YouTube will show fewer ads in ‘interruptive’ slots

Starting May 12th, YouTube says it will show fewer mid-roll ads that it thinks will interrupt sentences or action sequences, and more at “natural break points” like pauses or transitions, according to a help page on the change. The company says it’s also inserting “additional, automatic ad-slots at natural break points” into older videos with manually-placed slots,…

Read More

We can’t quit electric cars — or robotaxis

There was a time, not so long ago, when people wouldn’t shut up about a revolution in automobiles. No matter where you looked, you’d find someone telling you about how self-driving, all-electric vehicles would change the way we think about car ownership, lead to a total reinvention of how cities work, change the economy, and…

Read More

‘Tesla Takedown’ wants to hit Elon Musk where it hurts

Not fans of Elon Musk. | Image: Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge On a recent Saturday afternoon, around 50 sign-wielding protesters stood outside the Tesla showroom in Manhattan’s Meatpacking neighborhood, screaming insults at passing Tesla vehicles.  “Uncool car!”  “Don’t buy a Swatsticar!” “Major loser!” The excitement peaked when an unsuspecting Cybertruck suddenly pulled around…

Read More

Google Gemini’s AI coding tool is now free for individual users

A free version of Gemini Code Assist, Google’s enterprise-focused AI coding tool, is now available globally for solo developers. Google announced today that Gemini Code Assist for individuals is launching in public preview, aiming to make coding assistants “with the latest AI capabilities” more accessible for students, hobbyists, freelancers, and startups. “Now anyone can more…

Read More

Microsoft is testing free Office for Windows apps with ads

Microsoft has started testing a free version of Office for Windows that includes ads. Right now, you have to pay for a monthly Microsoft 365 subscription to get access to the full desktop version of Office, but Microsoft has been quietly testing an ad-supported version in certain countries. Beebom first noticed that the ad-supported version…

Read More