The Verge

The iRobot Rooma i3 Plus packs a self-emptying clean station and new smart mapping features. It’s time for some spring cleaning, but let’s be smart about it — both with the tech we buy to help us and the money we spend.Wellbots has an extra special discount on one of the most popular and affordable iRobot robovacs around, and it’s exclusive to Verge readers. From now through Sunday, April 10th, you can get the Roomba i3 Plus for $459 when you use code VERGE40. This promo code knocks an additional $40 off the already-discounted price of $499. It’s not the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this robot vacuum, but it’s the best price since early 2022 — and since iRobot added more features like smart mapping via a firmware update, making it an even better value. Additionally, if you’re in the US, purchasing from Wellbots may not... Continue reading…

The gaming lifestyle. | Image: Bauhutte Here at The Verge, we occasionally like to write about gaming thrones, whether they’re shaped like scorpions, semi-circles, or... well, I’m not sure how to describe this one. But the thing with thrones is that the crown often weighs heavy — being MVP and getting play of the game every round can be tiring. Thankfully, Gizmodo found just the thing to help with that: a motorized gaming bed that moves you from the sleeping position to the pwning position with the press of a button, all the while keeping your gaming setup within arms’ reach.The Bauhutte Electric Gaming Bed and Bed Desk are made to work in tandem: your rig goes on the adjustable desk, which is designed to have a bed placed under it, and the bed frame uses motors to elevate... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The cost of Amazon Prime is going up in Canada just months after the company announced a price increase for US subscribers.The price increase marks the first hike for Canadian subscribers since the service launched there in 2013. Currently, Amazon charges $79 for an annual subscription or $8 monthly. After the price increase, Prime memberships in Canada will cost $99 per year or $10 per month. Student subscriptions will hike a dollar from $4 to $5.Andrew Gouveia, a spokesperson for Amazon Canada, tells The Verge that the price change will go into effect on April 8th for new subscribers and after May 13th for existing members, who will see the price change reflected at the time of their renewal. The Toronto Star earlier reported the... Continue reading…

Nissan plans to launch its first EV with a solid state battery by 2028 | Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images Nissan revealed a prototype production facility in Yokohama, Japan, on Friday, where the company says it plans to manufacture solid-state batteries for use in electric vehicles. The company said in a statement that it plans “to establish a pilot production line at its Yokohama Plant in fiscal 2024, with materials, design and manufacturing processes for prototype production on the line to be studied at the prototype production facility.” Nissan aims to bring its first EV with all-solid-state batteries to market in 2028.All-solid-state batteries could, in theory, charge more quickly, hold more power, and last longer than lithium-ion batteries that most EVs use now. Nissan said it expects to eventually use the batteries across its vehicle... Continue reading…

It’s asking the election results be overturned. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon has officially filed its objections to the Amazon Labor Union’s win in Staten Island, New York, and is asking the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to order a new election. The objections expand upon a document the company recently submitted that signaled its intent to fight the election results — the company now says that ALU members “intimidated employees,” “recorded voters in the polling place,” and “distributed marijuana to employees in exchange for their support,” according to an excerpt posted by Financial Times reporter Dave Lee.The full complaint was not immediately available from the NLRB on Friday. The Amazon Labor Union didn’t immediately reply to The Verge’s request for comment.In a statement emailed to The Verge,... Continue reading…

The Galaxy Watch 4 lineup is already big enough. | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge While all gadgets have their design challenges, there’s one that continues to plague smartwatches — battery life. There are a few ways to mitigate that, but unfortunately, many smartwatch makers choose the absolute worst solution: making the smartwatch bigger.The latest example might be Samsung. According to a SamMobile report, the company is mulling a “Pro” version of the next-generation Galaxy Watch. Details were scant, except for one thing: this “Pro” model could potentially pack a much larger 572mAh battery.If true, that would be a meaningful upgrade. Poor battery life is one of the biggest complaints users have reported with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 lineup. It’s also common for “Pro” models to act as the premium option with longer... Continue reading…

In especially bad news for those who try to reach Inbox Zero, Substack had a problem today that sent out some of the platform’s newsletters for a second time. Verge contributing editor Casey Newton noted it sent out a second copy of the free edition for his Platformer newsletter (which you can subscribe to here), and several of us have seen additional copies for some of the emails we subscribe to in our inboxes.Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie tells The Verge it was a “one-off bug.”

The all-electric Jeep Magneto 2.0 concept is based on a two-door Wrangler. | Image: Stellantis Jeep unveiled an updated Magneto 2.0 concept EV that renews its teasing of what the iconic off-roader could look like as a fully electric vehicle. Jeep didn’t mention any hardware upgrades for its custom-built motor but appears to have made some significant performance refinements from last year’s model.The Magneto 2.0’s motor operates at a lower RPM now, with higher peak amperage that it’s now capable of delivering for up to 10 seconds. It offers up to 850 pound-feet of torque — more than triple from last year — and 625 horsepower.quicker than a Tesla Model X Plaid and Rivian R1SJeep Magneto 2.0 carries the same mutant villain nameplate from last year’s prototype and still has a six-speed manual transmission — rare for an EV but... Continue reading…

The parents of HBO Max and Discovery Plus have officially completed their merger, allowing WarnerMedia and Discovery to build what the companies have said will be “the most differentiated content portfolio in the world.”Investors today approved the multibillion-dollar deal that will allow AT&T, WarnerMedia’s current owner, to offload its content powerhouse to Discovery and form a new business under the name Warner Bros. Discovery. This new business, the companies said last year, “will be able to invest in more original content for its streaming services, enhance the programming options across its global linear pay TV and broadcast channels, and offer more innovative video experiences and consumer choices.”Discovery president and CEO... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Many big YouTube creators have expressed frustration with an increase in comment spam on their channels in recent weeks, including Linus Tech Tips, Jacksepticeye, and MKBHD. The problem has been particularly acute for these high-profile creators, who often see more malicious commenters impersonate them in an attempt to scam their viewers.“YouTube has a problem. Spam,” Linus Sebastian said to start a February 1st video on his Linus Tech Tips channel. “From crypto scams to health supplements to free Robux, it just keeps getting worse with each passing day.”“YouTube comments spam has been next-level out of control for months,” reads the description for Marques “MKBHD” Brownlee’s April 1st video titled “YouTube Needs to Fix This.”Y... Continue reading…

Please do not pay Apple $50 for this outdated brick. | Image: Apple See this white brick? It puts out a measly 30W of power to a single device, yet Apple charges $50 for it. Please do not buy one because we now have firm evidence that Apple is about to replace it with something much, much better — a 35W charger with two ports, likely powered by gallium nitride (GaN) technology that might also make it smaller.That’s the word from 9to5Mac, which got this particular scrap of information from by far the most reliable source of Apple leaks: Apple’s own website. Apparently, the company accidentally threw a support document live for an “Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter,” and 9to5 managed to snap a screenshot before it was pulled. Screenshot by 9to5Mac 9to5Mac screenshotted an... Continue reading…

Image: Disney Wildly popular celebrity competition series Dancing With the Stars is heading to Disney Plus, marking the first live series to debut exclusively on the streaming service.The series previously aired 30 seasons across 16 years on ABC, Disney’s broadcast TV network. Disney said the series has an exclusive two-season pickup on Disney Plus and will premiere in the US and Canada in the fall. The show will be shot in front of a live audience by BBC Studios’ production arm in Los Angeles.Specifics about Disney Plus’ rights to past seasons are unclear. Asked whether Dancing With the Stars will air on broadcast at all moving forward or whether Disney Plus will get the entirety of the show’s catalog, Disney spokesperson Heather Levine told The... Continue reading…

The company often receives public assistance for its projects. | Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge Despite SpaceX implying that the US didn’t give money to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine in March, a report from The Washington Post reveals that the government actually paid millions of dollars for equipment and transportation. The report found that the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, paid $1,500 apiece for 1,333 terminals, adding up to around $2 million. USAID disclosed the number of terminals it bought from the company in a press release from early April that has since been altered to remove mentions of the purchase.According to space reporter Joey Roulette, SpaceX donated 3,667 terminals to Ukraine, or around $10 million worth, after also factoring in the three months of data it provided with the terminals.... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Medical devices are one major weak point in health care cybersecurity, and both Congress and the Food and Drug Administration took steps towards closing that gap this week —Congress with a proposed bill and the FDA with new draft guidelines for device makers on how they should build devices that are less likely to be hacked.Devices like infusion pumps or imaging machines that are connected to the internet can be targets for hacks. Those attacks can siphon off patient data or put their safety directly at risk. Experts consistently find that devices in use today have vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.The FDA, which regulates medical devices, has been trying to get a handle on this problem for a while. Back in 2014, it... Continue reading…

Photography by Monica Chin / The Verge Happy Friday, everyone. The deals capping off this week run the gamut from laptops and graphics cards to soundbars. Kicking things off, we have a noteworthy sale on the HP Envy x360 13-inch convertible laptop that has a gorgeous OLED screen. Normally this configuration costs $1,049.99, but it has been discounted to $699.99 at Best Buy. This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model, which definitely warrants your attention.This flexible 2-in-1 laptop is equipped with an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of built-in storage. This isn’t the most powerful laptop out there, but it’s more than enough juice for most apps. Plus, if you need a versatile, mobile machine that’s particularly great for watching... Continue reading…

photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images We are several months into our new Wordle era (along with an expanded universe of clones like Worldle, Heardle, Numble, Poeltl, and many others) and a little over two months into The New York Times acting as stewards of the game after a “low seven figures” purchase. Besides altering the word list, the Times is introducing its biggest change yet by adding WordleBot, a tool that serves as a “daily companion” for your new favorite puzzle game.Like Wordle itself, WordleBot operates in the browser and runs locally, evaluating the completed puzzles on whatever computer and stored session you’re using to play. As The New York Times describes it, the bot started as an attempt to mathematically prove the best starting word, developed with its... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Block and Blockstream, a company that makes Bitcoin infrastructure, are partnering with Tesla on an open-source, solar-powered Bitcoin mine, the companies announced Friday. Tesla’s 3.8-megawatt Solar PV array and its 12 megawatt-hour Megapack will power the facility, and construction has started on the project.“Weʼre excited to start the construction of this facility using Tesla Solar and Megapack,” Adam Back, CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, said in a press release. “This is a step to proving our thesis that Bitcoin mining can fund zero-emission power infrastructure and build economic growth for the future.”The goal is for the facility to be completed “later this year.” When it’s running, there will be a publicly available... Continue reading…

Are you ready to be wholly responsible for miniature versions of these men? | Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic If you’ve ever wished you could spend all day long serving food to BTS... well, you probably can’t. But you’ll soon be able to do the next best thing: be solely responsible for keeping miniature versions of them alive on a Tamagotchi device. Bandai America has opened preorders for the TinyTan Tamagotchi, a version of the handheld game featuring the South Korean band. (BTS’s full name is Romanized as Bangtan Sonyeondan.)“We are incredibly excited to offer a new interactive experience with the beloved TinyTan characters, who are the adorable mini versions of the members of world phenomenon BTS,” Trish Garrett, brand strategist for Bandai America, said in a statement. “The TinyTan characters add a really fun spin on the Tamagotchi play... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Back in 2019, Microsoft finally got its own system for managing Android notifications from Windows. Since then, it has been possible to see notifications from your Android phone on your Windows 10 or 11 PC as they arrive and to pull up your entire SMS history along with any pending notifications on demand. You can even reply to messages and compose new texts right from your computer. Previously called Your Phone, the Windows app has recently (and appropriately) been renamed Phone Link.Here’s how to get started. (These directions assume you’ve updated your PC to Windows 11, but the process will be similar for Windows 10.) You’re going to be going back and forth from your computer to your phone, so get set.First, on your Windows... Continue reading…

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida with the Ax-1 crew on board | Image: NASA/Joel Kowsky This morning, SpaceX successfully launched a new crew of four astronauts to orbit on the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft — a group that includes three customers who have reportedly paid millions for their seats. The four private flyers, riding to space with a commercial aerospace company called Axiom Space, are now en route to the International Space Station after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.When they dock with the ISS tomorrow morning, they’ll become the first entirely private crew of astronauts to visit and live on the orbiting lab. The crew is slated to spend roughly eight days on the ISS, where they’ll conduct a total of 25 science experiments lasting a cumulative 100 hours.Ax-1 is the first... Continue reading…

Google has become the latest manufacturer to partner with DIY repair specialists iFixit to offer spare parts for its devices, the search giant announced today. It’s a deal that should make it far easier for the average customer to get parts to repair their own Pixel smartphone if it breaks. Parts like batteries, displays, and cameras will be available to purchase in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and other European countries where the phones are sold. Parts will be available to purchase “later this year,” Google says.Spare parts will be available for an impressive range of Pixel phones, including the latest Pixel 6 devices and going all the way back to 2017’s Pixel 2. That means parts should be available for the kinds of aging... Continue reading…

The unreleased device showing an apparent lock screen. | Image: eBay An apparent prototype smart speaker from defunct smartphone manufacturer Essential has popped up in an eBay listing spotted by a keen-eyed Redditor. It offers a tantalizing glimpse at what the ambitious-yet-unreleased “Essential Home” device could have been and seems to be partially functional. The listing’s photos show the device’s circular screen illuminated, with elements like its lock screen and settings menus visible. The seller is asking for $900 plus shipping for the prototype.If you have no memory of the Essential Home then we wouldn’t blame you. The smart speaker was announced in May 2017 alongside the Essential Phone, and the company told Wired that it hoped to ship both later that summer. The phone would eventually release... Continue reading…

Dami Lee Every Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where we discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.This week on The Vergecast, Verge managing editor Alex Cranz takes the reins with deputy editor Dan Seifert, deputy editor Liz Lopatto, and reviewer Allison Johnson to discuss Elon Musk buying a major stake in Twitter, this week’s gadget reviews, and the introduction of QD-OLED TVs and gaming monitors in the market.It was a wild week for Twitter, from Elon Musk buying 9.2 percent of Twitter and joining its board of directors to the announcement of an upcoming “edit button” for tweets. Liz explains why Elon may have wanted to buy stock in Twitter and what power he... Continue reading…

Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge Blockchain apps’ great hope is facing a rocky future Continue reading…

Once you’ve overcome the not inconsiderable challenge of obtaining an Analogue Pocket, your next task is figuring out how to play the thing outside your home. It’s a beautifully designed system that you’ll want to protect, but there aren’t many case options beyond Analogue’s own, which is an awkward clear plastic box that was seemingly more intended for storage and display than on-the-go use.The best one I’ve found so far comes from WaterField Designs, the San Francisco company we’ve covered a few times in the past for its leather-clad backpacks and laptop bags. The Analogue Pocket Pouch is a simple, stylish $49 accessory that protects your console and gives you storage for a few Game Boy games. The pouch latches shut... Continue reading…

The tablet for Samsung phone owners Continue reading…

Samsung’s supersized tablet comes with big limitations Continue reading…

Elon Musk officially opened Texas Gigafactory on Thursday. | Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images Tesla opened its Austin, Texas-based Gigafactory on Thursday, a crucial step in the company’s delayed plans to begin production of its electric Cybertruck. To celebrate the opening, Tesla held an event, billed as a “Cyber Rodeo,” to which it invited 15,000 people to listen to live music, eat food, and pay homage to Elon Musk and his company.“We are really entering a new phase of Tesla’s future,” Musk told the audience. Clad in a black cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses, Musk said he was excited to begin working on Cybertruck production at last. “I can’t wait to see this baby in production, it’s going to be epic.”Along with a new version of the Cybertruck, Musk also showed off a new Roadster vehicle, which is slated to begin production... Continue reading…

Image: Apple In the age of binge-watching and television seasons that drop all at once, Severance feels unique: it’s a show you definitely don’t want to watch in one go. Despite the veneer of a banal workplace drama, Severance is an incredibly tense sci-fi horror series where that tension only builds over the course of the show’s nine episodes. Each new chapter is a chance to see something more messed up and discover the dark depths the capitalist machine is willing to sink to. You’re going to want some space in between to let it all soak in — and maybe catch your breath a little.This article contains spoilers for the first season of Severance.Severance starts out fairly slowly. The show centers on a relatively new procedure called, naturally,... Continue reading…

Image: Robinhood Robinhood’s cryptocurrency wallet, which lets users spend and trade select digital currencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum, is being made available to “all eligible customers’’ on its waitlist, the company has announced. That amounts to over two million people, although the company cautions that the wallet won’t be available in Hawaii, Nevada, or New York due to “local regulations.” The wallet was initially launched as a limited test last year.Although Robinhood has allowed customers to buy cryptocurrency on its platform, you couldn’t easily spend the cryptocurrency — it just sits in your account as a speculative asset until you decide to sell it. In contrast, Robinhood says its wallet gives customers “full access to their crypto” and... Continue reading…

At least I didn’t further my sugar addiction. Coke recently announced that it was making a limited-edition soda, called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte. The flavor, according to the company, was “born in the metaverse” and “inspired by the playfulness of pixels, rooted in the experiences that gaming makes possible.” It’s hard to imagine better bait for The Verge, so I asked Coke if it could send me a can. And it delivered.The can for Coke Byte (as I’ll be calling it for brevity’s sake) is a fun purple color, and has a sort of retro-game aesthetic — it says “recycle me to play again” on the side, and it is adorned with cubes meant to represent pixels. I stuck it in the fridge until my wife Becky got home, and we cracked it open to finally discover what pixels taste like. ... Continue reading…

The union wants the election set aside. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (or RWDSU) has filed objections against Amazon to the National Labor Relations Board, saying that the company has again interfered with its election in Bessemer, Alabama (via CNBC).In a press release, the union alleges that the company “threatened an employee with plant closure if the Union was voted in,” barred employees from posting pro-union literature, and “engaged in surveillance and / or created the impression of surveillance of employees engaged in protected concerted activities,” among many other things. The union is asking the NLRB to schedule a hearing on its objections to determine whether the results of the second Bessemer election should be set aside and a new election held.... Continue reading…

2022 Bolt EUV in new TV spot airing today | Image: GM GM has resumed production of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV and now has access to a supply of new battery packs that should be safe from fire hazards. This comes after the Chevrolet Bolt was recalled due to potential battery fires affecting all model years, which led to a complete production freeze on the Bolt EV and EUV vehicles since last August.“Our goal is to get back to and, quite frankly, exceed business metrics,” said Chevy’s VP of marketing Steve Majoros on a press call yesterday. The comeback plan for the Bolt includes catching up with new 2022 Bolt EV and EUV orders (2023 orders will begin in July), a new TV ad campaign coinciding with the opening day of Major League Baseball, and the “herculean task” of replacing all... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Recent Chrome OS updates have broken the camera on some Chromebooks for some users, as reported by About Chromebooks, but Google said Thursday it released a fix.Some bug reports found by About Chromebooks before the fix was available listed differing issues; one said the camera “simply does not work,” while another said the camera is “unable to focus properly.” People also reported problems across a few different updates, with at least one dating back to Chrome 97. (Chrome OS is currently on version 100.)There have been some reports of camera issues with the following devices, according to About Chromebooks:

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Snap is launching a new Snapchat lens that can help you learn American Sign Language (ASL). It’s called ASL Alphabet Lens, and Snapchat is launching it in partnership with SignAll, a company that has built technology that can translate sign language.“Led entirely by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing team members here at Snap called the ‘Deafengers’, the ASL Alphabet Lens teaches you to fingerspell your name, practice the ASL Alphabet, and play games that put new skills to the test,” Snap said in a blog post. Screenshots from the ASL Alphabet Lens app. You can try the lens from this link, which should open in Snapchat if you have the app on your phone. I played around for it for a few minutes and was pretty impressed. The... Continue reading…

The company isn’t letting workers organize without a fight. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon is planning to object to the results of the election where workers at a New York warehouse voted to organize with the Amazon Labor Union, according to a deadline extension request the company filed with the National Labor Relations Board (or NLRB). In the document, which you can read in full below, Amazon says that it’s gathering evidence to show that the union “threatened employees to coerce them into voting yes,” “electioneered and interfered with employees waiting in line to vote,” and “threatened immigrants with the loss of benefits if they did not vote.”Amazon hasn’t yet filed its final, official objections, according to Kayla Blado, a spokesperson for the NLRB. It will have until 11:59PM ET on Friday to do so, though the... Continue reading…

Twitter rolled out its ALT badge and improved image descriptions | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter said Thursday that its ALT badge and improved image descriptions are now available globally, accessibility features that will make alt text descriptions more prominent for all users. Images that have text descriptions will get a badge that reads “alt,” and clicking on the badge will bring up the description. Twitter first announced changes were coming last month.“As promised, the ALT badge and exposed image descriptions go global today,” reads a tweet from Twitter’s Accessibility account. “Over the past month, we fixed bugs and gathered feedback from the limited release group. We’re ready. You’re ready. Let’s describe our images!”

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Hours after announcing it would convert over 1,000 temporary and contract QA employees to full time and provide a minimum pay of $20 per hour, Activision Blizzard is stating that Raven Software QA workers will not be part of that deal. According to a report from Bloomberg, the QA testers at Raven Software who recently organized as the Game Workers Alliance will not be able to take advantage of the new pay minimum — something Activision Blizzard failed to mention upfront when it sent the initial news to media outlets. Excluding organizing employees from company-wide benefits seems to be Activision Blizzard’s latest move against the burgeoning labor movement going on at the company.In a statement to The Verge, Activision Blizzard... Continue reading…

Image: Reddit Even though you can no longer place tiles on Reddit’s r/Place canvas, which was a revival of an April Fools’ Day experiment, the platform has given us the chance to relive the experience. The company has provided a treasure trove of data, including a recap post that goes over numbers and statistics (things like which country placed the most tiles or which subs talked about r/Place the most), alongside an entire CSV dataset for people to tinker with if they’d like.But, as someone who watched the chaos unfold by checking in every hour or so (and placed a few tiles of my own), the coolest thing Reddit posted is a three-minute-long timelapse that shows how the canvas was shaped by users over four days.Watching it evolve is like staring... Continue reading…

The crew of Ax-1 have paid their way on board Continue reading…

The radio in the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica, which includes Bluetooth. | Image: Chrysler A US appeals court has decided that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (or FCA) has a valid argument in a trademark case brought against it by the standards organization behind Bluetooth. The case being litigated could end up setting a precedent about whether automakers can buy radios that are already certified for Bluetooth or whether they will also have to pay the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) to certify the cars, too, adding cost at a time when car prices are already ballooning.The Bluetooth SIG sued the automaker — now known as Stellantis after FCA merged with Peugeot — back in 2018. At the time, it said that FCA was improperly using its trademark on cars like the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Grand Caravan, which Bluetooth SIG hadn’t... Continue reading…

Twitter is experimenting with ‘unmentioning’ | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter is experimenting with an “unmentioning” feature that will allow users to remove themselves from conversations. It’s limited to some users and only on the web version for now but looks like a very useful way to clean up your mentions.“We’re experimenting with Unmentioning—a way to help you protect your peace and remove yourself from conversations,” the tweet reads. The company posted a short GIF of what the feature will look like to its Twitter Safety account.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge HBO Max is promising a long-overdue fix to its busted tvOS app.Apple TV users know that HBO Max’s streaming app is subject to frequent crashing and glitches and is often overloaded during important premiere dates. In an overhaul that will continue through next week, the company billed the new app as completely redesigned with some useful new features (although Variety, which earlier reported the news, said the two apps were not too visually dissimilar).According to the company, the new app will have easier sign-in and sign-up protocols, as well as an “enhanced” homepage with a scrollable hero. The company also says the app will have an editable “My Stuff” experience so that users can better manage their Continue Watching and My List... Continue reading…

Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images There’s a new group of affluent conservatives planning to revamp the American right by investing more than $30 million into new legal, policy, and media ventures, including “influencer programs,” according to a recent report from The New York Times.The coalition, known as The Rockbridge Network, features prominent conservative billionaires like Peter Thiel and Rebekah Mercer. The network aims to “disrupt but advance the Republican agenda” with its new policy and media programs. According to a network brochure obtained by the Times, “The Rockbridge Network will replace the current Republican ecosystem” of activist and media organizations with “better action-oriented, more effective people and institutions.”The brochure doesn’t reveal... Continue reading…

Spotify Car Thing has added new features | Image: Spotify Spotify announced Thursday it was adding the ability to respond to phone calls and other new features to its Car Thing infotainment system. Owners of the $90 device, which went on sale in February, also will now be able to add songs and podcasts to a queue, control other media, and use voice commands.Car Thing users will be able to see incoming calls and either answer them or dismiss them right in the Car Thing interface. They’ll also be able to switch between Spotify and other media using presets, voice, or tapping its screen.Spotify says the new “add to queue” feature is one of its most-requested for Car Thing; you can do it either by voice (using the “hey Spotify” prompt), touch, or the device’s dial. You can also ask Car Thing to... Continue reading…

Sonic the hedgehog with his little satchel full of rings. Sonic’s cinematic franchise is eager to grow up Continue reading…

The fan and air intake of the direct air capture system stands at the Carbon Engineering Ltd. pilot facility in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019. | Photo by James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images To get climate change under control, experts say, we’re going to have to start sucking a whole lot more planet-heating carbon dioxide out of the air. And we need to start doing it fast.Over the past decade, climate pollution has continued to grow, heating up the planet. It’s gotten to the point that not one but two major climate reports released over the past week say we’ll have to resort to a still-controversial new technology called Direct Air Capture (DAC) to keep our planet livable. Finding ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is “unavoidable,” a report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says.Finding ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is “unavoidable”We already have some... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Another major California-based video game developer is initiating a return-to-office order. According to a report from Vice, League of Legends developer Riot Games announced it will be requiring employees to return to its Los Angeles headquarters while also eliminating vaccine and masking requirements. Riot is also no longer requiring regular COVID-19 testing for employees who have not shown proof of vaccination.The Vice report spoke to several current and former Riot employees who expressed anger that the new policy would danger employees’ health. “It’s a foolish and pointless policy being done at a poor time and being handled without real guarantee of our safety,” one anonymous employee said to Vice.However, despite these concerns,... Continue reading…

It looks at data like Popular Times, images from street view, and more. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google has shared how it’s using artificial intelligence, including its restaurant-calling Duplex tech, to try and keep business hours up to date on Google Maps. The company says that if it is confident enough in the AI’s prediction of what a business’s hours should be, it will update the information in Maps.In a blog post, Google outlines the various factors its AI analyzes to determine whether it should do these updates. First, it looks at when the business profile was last updated, other similar shops’ hours, and Popular Times data to decide how likely it is that the hours are incorrect. For example: if Google sees that a lot of people visit the shop when it’s supposedly closed, that may be a red flag.Google only updates hours with... Continue reading…

Companies like Amazon often use mandatory meetings to persuade workers against unionizing. | Photo by Yana Paskova / For The Washington Post via Getty Images The National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel plans to ask the board to rule that mandatory meetings about organizing are a violation of the National Labor Relations Act, a significant potential victory for labor groups. Sometimes called “captive audience” meetings, mandatory meetings are often used by company management to present anti-union rhetoric at meetings that employees are required to attend while at work.Employees trying to unionize Amazon warehouses in Bessemer, Alabama, and New York City have previously filed complaints with the NLRB claiming that the company held such meetings to try to convince workers to vote against the union efforts. The NLRB has historically allowed such meetings, but a new memo from NLRB... Continue reading…