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Twitter has talked about pulling legacy verified checkmarks for a while, and now it's acting on that plan. The social network has begun removing the original blue ticks from users' profiles — formerly verified staff at Engadget can confirm this. From now on, you'll need to pay $8 per month for Blue to get that symbol back. Businesses can receive a gold checkmark without a subscription, while government and multilateral organization accounts get a gray checkmark.

The company introduced verification in 2009 to reduce the potential for impersonation, and focused on well-established (though not necessarily famous) people in areas like politics, entertainment and the media. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, however, he claimed there were too many "corrupt" verified accounts and that it was necessary to drop the legacy system. He characterized Blue as a way to democratize checkmarks.

That's not how it panned out. Twitter had to pause and relaunch Blue after trolls abused the feature to impersonate notable figures, including Musk. The firm instituted a review process and barred sign-ups from accounts that had been around for less than 90 days. Gold and gray checkmarks restored some of those anti-impersonation measures, but many celebrities, journalists and similar personalities no longer have those protections.

Twitter has had other problems with user labels, too. Multiple major media organizations, including NPR and PBS, have left Twitter over objections to the social site's "government-funded media" designation. These outlets say the label falsely implies government influence over their content when they maintain strict editorial independence. The death of legacy checkmarks just underscores this conflict — critics are concerned that Twitter is eroding trust in its quest to earn more revenue from subscriptions.

These days, there are better options to ensure WiFi signals reach every part of your home than struggling to fix a router to your ceiling. A mesh network uses multiple nodes (or points), giving you several connectivity points instead of just a single router. Google's Nest WiFi system is a solid mesh network option, and the devices are currently on sale on Amazon. A two-pack of the Nest WiFi system has dropped to $100, which is the lowest price we've seen to date. The bundle typically costs $269.

The two-pack includes a router and a point. If you'd like to have a router and two points, you're in luck, as a three-pack is also on sale. It's 50 percent off at $175. A two-pack will provide WiFi coverage over up to 3,800 square feet, while the three pack will cover as much as 5,400 square feet, Google says.

Each Nest router and point can connect to as many as 100 devices simultaneously. Each router has two Ethernet ports, while each point is a smart speaker with Google Assistant integration. Google says the system can support multiple simultaneous 4K video streams, but that will depend on the speed of your internet plan.

Those looking for a higher-end option might want to consider the Nest WiFi Pro 6E system. Two- and three-pack variants of the bundle are on sale for $250 (usually $300) and $340 (usually $400) respectively. This network will work with both older devices your current devices and those that support WiFi 6E, though it's not compatible with previous generations of Google WiFi or Nest WiFi products.

WiFi 6E offers faster speeds and lower latencies than WiFi 6 and earlier standards. Having access to a broader wireless spectrum should also reduce network congestion and possible interference from your neighbors' networks, so picking up a WiFi 6E mesh system could bolster your setup now and for years to come.

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With the world gradually moving toward electric cars, it’s only a matter of time before EVs take to the skies, at least for shorter trips. Inching us closer to that milestone is Chinese battery maker CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), which on Wednesday launched a battery at the Shanghai Auto Show that it claims can power electric passenger aircraft. The semi-solid state battery with condensed electrolyte has a density of up to 500 Wh/k, meaning it can store 500 Watt hours of energy for every kilogram of its weight.

The company says it can “achieve mass production of [the] condensed battery in a short period of time,” and it expects to begin mass production of an automotive-focused variant later this year. “The launch of this cutting-edge technology breaks the limits that have long restricted the development of the battery sector and will open up a new scenario of electrification centering on high level of safety and light weight,” stated CATL’s announcement. However, NASA has been testing electric planes throughout the past decade, and others are working on hybrid planes, like ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric aircraft that completed a 10-minute flight this January. Rolls-Royce even flew an all-electric plane at 387 MPH in a recent test.

CATL says it’s working with unnamed partners to develop flying EVs. “At present, CATL is cooperating with partners in the development of electric passenger aircrafts and practicing aviation-level standards and testing in accordance with aviation-grade safety and quality requirements,” the battery maker stated.

Additionally, CATL says it’s working to improve the carbon footprint of its batteries and plans to achieve carbon neutrality for its manufacturing plants by 2025 and across the battery value chain by 2035. It plans to focus on mining, bulk raw materials, battery materials, cell manufacturing and battery systems to achieve the goal. “As electrification extends from the land to the sky, aircrafts will become cleaner and smarter,” the company stated. “The launch of condensed batteries will usher in an era of universal electrification of sea, land and air transportation, open up more possibilities of the development of the industry, and promote the achieving of the global carbon neutrality goals at an earlier date.”

However, it’s worth tempering our expectations about flying EVs. Some movement in that direction could help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from the aviation industry, which accounts for about three percent of global emissions. But it would require more significant advances than CATL’s new battery for them to become a viable alternative to today’s jet-fuel-powered aircraft. So although we may see some commercial electric planes take to the skies within the next decade, don’t expect batteries to power much beyond small and short-distance planes anytime soon.

It took a couple of years, but Disney+ is finally doing more to patch the Spider-Man-sized hole in its Marvel movie lineup. The streaming service is adding the first wave of Spidey movies to its US catalog in the next few weeks. Sam Raimi's trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man will be available tomorrow (April 21st), while Homecoming and Venom arrive May 12th.

More of Sony Pictures' Spider-Man movie and TV lineup will come to the US later in the year, Disney says. While you can already watch The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in at least some countries, this does mean you'll have to wait if you want to watch titles like No Way Home or Into the Spider-Verse without turning to other services (and in some cases, paying for a purchase or rental).

The gap has long been a pain for Disney, and particularly since the launch of Disney+ in 2019. Sony has a perpetual film license for Spider-Man so long as it releases a new title every 5.75 years. Disney had to reach a deal to borrow the web-slinger for Avengers movies as Sony still had the rights to the character's solitary adventures. You had to turn to Disney+ rivals like Netflix (which has exclusive rights for Sony movies) to see the rest of Spider-Man's story.

Disney addressed that omission in 2021, when it struck a deal to access Sony's theatrical releases through 2026 as well as archival Marvel titles like the Spider-Man series. You're now seeing the fruits of that agreement — Disney+ doesn't have to worry as much about viewers subscribing to competitors just to get their full superhero fix.

The controversial EARN IT Act, first introduced in 2020, is returning to Congress after failing twice to land on the president’s desk. The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act, (EARN IT) Act is intended to minimize the proliferation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) throughout the web, but detractors say it goes too far and risks further eroding online privacy protections.

Here's how it would work, according to the language of the bill's reintroduction last year. Upon passing, EARN IT would create a national commission composed of politically-appointed law enforcement specialists. This body would be tasked with making a list of best practices to ostensibly curb the digital distribution of CSAM. If online service providers do not abide by these best practices, they would potentially lose blanket immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, opening them up to all kinds of legal hurdles — including civil lawsuits and criminal charges.

Detractors say EARN IT places a whole lot of power to regulate the internet in the hands of the commission the bill would create as well as state legislatures. Additionally, language in last year's bill suggests that these guidelines would likely extend to encrypted information, so if an encrypted transmission runs afoul of any guidelines, the platform is on the hook. This will force providers to monitor encrypted communications, which goes against the whole point of encryption in the first place. Additionally, end-to-end encryption is designed so that not even the platform can read the contents. In other words, providers might not be able to offer those protections. 

“This was a dangerous bill two years ago, and because it’s doubled down on its anti-encryption stance, it’s even more dangerous now,” The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School wrote in a blog post last year, a stance also mirrored by the Center for Democracy and Technology. The American Civil Liberties Union, pushing back on a prior version of the bill, said that it "threatens our online speech and privacy rights in ways that will disproportionately harm LGBTQ people, sex workers and others who use the internet to privately communicate and share information and resources."

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) has come out in defense of the bill, saying that it will “incentivize technology companies to proactively search for and remove” CSAM materials. “Tech companies have the technology to detect, remove, and stop the distribution of child sexual abuse material. However, there is no incentive to do so because they are subject to no consequences for their inaction,” wrote Erin Earp, RAINN’s interim vice president for public policy.

The bipartisan Senate bills have consistently been introduced by Republican Senator Lindsay Graham and Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, and their companion bills in the House likewise have been sponsored by Republican Representative Ann Wagner and Democrat Representative Sylvia Garcia. The full text of H.R.2732 is not publicly available yet, so it's unclear if anything has changed since last year's attempt, though when reintroduced last year it was more of the same. (We've reached out to the offices of Reps. Wagner and Garcia for a copy of the bill's text.) A member of Senator Graham's office confirmed to Engadget that the companion bill will be introduced within the next week. It also remains to be seen if and when this will come up for a vote. Both prior versions of EARN IT died in committee before ever coming to a vote.

When Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) struck a deal with Firewalk Studios to publish a PlayStation 5 exclusive multiplayer game, it must have liked what it saw — because now, Sony is buying the developer outright. The company has announced that it's reached an agreement with ProbablyMonsters Inc to acquire Firewalk Studios.

"Firewalk is home to a remarkably talented team of creatives who have launched some of gaming’s most celebrated experiences, and they’re already hard at work on their first original AAA multiplayer game for PlayStation," PlayStation Studios' Hermen Hulst wrote on the PlayStation blog. "We’re excited for Firewalk to bring their technical and creative expertise to PlayStation Studios to help grow our live service operations and deliver something truly special for gamers."

The deal will roll Firewalk Studios and its team into the PlayStation brand, though operations will continue to be run by the studio's existing management team. The announcement didn't offer any clues about the PS5-exclusive multiplayer title the team has been working on, but did stress Firewalk staffers' wealth of experience building such games — highlighting the team's experience working on Destiny at Bungie and Activision.

Despite the lack of details, PlayStation seems very optimistic about the deal. "Firewalk’s innovative approach to connected storytelling and its commitment to high-quality gameplay continues to exceed our expectations," Hulst said. "I think fans will be very pleased when they see what Firewalk has in store for them.”

Harley-Davidson's LiveWire division has revealed pricing and availability for its second electric motorcycle, the S2 Del Mar. Deliveries should start in the US in July and you can reserve one now for $100. The EV will have three colorways and cost $15,499, which is $499 more than the previous target price. However, the S2 Del Mar remains LiveWire's most affordable model — the LiveWire One starts at $22,799.

LiveWire will announce the final specifications in June, though it has offered a taste of what to expect. The brand says the Del Mar, which weighs 431 pounds, will have a 110-mile city range on a single charge. Plugging in a Level 2 charger should take the battery from a 20 percent charge level to 80 percent in 75 minutes, LiveWire claims (there's no fast charging capability, unfortunately). It's expected that the Del Mar's powertrain will deliver 184 pound-feet of torque and be capable of accelerating from zero to 60MPH in 3.1 seconds.

Along with US pricing and availability, LiveWire revealed the initial S2 Del Mar details for Europe. Reservations for the S2 Del Mar European Launch Edition open on April 27th and require a €100 down payment, but only 100 of the EVs will be available at the outset. Those who snag a S2 Del Mar Launch Edition will get an exclusive, hand-painted finish and wheel design.

European deliveries of the Launch Edition are slated for September. It costs €20,190 in France, €19,990 in Germany, €20,390 in the Netherlands and £18,990 in the UK. Details of the European production model will be revealed later.

The narrow list of EVs that qualify for federal tax credits has already grown again. Ars Technicanotes the US government has restored multiple electric rides to the list of vehicles that get at least some credit. The 2023 VW ID.4 (the first US-made model) receives the full $7,500 incentive, as do the upcoming Chevy Blazer EV, Equinox EV and Silverado EV. Rivian R1T and R1S buyers can also get a $3,750 credit provided their configuration slips under the $80,000 cap.

When the Internal Revenue Service outlined the original list, just six EVs could get the full tax credit. This included the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Bolt, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y. Other EVs and plug-in hybrids only received partial credits, such as the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The Treasury Department outlined stricter requirements for EV tax credits in March. To be eligible for $3,750, a car's battery components must be 50 percent made or assembled in North America. At least 40 percent of key minerals must come from the US or its free trade partners to earn another $3,750. Batteries must be completely made in North America by 2029 for vehicles to still qualify.

As VW is keen to point out, this makes the ID.4 a better deal. The entry-level Standard trim costs $31,495 after accounting for the tax credit. If you can live with the 209-mile range, it may seem like a bargain compared to even the price-cut Model 3. You'll more likely want to spring for the ID.4 Pro with 275 miles of range, but that's still more attainable with a $36,495 sticker after the incentive.

This may also help put Chevy's wave of upcoming EVs within reach. The Equinox in particular is expected to start around $30,000 — a full credit would price it below many conventional SUVs, let alone electrified versions. As with VW, the discount could spur sales and help the US meet the climate goals that helped prompt the Inflation Reduction Act.

This week, a German tabloid tested the boundaries of AI passing itself off as reality. Celebrity magazine Die Aktuelle published a cover story in its April 15th issue about a supposed interview with Formula One driver Michael Schumacher; only at the end does it reveal that it was a hoax produced entirely by an AI chatbot. Schumacher’s family toldESPN it plans to take legal action against the gossip rag.

The article promised “the first interview” with Schumacher, who suffered a severe brain injury on a family ski trip in the French Alps in 2013. Since then, the celebrated driver — arguably the greatest in Formula One history — hasn’t appeared publicly as his family guards his privacy.

The public’s best description of Schumacher’s life today came from the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, in which his wife Corinna Schumacher said, “Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find.” She continued, “We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable, and to simply make him feel our family, our bond.” Concluding, she stated, “We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. ‘Private is private,’ as he always said.”

This week’s issue of Die Aktuelle, showcasing a photo of a smiling Schumacher, promised “No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!” according to ESPN. A subheading on the magazine cover reads, “Es Klingt täuschend echt,” which translates to “It sounds deceptively real.”

Die Aktuelle

Tabloids testing the waters of AI-generated bunk is likely only the tip of the iceberg. As generative AI rapidly advances, separating fact from fiction — whether through chatbot-generated text, fake photos or (very soon) convincing bogus videos — will become increasingly difficult.

Without clear legal and regulatory boundaries, the world’s fascists, propagandists and other nefarious actors will exploit generative AI mercilessly for money and power. For example, what happens if fake images, deep-fake videos or audio recordings about political candidates go viral as voters head to the polls in the pivotal 2024 US election? Without any meaningful consequences for abuse, we find ourselves in a new AI Wild West. And although the Biden administration appears to be taking some initial steps in exploring safeguards against this type of behavior, I’m skeptical that America’s senior government leadership will skate to where the puck will be, rather than falling hopelessly behind this quickly evolving new form of misinformation and disinformation.

Humanity, a curious hybrid of a platformer and a puzzle game, at last has a release date. It's coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Steam on May 16th, with virtual reality support on all platforms. PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers will be able to check it out at no extra cost, as Humanity will join the PS Plus Game Catalog on its release day.

The latest title from Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Enhance studio has been in the works for quite some time. We got our first look at it in 2019 and it was supposed to be out the following year. However, the delay gave Enhance a chance to create PlayStation 5 and PS VR2 versions as well. Enhance announced the release date with an outstanding homage to early PlayStation ads.

In Humanity, you'll play as a glowing, nameless Shina Ibu. Your mission is to guide crowds of people to an exit by placing commands on the ground that get them to turn, jump, float, swim, climb and so on — effectively flipping the atypical dog-human relationship on its head. The story mode has more than 90 levels, somehow including boss fights. You'll be able to create your own stages and share them with other players too.

On the PlayStation Blog, Enhance executive producer Mark MacDonald wrote that the team decided to bring Humanity to the PS Plus Game Catalog on day one so it can reach a large number of players right away. Several titles have debuted on the base PS Plus Essential tier over the years and quickly found a large audience, most famously Rocket League and Fall Guys. Meet Your Maker was the most recent game to hit the Essential tier on its release day.  

Since Sony rolled out Extra and Premium a little under a year ago, the only games that have hit those particular tiers on their release day before Humanity are Stray and Tchia (subscribers have access to Essential games too). Meanwhile, PS VR2 owners may be particularly pleased by Humanity's PS Plus debut, given that PS VR titles don't automatically work on the new headset and they're having to piece together a fresh library of games.