I first stumbled across DIsco Elysium - The Final Cut on the PlayStation store a couple of years ago on a somber, rainy afternoon. At that time, I was completely ignorant of what the game entailed. but I knew I was immediately drawn to the washed-out, watercolor art style and the peculiarity of the title.

An Insider's Perspective on Pharmacy Benefit Managers

John Fetterman 2.0 Takes Bulldozer to Alma Mater Harvard During Yeshiva University Commencement Address

Illustration: The Verge We’ve been covering big changes to Google and Google Search very closely here on Decoder and The Verge. There’s a good reason for that: the entire business of the modern web is built around Google. It’s a whole ecosystem. Websites get traffic from Google Search, they all get built to work in Google Chrome, and Google dominates the stack of advertising technologies that turn all of it into money. It’s honestly been challenging to explain just how Google operates as a platform, because it’s so large, pervasive, and dominant that it’s almost invisible. But if you think about it another way — considering the relationship YouTubers have to YouTube or TikTokers have to the TikTok algorithm — it starts to become clear. The entire web is... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft The last time Microsoft really needed Windows developers was when it asked them to build a new type of application that could work across phones, PCs, tablets, Xbox consoles, and headsets like the HoloLens. It was all part of a larger effort to transform Windows with a new interface for touch-friendly apps, designed to rival the iPad. It failed miserably. Developers didn’t flock to universal Windows apps, and Microsoft eventually abandoned its touch-friendly UI in favor of a more traditional desktop in Windows 10. The cross-platform dream of the Windows 8 era didn’t last very long. Now, Microsoft is trying something new, and it needs developers’ help again. It’s adding AI models and tools directly into Windows for this first generation... Continue reading…

A new interactive Google Home widget is coming to Android. | Image: Google Quick access to smart home devices is coming to Android in the form of a new Google Home Favorites widget. This will let you control devices, actions, and automations directly from the homescreen of your phone. There’s also a new Favorites tile and complication coming to Wear OS for accessing frequently used devices right from your wrist. The new Favorites widget lets you view and interact with the most-used devices directly on your homescreen, no need to open the Google Home app. Currently, the easiest way to do this is to tap on the tile shortcut to the Home app, but this opens the full app. An interactive widget should be faster overall for doing something like turning on a light, locking a door, or checking the temperature. ... Continue reading…

Google’s latest grab bag of Android updates is rolling out throughout May and June. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is releasing seven new updates and features to make Android devices and services more useful. The most notable update is to Google Messages, which now lets users edit messages up to 15 minutes after they’ve been sent. This is achieved by tapping and holding on sent RCS messages and then selecting the pencil icon that appears at the top of the screen. The feature has been expected since last year, when references to editing first appeared inside the Messages app code. The Google Messages update starts rolling out today for all phones running Android 8 or later. Similar editing features have already been added to rival messaging services like WhatsApp and iMessage. Image: Google Just tap and hold your sent... Continue reading…

Image: The Verge Anthropic is releasing a new feature for its AI chatbot Claude that will let anyone create an email assistant, a bot to purchase shoes, or other personalized solutions. It’s called “tool use” (or the nerdier “function calling”), and it hooks up to any external API of your choosing. While I’m not a huge fan of the term “AI agents,” that’s essentially the game plan here. For instance, the tool can analyze data to create personalized product recommendations based on a user’s purchase history or provide quick responses to customer inquiries, such as tracking order status or offering real-time technical support. To spin up an assistant, all it needs is access to an API and someone who knows how to code. Also, this tool can work with images,... Continue reading…

Google made several big announcements about Android 15 a few weeks ago at I/O 2024, including new Gemini-powered AI experiences coming later this year. But Google won't wait that long to deploy new features in Android. The company announced seven new features on Thursday that are meant to improve your overall Android experience, including two additions that I think are must-haves. The company will add support for editing sent RCS messages. That's a big deal for Android's default messaging system, especially in anticipation of Apple's iMessage getting RCS support. iMessage already lets you edit sent messages, though it's too early to tell if Google's new RCS editing feature will work in chats with iPhones. Also, Google wants to improve the emoji experience on Android. You'll soon be able to combine more emoji in the Emoji Kitchen to create unique stickers. Interestingly, Apple is rumored to be bringing generative AI emojis to iOS 18, which will let you create stickers on the spot, matching the contents of conversations. Continue reading... The post 7 new Android features announced: Edit sent RCS messages, emoji maker, more appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $199 Bose soundbar, $38 Sony headphones, Energizer batteries, $200 off DJI Explorer, more Today’s deals: Memorial Day sales on ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 Combo, Apple, Samsung foldable phones, more Best Apple deals for May 2024 Today’s deals: $249 iPad, Sonos speakers from $199, $495 Apple Watch Ultra, $14 charging station, more

Former President Donald Trump early Thursday touted the results of a new NPR/PBSNewsHour/Marist poll showing him ahead of President Joe Biden by 8 percentage points among independents.