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Apple’s iPhone 16 event invitation. | Image: Apple

Apple is getting ready to announce the iPhone 16, which will surely be its most powerful and best-camera-having phone yet (at least for the Pro models). It’s also expected to be the first iPhone to launch with Apple Intelligence across the board.
In addition to the iPhone 16 lineup and a slate of new watches and AirPods, Apple is expected to show more AI features, like the ability to understand what’s onscreen, along with features it introduced at WWDC in June, which include an upgraded Siri, image generation, AI rewrite, and call recording and transcription abilities.
The word “glowtime” is likely a reference to the glow effect that appears around the edges of the screen when Siri is activated in the latest developer betas of iOS 18. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “glow” is also the internal name for macOS Sequoia, which will likely release after the event at around the same time as iOS 18.

Image: Apple
Siri in iOS 18 adds a glow effect around the screen when activated.

When and how to watch the iPhone 16 event
Apple’s iPhone 16 event will be live and in person in Cupertino, California, on September 9th at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and The Verge will be there live blogging all the news. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube, Apple TV, and Apple’s website.
New processors for all that AI
Apple Intelligence will require powerful processors. Apple’s trend in the last couple of years was to give the previous generation’s top processor to the base-model iPhone and introduce a new, stronger chip for the Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro processor is the only A-series chip right now that supports Apple Intelligence, but rumors suggest all iPhone 16 models will get a new A18 chip. Beyond that, we expect new Apple Watches and additions to the AirPods lineup.
iPhone 16 gets a new camera look
The main iPhone 16 models will come in new colors and look slightly different from the back this year. If leaked dummy units are to be believed, the camera module will now have two lenses stacked vertically, like the iPhone 12 and iPhone X, instead of the diagonal placement used since the iPhone 13.
Vertical lens placement would better support landscape spatial video capture for watching on the Vision Pro. There’s no indication we’ll see an update to the Vision Pro itself, but hopefully we’ll get something to keep customer interest in Apple’s mixed reality tech afloat.
The iPhone 16 lineup will also get better battery life, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max finally match up
The iPhone 16 Pro might finally have the same cameras as the Pro Max, one of several things Google dinged Apple on at the Pixel 9 event. Both models may get the 5x “tetraprism” telephoto lenses that are currently exclusive to the 15 Pro Max. Rumors suggest that the ultrawide camera in the new Pros will also have significant quality improvements thanks to a larger 48MP sensor.
For the Pro models, we’re expecting a new rose finish and a Zune-brown “bronze” titanium finish, and both the regular and Max models are expected to have slightly larger screens than their iPhone 15 counterparts. Gurman says the Pro’s display will go from 6.1 inches to 6.3 and that the Pro Max will jump from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.
The iPhone’s side buttons may change to new pressure-sensitive ones and could include a DSLR-like feature where you can focus with light pressure and take the picture by pressing harder. It’s likely a Pro-only feature, but it could also come to the regular 16.
Overall, the iPhone 16 models won’t be much of a design change. We’re already seeing rumors that the next model, the iPhone 17, will get a slimmer redesign.
Apple Watch, big and thin
The new Apple Watch Series 10 (or X?) may have a thinner and more refined case than the previous Series 9 model, but the real thing to look out for is a model with a bigger screen. Gurman believes the Series 10 will get an Apple Watch Ultra-sized 49mm screen option, plus a new chip.
Super athletes and outdoorsy people can also expect a refreshed Apple Watch Ultra, and a plastic Apple Watch SE is also rumored to make an appearance.
AirPods on the double
The new headphone lineup is expected to include new entry and midtier AirPods and possibly a new USB-C version of the over-the-ear AirPods Max, which might also get new colors.
The new AirPods models will replace the second- and third-generation versions, according to Gurman, with two new models. The midtier model is rumored to have a Pro-style design with noise cancellation, plus speakers in the charging case for Find My support.
Apple’s third-gen AirPods reportedly haven’t sold as well as the second-generation models. The third generation’s higher price tag and an awkward combination of the AirPods Pro shape without removable ear tips might be to blame. The two new models still won’t get ear tips, but their USB-C charging cases will complete Apple’s transition from Lightning for iPhone accessories.
Maybe a new Mini
No, no, no, not the iPhone Mini. Sorry to my fellow one-hander smartphone users. (I still rock an iPhone 13 Mini and am waiting to see if Apple ever swings back). What Apple is planning, though, according to Gurman, is a new Mac Mini, one that is nearly as small as an Apple TV. The new Mac Mini is expected to ship to warehouses this month, and an M Pro chip version might come in October. Considering the short timeframe, there’s a possibility we could hear about the new Mac Mini at the iPhone event, but it could also get its own event, like the prime-time one Apple pulled last year for the colorful iMac M3 refresh.

Apple’s iPhone 16 event invitation. | Image: Apple

Apple is getting ready to announce the iPhone 16, which will surely be its most powerful and best-camera-having phone yet (at least for the Pro models). It’s also expected to be the first iPhone to launch with Apple Intelligence across the board.

In addition to the iPhone 16 lineup and a slate of new watches and AirPods, Apple is expected to show more AI features, like the ability to understand what’s onscreen, along with features it introduced at WWDC in June, which include an upgraded Siri, image generation, AI rewrite, and call recording and transcription abilities.

The word “glowtime” is likely a reference to the glow effect that appears around the edges of the screen when Siri is activated in the latest developer betas of iOS 18. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “glow” is also the internal name for macOS Sequoia, which will likely release after the event at around the same time as iOS 18.

Image: Apple
Siri in iOS 18 adds a glow effect around the screen when activated.

When and how to watch the iPhone 16 event

Apple’s iPhone 16 event will be live and in person in Cupertino, California, on September 9th at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and The Verge will be there live blogging all the news. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube, Apple TV, and Apple’s website.

New processors for all that AI

Apple Intelligence will require powerful processors. Apple’s trend in the last couple of years was to give the previous generation’s top processor to the base-model iPhone and introduce a new, stronger chip for the Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro processor is the only A-series chip right now that supports Apple Intelligence, but rumors suggest all iPhone 16 models will get a new A18 chip. Beyond that, we expect new Apple Watches and additions to the AirPods lineup.

iPhone 16 gets a new camera look

The main iPhone 16 models will come in new colors and look slightly different from the back this year. If leaked dummy units are to be believed, the camera module will now have two lenses stacked vertically, like the iPhone 12 and iPhone X, instead of the diagonal placement used since the iPhone 13.

Vertical lens placement would better support landscape spatial video capture for watching on the Vision Pro. There’s no indication we’ll see an update to the Vision Pro itself, but hopefully we’ll get something to keep customer interest in Apple’s mixed reality tech afloat.

The iPhone 16 lineup will also get better battery life, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max finally match up

The iPhone 16 Pro might finally have the same cameras as the Pro Max, one of several things Google dinged Apple on at the Pixel 9 event. Both models may get the 5x “tetraprism” telephoto lenses that are currently exclusive to the 15 Pro Max. Rumors suggest that the ultrawide camera in the new Pros will also have significant quality improvements thanks to a larger 48MP sensor.

For the Pro models, we’re expecting a new rose finish and a Zune-brown “bronze” titanium finish, and both the regular and Max models are expected to have slightly larger screens than their iPhone 15 counterparts. Gurman says the Pro’s display will go from 6.1 inches to 6.3 and that the Pro Max will jump from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.

The iPhone’s side buttons may change to new pressure-sensitive ones and could include a DSLR-like feature where you can focus with light pressure and take the picture by pressing harder. It’s likely a Pro-only feature, but it could also come to the regular 16.

Overall, the iPhone 16 models won’t be much of a design change. We’re already seeing rumors that the next model, the iPhone 17, will get a slimmer redesign.

Apple Watch, big and thin

The new Apple Watch Series 10 (or X?) may have a thinner and more refined case than the previous Series 9 model, but the real thing to look out for is a model with a bigger screen. Gurman believes the Series 10 will get an Apple Watch Ultra-sized 49mm screen option, plus a new chip.

Super athletes and outdoorsy people can also expect a refreshed Apple Watch Ultra, and a plastic Apple Watch SE is also rumored to make an appearance.

AirPods on the double

The new headphone lineup is expected to include new entry and midtier AirPods and possibly a new USB-C version of the over-the-ear AirPods Max, which might also get new colors.

The new AirPods models will replace the second- and third-generation versions, according to Gurman, with two new models. The midtier model is rumored to have a Pro-style design with noise cancellation, plus speakers in the charging case for Find My support.

Apple’s third-gen AirPods reportedly haven’t sold as well as the second-generation models. The third generation’s higher price tag and an awkward combination of the AirPods Pro shape without removable ear tips might be to blame. The two new models still won’t get ear tips, but their USB-C charging cases will complete Apple’s transition from Lightning for iPhone accessories.

Maybe a new Mini

No, no, no, not the iPhone Mini. Sorry to my fellow one-hander smartphone users. (I still rock an iPhone 13 Mini and am waiting to see if Apple ever swings back). What Apple is planning, though, according to Gurman, is a new Mac Mini, one that is nearly as small as an Apple TV. The new Mac Mini is expected to ship to warehouses this month, and an M Pro chip version might come in October. Considering the short timeframe, there’s a possibility we could hear about the new Mac Mini at the iPhone event, but it could also get its own event, like the prime-time one Apple pulled last year for the colorful iMac M3 refresh.

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The flaw doesn’t impact newer YubiKey hardware that doesn’t use the Infineon cryptolibrary. | Image: Yubico

Security researchers have detected a vulnerability in YubiKey two-factor authentication tokens that enables attackers to clone the device according to a new security advisory. The vulnerability was discovered within the Infineon cryptographic library used by most YubiKey products, including the YubiKey 5, Yubikey Bio, Security Key, and YubiHSM 2 series devices.
YubiKey manufacturer Yubico says the severity of the side-channel vulnerability is “moderate” but is difficult to exploit, partly because two-factor systems rely upon something the user has and something only they should know.
“The attacker would need physical possession of the YubiKey, Security Key, or YubiHSM, knowledge of the accounts they want to target, and specialized equipment to perform the necessary attack,” the company said in its security advisory. “Depending on the use case, the attacker may also require additional knowledge including username, PIN, account password, or authentication key.” But those aren’t necessarily deterrents to a highly motivated individual or state-sponsored attack.
As YubiKey firmware can’t be updated, all YubiKey 5 devices before version 5.7 (or 5.7.2 for the Bio series and 2.4.0 for YubiHSM 2) will remain vulnerable forever. Later model versions aren’t affected as they no longer use the Infineon cryptolibrary. NinjaLab, the security firm that discovered the vulnerability, estimates that it’s existed in Infineon’s top security chips for over 14 years. The researchers believe other devices using the Infineon cryptographic library or Infineon’s SLE78, Optiga Trust M, and Optiga TPM microcontrollers are also at risk.

The flaw doesn’t impact newer YubiKey hardware that doesn’t use the Infineon cryptolibrary. | Image: Yubico

Security researchers have detected a vulnerability in YubiKey two-factor authentication tokens that enables attackers to clone the device according to a new security advisory. The vulnerability was discovered within the Infineon cryptographic library used by most YubiKey products, including the YubiKey 5, Yubikey Bio, Security Key, and YubiHSM 2 series devices.

YubiKey manufacturer Yubico says the severity of the side-channel vulnerability is “moderate” but is difficult to exploit, partly because two-factor systems rely upon something the user has and something only they should know.

“The attacker would need physical possession of the YubiKey, Security Key, or YubiHSM, knowledge of the accounts they want to target, and specialized equipment to perform the necessary attack,” the company said in its security advisory. “Depending on the use case, the attacker may also require additional knowledge including username, PIN, account password, or authentication key.” But those aren’t necessarily deterrents to a highly motivated individual or state-sponsored attack.

As YubiKey firmware can’t be updated, all YubiKey 5 devices before version 5.7 (or 5.7.2 for the Bio series and 2.4.0 for YubiHSM 2) will remain vulnerable forever. Later model versions aren’t affected as they no longer use the Infineon cryptolibrary. NinjaLab, the security firm that discovered the vulnerability, estimates that it’s existed in Infineon’s top security chips for over 14 years. The researchers believe other devices using the Infineon cryptographic library or Infineon’s SLE78, Optiga Trust M, and Optiga TPM microcontrollers are also at risk.

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The Verge

Microsoft is holding a special Copilot event later this month that will be focused on “the next phase of Copilot innovation.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and vice president of AI at work Jared Spataro will host the “wave 2” Copilot event on September 16th.
The event will be hosted on LinkedIn and focus on the business side of Microsoft’s Copilot offerings. I revealed in my Notepad newsletter last month that Microsoft is about to rebrand Copilot in the most Microsoft way possible. This means that instead of “Copilot in Word” it will become “Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word,” alongside a rebranding of “Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365” to “Microsoft 365 Copilot.”

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft’s event won’t be all about the rebranding though, I’m expecting to see a bunch of new Copilot features for Microsoft 365 that will try and tempt more businesses to sign up to the $30 per user per month pricing. Microsoft unlocked its Copilot AI features inside Office apps and more earlier this year, but there’s still a debate among businesses over whether it’s worth the steep monthly price.
We may even see more features announced for Copilot Pro, Microsoft’s consumer subscription for its AI offerings. The $20 monthly subscription provides Copilot features in Word, much like the business-focused subscription, but it hasn’t seen many new features added since it launched earlier this year. Microsoft even removed a GPT Builder feature from Copilot Pro in June.
Microsoft’s Copilot event will take place on Monday September 16th at 8AM PT / 11AM ET, and The Verge will be covering it live with all the very latest news on the AI assistant.

The Verge

Microsoft is holding a special Copilot event later this month that will be focused on “the next phase of Copilot innovation.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and vice president of AI at work Jared Spataro will host the “wave 2” Copilot event on September 16th.

The event will be hosted on LinkedIn and focus on the business side of Microsoft’s Copilot offerings. I revealed in my Notepad newsletter last month that Microsoft is about to rebrand Copilot in the most Microsoft way possible. This means that instead of “Copilot in Word” it will become “Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word,” alongside a rebranding of “Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365” to “Microsoft 365 Copilot.”

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft’s event won’t be all about the rebranding though, I’m expecting to see a bunch of new Copilot features for Microsoft 365 that will try and tempt more businesses to sign up to the $30 per user per month pricing. Microsoft unlocked its Copilot AI features inside Office apps and more earlier this year, but there’s still a debate among businesses over whether it’s worth the steep monthly price.

We may even see more features announced for Copilot Pro, Microsoft’s consumer subscription for its AI offerings. The $20 monthly subscription provides Copilot features in Word, much like the business-focused subscription, but it hasn’t seen many new features added since it launched earlier this year. Microsoft even removed a GPT Builder feature from Copilot Pro in June.

Microsoft’s Copilot event will take place on Monday September 16th at 8AM PT / 11AM ET, and The Verge will be covering it live with all the very latest news on the AI assistant.

Read More 

Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm launched its first big wave of Windows laptops this summer at $999 and up — but a new, somewhat weaker chip could soon shave off at least $100. Today, the company’s announcing its first 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chips, which will feature in a new Asus Zenbook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 that’ll retail for $899 each.

While the new Qualcomm chips have all the same features as the 10-core and 12-core models, they’re decidedly weaker in some ways — especially graphics. On average, they’ve got less than half the GPU power for games and other graphical apps. And while they all feature the same 45 TOPS of AI performance from their NPU, they’ve also got 12MB less CPU cache.

Image: Qualcomm
1.7 teraflops is a lot less than 4.6 teraflops. But the new chips have boost clocks.

According to Qualcomm’s own internal benchmarks for the new 8-core chips (take with grain of salt), all that means they’re roughly 80 percent as capable as the company’s 12-core chips in the CPU realm, and on-par with the 10-core chips for productivity. But with the 8-core, those graphics scores are predictably cut in half.

Image: Qualcomm
Qualcomm reviewer’s guide suggests these chips aren’t that much slower in the CPU realm, at least.

Would you want to save money this way? I could definitely see it for entry-level laptop buyers — particularly if you’re actually saving $400, as the case might be for the Asus Vivobook S 15. That laptop originally cost $1,300 with the 12-core chip, but it’s just $900 with the 8-core, despite featuring the same big 70 watt-hour battery and 3K 120Hz OLED screen. The only other obvious sacrifice is half the storage, as you’ll get 512GB instead of 1TB.
But sales might make the pricing gap smaller than it appears: The 12-core Asus Vivobook S 15 is already on sale for $1,100 or lower, and Dell is already selling the a 12-core model of its Inspiron 14 Plus for $899.
Asus is also announcing a Qualcomm-based creator laptop today, the $1,099 ProArt PZ13, which also has the same 3K OLED touchscreen and 70-watt hour battery, but with a detachable keyboard and stylus support, and both Asus machines should be available today. Dell also has an Latitude 5455 with the new chip and very similar specs to the Inspiron, but no pricing.
Qualcomm previously said its laptops would dip as low as the $700 mark in 2025.

Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm launched its first big wave of Windows laptops this summer at $999 and up — but a new, somewhat weaker chip could soon shave off at least $100. Today, the company’s announcing its first 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chips, which will feature in a new Asus Zenbook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 that’ll retail for $899 each.

While the new Qualcomm chips have all the same features as the 10-core and 12-core models, they’re decidedly weaker in some ways — especially graphics. On average, they’ve got less than half the GPU power for games and other graphical apps. And while they all feature the same 45 TOPS of AI performance from their NPU, they’ve also got 12MB less CPU cache.

Image: Qualcomm
1.7 teraflops is a lot less than 4.6 teraflops. But the new chips have boost clocks.

According to Qualcomm’s own internal benchmarks for the new 8-core chips (take with grain of salt), all that means they’re roughly 80 percent as capable as the company’s 12-core chips in the CPU realm, and on-par with the 10-core chips for productivity. But with the 8-core, those graphics scores are predictably cut in half.

Image: Qualcomm
Qualcomm reviewer’s guide suggests these chips aren’t that much slower in the CPU realm, at least.

Would you want to save money this way? I could definitely see it for entry-level laptop buyers — particularly if you’re actually saving $400, as the case might be for the Asus Vivobook S 15. That laptop originally cost $1,300 with the 12-core chip, but it’s just $900 with the 8-core, despite featuring the same big 70 watt-hour battery and 3K 120Hz OLED screen. The only other obvious sacrifice is half the storage, as you’ll get 512GB instead of 1TB.

But sales might make the pricing gap smaller than it appears: The 12-core Asus Vivobook S 15 is already on sale for $1,100 or lower, and Dell is already selling the a 12-core model of its Inspiron 14 Plus for $899.

Asus is also announcing a Qualcomm-based creator laptop today, the $1,099 ProArt PZ13, which also has the same 3K OLED touchscreen and 70-watt hour battery, but with a detachable keyboard and stylus support, and both Asus machines should be available today. Dell also has an Latitude 5455 with the new chip and very similar specs to the Inspiron, but no pricing.

Qualcomm previously said its laptops would dip as low as the $700 mark in 2025.

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Microsoft’s latest Surface lineup for businesses. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is ready to start selling its Qualcomm-powered Surface devices to businesses. Starting on September 10th, both the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will be available for business customers for the first time, after launching in June to consumers as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PC wave of devices and its Windows on Arm push.
The hardware inside the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be identical to the consumer options. Businesses will be able to pick between two main options for the Surface Pro 11. There’s the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus Surface Pro 11 with 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and the regular LCD display, or the OLED model with the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.
The Surface Laptop 7 will be available in Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite models for the 13.8-inch models, or just the X Elite for the larger 15-inch model. All Surface Laptop 7 models have options for up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new Surface Keyboard has a Copilot key.

Microsoft is also launching a 5G model of the Surface Pro 11 on September 26th, and a 5G variant of the Surface Pro 10, which is powered by Intel’s Ultra Core processors. Microsoft previously launched the Intel-powered Surface Pro 10 exclusively to business customers earlier this year, alongside the Surface Laptop 6.
In addition to the new Surface options for businesses, Microsoft is also releasing a new Surface Keyboard on October 3rd. The full-size keyboard includes Microsoft’s new Copilot key and an expanded keyset to cover options like call, mute, and Snip & Sketch function keys.

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Microsoft’s latest Surface lineup for businesses. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is ready to start selling its Qualcomm-powered Surface devices to businesses. Starting on September 10th, both the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will be available for business customers for the first time, after launching in June to consumers as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PC wave of devices and its Windows on Arm push.

The hardware inside the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be identical to the consumer options. Businesses will be able to pick between two main options for the Surface Pro 11. There’s the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus Surface Pro 11 with 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and the regular LCD display, or the OLED model with the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.

The Surface Laptop 7 will be available in Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite models for the 13.8-inch models, or just the X Elite for the larger 15-inch model. All Surface Laptop 7 models have options for up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new Surface Keyboard has a Copilot key.

Microsoft is also launching a 5G model of the Surface Pro 11 on September 26th, and a 5G variant of the Surface Pro 10, which is powered by Intel’s Ultra Core processors. Microsoft previously launched the Intel-powered Surface Pro 10 exclusively to business customers earlier this year, alongside the Surface Laptop 6.

In addition to the new Surface options for businesses, Microsoft is also releasing a new Surface Keyboard on October 3rd. The full-size keyboard includes Microsoft’s new Copilot key and an expanded keyset to cover options like call, mute, and Snip & Sketch function keys.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Snapchat will soon start “experimenting” with placing sponsored messages next to chat threads from friends, according to CEO Evan Spiegel.
These “Sponsored Snaps” from brands will appear as unread messages in Snapchat’s main Chat tab, implying that they’ll sit above messages from a person’s contacts until they’re acted on. This is the first time Snap will show ads in the most used part of its app.
In an employee memo also posted on the company’s website, Spiegel says that Sponsored Snaps will appear “without a push notification, and opening the message is optional.” It’s unclear how easy it will be to get rid of a Sponsored Snap without opening it, or if doing so will even be possible. (Snap declined to comment beyond Spiegel’s memo.)
“Sponsored Snaps empower advertisers to communicate visually with the Snapchat community, making the core functionality of Snapchat accessible to advertisers,” writes Spiegel, who goes on to note that, “As always, your conversations with friends are private and are not used for advertising purposes.”

To understand why Snap is doing this now, look no further than its stock price, which is hovering near an all-time low. Despite now reaching over 850 million monthly users globally, Snap’s ads business is still tiny compared to its biggest competitors, including Meta. Snap also still isn’t profitable.
“The growth of our digital advertising business is one of the most important inputs to our long term revenue potential, and investors are concerned that we aren’t growing faster,” writes Spiegel in his memo, which is timed to the company’s 13-year anniversary. He writes that Snap will also start letting advertisers pay to promote places in its Map tab, where Snapchat users can see the whereabouts of their friends.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Snapchat will soon start “experimenting” with placing sponsored messages next to chat threads from friends, according to CEO Evan Spiegel.

These “Sponsored Snaps” from brands will appear as unread messages in Snapchat’s main Chat tab, implying that they’ll sit above messages from a person’s contacts until they’re acted on. This is the first time Snap will show ads in the most used part of its app.

In an employee memo also posted on the company’s website, Spiegel says that Sponsored Snaps will appear “without a push notification, and opening the message is optional.” It’s unclear how easy it will be to get rid of a Sponsored Snap without opening it, or if doing so will even be possible. (Snap declined to comment beyond Spiegel’s memo.)

“Sponsored Snaps empower advertisers to communicate visually with the Snapchat community, making the core functionality of Snapchat accessible to advertisers,” writes Spiegel, who goes on to note that, “As always, your conversations with friends are private and are not used for advertising purposes.”

To understand why Snap is doing this now, look no further than its stock price, which is hovering near an all-time low. Despite now reaching over 850 million monthly users globally, Snap’s ads business is still tiny compared to its biggest competitors, including Meta. Snap also still isn’t profitable.

“The growth of our digital advertising business is one of the most important inputs to our long term revenue potential, and investors are concerned that we aren’t growing faster,” writes Spiegel in his memo, which is timed to the company’s 13-year anniversary. He writes that Snap will also start letting advertisers pay to promote places in its Map tab, where Snapchat users can see the whereabouts of their friends.

Read More 

Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding the ability to leave comments on Instagram Stories, the ephemeral posts that many people use even more than traditional posts these days.

Previously, replying to an Instagram Story sent a private message visible only to the person who posted the content. The addition of comments adds a more public way to respond to Stories. The ability to comment in the first place is more limited, though: only people who follow the poster and who the poster follows back will be able to leave a comment. Instagram explains how most of it works in this video.
Just like Stories, the comments are temporary and will last for up to 24 hours; Instagram spokesperson Emily Norfolk says users will have the option to turn comments on or off for any Story they share. It’s not clear whether comments will be archived after a Story post expires, but we’ve asked Instagram for clarification.
Instagram has steadily added new features to surfaces like Reels and Stories that seem to suggest the company views them as key places for user engagement with friends, not just casual content meant to be scrolled through.
Earlier this summer the platform added disappearing “notes” (essentially comments) to grid posts and Reels, meant to draw more attention to how your friends are engaging with content. Those disappearing notes expire after three days, and users can choose who’s able to see their notes — either mutual follows, or a curated list of close friends. Temporary notes are overlaid on top of the post, making comments from friends more prominent.
Instagram also announced today that some likes on posts will now appear more prominently as floating hearts, similar to how they appear on the disappearing notes.

Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding the ability to leave comments on Instagram Stories, the ephemeral posts that many people use even more than traditional posts these days.

Previously, replying to an Instagram Story sent a private message visible only to the person who posted the content. The addition of comments adds a more public way to respond to Stories. The ability to comment in the first place is more limited, though: only people who follow the poster and who the poster follows back will be able to leave a comment. Instagram explains how most of it works in this video.

Just like Stories, the comments are temporary and will last for up to 24 hours; Instagram spokesperson Emily Norfolk says users will have the option to turn comments on or off for any Story they share. It’s not clear whether comments will be archived after a Story post expires, but we’ve asked Instagram for clarification.

Instagram has steadily added new features to surfaces like Reels and Stories that seem to suggest the company views them as key places for user engagement with friends, not just casual content meant to be scrolled through.

Earlier this summer the platform added disappearing “notes” (essentially comments) to grid posts and Reels, meant to draw more attention to how your friends are engaging with content. Those disappearing notes expire after three days, and users can choose who’s able to see their notes — either mutual follows, or a curated list of close friends. Temporary notes are overlaid on top of the post, making comments from friends more prominent.

Instagram also announced today that some likes on posts will now appear more prominently as floating hearts, similar to how they appear on the disappearing notes.

Read More 

The port is on the wrong side of the car for most Tesla Supercharger stalls, but at least Hyundai didn’t tape it on this time. | Image: Hyundai

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 refresh revealed today looks like it will be one of the first non-Tesla vehicles to get a native Tesla-based charging port, now known as the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, built in from the factory. Last year, largely every automaker selling electric cars in the US announced it’s adopting the connector, but most haven’t added the port on their new cars yet, forcing customers to rely on CCS to NACS adapters that Tesla is taking a while to distribute.
We’ve seen prototypes of the new Rivian R2 with NACS, but that vehicle is not slated for release until 2026. While Ioniq 5 buyers won’t need an adapter at Tesla stations, the company will give owners a dongle that goes the other way in case they need to charge somewhere that only has Combined Charging System (CCS) plugs available.
In addition to the new port, the new 2025 Ioniq 5 lineup also has larger batteries compared to the current model:

Standard Range models: 58.0 to 63.0 kWh
Long Range models: 77.4 to 84 kWh

The beefier batteries mean the new Standard Range models are targeting 240-plus miles on a single charge, up from 220 miles on the current model, while the Long Range plus RWD combination sees its range estimate increase from the current 303 miles to a target of more than 310.
Hyundai is also tossing in a new rugged XRT package with an off-road appeal similar to Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Rally.

Image: Hyundai
The new XRT.

Hyundai is building this new version of the Ioniq 5 in the US at its new Georgia factory, and production will begin this fall. Hyundai expects the new model to qualify for a $3,750 federal tax credit for electric vehicles at the start of the sale and anticipates additional federal incentives to come. According to Hyundai, leases still qualify for the $7,500 federal credit, which is “fully” passed down to the consumer.

The port is on the wrong side of the car for most Tesla Supercharger stalls, but at least Hyundai didn’t tape it on this time. | Image: Hyundai

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 refresh revealed today looks like it will be one of the first non-Tesla vehicles to get a native Tesla-based charging port, now known as the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, built in from the factory. Last year, largely every automaker selling electric cars in the US announced it’s adopting the connector, but most haven’t added the port on their new cars yet, forcing customers to rely on CCS to NACS adapters that Tesla is taking a while to distribute.

We’ve seen prototypes of the new Rivian R2 with NACS, but that vehicle is not slated for release until 2026. While Ioniq 5 buyers won’t need an adapter at Tesla stations, the company will give owners a dongle that goes the other way in case they need to charge somewhere that only has Combined Charging System (CCS) plugs available.

In addition to the new port, the new 2025 Ioniq 5 lineup also has larger batteries compared to the current model:

Standard Range models: 58.0 to 63.0 kWh

Long Range models: 77.4 to 84 kWh

The beefier batteries mean the new Standard Range models are targeting 240-plus miles on a single charge, up from 220 miles on the current model, while the Long Range plus RWD combination sees its range estimate increase from the current 303 miles to a target of more than 310.

Hyundai is also tossing in a new rugged XRT package with an off-road appeal similar to Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Rally.

Image: Hyundai
The new XRT.

Hyundai is building this new version of the Ioniq 5 in the US at its new Georgia factory, and production will begin this fall. Hyundai expects the new model to qualify for a $3,750 federal tax credit for electric vehicles at the start of the sale and anticipates additional federal incentives to come. According to Hyundai, leases still qualify for the $7,500 federal credit, which is “fully” passed down to the consumer.

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Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Microsoft has started testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11 that’s designed for Xbox controllers. The gamepad keyboard layout improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, so you can use an Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS.
The gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11 and even includes button accelerators so you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button on an Xbox controller to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, so it’s easier to type with a controller.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11.

It’s encouraging to see Microsoft add a feature like this, particularly as Windows-powered handheld devices need these types of improvements. I wrote last month that Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race against Valve as the Steam Deck maker gets ready to capitalize on its SteamOS work and bring it to more Windows-powered handhelds.
Microsoft still needs to address basic things, like not being able to log into Windows with a controller or not getting the on-screen keyboard when you tap into text fields. Hopefully, this new gamepad keyboard is a step in the right direction, but we still need to see a lot more.
Microsoft is also making its Windows Game Bar more handheld-friendly, with a compact mode that’s designed for smaller screens. It follows a similar compact mode for the main Xbox app on PC. Microsoft has also made controller improvements to the Xbox app, making it easier to navigate around the app with just an Xbox controller.

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Microsoft has started testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11 that’s designed for Xbox controllers. The gamepad keyboard layout improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, so you can use an Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS.

The gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11 and even includes button accelerators so you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button on an Xbox controller to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, so it’s easier to type with a controller.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11.

It’s encouraging to see Microsoft add a feature like this, particularly as Windows-powered handheld devices need these types of improvements. I wrote last month that Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race against Valve as the Steam Deck maker gets ready to capitalize on its SteamOS work and bring it to more Windows-powered handhelds.

Microsoft still needs to address basic things, like not being able to log into Windows with a controller or not getting the on-screen keyboard when you tap into text fields. Hopefully, this new gamepad keyboard is a step in the right direction, but we still need to see a lot more.

Microsoft is also making its Windows Game Bar more handheld-friendly, with a compact mode that’s designed for smaller screens. It follows a similar compact mode for the main Xbox app on PC. Microsoft has also made controller improvements to the Xbox app, making it easier to navigate around the app with just an Xbox controller.

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Image: The Verge

In a reversal, Starlink says it’s “complying with the order” to block access to X in Brazil. The company previously refused to restrict X unless Brazil unfroze its financial assets.
Starlink, the satellite internet company controlled by Elon Musk, has been caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing feud between the billionaire, who also owns X, and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
In addition to imposing a ban on X over the spread of misinformation, the Brazilian justice also handed down an order that prevents Starlink from performing financial transactions. The move was supposed to coerce X into paying $3 million in fines for failing to block accounts flagged by the Brazilian government, as reported by The New York Times.

To our customers in Brazil (who may not be able to read this as a result of X being blocked by @alexandre):The Starlink team is doing everything possible to keep you connected. Following last week’s order from @alexandre that froze Starlink’s finances and prevents Starlink…— Starlink (@Starlink) September 3, 2024

Starlink’s block on X puts the company in a strange position, especially when Musk considers himself a “free speech absolutist.”
“We immediately initiated legal proceedings in the Brazilian Supreme Court explaining the gross illegality of this order and asking the Court to unfreeze our assets,” Starlink says in a post on X. “Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.”
On Monday, a Brazilian Supreme Court panel upheld the decision to limit access to X. Internet service providers and mobile app stores have until September 4th to block X, and those who continue accessing the platform through a virtual private network (VPN) could face steep daily fines.

Image: The Verge

In a reversal, Starlink says it’s “complying with the order” to block access to X in Brazil. The company previously refused to restrict X unless Brazil unfroze its financial assets.

Starlink, the satellite internet company controlled by Elon Musk, has been caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing feud between the billionaire, who also owns X, and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

In addition to imposing a ban on X over the spread of misinformation, the Brazilian justice also handed down an order that prevents Starlink from performing financial transactions. The move was supposed to coerce X into paying $3 million in fines for failing to block accounts flagged by the Brazilian government, as reported by The New York Times.

Starlink’s block on X puts the company in a strange position, especially when Musk considers himself a “free speech absolutist.”

“We immediately initiated legal proceedings in the Brazilian Supreme Court explaining the gross illegality of this order and asking the Court to unfreeze our assets,” Starlink says in a post on X. “Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.”

On Monday, a Brazilian Supreme Court panel upheld the decision to limit access to X. Internet service providers and mobile app stores have until September 4th to block X, and those who continue accessing the platform through a virtual private network (VPN) could face steep daily fines.

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