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Nick Barclay / The Verge
The hacker behind one of the biggest-ever cryptocurrency heists will serve five years in prison for conspiring with his wife to launder billions in stolen Bitcoin. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein was sentenced (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bitfinex-hacker-sentenced-money-laundering-conspiracy-involving-billions-stolen) in Washington federal court Thursday after he admitted to hacking the Bitfinex crypto exchange in 2016 (https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/2/12364122/bitfinex-theft-61-million-dollars-bitcoin-cryptocurrency) and stealing almost 120,000 Bitcoin tokens.
Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan were arrested in 2022, and in August last year both pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bitfinex-hacker-and-wife-plead-guilty-money-laundering-conspiracy-involving-billions). The stolen cryptocurrency, worth around $71 million at the time of the theft, had soared in value to approximately $4.5 billion by the time Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested. Valued at today’s prices, the stolen funds would be worth an even more...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/15/24297157/bitfinex-hacker-sentenced-crypto-bitcoin-heist)
Illustration: The Verge
Google has placed some new limitations on a Google Photos feature that allows users to automatically share images and videos in their library with a partner. The update to Partner Sharing now means that users can only share photos or videos that were taken using their device’s default camera app, meaning partners are unable to see screenshots or images shared on services like WhatsApp.
Some Reddit users (https://www.reddit.com/r/googlephotos/comments/1ghb30m/partner_sharing_only_shares_some_images/) who utilize Partner Sharing (https://www.reddit.com/r/googlephotos/comments/1gfibf1/google_photos_partner_sharing_isnt_working_anyone/) initially reported the issue (https://www.reddit.com/r/googlephotos/comments/1gjyasy/comment/lvhp34j/?context=3&share_id=9yNHfiRVykAXPbIPT_LRX&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) as a bug, but several comments made by a presumed Google employee (https://www.reddit.com/r/googlephotos/comments/1gjyasy/comment/lvhp34j/?context=3&share_id=9yNHfiRVykAXPbIPT_LRX&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) say the change was intentionally made “to better align with most users’ expectations.” This is backed up by an updated Partner Sharing help article (https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1#zippy=%2Csave-your-partners-photos%2Cdelete-photos-you-recently-saved-from-your-partner) that says “photos from other apps on Android aren’t shared with your...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/15/24297178/google-photos-partner-sharing-update-third-party-apps)
Image: Tesla
Robin Zeng, the founder of the world’s largest EV battery company, says Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s big bet on 4680 cylindrical cell technology “is going to fail and never be successful.” Zeng, the chairman of China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), tells Reuters that when Musk visited China in April, “We had a very big debate, and I showed him. He was silent. He doesn’t know how to make a battery.”
Tesla’s “tabless” 4680 cells, which are used in some of its cars, including the Cybertruck, are supposed to have “five times (https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/22/21449238/tesla-electric-car-battery-tabless-cells-day-elon-musk)” more energy capacity, and the company announced in September (https://x.com/Tesla/status/1835019793688048054) it had produced 100 million of them. A recent report by The Information said Musk had given the team working on the batteries an end of the year deadline...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296777/tesla-catl-ev-battery-maker-elon-musk-4860-cell)
Image: NASA (https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/images/152431/reflecting-on-hispaniola)
NASA is teaming up with Microsoft (https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/11/14/from-questions-to-discoveries-nasas-new-earth-copilot-brings-microsoft-ai-capabilities-to-democratize-access-to-complex-data/) to create an AI chatbot designed to make it easier to access and understand scientific data about the Earth. The tool, called Earth Copilot, will be able to answer questions about our planet by condensing NASA’s wide swath of geospatial information into easy-to-digest responses.
To create the tool, NASA is integrating AI into its data repository, allowing Earth Copilot to refer to this information when answering questions, such as “What was the impact of Hurricane Ian in Sanibel Island?” or “How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect air quality in the US?”
NASA aims to “democratize” access to scientific data with the launch of Earth Copilot, as obtaining and understanding the information within NASA’s...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296758/nasa-ai-earth-copilot-microsoft)
The Pokemon Company
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has been a big hit since its worldwide launch last month (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/30/24283488/pokemon-tcg-pocket-is-finally-here), and the team behind it has shared a brief roadmap of a couple updates to come — including the ability to trade cards with other people.
“We are aiming to add a feature that allows certain cards to be traded starting in January, 2025,” according to an update from the team on the official Pokémon forums (https://community.pokemon.com/en-us/discussion/14369/letter-to-the-community-nov-13-2024/). “We are planning to gradually expand the selection of cards that are able to be traded.” It’s unclear what cards will initially be available to trade, and hopefully the expansion of the list doesn’t take too long.
The game will also get new booster packs by the end of this year. And there are other new features in the works in addition to trading,...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296690/pokemon-tcg-pocket-trade-cards)
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
Jeff Bezos might just be the biggest climate philanthropist out there, which is what makes his swift embrace of Donald Trump as the next US president particularly cringeworthy.
“Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” Bezos posted on X (https://x.com/JeffBezos/status/1854184441511571765), hours after Trump declared victory (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24287838/donald-trump-wins-2024-presidential-election).
The Amazon founder and chair launched his Bezos Earth Fund (https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/17/21141132/jeff-bezos-earth-fund-ten-billion-climate-change) in 2020, committing $10 billion to funding action on climate change. The fund’s website describes (https://www.bezosearthfund.org/) it as “the largest philanthropic commitment ever to fight climate change and protect nature.”
Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @... (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24289945/jeff-bezos-donald-trump-election-amazon-climate-change-fund)
The 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard will be available starting on December 12th, 2024. | Image: 8BitDo
8BitDo has introduced a new version of the Retro Mechanical Keyboard it debuted last July (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/31/23813761/8bitdo-retro-mechanical-keyboard-nintendo-famicom) with its original tenkeyless layout now expanded to include an integrated number pad. The new 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard is available for preorder now through Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKXH5WCD/?tag=theverge02-20) for $119.99 — $20 more expensive than the original — with the same NES or Famicom theming. Availability is expected to start on December 12th, 2024.
The new 108-key version of the keyboard uses the same hot-swappable Kailh Box White V2 switches as the tenkeyless version, paired with dye-sub PBT keycaps. The integrated numpad includes additional Windows shortcut keys, a calculator lock button, and a screen lock button. The 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard’s compatibility is...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290514/8bitdo-retro-108-mechanical-keyboard-nintendo-famicom-numpad)
The store will be around from November 8th to December 31st. | Image: Meta
Meta announced (https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1514734&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meta.com%2Fblog%2Fquest%2Fmeta-lab-los-angeles-ray-ban-glasses-experiential-retail-matt-jacobson%2F&referrer=theverge.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2024%2F11%2F7%2F24290479%2Fmeta-is-opening-a-pop-up-retail-store-for-the-ray-ban-meta-glasses) it is opening up Meta Lab, a pop-up experiential retail space for its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses starting November 8th in Los Angeles. The temporary store will be around through the end of the year and allow customers to try out the glasses and customize their glasses cases as they shop. Meta Lab will also have local events with various creators, including stand-up comedians, live podcasts, and cooking classes.
This particular retail store is an extension of the Meta Lab experience earlier this year at Connect 2024. At that time, Meta had unveiled the transparent versions of its Ray-Bans (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/25/24253712/meta-rayban-ai-features-reminders-translation-transparent-style). The company says that over 90 percent of Connect attendees had attended, with more than 25 percent then purchasing a pair. It appears...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290479/meta-is-opening-a-pop-up-retail-store-for-the-ray-ban-meta-glasses)
The new “AUDI” logo and E concept for China. | Image: Audi
Audi is making a big change to its branding for the Chinese market with a new logo that lacks the automaker’s famous four-ring emblem. Today in Shanghai (https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/double-debut-in-shanghai-audi-and-the-audi-e-concept-16359), the company showed off the new “AUDI” logo — yes, it’s just Audi in all caps — on the front of a new E concept electric Sportback that notably lacks its broadly used “E-Tron” branding.
In a press release, Audi’s CEO Gernot Döllner said it’s hoping to tap into China’s “more tech-savvy” customers who “expect leading connectivity as well as automated driving.” Reuters reported in August that Audi was planning a rebrand for China, where the automaker sold less than 10,000 vehicles in the country in the first half of 2024.
Image: Audi
Image: Audi
Audi...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290431/audi-china-rebrand-e-concept-launch)
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
iRobot, the parent company of robovac maker Roomba, is laying off around 105 employees. In a filing (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1159167/000115916724000077/irbt-20241105.htm) with the Securities and Exchange Commission spotted by TechCrunch, iRobot says the job cuts will impact 16 percent of its current workforce.
The company announced the news as part of its earnings report released on Wednesday (https://investor.irobot.com/news-releases/news-release-details/irobot-reports-third-quarter-2024-financial-results). “These moves, while challenging, have fundamentally changed the way we work with our partners to efficiently develop and build our robots,” iRobot CEO Gary Cohen said during an earnings call.
In January, iRobot laid off 350 workers (https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/irobot-layoffs-amazon-deal-roomba-economist/) after Amazon’s deal to acquire the company (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/29/24034201/amazon-irobot-acquisition-over-antitrust-regulator-scrutiny) fell through. The company also appointed Cohen as CEO (https://www.reuters.com/technology/irobot-appoints-gary-cohen-ceo-provides-optimistic-2024-forecast-2024-05-07/#:~:text=May%207%20(Reuters)%20-%20iRobot,forecast%20annual%20revenue%20above%20estimates.), who shut down Roomba’s subscription service iRobot Select (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24162611/roomba-robot-vacuum-irobot-select-subscription-suspended).
Additionally, Cohen said the...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290515/irobot-laying-off-staff-second-time-2024)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Samsung might be working on a “Galaxy S25 Slim” model, with similar rumors to the ones about a “Slim” iPhone 17 (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/17/24159114/iphone-17-slim-rumor-2025) in 2025 that may replace the iPhone Plus (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/24/24205325/slim-iphone-17-rumor-plus-mini). South Korea’s ET news (https://www.etnews.com/20241031000259) first reported on it, saying Samsung might release a slim smartphone during the second quarter of 2025 (April – June) as a follow-up a few months after the rest of the Galaxy S25 family makes their debut.
And now Smartprix has shown the listing for a smartphone with the market name “Galaxy” and model number SM-S937U in the GSMA IMEI database. Smartprix says Samsung typically adds smartphones it’s working on testing internally to the database before launching it six to seven months later, and this model number lines up with others that line up with the usual Galaxy...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289757/samsung-galaxy-s25-slim-iphone-17-rumor-sm-s937u)
Illustration: The Verge
Apple has released iOS / iPadOS 18.2 into public beta, as spotted by MacRumors. It includes access to the second wave of Apple Intelligence features that were already available to developers (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/23/24277811/apple-intelligence-ios-18-2-beta-chatgpt-visual-intelligence-image-generation), like the AI-generated custom emoji feature Genmoji and the Image Playground feature that generates pictures.
It also adds ChatGPT integration (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/25/24278716/siri-chat-gpt-ios-18-2-developer-beta-apple-intelligence), Visual Intelligence for searching using iPhone 16 cameras (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/9/24240094/apple-visual-intelligence-camera-control-iphone-16-ai-camera-control-google-lens), a more robust Siri with improved responses to queries, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT is an option to step in and answer instead. ChatGPT access is free and doesn’t require an account to use it.
Access to some of the Apple Intelligence features is still behind a secondary waitlist — if you already had access to test them, you will immediately be able to use...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289714/ios-18-2-apple-intelligence-public-beta-chatgpt-siri-image-playground)
Striking New York Times tech workers have created a custom Connections puzzle so fans can get their daily fix without crossing the digital picket line.
The “Strike Edition” puzzle (https://connections.swellgarfo.com/game/-OB15lz2phb8ai9RwufV) was made on a website that lets people create their own Connections. The workers, part of the New York Times Tech Guild, specifically asked NYT readers not to play NYT games when the strike began on Monday (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/4/24287600/new-york-times-tech-guild-strike-before-presidential-election), so the custom puzzle offers a way to play while still respecting the Guild’s wishes.
“We have seen a groundswell of support from subscribers who have been proudly tweeting about purposely breaking their game streaks to support our strikers,” says Jen Sheehan, spokesperson for the NewsGuild of New York.
The Guild didn’t make the website themselves; the site...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289634/nyt-tech-guild-connections-strike-edition-custom-creator)
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Nintendo’s next console is going to have a kickass library of games to start. Last night, when there was absolutely nothing else of note happening in the world (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289558/in-case-you-missed-it), Nintendo announced that its still-unannounced Switch successor would be backward-compatible with existing Switch games (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/5/24284745/switch-2-backward-compatibility-nintendo-online-preservation). The announcement is an early sign that Nintendo might be able to avoid the painful transition between consoles and better unify its growing ambitions.
Backward compatibility is not a guarantee of success. The Wii U could play most Wii games, and it still ended up being a failure. But it’s a feature that benefits both consumers and the industry at large. In Nintendo’s case, its inclusion was never a sure thing. While bestselling hardware like the Wii and DS were...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289674/nintendo-switch-2-next-generation-backward-compatibility)
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
Big Tech leaders from across the industry are lining up to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24287838/donald-trump-wins-2024-presidential-election) in the US presidential election. Trump has butted heads with many of the executives now cozying up to the soon-to-be president (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/31/24282719/tech-leaders-trump-jeff-bezos-zuckerberg-pichai), who recently threatened to throw Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in prison and said Google could be broken up because its search results (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24271297/google-donald-trump-bananas-breaking-up-bananas) are “rigged.”
Despite these comments (and the conflicts during Trump’s previous presidency), many of the tech CEOs targeted by Trump in the past are now coming forward with statements about his win. Here’s what some of the biggest names in tech are saying:
Apple CEO Tim Cook
“Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289649/big-tech-leaders-donald-trump-presidential-election)
Bitfinex hacker receives five-year sentence for record-breaking crypto heist
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/15/24297157/bitfinex-hacker-sentenced-crypto-bitcoin-heist
Google Photos Partner Sharing is less of a snitch now
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/15/24297178/google-photos-partner-sharing-update-third-party-apps
The world’s biggest battery maker says Elon Musk’s 4680 cell ‘is going to fail’
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296777/tesla-catl-ev-battery-maker-elon-musk-4860-cell
NASA’s AI Earth Copilot will take your questions about our planet
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296758/nasa-ai-earth-copilot-microsoft
Pokémon TCG Pocket will let you trade cards starting early next year
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296690/pokemon-tcg-pocket-trade-cards
Jeff Bezos says he’s a climate guy — why is he kissing the ring?
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24289945/jeff-bezos-donald-trump-election-amazon-climate-change-fund
8BitDo now sells its retro mechanical keyboards with integrated number pads
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290514/8bitdo-retro-108-mechanical-keyboard-nintendo-famicom-numpad
Meta is opening a pop-up retail store for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290479/meta-is-opening-a-pop-up-retail-store-for-the-ray-ban-meta-glasses
Audi launches a new brand in China without the four-ring logo
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290431/audi-china-rebrand-e-concept-launch
iRobot is laying off staff for the second time this year
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290515/irobot-laying-off-staff-second-time-2024
Galaxy S25 ‘Slim’ rumors suggest a skinny phone showdown next year
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289757/samsung-galaxy-s25-slim-iphone-17-rumor-sm-s937u
Apple’s iOS 18.2 public beta starts opening up access to more AI features
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289714/ios-18-2-apple-intelligence-public-beta-chatgpt-siri-image-playground
Striking NYT tech workers made a custom Connections so you don’t cross the picket line
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289634/nyt-tech-guild-connections-strike-edition-custom-creator
Nintendo’s next generation is off to a great start
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289674/nintendo-switch-2-next-generation-backward-compatibility
All the Big Tech leaders congratulating Donald Trump
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289649/big-tech-leaders-donald-trump-presidential-election