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Google reports increased Black and Latinx representation in the US

Illustration by Alex Castro / Th Google has released its annual diversity report, and the company says it made some positive progress over the past year. The company saw its “largest increases in representation of Black and Latinx Googlers in the US ever” at 20 percent and 8 percent respectively year over year, according to chief diversity officer Melonie Parker . Google also reported improved leadership representation of Black, Latinx and Native American employees by 27 percent, Parker says. But some data shows there is still more work to be done. The company’s US workforce is 33.5 percent women and 66.5 percent men, numbers that are only slightly different than the 32.2 percent women and 67.8 percent men reported in 2021. And in its 2022 report, Google said 48.3 percent of its US workers are white, while 43.2 percent are Asian, 6.9 percent are Latinx, 5.3 percent are Black, and 0.8 percent are Native American. The company does provide a vast amount of information about its stati

TikTok reportedly plans a ‘major push’ into gaming and games livestreamers could play with viewers

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Reuters reports TikTok is testing games for the app in Vietnam ahead of a “major push” into the space. A company representative confirmed tests of HTML5 mini-games, saying, “We’re always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that bring value to our community.” The outlet’s sources indicate the plan is for ad-supported games that draw from the library of its parent company, ByteDance, which could boost revenue and increase the amount of time people spend on the TikTok app — if that’s even possible. Image: Zynga Disco Loco 3D TikTok has already tried at least one in-app mini-game, as it teamed up with Feeding America to make Garden of Good , a FarmVille -like experience where players could earn points and use them to make a donation. It also announced a partnership with FarmVille developer Zynga late last year to make Disco Loco 3D , an HTML5-based endless runner that could work inside t

Android 13 beta will test out-of-the-box support for most braille displays

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge In the coming weeks, Google will begin beta testing a feature for Android 13 that makes it easier for users of braille displays to get up and running. Google announced in a blog post on Thursday that the next Android 13 beta will include “out-of-the-box support” for braille displays. Braille displays are used to create pin patterns to touch-read on-screen text and also type in braille. The display allows people with deafblindness to use smartphones and people who are blind to silently use mobile phones without screen readers or voice commands. Braille display support was already available on Android with Google’s screen reader Talkback, but now you won’t have to install another app first to access the feature. Braille display users will continue to access the same functionality like navigating the screen with the display’s buttons, making a phone call, writing an email, or sending a text message. Image: BraillePens Braille displays let us

Steam Deck rivals OneXPlayer, Aya, and GPD are planning their revenge with AMD’s 6800U

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The Steam Deck just spent five weeks at number one on Valve’s top seller list — on top of the five weeks it spent at number two . As one of the most affordable gaming PCs ever made, the $400-plus machine has clearly captured the attention of those who’d been waiting for a Switch-like portable gaming PC. But what of the companies that were already making Switch-like portable gaming PCs ? They now have their chance at revenge. That’s because all of the Steam Deck’s chief rivals — GPD, Aya, and OneXPlayer — have now confirmed they’re building handhelds around AMD’s Ryzen 6000U chips. And the 6800U, with its integrated Radeon 680M graphics, reportedly has the potential to squash the semi-custom Aerith SoC at the heart of the Steam Deck. Image: GPD The GPD Win Max 2 is a mini-laptop with added buttons and joysticks. OneXPlayer founder and CEO Jack Wong confirmed to me in a live translated interview that the company’s R&D team is already work

The best smartphone you can buy for under $500

You can get a great smartphone at this price, whether you want an iPhone, a 90Hz screen, or 5G support If you’re shopping for a new phone on a budget, we’ve got good news: you’re more likely to find midrange sub-$500 phones available in these days of crunched supply chains than many of the recent flagships. Fortunately, there are many excellent alternatives to the pricey, premium models that are nearly as capable and cost a lot less to boot. Companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung are spreading the wealth of features enjoyed by their flagships down to less expensive options. Other brands like TCL are also finding ways to challenge more established manufacturers with lower prices and more premium features. The bad news is this makes the job of picking the best budget phone that much harder. It’s impossible to buy a phone that does everything well at this price point. So prioritize the features that matter most to you, whether it’s 5G compatibility with a particular network, high-

Costa Rican president says country is ‘at war’ with Conti ransomware group

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Ransomware — and particularly the Conti ransomware gang — has become a geopolitical force in Costa Rica. On Monday, the new Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves – who began his four-year term only ten days ago – declared that the country was ”at war” with the Conti cybercriminal gang , whose ransomware attack has disabled agencies across the government since April. In a forceful statement made to press on May 16th, President Chaves also said that Conti was receiving help from collaborators within the country , and called on international allies to help. “We’re at war and this is not an exaggeration,” Chaves told local media . “The war is against an international terrorist group, which apparently has operatives in Costa Rica. There are very clear indications that people inside the country are collaborating with Conti.” “We’re at war and this is not an exaggeration” President Chaves’ declaration of war against Conti comes in the face of u

NY attorney general is investigating Twitch, Discord, and 4chan over Buffalo shooting

New York Attorney General Letitia James . | Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday that her office has launched an investigation into Twitch, Discord, 4chan, 8kun (previously 8chan), and other web and social media platforms in response to the racist attack in Buffalo, New York. The investigation will focus on “platforms that may have been used to stream, promote, or plan the event.” James is focusing her attention on the platforms the shooter used to “discuss and amplify” the attack. The gunman reportedly planned his attack in a private server on Discord before the shooting. In a document written by the shooter, he mentions using and getting influenced by both 4chan and 8chan, two sites known for a lack of moderation. “As we continue to mourn and honor the lives that were stolen, we are taking serious action to investigate these companies for their roles in this attack,” James said in a statement . My office i

Google’s finally straightening out its legacy free G-Suite mess

Free for people, not businesses. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Almost five months after Google announced that it was going to make G-Suite legacy free edition users start paying for their accounts, it seems to finally have a path in place that most people will be happy with. According to 9To5Google , there’s now a no-cost option that’ll let people keep using their G-Suite accounts for personal use, and signing up for it won’t involve a song and dance of joining a waitlist or transferring data between accounts. In January, Google announced that free G-Suite users would have to start paying for Google Workspace if they wanted to keep their accounts, after around a decade of keeping the legacy free tier around. The company said that if users didn’t decide which paid Workspace tier they wanted by May 1st, they’d be automatically upgraded based on their use. Later, Google said you’d have the option of transferring to a free account, but that you’d lose some features doin

Netflix has been screening new shows and movies among subscribers before their release

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Netflix has been showing movies and TV shows ahead of their public release to small groups of subscribers in the US, according to a report from Variety . Subscribers who participate in the feedback panels will watch “several upcoming movies and series over the course of about six months,” Variety says, and after they finish watching a piece of content, they’re asked to fill out a survey. The company then takes that feedback into account for potential changes ahead of a film or show’s debut. Netflix is well-known for testing many of its software features ahead of wider releases, like the Top 10 row and the “Play Something” shuffle feature , so it’s perhaps not too surprising that the company is also testing its content with small groups of users. The company has apparently been doing this since May 2021. The groups could help Netflix zero in on potential hits as it tries to weather the fallout from its latest earnings report, where it repor

Disney Plus with ads will keep the breaks down to four minutes per hour

Image: Disney When Disney Plus’ ad-supported plan goes live later this year, it will reportedly run ads for four minutes on movies or shows that last an hour or less, according to reports from Variety and The Wall Street Journal . As Variety points out, this would make Disney offer fewer ads per hour than some of its competitors. NBC’s Peacock runs no more than five minutes of ads for every hour of content, while HBO Max shows four minutes of ads per hour. Disney Plus’ planned number of ads even beats the Disney-owned Hulu, which runs anywhere from nine to 12 ads in one hour. As for the content of the ads themselves, the company is reportedly taking a cautious approach to maintain its family-friendly image. Disney isn’t just cutting out ads that may have adult themes, like anything related to alcohol or politics — Variety reports that it won’t accept any ads if they're from an entertainment competitor either. Disney may show fewer ads than its competitors Disney plans o

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s first trailer looks simply smashing

She-Hulk showing up at an event. | Disney Though Bruce Banner’s been one of the most physically powerful people running around Marvel’s movies for years at this point, that’s all about to change this summer as his cousin Jennifer Walters makes her way to MCU in Disney Plus’ She-Hulk: Attorney At Law . While both Hulks make appearances in She-Hulk ’s first trailer, the show’s clearly going to be Jennifer’s to own as she embarks on her own path to heroism. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law ’s first trailer introduces Jennifer at a tricky point in her already complicated life. Because the world’s filled with so many villains committing super crimes, Jennifer’s legal skills put her in high demand, but she isn’t quite certain that’s the kind of force for justice she wants to be. That soul searching’s likely what leads to her meeting up with Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) that somehow leads to an experiment that leaves her with the ability to transform into a hulking (and very CGI-ed) version of herself

The defunct LG Wing is getting Verizon C-band, because 5G in this country is silly

The LG Wing is cleared for takeoff on Verizon’s newest 5G spectrum. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge Verizon announced this week that the LG Wing will be getting an update that will allow it to use Verizon’s newest 5G spectrum — over a year after LG left the smartphone business altogether. The LG Wing has been certified to use mid-band spectrum called C-band, an important piece of Verizon’s 5G network that delivers better-than-LTE speeds and wide-ranging signal. Verizon spokesperson George Koroneos says that the update started arriving on devices yesterday and will continue to be pushed out through the rest of the week. That’s good news if you’re one of the few people who bought an LG Wing, and really a testament to LG for making good on its promise to keep providing some support for its devices. But why is a one-and-a-half-year-old phone from a defunct mobile brand getting this update now, when, say, last year’s Google Pixel 5A isn’t ? Because 5G in this country is still

The Yellowstone galaxy just got bigger

Harrison Ford is set to enter a very different galaxy. The Star Wars franchise star is joining the rapidly growing Yellowstone universe in another prequel, tentatively titled 1932.  Ford will star alongside Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, who comes from a wholly different universe, after her turn in the most recent Fast and Furious film. 1932 will sit squarely between Paramount+'s first Yellowstone spinoff prequel, 1883, and the original series. Yellowstone, which stars Kevin Costner, launched in 2018 to critical and audience acclaim. It deals with a family of ranchers, the Duttons, who own a huge swath of land (enough to surround an indigenous people's reservation) and all the trials and tribulations of trying to maintain control of the property. We've described it as " The Godfather on horseback ." 1883, which launched this year, is the Dutton origin story. Apparently, it was successful enough that Paramount+ decided to fill in the decades-wide gap wit

Netflix is laying off 150 employees, including dozens from its Tudum fansite

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Netflix is laying off around 150 employees and agency contractors following a disappointing earnings report, citing “slowing revenue growth,” as first reported by Variety . A source familiar with the situation tells The Verge the layoffs include at least 26 staff members working on the company’s fan-focused Tudum website, which serves as a supplement to Netflix’s content. Prior to this recent round of layoffs, Netflix let go of ar o und 25 marketing staff members , including close to a dozen who worked on Tudum. The 26 employees laid off today were informed of the move in a mass email. The streaming giant has confirmed to The Verge that most employees affected by the layoffs are located in the US. Netflix spokesperson Erika Masonhall issued the following statement in response to The Verge ’s request for comment, noting that the layoffs were mainly driven by financial issues, rather than performance: As we explained on earnings, our sl

Doctor Who's 60th anniversary will see an iconic duo return to the Tardis

Doctor Who fans might just want to tune in for the show's 60th anniversary next year, as one of the Time Lord's most fondly remembered actors is set to reprise his role for the anniversary, airing in 2023. Slash Film reports that David Tennant, the tenth Doctor, will be returning to the role for what's likely to be a special episode for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary. He's also joined by Catherine Tate, who played assistant Donna Noble during Tennant's tenure in the Tardis. The news comes shortly after the announcement of Ncuti Gatwa stepping into the Doctor's shoes as their fourteenth incarnation, with current star Jodie Whittaker passing the baton next year. "They're back!" wrote showrunner Russell T. Davies in a post on the BBC Media Centre . "And it looks impossible - first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on earth is happening?  Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel wor

iOS 16 will reportedly include new Apple apps and major changes

We'll likely see iOS 16 unveiled at WWDC 2022 in June, but we don’t know much about it so far. However, it’s increasingly sounding like it could be a big deal, with the latest leak pointing to major changes, new ways of interacting with widgets, and even some new Apple apps. That’s all according to Mark Gurman, a journalist with a solid track record for Apple information, who made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg. Gurman didn’t go into any detail, but we can take an educated guess at some of what he’s referring to. On the new apps front, there’s already evidence that Apple is working on an Apple Classical music streaming service , so that could be one. But Gurman said apps, plural, so there could still be some surprises. As for the new ways of interacting, that might refer to interactive widgets , which have previously leaked. iOS currently has widgets, but while they can show you information, you can’t interact with them, for example

Marvel's She-Hulk release date may have been leaked by Disney

The release date for Marvel Studios' She-Hulk has been leaked online – by none other than Disney itself. As first spotted by Murphy's Multiverse on Saturday, May 14, Disney's UK website appeared to confirm that the MCU TV show would arrive on August 17. The possible launch date was listed under the Marvel on Disney Plus section of the webpage, with She-Hulk seemingly set to land on Disney Plus this summer (or winter for those of you who reside in the southern hemisphere). Any reference to She-Hulk has been scrubbed from the website since its release date leaked. However, TechRadar was able to verify that the show's likely launch date and TV show summary was listed as recently as Saturday evening. Check out our screenshot below for confirmation of this fact: She-Hulk's Disney Plus release date has been leaked by Disney's UK division. (Image credit: Disney UK) She-Hulk is one of four Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shows due to launch on Disney Pl

UAE telco Etisalat becomes Vodafone's largest shareholder

Abu Dhabi-based telco Etisalat, also known as E&, has made a surprise investment in Vodafone, purchasing a 9.8% stake to become its largest shareholder. The $4.4 billion paid is a 10% premium on Vodafone’s share price, a vote of confidence in the Newbury-based operator’s present strategy. E& said the investment formed part of a wider strategy to be a global leader in telecoms and technology and that it would provide “significant exposure to a world leader in connectivity and digital services.” Vodafone consolidation Vodafone has spent the past few years doubling down in key markets like the UK and Germany, scaling up and expanding into new sectors. It has expressed its desire to be viewed as a technology company rather than just a mere provider of telecoms services. Market consolidation is one of its key ambitions, with chief executive Nick Read holding discussions with regulators and potential partners in Europe. Most recently this was believed to be in the UK with rival

Apple AirPods Max hit lowest ever price with this astonishing deal

If you've been looking to buy Apple AirPods Max, but have recoiled in horror at their extravagant pricing... good news! Apple's noise-cancelling over-ear headphones have dropped to their lowest-ever price thanks to a superb deal from Amazon. The retailer has cut the price of Apple's top-tier headphones from £549 to just £368 , saving you a gigantic £181. The only time we've seen them get any cheaper than that was with second hand or refurbished offers, and even then the additional saving was marginal. (Not in the UK? Scroll down for the best deals in your region.) Keep in mind though that this price cut only applies to the silver version of the AirPods Max . Other colours are discounted, too (the red AirPods Max are the next cheapest at £429 ), but it's the silver edition that's your best bet. Today's best Apple AirPods Max deals Apple AirPods Max - Silver: £549 £368 at Amazon Save £181 – The AirPods Max have never been this affordable, so

Netflix's star-studded The Gray Man isn't out yet and it's already becoming a trilogy

Despite reports that Netflix is looking to cut down on spending amid huge subscriber loss , the streaming service is going all in on its star-studded blockbuster The Gray Man , which is its most expensive film to date. As revealed in Empire Magazine's Summer 2022 issue (and then posted online by the BestOfChrisEvans Twitter account ), the $200 million action thriller is getting both a prequel and a sequel, which suggests the streaming giant is pretty confident that it's got a winner on its hands. It sure has the right team involved – The Gray Man is directed by The Russo Brothers (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Endgame ), and stars Ryan Gosling (The Nice Guys), Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger), Ana de Armas ( Knives Out ), Regé-Jean Page ( Bridgerton ) and Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade). The Gray Man prequel and sequel: here's what we know Empire writes that The Gray Man's prequel is to be written by Deadpool duo Rhett Reese and