Spotify’s CFO is out days after mass layoffs
Image: The Verge
Of all the layoffs happening at Spotify this week, this has to be the biggest. Chief financial officer Paul Vogel, who since 2020 has managed the company’s balance sheet as it expanded into podcasting and audiobooks, is leaving the company at the end of March 2024.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said the decision was made because Vogel didn’t have the experience needed to help the company both expand and meet market expectations. The company is starting the search for a successor.
“Spotify has embarked on an evolution over the last two years to bring our spending more in line with market expectations while also funding the significant growth opportunities we continue to identify. I’ve talked a lot with Paul about the need to balance these two objectives carefully. Over time, we’ve come to the conclusion that Spotify is entering a new phase and needs a CFO with a different mix of experiences. As a result, we’ve decided to part ways, but I am very appreciative of the steady hand Paul has provided in supporting the expansion of our business through a global pandemic and unprecedented economic uncertainty,” Ek said in a statement published Thursday evening. Vogel did not issue a statement.
After testing investors’ patience with acquisitions and investments, Spotify is focusing on producing a profit, for better or worse. Much of its original podcasting operation has shuttered, including the cancellation this week of its two most prestigious shows, Heavyweight and Stolen. Approximately 1,500 people this week were laid off from product, advertising, marketing, and content, amounting to 17 percent of its staff.
Vogel is a longtime Spotify employee, joining the company in 2016 as the head of FP&A, treasury, and investor relations before being promoted to CFO in 2020. Prior to that, he had been a managing director at Barclay’s and an SVP at AllianceBernstein.
Before the news broke on Thursday, an SEC filing was posted that showed Vogel exercised 47,859 stock options on Tuesday and sold those shares at one of the highest prices Spotify has seen in two years. The sale was worth $9.38 million. Vogel had exercised options and sold stock in March and September, but this sale was significantly larger than the other two. It is possible the stock sale was previously scheduled or triggered by a stock price. Spotify did not return request for clarification on the stock sales.
Here are the best deals on headphones and wireless earbuds we could find
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 are our favorite pair of noise-canceling headphones and are currently on sale.
When it comes to headphones and true wireless earbuds, there are a ton of brands and products to choose from. However, the sheer range of available models can also make them difficult to shop for, especially since many of them cater to different lifestyles, budgets, and priorities. Some are better suited for long-haul flights and vigorous workouts, for instance, while others let you tune out noise so you can focus better.
That’s why we’ve curated a list of the best headphone and earbud deals available. Here, you’ll find sales on all kinds of earbuds and over-ear headphones, all of which come with their own strengths and weaknesses. And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together guides to the best wireless earbuds and best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which pair is right for you.
Best Apple deals
AirPods Pro (second-gen) deals
If you own an iPhone or multiple Apple products, the second-gen AirPods Pro are probably your best bet when it comes to wireless earbuds. In comparison to the base AirPods, the Pros offer better sound quality and feature active noise cancellation, not to mention seamless integration with iOS and a MagSafe-compatible charging case.
In 2022, Apple launched a new pair of AirPods Pro with improved sound quality and better noise cancellation. They also include onboard volume controls and a new MagSafe charging case, one that can beep if you ever misplace it thanks to its deeper Find My integration. The earbuds even come with an extra swappable tip for smaller ears.
One year later, Apple released the updated AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. Along with USB-C support, the buds also offer an even more robust IP54 rating for water and sweat resistance. Plus, when paired with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, they support lossless audio.
During Black Friday, we saw steep discounts on both versions of the latest AirPods Pro, with retailers taking up to $60 off. However, these deals have since disappeared, and you can only buy the AirPods Pro without USB-C for $189.99 in-store from the Micro Center. The second best discount is available at B&H Photo, where anybody can order the 2022 buds without USB-C for $229 ($20 off). The buds with USB-C support, meanwhile, are only $3 off at $237 from Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo— though Best Buy’s Plus and Total members can save $12.50.
Alternatively, you can buy a pair of the second-gen AirPods with a wired charging case. Their sound quality isn’t quite up to par with newer models, however, they remain the cheapest Apple earbuds on the market and continue to pair seamlessly with a range of Apple products thanks to their built-in H1 chip. The entry-level AirPods normally retail for $129, but you can currently get them for $99 at Amazon and Walmart.
The second-gen AirPods are a lot harder to get ahold of with a MagSafe charging case, however, unless you’re shopping for a used or refurbished pair of earbuds. Luckily, though, you can still buy them in new condition at Adorama for $119.99 ($30 off).
Last on Apple’s wireless earbuds block are the third-gen AirPods, which represent the latest iteration of the base model. They blend a bit of the AirPods Pro look with the hard plastic build of the second-gen model; they also offer IPX4 water resistance and improved sound quality over the latter, even if they are still lacking in the low end.
Right now, you can buy the third-gen AirPods with either a MagSafe charging case or a Lightning-only charging case. The option with the wired charging case is on sale at Amazon for $164 ($5 off). You can also pick up the wireless earbuds with a MagSafe charging case from Staples and Costco (if you’re a member) for $169.95, which is just $6 more and a better deal overall.
If you’re looking for some of the best sound quality you can get in a pair of noise-canceling headphones, we recommend the AirPods Max. The headphones pair seamlessly with other Apple devices and sound superb, especially combined with Apple’s spatial audio feature, which allows for a more immersive experience when listening to or watching compatible content. Unfortunately, they don’t support lossless audio, but they do tout the best transparency mode of all the headphones on our list. They also boast incredible build quality thanks to a luxe design that opts for aluminum, steel, and fabric over plastic.
With an MSRP of $549, the AirPods Max are expensive, but they’re often on sale for far less. Right now, for instance, the headphones are down to $479.99 ($70 off) at Amazon, albeit in select colors, as well as Best Buy.
After six years, Apple-owned Beats replaced the Beats Studio 3 with the Beats Studio Pro earlier this year. The over-ears offer much better sound quality thanks to new features like support for lossless audio over USB-C. They also cancel noise out much better, while you can take advantage of iOS and Android features like Fast Pair and Google’s Find My Device platform. The Beats Studio Pro normally go for $349.99, but right now they are on sale for $271.15 in blue at Amazon, while you can get them in other colors for $299.99 from Best Buy and Verizon.
Beats Fit Pro deals
The Beats Fit Pro are the latest fitness earbuds from Apple and offer a sportier design and better sound than the first-gen AirPods Pro. The wing tips help to keep them in place when you’re active, while also ensuring they remain comfortable over long listening sessions. Their functionality with Android phones is slightly limited, but if you use an iPhone, you get all the conveniences of Apple’s H1 chip and deeper OS integration and connectivity. Their only real downside is that the included charging case is overly large and lacks wireless charging (which is more forgivable at lower price points).
They aren’t a huge departure from the previous model, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 are still our favorite pair of noise-canceling headphones. The XM5s improve on all of the features that made the XM4s so awesome by providing better active noise cancellation, improving the voice call quality, and boosting the overall sound of the already excellent headphones. While the lack of new features is a bit disappointing, the Sony XM5s remain one of our top recommendations for anyone looking for a premium pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Right now you can buy the headphones for around $328 ($70 off) from B&H Photo, Best Buy, and Target.
The WH-1000XM5’s predecessor, Sony’s WH-1000XM4, are still a terrific pair of headphones even if they’re older. They offer excellent noise cancellation, good sound, and the ability to pair to two devices simultaneously. You can wear them for long periods as well, as their plush ear pads make them comfortable to wear for as long as you need. Frequent travelers will appreciate their ability to fold up much more compactly than Sony’s newer model. They even last up to 30 hours on a single charge and charge via USB-C.
The Sony LinkBuds are a clear departure from conventional earbuds, one that uses an “open-style” donut-shaped design instead of the more typical silicone ear tips. This allows for better spatial awareness and, for some, a more comfortable fit. The LinkBuds also provide crisp sound quality and excellent voice call performance. (Though, as a result of their design, they aren’t very practical in louder environments.) Possibly the coolest feature, though, are the controls, which allow you to tap the side of your head to control them instead of the earbud itself. They’re certainly very Sony.
One more intriguing pair of earbuds from Sony are the LinkBuds S, which don’t look as peculiar as the regular LinkBuds but are some of the comfiest earbuds around. A big part of this is due to their lightweight build, which amounts to just 4.8 grams per bud. They also offer active noise cancellation and support for Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec, which allows for higher-quality audio streaming. Normally $199.99, the LinkBuds S are on sale for around $148 at Amazon and Target.
If you’re looking for noise-canceling headphones for under $150, Sony’s WH-CH720N might be worth a look. The budget-friendly headphones come with adjustable noise cancellation and are exceptionally light, which allows for a more comfortable fit. They also feature Bluetooth support and offer up to 35 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, though they lack support for Sony’s higher-quality LDAC codec.
The headphones typically retail for $149, but right now, you can buy them in various colors for around $98 from Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.
Sony WF-C700N deals
The WF-C700N are another pair of noise-canceling earbuds from Sony and are currently available for $89.99 from Amazon and Best Buy. They’re an exceptionally comfortable pair of earbuds with decent sound quality and support for an array of useful software features, including Fast Pair support on Android as well as location-based sound settings. Admittedly, their noise cancellation doesn’t truly drown out the world, but it does eliminate some sound. Voice call quality isn’t particularly impressive, either, but if you just need an affordable pair of earbuds to help you tune out some noise, the WF-C700N should do just fine.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones and Bose QuietComfort 45 deals
Earlier this fall, Bose rehauled its lineup and replaced the Bose QuietComfort 45 with Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones. With the new headphones, you can now adjust noise cancellation levels and set custom modes. The over-ears also now come in green.
We haven’t tested Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones, but our headphone reviewer Chris Welch says they’re otherwise extremely similar to the QuietComfort 45. They’re foldable, so you can easily carry them around with you, and exceptionally comfortable. Battery life sits at 24 hours as well, meaning you needn’t worry about constantly having to charge them. The transparency mode comes in handy when you need to be more aware of your surroundings, like when you’re about to cross the street.
Right now, you can buy the newer Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $249 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. Alternatively, you can pick up the Bose QuietComfort 45 for $229 ($100 off) from Amazon, Best Buy and Target.
Unlike Bose’s entry-level QuietComfort Headphones, the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones offer higher-quality Bluetooth codecs and an immersive audio mode — which is essentially Bose’s version of spatial audio. They also improve upon the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 with a foldable design, better call quality, and more effective noise cancellation. Along with new physical controls, like a volume slider, the over-ears sport a new spatial audio listening mode, Plus, they boast improved call quality, which is saying something given Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 were already exemplary in this respect.
Right now, you can buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for $379 ($50 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. You can alternatively buy Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 for $279 ($100 off) from Best Buy and Bose.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II deals
Bose also recently replaced the excellent Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds. When it comes to noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra outperform all other earbuds on the market. While the buds are very similar in design, fit, and sound to their predecessor, they now support immersive audio, better voice call quality, and new silicone stabilizer wings that are easier to apply. Sadly, however, they continue to lack multipoint support and don't come with a built-in wireless charging case.
We recently saw the Bose QuietComfort Ultra drop down to $249, but right now you can only buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for $279 ($20 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. Alternatively, you can buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for $199 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Bose.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro are another good pair of noise-canceling earbuds, particularly for Pixel phone owners. The wireless earbuds offer terrific sound quality and battery life, along with useful features like multipoint Bluetooth connectivity. If you own a Pixel phone, you’ll also get access to exclusive features like head-tracking spatial audio and easy access to their settings menu.
Right now, they’re on sale for around $119.99 ($80 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.
Google Pixel Buds A-Series deals
Google also sells a cheaper pair of earbuds, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series. They offer good sound and voice call quality, along with perks like Google Assistant and an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance. Just bear in mind there are some tradeoffs when opting for a cheaper set of earbuds, as the A-Series lack noise cancellation, wireless charging, and are more prone to the occasional connection hiccup.
At the moment, you can pick them up on sale for $83.34 ($17 off) at Amazon, a far cry from their all-time low of $58.98.
Samsung has a few different wireless earbuds to choose from. Its most high-end pair, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, launched last year. They’re a good option if you’re an Android user or Samsung devotee who wants a pair of premium earbuds, with top-notch sound quality that’s even better than their predecessor. Samsung Galaxy phone owners can also take advantage of higher bit rate audio, while everybody can enjoy good active noise cancellation and a relatively robust IPX7 sweat and water resistance.
You can currently buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on sale for $169.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 are a good-sounding pair of earbuds with active noise cancellation, wireless charging, and a subtle design. Right now, the best price around is at Best Buy, where you can grab a pair for $89.99 ($60 off). You can also buy them for about $10 more from Amazon. Walmart, and Verizon. That’s not a bad price for Samsung’s entry-level buds, which hit above their weight class with noise cancellation and good audio quality.
Jabra’s Elite 10 are the company’s most premium pair of wireless earbuds. They feature a new semi-open design that should be more comfortable, along with Dolby Spatial Audio with head tracking. We’re still in the process of testing these earbuds, but Jabra says they also offer its most powerful active noise cancellation yet. Their new drivers, meanwhile, should also provide more detailed and richer sound. At the same time, they continue to retain perks like wireless charging, multipoint Bluetooth support, and are IP57-rated for water resistance.
Regularly $249.99, you can currently buy the Jabra Elite 10 for $199.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Jabra.
Jabra Elite 8 Active deals
Jabra’s Elite 8 Active are a pair of fitness-focused earbuds and the successor to the excellent Elite 7 Active. They’re a terrific pair of earbuds if you like to go for runs, with more robust IP68 rating water resistance than their predecessor and adaptive ANC. Plus, unlike similar offerings from Beats and Anker, the Elite 8 Active offer a secure fit without the need for added hooks or fins. At the same time, they retain the essentials, like support for multipoint and wireless charging.
Normally $199.99, they’re currently on sale for $149.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Jabra.
Jabra Elite 4 Active deals
If you prefer a more affordable pair of earbuds that are geared toward working out, there’s also Jabra’s Elite 4 Active. They come with IP57 water resistance and active noise cancellation (though you can’t adjust it) but lack wireless charging. However, if you’re fine without the extra bells and whistles, you can buy them for $69.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Walmart.
Best Sennheiser deals
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 deals
If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones with superb battery life, Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 4 are your best option. These headphones are capable of lasting up to 60 hours on a single charge. They also sound terrific, offer multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, and match the Sony WH-1000XM5 — our favorite noise-canceling headphones — in terms of comfort. They may not boast physical controls or the stylish, retro-inspired design their predecessor had, but they do offer improved noise cancellation (even if it isn’t quite on par with that of Sony or Bose’s offerings).
The Momentum Wireless 4 typically sell for $379.95, but right now you can buy them for $269.89 at Amazon and for $30 more at Best Buy.
After testing a pair for ourselves, we remarked in our review that the UE Fits were the most comfortable consumer earbuds on the market. That’s because, unlike the other wireless earbuds on this list, the UE Fits are uniquely capable of permanently molding to the shape of your ears in just 60 seconds, making them a great choice for those concerned their earbuds may come loose or fall out. We also found that they offer good sound quality, as well as lengthy, eight-hour battery life. Normally $199, you can get them right now for $149.99 direct from Ultimate Ears.
Best Anker deals
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro deals
Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro are another solid pair of noise-canceling earbuds that are relatively affordable. In addition to active noise cancellation and long battery life, the earbuds boast powerful sound with support for the higher-quality LDAC codec. They also come with multipoint Bluetooth support, IPX4 water resistance, and a wide selection of ear and wing tips.
Regularly $169.99, they’re on sale right now for $99.99 at Amazon and $10 more from Walmart.
If you like the new Beats Studio Buds Plus because of their transparent look, Nothing’s Ear Stick earbuds are a cheaper option that’s currently available for $59 ($40 off) from Nothing. They’re not quite as capable as the Beats and lack premium features like active noise cancellation, but they’re certainly stylish thanks to their see-through design and tube-like charging case. The open-style earbuds also deliver good sound, along with improved battery life and better voice call quality than their predecessor.
The 2021 edition of the Amazon Echo Buds are a great value. Amazon’s second-generation true wireless earbuds offer improved comfort and better noise cancellation than their predecessor, along with a terrific passthrough mode that ensures you can always hear what’s going on around you. The $119.99 earbuds also feature hands-free Alexa support and sound that’s remarkably satisfying, with more bass than the AirPods Pro and an appropriate amount of restraint when it comes to the high end.
Earlier this year, Amazon also introduced the third-generation Echo Buds which are significantly cheaper at just $44.99. They lack noise cancellation but feature a lightweight, open-ear design that should feel more comfortable.
The second-gen Amazon Echo Buds are on sale at Amazon and Best Buy with the wired charging case for $64.99 ($54 off). The same Echo Buds with a wireless charging case is $85.99 (also $55 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, you can purchase the third-generation Echo Buds for $34.99 ($15 off) from Amazon, which matches their all-time low price.
The Verge’s favorite holiday gifts under $25
Photo Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales and Cath Virginia / The Verge
Whether you need a stocking stuffer or a white elephant present, we’ve got an inexpensive gift idea for nearly every occasion.
Even with inflation on the decline, it often feels like it’s an uphill battle to find the right gift at the right price. Dollars simply don’t stretch like they used to, at least not in a world where high-end handsets and handhelds reign supreme. Luckily, you’re in the right spot if you’ve found yourself working with a limited budget.
Like in previous years, we’ve taken the accumulated knowledge of The Verge staff and set out to find the best bang for your buck across several categories, resulting in a selection of gifts that are cheap only in price. Our low-cost collection includes an assortment of well-loved tech staples, from charging cables to gaming mice to a wired pair of earbuds that — gasp! — come in more than one color. And because many of us are obsessed with more than just gadgets behind the scenes, we’ve also included a few non-tech gifts. After all, you never know who in your orbit might be a wannabe dungeon master or an aspiring Top Chef contestant with a competitive edge and one ruthless picadillo.
Meta Plans to Add Encryption to Messenger, Stoking a Privacy Debate The move is part of an effort to make the app more like WhatsApp and iMessage. Law enforcement authorities say the privacy makes it harder to track criminals.
Messenger is finally getting end-to-end encryption by default
Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge
Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats and calls on Messenger, finally fulfilling a promise that’s been in the works for quite awhile. When end-to-end encryption is on, only you and the person you send a message to in Messenger can see its contents, the company claims.
Encrypted chats were first introduced as an opt-in feature in Messenger in 2016, but after alongwindup, end-to-end encrypted messages and calls for conversations between two people will now be the standard going forward.
“This has taken years to deliver because we’ve taken our time to get this right,” Loredana Crisan, VP of Messenger, said in a statement shared with The Verge. “Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product managers have worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up.”
According to Crisan, you won’t sacrifice Messenger features when using encrypted chats, so you’ll still be able to use things like themes and custom reactions. However, Crisan notes that it may “take some time” for all Messenger chats to switch over to default encryption.
Image: Meta
While this is a good step, end-to-end encryption for group Messenger chats is still opt-in for now. Instagram messages are also not encrypted by default, though Meta said in August that would happen “shortly after” the rollout of default private Messenger chats.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2019 that the company planned to move toward encrypted ephemeral messages across its messaging apps. “I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won’t stick around forever,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “This is the future I hope we will help bring about.”
Enabling encryption by default will mean that Meta should not only be unable to see the contents of most Messenger chats, but that it also won’t be able to hand them over to law enforcement. Last year, the company drew headlines when a 17-year-old from Nebraska and her mother faced criminal charges for performing an illegal abortion after police obtained their Messenger chat history. Anti-encryption advocates say that the technology makes it harder to find bad actors on messaging apps like WhatsApp, which is already encrypted by default.
PlayStation Will Remove Discovery Shows Despite User Purchase Sony said that the Discovery shows would be deleted from the devices on Dec. 31, citing “content licensing arrangements with content providers.”
Ex-Twitter security head claims the company fired him to flout regulations
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Alan Rosa, former head of security for Twitter, filed a lawsuit against X, Elon Musk, and company adviser Steve Davis, alleging that he was wrongly fired for protesting Musk-led cost-cutting measures. Lawyers for Rosa wrote in the complaint that the cuts hampered Twitter’s ability to comply with the regulatory demands of the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission.
The lawsuit alleged that Musk hired Steve Davis as an adviser and gave him broad authority, with which he immediately “began cutting Twitter’s products and services that supported and complied with the Twitter FTC Consent Decree.” Twitter had settled with the FTC over its inappropriate use of users’ personal information only a few months before, prompting the decree. Rosa’s suit complains that Davis and Musk were both “dismissive” of the decree.
In November, around the time Davis was hired, a lawyer for Twitter posted a message to Slack saying that anyone feeling uncomfortable about things Twitter was asking them to do should seek whistleblower protection.
Cuts allegedly included applications used to sniff out software vulnerabilities and Salesforce programs that the company needed to respond to law enforcement information requests. Rosa objected to both moves, he claimed, because it would keep the company from complying with both the Consent Decree and the EU Digital Services Act. Rosa claims in the lawsuit that he went to the company’s legal department with his complaints.
Rosa also says Davis gave him mere hours to “cut the physical security budget by an additional 50 percent by midnight,” which he said risked the company violating court orders to store hundreds of devices that were under litigation holds. The suit claims that five days after he objected to that change, Twitter revoked Rosa’s access and fired him without reason or notice, then withheld his severance package while it investigated his conduct as an employee.
Not long before Rosa’s firing, Musk laid off workers en masse, sparking an immediate lawsuit and the first wave of the Musk-era ad-pocalypse. As the money started to leave, Musk tried to tighten Twitter’s belt even further with novel approaches like selling all of its stuff or not paying the rent. After forcing former employees to give up their wrongful termination lawsuit and enter into arbitration that Twitter was obligated to pay for, Musk’s company simply refused to do so, sparking another lawsuit. Rosa’s lawsuit uses similar justifications to that lawsuit, citing a precedent.
How Nations Are Losing a Global Race to Tackle A.I.’s Harms Alarmed by the power of artificial intelligence, Europe, the United States and others are trying to respond — but the technology is evolving more rapidly than their policies.
Reddit says a bug is letting slurs get added to its links
Image: Reddit
A Reddit bug is allowing slurs to get added to Reddit URLs — and those URLs occasionally appear prominently on Google.
Content warning: the following story includes mentions of a slur.
Here’s what we’ve observed. While Googling something related to a lighthearted debate in The Verge’s Slack, one staffer found that some of the Reddit links that surfaced had a subdomain with unexpected characters and a slur before reddit.com: https://2goback-[f-word].reddit.com/r/[rest of the URL]. Despite the additional characters, the link points to Reddit (though the page had the Old Reddit layout).
The slur didn’t just appear for that query. A Reddit site search on Google for the subdomain reveals a bunch of links from different subreddits that have it. (You can see that site search here). A few Reddit users have noticed the phenomenon over the last day. We also found that you can change the word after “2goback-” in the subdomain with other words, and the URLs will still work. For example, this one where we swapped in “verge.”
The slur doesn’t appear on every Reddit-related query. I’ve only seen it through the very specific query my colleague stumbled upon and when searching specifically for the inappropriate URL on Reddit and Google. In my regular browsing, Reddit links show up as normal.
After we asked about this, Reddit spokesperson Courtney Geesey-Dorr confirmed that the company is aware of the issue and said this is a bug:
We became aware of a bug, a week or two ago, that allows any words and phrases to be updated and manipulated on a post page hyperlink that leads back to Reddit. We’re working with the appropriate partners on a fix. For context, we’ve found that Google will index URLs that work that it finds, both on and off platform, so if someone shared a link on another platform to one of those arbitrary URLs, Google will crawl and index it, even if we don’t “officially” support it.
We asked Google about this, too, and received the following statement from spokesperson Jennifer Kutz:
This issue appears to be related to a configuration issue on Reddit that makes it possible to create alternative URLs for Reddit content. On Search, we aim not to surprise anyone with content that wasn’t explicitly searched for, and we’ll look into ways to prevent this issue from occurring in the future.
Spotify’s not going for Pulitzers anymore
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge
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The dust is still settling on Spotify’s latest round of layoffs. On Monday, Spotify announced it was cutting 17 percent of its workforce, or approximately 1,500 employees, as a means of making the company even more efficient. This round of layoffs dwarfs the past two this year, with the company cutting about 600 employees in January and another 200 employees (mostly from podcasting) in June. Details are still coming out, but it appears the cuts are impacting people across the company, from product to content to advertising.
“I realize that for many, a reduction of this size will feel surprisingly large given the recent positive earnings report and our performance. We debated making smaller reductions throughout 2024 and 2025,” CEO Daniel Ek said in a letter to employees. “Yet, considering the gap between our financial goal state and our current operational costs, I decided that a substantial action to rightsize our costs was the best option to accomplish our objectives.”
Such steep cuts are shocking when the economy is growing and the company is turning a profit. Unlike so many other layoff announcements, this one did not spend a whole lot of time dwelling on macroeconomic factors. Instead, it is an unambiguous attempt at appeasing investors. And in the short term, it is working — Spotify’s stock is up nearly 11 percent from where it was at market close on Friday.
Today, I’ve got some key takeaways from the layoffs so far.
Spotify’s not going for Pulitzers anymore
If Spotify was ever serious about making in-depth narrative podcasts, it certainly isn’t now. Among its many cuts, the company has decided to cancel Heavyweight after it wraps up its current season. It is one of Gimlet’s flagship podcasts and a beloved show among people in the industry. It is also cutting investigative podcast Stolen, which Gimlet launched in 2021 and went on to earn the Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting and a Peabody Award for it this year.
The cancellations come after Spotify cut shows like Reply All and How to Save a Planet, laid off the vast majority of Gimlet’s staff, and folded what remained of Gimlet into Spotify Originals in June. The only shows that remain from Gimlet’s slate are The Journal, a daily news co-production with TheWall Street Journal, and Science Vs.
I have some hope that this is not the end for Heavyweight or Stolen, as both shows will be allowed to be shopped elsewhere. These are the kinds of shows every podcast studio wishes they had and the kind of content Spotify wanted when it got into podcasting in the first place. The reaction on podcast X / Twitter / whatever has been unforgiving.
“Wow, that feels like the end of times,” EarBuds Podcast Collective founder Arielle Nissenblatt told Hot Pod. “I know podcasts are still kinda new to many people but canceling #heavyweight is like canceling Breaking Bad or the Sopranos,” posted Jay Cowit, former director of The Takeaway and Freakonomics. “A Pulitzer and a Peabody and one of the most critically acclaimed shows Gimlet has ever had! Truly what is one supposed to do to keep their job in this industry,” said former Gimlet producer Meg Driscoll.
The answer, at least within Spotify, is to make a high-margin show — something that is straightforward to make, always on, and has broad appeal. You can see that in the company’s support of interview shows like anything goes with emma chamberlain and Call Her Daddy. To make the Sopranos of podcasting, you need time and resources, neither of which are on offer right now.
In his letter to employees, Ek said that “we still have too many people dedicated to supporting work and even doing work around the work rather than contributing to opportunities with real impact.” The “impact” in question here does not mean accolades, or perhaps even audience. It means margin. Like we have seen at WNYC with La Brega and More Perfect and at APM with In the Dark, Spotify has decided that a show that requires too much time, manpower, and money to make is not worth it, no matter the acclaim.
The head of brand safety is gone
The advertising side is experiencing steep cuts, despite CFO Paul Vogel pointing to ad revenue growth as a bright spot in last quarter’s earnings. Among the executives let go is Dave Byrne, who joined Spotify last year as the director of global advertising platform integrity after leading brand safety at TikTok. The point of brand safety is to make sure that a company’s ads don’t end up on podcasts or playlists with which they don’t want to be affiliated.
That sounds boring, but it’s important! If the industry is going to make money in a serious way, advertisers need to be assured that their ads are reaching the right audiences and aren’t supporting content they consider harmful. You can check out this interview Amrita Khalid did with Byrne in October about the company’s approach to brand safety.
“The safety of our community, including our listeners, creators, and advertisers, remains a top priority,” Spotify spokesperson Erin Styles told Hot Pod. “Brand safety at Spotify has always been a team effort and will continue to be overseen by leaders across our product and policy orgs.”
It does not appear that there is any executive left at the company dedicated specifically to brand safety. When I asked Styles about this, she said that teams across the company address brand safety and pointed to VP of product Per Sandell and director of monetization product marketing Chloe Wix as key executives in this space.
This may not be the end of Spotify’s M&A
Something that stopped me in Ek’s note was the indication that, after so many mergers that put so many people out of their jobs, the company is still not done with acquisitions.
“Embracing this leaner structure will also allow us to invest our profits more strategically back into the business,” he writes. “With a more targeted approach, every investment and initiative becomes more impactful, offering greater opportunities for success.”
When I asked Spotify whether “investments” means more M&A, Styles said, “We will continue to allocate capital towards the highest return opportunities for the business, both internally and externally.”
That’s all for today. I’ll see Insiders on Thursday and the rest of you next week.
Here are the best Kindle deals right now
Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is often on sale when purchased as a part of a bundle. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
When it comes to finding a device to use to read your ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on Twitter. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality.
Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon looks to be moving beyond books and into the realm of writing — something that should make future Kindles function more akin to physical paper.
Below, we’ve listed each model currently available. Sometimes, there isn’t a deal for one or any of the products, but we’ve mentioned the most recent sale price in those instances. Keep in mind, as well, that Amazon offers 20 percent off all of its Kindles when you trade in select devices, so there are still other ways to save money when none of the models are available at a discount.
Image: Amazon
The best Kindle (2022) deals
In case you missed it, Amazon announced a new entry-level Kindle last year, one that’s designed to replace the 2019 model. The latest Kindle — which starts at $99.99 — puts Amazon’s base e-reader more in line with the most recent Kindle Paperwhite, providing a number of quality-of-life improvements in the process. The new model features longer battery life, a 300ppi screen, and now charges via USB-C instead of Micro USB. It also touts 16GB of storage by default and comes in a new “denim” color, which resembles the soft blue you might associate with jeans.
We recently saw Amazon’s newest ad-supported Kindle drop to $79.99 ($20 off) with three months of Kindle Unlimited included. Right now, though, you can only buy the Kindle at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for its full retail price. However, you can pick it up on sale at Amazon with ads, a power adapter, and a fabric cover starting at $134.97 ($15 off). Regardless of whether you choose the standalone model or the bundle, the new Kindle remains a worthwhile option if you’re looking to pick up an e-reader for less than the latest Paperwhite.
The new base Kindle wasn’t the only e-reader Amazon introduced in 2022. The new entry-level model has arrived alongside a new Kindle Kids, which is identical to the standard model but comes with a handful of accessories and provides age-appropriate content for younger readers who prefer digital books. Like the last-gen Kindle Kids, the new model retails for $20 more than the base model, bringing the MSRP to $119.99.
In terms of add-ons, the new Kindle Kids edition consists of four items: the device, a case, a two-year extended replacement guarantee (in the event the device breaks), and one year of Amazon Kids Plus. The latter is the biggest selling point of the device aside from the kid-friendly patterns, as it allows parents to grant their child access to a digital library of kid-friendly books like Percy Jackson and the entire Harry Potter series at no additional cost.
We recently saw the Kindle Kids drop to as low as $79.99 for Black Friday.
Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is identical to the standard model but features wireless charging and a sensor to automatically adjust the backlight.
The best Kindle Paperwhite (2021) deals
Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is its 11th-gen model, which comes with USB-C support, longer battery life, and a larger 6.8-inch display. The e-reader launched more than two years ago, and it often receives steep discounts at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, particularly around Black Friday and throughout the holiday season. Furthermore, you can still occasionally pick up the last-gen model from 2018 at a discount.
Amazon has also rolled out a Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition for $169.99, which comes bundled with a kid-friendly cover, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a year of Amazon Kids Plus, much like the aforementioned Kindle Kids. All 2021 models are also similar to the 2018 model in that they feature a waterproof design and Audible audiobook support.
Lastly, if you’re looking for the Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition, Amazon and Best Buy are both selling the kid-friendly ebook reader for $169.99, its full retail price.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The best Kindle Oasis (2019) deals
The Kindle Oasis is the most expensive of the lineup, starting at $249.99. The device comes in two storage configurations, 8GB or 32GB, and like the other models, you can get it with or without ads on the lock screen.
The 2019 Kindle Oasis looks very similar to the previous model. It retains its waterproof 7-inch 300ppi E Ink display and supports Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth. However, unlike previous models, it can adjust the color temperature to a yellow-toned display, making it easier to read at night.
In the past, we’ve seen the 8GB Kindle Oasis drop to as low as $174.99, which remains the lowest price to date for the standalone configuration. Sadly, however, the ad-supported Oasis is only retailing at Amazon and Best Buy right now starting at $249.99.
The ad-free Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s biggest e-reader to date — one that also represents a departure from past Kindle models. It packs a 10.2-inch display with 300 dpi, along with the same great battery life for which Kindles have become known. What separates the Scribe from other models, however, is that it comes with one of two styli, which can be used to annotate books, doodle, or jot down notes. We found the e-reader’s note-taking capabilities lacking in our testing, but Amazon has already started to improve the software via free OTA software updates, helping bring it up to speed with other E Ink competitors.
As for the model with the Premium Pen, which offers a shortcut button and a built-in eraser, it starts at $369.99 with 16GB of storage at Amazon. You can also buy it with a Premium Pen, 16GB of storage, a folio cover, and a power adapter starting at $389.97 ($60 off).
Spotify cancels industry-favorite podcast Heavyweight
Image: The Verge
Heavyweight, one of Gimlet’s flagship shows and a favorite among people in the industry, has been cancelled by Spotify. After the show finishes its current season, the team that makes Heavyweight will be laid off, a person familiar with the situation told The Verge.
“We are extremely proud of the team who has supported these talented storytellers across each of the incredible episodes of Heavyweight,” Spotify spokesperson Rosa Oh said in a statement to The Verge. “We are excited to share the upcoming episodes and season that will be available on Spotify and other podcast platforms, and we will work with the show creator to ensure a smooth transition for wherever the series goes next.”
The cancellation comes as Spotify executes a layoff of 17 percent of its staff and carries out a very different podcasting strategy than it started with. In 2019, Spotify paid $230 million to acquire Gimlet, which at the time was the buzziest independent podcast operation in the business. But the studio failed to produce the kind of hit shows that Spotify was looking for and lost its biggest hit, Reply All, after co-host PJ Vogt and producer Sruthi Pinnamaneni were accused of fostering a discriminatory environment. Over the next year, Gimlet’s programming and staff were whittled down to a fraction of what it had started with and the studio was folded into Spotify Originals. Meanwhile, Spotify moved away from prestigious, narrative podcasts in favor of personality-driven chat shows like Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy.
Stolen, another show from Gimlet that has earned acclaim (and a a Pulitzer Prize, to boot), has also been cancelled, according to Bloomberg. The show will also finish out its current season. Both shows may have the opportunity to be shopped elsewhere after their runs end.
The Business and Property Courts of England and Wales under the High Court of Justice ruled on Friday, determining Getty’s claim that the startup used its copyrighted library of images to train the Stable Diffusion model should be investigated further. Stability argued the case should not be heard in a UK court because it said no one involved in the training or development of Stable Diffusion was based in the UK. The company also said it trained the model using US-based cloud computing power from AWS.
However, Justice Joanna Smith decided evidence from the company and Stability CEO Emad Mostaque “raise the specter that evidence is either inaccurate or incomplete; at the very least suggest a conflict of evidence.” The court pointed to media appearances by Mostaque, where he said Stability helped “fast track” UK residency applications of Russian and Ukrainian developers working on Stable Diffusion.
The Verge reached out to Stability AI for comment.
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