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This is Krispy Kreme’s finest hour on the App Store.

Krispy Kreme is currently the most popular free iPhone app in the US. That puts it above Google and TikTok.

Wondering what sparked this rise? The company’s dozen days of deals, apparently.

Over on Google Play, Krispy Kreme is in the #25 slot. I’m not sure what that says about the donut intake between iOS and Android users, but there you go.


A screenshot of the App Store top free apps ranking.
Screenshot: App Store
Why Elon Musk wants Tesla to stop being a car company.

On today’s Decoder, Verge transportation editor Andy Hawkins and I try to figure out Tesla. The company has been on a real rollercoaster these past two weeks — in terms of its stock price, its basic financials, and well, its vibes. With Elon Musk saying he’s going all in on autonomy and announcing a robotaxi event in August, it seems like we’re getting closer to a make-or-break moment for the company.

Between when we recorded this episode and today, there have been more than a half dozen new updates in the Tesla saga, including another wave of layoffs. That is a lot of chaos for a company that is trying to execute a huge pivot to become a very different kind of business than it is today — and do so very quickly. Like I said, Andy and I tried to explain Tesla. You let us know if we succeeded.


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A drawn-out finale for Cobra Kai.

Netflix is really making a meal out of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, which will total 15 episodes split into three parts. The first is out July 18th, followed by part two on November 28th. But for the “Finale Event” fans will have to wait until 2025.


The best entertainment of 2024

Our guide to the most interesting games, movies, and TV shows of the year.

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PlayStation’s putting a modern classic back in the PS Plus vault.

Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition is leaving PlayStation Plus Extra on May 21st, as reported by Eurogamer and VGC. Subscribers did get the game for free in 2021, which will still be available. There’s speculation a previously reported remastered version is... on the horizon.


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Fubo wants Congress to look into WBD, ESPN, and Fox’s sports streaming service.

After dropping Discovery networks this week, Fubo co-signed a letter with Dish, DirecTV, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Markets Institute, and others asking Congress to hold hearings about the sports streaming joint venture “that would control 80% of national live sports broadcasts:”

We cannot think of any scenario in the history of the United States where consumer interests have been served when such an important industry — here, access to live sports — is effectively controlled by three programming giants.


The Verge’s 2024 Mother’s Day gift guide

We found a collection of unique gift ideas that go beyond the flowers and chocolates that typically rule the day.

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Google paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be Safari’s default search engine.

That’s according to Apple’s Eddy Cue in court documents filed ahead of closing arguments in the DoJ’s antitrust case against Google. It’s the first time the number has been confirmed, and marks an increase from the $18 billion reportedly paid in 2021. The filing also shows that Google’s 2020 payments were 17.5 percent of the Apple’s operating income.


This sure would be useful for an Xbox handheld.

Microsoft is adding the ability to save and remember multiple Wi-Fi networks on Xbox consoles. With persistent rumors of an Xbox handheld on the horizon, this would be a very useful feature if such a device is on the way.


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The AI in your search bar is not a search engine.

NYT tech writer Brian Chen reports Meta’s AI assistant (which is now available in Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) excels at editing text, but like other chatbots, confidently makes up answers to basic questions:

When I asked it for suggestions for a romantic weekend in Oakland, its list included a fictional business. And when I asked it to tell me about myself — Brian Chen the journalist — it said I worked at The New York Times but incorrectly mentioned a tech blog I’ve never written for, The Verge.


Costa Rica restored its forests and switched to renewable energy — what can the world learn from it?

The Verge takes you to Costa Rica to explore how it restored its forests and manages to get nearly 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy.

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Google Photos is working on a way to see certain people less.

An upcoming feature uncovered by @AssembleDebug suggests that Google Photos could soon add a “Show less” option that keeps certain people out of your Memories but still includes them in group photos. Google Photos currently only lets you block every photo with a person you don’t want to see.


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A delightful tiny go kart that also kinda sorta sweeps your floors.

I swear, I did not dress my daughter in Mario duds just so she could do real-life Mario Kart! It’s too perfect, I know, but she picked them out herself hours before she ever saw the toy.

(If you’re looking for the product, it’s here: note that if you buy something from that link, Vox Media might get affiliate revenue.)


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Google Play Books audiobook previews are now available on YouTube too.

You can now preview thousands of audiobooks from the Google Play Books channel on YouTube — in addition to the previews already available in the Play Store. Google has also expanded its selection of free nonfiction ebooks for kids.


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National Archives won’t let employees use ChatGPT.

The National Archives and Records Administration tells its employees that ChatGPT could leak confidential data. It will block access to the chatbot on agency-issued laptops. The agency is considering using Microsoft Copilot or Google’s Gemini instead “because they protect data input by federal agencies.”

It’s not alone in banning ChatGPT; the House of Representatives restricted access to the chatbot last year.


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It’s board game night, y’all.

Our pals over at Polygon put together a short list of newer tabletop games they’re digging so far this year. I think I’m mostly interested in Wyrmspan, where there be dragons.

But I also wonder how much Star Wars: Unlimited, which also made the cut, resembles that Star Wars card game I played a few times in middle school. Who can tell me?


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Take Two shuts down two of its studios.

As a part of its five percent reduction in workforce, Take Two is closing down Roll7, a London-based studio that developed the OlliOlli games, and the Seattle-based Intercept Games that made Kerbal Space Program 2. In a statement to Game Developer, a Take Two spokesperson confirmed that the company would still support the popular, if goofy, flight simulator.


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More Google layoffs.

As previously reported in Alex Heath’s Command Line newsletter, layoffs at the $2 trillion company have cut “at least 200 employees” in the Core engineering group, according to CNBC.

That division handles “building the technical foundation behind Google’s flagship products, protecting our users’ online safety, and maintaining our global IT infrastructure.” Some roles moved to India or Mexico, and includes at least 50 in Google’s Sunnyvale offices.


Fujifilm’s X-T50 will have a physical dial for the company’s signature film simulations.

Maybe this was an inevitable step from the camera brand that hangs its hat on film simulations that look wonderful straight out of camera.

According to FujiRumors, the upcoming mid-range X-T50 will have a physical dial for switching between different film sims. A bit unconventional? Definitely. But at least it’ll encourage people to try more of them.


Image: FujiRumors