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The SwitchBot Universal Remote can control infrared, Bluetooth, and even Matter-compatible smart home devices. | Image: SwitchBot SwitchBot's new screen-equipped universal remote can take control of more than just your home entertainment center. With support for Bluetooth and Matter, the remote should also operate smart home devices without users having to reach for their smartphones.For those who struggle to keep tabs on the myriad remotes now included with everything from ceiling fans to light bulbs, the SwitchBot Universal Remote currently supports up to 83,934 remote control models" over infrared, with a code library that gets updated every six months.The remote is also compatible with SwitchBot's other smart home devices, including its robovacs and curtain controllers and Bluetooth-controlled devices, which is what many standalone smart light bulbs opt for.... Continue reading...

Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: Netflix The co-CEO who replaced co-founder Reed Hastings details the company's new culture memo, its ad ambitions, and what's next for Netflix. Continue reading...

A promotional image for Shopify's Sidekick chatbot. | Image: Shopify Shopify's new AI Sidekick" chatbot is officially launching in early access, the company said as part of its Summer 24 Edition" updates announced on Monday.Sidekick, which the company first revealed last year, functions as a support chatbot for merchants, helping them do things like make discount codes, generate reports about your store, or suggest blog post ideas. Sure, it sounds like pretty typical AI chatbot stuff, but it seems like it could be a useful way to get help or assistance, especially if Shopify continues to tailor the chatbot to fit merchant needs.Sidekick is live across thousands of Shopify stores, but it's currently limited to merchants who have English stores in North America, Vanessa Lee, Shopify's vice president... Continue reading...

Enso's eco-friendly tire. | Image: Enso Congratulations, world. We've done it. Since passing the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, we've reduced cancer-causing particulate emissions from our cars and other sources dramatically, a change that has added years to our lives.That's the good news. The bad news is that we can now spend more time focusing on the remaining sources, including some unexpected ones. In an EV era, tires are becoming the greatest emitters of particulate matter, and as we've seen, whether it's the microplastics in our shrimp or the preservatives in our salmon, they're having a disturbing impact on our environment.In an EV era, tires are becoming the greatest emitters of particulate matterGunnlaugur Erlendsson wants to do something about that. The affable... Continue reading...

Apple is once again the focus of the EU's competition policy. | Cath Virginia / The Verge Apple's App Store steering" policies violate the EU's Digital Markets Act meant to encourage competition, said regulators in their preliminary ruling Monday. The European Commission has also opened a new investigation into Apple's support for alternative iOS marketplaces in Europe, including the core technology fee it charges developers.Our preliminary position is that Apple does not fully allow steering," said Margrethe Vestager who heads up competition policy in Europe. Steering is key to ensure that app developers are less dependent on gatekeepers' app stores and for consumers to be aware of better offers."Under the DMA, Apple and other so-called gatekeepers must allow app developers to steer consumers to offers outside their app... Continue reading...

Dr Disrespect at a golf tournament in January 2024. | Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images Twitch abruptly banned one of its biggest stars - Herschel Guy" Beahm, better known by his persona Dr Disrespect - in 2020 without a word of explanation. Now, four years after Beahm's permanent ban, two former Twitch employees have come forward to describe events they say contributed to his removal from the platform.One former Twitch employee, who asked to remain anonymous citing the potential risk to their career, told The Verge that Beahm had used Whispers, Twitch's now-defunct messaging system, to exchange messages with a minor and initiate a conversation about meeting up at TwitchCon. The employee worked on Twitch's trust and safety team at the time of the ban in 2020.Their comments corroborate a post from Cody Conners, a former... Continue reading...

For the past two weeks, I've been editing in the newest version of Final Cut Pro for the iPad. For many professionals, the original release of this app last year missed the mark. Its tools have just been too limited to use on a daily basis. The new version doesn't necessarily change that - but despite my many frustrations, I'm finally discovering the joy of using it.The new version of the app, confusingly named Final Cut Pro for iPad 2" (it is for all current iPads, not the iPad 2), came out this week. And perhaps the biggest new feature in this year's release isn't entirely a Final Cut Pro feature: it's a brand-new app that integrates with it.The new Final Cut Camera is a standalone app for your iPhone that offers advanced camera... Continue reading...

Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge For months, I've been thinking about selling my PlayStation VR2. After a damning scoop, I'm finally ready to let it go.Months ago, I stashed the PSVR 2 away in a closet. I hadn't played it for a very long time, but I hoped Sony might release new games that would make me want to bring it back out. Based on Android Central's reporting, I should let those hopes go: apparently, Sony has cut funding for VR games and has just two more PSVR 2 titles in the works. Two!The future of the headset has been grim for a while. Earlier this year, Sony laid off developers at Firesprite, the studio that made Horizon Call of the Mountain. It closed its London Studio, which made PlayStation VR Worlds, a game that came bundled with the original PSVR. Since... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 43, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This week, I've been reading about memexes and telepathy and John Lennon's wristwatch, watching Presumed Innocent and Ren Faire, testing Genspark for AI search stuff, redoing my homescreen with Dumbify, and experimenting with overnight oats in an attempt to make mornings less chaotic. (Turns out, peanut butter makes pretty much everything 20 percent better.)I also have for you a new tech podcast, a couple of handy new gadgets, a new calendar app, the game that will take over your weekend, and much more. Let's get... Continue reading...

Image: Bandai Namco But he thinks players will be able to handle it. Continue reading...

The superior way to ask Siri to set a timer when you're not at home or in the car. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge There's a time and place for everything. In the privacy of my own home, I've got no problem saying hey" to Google, Alexa, Siri, Meta, and on occasion, Bixby. But out in public? Where other people can perceive me? I'd rather crawl under a rock.This has been one of my biggest problems with AI gadgets these past few months. All of them seem convinced that the best way to interact with AI assistants is to actually talk to them, not unlike the movie Her. In reality, I've rarely seen my friends and family use their phone's assistants when we're hanging out privately and never out in public. So it felt like a tiny Aha!" moment when, during last week's WWDC keynote, Apple mentioned that iOS 18 will let you type to Siri instead.Technically,... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge AT&T can't pull the plug on landline service for customers across California. In a ruling on Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rejected AT&T's request to release it from its obligations as a Carrier of Last Resort (COLR), as reported earlier by Ars Technica and CBS News.AT&T has had a COLR designation in California since 1996, which ensures everyone in the state has access to affordable and reliable telephone service. Some people in California - especially those who live in remote areas - have come to rely on their landline service, as it allows them to make emergency calls even when the power is out or cellular service isn't available.Earlier this year, AT&T asked CPUC to be released from its duties as a... Continue reading...

Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images Redbox's financial situation continues to spiral out of its control. On Thursday, a Los Angeles court entered a $16.7 million judgment against the company in favor of NBCUniversal, after Redbox failed to pay a scheduled installment of a settlement the parties reached earlier in May.The missed payment bodes ill for the DVD kiosk company, which now owes the remaining balance in full. More importantly, the missed payment suggests the company simply did not have the requisite money on hand, and the prospect of bankruptcy may be looming for Redbox and its deeply indebted corporate parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.NBCUniversal sued Redbox over unpaid DVD and online rental royalties in February. The studio alleged in its... Continue reading...

Image: Tesla A 20-month-old child was rescued after being trapped in a Tesla Model Y in Scottsdale, Arizona - where temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees this week - after its 12-volt battery died, according to a report from Arizona's Family.The child was safely removed from the car after firefighters used an ax to smash through a window. But the issue raises concerns about why there isn't an easy way to open the car from the outside when its 12-volt battery - the one that powers things like its door locks and windows - loses power.The car's owner, Renee Sanchez, was taking her granddaughter to the zoo, but after loading the child in the Model Y, she closed the door and wasn't able to open it again. My phone key wouldn't open it," Sanchez said in... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Amazon in Seattle that alleges the company unlawfully disciplined and terminated an employee" after they assisted in organizing walkouts last May in protest of Amazon's new return-to-work directives, issued early last year.In February 2023, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent an email to the company's staff outlining new return-to-work guidelines. Previously, individual teams within the company could decide where employees were expected to work, but Jassy's email revealed that starting on May 1st, 2023, most Amazon employees were expected to work from the office at least three days per week. (Some roles, such as salespeople and customer support, were exempted.)In response,... Continue reading...

Traffic moves along Highway 11 near the airport as viewed opposite Volcanoes National Park on December 12th, 2016, in Hilo, Hawaii. | Photo by George Rose/Getty Images A group of young plaintiffs reached a historic climate settlement with the state of Hawaii and Hawaii Department of Transportation in a deal that will push the state to clean up tailpipe pollution.The 13 youth plaintiffs filed suit in 2022 when they were all between the ages of 9 and 18. In the suit, Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), they alleged that the state and HDOT had violated their right to a clean and healthful environment," which is enshrined in Hawaii's constitution.We got what we came for, and we got it faster than we expected."The settlement, reached on Thursday, affirms that right and commits the DOT to creating a plan to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by 2045. To hit... Continue reading...

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge I have a bad habit of accidentally deleting files that I suddenly need a day later. Luckily, when files are deleted," they are actually not fully wiped from a system - and if they're backed up to connected cloud storage services, well, those services have their own ways of handling deleted files. So it's a good idea to know where to look.This is also something to keep in mind if you're selling or giving away a system - because in that case, you'll want to make sure your files are completely, totally wiped.Whether you're looking to restore previously deleted files or permanently erase them, here's what you need to know about them on Windows (and OneDrive) and Android (and Google Drive).Deleted files on WindowsDelete a file in the... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge OpenAI has acquired Rockset, an enterprise analytics startup, to power our retrieval infrastructure across products," according to a Friday blog post.This acquisition is OpenAI's first where the company will integrate both a company's technology and its team, a spokesperson tells Bloomberg. The two companies didn't share the terms of the acquisition. Rockset has raised $105 million in funding to date.Rockset's infrastructure empowers companies to transform their data into actionable intelligence," OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap says in a statement. We're excited to bring these benefits to our customers by integrating Rockset's foundation into OpenAI products."Rockset will become part of OpenAI and power the retrieval infrastructure... Continue reading...

Image: TC Sottek / The Verge After years of pursuing a group of piracy advocates for illegally hosting and streaming thousands of stolen TV shows, the Department of Justice doled out a series of convictions.On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced that Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber - five men who were responsible for running Netflix knockoff Jetflicks - have been convicted on multiple counts of copyright infringement and money laundering by concealment that could ultimately lead to jail time. The five defendants (along with three other individuals) were first charged back in 2019 when the US government argued that their illegally operated streaming service had led to the loss of millions in revenue for... Continue reading...

Tidal is dropping support for MQA. | Image: The Verge Big news for audiophiles: Tidal is shaking up its audio formats. Starting July 24th, Tidal will drop support for Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) and 360 Reality Audio formats. Going forward, the streaming service says FLAC will be the default for stereo, while Dolby Atmos will be the format of choice for immersive sound.Tidal allows users to stream in three tiers of audio quality: low, high, and max. Low uses AAC files, which go up to 320kbps. High offers CD-quality lossless FLAC files. And Max goes beyond that, with MQA and higher-res FLAC files. The Max tier is where the decision to drop MQA matters - and probably isn't all that surprising to longtime Tidal users.Tidal was one of the few services that supported streaming in MQA... Continue reading...

Samsung's The Frame TV is a stylish 4K TV with some impressive specs, including a 120Hz refresh rate. | Image: Samsung If you plan on relaxing this summer by sitting back with a cold drink and streaming the Olympics and your favorite shows, it's worth investing in a TV that isn't an eyesore. Samsung's The Frame TV is one of the most stylish TVs on the market, and through June 29th, you can buy the last-gen model from Woot in the 43-inch and 50-inch sizing for $697.99 ($300 off) and $837.99 ($460 off), respectively, which are their lowest prices to date. It's also on sale in the massive 85-inch configuration for $2,497.99 ($1,800 off), which is one of its best prices.As with the current 2024 lineup, the last-gen TV showcases artwork from around the world when idle. The screen's colors aren't as sharp as the newer model's, but its anti-glare matte... Continue reading...

Antstream Arcade makes retro gaming on the iPhone easier with access to a library of licensed games. | Image: Antstream Apple opened the door for game streaming services in its App Store following the implementation of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) last year, but the first such service that will arrive on iOS and iPadOS next week will cater to hardcore retro gamers, as pointed out by Cult of Mac.Antstream, which is already available on several platforms like Xbox, Windows, Android, and Amazon devices, boasts a catalog of over 1,300 retro games that can be played on demand, including Missile Command, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Asteroids, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.There are now several excellent retro gaming emulators available for Apple's mobile devices, including Delta, RetroArch, and PPSSPP, which focuses on the PlayStation... Continue reading...

Amazon launched its new Alexa-enabled Echo Hub in February. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Last year, David Limp, Amazon's former senior vice president of devices and services, hinted at charging for a more capable version of Alexa - and now we have an idea of how much it might cost. A report from Reuters suggests that Amazon's AI-supercharged version of Alexa could cost anywhere from $5 to $10 per month on top of your Prime membership.Sources tell Reuters that Amazon is aiming to launch the new Alexa in August, marking a desperate attempt" to overhaul the voice assistant. The paid version of Alexa might not require users to keep saying Alexa" when talking to the assistant. It will reportedly be capable of completing multiple requests in one prompt, such as writing a short email and ordering takeout from Uber Eats.As... Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Microsoft launched its range of Copilot Plus PCs earlier this week, and they all come equipped with the new dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard. It's the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years, but all the key does now is launch a Progressive Web App (PWA) version of Copilot.The web app doesn't even integrate into Windows anymore like the previous Copilot experience did since last year, so you can't use Copilot to control Windows 11 settings or have it docked as a sidebar anymore. It's literally just a PWA. Microsoft has even removed the keyboard shortcut to Copilot on these new Copilot Plus PCs, so WINKEY + C does nothing.I was hoping Microsoft would evolve the Copilot key into something that could be used much like the... Continue reading...

Starlink's new Mini dish next to an Earth puppy. | Image: Michael Nicolls via X SpaceX's Starlink internet-from-space service is already available for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and rural homes in over 75 countries - now it's coming to backpackers.The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps.This product will change the world," claimed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X, saying it took less than five minutes to setup.

Image: @TEQHNIKACROSS on X Samsung's next Galaxy Buds have been rumored to resemble AirPods, and new leaked renders make the comparison clearer than ever. The renders, purportedly found on Korean retailer Coupang, show that Samsung might be moving on from its bulb-shaped buds in favor of wireless headphones with AirPods-like stems, AirPods-like vents, and even an AirPods-like case.I've made an image slider so you can compare one of the renders with a photo of Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro. The big difference with Samsung's new buds is a metallic silver color and some more angular features.If this is indeed the new look for Samsung's earbuds - Samsung is apparently working on standard and Pro versions of the Galaxy Buds 3, both with stems - it would mark... Continue reading...

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge If you used a virtual private network (VPN) to purchase a YouTube Premium in a country where it's cheaper, your subscription might be on the chopping block. Over the past few days, several people who've used this trick reported having their subscriptions automatically canceled, as reported earlier by Android Police.The workaround involves using a VPN to change your location to a country where YouTube Premium is offered at a lower price. For example, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month in the US for ad-free access to videos, YouTube Music, and offline downloads, but just $1.05 per month (869 ARS) in Argentina. But now, it looks like YouTube is cracking down on subscribers who don't actually live in these countries.In a statement... Continue reading...

Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed two bills into law on Thursday that aim to protect kids and teens from social media harms, making it the latest state to take action as federal proposals still await votes.One of the bills, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, will require parental consent for social media companies to use addictive feeds" powered by recommendation algorithms on kids and teens under 18. The other, the New York Child Data Protection Act, would limit data collection on minors without consent and restrict the sale of such information but does not require age verification. That law will take effect in a year.States across the country have taken the lead on enacting legislation to protect kids... Continue reading...

It's the ideal power bank if your office never stops moving. | Photo: Anker My army of portable chargers is eight soldiers strong. It's a little ridiculous, but the variety gives me flexibility to pick the perfect charger for the day's needs, whether it's my sleek MagSafe charger to keep my iPhone going on longer days or a bigger brick for my iPad, camera, and other devices when I anticipate heavier usage. My collection ballooned as charging tech improved over the years, but it's way more than any one person needs.I'm hoping to consolidate my kit with the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) I've been eyeing, and now seems a decent time to buy since it's matching its all-time low of $124.99 ($55 off) at Amazon and directly from Anker with code WS7DV2MTYMJV. It's compatible with an optional $69.99 magnetic... Continue reading...

20th Century Studios Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' stunning visual effects are nothing short of astounding, but for the film's upcoming home release, 20th Century Studios is giving you the ability to see the motion capture performances that were key in bringing the talking apes to life.Though Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be available to download on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home starting on July 9th, you might want to wait until the movie's physical release on August 27th when the 4K Ultra HD featuring Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut is in stores. Image: 20th Century Studios In an announcement about The Raw Cut, 20th Century Studios described it as a full-length, split-screen alternative cut that will allow... Continue reading...

Anker's new 2-in-1 USB-C charging cable could reduce the number of wires you need to wrangle by half. | Image: Anker Anker's trying something new that could potentially cut the number of cables you need to wrangle in half. Its 2-in-1 USB-C cable allows two devices to simultaneously charge from a single USB-C port with built-in Smart Power Management" that automatically adjusts power distribution based on each device's power needs."The four-foot-long cable features a single USB-C port on one end that splits into a pair of USB-C ports on the other, each with a foot of cable that can be shortened as needed to keep things neat and tidy. It's all wrapped in a durable sheath that Anker promises will survive over 10,000 bends." Image: Anker The twin USB-C ports on one end each have a foot of cable that can be shortened as needed. ... Continue reading...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge CDK Global, the company that provides management software for nearly 15,000 car dealerships in North America, is down for a second day following a cyberattack, according to a report from Automotive News. The outage has left car dealerships across North America unable to access the internal systems used to track car sales, view customer information, schedule maintenance, and more.On Wednesday, CDK told dealerships that it's investigating a cyber incident" and proactively shut all systems down" while addressing the issue. However, CDK restored its systems shortly after, only to shut them down hours later due to an additional cyber incident."Many car dealerships have had to go back to pen and paper while CDK's software is down. Teddy... Continue reading...

The new Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with Apple's new iPad Pros and Airs, unlike the second-gen model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge Unfortunately, if you're looking at picking up the new iPad Pro or Air, you're going to have to pay to upgrade your second-generation Apple Pencil, too. After all, the new tablets are only compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, but thankfully, today, there's a deal to offset the cost slightly. Right now, Amazon and Walmart are selling the new Apple Pencil Pro for $119 ($10 off), which is the best price we've seen and the first real discount on the stylus since its debut.Apple might have launched the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil last year, but it lacks support for Find My and advanced creative features, like pressure sensitivity and double-tap tool switching. It also comes with new capabilities the second-gen Apple Pencil... Continue reading...

Image: FromSoftware Arise now, ye tarnished Continue reading...

Image: Microsoft Last week, I revealed that Microsoft's Windows engineers were scrambling to secure its controversial AI-powered Recall feature in time for its planned debut on June 18th. Hours later, Microsoft announced that the feature that screenshots nearly everything you do on new Qualcomm-powered laptops is being recalled.Copilot Plus PCs shipped earlier this week without Recall, and Microsoft has modified the setup process to remove it from Windows 11 - it's now a feature that's coming soon" to these devices. Recall is still prominently featured in Microsoft's marketing materials, which suggests the company is confident it will return very soon.After developing Recall largely in secret away from the usual Windows Insider public testing,... Continue reading...