How to Ding, Dong, Ditch Ring’s surveillance network
Recently, Ring ran a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature showing how it uses AI to scan footage from Ring cameras and video doorbells to help find lost dogs. It sounds neighborly — until you consider that the same system could theoretically search footage for anything or anyone. Combined with longstanding concerns around […]
You can’t replace the battery in Lego’s Smart Bricks — and many of its sensors aren’t available yet
The first Lego Smart Brick sets, based on Star Wars, aren't quite what my kids and I hoped, and I suspect much of that's down to programming. But the Smart Bricks may also have some technical limitations out of the gate. The first sets don't ship with a number of their sensors enabled, including the […]
Godzilla Minus One, a very good movie, is $15 on 4K Blu-ray
I love Godzilla Minus One. Granted, it’s only the second Godzilla movie that I’ve watched, the other being 1998’s terrible Godzilla featuring Matthew Broderick (the soundtrack has bangers, though). While I may not exactly be an expert, this is a good movie, whether you’re a first-time Godzilla viewer or a longtime kaiju fan. If you’ve […]
I was interviewed by an AI bot for a job
Millions of people are on the job hunt right now - and for many people, landing a job in the AI era feels more intimidating than ever. That's why the onset of AI avatars running your job interview via one-on-one video call, asking you questions, and analyzing how well you respond has generated a lot […]
Tembo is a playful drum machine that thinks it’s a checkerboard
Tembo looks like a toy, but one of those bougie wooden toys you get on Crate & Kids, not some cheap plastic garbage. Despite its appearance, it is a fully functional drum machine and sampler. Rather than a bunch of buttons and a screen, you build beats on Tembo by placing what are essentially wooden […]
Framework raises RAM and storage prices again
For the fourth month in a row, Framework is increasing prices on RAM and storage for its modular PCs due to ongoing shortages from suppliers. An update to Framework's blog on Tuesday states that DDR5 RAM will now cost $13 to $18 per GB, up from February's rate of $12 to $16 per GB. This […]
The mysterious case of the DHS white supremacist memelord
Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter that takes Verge subscribers into the smoke-filled back rooms of Washington as they become the Zyn-filled back rooms of Washington. (Although Tucker Carlson's ALP is more popular among a certain set.) Not a Verge subscriber yet? Sign up here today! I'm not exposing myself to all these carcinogens […]
Chatbots encouraged ‘teens’ to plan shootings in study
AI companies have repeatedly promised safeguards to protect younger users, but a new investigation suggests those guardrails remain woefully deficient. Popular chatbots missed warning signs in scenarios involving teenagers discussing violent acts, in some cases even offering encouragement instead of intervening. The findings come from a joint investigation by CNN and the nonprofit Center for […]
Lego Smart Brick review: my kids are not impressed
I was about to be the coolest dad ever. I'd prepared the magic words: "Do you want to help daddy test the new Lego Smart Bricks? I can pick you up from school early!" It worked. My kids literally jumped for joy. When The Lego Group announced in January that a tiny computer brick would […]
Intel announces Core Ultra 270K Plus and 250K Plus, its ‘fastest gaming desktop processors ever’
Intel hasn't made it easy to buy a flagship desktop chip. The company's 2022 and 2023 Raptor Lake chips ran hot, power-hungry, and had those infamous crashes, while 2024's Arrow Lake-based Core Ultra 9 285K had lackluster gaming performance that the company has tried to address with updates. Now, Intel claims it has finally surpassed […]