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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

You may have read headlines last week about Microsoft removing the Control Panel from Windows soon, but the death of the Control Panel has been greatly exaggerated. The inaccurate reports stemmed from a single support document, originally spotted by Neowin. Microsoft has now updated the support document to make it clear that Control Panel isn’t in danger of being removed from Windows anytime soon.
“The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app,” said Microsoft in its support note last week. While Microsoft has been working on moving Control Panel items to the Settings interface for more than a decade, this seemingly small update to a support document triggered headlines about the Control Panel being removed “soon.”
“Microsoft finally officially confirms it’s killing Windows Control Panel sometime soon” said Neowin, “Microsoft formally deprecates the 39-year-old Windows Control Panel” declared Ars Technica. Many others reported that the end of the Control Panel was near, but over the weekend Microsoft updated it support note to make it clear it’s merely in the continued process of moving items over to the Settings app.
“Many of the settings in Control Panel are in the process of being migrated to the Settings app,” says Microsoft. I asked the company to comment on the original support note and the updated one, but Microsoft hasn’t provided The Verge with a statement in time for publication.

after inaccurate reports that Microsoft would be removing the Control Panel in Windows “soon,” Microsoft now says “Many of the settings in Control Panel are in the process of being migrated to the Settings app” instead of “The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated” pic.twitter.com/eiY6dC5xbg— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 26, 2024

Either way, Microsoft has been moving more Control Panel settings over to the Settings interface in recent months. Windows 11 is finally getting mouse settings that let you avoid the Control Panel soon, removing another big reason for having to use the Control Panel.
Many Windows users still prefer the Control Panel interface to the Settings one, though. It offers up a lot of settings in an easy to use interface where you don’t have to dig into multiple levels to find what you’re looking for. Microsoft has been refining its Settings interface since Windows 8, with plenty of overhauls in both Windows 10 and 11.
The software giant still hasn’t added Control Panel to its list of deprecated features in Windows, so it’s not going away anytime soon. Microsoft typically adds Windows features to this formal deprecation list months or even years in advance to warn businesses and consumers of their removal.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

You may have read headlines last week about Microsoft removing the Control Panel from Windows soon, but the death of the Control Panel has been greatly exaggerated. The inaccurate reports stemmed from a single support document, originally spotted by Neowin. Microsoft has now updated the support document to make it clear that Control Panel isn’t in danger of being removed from Windows anytime soon.

“The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app,” said Microsoft in its support note last week. While Microsoft has been working on moving Control Panel items to the Settings interface for more than a decade, this seemingly small update to a support document triggered headlines about the Control Panel being removed “soon.”

“Microsoft finally officially confirms it’s killing Windows Control Panel sometime soon” said Neowin, “Microsoft formally deprecates the 39-year-old Windows Control Panel” declared Ars Technica. Many others reported that the end of the Control Panel was near, but over the weekend Microsoft updated it support note to make it clear it’s merely in the continued process of moving items over to the Settings app.

“Many of the settings in Control Panel are in the process of being migrated to the Settings app,” says Microsoft. I asked the company to comment on the original support note and the updated one, but Microsoft hasn’t provided The Verge with a statement in time for publication.

Either way, Microsoft has been moving more Control Panel settings over to the Settings interface in recent months. Windows 11 is finally getting mouse settings that let you avoid the Control Panel soon, removing another big reason for having to use the Control Panel.

Many Windows users still prefer the Control Panel interface to the Settings one, though. It offers up a lot of settings in an easy to use interface where you don’t have to dig into multiple levels to find what you’re looking for. Microsoft has been refining its Settings interface since Windows 8, with plenty of overhauls in both Windows 10 and 11.

The software giant still hasn’t added Control Panel to its list of deprecated features in Windows, so it’s not going away anytime soon. Microsoft typically adds Windows features to this formal deprecation list months or even years in advance to warn businesses and consumers of their removal.

Read More 

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Samsung says it will provide seven years’ worth of Tizen operating system updates for its newer AI-powered TVs in a bid to fend off competition from Chinese rivals. The announcement was made last week at Samsung Electronics’ Suwon Campus according to Business Korea, and will first apply to TV models released in March 2024, alongside some products released in 2023.
The policy extension is a notable jump from the updates Samsung currently provides, which typically address bugs without upgrading the Tizen OS itself. The move comes as Samsung, currently the world’s biggest seller of smart TV, finds its market leadership being challenged by Chinese companies like Hisense and TCL. Research from analytics firm Omdia found that Samsung had a nearly 29 percent share of the global TV market during the first half of the year — down more than 2 percent from the year prior — while TCL and Hisense closed in with 12.1 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
“With the seven-year free upgrade of Tizen applied to AI TVs, we will widen the gap in market share with Chinese companies,” said Yong Seok-Yoon, the president of Samsung Electronic’s Visual Display Business Division. The exact models guaranteed to benefit from the expanded updates haven’t yet been specified by Samsung.
Samsung made a similar announcement back in January regarding its Galaxy S24 smartphone series, pledging to provide seven years of OS upgrades and security updates. Around that time LG, Samsung’s domestic rival, also revealed it would be offering five years of webOS upgrades for its own smart TV lineup, though specific models it would apply to were at least included in that announcement.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Samsung says it will provide seven years’ worth of Tizen operating system updates for its newer AI-powered TVs in a bid to fend off competition from Chinese rivals. The announcement was made last week at Samsung Electronics’ Suwon Campus according to Business Korea, and will first apply to TV models released in March 2024, alongside some products released in 2023.

The policy extension is a notable jump from the updates Samsung currently provides, which typically address bugs without upgrading the Tizen OS itself. The move comes as Samsung, currently the world’s biggest seller of smart TV, finds its market leadership being challenged by Chinese companies like Hisense and TCL. Research from analytics firm Omdia found that Samsung had a nearly 29 percent share of the global TV market during the first half of the year — down more than 2 percent from the year prior — while TCL and Hisense closed in with 12.1 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

“With the seven-year free upgrade of Tizen applied to AI TVs, we will widen the gap in market share with Chinese companies,” said Yong Seok-Yoon, the president of Samsung Electronic’s Visual Display Business Division. The exact models guaranteed to benefit from the expanded updates haven’t yet been specified by Samsung.

Samsung made a similar announcement back in January regarding its Galaxy S24 smartphone series, pledging to provide seven years of OS upgrades and security updates. Around that time LG, Samsung’s domestic rival, also revealed it would be offering five years of webOS upgrades for its own smart TV lineup, though specific models it would apply to were at least included in that announcement.

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Garmin’s midrange running watch is $100 off in both the standard configuration and the smaller 42mm sizing. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

As part of its “Glowtime” event on September 9th, Apple is expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 10 and possibly a new Apple Watch Ultra. However, while both watches are expected to feature new chips and better displays, neither of them will likely rival the Garmin Forerunner 265 when it comes to dedicated running features or battery life. Luckily, Garmin’s excellent running watch is currently on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and REI for $349.99 ($100 off) — an all-time low.

Of all the running watches Garmin currently sells, the platform-agnostic Forerunner 265 probably strikes the best balance between price and performance. Both the 265 and smaller 265S offer multiband GPS for more precise tracking, onboard music storage, and a vibrant, always-on OLED display, which allows you to eke out an entire week of battery life on a single charge (or longer with the AOD disabled).
More importantly, both models provide every running metric you can think of, including stride length, cadence, and other form-related data. They also let you take advantage of Garmin’s more novel — albeit, welcome — features, including PacePro, Training Readiness, and Race Predictor. The latter is my favorite, as it provides you with an estimated time for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon using your long-term training data. That makes the Forerunner 265 just as suitable for beginners as it is for those training for their next marathon.

Read our Garmin Forerunner 265S review.

More deals, discounts, and ways to save

Apple’s AirPods Max are on sale at Amazon for $399 ($150 off), matching their lowest price to date. It’s always possible that Apple will announce an updated model with USB-C support during its upcoming iPhone 16 event, but if you can’t wait, the current pair still offer great sound, exceptional build quality, and enough ecosystem tricks that we consider them the best noise-canceling headphones you can get if you’re an iPhone owner. Read our review.
Barnes & Noble, of all places, is offering 25 percent off a number of Lego sets in the run-up to Labor Day — including kits based on Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, and more. Right now, for instance, you can grab Lego’s Death Star Trench Run Diorama for $52.49 (about $18 off), Boba Fett’s Throne Room set for $74.99 ($25 off), and the Adventures with Mario Starter Course for $44.99 ($15 off), none of which Lego is currently selling for one reason or another.
Last week, we saw Amazon’s latest Kindle Kids return to $94.99 ($25 off) at Amazon. If you don’t want a protective case or any of the kid-friendly perks, however, you can now grab the standard Kindle with ads at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target starting at $84.99 ($15 off). That’s one of the best prices we’ve seen this year on the entry-level ebook reader, which offers an excellent 6.8-inch display with 300ppi resolution, USB-C charging, and enough battery life to keep you going for weeks at a time. Read our review

Garmin’s midrange running watch is $100 off in both the standard configuration and the smaller 42mm sizing. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

As part of its “Glowtime” event on September 9th, Apple is expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 10 and possibly a new Apple Watch Ultra. However, while both watches are expected to feature new chips and better displays, neither of them will likely rival the Garmin Forerunner 265 when it comes to dedicated running features or battery life. Luckily, Garmin’s excellent running watch is currently on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and REI for $349.99 ($100 off) — an all-time low.

Of all the running watches Garmin currently sells, the platform-agnostic Forerunner 265 probably strikes the best balance between price and performance. Both the 265 and smaller 265S offer multiband GPS for more precise tracking, onboard music storage, and a vibrant, always-on OLED display, which allows you to eke out an entire week of battery life on a single charge (or longer with the AOD disabled).

More importantly, both models provide every running metric you can think of, including stride length, cadence, and other form-related data. They also let you take advantage of Garmin’s more novel — albeit, welcome — features, including PacePro, Training Readiness, and Race Predictor. The latter is my favorite, as it provides you with an estimated time for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon using your long-term training data. That makes the Forerunner 265 just as suitable for beginners as it is for those training for their next marathon.

Read our Garmin Forerunner 265S review.

More deals, discounts, and ways to save

Apple’s AirPods Max are on sale at Amazon for $399 ($150 off), matching their lowest price to date. It’s always possible that Apple will announce an updated model with USB-C support during its upcoming iPhone 16 event, but if you can’t wait, the current pair still offer great sound, exceptional build quality, and enough ecosystem tricks that we consider them the best noise-canceling headphones you can get if you’re an iPhone owner. Read our review.
Barnes & Noble, of all places, is offering 25 percent off a number of Lego sets in the run-up to Labor Day — including kits based on Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, and more. Right now, for instance, you can grab Lego’s Death Star Trench Run Diorama for $52.49 (about $18 off), Boba Fett’s Throne Room set for $74.99 ($25 off), and the Adventures with Mario Starter Course for $44.99 ($15 off), none of which Lego is currently selling for one reason or another.
Last week, we saw Amazon’s latest Kindle Kids return to $94.99 ($25 off) at Amazon. If you don’t want a protective case or any of the kid-friendly perks, however, you can now grab the standard Kindle with ads at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target starting at $84.99 ($15 off). That’s one of the best prices we’ve seen this year on the entry-level ebook reader, which offers an excellent 6.8-inch display with 300ppi resolution, USB-C charging, and enough battery life to keep you going for weeks at a time. Read our review

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Illustration: The Verge

Apple announced that chief financial officer Luca Maestri will step down from his role at the start of next year. He’ll remain at the company as the head of its corporate services team, leading “information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development.”
Maestri joined Apple in 2013 after serving as the CFO of Xerox. He became the CFO just one year later, replacing Peter Oppenheimer. CNBC notes that when he took over, Apple’s annual revenue was $183 billion, and last year, it reached $383 billion. Apple also announced an expansion to its share repurchase program to $90 billion, which Maestri would oversee.
This spring, Apple announced it would increase the amount from $90 billion to $110 billion, breaking its own record of $100 billion. It also reported an increase in revenue from its services business of 14 percent, even as sales of iPhones and iPads were down from the previous year. In Apple’s announcement, it said, “…Maestri enabled essential investments and practiced robust financial discipline, which together helped the company more than double its revenue, with services revenue growing more than five times.”
Kevan Parekh, Apple’s vice president of financial planning and analysis, will take Maestri’s place managing the finances of the now $3 trillion company. Parekh has been at Apple for 11 years and previously worked in senior leadership positions at Thomson Reuters and General Motors.
“Luca has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in the press release. “He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple.”
Apple is shaking up other areas of its business as well. It announced last week that it’s splitting up its App Store division, with App Store vice president Matt Fischer leaving the role after over 10 years.

Illustration: The Verge

Apple announced that chief financial officer Luca Maestri will step down from his role at the start of next year. He’ll remain at the company as the head of its corporate services team, leading “information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development.”

Maestri joined Apple in 2013 after serving as the CFO of Xerox. He became the CFO just one year later, replacing Peter Oppenheimer. CNBC notes that when he took over, Apple’s annual revenue was $183 billion, and last year, it reached $383 billion. Apple also announced an expansion to its share repurchase program to $90 billion, which Maestri would oversee.

This spring, Apple announced it would increase the amount from $90 billion to $110 billion, breaking its own record of $100 billion. It also reported an increase in revenue from its services business of 14 percent, even as sales of iPhones and iPads were down from the previous year. In Apple’s announcement, it said, “…Maestri enabled essential investments and practiced robust financial discipline, which together helped the company more than double its revenue, with services revenue growing more than five times.”

Kevan Parekh, Apple’s vice president of financial planning and analysis, will take Maestri’s place managing the finances of the now $3 trillion company. Parekh has been at Apple for 11 years and previously worked in senior leadership positions at Thomson Reuters and General Motors.

“Luca has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in the press release. “He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple.”

Apple is shaking up other areas of its business as well. It announced last week that it’s splitting up its App Store division, with App Store vice president Matt Fischer leaving the role after over 10 years.

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The Crew Dragon capsule will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

SpaceX is getting ready to set out on its historic Polaris Dawn mission, which will send four astronauts into orbit aboard its Crew Dragon capsule. The five-day journey through the Van Allen radiation belts will include the first spacewalk done by private astronauts.
If you’re curious about the mission, here’s what you should know and how to watch it live.
What is the Polaris Dawn mission?
First announced in 2022, Polaris Dawn is a mission funded by billionaire and private astronaut Jared Isaacman. In addition to Isaacman, three other privately-trained astronauts will embark on the mission, including retired US Air Force fighter pilot Scott Poteet, as well as SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Only Isaacman and Gillis will perform the spacewalk, which will take place around 430 miles above Earth.

Image: SpaceX
The Polaris Dawn crew.

Once launched into orbit, the four crew members will eventually reach a maximum altitude of around 870 miles, making it the furthest astronauts have traveled since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. They’ll also fly through the Van Allen belts, two bands of radiation NASA says consist of high-energy particles that come from the Sun and the atmosphere’s interaction with cosmic rays.
Why is Polaris Dawn so important?
The spacewalk isn’t the only objective of the Polaris Dawn mission. The astronauts will also test SpaceX’s extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, which are made with new materials for improved mobility. These suits are paired with a 3D-printed helmet with a heads-up display and a visor designed to mitigate glare.

All four astronauts will wear the upgraded suits when the spacewalk takes place, as the Crew Dragon doesn’t have an airlock, leaving the crew members inside the capsule “exposed to the vacuum of space,” according to SpaceX. During the spacewalk, Isaacman and Gillis will perform tests with the new spacesuits.
Since the capsule will pass through the Van Allen radiation belts, the mission will also contribute to research about the effects of space radiation on the human body. Additionally, the Polaris Dawn crew will test Starlink’s satellite internet technology to communicate with Earth, as well as conduct research on decompression sickness and Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome.
When is Polaris Dawn?
Polaris Dawn will take flight on Tuesday, August 27th, with SpaceX targeting a 3:38AM ET launch time. If there happens to be a delay, SpaceX has set two additional launch times for 5:23AM ET and 7:09AM ET.
The Crew Dragon capsule will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
How to watch the Polaris Dawn launch
You can watch a livestream of the mission from SpaceX’s website and its X page. Coverage will begin at around 12:05AM ET.
The spacewalk, which will take place on the third day of the mission, will also be livestreamed. It will likely be available from SpaceX’s website and on X.

The Crew Dragon capsule will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

SpaceX is getting ready to set out on its historic Polaris Dawn mission, which will send four astronauts into orbit aboard its Crew Dragon capsule. The five-day journey through the Van Allen radiation belts will include the first spacewalk done by private astronauts.

If you’re curious about the mission, here’s what you should know and how to watch it live.

What is the Polaris Dawn mission?

First announced in 2022, Polaris Dawn is a mission funded by billionaire and private astronaut Jared Isaacman. In addition to Isaacman, three other privately-trained astronauts will embark on the mission, including retired US Air Force fighter pilot Scott Poteet, as well as SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Only Isaacman and Gillis will perform the spacewalk, which will take place around 430 miles above Earth.

Image: SpaceX
The Polaris Dawn crew.

Once launched into orbit, the four crew members will eventually reach a maximum altitude of around 870 miles, making it the furthest astronauts have traveled since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. They’ll also fly through the Van Allen belts, two bands of radiation NASA says consist of high-energy particles that come from the Sun and the atmosphere’s interaction with cosmic rays.

Why is Polaris Dawn so important?

The spacewalk isn’t the only objective of the Polaris Dawn mission. The astronauts will also test SpaceX’s extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, which are made with new materials for improved mobility. These suits are paired with a 3D-printed helmet with a heads-up display and a visor designed to mitigate glare.

All four astronauts will wear the upgraded suits when the spacewalk takes place, as the Crew Dragon doesn’t have an airlock, leaving the crew members inside the capsule “exposed to the vacuum of space,” according to SpaceX. During the spacewalk, Isaacman and Gillis will perform tests with the new spacesuits.

Since the capsule will pass through the Van Allen radiation belts, the mission will also contribute to research about the effects of space radiation on the human body. Additionally, the Polaris Dawn crew will test Starlink’s satellite internet technology to communicate with Earth, as well as conduct research on decompression sickness and Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome.

When is Polaris Dawn?

Polaris Dawn will take flight on Tuesday, August 27th, with SpaceX targeting a 3:38AM ET launch time. If there happens to be a delay, SpaceX has set two additional launch times for 5:23AM ET and 7:09AM ET.

The Crew Dragon capsule will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

How to watch the Polaris Dawn launch

You can watch a livestream of the mission from SpaceX’s website and its X page. Coverage will begin at around 12:05AM ET.

The spacewalk, which will take place on the third day of the mission, will also be livestreamed. It will likely be available from SpaceX’s website and on X.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

Google is making it easier to keep track of Google Meet calls — which can easily get buried in your tabs — while you’re using desktop Chrome. The company is now rolling out a feature that automatically opens a Google Meet call in picture-in-picture mode when you switch tabs in Chrome, according to a blog post.
As shown by Google in a GIF, when you click away from the Google Meet call, a new Meet window pops up elsewhere on the screen so that you can keep an eye on who’s speaking. Might be handy when you’re definitely looking at the document somebody shared around and definitely not checking your Threads feed.

GIF: Google

The automatic picture-in-picture feature isn’t gated to paid accounts; Google says that it’s available to “all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.”
You can manually turn on picture-in-picture during a call if you need, too.

Illustration: The Verge

Google is making it easier to keep track of Google Meet calls — which can easily get buried in your tabs — while you’re using desktop Chrome. The company is now rolling out a feature that automatically opens a Google Meet call in picture-in-picture mode when you switch tabs in Chrome, according to a blog post.

As shown by Google in a GIF, when you click away from the Google Meet call, a new Meet window pops up elsewhere on the screen so that you can keep an eye on who’s speaking. Might be handy when you’re definitely looking at the document somebody shared around and definitely not checking your Threads feed.

GIF: Google

The automatic picture-in-picture feature isn’t gated to paid accounts; Google says that it’s available to “all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.”

You can manually turn on picture-in-picture during a call if you need, too.

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Rivian’s factory in 2022. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A fire broke out in a parking lot at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois factory over the weekend, damaging several electric vehicles, local media is reporting. No injuries are being reported at this time.
A spokesperson for the Normal Fire Department told The Verge that a report of a fire was called in at 9:43PM CT Sunday at the Rivian factory. That said, Rivian is now leading the investigation into the nature of the blaze, along with the company’s insurance company, with the town’s fire officials lending their support as needed, Normal Fire Department spokesperson Matt Swaney said in an email.
“It is a very intricate and complex investigation so we do not have a timeline of when and if any origin or cause may be determined at this time,” Swaney added. “The assembly plant itself is unaffected by the incident. There were no injuries to firefighters or Rivian personnel.”
Rivian is now leading the investigation into the nature of the blaze
Meanwhile, witnesses told 25 News Now they could see flames and smoke rising from the factory site at a distance. The factory itself was not damaged, as the fire was contained to the parking lot.
“We are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a number of vehicles in a parking lot at our Normal plant late Saturday night,” Rivian spokesperson Peebles Squire said in a statement. “The plant itself is unaffected. There were no injuries. We are not providing further details at this time.”
Fire is increasingly becoming a major risk factor for EV manufacturers, as lithium-ion battery cells can burn extremely hot and are resistant to traditional methods of prevention. Over a dozen people have been killed in fires linked to faulty e-bike batteries in New York City. A Tesla Semi caught fire in California last week, causing a major traffic jam.
Of course, gas-powered vehicles can catch fire, and often do at a much higher rate than electric vehicles. But the difficulty in containing and extinguishing EV batteries make them a unique challenge for fire departments, especially as EV sales continue to grow.
First responders are being trained to handle EV battery fires since they can’t be extinguished via some traditional methods. Republican lawmakers, which have largely opposed the subsidization of EV manufacturing, are pushing the message that EVs are uniquely dangerous. And the Biden administration, which is trying to encourage more consumers to buy EVs as a way to fight climate change, is trying to get local departments to share information about the best ways to fight EV battery fires.

Rivian’s factory in 2022. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A fire broke out in a parking lot at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois factory over the weekend, damaging several electric vehicles, local media is reporting. No injuries are being reported at this time.

A spokesperson for the Normal Fire Department told The Verge that a report of a fire was called in at 9:43PM CT Sunday at the Rivian factory. That said, Rivian is now leading the investigation into the nature of the blaze, along with the company’s insurance company, with the town’s fire officials lending their support as needed, Normal Fire Department spokesperson Matt Swaney said in an email.

“It is a very intricate and complex investigation so we do not have a timeline of when and if any origin or cause may be determined at this time,” Swaney added. “The assembly plant itself is unaffected by the incident. There were no injuries to firefighters or Rivian personnel.”

Meanwhile, witnesses told 25 News Now they could see flames and smoke rising from the factory site at a distance. The factory itself was not damaged, as the fire was contained to the parking lot.

“We are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a number of vehicles in a parking lot at our Normal plant late Saturday night,” Rivian spokesperson Peebles Squire said in a statement. “The plant itself is unaffected. There were no injuries. We are not providing further details at this time.”

Fire is increasingly becoming a major risk factor for EV manufacturers, as lithium-ion battery cells can burn extremely hot and are resistant to traditional methods of prevention. Over a dozen people have been killed in fires linked to faulty e-bike batteries in New York City. A Tesla Semi caught fire in California last week, causing a major traffic jam.

Of course, gas-powered vehicles can catch fire, and often do at a much higher rate than electric vehicles. But the difficulty in containing and extinguishing EV batteries make them a unique challenge for fire departments, especially as EV sales continue to grow.

First responders are being trained to handle EV battery fires since they can’t be extinguished via some traditional methods. Republican lawmakers, which have largely opposed the subsidization of EV manufacturing, are pushing the message that EVs are uniquely dangerous. And the Biden administration, which is trying to encourage more consumers to buy EVs as a way to fight climate change, is trying to get local departments to share information about the best ways to fight EV battery fires.

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Image: Sony

Sony has announced the $59.99 WF-C510 wireless earbuds, the latest budget offering in its “Truly Wireless” line. They’re fairly bare-bones but improve on their predecessor with voice isolation and slightly longer battery life while costing $30 less. The earbuds come in four colors — black, blue, white, and yellow — and are available for preorder now on Sony’s website or at Amazon.
The WF-C510 earbuds, besides having a name that rolls right off the tongue, come with Ambient Sound Mode (Sony’s transparency mode, which pipes in external sound) in addition to voice isolation. They’re also the “smallest ever closed type earbuds” Sony says it has produced. According to Sony’s specs list, they’ll get as long as five hours of “continuous communication time” or up to 11 hours of general use, when Ambient Sound is off. The charging case can add another 11 hours.

Image: Sony
The new Sony WF-C510 comes in four colors.

Sony says the earbuds will connect to up to two Bluetooth devices at once and will support Google’s Fast Pair and Microsoft’s Swift Pair features for quick device connections. They’re also IPX4-rated, which means they can take water splashes or a sweaty run (but you shouldn’t drop them in a pool).
The WF-C510 are expected to ship to customers starting September 9th.

Image: Sony

Sony has announced the $59.99 WF-C510 wireless earbuds, the latest budget offering in its “Truly Wireless” line. They’re fairly bare-bones but improve on their predecessor with voice isolation and slightly longer battery life while costing $30 less. The earbuds come in four colors — black, blue, white, and yellow — and are available for preorder now on Sony’s website or at Amazon.

The WF-C510 earbuds, besides having a name that rolls right off the tongue, come with Ambient Sound Mode (Sony’s transparency mode, which pipes in external sound) in addition to voice isolation. They’re also the “smallest ever closed type earbuds” Sony says it has produced. According to Sony’s specs list, they’ll get as long as five hours of “continuous communication time” or up to 11 hours of general use, when Ambient Sound is off. The charging case can add another 11 hours.

Image: Sony
The new Sony WF-C510 comes in four colors.

Sony says the earbuds will connect to up to two Bluetooth devices at once and will support Google’s Fast Pair and Microsoft’s Swift Pair features for quick device connections. They’re also IPX4-rated, which means they can take water splashes or a sweaty run (but you shouldn’t drop them in a pool).

The WF-C510 are expected to ship to customers starting September 9th.

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Photo: Getty Images

Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision. The site offers recommendations for products ranging from shoes to home appliances and employs journalists to test and review items — but has also been at the center of questions around whether its work is actually produced by humans.
“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told The Verge in an email.
But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn’t seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn’t include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
As The Verge reported last fall, the marketing firm behind the Reviewed content is the same company that was responsible for a similar dust-up at Sports Illustrated, in which remarkably similar product reviews were published and attributed to freelancers. But in the case of Sports Illustrated, the evidence that AI was involved was obvious: authors’ headshots were for sale on AI image websites. Sports Illustrated maintained that though authors’ names were indeed not real, AdVon had assured the company that real humans wrote the content.
But an investigation by The Verge into AdVon showed that the company has spammed the web with marketing content, some of which former employees say was indeed AI-generated. Ben Faw, CEO and cofounder of AdVon, has for years used his connections in media to land contracts with news outlets, often setting up elaborate marketing schemes to enrich himself. AdVon’s marketing content appeared everywhere from small blogs to outlets like Us Weekly and the Los Angeles Times. In response to The Verge’s reporting, Faw said in an emailed statement that the company “generate[s] affiliate revenue which publishers use to fund newsroom operations and salaries.” He also said AdVon offers “human-only, AI-enhanced, and hybrid solutions” to customers hiring the firm.
Antón didn’t offer a reason for shutting down Reviewed. Product reviews are often seen as a lucrative venture for publishers, who can draw readers looking for purchasing advice on search engines and make money when readers buy items from the articles. In recent months, other news organizations, including The Associated Press, have announced similar ventures. But even content that has historically made news outlets money is vulnerable to changes in Google Search, where a bulk of traffic comes from. Some independent sites have said their search traffic has steadily evaporated, and Google’s pivot to AI search tools threatens to eat into revenue even further.
Unionized workers at Reviewed have gone on limited strikes multiple times after impasses with Gannett management. Most recently, in July, staffers staged a temporary work stoppage, saying they were expected to take on additional work without adjustments to compensation. Gannett didn’t comment on whether staff at Reviewed will be offered new roles at the company or whether they would be laid off.
Correction, August 26th: This story previously stated that Reviewed staff were given additional work with adjustments to pay. Their compensation was not adjusted.

Photo: Getty Images

Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision. The site offers recommendations for products ranging from shoes to home appliances and employs journalists to test and review items — but has also been at the center of questions around whether its work is actually produced by humans.

“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told The Verge in an email.

But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn’t seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn’t include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.

As The Verge reported last fall, the marketing firm behind the Reviewed content is the same company that was responsible for a similar dust-up at Sports Illustrated, in which remarkably similar product reviews were published and attributed to freelancers. But in the case of Sports Illustrated, the evidence that AI was involved was obvious: authors’ headshots were for sale on AI image websites. Sports Illustrated maintained that though authors’ names were indeed not real, AdVon had assured the company that real humans wrote the content.

But an investigation by The Verge into AdVon showed that the company has spammed the web with marketing content, some of which former employees say was indeed AI-generated. Ben Faw, CEO and cofounder of AdVon, has for years used his connections in media to land contracts with news outlets, often setting up elaborate marketing schemes to enrich himself. AdVon’s marketing content appeared everywhere from small blogs to outlets like Us Weekly and the Los Angeles Times. In response to The Verge’s reporting, Faw said in an emailed statement that the company “generate[s] affiliate revenue which publishers use to fund newsroom operations and salaries.” He also said AdVon offers “human-only, AI-enhanced, and hybrid solutions” to customers hiring the firm.

Antón didn’t offer a reason for shutting down Reviewed. Product reviews are often seen as a lucrative venture for publishers, who can draw readers looking for purchasing advice on search engines and make money when readers buy items from the articles. In recent months, other news organizations, including The Associated Press, have announced similar ventures. But even content that has historically made news outlets money is vulnerable to changes in Google Search, where a bulk of traffic comes from. Some independent sites have said their search traffic has steadily evaporated, and Google’s pivot to AI search tools threatens to eat into revenue even further.

Unionized workers at Reviewed have gone on limited strikes multiple times after impasses with Gannett management. Most recently, in July, staffers staged a temporary work stoppage, saying they were expected to take on additional work without adjustments to compensation. Gannett didn’t comment on whether staff at Reviewed will be offered new roles at the company or whether they would be laid off.

Correction, August 26th: This story previously stated that Reviewed staff were given additional work with adjustments to pay. Their compensation was not adjusted.

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Image: Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast has walked back some of its planned updates to D&D Beyond. All your current Dungeons & Dragons characters sheets are once again safe with the publisher no longer forcing updates to newer versions of spells, weapons, and magic items.
Last week, as a part of the updates to Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition — collectively known as the 2024 revision — the publisher announced that it would update D&D Beyond, the tabletop RPG’s official digital toolkit that players use to reference content and create characters using a host of official and third-party sources. The update would add the new 2024 rulebooks to the toolkit, mark outdated content with a “legacy” badge, and change players’ character sheets to reflect all the new rules and features.

Over the coming months, you’re going to see big changes here on D&D Beyond! ⚙️ Here’s a breakdown of what we’re working on: https://t.co/QJMhaPigZD pic.twitter.com/GttPl9GJdf— D&D Beyond (@DnDBeyond) August 21, 2024

That last part is critical to understanding why some D&D players (including my own dungeon master) spent the last 72 hours in a state of panic. Though some of the 2024 revisions are essentially cosmetic in nature — for example, “races” will be updated to “species” — other updates like the ones to weapons, spells, and magic items fundamentally alter the game. Wizards of the Coast would have essentially overwritten every user’s character sheet with the new information whether they wanted it or not.
“All entries for mundane and magical items, weapons, armor, and spells will also be updated to their 2024 version,” Wizards said in its initial announcement.
The publisher did say that players would have the option to continue to use the 2014 version of spells and magic items. But doing so requires using the game’s homebrew rules. which aren’t known for being user-friendly.
To put this in perspective, think of it like owning a car. Imagine that after 10 years with one car, learning its ins and outs, the manufacturer decides that when it rolls out the latest model of your car, it’s going to magically change your car to the new model, too. Now, though your car is essentially the same, it doesn’t work like you’re used to. And when you ask the manufacturer if you can go back to your old car, it says you can but that you’ll have to manually restore it yourself.
Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast isn’t in the car business, and after a weekend of backlash on social media, the company will no longer force the new changes on players.
“We misjudged the impact of this change, and we agree that you should be free to choose your own way to play,” Wizard’s said in its latest announcement. Current character sheets will only be updated with new terminology while the older versions of spells, magic items, and weapons will be preserved. Also, players who have access to both the 2014 and 2024 digital versions will have the option to use both when creating new characters.
Essentially, Wizards of the Coast is doing what it should have done in the first place: simply adding the new content and giving players the choice to opt in.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast has walked back some of its planned updates to D&D Beyond. All your current Dungeons & Dragons characters sheets are once again safe with the publisher no longer forcing updates to newer versions of spells, weapons, and magic items.

Last week, as a part of the updates to Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition — collectively known as the 2024 revision — the publisher announced that it would update D&D Beyond, the tabletop RPG’s official digital toolkit that players use to reference content and create characters using a host of official and third-party sources. The update would add the new 2024 rulebooks to the toolkit, mark outdated content with a “legacy” badge, and change players’ character sheets to reflect all the new rules and features.

That last part is critical to understanding why some D&D players (including my own dungeon master) spent the last 72 hours in a state of panic. Though some of the 2024 revisions are essentially cosmetic in nature — for example, “races” will be updated to “species” — other updates like the ones to weapons, spells, and magic items fundamentally alter the game. Wizards of the Coast would have essentially overwritten every user’s character sheet with the new information whether they wanted it or not.

“All entries for mundane and magical items, weapons, armor, and spells will also be updated to their 2024 version,” Wizards said in its initial announcement.

The publisher did say that players would have the option to continue to use the 2014 version of spells and magic items. But doing so requires using the game’s homebrew rules. which aren’t known for being user-friendly.

To put this in perspective, think of it like owning a car. Imagine that after 10 years with one car, learning its ins and outs, the manufacturer decides that when it rolls out the latest model of your car, it’s going to magically change your car to the new model, too. Now, though your car is essentially the same, it doesn’t work like you’re used to. And when you ask the manufacturer if you can go back to your old car, it says you can but that you’ll have to manually restore it yourself.

Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast isn’t in the car business, and after a weekend of backlash on social media, the company will no longer force the new changes on players.

“We misjudged the impact of this change, and we agree that you should be free to choose your own way to play,” Wizard’s said in its latest announcement. Current character sheets will only be updated with new terminology while the older versions of spells, magic items, and weapons will be preserved. Also, players who have access to both the 2014 and 2024 digital versions will have the option to use both when creating new characters.

Essentially, Wizards of the Coast is doing what it should have done in the first place: simply adding the new content and giving players the choice to opt in.

Read More