Meet Musio, A Robot That Talks Back

Natural language and machine learning company AKA says it’s taking the next step toward the creation of a robot that you really, truly talk to with a new project called Musio. Members of the AKA team demonstrated a prototype for me last week. As you can see in the video, Musio should be able to carry on a normal conversation, complete with bad jokes and (thanks to Bluetooth connections… Read More

All Screens Are Not Created Equal

Recently, Taiwanese lawmakers approved the “Child and Youth Welfare and Protection Act,” making it illegal for children under the age of 18 to use electronic devices for excessive periods of time. In the United States, we don’t have legislation restricting screen time, but organizations like the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) have addressed the issue of… Read More

These miniature scenes add a dose of whimsy to office life

Derrick Lin works in advertising, and sometimes the boredom and monotony of office life provides him with just the right kind of creative spark. Lin spends his spare time building small moments (literally small) that add a dose much-needed whimsy to the daily struggles of a not-so-glamorous 9 to 5.

There's a subtle sweetness to these scenes. Lin told Bored Panda he's inspired by seeing the "positive light" in almost every situation. Whether it's trying to hail a cab or washing permanent marker off a white board, frustrating situations just look better in miniature form. You can see more of Lin's work here.

Just when we start to like our coworkers, they leave. #bye #farewell #illmissyou #adagency #AgencyLife...

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The Dread Pirate Roberts has a mom, and she'll never stop fighting

Today a judge sentenced Ross Ulbricht to life in prison for charges stemming from his involvement in the online underground marketplace Silk Road. Allowing its users to hide behind Bitcoin and the anonymous Tor network, Silk Road became a haven for the online drug trade before getting shuttered two years ago. Federal authorities named Ulbricht as the man behind “Dread Pirate Roberts,” the shadowy persona that masterminded the site.

The stork of Silk Road — and some of the still-unanswered questions surrounding the investigation into Ulbricht — caught the attention of Alex Winter, who’s transformed himself from the actor that once appeared in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure into the director of movies like the Napster documentary D...

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You can finally use GIFs on Facebook, here are GIFs we recommend

You can finally use GIFs on Facebook! Sort of! If you drop a link to a GIF uploaded elsewhere on the internet in your status update, the GIF will appear in full animated glory. However, if you upload a GIF directly to Facebook, the GIF will be converted into a static image. At least that's the case for the time being.

What does this mean for Facebook? The answer is obvious. Words and video will give way to the dominant vocabulary of our generation: reaction GIFs plucked from random Tumblrs. We must cherish this moment in history, before the inevitable future in which language as we know it is purged to make room for an all-emoji communication.

Because we at The Verge care about you, we thought it vital to provide the GIFs that will be...

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Popular Chrome extension Hola sold users' bandwidth for botnets

Hola, one of the most popular online services for viewing blocked videos and TV shows from other countries, has turned its users into a botnet without their knowledge. The software, which is available as plugin for the Chrome browser on desktop and mobile devices, had previously been praised for offering an easy-to-use and free service. However, it seems the company has been discreetly selling users' "idle resources" (i.e. their bandwidth) via a separate Luminati brand, allowing anyone to buy traffic in bulk and redirect it to a target site as a denial-of-service attack. Essentially, Hola's users have been unwitting mercenaries in a botnet-for-hire.

"Hola realized they basically have a 9 million strong botnet."

The issue came to light...

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Get a Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with keyboard for $179

Originally $370, this highly regarded system comes refurbished from Lenovo and includes a full one-year warranty.

The Agenda For The Europas Conference: AI, Drones, Health, FinTech, Fashion & More

The Europas Conference & Awards for European Tech Startups, is on on June 16 in London, and TechCrunch is the exclusive Media Partner. Think ‘a summertime Crunchies, with a daytime unconference attached, by a sunny River Thames’. The agenda for the event has just been released. You can find it here and the roster of international speakers is here. Attendees will… Read More

Here’s A First Look At Android M

Android M is still in its very early days; Google just released the first developer preview for use on test devices today. We flashed it onto a Nexus 5, and took a look around to see what was new. The OS is far from feature-complete at this stage, but you can still get a first look at some key features in the video above. The changes to the app drawer, and to volume controls, are small but… Read More

What To Expect From Google I/O 2015

Google I/O begins Thursday, kicking off with the usual keynote from the search giant during which it generally drops a lot of news. We’ll be there to cover it live as it happens, but a lot of info, rumor and speculation has already been making the rounds about just what we’ll see announced. Here’s a round-up of what to expect, what isn’t all that likely, and what might… Read More

Xiaomi To Sell Products In US And Europe Starting June 1st

Mi.com will soon sell Xiaomi products and accessories in the US and, UK, France and Germany. This comes after last week’s short soft launch of the online store. However, like before, the firm is not selling its mobile phones or tablets in these regions yet. Starting on June 1st Mi.com will offer the Mi Band activity tracker, Mi Headphones and Mi Power Bank — all decent products… Read More

Bellabeat Starts Shipping The Leaf, A Health Tracker Designed For Women

Bellabeat, a company that makes a line health trackers and other devices aimed at women, including especially moms and moms-to-be, today begins shipping its first wearable: a piece of “smart jewelry” called the Leaf. The device, which can be worn as a brooch, necklace or bracelet, allows women to record their activity, sleep, stress and reproductive health with the help of an… Read More

Force Touch And Haptics Said To Be Coming To iOS 9 And iPhone 6S

A new report from 9to5Mac claims iOS 9 will have support for Force Touch features, as well as haptic feedback, and that both of those will be included in the iPhone 6 hardware successor coming this fall. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the iPhone 6s (or whatever it ends up being called officially by Apple) getting Force Touch, the feature introduced with the Apple… Read More

The Stratos All-In-One Credit Card Isn’t Perfect Enough

The Stratos is an early player in a new category of devices. It’s a sort of universal credit card that aims to consolidate all the plastic cards in your wallet. To use a certain credit card, the owner simply taps one of the hidden buttons or selects one on the mobile app. When it works, it’s magic. When it doesn’t, it’s just another card to carry. The Stratos failed to… Read More

UK porn laws might mean ID checks with the post office

The UK's plans to introduce mandatory age checks for viewing pornography online could involve verifying users' identities via third parties such as banks, mobile operators, credit agencies, or even the post office. The country's Conservative party pledged to introduce such age checks earlier this year, and following their recent re-election, discussions have reportedly begun between the technology industry and the government over ways to implement the checks.

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Apple Names Jony Ive ‘Chief Design Officer’

Apple’s Jony Ive, the design genius often credited for Apple’s innovative and unique industrial design language over the past couple of decades, has taken on a new role at the company: Chief Design Officer. The new role elevates him above his previous SVP status, and also installs Richard Howarth as the new head of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye as head of User Interface.… Read More