The Verge

Honor of Kings is among the biggest games in the world — and soon, it’ll be among the most fashionable as well. Today, Tencent-owned developer TiMi Studios announced a collaboration with fashion house Burberry on new character skins. The skins were designed by Riccardo Tisci, chief creative officer at Burberry, for the character Yao.“Burberry’s signature gabardine, pioneered by founder Thomas Burberry and designed to protect the wearer against the elements, fits seamlessly with Yao, who personifies the role of a protector for her teammates,” the company says. The two skins were designed with the “spirit of nature” in mind and will be available to purchase for players in mainland China, though there’s no word on a release date. You can... Continue reading…

The Galaxy Book Pro 360. | Image: Evan Blass / Voice Images of two of Samsung’s rumored upcoming laptops — the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 — have leaked early, giving us our clearest look yet at the two devices. The apparent marketing images were posted to Voice by reliable leaker Evan Blass, who says they could launch as early as April.The Galaxy Book Pro will reportedly be available in both blue and silver, while the Pro 360 will come in navy and gold. Both are available with 13 and 15-inch displays. Blass confirms that the Pro 360 will support Samsung’s S Pen stylus, and his images show that some variants of the laptops will include full size keyboards with numpads. In the images, the Pro 360 appears to have a USB Type-C port, headphone jack, and microSD card slot, while... Continue reading…

OnePlus is switching to ColorOS, the variant of Android used by Oppo smartphones, for its new OnePlus 9 series in China. The move was announced on OnePlus’ forums by Gary C, the product lead on OxygenOS, which is what OnePlus phones use in the rest of the world.“As a global technology company, we always look for ways to address the different usage habits and preferences among our users worldwide,” Gary C says. “We truly believe this customized new operating system will bring our Chinese users a software experience that is better suited to their liking.”This doesn’t change anything for the global OnePlus 9 series that’s set to be unveiled in full tomorrow — it’ll still run OxygenOS. But it does appear to spell the end for HydrogenOS,... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If you want to buy Jack Dorsey’s first tweet, you’d better get your bid in. The billionaire co-founder and CEO of Twitter put the tweet up for digital auction as an NFT —non-fungible token— a digital good that lives on the Ethereum blockchain. Dorsey’s 15-year-old tweet is up for sale on a platform called Valuables by Cent that lets people make offers on tweets that are “autographed by their original creators.”On Sunday afternoon, the high bid for Dorsey’s tweet, the succinct “just setting up my twttr,” was at $2.5 million, from Sina Estavi, CEO of Bridge Oracle.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple has been ordered to pay $308.5 million to Personalized Media Communications after a federal jury in Texas found the company had infringed on a technology patent related to digital rights management, Bloomberg reported. PMC had sued Apple over its FairPlay technology, used to distribute encrypted content from iTunes, Apple Music, and its App Store.PMC, which is a patent licensing firm, originally sued Apple in 2015, claiming the tech giant had infringed seven of its patents. Apple successfully challenged the case to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, but an appeals court reversed the patent board’s decision last March, and the case went to trial.Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge on Sunday,... Continue reading…

Anthony Ramos stars in In the Heights | Warner Bros. So I have utterly failed at trying not to watch Hannibal right before bed; it definitely makes for weird dreams but it’s so good. I’m about halfway through season 2 now and getting very nervous for some of the characters I don’t remember from Silence of the Lambs and/or Red Dragon. I also have Promising Young Woman queued up and trying to avoid spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier until I can watch the first episode. Honestly too much good streaming content to keep up.That said, though, I am very excited by this week’s lineup because we have new trailers, plural, for In the Heights, the movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway play (he also wrote another one you may have heard of, about Alexander Hamilton).... Continue reading…

Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images The first person I knew personally who got their COVID-19 vaccine was my grandma, and the news that a shot was officially in her arm was the best thing I’d heard since the pandemic began. Since then, more and more of my family and friends (and their families) have been vaccinated, and the jolt of happiness is still just as exhilarating.I get emotional hearing about people I don’t know getting vaccinated, too. Turns out, I’m a huge softie when it comes to people getting protected from a deadly disease! Social media is full of post-jab selfies that will make me tear up a little during the workday. And this week, my wonderful co-worker Kait Sanchez pointed me in the direction of another way to soak up the joy of the newly vaccinated: the... Continue reading…

Elon Musk said Saturday if Tesla vehicles were used to spy in China, the company would be shut down, Reuters reported. Musk made the remark while speaking via video link to the China Development Forum, addressing reports that China has barred its military and government personnel from using Tesla vehicles over security concerns.“There’s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information,” Musk told the forum. “If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down.”The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that people who work for China’s military, government agencies and “state-owned enterprises in sensitive industries” were prohibited from driving Teslas. China is concerned that Tesla’s exterior... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge In the next week, Utah’s governor will decide whether to make all phones and tablets in the state filter pornography... sort of. The bill, which passed Utah’s legislature earlier this month, would require mobile devices to “automatically enable a filter capable of blocking material that is harmful to minors.” Gov. Spencer Cox has said he will “carefully consider” signing it by the March 25th deadline.But the rule won’t change anything in the immediate future — a fact one lawmaker even cited as a benefit.In theory, Utah’s H.B. 72 mandates active adult content filters on all smartphones and tablets sold in Utah. Phone makers would provide a passcode to let buyers disable the filter, although it’s not clear if they’d need to verify the... Continue reading…

Christopher Nolan’s time-shifting thriller Tenet will debut on HBO Max May 1st, just a few months after the director called it the “worst streaming service.”Tenet was scheduled to be released in theaters last July, but had its opening date delayed several times because of the coronavirus pandemic. It debuted in theaters outside the US, including Canada, France, Japan, and the UK in August, and in US theaters in September.

V-Moda’s first noise-canceling headphones are built well and have balanced sound, but they fall short on features Continue reading…

Image: Intel Intel launched a new ad campaign starring Justin Long, Apple’s “I’m a Mac” actor, but for this campaign, Long is singing the praises of PC laptops and comparing them to MacBooks. The thing is, for reasons that we can’t quite figure out, Intel actually made the MacBook Pros in its commercials look better than they do in real life, as spotted by tech YouTuber Rene Ritchie.Take a look at these two photos. The one on the left is a photo of a MacBook Pro with an M1 chip taken for The Verge’s review. The one on the right is taken from this Intel ad. Can you spot the difference?I’ll spoil it for you: Intel’s version of the MacBook Pro has much thinner screen bezels, making it a nearly edge-to-edge display. I’d love it if my MacBook’s... Continue reading…

Jengtingchen The Hong Guang Mini EV edged out Tesla’s Model 3 as the top-selling electric vehicle in the world in January and February, not a small feat for the relatively new hatchback. More than 36,000 of the tiny cars sold in January, compared to about 21,500 Model 3s, and the Hong Guang sold just over 20,000 units last month, compared to just under 13,700 Tesla 3s.The diminutive vehicle is made under a joint partnership between China’s state-owned SAIC Motor, Wuling Motors, and US carmaker General Motors, and is locally referred to simply as Wuling. The Hong Guang Mini EV sells in China only for 28,800 yuan, or about $4,500. It claims to get 170 kilometers (roughly 106 miles) per charge, and can reach a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour or 62... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The consumer protection agency in Brazil’s São Paulo state has fined Apple $2 million for failing to include chargers within iPhone 12 boxes, according to 9to5 Mac. Procon-SP says Apple engaged in “misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger and unfair terms.”Apple announced in October that the iPhone 12 and would not come with chargers or earbuds in their boxes, citing environmental concerns. By only including a USB-C to Lightning cable with iPhone 12 and other new models, Apple said it would be able to reduce the raw materials for each iPhone it sells, in addition to reducing the size of the phones’ boxes. Critics suggested the change had more to do with allowing Apple to reduce shipping costs, and environmental... Continue reading…

Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said in a news release Friday that cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase has paid $6.5 million to settle regulators’ claims that it reported misleading transaction data.According to the CFTC, between January 2015 and September 2018 “Coinbase recklessly delivered false, misleading, or inaccurate reports concerning transactions in digital assets.” The agency alleges that two trading programs operated by Coinbase generated orders that traded with each other, which could have misled traders about the trading volume on the exchange now called Coinbase Pro.The CFTC also fined Coinbase for what are known as “wash trades” in the Litecoin cryptocurrency and bitcoin that were conducted by a... Continue reading…

The 21.5 and 27 inch iMacs | Image: Apple Apple recently discontinued the iMac Pro, and two configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac are now joining the Pro in retirement. As spotted by MacRumors, the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac are no longer available for purchase, with only the 256GB SSD and 1TB Fusion drive versions available to buy on Apple’s website.Both configurations appeared unavailable for purchase on Apple’s website as of last month, but at the time it was not clear if that was a supply issue or a permanent discontinuation of the two options. But now both the 512GB and 1TB SSD options are gone from the iMac configuration page, MacRumors notes.A big iMac redesign has been rumored in the works for some time. Apple is expected to replace the... Continue reading…

Comics have never been bigger: with Marvel TV shows, DC movies, and indie adaptations growing by the day, comic books have never been more prominent in pop culture. This ongoing Verge column recommends comic series new and old, whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer.Sometimes the art and narrative of a comic go hand-in-hand. A horror story might be full of lots of black and reds, while a superhero comic is brighter and cleaner. Paranoia Killer goes in a different direction. The series is a dark thriller, full of violence and serious subject matter, but with a visual style reminiscent of a Nickelodeon cartoon. Somehow, it still works.What is it? Paranoia Killer is a brand-new series — so far, only the first of four parts is... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro Twitter is planning to establish a legal entity in Turkey to continue operating there under the country’s controversial internet law that took effect last year, the company announced late Friday. Under the law, social media companies that have more than 1 million users must store Turkish users’ data in the country.Such companies also are required to designate an official representative in Turkey, who must answer requests to take down content that violates privacy within 48 hours. If the companies refuse to comply, they could face fines, advertising bans, and eventually bandwidth reductions that could make the platforms unusable.“We remain committed to protecting the voices and data of people in Turkey who use Twitter. We will continue... Continue reading…

Workers unload the first shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine provided by COVAX in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on March 11, 2021. | Photo by MARVIN RECINOS/AFP via Getty Images Millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines currently sitting in United States warehouses are now destined for vaccination sites in Mexico and Canada, according to the White House. The donation marks one of the US’ first steps into the dawning — and deeply contentious — world of late-stage pandemic vaccine diplomacy.The neighborly gesture is reportedly a loan — the US expects that they will return the favor and hand over some vaccine doses in the future. The US can certainly afford to be generous with these doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine that it’s donating hasn’t been authorized in the US. The country reserved doses just in case it is eventually given the green light by the FDA, but the vaccine is still being tested in the US. Results from... Continue reading…

An anti military coup protester stands in the middle of teargas smoke during a demonstration in Myanmar | Photo by Aung Kyaw Htet/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images TikTok says it has “aggressively banned” numerous accounts and devices in Myanmar, in an attempt to curb misinformation and the spread of violent videos on its platform.Rest of World reported that government soldiers in Myanmar have posted hundreds of videos to TikTok since its military seized power in February. The videos ranges from traditional pro-government propaganda, to misinformation meant to confuse protesters, to threats from soldiers with weapons.TikTok removed some of the videos earlier this month after media reports about the rise in hate speech and threats in the southeast Asian nation. But Rest of World reports that the short-form video platform admitted it had not moved swiftly enough to stop the spread of the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Artists are seeing their work showing up in NFTs they did not mint themselves Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge If you’ve got an Alexa device in your home, like an Echo smart speaker, anyone in your home can use it. But there are certain disadvantages to having it associated with only one account. Mainly, it means that everyone is pretty much sharing the same account.You can create what Amazon calls a “household.” That means that there can be two adult accounts on the device. On an Echo, that means it can display photos and allow notifications (for example, for a to-do list) from both accounts. Creating a household also permits one member of the household to make a purchase using the other’s account, which can be useful if one person has a Prime account. (You can add a code if you’d rather not allow the other household member to make... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter is testing a way to let you watch YouTube videos right from your timeline. Typically, when someone includes a YouTube link in a tweet, clicking that link sends you to YouTube, which can be frustrating if you didn’t want to leave Twitter to watch the video. This new feature, which is in testing today on iOS, means you won’t be sent away from Twitter, which will make it easier to watch a video and then keep on scrolling if you so choose.Twitter shared how the feature works in a GIF:

Image: Square Enix During today’s Square Enix Presents live stream, the company announced the next main entry in the Life is Strange series, called True Colors, will arrive on September 10th, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, and Stadia.Life is Strange: True Colors is developed by Deck Nine, a studio that previously worked on Before the Storm. In Life is Strange: True Colors, players control Alex Chen, an Asian American woman who has a supernatural ability to “experience, absorb, and manipulate” the strong emotions other people experience. The story will focus on Alex as she tries to embrace her power to figure out the mystery surrounding her brother’s death.All episodes for ‘Life is Strange: True Colors’ will be available at launchU... Continue reading…

Image: NBC NBCUniversal is making all of The Office available for free on Peacock for one week, starting today, March 18th, in celebration of the show’s 16th anniversary.The Office has streamed exclusively on Peacock since January 1st after leaving Netflix, where it was one of the most-watched shows on any streaming service. Usually, Peacock offers the first two seasons of The Office for free with ads and seasons 3-9 through Peacock’s $4.99 per month tier with ads or the $9.99 per month tier without ads. But for one week, you can watch any episode of The Office for free with no ads at all.I actually just tried Peacock for the first time to check out the promotion. I made a Peacock account, found The Office, watched a couple minutes of the pilot... Continue reading…

Facebook has offered a glimpse inside its plans for a new augmented reality interface, based on technology from CTRL-Labs, the startup it acquired in 2019. In a video, it shows off wristbands that use electromyography (EMG) to translate subtle neural signals into actions — like typing, swiping, or playing games like an archery simulator. The bands also offer haptic feedback, creating a system that’s more responsive than basic hand tracking options.Facebook Reality Labs published a blog post detailing its work on a prototype of the wristbands. At its simplest, the bands would track basic gestures Facebook calls “clicks,” which are supposed to be reliable and easy to execute. They’re a little bit like the all-purpose Microsoft HoloLens “... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The federal COVID-19 vaccine-finding website President Joe Biden promised last week will be an expansion of VaccineFinder, a website first created during the 2009 swine flu outbreaks to help people locate vaccine providers. On or before May 1st, the website should include information on every COVID-19 vaccine administration site in the country.“It’s going to be an improved, federal version of VaccineFinder,” says John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and founder of VaccineFinder.Over the past decade, VaccineFinder compiled information from around the country, showing people where they could find flu shots and other routine vaccines. It runs out of Boston Children’s Hospital in partnership with the... Continue reading…

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge If you want another shot at trying to buy either an Xbox Series X or a PlayStation 5, you’re in luck. A Walmart spokesperson told The Verge that the retailer will be restocking the consoles online today, March 18th.Walmart plans to have inventory for the PS5, the PS5 Digital Edition, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S gaming consoles, with prices ranging from $300 to $500 depending on the model you purchase. The retailer told me that restocks for Xbox Series X / S will begin at 2:30PM ET, while PS5s will be up for purchase beginning at 3PM ET.For those looking to buy a next-gen Xbox console, you may want to consider picking up some other accessories to get the most out of your console. An additional controller is likely a good... Continue reading…

Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League is finally available to stream on HBO Max, and while the rabid fans who helped make it happen may have been prepared for its 4:3 format, many people were a little stunned when they pressed play today.Listen, I was a fan of The Wire. I get it. Artistic vision and all that. But a 4:3 aspect ratio simply clashes with most modern devices. So I’ve rounded up five videos that take full advantage of most widescreen-optimized phones, tablets, and TVs. Use them as a palate cleanser when you finish the Snyder Cut or as a visual release valve when you inevitably pause the four-hour-long version of Justice League. The world is your banana.1. This video of the Banana orbiting the Earth at the same distance as the... Continue reading…

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call President Biden has tapped former Democratic Senator Bill Nelson for NASA administrator, according to three people familiar with the decision. Nelson, a politically experienced ally of the administration, would steer the space agency as it races to return humans to the Moon, bolsters its climate research and expands its reliance on a flourishing commercial space industry.A former congressman and three-term US senator from Florida, Nelson would succeed former president Trump’s NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, whose past experience in Congress proved key in rallying support for the Artemis program, an ambitious campaign to use the Moon as a stepping stone for future astronaut missions to Mars.Biden’s decision comes nearly two months after he... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook is expanding its support of physical security keys for two-factor authentication (2FA) on mobile devices, the company said in a blog post Thursday. The social platform has supported security keys for its desktop version since 2017, but starting today, it will let users on its iOS and Android apps use them to secure their accounts as well.Two-factor authentication provides another layer of support for online accounts, requiring users to log in with their password and an additional piece of information, usually a numeric code generated by a third-party system. Without both pieces of information, it’s much harder for someone to access your account even if they have your password.“We strongly recommend that everyone considers... Continue reading…

Image: Specialized The growing popularity of electric bikes has raised a lot of exciting possibilities about the future of transportation, but it also presents a number of unique challenges. Chief among them is what to do with all those e-bike batteries when they eventually run out of juice. Rather than send them to a landfill, one major bike manufacturer is teaming up with a co-founder of Tesla to ensure those batteries have a second life.Specialized, the third largest bike maker in the US based on market share, is partnering with a firm called Redwood Materials, which is run by Jeffrey “JB” Straubel, a co-founder and former chief technology officer of Tesla, to figure out a process for recycling the company’s e-bike batteries. Those batteries, which... Continue reading…

Image: Amazon Back in December, Amazon launched an ad-sponsored news app on its Fire TV platform. At that time, the app offered local news coverage in 12 cities, including New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, and more. But today, Amazon says it’s expanding local news to “88 major cities” across the US, “including popular local stations from news distributors such as ABC Owned Television Stations, CBSN, TEGNA, Cox, The E.W. Scripps Company, and Altice USA.”The news app now comes built into the Fire TV software, and local news gets its own tab in the app. “Amazon’s thoughtful expansion of local news content on its Fire TV devices is a strong testament to the power of local news to keep communities safe and informed through everything 2020 has... Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Amazon’s Echo Show 8 is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $75 right now. While this is not its lowest price ever (the previous best price was only $5 less), it is still an incredible deal on the normally $130 smart display.The Echo Show 8 includes a slightly larger display than the Echo Show 5 and also includes support for videoconferencing apps, including Zoom.If you’re looking for a good virtual reality headset but are intimidated by the $300 price tag for the relatively affordable Oculus Quest 2, you’re in luck. Over on Oculus’ official website, the company is selling a refurbished first-generation Quest for $199. This “As Good as New” VR headset includes a full one-year warranty. Like its successor, the Quest is a... Continue reading…

Lest anyone worry that HBO Max would tarnish Zack Snyder’s auteur work Justice League, for which the company spent $70 million on reshoots and new digital effects in order to meet the director’s requirements and satisfy years of fan demand for a better cut of the widely panned movie, the service is prefacing all streams of the film with a short disclosure:

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic took everyone, including the IRS, by surprise. Because of the issues people were dealing with last spring, the filing deadline for federal tax payments was moved from the usual mid-April date to July 15th.This year, it looked look like we weren’t going to get the same tax vacation — until the IRS announced on March 17th that tax day has been pushed back a month. As a result, the new due date for your 2020 taxes is May 17th, 2021.Meanwhile, the IRS has also made it known that the pandemic is slowing down some operations, such as processing returns filed on paper. As a result, it might not be a bad idea to start working on those taxes as soon as possible — and to submit them online. In fact, whether... Continue reading…

It’s hard to believe that such a pure, wholesome game could become an object of dread Continue reading…

Sony is revealing its new VR controllers for the PS5 today. The orb-shaped controllers look more like typical VR controllers than existing PlayStation Move motion controllers, and they also include the same adaptive trigger technology found on the DualSense PS5 controller. Each controller has tensions in the triggers, and Sony is aiming to use this tech in future VR games.The controllers also have haptic feedback, and finger touch detection that will let them detect fingers without having to press areas where you rest your thumb, index, or middle fingers. “This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay,” says Hideaki Nishino, head of platform planning and management at PlayStation. I... Continue reading…

With a new wireless charger, the OnePlus 9 Pro can charge in either portrait or landscape orientation. | Image: OnePlus It’s not often that the actual spec is better than the rumor, but that’s the case here: the OnePlus 9 Pro supports 50W wireless charging — a little faster than the 45W rumor we reported on earlier this year. We’ve been able to test drive this feature ahead of the phone’s official debut on March 23rd and can confirm: the 9 Pro offers really, really fast wireless charging.OnePlus claims that the phone will charge wirelessly (with the new Warp Charge 50 charger) from 1 to 100 percent in 43 minutes, and our own testing confirmed this down to the minute. That’s a big boost over the OnePlus 8 Pro’s 30W wireless charging, which supplied a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The improvements aren’t limited to wireless charging, or the 9 Pro for... Continue reading…

Photo by Nicole Wetsman / The Verge We wouldn’t have tech without science, and The Verge wouldn’t be what it is without its team of science reporters. In this time of pandemics, Mars landings, and climate controversies, our skilled science team is more important than ever. We talked to Nicole Wetsman, one of our top science and health reporters, to find out how she does her job and what tools she uses.What is your job at The Verge?I’ve always been interested in science and health, but I never wanted to work in a lab or be a doctor. Reporting on those subjects gave me a way to learn and work with those ideas. I write about science, health, and health technology for The Verge. For the past year, that’s primarily meant covering COVID-19 — everything from testing technology... Continue reading…

A cell is upgraded to handle 5G signals in Orem, Utah. | Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images Cellphone towers are being increasingly targeted by conspiracy theorists, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists who wish to “incite fear, disrupt essential services, and cause economic damage,” according to an internal New York Police Department report seen by The Intercept.The report, issued on January 20th by the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, cites a number of recent attacks on US telecoms infrastructure, including individuals severing fiber-optic cables and removing back-up batteries from wireless sites. The sections of the report shared by The Intercept do not explicitly ascribe political motivations to these attacks.The most high-profile attack cited in the report is the case of Anthony Quinn Warner, who set off a bomb outside an AT&T... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook says it will remove any posts that celebrate the recent shooting in Atlanta or support the suspected shooter. Eight people were killed in the attack. Seven of the victims of the shooting were women and six were of Asian descent.The social network has designated the shooting to be a “violating event,” a classification that it’s previously used for the US Capitol riots in January this year and the killing of two people during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha in August 2020.Facebook wants to remove content that celebrates violent actsThis classification is part of Facebook’s expanded policies on Dangerous Individuals and Organizations. The social network noted last August that it wanted to address movements “that, while... Continue reading…

Truck rental company Ryder says it’s owed nearly $4 million from EV startup Chanje after it failed to deliver 100 of the 125 vans promised back in 2017, according to a previously unreported lawsuit in Florida.The lawsuit comes as a massive shift toward electric propulsion is underway in the commercial vehicle space, with new startups raising billions of dollars and established automakers announcing electric delivery vans and trucks at a regular clip.Chanje emerged from stealth in 2017 and is one of a number of electric vehicle startups that have called California home. Like many of its peers, it got early attention by hiring a few former execs from Tesla, and even poached some talent from fellow startup Faraday Future. Also like many... Continue reading…

Google is expanding its real-time caption feature, Live Captions, from Pixel phones to anyone using a Chrome browser, as first spotted by XDA Developers. Live Captions uses machine learning to spontaneously create captions for videos or audio where none existed before, and making the web that much more accessible for anyone who’s deaf or hard of hearing.When enabled, Live Captions automatically appear in a small, moveable box in the bottom of your browser when you’re watching or listening to a piece of content where people are talking. Words appear after a slight delay, and for fast or stuttering speech, you might spot mistakes. But in general, the feature is just as impressive as it was when it first appeared on Pixel phones in 2019.... Continue reading…

The Presenter Coach report, telling me how I did. Microsoft’s Presenter Coach, which helps you practice presentations, has been available on the web version of PowerPoint for a while now, but it’s finally coming to the desktop and mobile versions of the app. According to Microsoft, the feature will now be available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and, of course, the web.PowerPoint Presenter Coach listens to you while you practice a presentation out loud — it analyzes what you’re saying, and can warn you if you’re talking too fast or slow, using filler words like “um” or “ahh,” or just reading the words off the slide (a personal pet peeve of mine). Trying it out on both PowerPoint for Windows and iOS, it worked shockingly well, doing pretty much everything Microsoft says it should. At... Continue reading…

Photo by Brennan King / The Verge Apple is reportedly planning a number of updates to its iPad line, including new iPad Pros launching as soon as April, a new iPad mini with a larger screen, and a refresh of the base iPad, according to Bloomberg.The new iPad Pros are expected to have a similar design as the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros released last March but have a better processor that’s “on par” with the speedy M1 chip in Apple’s newest MacBook Airs, Pros, and Mac mini, Bloomberg reports. Both models may also have improved cameras.The 12.9-inch iPad Pro could have a Mini LED screen, according to Bloomberg, which should offer a higher contrast ratio and be less susceptible to burn-in than OLED screens. Hours after the Bloomberg report, reputable Apple analyst... Continue reading…

One perk of being an AT&T wireless subscriber was being able to stream HBO Max without that counting toward a customer’s data cap. That’s no longer the case.California’s new net neutrality law includes banning sponsored data services, known as zero-rating, which previously allowed companies like AT&T to cover data usage of certain platforms (like HBO Max) for customers who use other offerings like internet plans. As part of the law, internet service providers like AT&T won’t be able to cover bundle customers’ streaming data usage alongside no longer being able to offer paid prioritization or play down service speed questions.“We regret the inconvenience to customers caused by California’s new ‘net neutrality’ law,” the company wrote... Continue reading…

If you’ve got a recent Canon DSLR or mirrorless camera and are interested in getting more use out of it, Canon announced today that it would soon begin selling webcam accessory kits, allowing Canon owners an easier way to retool their cameras as high-quality webcams.Each kit has different parts, but all three packages include a USB cable to connect your camera to your desktop computer or laptop, and a battery insert and power cord so that you can continually keep your Canon camera powered with a wall outlet. It is important to note that none of these kits include a tripod to mount your camera.Webcams have been in high demandCanon has announced three versions of its accessory kit, which are available for preorder at Adorama, Amazon, B... Continue reading…

Motorola is expanding its Edge Plus flagship phone with a new, desktop computer interface called Ready For. Similar to Samsung’s DeX, Ready For allows users to plug their smartphone into a larger screen (using either a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to HDMI cable), allowing the Edge Plus (and presumably, future Motorola phones) to be used as a computer or even a set-top box alternative.The company actually envisions four different use cases for Ready For. On the most basic level, users can convert the Edge Plus into a mobile desktop computer setup, complete with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard — similar to DeX. But Motorola also has more interesting ideas for how to use the Edge Plus. One more, for instance, turns the Edge Plus... Continue reading…

Image: Lordstown Motors The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked Lordstown Motors for more information about allegations that the EV startup misled investors about its progress to date. Lordstown Motors said Wednesday that it is cooperating with the inquiry and that its board of directors has created a special committee to review the claims. The startup is backed by General Motors, which has a seat on the board.The allegations came last Friday from short-selling firm Hindenburg Research, which disclosed along with the report that it had taken a short position in Lordstown Motors. The firm previously released a report about hydrogen trucking startup Nikola that similarly led to probes from the SEC and the Department of Justice. (General Motors was also... Continue reading…