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Binance hackers stole $6.3 billion in record-breaking crypto heist

An illustration of falling coins with crypto logos on.
Binance says it will cover all loses resulting from the hack. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Turbosquid

Binance has disclosed that $6.3 billion worth of crypto funds have been stolen from the platform, in what's believed to be the biggest cryptocurrency hack on record. In a series of updates posted to X, the crypto exchange said that user funds are safe, and that around $3 billion of the impacted assets have been frozen so far.

Binance has publicly committed to covering any losses resulting from the hack. The company has an emergency reserve fund of around $1.3 billion (at last valuation) to protect user assets in these situations, and said it has also reserved over $6.34 billion of company funds to cover this incident - $5 billion of which …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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The NYT Cooking app is testing AI recipe modifications

Screenshots showing the NYT Cooking app’s new AI recipe modification tool.
The AI tool provides recommendations and adjusts the recipe accordingly. | Image: The New York Times

The New York Times is testing a new AI feature for its Cooking app that helps users to modify recipes, and it has sparked some drama among users. Last Friday, NYT Cooking senior editor Genevieve Ko announced the feature, which can be used to recommend substitutions for ingredients and cooking equipment, scale recipes to any number of servings, and "generally make our recipes work for what a cook needs at that moment."

One of the examples given in the article shows a user asking to use baby spinach instead of kale, with the Cooking app feature advising that because baby spinach wilts faster, it should be added during a later step of the reci …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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DoorDash is acquiring Instacart for $17 billion

A DoorDash bag in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
Speculation around a deal started circulating last week. | Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

DoorDash has announced that it's buying Instacart in a deal valued at approximately $17 billion. The acquisition will give DoorDash a bigger presence in online grocery delivery thanks to Instacart's established grocery marketplace and retailer partnerships, with Instacart CEO Chris Rogers saying the deal will make "online grocery more seamless and affordable" for millions of households.

DoorDash says the acquisition will give Instacart users acces to more than 50,000 additional stores, and allow DashPass and Instacart Plus members to "pay one membership fee instead of two." The deal is expected to close "in the end of 2027 or the first half …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Apple refreshes the iMac with M6 chips

The M6 iMac

Apple is updating the iMac with M6 chips. The new iMac generation was introduced today, ahead of Apple's "Pro and Tell" event that's scheduled to take place on Wednesday, giving Apple's all-in-one desktop computer a performance boost via the same chipset it launched with the Mac Mini in August. Prices start from $1,499, and the design otherwise appears largely unchanged.

This refresh comes two years after Apple gave the iMac a colorful M4 overhaul, meaning we're skipping the M5 series entirely on this hardware. That should make this upgrade more meaningful. The M6 is Apple's first 2nm chip and includes a dual 16-core Neural Engine that can …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Evo 2 adds a touchscreen and video recording

The Instax Mini Evo 2 being used to take a photo of a ginger cat.
Look at that big, beautiful touchscreen. | Image: Fujifilm

Fujifilm is trying to find the right balance of fun and photography with its latest hybrid instant camera. Like its predecessor, the Instax Mini Evo 2 feels less like a retro gimmick, and more like a basic digital camera that just happens to have a built-in printer. It also enjoys some key upgrades: a larger 1/2.77-inch sensor compared to the 1/5-inch sensor on the first Mini Evo, a bigger 4.5-inch rear display with touchscreen controls, and basic video recording too - though only the few seconds leading up to a photo.

Video is limited in other ways compared to modern standards - the MP4 clips can only be saved to a microSD card (though the …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Acer is bringing a Predator gaming handheld to the US for the first time

The Acer Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld.

It's been several months since Acer unveiled its Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld, but now we finally know that it's coming to the US, and how much it'll cost. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme variant - the more powerful of the two models announced in May - will be available exclusively at Best Buy on November 1st, priced at $1,299.99.

For that, the Atlas 8 provides Arc B390 graphics with 12 Xe3 GPU cores, paired with 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM. The 8-inch display runs at 120Hz, and the device comes equipped with dual-mode triggers, TMR joysticks, and the ability to be used for both handheld or docked setups. It runs Windows 11 and can be used with Xbox G …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads

The Google logo on a white, red, blue, and green background.

Google has updated its privacy policy in a way that could mean you'll start seeing targeted ads based on your personal data if you're using personalized AI features. The update, spotted by Android Authority, adds an exception to its promise about not using your Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos for personalized ads. While the previous version simply said it wouldn't do that, as of October 16th, Google has added the line, "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads."

That means anyone who has connected their Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos to AI Mode and other Search tools …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Brick’s new app blocker is designed for bedtime doomscrolling

The Brick Night, being touched by a person’s hand.
The Brick Night is considerably bigger then the OG Brick, and more than double the price. | Image: Brick

Brick, the company behind the $59 gadget that blocks you from using apps on your phone, has launched a new device that's designed to help you cut back on doomscrolling in bed. The $129 Brick Night introduces a location-based element: instead of requiring you to tap your phone against the device, like the OG Brick, this version uses Bluetooth to automatically kick in when you enter your bedroom (or any other room you put it in).

The Brick Night uses two CR2477 batteries, and you can set a location zone of up to 25 feet x 25 feet. Both this and the Brick allow you to select specific apps to block instead of rendering your entire phone inacces …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Startup equips genetically enhanced dogs with Palmer Luckey’s military tech

A screenshot taken form the Warhound website banner. showing dogs equipped with military tech.
The Warhound website calls this β€œa new breed of dominance.” | Image: Warhound

A new Texas-based defense startup has a plan to improve military and police dogs in the US: it's going to genetically modify them and equip them with Anduril's military technology. Warhound is the brainchild of Anduril's Palmer Luckey and Ben Lamm, co-founder of Colossal Biosciences (the company that says it's trying to resurrect extinct animals), and it's already secured $200 million in funding from investors.

Warhound plans to use Colossal's work in genetics, cloning, and animal biology to "produce healthier dogs with characteristics suited to demanding missions," with Anduril then equipping them with its "advanced cybernetic Augments." T …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Delta can turn the iPhone Duo into your favorite folding handheld

New features included in version 2.0 of the delta gaming emulator app.
The Duo has a Nintendo DS-like shape anyway, so Delta 2.0 is running with it. | Image: Riley Testut

The Delta gaming emulator has been upgraded with a plethora of new goodies and support updates, which includes optimizing it for Apple's iPhone Duo. Delta 2.0 also introduces Sega Genesis games, animated controller skins, custom PokΓ©mon DLC experiences, and a new UI that was built around supporting Liquid Glass.

Adding support for the iPhone Duo is an obvious standout here - if you looked at Apple's flagship foldable and wondered how well it could emulate Nintendo DS games, this update was made with you in mind. Delta app creator Riley Testut told The Verge that Delta 2.0 optimizes controller skins for "every pose in both portrait and lands …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Conversational Gemini navigation comes to Apple CarPlay

Illustration of the Google Gemini logo.

After introducing its Gemini AI assistant to Android Auto last year, Google is now bringing it to Apple CarPlay users. The conversational Gemini in navigation is available today for US drivers, with "rollout happening globally too," according to Google (we've asked for specific regional availability details).

It's taken almost 12 months for Google to bring this to CarPlay users, but now they can talk to the voice assistant in Google Maps to get some hands-free help while driving. That includes asking it multi-step questions, such as recommendations on places to visit and then prompting it to direct you there while avoiding toll roads. Users …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Blink brings 4K to its low-cost security camera lineup

Five new Blink security cameras.
From left to right, here are the Outdoor 2K XR Plus and Mini Pant-Tilt 2K Plus (top), and the Spotlight Cam 2K Plus, Mini 4K Plus, and Frontier XR Plus (bottom). | Image: Amazon / Blink

Amazon is launching a new lineup of Blink security cameras, including its first 4K, pan-tilt models, and battery-powered spotlight models. These new additions provide better resolution and extended range for monitoring your property compared to Blink's current Mini 2K, Mini 2K Plus, and Outdoor 2K Plus offerings, with a variety of different specializations to best suit your security requirements.

One of the standouts is the $199.99 Blink Frontier XR Plus, a trail camera that's designed for expansive properties that would typically require multiple cameras or specialized monitoring equipment. It can cover up to 7,000 feet with a clear line …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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A critical PHP vulnerability may take websites down today

Cybersecurity illustration by Carlo Cadenas.
This PHP issue sounds like a pretty huge problem. | Illustration by Carlo Cadenas / The Verge

Security patches for the PHP programming language, widely used to build websites and web apps, are expected to roll out today, with the goal of fixing two critical vulnerabilities that could wreak havoc on the internet if left unchecked. In an advisory published on Tuesday, PHP developers said the vulnerabilities have a severity rating of 9.2 out of a possible 10, with some cybersecurity agencies encouraging websites to temporarily take their systems offline if they're unable to apply the fix immediately.

The security patch is expected to drop today at 10AM ET - though the developers say they may release it earlier if the vulnerability deta …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Chrome will now show a warning before you visit β€˜suspicious’ sites

Google Chrome’s new warning message for suspicious websites.
If you know for sure that a website flagged as suspicious is actually safe, you can mark it as such. | Image: Google

Google is launching a new browser safety feature for Chrome that aims to keep you better informed about how malicious a website might be before you open it. The new suspicious site warnings, available when Chrome's Enhanced Protection is on, build on a similar two-stage system introduced for Chrome file downloads in 2024, which provides visually different notifications for blocked files based on whether they're determined to be "suspicious" or "dangerous."

For the Chrome site warnings, the feature will flag a website as suspicious if it detects that it has similar qualities to other sites associated with phishing, malware, and scams. Google …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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TikTok employees said they knew about child safety issues, but execs failed to act

The TikTok logo on a black background with repeating geometric shapes

TikTok was repeatedly warned by its own staffers about risks its platform posed to child safety, according to court records obtained by NPR. The publication reports that employees were frustrated over TikTok executives failing to appropriately act on concerns they raised, including minors bypassing age-restricted content, and appearing in "transactional sexual content" the company could financially benefit from.

The previously unreported depositions of TikTok staffers were filed in federal court in March, and connected to a multi-district litigation initiated in 2022 that brings together hundreds of lawsuits alleging that TikTok, Meta, Snap …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Spotify’s new podcast memberships let you pay for extra perks

An image showing Spotify’s Membership feature for podcast creators.

Spotify is enabling podcast creators to earn more money through the platform by providing their fans with a way to pay to access exclusive content. First announced in May, the new Memberships subscription feature is starting to roll out in 34 regions today, allowing podcasters to offer perks including additional content, early access, bonus episodes, and reduced ads behind a paywall.

Users can find Memberships on a podcast's Spotify page, with the ability to subscribe, pay, and access the exclusive benefits "in just a few taps," according to Spotify. Podcast creators can set their pricing options and bundle benefits across multiple subscrip …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Some Google Home Speakers caught downloading hundreds of gigs of data

A Google Home Speaker.
Google says a fix is rolling out that should solve the issue. | Photo: Jennifer Patison Tuohy / The Verge

Some Google Home Speaker owners are currently experiencing an issue in which hundreds of gigabytes of data are being continuously downloaded to their device in the background. The bug, reported by 9to5Google and several Reddit users over the last week, may be caused by the speakers failing to correctly download and install a firmware update, with one Redditor finding that his device was consuming more than 200GB per day.

Thankfully, Google is aware of the issue. In a statement to 9to5Google, the company said that "a fix is already rolling out that should address this for users." Most of the reports are tied specifically to the new Google Ho …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Amazon is funding a new nuclear plant in Indiana

A digital rendering of a promposed nuclear energy plant that Amazon is funding in Indiana.
It’ll be several years before the facility is complete, but this digital rendering gives us some idea of what it’ll look like. | Image: Amazon

Amazon has signed an agreement with X-energy and American Electric Power (AEP) to fund the building of a new nuclear energy facility in Indiana. The proposed plant, which would replace the now defunct coal-fueled Breed Generating Station in Fairbanks, Sullivan County, aims to provide up to 960 megawatts of carbon-free energy for both the regional power grid and Amazon's data centers.

No timeline for construction or operation has been announced for the facility, which Amazon says "could" create 1,000 construction jobs and 100 permanent roles. The facility in Indiana is targeting to build 12 Xe-100 SMR's, an advanced (but unproven) reactor th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Time is a-changin’: say goodbye to the leap second

Doomsday clock close to midnight with ASCII graphic.

An important change will soon be made to global timekeeping that aims to prevent potential infrastructure failures akin to the Y2K bug scare. On Thursday, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) voted to scrap the leap second, an ad hoc time adjustment that's occasionally added so tracked time standards mirror the Earth's real (and inconsistent) rotation.

BIPM members previously agreed in 2022 to cease using leap seconds on or before 2035, but this is now being expedited to take effect on May 20th next year, aligning with World Metrology Day. There's an unprecedented reason for its retirement being brought forward: changes t …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Microsoft’s new Photos app combines your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud galleries

The updated Photos app for Windows 11.
Link your image libraries together into one easy browsing gallery. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has redesigned its Photos app for Windows 11, overhauling the editor and image viewer, and combining photos and videos from your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud into a single space. The new combined gallery experience aims to make it easier to manage and view your photos without jumping between apps or devices, while also improving app launch and scrolling performance in Photos.

To combine your galleries in the Windows 11 Photos app, you'll need to turn on Camera Backup in the OneDrive mobile app on iOS or Android, and follow Apple's guide to set up iCloud for Windows. Once combined in the Windows 11 Photos app, you can browse by date, o …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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