Image: Microsoft Microsoft is finally giving Teams users an easier way to control audio and video features during meetings. The software giant has started testing easily accessible tools for switching cameras, audio sources, speaker output, and much more. These new features are part of an update available for Microsoft Teams Public Preview today.In the current version of Teams, you have to dig through multiple layers of settings to switch which camera you’re using, adjust your background, or move from a built-in speaker to a wired one. The new features allow Teams users to access a downward arrow next to the camera or mic button on the meeting toolbar, which includes simplified audio and video options. Image: Microsoft No more... Continue reading…

Apple's MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops, featuring a competitively slim design and powerful internals. If you own this notebook, there's a high chance that you will need to factory reset it at least once during its lifetime. However, the process will differ depending on the macOS version you're running. Worry not, though; we will cover all the cases in this comprehensive guide.

Image: Google Google ended its contract with Appen, an Australian data company involved in training its large language model AI tools used in Bard, Search, and other products, even as the competition to develop generative AI tools increases. “Our decision to end the contract was made as part of our ongoing effort to evaluate and adjust many of our supplier partnerships across Alphabet to ensure our vendor operations are as efficient as possible,” Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini said in a statement sent to The Verge. Appen notified the Australian Securities Exchange in a filing, saying it “had no prior knowledge of Google’s decision to terminate the contract.”Human workers at companies like Appen often handle many of the more distasteful parts... Continue reading…

There's nothing quite like a paperback book that you can touch, smell, and hold in hand with confidence while reading. But it's not the most practical option for those who read a lot. Not only do physical books take up a lot of space and can also be quite expensive, but it's also a hassle to carry more than a few of them at a time when you're traveling. They're just not as practical as an e-reader.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge France’s National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) has fined Amazon €32 million, or about $35 million USD, for “excessively intrusive” worker surveillance that the commission says puts “continuous pressure” on employees in Amazon’s warehouses. Amazon called its conclusions, which put the company in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), “factually incorrect.”Following an investigation prompted by press reports, CNIL said that Amazon’s systems measuring and restricting scanning speed (including a “stow machine gun” indicator that activates when workers are scanning too fast), along with the company’s data collection and retention practices, were “excessive” and violated several GDPR articles. So did... Continue reading…

Image: OnLeaks via MySmartPrice The Pixel 8 has only been out for a few months, but that isn’t stopping leakers from getting early images of the forthcoming Pixel 9. Reliable leaker OnLeaks shared a set of renders with MySmartPrice, showing what appears to be Google’s Pixel 9 Pro flagship with completely flat edges framing the phone and giving off iPhone vibes.That’s not the only major design change on this phone — it looks like Google may have also redesigned the rear camera bar. Instead of stretching the camera bar across the entire width of the phone, the renders show the three-camera setup inside of a bulging, oval-shaped island, similar to the Pixel Fold. It also appears to come with a slightly smaller 6.5-inch display (down from 6.7 inches on the Pixel 8 Pro),... Continue reading…

ADT has a new smart home security on the works that looks like it will launch next month. | Screenshot: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge All signs are pointing to an imminent launch of ADT’s new Smart Home Security System, a DIY security system born of a collaboration between Google and ADT. This could be a better home security option for those of us who loved and lost the excellent but expensive Google Nest Secure system, which Google is sunsetting for good on April 8th, 2024.As The Verge reported in October 2023, hidden support pages on ADT’s website indicated the company — which Google invested $450 million into in 2020 — was getting ready to launch a new DIY security system called ADT Smart Home Security. From the leaks, it appeared that the new product had better features and a nicer industrial design than the ADT Self Setup option Google was offering its Nest... Continue reading…

Image: ToastedShoes Nintendo has finally come for Palworld... in the form of issuing a takedown for a video of a mod that swapped all the Palworld pals for pokémon. Lol. If you’re not one of the now 6 million players who’ve bought a copy of the game, here’s a quick explainer. Palworld is a multiplayer survival crafting game in which you use cute monsters called pals to harvest resources and build structures. Oh, and there are guns — you can shoot the pals with guns.Days after Palworld’s early access launch and cosmic-level popularity explosion, YouTube creator ToastedShoes posted a short video on X (formerly Twitter) teasing his Pokémon Palworld mod. “Palworld already has a Pokémon mod,” ToastedShoes wrote on X. His claim was a bit misleading: according... Continue reading…

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge Wear OS is much better than it used to be, so there’s never been a better time to consider a smartwatch. Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge This last weekend I was sitting in a hotel room in Memphis, staring out at the parking lot turned ice skating rink, wanting to just have a couple of hours with my brain turned off. I opened Netflix hoping to find a movie that would give me an evening’s respite. Scrolling down to the top 10, I was met with a who’s who of the 2010s and 2020s. Cowboy & Aliens, the 2011 flop with a great cast, was on the list. Queenpins, the 2021 flop with a great cast, was also there. At the top of the list was The Legend of Tarzan, a 2016 flop with a great cast. Rounding out the top 10 was a Sylvester Stallone flick from 2019 and a handful of new releases I’d heard nothing about until I saw them in the top 10 list.In a highly competitive streaming market... Continue reading…

Almost all modern-day smartphones out there are made out of metal and glass for a premium look and feel. But that comes at the cost of durability, and they're more prone to scratches or even cracks when you accidentally drop them. The priceand of these phones and their corresponding repairs have all increased over the years, so the last thing you want to do is deal with a broken phone, having to go back and forth with the service centers and prep it for repairs. You can greatly reduce — if not entirely avoid — the chances of breaking your phone's display or the back glass by using a protective case. As a result, for many people, protective cases have become an absolute necessity for smartphones.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Although Netflix no longer allows new or returning members to sign up for the ad-free Basic subscription that costs $11.99 per month, company executives told investors while reporting its earnings results today that it’s retiring the plan in some countries where ad-supported plans are available. It’s starting with Canada and the UK in the second quarter of this year.That leaves subscribers with Netflix’s $15.49 per month option as Netflix’s cheapest ad-free plan. Going from $11.99 to $15.49 per month is a pretty big jump, and means there’s really no middle ground for ad-free plans. Otherwise, subscribers will have to pay $6.99 per month for its ad-supported basic plan or $22.99 per month for the Premium tier. Netflix stopped letting new... Continue reading…