by Emma Roth on (#6NA8H)
Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images Boeing's Starliner will make its third attempt to launch two NASA astronauts into space on Wednesday. The spacecraft is scheduled to lift off at 10:52AM ET from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. You can watch the livestream from NASA's YouTube channel or in the video embedded below.With the help of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, the Starliner will send flight commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Sunita Williams to the International Space Station, where they'll dock for about a week to evaluate the spacecraft.Boeing's Starliner made its first launch attempt in May following several delays. But NASA scrubbed the launch due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the ULA Atlas V rocket's second stage.The... Continue reading...
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The Verge - All Posts
Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
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Updated | 2024-11-23 21:30 |
by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6NA8K)
Image: Archer Archer Aviation, a leading electric aviation company based in San Jose, California, announced that it has received a Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, which the company will need to operate an on-demand air taxi service.That puts Archer on the cusp of launching a fully fledged commercial service using its electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL). The company has also received Part 145 certification, which authorizes it to conduct specialized aircraft repair services. The FAA also recently issued the final airworthiness criteria for the Midnight aircraft. Archer is only the second eVTOL company to receive Part 135 certification, after Joby Aviation in 2022.That puts Archer on the... Continue reading...
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by Emilia David on (#6NA8J)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images Asana's platform already helps teams lay out tasks and see who is assigned which responsibilities, and now it says AI teammates" will step in with advice and plans for who should work together to get things done.In a press release, Asana says its AI model can use stored information about the historical relationships and past projects of teams to assign work to the people with the best-matched skill sets, like tagging designers who know brand styles to work on creative projects. It can also look for missing information before responding to a request and proactively reach out to gather that data for the team.According to Asana co-founder and CEO Dustin Moskovitz, We're able to do this better than anyone else because we built Asana on... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6NA38)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but the company is now taking the unusual step of reopening its beta program for Windows 10 to test new features and improvements.Windows 10 already got the AI Copilot feature that was originally exclusive to Windows 11, and it may well get other features soon. To bring new features and more improvements to Windows 10 as needed, we need a place to do active feature development with Windows Insiders," explains Microsoft's Windows Insider team in a blog post. So today, we are opening the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders who are currently on Windows 10."Microsoft hasn't revealed what additional Windows 10 features it plans to test next, but Windows Insiders can opt into the... Continue reading...
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by Victoria Song on (#6NA39)
The Dexcom G7 will be able to send real-time blood sugar readings straight to the wrist. | Image: Dexcom Starting today, Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) users will be able to monitor their real-time blood sugar data straight from an Apple Watch.According to Dexcom's press release, the Direct to Apple Watch feature was one of the most requested by users. Once paired to the Apple Watch, the G7 will use its own dedicated Bluetooth connection to send both glucose readings and personalized alerts to the wrist. Meaning, you don't have to whip out your phone if you want to view your data, nor does your phone have to be on your person. For instance, G7 users will still be able to get real-time data while on a phone-free run / walk or if your phone is charging in a different room. Previously, the G7's Apple Watch app allowed you to have... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6N9RD)
Image: The Verge AT&T and Verizon have resolved an outage causing dropped phone calls across the US. The issue seemingly affected calls between customers of the two services.In the midst of the outage, AT&T spokesperson Jim Kimberly told The Verge, Our network is not experiencing a nationwide outage. There is a nationwide issue that is affecting the ability of some customers to complete calls between carriers. We are working closely with Verizon to determine the nature of the issue and what actions need to be taken."Verizon spokesperson Kevin H. King also said that the network was operating normally" but noted that customers primarily in the Northeast and Midwest were having issues when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier."
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by Sean Hollister on (#6N9TB)
The Zotac Zone. | Image: Zotac It's handheld season, and the Asus ROG Ally X and MSI Claw 8 AI Plus aren't the only second-gen Windows gaming handhelds in town - GPU manufacturer Zotac has officially revealed its Zone at Computex, and it does a few things differently than the competition.Zotac already teased that the Zone would have an OLED screen, something that only the Steam Deck OLED has managed in PC handhelds before - as well as two-stage adjustable triggers like an Xbox Elite gamepad and drift resistant Hall effect joysticks. But did you know it'll also have symmetrical PlayStation-esque joysticks, programmable dials around each one, twin Steam Deck-like trackpads, a small built-in kickstand, a Windows Hello camera instead of a fingerprint reader, and both... Continue reading...
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by Alex Cranz on (#6N9RE)
But first, here is an image of Jensen Huang not signing a women's chest. | Photo: Getty Images Well, here's Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, signing a woman's chest in a crowded booth at Computex. In the video below, you can see he asks whether this is a good idea before he eventually signs the woman's top. He then returns to signing more traditional fare.This isn't an unusual sight when it comes to actors or musicians. But can you imagine Tim Cook doing that after an iPhone event? Or Sundar Pichai after Google I/O?Yet those men also cultivate very different public images than Huang. Instead of hoodies, double polos, thousand-dollar T-shirts, or business suits, he's typically decked out in some kind of leather jacket. What he wants you to know from that sartorial choice is clear: he's not like regular CEOs. He's a cool CEO.... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N9RF)
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Bill Gates has written a memoir, covering the days of his childhood all the way until he formed Microsoft in 1975. The book, called Source Code: My Beginnings, doesn't go on sale until February 4th, 2025, but it's available for preorder now.In a post on his blog, Gates says the book goes over the tougher parts of my early life, including feeling like a misfit as a kid, butting heads with my parents as a rebellious teen, grappling with the sudden loss of someone close to me, and nearly getting kicked out of college." It also covers Gates' decision to co-found Microsoft with the late Paul Allen.
by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6N9RG)
Oprah is in shambles. | Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images Apple has announced that Reese's Book Club has found an official home within Apple Books. The Hollywood star has amassed a strong following of readers who vibe with her tastes, the likes of which can send featured titles into the stratosphere. It's the latest partnership her media company Hello Sunshine has inked with Apple, which also produces Apple TV Plus original series like The Last Thing He Told Me.You can follow Reese Witherspoon's monthly reading interests in audiobook format directly within the app, which now has a dedicated portal that makes it easy to find and purchase her latest recommendations.Reese's Book Club has proven wildly popular, with her influence quickly outpacing the likes of Oprah's. With more than 3 million... Continue reading...
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6N9KA)
If the Pixel 8A at $499 was a great value before, it's astronomically so at around $250. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge We're only a couple of weeks removed from Google I/O, where the tech giant gave us a glimpse of all the fun Gemini AI features coming to Android, Chrome, and its web products. Now, it's giving you a chance to save big money on the devices that are guaranteed to take full advantage of them. One of the biggest highlights from Google's summer sale saves you 50 percent on an unlocked Pixel 8A when you buy a Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Fold.That would bring the Pixel 8A down to just $249.50 for the 128GB model or $279.50 for the 512GB model from Google. Just add both devices to your cart, and the discount will apply automatically. As an added bonus, Google will throw in a $50 store credit with any Pixel 8A purchase. It's a great... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N9KB)
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge If you've tried smashing YouTube's like" button today, you might've noticed that the thumbs-up icon just... disappears. As spotted earlier by 9to5Google, the like counter still goes up when you press it, but what's left is just an empty gray space where the thumbs-up icon should be.It seems like this is a widespread issue. Several users, including myself and my colleagues, have spotted the vanishing like button across several YouTube videos and in different web browsers. Despite this, the dislike button still works fine. Image: The Verge In a support page published Tuesday afternoon, YouTube says the like button isn't working as intended" and that it's looking into the issue. It also confirms that the thumbs-up... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N9KC)
Image: Meta Netflix isn't updating its Meta Quest app, but Meta's doing the next best thing: adding web browser support. That means you can stream Netflix in high quality from the Quest's Browser app, allowing you to swap between a flat 2D screen or a curved view to feel like you're at the theater.There hasn't really been a good way to watch Netflix on the Quest. Netflix launched an app for the Quest in 2019, but the app caps video resolution at a paltry 480p and hasn't received any recent updates. Until now, the Quest's Browser app also blocked users from watching Netflix.To get around this, some users have tried sideloading Netflix's Android app, while others have opted to access Netflix through a browser on the Quest's Virtual Desktop mode. But... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6N9KD)
Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge Woot is selling the Nintendo Switch OLED model for $314.99 ($35 off) for today (June 4th) only. The sale on Nintendo's fancier version of its long-in-the-tooth Switch console runs until tonight at midnight ET or once Woot sells out. And it's possible Woot will not run out of stock this time around because demand for a Switch is not what it used to be. Nintendo has sold so many Switch consoles that it feels like everyone who wants one - and their parents - surely must own one by now.It's true that the Switch came out over seven years ago, and a successor is confirmed by Nintendo to be announced by April 2025. But even though the Switch feels pretty dated, that doesn't mean it's not worth buying in 2024. There is a vast back catalog of... Continue reading...
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by Sean Hollister on (#6N9KE)
Photo: David Pierce The single biggest reason to buy a Meta Quest 3 over its predecessors is how it lets you bring the real world into view - but the VR headset's still weird about your real-life hands, distorting the world around them. I always mess up the all-important look at your palm and pinch your fingers to access the menu" gesture, too.Now, Meta is fixing both of those issues. For starters, the new v66 update lets you tap a new button on your wrist to summon the menu! Image: Meta Wrist buttons" were already pioneered by a variety of VR games; now, you can use them for menus. Sure looks like the distortion is vastly reduced, too:Plus, Meta says it now has proper background audio for multitasking. Now you can launch... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6N9CG)
Illustration: The Verge After an outage took down OpenAI's ChatGPT service for a few hours during Tuesday's early hours, the service experienced another major outage during the daytime in the US. ChatGPT is unavailable for some users," said OpenAI in its status message. We are currently investigating this issue." The second round of issues started at around 10:30AM ET, with thousands of reports of issues showing up on Downdetector.Many users of the ChatGPT mobile apps and the web service were not seeing replies; however, at about 1:17PM ET, OpenAI confirmed the issue was resolved.Around the same time that ChatGPT had its issues, some users reported problems with Google Gemini, Anthropic's Claude AI, and Perplexity AI web search. Google Gemini appears to be... Continue reading...
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by Mia Sato on (#6N9GC)
Image: Google There's no elegant way to say this: going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or cafe to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.A new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue. As part of a new program called Ur in Luck," the city has introduced a Maps view dotted with 1,000 public restrooms across the five boroughs. Users can view the map on their phones and locate the closest restroom that's accessible to the public.Everyone - seniors, parents with kids, anyone enjoying the day outdoors, needs... Continue reading...
by Emilia David on (#6N9GD)
Illustration: The Verge Several former OpenAI employees warned in an open letter that advanced AI companies like OpenAI stifle criticism and oversight, especially as concerns over AI safety have increased in the past few months.The open letter, signed by 13 former OpenAI employees (six of whom chose to remain anonymous) and endorsed by Godfather of AI" Geoffrey Hinton, formerly of Google, says that in the absence of any effective government oversight, AI companies should commit to open criticism principles. These principles include avoiding the creation and enforcement of non-disparagement clauses, facilitating a verifiably" anonymous process to report issues, allowing current and former employees to raise concerns to the public, and not retaliating against... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Webster on (#6N9GE)
Image: 20th Century Studios It sure looks like the Alien franchise is making a return to its horror roots. After a brief teaser earlier in the year and some creepy behind-the-scenes footage, 20th Century Studios has released the first full trailer for Alien: Romulus, a standalone film from director Fede Alvarez. In short: it looks scary as hell. It also appears to really stick to the core tenets of the original film, with a small cast; dark, isolated setting; and only hints of the deadly alien itself.The story involves a group of scavengers scrounging around on an abandoned space station, before becoming the unfortunate prey of a xenomorph. It stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux. The film also has a very good new poster that hints at the... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Webster on (#6N9GF)
Image: Lucasfilm Star Wars has a tendency to feel small. Even as the franchise has expanded with shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, the stories remain connected in some way to Luke and Vader, the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and other elements introduced in 1977. A universe that once seemed vast and full has steadily narrowed its focus. But the latest show, The Acolyte, has a good solution for this: winding back the clock 100 years. You don't need to worry about the Skywalkers when they haven't been born yet.The show starts out as a whodunit, with a mysterious assassin targeting specific Jedi masters, killing them off one by one. Initially, all signs point to Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi student who left the order because she was unable... Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6N9CE)
China's Chang'e 6 ascender carrying lunar samples took off from the far side of the Moon on June 4th. | Image: China National Space Administration China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft lifted off from the lunar surface today, bringing with it the first samples taken from the far side of the Moon.Chang'e 6's ascender launched from the back of the Moon, the side facing away from Earth, at 7:38AM Beijing time. The spacecraft had landed there, at the South Pole-Aitken Basin, around two days earlier. Its lander carried cameras, a soil structure detector, and a mineral spectrometer for analyzing geologic samples. The probe used its robotic arm and drilling tools to take samples. Chang'e 6 also carried payloads from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy for scientific exploration."Governments want to know if they can use lunar minerals to set up bases on the Moon to facilitate long-term... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N9CF)
Image: Sudhanshu Ambhore via X It looks like Samsung is planning a cheaper, FE version of its Galaxy Watch. A set of leaked renders shared by @Sudhanshu1414 on X shows what appears to be the 40mm device in blue, black, and pink.Along with the renders, the post also includes some leaked specs, including a 1.2-inch OLED display and a 30-hour battery life. The watch is rumored to feature the same Exynos W920 chip as the Galaxy Watch 4, in addition to 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It's also expected to ship with Samsung's One UI Watch 5 system.
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by Justine Calma on (#6N9CH)
A rendering of Climeworks' Generation 3 direct air capture plant. | Image: Climeworks The next generation of industrial plants to filter CO2 out of the air is on the way, and it's getting closer to overcoming some of the biggest challenges of using this technology to fight climate change. Climeworks, one of the first startups to develop this tech, unveiled its Generation 3 plant today. It's supposed to use half as much energy as older designs and slash costs in half, too.It's supposed to use half as much energy as older designs and slash costs in halfIf Climeworks makes good on that promise, it could go a long way toward making this technology, called direct air capture (DAC), a viable way to reduce the amount of carbon pollution building up in the atmosphere. Right now, the technology is far too new and expensive to... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6N9CJ)
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk ordered thousands of Nvidia-made AI chips destined for Tesla to be diverted to his social media company X, according to emails from the chipmaker obtained by CNBC. The move has the potential to delay Tesla's acquisition of $500 million worth of processors by months, the outlet reports.Tesla is supposed to be stocking up on Nvidia's H100 artificial intelligence chips in order to power its transformation into a leader in AI and robotics," according to Musk. In an Tesla earnings call earlier this year, he said the company would increase its acquisition of H100s from 35,000 to 85,000 by the end of this year. And later, in a post on X, Musk said that Tesla would spend $10 billion in combined training and inference AI, the latter... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6N9CK)
Photo: Cath Virginia / The Verge Max has announced a price increase on the streaming service's ad-free plans. The standard ad-free plan will cost $16.99 / month instead of $15.99, while the 4K ad-free plan will cost $20.99 / month instead of $19.99.The price increase will go into effect today for new subscribers. Existing subscribers can expect to see the increase from their next billing cycle on or after Thursday, July 4th. Max's price hike also affects the service's ad-free yearly plans, with the standard ad-free plan going up to $169.99 / year from $149.99 and the 4K ad-free plan going up to $209.99 / year from $199.99.The service's $9.99 / month (or $99.99 / year) ad-supported subscription will stay the same price. Warner Bros. Discovery raised the price of Max... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N99A)
Photo: David Pierce / The Verge The M2 iPad Air doesn't come with the 10-core GPU that Apple originally advertised - it actually comes with a nine-core one. In a statement to 9to5Mac, an unnamed Apple spokesperson says it has updated its website to correct the core count for the M2 iPad Air" but that all performance claims for the M2 iPad Air are accurate and based on a 9-core GPU."The correction from Apple comes after a report from 9to5Mac revealed that the company had quietly changed the core count for its new M2 iPad Air from 10 cores to nine on the page outlining the product's specs. Apple has also changed the device's core count on its press release and support page. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment but didn't immediately hear back.As... Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6N99B)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Netflix says it'll no longer be available on second- and third-generation Apple TVs, which came out more than a decade ago.The company said in an email to customers that the move is meant to maintain the best possible Netflix experience." The change is expected to happen after July 31st, AppleInsider and MacRumors report. Netflix also updated its support page with the news.The first three generations of Apple TVs are already considered obsolete" by Apple, which discontinues service for hardware seven years after it has stopped selling a product.Netflix has stopped support for other old devices, including aging Samsung and Vizio smart TVs and first-generation Roku boxes in 2019. That happened because Netflix had switched from W... Continue reading...
by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6N99C)
Image: Joby Leading electric aviation company Joby Aviation said it has acquired the autonomy division from Xwing, an aviation startup that's been working on pilotless flight projects for several years. The terms of the deal, which involve an amount of Joby stock, were not disclosed.Joby's electric air taxis are still a couple years away from launch, but the company says it wants to position itself to take advantage of autonomous flight when the technology is ready for commercial application.Joby's electric air taxis are still a couple years away from launchXwing, which was founded in 2016, has conducted 250 autonomous test flights as well as 500 auto-landings. And, in April 2023, it was the first company to receive an official project... Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6N99D)
Image: Andrew Marino / The Verge Say this for Sonos: the company is remarkably consistent. It has spent decades building audio products that look and sound great... and are almost always initially hampered by some kind of weird software and usability issue. When Sonos stuff works, there's nothing like it, but it doesn't always seem to work.The Sonos Ace headphones fit perfectly in that lineage. In The Verge's review, Chris Welch found them to be comfortable, attractive, well-made, great-sounding, and hampered by just a few too many bugs. Even still, the Ace is a strong first effort from Sonos.On this episode of The Vergecast, Chris joins to tell us all about his experiences with the Ace. He explains how he tests headphones, how these stack up to Bose, Sony, Apple,... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6N99E)
Image: Samsung Samsung has added some additional features to the new OLED G8 gaming monitor it announced back in January, including safeguards against OLED burn-in and AI-powered resolution upscaling for content and games.Preorders for the display are already available in regions like Australia and Singapore, suggesting that a US launch isn't far behind. Best Buy lists the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 (model G80SD) for $1,299.99 - making it a smidge cheaper than the first $1,499.99 OLED gaming monitor Samsung released last year - and Samsung currently has a countdown timer teasing its new 2024 monitors," which expires today at 9:59AM ET. We've asked Samsung to clarify the release dates for the Odyssey OLED G8 but haven't yet heard back.Samsung says the... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6N99F)
The third-gen Apple TV 4K is one of the best streaming devices you can get, even if you're not an Apple user. | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge From The Acolyte and House of the Dragon to the 2024 Paris Olympics, there's going to be plenty to stream this summer. Luckily, if you want to upgrade your setup in preparation for the busy entertainment slate, Verizon is currently selling the latest Apple TV 4K for $89.99 ($40 off), which is one of the lowest prices we've seen on the 64GB model.Despite having launched in 2022, the third-gen Apple TV 4K remains an exceptionally snappy streaming device that, unlike most of the competition, doesn't fully inundate you with ads. It offers a straightforward interface and an impressive feature set, too, with support for HDR10 Plus, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Wi-Fi 6. It also comes with a Siri Remote that charges via USB-C as well as... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6N94K)
Image: Aptoide / The Verge Aptoide, the popular Google Play alternative for Android devices, is launching a third-party iOS app store in the European Union - the first focused entirely on gaming since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules came into effect.Aptoide's iOS game store is being released via a closed launch on Thursday, with access initially restricted to users with invitation-only access codes. Aptoide says it has a waiting list of 20,000 signups and plans to issue between 500 to 1,000 codes per day, with the limited launch enabling the platform to monitor feedback from early adopters.The Aptoide iOS store will launch with seven games - a fairly standard ensemble of popular activities like Solitaire, Charades, and Mahjong - but the company says... Continue reading...
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by Emilia David on (#6N91N)
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images As the AI craze continues, even the microcomputer company Raspberry Pi plans to sell an AI chip. It's integrated with Raspberry Pi's camera software and can run AI-based applications like chatbots natively on the tiny computer.Raspberry Pi partnered with chipmaker Hailo for its AI Kit, which is an add-on for its Raspberry Pi 5 microcomputer that will run Hailo's Hailo-8L M.2 accelerator. The kits will be available soon from the worldwide network of Raspberry Pi-approved resellers" for $70.Hailo CEO and co-founder Orr Danon tells The Verge that its accelerator's power consumption is below 2W and is passively cooled." The accelerator offers 13 tera operations per second (TOPS), which is lower than chips planned for AI laptops like I... Continue reading...
by Sean Hollister on (#6N8YX)
This is not the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus but, rather, a Fallout edition of the original. (I used generative expand around the edge because the image was cropping poorly.) | Image: MSI Just three months after releasing its first gaming handheld PC to damning reviews - here's mine - MSI is already announcing a likely replacement. The MSI Claw 8 AI Plus swaps its lackluster Intel Meteor Lake chip for the brand-new Lunar Lake ones, while replacing its seven-inch, 1080p 120Hz variable resolution rate screen for a larger eight-inch one.Perhaps even more importantly, it will boast up to an 80 watt-hour battery, MSI tells The Verge - tying it with the recently announced Asus ROG Ally X for biggest battery in a PC gaming handheld. Despite the larger screen, it'll still offer a smooth 120Hz refresh rate with VRR, writes MSI marketing specialist Anne Lee.The Claw will also offer a second USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4... Continue reading...
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by Sean Hollister on (#6N8YW)
Intel's Lunar Lake held aloft by Intel client chip boss Michelle Johnston Holthaus. | Image: Intel Last year, Intel boasted that its Meteor Lake processors, dubbed Core Ultra, represented the company's biggest architectural shift in 40 years. But Intel didn't settle down after that: today it's revealing how Lunar Lake, its next laptop chip coming this fall, will overhaul the formula yet again.Facing the existential threat of Arm and the opportunity of AI PCs, Intel has apparently ditched its famous tick-tock cadence for a whole new system-on-chip design, one that not only triples the size and more than quadruples the performance of its AI accelerator, but promises up to 14 percent faster CPU performance at the same clockspeed, 50 percent more graphics performance, and up to 60 percent better battery life than last year's model.... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6N8XG)
Image: The Verge On Monday, Microsoft announced layoffs reportedly affecting around 1,000 employees. As reported previously by CNBC, the mixed reality department working on HoloLens 2 is one of the areas affected. Separately, Business Insider reported that Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering has also seen cuts of hundreds" of employees.Microsoft spokesperson Craig Cincotta said in a statement emailed to The Verge, Earlier today, we announced a restructuring of Microsoft's Mixed Reality organization. We remain fully committed to the Department of Defense's IVAS program and will continue to deliver cutting-edge technology to support our soldiers. In addition, we will continue to invest in W365 to reach the broader Mixed Reality hardware... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6N8XH)
Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge A Ticketmaster data breach that allegedly includes details for 560 million accounts and another one affecting Santander have been linked to their accounts at Snowflake, a cloud storage provider. However, Snowflake says there's no evidence its platform is at fault.A joint statement to that effect made last night with CrowdStrike and Mandiant, two third-party security companies investigating the incident, lends additional credibility to the claim. Also, an earlier third-party report saying bad actors generated session tokens and may have compromised hundreds" of Snowflake accounts has now been removed. Hudson Rock, the security firm behind that report, posted a statement of its own today on LinkedIn: In accordance to a letter we... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N8TM)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The leaked lineup for last week's PlayStation State of Play surfaced shortly after the event was scheduled on YouTube. This has added to concerns over the kind of access Google employees have to videos before they go live, an issue highlighted in recent reports from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson and 404 Media.One incident, as noted by Henderson, occurred in 2022 when KSI attempted to give away over $10,000 in Amazon gift cards. However, KSI later realized that all of the gift card codes had been redeemed before the video was posted, sparking an internal investigation at YouTube. The company reportedly started a similar investigation after the trailer for GTA VI leaked, but it's not clear whether it's related.All of this ties into what... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N8RA)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram is testing ad breaks" that force you to stop and look at an ad for a period of time before you can continue scrolling. Several X and Reddit users reported seeing the feature, and Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye confirmed to The Verge that ad breaks are being tested. Tye said Instagram would provide updates should this test result in any formal product changes."One Redditor spotted the feature when scrolling through stories and posts. After a certain amount of scrolling, Instagram prevented them from going further until they looked at an ad. As shown in the screenshot, Instagram displays an ad break" icon with a countdown timer that shows how long until you can start scrolling again.When the user tapped the icon for... Continue reading...
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by Emilia David on (#6N8NB)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon's Project PI, or Private Investigator," setup combines generative AI and computer vision to see" damage on products or determine if they are the wrong color or size before the item gets sent to customers.The way it works is that products on their way to customers go through a tunnel that scans the items. The computer vision program - a type of AI that looks at images and understands what's in them - checks to see if there is damage. If it finds something, that item is isolated, while the system evaluates the defect and determines if there's an issue with similar items to track down the root cause. Image: Amazon An example of how Project PI works. According to Amazon, Project PI is active in several"... Continue reading...
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by Victoria Song on (#6N8NC)
Samsung isn't waiting for Oura to hit it with patent suits. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Samsung isn't waiting around for Oura to file any patent claims over its forthcoming smart ring. Instead, it's preemptively filed its own suit against Oura, seeking a declaratory judgment" that states the Galaxy Ring doesn't infringe on five Oura patents.The suit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on features common to virtually all smart rings." In particular, the suit references sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on metrics gathered from sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the US market.For those reasons, Samsung says in the suit that it anticipates being the target of... Continue reading...
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by Sean Hollister on (#6N8ND)
The ModRetro Chromatic | Image: ModRetro Before he brought VR headsets out of the dark ages with Oculus, before he got fired by Facebook following his confusing and controversial political donations, before he went on to found a defense contractor named Anduril that builds lethal drones (!), Palmer Luckey was a Nintendo Game Boy modder.It's true. There's photo evidence - and today, he's revealing his own take on the ultimate cartridge-playing Nintendo Game Boy, one that you can actually buy for $199.Shipping this holiday, the ModRetro Chromatic sounds incredible: magnesium alloy case, sapphire crystal cover glass, PBT buttons, a pixel-perfect IPS screen at the same size, resolution, and pixel structure as the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, color-matched to the Game... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6N8NE)
You can buy the set for just $80. | Image: Lego Update, June 3rd: Amazon's Lightning Deal has sold out. The Apollo 11 lander is still available at Amazon, but only for its full retail price.Lego's just-released massive Barad-dur set is pretty cool, I'm not going to lie. Yet, at $460 and with over 5,000 pieces, it's not for everybody. If you're looking for a good Father's Day gift that'll eat up less money and time, Lego's NASA Apollo 11 lunar lander set might be a better alternative. Normally $99.99, right now, it's available on sale as an Amazon Lightning Deal for $79.99 ($20 off). That's the set's best price of the year and only $10 shy of its all-time low. Image: Lego The set features detachable descent and ascent stages. Developed together with NASA,... Continue reading...
by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6N8NF)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Peacock may not be the biggest streaming service, but with deals like this, it definitely feels like one of the thirstiest (and to your benefit). That's because a one-year subscription to NBCUniversal's streamer is available to new subscribers for just $19.99 ($30 off) through June 30th when you use coupon code STREAMTHEDEAL.The current promo is for the ad-supported Peacock Premium tier, which includes all the 2024 Paris Olympics coverage, the 2024-2025 season of Sunday Night Football, WWE premium live events, and a wide variety of shows and movies. Really, that's quite a lot for just 20 bones, though if you're the type to churn through streaming services or hop from deal to deal, you should be sure to turn off auto-renew well before... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N8NG)
A Long March 5 carrier rocket launched the Chang e 6 probe into space on May 3rd. | Photo: CFOTO / Future Publishing via Getty Images China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft successfully landed on the far side of the Moon - and it plans to bring back soil and rock samples to Earth for the first time.The probe touched down on the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin, which faces away from Earth, at 6:23AM Beijing time, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). It used laser 3D scanning and an autonomous avoidance system to detect obstacles before landing. You can see the probe make its careful descent to the lunar surface in the video embedded below.Video: China National Space AdministrationIt will take the Chang'e 6 about two days to take the samples from the Moon's surface using a scoop and drill. The probe is also carrying payloads from the European Space... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6N8K1)
Illustration: The Verge As spotted by TechCrunch, X updated its guidelines to let users share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior" as long as it's labeled and not in a prominent location, such as a profile picture or banner.After this article was published, the @Safety account tweeted saying, We have launched Adult Content and Violent Content policies to bring more clarity of our Rules and transparency into enforcement of these areas. These policies replace our former Sensitive Media and Violent Speech policies - but what we enforce against hasn't changed."In the past, X - formerly known as Twitter - didn't explicitly ban porn. It became a home for some NSFW creators following the launch of Twitter Blue (now X Premium), as... Continue reading...
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by Ash Parrish on (#6N8FJ)
Image: Larian Studios It's gonna get pretty funky in Faerun with official mod support coming to Baldur's Gate 3. Larian Studios announced that official mod support will roll out in phases, starting today with a closed alpha, before a closed beta test in July, culminating with the official release of Patch 7 in September. According to Larian, the staggered testing phases will give the community ample time to test the new mod tools before making them available across PC and consoles.
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6N8FK)
The new Multi-Cam feature is only available to iPadOS users. | Image: Sony Sony has released a new update for its Monitor & Control (M&C) mobile app that makes it easier for users to remotely observe and operate camera feeds on smartphones and tablets. Most notably, version 2.0.0 of the M&C app introduces a new Multi-Camera Monitoring feature that allows users to control and preview up to four cameras at once, much like the Final Cut Camera iOS app that Apple released in May.While the M&C app is available for both iOS and Android, Sony's new Multi-Camera Monitoring feature is exclusive to iPadOS. It supports both wired and wireless connections via Wi-Fi or hotspotting for shooting in remote locations. We've asked Sony if this feature will eventually be available to iPhone and Android users and will update this... Continue reading...
by Andrew Webster on (#6N8FM)
Image: Sony The PlayStation VR2's PC adapter is now official. Just a few days after a certification revealed that Sony was working on the adapter, which would add PC support to the PS5-exclusive headset, the company officially unveiled the connector. It launches on August 7th and will cost $59.99.Sony says the device will support all Steam VR games, including big-name titles like Half-Life: Alyx. In addition to the new adapter, Sony says players will need a DisplayPort cable to work with Steam titles on PC. (As well as a Steam account, obviously.) You can check out the minimum system requirements right here.In a blog post, Sony explains that there will be some feature differences depending on whether you're playing on PS5 or PC:
by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6N8FN)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Photo by STR / NurPhoto, Getty Images The fight for Tesla CEO Elon Musk's enormous pay package is heating up.On June 13th, Tesla shareholders will decide the fate of Musk's compensation package, which is estimated to be worth as much as $56 billion. It will be the second time that shareholders will vote on the CEO's pay, after a Delaware judge voided the first one earlier this year on the grounds that the approval process was deeply flawed."And Musk doesn't want to leave anything to chance. He is lobbying shareholders on his social media platform X, offering private tours of Tesla's factory in Texas, and lashing out against those that suggest the proposed pay package is too high. The proposed pay package would make Musk the most highly compensated CEO in the world.... Continue reading...
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