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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6SCRW)
Who even carries eight six-sided dice with them anyway? | Image: Timestop Dice hoarding is a common hobby among Dungeons and Dragons players, but I'm betting most won't have a digital watch in their collection. Alongside displaying the time, day, and date, the Timestop D-20 includes all the dice-rolling features you need to play tabletop roleplaying games directly from your wrist at the push of a button.The watch allows the wearer to digitally roll a 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 20-, or 100-sided dice, alongside Advanced Combat" features such as rolling up to 12 dice at once, and D20s with advantage or disadvantage (a fancy way of rolling two dice and taking either the higher or lower results). It'll also display specific icons when a D20 rolls a 1 or a 20 - known as a critical failure" or critical success"... Continue reading...
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The Verge - All Posts
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
| Feed | http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml |
| Updated | 2024-11-21 10:30 |
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by Thomas Ricker on (#6SCPW)
The 25L model is an improvement on perfection, but not without some help. Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6SCMB)
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge The Department of Justice says that Google must divest the Chrome web browser to restore competition to the online search market, and it left the door open to requiring the company to spin out Android, too.Filed late Wednesday in DC District Court, the initial proposed final judgement refines the DOJ's earlier high-level outline of remedies after Judge Amit Mehta found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search and search text advertising.The filing includes a broad range of requirements the DOJ hopes the court will impose on Google - from restricting the company from entering certain kinds of agreements to more broadly breaking the company up. The DOJ's latest proposal doubles down on its request to spin out Google's Chrome... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6SCK7)
Image: Honda Honda set up a demonstration facility in Japan to show off its plans to mass-produce solid-state batteries at lower costs, which could be crucial to unlocking higher-range, longer-lasting electric vehicles for the future.Solid-state batteries have been elusive for many companies due to the complexity of scaling up production. The technology swaps out the liquid electrolytes found in current lithium-ion batteries with dry conductive materials, promising higher energy density and longer lifespans. But it will require a whole new production process to be successful.Several companies are actively pursuing solid-state batteries, including Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape, Nissan, and Factorial, which is testing semi-solid-state batteries that... Continue reading...
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by Abigail Bassett on (#6SCHS)
The SEL trim of the Hyundai Ioniq 9. | Image: Hyundai The South Korean automaker unveiled its newest EV ahead of the LA Auto Show. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6SCHT)
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were officially appointed the co-leads of President-elect Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) last week, and on Wednesday, the two men spelled out their plans for the advisory group in a long article in The Wall Street Journal.Musk and Ramaswamy say they will serve as outside volunteers" making recommendations that allow the Trump administration to cut the federal government down to size." Their primary focus is on cutting down federal agencies, which they view as wasteful and antidemocratic."Most legal edicts aren't laws enacted by Congress but rules and regulations' promulgated by unelected bureaucrats," write the two unelected men who have been tasked with cutting trillions... Continue reading...
by Sean Hollister on (#6SCG0)
The Blackwell B200 GPU. | Image: Nvidia Nvidia has become the world's most valuable company on the back of AI chips, passing Microsoft and Apple along the way, and in today's Q3 2025 earnings, the company suggested its record AI revenue and profits are only the beginning.While The Information recently reported that its new flagship Blackwell AI servers might have cooling issues, the company didn't address that on today's call - instead, Nvidia assured investors that Blackwell is in full production," is full steam" ahead, and that the company would continue to deliver more of the chips each quarter from here on out.Nvidia has already shipped 13,000 Blackwell samples to its customers this quarter, said CFO Colette Kress, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang claimed Blackwell's... Continue reading...
by Lauren Feiner on (#6SCG1)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Bloomberg, Getty Images Apple urged a federal judge to dismiss the Department of Justice's antitrust case against it, saying the government's complaint includes speculative arguments and the government doesn't plausibly argue it has monopoly power.The court is allowed to use common sense," countered DOJ counsel Jonathan Lasken at a hearing in New Jersey on Wednesday. We're here today based on the idea that it's not plausible that [Apple] has monopoly power, but instead is at the mercy of supposed global behemoths who are a fraction of its size."The government and more than a dozen states sued Apple earlier this year for maintaining an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market, ultimately driving up prices and locking consumers into its ecosystem. It pointed... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6SCDQ)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images SafeRent, an AI screening tool used by landlords, will no longer use AI-powered scores" to evaluate whether someone using housing vouchers would make a good tenant. On Wednesday, US District Judge Angel Kelley issued final approval for a roughly $2.3 million settlement to prevent SafeRent from discriminating against tenants based on income and race.The settlement stems from a 2022 class action lawsuit filed in Massachusetts. The suit alleged that SafeRent's scoring system disproportionately harmed people using housing vouchers - specifically Black and Hispanic applicants. In addition to violating Massachusetts law, the complaint also accused SafeRent of breaking the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination.As outlined... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6SCDR)
A conceptual rendering of Blue Origin's cargo lander. | Image: Blue Origin / NASA After asking both SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop cargo landers for its Artemis missions, NASA has announced plans to use those landers to deliver heavy equipment to the Moon.The agency wants Elon Musk's SpaceX to use its Starship cargo lander to deliver a pressurized rover to the Moon no earlier" than 2032, while Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will be tasked with delivering a lunar surface habitat no sooner than 2033. Both launches will support NASA's Artemis missions, which aim to bring humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.Both companies are developing human landing systems for Artemis missions - SpaceX for Artemis III and Blue Origin for Artemis V. NASA later asked both companies to develop cargo-hauling variants... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6SCDS)
Image: The Verge Reddit had some issues on Wednesday afternoon, as many users couldn't get the platform to load reliably. In a statement to The Verge, Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt said, There was a bug in a recent update we made, but a fix is in place and we're ramping back up."Its status page now says the platform is monitoring the results" of its fix, but that there still may be degraded performance" on its website or mobile app. At the height of the outage, the site didn't load at all and simply displayed the error message: upstream connect error or disconnect/reset before headers. reset reason: connection failure."
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by Tom Warren on (#6SCDT)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has been trying to convince Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 for months now, ahead of the end of support date for Windows 10 in October, 2025. Earlier this year, Microsoft started using fullscreen prompts to warn Windows 10 users about the support cutoff, and now it's using similar prompts to try and tempt people to buy a new Windows 11 PC instead.Over the weekend some Windows 10 users have noticed these new fullscreen prompts, and Microsoft is using them to suggest you can do more with a new Windows 11 PC" or level up to the new Copilot Plus PCs" to get the ultimate Windows 11 experience." Like the prompts earlier this year, the read more link goes to a promotional site that includes links to new Windows 11 PCs.... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6SCDV)
Image: Meta Meta has announced that it's adding HD video calling and noise suppression to its Messenger app, along with several other features like AI backgrounds that help bring it up to par with other popular smartphone video calling apps.HD video calling is enabled by default on Wi-Fi but can be turned on for calls using your cell data plan in the Call settings" menu. You'll also find options to adjust noise cancellation or switch your call's audio output. Meta says it's giving users the ability to leave voice or video messages as well. Image: Meta Messenger now has AI-generated backgrounds. Apps like Google Meet, Zoom, and FaceTime have all had these features already, and for many years in some cases. The same goes... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6SCBA)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge After its foray into headphones, the next major new product category from Sonos is rumored to be a video streaming box similar to a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV. Such a device has been rumored for ages now, with Bloomberg previously reporting that its price is expected to fall between $150 and $200. And today we got confirmation (or at least something close to it) that the Sonos streamer will run an operating system built by The Trade Desk, a digital advertising business.Janko Roettgers first reported on a partnership between the two back in September, noting that The Trade Desk is supplying Sonos with the core smart TV OS, and facilitating deals with app publishers, while Sonos is designing its own hardware, and customizing the... Continue reading...
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by Allison Johnson on (#6SCBB)
Good one, T-Mo. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge T-Mobile isn't exactly known for having a stellar track record against hackers, but it seems that the company actually caught a recent cyberattack in progress and shut it down in time. Bloomberg reports that T-Mobile detected suspicious activity in a recent attempt to access customer data and kicked the cyber criminals out before they were able to infiltrate deeper levels of the network.The report doesn't name the hackers or the date when the breach occurred, but details are consistent with the recent Salt Typhoon attack in which Chinese hackers targeted US telecom companies - including T-Mobile. Targets of that attack included members of the Trump and Harris campaigns. Hackers successfully breached Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lumen ISPs.... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6SC8B)
A screenshot of today's NYT Connections on the alternate puzzle creator. | Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge The New York Times wants to shut down a copy of its popular Connections word game. The publication sent a cease and desist letter to the owner of a website that lets you make your own Connections games. The site also has a full archive of all of the NYT's past Connections puzzles, which the NYT keeps behind a paywall.The Connections creator website is built and run by Anthony Salazar, a freelance web developer who runs the creative studio Swellgarfo. Earlier this month, striking New York Times tech workers used Salazar's Connections tool to make their own strike-themed puzzle. Salazar previously told me that he built the archive using the NYT's publicly available API.In the letter, which Salazar shared with The Verge, the NYT's counsel... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6SC8C)
Dumbgood's Limewire apparel collection includes a mix of sweaters, jackets, and tees. | Image: Dumbgood LimeWire, the popular peer-to-peer file sharing app from the early aughts that was resurrected by new owners in 2022 as an NFT marketplace, is back once again. But this time it's just the platform's retro branding that's making a comeback as part of a new officially licensed apparel collection from lifestyle brand Dumbgood.The collection includes a $120 Playlist Work Jacket, a $90 Disc Burning Green Zip Up Hoodie, and a $90 Gnutella Network Beige Pullover covered in iconography from the burnable CD-R discs that were an important accessory for those using the original LimeWire app. Image: Dumbgood The collection ranges in price from $42 for t-shirts to $120 for a jacket. The collection also features a trio of $42... Continue reading...
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by Ash Parrish on (#6SC8D)
Image: Square Enix / Lightspeed Studios Have you heard that the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is getting a mobile version? In a video announcement, Final Fantasy XIV game director Naoki Yoshida announced FFXIV Mobile, a joint production between Square Enix and Tencent's Lightspeed Studios. The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer showing Warriors of Light in locations all across the game's world of Eorzea.It seems as though FFXIV Mobile will be a reset of sorts for the MMORPG, featuring content from the base game without anything from its five expansions. In the video, Yoshida said that Lightspeed Studios was working to, faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content, and other aspects of the original game." Lightspeed Studios, known for P... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6SC8E)
Illustration: The Verge Just five days after Meta started testing custom feeds in Threads, the company is already rolling them out to everyone. With custom feeds, you can track topics and accounts in one feed, making it easier to keep an eye on specific things that matter to you.To make a custom feed, search for a topic, then click on the three dots menu next to the search bar, and then click on the Create new feed" option. Custom feeds can also contain information about multiple topics - just add a new one from a search or, on desktop, from the three dots menu next to a feed. You can add individual accounts to custom feeds, too, giving you a lot of flexibility on what's contained in that feed.The quick rollout of the feature follows increased pressure... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6SC4Y)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google has released a beta version of the Google Drive desktop app that supports Windows 11 running on Snapdragon chips. The app offers the same features as on computers with Intel and AMD chips, with the exception of the Outlook Meet plugin, a Google employee wrote in a Drive community forum post spotted by Android Authority.You can download the beta from Google using this direct link to the .exe file. Besides requiring Windows 11, Google says the installer will prompt users to install the also-necessary Microsoft WebView2.Google Drive getting a native app for Windows on Arm brings the Snapdragon-powered PCs a step closer to native software parity with their x86 cousins. Chrome has already supported Arm PCs since January, and other... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6SC4Z)
Image: The Verge Microsoft is starting to open up Xbox Cloud Gaming to existing Xbox game libraries today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream 50 games that they already own, including Balatro, Baldur's Gate 3, a variety of Final Fantasy titles, and Hogwarts Legacy.The expansion to 50 more games is just the beginning of opening up the Xbox game library to cloud streaming. Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our partners around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices," says Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox Experiences and platforms engineering.The 50 additional games will be available through TVs, smartphones, tablets, and PCs through... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6SC50)
Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images Ford said it would cut 4,000 jobs from its business in Europe, while also lowering production estimates for its upcoming Explorer and Capri electric vehicles.The planned cuts, which amount to 14 percent of the automaker's European operations, will primarily affect its workers in Germany and the UK, with minimal reductions" coming from other European markets.The news comes as EVs continue to lose momentum in markets around the world, as governments eliminate subsidies and economic headwinds force many automakers to rethink their strategies. Image: Ford It also comes at a tough time for Ford, which has been dealing with disruptions both at home and abroad. The company recently paused production of its F-150... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6SC51)
Garmin's Venu Sq 2 comes with an impressive set of health features, including hydration tracking, which its Fitbit rivals lack. | Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you're looking to upgrade your old Fitbit, Garmin's Venu Sq 2 smartwatch is a stylish alternative that's currently down to an all-time low price. Normally $249.99, right now you can buy the wearable for $149.99 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Garmin's online storefront.Not only is Garmin's Venu Sq 2 currently cheaper than rivals such as Fitbit's aging Versa 4 and Fitbit's Sense 2 smartwatches, in many ways it's even better. The Venu Sq 2 boasts a beautiful and bright OLED display that's easy-to-read and battery life that lasts around 11 days. The wearable also offers many health features you won't be able to find in the Versa 4 or the Fitbit Sense 2, including hydration tracking and Garmin's recovery feature, Body Battery. You... Continue reading...
by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6SC52)
Most MagSafe power bank kickstands are too flimsy to safely hold an iPhone. Anker's design is much better. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge We'll soon see an explosion of early Black Friday deals, with several extended sales kicking off tomorrow and more underway as the week itself approaches. That said, there are still many bargains to be had right now.It's hard to pass on a Prime-exclusive deal that brings the Anker MagGo 6,6000mAh Qi2 power bank as low as $19.99 ($50 off) in select colors when clipping a coupon at Amazon. It's also available at Anker for $29.99 ($40 off) through the end of the day with code WSPEV2JAZSLN. That's a good fallback if you're not a Prime member or prefer it in white or black, as those colors are sold out at Amazon as of this writing.While it's a little chunkier than comparably sized power banks, the advantage here is that you can charge any... Continue reading...
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6SC53)
Now that's a big smart display. | Image: Amazon Amazon's first wall-mounted smart display just got a big upgrade. Today, the company announced the launch of the Echo Show 21, an upgrade to the Echo Show 15 that debuted in 2022. The new model has a 21-inch screen with 1080p resolution for $399.99. Amazon says it has better audio quality than the original Show 15 and nearly doubles the viewing area. An improved camera and a built-in smart home hub round out the features. A new Echo Show 15 for $299.99 was also announced and comes with the same audio, camera, and smart home upgrades.According to Amazon, the Show 21 will be capable of delivering immersive sound, double the bass and room adaption technology." The company also upgraded the auto-framing camera for improved video calls with... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6SC54)
Image: The Verge The latest version of Chrome (Version 131.0.6778.86) has addressed an issue in the browser that broke the ability to highlight text on some websites over the weekend, Google's Scott Westover confirmed to The Verge in an email.We tested the change, and found that we were able to highlight text within stories on sites like Bloomberg and The Verge, and in the post composer on X, both in updated Windows and Mac versions of Chrome. It's not clear whether the change applies to other Chromium-based browsers, such as Arc, which continues to be affected in our testing.Westover says the update has gone out to all users. To see the change, you'll need to restart Chrome; if text highlighting still isn't working, you can check the Chrome version... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6SC18)
The DS Pixel Keyboard combines the flexibility of a touchscreen keyboard with the tactile feedback of a physical one. | Image: DS The creators of the DS Pixel Keyboard have come up with a potential solution to the challenge of typing on a touchscreen. The keyboard, which doubles as a display, includes a removable electrostatic capacitive keycap" frame that sits atop its touchscreen, providing physical keys that facilitate touch typing.The DS Pixel Keyboard is now available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The earliest backers can reserve a model with a 1,000Hz polling rate discounted to $349 (plus shipping) or a version for gamers with an 8,000Hz polling rate that is available for $419. Full retail pricing is expected to be closer to $580 and $640, respectively, with delivery estimated as early as February 2025. That's just a few months away, but its... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6SC19)
STLA Frame platform with a battery pack. | Image: Stellantis Stellantis released new details about its big multi-energy" vehicle platform, STLA Frame. The new platform runs primarily on battery-electric technology but can also underpin internal combustion, hybrid, gas-extending, and hydrogen vehicles, the company said.STLA Frame supports bidirectional charging, and its pure EV version has an 800-volt architecture with up to 350kW of DC fast charging speeds that can add 100 miles in 10 minutes. When configured with a gas range extender (REEV), the platform uses a 400-volt architecture with up to 175kW charging that adds 50 miles in 10 minutes.STLA Frame will give trucks like the Ram 1500 Ramcharger up to 690 miles of range with the help of a gas-powered range extender, or 500 miles purely on... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6SC1A)
Image: Lapz Lapz, the Apple Vision Pro app that puts Formula One races in mixed reality, is on hold after F1 asked it to stop using its content, as reported by UploadVR. In a message posted to its Discord channel, Lapz says it halted distribution through TestFlight while it explores licensing opportunities with various racing leagues and tech partners."F1(R) have respectfully asked us to discontinue the use of their F1(R)TV broadcast rights in our platform for the time being while we continue to advance our roadmap and enhance the beta experience," the message says.Lapz started out as just a concept video created by designer John LePore. However, the video garnered a lot of attention, leading LePore to work with a group of developers to create an... Continue reading...
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by Ash Parrish on (#6SC1B)
Elden Ring. | Image: FromSoftware Reports that Sony was in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the Japanese media conglomerate that owns Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, have been confirmed. Kadokawa has released a short statement acknowledging Sony's intention but stating that no decision had been made.Read the full letter below:
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by Emma Roth on (#6SC1C)
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix (C) 2024 Netflix is following up the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight with NFL games and WWE's Monday Night Raw. Continue reading...
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by Lewis Gordon on (#6SBYA)
Image: GSC Game World GSC Game World's long-awaited survival epic delivers the ultimate stalker fantasy - if you can look beyond the plethora of glitches. Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6SBYB)
Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images for Comcast Comcast is splitting from its NBCUniversal television arm as the market of cable TV customers shrinks in the age of cord-cutting and TikTok.The US media giant announced plans on Wednesday to spin off the bulk of its cable network channels - including CNBC, MSNBC, Universal Kids, USA Network, E!, Oxygen, Golf Channel, and Syfy - into a separate company. Comcast will retain its reality TV darling Bravo and the Peacock streaming service within its NBC TV business.The new, currently untitled venture (dubbed SpinCo" as a placeholder) will be led by NBCUniversal chairman Mark Lazarus, with NBCUniversal's CFO Anand Kini serving as both its financial and operating head. Non-cable services including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, and... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6SBYC)
Reviews for the game on Steam are currently labeled as Overwhelmingly Negative." | Image: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was released on PC and Xbox yesterday but early players have struggled to load or even finish installing the game. Users have reported a range of issues - including post-installation loads stalling before completion, long login queues, and the game itself crashing - with the $70 flying sim currently tagged as Overwhelmingly Negative" in customer reviews on Steam.Some players are seeing their downloads freeze at 97 percent, while others were stuck on a login queue page at launch for several hours that says too many users are trying to connect at the same time." Microsoft advised players to check the Xbox Support Status page for updates, which doesn't list any ongoing issues with the game at the time of... Continue reading...
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by Victoria Song on (#6SBYE)
As an entry-level device, the FE doesn't quite nail the right mix of price, features, and hardware. Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6SBYD)
Illustration: The Verge Google employees met with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division last month to share workers' perspectives ahead of the government's expected proposal to break up the company. Their message? That as the DOJ attempts to end Google's search monopoly, any effective remedy must make sure workers are protected and empowered to speak out.Three members of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) met virtually with staff from the DOJ Antitrust Division on October 23rd, workers who attended the meeting told The Verge exclusively. During the hour-long conversation, the Google employees urged the government to consider how any remedies imposed by the court could impact workers and to make sure workers are protected and aware of their rights to share... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6SBW9)
Illustration: The Verge Google Meet is making it easier for everyone to position themselves in video calls without having to move the camera or mess around with the webcam's frame adjustment settings. The automatic framing feature that was launched for Google Workspace accounts in 2022 is now rolling out for all Google Meet users, centering users in the middle of the screen to correct weird camera angles.The toggle is enabled by default, but can be switched off by clicking the three-dot menu before you join a call, selecting Apply visual effects," and clicking Appearance." It's similar to Apple's Center Stage feature, but Google's version doesn't track users as they move to keep them in frame - which can help reduce distractions in meetings. G... Continue reading...
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6SBWA)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Uber has launched a new airport-only fare option in its ride-sharing app called UberXXL. It surpasses UberXL's single X by guaranteeing rides with trunk space that can handle large families with lots of big bags - no more sitting at the curb trying to figure out what to do next. Screenshot: Uber The new option is available today at more than 60 airports worldwide, with more coming down the road. In terms of pricing, UberXXL will sit somewhere between UberXL and Uber Black, the company says. XXL also adds a stopgap before Uber Shuttle, the charter-style option it launched in New York last month that lets you book up to five seats for a trip to the airport with discounted rates and protection against surge pricing.T... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6SBNS)
Image: Strava Strava recently informed its users and partners that new terms for its API restrict the data that third-party apps can show, refrain from replicating Strava's look, and place a ban on using data for any model training related to artificial intelligence, machine learning or similar applications."The policy is effective as of November 11th, even though Strava's own post about the change is dated November 15th.
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by Wes Davis on (#6SBKT)
Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge Niantic has announced that it's building a new Large Geospatial Model" (LGM) that combines millions of scans taken from the smartphones of players of Pokemon Go and other Niantic products. This AI model could allow computers and robots to understand and interact with the world in new ways, the company said in a blog post spotted by Garbage Day.The LGM's spatial intelligence" is built on the neural networks developed as part of Niantic's Visual Positioning System. The blog post explains that Over the past five years, Niantic has focused on building our Visual Positioning System (VPS), which uses a single image from a phone to determine its position and orientation using a 3D map built from people scanning interesting locations in our... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6S5Z8)
The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds, aka the best noise-canceling earbuds available, have returned to their lowest price to date. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Can't wait until Black Friday to start your holiday shop or score a killer deal on a gadget you've been eyeing? You may not have to. Although Black Friday isn't until November 29th, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have begun rolling out their holiday discounts, many of which are available elsewhere. Some retailers will even refund you the difference if an item drops further in price later this year, meaning you don't necessarily have to worry about shopping ahead of time.New deals are popping up weekly, so we've rounded up the cream of the crop below to make sorting through them easier. Current promos include steep discounts on a range of our favorite tech, too, from the Beats Solo Pro headphones and Apple's AirTags to some of our... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6SBJ3)
People loved uploading videos from their iPhone Camera Roll directly to YouTube. | Image: The Verge The IMG_0001" website features a frame with an old TV static effect and a floating retro Panasonic remote that you can click to start watching random YouTube videos from over a decade ago that were recorded and uploaded from devices such as 2010's iPhone 4.Riley Walz, a tech worker who helped stage a fake steakhouse restaurant in Manhattan last year, built the site. He credits this blog by Ben Wallace for the idea and says the iPhone is the reason the project is possible.As described on the site, there was a novel (at the time) Send to YouTube" feature on iPhones between 2009 and 2012 that let you upload recordings directly from your iPhone for anyone to see - which often aren't accompanied by any text descriptions.
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by Jay Peters on (#6SBJ4)
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Sony is bringing a big new feature to the PlayStation Portal: cloud streaming. When it first launched, the device was only able to stream games from your PS5 over Wi-Fi. But as part of a new system update that's rolling out starting later today, you'll be able to stream select PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog to your PlayStation Portal.Sony is launching the feature in beta, and you'll need to be a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber to take advantage of it. Sony says that to stream at 720p, you'll need a minimum 7 Mbps connection, while 1080p quality will require a minimum 13 Mbps connection. Image: Sony Portal Cloud Streaming Beta Some PlayStation Plus features won't be available to start with... Continue reading...
by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6SBJ5)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Following ongoing reports that Amazon's generative AI makeover of Alexa is not going well, it appears Amazon may take a more practical approach to making its smart assistant more useful. According to Business Insider, Amazon is partnering with several companies to make Alexa better at doing things you might want a digital assistant to do: including calling an Uber, tackling Ticketmaster for events, booking dinner through OpenTable, and handling GrubHub and Instacart for your food delivery.Now, if this sounds familiar, it's because the likes of Uber, OpenTable, GrubHub and others already had Alexa Skills, but apparently, this is something different. These companies are reportedly being recruited to be part of the new Alexa, which Amazon... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6SBFW)
Illustration: The Verge Just one day after 404 Media revealed that HarperCollins struck a three-year AI training deal with an unnamed company, Bloomberg now says Microsoft will use the publisher's content to train a not-yet-announced AI model.HarperCollins said in a statement to 404 Media that its deal will include select nonfiction backlist titles" and that authors will have to opt into the training program.One author, Daniel Kibblesmith, posted screenshots a few days ago showing that he was offered $2,500 per book for a three-year AI licensing contract. Asked what would be an offer he'd consider taking, Kibblesmith said in a post on Tuesday, I'd probably do it for a billion dollars. I'd do it for an amount of money that wouldn't require me to work... Continue reading...
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by Ash Parrish on (#6SBFX)
Image: Warner Bros. A Minecraft Movie has a new trailer giving us a taste at the kind of story moviegoers can expect. The trailer predominately features Jack Black as Steve, the silent protagonist players embody in Minecraft. In the trailer, Black's Steve is way more chatty, giving us his backstory as a child who quite literally yearns for the mines. As an adult, Steve finds a special blue cube that transports him to the Minecraft world where, anything you can imagine is possible."It should come as no surprise that the movie, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie before it, is an isekai. A group of unsuspecting folks including Danielle Brooks, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen are magically transported to the world to find a blocky paradise... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6SBCM)
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix (C) 2024 Despite widespread issues with video quality and buffering, Netflix's live-streamed Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match brought in an average of 108 million viewers, based on TVision data in the US and first-party data in global markets. With 65 million concurrent streams, Netflix says the fight was the most-streamed global sporting event ever."Of those simultaneous streams, 38 million were from households in the US, and the TVision data says it accounted for 56 percent of TV viewing between midnight and 1AM that day.Meanwhile, the match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano broke the record for the most-watched professional women's sports event in US history," with 47 million average viewers nationwide, according to Netflix.... Continue reading...
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by Victoria Song on (#6947P)
Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge Wear OS is much better than it used to be, so there's never been a better time to consider a smartwatch. Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6SBCN)
Image: Aqara Aqara's Smart Valve Controller T1 is now available, bringing an interoperable Matter-compatible valve controller option to the smart home for the first time. The $69.99 T1 connects to your water shutoff valve so you can operate it remotely or shut it off automatically when a leak is detected.The Aqara hub lets this T1 integrate with any of the major smart home platforms, unlike some pricier options from companies like Moen, Kohler, and Belkin. Right now, only Samsung and Home Assistant support smart valve controllers like this, but that will change as others expand their Matter device support.The T1 attaches to the lever or butterfly handle of most household valves. Aqara says it's DIY-friendly as it requires no major modifications... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6SBCP)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google has given us a glimpse at what's coming in the next major version of Android. The first preview release for Android 16 is available for developers starting today, which expands the photo library and medical data-sharing capabilities in apps. A change moving Android's release timeline forward was announced last month, which could help third-party Android phones released in 2025 avoid waiting months to receive the latest major updates.Android Developer head Matthew McCullough says, This is the start of Android having more frequent API releases as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices."The preview available today allows developers to embed Android's photo picker - the menu that lets users select... Continue reading...
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