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This interview with Google’s director of industrial design makes me miss Project Ara.

Claude Zellweger, speaking to Inverse about the Pixel’s camera bar:

We wanted to create this kind of Mondrian architectural, graphic element with multiple colors, so being able to run that camera bar across was like a really nice way to achieve a ‘you can read it from across the room’ kind of thing and to accommodate a really good camera.”

Mondrian design? Camera bar module? Google had a beautiful idea that combined both a decade ago. (I like the Pixel look too.)


Streaming is cable now

Seventeen years after Netflix and Hulu kicked off a streaming revolution, it’s looking more like cable than ever.

Microsoft says it needs games like Hi-Fi Rush the day after killing its studio

Xbox studios leader described wanting small and prestigious games in a town hall with employees today.

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Uhhh... anything you want to tell us about Ghost of Tsushima’s PSN requirement on PC, Sony?

Remember when Sony walked back its retroactive requirement link a PSN account to Helldivers 2 PC? That same day, Ghost of Tsushima dev Sucker Punch assured fans its upcoming PC port wouldn’t require PSN for singleplayer.

But now, Ghost has been abruptly delisted from non-PSN countries on Steam. We’ve emailed Sony and Valve... what gives?


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Duck Game isn’t the only Adult Swim game to get pardoned by Warner Bros. Discovery!

Polygon reports that Small Radios Big Televisions and others will get their indie games transferred back to them too — though other devs are still waiting to hear back, and WBD has yet to comment.


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The Verge
Scavengers Reign is heading to Netflix.

Variety reports that Max has cancelled the gorgeous sci-fi series after one season, but there’s hope: not only will the show start streaming on Netflix on May 31st, but the streamer is reportedly considering giving it a second season, as well.


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Environmental protestors rush Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory.

The group of 800 demonstrators accused Tesla of environmental harm, citing mining lithium for EV batteries. The group is said to want to stop the factory’s expansion. CEO Elon Musk said it’s “fishy,” and called them dumb. In March, the factory shut down temporarily after an arson attack.


Inside Microsoft’s Xbox turmoil

Microsoft is making tough Xbox decisions amid a game industry that’s hurting.

Windows 11’s settings menu will soon include a Game Pass ad.

Announced in an April Beta release, the new recommendation card is moving forward, and now showing up in the latest Developer channel build, XDA Developers reports. It’ll appear for users with Windows 11 Pro and Home versions who are also logged into a Microsoft account — and only targeted to those who play PC games and aren’t already subscribed.


settings menu in windows 11, showing cards for cloud storage and recommended settings, and now xbox game pass
Does this count as an ad?
Image: Microsoft

Hands-on with the new iPad Pro: yeah, it’s really thin

There’s a new screen, a new keyboard, and a new chip. But the design is the thing you notice first on the 2024 iPad Pro.

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The true promise of AI: Siri that doesn’t suck.

Apple’s big focus on AI next month is not a secret. But rather than building a bot with a personality, it seems more interested in just Siri doing Siri things. Only, you know, better:

Apple has focused on making Siri better at handling tasks that it already does, including setting timers, creating calendar appointments and adding items to a grocery list. It also would be able to summarize text messages.


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This plagiarism verdict could be bad news for AI companies.

A Luxembourg court found that Jeff Dieschburg’s “Turandot” painting — a near like-for-like copy of an image taken by photographer Jingna Zhang — violated copyright by referencing Zhang’s work without consent or attribution.

While this case isn’t directly connected to her anti-AI efforts, Zhang said the ruling is a win for individual copyright protection “in time of AI where our rights seem to be quickly eroding.”


The Verge’s 2024 Mother’s Day gift guide

We found a collection of unique gift ideas that go beyond the flowers and chocolates that typically rule the day.

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Sounds like Jordan Peele is producing another banger.

Details about Universal and Monkeypaw’s new psychological thriller Him from director Justin Tipping are still a bit scarce. But a Jordan Peele produced horror starring Marlon Wayans as a legendary quarterback training a new footballer on a remote compound sounds intense and promising as hell.


Bluesky will let you control what you see on your Discover feed.

It’s trying out new “Show more like this” and “Show less like this” options within post menus that can help personalize your feed. The decentralized network is also rolling out performance improvements and alt text for GIFs.


The Verge’s 2024 graduation gift guide

We found all sorts of gadgets and goodies to celebrate the class of 2024, from the practical to the poignant.

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This scraper can keep on scraping.

A judge tossed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X against web scraper Bright Data that alleged it illegally circumvented X’s anti-scraping technology. It comes after Musk lost a similar suit against an anti-hate group in March.


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No longer filed in gas stations.

Android phones are reportedly getting a Google Maps update that finally lets EV drivers filter for charging stations, making them easier to find. Last month, Maps gained an AI-powered station locator assistant. Will we see the features soon on other Maps screens like on cars with Google built-in or ones with Android Automotive?


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50,000.

That’s how many paid trips Waymo says its driverless vehicles perform each week. For all the speculation and chaos surrounding autonomous vehicles lately, its helpful to remember that fully driverless cars are operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix — right now. Waymo credits its “safe and deliberate approach” for its successes. Of course, a quick glance at social media will also expose a lot of deliberate driving on the wrong side of the road behavior.


The 7 biggest announcements from Apple’s iPad event

Here’s all the new tech Apple announced during its ‘Let Loose’ event.

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Another Spotify podcast exec is leaving.

Julie McNamara, head of podcast studios, announced her departure on Thursday, according to Bloomberg. The company has seen a steady stream of exits as it pulls back on its podcast business.

McNamara’s departure follows deep layoffs at Spotify as well as cuts to its programming as it tries to make the podcasting department profitable.


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Adult content creators are outsourcing some work to AI.

Managing an OnlyFans page is a lot of work: you have to make and share content, promote your page, and maintain relationships with subscribers. Business Insider spoke with OnlyFans creators who are using AI tools to do some of that work for them.