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Updated 2025-07-12 00:30
You can already save up to $50 on the forthcoming iPad Pro and iPad Air
The screen on the 2024 iPad Pro is a hair bigger, yet the tablet is somehow thinner and lighter than the prior model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge The newest iPad Pro and iPad Air models don't hit store shelves until Wednesday, May 15th, but we're already seeing preorder discounts on select colors ahead of the launch. The 11-inch iPad Air is down to $569.99 ($30 off) with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage at Amazon, while the base 13-inch iPad Air is going for 769.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, the 256GB 11-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip / Wi-Fi is down to $949.99 ($50 off) at Amazon; you can also save $50 on all 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models at Best Buy if you're a My Best Buy Total or Plus member (which itself starts at $49.99 a year).We can't speak to their worth just yet, but the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro are likely to be safe bets. On paper, neither rock the boat so much... Continue reading...
OpenAI’s custom GPT Store is now open to all for free
Screenshot: YouTube OpenAI is making a number of its previously subscription-only features available to free users of ChatGPT, with the biggest being the ability to create custom chatbots and browse its GPT Store, said CTO Mira Murati during the company's Spring update livestream today. The company also published today's updates in a blog on its website.The company opened its GPT Store to paid subscribers just four months ago on January 10th. The store lets users create their own chatbots, called GPTs, and share them. Some of the trending bots right now include an image-generating bot, a chatbot called Consensus that's geared toward helping with scientific research, and a logo-making bot.OpenAI said it would offer an engagement-based revenue sharing... Continue reading...
ChatGPT is getting a Mac app
Image: OpenAI ChatGPT now has a desktop app - but it's only available on macOS for now. OpenAI CTO Mira Murati announced the news during an event on Tuesday, where she also said that ChatGPT is getting a refreshed UI.In the demo shown by OpenAI, users could open the ChatGPT desktop app in a small window, alongside another program. They asked ChatGPT questions about what's on their screen - whether by typing or saying it. ChatGPT could then respond based on what it sees." Image: OpenAI OpenAI says users can ask ChatGPT a question by using the Option + Space keyboard shortcut, as well as take and discuss screenshots within the app. Both free and paid users will be able to access the new app, but it will only be available to... Continue reading...
OpenAI releases GPT-4o, a faster model that’s free for all ChatGPT users
Screenshot: OpenAI OpenAI announced the launch of GPT-4o, an iteration of its GPT-4 model that powers its hallmark product, ChatGPT. The latest update is much faster" and improves capabilities across text, vision, and audio," OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said in a livestream announcement on Monday. It'll be free for all users, and paid users will continue to have up to five times the capacity limits" of free users, Murati added.In a blog post from the company, OpenAI says GPT-4o's capabilities will be rolled out iteratively (with extended red team access starting today)," but its text and image capabilities will start to roll out today in ChatGPT.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted that the model is natively multimodal," which means the model could generate... Continue reading...
Meta Quest’s new Travel Mode will put more glassholes on your next flight
Photo: Meta Meta Quest headsets are ready to go on flights with you as Meta has announced a new Travel Mode. The company is rolling out the experimental feature to Quest 2 and 3 headsets running Quest software version 65 or later, allowing owners to use the headset in passthrough on a flight without windows drifting away from them.To try it, opt in under Settings > Experimental features. Then the new mode will live in the Quick settings panel, where you can toggle it from the Quest's universal menu. Travel Mode isn't without limitations - it's not designed to account for the motion of a car or train, for instance; Meta says support for other transportation methods is coming. Also, if a game or app requires an internet connection, your plane will... Continue reading...
VW releases battery and motor details for upcoming ID Buzz electric microbus
The North American ID Buzz. | Photo: Volkswagen Volkswagen is one step closer to delivering the ID Buzz in the US, today revealing initial battery, powertrain, and trim options available when the all-electric microbus goes on sale later this year.To start, the automaker will offer a First Edition model that comes with exclusive wheels, badging, and extra unknown gifts." Alongside that, VW has a Pro S model that is rear-wheel drive only (282 horsepower) and a Pro S Plus that can option in all-wheel drive (335 horsepower) and comes with standard premium features like a heads-up display.While European customers have had fun going on road trips and camping for a year, Volkswagen has been slow to bring the retro-inspired microbus stateside. Last summer, the automaker confirmed the... Continue reading...
Google is bringing Project Starline’s ‘magic window’ experience to real video calls
Image: Google Google's futuristic videoconferencing technology will soon become a reality. In an update on Monday, Google shared that it's working on integrating Project Starline with common videoconferencing setups like Google Meet and Zoom.Google first took the wraps off Project Starline during Google I/O in 2021. Its first iteration involved a 3D video chat booth where you see a projection of the person you're chatting with and they see a projection of you - almost like you're talking to each other in the same room.But Google later fit the technology into what looks like a large TV with a camera system mounted on the top, rather than an entire booth, making it more practical for offices and conference rooms. Image: Google N... Continue reading...
MicrosoftPlaces uses AI to find the best time for your next office day
Image: Microsoft Microsoft is attempting to solve the hassle of coordinating with colleagues on when everyone will be in the office. It's a problem that emerged with the increase in hybrid and flexible work after the recent covid-19 pandemic, with workers spending less time in the office. Microsoft Places is an AI-powered app that goes into preview today and should help businesses that rely on Outlook and Microsoft Teams to better coordinate in-office time together.When employees get to the office, they don't want to be greeted by a sea of empty desks - they want face-time with their manager and the coworkers they collaborate with most frequently," says Microsoft's corporate vice president of AI at work, Jared Spataro, in a blog post. With Places, you... Continue reading...
Microsoft Word just fixed its default paste option
Illustration: The Verge Have you ever pasted text into your beautifully formatted Microsoft Word document, only for it to ruin everything? Well, the days of the should finally be over, as Microsoft Word will now merge the text's formatting with your document by default.Unlike the previous keep source formatting" default, the merge formatting" option preserves the original bold and underlined text, along with list and table structure. But it also changes the visual aspects of the text, such as font family, size, and color, to match the document you're working on. That should save you from messing up the formatting of your entire document when pasting in text from another source.You could previously choose the merge formatting" option from Word's pasting... Continue reading...
TCL’s new Mini LED TVs offer blazing brightness on a budget
Image: TCL 5,000 nits. That's the incredible peak brightness of TCL's latest flagship QM8 Mini LED TV, and there's no better example of how the company is hoping to stand out from competitors like Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sony, and others. That's just on a different level than what OLED can offer. Are we getting to a point where TVs are getting too bright? No such thing, right?Starting at $1,999.99 for a 65-inch size (and ranging up to an enormous 115-inch model), the QM8 contains thousands of dimming zones - up to over 5,000," to be specific. Combined with TCL's image processing, the company is confident that people will get an excellent viewing experience from this Mini LED set for significantly less than, say, a top-tier OLED would cost.G... Continue reading...
The Pixel 8A and the camera you have with you
You know, normal backyard nighttime stuff. Sometimes you travel thousands of miles from home to see something amazing. And every once in a while, that something appears right in your backyard.That's what happened on Friday. What's the aurora forecast for tonight?" I asked a friend who keeps up with those things. Amazing," he said. He wasn't lying. At 9:30PM, my husband and I went to the backyard to check the sky - nothing but hazy light pollution on the northern horizon. But just an hour later, the sky erupted.I didn't think twice about what camera to use to photograph the event since I already had my SIM card in the Pixel 8A - it had arrived a couple of days ago fresh off its announcement. I handed my husband the Pixel 8 Pro; he left his night mode-less iPhone XR in the... Continue reading...
Why Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen is confident we’ll all adapt to AI
Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: Adobe The tech and the consumers both might not be quite ready yet, but he's betting big on an AI future. Continue reading...
Amazon’s robotaxi company is under investigation after two crashes with motorcyclists
Image: Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images US safety regulators are looking into two crashes involving Amazon's robotaxi company, Zoox. The Office of Defects Investigation, under the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, opened a preliminary evaluation into Zoox after two separate reports of the vehicles suddenly braking and causing motorcyclists to crash into their rear end.NHTSA confirms that the Zoox vehicles were operating in driverless mode without safety drivers when the incidents occurred. The vehicles involved in both crashes were Toyota Highlander SUVs, which Zoox uses for testing and data gathering. According to the Office of Defects Investigation, the investigation covers an estimated 500 vehicles.The crashes did not involve Zoox's unique toaster-looking... Continue reading...
Solar Storms are disrupting farmer GPS systems during critical planting time
Image: John Deere The solar storms that have been wowing people with the Northern Lights across the United States the last two nights have also been disrupting GPS satellites, crippling some Midwest farmers' operations, reports 404 Media. The issues have forced many to stop planting just as a crucial planting deadline for corn farmers approaches.The storms reportedly knocked some GPS systems" offline temporarily, which messed with the accuracy of Real-Time Kinematic" (RTK) systems. Tractors from John Deere and other brands use RTK for centimeter-level positional accuracy" when carrying out farming work like crop-planting or fertilizing, 404 Media writes.The extremely compromised" systems caused drastic shifts in the field and even some heading... Continue reading...
The Gamma app brings PS1 emulation to the iPhone
Time for some Abe's Oddysee! | Screenshot: Gamma iPhone users without a penchant for jailbreaking can finally enjoy the blocky polygons and shifty textures of the original PlayStation with Gamma, a free PS1 emulator that hit the iOS App Store last night. Gamma comes courtesy of developer ZodTTD, which has been creating emulators for the iPhone since the earliest days of third-party iOS apps.The app has both iPhone and iPad versions with support for Bluetooth controllers and keyboards, as well as customizable on-screen controller skins. It uses Google Drive and Dropbox syncing for backing up your game files and save states (those are the snapshots you can save at any time and reload, a little like pausing your game - great for old-school games that don't let you save any time you... Continue reading...
The DJI Pocket 3 is almost everything I wanted my iPhone camera to be
Despite its name, the Pocket 3 isn't exactly comfortable to stuff in tighter pockets. | Photo by Quentyn Kennemer / The Verge I can't think of anything permeating mainstream camera culture as aggressively as the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The Fujifilm X100VI has stolen some of its thunder among film simulation enthusiasts, but DJI's still having somewhat of a cultural moment on YouTube, Instagram, and the troubled TikTok by spurring all sorts of creator glee.Of course, the camera buffs are all over it, but serious and casual creators from other genres have paused their usual programming to rave about how it transcends amateur vlogging pursuits, whether you're filming a wedding or self-shooting a scene for a Sundance-hopeful short film.Some of us at The Verge are excited, too: Vjeran liked it enough to call it his favorite gadget of 2023, and Sean just bought one... Continue reading...
The rise of the audio-only video game
Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge Not all video games need video. Over the years, games that exist only in audio have taken players into entirely new worlds in which there's nothing to see and still everything to do. These games have huge accessibility implications, allowing people who can't see to play an equally fun, equally immersive game with their other senses. And when all you have is sound, there's actually even more you can do to make your game great.On this episode of The Vergecast, we explore the history of audio-only games with Paul Bennun, who has been in this space longer than most. Years ago, Bennun and his team at Somethin' Else made a series of games called Papa Sangre that were among the most innovative and most popular games of their kind. He explains... Continue reading...
The new iPad Pro looks like a winner
Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 37, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, send me links, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This week, I've been writing about iPads and LinkedIn games, reading about auto shows and typewriters and treasure hunters, watching Everybody's in LA and Sugar, looking for reasons to buy Yeti's new French press even though I definitely don't need more coffee gear, following almost all of Jerry Saltz's favorite Instagram accounts, testing Capacities and Heptabase for all my note-taking needs and Plinky for all my link-saving, and playing a lot of Blind Drive.I also have for you a thoroughly impressive new iPad, a clever... Continue reading...
Steam, Epic, and GMG are canceling Ghost of Tsushima PC preorders in non-PSN countries
Screenshot: Ghost of Tsushima Steam, Epic, and Green Man Gaming are reportedly canceling and refunding preorders of the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima for buyers who live in over 170 countries without PlayStation Network access, reports Eurogamer. That's despite the fact that arguably the most important part of the game would still be playable without PlayStation Network account linking. The news comes after Valve abruptly delisted the game in those countries yesterday.Ghost of Tsushima only requires PSN account linking for its Legends multiplayer mode, a requirement the single-player campaign is exempt from, the game's developer went out of its way to say in a recent post. Steam, Green Man Gaming, and Epic Games Store each had disclaimers noting the same thing. In... Continue reading...
OpenAI could debut a multimodal AI digital assistant soon
Illustration: The Verge OpenAI has been showing some of its customers a new multimodal AI model that can both talk to you and recognize objects, according to a new report from The Information. Citing unnamed sources who've seen it, the outlet says this could be part of what the company plans to show on Monday.The new model reportedly offers faster, more accurate interpretation of images and audio than what its existing separate transcription and text-to-speech models can do. It would apparently be able to help customer service agents better understand the intonation of callers' voices or whether they're being sarcastic," and theoretically," the model can help students with math or translate real-world signs, writes The Information.The outlet's sources say... Continue reading...
The Verge’s 2024 Mother’s Day gift guide
Illustration by Manon Louart for The Verge We found a collection of unique gift ideas that go beyond the flowers and chocolates that typically rule the day. Continue reading...
iFixit’s Pro Tech Toolkit is on sale for just $60
iFixit's step-up toolkit has all sorts of bits and bobs, all of which slot nicely in the case and included fabric roll. | Image: iFixit The right-to-repair movement has logged some serious wins over the past several years, with states like California, New York, and Minnesota having recently passed laws that make it easier for consumers to repair their own devices. But being able to obtain parts and manuals is only part of the process - you also need the tools. Luckily, iFixit's Pro Tech Toolkit is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and iFixit for $59.96 ($15 off), matching the lowest price we've seen on the versatile tool set.Chances are you know iFixit for its in-depth teardowns of various gadgets and gizmos, including iPhone 15 Pro Max, headsets like the Apple Vision Pro, and the confounding mess that is the Humane AI Pin (sorry not sorry). That said, the company also... Continue reading...
Google I/O 2024 will be all about AI again
Image: Google Google is preparing to hold its annual Google I/O developer conference next week, and naturally, it will be all about AI. The company has made no secret of that. Since last year's I/O, it has debuted Gemini, its new, more powerful model meant to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT, and has been deep in testing new features for Search, Google Maps, and Android. Expect to hear a lot about that stuff this year.When Google I/O will happen and where you can watchGoogle I/O kicks off on Tuesday, May 14th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET with a keynote talk. You can catch that on Google's site or its YouTube channel, via the livestream link that's also embedded at the top of this page. (There's also a version with an American Sign Language interpreter.) Set a... Continue reading...
Crow Country is a gloriously grimy revival of ’90s survival horror
Image: SFB Games Even as modern horror games become unnervingly immersive, there's still a place for the particular mood of old-school survival horror. Through a combo of grimy visuals, cryptic puzzles, slow pacing, and clunky controls, PlayStation-era games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill were able to create a distinct kind of tension and terror. Crow Country is what would happen if that kind of game never went out of style. It has the look and feel of the classics but with just the right amount of modern flourish. It's a perfect bite of classic horror.Crow Country comes from indie studio SFB Games - led by brothers Tom and Adam Vian - which has so far managed to create quite the eclectic library of releases. There was the playful Switch launch... Continue reading...
Android in the time of AI
Google's annual developer conference kicks off on Tuesday. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The past few months have made one thing crystal clear: phones remain undefeated.The AI gadgets that were supposed to save us from our phones have arrived woefully underbaked - whatever illusions we might have held that the Humane AI pin or the Rabbit R1 were going to offer any kind of salve for the constant rug burn of dealing with our personal tech is gone. Hot Gadget Spring is over and developer season is upon us, starting with Google I/O this coming Tuesday.It also happens to be a pivotal time for Android. I/O comes on the heels of a major re-org that put the Android team together with Google's hardware team for the first time. The directive is clear: to run full speed ahead and put more AI in more things. Not preferring Google's... Continue reading...
The Garmin Lily 2 was the tracker I needed on vacation
The Lily 2 is a small, unassuming tracker that suits casual users. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Its limitations made it fall short in daily life but ended up being a plus while trying to disconnect from the world. Continue reading...
Gaze upon Dell’s leaked Qualcomm X Elite-powered laptops
That's a skinny XPS. | Image: Windows Report Want a look at Dell's new notebook lineup that's apparently powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X Elite processors? Courtesy of Windows Report, these leaked images come ahead of Microsoft's May 20th event where new Surfaces (and other laptops) are expected to sport the same chips.They unsurprisingly look like laptops - albeit with overall slimmer profiles.The most interesting model is Dell's new XPS 13 9345, which seems to be a sleeker rebirth of the XPS 13 Plus from 2022. It's got the same touchy touch-bar on the top row and comes with only two USB-C ports for I/O. Image: Windows Report Dell XPS 9345 Image: Windows Report Dell Inspiron 14 7441 Plus There's also a leaked... Continue reading...
Here’s where you can preorder Apple’s latest iPad Air and iPad Pro
The new iPad Air comes in two sizes, while the Pro model picks up an M4 chip and a more vibrant OLED panel. | Image: Apple At long last, Apple's newest iPad Pro and iPad Air are finally, officially real. Preorders opened May 7th, with the former tablet starting at $999 and the latter at $599. Both models come in 11- and 13-inch sizes and are set to arrive in stores on Wednesday, May 15th.One of the most notable changes in the Pro models is the switch from LCD-based displays to OLED, which could be the killer feature for creatives. But there's a lot more to like, such as the new M4 chip that is said to offer 50 percent faster CPU performance than the prior model's M2 chip, plus a new 10-core GPU that supports mesh shading and ray tracing. The new iPad Pro also gets a slight camera shakeup, as it now only features two rear cameras (it ditches the... Continue reading...
GameStop will buy and sell rare Pokémon cards — but it doesn’t want to catch ‘em all
Photo by IDA MARIE ODGAARD/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images GameStop, the used video game retailer that's become increasingly associated with other kinds of speculative investments, wants to cash in on the resurgent card collecting craze - staffers have told Pokebeach, Polygon, and The Verge that stores will begin buying and selling rare Pokemon cards, and possibly other cards, as soon as next week.GameStop apparently doesn't want just any cards, though: employees across multiple states say they'll only be buying cards that have already been graded by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) at an 8, 9, or 10, meaning they're in near-mint condition or better with only slight imperfections. And yet, GameStop won't accept the rarest cards valued at over $500, either, Pokebeach and Polygon report.... Continue reading...
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile’s ‘unlimited’ plans just got a $10M slap on the wrist
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will pay a combined $10.22 million to a group of states to settle claims that the carriers lied to customers about their unlimited" plans and free" phone offers. The settlement, which follows an investigation from a coalition of 50 attorneys general, requires the three companies to make their advertisements more transparent.Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T can only advertise their plans as unlimited" if there are no limits on how much data someone can use during a billing cycle. The ads must clearly and conspicuously" say that restrictions on speed may apply, as well as specify the amount of data customers can use before triggering the slowdown.Additionally, the attorneys... Continue reading...
Amazon’s Matter Casting is shaping up so nicely, I want to use it everywhere
Matter Casting is now rolling out to most Fire TVs on FireOS 7 or higher. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge If the Fire TV is your streaming stick of choice, I have good news. There's now an easy way to cast content from your phone or tablet to your TV - as long as you're watching Prime Video. Matter Casting, a new protocol for casting content from an app on your phone to an app on a TV or display, is rolling out now to compatible Fire TVs and could one day be available on more screens in our homes.Unlike Apple's AirPlay or Google Cast, Matter Casting is an open standard with no requirement for proprietary hardware. I got some hands-on time with the feature on a Fire TV at Amazon's Day 1 HQ in Seattle last week and, according to Amazon spokesperson Connor Rice, Matter Casting will be arriving on most Fire TVs running FireOS 7 or higher... Continue reading...
Bungie’s classic sci-fi shooter Marathon is now free on Steam
Image: Bungie Before there was Halo and Destiny, there was Marathon - and now Steam users can check out the classic sci-fi shooter for themselves. Bungie just announced that the first game in the original trilogy has surprise-dropped on Steam, and it's available on both Mac and PC. Even better, you can play it for free.The game is actually credited to Aleph One Developers, which is described as an open source continuation of Bungie's Marathon 2 game engine." In fact, the group has already made the entire trilogy available to download right here with support for Mac, PC, and Linux. But the Steam launch opens up the games to a big new audience of gamers, and Bungie says the plan is to bring both sequels - Marathon 2: Durandal and Marathon Infinity -... Continue reading...
Biden really, really doesn’t want China to flood the US with cheap EVs
Photo by Zhang Dagang / VCG via Getty Images Who's afraid of China's electric vehicles? President Joe Biden.The president is preparing to announce higher tariffs on imported Chinese EVs, effectively closing out the possibility that the country will be able to afford to import its much cheaper and, in many cases, more desirable plug-in vehicles to the United States.According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration will announce plans to roughly quadruple tariffs, to 100 percent from the current 25 percent, as well as tack on an additional 2.5 percent duty.Who's afraid of China's electric vehicles? Joe BidenSo far, the current tariffs have been effective at preventing Chinese companies from importing their EVs to the US. But officials are reportedly nervous about... Continue reading...
EA is prototyping in-game ads even as we speak
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Electronic Arts has a long, storied history of trying to wring more money out of gamers after they've purchased a game - now, it appears, the company's hard at work on its next generation of in-game ads.EA CEO Andrew Wilson admitted as much on the company's Q4 earnings call: when an analyst asked about the market opportunity for more dynamic ad insertion across more traditional AAA games," he said the company's already working on it.We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how do we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences," said Wilson.I don't want to take Wilson out of context. If you read the full question and answer (page 12), you'll see that in-game ads aren't the thing he's most... Continue reading...
Kobo’s Elipsa 2E, our favorite e-reader for taking notes, is down to its best price yet
The Kobo Elipsa 2E is a better value than Amazon's less capable Kindle Scribe. | Image: Kobo I'll be honest: every model in Amazon's discounted Kindle lineup is fantastic for those embedded in the Amazon ecosystem, but it's Kobo that makes my absolute favorite e-readers. If you don't mind buying ebooks outside of Amazon, Kobo's e-readers offer fantastic value for the money, which is why I'm excited by today's sale. The Kobo Sage and Kobo Clara 2E are up to $30 off at Target, but it's the Kobo Elipsa 2E, which is matching its all-time low of $349.99 ($50 off) at Target and Rakuten Kobo, that stands out the most. Even better, Rakuten Kobo is throwing in a $10 credit when you buy a $50 gift card, which can be used toward an ebook or audiobook from the Kobo store.Kobo's ad-free Elipsa 2E is my favorite e-reader for taking notes,... Continue reading...
Sam Altman shoots down reports of search engine launch ahead of Google I/O
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shot down a Reuters report that claims OpenAI is launching a search product next Monday, the day before Google's flagship conference, Google I/O.Altman posted on X that while there is an OpenAI announcement set for Monday morning, it's not gpt-5, not a search engine," but whatever it is, he says it feels like magic." The only details provided by the official OpenAI post are that the launch will have updates on ChatGPT and its latest model, GPT-4.
How to watch the possible aurora borealis this weekend
A smartphone camera will provide better views than your own eyes if you're lucky enough to witness the aurora this weekend. | Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images Those of you looking to the skies this weekend may bear witness to a cosmic visual experience typically reserved for regions near the Arctic Circle. Various global weather agencies are reporting that the aurora borealis could be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California over the coming days thanks to unusually strong solar flares.On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch - the first to be declared in almost 20 years. G4 geomagnetic storms (which are the second-strongest variety and considered severe") can potentially interfere with power infrastructure and navigation systems, but they can also trigger the aurora borealis. That means parts of the world could... Continue reading...
A rare geomagnetic storm is heading to Earth — here’s what it means for critical infrastructure
An aurora borealis glows a faint purple in the night sky in the district of Markisch-Oderland in East Brandenburg. | Photo: Getty Images The National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a rare severe" geomagnetic storm watch for the US for Friday night. The Met Office weather service also issued a similar watch for the UK for Friday and Saturday. They're worried about coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explosions of plasma and magnetized particles coming from the Sun, that could potentially impact critical infrastructure, including the power grid, internet cables, and satellites.This is the first time since 2005 that the SWPC has issued a watch for a storm rated as G4, which is the scale's second-highest rating. Critical infrastructure operators have been notified so they can take precautions, the center says.Worst-case scenario, all those... Continue reading...
Prince of Persia roguelike postponed because ‘everyone and their mum’ is playing Hades II
Image: Ubisoft Sometimes you gotta know when to hold em, and that's exactly what Evil Empire, developer on The Rogue Prince of Persia, has done. Today, the studio announced that it would postpone the release of its Prince of Persia-themed roguelike to give players more time with another roguelike that released earlier this week... *checks notes* Hades II.Seeing as everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team... and their mums), we have decided to let people have their fun with it before we release The Rogue Prince of Persia," the studio explained in a statement.
Apple might bring AI transcription to Voice Memos and Notes
Illustration: The Verge Apple's plans for AI on the iPhone could bring real-time transcription to its Voice Memos and Notes apps, according to a report from AppleInsider. The new feature is expected to arrive with iOS 18 and will reportedly let you see a running transcription of your audio recordings in either app.While Notes currently doesn't let you record audio, a separate rumor from AppleInsider suggests Apple plans on adding this capability in iOS 18 as well. Audio transcription in either app sounds especially handy for students or journalists, who can save time transcribing a lengthy lecture or interview. It should also be helpful for anyone who just wants to take a quick look at their Voice Memos without having to listen to their recordings.As for... Continue reading...
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a gorgeous echo of the franchise’s past
Photo: 20th Century Studios Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes remixes beats from the franchise's previous films to tell a story about how myths evolve. Continue reading...
Fisker’s brakes can’t catch a break
Image: Fisker Fisker has another braking issue on its hands, prompting US safety regulators to open a fourth probe on the automaker's electric Ocean SUV.This time, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into customer claims that the Ocean would unexpectedly activate its automatic emergency braking (AEB) without any forward obstruction. Reuters reports three of the claims involved someone getting injured.This is the second probe opened for the 2023 Ocean that has to do with the vehicle's braking system. The first, which was announced last January, was based on complaints that the vehicle would lose braking power. Now the regulator's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a preliminary evaluation based on... Continue reading...
How to set the default apps in macOS
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge You may not spend much time thinking about the default apps you've got set up on macOS until they suddenly get configured the wrong way - and you find that, say, the app that pops up when you click on an image file is not the one you want to use.Out of the box, your Mac will use Apple's own tools for most tasks: click on a web link in Mail and you'll see Safari, for example, or double-click on an image you've downloaded to your system and up pops Photos. However, you might want to use different apps, or maybe a freshly installed app has decided to make itself the default and you want to undo the change (web browsers often do this, asking to become the default when they launch for the first time).So it's useful to know how to set the... Continue reading...
The Oura Ring will soon be able to gauge how ‘old’ your heart is
Cardiovascular age is a proxy for how stiff" your arteries are. | Image: Oura Oura's been busy this past year launching several new features - and folks with the Gen 3 version of the smart ring are about to get two more. At the end of May, the company will roll out cardiovascular age and cardiovascular capacity metrics for gauging long-term heart health. Emphasis on long-term.The thing about cardiovascular age and cardiovascular capacity is that these are both metrics that you can actually impact," explains Shyamal Patel, Oura's head of science. Right now, Patel says, Oura's current feature set has been much more focused on your near-term metrics. With these features, we're sort of introducing this idea of longer-term health. What are the things that you're doing today? How are they contributing to your health... Continue reading...
The beginning and end of the iPad
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge People seem to like Apple's new iPad Pro, with its better screen and impressive design. People also seem to really hate Apple's new ad in which the company crushes centuries of creative tools because, in the future, there is only iPad. And after all the iPad stuff this week, people are still asking the same question: what is the point of the iPad?On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk about the week in Apple news: the iPad Pro, the iPad Air, the Pencil Pro, the Magic Keyboard, the new apps, and much more. We also wonder if any of this changes anything about what the iPad is, how it works, and where it's headed - or if the answers will only come at WWDC next month. Then we talk about that ad everyone's mad about and why it seems like... Continue reading...
Hades II is the perfect Steam Deck game
Image: Supergiant Games Now that the Hades II early access period has started, opening up a more complete but still early build of the game, I've been fighting against the urge to gorge myself on it - and losing. To be fair, I have a weak spirit since I loved the first Hades, which introduced me to the concept of roguelikes, a genre I avoided out of disdain for repetition. Also, and this is the biggest factor in my spiritual war against the game: I have a Steam Deck, which makes not playing the game all but impossible.Slight spoilers for Hades II follow.Hades II is Steam Deck-verified with a comfortable control scheme that reminds me of playing on the Switch. I did fiddle with the button mapping a little bit, swapping the buttons for dash and attack. (It's... Continue reading...
Apple’s AirPods Max are receiving a rare $100 discount at Amazon
Apple's noise-canceling AirPods Max are $100 off for the first time since December. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge Not too long ago, it seemed like every retailer was offering a steep discount on Apple's AirPods Max. Then, suddenly, they all stopped. For the past few months, we've rarely seen the AirPods Max drop below $500 - that is, until this week. Now, for the second time this year, you can grab Apple's on-ear headphones at Amazon for $449.99 ($100 off), which matches one of their best prices to date.Even if they are still stuck with Apple's aging Lightning port, there's no better pair of headphones on the market for iPhone owners than the AirPods Max. They pair exceptionally well with other Apple devices, and their sound quality easily rivals other pairs of premium headphones. Yes, their noise cancellation isn't quite as impressive as that of S... Continue reading...
The answer to AI’senergyneeds could be blowing in the wind
The Riffgat offshore wind farm, around 15 kilometers north of the island of Borkum. | Photo: Getty Images Data centers and offshore wind farms could prove to be a perfect pair as AI grows increasingly energy-hungry.Many of the companies racing to roll out new generative AI tools have also made big commitments to rein in their greenhouse gas emissions. A rush of new AI data centers could throw those climate goals off - unless they find a clean source of energy.Conveniently, some of the quirks with AI data centers make them a good match for wind farms at sea. And the offshore wind industry, which has already cozied up with Big Tech, could certainly use a boost as it looks ahead to more uncertain economic waters.Data centers and AI ... We are excited about that opportunity," Mads Nipper, CEO of leading offshore wind developer Orsted, said... Continue reading...
OpenAI could unveil its Google search competitor on Monday
OpenAI has allegedly been trying to poach Google employees to work on its own search product offering. | Illustration: The Verge OpenAI is reportedly gearing up to announce a search product powered by artificial intelligence on Monday that could threaten Google's dominance. That target date, provided to Reuters by two sources familiar with the matter," would time the announcement a day before Google kicks off its annual I/O conference, which is expected to focus on the search giant's own AI model offerings like Gemini and Gemma.This new rumor tracks with earlier reports from both Bloomberg and The Information that also suggest OpenAI is developing an AI-based product capable of searching the internet. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI's search feature will be built into its ChatGPT chatbot and include citations, while The Information reports OpenAI's search service... Continue reading...
Did Stanford just prototype the future of AR glasses?
Stanford's holographic AR glasses prototype. | Image: Andrew Brodhead / Stanford A research team at Stanford is developing a new AI-assisted holographic imaging technology it claims is thinner, lighter, and higher quality than anything its researchers have seen. Could it take augmented reality (AR) headsets to the next level?For now, the lab version has an anemic field of view - just 11.7 degrees in the lab, far smaller than a Magic Leap 2 or even a Microsoft HoloLens.But Stanford's Computational Imaging Lab has an entire page with visual aid after visual aid that suggests it could be onto something special: a thinner stack of holographic components that could nearly fit into standard glasses frames, and be trained to project realistic, full-color, moving 3D images that appear at varying depths. ... Continue reading...
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