her-inspired assistant baked into the iPhone that may actually be able to answer your questions instead of “searching the web” seems to be where this is headed.
“The new voice (and video) mode is the best computer interface I’ve ever used. It feels like AI from the movies; and it’s still a bit surprising to me that it’s real,” Altman said in a blog post just after the livestream. “Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change.”

Photo: Warner Bros.

OpenAI is releasing a Her-inspired voice assistant feature that can read your facial expressions and translate spoken language in real time — and hopefully do it all without abandoning you like in the movie.

During a livestream demonstration on Monday, OpenAI engineers and CTO Mira Murati gathered around a phone to show the new capabilities. They encouraged the assistant to be more expressive while making up a bedtime story, then abruptly requested it to switch to a robotic voice, before finally asking it to conclude the story with a singing voice. Later, they asked the assistant to look at what the phone’s camera is seeing and have it respond to what’s visible on-screen. The assistant was also able to be interrupted while speaking and respond without continued prompting while acting as a translator.

The assistant’s voice response bore a striking resemblance to the character Scarlett Johansson plays in the movie Her, where a man forms a relationship with a sophisticated AI assistant. After the event, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cryptically posted just one word on X: “her.” He has also expressed that Her is his favorite movie. The film explores themes of loneliness and human-AI relationships; it seems unlikely that director Spike Jonze intended for the world to precisely replicate that sense of robotic isolation.

In a briefing with The Verge, Murati said that the assistant is not actually designed to sound like Johansson and emphasized that OpenAI has had these voices for a while. “Someone asked me in the audience this exact same question, and then she said, ‘Ah, maybe the reason I didn’t recognize it from ChatGPT is because the voice has so much personality and tonality,’” Murati said.

These features represent a substantial upgrade over ChatGPT’s existing voice mode, which can chat with a user but with much more limited interaction; the current version can’t be interrupted or respond to what your camera sees, for instance. The new capabilities will launch in a limited “alpha” release in “the coming weeks” and be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers first once a wider rollout begins.

The new voice assistant comes on the heels of a Bloomberg report that claims OpenAI is nearing a deal with Apple to put ChatGPT on the iPhone. (When asked in the briefing, Murati said, “We haven’t talked about any of the partnerships.”) The iPhone voice assistant, Siri, is notoriously unreliable, so a Her-inspired assistant baked into the iPhone that may actually be able to answer your questions instead of “searching the web” seems to be where this is headed.

“The new voice (and video) mode is the best computer interface I’ve ever used. It feels like AI from the movies; and it’s still a bit surprising to me that it’s real,” Altman said in a blog post just after the livestream. “Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change.”

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I thought opening the impossible door in Mario 64 was the coolest thing that’d happened to the Nintendo 64 in years, but Mr. Wiseguy’s just-released N64 Recompiled blows me away. It’s a tool that theoretically lets you turn any N64 game into a native PC port, the better to play and preserve N64 games — and to showcase its abilities, you can already download Windows and Linux-native apps for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask that seem to run incredibly well.
It almost seems too good to be true: I just double-clicked an EXE file on my Windows laptop, told the app where to find a Majora’s Mask ROM file, and was immediately playing a copy of the game that felt incredibly responsive to my every press on a 165Hz variable refresh rate screen, with remappable controls, adjustable resolution, and a primitive form of auto-save.
Now imagine if you could do that for any Nintendo 64 game! Wiseguy says their tool works by statically recompiling N64 binaries into C code that can then be compiled into native apps for any platform and has even gotten the dreaded Superman 64 to work.
What’s more, Wiseguy says N64 ray tracing and texture packs are also on the way! He’s got teasers in this video:

To be clear, these recompiled N64 apps do not include the game itself, which is part of their charm — while protective Nintendo lawyers might argue they encourage piracy, they do not redistribute the ROM files you’d need to actually play the copyrighted Nintendo works.
While I haven’t yet been able to recompile a random game myself with the tool (it currently requires metadata that seemingly needs to be harvested from a game), and I can’t personally vouch for how well Majora’s Mask works after hours and hours of play, the video by YouTuber Nerrel atop this story makes it sound pretty fantastic.

I thought opening the impossible door in Mario 64 was the coolest thing that’d happened to the Nintendo 64 in years, but Mr. Wiseguy’s just-released N64 Recompiled blows me away. It’s a tool that theoretically lets you turn any N64 game into a native PC port, the better to play and preserve N64 games — and to showcase its abilities, you can already download Windows and Linux-native apps for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask that seem to run incredibly well.

It almost seems too good to be true: I just double-clicked an EXE file on my Windows laptop, told the app where to find a Majora’s Mask ROM file, and was immediately playing a copy of the game that felt incredibly responsive to my every press on a 165Hz variable refresh rate screen, with remappable controls, adjustable resolution, and a primitive form of auto-save.

Now imagine if you could do that for any Nintendo 64 game! Wiseguy says their tool works by statically recompiling N64 binaries into C code that can then be compiled into native apps for any platform and has even gotten the dreaded Superman 64 to work.

What’s more, Wiseguy says N64 ray tracing and texture packs are also on the way! He’s got teasers in this video:

To be clear, these recompiled N64 apps do not include the game itself, which is part of their charm — while protective Nintendo lawyers might argue they encourage piracy, they do not redistribute the ROM files you’d need to actually play the copyrighted Nintendo works.

While I haven’t yet been able to recompile a random game myself with the tool (it currently requires metadata that seemingly needs to be harvested from a game), and I can’t personally vouch for how well Majora’s Mask works after hours and hours of play, the video by YouTuber Nerrel atop this story makes it sound pretty fantastic.

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Image: Apple

Even if subscribers are outside cellular or Wi-Fi range (or if there’s a massive outage), Apple News Plus on iOS 17.5 can still supply them content now that it’s added Offline Mode — this must’ve been farther down the list from Apple Maps, which added offline navigation last year in the iOS 17 update. Top Stories, Apple News Today audio briefings, magazines, narrated articles, and puzzles can automatically download to your iPhone or iPad, all optimized to maximize space on the devices.
As promised, the latest updates across macOS, iPadOS, and other platforms also add another word game for News Plus subscribers called Quartiles, competing with The New York Times’ growing library of games and even LinkedIn. The New Plus Puzzles section also adds a new Scoreboard with player data like stats and streaks for Quartiles, Crossword, and Mini Crossword.

Image: Apple

There’s also a new Pride Radiance wallpaper for Apple lock screens, security updates, and support for the new cross-platform notification system that warns people on their iPhone or Android device if a Bluetooth tracker seems to be following them around.
This latest round of updates (iOS and iPadOS 17.5 / 16.7.8, macOS 14.5 / 13.6.7 / 12.7.5, tvOS 17.5, and watchOS 10.5) also patches a number of security flaws that could do things like let a malicious app find a user’s location when it wasn’t supposed to or access protected data, so update your Apple devices ASAP.

Image: Apple

Even if subscribers are outside cellular or Wi-Fi range (or if there’s a massive outage), Apple News Plus on iOS 17.5 can still supply them content now that it’s added Offline Mode — this must’ve been farther down the list from Apple Maps, which added offline navigation last year in the iOS 17 update. Top Stories, Apple News Today audio briefings, magazines, narrated articles, and puzzles can automatically download to your iPhone or iPad, all optimized to maximize space on the devices.

As promised, the latest updates across macOS, iPadOS, and other platforms also add another word game for News Plus subscribers called Quartiles, competing with The New York Times’ growing library of games and even LinkedIn. The New Plus Puzzles section also adds a new Scoreboard with player data like stats and streaks for Quartiles, Crossword, and Mini Crossword.

Image: Apple

There’s also a new Pride Radiance wallpaper for Apple lock screens, security updates, and support for the new cross-platform notification system that warns people on their iPhone or Android device if a Bluetooth tracker seems to be following them around.

This latest round of updates (iOS and iPadOS 17.5 / 16.7.8, macOS 14.5 / 13.6.7 / 12.7.5, tvOS 17.5, and watchOS 10.5) also patches a number of security flaws that could do things like let a malicious app find a user’s location when it wasn’t supposed to or access protected data, so update your Apple devices ASAP.

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Photo: Getty Images

Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are officially back on the road and driving autonomously for the first time since one of its driverless vehicles dragged a pedestrian over 20 feet in San Francisco.
Cruise said last month that it would resume testing with manually driven vehicles focused on mapping and gathering road information — minor tasks for a company with as many autonomous miles as Cruise. But Cruise needs to show local officials that it is suitably apologetic for the pedestrian-dragging incident by going slow and talking a lot about safety and trust. The company is deploying its vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, which has long been a hotbed for autonomous vehicle testing.
Cruise needs to show local officials that it is suitably apologetic
Cruise spokesperson Tiffany Testo said the company is deploying only two autonomous vehicles with safety drivers behind the wheel. In addition, the company has eight manually driven vehicles in the city. Eventually, the service area will “gradually expand” to include Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler — “measured against predetermined safety benchmarks.”
Cruise’s slow return to the road is noteworthy, given the huge hurdles facing the company in the wake of the October incident. Regulators accused the company of misleading them about the nature and severity of the incident, in which a pedestrian was dragged over 20 feet by a driverless Cruise after first being struck by a hit-and-run driver.
Several top executives have since left the company, including founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, and around a quarter of employees were laid off. GM has said it will reduce its spending on Cruise. And an outside report found evidence that a culture of antagonism toward regulators contributed to many of the failings.
With all that was going wrong, GM could have pulled the plug on Cruise. Indeed, the robotaxi company has been a huge financial drag on the automaker, losing $3.48 billion in 2023. Other car companies have pulled funding for their autonomous vehicle projects for much less. But instead, GM is sticking with it — and Cruise is gearing up to get back on the road — which is a sign that despite all its setbacks, the automaker is still intent on jockeying with Waymo, Tesla, and others for a spot in the race toward an autonomous future.

Photo: Getty Images

Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are officially back on the road and driving autonomously for the first time since one of its driverless vehicles dragged a pedestrian over 20 feet in San Francisco.

Cruise said last month that it would resume testing with manually driven vehicles focused on mapping and gathering road information — minor tasks for a company with as many autonomous miles as Cruise. But Cruise needs to show local officials that it is suitably apologetic for the pedestrian-dragging incident by going slow and talking a lot about safety and trust. The company is deploying its vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, which has long been a hotbed for autonomous vehicle testing.

Cruise spokesperson Tiffany Testo said the company is deploying only two autonomous vehicles with safety drivers behind the wheel. In addition, the company has eight manually driven vehicles in the city. Eventually, the service area will “gradually expand” to include Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler — “measured against predetermined safety benchmarks.”

Cruise’s slow return to the road is noteworthy, given the huge hurdles facing the company in the wake of the October incident. Regulators accused the company of misleading them about the nature and severity of the incident, in which a pedestrian was dragged over 20 feet by a driverless Cruise after first being struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Several top executives have since left the company, including founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, and around a quarter of employees were laid off. GM has said it will reduce its spending on Cruise. And an outside report found evidence that a culture of antagonism toward regulators contributed to many of the failings.

With all that was going wrong, GM could have pulled the plug on Cruise. Indeed, the robotaxi company has been a huge financial drag on the automaker, losing $3.48 billion in 2023. Other car companies have pulled funding for their autonomous vehicle projects for much less. But instead, GM is sticking with it — and Cruise is gearing up to get back on the road — which is a sign that despite all its setbacks, the automaker is still intent on jockeying with Waymo, Tesla, and others for a spot in the race toward an autonomous future.

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Denon Home smart speakers now support Apple’s Siri voice assistant. | Image: Denon

Way back in 2021, Ecobee’s thermostats became the first non-Apple device to integrate Siri voice control into its hardware, following Apple’s making the voice assistant available to third-party devices at WWDC that year. Fast-forward a few years, and there’s finally another device with Siri on board: Denon smart speakers.
While primarily known for its receivers, Denon’s line of wireless whole-home audio and music-streaming smart speakers position it as a competitor to Sonos and Bose. Denon also happens to be owned by Masimo Consumer Audio, a division of Masimo, the company whose patent infringement case around its pulse oximetry tech is currently blocking some of the Apple Watch’s health features.

The hardware support for Siri on Denon speakers, first reported on by HomeKit News, came with the U32 firmware update released in December. It allows you to talk to Apple’s assistant through the speakers to control music playback, initiate smart home commands through Apple Home, or do most of anything you are used to using Siri for. Unlike using Siri on an Ecobee Thermostat, the audio quality should be a lot better on a Denon speaker than the thermostat on your wall.
Models with the capability include the Denon Home series 150, 250, 350, and Soundbar 550, which start at $250. These all offer Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration and Apple AirPlay 2 support, too, but as with the Ecobee thermostat, you can’t have both Siri and Alexa running simultaneously; you need to choose one or the other. And, as Siri is not built into the device, you also need to have a HomePod or HomePod Mini on the same Wi-Fi network to process the commands. Denon has instructions for activating the new Siri feature on its site.

Denon Home smart speakers now support Apple’s Siri voice assistant. | Image: Denon

Way back in 2021, Ecobee’s thermostats became the first non-Apple device to integrate Siri voice control into its hardware, following Apple’s making the voice assistant available to third-party devices at WWDC that year. Fast-forward a few years, and there’s finally another device with Siri on board: Denon smart speakers.

While primarily known for its receivers, Denon’s line of wireless whole-home audio and music-streaming smart speakers position it as a competitor to Sonos and Bose. Denon also happens to be owned by Masimo Consumer Audio, a division of Masimo, the company whose patent infringement case around its pulse oximetry tech is currently blocking some of the Apple Watch’s health features.

The hardware support for Siri on Denon speakers, first reported on by HomeKit News, came with the U32 firmware update released in December. It allows you to talk to Apple’s assistant through the speakers to control music playback, initiate smart home commands through Apple Home, or do most of anything you are used to using Siri for. Unlike using Siri on an Ecobee Thermostat, the audio quality should be a lot better on a Denon speaker than the thermostat on your wall.

Models with the capability include the Denon Home series 150, 250, 350, and Soundbar 550, which start at $250. These all offer Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration and Apple AirPlay 2 support, too, but as with the Ecobee thermostat, you can’t have both Siri and Alexa running simultaneously; you need to choose one or the other. And, as Siri is not built into the device, you also need to have a HomePod or HomePod Mini on the same Wi-Fi network to process the commands. Denon has instructions for activating the new Siri feature on its site.

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Life360 owns Tile, which makes popular location trackers like the Tile Pro. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

Tile is promising satellite connectivity for its Bluetooth trackers in a move that could boost the company as an independent alternative to its Big Tech rivals: Apple’s Find My network and Google’s newly revamped Find My Device network.
Life360, the family locator and safety service company that bought Tile in 2021 announced a partnership with the satellite company Hubble Network as it introduces “Find with Life360,” a global location tracking network rival with an API that’s open for use by other developers. They say that using Hubble’s satellites, Tile trackers will eventually be able to find items on both Android and iPhone devices even outside the range of cellular connectivity.
Hubble says it has two satellites operating already, with plans to launch 94 more satellites into orbit by 2028. Tile the Find with Life360 network will be compatible with the forthcoming Tile Pro and Tile Slim, which are due for launch in the second half of 2024.

The expanded range of Life360’s network still leaves questions about safety and privacy that have arisen around Bluetooth tracking devices. Life360 exited the business of selling precise user location data in 2022, but a proposed class action lawsuit was filed against the company last year, claiming it failed to get consent before selling data. Last year, stalking victims later filed a class action lawsuit accusing Life360 of failing to implement useful safety features and launching advertising campaigns that encouraged stalking.
In 2023, Tile launched “Scan and Secure” as an anti-stalking feature so users can see if there are any Tile trackers nearby. However, you have the option of disabling the tech, “thereby intentionally thwarting any recourse or protection a potential victim might have,” according to the complaint.
Our testing in 2022 showed how devices like AirTags could be misused. However, Apple has at least rolled out some meaningful improvements, with louder sound alerts and iPhone notifications when an AirTag is moving with somebody besides its owner, and today, Apple and Google announced they’ve launched support for a new industry specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, that works across both iOS and Android.

Life360 owns Tile, which makes popular location trackers like the Tile Pro. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

Tile is promising satellite connectivity for its Bluetooth trackers in a move that could boost the company as an independent alternative to its Big Tech rivals: Apple’s Find My network and Google’s newly revamped Find My Device network.

Life360, the family locator and safety service company that bought Tile in 2021 announced a partnership with the satellite company Hubble Network as it introduces “Find with Life360,” a global location tracking network rival with an API that’s open for use by other developers. They say that using Hubble’s satellites, Tile trackers will eventually be able to find items on both Android and iPhone devices even outside the range of cellular connectivity.

Hubble says it has two satellites operating already, with plans to launch 94 more satellites into orbit by 2028. Tile the Find with Life360 network will be compatible with the forthcoming Tile Pro and Tile Slim, which are due for launch in the second half of 2024.

The expanded range of Life360’s network still leaves questions about safety and privacy that have arisen around Bluetooth tracking devices. Life360 exited the business of selling precise user location data in 2022, but a proposed class action lawsuit was filed against the company last year, claiming it failed to get consent before selling data. Last year, stalking victims later filed a class action lawsuit accusing Life360 of failing to implement useful safety features and launching advertising campaigns that encouraged stalking.

In 2023, Tile launched “Scan and Secure” as an anti-stalking feature so users can see if there are any Tile trackers nearby. However, you have the option of disabling the tech, “thereby intentionally thwarting any recourse or protection a potential victim might have,” according to the complaint.

Our testing in 2022 showed how devices like AirTags could be misused. However, Apple has at least rolled out some meaningful improvements, with louder sound alerts and iPhone notifications when an AirTag is moving with somebody besides its owner, and today, Apple and Google announced they’ve launched support for a new industry specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, that works across both iOS and Android.

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The Vision Pro could be available in some international regions shortly after Apple’s WWDC event next month. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch its $3,499 Vision Pro outside of the US for the first time, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, with the mixed reality headset’s international rollout expected to start shortly after the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference early next month.
On Monday, Gurman reported that Apple has flown “hundreds of employees from its international stores” over to its offices in Cupertino, California, to show them how to demonstrate the device. Training sessions reportedly started last week, with courses taking up to four days to complete according to Gurman’s sources.
Apple staffers from Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China are included in the training, but apparently, the company hasn’t told these employees which locations the Vision Pro will actually be launched in. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously promised that the headset will arrive in China sometime in 2024. Other rumors reported by Bloomberg have also suggested Apple will prioritize launching in the UK and Canada, though those regions are notably absent here.
Some US Apple stores are reportedly only selling a couple of Vision Pro units per week
Regardless, this launch will be the first opportunity for overseas customers to purchase the Vision Pro via official channels, which could give the device a needed sales boost. While Apple hasn’t reported how many Vision Pros have been sold, Bloomberg says some US Apple stores are only selling a couple of units per week and that even resellers in places like Hong Kong are listing the gadget below its retail price.
The limited number of apps and its eye-watering price tag are just a few factors impacting the Vision Pro’s mainstream appeal, but it could fare better in countries like China and Japan, where virtual reality tech is less niche.
The current employee training is apparently reminiscent of what US-based Apple staffers underwent to prepare for the US launch, meaning international customers may also be presented with a roughly 20-minute pitch if they request a product demo. It’s unclear if overseas customers will also be required to make appointments for demos, as bookings in the US have “declined significantly,” according to Bloomberg — if customers bother to turn up at all.

The Vision Pro could be available in some international regions shortly after Apple’s WWDC event next month. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch its $3,499 Vision Pro outside of the US for the first time, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, with the mixed reality headset’s international rollout expected to start shortly after the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference early next month.

On Monday, Gurman reported that Apple has flown “hundreds of employees from its international stores” over to its offices in Cupertino, California, to show them how to demonstrate the device. Training sessions reportedly started last week, with courses taking up to four days to complete according to Gurman’s sources.

Apple staffers from Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China are included in the training, but apparently, the company hasn’t told these employees which locations the Vision Pro will actually be launched in. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously promised that the headset will arrive in China sometime in 2024. Other rumors reported by Bloomberg have also suggested Apple will prioritize launching in the UK and Canada, though those regions are notably absent here.

Regardless, this launch will be the first opportunity for overseas customers to purchase the Vision Pro via official channels, which could give the device a needed sales boost. While Apple hasn’t reported how many Vision Pros have been sold, Bloomberg says some US Apple stores are only selling a couple of units per week and that even resellers in places like Hong Kong are listing the gadget below its retail price.

The limited number of apps and its eye-watering price tag are just a few factors impacting the Vision Pro’s mainstream appeal, but it could fare better in countries like China and Japan, where virtual reality tech is less niche.

The current employee training is apparently reminiscent of what US-based Apple staffers underwent to prepare for the US launch, meaning international customers may also be presented with a roughly 20-minute pitch if they request a product demo. It’s unclear if overseas customers will also be required to make appointments for demos, as bookings in the US have “declined significantly,” according to Bloomberg — if customers bother to turn up at all.

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The screen on the 2024 iPad Pro is a hair bigger, yet the tablet is somehow thinner and lighter than the prior model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The newest iPad Pro and iPad Air models don’t hit store shelves until Wednesday, May 15th, but we’re already seeing preorder discounts on select colors ahead of the launch. The 11-inch iPad Air is down to $569.99 ($30 off) with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage at Amazon, while the base 13-inch iPad Air is going for 769.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, the 256GB 11-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip / Wi-Fi is down to $949.99 ($50 off) at Amazon; you can also save $50 on all 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models at Best Buy if you’re a My Best Buy Total or Plus member (which itself starts at $49.99 a year).

We can’t speak to their worth just yet, but the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro are likely to be safe bets. On paper, neither rock the boat so much that you should expect a vastly different user experience from that of their predecessors. The latest iPad Air, for example, now has a Wi-Fi 6E radio and a last-gen M2 chip — which enables hover support for the second-gen Apple Pencil — but is also now available in a bigger 13-inch size in addition to the 11-inch model.
The iPad Pro, on the other hand, offers a more impressive jump. Apple has found a way to make it even thinner and lighter, for starters, while including a new M4 chip that features dedicated computing headroom for the advanced AI features iPadOS may receive at WWDC next month. It also touts a brilliant OLED display and exclusive compatibility with the new $129 Apple Pencil Pro, which offers haptic feedback, new gestures, and a gyroscope sensor for added control and precision.

Read our 2024 iPad Pro hands-on impressions.

A few more deals worth a look

The new Beats Solo 4 are on sale for around $149.95 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. It’s the first sale we’ve noticed on the refreshed on-ear headphones, which support features like Fast Pairing and Find My in addition to Bluetooth and wired audio over USB-C and the 3.5mm jack. Aesthetically, they’re very similar to the Beats Solo 3 and sound pretty good, even when the battery dies and you’re using them wired. They’re also more comfy than the last-gen model and offer 50 hours of battery life, though they lack premium features like ANC and waterproofing. Read our review.

Anker’s 615 USB Power Strip is down to $35.99 ($24 off) at Amazon for Prime members when you clip the on-page coupon. The 65W GaNPrime travel charger bears two three-pronged AC outlets, two USB-C ports, and a USB-A port. The three-foot power cable fits perfectly into the recessed groove that Anker built into the middle of the charging brick, too, allowing you to stow the cable neatly using the included rubber cover when traveling.
Now until May 29th, you can get a Street Fighter II Arcade1Up cabinet for $324.99 ($175 off) with a 90-day warranty at Woot. The Capcom-licensed cabinet comes with a matching riser and 12 games. This includes six different versions of Street Fighter II and six other classic titles: Darkstalkers; Final Fight; Commando; 1944; Strider; and Ghosts ‘n Goblins. You can switch between games at will (no coin drop required) and play them on the included 17-inch screen.

The screen on the 2024 iPad Pro is a hair bigger, yet the tablet is somehow thinner and lighter than the prior model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

The newest iPad Pro and iPad Air models don’t hit store shelves until Wednesday, May 15th, but we’re already seeing preorder discounts on select colors ahead of the launch. The 11-inch iPad Air is down to $569.99 ($30 off) with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage at Amazon, while the base 13-inch iPad Air is going for 769.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, the 256GB 11-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip / Wi-Fi is down to $949.99 ($50 off) at Amazon; you can also save $50 on all 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models at Best Buy if you’re a My Best Buy Total or Plus member (which itself starts at $49.99 a year).

We can’t speak to their worth just yet, but the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro are likely to be safe bets. On paper, neither rock the boat so much that you should expect a vastly different user experience from that of their predecessors. The latest iPad Air, for example, now has a Wi-Fi 6E radio and a last-gen M2 chip — which enables hover support for the second-gen Apple Pencil — but is also now available in a bigger 13-inch size in addition to the 11-inch model.

The iPad Pro, on the other hand, offers a more impressive jump. Apple has found a way to make it even thinner and lighter, for starters, while including a new M4 chip that features dedicated computing headroom for the advanced AI features iPadOS may receive at WWDC next month. It also touts a brilliant OLED display and exclusive compatibility with the new $129 Apple Pencil Pro, which offers haptic feedback, new gestures, and a gyroscope sensor for added control and precision.

Read our 2024 iPad Pro hands-on impressions.

A few more deals worth a look

The new Beats Solo 4 are on sale for around $149.95 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. It’s the first sale we’ve noticed on the refreshed on-ear headphones, which support features like Fast Pairing and Find My in addition to Bluetooth and wired audio over USB-C and the 3.5mm jack. Aesthetically, they’re very similar to the Beats Solo 3 and sound pretty good, even when the battery dies and you’re using them wired. They’re also more comfy than the last-gen model and offer 50 hours of battery life, though they lack premium features like ANC and waterproofing. Read our review.

Anker’s 615 USB Power Strip is down to $35.99 ($24 off) at Amazon for Prime members when you clip the on-page coupon. The 65W GaNPrime travel charger bears two three-pronged AC outlets, two USB-C ports, and a USB-A port. The three-foot power cable fits perfectly into the recessed groove that Anker built into the middle of the charging brick, too, allowing you to stow the cable neatly using the included rubber cover when traveling.
Now until May 29th, you can get a Street Fighter II Arcade1Up cabinet for $324.99 ($175 off) with a 90-day warranty at Woot. The Capcom-licensed cabinet comes with a matching riser and 12 games. This includes six different versions of Street Fighter II and six other classic titles: Darkstalkers; Final Fight; Commando; 1944; Strider; and Ghosts ‘n Goblins. You can switch between games at will (no coin drop required) and play them on the included 17-inch screen.

Read More