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.

Google launched the earthquake detection network that uses accelerometers in Android devices as a seismometer in California in 2020, and over the years, it has expanded to other countries.

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.

Xiaomi has tried other designs leaning on its Leica brand licensing, including a concept 12S Ultra that uses a full-size Leica lens and a camera grip kit for the 13 Ultra.

OnePlus says it won’t launch a new foldable phone this year, axing expectations that the company was prepping a proper sequel to its Open foldable from 2023, 9to5Google reports. A new OnePlus “Open 2” could have followed the blueprint of its subsidiary company Oppo’s new ultra-thin Find N5 that’s launching in China and internationally next week, but it (like many Oppo devices) won’t make it to the US. OnePlus’ last foldable device, the limited edition “Apex Edition” launched last year, but it really only brought a new crimson look with maxed out specs.

In a OnePlus Community post, the company’s product manager Vale Gu writes that Oppo will be taking the lead in the foldable segment and OnePlus will “pause on foldable for this generation.” However, Gu clarifies this doesn’t mean OnePlus is departing from the category, rather a “recalibration.”

OnePlus’ Open introduced an alternative form factor in the US compared to competitor foldable devices from Google and Samsung at the time: an outer screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio that made the device feel like a normal phone when closed. OnePlus said the Open broke the company’s one-day sales record in North America. Google then followed in OnePlus’ design footsteps the following year by giving 2024’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold a similar shape.

Honda and Nissan have announced they are calling off a $60 billion plan to merge their two companies. The pair were in talks for just over a month trying to join forces, a plan that was especially important for Nissan, since it reportedly would only survive another year due to nosediving profits. The merger could have also strategically strengthened the Japanese auto industry against rising competition from China. The merger plans included Mitsubishi, but that has also fallen apart.

Instead, Nissan and Honda will move forward with a “strategic partnership” and collaborate on “intelligence and electrified vehicles.” In a press release, the companies say the termination happened after the CEOs “discussed and considered the surrounding market environment, the objectives of the business integration, and the management strategies and structures post-integration.”

However, sources told Reuters that talks faltered primarily due to Honda’s sudden proposal to structure the merger in a way that would make Nissan a subsidiary. Nissan apparently wanted to stand as an equal, but the company isn’t in a position of strength: its earnings were down more than 90 percent year over year in the middle of 2024, and it had cut its annual operating profit forecast by almost 70 percent. Meanwhile, Honda’s third-quarter profits year over year are up five percent.

Apple has just added its redesigned Mac Mini to the Certified Refurbished store and is knocking as much as $210 off some base models. To begin with, you can get the M4 (non-Pro) base model with 16GB of RAM for just $509, a $90 discount from the $599 retail price of the brand-new one. That price sweetens the deal for what we already consider to be Apple’s best value Mac today.

According to Apple, the products in its Certified Refurbished store are put through the same factory process as its new products. They come with full warranties and are eligible for AppleCare protection. The only noticeable difference is that refurbished units generally come in less fancy packaging.

The $210 discount is available on the base Mac Mini M4 Pro (24GB RAM, 512GB SSD), which usually goes for $1,399 new but can be had for just $1,189 refurbished. If you decide to get a higher-end configuration, you could land more savings — for example, the maxed-out Mac Mini M4 Pro (14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, 64GB RAM, 8TB SSD, 10 Gigabit Ethernet) comes with a $710 discount, going from $4,699 to $3,989.

Jeep quietly launched a new landing website for its upcoming all-electric Recon and teased the vehicle in a Super Bowl ad last Sunday in anticipation of its arrival later this year. Jeep’s commercial stars Harrison Ford, and it flashed models such as the Wrangler 4xe Plug-in Hybrid — but if you blink, you might have missed the Recon’s surprise appearance, as reported by Electrek.

Jeep’s site says the first units of the 2026 Recon EV will arrive in late 2025. The Recon EV was first announced in 2022 as part of parent company Stelantis’ plan to launch four new electric Jeeps worldwide by 2025. The Recon EV was supposed to launch soon after the 2024 all-electric Wagoneer S, but the Wagoneer S didn’t ship until January 2025. Road & Track reports the Recon is going into production this month.

In the Super Bowl ad, the Recon was shown with its doors removed for the kind of off-road experience that appeals to Wrangler owners. Electrek also reported spy shots of the vehicle in light camouflage with the doors installed in December. Jeep’s site shows a “pre-production” model and does not offer pricing or preorder information yet.

On Tuesday, Shopify shut down the Yeezy store run by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) after it listed shirts with swastikas for sale as reported earlier by Bloomberg and NBC News. Ye advertised the site in a commercial shown during the Super Bowl on Sunday. It previously sold things like sneakers and t-shirts, but on Monday, the only item for sale was a $20 swastika shirt with the product name “HH-01,” which the ADL says is code for “Heil Hitler.”

Ye had started posting antisemitic rhetoric on X, where he’d been banned in 2022 for posting swastikas. Leading up to the Super Bowl ad, though, his account has been deactivated.

The shop, however, wasn’t removed simply for listing the item. In an email to The Verge, Shopify spokesperson Caty Gray wrote:

All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms so we removed them from Shopify.

Last year, the e-commerce platform removed a clause banning “hateful content” from its acceptable use rules, reports Bloomberg.

Update February 11th: Added a response from Shopify.

Google Maps now shows the “Gulf of America” in place of the “Gulf of Mexico” for users on both web and mobile in the United States. It made the change after the Trump administration formally changed the name today of the body of water spanning between the eastern coast of Mexico and the Florida panhandle. Google says it follows the GNIS, or Geographic Names Information System, a US database of location information.

Users in Mexico will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico,” while the rest of the world will see the original name with “Gulf of America” in parentheses. Google says it determines a user’s location — and thus which version of the body of water they see — using data from their mobile OS, SIM, and network. Desktop users will see changes based on search settings or device location if not provided.

Meanwhile, Apple hasn’t made any changes in Apple Maps yet, although it does redirect “Gulf of America” searches to the Gulf of Mexico. Other mapping companies like MapQuest have not made changes either. However, we found that Google-owned Waze shows both names if you search for “Gulf of Mexico,” but finds nothing when searching for “Gulf of America.”

Hacker Eric Council Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud after he took over the SEC’s X account in January 2024. Once Council gained access to the account, his unnamed co-conspirators posted a doctored image, message, and fake quote by then SEC Chairman Gary Gensler saying Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETC) have been approved, which caused the currency’s value to spike more than $1,000.

The 25-year-old Alabama resident had used a SIM-swapping attack to move a phone number associated with the @SEC account to the SIM card in an iPhone he had purchased. After others obtained the personal information of a person with access to the account, Council printed off a fake ID and used it to get AT&T to give him control of their number so that he could have the account’s recovery codes sent to his own phone. The co-conspirators paid Council in Bitcoin for his role in the scheme.

Investigators found after Council’s arrest that he’d made some choice searches, including: “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them.”

Council is scheduled for sentencing on May 16th and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Apple released iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, and iPadOS 17.7.5 today to address a zero-day exploit that might allow attackers to access data on a locked device.

The update patches the OS against an attack on USB Restricted Mode, which Apple first implemented in devices with the release of iOS 11.4.1 in 2018, to prevent attempts to bypass device passcodes and get around the encryption safeguards that protect user’s data. According to Apple, the exploit reported by Bill Marczak of The Citizen Lab “may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.”

Apple has patched flaws in USB Restricted Mode before, and in iOS 18, it added a new “inactivity reboot” that would restart unused devices after a few days so that they require a passcode for access. Today, it also issued new updates for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro platforms but has not yet released any security notes to go along with those.

Apple’s details about the new update:

iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1

Released February 10, 2025

Accessibility

Available for: iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

Impact: A physical attack may disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.

Description: An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management.

Discord is offering users a new way to block people without the confrontational nature of an actual block. The new feature, called Ignore, is essentially a mute function that can hide annoying or abusive users without attracting unwanted attention — thus avoiding unnecessary anxiety or flare-up drama.

You can apply the new Ignore feature by going to a user’s profile, tapping the triple-dot menu, and selecting Ignore (in the same menu where Block can be found). Once you activate it, you’ll no longer see that user’s profile and messages, and you will see less of them across Discord, as it will mute their notifications and activity, including in server message notifications (in other words, alerts). However, the big distinction is that, unlike with a Block, Ignore will still let them see your profile and activity and allow them to send you messages (which you won’t know about unless you unhide them). But they will be none-the-wiser about their Ignore status.

Discord says it’s adding Ignore to its safety “toolbox” to give users, especially teens, more discreet ways to take space from others without making situations scary. Discord is also joining OpenAI, Google, Roblox, and others in establishing a non-profit foundation called ROOST, which will offer open-source technology for detecting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to various organizations.

The combustion engine version of the Chevy Blazer is reportedly being discontinued and will eventually only be offered as an EV, sources tell GM Authority. Both the Chevy Blazer EV and the gas-powered Chevy Blazer have been assembled at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, but with the gas Blazer now sunsetting with the 2025 model year, the facility is being retooled only to accommodate electric vehicles, GM Authority says.

In an email to The Verge, Chevy representative Chad Lyons says that “we have no portfolio changes to share and will not comment on speculation.”

Chevy makes EV and ICE versions of the Blazer mid-sized SUV and the Equinox, a smaller SUV. The models didn’t only differentiate in powertrains from their gas counterparts but also in style and platform. Both the Blazer EV and Equinox EV share GM’s tailored EV platform (formerly called Ultium) and are built in the same plant in Mexico alongside the Cadillac Optiq. Honda’s Prologue, which is essentially a rebadged Blazer EV, is built in the same plant as well.

As GM Authority notes, a discontinued gas-powered Blazer means Chevy no longer carries a two-row combustion SUV in North America. Chevy does still use the nameplate for a three-row SUV in China.

Chevy sold 52,576 Blazers in the US in 2024, a drop from 94,599 sold in 2020 when the then 2019 model year redesign was introduced. GM also discontinued the Cadillac XT5 and XT6 this year.

Tokyo-based startup ArkEdge Space claims it has snapped what is “probably” the highest quality images of Earth taken by a small CubeSat. The photos were taken 410 kilometers above the Earth’s surface by the company’s CubeSat called ONGLAISAT, co-developed by Taiwan’s space agency TASA.

It has precision attitude control, a TASA-developed Korsch off-axis optical system, a CMOS TDI (Time Delay and Integration) image sensor, and image compression hardware that all fits inside its 6U form factor, which is about the size of a desktop computer or suitcase.

ArkEdge Space shared black and white images zoomed into areas as close as one square kilometer, showing buildings and roads with some details near Seattle and from the Patagonia region of Argentina. The company claims it captured the “world’s highest ground resolutions” in the CubeSat category, ranging from 2.5 to 3 meters. Reuters reports its mission is expected to end in March before its optical tech is applied to future missions, quoting ArkEdge CEO Takayoshi Fukuyo saying, “The pictures are as clear as aerial photography (despite) being taken by a satellite of this size.”

The ONGLAISAT mission objectives were to demonstrate the optical system in orbit, test a University of Tokyo co-developed altitude control system, and validate the TDI and process images, which all succeeded. The satellite was delivered to the ISS in November and then they were deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on December 10th.

Elgato is releasing a new version of its audio stream control software Wave Link that includes new AI-powered voice enhancements for your mic. It also has a new OS-level management system to redirect audio streams to certain apps, split audio to yourself and your audience, add audio effects, and quickly mute channels.

The latest version 2.0 update is available to download now and works with Elgato hardware, including the company’s Mic and Stream Deck control ecosystem.

Elgato and audio machine learning company AIcoustics are including Voice Focus in the Wave Link program, which can remove noise and fix acoustic problems so you can have professional-sounding audio regardless of your room situation.

It also supports audio effects, and you can include custom plugins to get your desired sound. However, you do need an Elgato microphone or a Stream Deck Plus to use Wave Link and its low-latency audio mixing magic.

Wave Link 2.0 now works more like SteelSeries GG, taking over the entire Windows audio process. It allows you complete control to route audio where you want it to go or group apps into one input channel so certain audio always stays together. Wave Link can create custom Stream Deck control buttons with “add to Stream Deck” that lets you quickly change the volume for each audio stream you manage. It can even show a volume slider that can span multiple buttons, so you know the current volume levels at a glance. It also works in conjunction with Stream Deck foot pads and the dials of the Stream Deck Plus.

Microsoft is bringing its storied real-time strategy series Age of Empires to the PlayStation 5, starting with Age of Mythology: Retold and its Immortal Pillars expansion pack, both launching on March 4th. Microsoft is continuing to evolve the Xbox platform with cloud gaming that works on almost any device, and bringing more of its biggest franchises to competitors’ systems.

Microsoft will also launch Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on the PS5 later this Spring. The games will include content parity across platforms plus cross-play support. The company previously dropped big news that Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are also headed to PS5 this Spring, and the jaw-dropping Doom: The Dark Ages announced last month will make its way to the PS5 this Summer. The Age of Empires franchise is another heavy hitter for Microsoft to share beyond the PC; the company says the games brought in 10 million players last year, growing to 60 million players worldwide.

Preorders for Age of Mythology: Retold are open, and those who order now on PS5 will get two exclusive Blessings for the Arena of the Gods mode. You can also get the Premium Edition for 5-day early access starting February 27th, and it includes access to the Immortal Pillars expansion “and much more.”

Sony Pictures Television says it’s taking over the distribution rights for top game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from Paramount-owned CBS starting the week of February 10th, reports Bloomberg, while CBS is fighting back by seeking a temporary restraining order.

In October, Sony sued CBS for allegedly not putting in enough effort to grow licensing revenues despite CBS making more than $1 billion in profit from the 35-year-old distribution deal. Sony also claims that CBS pocketed more than $3.6 million from other deals made in Australia and New Zealand that did not benefit Sony.

According to Deadline, on Monday, CBS sent a statement to clients telling them to ignore what Sony is saying because “Sony has no rights under the distribution agreements to terminate them, and CBS remains the distributor for the Series, notwithstanding any communications from Sony to the contrary.”

Earlier last year, Sony, which produces both game shows, reportedly attempted to buy out the rights from CBS for a figure “greater than nine figures,” according to a source who spoke with Bloomberg at the time.

US District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied Apple’s emergency request to halt the Google Search monopoly trial that could dismantle their lucrative search that’s reportedly worth as much as $18 billion a year. The order came in late Sunday, with Judge Mehta saying Apple hasn’t demonstrated satisfactory reasons for its emergency motion to stay that was filed on January 30th.

Apple said last week that it needs to be involved in the Google trial because it does not want to lose “the ability to defend its right to reach other arrangements with Google that could benefit millions of users and Apple’s entitlement to compensation for distributing Google search to its users.”

The remedies phase of the trial is set for April, and lawyers for the Department of Justice have argued that Google should be forced to sell Chrome, with a possibility of spinning off Android if necessary. While Google will still appeal the decision, the company’s proposed remedies focus on undoing its licensing deals that bundle apps and services together.

“Because Apple has not satisfied the ‘stringent requirements’ for obtaining the ‘extraordinary relief’ of a stay pending appeal, its motion is denied,” states Judge Mehta’s order. Mehta explains that Apple “has not established a likelihood of success on the merits” for the stay. That includes a lack of clear evidence on how Apple will suffer “certain and great” harm.

Google was found liable for holding an illegal monopoly on general search, and the remedies phase of the trial is set for April, where Google businesses like Android, Chrome, and Search could be broken up.

Audi is launching a new global nomenclature system for its vehicles to more clearly represent a vehicle’s type, size, shape, and powertrain.

The updated system will still begin with letters like A for “low-floor” vehicles or Q for “high-floor” ones. That will be followed by numbers 1 through 8 that help represent the size or classification of the vehicle. However, Audi says it will no longer use odd or even numbers to represent what powertrain technologies it uses.

Then comes the body style, which includes Avant, Sedan, or Sportback, where applicable. Finally, Audi will add to the end a powertrain code, including the TFSI (Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection) combustion engine, TFSI e (plug-in hybrid), and E-tron (all electric). The system also replaces Audi’s two-digit power output representation which really made things confusing.

This new naming system will debut with the new combustion engine version Audi A6, which will be revealed on March 4th. You can expect Audi A6 models to have names like A6 Avant TFSI or A6 Sedan E-tron. (Current models will not be renamed.)

E-tron vehicles were especially confusing in the past. The original US line was a Q8-style SUV but was just called the “Audi E-tron.” A Sportback version was made afterward, and both were renamed to Q8 E-tron (which are now being phased out). Today, there’s a Q6 E-tron that is similar in size but built on Volkswagen’s modular Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform shared with the A6 E-tron and Porsche Macan EV.