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The best Black Friday deals you can still get for under $25

/ No one says you have to spend big to save big this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Image: Tile Every Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there’s always a ton of hype about the discounts on big-ticket items — you know, the deals on the OLED TVs, game consoles, and tablets of the world. But it never fails that many of the ultra-cheap items make for some of the most clutch deals, namely because spending very little on a small accessory you end up using all the time can be the most gratifying. This year throughout the annual shopping weekend, we’re once again keeping an eye out for the best tech deals on those little gadgets and gizmos under $25. We’ve also got a roundup for those working with a $100 budget, but the items below are pretty much as cheap as you can get in the tech world without simp...

ChatGPT’s Voice Chat Feature Is Now Available for All Free Users

OpenAI first introduced its voice chat function for ChatGPT in September. The feature, which lets users engage in back-and-forth conversations with the chatbot, was originally only available to Plus and Enterprise subscribers on Android and iOS. Now, however, the company has launched voice chat for all free users on mobile devices.Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI, took to X to share the news, writing, "ChatGPT Voice rolled out for all free users."ChatGPT Voice rolled out for all free users. Give it a try — totally changes the ChatGPT experience: https://t.co/DgzqLlDNYF— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 21, 2023ChatGPT's voice chat feature operates with a text-to-speech model that is capable of producing "human-like audio from just text and a few seconds of sample speech." In order to accom...

Spotify Has a New System for Paying Streaming Royalties

Spotify has revealed its new policy on paying artists for their streams. Sharing the news, Spotify said that its payouts to the music industry measure “over $40 billion USD and counting” to date.In the report, the company expectedly affirmed that it would no longer be compensating artists for songs that had fewer than 1,000 streams. For context, 1,000 streams generate just about 3 cents per month.The streamer says it believes “the policy will eliminate one strategy used to attempt to game the system or hide artificial streaming, as uploaders will no longer be able to generate pennies from an extremely high volume of tracks.”Spotify went on to outline that it had three main goals when it came to restructuring the system: it wanted to deter artificial streaming, better organize payouts to sm...

The best Black Friday deals for some of The Verge staff’s favorite stuff

/ We went back to our lists of favorites to see if any were part of this year’s Black Friday sales — and found some great deals. By Barbara Krasnoff, a reviews editor who manages how-tos. She’s worked as an editor and writer for almost 40 years. Previously, she was a senior reviews editor for Computerworld. Share this story If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. The Black Friday sales are underway! For more deals we recommend across all categories, be sure to check out the rest of the Black Friday deals worth buying here. Every month or so, we like to ask our staff about their favorite stuff — whether it’s pet toys, travel aids, kitchen gadgets, or straightforward tech. And the results are usually very different, very interesting,...

Insta360 Teams Up with Leica on New Ace Pro Action Camera

Insta360 has just launched a pair of AI-bolstered action cameras – one of which was co-engineered with German imaging giant Leica – as it continues to chip away at GoPro's two decade-long grip on the market. The Insta360 Ace and Insta360 Ace Pro arrive in an instantly familiar blocky construction, and have a predominantly black and red color scheme.Unsurprisingly, it's the Pro model that benefits from the brand's partnership with Leica, arriving with a large 1/1.3" sensor, 5nm AI chip, and Leica SUMMARIT lens all packed into a small 2.8" x 2.05" x 1.37" body. Users have the option to shoot in crystal-clear 8K (up to 24fps), but can also slow their scenes down to capture high-definition slow motion at 240fps – something undoubtedly targeted at athletes and the company's action sports demogr...

Microsoft’s Copilot AI Makes Its Way to Windows 10 Users

Microsoft has recently expanded the availability of its generative AI-powered assistant, Copilot, to Windows 10 Users. The approach here seems to be to offer users who are either still using Windows 10, or who have incompatible devices with Windows 11, to experience the AI assistant -- it's worth noting that this demographic makes up 69 percent of Windows-based desktop users at the time of writing.To access Copilot, users must be part of the Windows Insider tester program and install a Release Preview build on a compatible Windows 10 Home or Pro device. However, Microsoft has indicated that eligibility for Copilot may not be immediate, advising users to enable automatic updates for quicker access once their device is confirmed as compatible.Being in the program and getting access is just t...

Google Meet Can Now Detect When You Raise Your Hand in Meetings

Google Meet is making it easier for users to participate in meetings. The video meeting platform has gotten a new AI tool to make raising one’s hand just a bit more natural.Participants previously had to click on a hand icon in order to indicate that they wanted to speak during a meeting. Google has streamlined the action with a new form of “gesture detection,” in which a user can physically raise their hand to trigger the icon.To set it off, the user must raise their hand in front of the camera, making sure the entire hand is visible to the camera and away from the face and body. Once they’re given the chance to speak, the hand raise indicator will disappear from the screen, signaling that they’re no longer waiting to talk.There’s no admin control for the feature but for those interested ...

YouTuber JerryRigEverything and dbrand Launch Multi-Million Dollar CASETiFY Lawsuit

Earlier this week, dbrand and YouTuber Zack "JerryRigEverything" Nelson launched a "multi-million dollar" lawsuit against CASETiFY. The lawsuit alleges CASETiFY copied a series of "transparent" Teardown products released by dbrand and JerryRigEverything for its "Inside Out" line.dbrand and JerryRigEverything note that they "go to extreme lengths to ensure that every Teardown skin is an accurate representation" of the inside of each device, but they add several Easter eggs for fans to discover. Cases found in CASETiFY's "Inside Out" line appear to repurpose from images of the collaborative dbrand release with Nelson's signature phrase "glass is glass, and glass breaks" and dbrand's logo visible on some cases.Fileed in a Toronto court earlier this week, dbrand alleges that CASETiFY infringed...

Public Instagram Reels Can Now Be Downloaded on to Devices

Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that all users of the social media platform can now download Reels that are public.This feature is now available to users all over the world after an initial June roll out for those based in the United States. Users can download a Reel via the "share" option, with the videos that are downloaded on to a device featuring an Instagram watermark with the name of the account that the Reel was downloaded from. Only Reels with original sound will be downloaded with audio; if a Reel features a licensed audio clip, the downloaded video will not include the sound.Users can turn off the option for others to download their reels via the Privacy menu, under Reels and Remix.The new feature arrives shortly after Instagram allowed users to share in-feed posts and Reel...

Samsung and Maison Margiela Reveal Collaborative Galaxy Z Flip5

Samsung and Maison Margiela, have recently revealed their latest collaboration  -- a special edition of the Galaxy Z Flip5, marking a blend of Samsung's technological prowess and Maison Margiela's iconic design approach.Stephanie Choi, the EVP at Samsung Electronics shared "This second collaboration between the two brands brings together fashion and technology by approaching a high-tech device in a way similar to the construction of a haute couture garment. Through this collaboration, we want consumers to discover their own identity and express it without limitation."Unique to this special edition is the rear glass design, showcasing the inner structure of a Maison Margiela jacket. This design, exclusive to the Galaxy Z Flip5 Maison Margiela Edition, uses a semi-transparent effect that rev...

Ubisoft blames “technical error” for showing pop-up ads in Assassin’s Creed

/ A fullscreen pop-up ad appeared in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for some players this week. By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012. Share this story Ubisoft’s rogue pop-up ad.Image: triddell24 (Reddit) Ubisoft is blaming an unspecified “technical error” for a fullscreen pop-up ad that appeared in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey this week. Reddit users say they spotted the pop-up on Xbox and PlayStation versions of the game, with an ad appearing just when you navigate to the map screen. “This is disgusting to experience while playing,” remarked one Reddit user, summarizing the general feeling against such pop-ups in the middle of gameplay. “We have been made aware that...

Peloton CEO apologizes after Thanksgiving ride struggles with demand

/ “We let you down,” CEO Barry McCarthy said following world record attempt. By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories. Share this story Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Many Peloton users were unable to get into Thursday’s Thanksgiving ride, prompting the company’s CEO to apologize. At 10AM ET Peloton kicked off its 10th annual “Turkey Burn” event, with the goal of breaking the Guiness World Record for “largest live cycling class.” But the company struggled with the demand, and many users were unable to participate at all. “We let you down,” CEO Barry McCarthy said in a statement. According to McCarthy, over 37,000 people were able to participate...