The Verge

Illustration by Alex Castro Facebook’s Gaming app for iOS and Android is shutting down a little over two years after it launched. In a notice sent to users, Facebook says the app will no longer work or be available to download starting on October 28th, 2022.Facebook launched Gaming in 2018 as a way to compete with Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer (at the time) and later rolled out an accompanying app on mobile in 2020. To help attract users in a market largely dominated by Twitch and YouTube, Facebook Gaming added a creator program, along with additional features to help build out its platform, such as the ability to co-stream. In 2020, Facebook Gaming absorbed Mixer, Microsoft’s failed streaming platform that had the company recruiting streamers like Ninja and Shroud.... Continue reading…

Health information can’t go in the dumpster. After the Supreme Court decided to end federal protection for abortion in June, many abortion advocates and lawmakers started agitating for the Biden administration to make changes to the medical privacy law HIPAA. That’s because HIPAA has many, many gaps and doesn’t actually keep information around abortion safe in many situations.Here’s something HIPAA does do, though — govern garbage! It’s a HIPAA violation for someone to do what the New England Dermatology and Laser Center (NEDLC) did last year: throw away containers with patient labels on them in a parking lot dumpster. The labels had patient names and birthdays on them, and a security guard found them. The Department of Health and Human Services did an investigation, and NEDLC... Continue reading…

Emergency SOS via satellite would be a first. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge If you’re the type to read into Apple Event taglines, next week’s “Far Out” event certainly feels... space-y. It’s led Apple prognosticators to revive theories that Apple may be working on satellite features for emergency communications — both for the iPhone and perhaps the rumored Apple Watch Pro. Since the Apple Watch Pro is meant to be a Garmin competitor, satellite features could make it a real contender in the multisport GPS watch space.There’s a lot that Apple needs to do in order to truly compete in this space. Multiday battery life and beefing up durability are numbers 1 and 2 on the list. The competition — Garmin, Polar, Coros — can run laps around the Apple Watch in these two areas. But if there’s one area where Apple already... Continue reading…

The new controller will be available in wired, 2.4Ghz, or Bluetooth wireless flavors 8BitDo is taking a stab at the pro controller market with the release of the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller, which is currently available for preorder on Amazon and begins shipping on October 28th. 8BitDo’s older controllers like the SN30 Pro and Pro 2 have boasted a broad array of compatibility options thanks to their Bluetooth connectivity, but the Ultimate Controller will be available in three different configurations — Bluetooth ($69.99), 2.4Ghz ($49.99), or wired ($34.99) — based on your preferred console and connectivity method.The Bluetooth model will also come packaged with a 2.4Ghz wireless adapter and, along with the wired model, is compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Windows, Android, and iOS devices. The 2.4Ghz exclusive model... Continue reading…

The Summoner’s Cup is arguably the most iconic trophy in all of esports — and now it has a totally new look. The trophy is the prize for the annual world champion in League of Legends, and developer Riot Games teamed up with jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. to refresh its look. The trophy is made of a combination of sterling silver, fine silver, stainless steel, brass, and wood and weighs in at 44 pounds. It also features a new section with the names of previous champions engraved on the bottom, sort of like the video game equivalent of the Stanley Cup.The new design is much more streamlined compared to the original, which looked like a heavy piece of medieval weaponry. You can check it out in the image below. Photo by... Continue reading…

Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images Hello! I am back in NYC after a whirlwind couple of days in Dallas last week. It was really great to meet so many people from the industry in person. My biggest takeaway from Podcast Movement week is how much the podcast format has evolved (for better or worse). Video podcasts were the hot topic, with lots of discussions on how to pivot to video and whether it’s necessary to do so. As one exec told me, video is not for everyone! It’s much easier to produce professional-quality audio than video, and a lot of podcast genres don’t actually lend themselves to video. I will be curious to see if it’s as big of a topic next year — maybe by then, creators will have tried and abandoned the practice.After a big newsy week last week, with Twitter... Continue reading…

Photo illustration by Will Joel / The Verge Facebook is figuring out what a new generation wants from social media Continue reading…

Users in your Circle will see a notice highlighted in green beneath your tweet. | Image: Twitter Twitter Circle, a feature that lets you limit your tweets to a smaller audience, is now available to everyone. The platform first started testing the feature among “select people” in May ahead of a wider rollout.Twitter Circle is a lot like Instagram’s “close friends” feature, which lets you share your posts with a smaller group of people. On Twitter, you can add up to 150 people to your Circle, whether they follow you or not. When you want to send out a tweet that you might not want the entire Twitterverse to see, you can choose to share it with your Circle instead. Image: Twitter You’ll see the option to share to your Circle when you open the tweet composer. Choose the dropdown menu at the top of the composer, and... Continue reading…

Image: Sony Sony’s rounding out its A-series of soundbars with today’s introduction of the $699 HT-A3000. It’s a 3.1-channel bar with virtualized Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround sound, and it joins the steeply priced HT-A7000 (7.1.2 channels) and mid-level HT-A5000 (5.1.2). At the very top of the lineup is the wireless, four-speaker HT-A9 system, which retails for $1,999.So while you naturally shouldn’t expect the cheapest soundbar in the series to eclipse those on audio performance, none of Sony’s bars slouch in the sound department. And the company is including many of the same features and software capabilities across all of them. They include support for Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth audio playback.Taken by itself, the... Continue reading…

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Internal documents and Twitter employees reveal the need for massive investment to remove illegal content — but executives haven’t listened Continue reading…

Millie Bobby Brown in Enola Holmes 2 | Image: Netflix It’s almost September, which means the holidays are creeping up on us — and for Netflix, that means a lot of movies. The streamer just released its schedule for holiday film releases in 2022, and it’s led by a pair of big sequels in Enola Holmes 2 on November 4th and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on December 23rd.Elsewhere, the streamer has some notable animated features, like Guillermo del Toro’s take on Pinocchio (December 9th), Henry Selick and Jordan Peele’s Wendell & Wild (October 28th), Drifting Home (September 16th) from Studio Colorido, and My Father’s Dragon (November) from the studio behind Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers. Other titles to watch out for include Noah Baumbach’s post-apocalyptic White Noise (December 30th)... Continue reading…

The JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds feature a touchscreen charging case that reminds us of a smartwatch interface. | Image: JBL JBL has just announced the Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds, featuring adaptive noise cancellation and customizable ANC alongside a charging case with a 1.45-inch LED touchscreen control panel.The display on the charging case allows you to flick through multiple screens where you can manage your music and make adjustments to your earbuds, as well as receive calls, messages, and social media notifications without having to first grab your phone. It’s being advertised as a productivity feature, and that does appear to hold some weight if you don’t already own a smartwatch or if you don’t tend to keep your phone in an easily accessible pocket. Image: JBL The JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds are available in either black... Continue reading…

The JBL Bar 1000 with detachable wireless rear speakers that include their own upward-firing speakers | Image: JBL JBL is launching a quartet of new Atmos-capable soundbars for the fall, and two of them have battery-powered wireless rear speakers that quickly deploy for a tidy home theater setup. When not watching a movie, the speakers can be docked into the sides of the new soundbars to recharge.The flagship JBL Bar 1000 is an 11.1-channel performer that includes four upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos 3D sound. It also has a wireless subwoofer and supports DTS:X 3D surround sound.JBL built a very similar version of the soundbar called the Bar 9.1 in 2020 that also had the cool removable rear speaker hat trick. But the new JBL Bar 1000 adds two more drivers for a 7.1.4 arrangement and bumps the power output to 880W compared to 820W in the Bar... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Uber is overhauling its four-year-old app safety toolkit, adding a new feature for riders to contact security company ADT during rides. The company is also expanding the availability of a feature enabling customers to text 911.The safety toolkit is a section of Uber’s app through which customers can contact emergency services, report a safety issue to the company, or share their location with a family member or friend. It was first rolled out in 2018 as a way to address the company’s abysmal record on safety. Uber claims its rides are getting safer, and today’s announcement is meant to reflect these improving conditions.“With so many safety features, it is time for an upgrade,” Rebecca Payne, the company’s lead safety product manager,... Continue reading…

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Overengineered arthouse tech from a tiny microbrand Continue reading…

Starlink RV installed on a beach house. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge Starlink users around the world complained on Tuesday that Elon Musk’s internet from space service was down. My own Starlink RV service in the Netherlands went down for about 30 minutes. It’s now reporting “Degraded Service” which the SpaceX company is investigating, according to the Starlink app.My outage began at 3AM ET which coincides with initial reports found on Twitter and Reddit. Starlink users from the US, New Zealand, Mexico, the UK, and beyond all reported outages. Access returned to most as of 7AM ET, although many are still reporting degraded throughput. My own speeds have dropped from around 200Mbps / 30Mbps to 32Mbps / 17Mbps (down / up) at publication time.Last week SpaceX lowered the monthly subscription prices for... Continue reading…

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Elon Musk says the disclosures of Twitter’s former security chief have given him new justifications to walk away from his $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform.Musk’s lawyers filed a new “Termination Letter” with the SEC on August 29th, which cites the testimony of Twitter whistleblower Peiter “Mudge” Zatko as evidence that Twitter misled Musk in the parties’ merger agreement. Specifically, Musk claims that Twitter’s declaration in the merger agreement that it had not misled the SEC is false, citing Zatko’s allegations. In Zatko’s own complaints, which were published last week, he claimed that Twitter repeatedly and knowingly misled regulators about the security of its platform.“[Zatko’s] allegations, if true, demonstrate... Continue reading…

Team Red has been cooking up next-gen processors and graphics cards, set for release later this year. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge AMD revealed price, performance, some release dates, and more about the upcoming RDNA 3 graphics cards and Ryzen 7000 series processors during its “together we advance_PCs” livestream on Monday.Four CPUs using the new Zen 4 desktop processing architecture (codenamed “Raphael”) will launch on September 27th, 2022. The flagship Ryzen 9 7950X chip will cost $699 at launch and features 16 cores, 32 threads, and a boost clock of up to 5.7GHz. Image: AMD A rundown of pricing, specs and release date for the upcoming Ryzen 7000 series. The three other processors include the Ryzen 9 7900X (12 cores, 24 threads and a 5.6GHz boost) for $549, the Ryzen 7 7700X (8 cores, 16 threads and a 5.3GHz boost) for $399, and the... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Sony has once again quietly launched a revised PS5 model that’s more lightweight. Press Start, an Australian-based gaming site, reports that both the disc and digital versions of the PS5 are a lot lighter now, after new models began appearing in Australia this week.The new disc model (CFI-1202A) now weighs 3.9kg (8.6 pounds), a 7 percent reduction from the 2021 revision (4.2kg / 9.2 pounds) and an even bigger 13 percent reduction from the original model (4.5kg / 9.9 pounds). The digital PS5 has a similar weight loss, with the 2022 revision now weighing 3.4kg (7.5 pounds), down 13 percent from the original weight of 3.9kg (8.6 pounds). The new models mean the disc version of the PS5 now weighs the same as the original digital PS5 model.P... Continue reading…

Photo by Yang Bo/China News Service via Getty Images The French government has collected nearly €10 million in additional taxes after using machine learning to spot undeclared swimming pools in aerial photos. In France, housing taxes are calculated based on a property’s rental value, so homeowners who don’t declare swimming pools are potentially avoiding hundreds of euros in additional payments.The project to spot the undeclared pools began last October, with IT firm Capgemini working with Google to analyze publicly available aerial photos taken by France’s National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information. Software was developed to identify pools, with this information then cross-referenced with national tax and property registries.The project is somewhat limited in scope, and... Continue reading…

Logitech’s handheld looks like it runs Android. | Image: Evan Blass (Twitter) Logitech’s new cloud gaming handheld has leaked weeks after the company teased it was working on the new device. Logitech G and Tencent Games confirmed their plans for a dedicated handheld earlier this month, and now Evan Blass has tweeted pictures of the handheld which reveal access to the Google Play store, alongside support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia’s GeForce Now service.The Logitech G Gaming Handheld looks roughly the same size as a Nintendo Switch, and it even includes a Switch-like UI where you scroll through apps and games. One leaked image shows Chrome and YouTube apps, alongside Xbox, Nvidia, and Steam icons. While Blass tweeted images of the handheld, Logitech was quick to file a DMCA complaint to remove them from... Continue reading…

Photo by MTV VMA 22/Getty Images Meta has been testing support for NFT “digital collectible” posts on Instagram since May, and if you’re among the expanding group of people with access, then you can now share posts with your blockchain-verified items on Facebook as well. According to an updated blog post from the company, it’s “started giving people the ability to post digital collectibles that they own across both Facebook and Instagram,” after they connect their digital wallets to either platform.The posts will basically look like normal posts, according to a screenshot the company tweeted, but will have a badge marking them as a “digital collectible.” Image: Meta NFT Posts on Instagram that link to Facebook The FAQ has a lot of details... Continue reading…

Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge Union swag at Tesla is in. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said that Tesla’s current dress code policy was unlawful. Specifically, the part where it only allowed employees to wear Tesla or other pre-approved black tee shirts. That policy meant union swag was not allowed — a hindrance to anyone trying to organize or show union solidarity.Tesla’s policy went into effect in 2017, and employees were reportedly told they couldn’t wear shirts baring the United Auto Workers logo. Tesla attempted to justify its dress policy to the board claiming that its black shirts prevent damage to cars and it needed to maintain “visual management” of its employees. The NLRB rejected this.“With today’s decision, the Board reaffirms that any... Continue reading…

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the latest in the line of Samsung’s foldables to endure JerryRigEverything’s torture test that subjects devices to razor blades, lighters, and handfuls of dirt. Like the Fold 3 and Fold 2 before it, the Fold 4 managed to survive the test, albeit with quite a few scratches and some burnt-up pixels.But the real question is whether the Fold 4 can pass the test of time. Samsung has taken significant steps toward improving the durability of its lines of foldables, making them water resistant, as well as adding stronger screens with a more rigid aluminum frame. And while the company has released videos — both this year and the last — designed to inspire confidence about the durability of its devices, they still don’t... Continue reading…

Apologies to my editors, who are going to start getting drafts bursting with emoji. A few months after Google added emoji reactions to Google Docs, the company’s making it easier to include them in your actual document as well. Today, it announced a new shortcut that lets you easily insert an emoji while writing, so you no longer have to pull up your computer’s picker or copy and paste the icons from other places.The new system gives you several ways to get at emoji, which Google lists in this help document. The simplest is to just type “@[emoji name],” and typing “@emoji” will pull up a searchable emoji picker, like the one on your phone. Gif: Google It’s a pretty simple system. You can also type “@:[emoji name],” which I’ve found to be the fastest and most reliable method. Typing in the... Continue reading…

The new HP 965 4K Streaming webcam | Image: HP HP has a new webcam that feels familiar and uses AI to keep you and your fidgeting guests in the frame during meetings. The $199.99 HP 965 4K Streaming webcam is the company’s new business-oriented model that contains a Sony Starvis CMOS sensor, similar in spec (and price) to Dell’s 4K webcam offering, Elgato’s Facecam, and Razer’s Kiyo Pro. A home office 960 version is available in white but, according to HP spokesperson Christine Wahl, has identical specs, and after initially appearing on HP’s website with a $50 discount, the 960 is now priced identically with the 965.Those webcams have similar tracking abilities, just like the following abilities found in Logitech’s StreamCam (one of the best webcams our colleague Cameron tested)... Continue reading…

If you’re in the market for a budget Android phone, the Pixel 6A is the one to get. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Just when you were getting ready to wish your loved ones happy Honda Days, Amazon went and threw a new commercial holiday on our calendars: Android Days. Today is apparently the first day of Android Days, and as cringe-inducing as that sounds, there are actually some really good deals to be had, starting with our favorite midrange Android phone of the year: the Google Pixel 6A. Usually $449, it’s marked down to $369 right now — a discount of $80.You don’t need to be a Prime member to get the deal, and naturally, you can find some good prices on other Android phones, like the OnePlus Nord N20 5G — marked down from $299 to $259. It’s a great option if you’re looking to spend a bit less than midrange prices, and it offers fast wired... Continue reading…

Photo by Nate Smallwood / Getty Images Democratic Senate hopeful John Fetterman is calling on President Joe Biden to decriminalize marijuana before visiting Pennsylvania next week.“It’s long past time that we finally decriminalize marijuana,” Fetterman said in a Monday statement. “The president needs to use his executive authority to begin descheduling marijuana, I would love to see him do this prior to his visit to Pittsburgh.”Biden is expected to travel to two key midterm swing states next week — Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — to “celebrate Labor Day and the dignity of American workers,” according to a Monday White House advisory. When in Pittsburgh, Biden is set to meet with Fetterman, the Democrats’ pick to beat Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz.Fetterman is a longtime... Continue reading…

It could come down to business negotiations. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge As Apple’s iPhone 14 event gets closer, rumors continue to swirl around the phone’s potential ability to provide emergency communications via a satellite network. On Monday, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple had “completed hardware tests for this feature” with the iPhone 14, but it would have to negotiate a business model with carriers if it wants to include it.According to Kuo, “whether iPhone 14 will offer satellite communication service depends on whether Apple and operators can settle the business model.” Kuo says this hurdle may have already delayed the feature once — according to him, the hardware that would’ve let the iPhone 13 communicate with satellites was finished, but Apple couldn’t figure out the business end with... Continue reading…

Samar Haddad / The Verge None of us are perfect, and all of us have published Facebook posts with misspellings, grammatical errors, mistaken “facts,” or opinions that we immediately realized might not need to be aired in public. When that happens, you’re going to want to hop into your post and fix the problem — either by changing it or deleting it altogether. Luckily, it’s really easy — if you know how.What follows are directions on how to edit a Facebook post, delete it, and restore it on the web and using the mobile app. (I used the Facebook app on a Pixel 6, but the steps will be similar on other phones and on iOS.)On the web

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram has fixed a recent bug that removed the sound from Reels video clips that were downloaded from the editing screen. The bug impacted iOS users and was detrimental to creators who use Reels as a filming tool and then export to other platforms, like TikTok.After The Verge published a story about the issue, Seine Kim, a spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company, Meta, reached out to say the change wasn’t intentional and would be fixed. Kim said today that the issue was fixed in an update to Instagram released on Friday.The issue appears to be resolved on my own iPhone. In a test this afternoon, I was able to download a clip from the Instagram Reels, complete with sound, the same as I could before the bug. This fix will help... Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge The Android 12L-based One UI 4.1.1 has finally started to land on Galaxy Tab S8 devices, making it the first line of tablets to receive the Samsung-flavored update (via Sammobile). So far, it’s only rolling out to users in South Korea and Europe, with people in more countries likely to see the update soon.One UI 4.1.1 is built off of Android 12L, which is specifically made for devices with larger screens. The update came to the Lenovo P12 Pro tablet first, with Samsung and Microsoft committing to bringing the update to their devices later on.Android 12L adds a new two-column layout that lets you view two different screens at once, as well as a taskbar that allows for more efficient multitasking. With the update, you can open... Continue reading…

So far, the Apple Watch straps have always been backward-compatible. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge While Apple has increased the size of the Apple Watch over the years, users have always been able to use older watch bands with newer models. That might soon change. Initially spotted by MacRumors, leaker UnclePan claims that the so-called Pro — Apple’s forthcoming rugged smartwatch — may not be compatible with existing straps.Until now, Apple’s been able to easily maintain compatibility because the Apple Watch’s design has barely changed. Each Apple Watch model comes in two sizes: a smaller version and one that’s 4mm larger. The original watch up through the Series 3, for example, was sold in 38mm and 42mm sizes. That changed with the Series 4, which increased the cases to 40mm and 44mm. Apple once again bumped up the size with the S... Continue reading…

Photo by Loren Grush / The Verge NASA is moving ahead with plans for a second attempt to launch its next-generation rocket Friday, September 2nd, after an engine issue forced the agency to scrub today’s planned launch.NASA halted the Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 8:34AM ET Monday, citing the failure of one of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s four engines to reach the appropriate temperate. SLS is a key component of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the Moon by 2025.The next attempt is scheduled for Friday, September 2ndThe next attempt is scheduled for Friday, September 2nd, at approximately 12:48PM ET. Michael Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, said that Friday is “definitely in play” but noted that the agency’s team needs... Continue reading…

Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro is $400 off. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you’re preparing to go back to school and require a more powerful laptop than the new M2-powered MacBook Air, you might want to consider investing in Apple’s 14- and 16-inch Macbook Pro models today now that they’ve dropped to new all-time lows. Best Buy is currently selling the 14-inch, M1 Pro-powered MacBook Pro in space gray with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,599, a record-breaking $400 discount. The 16-inch configuration, meanwhile, is on sale at Best Buy and Amazon with Apple’s M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 10-core CPU, and a 16-core GPU in space gray for $2,099 ($400 off).Both laptops offer lightning-fast performance that makes them ideal for content creation and creative work. Unlike the new MacBook... Continue reading…

Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge Ford’s future electric lineup is coming more into focus. (No, not that Focus.)After scoring a big win with the F-150 Lightning, Ford is developing a new electric truck that will likely go on sale in 2025, according to Automotive News. Details are scarce, but the new EV truck will sit alongside an electric Ford Explorer, as well as the automaker’s Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, as Ford’s family of electric vehicles begins to fill out by the mid-point of the decade.Ford CEO Jim Farley first teased the new truck back in April, noting that it will be built at the company’s upcoming Blue Oval City campus in Tennessee. The truck will be an “all-new” nameplate, not a redesigned F-150 Lightning, and will help bolster Ford as a leader in... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission has sued app analytics firm Kochava for selling sensitive geolocation data, including details that could unmask people seeking or performing abortions.The lawsuit claims Kochava failed to add basic privacy protections to its location data, much of which is collected from phones without the owners’ knowledge. “Kochava’s data can reveal people’s visits to reproductive health clinics, places of worship, homeless and domestic violence shelters, and addiction recovery facilities,” the FTC said in a press release. “By selling data tracking people, Kochava is enabling others to identify individuals and exposing them to threats of stigma, stalking, discrimination, job loss, and even physical violence.” The agency... Continue reading…

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the former Twitter security chief whose explosive disclosures alleged serious security flaws and misleading practices within the company, has received a subpoena to appear for a deposition in the ongoing lawsuit between Twitter and Elon Musk.The request puts Twitter’s whistleblower at the center of Musk’s ongoing legal fight with Twitter, which he agreed to purchase in April. Musk has sought to void the deal, citing many of the same issues detailed in Zatko’s disclosures.Zatko is scheduled to be deposed in connection with the subpoena on September 9th.any documents related to illegal activityMusk’s legal team took action shortly after Zatko’s claims became public, telling reporters they were in the process of... Continue reading…

Snapchat’s dual camera feature layouts | Image: Snapchat Snapchat is adding a new feature to its main camera, allowing users to capture photo and video using the front- and back-facing cameras on their phones at the same time.The dual camera feature was initially announced back in April as part of Snapchat’s to-be-released director mode, which will give users access to a wider range of creative tools. The dual camera feature is coming directly to Snapchat just as BeReal — the nostalgia-tinged photo sharing app using both cameras — is breaking into the mainstream.Part of BeReal’s appeal is in the relatively minimal set of features and the mundanity of what users see when they open the app. It only supports images, there’s just one layout for pictures, and it doesn’t include any editing... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales AMD is expected to launch four CPUs in its Ryzen 7000 series (the “X” line) this evening, and a few hours ahead of the announcement, the pricing has already leaked. According to Wccftech’s sources, the prices of the upcoming desktop chips will be as follows:

Image: T-Mobile T-Mobile led the way in bundling mobile and entertainment services together, but now competitors like Verizon are doing the same to incentivize their subscribers to stick around. With that in mind, T-Mobile is trying to sweeten the pot a bit more with the addition of free Apple TV Plus. The new perk will be available starting August 31st for customers on the company’s Magenta Max plan.Thankfully for T-Mobile customers, gaining Apple’s service doesn’t mean giving up Netflix. The carrier will continue to offer its long-running “Netflix on us” deal, which similarly provides free streaming access for as long as you’re a T-Mobile customer. Just keep in mind that the Netflix perk is limited to the basic, standard definition tier for most... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Waymo’s fully driverless vehicles are picking up passengers in downtown Phoenix, five months after the Alphabet-owned company expanded its service area to include denser, more complex areas of the city.Waymo has been testing its vehicles in several suburban towns outside of Phoenix since early 2017, including Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, and Gilbert. It also operates a commercial ride-hailing service called Waymo One using a mix of vehicles with and without safety drivers. The company expanded its service area to include downtown Phoenix earlier this year.Last year, the company launched its Trusted Tester program, which is basically a rebranding of the early rider program it ran in suburban Phoenix. Customers interested in using Waymo’s... Continue reading…

Tesla Powerwalls in Toronto | Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star via Getty Images Tesla’s latest virtual power plant is in Japan. The company announced Friday that it has been quietly installing its Powerwall batteries at homes on the island Miyako-jima since 2021 and now has over 300 installed. It’s the largest commercial virtual power plant in Japan, according to the statement.Virtual power plants take advantage of solar panels and batteries in private homes. People with those setups can sign up to send extra power back to the electrical grid in their area, giving it an extra boost during situations when it’s at risk of a blackout. The grid can use that power instead of pulling from the gas-fired power plants typically used when the power supply is strained.The virtual power plant is based on a program at local... Continue reading…

Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge Honda and LG Chem will build a $4.4 billion electric vehicle battery factory in the US, the latest move to shore up the country’s domestic production to comply with new tax credit rules.Honda and LG Chem will form a joint venture to produce batteries in the US for the automaker’s upcoming lineup of EVs. The two companies aim to begin construction in early 2023 to enable the start of mass production of lithium-ion battery cells by the end of 2025. Honda and its subsidiary Acura have plans to release 30 hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel-cell vehicles by 2030.annual production capacity of approximately 40GWhThe factory, which aims to have an annual production capacity of approximately 40GWh, is likely to be located in Ohio, according... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge As part of Sony’s push into mobile gaming, the company has formed a PlayStation Studios Mobile Division that will operate separately from console game development. According to a press release, the new team will create mobile games with “new and existing PlayStation IP.”Sony’s move to form a mobile gaming division aligns with the company’s overall goal of extending its IP to PC and mobile games, as well as TV series and movies. Earlier this year, Sony announced that it wants half of its games to be on PC and mobile by 2025, with Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan stating that it could result in a “significant growth in the number of people who play our games.” The company’s also looking to expand into live service games —... Continue reading…

Image: Massive Monster I’m putting Cult of the Lamb on my game of the year shelf right next to Elden Ring. The dark yet cutesy cult simulator roguelike mixes the best parts of Animal Crossing with all the fun of a dungeon-crawling murder fest. The unique way the game combines these two disparate elements makes it more than worthy of claiming a spot on 2022’s game of the year list.Cult of the Lamb starts with the titular lamb being offered up as a sacrifice to sate the hunger of a handful of eldritch gods that look like the parasites that probably live between the folds of Lord Cthulhu’s tentacles. As you tremble and cry, you’re saved at the last minute by another, eldritch-ier looking god who promises you power if you do their bidding and kill the gods who... Continue reading…

You can now buy bananas without ever leaving WhatsApp. | Image: WhatsApp WhatsApp users in India can now do their grocery shopping without ever leaving their messaging app. Meta announced a new integration with JioMart today, through which users can text “Hi” to a certain number and be taken to an in-app shopping experience. The shopping experience looks fairly familiar, akin to what Instacart and other delivery services have been designing for years. But here, there’s no other app. And for WhatsApp, that’s a big deal.Meta is convinced that business messaging is a big part of how WhatsApp will make money going forward. (Well, that and ads, but the ads thing is causing WhatsApp some trouble.) “Business messaging is an area with real momentum and chat-based experiences like this will be the go-to way people... Continue reading…

Image: NASA NASA delayed the launch of its colossal next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, as an engine bleed issue forced the agency to scrub its plans.The launch director halted the Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 8:34AM ET. SLS is a key component of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the Moon by 2025. The massive rocket will carry the Orion crew capsule, which aims to carry its first astronauts in 2024.NASA determined it could not successfully launch“Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the proper temperature range for liftoff was not successful, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window,” the agency said... Continue reading…

National Cinema Day has 3,000 participating theaters so far. | Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images Movie tickets across the US will cost just $3 on Saturday, September 3rd in celebration of National Cinema Day (via Associated Press). If you’ve never heard of such a holiday before (at least in the US), that’s because it never existed until now, apparently.The $3 ticket price (not including tax) applies across all tickets, formats, and showtimes — and yes, this includes IMAX and 3D movies. So far, a growing list of 3,000 theaters, including popular chains, like Regal, Cinemark, and AMC, have agreed to take part in the new holiday.You might not want to count out your local, independently-run theaters, either. In a list of participating theaters viewed by The Verge, we spotted several smaller locations, like the Starmax Cinemas in... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Trademark filings spotted by Bloomberg suggest Apple might incorporate “Reality” in the name and branding of its long-rumored mixed reality headset. Three separate filings show trademarks for “Reality One,” “Reality Pro,” and “Reality Processor,” matching the realityOS name that cropped up in Apple’s code and a trademark application that potentially refers to the headset’s operating system.The applications weren’t filed by Apple itself, but by a company called Immersive Health Solutions, LLC. Companies like Apple often use the names of shell companies when filing for a patent or trademark to help keep their plans private. But, as Bloomberg points out, the Delaware-based Immersive Health Solutions was registered by Corporation Trust Co.... Continue reading…