Spotify launches a new feature that gives users a chance to explain the stories and reasoning behind their favorite music. Editors will be using the feature, too, on top playlists like RapCaviar and others.

Sonos released an update to its mobile app that finally introduces support for iOS' Live Activities, giving iPhone users quick access to playback controls on their lockscreen. The added functionality is a "much requested, anticipated, and needed feature," according to a post Sonos shared to Reddit today that was spotted by 9to5Mac.

While some features like displaying album art are not available, the Sonos Live Activity provides basic details and controls when listening to music or podcasts through a Sonos system without having to fully unlock your iPhone and open the app.

Support for Live Activities and lockscreen controls similar to wha …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Reddit is beginning to test video and audio versions of popular posts, allowing users to watch or listen to Reddit stories instead of just reading them.

The change comes a year after YouTube applied the same approach to counting views on Shorts videos.

Feedly says a bug is behind the performance issues that have made its web app nearly "unusable" for some users, while complaints about its mobile apps and customer support are adding to frustrations.

WordPress.com Education lets teachers offer their students free domains, plug-in support, and professional website-building tools.

Uber is also making investing in Zipline a part of the tie-up.

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 140, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, don't forget to hydrate, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)

This week, I've been reading about Will Ferrell and Fabrizio Romano and Heather Cox Richardson, scrolling and scrolling through Ordinary Abundance, watching Avatar Aang (which is as good as you said it was), finally getting proficient in CapCut, obsessing over the latest scandal unearthed by PTFO, rewatching Tires now that the third season is out, trying Spark's AI tools for solving my inbox (so far… meh), revisiting …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Pocket users have until October 8, 2025, to export their saved articles and other items, including lists, archives, favorites, notes, and highlights.

Unforgetful, the latest app from longtime indie developer Marco Arment, is designed to make reminders harder to ignore — or accidentally dismiss.

Turning off this setting won't affect invisible benchmarks used to identify an AI generated file.

Apple is asking a federal judge to allow it to charge commissions of up to 15% on purchases made through external links in iOS apps.

WhatCable does what your eyes can't: it tells you what a USB-C cable can actually do. 40Gbps transfer? 100W fast charging? DisplayPort Alt Mode? So long as you have macOS and a port to plug it into, this free app will provide detailed specs on any of those annoyingly indistinguishable cables in your drawer. — Read the rest

The post App tells you what USB-C cables are capable of appeared first on Boing Boing.

One month after Epic Games and Google seemingly stopped fighting over the future of Android app distribution, they were back in a San Francisco courtroom today - where Judge James Donato just ordered Google to make it easier to install rival app stores on Android.

It's been nearly three years since a jury unanimously decided that Google had an illegal monopoly over Android apps, and almost two years since Judge Donato decided the best way of undoing that monopoly would be to crack open Android app distribution. Donato ordered Google to carry rival Android app stores inside its own Google Play Store, and to provide rivals with complete acce …

Read the full story at The Verge.

X is expanding the open source code behind its 'For You' feed and launching new transparency tools that show users when its ranking systems have affected their accounts or posts.

The social media giant says it was time for a sharper and more modern look after a decade.

Microsoft is simplifying Copilot by combining its consumer and business apps, and dropping AI-generated podcasts, Group Chats, Deep Research, and its Mico character.

The tech giant has considered a nine-figure budget for the payments, according to the WSJ.

Checks are being mailed from Grubhub's $23.8 million fine from the FTC after it settled allegations over its business practices.

Mesh, an AI-powered contacts app and relationship manager from Automattic, is now an Android app.