Emma Roth
Emma Roth is a news writer at The Verge, where she covers just about everything in the world of tech. Some of her favorite topics to follow include the ever-evolving streaming industry, the latest in artificial intelligence, and changes to the way our government interacts with Big Tech. Previously, Emma wrote and edited technology news and how-to articles for MUO. emma.roth@theverge.comTwitter Getty upgrades its AI image generator. The text-to-image generator, which is trained on Getty's stock pictures, now uses an upgraded version of Nvidia's Edify AI model, making it faster and more accurate. It also comes with new features to control the “camera settings” used in an AI-generated image, such as depth of field or focal length. Image: Getty Many sites are struggling to keep up with AI data scrapers. A report from 404 Media reveals how AI companies like Anthropic are bypassing a website's robots.txt file by deploying new web crawlers with different names. This makes it more difficult for websites to block crawlers, as they constantly need to update their files to include the new bots: Anthropic’s current and active crawler is called “CLAUDEBOT.” Neither Reuters nor Condé Nast, for example, block CLAUDEBOT. This means that these websites—and hundreds of others who have copy pasted old blocker lists—are not actually blocking Anthropic. The Xbox 360 Store shuts down today. Starting today, you'll no longer be able to purchase games, DLC, and other items from the Xbox 360 Store or the Xbox 360 Marketplace — both of which launched almost 19 years ago. The shutdown doesn't affect online multiplayer on the Xbox 360, and you'll still be able to purchase backward-compatible games and DLC from newer Xbox consoles. Apple TV Plus inches toward ads. A report from The Telegraph reveals that Apple executives met with the UK's ratings agency to “discuss potential options for tracking adverts” on Apple TV Plus. It's yet another sign Apple is planning to roll out an ad-supported streaming tier, as the company has already hired NBCUniversal ads exec Joseph Cady in March. Warner Bros. Discovery sues NBA for picking Prime Video over TNT. On Wednesday, the NBA announced that it had rejected WBD's offer to air games on TNT in favor of broadcast rights deals with Prime Video, Disney, and Comcast — and now WBD is fighting back with a lawsuit: We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right, but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed WBD video-first distribution platforms — including TNT and Max. Apple signs onto The White House's AI commitments. It's the latest company to commit to The White House's voluntary AI agreement, which promotes the safe and responsible development of AI. OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Adobe, Nvidia, and others already signed onto the agreement last year.
96%
The Daily's Verdict
This author is known for its high journalistic standards. The author strives to maintain neutrality and transparency in its reporting, and avoids conflicts of interest. The author has a reputation for accuracy and rarely gets contradicted on major discrepancies in its reporting.
Bias
95%
Examples:
- Emma Roth covers technology news with a focus on streaming, artificial intelligence, and government interactions with Big Tech. She has reported on topics such as AI data scraping, website blockers, and the White House's voluntary AI agreement.
- Roth has also covered controversies involving Elon Musk and his alleged inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
Conflicts of Interest
95%
Examples:
- Roth has mentioned her own contact information in her biography.
- Roth has reported on topics involving companies like Anthropic, which are accused of bypassing website robots.txt files to deploy new web crawlers for data scraping.
- She has also covered controversies involving Elon Musk and his alleged inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
Contradictions
85%
Examples:
- Some articles mention conflicting information regarding timelines or specific details, like the launch date for VIPER rover and Intel's discovery of issues causing CPU crashes.
- There are also instances where Roth reports on allegations or lawsuits involving companies or individuals, such as the lawsuit against Troon Pacific and allegations against Elon Musk.
- There are instances where Roth reports on delays or changes to product launches, such as the Xbox Live outage, Google Pixel 9 leak, and Amazon's replacement of plastic air pillows.
Deceptions
100%
Examples:
- Roth accurately reports on the latest technology news and developments, often providing detailed explanations and context for her readers.
- There are no instances of deception or misleading information in Roth's reporting.
Recent Articles
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Apple Introduces Apple Intelligence: Enhancing Siri and Email with AI at WWDC 2024
Broke On: Monday, 10 June 2024Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, a new AI suite at WWDC 2024, enhancing Siri's capabilities with automatic email and image generation, notification sorting, and improved Siri functionality. The first version includes a new Siri look, better photos search and movie creation capabilities, AI-generated summaries for Mail and Messages with voicemail transcriptions. Writing Tools is also part of the first version but not all features are available yet. Expected public release later this year. 
Google's Pixel 9: A Game-Changer with Free AI Premium Plan, New 'Add Me' Feature, and Advanced Camera System
Broke On: Friday, 26 July 2024Google's Pixel 9 series, launching August 13, offers AI capabilities with a year of Google One Premium Plan for free. New features include 'Add Me' for adding missing persons to group photos and a more traditional foldable design. The device is rumored to have up to 16GB RAM, Tensor G4 SoC, and improved displays. With a focus on AI integration, the Pixel 9 also includes advanced camera features and marketing efforts highlighting its Gemini tool. /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25536578/pixel9pro.jpg)
Google's Pixel 9 Series: Powerful New Flagships with Tensor G4 Chipset and Exciting Features
Broke On: Thursday, 25 July 2024Google's Pixel 9 Series: New Flagships with Powerful Tensor G4 Chipset, Seven Years of Updates, and Exciting Features like Add Me. Launching August 13. 
Runway's Text-to-Video AI Model Trained on Unauthorized YouTube Videos: A Scandal with Ethical and Legal Implications
Broke On: Thursday, 25 July 2024Runway, a multi-billion dollar AI tech company, faced controversy over its text-to-video generator Gen-3's training on unauthorized YouTube videos from major entertainment companies and individual creators like Netflix, Disney, Nintendo, Rockstar Games, MKBHD and Linus Tech Tips. An anonymous employee admitted to downloading videos using proxies for training without permission. Google's policies prohibit unauthorized use of its content for AI training purposes with potential legal action and reputation damage. 
Apple's Foldable iPhone: From Rumors to Reality? New Developments and Challenges
Broke On: Tuesday, 23 July 2024Apple, in development of a foldable iPhone with clamshell design and potential release in 2026, faces challenges eliminating screen creases. Sources include The Information and The Verge; Apple also reportedly working on a MacBook-like foldable device. 
Alphabet's Q2 Earnings Surpass Expectations, Despite YouTube Ad Revenue Miss: Search and Cloud Drive Growth
Broke On: Tuesday, 23 July 2024Alphabet Inc. reported Q2 earnings beating revenue and EPS estimates, driven by strong performance in Google's search engine and cloud services. Despite a shortfall in YouTube ad revenue, the company saw growth in other areas and announced a $5 billion investment in Waymo. /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24002574/acastro_STK094_03.jpg)
Intel Identifies and Addresses Instability Issues in Some 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors: Elevated Operating Voltages Causing Frequent Crashes
Broke On: Monday, 22 July 2024Intel identifies and addresses instability issues in some 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors caused by elevated operating voltages from a flawed algorithm, impacting users primarily with Core i9-13900K and i9-14900K models. A microcode patch is set to release in mid-August to resolve the issue, while only a small number of Raptor Lake desktop processors were affected by this manufacturing fault. 
NASA Cancels $450 Million Moon Rover Mission Due to Delays and Cost Overruns
Broke On: Thursday, 18 July 2024NASA cancels $450 million VIPER moon rover mission due to delays and rising costs, replacing it with a nonfunctional mass simulator. The decision comes amid challenges in other missions, including Europa Clipper's electronic components. NASA continues lunar initiatives and Artemis human missions. CEO of OpenAI Sues Troon Pacific for $4M Over Undisclosed Construction Defects in $27M San Francisco Mansion
Broke On: Monday, 15 July 2024In July 2024, Sam Altman sued Troon Pacific for $4 million over undisclosed construction defects in his $27 million San Francisco mansion. The lawsuit alleges misrepresentation and sabotage, with issues including a faulty waterproofing system causing raw sewage and financial losses. 
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL: Size Up and Compare - A Look at the Design, Features, and Price of Google's New Smartphones
Broke On: Monday, 15 July 2024New leaks reveal Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL with larger sizes, design shifts, and improved features such as multi-camera setups, AI screenshot search, and potential ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. Prices start at €899 for the Pixel 9 and €1,099 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The official unveiling is scheduled for August 13th.