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Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos via Getty Images Here's what the SCOTUS decision might mean for everything from kids online safety laws to the TikTok ban.' Continue reading...

The ZV-E10 II looks a whole lot like its 2021 predecessor. Trickle-down economics may be garbage, but Sony remains a steadfast believer when it comes to the tech in its cameras. The new ZV-E10 II continues Sony's trend of bringing small, iterative changes down from its pricier cameras to more affordable models. Only it's never without some tradeoffs.The ZV-E10 II is the APS-C mirrorless system camera follow-up to the original ZV-E10 of 2021, now with a bigger battery, a 26-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor, and improved 4K video. It will also cost $999 for the body or $1,099 in a bundle with Sony's new PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II lens when it launches in early August - right around the price of a flagship phone like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But, of course, even the best iPhone camera has a... Continue reading...

Hot foldable summer is in full swing, y'all. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge If you had any remaining hopes, despite leak upon leak, that Samsung's foldables would get a major update this year, then I hate to be the bearer of bad news. They're a little more durable, a little lighter, and come with a handful of tiny upgrades. Even so, both models got a boost of a certain kind: higher prices, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 now starting at $1,899 and the Z Flip 6 at $1,099.Both phones use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset specially tuned for Samsung, and like the S24 series, they both include seven years of OS and security update support. They're both a little bit sturdier, claiming better resistance to drops thanks to improvements to the hinge design and materials. The inner flexible glass is also more durable, and both... Continue reading...

It sure is squircle. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge It's the Apple Watch Ultra, but for Android. Oh, and the Galaxy Watch 7 is here, too. Continue reading...

Alongside its latest folding phones and wearables, Samsung is introducing the new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 3. As leaks (and early sales) confirmed, the company has moved away from the subtle in-ear design of past generations to a stemmed look that gives these an AirPods-esque look and feel - especially in white. Both earbuds also come in a gunmetal gray finish that, combined with the angular blade" design, makes me think of Tesla's Cybertruck. But there's no denying the overall similarities to Apple's massively popular AirPods.Samsung's press release says the switch was the direct result of a variety of collected statistical data" that showed a stem form factor produces better comfort and in-ear stability. So, here we are.... Continue reading...

It costs $399.99, there's no subscription, and it's generally available starting on July 24th. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge The hardware is solid. The ideas are intriguing. So long as it holds up in testing, Samsung could have a winner. Continue reading...

Image: Apple The Music Dance Experience" is on its way back. Apple just released the first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated second season of Severance, along with the news that the show won't be returning until 2025. The first episode will start streaming on Apple TV Plus on January 17th and last 10 episodes.The short teaser doesn't reveal much about what to expect in the new season, but according to Apple, Mark (Adam Scott) and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe."A day before the trailer dropped, Apple released an appropriately cryptic teaser:

NSEU officials said 6,500 Samsung workers participated in the initial three-day walkout - and now it's rallying more of its members. | Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea have indefinitely extended the first-ever strike at the company in a push for better pay and benefits. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) rallied its over 30,000 members on Wednesday after the company's leadership showed no indication of holding talks with the union following a three-day walkout.As reported by Reuters, the NSEU is demanding a 3.5 percent increase in base salary, an extra day off to mark the union's foundation day, and a fairer bonus system between executives and lower-ranking workers. Samsung, the world's largest maker of memory chips, announced an estimated 15x increase in operating profits for its latest quarter, following a spike in semiconductor... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Google has made it a little easier for those at more risk of targeted online attacks to enroll in its Advanced Protection Program for Google accounts. Now users can set it up with a single passkey - using the built-in biometric authentication of a Pixel phone or iPhone - instead of the two physical security keys the company previously required.The Advanced Protection Program is aimed not at normal users but people like those working on political campaigns or journalists with sensitive information to protect. When it launched, the company required two physical security keys to activate it, and one of those keys plus a password to log in after that.Google changed the feature in 2023 to allow users to sign in with just a passkey - a... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Microsoft has dropped its seat as an observer on the board of OpenAI, less than eight months after securing the non-voting seat. Apple was reportedly planning to join OpenAI's nonprofit board, but now the Financial Times reports that Apple will no longer join the board.OpenAI confirmed that Microsoft has given up its seat in a statement to The Verge, following reports from Axios and the Financial Times that Microsoft's deputy general counsel Keith Dolliver wrote a letter to OpenAI late on Tuesday.We're grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the Board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership," says OpenAI spokesperson Steve Sharpe. Under the leadership of CFO Sarah Friar,... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram isn't going to focus on longform video because it might undermine" the platform's core identity to connect people with friends," Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says in a video. Yes, you can technically post Instagram videos to your feed that are as long as one hour, and yes, Instagram did try to push for longer videos with IGTV before shutting the app down! But now, shortform is where it's at, Mosseri argues.Mosseri says that Instagram's two main jobs are to help you connect with friends and to help you explore interests usually through shortform video." He says that those two jobs are symbiotic" because you might send a video that you like to a friend who might also like it.

Image: The Verge Microsoft is planning to hike its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing again in September, alongside launching a new standard" subscription that doesn't include day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The Xbox maker has started emailing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers warning of a price increase to $19.99 a month that starts on September 12th, a $3 increase over the current $16.99 a month pricing.PC Game Pass subscribers will also see a price hike in September, with the service moving from $9.99 to $11.99 per month and maintaining access to day-one titles. If you're outside the US and wondering how the price increases affect your own subscription, Microsoft has a full list of all the worldwide price changes here.The price increases... Continue reading...

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images A judge has tossed nearly all of the claims a group of developers brought against GitHub, Microsoft, and OpenAI in a copyright lawsuit filed in 2022, as reported earlier by The Register. In a court order unsealed last week, a California judge left only two claims standing: one that accuses the companies of an open-source license violation and another that alleges breach of contract.The original lawsuit made 22 claims against the trio, accusing them of violating copyright laws by allowing the AI-powered GitHub Copilot coding assistant to train on developers' work. Microsoft, the owner of GitHub, uses OpenAI's technology to power the tool. All three companies asked the court to throw out the lawsuit in January, but Judge Jon Tigar denied... Continue reading...

A broken cellphone with a rechargeable battery lies in a collection container for hazardous materials at a waste sorting facility. | Photo by Jens Buttner / picture alliance via Getty Images Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in everyday gadgets, electric vehicles, and to store renewable energy could be a growing source of the forever chemicals" that pollute soil and waterways, new research suggests.Forever chemicals" encompass thousands of different kinds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). For decades, they've been used to make products more resistant to water, stains, and heat. More recently, a particular subclass of PFAS called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) has been used as electrolytes and binders in lithium-ion batteries.Those bis-FASIs are now showing up in soil, sediment, water, and snow surrounding manufacturing facilities, according to research published yesterday in the journal N... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it seized two domain names and more than 900 social media accounts it claims were part of an AI-enhanced" Russian bot farm. Many of the accounts were designed to look like they belonged to Americans and posted content about the Russia-Ukraine war, including videos in which Russian President Vladimir Putin justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The Justice Department claims that an employee of RT - Russia's state media outlet - was behind the bot farm. RT's leadership signed off on a plan to use the bot farm to distribute information on a wide-scale basis," amplifying the publication's reach on social media," an FBI agent alleged in an affidavit. To set up the bot farm, the employee... Continue reading...

The game is an oldie but goodie, especially with multiple people playing. | Screenshot: Nintendo If you have a sudden or anticipated need for Joy-Con replacements or additional controllers to supplement the pair that came with your Nintendo Switch, the ongoing Walmart Deals event is where you want to be. Until July 11th, the retailer is selling the red and blue Joy-Con bundled with a copy of Super Mario Party for $69 ($31 off). The Joy-Con controllers retail for about that much on their own, and the game is usually around $40 to $50 when it's on sale, so the game is effectively free.Super Mario Party for Switch (the 11th in its long history, though there's a newer title in Mario Party Superstars) offers four-player fun with 80 different minigames, from racing and sports to puzzlers and gladiator-style rumbles. There's a mix of new... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Mark Matlock, a political candidate for the right-wing Reform UK party, clarified in The Independent that he is a real person, not an AI bot, as some suspected.Perhaps it was the glossy, hyper-smooth skin in a campaign image or the fact that Matlock had apparently missed events like the election count - but earlier this week, a thread on X questioned whether Matlock existed at all. We might be on the verge of a HUGE SCANDAL," the post read.

Photo: Games Done Quick Summer Games Done Quick concluded over the weekend, raising $2.5 million for Doctors Without Borders. While the figure didn't break any records, the speedrunning charity event hit a major milestone, reaching a lifetime total of over $50 million raised across all events and charities in its 10-plus-year history.With the general news out of the way, let's talk about the highlight of the weeklong stream: a shiba inu named Peanut Butter.You may remember him. He was a major highlight of Awesome Games Done Quick 2024, when he became the first dog to participate, running Gyromite with the assistance of his owner, JSR, and a custom controller. Peanut Butter and JSR completed the run remotely, but for their Summer Games Done Quick run, they... Continue reading...

You can fit this PC in your pocket. | Image: Linglong Headless portable PCs packing everything except a display are growing in popularity among enthusiasts who don't want to settle for a laptop they can't easily upgrade - and now Chinese manufacturer Linglong is taking things further with this folding keyboard PC.Tom's Hardware points to a presentation posted by the company showing the tiny PC that's reminiscent of the folding wireless keyboards that were popular with PDAs like the PalmPilot. But this one's quite a bit thicker, with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity all packed inside, in addition to Bluetooth and a 16,000mAh rechargeable battery.Linglong suggests pairing the tiny PC with AR or VR glasses to create a... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Since last year, Google has monitored dark web leaks of stolen account information for Google One subscribers, such as phone numbers and physical addresses. But, starting later this month, Google's dark web reports will be available to anyone with a Google account.According to a Google support page about the transition, the free service will be part of Google's results about you" page. This is where you can currently check for information Google has indexed that contains personal contact info like your home address, phone number, or email address and request it be removed so that it doesn't surface in search results. Google says the move will create a combined solution to help users protect their online presence." S... Continue reading...

One of the affected HP LaserJet printers. | Image: HP Last May, I told you how HP's bestselling printer can lock you to the company's own subscription ink for life, with no way to cancel, with its dastardly HP Plus scheme. But HP has decided to remove those shackles from future laser printers, at least.We will no longer be offering HP+ on any LaserJet series products moving forward," spokesperson Nick Lucido tells The Verge.Druckerchannel reports that HP is also quietly discontinuing all of its budget e"-series LaserJet printers that straight-up mandated an HP Plus subscription, and HP confirms it's discontinuing its Instant Ink subscription for laser printer toner as well. (Existing customers shouldn't be affected.) But HP's e-series inkjet printers (like the one I wrote about) and... Continue reading...

Image: Apple TV Plus Apple's new A24-produced dark comedy imagines an impeccably designed near future where humanity's bugs are robots' special features. Continue reading...

Photo by Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images House Republicans advanced an effort to void the Biden administration's EV tax credits, even as electric vehicle sales in the US continued to grow year over year.The House Ways and Means Committee voted in favor of a bill that would undo the federal EV tax credits, arguing that the rules would result in US taxpayer dollars flowing to Chinese companies. The tax credits were pushed by radical environmentalists and some EV producers" and should therefore be struck down, according to a House Republican fact sheet.The Biden administration is sacrificing our economic independence in order to force more Americans to drive an electric vehicle," Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the committee's chair, said during a markup of the bill (H.J. Res. 148)... Continue reading...

A flooded motel is seen after the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Surfside Beach, Texas, on July 8th. | Photo by Mark Felix / AFP via Getty Images Widespread power outages in the wake of Hurricane Beryl pose a new threat as temperatures soar in Texas this week.Beryl tore through the Lone Star State yesterday, killing at least six people and knocking out electricity for around 2.7 million customers. Power was still out for more than 2.2 million on Tuesday morning. The blackouts could last days to weeks, authorities say, leaving people without air conditioning as the heat index reaches triple digits.The lack of proper cooling combined with many people outdoors cleaning up after Beryl could produce dangerous heat conditions," the National Weather Service (NWS) said this morning.The lack of proper cooling combined with many people outdoors cleaning up after Beryl could produce... Continue reading...

Image: Razer Razer is launching a new Snap Tap mode for its Huntsman V3 Pro keyboards today that's designed to appeal to competitive gamers. Snap Tap is very similar to Wooting's promised Rappy Snappy feature and works by prioritizing the latest input between two selected keys to allow Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant players to counter-strafe more quickly.The Snap Tap mode means you don't have to release the previous key when you're strafing, so if you enable A and D for Snap Tap, then it makes strafing near instant, improving directional changes and movement in esports games. The difference is only a couple of milliseconds, but that's enough to get a kill quicker than your opponent.Snap Tap Mode, integrated directly into the firmware, allows for... Continue reading...

Image: The Washington Post The Washington Post is sticking a new climate-focused AI chatbot inside its homepage, app, and articles. The experimental tool, called Climate Answers, will use the outlet's breadth of reporting to answer questions about climate change, the environment, sustainable energy, and more.Some of the questions you can ask the chatbot include things like, Should I get solar panels for my home?" or Where in the US are sea levels rising the fastest?" Much like the other AI chatbots we've seen, it will then serve up a summary using the information it's been trained on. In this case, Climate Answers uses the articles within The Washington Post's climate section - as far back as the section's launch in 2016 - to answer questions. ... Continue reading...

Image: Sling TV Sling TV will now put ads on your screen when you pause live or on-demand content, according to an announcement from its parent company, Dish. But you won't have to deal with this extra dose of ads if you don't want to - the pause ad example shared by Sling TV says you can turn off Pause Ads" from the settings menu.That comes as a relief in an industry where it's getting harder and harder to escape intrusive pause ads. Want to stop a show to get a closer look at something on your screen? Or maybe you want to admire a close-up of your favorite actor for a little bit? Well, pause ads make that nearly impossible, as they often take up all or part of your screen. GIF: Sling TV The pause ads could contain a video or... Continue reading...

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Netflix is continuing its push into live events, this time with a comedy special from Joe Rogan. Called Burn the Boats," the event will stream live from San Antonio, Texas, on August 3rd at 10PM ET. Netflix says this will be Rogan's first comedy special in six years, and it will be the podcaster and former Fear Factor host's third with the streamer; he previously released two taped events in 2016 and 2018.The announcement is notable in particular as Netflix continues to make live events a major part of its service. Previously, that has included comedy specials from Chris Rock and John Mulaney, and last year, the company became a player in live sports. So far, it has signed broadcast deals with the NFL and WWE and will also livestream b... Continue reading...

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images AI leaders are increasingly optimistic about the technology's potential in the health sector, especially when it comes to personalized bots that can comprehend and address individual health concerns.OpenAI and Arianna Huffington are now jointly funding the development of an AI health coach" through Thrive AI Health. In a Time magazine op-ed, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Huffington stated that the bot will be trained on the best peer-reviewed science" alongside the personal biometric, lab, and other medical data you've chosen to share with it."The company tapped DeCarlos Love, a former Google executive who previously worked on Fitbit and other wearables, to be CEO. Thrive AI Health also established research partnerships with several... Continue reading...

Aidan Monaghan After 24 years, Ridley Scott is back with a follow-up to Gladiator, and the sequel's new trailer promises bread, circuses, and buckets of blood.Set decades after the events of the first film, Gladiator II will tell a new legend about how a now-grown Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) becomes an enslaved gladiator, despite his being the Roman empire's former heir. Though Lucius can vividly recall some moments from his childhood, his memories of his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) seem to have faded by the time he's crossed paths with power broker Macrinus (Denzel Washington).As a man who deals in weapons and warriors, Macrinus can see great potential in Lucius as he watches him take on a rhino in the Coliseum. But as skilled as Lucius is at... Continue reading...

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the board of The Vergecast Inc. The one and only item on the agenda for today? Build the greatest tech company in the history of the universe. We will borrow, steal, and buy the best products and businesses from tech companies around the world in order to offer the best possible line of products. Money is no object, though we'd like to make some at some point. Let's begin.On this episode of The Vergecast, our cohosts - Nilay Patel, Alex Cranz, and David Pierce - ditch their mics and headphones for suits and ties and spend an hour starting a tech company. (Shout out to The Big Picture for some inspiration on the format.) The rules are simple enough: we get to take one product in each category we're... Continue reading...

The bigger, better cover screen is a delight to use - but familiar problems persist. Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Etsy has long sold items that fall into one of two categories: handmade or vintage. Now, that fairly narrow categorization is changing.A policy update announced today creates four new classifications for items for sale on Etsy: made by," designed by," handpicked by," and sourced by." All products need to fall into one of the four to be eligible for the platform.Vintage items - a backbone of Etsy's offerings - will fall under handpicked by." Craft supplies like beads or clay are considered sourced by." A vase handmade by a ceramics artist would be in the made by" category, whereas a digital illustration would be considered designed by" the seller. These categories will be visible on Etsy product listings.The company says that... Continue reading...

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge Leave the computer, take the hard drive. Continue reading...

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge If you have a large collection of hardcover and paperback books, it can be hard to get rid of them - but not impossible. Continue reading...

The Logitech G309. | Image: Logitech I haven't thought about charging my Logitech wireless gaming mouse in two and a half years because I have a magic mousepad that does it automatically. But Logitech mice that work with the Powerplay mousepad are expensive, heavy, or both, and none of them double as a Bluetooth mouse so I can wirelessly pair them to my laptop, handheld, or phone.Today, Logitech is changing that with the Logitech G309, an $80 mouse that almost does it all. It's the first Powerplay mouse this inexpensive, the first with Bluetooth, the first that lets you use an AA battery when you're on the go - and the first Logitech wireless mouse with a supercapacitor inside so you don't necessarily need a battery at all.Even without Powerplay, the G309 is a dual-mode... Continue reading...