Google is testing AI chatbot search for YouTube
Google is trying out an AI Mode-like search experience for YouTube. The company is now testing "a new way to search on YouTube that feels more like a conversation," with results pulling in things like longform videos, YouTube Shorts, and text about what you're searching for. The "experiment" is now available if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber in the US who is 18 or older.
I turned it on for my account. Now, in the search bar, I see an "Ask YouTube" button, and clicking the search bar shows prompts to ask like "funny baby elephant playing clips," "summary of the rules of volleyball," and "short history of the Apollo 11 moon landing." If …
Canonical lays out a plan for AI in Ubuntu Linux
One of the most popular Linux distributions is about to get an influx of AI features. As reported by Phoronix, Jon Seager, VP of engineering at Ubuntu developer Canonical, shared a blog post on Monday detailing plans to add AI features to the Linux distro over the next year. As the post states, the AI features "will come in two forms: first as a means of enhancing existing OS functionality with AI models in the background, and latterly in the form of 'AI native' features and workflows for those who want them."
These features will range from accessibility tools like improved speech-to-text and text-to-speech to agentic AI features for tasks …
Trump demands ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel
President Donald Trump is calling for Disney to fire Jimmy Kimmel. On Thursday, Kimmel joked that Melania Trump had looked like an "expectant widow" in a skit about the upcoming White House Correspondents' Dinner. The skit aired days before an armed gunman made an assassination attempt at the event, which President Trump and Melania Trump attended, on Saturday. They and other administration officials were evacuated from the ballroom.
Trump - who has faced significant speculation over his health in recent months - interpreted the comment as an incitement to attack him. "I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel's despicable cal …
Google employees ask Sundar Pichai to say no to classified military AI use
Over 600 Google employees signed a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai demanding that Google block the Pentagon from using its AI models for classified purposes, reports the The Washington Post. Its organizers claim many of the signers work in Google's DeepMind AI lab, and include more than 20 principals, directors, and vice presidents.
According to the Post, the letter says that "The only way to guarantee that Google does not become associated with such harms is to reject any classified workloads. Otherwise, such uses may occur without our knowledge or the power to stop them." Anthropic is currently in a legal battle with the Pentagon over being …
Conspiracy theories are swirling about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
On Saturday evening, a room full of journalists, media personalities, and senior members of Donald Trump's administration descended into chaos as gunshots rang out at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Nobody was hurt, and the suspect was taken into custody - but it didn't take long for a narrative of doubt to take hold online.
There is no evidence that the attack at the WHCD was staged - but the conspiracies echo an increasingly common belief held even by some former Trump loyalists that the president is faking assassination attempts. Many people online appear to earnestly believe this attack is just the latest iteration.
On X, Threa …
Why the Steam Controller is (and isn’t) a big deal
Most PC gamers already have a controller they love using with Steam - a Sony DualSense, a 8BitDo Ultimate, a Nintendo Switch Pro, or something else. Part of that love comes from Steam treating them like "native" controllers. They can do the things that made the first Steam Controller worth buying. Namely, they offer a level of customizable control never before seen on PC and that you still can't get on a console.
With Steam Input, any of those controllers can have multiple control schemes for different game scenarios (flight, on-foot, in menus), and you swap between them with a button press. You can also create onscreen menus that bloom whe …
Valve’s new Steam Controller isn’t perfect, but I’m buying one anyway
After my brief hands-on last year with Valve's new Steam Controller, I said it might be my dream controller. I've been looking for a controller with the customization and sheer function available on Valve's Steam Deck while I'm playing games on the TV. You, me, and a lot of other people have been waiting for this.
I've had the new controller in my hands for more than two weeks, and it's already changing how I play at home. I used to make the Steam Deck handheld my go-to couch gaming experience because of how good it feels to hold, but the Controller has me docking my Deck to play on the TV because it feels even better.
I've spent hours cr …
Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam Machine
Last November, Valve introduced the world to its new vision of living room gaming: the Steam Machine and Steam Controller. Then, RAMageddon. Memory shortages forced Valve to delay all its hardware and reset expectations.
Now, Valve is releasing the Steam Controller without the Steam Machine.
The Steam Controller is officially going on sale May 4th at 1PM ET for $99 USD, $149 CAD, $149 AUD, £85 in the UK and €99 in the EU. We've already spent two weeks with the pad paired to our Steam Decks and gaming desktops, and you can read reviews from my colleagues Jay Peters and Cameron Faulkner right now. It's pretty great!
What about the Steam Ma …
We reviewed Valve’s new Steam Controller, ask us anything
Hey hey, it's Jay Peters, senior reporter at The Verge. Today, Valve finally announced that the second version of the Steam Controller - and the first piece of Valve's slate of new gaming hardware set to launch this year - is finally going on sale for $99 on May 4th.
My colleague Cameron Faulkner and I have had the new Controller in our hands for more than two weeks, and we've each written reviews of it. For Verge subscribers, we have a treat: if you have any questions about the new gamepad, we'd be happy to answer them for you in the comments of this article.
Valve hasn't shared any new information about when the Steam Machine PC and Stea …
Samsung’s first smart glasses have leaked
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Glasses look nearly identical to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses in leaked images from Android Headlines. The glasses, which could be announced at Google I/O next month, are code-named "Jinju" and will reportedly cost between $379 and $499, on par with the display-free Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. They'll reportedly include a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 processor, a 12-megapixel Sony IMX681 camera, a 155mAh battery, and bone conduction speakers; however, this pair won't have a built-in display.
Samsung is reportedly saving a micro-LED display for a more premium pair of glasses, code-named "Haean," which it plans to launch in 20 …