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Image: The Verge

Imagine an iPhone. But slightly bigger. And slightly faster. Okay, now add another button to the side. Make it gold. You in?
Apple’s next event is on Monday, and the rumors and reports have been swirling for months about what we will and won’t see. New iPhones are a safe bet. New Apple Watches seem to be on the docket, and there’s strong evidence we’ll get some new AirPods, too. There’s even some smoke suggesting a new Mac Mini is in the offing… but that’s probably coming a bit later.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss all the rumors, reports, speculation, and blatant wishful thinking surrounding the event. We talk a lot about cameras because that’s frankly mostly what iPhones are for now, and we talk a lot about AI because that’s what Apple wants iPhones to be for going forward.
Once we finish with Apple, we talk about the gadget news of this week, which is all the stuff coming out of IFA. It’s a big year for phones, laptops, smart home stuff, and much more, and it’s an especially big year for wild new ideas about how screens are supposed to work. We dig into all of what’s happening in Germany this year.
Finally, in the lightning round, we talk about Verizon’s boomerang purchase of Frontier, Snap’s turn toward in-your-face ads, Concord’s brutal flop, and a new way to make money in the fediverse. Turns out the business of the internet, no matter which part of the internet you’re working on, is complicated.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Apple:

Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event is set for September
Apple’s iPhone 16 event: how to watch and what to expect
Apple’s rumored Mac Mini redesign may ditch the USB-A port
Is our long FineWoven nightmare almost over?
Ted Lasso could come back for a fourth season
From MacRumors: What Not to Expect at Apple Event on September 9: ‘It’s Glowtime’

And on IFA gadgets:

IFA 2024: all the news from the big Berlin tech show
The Remarkable Paper Pro is as outrageous as it is luxurious
Honor’s superthin foldable is another cool phone the US won’t get
TCL’s new Nxtpaper phones have a dedicated button for maximum monochrome

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is TCL’s new Nxtpaper phones have a dedicated button for maximum monochrome

Our first official look at Huawei’s tri-fold.
Acer’s first handheld gaming PC is the Nitro Blaze
DJI’s $199 Neo selfie drone is going to be everywhere
Acer’s Project DualPlay concept laptop has a pop-out controller and speakers
Acer’s 14-inch laptops claim 24 hours of battery life from Intel, Qualcomm, or AMD
Qualcomm’s new eight-core Snapdragon X Plus makes these Windows laptops cheaper
IFA 2024: hands-on (and off) with Lenovo’s Auto Twist AI PC concept
Intel strikes back against Windows on Arm

And in the lightning round:

Nilay Patel’s pick: Verizon looks to expand Fios with $20 billion purchase of Frontier

David Pierce’s pick: Snapchat to put ads next to chats with friends

Alex Cranz’s pick: Concord was worse than bad — it was forgettable

Nilay’s other pick: Sub.club is here to help the fediverse make money

Image: The Verge

Imagine an iPhone. But slightly bigger. And slightly faster. Okay, now add another button to the side. Make it gold. You in?

Apple’s next event is on Monday, and the rumors and reports have been swirling for months about what we will and won’t see. New iPhones are a safe bet. New Apple Watches seem to be on the docket, and there’s strong evidence we’ll get some new AirPods, too. There’s even some smoke suggesting a new Mac Mini is in the offing… but that’s probably coming a bit later.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss all the rumors, reports, speculation, and blatant wishful thinking surrounding the event. We talk a lot about cameras because that’s frankly mostly what iPhones are for now, and we talk a lot about AI because that’s what Apple wants iPhones to be for going forward.

Once we finish with Apple, we talk about the gadget news of this week, which is all the stuff coming out of IFA. It’s a big year for phones, laptops, smart home stuff, and much more, and it’s an especially big year for wild new ideas about how screens are supposed to work. We dig into all of what’s happening in Germany this year.

Finally, in the lightning round, we talk about Verizon’s boomerang purchase of Frontier, Snap’s turn toward in-your-face ads, Concord’s brutal flop, and a new way to make money in the fediverse. Turns out the business of the internet, no matter which part of the internet you’re working on, is complicated.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Apple:

Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event is set for September
Apple’s iPhone 16 event: how to watch and what to expect
Apple’s rumored Mac Mini redesign may ditch the USB-A port
Is our long FineWoven nightmare almost over?
Ted Lasso could come back for a fourth season
From MacRumors: What Not to Expect at Apple Event on September 9: ‘It’s Glowtime’

And on IFA gadgets:

IFA 2024: all the news from the big Berlin tech show
The Remarkable Paper Pro is as outrageous as it is luxurious
Honor’s superthin foldable is another cool phone the US won’t get
TCL’s new Nxtpaper phones have a dedicated button for maximum monochrome

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is TCL’s new Nxtpaper phones have a dedicated button for maximum monochrome

Our first official look at Huawei’s tri-fold.
Acer’s first handheld gaming PC is the Nitro Blaze
DJI’s $199 Neo selfie drone is going to be everywhere
Acer’s Project DualPlay concept laptop has a pop-out controller and speakers
Acer’s 14-inch laptops claim 24 hours of battery life from Intel, Qualcomm, or AMD
Qualcomm’s new eight-core Snapdragon X Plus makes these Windows laptops cheaper
IFA 2024: hands-on (and off) with Lenovo’s Auto Twist AI PC concept
Intel strikes back against Windows on Arm

And in the lightning round:

Nilay Patel’s pick: Verizon looks to expand Fios with $20 billion purchase of Frontier

David Pierce’s pick: Snapchat to put ads next to chats with friends

Alex Cranz’s pick: Concord was worse than bad — it was forgettable

Nilay’s other pick: Sub.club is here to help the fediverse make money

Read More 

Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding a handful of new features to direct messages, including photo editing capabilities and stickers.
Users will be able to edit photos by drawing on them or adding stickers before sending them via DM, similar to editing features that already exist for Instagram Stories. The company also said users will be able to make their own custom stickers from existing photos and use them in DMs. Put together, the photo editing tools in chats are expanding to be closer to Stories.

Instagram is also adding new chat themes that change the look and design of DMs, like a fall theme or one promoting a new album by pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Users can also now add a birthday cake icon to Notes, the away status-like blurb that is visible at the top of users’ DM inboxes.
Direct messaging has been an area of growth for Instagram, according to company head Adam Mosseri, so it’s not surprising that there’s an emphasis placed on new tools and features. In fact, messaging is so important that Instagram uses it in part to rank content on the platform: in July, Mosseri said that a key thing Instagram looks at for ranking is how much a post is sent via DMs.
“Think about making content that people would want to send to a friend, to someone that they care about, and it will help your reach over time,” he said in a video.

Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding a handful of new features to direct messages, including photo editing capabilities and stickers.

Users will be able to edit photos by drawing on them or adding stickers before sending them via DM, similar to editing features that already exist for Instagram Stories. The company also said users will be able to make their own custom stickers from existing photos and use them in DMs. Put together, the photo editing tools in chats are expanding to be closer to Stories.

Instagram is also adding new chat themes that change the look and design of DMs, like a fall theme or one promoting a new album by pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Users can also now add a birthday cake icon to Notes, the away status-like blurb that is visible at the top of users’ DM inboxes.

Direct messaging has been an area of growth for Instagram, according to company head Adam Mosseri, so it’s not surprising that there’s an emphasis placed on new tools and features. In fact, messaging is so important that Instagram uses it in part to rank content on the platform: in July, Mosseri said that a key thing Instagram looks at for ranking is how much a post is sent via DMs.

“Think about making content that people would want to send to a friend, to someone that they care about, and it will help your reach over time,” he said in a video.

Read More 

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Former President Donald Trump says that if reelected, he’ll create a government efficiency task force — and that Elon Musk has already agreed to lead it. During a speech in New York on Thursday, Trump said the new efficiency commission would conduct a “complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” and make recommendations for “drastic reforms.”
Musk’s companies are recipients of government spending, with records showing Tesla has received nearly 13 percent of the EV charging awards granted as part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law, according to Politico. Meanwhile, SpaceX has received billions in federal funding since its inception.

As we noted after Musk endorsed Trump in July, that came despite the former president’s support of a plan to roll back the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. It would eliminate the tax credit incentive for electric vehicles, but Musk claimed in a tweet that it would “only help Tesla.”
Trump says the commission comes “at the suggestion” of the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who previously showed his interest in such a role during an interview with Trump on X. Last month, Musk also posted what appears to be an AI-generated image of himself at a podium labeled “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk said on X following Trump’s speech. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”
During last month’s interview, the former president called Musk the “greatest cutter,” in reference to the thousands of workers he laid off at Tesla earlier this year, along with massive job cuts at Twitter that gutted around half of the company’s workforce.

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Former President Donald Trump says that if reelected, he’ll create a government efficiency task force — and that Elon Musk has already agreed to lead it. During a speech in New York on Thursday, Trump said the new efficiency commission would conduct a “complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” and make recommendations for “drastic reforms.”

Musk’s companies are recipients of government spending, with records showing Tesla has received nearly 13 percent of the EV charging awards granted as part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law, according to Politico. Meanwhile, SpaceX has received billions in federal funding since its inception.

As we noted after Musk endorsed Trump in July, that came despite the former president’s support of a plan to roll back the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. It would eliminate the tax credit incentive for electric vehicles, but Musk claimed in a tweet that it would “only help Tesla.”

Trump says the commission comes “at the suggestion” of the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who previously showed his interest in such a role during an interview with Trump on X. Last month, Musk also posted what appears to be an AI-generated image of himself at a podium labeled “Department of Government Efficiency.”

“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk said on X following Trump’s speech. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”

During last month’s interview, the former president called Musk the “greatest cutter,” in reference to the thousands of workers he laid off at Tesla earlier this year, along with massive job cuts at Twitter that gutted around half of the company’s workforce.

Read More 

Midea is delivering some of the first cordless kitchen appliances with its new Celestial Flex Series collection. | Image: Midea

Days after the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced it had finalized its Ki wireless power transfer standard, Midea has debuted its first line of cordless kitchen appliances that wirelessly draw all the power they need using the Ki induction technology.
Cooktops that use electromagnetic induction to heat pots and pans have been available in kitchens for years, but Midea is one of the first companies to leverage that technology to wirelessly deliver power to appliances. Its new Celestial Flex Series includes a blender, steamer, and kettle that simply need to be placed on top of an induction plate to run.
Midea is a member of the WPC and participated in the development of the Ki standard, so it makes sense that it would be one of the first companies to bring this technology to consumers. However, Midea hasn’t shared details on when the Celestial Flex Series will go on sale or how much the convenience of wireless power will add to the cost of these new kitchen appliances.

Image: Midea
The Midea One Oven combines several kitchen appliances into a single unit.

The company also announced another appliance today that could help further reduce clutter in a kitchen. The Midea One Oven looks like a traditional oven large enough to handle a Thanksgiving turkey, but it’s a multifunction device that also serves as a microwave, a steamer, and an air fryer.
In addition to space-saving benefits, the Midea One Oven features automated cooking programs that take advantage of its various capabilities to prep a meal. It can start by defrosting frozen foods with a microwave cycle and then steam them before finishing with a quick frill under the broiler. Cleanup will also be easier than a traditional oven with the Midea One Oven’s steam cleaning capabilities.
As with Midea’s new wireless appliances, the company hasn’t shared pricing or availability details for its new multifunction oven.

Midea is delivering some of the first cordless kitchen appliances with its new Celestial Flex Series collection. | Image: Midea

Days after the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced it had finalized its Ki wireless power transfer standard, Midea has debuted its first line of cordless kitchen appliances that wirelessly draw all the power they need using the Ki induction technology.

Cooktops that use electromagnetic induction to heat pots and pans have been available in kitchens for years, but Midea is one of the first companies to leverage that technology to wirelessly deliver power to appliances. Its new Celestial Flex Series includes a blender, steamer, and kettle that simply need to be placed on top of an induction plate to run.

Midea is a member of the WPC and participated in the development of the Ki standard, so it makes sense that it would be one of the first companies to bring this technology to consumers. However, Midea hasn’t shared details on when the Celestial Flex Series will go on sale or how much the convenience of wireless power will add to the cost of these new kitchen appliances.

Image: Midea
The Midea One Oven combines several kitchen appliances into a single unit.

The company also announced another appliance today that could help further reduce clutter in a kitchen. The Midea One Oven looks like a traditional oven large enough to handle a Thanksgiving turkey, but it’s a multifunction device that also serves as a microwave, a steamer, and an air fryer.

In addition to space-saving benefits, the Midea One Oven features automated cooking programs that take advantage of its various capabilities to prep a meal. It can start by defrosting frozen foods with a microwave cycle and then steam them before finishing with a quick frill under the broiler. Cleanup will also be easier than a traditional oven with the Midea One Oven’s steam cleaning capabilities.

As with Midea’s new wireless appliances, the company hasn’t shared pricing or availability details for its new multifunction oven.

Read More 

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

The cheaper option among our top picks for robovacs that can also mop your floors just got even cheaper. The Dreame L20 Ultra hybrid robot vacuum / mop is selling for a new low price of $699 ($700 off) at Wellbots until September 15th when you use checkout code VERGE100.

Dreame may not be the household name that iRobot’s Roomba line is, but it makes some of the best hybrid cleaning bots around for both vacuuming and mopping your floors. The pricier X40 Ultra is our top choice for best hybrid robovac, but the L20 Ultra makes for a much better value at this big discount. It features strong suction for picking up a sizable amount of dirt and getting down deep into carpets, obstacle avoidance, and the ability to automatically remove mop pads, making the hybrid approach a little less user-involved. Just keep in mind that its base station is an absolute chonk, so be sure you have the space for it.

Another dip in the deals trough

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has dropped to a new low price of $689 ($110 off) at Amazon, which is even $10 cheaper than it was during Amazon Prime Day. Hmm, I wonder if this big discount has anything to do with the upcoming event on September 9th? Well, if you’re okay with getting the Ultra 2 right before new Apple Watches are potentially announced, you’ll get a sizable 49mm smartwatch with excellent battery life that lasts a couple of days, a titanium case, and lots of advanced fitness functions. Just consider checking Amazon’s return policy if you do get some FOMO come Monday. Read our review.
The Insta360 Go 3 camera in white with 64GB of storage is $275 ($100 off) at B&H Photo. This tiny, pill-shaped action camera can record videos in up to 2.7K resolution and includes a detachable case with a flip-up screen for live view filming. Otherwise, when out of its case, the little Go 3 is small enough to fit on a cat’s collar and lasts for up to 170 minutes on a single charge. The newer Go 3S model came out earlier this summer with an upgrade to 4K, but the previous model is still a nice choice for a casual, waterproof action cam. Read our hands-on.

LG’s UltraGear 34GS95QE-B 34-inch OLED curved ultrawide gaming monitor is selling for $699.99 ($600 off) at Best Buy or direct from LG until 1AM ET on September 7th. The sizable OLED screen offers the expected excellent deep, dark blacks and color contrast, plus a fast 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. It’s not 4K, but the 3440 x 1440 QHD resolution is still plenty pixel-dense. It ticks a lot of the right boxes for a performant PC gaming monitor, especially at this discounted price, as long as you dig its 800R curve.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

The cheaper option among our top picks for robovacs that can also mop your floors just got even cheaper. The Dreame L20 Ultra hybrid robot vacuum / mop is selling for a new low price of $699 ($700 off) at Wellbots until September 15th when you use checkout code VERGE100.

Dreame may not be the household name that iRobot’s Roomba line is, but it makes some of the best hybrid cleaning bots around for both vacuuming and mopping your floors. The pricier X40 Ultra is our top choice for best hybrid robovac, but the L20 Ultra makes for a much better value at this big discount. It features strong suction for picking up a sizable amount of dirt and getting down deep into carpets, obstacle avoidance, and the ability to automatically remove mop pads, making the hybrid approach a little less user-involved. Just keep in mind that its base station is an absolute chonk, so be sure you have the space for it.

Another dip in the deals trough

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has dropped to a new low price of $689 ($110 off) at Amazon, which is even $10 cheaper than it was during Amazon Prime Day. Hmm, I wonder if this big discount has anything to do with the upcoming event on September 9th? Well, if you’re okay with getting the Ultra 2 right before new Apple Watches are potentially announced, you’ll get a sizable 49mm smartwatch with excellent battery life that lasts a couple of days, a titanium case, and lots of advanced fitness functions. Just consider checking Amazon’s return policy if you do get some FOMO come Monday. Read our review.
The Insta360 Go 3 camera in white with 64GB of storage is $275 ($100 off) at B&H Photo. This tiny, pill-shaped action camera can record videos in up to 2.7K resolution and includes a detachable case with a flip-up screen for live view filming. Otherwise, when out of its case, the little Go 3 is small enough to fit on a cat’s collar and lasts for up to 170 minutes on a single charge. The newer Go 3S model came out earlier this summer with an upgrade to 4K, but the previous model is still a nice choice for a casual, waterproof action cam. Read our hands-on.

LG’s UltraGear 34GS95QE-B 34-inch OLED curved ultrawide gaming monitor is selling for $699.99 ($600 off) at Best Buy or direct from LG until 1AM ET on September 7th. The sizable OLED screen offers the expected excellent deep, dark blacks and color contrast, plus a fast 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. It’s not 4K, but the 3440 x 1440 QHD resolution is still plenty pixel-dense. It ticks a lot of the right boxes for a performant PC gaming monitor, especially at this discounted price, as long as you dig its 800R curve.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

Google and the Justice Department are set for a rematch of sorts on Monday when they return to court to argue about Google’s alleged monopolistic behavior over how ads are bought and sold on the internet.
The DOJ is fresh off a win in its search antitrust case against Google, where a federal judge in Washington, DC, agreed that Google had illegally monopolized the online search market. This time, the two parties will argue before a different judge in Virginia about whether Google has also illegally monopolized markets for advertising technology.
“This is kind of a one-two punch,” says Vanderbilt Law School antitrust professor Rebecca Haw Allensworth. “Google is probably licking its wounds from having lost the last one. And it would be bad for it to lose this one, for sure.”
A loss in either case still wouldn’t mean the “end of Google,” Allensworth says. But for the government, “a second win could be real momentum in their project of going after Big Tech monopolies.” And in particular, she adds, it would validate the DOJ’s focus on vertical integration: the way that different business lines can be leveraged to grow a company’s dominance.
What the case is about
The DOJ is arguing that Google illegally monopolized the market for ad tech tools across the ecosystem. That includes the demand side of ad networks for buying space on websites, the supply side of publisher ad servers for hawking advertising inventory, and the exchanges like Google AdX that sit between the two.
The government says that Google exerted “a campaign to condition, control, and tax digital advertising transactions over 15 years” by illegally tying its tools together and excluding rivals from being able to fairly compete. The suit describes it as a ripple effect that began when Google built advertiser demand through its dominance in search. Then, Google bought publisher ad server DoubleClick in 2009, giving it a large publisher base that sought to connect with advertisers in its ad network, plus a nascent ad exchange. Once Google controlled all sides of the market, the DOJ alleges, it took exclusionary action to mutually reinforce its monopolies, including by manipulating ad auctions to give itself an advantage and placing unfair conditions on accessing its tools.
Google, on the other hand, says the government is basically looking to punish it for creating valuable tools with efficiencies that benefit publishers and advertisers who use them. It says the government’s view of the market doesn’t reflect reality and ignores vigorous competition it faces and the innovations it’s created to make its tools attractive to customers.
The case involves a highly technical market with lots of complicated tools and processes that most regular consumers — likely including the judge — don’t encounter every day. For that reason, Allensworth says, “a lot of it’s going to come down to who’s the best storyteller.”

The trial was initially going to be heard by a jury, but it’s now a bench trial after Google cut a reportedly $2.3 million check for what it said was the “maximum amount of damages” the government claimed in an effort to moot the jury demand. Google notably lost a recent antitrust jury trial to Epic Games in California.
The case is expected to last several weeks and will feature witnesses across the advertising and publishing industries. Some of the witnesses the DOJ said it could call include YouTube CEO Neal Mohan (who used to work on Google display ads), The Trade Desk chief revenue officer Jed Dederick, and BuzzFeed chief business officer Ken Blom. (Ryan Pauley, president of revenue and growth at The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, is also listed as a potential witness.)
What Google and the government will argue
A key point of contention is whether the government is seeking to force Google to deal with its competitors. In Verizon Communications, Inc. v. Law Offices of Curtis V. Trinko, the Supreme Court said that generally US antitrust law does not require firms to deal with rivals. When it comes to a duty to deal and litigating Google’s product design choices, Allensworth says, “the law there is very unfavorable for the government.”
Because of that, Allensworth says, “the government is sort of desperate to not frame this as a duty to deal, product design case when it comes to the conduct that’s being alleged.” Instead, the government will seek to “highlight the kind of shenanigans that Google got up to” and the short-term sacrifices it made to solidify its dominance.
The government will seek to “highlight the kind of shenanigans that Google got up to”
One of those “shenanigans” is how Google handled a strategy known as header bidding. Through header bidding, publishers figured out that they could send their ad calls to other ad exchanges before going to Google’s to maximize the bids on their inventory. Recognizing this as an “existential” threat, according to the DOJ, Google created “Open Bidding,” which required publishers and ad exchanges to give it visibility into how rival exchanges bid. The DOJ alleges that Open Bidding actually gave Google more insight into auctions, helped it extract more fees, and “disintermediated rival ad exchanges from their own publisher customers.”
Google “did its darnedest to … make it really hard to simultaneously have header bidding and also still get the most out of your relationship with Google as a publisher,” says Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, a senior analyst at Emarketer who covers the US digital ad market.
To explain why Google’s refusal to play with rivals’ products is wrong, the government may try to align its arguments with a different Supreme Court case, known as Aspen Skiing. In that case, a company bought three of four mountains in Aspen, Colorado, then discontinued a pass arrangement that gave skiers access to all four mountains. While there’s no duty to deal, the court found that the company sacrificed short-term profits to hurt its rival and grow its own dominance.
“Google will try to say, we never dealt with these other companies, our rivals, in any way that we changed,” Allensworth said. “And then the government’s going to try to come back and point to various things and frame them as a change in policy.”
For the publishers and advertisers who rely on Google’s tools, a ruling against the company (depending on the kinds of remedies determined) could lead to a very different way of doing business. Mitchell-Wolf says there could be plenty of “logistical headaches” if the Google ad tech stack were broken up, as these players would need to find alternatives that work well together in the short term. The longer-term hope of the government would be that such an action would revive competition in the industry. And some advertisers and publishers would “breathe a little bit of a sigh of relief,” Mitchell-Wolf says, to be able to loosen their reliance on Google.

Illustration: The Verge

Google and the Justice Department are set for a rematch of sorts on Monday when they return to court to argue about Google’s alleged monopolistic behavior over how ads are bought and sold on the internet.

The DOJ is fresh off a win in its search antitrust case against Google, where a federal judge in Washington, DC, agreed that Google had illegally monopolized the online search market. This time, the two parties will argue before a different judge in Virginia about whether Google has also illegally monopolized markets for advertising technology.

“This is kind of a one-two punch,” says Vanderbilt Law School antitrust professor Rebecca Haw Allensworth. “Google is probably licking its wounds from having lost the last one. And it would be bad for it to lose this one, for sure.”

A loss in either case still wouldn’t mean the “end of Google,” Allensworth says. But for the government, “a second win could be real momentum in their project of going after Big Tech monopolies.” And in particular, she adds, it would validate the DOJ’s focus on vertical integration: the way that different business lines can be leveraged to grow a company’s dominance.

What the case is about

The DOJ is arguing that Google illegally monopolized the market for ad tech tools across the ecosystem. That includes the demand side of ad networks for buying space on websites, the supply side of publisher ad servers for hawking advertising inventory, and the exchanges like Google AdX that sit between the two.

The government says that Google exerted “a campaign to condition, control, and tax digital advertising transactions over 15 years” by illegally tying its tools together and excluding rivals from being able to fairly compete. The suit describes it as a ripple effect that began when Google built advertiser demand through its dominance in search. Then, Google bought publisher ad server DoubleClick in 2009, giving it a large publisher base that sought to connect with advertisers in its ad network, plus a nascent ad exchange. Once Google controlled all sides of the market, the DOJ alleges, it took exclusionary action to mutually reinforce its monopolies, including by manipulating ad auctions to give itself an advantage and placing unfair conditions on accessing its tools.

Google, on the other hand, says the government is basically looking to punish it for creating valuable tools with efficiencies that benefit publishers and advertisers who use them. It says the government’s view of the market doesn’t reflect reality and ignores vigorous competition it faces and the innovations it’s created to make its tools attractive to customers.

The case involves a highly technical market with lots of complicated tools and processes that most regular consumers — likely including the judge — don’t encounter every day. For that reason, Allensworth says, “a lot of it’s going to come down to who’s the best storyteller.”

The trial was initially going to be heard by a jury, but it’s now a bench trial after Google cut a reportedly $2.3 million check for what it said was the “maximum amount of damages” the government claimed in an effort to moot the jury demand. Google notably lost a recent antitrust jury trial to Epic Games in California.

The case is expected to last several weeks and will feature witnesses across the advertising and publishing industries. Some of the witnesses the DOJ said it could call include YouTube CEO Neal Mohan (who used to work on Google display ads), The Trade Desk chief revenue officer Jed Dederick, and BuzzFeed chief business officer Ken Blom. (Ryan Pauley, president of revenue and growth at The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, is also listed as a potential witness.)

What Google and the government will argue

A key point of contention is whether the government is seeking to force Google to deal with its competitors. In Verizon Communications, Inc. v. Law Offices of Curtis V. Trinko, the Supreme Court said that generally US antitrust law does not require firms to deal with rivals. When it comes to a duty to deal and litigating Google’s product design choices, Allensworth says, “the law there is very unfavorable for the government.”

Because of that, Allensworth says, “the government is sort of desperate to not frame this as a duty to deal, product design case when it comes to the conduct that’s being alleged.” Instead, the government will seek to “highlight the kind of shenanigans that Google got up to” and the short-term sacrifices it made to solidify its dominance.

One of those “shenanigans” is how Google handled a strategy known as header bidding. Through header bidding, publishers figured out that they could send their ad calls to other ad exchanges before going to Google’s to maximize the bids on their inventory. Recognizing this as an “existential” threat, according to the DOJ, Google created “Open Bidding,” which required publishers and ad exchanges to give it visibility into how rival exchanges bid. The DOJ alleges that Open Bidding actually gave Google more insight into auctions, helped it extract more fees, and “disintermediated rival ad exchanges from their own publisher customers.”

Google “did its darnedest to … make it really hard to simultaneously have header bidding and also still get the most out of your relationship with Google as a publisher,” says Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, a senior analyst at Emarketer who covers the US digital ad market.

To explain why Google’s refusal to play with rivals’ products is wrong, the government may try to align its arguments with a different Supreme Court case, known as Aspen Skiing. In that case, a company bought three of four mountains in Aspen, Colorado, then discontinued a pass arrangement that gave skiers access to all four mountains. While there’s no duty to deal, the court found that the company sacrificed short-term profits to hurt its rival and grow its own dominance.

“Google will try to say, we never dealt with these other companies, our rivals, in any way that we changed,” Allensworth said. “And then the government’s going to try to come back and point to various things and frame them as a change in policy.”

For the publishers and advertisers who rely on Google’s tools, a ruling against the company (depending on the kinds of remedies determined) could lead to a very different way of doing business. Mitchell-Wolf says there could be plenty of “logistical headaches” if the Google ad tech stack were broken up, as these players would need to find alternatives that work well together in the short term. The longer-term hope of the government would be that such an action would revive competition in the industry. And some advertisers and publishers would “breathe a little bit of a sigh of relief,” Mitchell-Wolf says, to be able to loosen their reliance on Google.

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Snap Groups is basically Snap Layouts for Chromebooks. | Illustration: The Verge

Google is rolling out a new ChromeOS update that makes it easier to keep your on-screen apps organized, copy text from images, and adjust camera and microphone settings on Chromebook devices.
One of the more notable features introduced in ChromeOS 128 is Snap Groups — a feature similar to Windows 11’s Snap layouts that allows you to easily group apps together in a variety of fullscreen layouts. The feature is even triggered the same way as Microsoft does it, by hovering over the maximize app button.
The ChromeOS camera app now supports Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract text from captured images of letters or other documents. It allows users to copy or search the text in images, more easily convert images into searchable PDFs, and have the built-in ChromeOS screen reader speak image-based text. Google says its OCR supports both horizontal and vertical detection in 77 languages, and is disabled by default in photo mode.

Image: Google
Yup, this is basically Windows 11 Snap Layouts…which isn’t a bad thing!

Additionally, the Magnifier tool will now work with ChromeVox — allowing the screen magnifier to automatically follow words when text is read aloud, helping visually impaired users to keep their place. This is also disabled by default, and will require both Magnifier and ChromeVox to be enabled in the device settings.
Chromebook cameras and microphones are also getting some quality-of-life improvements — using them requires turning on privacy controls and app permissions in two separate places, but now Google has simplified this by adding software permissions to the apps section of the ChromeOS settings menu. There’s also a new Auto Gain Control (AGC) feature that allows apps like video calling software to automatically optimize microphone volume. This should improve the audio quality on calls and will notify users in the quick settings panel when the feature is overriding manual audio controls.

Snap Groups is basically Snap Layouts for Chromebooks. | Illustration: The Verge

Google is rolling out a new ChromeOS update that makes it easier to keep your on-screen apps organized, copy text from images, and adjust camera and microphone settings on Chromebook devices.

One of the more notable features introduced in ChromeOS 128 is Snap Groups — a feature similar to Windows 11’s Snap layouts that allows you to easily group apps together in a variety of fullscreen layouts. The feature is even triggered the same way as Microsoft does it, by hovering over the maximize app button.

The ChromeOS camera app now supports Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract text from captured images of letters or other documents. It allows users to copy or search the text in images, more easily convert images into searchable PDFs, and have the built-in ChromeOS screen reader speak image-based text. Google says its OCR supports both horizontal and vertical detection in 77 languages, and is disabled by default in photo mode.

Image: Google
Yup, this is basically Windows 11 Snap Layouts…which isn’t a bad thing!

Additionally, the Magnifier tool will now work with ChromeVox — allowing the screen magnifier to automatically follow words when text is read aloud, helping visually impaired users to keep their place. This is also disabled by default, and will require both Magnifier and ChromeVox to be enabled in the device settings.

Chromebook cameras and microphones are also getting some quality-of-life improvements — using them requires turning on privacy controls and app permissions in two separate places, but now Google has simplified this by adding software permissions to the apps section of the ChromeOS settings menu. There’s also a new Auto Gain Control (AGC) feature that allows apps like video calling software to automatically optimize microphone volume. This should improve the audio quality on calls and will notify users in the quick settings panel when the feature is overriding manual audio controls.

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The most welcome upgrade on the Xgimi Aura 2 is a retractable lens protector. | Image: Xgimi

Xgimi has announced an upgraded version of its ultra-short throw projector. The new Aura 2 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor while delivering more brightness, but the most welcome improvement is an automatic sliding cover on top that protects the projector’s lens and helps minimize dust buildup.

Image: Xgimi
The Aura 2 can project an image up to 150 inches in size while sitting close to a wall.

Xgimi says the Aura 2 produces 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness from its “Dual Light 2.0” light source that uses a combination of lasers and LEDs. That’s up from 1,800 ISO lumens for the original Xgimi Aura, which should improve the Aura 2’s performance when used in rooms where ambient light can’t be completely eliminated. Xgimi claims the Aura 2 can project an image between 90 and 150 inches in size (measured diagonally) depending on how far it’s positioned from a wall.
The Aura 2 is thinner and narrower, making it easier to integrate into a home theater setup, and weighs just shy of 20 pounds, which is about five pounds lighter than the previous model. Sound is delivered through four front-firing 15W Harman Kardon speakers, while HDR support includes Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced formats.

Image: Xgimi
The Aura 2 protects and keeps dust off its lens with a sliding cover.

Setting up the projector is streamlined through Xgimi’s automatic image alignment tools, including detecting and fitting the projection to a screen mounted on a wall or correcting the image when projecting on plain walls that aren’t entirely flat. When powered down, the Aura 2 also has a motorized cover that slides over the top of the projector to help minimize the amount of dust and dirt that collects on the lens. That’s a common pain point with ultra-short throw projectors whose lenses typically point straight up.
The Xgimi Aura 2 is available now for $2,699, which is about $200 more expensive than the original Aura cost when it debuted in 2021.

Image: Xgimi
The MoGo 3 Pro has a new pivoting design, making it easier to set up and reposition.

Alongside the Aura 2, Xgimi also announced a new version of its MoGo portable projectors with an entirely new design. The 2.43-pound MoGo 3 Pro looks roughly the same size as a Stanley tumbler but incorporates an LED-based pivoting projector head that can generate 1080p images with 450 ISO lumens of brightness.
It’s got streaming apps like Netflix built in through Google TV, but it can also be used with a streaming dongle if you don’t mind dealing with an adapter, as the projector only has a micro HDMI port. You can also use it as just a speaker, with an option music visualizer that projects “vibrant colors that dance with every note.”

Image: Xgimi
The MoGo 3 Pro can be powered by an optional stand featuring an integrated battery.

A pair of 5W Harman Kardon speakers in the base should provide adequate sound for a small audience, but unlike most portable projectors, the MoGo 3 Pro lacks a built-in battery. To make it truly portable, it needs to be paired with a portable charger. One isn’t included, but Xgimi has created an optional multipurpose accessory called the Powerbase stand featuring its own rechargeable battery that can power the projector.
The Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro projector sells for $449, while the Powerbase stand is $129, but the two are available in a cheaper bundle for $499.

The most welcome upgrade on the Xgimi Aura 2 is a retractable lens protector. | Image: Xgimi

Xgimi has announced an upgraded version of its ultra-short throw projector. The new Aura 2 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor while delivering more brightness, but the most welcome improvement is an automatic sliding cover on top that protects the projector’s lens and helps minimize dust buildup.

Image: Xgimi
The Aura 2 can project an image up to 150 inches in size while sitting close to a wall.

Xgimi says the Aura 2 produces 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness from its “Dual Light 2.0” light source that uses a combination of lasers and LEDs. That’s up from 1,800 ISO lumens for the original Xgimi Aura, which should improve the Aura 2’s performance when used in rooms where ambient light can’t be completely eliminated. Xgimi claims the Aura 2 can project an image between 90 and 150 inches in size (measured diagonally) depending on how far it’s positioned from a wall.

The Aura 2 is thinner and narrower, making it easier to integrate into a home theater setup, and weighs just shy of 20 pounds, which is about five pounds lighter than the previous model. Sound is delivered through four front-firing 15W Harman Kardon speakers, while HDR support includes Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced formats.

Image: Xgimi
The Aura 2 protects and keeps dust off its lens with a sliding cover.

Setting up the projector is streamlined through Xgimi’s automatic image alignment tools, including detecting and fitting the projection to a screen mounted on a wall or correcting the image when projecting on plain walls that aren’t entirely flat. When powered down, the Aura 2 also has a motorized cover that slides over the top of the projector to help minimize the amount of dust and dirt that collects on the lens. That’s a common pain point with ultra-short throw projectors whose lenses typically point straight up.

The Xgimi Aura 2 is available now for $2,699, which is about $200 more expensive than the original Aura cost when it debuted in 2021.

Image: Xgimi
The MoGo 3 Pro has a new pivoting design, making it easier to set up and reposition.

Alongside the Aura 2, Xgimi also announced a new version of its MoGo portable projectors with an entirely new design. The 2.43-pound MoGo 3 Pro looks roughly the same size as a Stanley tumbler but incorporates an LED-based pivoting projector head that can generate 1080p images with 450 ISO lumens of brightness.

It’s got streaming apps like Netflix built in through Google TV, but it can also be used with a streaming dongle if you don’t mind dealing with an adapter, as the projector only has a micro HDMI port. You can also use it as just a speaker, with an option music visualizer that projects “vibrant colors that dance with every note.”

Image: Xgimi
The MoGo 3 Pro can be powered by an optional stand featuring an integrated battery.

A pair of 5W Harman Kardon speakers in the base should provide adequate sound for a small audience, but unlike most portable projectors, the MoGo 3 Pro lacks a built-in battery. To make it truly portable, it needs to be paired with a portable charger. One isn’t included, but Xgimi has created an optional multipurpose accessory called the Powerbase stand featuring its own rechargeable battery that can power the projector.

The Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro projector sells for $449, while the Powerbase stand is $129, but the two are available in a cheaper bundle for $499.

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A capacious battery allows the Reolink Altas PT Ultra to be easily installed anywhere without the need for access to power. | Image: Reolink

Reolink’s new Altas PT Ultra is the company’s first battery-powered security camera that is capable of all-day continuous recording. It doesn’t need power access, so it can be installed almost anywhere, and since it captures 4K video to a microSD card instead of the cloud, there are fewer security risks and no subscription fees.
There are already many battery-powered security cameras that streamline installation, but they’re limited by small batteries that can’t record for more than a day before needing a charge. Reolink’s Altas PT Ultra’s solution to that problem is a built-in 20,000mAh battery the company says has enough power to record for 12 hours per day for up to eight days or four days when recording nonstop around the clock.
Having to charge the camera every week does negate some of the convenience of it being battery-powered, but through desktop and mobile apps, the Altas PT Ultra can be programmed to only capture video when motion is detected by its passive infrared sensor, or on a specific schedule, to extend its battery life. When set to its “standard working mode,” Reolink says the camera can run for up to 16 months on a single charge.

Image: Reolink
An optional solar panel accessory can keep the Altas PT Ultra’s battery charged with just 10 minutes of light per day.

For consumers with more demanding recording needs, Reolink does sell an optional six-watt solar panel accessory that can be mounted near the camera. The company says that a 10-minute charge from the solar panel is enough to power the camera for 24 hours, while a full day of charging can extend the battery life to 120 days, but that’s dependent on what features are being used.
Video is captured at 4K at 15fps through a wide-angle lens, but the Altas PT Ultra can pan its camera 355 degrees horizontally and tilt it 90 degrees vertically, allowing it to track and keep moving subjects in-frame during a recording. It also features full-color night vision capabilities, two-way audio with a built-in speaker and microphone, and support for Wi-Fi 6, allowing footage from a 512GB microSD card to be streamed from the camera over a wireless network.

Image: Reolink
Reolink’s first battery-powered doorbell captures 2K footage to a microSD card.

Reolink has also announced the company’s first battery-powered smart doorbell. Like the Altas PT Ultra security camera, it captures footage locally to a microSD card up to 256GB in size, so there are no subscription fees for storing recordings in the cloud.
Installation doesn’t require any wires, but the doorbell can be connected to wiring for continuous power delivery or to use it with existing door chimes. On a full charge, the company estimates the doorbell’s 7,000mAh battery will keep it running for up to five months with “typical usage,” but if you’ve got a busy neighborhood constantly triggering motion-detected recordings, that could be significantly less.
Video is recorded at 2K at 15fps but in a perfectly square aspect ratio, ensuring the doorbell’s wide-angle camera captures visitors from head to toe, including delivered packages on a front porch. It also has two-way audio communications with a speaker and microphone and Wi-Fi for streaming video to its desktop or mobile app.
Both the Reolink Altas PT Ultra and Battery Doorbell will be available for sale starting on September 25th, with pricing details to be revealed at that time.

A capacious battery allows the Reolink Altas PT Ultra to be easily installed anywhere without the need for access to power. | Image: Reolink

Reolink’s new Altas PT Ultra is the company’s first battery-powered security camera that is capable of all-day continuous recording. It doesn’t need power access, so it can be installed almost anywhere, and since it captures 4K video to a microSD card instead of the cloud, there are fewer security risks and no subscription fees.

There are already many battery-powered security cameras that streamline installation, but they’re limited by small batteries that can’t record for more than a day before needing a charge. Reolink’s Altas PT Ultra’s solution to that problem is a built-in 20,000mAh battery the company says has enough power to record for 12 hours per day for up to eight days or four days when recording nonstop around the clock.

Having to charge the camera every week does negate some of the convenience of it being battery-powered, but through desktop and mobile apps, the Altas PT Ultra can be programmed to only capture video when motion is detected by its passive infrared sensor, or on a specific schedule, to extend its battery life. When set to its “standard working mode,” Reolink says the camera can run for up to 16 months on a single charge.

Image: Reolink
An optional solar panel accessory can keep the Altas PT Ultra’s battery charged with just 10 minutes of light per day.

For consumers with more demanding recording needs, Reolink does sell an optional six-watt solar panel accessory that can be mounted near the camera. The company says that a 10-minute charge from the solar panel is enough to power the camera for 24 hours, while a full day of charging can extend the battery life to 120 days, but that’s dependent on what features are being used.

Video is captured at 4K at 15fps through a wide-angle lens, but the Altas PT Ultra can pan its camera 355 degrees horizontally and tilt it 90 degrees vertically, allowing it to track and keep moving subjects in-frame during a recording. It also features full-color night vision capabilities, two-way audio with a built-in speaker and microphone, and support for Wi-Fi 6, allowing footage from a 512GB microSD card to be streamed from the camera over a wireless network.

Image: Reolink
Reolink’s first battery-powered doorbell captures 2K footage to a microSD card.

Reolink has also announced the company’s first battery-powered smart doorbell. Like the Altas PT Ultra security camera, it captures footage locally to a microSD card up to 256GB in size, so there are no subscription fees for storing recordings in the cloud.

Installation doesn’t require any wires, but the doorbell can be connected to wiring for continuous power delivery or to use it with existing door chimes. On a full charge, the company estimates the doorbell’s 7,000mAh battery will keep it running for up to five months with “typical usage,” but if you’ve got a busy neighborhood constantly triggering motion-detected recordings, that could be significantly less.

Video is recorded at 2K at 15fps but in a perfectly square aspect ratio, ensuring the doorbell’s wide-angle camera captures visitors from head to toe, including delivered packages on a front porch. It also has two-way audio communications with a speaker and microphone and Wi-Fi for streaming video to its desktop or mobile app.

Both the Reolink Altas PT Ultra and Battery Doorbell will be available for sale starting on September 25th, with pricing details to be revealed at that time.

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If you have a Hisense TV, you’ll be able to easily link up Yeelight’s lighting — like these smart cubes. | Image: Yeelight

Yeelight’s array of smart lighting products will now automatically sync with Hisense VIDAA TVs. During the IFA tech conference in Berlin, Yeelight revealed that its app now integrates directly with Hisense TVs, allowing it to capture the audio and video on your screen while relaying matching effects across Yeelight’s devices.
That means you can quickly link up Yeelight’s light strip and its stackable cube-shaped lights to your TV (given that you have a Hisense, of course). That makes it even simpler to set up when compared to some other ambient lighting options from brands like Philips, which requires you to either purchase a Hue Play HDMI sync box to sync your lighting or the Hue Sync TV app, that’s only available on some Samsung TVs released in 2022 or later, and you have to pay $3 / month or a flat $130 fee just to get it.

Image: Yeelight
Yeelight’s curtain lights can display things like emoji and GIFs.

Yeelight also announced $129.99 curtains of lights measuring 2 meters (~6.5 feet) tall and 1.5 meters (~5 feet) wide. It features 475 individual light beads that can display a range of custom or preset lighting patterns, as well as IP65 water resistance for outdoor or indoor use.

If you have a Hisense TV, you’ll be able to easily link up Yeelight’s lighting — like these smart cubes. | Image: Yeelight

Yeelight’s array of smart lighting products will now automatically sync with Hisense VIDAA TVs. During the IFA tech conference in Berlin, Yeelight revealed that its app now integrates directly with Hisense TVs, allowing it to capture the audio and video on your screen while relaying matching effects across Yeelight’s devices.

That means you can quickly link up Yeelight’s light strip and its stackable cube-shaped lights to your TV (given that you have a Hisense, of course). That makes it even simpler to set up when compared to some other ambient lighting options from brands like Philips, which requires you to either purchase a Hue Play HDMI sync box to sync your lighting or the Hue Sync TV app, that’s only available on some Samsung TVs released in 2022 or later, and you have to pay $3 / month or a flat $130 fee just to get it.

Image: Yeelight
Yeelight’s curtain lights can display things like emoji and GIFs.

Yeelight also announced $129.99 curtains of lights measuring 2 meters (~6.5 feet) tall and 1.5 meters (~5 feet) wide. It features 475 individual light beads that can display a range of custom or preset lighting patterns, as well as IP65 water resistance for outdoor or indoor use.

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