Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1394, a law that would punish web services for “knowingly facilitating, aiding, or abetting commercial sexual exploitation” of children. It’s one of several online regulations that California has passed in recent years, some of which have been challenged as unconstitutional.Newsom’s office indicated in a press release yesterday that he had signed AB 1394, which passed California’s legislature in late September. The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2025. It adds new rules and liabilities aimed at making social media services crack down on child sexual abuse material, adding punishments for sites that “knowingly” leave reported material online. More broadly, it defines “aiding or... Continue reading…

The best iPhones, including the new iPhone 15 Pro Max are, like any other premium smartphones, as much cameras as they are cell phones for communicating and organizing your daily life. You probably take dozens of photos every day and have hundreds, maybe thousands, stored on the device. The same goes for videos. All these images and videos are viewable by anyone who gets hold of or a peek at your phone unless you hide them in a secret folder. Yes, you can do this. It might be to keep your child from seeing inappropriate memes you have saved to send to family members or work colleagues from seeing personal photos or videos of your night out with friends.

Online designers are upset over what appears to be an AI-generated stock image in the poster for Loki’s second season. | Image: Disney / Marvel A promotional poster for the second season of Loki on Disney Plus has sparked controversy amongst professional designers following claims that it was at least partially created using generative AI. Illustrator Katria Raden flagged the image on X (formerly Twitter) last week, claiming that the image of the spiraling clock in the background “is giving all the AI telltale signs, like things randomly turning into meaningless squiggles” — a reference to the artifacts sometimes left behind by AI-image generators.The creative community is concerned that AI image generators are being trained on their work without consent and could be used to replace human artists. Disney previously received backlash regarding its use of generative AI in another... Continue reading…

Have you ever questioned your gaming skills due to imprecise movements? The issue might not be with your hand or your gaming mouse, or connectivity issues with a wireless gaming mouse, but instead, the mouse pad itself could be faulty. Over time, with wear and tear, mouse pads can have a negative impact on your gaming. The best thing to do is to replace one with a specialized gaming mouse pad, which is different from a regular mouse pad in terms of material.

Sonos has a speaker for practically every price point. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Sonos has an ever-growing lineup, and after you’ve bought your first speaker, you’ll likely want to put one in every room. Continue reading…

In a world where we're constantly on the move and in need of reliable power sources, the Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 Portable Power Station is a game-changer. This device is packed with features that make it an indispensable companion for outdoor enthusiasts, homeowners, and anyone in need of portable power.

Red vs. Blue is now all but gone from YouTube. | Screenshot: Wes Davis / The Verge Rooster Teeth has moved some of its popular content, including most Red vs. Blue seasons, off the YouTube platform entirely and onto its own website. Rooster Teeth senior writer and showrunner for RWBY Kerry Shawcross posted a video on Thursday announcing the change, explaining that “YouTube revenue is just not cutting it for us right now.” Shawcross said Rooster Teeth also moved Camp Camp to the site, where episodes will continue to be ad-supported and free to watch. He added Rooster Teeth gets “approximately 5 – 10 times more value” from ads it runs on its own website, adding that “animation’s hard and it’s expensive.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rooster Teeth (@roosterteeth)He... Continue reading…

Google's all-new Pixel 8 line has finally been unveiled, but before you start looking at the best Pixel 8 Pro cases, you should consider some of the other best phones around, like Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. When it comes to Android flagships, there's some fierce competition, and it can be tough to decide which phone is actually right for you. Not to worry, though, because we've done the research and we're here with the ultimate comparison between the two.

Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Last week, Walmart made headlines with a claim that new weight loss drugs might be making people buy less food. Walmart US CEO John Furner told Bloomberg that people taking Wegovy, Ozempic, and similar drugs showed a “slight change” in their purchasing habits: “just less units, slightly less calories.” How does Walmart know this? Because, Bloomberg indicates, it can compare people’s prescription history against their food shopping patterns. It’s the kind of data mining that’s likely possible for any big retail-and-pharmacy operation — and one that raises questions about how private health records should be.We don’t know the details of Walmart’s research. The company didn’t respond to a request for more information from The Verge, and B... Continue reading…

The best Chromebooks are known for their lightweight construction. While this makes them great travel companions, it introduces some hurdles when you're using one at home. For instance, most Chromebooks don't have a substantial array of ports, which can prove to be a major hurdle for those who wish to use several accessories. This is where a Chromebook docking station can help you out.

Meta’s new headset is better than its predecessors in almost every way. But until there’s more to do in mixed reality, this won’t be the headset that gets everyone wearing headsets. Continue reading…

If you recently made the switch from a Windows 10 PC to a Chromebook, you're probably missing some of your favorite apps. It's no secret that some Windows apps can't run natively on ChromeOS. Users often miss their favorite productivity apps, creator tools, and games when making the switch. Luckily, there are options if you need to run Windows 10 on your Chromebook.