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Thomas Ricker

Thomas Ricker

Deputy Editor

Thomas' first gadget memory was typing 7734 into his father's inverted, HP-35 scientific calculator. Clearly fated to tech blogging, he would have to wait another 20 years before the rise of the medium. A degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering led Thomas to Silicon Valley just prior to the dot-com boom. In June of 2011, Thomas wrote his 1,362,258th word for Engadget, leaving to help launch The Verge.

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LG is reorganizing.

The move will “enhance synergy” and “foster synergies” all while “creating greater synergy,” according to the announcement that mentions synergy seven times.


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Google responds to DOJ’s ‘extreme proposal.’

Alphabet’s top lawyer says the agency’s proposed remedies, which include selling off Chrome, are part of “a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.”

If adopted, Kent Walker says the security and privacy “of millions of Americans” would be endangered, trade secrets would be sent to foreign companies, AI progress and innovation would be stymied, and the world as we know it would basically end.


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Verge Score

Peak Design’s Outdoor Backpack is a more versatile everyday bag

The 25L model is an improvement on perfection, but not without some help.

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Spirit Airlines, bankrupt.

The struggling budget carrier filed for Chapter 11 protection on Monday, almost a year since a federal judge blocked a merger with JetBlue. In a letter to passengers, Spirit says it’ll continue to “book and fly into the future” and customers can “use all tickets, credits and loyalty points as normal.”


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Australia to ban TikTok, Instagram, and X for under 16s.

“Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people. There’ll be no penalties for users.”

Legislation will be introduced this month and would come into force 12 months after ratification.


Switching gears.

Nintendo is lowering expectation for Switch hardware and software sales after posting a big drop in net profit compared to the same period last year. Ninty now expects to sell 1 million fewer Switch consoles for the year, and 5 million fewer software units than originally forecast.

Everyone’s waiting for the Switch 2 which the company previously committed to announcing during the fiscal year ending March, 2025.


We’re all just waiting for the Switch 2.
We’re all just waiting for the Switch 2.
Image: Nintendo
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AI teen and America’s dad.

The New York Times profiles AI visual effects company Metaphysic that creates digital masks for human faces like the ones found on Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Eminem — rendered in near real-time:

During the filming of “Here,” Metaphysic devised a setup that enabled Zemeckis and his crew to follow the shooting of scenes on two different monitors: one showing the raw feed from the camera of the actors as they appear in reality; and one filtered through its A.I. tools showing the actors at whatever age the scene required.


The Google, Samsung, Qualcomm XR devices are coming in 2025,

not in 2024 if you were holding out hope. The apparent delay of the AI-infused eXtended Reality (XR) headsets manufactured by Samsung comes courtesy of a slide from Sammy’s official earnings release. Qualcomm’s CEO is particularly excited by mixed reality smart glasses being developed by the partnership, and Google is getting the Play Store ready for whatever does arrive.


XR devices are coming in 2025, according to this statement from Samsung’s earnings.
XR devices are coming in 2025, according to this statement from Samsung’s earnings.
Image: Samsung (highlighted by The Verge)

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Verge Score