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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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The Verge - All Posts
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
| Feed | http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml |
| Updated | 2024-11-23 14:30 |
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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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by Emma Roth on (#6PAKC)
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Intel, and other big names in AI are coming together to form the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI), according to an announcement on Thursday. The initiative aims to address a fragmented landscape of AI security" by providing access to open-source methodologies, frameworks, and tools.We don't know how much of an impact CoSAI will have on the AI industry, but concerns about leaking confidential information and automated discrimination come to mind as examples of questions about the security, privacy, and safety of generative AI technology.Other companies joining CoSAI include IBM, PayPal, Cisco, and Anthropic. CoSAI will exist within the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAKD)
Initially available in silver, the Fiio DM13 will eventually be released in four additional colors. | Image: Fiio It's time to dig out those CD binders you refused to part with. Fiio, a Chinese audio gear maker, is releasing a $179 portable CD player in September that brings with it modern upgrades the Sony Discman never had - including support for the wireless headphones that didn't exist in the Discman's heyday.Following vinyl's resurgence in popularity, demand for audio cassettes and compact discs has increased in recent years. At CES 2024, Fiio debuted the CP13, an upgraded portable cassette player inspired by the iconic Sony Walkman. Half a year later, the Fiio DM13 gives portable CD players a similarly modern facelift. Image: Fiio The portable CD player will have a rechargeable battery good for eight hours of playback.... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PAKE)
The new Boost Mobile logo has the Infinite part included. | Image: Boost Mobile Boost Mobile, the historically MVNO wireless carrier acquired by Disk Network (which rejoined EchoStar), has relaunched as an umbrella company that now includes Boost Infinite and combines all its pre- and post-paid services. Along with the rebranding, Boost Mobile is offering new deals, including an affordable $25 per month option with 5G speeds.The key part of the $25 per month deal is that customers can get that price (with automatic payments) with only a single line, while other carriers usually require you to sign up for multiple lines to get to a lower price per line. For instance, Verizon's Total Wireless recently launched a $30 per line per month offer, but you must have four lines to get the low price. Image:... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PAKF)
Image: Apple Apple is launching new immersive" video content for the Vision Pro over the next few months, including one from The Weeknd, a close-up view of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, and the first scripted short film captured in Apple Immersive Video." The new series and film will come exclusively to the Vision Pro, allowing wearers to watch 3D video with a 180-degree field of view.The immersive performance from The Weeknd will arrive on the Vision Pro later this year, while you can expect a short film featuring events from the NBA All-Star Game this fall, such as the Rising Stars Challenge, the slam dunk contest, and the All-Star Game.But if you're hoping to jump into an immersive experience sooner, you can catch Boundless, which Apple... Continue reading...
by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6PAGP)
Image: Amazon The Boys has always reveled in its lampooning of the US's fraught political landscape, but following the recent Trump rally shooting, Amazon has retitled the show's season 4 finale and added a new disclaimer stating that the show is not meant to be a reflection of reality.Though Assassination Run" was the original title of The Boys' newest episode (which dropped today), it is now listed as Season Four Finale" and opens with a warning explaining that the episode contains scenes of fictional political violence" whose similarities to recent real-world events are completely coincidental and unintentional."Given The Boys' track record of presenting many of its characters as analogues for actual political figures, Amazon's move to... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PAGQ)
Image: The Verge FBI officials told Congress on Wednesday that the 20-year-old who shot at former President Donald Trump may have posted a warning on Steam before the attack - but CNN is now reporting that investigators think the account is fake.
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAGR)
Image: Google Google has revealed the Pixel 9 Pro following a series of leaks that revealed the phone in great detail, including hands-on videos and comparisons to other recent devices. The company plans to show off more about the Pixel 9 lineup as well as its other upcoming devices, with an event at Google HQ in California on August 13th.In a video, the company showed a brief look at the Pixel 9 Pro and teased that AI and Gemini will be a big part of the device. You can also already sign up for information about the Pixel 9 Pro from Google's online store, which has another image of the phone. Image: Google Recent regulatory filings and other leaks indicate that Google is planning to launch four phones soon: the Pixel 9, the... Continue reading...
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by Mia Sato on (#6PAGS)
Image: Instagram Instagram Notes - a temporary away status-like feature - is expanding, the company announced today.Users will now be able to leave Notes on Reels and grid posts, where their comments will float on top of the content in little bubbles. Like Notes, these comments are temporary - they'll disappear after three days unless you delete them earlier. The new temporary comments are also semiprivate, and users can tailor who's able to see their comment: either your curated list of close friends or followers you follow back. Based on screenshots, it also appears as though users can tag each other in Notes on Reels and posts. They're basically hidden comments for a smaller audience.When users encounter Reels and posts with Notes from friends,... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Webster on (#6PAGT)
Image: HBO HBO's Dune prequel series now has a premiere date - or month, at least. The upcoming show, called Dune: Prophecy, will hit both HBO and Max in November. The HBO Original also got a fresh teaser, which makes it look like the six-episode-long show will be filled with plenty of political maneuvering.That makes a lot of sense given that Prophecy follows the origins of the clandestine Bene Gesserit sect, which went on to shape much of the galaxy in the Dune universe. The show is set 10,000 years before Dune and its sequel. HBO says the series is inspired" by the novel Sisterhood of Dune from 2012, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Alison Schapker - best known for working on shows like Lost, Fringe, and Alias - is serving as... Continue reading...
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by Kylie Robison on (#6PAGV)
Image: The Verge OpenAI is releasing a lighter, cheaper model for developers to tinker with called GPT-4o Mini. It costs significantly less than full-sized models and is said to be more capable than GPT-3.5.Building apps using OpenAI's models can rack up a huge bill. Developers without the means to afford to tinker with it can get priced out of it entirely and may opt for cheaper models like Google's Gemini 1.5 Flash or Anthropic's Claude 3 Haiku. Now, OpenAI is entering the light model game.I think GPT-4o Mini really gets at the OpenAI mission of making AI more broadly accessible to people. If we want AI to benefit every corner of the world, every industry, every application, we have to make AI much more affordable," Olivier Godement, who leads the... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAD6)
The 65-inch version of the CanvasTV is now available, while a 55-inch version will arrive later this summer. | Image: Hisense Hisense's CanvasTV, a matte screen television designed to blend into your home decor as a piece of artwork when you're not watching TV, is now available in a 65-inch model for $1,299.99. A smaller 55-inch version, expected to sell for $999, is still en route for later this summer.First announced in May, the CanvasTV wraps a 4K, 144Hz QLED anti-glare screen in a wooden teak frame to give it the appearance of framed artwork. If that doesn't match the decor of a room, walnut and all-white frames are also available but sold separately. An Art Mode" cycles through a preloaded collection of paintings in Renaissance, modern, and abstract styles, but users can display their own art and photographs. When no one's around to look, a motion sensor... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PAD7)
Image: 1047 Games Splitgate isn't dead yet. On Thursday, developer 1047 Games revealed a cinematic trailer for Splitgate 2, a revamped version of the free-to-play multiplayer shooter, which uses the same portal mechanic that made the game so fun the first time around.When Splitgate 2 launches in 2025, it will come with some notable upgrades. The developers say they've rebuilt everything from the ground up" in Unreal Engine 5 and also added a new faction-based system. There will be familiar elements, but on the whole, Splitgate 2 should look and feel completely fresh from the original," 1047 Games says.Commonly referred to as Halo with portals," Splitgate became a breakout hit when it launched in 2021, racking up 10 million downloads in less than 30... Continue reading...
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by Nilay Patel on (#6PAD8)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge This week on Decoder, I talked to author Matthew Ball, who was last on the show in 2022 to discuss his book The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything." It's 2024, and it's safe to say that has not happened yet. But Matt's still on the case - in fact, he just performed an almost complete update of the book, now with the much more sober title, Building the Spatial Internet." It's out next week on Tuesday, July 23rd.Matt and I talked a lot about where the previous metaverse hype cycle landed us and what there is to learn from these boom and bust waves in technology. We also talked about the Apple Vision Pro as a marker or symbol of where the metaverse is now and where it has to go. If you read or watched my review when it... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAAE)
Nintendo now offers its own Joy-Con charger. | Image: Nintendo Europe Nintendo has announced its own standalone charger for the Switch's Joy-Con controllers arriving on October 17th. It's an accessory that many Switch gamers would have welcomed seven years ago when the handheld launched, and while third parties have long offered alternatives, Nintendo's arrives with some extra flexibility.Unlike most wireless controllers that can be charged with a USB-C cable, the Nintendo Joy-Con, as well as the company's retro wireless NES and Famicom gamepads, can only charge when attached to the Switch. A separate charger makes it easier to keep more than two Joy-Con controllers powered up, so it's an odd move for the company to release an accessory like this as the original Switch's lifecycle winds down and its... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PAAF)
Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon's discount extravaganza might technically be over, but if you still have cash to spare, these leftover deals are worth a second look. Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PAAG)
Image: Voicemod Popular voice changing software Voicemod is finally going to work with game consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. While Voicemod has been available as an app on Windows PCs for more than five years, platform limitations have forced Voicemod to create dedicated hardware to bring its popular voice changer and soundboard to game consoles.Voicemod Key is a tiny USB-C dongle that turns your regular gaming headset and mobile phone into a voice changer and soundboard for game consoles, phones, and tablets. The original idea was from the community, we found it on YouTube," explains Voicemod chief operating officer Jochen Doppelhammer in an interview with The Verge.Voicemod can't build an app for Xbox or PlayStation, so... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PAAH)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta says it won't be launching its upcoming multimodal AI model - capable of handling video, audio, images, and text - in the European Union, citing regulatory concerns. The decision will prevent European companies from using the multimodal model, despite it being released under an open license.We will release a multimodal Llama model over the coming months, but not in the EU due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment," Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin said to The Verge.Just last week, the EU finalized compliance deadlines for AI companies under its strict new AI Act. Tech companies operating in the EU will generally have until August 2026 to comply with rules around copyright, transparency, and AI uses... Continue reading...
by Tauriq Moosa on (#6PAAJ)
Image: Kepler Interactive It has some clever ideas but struggles with a lack of polish and repetitive gameplay. Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PA69)
Image: Lilium Lilium, an electric aviation company based in Germany, says it has secured a binding sales agreement for up to 100 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with Saudia Group, which operates the largest airline carrier in Saudi Arabia and is wholly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The agreement is a firm order" for 50 Lilium jets, with an option to purchase up to 50 more, the company said. The deal follows a 2022 memorandum of understanding between Lilium and Saudia to explore ways in which battery-powered multi-rotor aircraft can address the region's transportation challenges.The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it has the potential to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lilium has said it will sell... Continue reading...
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6P9BM)
Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon's annual sales event might be drawing to a close, but there are still plenty of earbuds, TVs, robot vacuums, and other gems available. Continue reading...
by Chris Welch on (#6PA1H)
Image: Dyson With replaceable ear cushions and outer caps, there are over 2,000 ways to customize these $500 noise-canceling headphones - without the Bane mask this time. Continue reading...
by Brandon Widder on (#6P8FP)
Tribit's StormBox Micro 2 speaker makes for a great bike companion, especially at $42.99. | Image: Tribit Amazon Prime Day marches onward, and while there continues to be an abundance of deals spanning all price points and categories, most of them will cease to exist once the clock strikes midnight tonight. And while many of the steepest discounts in the world of tech are still reserved for premium headphones and TVs, there are still plenty of budget-friendly gadgets and gizmos on sale for those looking to pick up cheap(er) basics, fitness bands, or one of several AAA games for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X / S, or PlayStation 5.The bulk of the sub-$50 highlights below are currently exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers, though, in some instances, retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart are matching Amazon's pricing. That means,... Continue reading...
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by Barbara Krasnoff on (#6P9VJ)
Image: NuPhy What you have on your desk and in your workspace at home can reveal a lot about you: how you work, what you like to distract yourself with, what kind of toys and other tchotchkes you like to have around you. That is why we have the What's On Your Desk? series, where we look at how some of our coworkers organize their spaces. It gives us - and you, our readers - a glimpse into the personality of the folks here.Out of curiosity, we took a look at some of our past articles to see if any of the devices that our staff use in their day-to-day work have surfaced during Amazon's Prime Day sale. Despite the fact the sale is nearly over, we still managed to find quite a few.Here they are, along with any comments that the folks that use them had... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6P8K8)
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Everyone loves cheap stuff that's actually good to use or invaluably helpful in your day to day. While Amazon Prime Day offers a deluge of deals on no-name tchotchkes and knockoffs (many of which have inflated, bot-fueled review scores), it does have its fair share of inexpensive hidden gems that are actually worth your money.We know not everyone is shopping for big multihundred- or thousand-dollar tech every time a deal comes around, so we're always on the lookout for sales that fit into more modest budgets like sub-$100 and sub-$50.Here, we're rounding up our top picks for Prime Day that are just 25 bucks or less. Some of them may be ho-hum essentials like a USB-C charging cable, but you may be surprised what kind of tech you can... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6P89A)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge I don't know how people wear headphones in the summer heat. I'm strictly in earbuds mode when the temperatures climb this high. But no matter your preference, Amazon Prime Day is a great opportunity to upgrade your aging gear (and declining battery life) with the latest and greatest from Bose, Samsung, Sony, and plenty of other brands.For Prime Day 2024, expect plenty of deals that'll have you considering an impulse purchase. Many of our favorite earbud and headphone picks are on sale at some of their lowest prices yet - and those deals have extended into day two.Some products (like Apple's AirPods and AirPods Max) are due for a refresh in the coming months, but there's nothing wrong with picking up the current version - especially... Continue reading...
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by Allison Johnson on (#6P8C0)
The pricey Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is marked down to just under $1,000. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Thanks to Amazon's ongoing Prime Day sale, there's still time to save on a big smartphone upgrade. Many of the deals are set to expire tonight, but, we're still seeing some of the best prices of the year on phones and accessories. It's an especially good time to stock up on things like chargers, cables, and stands, but if you've been waiting for a good price on a Pixel phone or one of Motorola's new foldables, well, you're in luck.The best Prime Day Apple iPhone dealsThe best Prime Day Samsung Galaxy dealsThe best Prime Day Google Pixel dealsThe best Prime Day Motorola phone dealsBest Prime Day OnePlus phone dealsThe best Prime Day phone accessory deals
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6P8KA)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge What do the latest AirPods Pro, Meta Quest 3, and Dreame L20 Ultra all have in common? They're all on sale for Prime Day... for upward of $200. Thankfully, you can still score deals on terrific gadgets and goods without racking up credit debt or dipping into your savings account during Amazon's two-day sale. In fact, there's plenty of tech on sale for less than a Benjamin - even if Prime Day is set to end in just a few hours.Over the years, we gadget nerds at The Verge have tested all kinds of incredible stuff, some of which is currently on sale for less than $100. Current deals range from one of the best e-readers on the market to some of our favorite streaming devices, Fitbits, speakers, video doorbells, and video games. We could go... Continue reading...
by Joanna Nelius on (#6P8TD)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Searching for a good laptop deal on Amazon, even on Prime Day, can feel overwhelming, especially with all the styles, hardware options, brands, and display resolutions - how do you know you're getting a good deal on any of it?Below, we've rounded up the best deals we could find on clamshell laptops, convertibles, MacBooks, Chromebooks, and even some elusive sub-$1,000 gaming laptops. When choosing the best laptop deals, we considered everything from its hardware and port options to the year some options were actually released.There are some good options from major brands like Acer, Apple, and HP, and we found some great deals on monitors, keyboards, and mice, too.The best Amazon Prime Day deals for Windows laptops
by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6P8PX)
You can get a refurbished Xbox Series X for well under $400 today - if you don't mind buying refurbished. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge If you've worked hard this year, you deserve to play even harder, and you can do that on a modest budget with some of the Prime Day gaming deals available right now. Amazon's Prime Day 2024 sale runs through the end of today, July 17th, offering plenty of discounts on video games, controllers, headsets, storage, and other gear and accessories to level up your experience.We're seeing new all-time low prices on some of the top games that have been released over the past couple of years. There's a healthy assortment of titles to consider, whether you're playing on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox Series X / S. There's also quite a few deals for actual hardware, too - though no consoles apart from the Meta Quest 3 as of now.We'll... Continue reading...
by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6P9XP)
One of the best deals of Prime Day doesn't require a premium membership. It's funny how that works. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Short of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you probably won't find a better opportunity to save on an iPad than during Amazon Prime Day. Right now, for instance, the 10th-gen iPad with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage has dropped to an all-time low of $299 ($49 off) at Amazon and Best Buy - no membership required. The 256GB variant is also on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for a record low of $449 ($50 off), though some colors do require a Prime subscription at Amazon.Apple's latest entry-level iPad feels a bit more modern than the outgoing ninth-gen model, and with the current discount, it probably makes more sense to go for the newer kid on the block. Apple stretched the screen a bit to 10.9 inches and updated its design to make it look more akin... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6P9XQ)
Image: NASA/Daniel Rutter NASA isn't moving forward with its VIPER program - short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover - which aimed to put a rover on the far side of the Moon to search for water. On Wednesday, NASA cited cost increases and several delays as its reasons for canceling the project.VIPER was originally expected to launch at the end of 2023. However, NASA pushed the date to September 2025 due to supply chain and scheduling delays.Astrobotic, the same company behind the ill-fated Peregrine Moon lander, was supposed to launch the VIPER aboard its Griffin spacecraft. Despite VIPER's cancellation, Astrobotic will continue its contract with NASA to land the Griffin lander on the Moon without the rover no earlier than" fall 2025.
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by Tom Warren on (#6P9XR)
Illustration: The Verge Microsoft is integrating Nvidia's GeForce Now service into its store pages for Xbox games. The integration will allow you to pick between either Xbox Cloud Gaming or Nvidia's GeForce Now service when you view a game listing on the web.Currently, Microsoft only lists its own Xbox Cloud Gaming service under play with cloud gaming" on game listings, so it's surprising to see the company add Nvidia's GeForce Now service. At the time of publication, the new play with cloud" button isn't available just yet, so it's not clear whether this is simply a link to the main homepage of GeForce Now or whether this deep links and launches the game directly on Nvidia's cloud gaming service.
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6P8BY)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Conventional wisdom says that if you want the very lowest prices on a 4K TV, you wait until Black Friday / Cyber Monday in November, but Amazon's Prime Day can offer some solid discounts during the dog days of summer.And what you plug into your TV is just as important, especially since many modern TVs have terrible built-in audio that sounds tinny or leaves spoken dialogue difficult to hear and app interfaces that are slow and annoying to use. Thankfully, some of these shortcomings can be countered by a decent soundbar or a streaming device from the likes of Amazon, Roku, and others.If you're in the market right now for a big and flashy new TV, something modestly sized for a kitchen or bedroom, or some accessories that allow you to... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6P619)
The Kindle Scribe is down to an all-time low price. | Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales Amazon Prime Day 2024 has officially arrived. We've already published a detailed guide to the best Prime Day deals, but if you're just interested in Amazon devices, this is where you'll find the ones that are actually worthwhile. From Alexa-based Echo smart speakers to video doorbells, Amazon is discounting a wide range of gadgets, some of which are currently seeing their lowest prices to date.Of course, the main caveat here is that you'll have to be an active Amazon Prime member to take advantage of any and all Prime Day deals. Luckily, Amazon makes it pretty easy to sign up, especially since new members can take advantage of the exclusive discounts with a free 30-day trial.The best streaming device and TV deals
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6P9VG)
Until the end of July, you can save $12 on Nintendo's retro gamepads. | Image: Nintendo If you're looking for a more authentic way to set a new speedrunning record when Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition launches tomorrow, Nintendo's now offering a 20 percent discount on its wireless NES gamepads, bringing the price down from $59.99 to $47.99 for a pair of them.The promotion runs until July 31st, so you've got a few weeks to take advantage of the deal. However, the controllers are only available to those with a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership - and the free trial doesn't count. You'll need to log in with your Switch credentials to buy them through Nintendo's online store, and Nintendo is limiting sales to four sets of two NES controllers. Image: Nintendo The wireless NES gamepads... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6P8PW)
The latest iPad is down to an all-time low price. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Thanks to Amazon Prime Day, you don't need to wait until Black Friday this year to save big on Apple gadgets. Despite being an Amazon event, some of the best deals surprisingly include popular Apple products, ranging from the high-end latest AirPods Pro to the entry-level third-gen AirPods - both of which have new all-time low prices.It's not just AirPods that are receiving steep discounts, though, but also the Apple Watch Series 9, the latest iPad, and other excellent Apple devices. Below, we've rounded up the cream of the crop to make diving through the deals easier. If you're interested in deals outside of the Apple ecosystem, check out our main Prime Day roundup so you can save even more.The best AirPods deals
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by Victoria Song on (#6P8TB)
Now's a good time to cop last year's flagship models at a lower price. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Amazon Prime Day 2024 is here and, with it, a whole bunch of deals on Apple Watches, Android smartwatches, or even just a regular ol' fitness tracker. Fall product launches are right around the corner, but if you're on a budget, now is a great time to snag discounts on higher-quality materials and last year's premium devices.Wading through thousands of deals can be a pain, especially when you factor in the dozens of smartwatch models, sizes, colors, and materials. Never fear - we've already done that for you and compiled the best deals out there. (Just make sure you have a Prime membership to access them!) And when you're done checking out smartwatches and fitness trackers, you can head back to our main Prime Day deals page for more.A... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6P9VH)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Finding especially good deals on Amazon Prime Day can be challenging (trust me, I do it nonstop for our coverage), but the discount on the Bose SoundLink Flex is a standout one. For now, you can get the portable Bluetooth speaker in select colors for $99 ($50 off) at Amazon and direct from Bose or for $99.99 at Best Buy. Amazon gates the deal behind its Prime membership paywall, but anyone can buy from the other two retailers.This is the lowest price to date on the SoundLink Flex, which is our top pick of Bluetooth speakers under $200. Bose's colorful speaker has a small footprint, making it easy to throw in a bag and travel with, but it sounds like a much larger speaker. It's got a nice, bass-rich sound that doesn't cross into that's... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6P98Z)
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The Apple Watch often sees its fair share of limited-time discounts throughout the year, but Amazon's Prime Day offers a chance for someone to shop deals across most available models all at once.For this Prime Day, we're seeing some worthwhile sales across the range of the 2022 Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9, and even the pricey Apple Watch Ultra 2. Most of these require an Amazon Prime subscription, but Amazon's excellent $100 discount on the Ultra 2 does not.While most Apple Watches are pretty similar at their core (iOS notifications on your wrist, fitness tracking, health metrics, etc.), it's the extra features added or omitted from some models that often determine which is right for you - as well as your budget, of course.... Continue reading...
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6P8C3)
The Blink Video Doorbell is down to $30 for Prime Day. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Amazon's Prime Day 2024 runs from Tuesday, July 16th, through Wednesday, July 17th, and is an excellent way to stock up on smart home gear. I spent hours sifting through the best deals to bring you my picks for the best buys.Grab some serious bargains on robot vacuums, smart kitchen gadgets, and lots of smart plugs. Plus, smart lighting favorites Philips Hue and Lutron Caseta have some select savings on their popular products. Read on for all the latest deals, and be sure to check back, as I'll keep this updated throughout the sale.Best deals on Amazon Echo devices
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by Umar Shakir on (#6P9RT)
Didn't think we'd see this phone again. | Image: Essential Someone obtained Essential's unreleased smartphone that took the candy bar" style phone a bit too far. Originally revealed in 2019 as Project Gem," this PH-2 looks like what you'd get from splitting an already tall Sony Xperia 1 in half. It reminds me of memes that popped up about the slightly taller 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5, as people imagined what might happen if phones just kept getting taller instead of wider.Rob Wainwright, a software engineer who works on the Nova Launcher, says he bought the phone on eBay, and in his video, you can see the mostly operational PH-2 with card-style widgets for apps like Spotify and Uber, along with a smartwatch-style clock at the top.Why didn't it come out? The first Essential phone in... Continue reading...
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by The Verge Staff on (#6NZKP)
Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon Prime Day 2024 is here. The annual two-day super sale started July 16th and runs through July 17th, bringing with it a treasure trove of discounts, promos, and exclusive deals for Amazon Prime subscribers. It may not be the only Prime Day event we see this year - Amazon has recently taken to hosting a second shopping event in the fall - but it will likely remain one of the best opportunities of the year to score discounts on a range of tech outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.Like in previous years, we're highlighting the best deals on a variety of Verge-approved gadgets and gizmos, from the latest laptops and OLED TVs to robot vacuums that can leave your hardwood floors as spotless as your living room carpet. We're also... Continue reading...
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by Nilay Patel on (#6P9RV)
Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge My friends, it is Prime Day, and that means you can justify buying silly gadgets because they are even slightly on sale. This is what it means to be American.In my case, that gadget is the Neohipo ET30, a vintage-looking VU meter that swings its needles around when you listen to music. I have mine connected between my Sonos Amp and my speakers for maximum accuracy, but you don't need to do that: it has a built-in mic that makes the needles bounce if you're playing music through any old speaker in the same room. It also lights up in 34 colors. I am in love.I want to be clear: there is a scale printed on these meters, but it means literally nothing because you can adjust their sensitivity at will. They are just for show, and the show is... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6P9RW)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram will let a select group of researchers access its data to study how the platform affects the mental health of teens and young adults. The pilot program, launched in partnership with the Center for Open Science (COS), could produce independent studies that offer insight into the relationship between social media and a teen's well-being.Researchers will gain access to Instagram data for up to six months, which may include information on how many accounts a teen follows, how much they use Instagram, their account settings, and more. However, Meta notes it won't provide access to a user's demographic information, nor will it include the contents of their posts, comments, or messages.
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by Jay Peters on (#6P9NY)
Illustration: The Verge Google appears to be showing its AI-generated search results less often in recent weeks, according to a recent study from an SEO company.The data, collected by BrightEdge and reported on by Search Engine Land, suggests that AI Overviews dropped from appearing in 11 percent of queries on June 1st to 7 percent of queries on June 30th. BrightEdge's data also indicates that AI Overviews cite Reddit and Quora dramatically less than they did before.Since the launch of AI Overviews in May, Google has had to make changes to address bizarre results like recommending that you put glue on pizza (which appears to have been pulled from a Reddit thread) and suggesting that you eat rocks (seemingly pulled from an article in The Onion). In response,... Continue reading...
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6P9NZ)
Robot vacuums with multifunctional docks that make cleaning virtually hands-free - like the Dreame L20 Ultra - are seeing some serious discounts this Prime Day. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Robot vacuums have come a long way since their bump-and-roll days, when they had to be rescued whenever they encountered a sock or a particularly scary-looking chair leg.Today, high-end robot vacs have advanced sensors that help them nimbly navigate your home, charging docks that suck the dirt out of the bin so you don't have to get your hands messy, and self-filling water tanks so they can mop more of your floor in one clean.The problem with all these fancy features is that they can cost over $1,000 for the privilege of less hands-on time with your floor cleaner. However, this Prime Day, we're seeing the first serious discounts on several of these high-end, multifunctional cleaning robots.iRobot's Roomba Combo j9 Plus, Roborock's... Continue reading...
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by Allison Johnson on (#6P9P0)
C'mon, how cute is that. | Image: TinyPod If you've been feeling nostalgic for your old iPod lately, well, I have great news. TinyPod is a case you put on your Apple Watch - sans strap - so you can hold it and use it like your favorite vintage MP3 player. A $79 version includes a scroll wheel, which physically turns the watch's digital crown. For $29, you can get a case without the scroll wheel and with a cutout so you can access the digital crown directly.But TinyPod could be more than just a way to turn your watch into a cute media player - it's designed to make your watch a more capable companion to your phone. Recently, we've seen all kinds of gadgets and minimalist phones that promise to help you disconnect while still keeping you connected to the essentials. But largely,... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6P9P1)
EPFL researchers drew inspiration from bats and owls to design a flying robot that crash lands with style. | Image: Nature Instead of hunting for a runway, researchers have built an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can land by crashing into trees or poles and wrapping its grippy wings around them to prevent a fall. It's an unorthodox approach but one that could make it easier to position surveillance or inspection equipment in hard-to-reach areas.The UAV, which its designers from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) have called the PercHug, is yet another robot built to emulate a behavior seen in nature: bats and owls using their wings to both fly and climb or perch onto trees.The PercHug robot is designed with dual-purpose hinged wings that remain rigid and outstretched, allowing the UAV to fly, but... Continue reading...
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