Google has announced it’s rolling out the colorful new Android 16 interface for beta testers as reported by 9to5Google. The QPR1 beta includes the company’s Material 3 Expressive design language revealed officially last week and includes new visuals for the launcher, notifications, lock screen, and a very Apple-inspired quick settings page.

QPRs, or quarterly platform releases, generally are more feature-rich updates for Android compared to the monthly security update patches. With Android 16 expected to launch to everyone soon, it will be followed in the fall by this QPR1 update that adds the new visual touches. 

Users with eligible Pixel devices, including ones as old as the Pixel 6 and up to the 9A, that are registered in the Beta program can get access to the new release as soon as it’s ready. However, if you’re already beta testing Android 16 but you’d rather wait to get the new design, you can opt out of this release on the Android Beta website (note: don’t install the system update afterward, as that will wipe your device — just wait for Android 16’s official launch).

If you want to try the redesigned Android 16 but are not currently enrolled in the beta, Google posted instructions on Reddit on how to get started:

You can get started with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 today by enrolling your Pixel device. Eligible devices include Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9a, Pixel Tablet series devices*. Once enrolled, eligible devices will receive an over-the-air (OTA) update to the latest Beta versions. If you were previously enrolled in Android 16 Beta (and have not opted-out), you will automatically receive QPR1 Beta 1 and any future Beta updates.*

Apple is pushing a new software update for Apple TV today that includes a useful feature for home theater setups: the ability to automatically calibrate the synchronization of Dolby Atmos surround sound audio with your speakers.

The new tvOS 18.5 update enhances Apple’s existing Wireless Audio Sync feature, introduced in 2019, that lets you use your iPhone’s microphone to calibrate audio sources with your home theater speakers. Now it can help you get your TV video synced up with Atmos audio over either AirPlay or Bluetooth by accounting for latency.

As pointed out by MacRumors, people have complained about Apple TV Dolby Atmos syncing issues with sound bars and other speakers on Reddit and on Apple’s community discussions page, but until now they couldn’t use Apple’s tool to try to fix things.

After updating, you can calibrate your audio by going to Settings > Video and Audio > Wireless Audio Sync on your Apple TV, and following the steps from there.

YouTube is exclusively streaming an NFL week 1 game for free worldwide to kick off the 2025 season. The game will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, September 5th, and will feature the Los Angeles Chargers taking on a yet-to-be-named opponent.

As with other streaming NFL games, it will also be available to viewers in the teams’ home markets via over-the-air broadcast, on NFL Plus for mobile devices inside the US, and the NFL Game Pass package from DAZN outside the US. 

YouTube TV has streamed the NFL Sunday Ticket package since 2023, but this is its first time broadcasting a game. It’s joining the likes of Netflix, with Christmas Day broadcasts last year that tallied nearly 65 million US viewers, and Peacock.

YouTube’s chief business officer, Mary Ellen Coe, says this will be the company’s first time operating as a live NFL broadcaster, and it will feature creators and “an interactive viewing experience. Coe adds that people have watched “over 350 million hours” of NFL content on YouTube.

In addition to the week 1 game, YouTube also announced a multi-year deal with the NFL to continue streaming the Super Bowl Flag Football game.

Disney is launching its direct-to-consumer ESPN streaming service this fall. The service, which will simply be called “ESPN,” will cost $29.99 per month for the “unlimited” plan, which will include all of ESPN’s linear channels.

Disney will also offer ESPN’s unlimited plan annually for $299.99, which saves you about $60 compared to paying monthly.

For those who prefer to stick with the offerings included in the existing ESPN Plus service, the network will still offer the same programming in a new “select” plan that starts at $11.99 per month (current ESPN Plus subscribers will automatically be moved to ESPN select). You’ll also be able to get plans that bundle Disney Plus and Hulu, too.

Here’s a full list of the subscription plans you can choose from:

• Special ESPN unlimited bundle launch offer: Disney Plus (ads), Hulu (ads): for $29.99 per for the first 12 months.
• ESPN unlimited: $29.99 per month or $299.99 annually
• ESPN unlimited bundle with Disney Plus (ads), and Hulu (ads): $35.99 per month.
• ESPN unlimited bundle with Disney Plus (no ads) and Hulu (no ads): $44.99 per month
• ESPN select (same as ESPN+ offerings): $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually
• ESPN select bundle Disney Plus (ads) and Hulu (ads): $16.99 per month
• ESPN select bundle Disney Plus (no ads) and Hulu (no ads): $26.99 per month

The service will be available in the “early fall” with exact date announcement coming “later this summer.”

PS5 users can now buy games in the PlayStation Store using a new payment method: Apple Pay. You could use Apple Pay in the browser or via the mobile app already, but now the method joins other on-console options like using a saved credit or debit card, and PayPal.

As reported by 9to5Mac, you may now see a new option for Apple Pay available at checkout. It’s using the QR code-style method that Apple introduced on iOS 18 last year, and also lets you buy things on third-party browsers like Chrome. The PlayStation support page for using Apple Pay has more information on which regions this works in, which includes the US.

Once you select the game you want on your PS5, choose Apple Pay, then scan the code on your TV screen with your iPhone. iOS will then pull up a checkout screen that lets you confirm the transaction. And if you’re an Apple Card user, that means your PS5 purchases are good for 2 percent cash back as well. 9to5Mac also says Apple Pay may come to PS4 consoles as well after a future software update.

San Francisco’s BART subway system is back up and running after service was suspended and shut down on Friday morning due to a “computer networking problem.” The service is back online “system wide” as of about 9:17AM PT, but BART says to “expect major delays in service toward all destinations due to an earlier train control problem.”

The system had initially been suspended “until further notice” around 5AM PT and BART had alerted riders to “seek alternative means of transportation.” As of 9AM PT, BART had suspended service in San Francisco and San Mateo County stations and had enabled limited service again in East Bay. Here is the last service advisory alert before service came back online:

BART is offering limited East Bay service at this time due to a train control problem. Blue Line trains will run between Dublin/Pleasanton and MacArthur stations. Yellow Line trains will run between Antioch and MacArthur stations. Orange Line trains will be normal running. There is no Red or Green Line service at this time.

Smart home controller maker Brilliant NextGen has launched its second generation of touchscreen panels that replace traditional light switches. 

The new hardware, which looks like the previous model, has a 4x higher resolution screen and dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) to help curb interference. 

It also has a more powerful processor that Brilliant says is ready “for the next phase of AI-powered smart home evolution,” although the company has not said when it plans to launch such features or what it could do. (As-is, there are currently no new software features from the previous gen.)

In an email to The Verge, Brilliant’s head of marketing Erin Wright says the new version also reduces latency with integrations, which sounds promising since the previous model was sluggish with some devices in our testing. Brilliant’s smart panels control smart bulbs like Philips Hue lights and Sonos speakers, among other smart home devices.

The company nearly went out of business in 2024 before it was purchased by two private investment firms, Almeida Strategic Investments and Cullinan Holdings, for an undisclosed sum.

Most of the new Brilliant panels are available to order and ship today. There are bundles that include three screenless switches (usually $69.99 each), saving you up to $96. The company is also selling a plug-in version of the panel for $329, which comes with two smart plug outlets, for anyone who’d rather not do any electrical work.

Apple is launching a new global Viral Chart playlist in Apple Music that consists of tracks people are discovering through the company’s Shazam service. The playlist, which is updated daily, shows the top 50 songs people have heard playing out in the real world and have logged through Shazam. You can see charts on Shazam’s website as well.

The playlists use “Shazam’s data to offer a comprehensive view of today’s fastest-growing songs across the globe, David Emery, who works for Apple Music in the UK, says on Threads. Emery notes that charts reflect songs going viral on Shazam in “real time” and then ranks them based on “their weekly growth in Shazam volume.”

As of writing, the top viral songs in the list include Shake It To The Max (FLY) [Remix] by Moliy, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship, and Hot Together by The Pointer Sisters. On Shazam’s website, you can look at the rankings by country, if you’d like.

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri is on the stand today in Meta’s antitrust trial. In trying to prove the social network is not a monopoly, he shared that the Threads app could have been just a feature inside of Instagram.

Meta was working on built-in Threads features for Instagram first to compete with Twitter, which pioneered text-first social media apps. But Mosseri says the team made the “very contentious decision internally” to move the features out of Instagram.

Meta’s team, according to Mosseri, found having Instagram host text posts could be confusing to users since the Twitter-like model is entirely different, where replies and original posts can be equally prominent. Comparatively, on Instagram, and other apps like YouTube and TikTok, replies are subordinated to original posts.

Still, Threads is heavily linked to Instagram. You need an Instagram account to use it, and your profile on both platforms link back to each other. Instagram also adds Threads posts inside of Instagram feeds that invite you to go to Threads to read them.

Meta is developing what’s described as “super-sensing” vision software that can recognize people by name, according to The Information. The company is reportedly working on two pairs of smart glasses for next year, internally called Aperol and Bellini, and has recently reworked its processes for assessing privacy and safety risks to release products more quickly.

In addition to facial recognition, Meta’s AI software — which is activated with a “Hey Meta, start live AI” command — could eventually do things like remind you to grab your keys if it saw that you didn’t, or remind you to pick up groceries as you walk home. The super-sensing feature keeps cameras and sensors always on so the AI can keep track of everything you do.

Meta reportedly is already testing live AI on already released models. However, it cuts the battery down to just 30 minutes. Meta is aiming for its upcoming glasses, and possibly a set of earphones that have cameras, to run the software for hours on a single charge.

Sony will launch a successor to its WH-1000XM5 noise cancelling headphones on May 15th, according to leaked information reported by Dealabs and Android Authority.

Details of the new headphones model, called the WH-1000XM6, come from a now pulled Amazon Spain listing for the product that was first spotted by a Reddit user. The XM6 will feature an upgraded noise-canceling processor called the QN3 HD, which according to Dealabs, will be seven times faster than the QN1 chip present in Sony’s XM5. The upgrade should result in better noise cancelling and perhaps sound quality.  It also looks like it has an AI-powered six-microphone beamforming system for calls, and still comes with a headphone jack.

Unfortunately the Trump administration’s tariffs seem to be affecting the price of the new XM6. Dealabs says it will launch for $449.99 in the US — $50 more expensive than the $399.99 XM5s, which our senior reviewer Chris Welch has called the best wireless headphones for most people. The XM5, however, is only slightly better at noise canceling than the XM4 that launched in 2020, so the XM6 will need a truly generational improvement to justify the higher price.

Mitsubishi will launch a new electric vehicle in North America next summer that’s based on Nissan’s upcoming third-generation Leaf. The new EV, which will be Mitsubishi’s second-ever in the US after the pioneering i-MiEV, is part of the company’s “Momentum 2030” growth plan where it will launch “a new or significantly revised vehicle every year between 2026 and 2030.”

Mitsubishi hasn’t yet given a name to its EV or provided any other technical details, including its expected EPA-estimated range. Like the new Leaf, it will use the CMF-EV platform that also underpins the Ariya SUV and is rated for up to  304 miles on a single charge.

In a press release, Mitsubishi Motors North America CEO Mark Chaffin said the company is on an “upward trajectory,” especially in the US. Mitsubishi reported an 11 percent increase of sales year over year in Q1 2025, led by its Outlander SUV that also comes in a plug-in hybrid version. 

Chaffin says Mitsubishi’s new EV will be part of a fresh lineup that includes a blend of internal combustion, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles that give customers “the choice of technology that best suits their needs.”

Mitsubishi has not yet announced where the new EV will be built. The company once had a plant in Normal, Illinois, which is now owned and operated by Rivian. In order to avoid heavy tariffs imposed by the Trump administration (currently set at 25 percent on cars and trucks from Japan), Mitsubishi may need to figure out a domestic manufacturing plan soon.

Amazon-owned Zoox says it issued a software recall for all 270 of its vehicles after an unoccupied robotaxi in Las Vegas crashed into a passenger vehicle on April 8th, Reuters reports. The update rolled out between April 16th and 17th to address a risky situation that could arise when the vehicle operating at over 40mph closed in on another vehicle that approaches its lane from a perpendicular driveway before stopping.

In a press release on Tuesday, Zoox said there was only minor damage to both vehicles and no injuries were reported. Zoox shared how the incident played out in the voluntary safety recall report it sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 1st:

The incident involved a passenger car quickly approaching the lane where our purpose-built robotaxi was traveling. Anticipating that the passenger car would proceed forward, the Zoox robotaxi slowed down and steered to the right. Instead, the car came to a stop, fully yielding to the Zoox robotaxi and remaining in the shoulder lane. The Zoox robotaxi braked hard, but contact was unavoidable.

The report states that, prior to the update, the company says, “In situations where Zoox vehicles are operating at speeds greater than 40mph, and a vehicle incrementally encroaches from a perpendicular driveway approaching the Zoox vehicle’s lane, the Zoox vehicle may make an inaccurately confident prediction that the vehicle is going to proceed into the Zoox vehicle’s lane.” Reacting based on that inaccurate projection could cause a crash, as happened here.

A March recall notice from Zoox also notes that after two incidents where its Toyota Highlander-based robotaxis performed sudden hard braking, causing approaching motorcyclists to rear-end them, it rolled out a software update to address the problem last November.

Google has been working on a battery health menu that could help you determine why your Android phone isn’t lasting as long between charges as it used to. It’s similar to an iPhone feature that launched in 2018, but unlike that rollout, it won’t be available on the older devices that probably need it the most.

As reported by Android Authority and pointed out on Reddit, a Google developer on the public Android Issue Tracker site said the battery health indicator feature will only come to the company’s Pixel 8A and newer models, and that Google “won’t fix” the problem because it’s “infeasible.”

The note, in response to users testing on devices including the Pixel 6 and Pixel 8 Pro, reads:

Status: Won’t Fix (Infeasible)

Thank you for reporting this. The Battery Health Indicator feature is currently supported in Beta 3 on Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 products including 9 Pro Fold. Due to product limitations, this feature will not be available on older in-market Pixel devices.

Google launched the battery health indicator to Android 16 beta testers in March and has been spotted working on some form of the utility since 2023. We asked Google why the feature is restricted to Pixel 8A and Pixel 9, but haven’t received a response yet.

Rivian is receiving $16 million in state incentives to help construct a new 1.2 million-square foot supplier park near its EV manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, according to Illinois Governer JB Pritzker and Rivian, who both made official announcements today. As part of the deal, Rivian will invest nearly $120 million towards the project, which is expected to directly create about 100 new jobs. In a press release, Pritzker says Rivian’s investment in the new facility will create “an entire ecosystem” that will help attract global investment  and create jobs, as well as “strengthening the EV manufacturing supply chain.”

Rivian says the supplier park is already under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. It will feature an underground tunnel that connects it with the main plant so parts can easily be transferred without increasing traffic in the area. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says the park will be a “key enabler” in the production of its upcoming R2 vehicle. Scaringe today shared an image of the new Maximus drive unit on Instagram that will be used in the two-row electric SUV, which is slated for next year.

Scaringe also says the supplier park will help increase production capacity for its current R1T and R1S vehicles, as well as its commercial vans, which are now available for sale to all commercial businesses.

Pinterest is using AI to try and help you find the fashion accessories you’re looking for, even if you can’t describe them in your own words. The company is using a “Visual Language Model” to generate descriptive words of styles and the overall “vibes” of image Pins on its site, and will let you click into them to discover and refine your personal taste.

The new tool breaks down and decodes images to make it easier to search for specific details in outfits across the site, in turn making it easier for you to shop. So, if you like a skirt someone is wearing in a Pin on the site, you can view the image to see a description of the color palette, fit, aesthetic, and more. You can then refine the style by asking to change the colors and fabric — or even the occasion — so you can find a version that fits in elsewhere, like in a work environment.

The new visual search features are launching for women’s fashion content first and are available starting today in the US, Canada, and the UK. Pinterest plans to launch the feature to other categories and countries “over time.”

Apple’s rumored super-slim iPhone “Air” isn’t expected until this fall, but supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says development has already begun on a redesigned version with a bigger screen.

According to Kuo, Apple’s second iPhone Air / iPhone “Slim” model is planned for launch in the fall of 2026 as part of the usual annual refresh, but with the same overall size and design before the third iteration expands things the following year. Bloomberg reported in March that the 2025 iPhone Air was originally supposed to come with a 6.9-inch screen, but Apple reduced its size to 6.6 inches to avoid another bendgate scenario.

Kuo’s list also indicates Apple is already working on its second foldable device for release in 2027.

The rumor aligns with a report from The Information over the weekend saying Apple may begin to stagger releasing new iPhones. That would see high-end versions of the iPhone 18 – including the Pro, Air, and a rumored foldable iPhone – introduced in the fall, before the cheaper standard model and budget “e” version launch in the spring of 2027.

Google is notifying parents using its Family Link parental controls via email that their kids will soon be able to access Gemini AI Apps on their monitored Android devices, The New York Times reports.

The company says kids will be able to use Gemini to do things like help them with homework or read them stories. Like its Workplace for Education accounts, Google says children’s data will not be used to train AI. Still, in the email, Google warns parents that “Gemini can make mistakes,” and kids “may encounter content you don’t want them to see.” 

Besides sillier mistakes like recommending glue as a pizza topping or miscounting the number of “r” letters in strawberry, some AI bots have had more distressing issues. Some young Character.ai users have struggled to tell the difference between chatbots and reality, and the bots told users they’re talking to a real person. After lawsuits alleged the bots had offered inappropriate content, the company has introduced new restrictions and parental controls.

In the case of Gemini, Google’s emailed advice says parents should talk to their kids and explain that the AI isn’t human and not to share sensitive information with the chatbot.

Kids under 13 will be able to enable and access Gemini all on their own under Google Family Link, which is designed for parents to keep tabs on their kids’ device usage, set limits, and protect them from harmful content. Google spokesperson Karl Ryan confirmed in an email to The Verge that parents can turn off access via Family Link, and that “they will get an additional notification when the young person accesses Gemini for the first time.”

A beta build of Android 16 contains an early version of Google’s new Android Desktop Mode that, in the future, could let users simply plug their smartphone into a monitor and use it like a laptop or desktop computer.

The new feature was shared by Android tinkerer Mishaal Rahman reporting for Android Authority. Rahman manually enabled Android Desktop Mode under developer options on his Google Pixel 8 Pro running the latest Android 16 beta. After plugging it into a USB-C compatible monitor, it immediately displays a PC-like interface on the external display, as you can see as in his video:

It looks similar to Samsung’s useful DeX feature that lets you dock a Galaxy smartphone to a monitor for a windowed experience.

Android Desktop Mode puts Android’s status bar on the top so you can see your Wi-Fi and signal strength, and there’s a taskbar on the bottom that lets you pin apps for easy access. The taskbar also gives you a Windows Start Menu–style app drawer, and you get access to Android’s native navigation buttons on the right end of the taskbar. Apps run in windowed modes that look a lot like the experience on Android tablets, but you also get Windows PC–like abilities such as snapping windows to the left and right of the screen.

Last year, Rahman found an early version of Google’s desktop experience didn’t do much more than let you drop a resizable windowed app onto a bigger screen. In March, Google upped its abilities to include a display placement management setting that lets you drag boxes to arrange your mobile screen and monitor so you can make it easier to navigate your cursor between them, much like the display arrangement settings you’ll find on desktop operating systems. 

Rahman says Desktop Mode might not be ready at launch for Android 16, which is expected to launch this spring. It could come later in a quarterly update or even as part of Android 17, which won’t likely come until 2026.

Fubo is continuing its quest to cut a deal with sports broadcasters that can bring upon the holy grail of sports bundles later this year, just in time for football season.

As reported by Deadline, Fubo CEO David Gandler said on an earnings call on Friday that the company is working hard to line up content from other broadcasters outside of Disney’s umbrella of sports content. When one analyst asked about how progress is going with a deal, Gandler only said that the service is a key “growth opportunity.”

“It is critical for Fubo subscribers that we are able to negotiate content licensing agreements at fair rates and terms. Our goal remains to launch the service for the fall sports season,” Gandler said.

Fubo’s ideal bundle would look a lot like the service that was in development last year called Venu Sports, a joint venture that was backed by Disney (part owner of Hulu), Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Fubo sued to break up the Venu Sports party, alleging it was anticompetitive, but then settled with a $220 million payout from the companies and an agreement with Disney to merge Fubo into the Hulu Plus Live TV service. The deal is not expected to close until 2026.

With the lawsuit out of the way, anything is possible in the sports bundle landscape, including a return of Venu Sports and a new one from Fubo. Other major players like NBCUniversal and Paramount (CBS) will also need to play ball to make the ultimate sports bundle happen.