The Verge

Source: The Verge California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law (AB 2426) to combat “disappearing” purchases of digital games, movies, music, and ebooks. The legislation will force digital storefronts to tell customers they’re just getting a license to use the digital media, rather than suggesting they actually own it. When the law comes into…

Source: The Verge Toyota says the name change “is intended to help consumers more easily identify the powertrain choices” among Prius and Rav4 models. The 2025 versions of the Prius Plug-in will also have an updated “PHEV” (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) badge on the rear. The Rav4, meanwhile, will no longer have a blue halo in the Toyota…

Source: The Verge The feature will advertise both LG’s own products — with FlatpanelsHD reporting it saw a muted ad for the LG Channels streaming service — and those from third parties that may be unrelated to TV or entertainment entirely. In a press release, LG Ad Solutions’ technology chief, Dave Rudnick, said that the…

Source: The Verge We’re inching ever closer to a mid-cycle refresh for the PlayStation 5, as the PS5 Pro’s staggered preorder schedule is beginning. The $699.99 console is about to be available to preorder in the US at 10AM ET / 7AM PT through Sony’s PlayStation Direct storefront, so if you want to secure one…

Source: The Verge Google took a page out of a familiar playbook in court this week, defending itself from claims of anticompetitive conduct by raising security concerns. While the government argues it locked up the ad tech market to make more money, Google’s witnesses say that a more closed ecosystem is often safer for users…

Source: The Verge Leica’s Q series of full-frame compact cameras have had the same 28mm f/1.7 lens since the original in 2015, but now the company is shaking things up. The Leica Q3 43 launching today is nearly identical to the 60-megapixel Q3, but it’s got a 43mm f/2 lens for a tighter field of…

Source: The Verge Meta has cut deals for high-profile actors to lend their voices to its Meta AI chatbot, with Kristen Bell among the initial set of voices. Bell lending her voice is a bit of a surprise. Back in June, she openly expressed opposition to Meta’s AI using her data. She reposted a popular…

Source: The Verge Google Maps is reeling in business pages engaging in fake reviews, and highlighting such activity to its users. Google will now impose restrictions against business profiles that violate the search giant’s Fake Engagement policy, such as temporarily removing reviews, blocking new reviews or ratings, and displaying a warning message on profiles that…

Source: The Verge SteelSeries has created new earbuds that are designed to pair with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch consoles, or even PCs and mobile phones. The $159.99 Arctis GameBuds include active noise cancellation (ANC), Qi wireless charging, and the ability to instantly swap between mobile Bluetooth usage and console or PC gaming. I’ve been trying…

Source: The Verge While there’s still no fix for chips that are already crashing, the company is now releasing microcode update 0x12B to motherboard manufacturers to help prevent one of the root causes of damage. In this case, it prevents the Intel CPU from asking for too much power when it’s just sitting idle or…