Assembling your first desktop can be a thrilling experience, and luckily, the excitement doesn’t end after installing the OS. Once you boot into the system for the first time, you’ll be exposed to many applications waiting to be installed on your new rig. While your workload will largely define the types of applications you’ll get for your system, there are a couple of great options that are useful for every user. I’ve built several PCs over the years, and these are six applications that I install on every system without fail.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Two lawmakers filed a bill requiring creators of foundation models to disclose sources of training data so copyright holders know their information was taken. The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act — filed by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) — would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish rules for reporting training data transparency. Companies that make foundation models will be required to report sources of training data and how the data is retained during the inference process, describe the limitations or risks of the model, how the model aligns with NIST’s planned AI Risk Management Framework and any other federal standards might be... Continue reading…

Samsung's Galaxy S23 series devices that came out earlier this year remain some of the best phones of the year, and they stack up very well against the newer flagships out there. All three phones are equally good, but the Galaxy S23+, in particular, is great for those who want a bigger display without splurging on the Ultra model.

The Verge People are really getting their podcast lawsuits in before the new year. Let’s get to it.The Daily Beast reports that Fox News host Laura Ingraham filed a lawsuit against Quake Media, claiming the podcast startup hasn’t paid her $800,000 contract for 2022. Investment firm VGC Partners is suing Sean Glynn, the former CEO of British podcast studio Novel. The suit claims that Glynn did not disclose that the other co-founder intended to leave, and that the company’s revenue figures were inflated.My father-in-law responded to yesterday’s newsletter on New York’s lawsuit against SiriusXM saying that he, too, has had to take drastic measures to get rid of his subscription. “When I called back a third time to cancel, I told them I was... Continue reading…

Warner Bros. Because of its predictable story, and despite its occasionally gorgeous visuals, James Wan’s Aquaman sequel feels like the embodiment of everything that went wrong with the DC Extended Universe. Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge Apple is talking with some big news publishers about licensing their news archives and using that information to help train its generative AI systems, The New York Times reports. The company is apparently discussing “multiyear deals worth at least $50 million,” the NYT says, and has been in touch with publications like Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC. The response from the publishers seems mixed. Apparently, the publishers might be “potentially on the hook for any legal liabilities that could stem from Apple’s use of their content,” the NYT says, and Apple has apparently been “vague” about its plans for news and generative AI. However, other news executives were reportedly more positive about the possibility of partnering with Apple.A... Continue reading…

Gaming monitors can be expensive, but that doesn't mean you always need to pay full price when shopping for one. This Asus ROG Swift PG38UQ gaming monitor is now 23% off for a limited time, dropping down to its lowest price ever at just $765. With a deal this good, it won't last long, so be sure to grab it while you still can.

2023 is coming to a close, but Microsoft is already gearing up to make 2024 an exciting year for PC owners. While Microsoft is working on a variety of features for its operating system, you won't have to wait too long to get your hands on some of them. Sources have stated that there will be a big feature-packed update for Windows 11 coming February 2024, and the included features look very interesting.

Joe Biden visits the Cummins Power Generation Facility in Fridley, Minnesota, on Monday, April 3rd, 2023. Last year, Cummins announced Fridley would be the site of its first electrolyzer manufacturing facility in the US. | Photo by Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via Getty Images The Biden administration proposed new tax guidelines today aimed at making it cheaper to produce hydrogen as a less-polluting alternative to fossil fuels. The tax credit comes with strict stipulations around using newly constructed sources of clean energy to produce hydrogen, as opposed to more polluting sources.The guidelines elicited strong reactions from clean energy advocates and industry today, some celebrating, others outraged. Some experts said new guardrails are needed to ensure that the Biden administration’s push to develop a domestic supply chain for hydrogen doesn’t inadvertently increase pollution. Meanwhile, clean energy trade groups argued that the tax credit is now too restrictive to allow clean hydrogen production to... Continue reading…

When you buy a Mac, you're investing in a mighty machine that is capable of handling some of the most intensive tasks. That's why many creative professionals opt for Apple computers, particularly when dealing with video editing. After all, the hardware is powerful enough for these workflows, and macOS Sonoma supports a wide range of paid and free video editors. If you're not sure which video editor for Mac you should get, then you may want to check some of our recommendations below.

Illustration: The Verge A Wisconsin family has agreed to sell 407 acres of their land, which includes a local pumpkin farm attraction, to Microsoft — for a total of $76 million, reported the Milwaukee Business Journal. The local government initially offered the Creuziger family in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin about a third of that sum in 2017 as a part of an agreement with the Foxconn Technology Group. But the family refused, opting to hold out for a better offer.“The family wishes the village and Microsoft well, and they would appreciate people respecting their privacy,” the family’s attorney David Barnes told the Business Journal. Microsoft’s payout is significantly larger than the land’s current valuation. The Creuziger family’s land was originally valued at... Continue reading…

Push notifications on your phone are a double-edged sword. While they make it easy to keep track of what's happening and what's being said, they can also go off during stressful or inopportune times. To combat this, a Raspberry Pi enthusiast created a "phone mailbox" that only delivers push notifications while the phone is inside it.