Technology

Not everyone cares about having the absolute best TV specs or pristine picture quality. It turns out there are a lot of people who hate having a traditional TV — this ugly black rectangle — disrupting the vibe and decor of their living room. Those are the same people who have turned Samsung’s The Frame TV into such a big hit. I’ve got family members and co-workers who’ve all bought The Frame in the last year because of how well it disguises itself as a piece of art when not being used. You can customize the TV’s bezels and swap between different options to get exactly the look you want when it’s on your wall. However, some of those folks might soon wish they’d waited a little bit longer to buy. Because, for 2022, Samsung has introduced a matte display that cuts way back on glare and makes ...

On Friday, Plex will end support for podcasts, a feature it added in 2018. Plex is also removing the dedicated Web Shows section, but most of this content will still appear elsewhere in the app. Plex doesn’t explicitly say why it’s ending podcast support, only that it’s no longer worth the company’s time. “As part of our ongoing effort to make sure we’re spending our time and energy in ways that best serve our awesome user community, we’ve made the decision to end support for Podcasts and Web Shows within Plex,” reads the announcement from the company. “We recognize this decision will impact several of you greatly, and we apologize for the inconvenience it will cause. You can continue to access these features within Plex until Friday, April 15th, 2022, at which point they will no longer be...

In an attempt to lower high gas prices, the Biden administration wants to turn to a fuel that’s potentially even dirtier than regular gasoline, the White House announced today. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue an emergency waiver that will allow the year-round sale of a fuel called E15, which is banned in most of the US during summer months when smog is a bigger risk. E15 is a gasoline blend with up to 15 percent ethanol — a fuel made with plant material. The move is supposed to save Americans money while reducing dependence on foreign oil supplies because ethanol can be made with domestically-grown corn. The move is supposed to save Americans money while reducing dependence on foreign oil Most gasoline in the US is already mixed with up to 10 percent ethanol. The summert...

Following a teaser showcase in 2021, the humanoid Tesla AI Bot, nicknamed “Optimus Sub-Prime,” came up in conversation once again during Elon Musk‘s presentation at the Cyber Rodeo event in Texas. “We have a shot of being in production for version one of Optimus hopefully next year,” Musk said at the opening event for Tesla’s new assembly plant in Texas. The Tesla bot is described as a 5’8, 125 lb figure capable of deadlifting 150 lbs. It was created to “eliminate dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks” so that humans could focus on more enjoyable jobs. Musk, who has long been vocal about the dangers and lack of regulation in the development of AI, ensures the audience that Optimus will be friendly. Hello humans, It’s time for a new profile picture. Use this as a base. pic.twitter.com/rC2...

The developer of Deliveries, a package tracking app that’s listed as an App Store editor’s choice and that some people here at The Verge rely on, has said that they’re “no longer able to maintain the same service” thanks to a lack of support from delivery companies. In an April 5th post written by developer Mike Piontek, the company says that “Deliveries relies on many different shipping companies, and without their help it’s not possible for the app to continue working the way you expect.” The impetus for the post seems to be the fact that Deliveries is no longer able to track FedEx packages. While the app can usually let users track their package’s progress on a map, or receive notifications if something changes, the app currently doesn’t display an estimated delivery date, current locat...

Meta is testing new features to let creators make money within Horizon Worlds, the company’s social metaverse platform for Quest VR headsets that is soon coming to mobile phones and possibly game consoles. Most notably, a “handful” of Horizon creators will be able to sell virtual items and effects in the worlds they create for others to explore. The idea is that creators can sell everything from access to a VIP section of their world to virtual items like jewelry or a special basketball, according to Meaghan Fitzgerald, the product marketing director for Horizon. Participants in the US will also be able to earn money from a $10 million creator fund Meta recently set up to reward creators with the most engaging worlds. With this test of “in-world purchases,” Meta is following in the footste...

Global shipments of PCs declined in the first quarter of 2022 as pandemic-related purchases begin to taper off, according to reports from research firms Gartner and International Data Corporation (IDC). While IDC reports a total of 80.5 million PC shipments last quarter, Gartner cites a lower 77.5 million figure, a 7.7 percent drop when compared to the first quarter of 2021. Gartner says a decline in Chromebook shipments weighed heavily on the market — not counting Chromebooks, the PC market would’ve risen by 3.3 percent year over year. IDC didn’t include any information about Chromebooks but notes a slowdown in purchases from educational institutions, a market that utilizes over 40 million Chromebooks for teachers and students. Lenovo was still the top-selling PC brand, followed by HP, De...

Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, has announced that it’ll show off a “fully electric concept vehicle” on April 20th as a way to tease upcoming electric offerings. In a short video, the company shows off a partial outline of the vehicle, which will likely be a smaller SUV or crossover, as the company currently doesn’t make any sedans (sad news for anyone like me who would love a Hyundai-esque ’80s Continental revival). There currently aren’t any fully electric Lincolns, though the company does offer three plugin hybrids, as Electrek points out. Last year, the company announced its plans to “electrify its entire portfolio of vehicles by 2030” and promised that its first full EV would “debut” in 2022. Sanctuary reimagined. On April 20, 2022, Lincoln’s fully electric concept makes its global debu...

Now that Elon Musk will not be the new member of Twitter’s board of directors, it means more speculation about his true intentions and, yes, more paperwork. Musk has, again, updated the required filing (pdf) for investors buying a significant chunk of a publicly traded company, in which investors must explain their intentions. The new form confirms that any arrangement blocking Musk from trying to buy a significantly larger share of the company is gone, and it lays out various ways he may make his voice heard going forward. The result is a piece of evidence for anyone who suspects Musk’s reversal had something to do with the legal requirements that would come with serving on Twitter’s board. Last week, Musk filed a Schedule 13G form with the SEC on April 4th (read here, pdf), which quickly...