Amtrak is revamping its mobile app to include more helpful features like making it easier to look up schedule changes and track your train’s progression from station to station. The changes come as Amtrak campaigns to attract customers and encourage them to travel by train instead of cars and planes.
Amtrak’s app already helped riders plan their ride, purchase tickets, display eTickets, manage Amtrak Guest Rewards, and more. Now, the new app displays train status and schedule changes right on the reservation screen (within 24 hours of the trip) so it’s easier to find. Riders on business class like Acela (or other assigned seating trains) can also now use the app to choose preferred seating during the booking process.
Based on customer feedback, Amtrak also updated the homescreen to separate tickets from marketing info and messages. And its new My Trips tab provides easier viewing of active trips and lets you jump to upcoming or past ones. Finally, you can modify part of your trip through the app, making travel adjustments easier “while keeping the best available fares.”
In all, the app “looks a lot cleaner” and “scrolls smoother,” according to my sister, who often rides on Amtrak. The new app update is available now on iOS and Android.
The interior of the recently revealed Volkswagen ID. EVERY1 seems spartan but still has buttons. | Image: VW
Volkswagen is planning a return to physical buttons in its future vehicles over haptic sliders and touchscreen toggles for vital functions such as climate controls. The automaker’s design head Andreas Mindt told Autocar that the company “will never, ever make this mistake again” and promises to bring together physical controls for volume, heating controls, fan speed, and hazard light activation below the touchscreen for all cars starting with next year’s ID 2all.
Mindt also says the decision to bring back physical buttons was based on customer feedback. “Honestly, it’s a car. It’s not a phone: it’s a car,” said Mindt. “We understood this.”
Volkswagen isn’t the only automaker to have a physical-over-digital epiphany as of late. Last year, Hyundai said focus groups were “stressed, annoyed, and steamed” when they couldn’t control something in a pinch. Hyundai and Kia took a touchscreen-heavy approach in their EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6. Meanwhile in China, Xiaomi has accessory options for customers to add their own physical controls.
The trend toward digital interfaces was kicked off more than a decade ago by the Tesla Model S with its impressively big central touchscreen. Slowly, the company removed other physical controls, including transmission and turn signal stalks. The latter was resurrected in the new Model Y and may return to the Model 3.
Volkswagen’s change comes at an interesting time as the EU’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) is set to introduce new rules next year that require cars to have certain physical controls to achieve a full five-star safety rating.
And it conflicts with the sentiment of some auto executives, including Rivian software chief Wassy Bensaid, who called in-car buttons “an anomaly” and predicted that soon everything will be controlled digitally through voice.
AMD is announcing that its latest gaming-oriented Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors will be available next week. The new chips improve on the 9800X3D, which is widely considered as the best gaming CPU. The new ones feature 16 Zen 5 cores and second-generation 3D V-Cache technology that could help those looking to do more productivity work, such as photo editing or CAD.
The higher end Ryzen 9 9950X3D costs $699 and features 16 cores and 32 threads. Its base clock speed is 4.3 GHz, with up to 5.7 GHz on boost. The chip also features 144MB cache and a TDP of 170W.
In a post on X, AMD’s SVP & GM of Computing & Graphics Jack Huynh claimed that the new chip will be “the world’s best” for both gaming and content creation. The chip could also be used for workstation-level systems, which adds competitive heat on Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K. However, AMD’s new entry version 9900X3D offering costs $599 compared to Intel’s at $589.
AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D will be available to order starting on March 12th. The chips come just a week after the company launched its next generation, highly competitive GPUs: the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT.
Google’s Pixel devices are having a weird change with their notification and call vibrations after the March 2025 update. Multiple people have posted on the Google Pixel subreddit complaining about the change, with one user describing it as a “hollow feeling” vibration with “less thunk” post-update.
This wouldn’t be the first time Google has messed up haptics on Pixels. Back in 2022, an update weakened notification vibrations on Pixel 6 phones, before it was fixed about two months later.
Verge staffers have also noticed the change on Google Pixel 8 Pro devices. Whether it’s a bug or an intentional change is unknown, but it does not sound good. The change has also been seen on Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices, but not on the Pixel 9 series, reports 9to5Google.
I just updated my own Pixel 8 Pro, and personally, the vibrations for a text message seem more intense when I place the device on a table. However, my experience with the haptics while typing is that it feels weaker, and selecting text feels like flicking a rubber band.
We don’t know if the latest change happened as part of the latest Android update or was part of a Feature Drop. We have reached out to Google about the issue and will update this article when we hear back.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to vote on an inquiry to explore alternatives to GPS, FCC chair Brendan Carr says in a blog post.
Carr says that while GPS has been “indispensable,” the technology “isn’t infallible” and that “disruptions to GPS have the potential to undermine the nation’s economic and national security.” Carr says that “we need to develop redundant technologies,” which is why the FCC will “vote on an inquiry to explore other Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems” that can serve as “complements or alternatives” to GPS.
In addition to GPS, Carr also says the commission will vote on two proposals regarding 911 technology. One is “a proposal to update our existing rules to ensure the resiliency, reliability, interoperability, and accessibility” of “Next Generation 911,” or NG911, which is internet-connected emergency tech that will eventually replace legacy 911 systems.
Another is a proposal to “strengthen our 911 location accuracy rules” to potentially improve the information first responders receive about a person’s location, including the ability to more accurately find callers on specific floors in buildings.
The issues are tentatively on the agenda for the FCC’s open meeting on March 27th.
Telo Trucks, the company building a compact, modular electric pickup truck, revealed its new preproduction prototype in Los Angeles. The San Carlos, California-based startup recently closed a $5.4 million funding round and is working with bespoke manufacturing partner Aria Group (which has built EV restomods including for companies like Everrati) to enter the next development phase towards the final mini-truck.
The company said they have over 5,000 preorders for the mini-truck, which is now known as the Telo MT1, that “represents over $250M+ in customer commitments.” The EV was first revealed in 2023 and showed off a clever modular design where the truck cab can open for more bed space, or enclosed like a van. There’s also a “Monster Tunnel” storage compartment across the truck’s width where you can carry long items, similar to Rivian’s gear tunnel.
The overall design of the latest MT1 looks nearly identical to the original reveal, save for a relocation of the side body indentations. The interior has LCD screens housed in separate cut-out plates, making the instrument cluster look more analog. And it uses materials like biodegradable cork throughout the cabin.
The front of the vehicle is still entirely flat, which helps give the truck its spectacularly short design that makes it perfect for urban environments. Although a flat front seems like it lacks crucial crumple zone space, Telo says it’s continuing “rigorous safety and durability testing.” Telo expects to achieve homologation “sometime next winter.”
Meanwhile, the company’s co-founder and CEO Jason Marks is calling for more investors, partners, and customers to help make MT1 happen. Telo also has industrial designer Yves Behar on board, who has worked on products for Jawbone and Herman Miller. And co-founder and CTO Forrest North, who previously founded motorcycle company Mission Motors, is helping build the MT1’s battery technology.
Telo MT1 reservations are still open for $152, the same number of inches as the vehicle’s length. The US could use some small pickup trucks, where the best we’ve got is the 200-inch Ford Maverick Hybrid. The market is still dominated by extra-large gas-powered trucks like the Ford F-150 (and it’s EV versions aren’t doing too well).
Samsung’s next Galaxy Z Flip phone may have a new all-screen outside cover, according to reputable leaker OnLeaks. The new Z Flip 7 renders shared by OnLeaks and Android Headlines are based on leaked information and show that Samsung’s upcoming device resembles its main form-factor competitor, the Motorola Razr Plus. The new screen goes edge-to-edge on the cover and has hole punches for the cameras and flash.
OnLeaks has a history of accurate leaks, revealing the designs of the Pixel 8 Pro, 9 Pro, Nintendo Switch 2, and more. These new renders come shortly after both OnLeaks and Android Headlines shared a different Z Flip 7 design that looked all too similar to the current Z Flip 6, including a tab-shaped screen that did not touch the camera lenses. In a post on X, OnLeak’s Steve H. McFly says they “misinterpreted” the data, and the updated renders now show an edge-to-edge cover screen that is about four inches — larger than the one on the Motorola Razr Plus.
The other change with the Z Flip 7 is that the inner display is growing to 6.8 inches from the previous model’s 6.7 inches and it may have a less visible crease in the middle. Android Headlines says it expects the new device to come with 12 GB of RAM and options for 256GB or 512GB of storage with pricing expected to start at $1,099.
Kia EV9 owners can soon take advantage of the SUV’s “Vehicle to Home” power backup capabilities with the availability of a bidirectional charger coming in June. The new Wallbox Quasar 2 electric vehicle charger is the first home EV power connector in the US that works with the EV9 and is now up for preorder for owners and lessees of the vehicle.
The Quasar 2 can feed power to the EV9’s battery to charge it or draw from it to keep your home’s lights on during a blackout. You’ll need both the charger and a special Power Recovery Unit to interface with your home power panel to make the home generator features work. EV9 owners get first dibs on the Quasar 2 but will need to register with Wallbox to preorder both items. According to Kia, they will be available “on a first-come, first-served, while supplies last basis.”
Not all homes can support the system; owners will need at least 200-amp service in their home and may also need permission from a utility company or municipality to use all the features. The Quasar 2 also supports solar panels and includes software to manage energy flow from the sun to your car battery, home, and the grid. Ideally, you could charge your vehicle off of solar energy or the grid during off-peak hours and sell back excess power to the utility company.
Cadillac is taking its large and can-charge electric Escalade IQ and making it just a bit longer to accommodate some more luggage and leg room for third-row passengers. The new version, called the Escalade IQL, now surpasses the length of the longest gas-powered Escalade, while also adopting the ICE version’s boxier silhouette. When it goes into production in mid-2025, it will be the longest SUV ever made — gas or electric.
The Escalade IQL has an overall length of 228.5 inches, an inch-and-a-half longer than the gas-powered ESV. It’s also about 4.2 inches longer than the regular IQ, while keeping the rest of the dimensions the same. Compared to other three-row EVs, the electric Escalade IQL is longer than the 206.7-inch GMC Hummer EV SUV, the 200.8-inch Rivian R1S, the 197.2-inch Kia EV9, and the 195-inch Volkswagen ID Buzz.
You can tell the subtle difference between the IQ and IQL by looking at them from the sides: the IQ has small rear quarter windows bordering the rear passenger windows, while the IQL adds a body panel that separates the glass, which then is stretched across to the boxier rear hatch.
The new rear can accommodate slightly bigger suitcases and more stackable space. For third-row passengers, Cadillac says you get 4 inches of additional legroom (from 32.3 inches to 36.7) and an additional inch of headroom (from 37.2 inches to 38.2).
The IQL has a total of 24.2 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the third row and 75.4 cu.ft. with the third-row folded flat. That compares to 23.7 cu.ft. behind the third row of the standard IQ, and 69.1 cu.ft. with it folded. And don’t forget about the extra 12.2 cu.ft. of frunk (front trunk) cargo space you get with the Escalade’s “eTrunk” under the hood.
Cadillac revealed the original Escalade IQ electric SUV in 2023, introducing features such as a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar infotainment screen running Android Automotive OS. The IQL has a 205kWh battery pack with the same advertised 460 miles of range as the regular IQ, and can gain up to 116 miles of range in a 10-minute charge on 350kW DC fast chargers.
The Escalade IQL starts at $132,695 including destination charges and will go into production at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Detroit starting mid-2025.
Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition cards won’t launch alongside other 5070s. Reviews of the new $549 graphics card just dropped today, but in an email to The Verge, Nvidia GeForce global PR director Ben Berraondo says the RTX 5070 Founders Edition will be available “later in March.”
That means that people who want it will either have to wait until that later launch date or consider third-party versions from companies such as Asus and MSI that launch on March 5th. Hardwareluxx editor Andreas Schilling first posted earlier about the later Founders Edition launch on X. Nvidia had already delayed the RTX 5070 series from its original launch date of February 28th.
Berraondo shared the following manufacturers that will have RTX 5070 cards at MSRP cost available from March 5th: Asus, Colorful, Gainward, GALAX, Gigabyte, INNO3D, KFA2, MSI, Palit, PNY, and Zotac.
When Nvidia announced the 5070, the company said that it would offer similar performance to the $1,599 RTX 4090, but our testing doesn’t align with that claim. The longer wait and mixed reviews for the RTX 5070 Founders Edition adds to what’s been a rocky launch for Nvidia’s 50-series chips so far, including some “rare” manufacturing issues with RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti cards that were missing physical render output units (ROPs).
The Nintendo Switch is now eight years old and the company is announcing what could be its final retail bundle push before the introduction of the Switch 2. The new bundle includes the Nintendo Switch OLED system with a digital copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership for $349.99 — a $67.98 savings if bought separately at regular prices.
Nintendo is releasing the new bundle on March 10th to celebrate “MAR10 Day.” On March 9th, the company will also offer a bunch of its Mario titles on discount at retail stores including Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart. You can get Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Super Mario RPG, Princess Peach: Showtime!, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD for $39.99 each, as well as Mario vs. Donkey Kong for $29.99.
After eight years, the Nintendo Switch is on the cusp of outselling the Nintendo DS and becoming the company’s best selling gaming system of all time. Nintendo says it’s “taking risks” with the Switch’s successor as it proceeds with production. The company is planning a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct on April 2nd to share more details about the console.
Deutsche Telekom is building a new Perplexity chatbot-powered “AI Phone,” the companies announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona today. The new device will be revealed later this year and run “Magenta AI,” which gives users access to Perplexity Assistant, Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, Picsart, and a suite of AI tools.
The AI phone concept was first revealed at MWC 2024 by Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile’s parent company) as an “app-less” device primarily controlled by voice that can do things like book flights and make restaurant reservations. The capabilities are like those promised by “large action model” products, including the Rabbit R1. In a press release, Deutsche Telekom board member Claudia Nemat says the forthcoming AI phone with Perplexity Assistant can book a taxi and do your shopping without having to switch apps on your phone.
Some of the AI tools, including Perplexity’s AI-powered search engine, will also be available on other devices using the MeinMagenta app (Perplexity also recently launched an Android app for its assistant). Deutsche Telekom hasn’t said much else about the AI phone hardware, but the images show something of a budget to midrange Android device with thick forehead and chin bezels, as well as a pink sleep / wake button.
Deutsche Telekom plans to launch its AI phone in the second half of this year. And this summer, the company will add some of the AI features from Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart into the MeinMagenta app, which works with other smartphones.
The ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 is very easy to hold in one hand.
Lenovo may have some cool new flippy-screened and solar-powered laptops it’s showing off at Mobile World Congress this year, but it’s also announcing the generational notebook updates you’ll actually be able to buy within the coming months. Some of the new models include a redesigned and super lightweight ThinkPad X13 notebook, the first T-Series convertible 2-in-1 with the ThinkPad T14s, and a refreshed ThinkBook 16p workstation.
First, we have the newest 13.3-inch ThinkPad X13, now Gen 6, that sits as Lenovo’s ultraportable slim business laptop. This time, Lenovo managed to reduce its weight even further from 2.25 pounds on the Gen 5 to just 2.05 pounds (although it could get heavier in some configurations). In comparison, Apple’s lightest M3 MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds.
Lenovo is also adding AMD Ryzen AI Pro 300-series processor options alongside Intel (up to Core Ultra 7). You can configure the X13 with up to 64GB LPDDR5 RAM and 2TB SSD and a replaceable battery option of either 41Wh or 54.7Wh.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 will be available in North America starting June 2025, with an expected starting price of $1,139.
Next, Lenovo is turning its T14s notebook it announced last year into a 2-in-1. It has a 14-inch WUXGA touchscreen with up to 500 nits of brightness, and you can configure the device with up to an Intel Core Ultra 7, 64GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.
The T14s comes with an option for a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade and optional 5G connectivity, plus there’s a user-replaceable 58Wh battery. Ports include two Thunderbolt 4, two 5Gbps USB-A, HDMI 2.1, ethernet, SIM, and an audio jack.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 will be available in North America starting June 2025, with an expected starting price of $1,719. The notebook version will launch alongside the 2-in-1 and will start at $1,674.
Lenovo is also announcing a (not for North America) new desktop replacement ThinkBook 16p Gen 6 that has a high 180W system TDP that can boost to 200W in “Geek Mode.” With that energy, the laptop can power its discrete NPU, up to Intel Core Ultra 9 mobile processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and up to 64GB DDR5 RAM for AI tasks, rendering, and more. For ports, it has two Thunderbolt 4, two 5Gbps USB-A, one 10Gbps USB-A, HDMI 2.1, an SD card reader, a SIM slot, and an audio jack. It also has a 16-inch 3.2K IPS display, Wi-Fi 7, and a fingerprint reader.
Finally, in May, Lenovo will launch the ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 and T16 Gen 4 (both with Ryzen Pro AI 300 or Intel Core Ultra) in North America, with prices expected to be $1,359 and $1,623, respectively. And sometime in Q2 this year, it will launch the affordable ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 for $849 and E16 Gen 3 for $859 as well as the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 5 for $1,374.
Electric vehicle charging network EVgo changed its terms of service Thursday to include new language explicitly prohibiting the use of high-speed DC extension cables and breakaway adapters at the company’s stations. The terms, which go into effect March 8th, are another bump in the road for enterprising companies looking to cash in on EV charging accessories.
EVgo added the following terms in bold to the Authorized Charging Adapters section of its Terms of Service: “EVgo prohibits the use of all other adapters, including break-away adapters and DC extension cords (“Unauthorized Equipment”) on EVgo’s network and Charging Stations.” The company continues to authorize “automaker-manufactured charging adapters” (such as J3400 “NACS” to CCS1) and have UL2252 certification.
Another bump in the road for enterprising companies looking to cash in on EV charging accessories
Tesla’s Terms of Use for its Superchargers similarly prohibit any adapter not “sold or provided by Tesla or by other automakers,” without specifically calling out specific types.
EV accessory maker A2Z EV recently put up for preorder its $248 6ft-plus DC extension cord that lets you plug an EV into a short-corded fast-charging station. EV owners may want this to charge their non-Teslas at Tesla Superchargers using supported NACS adapters without blocking out multiple charging stalls. Superchargers are known for their short cords that can’t reach around to varying port locations on different EV makes. Some early testing by YouTube channel State of Charge shows the extension cable working without overheating.
Last year, a startup called EVject built a breakaway adapter designed to let you drive away from a Tesla Supercharger (or other station) without getting out of your car in case of a dangerous situation. However, Tesla sued the company after the automaker’s testing found that the adapter could overheat. Tesla eventually dropped the case later in the year, and EVject maintains that its product is safe.
However, should other competing EV accessory makers decide to make cheaper versions of extension cables and breakaway adapters for people to buy, it may not work as safely. And if both EVgo and Tesla networks are saying no to these accessories, then others might join — which means companies like A2Z EV and EVject might have a tough time selling their solutions.
The EV4 sedan was first announced as a concept in 2023, but it’s now a real car. It comes in two versions. One has a funky rear that stretches out to look like a traditional 4-door car. The other, a “five-door” hot-hatch-looking version will primarily be for the European market, according to Kia. These aren’t going to be Kia’s most-performant EVs though, as they will be single-motor front-wheel drive vehicles with just 150kW of power and a 0-62 mph acceleration time as quick as 7.4 seconds.
The EV4 will also run on a lesser 400-volt version of the company’s E-GMP platform instead of the faster-charging 800-volt versions used in the EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and others. Kia says the system can still charge 10 to 80 percent in as little as 31 minutes.
The vehicles could shine in battery range. Kia says they’ll get up to 630km (about 391 miles) on a single charge with the larger 81.4 kWh battery option, and 430km (about 267 miles) on the smaller 58.3 kWh battery. However, those estimates are based on Europe’s more generous WLTP standards.
The EV4 still offers some of Kia’s cooler EV tech. It has a 30-inch widescreen display (really three side-by-side instrument cluster and infotainment screens) that run Kia’s latest “connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) software. You get entertainment options like YouTube, Netflix, games, and more that will be available from an app store.. You can also get an AI voice assistant, Apple Watch digital key access, V2L for powering household devices, and a “Smart Cruise Control 2” advanced driver-assistance system with lane keeping.
Kia’s concept EV2, which had purportedly been spotted in camouflage last year, is supposed to be even cheaper than the EV4. The company says the mini-SUV will be its “smallest EV yet” and will have options to reconfigure seating to maximize front row space for lounging or for rear cargo. It will also have perks like removable portable speakers for tailgating.
The EV4 sedan will initially be built in Korea and will first launch there in the middle of March. The EV4 hatchback will be produced in Slovakia and will launch in Europe in the second half of 2024. The North American version of the sedan will be produced “later in the year.” The EV2, meanwhile, is coming in 2026 for Europe and other regions, although its US availability is yet to be confirmed.
Kia President Ho Sung Song announced at the event that EV4 pricing will start at 37,000 euros (about $38,500), Electrek reports. The initial run will include 160,000 units, of which 80,000 are destined to ship to North America.
With the EV4, US car buyers might soon have another affordable mass-market electric car option against the Tesla Model 3. The EV4 could fill some vacancies, too, as automakers like Volkswagen, which is no longer bringing the ID.7 stateside, re-tune their EV strategies amidst the Trump administration’s interests to eliminate electric vehicle incentives.
DoorDash is paying restitution after keeping tips from as many as 63,000 of its New York delivery workers thanks to a settlement with the New York Attorney General’s office, The New York Times reports. Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday that DoorDash will pay $16.8 million, which will be spread across workers who were subjected to the company’s “guaranteed pay” model that subsidized payments against customer tips.
DoorDash will additionally pay up to $1 million in administrator costs to help make the payments happen. Some workers are expected to get several thousand dollars, others as much as $14,000, a spokesperson for the New York Attorney General’s office told The New York Times. The Office of the Attorney General will determine which workers are eligible and how much they’re repaid. DoorDash also made similar settlements with Illinois for $11.3 million in November and with Washington DC for $2.5 million in 2020.
From May 2017 through September 2019, DoorDash’s payment model would “guarantee” a certain payout to workers whether customers tipped or not. However, what the company didn’t make clear was that it was really giving a base pay of $1 and would use tips from customers before doling out money towards the guaranteed amount. For instance, if a delivery job had guaranteed payment of $10 to the worker and the customer tipped $6, DoorDash would pay the worker $1 plus the $6 tip, then fill in the remaining $3 to add up to the guarantee. If they tipped $7 or $8, the worker wouldn’t be paid anything extra — DoorDash would pocket the difference instead.
DoorDash’s model of using tips for workers’ base pay came into light in July 2019 and was met with scrutiny by the workers and customers which pushed the company to promise change in the policy. In an August 2019 response to the situation, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu tweeted that they thought they were “doing the right thing for Dashers by making them whole if a customer left no tip, but the feedback we’ve received recently made clear that some of our customers who were leaving tips felt like their tips didn’t matter.”
Not only was the guaranteed pay system deceitful to workers, the state complaint alleged, but it was also misleading to customers since the app promised “Dashers will always receive 100 percent of the tip,” which is only technically accurate. The New York Attorney General’s office also noted that disclosures of how tips work were buried to the point of inaccessibility during the ordering process.
During the 2021 pandemic, DoorDash and Grubhub were also sued by the city of Chicago for unfair fees and tipping policies. The case is ongoing.
Facebook will start deleting users’ live broadcast recordings after 30 days starting on February 19th. Users who go live after that date must download the videos to save them from getting deleted before their 30-day expiration period ends. Alternatively, you could share the recordings to your profile as Reels, although that means fitting clips into that format’s 90-second time limit.
Meta says it’s making the change because “most live video views occur within the first few weeks of broadcasting” and to “align our storage policies with industry standards and help ensure we are providing the most up-to-date live video experiences for everyone on Facebook.”
All previously recorded live videos that are older than 30 days will also be removed. However, there will be email and app notifications that go out before your archive is completely deleted. Once you get the notice, you’ll have 90 days to download or transfer the videos. Facebook plans to delete old broadcast recordings in waves over the coming months.
Facebook also has several download tools to help you save your videos, either individually or all at once. Once you get the notification, you can request a bulk download of all your videos within a custom date range. You could also choose to transfer the videos directly to a cloud service like Dropbox or Google Drive.
You can save individual videos that matter to you by going to your Activity Log, filtering for “Your live videos,” and then selecting the dates to see the videos you can download. Alternatively, you can go to the Videos tab or Live tab on your profile, Page, or in Meta Business Suite, select the video you’d like, play it in fullscreen, then choose download video from the three-dot menu.
Finally, if you don’t have time to execute any of these, there will also be a postpone request option, giving you six months to save your videos. Do that by opening the notification, tapping “learn more,” and then selecting “postpone.”
Google has disabled its Android earthquake detection feature in Brazil after many smartphone users in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro received false emergency alerts on Friday morning, Android Police reports. The alerts of a nonexistent 5.5 magnitude earthquake were sent to devices around 2AM this morning, and pinpointed earthquakes in the country’s Ubatuba and Baixada Santista regions.
According to CNN Brasil, the Civil Defense of São Paulo, which manages an early warning system for disaster risk, said it “did not issue any alert and that there is no record of any occurrence related to the possible earthquake in the state.”
In an email to The Verge, Google spokesperson Ed Fernandez writes:
The Android Earthquake Alerts System is a supplemental service that uses Android phones to quickly estimate earthquake shaking and provide early warnings to users. It’s not designed to replace any official or other public warning systems. On February 14th, our system detected signals from devices near the coast of São Paulo and triggered an earthquake alert to users in the region. We promptly disabled the alerting system in Brazil and are currently investigating what happened. We apologize to our users for the inconvenience and remain committed to improving our tools.
WhatsApp is turning up the customization features for chats by including new theme options, custom colors for chat bubbles, and a bunch of new wallpapers to choose from. A new blog post says the feature is rolling out now and will be available globally “over the coming weeks.”
There are 30 new wallpaper options to choose from — many of which are included in preset themes that will select the bubble and text colors for you. It could help personalize your chats or make it easier to remember which ones are most important to you.
The WhatsApp themes you set in your chats are only visible to you and can be applied to your channels as well. Plus, you can apply your theme across your whole experience or just the chats that are most special to you. If you prefer more granular control over how things look, you can manually set the sent and received bubbles to different colors, adjust the text colors, and make the wallpaper whatever image you’d like (as always).
Once the feature is available, you can change the theme of all your chats and channels by going to Settings > Chats > Default chat theme. But if you want to change only specific chats or channels, go to the one you want then select the chat name or triple dot menu on the top and select Chat theme from there.
It looks like Xiaomi is soon launching a new flagship Ultra smartphone model that takes its Leica licensing beyond just the lens. Android Headlines has posted what appear to be official renders of a Xiaomi 15 Ultra, with Leica camera styling that includes duo-tone white and rough-finished black verticle strips down the rear of the phone.
Held sideways, the large, round camera protrusion and Xiaomi branding in the corner make it look like a traditional Leica camera (at least from afar). These images match leaks posted to the Chinese social media site Weibo last week, which show a hand holding the phone just like a camera with a finger placed where a shutter button would be. However, the new renders do not reveal a shutter button.
Xiaomi has already released a teaser sample photo coming from the 15 Ultra using a new camera system that likely comes from a rumored 200-megapixel periscope system, GSM Arena reports. The company’s CEO, Lei Jun, posted the image and confirmed that the 15 Ultra smartphone will be launched at the end of February alongside the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.
But Android Headlines also got hold of a spec sheet for the Ultra that confirms the periscope camera with 4.3x optical zoom. The other cameras include an optically stabilized 50-megapixel primary shooter, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 50-megapixel 3x optical zoom camera with optical stabilization. Lastly, there’s a front-facing 32-megapixel camera.
The leaked specs also include a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 5,410mAh battery, 90W wired HyperCharge charging, 80W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging, 16GB RAM, and 512GB or 1TB storage options depending on region models. It will also have a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with a 3200×1440 resolution that has a variable refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, plus an in-display fingerprint reader.
