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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PCD4)
Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images Within 30 minutes of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Elon Musk did what he had previously promised not to do.I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," the billionaire posted on X. So much for that vow to stay on the sidelines.But it didn't stop there. Days later, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk planned on donating vast sums of his own wealth to a super PAC supporting Trump, possibly upwards of $45 million a month. (Musk later disputed the report, calling it FAKE GNUS.")Whether he plans on flooding the election with cash or not, Musk's MAGA awakening is probably pretty befuddling for his fan base. After all, Musk has staked his legacy on shifting the world to... Continue reading...
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The Verge - All Posts
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
| Feed | http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml |
| Updated | 2024-11-23 12:45 |
by Victoria Song on (#6PCD5)
The Suunto Sonic (left) and Wing give Shokz some real competition. Usually, I'm all about the bass for workout headphones, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Suunto Sonic and Wing. Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6PCBE)
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 46, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, hope you like silly gadgets, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This week, I've been writing about Apple betas and AR gadgets, reading about Donald Glover and the scourge of meetings and what it takes to feed the Olympics, admiring Christian Selig's keyboard layout, watching Hard Knocks and The Beekeeper, and trying (and failing) to perfect my blueberry muffin recipe.I also have for you a couple of great iOS apps that are finally available on Android, a new way to play some classic Nintendo games, an expensive new camera, and stuff to watch this weekend both at home and in... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PCBF)
Image: The Verge Microsoft has released a recovery tool that's designed to help IT admins repair Windows machines that were impacted by CrowdStrike's faulty update that crashed 8.5 million Windows devices on Friday. The tool creates a bootable USB drive that IT admins can use to help quickly recover impacted machines.While CrowdStrike has issued an update to fix its software that led to millions of Blue Screen of Death errors, not all machines are able to automatically receive that fix. Some IT admins have reported rebooting PCs multiple times will get the necessary update, but for others the only route is having to manually boot into Safe Mode and deleting the problematic CrowdStrike update file.Microsoft's recovery tool now makes this recovery... Continue reading...
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by Wes Davis on (#6PC4G)
Gamma supports Dual Shock controls now. | Screenshot: Gamma The Gamma PS1 emulator has gained a number of significant updates since it launched as one of the first console emulators for iPhones in May. Recent updates added a new Enhance Audio" feature and better multiplayer support, joining other key updates over the last few weeks.Developer Benjamin Stark (aka ZodTTD) told The Verge in an email that the Enhance Audio feature in his most recent update improves audio using reverb and interpolation effects." He also added Multitap emulation" for games that used Sony's adapter that expanded the PS1's controller port count from two to four. (That was used for games like Crash Team Racing, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, and more.)
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by David Nield on (#6PC21)
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge There are going to be times when you've only got one hand free to use your phone. You may be walking the dog, carrying groceries, hanging on to a subway pole, or you just don't have another hand available. But with just about every modern phone sporting a screen at least six inches corner to corner, using one hand to work your phone could be a difficult balancing act.Luckily, both Android and iOS phones come with integrated features to make one-handed phone use less tricky. There are also some helpful options inside individual apps you can turn to.Methods for Android phonesOne-handed modeAndroid has a dedicated one-handed mode that lets you shrink any app down to the bottom half of the screen to make it easier to reach. The way to... Continue reading...
by Wes Davis on (#6PC22)
Image: The Verge CrowdStrike's faulty update caused a worldwide tech disaster that affected 8.5 million Windows devices on Friday, according to Microsoft. Microsoft says that's less than one percent of all Windows machines," but it was enough to create problems for retailers, banks, airlines, and many other industries, as well as everyone who relies on them.Separately, the technical breakdown from CrowdStrike released Friday explains more about what happened and why so many systems were affected all at once.CrowdStrike's breakdown explains the configuration file that was at the heart of the issue:
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6P5F0)
Would you confront Ganondorf 10 times over to acquire such a relic? | Image: Nintendo It's a good time to be a Legend of Zelda fan. A live-action film based on the franchise is currently in development, for one, and Nintendo recently announced that the next mainline game in the series, Echoes of Wisdom, will launch on the Nintendo Switch later this year.To mark the occasion, Nintendo plans to launch a Hyrule Edition" Switch Lite, which is now up for preorder at Best Buy, GameStop, and Target for $209.99 ahead of its September 26th release date. You'll still have to purchase Echoes of Wisdom separately, but the special-edition console does include a 12-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (a $49.99 value) as a bonus.The console comes dipped in a golden hue with black trim - an iconic... Continue reading...
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by Ash Parrish on (#6PBZ6)
Image: Capcom Despite its confusing trailers, Kunitsu-Gami is a highly stylized and pleasantly challenging maiden defense' game. Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6PBXR)
A worker sealing drums of uranium yellowcake at a mine in 2006. | Photo: Getty Images Next-generation nuclear reactors are heating up a debate over whether their fuel could be used to make bombs, jeopardizing efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.Uranium in the fuel could theoretically be used to develop a nuclear weapon. Older reactors use such low concentrations that they don't really pose a weapons proliferation threat. But advanced reactors would use higher concentrations, making them a potential target of terrorist groups or other countries wanting to take the fuel to develop their own nuclear weapons, some experts warn.They argue that the US hasn't prepared enough to hedge against that worst-case scenario and are calling on Congress and the Department of Energy to assess potential security risks... Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6PBXS)
The DC-1 is very much an outdoor tablet in a world filled with indoor tablets. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge So far, this thing doesn't seem like a very impressive tablet. But Daylight is more a display company than a tablet company - and the display is pretty great. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PBVW)
Image: Happiest Baby The Snoo, a very expensive but widely regarded smart bassinet, now has some of the best features of its app locked behind a new $19.99 monthly premium subscription. The change, which went into effect this week, has infuriated many Snoo owners, as the subscription puts some previously free features that new parents rely on behind a pricey paywall.A bunch of threads in the Snoo subreddit have exploded with complaints since the plan was announced last month. Wild choice," wrote one user. It's actually disgusting to take advantage of parents who are just trying to get their kids to sleep and already paying a large sum for the pleasure of something that a) may not work, b) can only be used for a short period before becoming useless, c)... Continue reading...
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by Thomas Ricker on (#6PBRP)
A new approach to power stations that does more than fast-charge (select) DJI drones. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PBN0)
Image: Bethesda Game Studios More than 200 developers at Bethesda Game Studios, the studio behind hit franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, have unionized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). 241 workers, including artists, engineers, programmers and designers," have signed union authorization cards or indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal," according to a CWA press release.Microsoft has recognized the union, the CWA says; the company has already recognized unions formed by Activision QA workers and ZeniMax Studios QA workers. The CWA describes this as the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio," meaning that all eligible job titles will be represented by the CWA instead of just one type of... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6PBKH)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Police in the UK have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with last year's cyberattack on MGM Resorts, as reported by the BBC and 404 Media. With the help of the FBI and the UK's National Crime Agency, the West Midlands Police took the teen into custody on Friday on suspicion of violating the UK's laws on hacking and blackmail.The West Midlands Police say the suspect has been released on bail while the department investigates. It will also perform a forensic examination on a number of digital devices" recovered from the teen's address in Walsall, England.
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PBHP)
The wheel features a handcrafted carbon fiber shell keeping it rigid but lightweight. | Image: Sim-Lab Sim-Lab has just released a new $2,499 steering wheel it claims is an authentic as possible" replica of the wheels Lewis Hamilton uses while driving the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team's race cars. It's a lovely piece of hardware to just stare at but a reminder that getting really into simulators can be dangerous for your budget.If that price tag has your jaw on the floor, don't bother picking it up. You can't just plug the steering wheel into your PC and hit the simulated streets of Montreal. It needs to be attached to a wheelbase, which translates the steering wheel's turning motions and button inputs to a racing game while also providing force feedback. Those can also set you back several thousand dollars, and one isn't... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PBHQ)
Photo: Getty Images Ryan Selkis, the cofounder and CEO of the crypto research platform Messari, is stepping down from his position in the aftermath of a social media tirade following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.Selkis, an outspoken Trump supporter who attended David Sacks' sold-out fundraiser for him in June, said on X that Trump's detractors should die in a fire," claimed the shooting was a deep state plot orchestrated by Democrats, and called for the deportation of a US green card holder who disagreed with his posts. I hope we send you back," he said in an exchange captured by CoinDesk. You are protected by constitutional rights, but you are not entitled to citizenship. I hope it stays that... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PBHR)
Image: Meta Meta is rolling out a revamped version of its Quest mobile app that links it more closely with its 3D social platform Horizon Worlds. The app, now called Meta Horizon, comes with a new tab that lets you complete quests from your phone and customize your avatar.You can also use the app to explore and join new worlds, as well as connect with friends in Horizon Worlds, which launched on mobile and the web last September. Meta says the update won't take away any features in the existing app, and you can still use it to set up your Quest headsets and browse the library of apps in the Meta Horizon Store.Another small update coming to the Meta Horizon app is the addition of light mode, allowing you to easily swap between light and dark... Continue reading...
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by William Joel on (#6PBFK)
Blue Screens of Death in Indira Gandhi International Airport. | Photo by Kabir Jhangiani / NurPhoto via Getty Images Photos of a world seeing blue due to the massive outage affecting Microsoft Windows systems on Friday. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PBFM)
Photo: Getty Images Twitch has reinstated former President Donald Trump's account after indefinitely" suspending him following the January 6th, 2021, attacks on the US Capitol.We reinstated former President Trump's Twitch channel," a Twitch spokesperson, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, says in a statement. We believe there is value in hearing from Presidential nominees directly, when possible. Trump is now the official Republican nominee for US president." (Trump accepted the GOP nomination for president Thursday night.)We continue to enforce our Community Guidelines and take necessary enforcement action when we identify violations of our rules," says the spokesperson. Twitch doesn't have a public figure policy,' meaning all... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PBFN)
The Xiaomi Mix Flip features a 4.01-inch cover screen. | Image: Xiaomi Xiaomi has announced two new folding phones for the Chinese market. The upgraded Mix Fold 4, which introduces water resistance for the first time, and the Mix Flip, the company's first flip phone foldable featuring a 4.01-inch cover screen surrounded by a nearly non-existent bezel. Image: Xiaomi The Xiaomi Mix Flip features a 4.01-inch external display and can be used to make calls without being opened. Xiaomi claims the new Mix Flip has the largest external display on a flip-style folding smartphone. At 4.01 inches in size, it's just slightly larger than the four-inch screen on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 but much bigger than the 3.4-inch external screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.The Mix Flip's 120Hz... Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6PBFP)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos via Getty Images It's only been a couple of weeks since the Supreme Court issued its opinion on a pair of social media cases this term, but it's already making a splash in arguments over other tech laws being challenged by the industry.Lawyers and judges for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California repeatedly referenced the Supreme Court's opinion in Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton during oral arguments in two different cases on Wednesday. The cases before the Ninth Circuit, NetChoice v. Bonta and X v. Bonta, concern two different California laws regarding kids online safety and tech company disclosures (Rob Bonta is California's attorney general, charged with enforcing the laws).The arguments gave an early look into how the SCOTUS... Continue reading...
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6PBFQ)
Amazon Prime Day may be over, but some of the better deals - including those on Beats Fit Pro - are still kicking. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge I don't know about you, but I can't get on board with the AirPods Pro's tailpipe design. If I'd participated in The Verge's summer in / out list, they'd go firmly in the out" column. But the Beats Fit Pro are a great alternative that you can often find on sale for significantly less, especially around events like Prime Day. Right now, for instance, Beats' gym-friendly earbuds are matching their all-time low of $149.95 ($50 off) at Best Buy, Target, and Amazon (for Prime members).What's most appealing to me about the Beats Fit Pro are the fins that help the earbuds stay lodged in your ears - I personally can't get the AirPods Pro to stay put in my canyon-sized canals, even when I'm stationary. Beats' last-gen earbuds are also rated... Continue reading...
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by Kylie Robison on (#6PBCR)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images Have you seen the memes online where someone tells a bot to ignore all previous instructions" and proceeds to break it in the funniest ways possible?The way it works goes something like this: Imagine we at The Verge created an AI bot with explicit instructions to direct you to our excellent reporting on any subject. If you were to ask it about what's going on at Sticker Mule, our dutiful chatbot would respond with a link to our reporting. Now, if you wanted to be a rascal, you could tell our chatbot to forget all previous instructions," which would mean the original instructions we created for it to serve you The Verge's reporting would no longer work. Then, if you ask it to print a poem about printers, it would do that for you... Continue reading...
by Ash Parrish on (#6PBCS)
Photo: Stephanie Lindgren Evo 2024 starts Friday, July 19th, kicking off a weekend full of one of the most intense fighting game competitions in the world. This year, over 10,000 players will participate in a host of games, making this the largest Evo ever while also setting the record for the largest esports tournament.Evo has been getting bigger and bigger, with participation bolstered by the release of new versions of the tournament's most popular games. Street Fighter 6 made its Evo debut last year and boasted the largest number of entrants in the franchise's history. This year, both Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 will make their first Evo appearances. In addition to those heavy hitters, Evo 2024's other featured games include Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PBCT)
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge The FBI used an unreleased tool from the Israeli mobile forensics company Cellebrite to unlock the Trump rally shooter's phone - and opened it in less than an hour, according to reports from Bloomberg and The Washington Post.Investigators at the FBI's Pittsburgh field office first tried to open Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone with a Cellebrite tool but weren't able to break into it. The phone was sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, on Sunday, where agents called Cellebrite's federal team, people familiar with the investigation told Bloomberg. Cellebrite sent the FBI an unreleased tool that's still in development, which was able to unlock Crooks' phone in 40 minutes.The Verge has reached out to Cellebrite for comment. The FBI... Continue reading...
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Mark Zuckerberg says Trump’s fist pump was ‘one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life’
by Mia Sato on (#6PBCV)
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Just days after former President Donald Trump vowed to send Mark Zuckerberg to prison for long periods of time," the CEO of Meta is returning the favor - by complimenting Trump.In an interview with Bloomberg that's set to air on Tuesday, Zuckerberg was asked about what's at stake in the upcoming US presidential election. Zuckerberg first spoke about how Meta is focusing less on politics across its platforms by allowing users to tweak their settings to see less political content and recommending less content of that kind to users. Zuckerberg also says he will not personally endorse" either President Joe Biden or Trump - before offering, unprompted, his take on the Trump rally shooting.Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in... Continue reading...
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by Joanna Nelius on (#6PBCW)
AMD touts its new Ryzen AI chips, aka Strix Point, on stage. | Image: Paul Sakuma for AMD 2024 will go down in tech history as the year Microsoft was finally able to make Windows laptops into serious competitors to the MacBook. So far, that's thanks to Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chips, which switched to a homogeneous chip architecture, increased clock speeds, and caught up to Apple's speedy and power-efficient processors. But now, AMD says it has chips that can take on the MacBook, too - and keep the company's processors in the mix.Last week, AMD held a two-day event in Los Angeles to reveal in-depth information about its new Strix Point Ryzen AI chips built on its brand-new Zen 5 architecture. Zen 5 is supposed to be a major leap from AMD's last-gen chip architecture, delivering more instructions per clock cycle and higher... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PBCX)
Image: Channel 4 / Talkback Thames Have you turned it off and on again? That familiar refrain from IT departments and The IT Crowd is being echoed by Microsoft today as a recommended way of fixing the faulty CrowdStrike update that has taken down thousands of Windows PCs and servers today.In a support note on Microsoft's Azure outage page, the company says it has heard from customers that rebooting virtual machines and PCs multiple times can help. We have received feedback from customers that several reboots (as many as 15 have been reported) may be required, but overall feedback is that reboots are an effective troubleshooting step at this stage," says Microsoft.If rebooting a machine 15 times doesn't do the trick, Microsoft recommends the workaround that many IT... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PBCY)
Image: Adrienn Szabo / Paramount Plus Paramount has canceled its live-action Halo series for Paramount Plus, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. But if you're a fan of the show and want to see it continue, there's a sliver of hope: both publications report that the show's producers are shopping the series around, so perhaps there will be a third season.The Halo show premiered in 2022 and ran for two seasons, with the second debuting earlier this year. Pablo Schreiber starred as Master Chief.We are extremely proud of this ambitious series and would like to thank our partners at Xbox, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, along with showrunner and executive producer David Wiener, his fellow executive producers, the entire cast led by Pablo Schreiber as Master... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6PBA2)
Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images Look, in the grand scheme of the global outage that's wreaking havoc across airlines, banks, supermarkets, TV stations, and countless businesses, being unable to order a Trenta iced coffee from Starbucks with my smartphone is a minor inconvenience. But you can add the company's mobile ordering system to the list of casualties from this CrowdStrike BSOD situation.
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by Emma Roth on (#6PBA3)
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge On Friday morning, some of the biggest airlines, TV broadcasters, banks, and other essential services came to a standstill as a massive outage rippled across the globe. The outage, which has brought the Blue Screen of Death upon legions of Windows machines across the globe, is linked to just one software company: CrowdStrike.CrowdStrike plays an important role in helping companies find and prevent security breaches, billing itself as having the fastest mean time" to detect threats. Since its launch in 2011, the Texas-based company has helped investigate major cyberattacks, such as the Sony Pictures hack in 2014, as well as the Russian cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee in 2015 and 2016. As of Thursday evening,... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6PB6N)
Image: The Verge A Trump2024" banner labeled Promoted by Team Trump" sat atop the What's Happening summary on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, during the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention on Thursday.While the #Trump2024 hashtag temporarily showed the American flag, and clicking it caused an animated hashfetti" effect with flags raining down, it was the icon attached to the number one trending #MAGA topic that caught our eyes. Image: X.com The Trump hashmoji" attached to #MAGA. It temporarily featured a low-res version of a now-famous image showing Trump with his fist raised while being lifted to his feet by Secret Service agents following an assassination attempt during his campaign... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PB6Q)
Photo by Anthony Kwan / Getty Images IT admins around the world are scrambling to fix a major issue with Windows computers today after a faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike knocked thousands of PCs and servers offline with a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. While CrowdStrike has fixed the update that originally caused the problems, many systems are still offline, with banks, airlines, supermarkets, and TV broadcasters struggling to cope without their machines.The fix, for many, won't be easy. IT admins are still trying to use an initial workaround provided by CrowdStrike, which involves booting Windows systems into Safe Mode and deleting a system file:
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by Victoria Song on (#6PB6R)
The report didn't mention Ventura, which is rumored to be a more affordable headset slated for 2024. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge Despite recent layoffs in its Reality Labs division, Meta is still barreling ahead with plans for a Quest 4 in 2026 and a higher-end headset in 2027, The Information reports.While the report didn't reveal much about hardware, this is the first time we've heard about specific timelines for the devices. The Quest 4 will purportedly have a standard and premium version, referred to internally as Pismo Low" and Pismo High." Meanwhile, a higher-end version codenamed La Jolla" is set for 2027 and is meant to compete with the Apple Vision Pro. Unmentioned in the report is Ventura, a more affordable headset that The Verge previously reported may come out later this year.Aside from Quest headsets, Meta is also expected to launch a pair of AR... Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6PB6S)
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge In 2024, it's always gadget season. But in these hot mid-July weeks, after splashy announcements from Samsung and Motorola and before we see what's coming from Google and Apple, it's officially Weird Gadget Season.On this episode of The Vergecast, we dive into the many weird gadgets that surfaced this week: an iPod-y Apple Watch accessory, an AI-powered Canon camera, the extremely tall Essential phone that never made it to market, and more. We talk about them all, always asking the important question: is this anything?But before we get to the weird gadgets, we go through some of the big news of the week. After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the current state of social media content moderation has revealed itself... and... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PB6T)
Photo by Jack Taylor / Getty Images Thousands of flights were temporarily grounded Friday after a major global IT outage caused airline computers to become inoperable. Some flights were resuming Friday morning, but airlines were warning customers of delays and disruptions throughout the day.The outage apparently stemmed from a software update issued by major US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which is widely used by businesses for managing security on Windows PCs - including by most major airlines.Long lines were being reported at dozens of airports, including Hong Kong, Berlin, Amsterdam, Denver, and Manchester, according to The New York Times. Departure areas were filling up with distressed travelers as check-out computers were offline.A TikTok from Atlanta's... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB6V)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung has temporarily stopped shipping its new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to retailers following complaints about quality control. Early customers who received the wireless earbuds ahead of their wider July 24th release reported that the ear tips were fragile and prone to breaking when removed.The pause was confirmed in a statement to Android Authority, in which Samsung said it had temporarily suspended deliveries of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices to distribution channels" to conduct quality control assessments before the product is delivered to customers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," the company said, directing customers who had already received the earbuds to contact Samsung support or visit their nearest... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB4N)
Google is cracking down on functionally useless Android apps. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is raising its minimum quality requirements for Android apps, and will soon remove those that don't meet expectations from the Play Store. According to the company's latest spam policy update, apps that demonstrate limited functionality and content" - such as text only apps, single wallpaper apps, or those that are literally designed to do nothing at all - will no longer be permitted on the Play Store effective August 31st.These join existing restrictions that barred broken apps that are not responsive, don't install, crash, or otherwise function abnormally. Google says it's added the additional requirements to ensure apps can meet the uplifted standards for the Play catalog and engage users through quality functionality."G... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB2G)
Illustration: The Verge If you ever used Google's URL shortening service goo.gl before it was shut down in 2019, be warned - those links will stop working on August 25th, 2025. Google announced in a blog post that the time has come to turn off the serving portion of Google URL Shortener," and that any links in the https://goo.gl/* format will respond with a 404 error next year.Ahead of the shutdown, goo.gl links will start showing an interstitial page on August 23rd, 2024, notifying users that this link will no longer work in the near future." This message will initially appear for a percentage of existing links'' which will increase as the deadline draws closer. Google is encouraging developers to update impacted links as soon as possible, however, as this... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PB0P)
Image: Microsoft Thousands of Windows machines are experiencing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue at boot today, impacting banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, supermarkets, and many more businesses worldwide. A faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike is knocking affected PCs and servers offline, forcing them into a recovery boot loop so machines can't start properly. CrowdStrike is widely used by many businesses worldwide for managing the security of Windows PCs and servers.Australian banks, airlines, and TV broadcasters first raised the alarm as thousands of machines started to go offline. The issues spread fast as businesses based in Europe started their work day. UK broadcaster Sky News was unable to broadcast its morning news bulletins... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PAVF)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has blasted Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass price increases in a filing to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Microsoft revealed last week that it's increasing PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate prices, and planning to launch a new Game Pass Standard tier soon without day one access to first-party Xbox games.The FTC calls this new Game Pass Standard tier a degraded product," because new Game Pass users won't be able to sign up to the $10.99 Game Pass for Console, which includes day one game access. Instead, Xbox Game Pass Standard will be priced at $14.99 and won't include day one games, but will include online multiplayer.Microsoft's price increases and product degradation - combined... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAT9)
Image: The Verge A widespread Xbox Live outage lasting several hours has now been resolved. The issue prevented players from signing into their accounts and downloading or playing online games. Users should once again be able to sign in, matchmake and complete purchases," Xbox Support said on X at 11.24PM ET. Thank you for sticking with us!"Xbox had earlier confirmed there was a major" Xbox Live outage on its status page as of 6:57PM ET, warning players they may experience issues with signing into their user profiles, or being disconnected. At 8:20PM ET, Xbox also said the outage was affecting Xbox Store and subscriptions. You may not be able to buy games to own right now," according to a status message.For players who could sign into their... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PATA)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Google has bought itself the title of official AI sponsor for Team USA," and when the 2024 Olympics broadcast starts on July 26th, you will be reminded of that frequently. NBCUniversal's partnership with Google will put many of the company's AI-powered features front and center during the event.The broadcast will include Google Maps' 3D views of venues like the Versailles, Stade Roland Garros, and the Aquatics Centre, as well as tidbits about what events will occur at each location. The imagery pulls from the Immersive Views added to Maps over the last few years that represent certain landmarks and areas of interest with photorealistic models. Image: Google Image: Google As part of the... Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6PATB)
Photo by Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission wants to standardize the amount of time consumers have to wait to unlock their cell phones to be able to switch carriers.The agency voted unanimously on Thursday to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to make mobile service providers unlock customers' phones within 60 days of activation. The proposal is at an early stage - the notice of proposed rulemaking begins a public comment period before a lengthy process of drafting and revising the rule - but the FCC hopes it will boost consumer choice and competition among mobile service providers.The commissioners are seeking comment on whether the proposed rule should apply to existing or future service contracts and how it could impact smaller... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6PARK)
Image: Google Just hours after revealing the Pixel 9 Pro, Google is showing off the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with a brief, Gemini-linked teaser video. As is standard for Pixel phones, the devices have been leaked all over the internet already, but at least now we can end speculation about the look or name of Google's next foldable Android phone.Google's teaser video clearly shows double-stacked lenses for the rear camera module as well as the outside screen and hinge. Image: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold For confirmation of other specs and details about upgrades from the first Fold, we may have to wait for Google's hardware event on August 13th. There, we'll see this phone, the 9 Pro, the Pixel Watch 3, and whatever else is left.Y... Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6PARM)
A painted woolly bat, or Kerivoula picta, roosts under a leaf in Indonesia. | Image: Abu Hamas / iNaturalist via UC Davis Scientists are sounding the alarm about taxidermied bats commonly sold online in frames, jars, coffins, jewelry, and more. It's a wild animal trade that has flown under the radar and that poses risks to the bats and potentially to the people who handle them, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research.While bats of all kinds are showing up for sale online, the study homes in on one particularly appealing species - Kerivoula picta, also called the painted woolly bat. They're bright orange critters with striking black and orange wings. Their natural vibrancy might be what makes them in demand for Halloween decorations. The term goth" also popped up in almost 15 percent of Kerivoula picta listings... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6PARN)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge With Netflix raking in 8 million more global subscribers over the past few months, the streamer is turning its attention to its ad-supported plan - and for good reason. The budget-friendly tier now accounts for over 45 percent of all new signups in markets where ads are available, according to its second quarter earnings report results released on Thursday.As part of its efforts to nudge subscribers to its ad plan, Netflix started phasing out its cheapest commercial-free plan for existing subscribers in Canada and the UK earlier this month. It plans on discontinuing the plan in the US and France next. Netflix has also started testing pause ads, which appear on your screen whenever you stop what you're watching.Our ad revenue is... Continue reading...
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by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6PAP3)
Photo: Disney / Lucasfilm Season 1 of The Acolyte was a master class in deepening Star Wars' lore rather than just playing into its nostalgic past. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAP4)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Figma recently pulled its Make Designs" generative AI tool after a user discovered that asking it to design a weather app would spit out something suspiciously similar to Apple's weather app - a result that could, among other things, land a user in legal trouble. This also suggested that Figma may have trained the feature on Apple's designs, and while CEO Dylan Field was quick to say that the company didn't train the tool on Figma content or app designs, the company has now released a full statement in a company blog post.The statement says that Figma carefully reviewed" Make Designs' underlying design systems during development and as part of a private beta. But in the week leading up to Config, new components and example screens... Continue reading...
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