After weeks of speculation, Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has officially closed a massive $6 billion Series C funding round. This latest investment includes high-profile names like A16Z, Blackrock, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. Other notable backers include Kingdom […]
The preserved remains of a juvenile mammoth are being studied by scientists after it was discovered in thawing permafrost after more than 50,000 years.
Hyundai said Monday it will send customers who have bought or leased an EV before January 31 a free charging adapter that will let them access Tesla’s supercharging network. The Hyundai-authorized adapter will give CCS-port-equipped Hyundai EV drivers access to more than 20,000 Tesla Superchargers in the United States, according to Hyundai. Free adapters will […]
The year is almost over, but the team behind the popular fitness and wellness app Gentler Streak still had a few cards up their sleeve for 2024. The latest update to the app adds improvements to health metrics, as well as the long-awaited Activity Recap 2024.
Last month, AI founders and investors told TechCrunch that we’re now in the “second era of scaling laws,” noting how established methods of improving AI models were showing diminishing returns. One promising new method they suggested could keep gains was “test-time scaling,” which seems to be what’s behind the performance of OpenAI’s o3 model — […]
A Marriott Hotel in Germany. | Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday it finalized an order (pdf) requiring Marriott International and subsidiary Starwood Hotels to improve their digital security, reports BleepingComputer. The FTC charged the companies with lax security practices that resulted in three big breaches detected in 2015, 2018, and 2020, “affecting more than 344 million customers worldwide,” leaking passport details, payment cards, and other info.
The shortest breach lasted 14 months before it was detected, while the longest one saw attackers maintain access for four years, starting in 2018. The beefed-up security programs they've agreed to establish include creating policies to only keep information for as long as it’s needed and publishing a link allowing US customers to request the deletion of information tied to their email address or loyalty account.
Hotels have been one of many key targets for hackers, with one breach last year catching FTC Chair Lina Khan among the many people left waiting to check in when a ransomware attack forced MGM Resorts to fall back on using pen and paper.
The FTC announced its charges in October, accusing the companies of having “deceived consumers” with false claims of “reasonable and appropriate data security.” Their alleged failures included having bad password and firewall practices and not patching outdated software and systems. The same day the FTC revealed the charges, the Connecticut Attorney General’s office announced Marriott had agreed to a $52 million settlement.
Beyond improving their security, the companies are now forbidden “from misrepresenting how they collect, maintain, use, delete or disclose consumers’ personal information; and the extent to which the companies protect the privacy, security, availability, confidentiality, or integrity of personal information.” Other requirements include that they keep compliance records and submit to FTC inspections. The order will stay in effect for 20 years.
The PayPal Honey browser extension is, in theory, a handy way to find better deals on products while you’re shopping online. But in a video published this weekend, YouTuber MegaLag claims the extension is a “scam” and that Honey has been “stealing money from influencers, including the very ones they paid to promote their product.”
Honey works by popping up an offer to find coupon codes for you while you’re checking out in an online shop. But as MegaLag notes, it frequently fails to find a code, or offers a Honey-branded one, even if a simple internet search will cover something better. The Honey website’s pitch is that it will “find every working promo code on the internet.” But according to MegaLag’s video, ignoring better deals is a feature of Honey’s partnerships with its retail clients.
MegaLag also says Honey will hijack affiliate revenue from influencers. According to MegaLag, if you click on an affiliate link from an influencer, Honey will then swap in its own tracking link when you interact with its deal pop-up at check-out. That’s regardless of whether Honey found you a coupon or not, and it results in Honey getting the credit for the sale, rather than the YouTuber or website whose link led you there.
Paypal VP of corporate communications Josh Criscoe said in an email to The Verge that “Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution.”
MegaLag isn’t the first to make such claims. A 2021 Twitter post advises using Honey’s discount codes in a different browser to avoid it taking the affiliate credit. A Linus Media Group employee also explained in a 2022 forum reply that Linus Tech Tips dropped Honey as a sponsor over its affiliate link practices.
Honey’s convenience has resulted in the extension being recommended widely, including in almost 5,000 Honey-sponsored videos across about 1,000 YouTube channels, according to MegaLag. We’ve even recommended it here at The Verge; now we do not.
Here is Criscoe’s full statement:
Honey is free to use and provides millions of shoppers with additional savings on their purchases whenever possible. Honey helps merchants reduce cart abandonment and comparison shopping while increasing sales conversion.
Lux Optics has released a loose product roadmap for its next big iPhone photo app, Halide 3.0 (which it’s calling Halide Mark III). After being more forthright than usual in the development of its Kino video app, which was recently awarded iPhone app of the year for 2024 by Apple, Lux is giving the next version of its popular photo app a touch of the Steam indie dev treatment.
Not only is Lux already hyping key upcoming features in a blog post by cofounder Ben Sandofsky, but it also plans to open up the development process via a Discord server, where users can give feedback once they start trying Halide Mark III.
So far, Lux has detailed three upcoming features for Halide Mark III that subscribers will be able to try early: Color Grades, HDR photos, and an app redesign. Color grades will operate a lot like they do in Kino, with users able to quickly load an aesthetic look / color palette based on Lux’s own creations, film stocks, and imported recipes cooked by other users. In addition to what sounds like Lux’s take on Fujifilm’s film emulations, Halide Mark III will also include the developer’s take on HDR photos — now that iOS 18’s Adaptive HDR feature is making it easier to view HDR images on more platforms.
Closing out the year doing things a bit different: sharing our Halide 3.0 roadmap, including its three major features!
We’re also launching a Halide community Discord so we can bounce ideas off fans, solicit feedback on early builds, and more!
www.lux.camera/the-road-to-...
Not much has been revealed so far about Halide 3.0’s redesigned interface, but Sandofsky said in the blog post that form follows function, and “if Halide’s version of Instant Grade goes as smooth as we think it will, we’ll make grade-picking central to the UI, just like Kino.”
Sandofsky’s blog post also didn’t go into further detail about when Halide Mark III will ship beyond sometime in 2025, and it didn’t say how much Halide Mark III will cost. But the @halideapp account on Threads indicated to a commenter that Mark III will be included for Mark II users, and an upgrade for v1 users.
An Ioniq 5 using a CCS to NACS adapter to charge at a Supercharger. | Image: Hyundai
Hyundai announced it will start distributing free CCS to Tesla NACS adapters to its EV customers in the first quarter of 2025. The adapters will enable vehicles such as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 to connect to “20,000-plus” Tesla Supercharger stations. The free adapter is available to those who purchased or leased their Hyundai EVs on or before January 31st, 2025.
The NACS adapter deal includes 2024 and earlier Kona Electric, Ioniq hatchback, Ioniq 5, and Ioniq 6. It also includes the 2025 Ioniq 6, 2025 Ioniq 5 N, 2025 Kona Electric, and Genesis brand EVs (a full list will be revealed next year). You can request the free adapter through the My Hyundai owner portal.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Ioniq 5 with a native Tesla port will have Supercharger access as soon as it ships to customers. Tesla posted on X that it has already flipped the switch, enabling the 2025 Ioniq 5 to charge at Superchargers. Still, owners with older CCS-native models must wait for the Hyundai-approved adapters to get access.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 drivers with NACS native charging ports now have access to 20k+ Tesla Superchargers through the Tesla App, drivers with existing CCS charging will have access with a Hyundai approved adapter in Q1.
Watching movies, shows, and all kinds of video is easily one of the top two best experiences Apple Vision Pro. visionOS-exclusive apps like Television and Theater exist for that reason. The latter app premiered in June with a live Apple exec interview in 3D to mark the occasion. Today Theater 2 has landed, and with it comes the best new thing I’ve experienced on Apple Vision Pro.
Xbox Game Pass, Spotify subscriptions, retail store gift cards, and other digital products make for great last-minute gifts. | Image: Meta
Yes, Christmas is a couple of days away — and yes, we know you have yet to buy a gift. We understand that life gets busy, though, and sometimes it feels like the holidays creep up on you out of nowhere. But before you spiral into a full-blown panic attack, take a deep breath. Luckily for you, the internet is filled with a treasure trove of gift cards, subscriptions, and other great digital gifts you can buy as late as Christmas Day itself.
To help make your life a little easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the best digital gifts we’ve either used ourselves or gifted to our friends and family. We’ve organized the list by interests, too, so you can find the perfect present whether your loved one is into the arts, exercise, or something else entirely. That way, you’ll at least be able to gift something more thoughtful than a generic Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart gift card — even if those are still totally viable options in our book.
Gifts for film and TV buffs
Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a movie buff or an avid sports fan, there are a number of subscriptions on the market that’ll grant your giftee access to a wide range of content. Below are some of the most popular, as well as a few catered toward anime diehards, horror lovers, and those looking for something more niche.
A Criterion Channel gift card grants access to over a thousand classic and contemporary Hollywood, international, art house, and independent movies. It also features programming spotlighting directors, stars, genres, and themes, including a “15-minute-a-month film school.”
For the anime lovers in your life, a Crunchyroll gift cardprovides access to hundreds of anime shows and films shortly after they air in Japan, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Lock, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. They caneven use the gift to purchase Crunchyroll’s extensive collection of anime figures, vinyl records, and clothes.
Gifts for the gamers
If you’re not sure which type of games your giftee prefers, you can gift them an Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo subscription. Not only will these memberships grant him access to free digital titles but they also come with perks such as online multiplayer and cloud-based saves, among other incentives.
If your giftee is a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 owner, a membership to PlayStation Plus grants them access to free titles and discounts every month, lets them play games online, and allows them to access cloud-based backups. PlayStation Plus memberships start at $9.99 a month, and you can subscribe directly via PlayStation or buy a subscription with a PlayStation Plus gift card, which is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target in denominations starting at $10 and going up to $250.
Nintendo Switch lovers, meanwhile, might enjoy an annual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, which starts at $19.99 a year (Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop). The membership lets giftees play with more than 70 retro games released during the NES, SNES, and original Game Boy eras. They can also play online with friends and access cloud saves.
If you’re willing to fork out extra money, you can also buy an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. In addition to offering all the same benefits as the Switch Online membership, it also grants access to Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64 games, as well as DLC content for some titles. Individual plans cost $49.99 (Walmart), while a family plan — which allows for up to eight accounts — is currently available via gift card at Walmart for $79.98.
Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.
Gifts for the adventurers and globe-trotters
Is your giftee in dire need of a screen break? Fortunately, the internet is filled with travel-oriented gifts, ranging from the obvious — like airline gift cards — to national park passes.
For aspiring polyglots, a Rosetta Stone membership will make it easy to learn everything from French to Arabic to Japanese from the comfort of their home. Along with lessons, memberships come with helpful extras, including speech recognition tech to get the accent just right. At the moment, Rosetta Stone is offering up to 50 percent off of its plans, with the 12-month tier for learning just one language starting at $126 ($42 off).
Finally, a gift card to a rideshare service like Uber (also usable for Uber Eats and available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target) or Lyft (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) will come in handy when they need a ride to the airport or for a ride home if their New Year’s Eve plans include popping a few celebratory shots.
Gifts for health and wellness fans
For health and wellness enthusiasts, many services offer a wealth of streamable fitness classes to help them get fit at home. Other gifts can help your giftee practice self-care and lighten their load with meditation or even massages. Below, we’ve listed out a range of options that’ll help your giftee take care of both their body and mind.
A gift card for Headspace, a popular mindfulness app, offers members access to hundreds of expert-taught meditations, each designed to help them relax, sleep better, and improve their mental health. A gift subscription will run you $38.99 for three months, or you can save by getting 12 months for $48.99 ($21 off).
Fitbit Premium subscriptions start at $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year (33 percent off) and are available to all, even if your giftee doesn’t own a Fitbit (though, they’ll be able to enjoy more in-depth metrics if they do). A membership comes with thousands of guided and customizable workouts, which cover everything from martial arts and dance to meditation. Fitbit also offers guided programs covering topics like nutrition, along with the option to one-on-one with a professional health coach for an extra $54.99 per month.
For those who prefer in-person classes to virtual, a gift card that goes toward aClassPass subscription will let your giftee try out thousands of gyms and fitness studios in their local area, not to mention nearby salons and spas.
If your giftee is too busy to prepare healthy meals every day, a gift card to Blue Apron, HelloFresh, or any meal prep service that offers a healthy selection of meal kits will be very welcome.
Gifts for foodies
Whether they’re a diehard foodie, a wine connoisseur, or a caffeine addict, the internet is filled with subscriptions and gift cards for all types. Here are just a few of our favorites:
A Sur La Table gift card (Sur La Table, Kroger, Staples) is a great gift for the beloved chef in your life. They can use it to buy whatever they need for the kitchen, as well as to take online cooking classes where live instructors help students make everything from chicken piccata to tiramisu. Classes start at $29 per household, with each taking between 90 and 120 minutes a pop.
For those with a sweet tooth, Goldbelly’s monthly ice cream subscription allows them to enjoy up to six pints of ice cream or 24 ice cream sandwiches a month, all of which are sourced from small creameries all over the country. It’s a pricey subscription, however, with a three-month plan going for an eye-watering $298.95. You can explore other types of subscriptions, too, from BBQ to New York City staples, or get a gift card to let your recipient order whatever they like.
These days, it feels like there’s a Starbucks pretty much everywhere you look now, meaning a Starbucks gift card (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target) can help your giftee get their caffeine fix whenever, wherever.
Sometimes, it’s better to leave the cooking to somebody else. For foodies, a gift card to a food delivery service like DoorDash (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) means they can nab some crab rangoons from their favorite Chinese restaurant without leaving home.
Gifts for music lovers
Whether your giftee is a musician or just loves to unwind with some music, there are a lot of digital presents you can buy. We all know about Spotify gift cards (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target), but there are also other streaming services that you can gift as a subscription, some of which we’ve highlighted below.
For the true audiophiles out there, a Tidal gift card (Walmart, PayPal, or Best Buy) is great because it will allow them to stream music in the highest audio quality possible. The ad-free service starts at $10.99 per month and allows giftees to enjoy support for lossless FLAC audio, Dolby Atmos Music, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio formats. If they happen to be a DJ or aspire to become one, paying an extra $9 per month gives them access to the DJ add-on, which offers high-quality catalogs of more than 110 million songs that they can mix on popular DJ software and hardware.
If you know somebody who’s always wanted to learn to play the guitar, a Fender Play subscription can help them do so thanks to a continuously updated catalog of hundreds of instructor-led video lessons. A subscription typically starts at $19.99 a month, but you can gift them six months for $79.99 or 12 months for $149.99.
A Vinyl Me, Please subscription is perfect for those who love spinning records. Every month, giftees receive vinyl records from their choice of music genre, whether that’s hip-hop, rock, or jazz. The packages also come with booklets so they can learn more about the record, along with access to exclusive discounts. Three-month subscriptions start at $148 and come with a total of four records (one of which is a limited-time bonus).
Lastly, a Ticketmaster gift card is a present that’ll allow your loved one to buy a ticket to watch their favorite musicians perform live, whether that’s Shakira, Garth Brooks, or The Rolling Stones.
Gifts for the bookworms
Obviously, you could just gift a bibliophile a book and they’d probably be happy. But what if you don’t know what your giftee is into or simply want to give them more options? In that case, a gift card to their favorite bookstore or a subscription to something like Kindle Unlimited, which grants members access to millions of ebooks and even select audiobooks, is a good idea. That said, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite alternatives below.
For fans of Marvel and DC comics, as well as manga like Fairy Tale, a Comixology Unlimited subscription is perfect. For $5.99 a month, they’ll be able to enjoy over 45,000 comics and graphic novels, not to mention more than 2,400 manga titles from their phone or tablet. Subscribers also get discounts on select digital books.
You can also gift a Book of the Month membership, which currently starts at $59.99 for a three-book plan. The company curates a small selection of five to seven bestsellers and classics for members every month, making it easy to quickly choose something to read.
If your giftee prefers to pick up books from brick-and-mortar bookstores, a gift card to Barnes & Noble (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Best Buy) might be a good idea. For those who want to support local bookstores, there’s also a gift card for Bookshop.org.
Movie buffs and bibliophiles are easy to shop for, but what do you get the creative type? It’s actually not that hard — just buy them something to help them create, whether that’s an online course or access to a new tool. Below are a few subscriptions and gift cards creators will love that you can also buy last minute.
A MasterClass membership (which normally starts at $10 a month but is currently 50 percent off for all tiers) provides access to classes taught by world leaders and other subject matter experts, including screenwriters, musicians, and business experts. Going for a Masterclass Plus or Premium subscription allows concurrent viewing on two or six devices, respectively, and also unlocks offline viewing.
An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription ($59.99 per month) is a good gift for both aspiring and experienced creative professionals alike, providing access to popular services like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, and other Adobe apps. Adobe doesn’t yet support gifting subscriptions, so you’ll need to create a new account or login to an existing account your recipient may have. You can also purchase digitally redeemable Creative Cloud subscription codes from partner retailers like Best Buy, which has a 12-month plan on sale for $428.92 (about $231 off) right now.
If you know somebody trying to learn how to code, a subscription to the coding educational platform Codecademy ($29.99 per month) can help them build their portfolio with online courses, a community, fun events, cheat sheets, and other resources. There’s even a $39.99 a month plan for those looking to change career paths, one that offers all the above as well as technical interview help.
For giftees into arts and crafts, a Craftsy membership ($123 a year) grants access to more than 2,000 live and on-demand classes led by experts covering everything from baking and cake decorating to woodworking and painting. Members also get to connect with other crafters in the Craftsy community and attend live events.
Gift cards for pretty much anyone
Sometimes the best gift card is one that’ll give your giftee a ton of options, especially if you’re having a hard time figuring out what they want. Gift cards from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target are perfect in these situations, namely because they’ll let your giftee choose whatever they like from a wide range of departments.
Update, December 23rd: Updated links, pricing, and info for several digital gifts.
Every year just before the holidays just about all of the App Store’s top publishers put many of their best and most popular titles on sale for folks to enjoy at a discount over the Christmas break. Needless to say, with so many titles going on sale, some likely not worth your time, we like to gather all of the highlights we have rounded up over the past week or more into one handy list you can peruse at your leisure. Whether you’re looking to scoop up some new experiences to enjoy while you’re traveling to see family, waiting for the turkey, or just to stay occupied during your time off, head below for a closer look at some of our favorite iOS games and apps on sale for the holidays.
