Paramount is shutting down its TV studio as part of a new wave of layoffs - Technology news - NewsLocker (2024)

Image: Paramount Ahead of its upcoming merger with Skydance Media, Paramount is winding down its TV production studio as part of a larger restructuring effort that will put 15% of its current workforce out of jobs.
In a memo sent to employees today and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount TV head Nicole Clemons and Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks announced that Paramount Global is shuttering the studio. Clemens, who joined Paramount in 2018 following former exec Amy Powell’s sudden

AMD’s new Zen 5 CPUs fail to impress during early reviews

Image: AMD AMD launched its first Zen 5 desktop processors earlier this month, and tomorrow it’s about to release what looks like a disappointing flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU. Early reviews of the initial Zen 5 CPUs — the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X — revealed a lack of performance improvements and efficiencies, and now reviews of the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X are coming to the same conclusion.
Hardware Unboxed has tested a variety of productivity workloads and games with the 99

How to troubleshoot someone else’s computer remotely

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge If you read The Verge, then you probably know your tech, and so it’s likely that you’re sometimes asked to help troubleshoot computer issues by friends, family, and / or neighbors. It can be something as simple as just turning on the Wi-Fi or as complicated as having to update a BIOS. Whatever’s wrong, it’s much harder to sort out if you’re not in the same room as the computer in question — and trying to work with someo

Google’s Pixel 9 launch also brought a new 45W USB-C charger

Google’s new 45W charger is available for preorder today, with shipping expected as early as next week. | Image: Google One device that didn’t get a main stage reveal during yesterday’s Made by Google event is the company’s new 45W USB-C charger. That’s not entirely surprising given the new Pixel 9 lineup, the Pixel Watch 3, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 were overshadowed by Google’s artificial intelligence efforts.
The 45W charger replaces Google’s 30W charg

Advertisem*nt

Gamergate’s Aggrieved Men Still Haunt the Internet

Ten years ago, much of the frustrations gamers were expressing came from anger over no longer being the target audience. Now those feelings are everywhere, from fandom to politics.

Samsung’s new Family Care service helps caregivers monitor loved ones

Samsung’s Family Care is part of the SmartThings app and allows caregivers to monitor loved ones remotely using Galaxy smartphones. | Image: SmartThings Samsung is launching a new service to help caregivers remotely monitor and assist loved ones using smart home devices. SmartThings Family Care is a free service that uses both Samsung’s SmartThings smart home platform and Galaxy smartphones to help caregivers stay connected. It first launched in Korea in June and will be available in

AI overshadowed Pixel at the Pixel event

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Google’s Tuesday event was ostensibly about Pixel hardware. Really, it was about AI.
Google’s Rick Osterloh made that clear from the moment he walked onstage, where his initial remarks focused a lot more on Google’s artificial intelligence efforts than devices:
A few months ago at Google I/O, we shared a broad range of breakthroughs to make AI more helpful for everyone. We’re obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more pro

Nascar Pit Crews Are Using AI for the Perfect Pit Stop

In a sport where speed is everything, Richard Childress Racing has embraced artificial intelligence to time its refueling down to the millisecond.

Advertisem*nt

Microsoft is enabling BitLocker device encryption by default on Windows 11

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Microsoft is making BitLocker device encryption a default feature in its next major update to Windows 11. If you clean install the 24H2 version that’s rolling out in the coming months, device encryption will be enabled by default when you first sign in or set up a device with a Microsoft account, or work / school account.
Device encryption is designed to improve the security of Windows machines by automatically enabling BitLocker encryption on the Windows i

This Gargantuan Lab Simulates Blasting Satellites Into Space

If you spend millions of dollars developing a satellite, you need to know it can handle the rigors of hurtling around the Earth at 17,000 mph. The UK's National Satellite Test Facility is here to help.

Supplements Companies Are Cashing In on the Ozempic Wave

With demand for GLP-1 drugs sky-high, the supplement industry is elbowing into the market. Some products are meant to complement meds like Ozempic. Others are positioned as “natural” alternatives.

xAI’s new Grok-2 chatbots brings AI image generation to X

Image: xAI Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini: two new models of its Grok chatbot that offer upgraded performance and new image-generation capabilities. Grok’s prompt-based image maker is powered by Black Forest Lab’s Flux 1 AI model, and allows users to generate and publish images directly to the X social platform — with seemingly few guardrails in place to prevent abuse.
xAI says that Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini are available in beta on X (where G

xAI’s new Grok-2 chatbots bring AI image generation to X

Image: xAI Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini: two new models of its Grok chatbot that offer upgraded performance and new image-generation capabilities. Grok’s prompt-based image maker is powered by Black Forest Lab’s Flux 1 AI model, and allows users to generate and publish images directly to the X social platform — with seemingly few guardrails in place to prevent abuse.
xAI says that Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini are available in beta on X (where G

Want to Win a Bike Race? Hack Your Rival’s Wireless Shifters

Please don’t, actually. But do update your Shimano Di2 shifters’ software to prevent a new radio-based form of cycling sabotage.

iProov: 70% of organizations will be greatly impacted by gen AI deepfakes

Roughly half of organizations say they have encountered a deepfake and are incredibly concerned as the technology grows more sophisticated.Read More

The 2025 Ford Maverick Shows That Hybrid Pickup Trucks Are Going Mainstream

Just as Tesla ditches its $60,000 Cybertruck, Ford finally allows buyers to pair its efficient hybrid powertrain with all-wheel drive and a towing package. Hallelujah.

HMD Skyline Review: The First Qi2 Android Smartphone

I tried the world’s first Qi2 Android smartphone, which adds a MagSafe-like charging experience.

Apple relents and approves Spotify app with EU pricing

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Spotify will begin showing in-app pricing information for iPhone users in the European Union starting today, following a yearslong legal battle against Apple. In an update to an old blog post, Spotify says that EU iPhone users will now see things like promotional offers and pricing information for each subscription tier — including how much a plan costs once a promotion ends.
One thing that’s missing is the ability to click a link to make those purcha

Best Student Discounts (2024): Laptops, Streaming Services, Tech, and Software

That .edu email is your ticket to exclusive savings on laptops, streaming services, software, and more.

The English Premier League Will Ditch Its Hated VAR Offside Tech for a Fleet of iPhones

Later this season, the UK's top soccer division will replace its controversial VAR offside detection system in favor of a whole bunch of Apple's smartphones.

The English Premier League Has a New, iPhone-Powered Offside Detection System

Later this season, the UK's top soccer division will replace its controversial VAR offside detection system in favor of a whole bunch of Apple's smartphones.

Most mobile devs still building new games despite job security risks | Sandsoft

In Sandsoft's survey of 450+ senior mobile game devs, 81% said they were working on new games but 67% are worried about their job security.Read More

Sustainable Games Alliance aims to make industry climate friendly

The Sustainable Games Alliance, a non-profit cooperative of game companies and trade associations, has formally announced its launch.Read More

Valve confirms it'll support the ROG Ally with its Steam Deck operating system

Valve once imagined that every PC maker could have their own "Steam Machine," a PC game console running the company's Linux-based SteamOS. It took a decade for that dream to evolve into the company's own internally developed Steam Deck gaming handheld, but the original dream isn't dead.The company's long said it plans to let other companies use SteamOS, too — and that means explicitly supporting the rival Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld, Valve designer Lawrence Yang now confirms to The Verg

Gamescom will have more than 1,400 exhibitors, up 15% from a year ago

Gamescom 2024 will kick off next week in Cologne, Germany, with more than 1,400 exhibitors, a new record at 15% more than a year ago.Read More

Google taps YouTube stars to hawk its new Pixel phones

For the launch of its new Pixel phones, Google looked to YouTube stars to bring the heat. An online After Party breathed new life into the brand's snooze-y "Made by Google" keynote by featuring a who's who of YouTube talent. Amelia Dimoldenberg (of "Chicken Shop Date" fame), drag superstars Trixie Mattel and Monét X Change, Hot Ones' Sean Evans, science guy Mark Rober, and more all showed up and out to hawk the brand's newest phone models and features.SEE ALSO:Sam Soar just wanted free bo

ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode First Impressions: Fun, and Just a Bit Creepy

The new voice feature from OpenAI for ChatGPT is often entertaining, and will even do a Trump impression. It likely rolls out to all paid users this fall.

What's actually new in Google Gemini AI?

Consumers and investors are sick of AI hype, and Google knows it."There have been so many promises, so many 'coming soon's, and not enough real-world helpfulness when it comes to AI," Google senior VP Rick Osterloh said at the "Made by Google" event that unveiled new Pixel phones in Mountain View Tuesday. "Which is why today, we're getting real ... we're going to answer the biggest question people have about AI, what can AI do for me?" OK, so did Google live up to that promise? When you strip th

Delta Force: Hawk Ops reaches wishlist milestone ahead of launch

Team Jade revealed that its upcoming shooter Delta Force: Hawk Ops is on 1 million wishlists during its PC alpha test phase.Read More

Every time Google dinged Apple during its Pixel 9 launch event

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge In between the reveal of new Pixel phones and AI features at its event today, Google snuck in a few burns targeted at Apple. Some were subtle — others far from it.
While it’s not uncommon for companies like Google to draw comparisons to competitors during big events like this, Google seemed to sprinkle references to Apple all throughout its showcase. Maybe that’s because Google has become especially competitive in the AI industry, which Apple ha