The Verge

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge Guess the artist, win five bucks. Whether you're a random person on the streets of New York, an A-list celebrity, or the sitting Vice President of the United States, that's the pitch behind one of the most fun music shows on social media. You show up, you get some headphones and a microphone, and you hope you know what song is playing.The show is called Track Star, and it's hosted by Jack Coyne. On this episode of The Vergecast, the first in our three-part miniseries about the future of music, Coyne joins the show to tell us the story of Track Star.We talk about the show's beginnings as a trivia show about New York called Public Opinion, how Coyne and his co-creators figured out the show's structure and pace, how he thinks about his... Continue reading...

Tim Stevens My favorite feature of the new $420,000, all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre isn't the cosseting ride quality or the illuminated stars embedded in the headliner of the insanely ornate interior. It isn't the 577 horsepower or the 266 miles of range. It's neither the yes, that's the spot" massaging seats nor the curbside presence of that upright, chromed front grille. It isn't even the aerodynamically refined yet classically styled Spirit of Ecstasy statuette perched atop.My favorite feature of the Spectre is the sound it makes. As an EV, it doesn't really make any engine sound on its own. It's a rolling cocoon made inherently anti-acoustic thanks to the tireless work of some surely big-eared scientists. So, to inject a little more life... Continue reading...

Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 59, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This week, I've been reading about HotWired and DRAM and Mike Solana, watching The Diplomat, jamming to Dua Lipa's Tiny Desk concert, trying Smashing for news reading and cool-stuff discovery, testing my bandwidth caps downloading Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and listening to all six hours of the Acquired Meta episode.I also have for you some interesting new AI search products, some new Apple gear, a couple of documentaries to watch this weekend, a calendar app for Windows, and much more.Oh, and thanks to everyone... Continue reading...

Image: David Pierce / The Verge People have started receiving their orders of Amazon's first color e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, and many say they're disappointed to find a yellow, discolored strip at the bottom of the display. Complaints about the $279.99 e-reader's display have spread online and dragged down its Amazon star rating, and Amazon tells The Verge it's aware of the complaints.A Reddit user posted a thread with images (see below), saying it's most obvious when the Kindle is supposed to be evenly lit and colored like a piece of paper." Many others with the same issue say they've exchanged their Colorsoft for a new one or simply returned it. Another said they only noticed it while using the device's edge lighting.Whether the issue... Continue reading...

Let's face it, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better location tracker if you're tapped into the Apple ecosystem. | Photo: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Thanksgiving is just around the corner, meaning airports everywhere are about to get slammed. Thankfully, if you plan on flying out of town this holiday season, Apple's AirTags can help you speed through the baggage claim with some extra piece of mind. A four-pack normally goes for $99, but right now, you can buy them for just under $74 at Walmart and Best Buy - a mere $1 shy of their best price to date.If you own an iPhone, Apple's AirTags are the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy. They offer impressively precise tracking thanks to Apple's ultra wideband chip and their ability to tap into Apple's vast Find My system, which lets them cover a broader range than Bluetooth alone. You can also share them with up to five people - assuming... Continue reading...

Adult Swim Juston Gordon-Montgomery sees his new shonen-inspired Adult Swim series as a gateway to the world of wrestling. Continue reading...

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images On Friday evening, Okta posted an odd update to its list of security advisories. The latest entry reveals that under specific circumstances, someone could've logged in by entering anything for a password, but only if the account's username had over 52 characters.According to the note people reported receiving, other requirements to exploit the vulnerability included Okta checking the cache from a previous successful login, and that an organization's authentication policy didn't add extra conditions like requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA).Here are the details that are currently available:

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple announced a new service program to fix iPhone 14 Plus phones that have rear cameras that won't show a preview.Here's Apple's specific definition of the affected phones, according to the service program page:

This will fit in most parking spots. | Image: Hyundai The reviews for Hyundai's little electric SUV that could are trickling in, and it's clear that the Inster is a delightful way to move about town - regardless of its lack of quickness compared to other similarly-sized EVs. The Inster's top speed for the long-range version is about 93 miles per hour (or 150 km/h), and it has a zero to 62 mph (100km/h) acceleration in 10.6 seconds, according to the specs Hyundai published today.Hyundai also revealed more details about the Inster's price, with European reviewers saying it's expensive compared to similar competition at 23,495 (about $25,477). In the US, however, that's a price we can only dream about since our most affordable options include the $35,000 Chevy Equinox EV or the hope Tesla... Continue reading...

Thanks to their superb ANC, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are our No. 1 pick when it's time to hop aboard a plane. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Well, the early Black Friday deals took less than a day to begin. Amazon, Best Buy, Lowe's, and a number of other major retailers have officially begun running their holiday promotions in anticipation of the annual shopping event, though few of them are offering discounts as steep as Bose. For a limited time, you can grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for an all-time low of $329 ($100 off) or the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for $229 ($100 off) via the same retailers (Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy).Unsurprisingly, the QC Ultra Headphones and QC Ultra Earbuds are incredibly similar, form factor notwithstanding. Both offer exceptional comfort and best-in-class noise cancellation, allowing you to... Continue reading...

Image: Disney Plus / Marvel But Marvel's WandaVision follow-up stuck the landing by spelling out the secrets that were hiding in plain sight. Continue reading...

Image: Disney Disney released a new trailer for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, its new Star Wars Disney Plus show premiering next month, and it looks like the show is going to be pretty fun.Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy," according to Disney's official description. Finding their way home - and meeting unlikely allies and enemies - will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."One of the people the kids meet along the way is the mysterious Jod, who is played by Jude Law.Skeleton Crew was originally announced in 2022 with an intended release of 2023. That obviously didn't happen, but Disney confirmed... Continue reading...

Photo by David Pierce / The Verge Meta is introducing some big changes with its Quest v71 update, including a redesign of Meta Horizon OS, a calendar app, and the ability to use Travel Mode on a train. The update will start rolling out gradually next week.Let's start with the redesign. Meta says that it's tweaking the look and feel of Horizon OS" and the dark and light themes have been optimized for clarity viewing and reading contrast." Meta has also made assorted changes to the way panels look and behave, where the control bar resides, the colors of various UI elements, and so on," according to a blog post. And the Settings menu has a new look and layout" and improved search. Image: Meta An image of the updated settings menu. The... Continue reading...

The Hurricane Compact Electric Bike offers a range of 30 miles. | Image: Schwinn The Schwinn Hurricane, an iconic kids bike of the late 70s and early 80s, could soon be a staple of the suburbs once again thanks to an electric revival. The new Schwinn Hurricane Compact Electric Bike isn't an exact dupe of the original, but shares a lot of the classic's styling, with the added convenience of an electric motor and a rechargeable battery.The electric Hurricane is designed for riders 13 years and older who weigh up to 260lb, but its smaller frame and 14-inch aluminum wheels make it better suited for teens. It's available now through Schwinn's website for $599.99.That's not necessarily cheap as smaller bikes go, but it is cheaper than e-bikes from brands like Juiced Bikes and Super73 which have already attracted the... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is modernizing how its Windows Hello authentication, which includes facial and fingerprint recognition, works in Windows 11. The revamp to the Windows Hello experience is now in beta testing with Windows Insiders, and includes visual changes, new iconography, and improvements to passkeys.Not only will this new UI appear on the Windows 11 login screen, but also when you're using passkeys to sign into websites and apps. We redesigned Windows security credential user experiences for passkey creating a cleaner experience that supports secured and quick authentication," explains the Windows team. Users will now be able to switch between authentication options and select passkey / devices more intuitively." Image:... Continue reading...

Image: Epic games Epic Games is about to host big in-game event ahead of its next throwback season - and it could be pretty musical.The event's title suggests the music theme - Remix: The Prelude" - and a post from Epic suggests to be at the event with the volume UP". Fortnite is already famous for bombastic musical events, so this event to wrap up the latest Marvel-themed season could be quite a show.But the Remix" title is also pointing at Epic bringing back and remixing elements of its Chapter 2 seasons, kind of like it did with the Chapter 1-themed OG" season last year, The company has already teased what some of those remixes might look like, including a character that combines Meowscles, a swole cat (yes), with Midas.If you want to watch the... Continue reading...

Turns out, taking things apart is still just as much fun as when you were a kid. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge My first DIY smartphone repair project was off to an inauspicious start.I'd successfully removed the back of the HMD Skyline, but the next instruction called for a T3 screwdriver bit. I had a T4 bit, which worked well enough to turn the screw that popped the corner of the phone's back panel up. But a T4 was just too big for the tiny screws holding the battery connector cover in place. I needed that T3.The Skyline is one of HMD's latest user-repairable phones. It's a midrange phone, one of the first Android phones with Qi2 wireless charging, plus a 6.55-inch OLED panel, three rear cameras, and a big 4,600mAh battery for $449. In my limited use, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 seems prone to lagginess, and the 1080p screen resolution really... Continue reading...

Image: Pixelmator Apple has agreed to acquire Pixelmator, a popular image editing app available on Mac and iOS. Pixelmator announced the news in a post on its blog, saying it will now have the ability to reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world."Pixelmator issued the following statement about the acquisition (emphasis ours):

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Apple is taking a 20 percent stake in its iPhone satellite connectivity partner GlobalStar - a stake worth $400 million - as part of an expansion of its deal with the company. GlobalStar will also receive a prepayment of $1.1 billion from Apple that is intended to improve satellite infrastructure.Apple relies on GlobalStar's satellites to enable to send emergency text messages, iMessage reactions, and more through the skies in areas with no cell signal. GlobalStar disclosed the details of the deal expansion in an SEC filing, which includes a new satellite constellation, expanded ground infrastructure, and increased global [mobile satellite services] licensing."Apple launched its Emergency SOS feature on the iPhone 14 in 2022 and... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp is adding yet another way to organize all your chats. If you're tired of struggling to find certain conversations, now you can slot them into custom categories, called Lists.You can create and label lists dedicated to specific chats, such as those with your family or work colleagues. The messaging app will then display them at the very top of your inbox, alongside the All," Unread," and Groups" filters WhatsApp rolled out earlier this year. Image: WhatsApp To create a list, tap the +" icon in the filter bar at the top of your chats tab. You can then enter a name for your list and choose which conversations to add. WhatsApp will let you add both group chats and one-on-one conversations to your lists. If... Continue reading...

The Wyze Scale Ultra includes a 4.3-inch color screen that shares more health data. | Image: Wyze The addition of a 4.3-inch color TFT screen makes the new Wyze Scale Ultra one of the brand's most expensive smart scales to date, but at $43.99, it's still considerably cheaper than offerings from companies like Withings. It's available from Wyze directly or from Amazon in white or black.The Wyze Scale Ultra says it can track 13 different health metrics, including your heart rate, your metabolic age (a comparison of how your body burns calories at rest to others your age), and measurements of fat, muscle, and water.Previous versions of Wyze's smart scales featured simple segmented LED displays to display basic information like weight, BMI, and muscle mass, leaving more detailed breakdowns of your health metrics for an accompanying... Continue reading...

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images I regret to inform you that former President Donald Trump has once again filed what is almost inarguably a SLAPP complaint, this time against CBS for editing its own interview of Vice President Kamala Harris.Trump's lawsuit, first reported by Fox News yesterday, escalates a weeks-long crusade against CBS for its 60 Minutes interview with Harris. Trump argues CBS - which published multiple cuts of the interview - deceptively edited Harris' answer to make her appear more coherent. This is the kind of editing decision it's reasonable to argue about, and that people in fact constantly argue about with Trump's own words. It is less reasonable to:

Illustration: The Verge Google is adding a Google Home extension to the Gemini app, allowing you to control your smart home while chatting with the AI assistant. The update, which is available to Android users as part of Google Home's Public Preview program, will let you use natural language prompts, like Set the dining room for a romantic date night" to adjust lighting, or Help me clean up the kitchen" to turn on the vacuum.Previously, the Gemini app would open Google Assistant if you tried to control your smart home. With the new Google Home extension, you can perform actions across smart lighting, climate control, window coverings, TVs, speakers, and more from within the Gemini app. The extension in Gemini doesn't support all smart devices,... Continue reading...

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge You just left your house. As you peel out of the driveway and tear down the street in the coolest way possible, your garage door... well, what does it do? The answer's probably nothing, and that feels like the wrong answer. The smart home was supposed to have fixed this by now.On this episode of The Vergecast, we didn't necessarily set out to talk about smart garage doors for as long as we did, but The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern joined the show with a lot of thoughts about Apple Intelligence, notification summaries, and how we all - and in particular, how Apple's software leader Craig Federighi - manage their own houses. Given the reporting that Apple is gearing up for a big hardware push into the smart home, what does the... Continue reading...

Hardware is hard. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Apple's journey to making its own wireless chips has been a long one, but the end might be in sight. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X that Apple's switch to its own in-house Wi-Fi / Bluetooth chips will start with the iPhone 17 in the second half of next year.Kuo also agrees with 9to5Mac's report that the iPhone SE 4, expected in spring of 2025, will be the first device to use Apple's own homemade 5G modem. He says that the SE will continue using a third-party Wi-Fi chip made by Broadcom, and that the iPhone 17 will be the first device to use both an Apple-made modem and Wi-Fi chip.Modems are hard, apparently. Apple has been trying to get away from using Qualcomm's RF modems since at least 2019, when it bought Intel's modem division.... Continue reading...

The Quick Insert button is on the Galaxy Chromebook Plus and is coming to future 2025 Chromebooks. | Image: Google Starting today, Google's ChromeOS 130 update with Quick Insert, Focus Mode, Welcome Recap, and other features is rolling out. Chromebook Plus models with NPU also get exclusive special features in 130, such as the new recorder app with AI, enhanced mic, camera effects, and Gemini AI tools like help me read" summaries.There's a long list of changes in 130, but here are some highlights. Quick Insert is a way to add emoji, GIFs, or links to recently visited sites and access AI features from a menu. On most devices, that means using the launcher or Google button plus f on your keyboard. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the first Chromebook to replace the launcher key with a new button that activates Quick Insert with a single press,... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge The music streaming app Tidal is laying off more workers. In a statement to Fortune, an unnamed Tidal spokesperson confirmed the elimination of some roles across our business and design teams."On Wednesday, Fortune published a leaked memo from Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Tidal parent company Block Block Head, who said that the company is going to part ways with a number of folks" on the team. We're reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting TIDAL, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward," Dorsey wrote, according to Fortune.Though Dorsey's message didn't specify how many employees would be laid off, sources told Fortune that it... Continue reading...

Image: Netflix Netflix released a new teaser for Squid Game's second season on Thursday. Gi-hun, again played by Lee Jung-jae, is participating in the games again, but based on the trailer, it appears that he will try to convince he other contestants to rebel against the competition - and that, at times, he may not be successful.Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind," according to description of the show from the trailer. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won."(I'm curious if the setup means the season will end similarly to the second... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Claude, the AI chatbot made by Anthropic, now has a desktop app. You can download the Mac and Windows versions of the app from Anthropic's website for free.Last week, Anthropic released its computer use" feature in public beta, which allows the Claude 3.5 Sonnet model to control a computer by looking at a screen, moving the cursor, clicking buttons, and entering text. This capability isn't available within the app, however.

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is once again delaying the roll out of its controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. The software giant had planned to start testing Recall, which creates screenshots of mostly everything you see or do on a Copilot Plus PC, with Windows Insiders in October. Now, Microsoft says it needs more time to get the feature ready.We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall. To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we're taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders," says Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager of Windows, in a statement to The Verge." Originally planned for October, Recall will now be available for preview with Windows... Continue reading...

The Mudita Kompakt E Ink phone is expected to sell for under $500. | Image: Mudita Mudita is not the first company to build a phone with an E Ink screen, but its Kompakt isn't only about bringing the benefits of e-paper to smartphones. The company describes the Kompakt as a minimalist E Ink phone" that's designed to reduce distractions with a limited collection of bundled apps.The Kompakt is being made available to consumers through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The earliest backers can pre-order one for around $325 with shipping expected as early as April 2025. Full retail pricing is expected to be closer to $476, making the Kompakt cheaper than other E Ink phones from companies like Hisense.Unlike the Boox Palma, which is a pocket-friendly 6.13-inch e-reader offering additional functionality through a full... Continue reading...

Photo by Andrew Hawkins / The Verge Ford is idling the factory where it makes its F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks until next year, the company said today. It's another unwelcome hiccup in Ford's path to becoming a global EV producer.The plan is to shut things down after the last shift on Friday, November 15th, at which point the plant will be closed for seven weeks, including holidays in which no work would have occurred anyway. The reasons are a bit vague, with Ford spokesperson Emma Berg citing a need to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability."That last word - profitability - is surely driving most of this decision. While Tesla just had a better-than-expected earnings quarter, Ford is still struggling to squeeze profit out of... Continue reading...