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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images Ann Altman has filed a lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alleging that he sexually abused her throughout childhood over a period of nearly a decade.The rest of the Altman family immediately pushed back on the lawsuit, saying the allegations are “utterly untrue” and stem from “mental health challenges” that Ann has faced for years.“Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam,” writes Sam, his mother, and his two brothers, in a statement that Sam released on X.Ann’s lawsuit alleges that Sam abused her from 1997 through 2006, beginning when Ann was three and Sam was 12 and continuing until Sam was a legal adult. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Missouri, says that Ann suffered “severe emotional distress” and has been unable to live a “normal life” as a result of Sam’s alleged abuse.An attorney for Ann described the Altman family’s statement as an attempt to “divert attention away from the harm that they caused.” The attorney, Ryan J. Mahoney, said that sexual abuse can cause “mental health outcomes such as, persistent PTSD, depression, and anxiety.” He also said of Ann specifically that there is “no evidence that her own mental health has contributed to her allegations.”The Altman family’s statement alleges that Ann has made conspiratorial claims over the years about various family members while demanding money from them. The family members say they have offered financial support and asked her to receive medical help but that she “refuses conventional treatment.”“This situation causes immense pain to our entire family,” the family statement says. The family says they have “chosen not to respond publicly” when Ann has made similar claims in the past, but that they “feel we have no choice but to address this” now that she has filed a lawsuit.My sister has filed a lawsuit against me. Here is a statement from my mom, brothers, and me: pic.twitter.com/Nve0yokTSX— Sam Altman (@sama) January 7, 2025

This 8BitDo Pro 2 is one of our favorite controllers. Not only does it feel good in the hand, but it also manages to deliver great performance as well. But where it really shines is with its retro look and its versatility, with support for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. While this controller usually has a retail price of $50, it can now be had for much less.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The original StanByMe portable TV and the Inspector Gadget-like briefcase follow-up were surprisingly popular, so of course, we’re getting a new one to kick off 2025. I like to imagine LG literally toting the StanbyME 2 to CES by the carrying straps you can affix to it, as the rep did in this video below.The 27-inch 1440p touchscreen on the StanbyME 2 should offer a sharper picture than the original’s 1080p. It also lasts longer with a four-hour battery life, up from three and a half, but LG has not revealed pricing or availability details.You can still mount the TV to a floor stand that holds and charges it, but LG is unashamedly emphasizing its portability with the carrying strap, which you can also use to hang from a wall like a picture frame on a sturdy enough hook. It’s also compatible with a folio cover that protects the display during transport and doubles as a tabletop stand, and you can magnetically attach the remote to the top of the TV. It has two USB-C ports that you can use for charging and peripherals like webcams, plus a traditional HDMI input.These upgrades feel relatively minor, but if you aspire to be a modern-day Radio Raheem with a TV on your shoulder — and, presumably, the matching pill-shaped StanbyME XT7 Bluetooth speaker under your arm — the StanbyME 2 might be the television for you.

Image: Delta Delta Air Lines announced plans to install new 4K HDR QLED screens in its commercial airplanes, so passengers can experience ultra high-definition entertainment at ultra-high altitudes. The news came as part of Delta’s CES keynote at the Sphere in Las Vegas, where it also planned to celebrate its centennial with a musical performance by Lenny Kravitz. The airline announced a raft of new features for air travelers, including new partnerships with YouTube and Uber as well as a new AI-powered chatbot for customer service. But the decision to add 4K screens to its airplanes is one that’s sure to tickle the fancy of any air traveler who’s ever balked at the middling quality of the current crop of seat-back displays.The news came as part of Delta’s CES keynote at the Sphere in Las VegasDelta says it’s working with Thales Avionics, an in-flight technology company that is also helping to install high-definition screens in Emirates’ Airbus A350-900s. But don’t go looking for the new screens just yet: Delta says it won’t start delivering the upgrades in aircraft until 2026.Who actually gets access to the screens, though, will answer the question of whether Delta sees this as technology for all passengers or just the ones in first class. A spokesperson for Delta did not immediately respond to questions about access. Delta has also been testing out Bluetooth connectivity for its in-flight entertainment for several years and has even started quietly rolling it out to some planes, as discovered by a TikTok user. Now, the airline says it plans to offer Bluetooth “in all cabins so travelers can pair their personal wireless devices” — though it didn’t offer any specifics beyond that. Delta’s in-flight entertainment will also feature “an advanced recommendation engine” tailored to each passenger’s unique taste. Again, we’re lacking details about what’s powering this engine and how it will know your particular taste. But in late 2025, we’re getting improved “connectivity” through a partnership with Wi-Fi provider Hughes, which replaced Intelsat in 2023. Delta says this will allow for “multi-network connectivity” for more “reliable” and “stable” in-flight internet. That surely will help when streaming YouTube, which SkyMiles members will be able to do ad-free, thanks to the platform’s new partnership with Delta. And a new “Do Not Disturb” mode for their seat-back screen will ensure passengers can sleep without disturbance. Delta is revamping its app to include an AI-powered “Concierge” chatbot as well as a “multi-modal” feature that will include Uber and, eventually, air taxis from Joby. The Concierge feature will use the traveler’s location and arrival and departure information to suggest more efficient routes and will notify users about upcoming passport expirations or visa requirements. And “in the years to come,” Delta says the feature will be able to make more specific recommendations around packing and weather planning. Delta is also offering SkyMiles customers the ability to link their Uber account to earn miles and other perks. These include: SkyMiles Members can earn 1 mile per dollar spent on UberX rides to and from airports, 2 miles per dollar on premium rides and 3 miles per dollar on Uber Reserve rides. Plus, 1 mile per dollar spent on eligible restaurant and grocery orders.And lastly, Delta says it’s working with Airbus to design more fuel-efficient airplanes. Delta has said its goal is for sustainable aviation fuel to make up at least 95 percent of its fuel consumption by 2050. But achieving net-zero emissions will be a tall task for an airline and will require rethinking every part of the business. Now, Delta says it will work with Airbus to scale the use of sustainable aviation fuel, which is mostly biofuels made from plant or animal material. And the two companies will collaborate on hydrogen-powered flight projects as well as new designs, like more fuel-efficient wings or new formations to drive “wake energy retrieval,” Delta says.

A fresh Google Pixel 4A from our 2020 review. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Google has announced that it is shipping an unexpected update to Pixel 4A phones this week. According to Ars Technica, the company emailed Pixel 4A owners to tell them the update will address battery performance stability but that their batteries may not last as long after it’s applied.Google repeats that in a new help page titled “Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program,” where it writes that it had noticed issues with “some” Pixel 4A phones.From January 8, 2025, Pixel 4a devices will receive an automatic software update to Android 13. After the software update is downloaded, your device will restart automatically to apply the update. For some devices (“Impacted Devices”), the update includes new battery management features to improve the stability of your battery’s performance, so the battery may last for shorter periods between charges. Users of Impacted Devices may also notice other changes, like reduced charging performance or changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity. We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their products, so users of these Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement from Google. Not all Pixel 4a devices are impacted by the reduction in battery capacity and charging performance, therefore if your device is not impacted the battery will perform the same as before, and you will not be eligible for an appeasement. Besides having less runtime, the update could mean “reduced charging performance” or change how the phone shows battery capacity. Google hasn’t been specific about what’s behind the issue, but the circumstances are similar to Apple’s iPhone “batterygate” mess in 2017. Apple said its software slowed down iPhones with aging batteries to prevent accidental shutdowns, but it didn’t inform customers about why their devices had reduced performance and ended up with hundreds of millions in court settlement payments. In this case, Google is also offering owners with affected 4A devices their choice of compensation: They can opt for a free battery swap, a $50 payday, or a $100 credit toward a new Pixel phone from its online store. 4A owners can enter their IMEI number on this page to find out if theirs is affected. Google didn’t immediately respond to our questions about why the 4A, which hasn’t been updated since late 2023, needs this attention now.

To many of us, PC building is second nature, but countless first-time PC builders get intimidated by the prospect of picking the right components for a new build. For someone used to shopping on Amazon for everything, relying on the site for PC component recommendations is often the obvious choice. For any search term, Amazon will throw up hundreds of results, with one of them labeled "Overall Pick."

The graphics card on your PC does all the heavy lifting when you play your favorite games. Therefore, it's one of the first components you should consider upgrading to improve your PC's gaming performance. Unlike smartphones, though, most users don't upgrade their PCs every two years or so. In fact, I try to hold on to my graphics card for as long as I can. But how do you know when it's time to get a new one? Look out for these signs.

Baseus’ new 20,000mAh power bank also provides a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices. | Image: Baseus Baseus announced a new power bank at CES 2025 that does double duty as a portable charger and a mobile hotspot. The EnerGeek MiFi Power Bank is expected to be available sometime in April 2025 for $89.99 and will be compatible with 4G networks in over 100 countries including the US, Canada, and Japan.Up to 10 devices can be wirelessly connected to the power bank over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Download speeds are expected to be up to 50Mbps, but that will vary depending on the network it’s connected to and signal strength. Pricing for the mobile data hasn’t been announced, but the company says it will offer “flexible network plans with no monthly fees or usage restrictions” that can be customized through a mobile app.The EnerGeek MiFi Power Bank also includes two USB-C ports, a single USB-A port on top, and a short integrated USB-C charging cable that doubles as a carrying strap. It has a 20,000mAh battery inside but its power output maxes out at 67W, so larger devices, like some laptops, will need to fly solo to get enough power to charge. A display subtly integrated into the side of the power bank provides details on its remaining charge, power output, and wireless connectivity. Image: Baseus Baseus also announced another 20,000mAh power bank with two integrated USB-C cables but no hotspot capabilities. Baseus also debuted a more traditional 20,000mAh power bank today featuring two integrated USB-C charging cables, one of which fully retracts.It also offers USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting your own cables, up to 100W of power delivery for a single device, and a small screen displaying current power output and the power bank’s remaining charge level. It’s expected to be available sometime in April 2025 priced at $99.99.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Meta overhauled its approach to US moderation on Tuesday, ditching fact-checking, announcing a plan to move its trust and safety teams, and perhaps most impactfully, updating its Hateful Conduct policy. As reported by Wired, a lot of text has been updated, added, or removed, but here are some of the changes that jumped out at us.These two sections outlining speech (written or visual) are new additions:We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like “weird.”We do allow content arguing for gender-based limitations of military, law enforcement, and teaching jobs. We also allow the same content based on sexual orientation, when the content is based on religious beliefs.Another section that specifically banned making dehumanizing references to transgender or non-binary people as “it” or referring to women “as household objects or property or objects in general” has been removed entirely.The opening statement about what the policies are “designed to allow room for” that previously listed only health or positive support groups has changed too (new additions marked in bold):People sometimes use sex- or gender-exclusive language when discussing access to spaces often limited by sex or gender, such as access to bathrooms, specific schools, specific military, law enforcement, or teaching roles, and health or support groups. Other times, they call for exclusion or use insulting language in the context of discussing political or religious topics, such as when discussing transgender rights, immigration, or homosexuality. Finally, sometimes people curse at a gender in the context of a romantic break-up. Our policies are designed to allow room for these types of speech.The section that specifically banned targeting people or groups “with claims that they have or spread the novel coronavirus” has also been removed. A link to this 2017 blog post about the “hard questions” Meta faces dealing with hate speech has been removed, and some references to hate speech are now changed to “hateful conduct.”The policy still says that content about denying access to spaces and social services “on the basis of their protected characteristics” is not allowed, but there’s also a new exception (the added text is in bold):...except for sex or gender-based exclusion from spaces commonly limited by sex or gender, such as restrooms, sports and sports leagues, health and support groups, and specific schoolsEven before these changes, the LGBTQ+ media advocacy group GLAAD reported last year that Meta often failed to remove posts violating its hate speech policies. Now, even those guardrails that had been established to protect people from internet harassment are disappearing. “Without these necessary hate speech and other policies, Meta is giving the green light for people to target LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, and other marginalized groups with violence, vitriol, and dehumanizing narratives. With these changes, Meta is continuing to normalize anti-LGBTQ hatred for profit — at the expense of its users and true freedom of expression. Fact-checking and hate speech policies protect free speech.” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement responding to the changes.A note from Meta’s new policy chief Joel Kaplan said, “We’re getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate. It’s not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms.” Wired also reports that the changes “blindsided” organizations that have been partnering with Meta on its now-discarded moderation efforts, with one unnamed editor at a fact-checking organization saying the effect of the decision “is going to eventually drain us out.”

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Image Experts warn that Meta’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program could allow disinformation and hate to fester online and permeate the real world.The company announced today that it’s phasing out a program launched in 2016 where it partners with independent fact-checkers around the world to identify and review misinformation across its social media platforms. Meta is replacing the program with a crowdsourced approach to content moderation similar to X’s Community Notes.Meta is essentially shifting responsibility to users to weed out lies on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, raising fears that it’ll be easier to spread misleading information about climate change, clean energy, public health risks, and communities often targeted with violence.“It’s going to hurt Meta’s users first”“It’s going to hurt Meta’s users first because the program worked well at reducing the virality of hoax content and conspiracy theories,” says Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. “A lot of people think Community Notes-style moderation doesn’t work at all and it’s merely window dressing so that platforms can say they’re... Read the full story at The Verge.