167 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.

Jess Weatherbed

Jess Weatherbed

News Reporter

News Reporter

    More From Jess Weatherbed

    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    Tesla temporarily halts production at its biggest European factory.

    The company blames the two-week pause at its German Gigafactory on a component shortage caused by shipping disruptions in the Red Sea — a major trade route between Asia and Europe.

    Iranian-backed Houthi militants have increasingly targeted cargo ships in the region following the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7th. Delays caused by shipping companies re-routing around the conflict are also impacting production at Volvo.

    Exclusive: Tesla Berlin to stop most output for two weeks due to Red Sea disruption

    [Reuters]

    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    Watch this tongue-operated retainer control a phone.

    This is the first public demonstration of Augmental’s retainer-like MouthPad accessibility gadget. It can be used to control devices that support a Bluetooth mouse, including phones, tablets, computers, and even sex toys, without significantly impairing speech.

    Engadget said it’s “one of the most elegant and sophisticated” tongue-operated controllers to date after seeing a live demo at CES.

    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    It’s great being Zuckerberg’s prized pig — until you’re not.

    The Meta CEO’s habit of pivoting the company in new directions — AI being the latest example — is irking its employees, who are getting are sick of fighting for coveted places on Zuckerberg’s ever-changing passion projects.

    As reported by Bloomberg:

    Morale at Reality Labs in particular has plummeted. People who scrambled to get on the project that was supposed to define Meta’s future are dismayed to find they’re not Zuckerberg’s favorite team anymore, say employees. Even members of the Instagram Threads team—who enjoyed favored status when the product’s July 2023 introduction was an immediate hit and Zuckerberg was in the mood to fight Elon Musk—have recently felt neglected.

    Mark Zuckerberg Pivots to AI From Metaverse to Further His Legacy

    [Bloomberg]

    Google removes 17 features from Google AssistantGoogle removes 17 features from Google Assistant
    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    Do you own this dangerous Ikea USB charger?

    Ikea is recalling its Åskstorm 40W USB charger after finding that degradation of the cable may cause thermal burns and electrical shocks. “Ikea urges all customers... to stop using it and to contact Ikea for a full refund.” No receipt required.

    The recall was posted across numerous regions including Canada, Spain, and the UK, but not yet in the US where it was also sold.

    Ikea’s ÅSKSTORM 40W USB charger on a white background.
    If you’re unsure, you can identify the correct charger by checking the label for the model number ICPSW5-40-1.
    Image: Ikea
    FTC bans major data broker from selling invasive location tracking detailsFTC bans major data broker from selling invasive location tracking details
    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    This Wacom AI debacle has certainly taken a turn.

    It turns out the “third-party vendor” Wacom sourced its suspicious campaign imagery from is likely Adobe Stock, though none of the now-deleted stock images were tagged as AI-generated.

    It’s little wonder artists feel betrayed if the creative-focused companies that have supported them for decades can’t even identify poor-quality AI images from authentic human-made art.

    A screenshot of multiple AI-generated dragons hosted on Adobe Stock.
    The now deleted image collection from Adobe Stock user Umair (pictured) appears to be where Wacom purchased its controversial campaign images from.
    Image: Adobe Stock
    Artists are making creative companies apologize for using AIArtists are making creative companies apologize for using AI
    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    China claims it can now identify Airdrop users that are ‘bad influences.’

    A government-backed firm in China claims that it’s cracked Apple’s encrypted Airdrop feature, allowing police to access the phone numbers and emails of those using it to share undesirable content.

    This follows the country restricting AirDrop after it was used by protestors to spread anti-CCP images, alongside laws that close App Store loopholes used to install apps blocked in the country.

    China Says Cracked Apple AirDrop to Identify Message Sources

    [Bloomberg]

    Jess Weatherbed
    Jess Weatherbed
    Riot commits a heinous game design sin: making ugly characters.

    League of Legends fans were so upset about the unnervingly human appearance of its latest character, Smolder the baby dragon, that the studio overhauled the design just days after he was unveiled.

    See the difference yourself — he certainly looks less like a My Little Pony extra. If the Sonic the Hedgehog redesign proved anything, it’s that listening to fans is sometimes a good thing. Sometimes.

    A before and after comparison of Smolder’s redesign from League of Legends.
    Here comes the Smolder (v2.0).
    Image: Riot / @neolexical

    Most Popular

    Most Popular
    1. Apple agrees to pay iPhone owners $250 million for not delivering AI Siri
    2. Valve just imported 50 tons of game consoles in two days
    3. Google’s AI architect lived rent-free in Elon Musk’s head
    4. Bose takes a swing at Sonos with its new home speakers
    5. Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes