Fitbit makes an array of fitness trackers, from basic fitness bands to full-fledged smartwatches, though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit. | Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge Whether you want a basic fitness tracker or a smartwatch, there’s a Fitbit for everyone — though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit. Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge A California court has partially dismissed a copyright case against OpenAI brought by several authors, including comedian Sarah Silverman, who allege OpenAI’s ChatGPT is pirating their work.The case against OpenAI combines complaints filed by Silverman, Christopher Golden, Richard Kadrey, Paul Tremblay, and Mona Awad. (Awad left the suit in August.) It made six claims: direct copyright infringement; vicarious infringement; violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by removing copyright management information; unfair competition; negligence; and unjust enrichment. OpenAI asked to dismiss all counts but the first and main complaint: direct copyright infringement. The court ruled yesterday on OpenAI’s request to dismiss all... Continue reading…

If you're anticipating a certain event, then you might be wondering how to add a countdown widget to your iPhone's Home Screen. By default, iOS 17 doesn't include any countdown widgets. Despite that, you can create your own on any of the best iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 series. The process is also identical on iPadOS 17, so you can follow the same steps we've listed below if you're an iPad user.

Mark Zuckerberg wearing the Quest 3 headset. | Image: Meta Now that it can be strapped to our faces and worn in strange places, opinions about Apple’s Vision Pro are flying left and right. Entering the chat is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has more at stake than perhaps anyone on earth if Apple does to headsets what the iPhone did to smartphones. In a video posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday, Zuckerberg gives his official verdict on the Vision Pro versus his company’s latest Quest 3 headset: “I don’t just think that Quest is the better value, I think Quest is the better product, period.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck)While being filmed by the Quest 3’s video passthrough system in his living room, Zuckerberg... Continue reading…

Photo by Patrick Smith / Getty Images This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.I hope all you East Coasters had a cozy nor’easter. By the time the snow stopped this morning and I tried to take my baby outside for some winter frolicking, it had already turned to slush. He doesn’t know the difference, but I am bummed!Today, we’re looking at layoffs at SiriusXM, a new podcast deal for Meghan Markle, and how the “Swift Effect” made Travis Kelce’s podcast a top 10 hit. But first, one more programming announcement for Hot Pod Summit!SiriusXM and The Trade Desk are coming to Hot Pod SummitOne thing we keep hearing from readers and Hot Pod Summit attendees is a desire to understand what on earth is going on with... Continue reading…

When upgrading to Windows 11, some people yearn to return to Windows 10's UI. But what if you could go back even further, to the days when Windows 7 was the biggest operating system on the market? We've seen people make mockups of a modern-day Windows 7 system before, but now someone has recreated it on their Windows 11 system, and best of all, you can make it too.

Google's latest base-model Pixel phone, the Pixel 8, is here — and it's still getting better. Although it does come with a $100 price increase, the Pixel 8 is still one of the best Pixel phones available. Google released the smartphone last year, but just recently added new AI features, like Circle to Search. Since it packs so many flagship-quality features at a mid-range price point, it's not too far away from making our best smartphones list. Part of this year's upgrade includes a new 120Hz display, which you'll want to keep looking great for the long haul. A repair could be costly, so it's better to invest in a case now to prevent damage in the future.

Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Walmart is eyeing a $2 billion deal to buy the TV maker Vizio, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The deal would put the retail chain in a better position to compete with the affordable smart TVs from Roku and Amazon than its existing Onn house brand. It would also give Walmart access to the breadth of customer data collected by Vizio’s smart TV platform and the revenue stream created by serving up personalized ads and taking a cut of subscription fees. After years of putting its Roku operating system on other TVs, Roku finally launched its own line of smart TVs last year and is ramping up its efforts with plans to release more expensive Mini LED TVs this spring. Meanwhile, Amazon is steadily building out its lineup of... Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge Talking to an AI chatbot can feel a bit like Groundhog Day after a while, as you tell it for the umpteenth time how you like your emails formatted and which of those “fun things to do this weekend” you’ve already done six times. OpenAI is trying to fix that and personalize its own bot in a big way. It’s rolling out “memory” for ChatGPT, which will allow the bot to remember information about you and your conversations over time.Memory works in one of two ways. You can tell ChatGPT to remember something specific about you: you always write code in Javascript, your boss’s name is Anna, your kid is allergic to sweet potatoes. Or ChatGPT can simply try to pick up those details over time, storing information about you as you ask questions and... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) maintains that artificial intelligence systems cannot be named inventors, but humans can use AI tools in the process of creating patented inventions and must disclose if they do.The agency published its latest guidance following a series of “listening” tours to gather public feedback. It states that while AI systems and other “non-natural persons” can’t be listed as inventors in patent applications, “the use of an AI system by a natural person does not preclude a natural person from qualifying as an inventor.” People seeking patents must disclose if they used AI in the invention process, just as the USPTO asks all applicants to list all material information necessary to make a decision.H... Continue reading…

The endangered Steppe Eagle is one of the migratory species that has become even more threatened in the past 30 years, according to a new UN report. | Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images More than one in five migratory species officially deemed in need of international protection are now in danger of extinction. That’s according to the most comprehensive report of their populations yet, released as a United Nations wildlife conservation conference kicks off this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.Human activity is pushing these species to the brink. But that also means there are concrete steps people can take to safeguard their futures. The first-of-its-kind stocktake of the world’s migratory species isn’t all doom and gloom — there are some success stories sprinkled in there. It just goes to show that it’s not too late to act; it just has to be fast because the clock is ticking for many of the billions of animals that... Continue reading…

With Every Noise at Once no longer updating, finding new music directly on Spotify has become a farce. | Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge Spotify sucks at new music discovery. That’s not exactly a hot take considering how long users have been complaining about it over the years, but it used to be much easier to forgive when alternative services like Pandora and SoundCloud could help to make up for Spotify’s shortcomings. With the company’s domination over the music streaming industry now becoming difficult to ignore, it’s getting harder to organically find new songs and artists — especially on the Spotify platform itself.As a near-decade-long Spotify Premium subscriber, one of my favorite workarounds was Every Noise at Once — a website created by Spotify data alchemist Glenn McDonald that essentially served as a directory that mapped out and tracked each music genre... Continue reading…