The Verge

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max pack a faster A16 Bionic chip and a 48MP camera under the hood. | Image: Apple It’s official: the iPhone 14 is here. Following months of leaks and speculation, Apple formally announced the latest addition to its smartphone lineup during its “Far Out” event on Wednesday, where the company also gave us a glimpse of the long-rumored Apple Watch Ultra, a new Apple Watch SE, and the second-gen AirPods Pro.Apple’s new iPhone 14 series consists of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Preorders for all of the phones will start on September 9th, with the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max slated to arrive on September 16th. The iPhone 14 Plus, meanwhile, won’t be available until October 7th.The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus bring forth a number of changes to the iPhone lineup,... Continue reading…

A screenshot from Battlefield 2042 | Image: EA EA has established a new Battlefield studio that will be working on a narrative campaign for the franchise. The studio, Ridgeline Games, is based in Kirkland, Washington, and is headed up by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, according to a press release.The company didn’t share details about what this new experience might be about, when it might be released, or what platforms it will be available for. But the promise of a dedicated narrative campaign could be good news for Battlefield fans who were disappointed that the live service Battlefield 2042, which had a poorly received launch in November, didn’t have a campaign mode of its own. And as EA continues to push further into live service games, such as the new Skate, it’s good to see... Continue reading…

Image: Snowman When you think of a platformer, you probably think of jumping. The simple move is a staple of the genre, whether we’re talking about classic side-scrolling adventures or larger three-dimensional worlds. But Lucky Luna, the latest release on Netflix’s fledgling games service, offers something a little different: it removes the jump altogether.Lucky Luna takes place in a beautiful pixel art world of ancient ruins and tasks players with navigating a series of levels to uncover its secrets. It has many of the staples of the genre, like collectible orbs, hidden areas, moving platforms, deadly spikes, and enemies that move in specific patterns. The twist is the lack of a jump button. In fact, Lucky Luna doesn’t have on-screen buttons at all.... Continue reading…

Do you think Tim Cook ever sends green bubble texts? | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Last night, Tim Cook shot down the possibility of solving the green bubble problem — and he revealed the real reason why Apple won’t do it: it doesn’t sell iPhones.At Vox Media’s Code conference, an attendee told Cook that it was difficult for him to send videos to his mom because Apple devices don’t support RCS, the texting protocol championed by Google and supported by major phone carriers. Cook, in response, suggested the attendee buy his mom an iPhone. “I don’t hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point,” Cook said.Blue versus greenThis seems to be the first time Cook has publicly addressed RCS, the Rich Communications Services protocol. RCS is a major improvement over SMS and MMS, letting you do... Continue reading…

New information suggests Overwatch 2 heroes will be gated behind battle pass progression. | Image: Blizzard Entertainment When Overwatch 2 launches on October 4th, fans might have to get on the grind wheel to unlock the newest heroes. A tweet from Jon Spector, Overwatch’s commercial lead, indicates new heroes will be gated behind battle pass progression, saying that “new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.”Spector’s tweet appears to reference a description of Overwatch 2’s Watchpoint Pack, a purchasable content bundle that grants buyers all kinds of goodies, including skins, in-game currency, and access to the season 1 premium battle pass.

The Fujifilm X-H2 camera with the upcoming XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR prime lens mounted. | Image: Fujifilm After years of APS-C mirrorless cameras with resolutions in the 20-something megapixel range, Fujifilm is finally pushing things forward with the latest camera in its X-series line. At its X Summit event in New York City today, Fujifilm is announcing a new high-res X-H2 camera with a 40.2-megapixel X-Trans sensor with 8K video. This pro-oriented camera looks just like the recent X-H2S it’s based on, matching it with the same processor, in-body image stabilization system, dual card slots, electronic viewfinder, and more. It’s nearly the same camera with a different sensor for those who value megapixels most. Though the higher resolution counterpart will cost about $500 less than the X-H2S when it ships in late September for $1,999.95... Continue reading…

The Nest Hub Max doesn’t need you to call it Google anymore. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge If you have a Nest Hub Max smart display and you’re tired of saying “Hey Google” 50 times a day, a new feature could cut that number down a bit. Quick Phrases — a feature on the Pixel 6 phones, and which Google announced for the Nest Hub Max last year — are now live. This lets the Nest Hub Max (and only the Max so far) respond to certain commands without the phrase “Hey Google,” making talking to the voice interface a little easier.At launch, Quick Phrases — which you need to enable in the Google Home app first — are limited to a few preset commands in four categories: general info (like time and weather), lights, timers, and alarms. Google says the phrases don’t have to be exact and that the Assistant can recognize common variations.... Continue reading…

The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft sit on the launchpad on September 6th, 2022. | Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images After repeated delays, NASA is lightly penciling in launch dates of September 23rd or 27th for its Artemis I mission. A lot of things will have to go right for either of those dates to be possible, including repairs to the rocket’s fueling system, a sign-off from the Space Force, and managing to avoid an assortment of space scheduling conflicts.Artemis I will mark the first launch of the agency’s massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and will send a spacecraft called Orion out on an orbit far past the Moon. This mission will be uncrewed and serve as a test for later missions that will send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in decades.After a hydrogen leak foiled NASA’s third attempt to launch the mission on... Continue reading…

Some, but not all, Withings products will see price increases in the coming weeks. | Image: Nokia A banner has appeared within the storefront of the Withings website announcing that several products within its lineup will see price increases over the coming weeks. If you click through, you’ll find the entire Withings catalog with tags applied to identify which products will be affected by the changes. In the US, it notes that only Body Cardio, Sleep Analyzer, BPM Connect, and 38mm ScanWatch products will see increases between $20 and $30.The dates appear to be staggered slightly by region — for example, the Netherlands will see price changes on September 19th, while prices in the US won’t switch until October 1st.Withings states that “since 2020 some of our components, such as the microcontroller in Body Cardio, have increased by... Continue reading…

The Apple Watch SE (2022) is the new entry-level model, with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra above it. | Image: Apple During its “Far Out” event, Apple announced the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, new AirPods Pro earbuds, and a whole slew of new Apple Watches. We’re used to seeing an annual refresh of the Apple Watch, where a Series flagship begets another flagship — but this year marks the introduction of three new models: the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and a new Apple Watch SE. These watches are designed to offer new options at the entry-level, flagship (for generalists), and specialized markets.At the bottom of the new lineup, the new Apple Watch SE continues the 2020 SE’s formula. It’s the “bargain” model, sacrificing niceties like an always-on display for the sake of a much lower price. Apple’s SE brand of budget-tier products are rarely... Continue reading…

Bee and Puppycat. | Image: Netflix Netflix’s new Bee and PuppyCat series will make you fall in love with the story that started it all Continue reading…

A host of new features for accessibility and personalization are coming to Android devices. | Image: Google Android is introducing a clutch of new features to improve accessibility, personalization, and productivity across various devices. One of the major announcements is that Nearby Share — Google’s AirDrop competitor — is getting a much-needed update that allows users to easily send files between their own devices.After you opt in to use the new feature on your Android phone or tablet, all transfers between these devices will be automatically accepted, even if your display is switched off. Image: Google The new self share feature can be used to send photographs from your phone to your tablet with ease. This self-share feature has been anticipated for a few months, and while we’re happy to see that file... Continue reading…

More pixels, more problems with the X2D 100C Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube is introducing a handful of new features for creators and institutions using the platform for educational content.In a blog post today, YouTube says it’s launching an embeddable video player for education apps that removes ads, external links, and recommendations so viewers can “avoid distractions.” Having a player without YouTube’s recommendation algorithm — built to keep you watching and serve you new content — is probably good for students using the platform for school. YouTube’s recommendation algorithm has been the subject of scrutiny for years over how it can serve up extreme content and misinformation.The ad- and recommendation-free player will be open to select partners to start, including education tech companies like... Continue reading…

Ford’s BlueCruise allows for hands-free driving on pre-approved divided highways. | Image: Ford Ford is rolling out its first major update to its BlueCruise advanced driver-assist system, adding hands-free lane changing and several other new features, the company announced Thursday.BlueCruise, which Ford is positioning as a viable competitor to GM’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot systems, first launched in 2021 with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and has since rolled out to 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners.The software update, BlueCruise 1.2, will arrive this fall, starting with the 2023 Mustang Mach-E before landing with other models. (For Lincoln owners, the update will roll out as ActiveGlide 1.2.) Both updates will include three new features: lane change assist, predictive speed assist, and in-lane repositioning.lane change... Continue reading…

Photo by Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images Steve Bannon, Trump ally and former White House adviser, surrendered himself to the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Thursday and is expected to face charges related to his role in an online crowdfunding effort to fulfill Trump’s promise to build a wall along the US’s southern border with Mexico, according to CNN.Bannon and three others were previously arrested and charged with defrauding donors to their “We Build the Wall” online fundraising campaign. The group raised over $25 million to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, promising to use “100 percent” of donations to fund the wall’s construction. But the group was found to have paid more than $1 million to cover personal expenses, including boats, an SUV, and cosmetic... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is starting to test new changes to the Xbox Home UI that will eventually arrive for everyone in 2023. The changes will include tweaks to the layout and design to make it easier to find Xbox games and apps or navigate to areas like the settings interface. Microsoft will conduct a variety of Xbox Home experiments over the coming months before launching its new Xbox Home UI in 2023.“We know the Xbox homepage is where our gamers spend the most time, and it’s a space that’s very personal,” says Ivy Krislov, senior product manager lead of Xbox experiences. “We also know we can always be listening and learning how we can do better here while keeping your experience fast and familiar. With that, we’re kicking off a multi-month series... Continue reading…

Bollinger’s B1 and B2 electric trucks were put on pause, but now Mullen says they will go into production. | Image: Bollinger Mullen Automotive has acquired a controlling stake in electric vehicle startup Bollinger Motors, buying up 60 percent of the struggling company’s stock for $148.2 million, the companies announced Thursday.Mullen said it will add Bollinger-designed medium-duty trucks and sport utility trucks to its inventory. The deal “positions Bollinger to capture the electric sport utility and commercial vehicle markets,” the company added.Mullen is a relatively unknown Southern California electric vehicle manufacturer with the stated goal to build “the next-generation of premium electric vehicles that are affordable and built entirely in the United States.”Mullen is a relatively unknown Southern California electric vehicle manufacturerBollinger... Continue reading…

A photo illustration of Axiom Space’s space suit | Image: Axiom Space NASA is already packing for its next Moon landing, and it’s ordering some new spacesuits for the trip. It has awarded a $228.5 million contract to Axiom Space to make a “moonwalking system” for the agency’s return trip to the lunar surface, NASA announced Wednesday.Axiom was one of two companies in the running to make spacesuits for NASA’s Artemis program, which is aiming to send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. NASA already has a limited supply of spacesuits for use on the International Space Station, but lunar spacesuits will have to be very different. In addition to extreme temperature swings, they’ll have to contend with the Moon’s gravity and the notoriously problematic lunar dust that has a... Continue reading…

The big phones have won. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Well, that’s it then — after just two iterations, Apple seems to be done with the iPhone Mini. Sure, it’ll still sell you a new one; last year’s 128GB iPhone 13 Mini is currently available for $599, but the new iPhone 14 lineup doesn’t include any models with the smaller 5.4-inch screen that some people have come to love.I may be disappointed, but I’m not surprised. Rumors of the Mini’s death have been swirling almost since it debuted in 2020. In early 2021, reports started to surface that Apple had vastly overestimated demand for the phone and had to slash production of it and that it only accounted for single-digit percentages of all iPhone sales.The Mini wasn’t perfect, and it was niche — a perfect formula for a cult classicP... Continue reading…

A worker installs a new row of Bitcoin mining machines at the Whinstone US Bitcoin mining facility in Rockdale, Texas, on October 9th, 2021 | Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images Crypto industry operations in the US use about as much electricity as all of the nation’s home computers combined, according to a report released today by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The report paints the clearest picture yet of what crypto operations are costing both power grids and the environment in the US. It also lays out some potential actions the Biden administration could take to address these challenges.Democratic lawmakers in particular have been worried about whether the crypto industry that has exploded in the US over the past year might derail climate goals. And as extreme weather pushes power grids to their limits across the US, there’s growing concern that the most electricity-hungry... Continue reading…

A screenshot from Borderlands 3. | Image: Gearbox Software Humble is hosting an excellent bundle of PC games right now, straight from 2K Games’ vault. For your $16 contribution, you can get the big suite of games, including Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe, XCOM: Ultimate Collection, PGA Tour 2K21, BioShock: The Collection, and more. You can, of course, pay more if you want as well as customize how your pledge is split among Take-Two Interactive, Humble, and the Covenant House charity that provides care and services to youth experiencing houselessness and trafficked young people. This deal will end in about two weeks.There’s another stellar deal happening for a limited time. Disney is offering a one-month subscription of its Disney Plus service to new and eligible returning subscribers for just... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge One of the things about this job is that everyone in your life — from friends to relatives to distant acquaintances and strangers on the internet — asks you questions about laptops all the time. A very common one I hear is also one of the harder ones to answer: “What makes a good laptop?”Unfortunately, my dear question asker, that answer — as is the case with so many answers in life — is subjective. Sometimes I will hate a laptop that my fellow reviewers love, and vice versa. (I’m always the one who’s right, of course. Don’t listen to them.)But this question has prompted me to step back and do a bit of introspection (as one does). What distinguishes a laptop that I like from a laptop that is good?First off, it’s much easier to... Continue reading…

Image: Mercedes-Benz / Rivian Mercedes-Benz and Rivian have formed a new joint venture to build “bespoke large” commercial electric vans, the companies announced Thursday.The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to start a strategic partnership that will invest in a new plant, with its target set on using an existing Mercedes-Benz site in Central or Eastern Europe. This marks Rivian’s first foothold in the continent; the automaker only has one manufacturing facility in the US.There will be two van models, one built on Mercedes’ Vans Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) platform and the other on Rivian’s second-generation electric van platform, called Rivian Light Van (RLV). Mercedes-Benz has been building commercial vans for more than two decades and has... Continue reading…

Netflix finally dropped the first trailer, technically a teaser, for Glass Onion: A Knifes Out Mystery. The film is set in the same universe as Knives Out, the award-winning murder mystery from 2019.The new film is as notable for how much it cost Netflix as it is for its very large cast, which includes Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., David Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, and Edward Norton. Daniel Craig also returns as the Foghorn-sounding detective Benoit Blanc.The original film was a bit of an unexpected hit, which led Netflix to spend an eye-watering $469 million to secure the rights for two sequels. Glass Onion is the first of those films.You just need a good story.It’s a little odd that Netflix waited... Continue reading…

Nvidia is teasing next-gen GPUs. | Image: Nvidia Nvidia wants the world to know it’s getting ready to launch its next-gen 40-series GPUs. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will hold a special “GeForce Beyond” keynote at the company’s GTC 2022 conference on September 20th.Nvidia is widely expected to announce its 40-series GPUs at this event after the company confirmed it would discuss its next-gen GPU architecture at GTC. Codenamed Lovelace, the next GPU architecture will usher in the new RTX 40-series graphics cards to replace Nvidia’s existing Ampere architecture.

The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV is intended to play a major role in GM’s quest to sell more electric vehicles than Tesla. | Image: Chevy The new midsize SUV, which starts at around $30,000, is intended to be an ‘EV for everyone’ Continue reading…

It’s not hard to tell the X3 (left) and One X2 (right) apart. | Photo: Becca Farsace / The Verge Insta360 has announced the X3, an all-in-one 360 camera that is a successor to the One X2 released in late 2020. Looking at the two cameras side-by-side, the X3’s biggest upgrade is obvious — the company dropped the mildly confusing “One” from the camera’s name. Oh, and instead of a small, circular touchscreen, the X3 now sports a 2.29-inch rectangular display, which you can use to preview and review footage and control the device. (Ironically, the X2’s biggest upgrade was also in the display department.)At $449.99, the X3 is slightly more expensive than its predecessor and still has the same 5.7K max resolution as the X2 did. However, the company says the camera’s 1/2-inch sensors have gotten an upgrade for “big resolution and image... Continue reading…

For a limited time, you can get a month of Disney Plus for a mere $1.99. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the day you can stream Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder from the comfort of your home, you can do so while saving today. In honor of Disney Plus Day, the House of Mouse’s annual celebration of all things streaming-related, the company is offering both new and eligible returning subscribers one month of Disney Plus for $1.99 instead of $7.99.That means you won’t just be able to watch Marvel’s latest theatrical release for the price of a cup of coffee but also other content released today as part of the service’s Disney Plus Day celebration. This includes the live-action Pinocchio adaptation, the fourth episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the premiere of the Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return documentary, and... Continue reading…

Razor, the company that helped kick off the scooter craze over two decades ago, is expanding its lineup of vehicles for adults with the EcoSmart Cargo, a pretty rad-looking electric scooter that borrows a lot from the world of e-bikes.The scooter features a number of stylish design touches, including an olive green body and roomy bamboo deck. The scooter also sports a high-torque, 1,000-watt motor and chain drivetrain and can reach speeds up to 19.9mph (32 kilometers per hour) and boasts a range of up to 16.6 miles (26.7km).The fastest and most powerful scooter in Razor’s lineupThat makes the EcoSmart Cargo the fastest and most powerful scooter in Razor’s lineup. As a company that mainly markets its products to kids, Razor is... Continue reading…

Uber and Nuro have been negotiating for nearly four years. | Uber Uber Eats customers in California and Texas may soon have their takeout delivered by a driverless delivery pod after the company signed a 10-year deal with autonomous driving startup Nuro.Today’s announcement is the culmination of over four years of start-and-stop negotiations between the two companies. Uber wanted to use Nuro’s vehicles to make deliveries in Houston back in 2019, but those plans never panned out. Now, the two companies have struck a decade-long deal to expand robot deliveries to more customers than ever.Starting this fall, Uber and Nuro will deploy autonomous delivery vehicles in two cities: Mountain View, California, and Houston, Texas. Neither company would disclose the number of vehicles nor the expected number... Continue reading…

All three of Apple’s new watches are now up for preorder. | Image: Apple Like clockwork, new Apple Watches have been announced, but this time there’s more than just one. During its recent “Far Out” event, Apple finally dished out the details on the new iPhone 14 lineup, along with the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and a new Apple Watch SE. Apple has never announced this many watches at once, and they’re now hitting three different prices simultaneously. That may make deciding between them a little more challenging, but when can you get yours once you finally make your pick?The Apple Watch Series 8 and second-gen Watch SE are set to land on September 16th while the Watch Ultra is scheduled to launch on September 23rd, with preorders available now. We’ve only had a little bit of hands-on time with... Continue reading…

© 2022 Stellantis The two electric SUVs will arrive in North America starting in 2024 Continue reading…

The SP Max Plus has a hefty build that’s comparable in weight to a full-size laptop. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge Brydge’s latest keyboard case for the Surface Pro 8 is a little different than the company’s previous versions. The $229 SP Max Plus consists of a rugged, backlit keyboard and a rugged, detachable case for Microsoft’s current-gen Surface tablet — all of which have an antimicrobial coating. Notably, it operates with a physical connection, not a wireless one. Getting connected via Bluetooth isn’t (usually) that finicky, but you won’t have to worry about that at all here.The two pieces connect via Brydge’s new proprietary, very strongly magnetized SecureConnect pogo pins, allowing the keyboard to run off the tablet’s battery once attached, instead of needing to be recharged on occasion. Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The... Continue reading…

The Dynamic Island may be a goofy name, but it’s real good-looking. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Before there were commercials and whole branding exercises hailing the notch on the Apple iPhone, there was a long row of iPhone XS devices in the lobby of the Steve Jobs Theater. The iPhone XS was part of the second generation of notched iPhones, so it was all kind of about the notch — but it was also about the fancy OLED display that showed off perfect blacks compared to the XR’s traditional LED. Which is why Apple put a vibrant wallpaper with bright pops of color on the XS and the notch disappeared into the perfect black of the OLED display. There was something timid about the choice to hide it in the wallpaper, like Apple wasn’t quite as confident of its now fairly iconic screen cutout. With the iPhone 14 Pro, it looks like Apple has... Continue reading…

Apple Watch Ultra. | Image: Apple I had a funny feeling watching yesterday’s announcement of the Apple Watch Ultra: I’ve seen this show before. It wasn’t until Garmin watch fans on Reddit and Twitter started lampooning Apple that it hit me… this is Nokia all over again.Let’s get this out of the way first: I’m a longtime Garmin watch fan. Most of my friends and family have all purchased svelte Apple Watches. It’s a great smartwatch but I wanted a great outdoor adventure and fitness watch to pair with my iPhone instead. That’s why I’ve been wearing big hulking Garmin watches like the Fenix and Epix series despite their clumsy software interfaces. I’ve used them to obsessively track and measure my performance in a variety of activities that include kitesurfing, trail... Continue reading…

The Steve Jobs Archive is live now. | Image: Apple The friends and family of Apple founder Steve Jobs have launched the Steve Jobs Archive, an organization that celebrates the technology titan. You can visit the archive at stevejobsarchive.com.Right now, the site is simple. At the top, there’s a poetic email Jobs sent to himself about his admiration for humanity. Scrolling down reveals some notable quotes from Jobs, including some from his famous 2005 commencement address at Stanford. At the end, there’s a short “About Us” description for the archive. Video and audio clips of Jobs are laced in along the way.“With respect for the past and excitement for the future, the Steve Jobs Archive offers people the tools and opportunities to make their own contribution,” the site reads. “We are... Continue reading…

Ive spoke at Vox Media’s Code conference alongside Tim Cook and Laurene Powell Jobs. | Getty Images for Vox Media Jony Ive isn’t a fan of cars using too many touchscreen controls, and says they’re an example of an interface “being driven inappropriately by something like multitouch.”During a panel with the former Apple design lead, Tim Cook, and Laurene Powell Jobs at Vox Media’s Code conference tonight, journalist Kara Swisher asked Ive what he thought of current design trends. Ive said that there were “fabulous affordances with interfaces like multitouch,” but said that they may have gone too far in places — and it might be time for a shift back toward more physical controls.“Potentially the pendulum may swing a little to have interfaces and products that are more tactile and more engaging physically,” Ive said. Swisher suggested that cars were... Continue reading…

Apple CEO Tim Cook. | Laura Normand / The Verge A conversation about the legacy of Steve Jobs Continue reading…

It’s a watchOS 9 feature, not a Series 8 one. | Image: Apple When Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 8 on Wednesday, it introduced a new low power mode feature that lets the wearable double its battery life by turning off a few features. It won’t be limited to Apple’s latest devices, though — during the presentation, Apple said low power mode is coming to “the Series 4 and later” with watchOS 9, which is launching September 12th.The company didn’t say whether the mode would be as effective on older devices as it claims it will be on the Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra (Apple says its bigger watch will be able to go from 36 hours of runtime to 60 with the mode turned on). But based on what we know about how it works, it’s clear that it’ll be less effective on at least a few models.Apple... Continue reading…

Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge Nvidia is bundling its higher-end RTX 30-series graphics cards with a copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered. If you purchase a GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, 3090, 3080 Ti, 3080 GPU — or a qualifying desktop or laptop that comes with those cards — Nvidia will include a free digital copy of the $59.99 game.Spider-Man Remastered, which is currently one of the top-selling titles on Steam, is the latest freebie Nvidia’s using to try to get users to buy its cards. After the original Spider-Man got rave reviews on PlayStation 4, the remastered version of the game just launched on PC (and Steam Deck) in August. The PC version of the game supports both ultrawide monitors and Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which should enable... Continue reading…

Nick Barclay / The Verge Apple just wrapped up its Far Out event, giving us a glimpse at the new iPhone 14, three new Apple Watch models, and the next generation of AirPods Pro earbuds. But what about everything Apple didn’t announce?Some rumors we’ve been hearing for the months leading up to the event just didn’t end up panning out, and some of our long-shot hopes were deflated along the way. Here’s everything that could still come in the future — or may have proven to be a bust.The mixed-reality headsetApple’s mixed-reality headset has become the elephant in the room at its events, with rumors about the device only getting more detailed. While there was no sign of the headset at the Far Out event, that wasn’t necessarily a surprise.We aren’t expecting the... Continue reading…

The two companies announced a partnership. | Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images GameStop is doubling down on crypto, and as part of its growing expansion into blockchain technologies, it announced a new partnership with crypto exchange FTX on Wednesday.The two companies haven’t spelled out too many details about what the partnership will actually mean, but they did share a few tidbits. According to a press release, “the partnership is intended to introduce more GameStop customers to FTX’s community and its marketplaces for digital assets.”GameStop is becoming FTX’s “preferred retail partner”One concrete aspect of the partnership is that GameStop will start carrying FTX gift cards in “select stores.” GameStop is also FTX’s “preferred retail partner” in the US, which could suggest that FTX will sell other sorts of... Continue reading…

Worth noting: the MagSafe charging case also has a Lightning port. Apple has quietly introduced a new option for its third-generation non-Pro AirPods — a Lightning-only charging case (via MacRumors). On the surface, that’s reasonable: forgoing wireless charging on the second-gen AirPods saved you $40. But this time around, you’re only saving ten dollars: they cost $169, compared to $179 for the MagSafe version (which can also be charged with a Lightning cable).For those looking to trade convenience for savings, foregoing wireless charging used to be a genuinely good option, saving you 20 percent. Now, you can just as easily save $10 on third-gen AirPods with two seconds of Googling — the MagSafe versions are on sale for $169 at both Amazon and Target. If you’re willing to wait, you could probably snag... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Fifteen years ago, Steve Jobs introduced the very first iPhone. He described it as three devices in one: a “widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device.”But since its first unveiling, the iPhone has become much more than that. It’s a symbol of the tech industry, of the modern era as a whole, and has made Apple the largest company in the world in terms of market capitalization. In 2015, it was speculated to be the most profitable product ever and helped grow Apple’s market cap to not just $1 trillion or $2 trillion — but as high as $3 trillion.One reason for that is the steady pace of progress Apple has made to keep the iPhone at the top of the fray. It started... Continue reading…

The iPhone 14 Pro measures up to the latest Android phones in many ways, including a fast-refreshing display. | Image: Apple The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have arrived. So, just like we always do, it’s time to dissect those specs. Apple’s 2022 iPhones have different processors, depending on the one you get. They also have different camera systems. Notably, the iPhone 14 Pro sports an always-on display and support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. That just scratches the surface as to what’s new here.If you’re curious about how these new iPhones compare to models from the past, we’ll have you covered pretty soon with a spec comparison. This post is focused on comparing the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro to some heavy hitters in the Android space. Specifically, the ones you can easily buy as an alternative to the latest iPhone, including the soon-to-be-replaced Pixel 6... Continue reading…

You’ll be able to work out — and meditate — without an Apple Watch. | Image: Apple Apple announced on Wednesday that iPhone users will be able to subscribe to its premium Fitness Plus workout subscription service even if they don’t have an Apple Watch.Previously, you couldn’t join the service without owning one of Apple’s smartwatches, which made signing up an expensive proposition. Since you need an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, you’d have to own two Apple devices to join Fitness Plus. But with Apple bringing the Fitness app to the iPhone with iOS 16, no Apple Watch required, it makes sense that Apple would make Fitness Plus more easily accessible as well.The update removing the Apple Watch requirement for Fitness Plus signups will be available later this fall, Apple says. I’m a happy subscriber to the service —... Continue reading…

The design is very similar to the first-gen pair. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Apple just announced its second-generation AirPods Pro. There’s no big redesign overhaul here: these look a lot like their predecessors, with the most substantial upgrades coming on the inside and with new software features. The new AirPods Pro still have Apple’s signature stem and (again) only come in white. There’s now an extra-small ear tip size in the box at least.The new Pros include Apple’s H2 chip, which the company promises improved noise cancellation over the original AirPods Pro — twice as much as before. They come with a refreshed case, which is also very similar to what came before but with a few convenient additions. They still have stems and only come in white. There’s a speaker on the bottom to make... Continue reading…

Sony and Microsoft are battling over Call of Duty’s future. | Image: Activision Sony has labeled Microsoft’s offer to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation “inadequate on many levels.” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed to The Verge last week that the company is committed to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years” beyond the existing marketing deal Sony has with Activision. Sony isn’t impressed, though, just as Microsoft is in the middle of trying to get its $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard deal approved by regulators.“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends,” explains PlayStation chief Jim Ryan in a statement to Games Industry.biz. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation,... Continue reading…