News
Google introduces AI-generated avatars to YouTube Shorts
A new feature that lets you create an AI avatar with your likeness is now live on YouTube. First announced in a blog post earlier this year, avatars are designed to be used in Shorts (provided you...
A jury is about to decide the fate of Ticketmaster
Consumer complaints about Ticketmaster are so voluminous at state attorneys general offices that Pennsylvania's comes with an explicit plea for residents lodging a grievance about the company to be...
The AI industry’s race for profits is now existential
Today on Decoder, let’s talk about the looming AI monetization cliff, and whether some of the biggest companies in the space can become real, profitable businesses before they careen right off it....
Spotify now lets you turn off all video
Sometimes, you just want your dang music streaming app to play music. Spotify, which has increasingly incorporated video features through the years, is finally giving us the option to turn that mess...
Waymo is offering to help cities fix their potholes
In recent months, some cities have sought a new recruit in their forever war against potholes: Waymo. Municipal officials in multiple cities where Waymo operates have reached out to the robotaxi...
The Exit 8 movie is even better if you play the game first
There's an intriguing new video game adaptation to watch in theaters - and no, it's not that one. Exit 8, based on the game of the same name, hits the big screen on April 10th, and it's part of a...
Amazon’s Starlink competitor Leo gets a new date
An Amazon Leo terminal being installed. | Image: Amazon Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company's space-internet service Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) will "launch in mid-2026." I'm going to...
JBL Live 780NC and 680NC review: Great leaps, greater missteps
JBL introduced two new headphones to its Live series lineup and both are fighting to live up to expectations. Don’t get me wrong, the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are both a solid set of cans, but in a...
OpenAI ‘pauses’ its Stargate UK data center plan
OpenAI is putting the brakes on Stargate UK, according to Bloomberg. That’s the company’s AI infrastructure project with NVIDIA that’s meant to help the UK build out its sovereign computing...
I tested three Windows laptops in the MacBook Neo’s price range — there’s no contest
The Neo king of affordable laptops. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge When the MacBook Neo arrived last month, I knew Windows laptop makers were in trouble. For $599, the Neo offers...