The Verge - Tech Postshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2024-03-28T10:17:07-04:00https://www.theverge.com/tech/rss/index.xml2024-03-28T10:17:07-04:002024-03-28T10:17:07-04:00FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is about to be sentenced for committing fraud
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<img alt="Photo collage of Sam Bankman-Fried over a graphic background of pixel blocks and hundred dollar bills." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MJsq47ZuiDOvhbHpXQfIIWRU2xE=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72712248/236817_SBF_Trial_Stock_CVirginia_D.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo illustration by Cath Virgina / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p>The former crypto billionaire’s punishment could have huge implications for the industry.</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/23894366/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-trial-updates-news">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/23894366/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-trial-updates-newsRichard LawlerEmma RothElizabeth LopattoWes DavisJon PorterAdi Robertson2024-03-28T10:00:00-04:002024-03-28T10:00:00-04:00Surprise! Google will let the Pixel 8 run on-device AI after all
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<img alt="Google Pixel 8 in pink on a pink background with red transparent squares." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6HElDUED548VvChd3t8WqfbNeHQ=/0x0:2000x1333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238661/DSC05661.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><em>Google Pixel 8 owners can have a little on-device AI, as a treat.</em> | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="Gh4jVV">We did it, y’all. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093603/the-pixel-8-wont-get-gemini-nano-because-of-reasons">We bullied Google</a> into letting the Pixel 8 run on-device AI. Starting with the next Pixel feature drop, the Pixel 8 will use Gemini Nano for a couple of AI features. </p>
<p id="WriRPh">Google <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/6/23989591/google-gemini-ai-model-pixel-8-pro-recorder-smart-reply">announced Gemini Nano as its</a> mobile-optimized large language model in December and said it would be a core part of Android in the future — but in its own device lineup, only the Pixel 8 Pro was able to use it. Despite using the same Tensor G3 chipset, the Pixel 8 wasn’t getting on-device AI because of “hardware limitations.” Pixel fans and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@mishaal_rahman/post/C4OUruKvetg">watchful Android experts</a> asked the same question: what the heck, Google?</p>
<p id="0qW4ne">The Pixel 8 will get support for Gemini Nano in the next Pixel feature drop as a developer preview, powering on-device recorder summaries...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114078/google-pixel-8-gemini-nano-on-device-ai">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114078/google-pixel-8-gemini-nano-on-device-aiAllison Johnson2024-03-28T09:38:45-04:002024-03-28T09:38:45-04:00Meta is adding AI to its Ray-Ban smart glasses next month
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<img alt="A photo showing the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses on a blue and yellow background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X9R_lD2GSHMFcwtdGcx_ZaEOQfg=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238608/236834_Ray_Ban_Meta_Smart_Glasses_AKrales_0656.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="SAPZca">Meta will bring AI to its Ray-Ban smart glasses starting next month, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/technology/personaltech/smart-glasses-ray-ban-meta.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share">a report from <em>The New York Times</em></a>. The multimodal AI features, which can perform translation, along with object, animal, and monument identification, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/12/23998780/ray-ban-smart-glasses-hey-meta-multimodal-ai-features">have been in early access</a> since last December.</p>
<p id="Sx9HMa">Users can activate the glasses’ smart assistant by saying “Hey Meta,” and then saying a prompt or asking a question. It will then respond through the speakers built into the frames. The <em>NYT</em> offers a glimpse at how well Meta’s AI works when taking the glasses for a spin in a grocery store, while driving, at museums, and even at the zoo. </p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang"><aside id="STx2UV"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses actually make the future look cool","url":"https://www.theverge.com/23922425/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-review"},{"title":"Mark Zuckerberg’s new goal is creating artificial general intelligence ","url":"https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/18/24042354/mark-zuckerberg-meta-agi-reorg-interview"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="dQNU8n">Although Meta’s AI was able to correctly identify pets and artwork, it didn’t get things right 100 percent of the time. The <em>NYT...</em></p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114454/meta-ai-ray-ban-smart-glasses-launch">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114454/meta-ai-ray-ban-smart-glasses-launchEmma Roth2024-03-28T09:06:17-04:002024-03-28T09:06:17-04:00A quarter of YouTube’s paid creators are earning money with Shorts
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<img alt="Illustration of a YouTube logo with geometric background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PoeyfLOT9g_SoiBCaoMSJ0iU8jo=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238553/acastro_STK092_01.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="IB1Qwd">One year after YouTube turned on revenue sharing for its shortform video feature, a growing chunk of creators are getting paid for it. More than 1 in 4 creators in YouTube’s Partner Program are now earning money with YouTube Shorts, <a href="https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/shorts-revenue-sharing-update/">the company announced</a> on Thursday. Given there are over 3 million creators in YouTube’s ad sharing program, that amounts to roughly 750,000 Shorts creators in total. </p>
<p id="m50SAm">The company doesn’t break out how much it has paid Shorts creators specifically. It has paid <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/youtube-creators-raked-70-billion-140000112.html">$70 billion to creators</a> in total over the last three years, with the bulk of that going to longform content.</p>
<p id="HcxrXx">By all measures, Shorts are getting more popular. The number of Shorts uploaded on YouTube has grown by 50 percent year over year, and the...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114031/youtube-shorts-partner-program-ad-sharing-revenue">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114031/youtube-shorts-partner-program-ad-sharing-revenueAmrita Khalid2024-03-28T09:00:00-04:002024-03-28T09:00:00-04:00The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a photography nerd’s dream
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<img alt="Xiaomi 14 Ultra with photography kit." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PZU0lv9fsIq8rEkt1z24ld_jkAY=/0x0:2000x1333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238486/DSC07151.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><em>It’s a beaut.</em></figcaption>
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<p id="Ni7dO1">For most people, the compact camera is long since dead; a camera is a phone and a phone is a camera. But despite all of the technological developments over the past few years, phones still leave something to be desired if you’re the kind of person who likes to <em>go take photos.</em> </p>
<p id="oqfXyl">Traditional cameras — <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/20/24075147/fujifilm-x100vi-camera-announced-features-price">especially of a certain size and shape</a> — are still alive and kicking, partly because there’s nothing that beats real buttons, dials, and a sturdy grip. They’re things that phones generally don’t have — except for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. It’s the camera-iest phone camera I’ve used in the last decade (RIP the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/11/4514064/nokia-lumia-1020-hands-on">Nokia Lumia 1020</a>), and I dearly wish it was available in the US.</p>
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<figcaption><em>We love to see an exposure comp dial.</em></figcaption>
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<p id="nAY9uC">The Xiaomi 14...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/24100033/xiaomi-14-ultra-camera-photography-kit">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/24100033/xiaomi-14-ultra-camera-photography-kitAllison Johnson2024-03-28T07:03:43-04:002024-03-28T07:03:43-04:00Embracer is selling Borderlands developer Gearbox to Take-Two
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<img alt="A screenshot from Borderlands 3." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zYggopP3diRCrDazu6m-wFJIpYQ=/300x0:3540x2160/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238284/ss_6f1836277ffe8733503a9446d51b8c7eb3d20d5f.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><em>Two in-development Borderlands projects will continue to be led by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford under Take-Two’s 2K division.</em> | Image: 2K</figcaption>
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<p id="5fG4mz">Swedish gaming conglomerate Embracer Group has entered an agreement to sell Gearbox Interactive to <em>Rockstar</em> parent company Take-Two for $460 million. In a <a href="https://embracer.com/releases/embracer-group-divests-gearbox-entertainment-for-a-consideration-of-usd-460-million-to-take-two-interactive-software-inc/">press release published on Thursday</a>, Embracer announced that Take-Two will acquire full ownership over the <em>Borderlands</em> (including <em>Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands</em>), <em>Homeworld</em>, <em>Risk of Rain</em>, <em>Brothers in Arms</em>, and <em>Duke Nukem</em> franchises in the deal, which is expected to be finalized by June 2024.</p>
<p id="0LmFUQ">Take-Two Entertainment will also acquire the Gearbox studios based in Quebec, Montréal, and Frisco, Texas. Embracer will, however, retain several Gearbox assets, including Gearbox Publishing San Francisco (which will be renamed), Cryptic Studios, Lost Boys Interactive, the <em>Remnant</em> franchise, <em>Hyper Light...</em></p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114402/embracer-selling-gearbox-borderlands-developer-take-two">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114402/embracer-selling-gearbox-borderlands-developer-take-twoJess Weatherbed2024-03-28T05:00:00-04:002024-03-28T05:00:00-04:00Every US federal agency must hire a chief AI officer
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<img alt="Photo illustration of a brain on a circuitboard in red." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/osmk0RTxDLYqtPFeC9s6jfkf71Y=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238134/STK414_AI_CHATBOT_H.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="0xaF7V">All US federal agencies will now be required to have a senior leader overseeing all AI systems they use, as the government wants to ensure that AI use in the public service remains safe. </p>
<p id="XWIWtR">Vice President Kamala Harris announced the new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance in a briefing with reporters and said that agencies must also establish AI governance boards to coordinate how AI is used within the agency. Agencies will also have to submit an annual report to the OMB listing all AI systems they use, any risks associated with these, and how they plan on mitigating these risks.</p>
<p id="XqDpEJ">“We have directed all federal agencies to designate a chief AI officer with the experience, expertise, and authority to oversee all AI technologies...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114105/federal-agencies-ai-responsible-guidance-omb-caio">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114105/federal-agencies-ai-responsible-guidance-omb-caioEmilia David2024-03-28T05:00:00-04:002024-03-28T05:00:00-04:00New York City welcomes robotaxis — but only with safety drivers
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<img alt="New York City skyline" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wW-XHPzD1wjvcy4zo2y35ptEz3g=/200x0:2360x1440/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238135/city-scape.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Getty</figcaption>
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<p id="DPan0l">New York City announced a new permitting system for companies interested in testing autonomous vehicles on its roads, including a requirement that a human safety driver sit behind the steering wheel at all times. </p>
<p id="qPt1bA">As cities like San Francisco continue to grapple with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/11/24069251/waymo-driverless-taxi-fire-vandalized-video-san-francisco-china-town">the problems posed by fully driverless for-hire vehicles</a>, New York City is trying to get ahead of the problem by outlining what it calls “a rigorous permitting program” that it claims will ensure applicants are “ready to test their technology in the country’s most challenging urban environment safely and proficiently.”</p>
<p id="qr4vUE">“This technology is coming whether we like it or not,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement to <em>The Verge</em>, “so we’re going to make sure that we get it right.”</p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang"><aside id="gUEkqi"><q>“...</q></aside></div>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24108894/nyc-autonomous-robotaxi-safety-driver-permit-eric-adams">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24108894/nyc-autonomous-robotaxi-safety-driver-permit-eric-adamsAndrew J. Hawkins2024-03-27T19:11:02-04:002024-03-27T19:11:02-04:00Israel quietly rolled out a mass facial recognition program in the Gaza Strip
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<img alt="Illustration of algorithmic facial recognition." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OTBMOmM9cd2pBUrb4ju_7QGv358=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73237544/acastro_180730_1777_facial_recognition_0001.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="uYybLV">Israel has deployed a mass facial recognition program in the Gaza Strip, creating a database of Palestinians without their knowledge or consent, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/technology/israel-facial-recognition-gaza.html"><em>The New York Times</em> reports</a>. The program, which was created after the October 7th attacks, uses technology from Google Photos as well as a custom tool built by the Tel Aviv-based company Corsight to identify people affiliated with Hamas.</p>
<p id="Vn8vky">The facial recognition program was built in tandem with Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the <em>Times</em> report. After the October 7th attacks, officers within the Israeli military’s Unit 8200, the Israeli Defense Forces’ main intelligence unit, identified potential targets by watching security camera footage and videos Hamas had uploaded to social...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24114043/israel-facial-recognition-gaza-strip-corsight">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24114043/israel-facial-recognition-gaza-strip-corsightGaby Del Valle2024-03-27T19:06:20-04:002024-03-27T19:06:20-04:00Dbrand tried and failed to fix the Ghost Case — replacements will take longer
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<img alt="A picture of the Dbrand Ghost Case for the iPhone 15 Pro." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EL-vto5SpKfAddFLE4146b619ZY=/0x110:4620x3190/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73237532/Dbrand_Ghost.0.png" />
<figcaption><em>The Dbrand Ghost Case for the iPhone 15 Pro.</em> | Image: Dbrand</figcaption>
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<p id="btcQ1j">Dbrand is scrapping plans to fix its anti-yellowing Ghost Case, but not because it yellows — it’s that it scratches very easily. The company had <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/dbrand-promises-fix-for-ghost-case-scratches-free-replacements">promised in November to ship free</a> replacements with scratch-resistant coatings, but now it’s telling customers via email they’ll have to wait. Most of its production run of those ended up “unshippable,” the company says, so instead it’s sending a redesigned “Ghost 2.0” this summer. Essentially, it’s a delay.</p>
<p id="ntXymx">The company says that its first test runs of the newly-coated cases looked good, but when it tried to manufacture them at scale, the coatings got all gloppy at the edges:</p>
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<p id="bodyTable">As you can imagine, after developing a zero-yellowing anti-scratch solution that was the first of its kind, we were...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113943/dbrand-clear-ghost-case-no-yellow-iphone-galaxy-s-pixel">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113943/dbrand-clear-ghost-case-no-yellow-iphone-galaxy-s-pixelWes Davis