The Verge

Tidal is dropping support for MQA. | Image: The Verge Big news for audiophiles: Tidal is shaking up its audio formats. Starting July 24th, Tidal will drop support for Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) and 360 Reality Audio formats. Going forward, the streaming service says FLAC will be the default for stereo, while Dolby Atmos will be the format of choice for immersive sound.Tidal allows users to stream in three tiers of audio quality: low, high, and max. Low uses AAC files, which go up to 320kbps. High offers CD-quality lossless FLAC files. And Max goes beyond that, with MQA and higher-res FLAC files. The Max tier is where the decision to drop MQA matters - and probably isn't all that surprising to longtime Tidal users.Tidal was one of the few services that supported streaming in MQA... Continue reading...

Samsung's The Frame TV is a stylish 4K TV with some impressive specs, including a 120Hz refresh rate. | Image: Samsung If you plan on relaxing this summer by sitting back with a cold drink and streaming the Olympics and your favorite shows, it's worth investing in a TV that isn't an eyesore. Samsung's The Frame TV is one of the most stylish TVs on the market, and through June 29th, you can buy the last-gen model from Woot in the 43-inch and 50-inch sizing for $697.99 ($300 off) and $837.99 ($460 off), respectively, which are their lowest prices to date. It's also on sale in the massive 85-inch configuration for $2,497.99 ($1,800 off), which is one of its best prices.As with the current 2024 lineup, the last-gen TV showcases artwork from around the world when idle. The screen's colors aren't as sharp as the newer model's, but its anti-glare matte... Continue reading...

Antstream Arcade makes retro gaming on the iPhone easier with access to a library of licensed games. | Image: Antstream Apple opened the door for game streaming services in its App Store following the implementation of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) last year, but the first such service that will arrive on iOS and iPadOS next week will cater to hardcore retro gamers, as pointed out by Cult of Mac.Antstream, which is already available on several platforms like Xbox, Windows, Android, and Amazon devices, boasts a catalog of over 1,300 retro games that can be played on demand, including Missile Command, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Asteroids, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.There are now several excellent retro gaming emulators available for Apple's mobile devices, including Delta, RetroArch, and PPSSPP, which focuses on the PlayStation... Continue reading...

Amazon launched its new Alexa-enabled Echo Hub in February. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Last year, David Limp, Amazon's former senior vice president of devices and services, hinted at charging for a more capable version of Alexa - and now we have an idea of how much it might cost. A report from Reuters suggests that Amazon's AI-supercharged version of Alexa could cost anywhere from $5 to $10 per month on top of your Prime membership.Sources tell Reuters that Amazon is aiming to launch the new Alexa in August, marking a desperate attempt" to overhaul the voice assistant. The paid version of Alexa might not require users to keep saying Alexa" when talking to the assistant. It will reportedly be capable of completing multiple requests in one prompt, such as writing a short email and ordering takeout from Uber Eats.As... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Microsoft launched its range of Copilot Plus PCs earlier this week, and they all come equipped with the new dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard. It's the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years, but all the key does now is launch a Progressive Web App (PWA) version of Copilot.The web app doesn't even integrate into Windows anymore like the previous Copilot experience did since last year, so you can't use Copilot to control Windows 11 settings or have it docked as a sidebar anymore. It's literally just a PWA. Microsoft has even removed the keyboard shortcut to Copilot on these new Copilot Plus PCs, so WINKEY + C does nothing.I was hoping Microsoft would evolve the Copilot key into something that could be used much like the... Continue reading...

Starlink's new Mini dish next to an Earth puppy. | Image: Michael Nicolls via X SpaceX's Starlink internet-from-space service is already available for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and rural homes in over 75 countries - now it's coming to backpackers.The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps.This product will change the world," claimed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X, saying it took less than five minutes to setup.

Image: @TEQHNIKACROSS on X Samsung's next Galaxy Buds have been rumored to resemble AirPods, and new leaked renders make the comparison clearer than ever. The renders, purportedly found on Korean retailer Coupang, show that Samsung might be moving on from its bulb-shaped buds in favor of wireless headphones with AirPods-like stems, AirPods-like vents, and even an AirPods-like case.I've made an image slider so you can compare one of the renders with a photo of Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro. The big difference with Samsung's new buds is a metallic silver color and some more angular features.If this is indeed the new look for Samsung's earbuds - Samsung is apparently working on standard and Pro versions of the Galaxy Buds 3, both with stems - it would mark... Continue reading...

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge If you used a virtual private network (VPN) to purchase a YouTube Premium in a country where it's cheaper, your subscription might be on the chopping block. Over the past few days, several people who've used this trick reported having their subscriptions automatically canceled, as reported earlier by Android Police.The workaround involves using a VPN to change your location to a country where YouTube Premium is offered at a lower price. For example, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month in the US for ad-free access to videos, YouTube Music, and offline downloads, but just $1.05 per month (869 ARS) in Argentina. But now, it looks like YouTube is cracking down on subscribers who don't actually live in these countries.In a statement... Continue reading...

Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed two bills into law on Thursday that aim to protect kids and teens from social media harms, making it the latest state to take action as federal proposals still await votes.One of the bills, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, will require parental consent for social media companies to use addictive feeds" powered by recommendation algorithms on kids and teens under 18. The other, the New York Child Data Protection Act, would limit data collection on minors without consent and restrict the sale of such information but does not require age verification. That law will take effect in a year.States across the country have taken the lead on enacting legislation to protect kids... Continue reading...

It's the ideal power bank if your office never stops moving. | Photo: Anker My army of portable chargers is eight soldiers strong. It's a little ridiculous, but the variety gives me flexibility to pick the perfect charger for the day's needs, whether it's my sleek MagSafe charger to keep my iPhone going on longer days or a bigger brick for my iPad, camera, and other devices when I anticipate heavier usage. My collection ballooned as charging tech improved over the years, but it's way more than any one person needs.I'm hoping to consolidate my kit with the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) I've been eyeing, and now seems a decent time to buy since it's matching its all-time low of $124.99 ($55 off) at Amazon and directly from Anker with code WS7DV2MTYMJV. It's compatible with an optional $69.99 magnetic... Continue reading...

20th Century Studios Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' stunning visual effects are nothing short of astounding, but for the film's upcoming home release, 20th Century Studios is giving you the ability to see the motion capture performances that were key in bringing the talking apes to life.Though Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be available to download on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home starting on July 9th, you might want to wait until the movie's physical release on August 27th when the 4K Ultra HD featuring Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut is in stores. Image: 20th Century Studios In an announcement about The Raw Cut, 20th Century Studios described it as a full-length, split-screen alternative cut that will allow... Continue reading...

Anker's new 2-in-1 USB-C charging cable could reduce the number of wires you need to wrangle by half. | Image: Anker Anker's trying something new that could potentially cut the number of cables you need to wrangle in half. Its 2-in-1 USB-C cable allows two devices to simultaneously charge from a single USB-C port with built-in Smart Power Management" that automatically adjusts power distribution based on each device's power needs."The four-foot-long cable features a single USB-C port on one end that splits into a pair of USB-C ports on the other, each with a foot of cable that can be shortened as needed to keep things neat and tidy. It's all wrapped in a durable sheath that Anker promises will survive over 10,000 bends." Image: Anker The twin USB-C ports on one end each have a foot of cable that can be shortened as needed. ... Continue reading...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge CDK Global, the company that provides management software for nearly 15,000 car dealerships in North America, is down for a second day following a cyberattack, according to a report from Automotive News. The outage has left car dealerships across North America unable to access the internal systems used to track car sales, view customer information, schedule maintenance, and more.On Wednesday, CDK told dealerships that it's investigating a cyber incident" and proactively shut all systems down" while addressing the issue. However, CDK restored its systems shortly after, only to shut them down hours later due to an additional cyber incident."Many car dealerships have had to go back to pen and paper while CDK's software is down. Teddy... Continue reading...

The new Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with Apple's new iPad Pros and Airs, unlike the second-gen model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge Unfortunately, if you're looking at picking up the new iPad Pro or Air, you're going to have to pay to upgrade your second-generation Apple Pencil, too. After all, the new tablets are only compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, but thankfully, today, there's a deal to offset the cost slightly. Right now, Amazon and Walmart are selling the new Apple Pencil Pro for $119 ($10 off), which is the best price we've seen and the first real discount on the stylus since its debut.Apple might have launched the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil last year, but it lacks support for Find My and advanced creative features, like pressure sensitivity and double-tap tool switching. It also comes with new capabilities the second-gen Apple Pencil... Continue reading...

Image: FromSoftware Arise now, ye tarnished Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Last week, I revealed that Microsoft's Windows engineers were scrambling to secure its controversial AI-powered Recall feature in time for its planned debut on June 18th. Hours later, Microsoft announced that the feature that screenshots nearly everything you do on new Qualcomm-powered laptops is being recalled.Copilot Plus PCs shipped earlier this week without Recall, and Microsoft has modified the setup process to remove it from Windows 11 - it's now a feature that's coming soon" to these devices. Recall is still prominently featured in Microsoft's marketing materials, which suggests the company is confident it will return very soon.After developing Recall largely in secret away from the usual Windows Insider public testing,... Continue reading...

Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images For years, automakers have been fussing over the sounds emitted by their electric vehicles, trying to tune them in a way that both presents as futuristic while also not alienating to people who are used to the rev of a four-cylinder engine.They seem to have settled on a series of sounds that could best be described as somewhere in between a whir and a hum. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer - and not always in a good way. But according to a new survey, most people may prefer something else entirely.Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer - and not always in a good wayThe online survey of 400 adults in the US found the top-rated sound was a non-tonal" sound more closely resembling a gas-powered car than any of... Continue reading...

Image: Amazon Amazon is on track to fully remove plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging in North America. On Thursday, the company announced that it has replaced 95 percent of plastic air pillows with paper filler, and it plans to stop using plastic air packaging by the end of this year.This change will eliminate almost 15 billion plastic air pillows annually, according to Amazon. Unlike the old packaging, paper filler is made with 100 percent recycled content, which should allow customers to easily recycle the material at home. Amazon says the paper filler offers the same, if not better, protection."Despite switching from single-use plastic delivery bags in Europe and India as well as using made-to-fit paper packaging in Australia and... Continue reading...

This is how I feel when I don't get a deal. | Image: Bandai Namco Dear Tarnished, it's time to travel back to the Lands Between - but you don't have to pay full price.Elden Ring's long-awaited Shadow of the Erdtree DLC officially launches tomorrow, June 21st, and both returning and new players can save on either the expansion or a cost-effective bundle with the base game. Fanatical is selling the PC (Steam) version of Shadow of the Erdtree for $35.19 (about $5 off) as well as a digital bundle with the base game for $70.39 (about $9 off / $30 cheaper than buying them separately at full price). Purchasing either option through Fanatical nets you an emailed code to redeem on Steam.These prices are slightly better than similar discounts out there from fellow third-party retailers like CDKeys and Eneba,... Continue reading...

Image: Instagram Instagram is introducing a way to livestream to a smaller, more private audience.Beginning today, Instagram users will be able to host Live broadcasts only available to their curated list of Close Friends. Up to three other accounts can join the Live broadcast and stream with the original user. The feature rolls out globally.Until this point, beginning a Live broadcast meant that anyone could tune in and watch it if your account was public, and all followers could watch the stream if you had a private account. Live videos are a popular feature for influencers and celebrities chatting with followers or fan accounts streaming live footage from concerts - in other words, content that's more geared toward wide audiences and for public... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge We've got a special episode of Decoder today - I was traveling last week, so Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and our new senior AI reporter Kylie Robison are filling in for me, with a very different kind of episode about AI.We talk a lot about AI in a broad sense on Decoder - it comes up in basically every single interview I do these days - and then we also dive deep into very specific problems that AI is causing with things like copyright law, misinformation, and other various policy challenges.But we don't spend a ton of time on the day-to-day happenings of the AI industry itself. And that's for good reason: it's been moving so rapidly and changing so often that it's nearly impossible for the average person to keep up. Making sense... Continue reading...

Four matrix tweeters and four force-balanced woofers" on the Lenovo Tab Plus deliver 26W of sound. | Image: Lenovo Tablets aren't known for their room-shaking bass, but Lenovo's new 11.5-inch Tab Plus is going all in. It features 26W of sound produced by four tweeters and four woofers split across each side of the tablet (when used in landscape mode). To fully take advantage of the Tab Plus' sound capabilities, Lenovo has included the option to wirelessly connect other devices to the tablet and use it as a Bluetooth speaker.Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage that's expandable with a microSD card, the Tab Plus definitely isn't a powerhouse productivity tool. Lenovo is positioning it as a media consumption device first and foremost, which is further reflected in a front and rear... Continue reading...

GPT-4o, Gemini 1.5, and now Claude 3.5 Sonnet. | Image: Anthropic The AI arms race continues apace: Anthropic is launching its newest model, called Claude 3.5 Sonnet, which it says can equal or better OpenAI's GPT-4o or Google's Gemini across a wide variety of tasks. The new model is already available to Claude users on the web and on iOS, and Anthropic is making it available to developers as well.Claude 3.5 Sonnet will ultimately be the middle model in the lineup - Anthropic uses the name Haiku for its smallest model, Sonnet for the mainstream middle option, and Opus for its highest-end model. (The names are weird, but every AI company seems to be naming things in their own special weird ways, so we'll let it slide.) But the company says 3.5 Sonnet outperforms 3 Opus, and its benchmarks show it does... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit from the California Civil Rights Department. The lawsuit stemmed from a three-year investigation that found that Snap allegedly failed to ensure that women were paid or promoted equally."The allegations span Snap's period of rapid growth from 2015 to 2022, when the California-based company increased its headcount from 250 to more than 5,000. During this time, California's civil rights agency claims Snap paid women less and offered them fewer promotions when compared to male employees.Additionally, the lawsuit claims that women at the company were routinely subjected to unwelcome sexual advances and other harassing... Continue reading...

Image: Snapchat Snapchat offered an early look at its upcoming on-device AI model capable of transforming a user's surroundings with augmented reality (AR). The new model will eventually let creators turn a text prompt into a custom lens - potentially opening the door for some wild looks to try on and send to friends.You can see how this might look in the GIF below, which shows a person's clothing and background transforming in real-time based on the prompt 50s sci-fi film." Users will start seeing lenses using this new model in the coming months, while creators can start making lenses with the model by the end of this year, according to TechCrunch. GIF: Snapchat Additionally, Snapchat is rolling out a suite of new AI tools that... Continue reading...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you've been putting off your next Windows update, now's the time to install it. Last week, Microsoft patched a pretty nasty vulnerability in Windows 11 and 10 that could put your PC at risk when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as spotted earlier by The Register.The vulnerability (CVE-2024-30078) could let hackers deploy a malicious packet to devices connected to the same Wi-Fi networks in places like airports, coffee shops, hotels, or even workplaces. From there, hackers can remotely run commands and gain access to a system - all without any user interaction or authentication. Microsoft rolled out the patch as part of its monthly security update on June 11th.Microsoft has labeled the vulnerability as important," which is the... Continue reading...

Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California on Oct. 25, 2022. | Laura Dickinson/San Luis Obsipo Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Congress has passed a bill aimed at giving nuclear energy a boost in the US. The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act is now waiting for President Joe Biden's signature to become law. The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, after the House of Representatives passed a similar bill in February.The bill is supposed to speed up development of next-generation nuclear reactors and position the US to lead the international market, while also helping aging reactors stay online. Nuclear energy is still a divisive solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, but it has gained bipartisan support in recent years.Nuclear energy is still a divisive solution for reducing... Continue reading...

You can even stack multiple codes if you want to get ready for the forthcoming onslaught of day-one releases. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Unless you're flush with cash and time is only conceptual in your world, it may be tough to finance and find the time to enjoy all of the games announced during Microsoft's recent Xbox Showcase. An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription can help, though, as it'll provide day-one access to many of the titles currently in development.Thankfully, CDKeys is now selling one-month subscription codes for $10.19 (about $7 off) and three-month codes for $27.99 (about $23 off), the latter of which is a better deal. CDKeys is a trusted merchant here at The Verge, so don't feel deterred if you're unfamiliar with the name. The online retailer specializes in selling heavily discounted key codes for gaming products, whether you're looking to save on... Continue reading...

California Governor Gavin Newsom attends an event with fellow governors in the East Room of the White House on February 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. | Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to get smartphones out of schools."I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies - not their screens," he said in a statement on Tuesday.Newsom plans to work with the California legislature to pass those restrictions by August, Politico first reported. That would put California in line with other states that already have strict limits on smartphone use in schools. The move could also be particularly meaningful in California, the nation's most populous state and home to Silicon Valley.They should be focused on their studies - not their screens."M... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Qualcomm's shareholders have managed to achieve something that Apple and government regulators across the globe tried to and failed to do: get Qualcomm to pay up over its aggressive licensing practices.In a court filing on Tuesday, Qualcomm said it would agree to pay $75 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders, who claim that the company misled them about how its business practices worked and artificially inflated its stock price as a result. The settlement was earlier reported by Reuters.Shareholders took issue with Qualcomm's failure to fully disclose how it handled patent licensing. At the time, the company refused to license standard essential patents to certain competitors and in some cases made buying its chips a... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge The European Union is getting closer to passing new rules that would mandate the bulk scanning of digital messages - including encrypted ones. On Thursday, EU governments will adopt a position on the proposed legislation, which is aimed at detecting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The vote will determine whether the proposal has enough support to move forward in the EU's law-making process.The law, first introduced in 2022, would implement an upload moderation" system that scans all your digital messages, including shared images, videos, and links. Each service required to install this vetted" monitoring technology must also ask permission to scan your messages. If you don't agree, you won't be able to share images or URLs.As if... Continue reading...

The Verge Pornhub plans to block access to its website in Indiana and Kentucky in response to age verification laws designed to prevent children from accessing adult websites. The website has now cut off access in at least half a dozen states in protest of similar age verification laws that have quickly spread across conservative-leaning US states.Indiana will lose access on June 27th, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, and Kentucky will lose access on July 10th, according to Kentucky Public Radio.Pornhub says it's blocking access to its website over privacy concerns around the new laws. The laws generally require adults to upload some form of government ID to prove they're 18 or older. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticized... Continue reading...

Astro Bot. | Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment An adorable platformer, mythological tower defense, RPG / puzzle hybrid, and open-world Star Wars. Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge AT&T is pushing prices up for customers who have stayed on old, retired unlimited" data plans.In August, customers can expect to see their bills rise by up to $20 for plans with multiple lines. This is the total monthly increase, not per line increase," the company says on its website. Customers with just a single line of service will see their charges go up $10 each month.AT&T says it's offering customers more high-speed data and hotspot data in return for the price hike. That's supposed to allow people to keep their old plans that have been grand-fathered in, but with some added perks.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge AMD is looking into a potential cyberattack. A threat actor that goes by the alias IntelBroker" is selling data that it claims was obtained from an AMD.com breach this month, BleepingComputer reports, and the company confirmed in a statement that it's looking into the purported theft. IntelBroker claims that the data for sale includes future products, employee databases, and customer databases.We are aware of a cybercriminal organization claiming to be in possession of stolen AMD data," AMD said in the statement given to BleepingComputer, PCMag, and Bloomberg. We are working closely with law enforcement officials and a third-party hosting partner to investigate the claim and the significance of the data."AMD didn't immediately reply... Continue reading...

One remote to rule them all (but in the darkness, you probably still can't find them). | Photo: Cantata Universal remotes might be on a comeback tour if devices like Cantata's Haptique RS90 and RS90X actually materialize and are as good as advertised. The connected remote purports to double as a comprehensive smart home controller, but it's merely a Kickstarter hopeful for now. Serial remoters (remotees?) have pledged more than $300,00, with less than $10,000 needed to fully fund the project as of writing, and there's currently an estimated ship date of August 2024.What separates this from the sparse competition is that it's hub-free. You won't need a separate box plugged in to the TV or IR repeaters to make this work. It comes with a charging dock and has a relatively roomy 3.2-inch color touchscreen for the Android-based OS. The... Continue reading...

Cath Virginia / The Verge Less than two weeks after Nvidia jumped Apple in terms of its overall valuation, the GPU maker has now passed Microsoft to stand as the world's most valuable company based on the chips it makes that are key to powering a boom in generative AI technology.At the close of trading on Tuesday, its share price stood at $135.58, up $4.60 from the previous day and pushing its market cap to $3.335 trillion. That's more than Microsoft ($3.32 trillion), Apple ($3.29 trillion), and Google ($2.17 trillion). Nvidia's shares split 10-for-1 after June 7th, lowering the overall share price, but the spike in the company's value has been jarring. Its share price has gone up 160 percent in 2024, and the company only passed the $2 trillion mark in February.... Continue reading...

Chomsky often was critical of the media. | Photo by Heuler Andrey / AFP via Getty Images Everyone dies eventually, and famed linguist Noam Chomsky will be no different - but at the time of this writing, he is alive. And, sadly, his wife is explaining to people that reports of his death are false," according to The Associated Press.Chomsky, 95, has been hospitalized in Brazil as he recovers from a stroke he had last year, the AP reported earlier this month. He's having difficulty speaking, and the right side of his body is affected." He is being tended to by various specialists. This is not in dispute.Two publications, Jacobin and The New Statesman, published what appeared to be obituaries. (The New Statesman took its post down; Jacobin changed its headline from We Remember Noam Chomsky" to Let's Celebrate Noam Chomsky,... Continue reading...

Union organizer Chris Smalls speaks following the April 1st, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. | Photo by ANDREA RENAULT / AFP via Getty Images Amazon Labor Union (ALU) members voted to affiliate with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in a move they hope will bring new life to a yearslong struggle to secure union contracts for Amazon warehouse workers.Amazon has tried to block various efforts to unionize across different branches of the company since at least 2000, but the movement to unionize warehouse workers only gained steam in the past few years. The Teamsters, founded in 1903, is one of the biggest labor unions in the US.Employees at the Staten Island warehouse, known as JFK8, became the first Amazon workers to vote to unionize in 2022. They still don't have a contract, as the union struggles to get Amazon to the bargaining table. Union members at JFK8 approved... Continue reading...