Instagram added new stickers and is letting you give friends nicknames and your location. | Image: Instagram Instagram is adding the ability to share your live location with friends in your DMs for up to one hour at a time so you can find each other when arriving at concerts, outings, and other gatherings. The feature works within Instagram’s direct messages, which also gets a few other new features, including sticker packs and nicknames. Instagram says you can share your location privately with others through DMs, either one-to-one or within group chats, and the feature is off by default. It’s similar to the location-sharing features in Snapchat’s SnapMap, which includes the ability to share pictures with friends on a map. For now, these features are only available in “select countries” (Instagram does not list where.) Image:... Continue reading…

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images Nvidia says its new AI music editor can create “sounds never heard before” — like a trumpet that meows. The tool, called Fugatto, is capable of generating music, sounds, and speech using text and audio inputs it’s never been trained on. As shown in this video embedded below, this allows Fugatto to put together songs based on wild prompts, like “Create a saxophone howling, barking then electronic music with dogs barking.” Some other examples shared by the company include the ability to produce unique sound effects based on a description, like “Deep, rumbling bass pulses paired with intermittent, high-pitched digital chirps, like the sound of a massive sentient machine waking up.” It can even transform the sound of someone’s voice,... Continue reading…

Photo by Kevin Carter / Getty Images Cars are getting more efficient and less polluting, resulting in better air quality for everyone, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency. But with a new administration coming in that has made climate change and air pollution less of a priority — and drilling for more fossil fuels more of one — it’s unclear how sustainable this trend will be. In the US, new model cars are traveling further on less gas, the EPA reports. Real-world fuel economy improved by 1.1 miles per gallon of gasoline to a “record high” of 27.1 mpg for model year 2023 vehicles. That’s an improvement of 13.1mpg since 1975, when the EPA first began gathering fuel economy data. These gains in fuel economy do not take into account the EPA’s... Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge Threads will now let users decide what feed they want as their default when opening the app. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the news in a post, saying that you’ll be able to choose between For You, Following, or any custom feed that you’ve set up. Zuckerberg’s post notes that Threads is “testing” this option and will make the choice “more visible” in the app. It took over a year to get here, but Threads is finally doing the obvious thing and allowing people to use the app however they prefer. To set your default feed, open the Threads app and tap and hold on any feed at the top. From there, choose “edit feeds,” and that’s where you’ll be able to reorder them. Whichever feed you put in the first slot will appear whenever you open... Continue reading…

After three iPhone iterations with the same design, including two versions with a titanium chassis, it seems Apple is about to make "significant design changes" to next year's iPhone 17 Pro models. According to The Information's Wayne Ma, the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro will ditch titanium for aluminum. Apple has long used upgraded metals on its premium iPhone models, first stainless steel and later titanium. But it seems as though the aluminum and glass combination will be "Pro" again. While it's unclear why Cupertino might make this downgrade, this could help the iPhone become lighter, thinner, and maybe even cheaper. Ma isn't the only one reporting on this change. Previously, analyst Jeff Pu suggested that all the new iPhone 17 models could be made of aluminum. He suggested that the top half of the back will be made of aluminum with a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass." Then, the bottom half will supposedly feature a glass back for wireless charging. Another design change is the camera bump on the iPhone 17 Pro, which will likely be larger than previous models. So far, Apple is rumored to introduce a new 48MP telephoto lens, making the entire set with this higher resolution. This could be what it takes for Apple to introduce 8K recording, even though it's unclear if the company plans to improve zoom range. The front-facing camera is expected to be upgraded to a 24MP lens. That being said, The Information believes this will be one of the most significant visual changes on the iPhone lineup. Previously, display analyst Ross Young said Apple would make a smaller Dynamic Island as it planned to introduce under-display Face ID. With this technology reportedly being delayed, it's unclear how much the company will be able to change its new iPhone 17 Pro models, especially now with the Action Button and Camera Control commands. Don't Miss: iPhone 17: Release date, rumors, features, A19, price, and Slim model The post Major iPhone 17 Pro design leak has a bizarre change no one was expecting appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $120 Segway Ninebot eKickScooter C2 Lite, $20 Android smartwatch, $22 Fire TV Stick 4K, more Early Black Friday deals: $159 AirPods Pro 2, $99 Ninja blender, $998 Sony 85-inch TV, $199 Bose soundbar, more Today’s deals: 10% off PlayStation, Xbox, & Roblox gift cards, $4.75 Kasa mini smart plugs, more Reolink Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals: Up to 43% off the best new security cameras

Following the report of a redesigned iPhone 17 Pro, The Information's Wayne Ma details Apple's efforts to release the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air next year. According to the journalist, Cupertino will remove several features to make this innovative iPhone that thin. Ma reports that iPhone 17 Air prototypes are between 5 and 6 millimeters thick, which could possibly make it thinner than the iPhone 6, released a decade ago. While the iPhone 16 is 7.8mm thick, this could make the iPhone 17 Air as thin as the new M4 iPad Pro. Unfortunately, not everything is good news. Apple will have to sacrifice several crucial features to achieve this ultra-thin design. For example, The Information says Apple engineers are "finding it hard to fit the battery and thermal materials into the device," which means Cupertino will likely have to add a smaller battery to this iPhone. Besides, a major compromise on the iPhone 17 Air might be a single earpiece speaker. According to Ma, "the iPhone will only have a single speaker in its earpiece because there's no room for a second speaker at the bottom, which is standard in other models." The journalist also confirms another rumored change: the iPhone 17 Air will have a "large, centered camera bump." That said, forget about one of the iPhone's most widely-used camera features, the optical zoom. While Apple's in-house 5G modem is expected to be available with this iPhone, the chip doesn't perform as well as Qualcomm's. The report says it's more efficient, but it won't be as fast, and it will lack a feature some US users benefit a lot, the mmWave 5G technology, which Apple's future processor won't have. Finally, Apple engineers couldn't figure out how to add a physical SIM tray to the iPhone 17 Air. While iPhone users in the US are used to that, Apple will have issues, at least in China, which requires phones to be sold with a SIM card. Without this market, sales of this upcoming iPhone might not be as enticing as they could. Wrap up Considering all that, I wonder if these trade-offs are worth it for an all-new iPhone design. I still think Pro users will keep buying Pro phones, while regular iPhone users won't be enticed to pay extra for this new design. So, who might be this new iPhone for? Don't Miss: iPhone 17: Release date, rumors, features, A19, price, and Slim model The post iPhone 17 Air may ditch these 5 Pro features to achieve its ultra-thin design appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Black Friday begins: 20% off Sonos, $29 Magic Bullet, $60 Vortex air fryer, $79 Ember heated coffee mug, more Early Black Friday deals: $719 Black Apple Watch Ultra 2, 15% off PS5 consoles, $38 Sony headphones, more Today’s deals: $17.50 Apple AirTags, $50 off Madden NFL 25, $30 Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box, more Today’s deals: $349 Apple Watch Series 10, $298 Sony XM5 headphones, $120 off KitchenAid Stand Mixers, more

Astronomers have observed stars that are accelerating through space at a shockingly rapid pace. Normally this is assumed to relate to gravitational forces in some way, or to the natural emissions of the stars that might be causing them to move at unusually fast rates. But one researcher has a different idea about why some stars or star systems seem to be moving more rapidly than normally, presumably dragging their planets along with them as they go. According to Clement Vidal, a philosopher from Vrije University Brussels in Belgium who has an interest in astronomy, these traveling solar systems may have been converted into fast-moving “spaceships” by advanced alien civilizations looking to explore other areas of the Milky Way galaxy. The Solar System as UFO Assuming for a moment they developed the technology to actually accomplish such a thing, an alien civilization might have various motivations for propelling their entire solar system through space. “Two universal evolutionary motivations will make interstellar travel a necessity to any long-lived civilization: survival and reproduction,” Vidal wrote in a non-peer-reviewed paper about his concept published through Cornell University. Read moreSection: NewsScience & SpaceUnexplained PhenomenaRead Later 

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, a key adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, over the weekend branded the United Kingdom a "tyrannical police state" and endorsed calls for a new election.

When I first joined X (formerly Twitter), it was a safe haven for people like me—progressive, open-minded, and wholly committed to free speech, provided it only included the right kind of speech. But now, this platform has devolved into an unrecognizable cesspool of differing opinions, and I simply can’t take it anymore. The problem? Elon Musk is literally killing free speech by allowing people to speak freely. Let me explain: Free speech used to mean freedom from speech I don’t like. It was a simpler time when algorithms shielded me from hearing that pineapple belongs on pizza or that my favorite politician might be flawed. Now, X has opened the floodgates to anyone—yes, anyone—to say literally anything. Imagine scrolling and encountering someone who says, “I disagree.” It’s like stepping into a war zone, but worse. Freedom for Me, Not for Thee The old Twitter understood nuance. They knew that when I said “free speech,” I meant “free speech curated specifically for my fragile worldview.” Sure, a few accounts got suspended for saying silly things like “biology exists” or questioning avocado toast subsidies, but isn’t the cost of someone’s livelihood worth the serenity of my echo chamber? Now, under the chaotic reign of Elon Musk, the unthinkable has happened: people with opinions I find repugnant are allowed to share them. How is that free speech if it makes me uncomfortable? The Horror of Unfiltered Dialogue Just last week, I saw a tweet that said, “We should debate this issue.” Debate? DEBATE?! What are we, ancient Greeks? The very idea of having to intellectually engage with someone who doesn’t already agree with me is exhausting. Where’s the “safety” in that? Another user had the audacity to post, “I like capitalism.” I reported it as hate speech, but guess what? It’s still up. What’s next, someone praising cargo shorts? A Platform Run Amok Let’s not forget the so-called “Community Notes.” Oh, those smug little corrections, treating misinformation as if it’s something that can be objectively countered with facts. I preferred it when we could cancel someone based on vibes alone. Instead, X now empowers users to question me. ME. As if my verified badge (RIP) and bio—featuring pronouns, a rainbow flag, and a sunflower emoji—aren’t evidence enough of my moral superiority. Where Do We Go From Here? I’m announcing my departure from X to seek refuge on a platform where I won’t be bombarded with critical thinking and accountability. Mastodon? Threads? Maybe I’ll just stand on a street corner and shout into the void. Free speech was never meant to include everyone. It was meant to uplift voices like mine while silencing the noise of dissent. X has killed free speech by letting too many people speak freely, and I won’t stand for it. Besides, the app still makes me call it “X.” Gross. The post Farewell, X: Why I’m Leaving Over Their Refusal to Censor Me appeared first on Genesius Times.

Washington, D.C. – The annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon at the White House took an unexpected turn today when President Joe Biden slipped in a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, in between jokes about cranberry sauce and awkward banter with the press. The ceremony began as usual, with Biden addressing the gathered crowd and introducing the two lucky turkeys, “Stuffing” and “Gravy.” But as the president lifted his hand to pardon the birds, eagle-eyed observers noticed he was holding a folded piece of paper. “Today, we celebrate forgiveness,” Biden said, his voice swelling with emotion. “Not just for these beautiful turkeys, who were unfairly targeted for their… uh… deliciousness, but also for my son, Hunter, who, let’s face it, has been through a lot, folks. A lot. He’s had laptops, taxes, paintings. But you know what? No turkey deserves to go to jail, and neither does my boy.” The move left reporters scrambling to confirm what they had just heard. “Wait, did he just pardon Hunter Biden?” one journalist shouted. The White House Press Secretary quickly clarified in a post-ceremony briefing: “This was a completely normal, totally traditional pardon ceremony. Presidents have always pardoned turkeys and, on occasion, family members who may or may not have committed federal crimes. It’s all very routine.” Hunter Biden was seen walking around the White House grounds gobbling and gave a statement to the press following the ceremony: “I’m grateful for my dad—I mean, the President’s—commitment to fairness and poultry. I’ll be celebrating this Thanksgiving with a plate of stuffing, a glass of wine, and no further comment.” Critics immediately pounced on the move. Former President Donald Trump released a statement: “Biden’s corruption is so bad, even the turkeys are laughing. SAD! When I pardoned turkeys, they were the only ones getting pardoned. Everyone knows that!” The turkeys themselves seemed nonplussed by the drama. “We’re just happy not to be dinner,” Gravy reportedly said in turkey language, as interpreted by the White House animal whisperer. In a strange twist, as Biden wrapped up the event, he accidentally thanked “Corn Pop” for his contributions to the day’s success and wandered off without actually finishing the ceremony. Stuffing and Gravy were last seen waddling toward the Lincoln Memorial, while White House staffers scrambled to explain that Hunter’s pardon was “more of a suggestion” than an official declaration. Whether the nation will buy it remains to be seen. In the meantime, the turkeys—and Hunter—can rest easy, at least for one more year. The post BREAKING: Biden Sneaks in Pardon for Hunter During Annual Turkey Pardon Ceremony appeared first on Genesius Times.