The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in relation to four crashes. The collisions took place in reduced-visibility conditions with either the beta or supervised versions of FSD enabled. In a November 2023 incident in Arizona, a Model Y fatally hit a pedestrian, as notes. An injury was sustained in one of the other three collisions, which occurred between March and May this year and all involved Model 3 .

The NHTSA says conditions such as sun glare, fog and airborne dust lowered visibility in these incidents. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is looking into FSD’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” It will also try to determine if there have been other crashes in similar circumstances with FSD enabled. The ODI will also probe any changes by Tesla to the system “that may affect the performance of FSD in reduced roadway visibility conditions. In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact.”

In April, the NHTSA into hundreds of crashes in which Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged. It said 13 of those crashes were fatal. The agency determined that, in many of the crashes, the drivers “were not sufficiently engaged” and that “the warnings provided by Autopilot when Autosteer was engaged did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk just last week claimed that the Model 3 and Model Y SUV will be able to operate without supervision in California and Texas starting next year. At the same event, Musk , a two-seater robocab with no steering wheel or pedals that the company intends to start producing by 2027.

Tesla does not have a media relations department that can be reached for comment.

Vizta DGTL, a game studio based in Berlin, hopes to set the fashion world ablaze with Kutur Runway, a fashion game that embraces role-playing game mechanics, social platforms and realistic 3D graphics.

The Berlin company believes the market opportunities created by early fashion games like Covet Fashion will become bigger with a fresh take — such as a social platform and a more modern approach to gaming, said founder Nicola Mizon and CEO Tung Nguyen-Khac in an interview with GamesBeat on a recent trip to Riyadh.

“It’s a lifestyle-driven platform. We start with a fashion game that combines strategy and RPG elements,” Nguyen-Khac said.

Vizta Digital plans to release its mobile-first product in 2025. The game will have the seamless integration of RPG mechanics, competitive styling and an innovative monetization system. The game is in alpha testing now and it is working toward a full launch in the middle of next year, Nguyen-Khac said.

Mizon, founder, said in our chat, “We’re creating a fashion game project at the intersection of technology, fashion, games and commerce. So the hypothesis is that women are underserved in the game market. This is something that everyone knows, and we know that the majority of people playing games on mobile are females. We want to make games for women designed by women.”

Mizon said the flagship product, Kutur Runway, will be a mobile game that merges high-end fashion with
immersive 3D gameplay, creating a platform at the intersection of two multi-billion-dollar industries: fashion and gaming.

“We think there’s definitely a need for more fashion gaming products. So what we wanted to create was a big product that brings all of these components together and really innovates in the space. You’ve played fashion games before, like Covet Fashion. But we wanted to create something that will innovate in two ways. One is with the visuals. So really having visuals that stand out, and I’m trying to so really have visuals that have that level of fidelity that will really appeal to the B2B audience as well.”

The leaders have both fashion game experience and fashion industry expertise, and they hope to wow fashion enthusiasts by bringing together different brands across the space. They also want to enlist help from creators and fashion celebrities.

Blending worlds

At its core, Kutur Runway merges RPG mechanics with a dynamic fashion world, allowing players to script their fashion legacy through head-to-head Style Trials. These trials transform the runway into a battleground where creativity reigns supreme, challenging players to craft stunning ensembles and outshine rivals in themed challenges.

The company has a small internal team and a number of contractors. In that sense, it’s a lean operation. The team has experience from brands such as Disney, Sony, Universal, Amazon, Nickelodeon, Agatha Christie, and Luc Besson, Vizta DGTL is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of gaming and delivering quality experiences to players worldwide. The company is targeting players from Gen Z to young adults (ages 15 to 35 years old).

The team hopes to set Kutur Runway apart by embracing a forward-thinking fashion perspective, developed by gamers to ensure an immersive and inclusive journey that seamlessly merges fashion and
gaming. Leveraging advanced technology, including AI and web3 components, the game introduces a new level of interactivity and possibilities.

Additionally, through Web3 integration, Kutur Runway pioneers unique ownership and trading opportunities for in-game fashion assets, reshaping the landscape of digital collectibles and enhancing player engagement.

In addition to its creative features, Kutur Runway prioritizes inclusivity and diversity, ensuring every player feels represented, safe, and encouraged. This commitment extends to empowering players through intuitive creator tools, utilizing AI to unlock unprecedented creative opportunities in designing garments. With these tools, players can push the boundaries of user-generated content, shaping a fashion landscape that reflects the richness and diversity of their imagination.

Players can collect garments with unique stats and rarity levels through various means such as crafting, purchasing in-game, or via partner marketplaces. Style Trials allow players to showcase their skills by creating looks that fit the presented criteria, with garments judged based on overall subjective appeal and given scores based on their “power.”

And players will have the capability to directly share their creations on their social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, empowering them to use their designs for content creation and further amplifying their influence in the fashion community beyond the game.

“You have to go somewhere where the audience is, especially the audience for tomorrow,” Nguyen-Khac said. “Gaming is actually one of the platforms where it makes so much sense. If we think bigger than a game, and think about a platform, then the opportunity moves beyond just one experience.”

Nguyen-Khac added, “We can create multiple experiences, and create this overarching platform where we can engage players with experiences around” a variety of fashion games under the lifestyle umbrella.

There is still some hope that metaverse experience will be driven by fashion. Tung believes metaverse-like games have existed for years in the form of massively multiplayer online games, where the social platform is key to holding on to the audience.

“We want to focus on making sure that the core experience, the technology, is where it needs to be,” Tung said.

It aims to have in-game purchases, VIP memberships, advertising and sponsorships, Web3 digital item trading and a second-hand marketplace.

The purpose of the game for the player is to become the most famous and influential fashion designer and stylist in the Kutur universe, all while expressing personal creativity, mastering fashion trends, and competing with or collaborating with others. One vs one or in groups vs groups. The player’s journey is one of growth, both in terms of skill and social influence, culminating in becoming a trendsetting icon in the game’s world.

The storyline of Kutur Runway is designed to take the player on a journey from being a local, fashion-obsessed individual to becoming a globally renowned fashion influencer. Set in a visually stunning, high-fashion digital world, the player starts out as a fresh face in the fashion scene, entering competitions, working on their style, and progressively leveling up their fashion skills and influence.

Throughout the game, players meet influential in-game characters, including other fashion influencers, designers, and even rivals, who challenge their style and creativity.

There could be some user-generated content. Some brands might be OK with that, but others may shy away from it. The company will focus on where the brands are comfortable.

The storyline unfolds through fashion challenges, quests, and interactions with these characters, each of which pushes the player toward greater mastery in the fashion world. The player navigates this world while building their personal brand, unlocking prestigious partnerships with real-world fashion brands, and gaining followers as they rise through the ranks.

Kutur’s planned AI-powered fashion creator tool will democratize fashion design by allowing players to create custom pieces without formal fashion education. This powerful feature will enable everyone to become a virtual fashion designer, fostering creativity and accessibility.

Partnerships

Vizta Digital was founded in Berlin in 2023 by Mizon, Matthias Meyer-Lutterloh and Nguyen-Khac. The combination of gaming and fashion expertise is paying off in partnerships.

Meyer-Lutterloh is an accomplished fashion and lifestyle and interior design designer. He worked on collections for prestigious brands including Bogner, Miss Sixty, Calvin Klein, Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Zara.

And Vizta DGTL has partnerships with Vogue in Singapore, Sleek Media, Fashion.tv, TheSoul Publishing and Donald Schneider, a fashion innovation and collaboration expert, with experience in high-profile fashion projects and partnerships at Vogue Paris, H&M, and Karl Lagerfeld.

The partnerships with fashion designers and entertainers are meant to bring together fashion, music and lifestyle brands together. It also plans to partner with influencers and creators and the company hopes to partner with top model franchises and put models in the game that look realistic.

The company said it values sustainability, diversity, inclusivity and platforms that can scale. Leading fashion houses are showing interest for in-game collaborations, and the company believes it can move into related verticals too.

Funding and origins

The initial funding of around $1.5 million came from angels, Sisu Game Ventures, and Lyrik Ventures. It also received grants from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (which finances films) and the Near Foundation. Angels included Mike Lee (founder of MyFitnessPal and former chief digital officer of Under Armour) and Heiko Hubertz (founder of Bigpoint, among others). The first round came in more than a year ago.

Vizta Digital has an experienced founding team consisting of Nicola Mizon, Matthias Meyer-Lutterloh and Tung Nguyen-Khac. Together, they combine many years of expertise in the fashion world as well as in game development, game publishing and distribution and live game operations.

For example, Matthias Meyer-Lutterloh has worked as a fashion designer with renowned brands such as Bogner, Max Mara, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miss Sixty and Calvin Klein. He is also a sought-after expert in the Web3 environment and is currently Head of NFT at the European Blockchain Association.

Web3 technologies are also used to enable digital ownership and the sharing of designed fashion items. It can offer players ownership of exclusive digital fashion items, adding real-world value to virtual collections.

Insights from years ago

Nicola Mizon founded the company in 2023. But while the company is young, the team collected insights from years ago. Mizon had experience at both Spil Games and Aeria Games. Nguyen-Khac was the CEO at Spil Games, Aeria Games and Pro7Sat1.Games. He was also managing partner at Bigpoint and strategic adviser to Deca Games and Kongregate.

At Spil Games, Nguyen-Khac oversaw an operation with 300 million monthly active users, and about 60% were females playing dress-up and makeover games. The quality of the old Flash games wasn’t that good, but there was a lot of engagement nevertheless.

“We think that there is a huge gap that needs to filled because the market is so underserved and the technology has come so much further,” Nguyen-Khac said. “It’s more important for the fashion brands as a platform to be there. It’s a perfect moment where things are coming together, and where it makes more sense to be in the market where there are 3.5 billion players and 1.2 billion of them are female. About 60% of them are interested in fashion. That’s a very good foundation.”

There are a lot of hypercasual games in the category, but much of the titles are dress-up or makeover games.

“There was a moment where we saw adult women have the desire for the games, but they’re playing these hyper casual dress up and makeover games because there’s nothing else out there in the market for them,” Mizon said.

The competition

Brands want to move into gaming and they’re getting into Roblox and Fortnite.

“But some brands don’t want to look like either Roblox or Fortnite. They want to look good and luxurious. So that’s one of the aspects where we wanted to innovate. We want to push, first of all, mobile technology to make a beautiful game for women. And then we wanted to also have the core gameplay itself that delivers a familiar dress up experience that we know women love,” she said.

“But we want to innovate on the meta gameplay. Really add layers of meta gameplay. So we know women like that because you’ve seen how doing that disrupted the match-3 space. The team will add RPG features so women can level up,” she said.

Covet Fashion is still generating perhaps $40 million in profits a year, even though the game is 10 years old. While Covet Fashion paved the way, it did not succeed in creating a much bigger category that could serve all of the demand for fashion games in the market.

“The thesis we have is that the segment has been underserved,” Mizon said. “It’s ripe for innovation. And that’s the thing. That audience is still loyal. They’re still spending because women are the most sticky demographic, and the ones that actually spend more than men. We know that audience, as soon as we present something to them in the market that’s true and fresh, is something that we can take.”

There are also orphan gamers who have seen their games, like Kim Kardashian, disappear. The game is competitive because women are competitive in social settings, Mizon said.

“But the games for them present them with a PvP experience that is super shallow,” Mizon said. “I get two choices and pick which one I want. We’re building a social platform that allows women to interact with each other.”

You can imagine a game where fashion houses compete to take over sections of Paris. In the game, you can start a fashion house and then compete against other fashion houses. The community can vote on who has the winning designs. It’s not so different from Covet Fashion in that sense, but with more realism.

“We are trying to create a fresh experience,” Tung said.

Amazon launched four new Kindles this week, maybe the biggest single launch day in the 17-year history of the company’s wildly successful e-reader. One of them even comes in color! It is very much not a coincidence that the launch happened roughly a year after Panos Panay joined the company. Panay, a longtime Microsoft executive who was for years in charge of all things Windows and Surface, is now leading the devices and services team at Amazon. His big task is Alexa, and turning Amazon’s assistant into the AI platform of the future. That’s apparently coming soon. Maybe. But first: e-readers.

On this episode of The Vergecast, Panay joins the show to talk about how he decided to join Amazon, why people love their Kindles so much, the Scribe’s new note-taking features, that new color screen, and more. He also weighs in on the ongoing trend toward distraction-free gadgets, and maybe gives us a hint or two about AI features to come.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with the week’s gadget news:

And in the lightning round:

Google is finally fixing a longstanding problem with the way third-party password managers work within the Android version of Chrome.

In an update coming next month, Google will enable native autofill for third-party password manager apps like Dashlane and 1Password in the Chrome app on Android.

DC Studios’ upcoming film Superman is less than a year away, and countless comic book fans are anxious to see the new Man of Steel in James Gunn’s reboot of the DC Universe. Originally titled Superman: Legacy, this blockbuster will be the Last Son of Krypton’s first solo film in over 10 years, so the hype is palpable. For those excited to learn more about this superhero epic, here’s a breakdown of everything that’s been revealed about 2025’s Superman so far.

What is the story of Superman?

According to Variety, the film “tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.”

Though plot details are still scarce, Gunn revealed on Instagram that the story and its characters are inspired by comics across several eras. Gunn’s influences include the comics from writer Grant Morrison, particularly All-Star Superman, as well as Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come, Jeph Loeb’s A Superman For All Seasons, and Alan Moore’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Gunn also revealed that he was influenced by director Richard Donner’s Superman films, 1941’s animated movie Superman: The Mad Scientist, and Superman: The Animated Series.

When does Superman come out?

Who is in the Superman cast?

As the first film in Gunn’s cinematic universe, Superman has assembled a large cast of notable comic book characters to bring this new franchise to life. The movie won’t just feature characters from the Man of Steel’s corner of the world. Superman will also feature characters more often linked to other notable DC heroes and teams, including Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and the Green Lantern Corps. Many of them haven’t even appeared in a live-action film yet, displaying Gunn’s knack for taking overlooked comic book characters and turning them into household names. Here’s a quick overview of the confirmed cast members and their characters so far:

• David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
• Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
• Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
• Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific
• Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern
• Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho
• María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer
• Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher
• Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
• Terence Rosemore as Otis
• Wendell Pierce as Perry White
• Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent
• Neva Howell as Martha Kent
• Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
• Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard
• Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant
• Christopher McDonald as Ron Troupe
• Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
• Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl

The film will also star Will Reeve, son of late Superman actor Christopher Reeve, as a news reporter. Harley Quinn actor Alan Tudyk has also been cast in an unknown role.

Given that Tudyk voices Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos, there is a chance he will reprise this respective role from the show in the film alongside Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. As recently revealed on X, Clark’s alien pet, Krypto the Superdog, will make his first appearance in a live-action film.

Who is directing Superman?

Unsurprisingly, James Gunn has signed up to both write and direct Superman. A movie about the Blue Boy Scout will surely be a departure from the more vulgar, comedic projects in his filmography, which include The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. However, Gunn is the one who laid out the overarching story of this DC Universe, so it makes sense that he’d be the one to introduce it in theaters.

Is there a trailer for Superman?

Since Superman finished filming in July 2024, it’s still too early for DC to release a full-length trailer. Despite this, Gunn revealed on Threads that he is considering showing a teaser or trailer to the public before the end of 2024.

How long is Superman?

Are there posters for Superman?

No official posters have been released for the film. However, a handful of promotional stills have circulated online, many of which show in Corenswet in the Superman suit, rocking the hero’s classic red briefs. His suit also bears Superman’s trademark “S” symbol, which is based on the suit design from Kingdom Come.

The images released so far include behind-the-scenes photos of filming in Metropolis, the Kent Farm, and possibly Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic. All these images hint at an epic, expansive sci-fi blockbuster just waiting to be unveiled in theaters.

What’s the deal with Krypto?

Right now, audiences are buzzing over the reveal of the DCU’s Krypto, which shows the Kryptonian canine sitting on the moon, looking down on the Earth next to Superman. It’s a far cry from anything audiences have seen from the Man of Steel in the DC Extended Universe, yet it harks back to the days of Christopher Reeve’s more whimsical Superman movies.

All in all, the image implies that the studio has embraced the wondrous, lighthearted nature of the source material, which should please die-hard comic book fans.

How does Superman tie into the new DCU?

Superman will be the initial film in the DC Universe’s first phase, dubbed “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters,” meaning it will help lay the groundwork for multiple future stories. DC Studios has already greenlit projects for Chapter One centered around Supergirl, the Authority, and the Green Lantern Corps. The appearance of Supergirl, Guy Gardner, and the Engineer will likely help set up the events of these upcoming projects, with the former most likely debuting in a post-credits scene.

Rick Flag Sr.’s appearance in the film will also tie into the animated series Creature Commandos, which will debut the character a year before this film’s premiere. Due to Flag’s relationship with Amanda Waller through the Creature Commandos, his presence should even link Superman to characters like Waller, Peacemaker, and the Suicide Squad.

Following the launch of the Galaxy A16 5G, Samsung has just announced the 4G variant of the phone. Much like the 5G model, this variant is also promised to get 6 major Android OS updates, which means 6 years of software support, basically.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 4G has been announced with major Android OS update promise

The device comes pre-installed with Android 14 out of the box, and Samsung’s One UI skin on top of it, of course. Considering this update promise, the device should be getting updates up to Android 20 in 2029.

In terms of design and specs, this phone is almost identical to the 5G model. It does come with a different SoC, though, as 5G support is not included here. This is a 4G LTE smartphone, which launched in France first.

The device has a flat display, with rather thin bezels, well, all but the bottom one. That ‘chin’ is noticeable thicker than the rest of the phone’s bezels. A notch is also placed on this display.

The power/lock button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and together with the volume rocker buttons it sits on a protrusion on the right side. For some reason the part where the buttons are sticks out more than the right side of the phone in general. It should make finding the buttons real easy, though.

It has three rear cameras and a 90Hz display

There are three cameras on the back of this phone. They are vertically-aligned in the top-left corner of its back side. The back side of the phone is flat, by the way.

A 6.7-inch fullHD+ Super AMOLED display is used here, with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone is fueled by the MediaTek Helio G99 processor, and it comes with 4GB of RAM. 128GB of internal storage is also included. Its storage is expandable, by the way.

This phone is IP54 certified for water and dust resistance, while a 5,000mAh battery sits on the inside of the phone. The device supports 25W wired charging, but no wireless charging.

A 50-megapixel main camera is included, along with a 5-megapixel ultrawide camera. A 2-megapixel macro camera also sits on the back. On the front, you’ll find a 13-megapixel selfie shooter.

There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack here, while Bluetooth 5.3 is supported too. The Samsung Galaxy A16 comes in Gray, Midnight Blue, and Water Green color options. The price tag is still unknown.