Instagram is reportedly considering spinning its Reels feature into a standalone short-form video app to take advantage of TikTok’s uncertain future in the US. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was overheard discussing the plans with staff this week according to an anonymous source cited by The Information.
https://www.theverge.com/news/620547/instagram-reels-video-app-tiktok-rival-service
The Guild says its “Human Authored” certification aims to make it easier for writers to “distinguish their work in increasingly AI-saturated markets,” and that readers have a right to know who (or what) created the books they read. Human Authored certifications will be listed in a public database that anyone can access. The project was first announced back in October in response to a deluge of AI-generated books flooding online marketplaces like Amazon and its Kindle ebook platform.
https://www.theverge.com/news/602918/human-authored-book-certification-ai-authors-guild
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The headset, which Samsung is developing in partnership with Google, runs Android XR, an OS designed specifically for headsets and smart glasses. My colleague Victoria Song got to try Project Moohan late last year, so if you want to know what it’s like to actually wear and use. Samsung plans to launch Project Moohan for developers first, but it won’t be available right away for consumers.
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/22/24349736/samsung-project-moohan-photos-android-xr-headset
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Decentralized social network Mastodon has announced plans to transfer its ownership to a new nonprofit entity. Ownership of Mastodon will move away from the control of CEO Eugen Rochko, in contrast to the power exerted by other social media CEOs like Meta cofounder Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk. “Simply, we are going to transfer ownership of key Mastodon ecosystem and platform components to a new nonprofit organization,” Mastodon says in a blog post, “affirming the intent that Mastodon should not be owned or controlled by a single individual.”
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/13/24342603/mastodon-non-profit-ownership-ceo-eugen-rochko
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CES is home to some of the coolest, cutting-edge, and most innovative technology around. But within this sea of tech are always some pretty strange gadgets. This year’s conference was no different, packed with a whole bunch of wacky devices, some of which might have a chance of taking off, and others… maybe not so much. Highlights include Mirumi, the shy sloth-like robot, A phone battery charger that resembles a toaster, A retractable keyboard, An even more portable LG StanbyME display, SwitchBot’s modular, multitasking robot, An 18-karat gold smart ring, LG’s air purifier your cat can sit on, The “world’s first wearable solar panel”, LG’s indoor gardening side table, Encapsulated anime girls that talk to you…
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/8/24338251/ces-2025-weirdest-tech-gadgets-robots
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LG has responded to Samsung in the battle to slap displays on every home appliance you own, culminating in the LG Signature microwave which puts a superfluous 27-inch LCD touchscreen and speakers into an appliance you probably don’t even need.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/30/24331994/lg-microwave-27-inch-display-speakers
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Meta just announced three new features are rolling out to its Ray-Ban smart glasses: live AI, live translations, and Shazam. Both live AI and live translation are limited to members of Meta’s Early Access Program, while Shazam support is available for all users in the US and Canada.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/16/24322628/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-live-ai-translation-shazam