An AI-powered Valentine's Day gift guide on The Verge experienced a glitch, potentially disrupting gift selection for the holiday. The guide, designed to offer unique and thoughtful presents, highlights the increasing role of AI in curating personalized shopping experiences, but also raises questions about the reliability and potential biases of such systems.

An AI-powered Valentine's Day gift guide on The Verge experienced a glitch, potentially disrupting gift selection for the holiday. The guide, designed to offer unique and thoughtful presents, highlights the increasing role of AI in curating personalized shopping experiences, but also raises questions about the reliability and potential biases of such systems.

A limited-time flash sale offering a 50% discount on the 14-inch, ARM-based Asus Vivobook 14 is set to expire today, presenting a significant opportunity for consumers seeking budget-friendly laptops. This deal reflects the growing trend of ARM-based Windows laptops gaining traction in the global market due to advancements in processor technology and app compatibility, potentially reshaping consumer expectations in the budget laptop segment.

A limited-time flash sale offering a 50% discount on the 14-inch, ARM-based Asus Vivobook 14 is set to expire today, presenting a significant opportunity for consumers seeking budget-friendly laptops. This deal reflects the growing trend of ARM-based Windows laptops gaining traction in the global market due to advancements in processor technology and app compatibility, potentially reshaping consumer expectations in the budget laptop segment.

ElevenLabs, a voice AI innovator, has secured $500 million in funding, catapulting its valuation to $11 billion and signaling strong investor confidence in the burgeoning AI voice market. This substantial capital infusion will fuel research, product development, and global expansion, potentially extending the company's AI capabilities beyond voice to include video and more sophisticated AI agents, impacting content creation and accessibility.

ElevenLabs, a voice AI innovator, has secured $500 million in funding, catapulting its valuation to $11 billion and signaling strong investor confidence in the burgeoning AI voice market. This substantial capital infusion will fuel research, product development, and global expansion, potentially extending the company's AI capabilities beyond voice to include video and more sophisticated AI agents, impacting content creation and accessibility.

TransportationTechCarsI drove three Chinese cars heres why they would clean up in the USThe Geely, Lynk Co, and Zeekr cars we drove were all ready for US primetime.by John VoelckerFeb 4, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftTransportationTechCarsI drove three Chinese cars heres why they would clean up in the USThe Geely, Lynk Co, and Zeekr cars we drove were all ready for US primetime.by John VoelckerFeb 4, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIt only took a brief drive in a Zeekr 7X to convince me: Chinese cars are now competitive and could be sold in the US tomorrow. The compact battery-electric crossover, a bestseller in Europe, is aimed directly at the Tesla Model Y with its five seats, two rows, impressive road grip, energetic performance, and smooth ride.

TransportationTechCarsI drove three Chinese cars heres why they would clean up in the USThe Geely, Lynk Co, and Zeekr cars we drove were all ready for US primetime.by John VoelckerFeb 4, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftTransportationTechCarsI drove three Chinese cars heres why they would clean up in the USThe Geely, Lynk Co, and Zeekr cars we drove were all ready for US primetime.by John VoelckerFeb 4, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIt only took a brief drive in a Zeekr 7X to convince me: Chinese cars are now competitive and could be sold in the US tomorrow. The compact battery-electric crossover, a bestseller in Europe, is aimed directly at the Tesla Model Y with its five seats, two rows, impressive road grip, energetic performance, and smooth ride.

A new study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals that UK polling clerks struggled to accurately verify photo IDs during the 2024 general election, with error rates of 36% when using real ID documents, suggesting the mandatory voter ID policy may not provide the security boost promised. This research, drawing from multiple sources, challenges the assumption that human checks are a reliable defense against voter fraud, as clerks made mistakes even in simpler face-matching tests.

A new study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals that UK polling clerks struggled to accurately verify photo IDs during the 2024 general election, with error rates of 36% when using real ID documents, suggesting the mandatory voter ID policy may not provide the security boost promised. This research, drawing from multiple sources, challenges the assumption that human checks are a reliable defense against voter fraud, as clerks made mistakes even in simpler face-matching tests.

Spotify is updating its lyrics feature with global availability for translations, offline viewing for Premium subscribers, and a more prominent placement within the app, aiming to increase user engagement and drive subscriptions. These changes, following previous adjustments to the lyrics feature, reflect Spotify's ongoing efforts to leverage lyrics as a tool for user conversion and satisfaction.

Spotify is updating its lyrics feature with global availability for translations, offline viewing for Premium subscribers, and a more prominent placement within the app, aiming to increase user engagement and drive subscriptions. These changes, following previous adjustments to the lyrics feature, reflect Spotify's ongoing efforts to leverage lyrics as a tool for user conversion and satisfaction.

Multiple news sources highlight several key developments: the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, featuring athletes like Alex Ferreira and Alex Hall, will be extensively covered amidst a complex global landscape; solo travel is increasingly recognized as a rewarding and empowering experience; and Japan is grappling with devastating heavy snowfall that has caused numerous deaths and injuries, prompting warnings of further severe weather. Additionally, global trends include proposed social media bans for children under 16 in Spain.

Multiple news sources highlight several key developments: the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, featuring athletes like Alex Ferreira and Alex Hall, will be extensively covered amidst a complex global landscape; solo travel is increasingly recognized as a rewarding and empowering experience; and Japan is grappling with devastating heavy snowfall that has caused numerous deaths and injuries, prompting warnings of further severe weather. Additionally, global trends include proposed social media bans for children under 16 in Spain.

Multiple news sources report that a 45-year-old man was charged with assault after fighting high school students at a Texas anti-ICE protest, and newly released files reveal Jeffrey Epstein's repeated attempts to meet with Vladimir Putin, including coaching someone on how to approach the Russian leader, though there's no evidence they ever met. The files, which mention Putin over 1,000 times, do not imply any wrongdoing by the Russian president.

Multiple news sources report that a 45-year-old man was charged with assault after fighting high school students at a Texas anti-ICE protest, and newly released files reveal Jeffrey Epstein's repeated attempts to meet with Vladimir Putin, including coaching someone on how to approach the Russian leader, though there's no evidence they ever met. The files, which mention Putin over 1,000 times, do not imply any wrongdoing by the Russian president.

Multiple news sources highlight advancements in biotechnology for metal extraction, particularly for electric vehicle components, and the release of Alibaba's open-source Qwen3-Coder-Next AI model aimed at elite coding performance. These developments occur amidst a backdrop of global events on February 3rd, 2026, including natural disasters, international aid efforts, and leadership changes in scientific organizations, alongside ongoing discussions surrounding data privacy and cultural milestones.

Multiple news sources highlight advancements in biotechnology for metal extraction, particularly for electric vehicle components, and the release of Alibaba's open-source Qwen3-Coder-Next AI model aimed at elite coding performance. These developments occur amidst a backdrop of global events on February 3rd, 2026, including natural disasters, international aid efforts, and leadership changes in scientific organizations, alongside ongoing discussions surrounding data privacy and cultural milestones.

Multiple news sources report that a newborn in New Mexico tragically died from a Listeria infection likely stemming from the mother's consumption of raw milk during pregnancy. This incident has prompted health officials, the FDA, and ACOG to reinforce warnings against unpasteurized dairy due to the significant risk of Listeria, which can cause severe health complications or death for pregnant women and their babies.

Multiple news sources report that a newborn in New Mexico tragically died from a Listeria infection likely stemming from the mother's consumption of raw milk during pregnancy. This incident has prompted health officials, the FDA, and ACOG to reinforce warnings against unpasteurized dairy due to the significant risk of Listeria, which can cause severe health complications or death for pregnant women and their babies.

Multiple news sources report that Ifunanya Nwangene, a 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria, tragically died in Abuja after being bitten by a snake in her home and subsequently struggling to access timely antivenom treatment. Her death has ignited a debate about the availability of antivenom in Nigerian hospitals and highlights the global crisis of preventable snakebite fatalities, which claim hundreds of thousands of lives and cause permanent disabilities annually.

Multiple news sources report that Ifunanya Nwangene, a 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria, tragically died in Abuja after being bitten by a snake in her home and subsequently struggling to access timely antivenom treatment. Her death has ignited a debate about the availability of antivenom in Nigerian hospitals and highlights the global crisis of preventable snakebite fatalities, which claim hundreds of thousands of lives and cause permanent disabilities annually.

Multiple news sources report that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos testified before a Senate subcommittee regarding the company's attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, facing concerns about potential anti-trust issues and accusations from Republican senators of producing overly "woke" content, while a competing bid from Paramount Skydance complicates the acquisition.

Multiple news sources report that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos testified before a Senate subcommittee regarding the company's attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, facing concerns about potential anti-trust issues and accusations from Republican senators of producing overly "woke" content, while a competing bid from Paramount Skydance complicates the acquisition.