Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Apple has committed to providing a minimum of five years of iPhone security updates, as reported earlier by Android Authority. The disclosure comes as part of Apple’s plan to comply with the UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, which requires companies selling internet-connected products to meet new security standards. The law, which went into effect in April, compels companies to define the minimum length of time it will provide security updates for a product. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will cap security updates at five years, as it’s only a minimum. Apple sometimes pushes security updates to older phones, too. In January, the company issued a security update to the nearly 10-year-old... Continue reading…

Image: Rivian The exterior design of the R1T and R1S may look the same, but ‘everything beneath the surface has changed,’ CEO says.  Continue reading…

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The last six months have been turbulent for Xbox. Microsoft started the year by laying off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees, then announced four in-house games would drop their exclusivity and ship on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. More recently, the company shut down three game studios, including Tango Gameworks, maker of the award-winning and widely praised Hi-Fi Rush. The moves have rattled fans. Hardcore Xbox customers are upset that exclusives are available on rival consoles, with many wondering why they should continue to invest in the Xbox ecosystem when Microsoft is shutting down studios and its games are appearing on rival platforms anyway. Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase is a chance for Microsoft to try and get fans excited... Continue reading…

Enhanced messaging with emergency services is coming to Android phones. | Image: Google Texting with emergency services is about to get an upgrade. Starting this winter, Google Messages will support texting 911 through RCS. Using SMS to contact 911 is available at just over half of all emergency dispatch centers in the US, but in those areas, people using RCS will benefit from a handful of new features like location sharing and read receipts. The timing of the announcement — just days before Apple is expected to announce RCS support in iOS 18 — is probably no coincidence, either. Google is working with a company called RapidSOS, which can already relay certain medical information to emergency responders for both iPhone and Android users. Once enabled by an emergency dispatch center, people texting that center via Google... Continue reading…

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Livestreaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams by paying a fee. Twitch signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music as well as “hundreds” of independent labels, the company says. CEO Dan Clancy hinted in April that the company was working on building an official system for DJs. In order to cover the cost of the rights, streamers will pay a percentage of their earnings from a stream to rights holders. The percentage, which Twitch hasn’t shared publicly, will vary slightly depending on which monetization methods streamers use. They’ll share that cost with Twitch in a 50 / 50 split, though... Continue reading…

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly agreed to split duties in investigating potential antitrust violations of Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia, The New York Times reported. The DOJ will lead inquiries into Nvidia, while the FTC will look into the deal between OpenAI and its largest investor, Microsoft. The FTC began looking into potential antitrust issues related to the investments made by technology companies into smaller AI companies in January this year. The agency sent letters to Alphabet, Amazon, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and Amazon are both investors in Anthropic. The FTC is already investigating OpenAI’s data collection practices, having... Continue reading…

After announcing the Design Awards finalists last week, Apple has just revealed the winners of its most prestigious developer's awards ahead of WWDC 2024. This time, the Cupertino company honored 14 apps and games. This year’s winners include development teams from around the world selected for their stellar design, technical achievement, and innovation. “It’s inspiring to see how developers are using our technology to create exceptional apps and games that enhance the lives of users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “This year’s winners have demonstrated how apps can create powerful and moving experiences — and we’re excited to celebrate their hard work and ingenuity at WWDC this year.” This is the list of the 2024 Apple Design Awards winners, combining apps and games per category: Delight and Fun: Bears Gratitude and NYT Games Inclusivity: oko and Crayola Adventures Innovation: Procreate Dreams and Lost in Play Interaction: Crouton and Rytmos Social Impact: Gentler Streak Fitness Tracker and The Wreck Visuals and Graphics: Rooms and Lies of P Spatial Computing: djay pro - DJ App & AI Mixer and Blackbox For the Delight and Fun category, Apple says the winners provide memorable, engaging, and satisfying experiences enhanced by Apple technologies. For Inclusivity, Cupertino says these apps provide a great experience for all by supporting people from a diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and languages. For the Innovation category, Apple praises state-of-the-art experiences through novel use of Apple technologies that 'sets them apart in their genre,' while the Interaction category promotes intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are perfectly tailored to their platform. In social impact, BGR's favorite Gentler Streak is recognized to improve everyone's lifestyles with a gentler approach to their workout routines. For this category, Apple says these apps improve lives meaningfully and shine a light on crucial issues. Lastly, the 2024 Apple Design Awards winners in the Visual and Graphics category offer stunning imagery, skillfully drawn interfaces and high-quality animations that lend to a distinctive and cohesive theme. In the Spatial Computing category, the winners bring "extraordinary craftmanship to their exceptional spatial experiences." WWDC 2024 is just around the corner, and we'll bring Apple's latest news as soon as we learn more about them. Don't Miss: 12 Apple announcements to expect at WWDC 2024 The post 2024 Apple Design Awards winners announced: Procreate Dreams, Gentler Streak, more appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $150 Beats Solo 4, $55 HP printer, $248 Sony XM5 earbuds, 25% off eero Pro 6E, more Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2024: Get $355+ free Today’s deals: $189 AirPods Pro, $169 TP-Link WiFi 6 mesh system, $45 KitchenAid hand blender, more Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales

Google and RapidSOS announced a partnership on Thursday that might save your life someday. Hopefully, you'll never need to use it, but support for RCS texting to 911 is coming to Google Messages on Android devices. You'll be able to text emergency responders, which could come in handy in various situations. Sending images and sharing your location with 911 responders in the US might further improve their ability to provide fast assistance. The feature will be rolling out gradually, however, as emergency call centers will have to enable it as well. It's not just up to Google to add support for RCS texting to 911 centers. RapidSOS will be helping those centers roll out the functionality on their end. That's why the feature won't be available until sometime this winter, and also why it'll inly be available in the US. Continue reading... The post PSA: Google RCS messages might save your life appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Memorial Day deals: $20 Amazon credit, $329 iPad 10, $20 TOZO earbuds, Hydro Flask, Motorola foldables, more Memorial Day deals: $189 AirPods Pro, $43 camera drone, $179 Roomba, Crest 3D Whitestrips, Instant Pot, more Today’s deals: $189 AirPods Pro, $169 TP-Link WiFi 6 mesh system, $45 KitchenAid hand blender, more Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales

Archaeologists have recorded enormous pre-Hispanic petroglyphs along the Orinoco River in South America, and believe they served as ancient territorial markers. Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient WritingsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later 

Senate Republicans want Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to put a bill on the floor sanctioning the International Criminal Court for considering an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.