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Image: Microsoft Microsoft has started sending media invites for a special event" in New York City next month. Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 21, 2023, for a special Microsoft event," reads the invite to members of the press. Microsoft typically holds Surface events in September or October, so it's likely we're about to see some new hardware next month.Microsoft has been rumored to be working on a Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Studio 2, and Surface Laptop Go 3 for the fall. Windows Central recently reported that the updated Surface Laptop Studio 2 will ship with Intel's latest processors, a more powerful GPU, and an improved selection of ports. Microsoft also reportedly postponed a Surface Go 4 with an Arm processor in favor of an Intel... Continue reading...

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge Apple won't make leather cases for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, according to 9to5Mac and a couple of generally reputable leakers.It seems the rumor was first shared by DuanRui, who said, I've heard that Apple won't be releasing a Leather Case for the iPhone 15 series," in a Thursday morning post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. 9to5Mac posted its story soon after, saying that its sources are corroborating" that Apple won't release the leather cases. Another leaker, ShrimpApplePro, then quote-posted 9to5Mac's story on X, saying that they have been also hearing the same."It's unclear why Apple might be making this move, and the company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 9to5Mac speculates that Apple... Continue reading...

Samsung's original Freestyle portable projector had a ton of promise, but it really fell apart in the execution and was severely overpriced for the hardware specs on offer. Still, the blueprint was encouraging, and it seemed like just the kind of product that Samsung could nail the second time around - or so I hoped.But back at CES in January, the company showed off a barely changed revision of the Freestyle that addressed virtually none of my quibbles with the original. It was updated with Samsung's latest TV software, which meant owners would be able to access the Gaming Hub and various cloud gaming services from Xbox, Nvidia, and more. Samsung also demonstrated a neat smart edge blending" trick whereby you could combine two... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp is flipping a switch that will let users send higher-quality HD" images on the messaging platform. Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced via his Meta broadcast channel on Instagram. Now you can send in HD."The feature is rolling out worldwide over the next few weeks, so users with the feature can send higher-quality and higher-resolution images (likely still compressed from the original) from Android, iOS, or the web, and recipients on any platform will see a small icon that indicates it as such. According to Meta, support for HD videos is coming soon after.Once users get the new feature, they'll see an HD" gear icon when adding an image to a message thread, as first seen in... Continue reading...

Image: Apple Last year, Apple announced that it was working with Legendary on a streaming series that would be part of the company's Monsterverse, i.e., the revival of King Kong and Godzilla in a live-action universe. And while we still don't have a trailer or premiere date, we at least now have a first look and some details on the kaiju show.It's called Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and the 10-episode series appears to take place after the 2014 Godzilla film left San Francisco in a disastrous state as well as in the 1950s following the early days of the mysterious Monarch group. In a fun twist, the show will feature a military officer named Lee Shaw across both time periods, and Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell will play Shaw at different ages. Here's... Continue reading...

Image: Rockstar Games Here's some nice if slightly boring news: Red Dead Redemption runs just fine on the Nintendo Switch. That might not be too surprising given that it's a port of a game that first released in 2010 and that the Switch has already proven capable of running large, slightly older open-world titles like The Witcher 3. But given developer Rockstar Games' recent history with rereleases, some fans are probably rightfully suspicious of this new version.I've played the first few hours of the Red Dead port on the Switch, which is out today on both Nintendo's tablet and the PS4. I've had the chance to get into one shoot-out, herd some cows, scare away chicken-stealing coyotes, break in a pair of horses, and watch plenty of cutscenes. And it feels... Continue reading...

Photo by Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Microsoft will allow Windows 11 users to uninstall even more built-in apps soon. The software maker has started testing a new build of Windows 11 with Canary Channel testers that includes the ability to uninstall the Camera app, the recently discontinued Cortana app, the Photos app, the People app, and the Remote Desktop (MSTSC) client.Microsoft ships a large number of these so-called inbox apps" preinstalled with Windows 11. It has been gradually allowing users to uninstall more of them, and we're getting to the point where most can be removed freely. Most of these built-in apps aren't huge, so you're not going to save lots of space by uninstalling them, but having the option to uninstall them completely should make Windows feel a... Continue reading...

The HMD Nokia G310. | Image: HMD HMD is bringing its repairable phone initiative to the US with the Nokia G310, a $186 smartphone that'll be available from T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile on August 24th. This is technically the third smartphone HMD has released with a design that makes it easier to replace commonly broken components like its battery and display, but its previous Nokia G22 and Nokia G42 were focused on European markets.As with its previous repairable phones, HMD is partnering with iFixit to supply spare parts and repair guides for the G310. The company's press release doesn't offer too many details on how exactly the phone is easy to repair, but previous repairable Nokia-branded handsets have included design features like rear cases that can be unclipped... Continue reading...

The iFixit Pixel 7A screen repair kit. | Image: iFixit DIY repairs for the Google Pixel 7A just got a lot easier as famed right-to-repair-supporting website iFixit has added official parts for Google's newest slab phone to its store. iFixit has been stocking genuine Google Pixel phone parts for over a year after it made a deal with Google that followed a recent trend by phone makers to improve the accessibility of OEM components.When we reviewed Google's more affordable flagship in May, Allison Johnson called the Pixel 7A the best midrange Android phone for most people thanks to good build quality, a great camera, and an improved 90Hz OLED display.Parts on sale at iFixit include a replacement digitizer screen ($109.99), rear plastic cover ($44.99), both rear camera modules, adhesive films... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Google is adding a new feature to the next release of Chrome that will proactively alert you when an extension isn't in the Chrome Web Store, according to a post from Oliver Dunk, a developer relations engineer for Chrome extensions. The new feature, being added as part of Chrome 117, will make it easier to stay on top of extensions that have been removed by a developer, been taken down for violating the Chrome Web Store policies, or been marked as malware.Dunk says Chrome will show extensions that fall under those categories in a Safety check" section in the privacy and security part of Chrome's settings. When a user clicks Review,' they will be taken to their extensions and given the choice to either remove the extension or hide... Continue reading...

The itty-bitty 8BitDo Micro. | Image: 8BitDo 8BitDo is launching a new supersmall wireless gaming controller designed for Nintendo Switch and Android devices that could literally fit inside the palm of your hand. The company's new Micro controller, which comes in blue and green, is available to preorder on Amazon for $24.99 each and will start shipping next week.Fans of 8BitDo's excellent retro gaming controllers will probably remember the company's previous hand-cramping and ultracompact wireless controller: the Zero 2. The Micro seems to be the Zero 2's spiritual successor, increasing its button count from 12 to 16 while still staying keychain-sized and lightweight at 24.8 grams. (The Zero 2 is 20 grams, and Joy-Cons are around 50 grams comparatively.) Image:... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Roblox will let users sell full avatar bodies and standalone heads" that they create by Thursday, Roblox said in a post on its developer forums (via VentureBeat). The new line of creator-made virtual goods (something Roblox calls user-generated content, or UGC) could help more people build businesses on Roblox, which might keep them from making things for competing metaverse platforms like Meta's Horizon Worlds and Epic Games' Fortnite.There will be some limits on what users can sell. The bodies and heads must follow the company's community standards, marketplace policy, and pass proactive checks against Roblox IP," so you won't be able to sell an obvious Shrek look-alike. Bodies will need to have modesty layers built in," which is a... Continue reading...

The Bambu P1P, with optional 3D-printed panels. | Image: Bambu When owners of Bambu's extremely well-regarded 3D printers woke up on August 15th, some found their printer had gone rogue.Some woke up to failed prints. Some found a second copy of a previous print. And at least a few found their Bambu X1C or P1P had started smacking itself apart - damaging components - while trying to print a second copy atop the object they'd actually asked for.

Image: The Verge Amazon will soon start tacking on an extra fee for sellers who don't use the company's fulfillment service, according to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC. Documents viewed by the outlets indicate that Amazon will start imposing a fee on each product that merchants send out themselves.The fee will reportedly go into effect on October 1st and will apply to the sellers who are members of Amazon's Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) service. Unlike Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), the SFP program lets third-party merchants sell Prime products directly from their own warehouses instead of having Amazon handle the logistics process. That means sellers are also required to keep up with Prime's one- to two-day delivery standards and weekend shipping, CNBC... Continue reading...

Image: AP The Associated Press released guidelines around generative AI to its journalists as it and other news organizations look at ways to use the technology in news gathering.AP vice president for standards and inclusion Amanda Barrett said in a blog post the publication does not see AI as a replacement of journalists in any way" but developed guidelines for reporters and editors on how to use it.Journalists for AP can experiment with ChatGPT but are asked to exercise caution by not using the tool to create publishable content. Any result from a generative AI platform should be treated as unvetted source material" and subject to AP's existing sourcing standards. The publication said it will not allow AI to alter photos, videos, or audio... Continue reading...

A sign gives direction to a cooling center in Portland, Oregon, during another heatwave on August 14th, 2021. | Photo by MICHAEL HANSON / AFP via Getty Images Record heat is leading to more emergency room visits in the US, according to national tracking tools.July was the hottest month on record for the planet, with North American heatwaves that would have been virtually impossible' without climate change, a recent study says. That led to a 12 percent increase in emergency medical service responses to heat-related illness between July 13 and August 11, according to a new federal dashboard. But national numbers only give part of the picture.Zooming in shows how health risks ballooned in the hardest-hit regions. The situation has been especially bad this week in the Pacific Northwest. The number of emergency department (ED) visits associated with heat-related illness was 16 times higher on... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Microsoft has added a new Microsoft Teams feature to its Xbox Game Bar that lets you stream your gameplay to friends over Microsoft Teams. The new Microsoft Teams Play Together" widget is available for the Xbox Game Bar and supports streaming your entire desktop over Teams and also the ability to join video calls to see friends overlaid on top of games.Microsoft describes the new Game Bar integration for Teams as a place to hang out while watching and playing games," which sounds a lot like what people use Discord for. You'll see friends overlaid on top of a game, and up to 20 people can join a call at any one time. Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Verge You can choose which monitor to stream all within the Game... Continue reading...

Moment's new T-Series lens collection. | Image: Moment Moment is refreshing its whole lineup of smartphone camera lenses, which promise to improve your photography with custom glass that goes on top of your phone's existing camera. The eight lenses in its new T-Series lineup rework each of the options in the company's previous M-Series line with improvements like thicker glass for better optics and updated dimensions that reflect just how gargantuan the cameras on our phones have become since the M-Series debuted in 2017.These are the lenses and their prices:

At least the Fossil Gen 6 has everything now. | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge If you're still holding onto a Wear OS 2 smartwatch, it may be time to consider making the leap to Wear OS 3. In the latest update to the Wear OS 2 companion app, 9to5Google spotted a string urging users to upgrade to Wear OS 3 because Google Assistant support is ending soon."This technically isn't official yet, and there's no concrete timeline for when the feature will start disappearing from older watches. However, the planned depreciation of Google Assistant illustrates how messy the transition to Wear OS 3 has been. Google Assistant was among the highlighted features when Google and Samsung announced the platform in May 2021, but it didn't actually appear on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series until a year later. It was then... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon is already facing a potential lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, and now, a group of authors, booksellers, and an antitrust think tank is calling on the agency to investigate the e-commerce giant's stranglehold on the bookselling market, as previously reported by The New York Times.In the letter, the Authors Guild, American Booksellers Association, and Open Markets Institute urge the FTC to look into Amazon's monopoly in its role as a seller of books to the public." The three organizations accuse Amazon of dominating almost every aspect of the book market," citing data that the company sells over 50 percent of all physical books in the retail market, 90 percent of physical books sold online, and over 80 percent of all... Continue reading...

GM's current Ultium cells are NCMA-based. | Image: GM GM is leading a $60 million investment round for battery research company Mitra Chem. The California-based startup could help spur the development of more cathode active materials (CAM) for GM's electric vehicles.Mitra Chem's battery research and design facility touts the use of AI to test out thousands of different cathode designs every month. It can potentially finalize chemistries for new battery cells quicker, including for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.GM is looking to update its Ultium battery chemistry with Mitra Chem's in-progress lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) chemistry and get them to market quicker. Speaking to CNBC, GM VP of technology acceleration and commercialization Gil Golan said that if Mitra Chem... Continue reading...

Are you ready for some football live chat? | Image: YouTube YouTube's first priority for the 2023 NFL season is simple: show the games it paid billions to broadcast without buffering or blackouts. But as we wind toward the first season of NFL Sunday Ticket as a YouTube property, the company says it's making football broadcasts a little more native to the platform.On Wednesday, YouTube announced a bunch of new features coming to Sunday Ticket this year. You'll be able to see live chat and polls as you watch games, which seems guaranteed to be total chaos but in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who watches YouTube livestreams of any sort. And if you want to catch up on highlights, you'll be able to do so through the Shorts tab: YouTube says that real-time highlights from every single NFL... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Epic Games is expanding its crossplay tools available as part of Epic Online Services from PC to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, the company announced on Wednesday. The change could mean that developers will be able to more easily bring crossplay multiplayer to their games.The company first introduced the crossplay tools in June 2022, but at the time, they only worked to let games support crossplay across the Epic Games Store and Valve's Steam. The tools offer a special overlay that offers a ubiquitous way to authenticate players, streamline friend management, and provide game invite and joinability functionality that's designed to be compliant with native platform requirements," Epic wrote in its Wednesday blog post.Epic has... Continue reading...

Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Ever wonder what it's like to work at Tesla, the biggest, most exciting car company in the world? Elon Musk is known for setting lofty goals and expecting nothing short of perfection from his workers. He often urges his employees to go super hardcore" or ultra hardcore" - an ethos he recently brought to X / Twitter.But that ethos has real-world implications for the people who work at Tesla. For the second episode of Land of the Giants: The Tesla Shock Wave, we talked to the employees who often bear the brunt of this hardcore" work culture. And their stories may shock you: extremely long hours, unsafe working conditions, harassment, scandals, fines, lawsuits, and above all else, a fear that one false slip will lead to termination.... Continue reading...

Adobe Express is rolling out its latest AI-powered features for general use. | Image: Adobe Following several months in beta, Adobe is now rolling out AI-powered features to Adobe Express, its cloud-based all-in-one design platform, courtesy of the company's Firefly generative AI model. Designed to make content creation more accessible for those without professional design experience, Adobe Express (formerly known as Adobe Spark) resembles similar design platforms like Canva and Microsoft Designer - providing quick and easy templates for users to create social graphics and posters, edit videos, decorate PDFs, and more.Users can now access the latest version of Express on desktop web for free, with plans to roll out the latest version to mobile soon." The Adobe Express Premium plan - a $9.99 monthly subscription that unlocks... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Intel has officially terminated its acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, the Israeli chipmaking company it announced its intention to buy for $5.4 billion in February 2022. In a press release Intel blamed its inability to obtain... the regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement" in a timely manner, adding that both parties agreed to terminate the deal. Intel had originally hoped to close the transaction in 12 months, but will now pay a termination fee of $353 million to Tower.Although Intel's press release doesn't mention the regulator directly, Bloomberg reports that it was the Chinese authorities who hadn't approve the deal ahead of the transaction's deadline at midnight California time on August 15th. Sure enough, Intel's... Continue reading...

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge I can't believe I've been struggling with apps in the Task Manager randomly moving around without realizing there's a simple keyboard shortcut to pause the Task Manager and stop its contents in their tracks. Yup, all you have to do is hold down the CTRL key and it will pause the Task Manager on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and perhaps even older versions of Windows, too.This legitimately useful tip comes from Jen Gentleman, a Microsoft employee on the Windows engineering team that regularly shares helpful shortcuts and tips for Windows. I've used Windows for more than 20 years, and I'm still learning the many ways you can do tasks in the operating system on a monthly basis.

Dell's new 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor is a new 23.8-inch 1080p monitor that can effectively transform into a touchscreen tablet thanks to its articulating stand. Dell is pitching the monitor for use in retail or warehouse environments, in addition to homes and offices. The company has produced monitors with a similar form-factor in the past, such as the P2418HT which dates back to at least 2017.Like the P2418HT before it, the new P2424HT's design can't help but remind me of Microsoft's lineup of Surface Studio computers, which also feature touchscreens and articulating stands that allow them to be used like graphics tablets. But at just $519.99, Dell's new monitor is clearly in a completely different league from last year's Surface... Continue reading...

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge Apple has moved end call button once again with the latest iOS 17 developer beta. Now, it lives in the lower middle of the call screen instead of on the lower right. It's a little change, but it might mean that iOS 17's new call controls won't feel quite as different once Apple officially rolls out the new software sometime this fall.The end call button has been in a new place since the first iOS 17 beta that was released in June, but it got some attention recently after some publications reported on the right-aligned. If the comments in our article on the change from last week are any indication, many didn't like the button's new position, and the negative reaction may have contributed to Apple's decision to put the end call button... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon Music Unlimited is getting another price hike, and this one affects people who pay for the music service and Amazon's Prime subscription.The cost of Amazon Music Unlimited's individual plan for Prime members will go up from $8.99 to $9.99 per month, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The price of the family plan is going up, too, increasing from $15.99 to $16.99 per month.The costs of the annual plans for individuals that are Prime subscribers and families are increasing as well, each by $10, THR says. That means the annual individual plan will now cost $99 per year, while the family plan will cost $169 per year.Amazon spokesperson Rebecca Silverstein confirmed the changes to The Verge. Silverstein also said that... Continue reading...

The Verge X, the social network formally known as Twitter, appears to be finally following through on its promise to make TweetDeck a paid service. Many users on X, including social media consultant Matt Navarra, say that they're seeing a sales page for X Premium (the subscription formerly Twitter Blue) when they try to load up TweetDeck, which is technically now called XPro.A few of us at The Verge haven't run into the block yet, but given how many people are saying that they can't access XPro unless they pay, we're guessing it's only a matter of time.Unfortunately, we knew this was coming, as X announced on July 3rd that it would be making XPro a subscriber-only feature. It said at the time that the transition would happen in 30 days," so the... Continue reading...