YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, and other online platforms are changing the way people create and consume media. The Verge’s Creators section covers the people using these platforms, what they’re making, and how those platforms are changing (for better and worse) in response to the vloggers, influencers, podcasters, photographers, musicians, educators, designers, and more who are using them.
The Verge’s Creators section also looks at the way creators are able to turn their projects into careers — from Patreons and merch sales, to ads and Kickstarters — and the ways they’re forced to adapt to changing circumstances as platforms crack down on bad actors and respond to pressure from users and advertisers. New platforms are constantly emerging, and existing ones are ever-changing — what creators have to do to succeed is always going to look different from one year to the next.
After building a miniature walking Star Wars AT-AT, James Bruton is back with another custom ride-on that reminds us of the Audi RSQ concept car featured in 2004’s I, Robot.
The Audi rolled around on four spherical wheels, but Bruton’s bike manages to self-balance on just two using five electric motors that transfer power to big red balls through omni-directional wheels.
TikTok went hard on Dear Leader flattery with its we’re-banned-we’re-back messaging, but it didn’t even get the full 90-day extension Trump promised — it’s only 75. And Trump loves nothing more than leverage, as he made clear while signing the EO. This thing is getting sold, one way or another.
It’s an odd seating arrangement considering that Shou Zi Chew is counting on Trump to help TikTok get out of its US ban that’s based on national security concerns. If confirmed, Tulsi Gabbard would be the one advising the president on such threats. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
Hong Kong-based BBoHK has shared a video and images of a handheld emulator they designed with an impressive level of finish.
It’s built using a combination of 3D-printed parts, a custom PCB, a 2,500mAh battery, and a compact Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, according to Tom’s Hardware. It can almost be mistaken for a Nintendo Switch thanks to compatibility with actual Joy-Cons.
Now that TikTok service has been restored in the United States, Marvel Snap is soon to follow. The Marvel collectible card game was caught up on the TikTok ban because its publisher is owned by ByteDance, the company that also runs TikTok. Snap’s developer, Second Dinner, has posted on social media that it expects the game to available again sometime today.
You can catch the national mood from time to time using the iOS App Store’s top free apps list.
After today’s TikTok chaos, the top 20 apps there are taken up mostly by VPNs and video editing or social media posting apps, with a little ChatGPT and Temu sprinkled in for good measure.
The Arkansas Republican and Intelligence Committee chair is putting companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle on notice that they could face not only Justice Department lawsuits, but action from shareholders and state enforcers for servicing TikTok. The warning flies in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s apparent desire to have TikTok operating on Inauguration Day.
The app is partially back online in the US with a message explicitly thanking President Trump. The chances that all this desperate messaging backfires and he still forces a sale are steadily rising — that’s what Trump is saying, and the rest of the GOP is insistent that the law be enforced.
Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Rickets “called some of the major tech companies in recent days to say they needed to comply with” today’s federal TikTok ban, reports The New York Times.
The article followed a joint statement from the two praising Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft for “halting operations with ByteDance and TikTok.” Since then, the app has started coming back online — but is still unavailable in app stores.
[The New York Times]
The memo to advertisers I’ve seen notes that the app is coming online for “the majority of U.S. users” but not all of them:
I am pleased to let you know that as of today, TikTok will become available for the majority of U.S. users. Over the course of Sunday, ad campaigns that include U.S. audiences will resume operating and delivering ads to U.S.-based users, although live campaigns will have certain limitations. Although we’ve reinforced our infrastructure to minimize disruptions, we anticipate some temporary service instability that may affect advertising in the U.S. Thank you for sticking with us. We know how vital TikTok is to your brand and your audiences, and we’re working hard to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
The platform says it’s “in the process of restoring service” but Apple and Google make it clear that it’s not available due to the divest-or-ban law.
Search for TikTok on Google Play, and you’ll see a message saying, “Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements,” while the App Store notes “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.”
TikTok’s native visionOS app still works, at least for me, after the company cut off access for millions of US users of its smartphone app.
Despite the app continuing to be locked down, TikTok’s website seems to be working for US users, including those of us at The Verge, though at least in my case, it features a banner saying it’s unavailable.
Meanwhile, the app version now features a message saying it’s “temporarily unavailable,” and no longer mentions Trump.
As of 11:45AM ET, the app shows a new — less groveling — pop up when you try to open it: “We’re working hard to resolve this issue. Thank you for your patience.”
Compare that to the message the company pushed to users last night as the app went dark: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
Here’s our recap to catch you up on TikTok’s shutdown and how we got here with the ban that no one seemed to want to implement.
And yes, we included some funny (and sad) recent videos here.
The app is set to be shut off in the US at midnight on Saturday after losing its appeal to the Supreme Court. TikTok president Blake Chandlee just sent this to advertisers:
This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we’re working quickly with our legal and policy teams to assess the situation and provide clear, accurate updates for our valued partners. We’re optimistic about finding the best path forward.
Rest assured, we’ll be in touch with more details and next steps ahead of the Sunday, January 19 deadline.
He then links to CEO Shou Chew’s reaction video, which makes clear the company is banking on Trump saving it from a ban.
Would you buy a designer handbag from Walmart? Through a partnership with Rebag, shoppers can buy secondhand luxury accessories like Louis Vuitton wallets and Chanel shoulder bags from Walmart’s site.
The move may be in part a response to Hermés Birkin lookalikes — “The Walmart Birkin” — that went viral earlier this month and quickly sold out.
