A giant cell tower is going to space this weekend
This weekend's scheduled Blue Origin rocket launch is rather momentous. Success would signal an end to SpaceX's monopoly on reusable orbital launch vehicles, and set up a three-way race to make that "No Service" indicator on your phone disappear forever.
On Sunday morning, Jeff Bezos' massive New Glenn rocket is scheduled to launch with the first-stage booster that launched and landed on the program's second mission last November. It's a critical test, because cost-effective booster reuse is what's made SpaceX's Falcon 9 so dominate.
Amazon desperately needs a reusable rocket of its own to accelerate its Leo launches. Without one, it's onl …
YouTube’s mobile app finally lets you share timestamped videos
YouTube is making some changes that might affect how you share videos from the mobile app. From the app, you can finally share videos from a specific timestamp, which will make it easier to point someone to a part of a video you might want them to see while you're on your phone. However, this change will replace the Clips feature that lets you make a shareable clip from a video.
You'll still be able to watch any Clips that you've already made. But moving forward, "the ability to set an end time or include a custom description when sharing will no longer be available," YouTube says. The company notes that while clipping is "important way for …
Gucci-branded Google smart glasses are coming next year
Google is reportedly partnering with Gucci to make a pair of AI smart glasses stylish enough people might actually want to wear them. According to Reuters, Gucci parent company Kering is planning to launch the glasses sometime in 2027.
Google's first pair of Android XR glasses, "Project Aura," are expected to launch this year. They feature essentially the same look as Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, with chunky, black plastic frames. They'll usher in Google's second attempt at smart glasses, after Google Glass infamously failed to catch on over a decade ago.
Last year, Google also announced glasses partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monst …
Ballmer gives $80 million to NPR, with strings attached
Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and cofounder of the Ballmer Group, has given $80 million to NPR. That's roughly seven years' worth of government funding ($11.2m) after Trump and Congress cut funds for public media, but only a fraction of NPR's full annual budget of $300 million. NPR may still cut jobs because the money has strings attached.
The money is specifically "to support the digital innovation that is essential to meeting the needs and serving the interests of public media audiences wherever they are and whenever they seek information," according to a press release. NPR journalist David Folkenflik writes t …
Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update
Netflix announced on Thursday that it will be launching a redesigned mobile app, which will include a vertical video feed, at the end of April. "This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want," the company said in its Q1 2026 earnings letter to shareholders.
In Thursday's letter, the company said that the lines between "entertainment on TV and mobile devices are blurring," noting that video podcasts "over-index" on mobile. Co-CEO Greg Peters said in January that the company was planning to revamp its mobile UI as a way to "better serve the expansion of o …
Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is officially leaving the company
Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings plans to leave the company after nearly 30 years. The news comes as part of Netflix's Q1 2026 earnings results released on Thursday, which says Hastings "will not stand for re-election to our Board when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting in June."
After cofounding Netflix in 1997, Hastings served as CEO from 1999 to 2023, when he stepped down and took on the role of chairman. "My real contribution at Netflix wasn't a single decision; it was a focus on member joy, building a culture that others could inherit and improve, and building a company that could be both beloved by members and …
Live Nation says it will fight monopoly suit loss
After a jury found that Live Nation-Ticketmaster violated antitrust law on several counts, the company warns in a blog post that the verdict "is not the last word on this matter."
The company plans to renew a motion for the judge to issue a ruling against the states, claiming that they did not prove their case as a matter of law. It also awaits the court's decision on a separate motion to strike the testimony of one of the states' expert witness, whose analysis they say helped inform the jury's damages award. The jury found that Ticketmaster overcharged consumers $1.72 per ticket.
"Of course, Live Nation can and will appeal any unfavorable …
Ozlo’s comfy Sleepbuds are nearly 30 percent off in the run-up to Mother’s Day
If you’re struggling to get a full night of rest, a good pair of sleep earbuds can help you tune out unwanted distractions. The Ozlo Sleepbuds are one such option, and they’re currently available for $249 ($100 off) in the run-up to Mother’s Day at Amazon and Ozlo’s online storefront, which is easily the lowest price we’ve seen.
Made by former Bose engineers, Ozlo’s Sleepbuds are extremely similar to Bose’s discontinued Sleepbuds. They work well as a white noise machine and helped our reviewer, Victoria Song, get better sleep during her testing. The biggest upgrade over the Bose Sleepbuds II is that you’re no longer limited to a small library of white noise sounds. The Ozlo buds let you play your own audio, then switch back to white noise once you’ve fallen asleep. In our experience, that feature is a bit hit-or-miss, but when it does work, it’s helpful. In November, Ozlo added a host of sleep tracking features to both the earbuds and their charging case as part of a beta, allowing you to track your sleeping habits and the factors that might disrupt your cycle (we’ve yet to test them).
Otherwise, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are largely similar to the last-gen Bose. They’re lightweight, comfortable for side sleepers, and stay put overnight. Battery life still lasts up to 10 hours, which is enough for a full night, and you can set private alarms that won’t disturb anybody else. They’re not quite as advanced as Soundcore’s newer Sleep A30 earbuds — which offer active noise cancellation and an adaptive snore masking feature — but if you just want a comfortable pair of earbuds built specifically to help you sleep, they do the job quite nicely.
Teenage Engineering might be getting into instrument amps next
An unannounced Teenage Engineering device, the KO-Amp 35, can be found over at the FCC in a new filing. The label clearly marks it as a member of the midrange EP family instruments, which currently includes the KO-II and its spinoffs, the Riddim and the Medieval. The name suggests that TE could be getting into the budget guitar and instrument amp space, but the filing reveals very little.
All we know is that it has a built-in rechargeable battery and Bluetooth, but little else. There is also a "model difference statement," which suggests the KO-Amp will come in multiple colors. The angle and distance of the images in the filing make it diff …
The only way to fight deepfakes is by making deepfakes
I was unsure if my parents would notice that the voice on the other end wasn't mine - or that it was mine, sort of, but it wasn't me. The voice said hello, asked my dad how he was doing, and asked again when he didn't respond quickly enough. "What is that, Gaby?" He realized something was wrong almost immediately. I explained I had tried to trick him and it clearly hadn't worked. "It didn't," he said. "It sounded like a robot."
It wasn't a perfect experiment. My parents were out of the country, which made for a shoddy connection. They were having lunch with friends, and the voice couldn't deal with crosstalk or delays in the audio - it trie …