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Apple faces UK ‘iCloud monopoly’ compensation claim worth $3.8 billion

U.K. consumer rights group ‘Which?’ is filing a legal claim against Apple under competition law on behalf of some 40 million users of iCloud, its cloud storage service. The collective proceeding lawsuit, which is seeking £3 billion in compensation damages (around $3.8 billion at current exchange rates), alleges that Apple has broken competition rules by […]

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How to Get Started on Bluesky

Waves of new users are flocking to the Twitter alternative, but Bluesky’s many customization options can be a bit overwhelming for newcomers. Here’s some advice on managing the flow.

What’s DOGE? Musk’s new political appointment under Trump is a crypto joke

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that one of his top donors, Elon Musk, will co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. It’s a not-even-thinly-veiled nod to the popular Doge meme, depicting a cute Shiba Inu, which is also the inspiration behind the meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin. The commission, which will advise Trump, […]

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Apple’s AI-powered Final Cut Pro 11 is now available

It’s been 13 years since Apple released Final Cut X. That’s just over half of the video-editing software’s entire lifespan, having celebrated its 25th birthday this April. It’s several lifetimes in the world of consumer software, leading some to wonder whether the company had quietly washed its hands of the offering. After 13 years of […]

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Apple updates Logic Pro with new sounds and search features

laptop with Logic Pro and the new audio plug-in enabled
Apple Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 with Quantec Room Simulator | Image: Apple

Apple today announced some minor updates to Logic Pro for both the Mac and the iPad, including the ability to search for plug-ins and sources and the addition of more analog-simulating sounds.

In Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 and Logic Pro for iPad 2.1, you can now reorder channel strips and plug-ins in the mixer and plug-in windows to make it easier to organize the layout of an audio mix.

As for the new sounds, Apple added a library of analog synthesizer samples called Modular Melodies, akin to the Modular Rhythms pack already found in Logic.

A more exciting sonic addition is the new Quantec Room Simulator (QRS) plug-in, which emulates the vintage digital reverb hardware of the same name, found in professional recording studios all over...

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Apple launches Final Cut Pro 11 with even more AI features

It’s been 25 years since the first Final Cut Pro was announced.

More than a decade after the launch of Final Cut Pro X, Apple’s video editing software is taking a step forward. The app is now being updated to Final Cut Pro 11, after dropping the number in its name for the past few years. The update includes new AI masking tools, the ability to generate captions directly in your timeline, spatial video editing features, and a set of workflow improvements. The new version is free for existing users and a $299 one-time purchase for new users. Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera are also getting some updates today, too.

I’ve spent the last week testing out these new features, and many of them are great improvements. I’ve been particularly impressed by the speed and accuracy of one new feature...

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IBM boosts the amount of computation you can get done on quantum hardware

There's a general consensus that we won't be able to consistently perform sophisticated quantum calculations without the development of error-corrected quantum computing, which is unlikely to arrive until the end of the decade. It's still an open question, however, whether we could perform limited but useful calculations at an earlier point. IBM is one of the companies that's betting the answer is yes, and on Wednesday, it announced a series of developments aimed at making that possible.

On their own, none of the changes being announced are revolutionary. But collectively, changes across the hardware and software stacks have produced much more efficient and less error-prone operations. The net result is a system that supports the most complicated calculations yet on IBM's hardware, leaving the company optimistic that its users will find some calculations where quantum hardware provides an advantage.

Better hardware and software

IBM's early efforts in the quantum computing space saw it ramp up the qubit count rapidly, being one of the first companies to reach the 1,000 qubit count. However, each of those qubits had an error rate that ensured that any algorithms that tried to use all of these qubits in a single calculation would inevitably trigger one. Since then, the company's focus has been on improving the performance of smaller processors. Wednesday's announcement was based on the introduction of the second version of its Heron processor, which has 133 qubits. That's still beyond the capability of simulations on classical computers, should it be able to operate with sufficiently low errors.

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Study Revolutionize Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment

This shows a man sitting awake in bed.Researchers released new clinical guidelines for treating restless legs syndrome (RLS), emphasizing patient-centered care and evidence-based updates. Iron supplementation is now a key recommendation, addressing low brain iron as a cause of RLS. Dopamine agonists like pramipexole and ropinirole are de-emphasized due to risks of worsening symptoms, while newer treatments such as alpha-2-delta ligands, nerve stimulation, and low-dose opioids gain conditional or strong recommendations.

OpenAI’s take on AI agents could come in January

OpenAI could release an “AI agent” tool as soon as January. That’s according to Bloomberg, which reports that OpenAI is close to launching software, code-named “Operator,” that can take direct actions on a person’s computer. OpenAI is said to be planning to initially launch Operator as a research preview through its developer API. Operator would […]

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OpenAI reportedly plans to launch an AI agent early next year

Photo collage of a computer with the ChatGPT logo on the screen.
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images

OpenAI is preparing to release an autonomous AI agent that can control computers and perform tasks independently, code-named “Operator.” The company plans to debut it as a research preview and developer tool in January, according to Bloomberg.

This move intensifies the competition among tech giants developing AI agents: Anthropic recently introduced its “computer use” capability, while Google is reportedly preparing its own version for a December release. The timing of Operator’s eventual consumer release remains under wraps, but its development signals a pivotal shift toward AI systems that can actively engage with computer interfaces rather than just process text and images.

All the leading AI companies have promised autonomous AI...

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Metabolic Pathways Link Cannabis to Psychosis in Teens

This shows the outline of people and brains.A study investigated how cannabis use influences metabolomic patterns linked to psychotic-like experiences in adolescents. Blood samples revealed that non-cannabis users showed inflammatory metabolic changes associated with hallucinations, while cannabis users exhibited shifts in energy-related metabolites tied to brain ketogenesis. These findings suggest that cannabis use may trigger distinct molecular pathways in psychotic-like experiences.

Sonos revenue falls in the aftermath of company’s messy app debacle

Vector illustration of the Sonos logo.
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Sonos is still trying to climb out from the hole it dug itself earlier this year by recklessly shipping an overhauled mobile app well before the software was actually ready. Today, just a couple weeks after the release of its latest hardware products — the Arc Ultra and Sub 4 — Sonos reported its fiscal Q4 2024 earnings. And the damage done by the app debacle is clear.

Revenue was down 8 percent year over year, which Sonos attributed to “softer demand due to challenging market conditions and challenges resulting from our recent app rollout.” During the quarter, the company sank $4 million into unspecified “app recovery investments.” (Sonos previously estimated it could spend up to $30 million to resolve all of the trouble that has...

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Don Lemon officially leaves Elon Musk’s X

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said on Wednesday he is leaving Elon Musk’s X, a decision made less than a year after X announced that “The Don Lemon Show” would appear on the social media platform three times a week. That deal was canceled before it was ever signed, and Lemon sued Musk and X […]

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