20 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Tech Archive

Archives for December 2024

The Verge’s 2024 holiday gift guide for dads

If you’re unsure what to gift the father figure in your life this year, we have more than a few suggestions.

Brandon Widder
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Substack partners with Bari Weiss to launch an ‘enterprise offering’ website builder.

This expansion is described as capable of supporting a “fully-fledged media business, encompassing rich design, advanced websites, deep analytics, automated marketing features,” plus newsletters, podcasts, videos, etc.

Substack’s “ideal partner for this initiative” is Weiss’ The Free Press, which, surprisingly, has been described as “a publication that has spread misinformation on transgender youth and amplified harmful anti-trans rhetoric.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Nvidia’s new app can slow games down.

The new Nvidia App “reduces performance by up to 15% in some games,” according to Tom’s Hardware. Nvidia acknowledged that there is a reported problem and suggested a fix:

We are aware of a reported performance issue related to Game Filters and are actively looking into it. You can turn off Game Filters from the NVIDIA App Settings > Features > Overlay > Game Filters and Photo Mode, and then relaunch your game.

Tom’s Hardware says the fix “does indeed work.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Netflix’s ‘Moments’ arrive on Android.

The bookmarking feature initially launched just on iOS, but now it’s available on Android, Netflix spokesperson Dorian Rosenburg tells The Verge.

I used the feature to bookmark the best scene in Lost.

Lauren Feiner
Lauren Feiner
Civil society groups to SCOTUS: stop the TikTok ban to preserve free speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Knight First Amendment Institute are asking the court to pause the law that could ban TikTok on January 19th while considering the case. They “urge the Court to see the Act for what it is: a sweeping ban on free expression that triggers and fails the most exacting scrutiny under the First Amendment.”

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Point-and-shoots are so hot right now.

A quick swipe through TikTok shows the popularity of point-and-shoots with The Youths, and camera companies are catching on. Panasonic recently announced the new $499.99 ZS99, a refresh of its ZS80 from 2019, adding USB-C and vertical video support while removing the EVF.

The $849.99 (with a lens) G97 mirrorless camera is also launching alongside it. Both modest upgrades are due in February.

The ZS99 camera.
The ZS99 sports a 20.3-megapixel sensor and 30x optical zoom, available in black or the slightly more retro silver-and-black.
Image: Panasonic
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Disney removed a transgender storyline from a new Pixar show.

Pixar’s Win or Lose won’t have the story in one of its later episodes, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

A spokesperson for Disney confirmed that the story arc was removed and provided the following statement to THR: “When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”

Disney has also reportedly pulled a trans-inclusive story from the final season of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Lauren Feiner
Lauren Feiner
DOJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter delivers his farewell address.

Kanter says he’ll step down on Friday, as the incoming Trump administration prepares to take over and confirm new leadership. His principal deputy Doha Mekki will take over in the meantime. Kanter highlighted the division’s accomplishments during his tenure, including winning an anti-monopoly suit against Google, and building out a litigation program to take strong cases to court.