Skip to main content
/ To be absolutely clear: Apple is not hosting a crypto event
Sep 8, 2022, 2:19 AM UTC|
A screenshot from a bogus Apple live stream that actually seems to be a crypto scam. Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge
Someone on YouTube is currently live streaming an old interview with Tim Cook that is seemingly being used to attract attention to a crypto scam — and tens of thousands of viewers have tuned in.
If you’ve seen crypto scams on YouTube before, you’ll recognize a lot of hallmarks of what’s going on here. The fake live stream is getting attention by filling its description with an array of Apple keywords in both the title and description. But when you actually open it up, it’s filled with odd messages linking to a shady-looking crypto site.
The stream has plenty of signs of being fake. It has a strange title — “Apple Event Live. Ceo of Apple Tim Cook: Apple & Metaverse in 2022.” — and it’s showing an old interview that CNN conducted with Cook in 2018. The streamer added the Bitcoin and Ethereum logos to the video stream, covered the CNN Money logo with the text “Apple Crypto Event 2022,” and added bold text reading “URGENT NEWS” at the bottom.
While this bogus live stream clearly isn’t actually from Apple, it’s happening when a major spotlight is on the company. Apple streamed its big iPhone 14 announcement event hours ago, and CEO Tim Cook is currently being interviewed at Vox Media’s Code conference this evening. This misleading stream seems to be an attempt to trick people who may be aware that Apple is having a big day but not know exactly what’s going on.
I came upon this stream because it was recommended on my YouTube homepage — that might have been in part because I’ve been watching Apple videos from the event throughout the day. When I first started watching the fake stream, there were around 16K viewers, and right before publishing this story, that count was nearly of 70K.
The Verge also found a live stream on a separate (and also sketchy) channel claiming it is “Apple Inc” [sic]. The stream purports to be an event featuring Cook and Tesla CEO Elon Musk about Apple and the metaverse, but it’s actually repurposing an interview about Bitcoin with Musk and Block leader Jack Dorsey. It’s seen stream numbers reach above 10,000 viewers, and has also linked to a sketchy-looking crypto site in the chat.
YouTube didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Netflix will try to remind you what you’re paying for with another fan event next week.
Despite this spring’s layoffs (and a brand that some exiting writers couldn’t pronounce), Netflix is still making Tudum a thing, including the second edition of its global fan event next week on September 24th.
This new trailer doesn’t give anything away, but Netflix needs to prove to me that it has more than games to offer as a reason to keep it in the subscription streaming rotation.
Your vomit may be valuable a few million years from now.
According to an article in the journal Palaios, paleontologists are enthusiastically examining a bunch of bones apparently regurgitated from a predator in Utah 150 million years ago. The fossil they found contains the remains of an unlucky frog or tadpole that was some predator’s lunch back in prehistoric times.
Welcome to the new VergeRevolutionizing the media with blog posts
Nilay PatelSep 13
I’d have a lockscreen full of widgets if I could.
Lockscreen widgets in iOS 16 are great and super useful, but Apple limits how many you can have to just one row below the clock. I’ve got a big screen on my phone that I’d put so many more widgets on if I could. Widgets are great. Widget it up.
James VincentTwo hours ago
Neither snow nor rain nor active crime scene will stay these robot couriers…
Last-mile delivery robots are still trying to prove their worth, but here’s one apparent advantage: they can enter crime scenes. It’s a bit odd that the police didn’t stop the bot, especially as we don’t know whether a computer or human was driving.
What would you name a probe sent to Uranus?
Probey McProbeface is always a fave, but what about Planetary Orbital Observation Probe (aka, P.O.O.P.)? Just a few of the names suggested in response to an unofficial poll for a proposed mission that isn’t even funded — but it’s ok to have fun.
The next iPhone and Mac M3 chip rumors begin.
Nikkei Asia is reporting that Apple is preparing to use TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process for its M3 and A17 chips next year. The upgraded 3nm tech will include performance and power efficiency improvements, and is rumored to appear in premium 2023 iPhones and M3 Mac computers. That could mean the next base iPhone model won’t have Apple’s latest chips again.
A PlayStation exclusive is heading to Xbox.
Deathloop on Xbox ads have started appearing on consoles today. The timed PS5 console exclusive from Microsoft-owned Bethesda looks like it will be available on Xbox soon, a year after it launched on PS5. Microsoft’s store says you can “pre-order now” but the link isn’t working yet. We described Deathloop as “an intricate mystery that also happens to be an amazing action game.”
A Deathloop ad on Xbox. Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Verge
Aqara has a new smart thermostat for radiators in Europe.
The Radiator Thermostat E1 arrives in Europe (€56.99 / £54.99) with lots of valve adapters to automate wall-mounted radiators, towel warmers, and heated floors. It’ll support Matter via a future update to Aqara’s hubs.
Showtime streaming might disappear into Paramount Plus.
Next year HBO Max will do the fusion dance with Discovery Plus, and Disney’s CEO is talking about a “hard bundle” for Hulu and Disney Plus, so this rumor about Paramount discontinuing Showtime streaming is no surprise.
Showtime’s content is already in the Paramount app, and Paramount’s pushing a discounted $8 (ads) or $13 (fewer ads) combo subscription until October 2nd. The bundle is back.
iOS 16 should let us swipe down for notifications.
Antonio makes an excellent point here that completely slipped by me in the months I’ve been using the iOS 16 betas. Swiping down on the home screen is part of my muscle memory for Spotlight, but now that there’s an always present button on the home screen to launch Spotlight, the swipe down gesture could easily be repurposed for Notification Center. Or at least give us the option.
With iOS 16 apple now gives you TWO different ways to do a search on your home screen (swipe down from center and tap the pill button at the bottom). This would have been the perfect chance to switch that down swipe to pull down the notification shade, which is all I want in iOS
— Antonio G. Di Benedetto (@SuperAntonio64) September 13, 2022
Google’s first-party Pixel 6 case proves to be junk.
I immediately had the impression that Google’s official cases for the Pixel 6 were awful as soon as I touched them last year, but a long-term review from 9to5Google shows just how bad they can get.
Here’s to hoping Google does better with the Pixel 7 cases this year.
Uber will pay $100 million to New Jersey for misclassifying drivers, gets to continue misclassifying them.
Gizmodo reports that Uber will pay $100 million in back taxes to the state of New Jersey in response to an audit that concluded the company was misclassifying its drivers as independent contractors. But here’s the thing: Uber will pay any amount of money necessary to continue misclassifying drivers, because reclassifying them as employees would cause Uber to cease to exist.
Victoria Song says the new Fitbit Inspire 3 feels like a product from 2015.
Where is the lie?
The Westworld subreddit is anxious the show will be canceled before the final season.
Viewership was way down this season, and the recent changes — including more layoffs at HBO parent company Warner Bros. Discovery today — don’t seem to bode well for what’s been a very expensive show. That said, this season started strong and ended with a whimper, so maybe it’s all for the best.
More Stories
Read More
