The Verge

The Verge / Image courtesy of Apple TV We're four years into the existence of Apple TV Plus, and the network still feels like it's punching above its weight class. It doesn't have nearly the expansive library of its competitors, but the shows (and occasional film) it does have are really, really good -usually.I've heard friends compare it to HBO in the 2000s, and that feels like an apt comparison. There are plenty of great movies, but there's also an astonishingly well-programmed group of TV shows that seem to speak to a very wide audience, from its core group of science fiction shows like For All Mankind and Foundation to its more outlandish fair like Schmigadoon! and The Morning Show.Apple TV Plus has found a way to reach a wide audience with a small array of... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo courtesy of HBO The streaming service formerly known as HBO Max completed its magical girl transformation this year, dropping arguably the most recognizable part of its name to just become Max. The questionable rename came at the conclusion of the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery and, according to WarnerDiscovery executives, was meant to signal to subscribers that the new Max has content for the whole family to enjoy.Immediately post-merger, Max lost 1.8 million subscribers (that WarnerMedia attributes to simple attrition). But the great mushing together of libraries means that highly polished dramas like The Sopranos and Oz appear alongside the highly popular (what's a polite way to say schlock'?) like 90 Day Fiance and Property Brothers t... Continue reading...

Composite image of a Toyota Corolla and Tesla Cybertruck after the accident. | Image: u/boddhya (Reddit) After Reddit user boddhya posted two pictures of a Cybertruck accident, the California Highway Patrol confirmed to The Verge that units responded to a two-vehicle accident on SR 35 (Skyline Boulevard). It occurred in this area south of Page Mill Road, which Google Maps lists as Palo Alto, around 2:05PM local time and involved a 2023 Tesla Cybertruck carrying three people that appears to have been hit by a 2009 Toyota Corolla driven by a 17-year-old.Tesla's Cybertruck delivery event raised questions about the design and what would occur in an impact with other cars or pedestrians. Fortunately, it doesn't appear that anyone involved in this incident suffered major injury as a result.CHP:

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The FDA is warning Amazon to do something about bootleg Viagra" found on its platform, misleadingly disguised as men's energy or health supplements. In a letter to Amazon dated December 20th, the agency threatened legal action and listed seven different products available on the e-commerce platform with ingredients found in Viagra and Cialis. With outlandish names and brightly colored, cartoonish labels, it would be hard to confuse them with real-deal prescription drugs.But a recent investigation by the FDA found several supplements or powders sold on the e-commerce platform contained either sildenafil or tadalafil (the active ingredients in Cialis and Viagra) and failed to disclose it: MANNERS Energy Boost, Round 2, WeFun, Genergy,... Continue reading...

Netflix's new stop-motion Pokemon series from Dwarf Animation Studio is on the shorter side of things, but each episode is a gorgeous testament to the power of relaxation. Continue reading...

A worker drives a Powered Industrial Truck at the Amazon fullfillment center May 3, 2018 in Aurora, Colorado. | Photo by Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images Amazon is making plans to produce hydrogen fuel at its fulfillment centers. The retail behemoth partnered with hydrogen company Plug Power to install the first electrolyzer - equipment that can split water molecules to produce hydrogen - at a fulfillment center in Aurora, Colorado.The electrolyzer will make fuel for around 225 fork lift trucks at the site, although Plug says it has the capacity to fuel up to 400 hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklifts. This is the first time Amazon has tried to make its own hydrogen on site, and it's not likely to be the last.On-site production will make the use of hydrogen even more energy efficient for certain locations and types of facilities," Asad Jafry, Amazon's director of global hydrogen... Continue reading...

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Apple has resumed selling the latest Apple Watches on its website after a federal appeals court paused a sales and import ban.The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are now once again available on Apple's website, a day after some physical Apple stores began selling the watches on December 27th. Apple previously told The Verge that the watches should be available widely in its physical stores by Saturday.The US International Trade Commission issued the ban after finding that Apple had violated patents from medical device maker Masimo around a blood oxygen saturation feature included in the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Apple pulled both models from shelves and its website last week, ahead of the ban officially starting on December 26th.Apple is... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo Courtesy of Sony PlayStation's had an interesting year. The company ricocheted between the highs of launching new technology like the PlayStation Portal and a new PS5 Slim (now with a detachable disk drive!) and the lows of layoffs, game cancellations, massive data leaks, and the end of CEO Jim Ryan's 28-year tenure.And though 2023 was the year of the cross-platform blockbusters like Diablo IV and Baldur's Gate 3, PlayStation still had a number of exclusives not to be missed.Spider-Man 2When you start out with a game as good as the original Spider-Man, you don't have to change much. And thankfully that's exactly what the developers at Insomniac did for Spider-Man 2. The sequel has some new ideas - including web wings that let you glide across New... Continue reading...

Samar Haddad; Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Whether you want to go with Samsung, Google, or a different manufacturer, trading in your old Android phone - or selling it - is a smart way to do that, especially since there are those who will decide instead to buy a lightly used phone from an older generation that will suit their needs without breaking the bank.If you've got an older model and are ready for an upgrade, here are a few steps to take in order to get your device ready to sell, followed by how much cash you can expect to earn back. We're going to concentrate on Samsung and Google Pixel phones here, but you can probably expect similar results with phones from other vendors.Inspect your phoneIf your old device is in good condition, you shouldn't have much of a problem... Continue reading...

The Verge / Image courtesy of Amazon Prime Amazon Prime Video is the second-best perk that comes with a Prime subscription (aside from free two-day shipping, of course), and its library only continues to grow. While Prime Video is often overshadowed by the likes of Netflix and Max, it has surprising range, whether you're looking for a lighthearted comedy, psychological thriller, or a thrilling animated series.With that out of the way, here's our list of the best shows released on Amazon Prime Video this year.InvincibleIf you're looking for a fresh take on the superhero genre, you'll want to check out Invincible. The animated series first debuted in 2021, but its second season just came out this year - and it doesn't disappoint. Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson... Continue reading...

Image: Freewrite Astrohaus will be shipping the cheapest digital typewriter in its Freewright lineup, the Freewright Alpha, in mid-January for $349. You can preorder it now, however, in black or white from the company's website.The Freewrite Alpha is the follow-up to the original $649 Freewrite and the $499 portable Freewrite Traveler from 2020. Like its predecessors, the Wi-Fi-enabled typewriter is free of distractions like web browsers and emails to help you focus on writing. After you're finished, the gadget wirelessly syncs documents with software services like Google Drive and Dropbox so you can edit and share your documents.However, the Alpha drops the E Ink display in favor of a reflective monochromatic LCD screen, thus keeping costs down. It... Continue reading...

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge When it comes to apps that I've used for over a year or so - such as the Chrome browser -I can be very boring. I get into the habit of using the app in a particular way, and after that, when interesting new features pop up, I'll often put them aside to try out some other time." After all, if the app's working for me as it is, why bother?The problem is, I should bother - because sometimes those features can be very useful. For example, when I started using and saving tab groups in Chrome, it became much easier to find the tabs associated with a project, and to group them under a single tab temporarily when I didn't need them. (Not that Chrome is the only browser that groups tabs these days; Safari and Edge, among other browsers, have... Continue reading...

Kahhori, one of What If...?'s new characters. | Marvel Studios What If's second season is at its best when it's exploring the edges of Marvel's established cinematic canon. Continue reading...

The Verge / Image courtesy of Larian Studios 2023 is likely to go down in history as one of gaming's greats, and at times it's been challenging just to keep up. Baldur's Gate 3 brought the 20-year-old PC franchise back with a bang, and smaller releases like Slay the Princess were a reminder of the important role PCs still hold for indie games.Given how cross-platform the vast majority of games are these days, we're not going to primarily focus on PC exclusives. Instead, the aim is to highlight a great selection of games that show off PC gaming at its best in 2023. So alongside games like Slay the Princess, which are only available on computer platforms, there are also titles that work particularly well with a mouse and keyboard (Baldur's Gate 3) or which offer interesting... Continue reading...

Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, claiming the two companies built their AI models by copying and using millions" of the publication's articles and now directly compete" with its content as a result.As outlined in the lawsuit, the Times alleges OpenAI and Microsoft's large language models (LLMs), which power ChatGPT and Copilot, can generate output that recites Times content verbatim, closely summarizes it, and mimics its expressive style." This undermine[s] and damage[s]" the Times' relationship with readers, the outlet alleges, while also depriving it of subscription, licensing, advertising, and affiliate revenue."The complaint also argues that these AI models threaten high-quality... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Earlier this year, Amazon announced plans to start incorporating ads into movies and TV shows streamed from its Prime Video service, and now the company has revealed a specific date when you'll start seeing them: it's January 29th. This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time," the company said in an email to customers about the pending shift to limited advertisements."We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership," the company wrote. Customers have the option of paying an additional $2.99 per month to keep... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Microsoft has quietly launched a dedicated Copilot app for Android. The new app is available in the Google Play Store, offering access to Microsoft's AI-powered Copilot without the need for the Bing mobile app. Spotted by Neowin, Copilot on Android has been available for nearly a week, but an iOS version isn't available just yet.Microsoft's Copilot app on Android is very similar to ChatGPT, with access to chatbot capabilities, image generation through DALL-E 3, and the ability to draft text for emails and documents. It also includes free access to OpenAI's latest GPT-4 model, something you have to pay for if you're using ChatGPT. Image: Microsoft The Copilot interface on Android The launch of the Copilot app... Continue reading...

The Verge / Image courtesy of Nintendo It's been a fantastic year for the Nintendo Switch. We got new Super Mario games, some great remasters, ports of a few games that previously blew up on PC, and, of course, an absolutely massive sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Even though the Nintendo Switch's successor is likely just around the corner, there's no shortage of great games to play on the Switch you might already own. Nintendo can take all the time it needs to launch its next console; whenever that comes out, I'll probably still be working through quests in Tears of the Kingdom.Here are some of the best Nintendo Switch games from 2023.Advance Wars 1 + 2 Re-Boot Camp Image: Nintendo Advance Wars 1 + 2 Re-Boot Camp packages up the... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo courtesy of Bethesda Game Studios Xbox Game Pass might have had a rather slow 2022, but its value has really paid off in 2023. There are more than 400 games to choose from, and I've honestly struggled to pick just 10 to recommend this year. For a monthly subscription fee of between $10.99 and $16.99, you get to play a wide range of games like Starfield, Sea of Stars, Tunic, and Inside.If you've just got an Xbox, here's a list of 10 great Xbox Game Pass games that are well worth your time over the holidays.PentimentPentiment is a manuscript murder mystery set in the 16th century. In Pentiment, you play as Andreas Maler, a painter working on illustrated manuscripts in an abbey in Bavaria. The game plays out like a visual novel, where you'll make decisions throughout... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo Courtesy of IMDB and Hulu Hulu got a big price hike this year, but it's getting increasingly harder to cancel (at least for me) thanks to the overwhelming number of shows and movies to watch on the Disney-owned service. While those of us in the US can currently access Hulu separately from Disney Plus, things are about to change very soon.Disney is planning to launch a combined Hulu and Disney Plus app for users who subscribe to both services, and it's set to come out next year after some initial testing. Keep in mind that this won't change the content available on either service, just how you access it. For now, though, here are some of the best shows released on Hulu this year.Only Murders in the Building (Season 3)Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin... Continue reading...

With superb ANC and dynamic, rich sound, Bose's latest pair of earbuds are a bonafide hit. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Happy Saturday, dear readers! It's been an extremely quiet week on the deals front, with the most notable discounts we've seen landing on Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air, GOTY contender Baldur's Gate 3, and Belkin's 3-in-1 MagSafe charger. Luckily, despite the lack of new deals, there are some solid holiday discounts still hanging around.For instance, you can still snag the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target starting at $249 ($50 off), which remains the best price we've seen on the wireless earbuds since they made their debut earlier in the fall. They're not all that different from last year's QC Earbuds II in fit and finish, yet they add a new immersive audio component and improved fins that allow for... Continue reading...

The Verge / Photo courtesy of Netflix and IMDB With shows like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Blue Eye Samurai, and a wild new Castlevania spinoff, Netflix is still holding its own in the streaming wars. Continue reading...

The Verge People are really getting their podcast lawsuits in before the new year. Let's get to it.

Illustration: The Verge Apple is talking with some big news publishers about licensing their news archives and using that information to help train its generative AI systems, The New York Times reports. The company is apparently discussing multiyear deals worth at least $50 million," the NYT says, and has been in touch with publications like Conde Nast, NBC News, and IAC.The response from the publishers seems mixed. Apparently, the publishers might be potentially on the hook for any legal liabilities that could stem from Apple's use of their content," the NYT says, and Apple has apparently been vague" about its plans for news and generative AI. However, other news executives were reportedly more positive about the possibility of partnering with Apple.A... Continue reading...

Joe Biden visits the Cummins Power Generation Facility in Fridley, Minnesota, on Monday, April 3rd, 2023. Last year, Cummins announced Fridley would be the site of its first electrolyzer manufacturing facility in the US. | Photo by Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via Getty Images The Biden administration proposed new tax guidelines today aimed at making it cheaper to produce hydrogen as a less-polluting alternative to fossil fuels. The tax credit comes with strict stipulations around using newly constructed sources of clean energy to produce hydrogen, as opposed to more polluting sources.The guidelines elicited strong reactions from clean energy advocates and industry today, some celebrating, others outraged. Some experts said new guardrails are needed to ensure that the Biden administration's push to develop a domestic supply chain for hydrogen doesn't inadvertently increase pollution. Meanwhile, clean energy trade groups argued that the tax credit is now too restrictive to allow clean hydrogen production to... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge A Wisconsin family has agreed to sell 407 acres of their land, which includes a local pumpkin farm attraction, to Microsoft - for a total of $76 million, reported the Milwaukee Business Journal. The local government initially offered the Creuziger family in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin about a third of that sum in 2017 as a part of an agreement with the Foxconn Technology Group. But the family refused, opting to hold out for a better offer.The family wishes the village and Microsoft well, and they would appreciate people respecting their privacy," the family's attorney David Barnes told the Business Journal.Microsoft's payout is significantly larger than the land's current valuation. The Creuziger family's land was originally valued at... Continue reading...

Image: Humane Humane announced Friday that the AI Pin, its splashy AI-powered wearable, will start shipping in March 2024. People who placed priority orders will get their devices first, and Humane says it will ship orders based on the date of purchase, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).While Humane didn't share a specific date for when orders would start shipping, the March timeframe is more specific than the early 2024 timeframe the company provided in November.

Diablo IV, Diablo IV, Diablo IV. | Image: Blizzard Entertainment If your holiday plans involve chillaxing and binging on a ton of video games, we have some great news for you. Now through January 4th at 1PM ET, thousands of great titles are on sale as part of Steam's annual winter sale, including many of our favorites from the past year.The ongoing promo offers a great chance to catch up on newer titles, including demon-slaying action RPG Diablo IV ($28 off), the terrific remake of Dead Space ($36 off), and Mortal Kombat 1 ($35 off). Other titles that aren't as discounted but still well worth a look include GOTY contender Baldur's Gate 3 ($6 off), Cocoon ($5 off), and the delightfully charming deep sea exploration game, Dave the Diver ($4 off).There are plenty of older titles on sale, too, just in... Continue reading...