WATCH: Trump Team Drops First Major Ad Against Kamala Harris

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge Before Roku was a leading player in the streaming wars, with that ubiquitous purple screensaver and a library of original content and practically every streaming app you could possibly imagine, it was a Netflix gadget — the first Netflix gadget, for that matter, and the one that helped start a streaming revolution. But the Roku story was almost very different. On this episode of The Vergecast, we try out a couple of show formats we’ve been planning for a while. First, we debut our tech-rewatch segment, in the vein of some of our favorite rewatch shows like Office Ladies, The West Wing Weekly, and The Rewatchables. We’re calling it Version History, at least for now. For this first segment, we tell the story of the Roku Netflix Player,... Continue reading…

Image: Meta Meta is launching an app for its Quest 3 headsets that lets you take measurements and visualize changes in your home. The utility app, called Layout, will appear in the Quest 3 library as part of the v68 update. Meta says you can use Layout to measure furniture around your home, allowing you to get a sense of how much room you have for a new couch or TV without taking out your tape measure. You can also use the app to place virtual objects in a real-world environment as well as try out the leveling tool to ensure the picture you just hung up isn’t crooked. Image: Meta You can place and resize virtual objects — like a TV — to see how they look. Along with the Layout app, the v68 update includes Meta’s e... Continue reading…

Don’t mistake Dasung’s portable color E Ink monitor for a tablet, it’s completely dependent on another device. | Image: Dasung It may look like another e-note tablet, but Dasung’s Paperlike Color is actually a portable monitor featuring a 12-inch color E Ink screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. For those working remotely, it can provide extra screen real estate for a laptop or a smartphone, or its reflective e-paper panel can serve as an alternative to staring at an LCD for hours, thus reducing eye strain. The Paperlike Color is Dasung’s second dedicated display product featuring an E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen, following a 25.3-inch desktop version that debuted last September. The desktop version sells for $1,649, while the new portable version is available now for $849. The Kaleido display technology works by applying a color filter over a black... Continue reading…

It’s the new-age Tamagotchi, only it talks back. | Image: Friend A few minutes before Avi Schiffmann and I get on Google Meet to talk about the new product he’s building, an AI companion called “Friend,” he sends me a screenshot of a message he just received. It’s from “Emily,” and it wishes him luck with our chat. “Good luck with the interview,” Emily writes, “I know you’ll do great. I’m here if you need me after.” Emily is not human. It’s the AI companion Schiffmann has been building, and it lives in a pendant hung around his neck. The product was initially named Tab before Schiffmann pivoted to calling it Friend, and he’s been working on the idea for the last couple of years. Schiffmann defines Friend both by what it is and what it very deliberately is not. The original idea was to be more... Continue reading…

Winning the AI race isn't just about getting artificial intelligence features right. It's also about winning the hearts and minds of people who will use these products. Google just gave us a good example of how not to win any hearts or minds. As impressive as Gemini AI innovations might be, Google's "pizza glue" Search fiasco will not be forgotten. And now Google can add one more bad idea to the list of AI misteps: The Gemini ad running everywhere during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Everybody hates Google's new commercial. The Google ad is so bad that Google turned off comments on YouTube. It's so bad that you'd think Gemini came up with it. Google Gemini isn't as good as Google wants it to be at this point. To be fair, neither is OpenAI's ChatGPT or any other competitor. We have not reached the point where generative AI is as good as these companies want it to be. Needless to say, no ad should suggest that they are. Continue reading... The post Google’s AI Olympics ad is so bad, Gemini must have created it appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Exclusive deal: GEEKOM Mini PC IT12 is 15% off in this post-Prime Day sale Today’s deals: $299 Apple Watch S9, $29 Thermacell mosquito repellent, $99 TP-Link WiFi 7 router, more Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Today’s deals: $200 off PSVR2, $299 iPad 10th-Gen, $3.75 smart plugs, $189 ASUS laptop, more

In the ancient chronicles of Rome, few figures evoke as much intrigue and controversy as Elagabalus, the teenage youthful emperor whose rule in the early 3rd century AD was defined by ambitious religious reforms centered on the Syrian deity, Elagabal. Characterized by its elaborate ceremonies and departure from traditional Roman practices, the Cult of Elagabalus attempted to reshape religious norms to align with personal beliefs and political agendas. Yet, despite the emperor's efforts to promote his deity within the Roman pantheon, the cult was met with limited success. Like those who came before him, the dynamics and shortcomings of ancient religious reform initiatives highlights the complexities and challenges in political climates entrenched in cultural traditions. A Life of Servitude Born in Emesa, Syria, Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus (Elagabalus) enjoyed a life of privilege and opportunity. His mother was a cousin to the current Roman emperor, Caracalla, a relative of the Severan dynasty. His family name also connected him to the Roman Syrian Emesene dynasty, the House of Sampsigeramus, priestly kings. As such, he was given rights to the priesthood, which he honorably obliged himself to. From a young age, he acted as the head priest to Elagabal, Ba’al of Emesa, lord and primary deity of Syria. Read moreSection: NewsHistoryAncient TraditionsFamous PeoplePremiumPreviewRead Later 

A woman buried around 12,000 years ago near the upper Tigris River in southwestern Turkey might have been a shaman with a spiritual connection to wild animals, according to a new study. This unusual burial site at Çemka Höyük—meaning “mound by the water” dates back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period, a transitional era between 10,000 and 8,800 BC, just before the advent of agriculture. During this time, people were still hunter-gatherers, similar to their Mesolithic ancestors, and had not yet developed pottery. However, it appears that settlements had already started to form, at least seasonally, in places like Jericho in the Palestinian Territories and Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site in Turkey about 150 miles west of Çemka Höyük. This, amongst other finds, have been published in the latest edition of L’Anthropologie. Excavations are ongoing at the Çemka Höyük neolithic settlement, Turkey. (Anatolian Archaeology) Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later 

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican rivals in a closely watched open congressional race in Arizona, a rare and surprising move before Tuesday's primary election.

Former President Donald Trump is keeping his focus on his campaign, but his advisers are being lobbied hard by key Republicans for spots in his cabinet, according to sources close to the Republican presidential nominee.