The Verge

Oppo Oppo has announced the latest iteration of its under-screen camera technology, claiming it allows for a selfie camera to be placed under the display “without compromising the integrity of the screen.” Unlike earlier approaches that reduce pixel density in the portion of the screen that covers the camera in order to let more light pass through, Oppo is using smaller pixels to maintain the same 400-ppi sharpness as the rest of the OLED panel.The result, according to Oppo, is that users should notice “almost no visual difference between the [under-screen camera] area and the rest of the screen during everyday use, creating a much more immersive visual experience.” The company has shown off an image of a prototype phone running an e-reader... Continue reading…

Street Fighter’s Cammy and Guile in Fortnite. | Image: Epic Games Epic Games is adding two more Street Fighter icons to Fortnite. Playable Chun-Li and Ryu skins were added to the game in February, but soon, Guile and Cammy skins will make their debut in the game’s item shop. You’ll be able to buy them starting August 7th at 8PM ET.I think both skins look great — I’m personally a huge fan of Guile’s ridiculous-looking flat top hair.

Apple’s new Apple Store layout. | Image: Apple The Apple Store was mysteriously down on Tuesday for just about an hour, but it has emerged from the downtime with a brand new look and a dedicated tab on Apple’s top-level navigation.At the top of the store, there are images and links to many of Apple’s product lines (Mac, iPhone, AirPods, etc.). Some of those links take you to new dedicated Store pages for the products, which show you what models are available and point to resources like shopping guides, accessories, and support. On the main Store page, there are also sections for what’s new, links to support pages, and more. The iPad category in the new Apple Store. The new design is filled with cards — it’s somewhat reminiscent of Apple’s Store app for iOS. It... Continue reading…

T-Mobile has wasted no time consolidating Sprint’s network and spectrum with its own. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge As reported by Light Reading and confirmed to The Verge, T-Mobile has committed to a June 30, 2022 shutdown date for Sprint’s LTE network. It’s an expected move as T-Mobile continues to absorb Sprint’s network and customers into its own base, and comes six months after its contentious planned January 1, 2022 shutdown of Sprint’s 3G CDMA network.A third of Sprint customers have already been moved onto the T-Mobile network, according to T-Mobile. The company expects to be able to migrate the remaining two thirds by that mid-2022 deadline, according to CFO Peter Osvaldik’s remarks at an investor conference last month. Some of those customers will likely need new devices that are compatible with T-Mobile LTE and VoLTE, though the company... Continue reading…

Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images AT&T announced earlier this year that it would spin its video properties DirecTV, AT&T TV, and U-verse into a new company it would co-manage with private equity firm TPG Capital. That transaction is finally complete, and the services will now operate as a single company under the name DirecTV.As outlined earlier this year when the company initially announced plans to off-load its struggling DirecTV business, AT&T will retain a 70 percent stake in the company, while TPG will take a 30 percent stake. The telecom giant said the deal for which it received $7.1 billion in cash would help pay off its massive debt, with the company projecting it can put a stop to the bleeding by the end of 2023.Part of that debt is owed because of AT&T’s a... Continue reading…

Photo by Joey Roulette / The Verge SpaceX’s Starlink mobile app got a refreshing upgrade this week that makes it easier to find clear patches of sky and monitor connection outages — and adds a new dark mode for its user interface. The app improvements came out yesterday as SpaceX reported 90,000 active users in its open “better than nothing” beta phase, which spans rural regions across 12 different countries so far.The “completely updated and renovated” version, as SpaceX describes in its Apple’s App Store changelog, includes a new way to scan your surroundings for obstructions before installing a Starlink terminal. Like its previous method, the app directs users to scan their surroundings using their phone cameras, but the new version generates a tiny dome around your... Continue reading…

An image from Google’s online store that shows off a new Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell. | Image: Google Google has apparently leaked some unannounced Nest security cameras right on its own online store (thanks for the tip, Eric!). Google confirmed in January that it would be releasing a new lineup of security cameras this year, and it seems like the company’s store may have just revealed what’s on the way.As far as we can tell, the new devices include a combined outdoor / indoor battery-powered Nest Cam, a Nest Cam with floodlight, an indoor wired Nest Cam, and a battery-powered Nest Doorbell. When we tried to click on the “Learn More” and “Buy” links for those devices, the site sent us back to the main Google Store homepage, so it seems that they might be live earlier than they are supposed to be. Image: Google T... Continue reading…

HBO Max is offering free content to potential users. | Image: HBO Max HBO Max is offering free episodes to potential new subscribers in-app and free of charge so they can take its more popular series for a test drive before committing to yet another streaming service.The company announced that, starting today, new viewers mulling a subscription can watch a selection of 13 pilots from HBO and HBO Max without having to sign up for the service. Normally, subscribers would pay $10 per month for HBO Max’s ad-supported tier or $15 per month to go ad-free and get special perks like 4K streaming and day-and-date releases for Warner Bros films. (HBO Max does not currently offer a free trial.) The full list of series whose pilots can be streaming for free is as follows:

Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge Sony released its first PS5 software beta last Thursday, and with it came the much-anticipated support for adding an M.2 SSD, letting you install more PS5 games than the fairly restrictive 825GB built-in SSD allows. Alongside the beta, Sony provided a list of requirements, making it clear that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to just grab any SSD and chuck it in your PS5.Which SSDs work with the PS5?Sony’s main requirements are that the SSD be PCIe Gen4 and at least 250GB. However, Sony makes it very clear that your SSD needs a heatsink, which can complicate things, given the limited amount of space in the PS5’s SSD bay. What SSDs you’ll want to consider depends on whether you want to install a heatsink yourself or not, and whether... Continue reading…

Image: WhatsApp WhatsApp is rolling out its “View Once” feature today, which deletes photos or videos from your chat after they’ve been opened by the recipient. When sending a photo or video, you can make it view once by tapping the “1” button to the left of the send button. After the recipient opens it, it’ll be deleted. The recipient will be able to see that it’s a disappearing photo, so it’s still the type of thing you’d only want to use for people you trust to not take a screenshot.In June, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the feature would be coming, though details about when it would release were scarce. According to WaBetaInfo, the feature has been in beta for about a month. GIF: WhatsApp The recipient will be left with a... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Despite how things may seem, Snapchat hasn’t learned your birthday or birthplace on its own — you likely told it yourself. The app’s exact knowledge of the exact time, date, and location of a user’s birth has been an issue of some concern for users on Twitter and TikTok over the last few days, but it’s due to Snapchat’s Astrological Profile feature and not some nefarious new skill the app has gained as it’s soared in popularity over the last year.You can view your “Astrological Birthday” in the settings section of Snapchat, and if you weren’t aware you had already given the app all of that information, it would be a fairly alarming discovery. Checking baby photos will not reveal that the Snapchat Hot Dog has been with you since birth,... Continue reading…

Just five days after Nikola founder Trevor Milton was indicted, in part, for allegedly misleading investors with footage of a moving truck that was secretly rolling downhill, the hydrogen-trucking startup released footage of a newer prototype driving uphill.The startup showed the video during a presentation of its second quarter financial results on Tuesday. (It also published the footage on YouTube.) While it may be a moral victory for the company to show its truck climbing a 12 percent grade hill in light of the more infamous clip Milton once orchestrated, the release of the footage nonetheless came alongside some bad news: Nikola now expects to deliver half the number of trucks this year than it had originally estimated. Worse, the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Blizzard president J. Allen Brack isn’t the only executive leaving the company today after presiding over a culture now accused of fostering “constant sexual harassment.” Jesse Meschuk, the company’s head of global human resources, has also now departed, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg and to The Verge.“Jesse Meschuk is no longer with the company,” wrote an Activision Blizzard spokesperson. The company declined to comment further. Meschuk appears to have deleted his Twitter account as well.While Brack oversaw the entire Blizzard brand and was named in the state of California’s lawsuit as an alleged enabler, Blizzard’s human resources department was also allegedly complicit. The lawsuit suggested that... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Thunderbolt 4 is still relatively early on, but that isn’t stopping Intel from working on its next version of the connectivity standard, Thunderbolt 5. And thanks to a hastily deleted tweet from Intel executive Gregory Bryant that was caught by Anandtech, we’ve already gotten a sneak preview at the next-generation Thunderbolt standard, which could offer twice the speed of Thunderbolt 4 while maintaining physical USB-C plugs.The most notable thing on the post was a title for “80G PHY Technology” — referencing a physical connector that offers 80Gbps connections, which would be twice the speeds offered by Thunderbolt 4 (which maxes out at 40Gbps). Photo: Anandtech The next line confirms that the new technology still... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Today, NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio announced details of the “Key to NYC Pass,” a plan to require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before entering locations like fitness centers, restaurants, or entertainment venues. New Yorkers can meet those requirements by carrying their vaccination card or scanning and storing it in one of two authorized mobile apps. While some businesses and events have already begun to require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test for entry by workers and customers, government-mandated “vaccine passports” have been a controversial topic.

Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images Epic Games only released the v17.30 update for Fortnite early Tuesday morning, but data miners have apparently found a new file within it: audio for an emote based on the Migos song “AM to PM” that features DaBaby, a rapper who has received widespread criticism for homophobic comments toward people with HIV and AIDS he made last week. A file being found in the game doesn’t guarantee that it will be available for players, but it can be a hint about content Epic has been working on.DaBaby has faced criticism since at least the Rolling Loud music festival on July 25th, where he said:

Master Chief can now tell you when to turn left or continue straight, thanks to Microsoft and Google teaming up to add Halo Infinite-themed content inside Waze. The promotion will also let you get directions from Escharum, the leader of Halo Infinite’s antagonists, the Banished. There are also a few other settings that let you make your navigation experience more Halo-y, including the ability to have your vehicle show up as a Warthog or Ghost.To enable the Halo experience, open the Waze menu and tap on the “Drive with Master Chief” button. From there, you can set your Mood, car icon, and navigation voice to be UNSC or Banished-themed. It’s hard to miss the settings. This is a very bad idea, given... Continue reading…

Image: OtterBox OtterBox’s latest gaming controller clip is MagSafe-compatible for iPhone 12 devices, and it costs $39.99. Compared to its previous $30 gaming clip that we reviewed earlier this year, it streamlines the process of connecting your phone to a controller clip by letting it snap on seamlessly with the help of magnets — in other words, MagSafe technology (TM). This solution is preferable to traditional controller clips that clamp around the edges of your phone’s display. I just wish that this one worked with other phones.Some MagSafe-compatible accessories can also charge iPhone 12-series models, but in this case, OtterBox’s MagSafe gaming clip seems to boil down to “it’s a circular magnetic surface.” There are no other special features... Continue reading…

On Tuesday, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission Gary Gensler called on Congress to expand the agency’s authority in regulating cryptocurrency trading, lending, and platforms.“Right now, we just don’t have enough investor protection in crypto. Frankly, at this time, it’s more like the Wild West,” Gensler said in a speech to the Aspen Security Forum Tuesday. “We have taken and will continue to take our authorities as far as they go.”“It’s more like the Wild West”Over the last few years, cryptocurrency tokens and platforms have flourished as US financial regulators have struggled to develop and apply to the new technology. Last December, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed new regulations to make it easier... Continue reading…

Photo by Avery White for The Verge Apple is updating to the Mac Pro with new graphics card modules on Tuesday, featuring options based on the AMD Radeon Pro W6000 series. The company claims the new Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module, Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module, and Radeon Pro W6900X MPX module should give a boost to performance for the graphics-heavy tasks Apple designed the Pro around. Continuing to support the Pro by bringing new GPU options to Apple’s custom Mac Pro Expansion Module (MPX) system is a pretty good sign that the company remains committed to its new, modular design.AMD first announced the new graphics cards in June this year, with the promise that the W6800 would bring “up to 79 percent faster performance than the previous generation.” Now a little over... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge On Sunday, a bipartisan group of Senators published draft text of a massive new bipartisan infrastructure bill, proposing more than a trillion dollars in spending and a vast array of far-reaching provisions. But a little-noticed section in the bill could have significant implications in the fight against drunk driving, eventually mandating a new in-car safety technology to actively prevent Americans from driving while impaired.Introduced under the heading “Advanced Impaired Driving Technology,” the provision would require the Department of Transportation to set a new standard for detecting and preventing impaired driving. The bill calls on the secretary of transportation to release a standard within three years, with the requirement... Continue reading…

Here’s the Google Meet app on Chrome OS. | Google With Chrome OS’s latest update, Google has announced that its Google Meet app will be preinstalled on all Chromebooks. The announcement is part of the company’s larger push to adapt its operating system for remote meetings.The new feature shouldn’t make too much of a difference to longtime Chromebook users who already have a preferred video chat platform installed. But for new students receiving a Chromebook for the first time, or other folks who are trying the platform out, it could certainly mean the difference between using Google Meet for meetings and social calls or turning to competitors like Zoom.Google also says it’s made performance improvements to Google Meet’s experience, including “adapting video calls to different... Continue reading…

Image: Inspiration4/John Kraus The first “all-civilian” mission to space is set to blast off on a SpaceX rocket in mid-September, and the process of getting those astronauts trained and (eventually) into orbit will be documented in a new five-part Netflix series called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space.Announced Tuesday, Countdown is being billed by Netflix as the first documentary series from the streaming company to cover an event in “near real-time.” Netflix says the first two episodes will arrive on September 6th, followed by two more on September 13th. The company says SpaceX is targeting September 15th for the launch, and if that schedule holds, the fifth episode — a “feature-length finale” — will premiere by the end of the month. The documentary is... Continue reading…

Image: Fandango Fandango has announced that it will phase out the branding of its “FandangoNOW” streaming service and focus on Vudu as its lone app for rentals and purchases of movies and TV shows. The change means that Vudu will now become the default portal for rentals and purchases on many Roku devices, where FandangoNOW has long been the digital store for movies and TV content.Fandango says the united service will “offer more than 200,000 new release and catalog movies and TV shows to rent or buy, including the largest collection of 4K UHD titles and thousands of titles to watch for free — all with no subscription required.” It’ll also continue to support Movies Anywhere and the high-quality video streams that made Vudu popular among home theater... Continue reading…

Microsoft’s new Aqua Shift Special Edition Xbox controller. | Image: Microsoft Microsoft has just revealed its newest Xbox controller — the Aqua Shift Special Edition — and it has a striking, shimmery blue finish that makes it perhaps Microsoft’s flashiest controller yet. But the shiny blue color isn’t its only distinctive feature: the controller also has rubberized side grips that have “a unique dual color swirl on every unit,” according to Microsoft.You can get a close-up look at the controller’s shiny finish and one of the grip patterns in a tweet from Xbox:

Photo by Aubrey Gemignani /NASA via Getty Images Boeing postponed the test launch of its uncrewed Starliner astronaut capsule on Tuesday, the company said in a statement. The delay was caused by a technical issue that popped up after lightning storms on Monday. Mission teams are determining whether the issues can be resolved in time for Starliner’s next launch opportunity on Wednesday around noon.During routine engineering checks the day before Starliner’s planned launch, engineers noticed the position of some valves within Starliner’s propulsion system appeared out of place, Boeing said, adding that the issue was detected “following yesterday’s electrical storms in the region of Kennedy Space Center.” Starliner was slated to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on... Continue reading…

It’s taken a few months, but Apple is now selling the new, Touch ID-equipped version of its Magic Keyboard for anyone to buy, starting at $149 for the standard version and $179 for a full-sized model with a numpad, as spotted by MacRumors.The Touch ID keyboard was introduced alongside the M1 iMac earlier this year, but at the time, the only way to get one was to buy a new computer. Now, though, anyone can buy one of the new keyboards, albeit with one key caveat: the standalone models are only available in Apple’s usual white / aluminum color scheme, instead of the more colorful models that come with the brightly hued iMacs.And for those who must have their accessories match, Apple is also selling the updated Magic Trackpad for $129,... Continue reading…

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) walks back to his office after a bipartisan group of Senators and White House officials came to an agreement over the Biden administrations proposed infrastructure plan at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2021 in Washington, DC. | Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images A new generation of pipelines could be born out of the bipartisan infrastructure deal making its way through Congress. But instead of hauling oil and gas, the pipelines would carry planet-heating carbon dioxide. The massive bill would allocate funding for new infrastructure devoted to capturing carbon dioxide, and transporting it to places where it can be buried underground or used in products like carbonated soda.Carbon capture technology aims to scrub CO2 directly at the source of emissions — but it’s remained controversial among climate activists, with many seeing it as a false solution that distracts from emission reduction goals. But Congress’ new bipartisan infrastructure plan would invest billions of dollars into the idea,... Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge There are a smattering of deals happening across the web. Some products we’ve covered are seeing some of the lowest prices yet. Like an 11.5-inch tablet with an OLED screen. For a limited time, Lenovo is discounting its Tab P11 Pro tablet that has a vivid OLED screen from its usual $500 price down to just $310 through Lenovo’s official eBay page. This is the base model that has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.My colleague Dan Seifert mentioned in the review of this product that this tablet is great for watching movies on, with its display and quad speakers packing a punch. This model is set to receive Android 11 in October 2021, and it will receive security updates through late 2023, according to Lenovo. Read our review.It’s also a... Continue reading…

Citizen The crime-tracking app Citizen is now launching its own emergency response service, promising access to agents who can call 911 or keep tabs on a potentially dangerous situation. Protect, which costs $19.99 per month, builds on a beta program that launched earlier this year. It’s part of a larger — and sometimes controversial — expansion effort at the startup, which has built a crime-mapping system into a live broadcasting platform while experimenting with private security services.Citizen Protect is essentially a private safety help line that draws on smartphone features like location tracking. When subscribers open the Citizen app, they can hit a button to call a “Protect Agent” via video, audio, or text. Agents are supposed to talk... Continue reading…

Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge Facebook groups have become a gray market for the country’s weed dealers Continue reading…

Boeing’s Starliner capsule sits atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket | NASA/Kim Shiflett Boeing is set to launch its Starliner astronaut capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as Wednesday, more than a year and a half after its first orbital Starliner test failed to reach the station and returned home earlier than planned. The mission is a test, and there won’t be any humans on board. Originally slated to launch on July 30th, Boeing and NASA have delayed the launch date twice so far, the first delay due to a mishap at the International Space Station and the second due to an issue that Boeing has yet to clarify.If all goes well, it’ll mark a crucial step toward Boeing and NASA’s goal to use Starliner for routine astronaut missions, and a key chance to salvage the aerospace giant’s reputation after years of... Continue reading…

Image: Amazon Amazon and Best Buy are continuing on with their TV partnership that started three years ago. Today, the companies announced new Insignia and Toshiba TVs that run Amazon’s Fire TV software. The latest F50 series improves on previous “Fire TV Edition” sets — Amazon is just calling them “Fire TVs” now — with expanded quantum dot HDR color for a more vivid picture. The new models also feature slimmer bezels, DTS Virtual-X audio from the built-in speakers, and continue to support Dolby Vision HDR.Pricing will start at $599.99 for a 50-inch model, and the F50 series tops out at 70 inches.Between different models and screen sizes (ranging from 24 inches to 75 inches) sold in the US and Canada, there are now over 80 Insignia and Toshiba Fire... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge In the last week or so, we’ve learned about the state of California filing a lawsuit against Blizzard citing numerous stories of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination at the company. The revelations have been followed by even more stories of unacceptable behavior by leaders of the company, and now the president of Blizzard (who was named in the lawsuit) is leaving the company “to pursue new opportunities.”Employees were informed of J. Allen Brack’s departure this morning, and an announcement from Activision Blizzard says that former Vicarious Visions leader Jen Oneal and former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra are now co-leaders of the developer. A note on Blizzard.com says the two “are deeply committed to all of our employees; to... Continue reading…

As The Verge reported last week, Realme is working on a magnetic wireless charging system for its Android phones, and today it’s revealed a full range of products that’ll use the new technology. Realme is calling the system MagDart, and it’s basically a high-powered take on Apple’s MagSafe system for the iPhone 12 range of phones.The key product in the lineup is the 50W MagDart charger, which Realme says is the world’s fastest magnetic wireless charger. It has an inescapably bulky cuboid design that makes room for a cooling fan, but Realme is banking that users will make the tradeoff for faster charging speeds.When plugged into the company’s 65W SuperDart wired charger, Realme claims that the MagDart charger will fill a 4,500mAh phone... Continue reading…

Twitter’s added context for content on its platform. | Image: Twitter Twitter is working with news agencies the Associated Press and Reuters to more proactively combat misinformation on its platform, the company has announced. The platform’s internal teams already work to explain and add context to Twitter content, but it says the two news agencies will help provide more authoritative information, especially when facts are in dispute.In particular, Twitter says it wants to be more proactive about providing accurate information on topics as they develop, before misinformation emerges. “Rather than waiting until something goes viral, Twitter will contextualize developing discourse at pace with or in anticipation of the public conversation,” the platform says. Reuters and the Associated Press will also... Continue reading…

The X34 1440p monitor sits in the middle of the fleet of new models. | HP HP has gone on a tear and announced seven new gaming monitors in its X lineup, featuring a range of sizes, panel types, and resolutions, as well as some that are curved or flat-screened. It seems like HP is aiming to deliver a flurry of options that have a high refresh rate, low response time, competent design, and crucially, competitive prices. HP is staggering this launch over the next few months, with availability starting now for some of its monitors and continuing through October.To being with, there’s HP’s X27, which is available now and comes in a 1080p version for $259.99 or a 1440p variant called the X27q that costs $339.99. Both are IPS panels with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time.Resolution differences aside,... Continue reading…

Amazon’s delivery drones have gone through many iterations, including the design above. | Image: Amazon A new report from Wired into Amazon’s drone delivery program in the UK says the operation has lost over 100 employees, with insiders saying the project is “collapsing inwards.”Citing testimony from former employees, Wired describes a culture of managerial dysfunction and overwork. In February 2020, for example, Amazon reportedly shut down a team of dozens in the UK dedicated to analyzing drone footage to identify humans and animals, only to re-open the unit months later. Other stories cited in the report include the fast turnover of senior staff, an employee drinking beer at their desk in the morning, and another “pinning down the ‘approve’ button on their computer so that all the frames of footage were being approved irrelevant of... Continue reading…

The Xiaomi Mi 11 offers similar features to Samsung’s S21 ultra for much less money. | Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is continuing to post solid growth. After overtaking Apple as the number two smartphone vendor in the world in the second quarter of 2021, it’s now become the top seller in Europe for the first time, according to new figures from Strategy Analytics.Xiaomi overtook Samsung to take the top spot in Europe, with 12.7 million phones shipped in Q2, up 67.1 percent year-on-year. Samsung’s shipments fell 7 percent in that same period to 12 million units, though the Korean company remains the world’s biggest phone vendor.Overall smartphone shipments in Europe increased in 2021 thanks to post-COVID recovery, say Strategy Analytics’ researchers, with Apple also showing decent growth. The iPhone maker was up 15.7... Continue reading…

Amazon One identifies unique patterns in your palm to confirm payments in Amazon stores. | Image: Amazon Amazon is offering $10 in credit if you enroll your biometric data in the company’s palm print recognition system, Amazon One. The promotion, spotted by TechCrunch, says people must connect their palm print to their Amazon account to claim the reward, though it’s not clear exactly where it’s available.Amazon launched Amazon One in September last year, presenting it as an easy way to pay in the company’s stores, as well as a future identity service to be used by other venues and businesses. Users simply position their hand over the company’s scanners, which recognize their unique palm print based on its patterns of lines, ridges, and veins. This information can be used to verify payments in stores, but also in lieu of entrance tickets... Continue reading…

Not everything needs Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Case in point is Amazon’s new Smart Soap Dispenser, the latest let’s-stick-a-chip-in-it replacement for ordinary objects. And because it’s made by Amazon, it’s design to be paired with an Echo speaker to run Alexa routines.Why? Well, according to Amazon, it’s to “automatically play songs, jokes, and more when you wash.”The 12oz liquid soap dispenser is fitted with 2.4GHz (only) 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and features an LED timer around the top that reminds you to keep scrubbing until the CDC-recommended minimum wash time of 20 seconds has elapsed. The rechargeable battery is said to last three months on a single charge.A feature available on touchless soap dispensers that cost a lot lessOne useful... Continue reading…

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates in 2019. | Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates filed for divorce on May 3rd after 27 years of marriage. Now, three months later, the separation of one of the world’s richest, most powerful couples has been finalized by a judge in King County, Washington.Court records show that neither party will change their name or receive “spousal support,” report CNN and Bloomberg, but exactly how the Gates’ immense fortune will be divided is unclear. Washington is a community property state, which means all assets accumulated during a marriage must be divided equally in the event of a divorce. But the Gates’ split is being carried out under the aegis of a separation contract, details of which are unknown.Bill Gates is currently the fourth richest man in the... Continue reading…

‘Unlimited skips and on-demand listening’ for $0.99 a month. | Screenshot: Spotify Spotify Plus is a new low-cost subscription tier being piloted by the streaming service which combines elements of its existing free and premium tiers. The plan still features ads like Spotify’s free tier, but it doesn’t impose any limits on the number of tracks you can skip per hour. Users are also free to pick which specific songs they want to listen to, rather than mostly being limited to shuffling within albums and playlists.At least one user has seen Spotify Plus being advertised at $0.99 a month (a tenth of the cost of its standard $9.99 premium tier), but it’s understood that Spotify’s test involves offering the new plan randomly at a variety of price points to gauge user interest.Spotify’s free tier has existed in its current... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge An initial assessment from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has recommended workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama hold a new election to determine whether to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The recommendation comes from the hearing officer assigned to the case and is only a preliminary ruling, but still hands the union a surprising win in a fight that many in the labor movement had considered lost.In April, workers at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama voted not to unionize by a margin of more than 2-to-1. But in the aftermath of the result, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) alleged that Amazon had illegally influenced the drive and... Continue reading…

Pearson Pearson, the largest publisher of college textbooks in the US, has announced Pearson Plus, a new subscription service for digital textbooks. The Pearson Plus app, available in both mobile and desktop form, will be available on US college campuses this fall and is expected to roll out globally in the future.There are two subscription tiers. Enrolled students can pay $9.99 per month to access one textbook at a time or $14.99 per month for access to the company’s full library (a selection of over 1,500 e-books). The app provides various other study aids as well, including flashcards, annotations, and customizable fonts.The Pearson Plus app will be available on US college campuses this fallCollege textbooks are a big expense, and can... Continue reading…

Vizio’s free streaming service WatchFree Plus. | Image: Vizio Vizio has revamped its WatchFree streaming experience, given it a brand new look, and tacked a “plus” on the end of its service’s title. (Because if a streaming service doesn’t include the symbol, does it even really count?)With the update announced today, the service formerly known as WatchFree is getting new navigation features to improve search and discovery of free content with recommendations that cater to a viewer’s individual interest. Plus, its live programming guide now offers hundreds of free channels across a surprisingly comprehensive number of genres — everything from comedy and sports to a lengthy list of entertainment channels. Image: Vizio Vizio’s revamped WatchFree Plus service. In addition,... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook announced on Monday that all employees will be required to wear masks when offices reopen. The policy goes into effect on August 3rd and will remain in place until further notice. The company confirmed last week that it’s requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all employees returning to work at its US campuses, which it plans to fully reopen by October.“Given the rising numbers of COVID cases, the newest data on COVID variants, and an increasing number of local requirements, we are reinstating our mask requirement in all of Facebook’s US offices, regardless of an employee’s vaccination status,” said a Facebook spokesperson.Facebook’s update happened the same day health officials in the Bay Area announced the reinstatement of i... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Today Microsoft opened availability for Windows 365, the cloud PC setup that lets businesses stream Windows 10 or Windows 11 via a web browser. As described earlier this spring, it’s one way for businesses to support hybrid and remote work, with an instant-on PC experience that can work across different devices.After it was announced, Microsoft revealed one pricing option of $31 per month, per user to access a cloud PC instance with the equivalent of two CPUs, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Now that it’s available, the complete Windows 365 pricing page reveals more packages, ready for business (300 seats or less), or enterprise-level subscriptions. Image: Microsoft.com Windows 365 pricing options The... Continue reading…

Govee’s Immersion TV LED backlights can elevate your TV watching experience by syncing its lights to what’s on your 55-inch or 65-inch screen. The effect makes it look like the colors bleed through the bezels of your TV, out onto your walls. It’s not the only product that can do this, but it’s far less expensive than most at $80. For a limited time, Govee is knocking $5 off that price to sweeten the deal a little more. You can get this product for $75 if you check the $5 “extra savings coupon” listed underneath the price on the product page. Read our review.Best Buy has been a reliable source for deals on Apple’s iPhone cases that rarely see much in the way of discounts. It launched another batch of price cuts today, focusing on cases... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Libertarians built a Bitcoin economy in a small New Hampshire town — then feds tore it down Continue reading…