Stellar hardware from a controversial figure. Read the full story at The Verge.

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge A collection of fun, affordable, and unique gifts fit for everyone on your list. Read the full story at The Verge.

A screenshot from TCL’s The Audition. | Screenshot: TCLtv Plus Earlier this year, TCL released a trailer for Next Stop Paris — an AI-animated short film that seems like a Lifetime movie on steroids. The trailer had all the hallmarks of AI: characters that don’t move their mouths when they talk, lifeless expressions, and weird animation that makes it look like scenes are constantly vibrating. I thought this might be the extent of TCL’s experimentation with AI films, given the healthy dose of criticism it received online. But boy, was I wrong. TCL debuted five new AI-generated short films that are also destined for its TCLtv Plus free streaming platform, and after the Next Stop Paris debacle, I just had to see what else it cooked up. Though the new films do look a little better than Next Stop Paris, they serve as yet another reminder that AI-generated videos aren’t quite there yet, something we’ve seen with many of the video generation tools cropping up, like OpenAI’s Sora. But in TCL’s case, it’s not just the AI that makes these films bad. Here are all five of them, ranked from tolerable (5) to “I wish I could unsee this” (1). 5. Sun Day This futuristic short film basically has the same concept as Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in... Read the full story at The Verge.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an OLED TV for less right now. | Image: LG One of the best Black Friday deals has returned — and this time, it’s done so with an added perk. Right now, LG’s B4 Series OLED TV is matching its all-time low at Best Buy, where you can pick it up in the 48-inch configuration for $599.99 ($200 off) with a $50 digital gift card. The larger 55-inch panel, meanwhile, is on sale at Best Buy with a $100 digital gift card for $999.99 ($400 off), its best price yet. Although LG is likely to introduce its 2025 lineup at CES in a few short weeks, the B4 is likely going to remain a bargain, especially at this price. You don’t get the same brightness levels or performance speeds as LG’s flagship C4 or G4 — the B4 lacks the AI-focused a11 processor found in the latter — but it provides all the core benefits you’d expect from an OLED panel. It offers deep blacks and wide viewing angles, along with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports that are capable of 4K 120Hz gaming, making it a great pick for use with modern consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Personally, as the current owner of a 48-inch OLED, I find the smaller size more than big enough for my entertainment needs. It’s not as much of an eyesore in my living room as my previous 65-inch panel, yet I have little trouble watching movies and playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from my couch. The real question is whether you need all the bells and whistles on LG’s high-end TVs or if an entry-level OLED will suffice. More weekend deals and discounts Twelve South’s quirky Butterfly charger is on sale at Amazon for a cool $103.99 ($26 off), which is the first discount we’ve seen. The travel-friendly 2-in-1 charger consists of two aluminum-clad discs connected via a vegan leather strap, one of which can fast-charge an Apple Watch and another that can supply 15 watts of power to any MagSafe-compatible phone. Moreover, it comes with a 30W power supply, complete with swappable international prongs. If you’re not concerned regarding the shipping timeline, Apple’s latest entry-level iPad is matching its all-time low of $249.99 ($100 off) in select colors at Amazon thanks to an on-page coupon (it’s also on sale at Walmart and Best Buy for $279). The 64GB base model isn't as capable as the newer Air or Pro models, but it offers USB-C charging, plenty of power, and enough battery life to burn through The Penguin, the second season of Silo, or whatever else is on your holiday watch list this year. Read our review. If you’re a bike commuter, investing in a proper tail light this time of the year is a must. Thankfully, the Garmin Varia RTL515 is down to $149.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Target, matching its best price to date. The bright, IPX7-rated light can be seen from up to a mile away and offers up to 16 hours of battery life in select modes; however, the main attraction is its ability to alert you of rear-approaching vehicles via the Garmin app or a Garmin Edge computer, which is done using a combination of visual, vibration, and tone alerts.

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s illegal antitrust behavior and restoring competition in the search engine market started with forcing the company to sell Chrome, and late Friday night, Google responded with a list of its own (included below). Instead of breaking off Chrome, Android, or Google Play as the DOJ’s filing considers, Google’s proposed fixes aim at the payments it makes to companies like Apple and Mozilla for exclusive, prioritized placement of its services, its licensing deals with companies that make Android phones, and contracts with wireless carriers. They don’t address a DOJ suggestion about possibly forcing Google to share its valuable search data with other companies to help their products catch up. According to Google’s lawyers, the ruling pointed to arrangements with Apple and Mozilla for their browsers, the companies that make Android phones, and wireless carriers. Google regulatory VP Lee-Anne Mulholland writes on the company blog, “This was a decision about our search distribution contracts, so our proposed remedies are directed to that. For three years, its proposal would block Google from signing deals that link licenses for Chrome, Search, and its Android app store, Google Play, with placement or preinstallation of its other apps, including Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini AI assistant. It would also still allow Google to pay for default search placement in browsers but allow for multiple deals across different platforms or browsing modes and require the ability to revisit the deals at least once a year. While the company still plans to appeal Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling that said, “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” first, it says it will submit a revised proposal on March 7th, ahead of a two-week trial over the issue in April.