Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube is working on new plans for its YouTube Premium subscriptions, the company said in a community post on Thursday. “We’re committed to bringing members more plan options by expanding our existing offers to more regions, while also introducing new plans and exploring ways for you to share your benefits with friends in the future,” according to a post from a YouTube team member identified as Hazel. Currently, there are only a handful of YouTube Premium plans: Individual for $13.99 per month (or 12 months for $139.99); Family for $22.99 per month; and Student for $7.99 per month. By subscribing, you get perks like ad-free videos, the ability to download videos to watch offline, and ad-free access to the YouTube Music library.... Continue reading…

Meet the Hyundai Inster, the latest cute, small electric vehicle that is being cruelly denied a North American debut. This subcompact EV has over 200 miles of range, an almost retro-inspired interior aesthetic (think lots of plastic and chunky buttons), and an adorable face that won’t be making an appearance on US roads any time soon. Oh, and did I mention that it will be very affordable? Automotive News is reporting that the Inster will be priced below $26,000. So not only is Hyundai entering the fray for affordable EVs, but it’s doing it as at an extreme distance from the US — which is very much in need of affordable EVs. Tesla is being wishy-washy on making a more affordable $25,000 “Model 2.” Ford is still trying to... Continue reading…

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images Joe Biden and Donald Trump are expected to face off on Tuesday, November 5th. Continue reading…

What, exactly, is Perplexity’s innovation? | Image: The Verge In every hype cycle, certain patterns of deceit emerge. In the last crypto boom, it was “ponzinomics” and “rug pulls.” In self-driving cars, it was “just five years away!” In AI, it’s seeing just how much unethical shit you can get away with. Perplexity is basically a rent-seeking middleman on high-quality sources Perplexity, which is in ongoing talks to raise hundreds of millions of dollars, is trying to create a Google Search competitor. Perplexity isn’t trying to create a “search engine,” though — it wants to create an “answer engine.” The idea is that instead of combing through a bunch of results to answer your own question with a primary source, you’ll simply get an answer Perplexity has found for you. “Factfulness and accuracy is... Continue reading…

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge The chair of the Federal Communications Commission proposed a new rule that could make it easier for consumers to unlock their cellphones. The proposed regulation, which the agency announced on Thursday, would require mobile providers to unlock consumers’ phones within 60 days of activation. Under current regulations, consumers who want to unlock their phone — as in, freeing up a phone so it can move from one network to another — are at the mercy of their service provider. Per the FCC, consumers who want to unlock their device should contact their service provider to find out when and how their phone can be unlocked. To then unlock a device, a consumer must be in “good standing” with their provider, meaning their phone must be paid off... Continue reading…

House Energy Subcommittee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers. | Photo: Getty Images The House Energy and Commerce Committee suddenly canceled a markup to discuss and vote on 11 bills, including the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The committee did not provide a reason for the cancellation in its online notice, and committee members appeared surprised by the change, according to reporters in the room. But disagreements on the bill with Republican House leadership seemed to play a role, according to recent reporting and the top Democrats on the committee. Some Republican House members have recently expressed concerns with the bill, Politico reported last week, adding that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) top aide said an earlier version of APRA wouldn’t get a floor... Continue reading…

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., sent an oversight request on Thursday seeking information regarding the alleged pressuring of Judge Aileen Cannon by two federal judges in South Florida.

U.S. stocks ended Thursday around the unchanged mark as investors awaited fresh inflation data, with the Nasdaq able to eke out a slight gain after economic data showed a continued slowdown in economic activity, raising investors' hope for rate cuts.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, holds a slim lead over his Democrat opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, according to a new poll from the University of Texas at Tyler released on Thursday.

The roughly 7.4 million foreign nationals who are eligible for naturalization in the U.S. could help swing the election in five battleground states, The Hill reported Thursday.