Charlie Brown

Modern cars are riddled with sensors looking in every direction, most taxed with one simple duty: keep you safe. Motorcycles are a lot more simple. Riders are literally hung out in the wind, left with little more than their reflexes, skills, and situational awareness to keep them safe. Even essential safety tech like anti-lock brakes … Read more

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 20, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, hello, welcome, hi, what’s up, how are you, welcome to the gang, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)  It’s our first issue of 2024, a number … Read more

From algorithms firing staff without human intervention to software keeping tabs on bathroom breaks, technologies including artificial intelligence are already upsetting workers and unsettling workplaces. At call centers, AI systems record and grade how workers handle calls, often giving failing grades for not sticking to the script. Some corporate software spies on workers to see … Read more

It’s funny how naive smart people can be sometimes. Take the founders of Substack, a US-based online platform that enables writers to send digital newsletters directly to subscribers. It also enables them to earn money from their writing if they wish to, though as far as I can see, most don’t. I can personally testify … Read more

(NewsNation) — The FBI is raising the alarm over a growing trend of online scams, particularly a disturbing phenomenon dubbed “virtual” or “cyber” kidnapping. Authorities are cautioning the public after uncovering a case involving a 17-year-old student who fell victim to this sinister scheme. Law enforcement’s attention was drawn to the issue when they discovered … Read more

Checks are apparently hitting the bank accounts of people affected by Apple’s decision to slow down iPhones with older batteries back in 2017. MacRumors reported that readers of its site said they’d seen checks deposited to their accounts amounting to $92.17, later updating the story with an embedded post from one of the readers. Indeed, … Read more

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered the “temporary grounding” of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes this morning after section of fuselage separated off the side of an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. The agency said in its announcement that it will send an … Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. (NewsNation) — Samsung is expected to announce new AI-powered phones during a news conference on Jan. 17. The much-anticipated “all-new mobile experience powered by AI” is the latest instance of artificial intelligence becoming more ingrained in everyday life. Samsung is Apple’s primary competitor in the smartphone market with about a 20% share … Read more

(NewsNation) — An investigation by The Guardian appears to have uncovered that the CEO of a cryptocurrency hedge fund does not actually exist. Steven Reece Lewis’ résumé claimed he worked at Goldman Sachs and sold a company to Adobe before he was recruited to lead HyperVerse by the HyperTech group. The Guardian cited a career … Read more

The DreameBot L20 Ultra robot vacuum / mop is one of our top picks when it comes to robovacs, as long as you don’t mind spending a fair bit of coin. But there’s good news today, as the L20 Ultra is now cheaper than ever before. As a reader of The Verge, you can get … Read more