Instagram and X have an impossible deepfake detection deadline
The best methods we currently have for detecting and labelling deepfakes online are about to get a stress test. India announced mandates on Tuesday that require social media platforms to remove illegal AI-generated materials much faster, and ensure that all synthetic content is clearly labeled. Tech companies have said for years that they wanted to achieve this on their own, and now they have mere days before they're legally obligated to implement it. The rules take effect on February 20th.
India has 1 billion internet users who skew young, making it one of the most critical growth markets for social platforms. So, any obligations there cou …
TikTok launches Local Feeds in the US
TikTok announced on Wednesday that it's launching "Local Feeds," an opt-in feature that uses precise GPS location data to create a feed of localized content, similar to the "Nearby Feeds" that launched in the UK and Europe in December.
This is the first new feature introduced for US users since TikTok officially came under new ownership last month. The new US version of the app got off to a bumpy start when it faced a major outage that TikTok says was due to a "cascading systems failure."
The new localized feeds for US users will include "local content related to travel, events, restaurants and shopping, as well as posts from small busin …
Lifx’s two-pack of Matter-enabled smart color bulbs is down to $20
Let’s give it up for companies that are making affordable smart bulbs. Lifx is one, having recently released a two-pack of A19 / E26 LED bulbs at CES 2026 capable of white and color for just $24.99. These dimmable 800-lumen bulbs connect over Wi-Fi, and they’re compatible with Matter, making them work seamlessly with numerous smart home platforms. While their original price was already compelling, they’re now $19.99 at Amazon, which is their lowest price yet — just $10 per bulb. For perspective, a similar two-pack of color-changing Philips Hue bulbs currently costs $71.99.
The setup process is simple, whether you have a preexisting smart home platform at work in your home or not. The bulbs can connect to Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home, SmartThings ecosystems, or you can set them up within Lifx’s mobile app. Otherwise, the only requirement is 2.4GHz connectivity through your Wi-Fi router.
Other Verge-approved deals happening now
- After a month or so of selling at their original $449 price, Sony’s WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones have returned once again to their lowest price yet of $398 at Amazon and Best Buy. These feature better sound and better active noise cancellation than the last-gen model. One of the biggest improvements over the XM5, depending on who you ask, is the XM6’s return to being foldable. The ear cups can swivel and fold upward into the headband, making them more compact to bring around than the last-gen model. This flexibility was previously seen in the XM4 model, so it’s great to have it back in Sony’s best headphones yet. Read our hands-on impressions.
- Through February 16th, you can get a 55-inch Panasonic Z85 OLED TV for $638.39 (originally $1,599, but it normally sells for around $800) before tax at eBay. It’s being sold by BuyDig, which has very positive ratings as a seller, and it’s notably cheaper on eBay than at Amazon, where it costs $697.99 (also through a third-party seller). Enter the code LONGWKND20 at checkout if it doesn’t apply automatically. We haven’t reviewed this model, but its specs and size seem great for the price. It features Amazon’s Fire TV software, up to 120Hz refresh rate at 4K, and the same great perks that OLED delivers in any TV. That includes per-pixel color and lighting accuracy, unparalleled viewing angles, and superb contrast. Ratings site RTINGS notes that this TV’s performance is roughly on-par with the LG B4, falling below the more advanced C4 in terms of brightness and how it handles reflections.
- Oakley’s Meta HSTN glasses are more polarizing than the regular Meta Ray-Ban glasses, but its least divisive color scheme is cheaper than ever right now at Amazon. The black frame glasses with clear lenses are $339.15, down from $399. If you want to stand out from the crowd, the model with a white frame and Oakley’s Prizm ruby lenses are selling at the same price. Our reviewer Victoria Song considers the Ray-Bans to be a better value at the HSTN’s original price, but there are some perks here that you won’t get with the plainer smart glasses. For instance, they pack in longer battery life, they shoot video at a higher resolution, and Oakley’s Prizm lenses make greenery look more green, which is never a bad thing. Read our review.
Here are the brands bringing ads to ChatGPT
OpenAI officially launched its advertising pilot in ChatGPT, leaving us with a better idea of the kinds of products we might see stuffed beneath our conversations with the AI chatbot. Several companies have announced plans to show ads inside ChatGPT - placements that will reportedly cost them a pretty penny - ranging from major retailers like Target to automakers like Ford and Mazda.
You'll only see ads in ChatGPT if you're a free user or subscribed to its cheaper $8 / month Go plan. OpenAI has said it will "clearly" label the ads and that they won't influence ChatGPT's response. Here are all the brands that we know are partnering with Open …
Reanimal wants to devour you
The woods in Reanimal are full of surprises. You will encounter human cadavers that slither like snakes, gigantic talking pigs, and, at one point, a forlorn, supersized whale who seems resigned to an agonizingly slow death. These variously monstrous beings inhabit a realm that, though it looks like our own, seems to defy spatial logic: the forest leads to an oceanic expanse, which segues into a decrepit, towering city. It's like Aesop's Fables meets the nightmare visions of both Lars von Trier and J.G. Ballard.
Playing as a boy and girl (either solo or via local / online co-op), Reanimal evolves the premise Tarsier Studios explored with its …
Diesel’s wired earbuds look exactly like wired earbuds from Diesel
Despite evidence to the contrary, not only are wired earbuds alive and well, they're enjoying a resurgence. Brands like Belkin and even respected headphone maker Master & Dynamic now offer tethered earbuds again. Even the Italian fashion brand Diesel has decided wired headphones are still cool and has launched a pair of earbuds it describes as being "designed for fearless daily use." We're not entirely sure what that means, but these earbuds definitely look distinctly Diesel.
The headphones aren't yet listed on the US version of Diesel's website, but you can find them on the company's UK site where they're priced at £89.95, or around $123. …
The Switch 2’s GameShare multiplayer turns this horror game into an unexpected comedy
GameShare, a multiplayer feature that's exclusive to the Switch 2, is a neat concept that so far has mostly been used in pretty standard ways. It lets you use one copy of a game and beam it to multiple Switches, making it a great way to experience local co-op titles like Survival Kids or Split Fiction. But I've finally found an inventive, and quite frankly bizarre, use for GameShare: turning survival horror into something more like a comedy.
Tokyo Scramble launches this week as a Switch 2 exclusive, and it's a game that channels some of the slow, deliberate pace of genre classics like the original Resident Evil. You play as Anne, a woman wh …
How an ‘icepocalypse’ raises more questions about Meta’s biggest data center project
Donna Collins lives about 20 miles from where Meta's biggest data center is being built, in a house her family has lived in for five generations. Construction has thrown the small agricultural community in North Louisiana into the spotlight as a high-profile example of how the infrastructure behind generative AI could impact nearby residents.
For Collins, this place is "a little piece of heaven." "It's all I've ever known as a home. It's quiet. It's rural. It is beautiful," she says. "We can't imagine the changes that are coming."
The region was particularly hard-hit by the recent cold snap that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands …
The Halide app’s anti-algorithm camera mode looks better with a little processing
Something happens every time I try to use an iPhone camera like a real camera.
Here's how it goes: I shoot RAW in addition to the default HEIC output, and since I have the RAW file I might as well edit it to my taste. And if I'm going to do that, I want to use Lightroom on my MacBook. You know, real software. Then I remember: iPhone photos hate real software. Moving image files between devices is mysterious. If I Airdrop them to my MacBook will the HDR gain map tag along? Why do my photos always come out of Lightroom looking different than my edit? Where did that gain map go? I lack the patience to find out, so I just live with what my phon …
Pokopia turns the Pokémon world into a relaxing, human-free paradise
Though catching monsters and making them fight have always been core elements of the Pokémon brand, spinoffs like the Pokémon Snap and Detective Pikachu series have stood out by approaching the franchise from different angles. In different (and often small) ways, recent mainline Pokémon titles like Sword / Shield, Scarlet / Violet, and Legends: Z-A have acknowledged that there are some players who would much rather spend their time hanging out and taking pictures with their monster friends.
That leisurely approach to enjoying the Pokémon world doesn't exactly gel with the main games' focus on becoming a competitive champion, but it is exact …