The Verge

Image: Microsoft Microsoft Flight Simulator is landing on Xbox Series X / S consoles on July 27th. Available on Xbox Game Pass, it’s the first next-gen-exclusive Xbox Game Studios title as Microsoft Flight Simulator isn’t launching on Xbox One. Microsoft revealed a gameplay trailer for Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X today, and it looks very much like the PC version running in 4K.How well the game performs on the Xbox Series X / S may rely upon developers Asobo Studio moving Flight Simulator over to DirectX 12. This work has been in progress for a while now, and it should include big performance improvements on the PC side, too. Microsoft Flight Simulator is notoriously CPU and GPU intensive at 4K ultra settings, with even the latest processors and... Continue reading…

Image: Supergiant Games Supergiant Games’ excellent roguelike Hades, which was one of the best games of 2020, is coming to Xbox and PlayStation consoles on August 13th. It will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, PS4, and PS5. And if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you’ll have access to the game on August 13th as well.Supergiant is also offering physical editions of the game in partnership with Private Division. The Xbox physical edition will work on both Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, and there will be separate physical versions for PS4 and PS5. But if you pick up the physical or digital PS4 version of the game, you’ll be entitled to a free upgrade to the PS5 version. Image: Supergiant Games The upcoming physical... Continue reading…

343 Industries is back and ready to demo more Halo Infinite. Today at Microsoft’s Xbox + Bethesda showcase, we got a new look at the multiplayer side of Halo Infinite. The game will run at up to 120fps in this mode on the Xbox Series X, and offer classics like capture the flag mixed in with new abilities like using a grapple hook to pick up objects.“When it comes to gameplay, our goal is to deliver a multiplayer experience that honors classic Halo combat while also offering new players the support needed to jump in and have a great time,” says Joseph Staten, creative lead for Halo Infinite. “To that end, we’re introducing the Spartan Academy and Spartan Commander Laurette who will help players familiarize themselves with maps, weapons,... Continue reading…

Back 4 Blood has been confirmed as an Xbox Game Pass title available to play from day one when it launches on October 12th. It’ll be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.The new trailer for the co-op zombie shooter revealed during the Xbox and Bethesda E3 showcase also announced new swamp and PvP modes. Those who want to try out the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead will be able to take part in an open beta running from August 12th to 16th. Players who pre-order the game will be get early access to the beta from August 5th to 9th.More gameplay details are expected later today during Warner Bros Games’ Back 4 Blood showcase. Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Captain Jack Sparrow, the sometimes unhinged pirate famously portrayed by Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, is coming to Rare’s Sea of Thieves. Microsoft announced a free Pirates-themed expansion for the game, launching June 22nd, at its Xbox E3 2021 showcase. “Unfolding across five incredible tales packed with secrets and side-quests, this new campaign gives players a lovingly crafted story to play solo or with their crew,” Microsoft said in a blog post.In the new Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life expansion, you’ll work to free Jack Sparrow from prison and avoid pursuit from the famous Pirates of the Caribbean villain Davy Jones. You’ll also explore “memorable locations” from both the Sea of Thieves and Pirates of the... Continue reading…

We’re finally getting a look at Starfield today, Bethesda’s first new unique universe in more than 25 years. Starfield, as the name implies, is set in space, and a new teaser trailer reveals it will launch exclusively on Xbox Series X / S and PC on November 11th, 2022. The trailer first leaked over at The Washington Post just minutes before Microsoft’s Xbox + Bethesda event.While there isn’t much much gameplay shown in the trailer, Bethesda describes the game as something where “you’ll be who you want, go where you want.” It’s focused on a last group of explorers in space, and Bethesda is opening up a teaser site today that will provide more information about Starfield. Starfield universe. A separate video, also p... Continue reading…

Square Enix will be taking part in the E3 2021 festivities with its own games showcase on Sunday, June 13th. It’ll feature a brand-new game announcement from the Eidos-Montréal team that’s responsible for some of the latest Tomb Raider and Deus Ex titles, as well as Marvel’s Avengers. The showcase will also feature Babylon’s Fall, the latest title developed by PlatinumGames announced at E3 2018, as well as more news on Life is Strange: True Colors and Marvel’s Avengers. If we’re lucky, perhaps we’ll even see some more news on Final Fantasy XVI and a second installment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake.When does the Square Enix E3 2021 showcase begin?The event will start a 3:15PM ET / 12:15PM PT on Sunday, June 13th.Where can I watch... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Team Xbox will take to the stage alongside Bethesda to showcase a 90-minute presentation of games for E3 2021. It’ll last 90 minutes, and it’ll apparently show off games coming to Xbox this holiday season, games that’ll soon be coming to Xbox Game Pass, plus some other announcements. Microsoft is calling the event its “biggest moment of 2021 so far,” so Xbox fans shouldn’t miss this one.Here’s how you can watch it:When does the Xbox and Bethesda game showcase begin?It’ll start at 1PM ET / 10AM PT on Sunday, June 13th.How can I watch the Xbox event?You can watch it at Xbox’s Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter pages. It’s available in other ways around the world, too. Microsoft says it’ll be available “simultaneously on channels... Continue reading…

Song in the Smoke. Upload VR returned to E3 with its third annual showcase of the most inventive and intriguing games coming to VR. As the medium continues to mature year after year, it continues to be a platform for developers to innovate. While not all of the games shown were brand new announcements, we picked five of our favorites from the showcase that you can look forward to immersing yourself in soon.Song in the SmokeFirst announced for PSVR earlier this year, Song in the Smoke is a VR survival game and a departure for developer 17-Bit, better known for cartoony indie games like Skulls of the Shogun and Galak-Z. In a new developer diary, studio CEO Jake Kazdal explains how VR made him want to create not just a game but a fully living and breathing... Continue reading…

Image: Anotherway The studio behind the upcoming virtual reality air guitar game Unplugged gave an update at the Upload VR Showcase on Saturday and revealed one big band that will be part of the soundtrack.Unplugged uses hand tracking technology to let you rock out on a guitar in VR, no gloves or special guitar controller needed. You can see where to “strum” by following a Guitar Hero-like stream of notes that roll in your direction, and you’ll earn points for nailing your virtual chords and strums. It looks pretty impressive. (And speaking of Guitar Hero, that series’ former lead guitarist Marcus Henderson is helping develop the game.)In Saturday’s trailer, developer Anotherway announced that The Offspring will be part of Unplugged’s official... Continue reading…

Devolver Digital made its return to E3 with another no-holds-barred satirical swipe at the games industry, taking shots at subscriptions, games as a service, and even NFTs. Dubbed the Devolver MaxPass Plus — “the new era of monetization as a service” — the spoof showcase features the infamous Devolver executive Nina Struthers and her cohorts extolling the ridiculous virtues of its new service.But besides being the most irreverently entertaining segment of E3 (so far), the publisher also included some new game announcements. Here are the most notable:Trek to YomiThe first of these was the cinematic Trek to Yomi, with a trailer that’s refreshingly not actually a pre-rendered cinematic. The black-and-white game follows a young samurai... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro Follow the updates from some of gaming’s biggest shows Continue reading…

After introducing the guerrilla freedom fighter protagonist for Far Cry 6, Ubisoft’s new trailer pivots back to the highlight of any new installment: its villain, Antón Castillo.Played by Giancarlo Esposito, the despotic leader of the fictional island nation of Yara is seen making his terrifying entrance onboard a boat where the protagonist Dani is attempting to flee with a group, one of them who turns out to be Diego, Castillo’s son.The cinematic is a chilling introduction as he chews the scenery with his charisma before unleashing his brutality, which is surely the turning point for what making Dani join the resistance to overthrow the Yaran tyrant.The Far Cry series is of course known for its iconic villains, and Ubisoft were keen... Continue reading…

Ubisoft capped off its E3 keynote with a big surprise: a first look at Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The next-gen take on James Cameron’s world looks gorgeous, and Ubisoft says it’s being built with its own Snowdrop engine at internal studio Massive.Here’s the story premise:

Image: Ubisoft Ubisoft’s Mario and Rabbids crossover turn-based strategy game is getting a sequel for the Nintendo Switch: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft revealed both a new cinematic trailer and a sneak peek at some gameplay on Saturday, as well as a launch date for sometime in 2022. The official announcement at Ubisoft Forward followed a leak hours before on Nintendo’s own online store.The first Mario + Rabbids title, Kingdom Battle, was originally revealed by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto at Ubisoft’s press conference at E3 2017. Despite the bizarre nature of its IP mashup, Kingdom Battle was one of the best early Switch games, mixing elements of the Mario and Rabbids characters with solid yet accessible X-COM-style tactical action. We... Continue reading…

Image: Ubisoft Ubisoft’s upcoming extreme sports MMO, Riders Republic, will launch on September 2nd, the company announced at its Ubisoft Forward show on Saturday.In a nearly five-minute trailer, Ubisoft showed off some of the sports that you can play, including biking, snowboarding, and even wing suiting. The game will have a variety of modes, including mass races (with more than 50 players on next-gen consoles) and six vs. six trick battles. And you’ll also be able to customize your player with all sorts of gear — in the trailer, I think I spotted a biker with a built-in ice cream stand on their bike, for example.Riders Republic will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and PC when it launches in... Continue reading…

Previously known as Rainbow Six Quarantine, Ubisoft finally revealed Rainbow Six Extraction during its Ubisoft Forward conference on Saturday. The presentation started with a cinematic reveal; Extraction is set in the same Rainbow Six universe, featuring Siege operators such as Hibana, who’s gone Missing in Action. United under the Rainbow Exogenous Analysis and Containment Team (REACT), you form a team with other operators on a rescue mission and face a creepy alien threat known as the Archean. Here’s the trailer:A deep dive gameplay trailer reveals Extraction as PvE co-op experience for up to three players where you’ll be able to choose from a roster of 18 Rainbow Six Operators with their own unique gadgets, weapons, and abilities. E... Continue reading…

Image: Apple Apple’s YouTube page currently has an unlisted video for a very clever iPad Pro ad featuring the song “Part of Your World” from Disney’s iconic animated film The Little Mermaid (via MacRumors).In the ad, PC users sing the lyrics to the classic song while looking upon their (of course) ugly-looking computer setups that are filled with peripherals and wires. (One woman’s leg is literally tied to her chair by a cord.) Often, they forlornly look outside, where people are happily using their iPad Pros to video chat, play games, and do work, seemingly free from the horrible confines of desktop computing.The lyrics, admittedly, do apply well for an ad where Apple is trying to prove that an iPad Pro can do everything that a “normal” computer... Continue reading…

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge Google will be adjusting the release cycle for Chrome OS later this year, moving to a schedule where it launches a new release every four weeks, the company announced on Friday.“To deliver new features more rapidly to consumers while also continuing to prioritize the key pillars of Chrome OS – security, stability, speed and simplicity – Chrome OS will move to a 4-week stable channel starting with M96 in Q4,” Chrome OS release TPM lead Marina Kazatcker said in a blog post. For enterprise and education users who may not want that fast of a release cycle, Google also plans to introduce a new update channel with a 6-month cadence by the time of the M96 release.The speed of Chrome OS’ release schedule will bring it on par with the Google... Continue reading…

Illustration by Maria Chimishkyan A secure password is important for online account integrity.On the following pages, you will be asked to generate a secure password. Please meet all listed requirements to complete your secure password. If you are unsure of the correct input for a given requirement, simply trust your impulses.Also, try not to end the world.Play Normal Password System: A Game game here. Continue reading…

Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images It used to be easy to hate pharmaceutical companies. Between soaring drug costs and the opioid crisis, the industry was widely perceived as one that put profits over people’s health. In a 2019 Gallup survey, pharma was ranked dead last for positive perception among United States institutions. People had more positive feelings about the federal government than Big Pharma.That year, technology companies were more popular. In a different survey, just under half of US adults had a positive view of the tech sector. It’s hard to compare two different polls head to head, but the general trend is clear: in 2019, people felt better about tech companies than they did about pharma.But then, the pandemic hit, and the country’s recovery depended... Continue reading…

Prime Day 2021 is happening in just a little over a week, kicking off on Monday, June 21st, and lasting through Tuesday, June 22nd. In addition to keeping up with our regular deals cadence each day, we’ve been working hard behind the curtain to ensure that we’ll be able to bring you the best Prime Day coverage out there once it starts. To that end, we’re updating each of our useful deal guides, so you’ll be able to tell more easily when something that we recommend is discounted. We recently updated our guide to helping you find the best deals on wireless earbuds, for instance.It’s going to be a busy but great week ahead for deals. If you’re looking for savings, you’ll definitely want to see what’s coming on Prime Day, whether it’s at... Continue reading…

Amazon’s smallest smart display has gotten the tiniest of refreshes Continue reading…

Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge Nvidia is planning to drop support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 later this year. Nvidia drivers will be exclusively available for Windows 10 in October, with only critical security updates available on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 through September 2024.Microsoft has already dropped support for Windows 7 and Windows 8, and even the extended support for Windows 8.1 will end in January 2023. “The vast majority of our GeForce customers have migrated to Windows 10 OS,” reads a support note from Nvidia. “In order to ensure GeForce owners experience the best possible security, support, and functionality, Nvidia will now focus on Windows 10 operating system.”There are now 1.3 billion active Windows 10 devices, but... Continue reading…

The Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s Apple Park headquarters. | Dieter Bohn / The Verge The New York Times is reporting on a new wrinkle in the story of how the Trump administration’s Department of Justice used Big Tech to spy on two members of the House Intelligence Committee in an attempt to track down leaks to the press — namely, that Apple didn’t fight it, perhaps never had a chance to fight it, because the company rubberstamped the request.Apple didn’t even know it was handing over the records of Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), then the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, it told the publication. In a statement, Apple said it didn’t know what the investigation was about, and couldn’t have known unless it dug through user accounts itself. So it was handled like the vast majority of the 250 requests the... Continue reading…

A character in Population: One. | Image: BigBox VR Facebook has acquired yet another developer of a popular virtual reality game, announcing on Friday that BigBox VR, makers of the battle royale VR title Population: One, will be joining Oculus Studios.“POP: ONE stormed onto the VR scene just nine months ago and has consistently ranked as one the top-performing titles on the Oculus platform, bringing together up to 24 people at a time to connect, play, and compete in a virtual world,” Mike Verdu, the VP of content at Facebook Reality Labs, wrote in a blog post. “And while social is bringing players into POP: ONE, the quirky humor, continual updates, and pure fun of the environment keeps them coming back time and time again — we’ve even seen players scheduling time to meet in-game for a... Continue reading…

Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Internet access is, according to New York’s Eastern District Judge Dennis R. Hurley, a “modern necessity.” Unfortunately, Judge Hurley wrote those words in an injunction, filed today, to stall a piece of progressive legislation which would have mandated affordable internet availability to all living in New York State — and which would have come into effect early next week.The bill, known as the Affordable Broadband Act, would have required ISPs serving more than 20,000 households to offer two low-cost plans: one offering speeds of 25 Mbps down for no more than $15 per month, and another offering 200 Mbps down at no more than $20 monthly. It was passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo back in April, and would have... Continue reading…

Image: 3D Robotics Kitty Hawk, the air taxi company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, is buying what’s left of one-time DJI competitor 3D Robotics. As part of the acquisition, 3D Robotics co-founder Chris Anderson will become Kitty Hawk’s chief operating officer.The acquisition was first reported by Forbes, which published a detailed look at the current state of Kitty Hawk and its new focus on developing a remote-piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on Friday.Anderson will serve under CEO Sebastian Thrun, a former Google executive who founded the company’s self-driving car project (before it became standalone company Waymo) and launched its famous “X” moonshot division.Kitty Hawk is shifting its focus after recent... Continue reading…

Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images Darnella Frazier — the teen who used her smartphone to film the video of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 that sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests worldwide, which culminated in the murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin — will receive a special citation from the Pulitzer Board.Frazier was given the citation for “courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice,” the Pulitzer Board said (PDF).Frazier’s video, which was viewed by millions, ignited one of the biggest protest movements in American history and demonstrated how a smartphone with a... Continue reading…

This is impressive, but it won’t help me get around town. During the iOS portion of Apple’s WWDC keynote, it showed some amazing demos of 3D cities and AR transit directions, but amid all the beautiful features there were a few things missing from the stage and Apple’s iOS 15 feature list. Namely, some basic navigation tools that would let me get around easier.Since Apple seems to be focusing a lot on Maps (it got stage time at last year’s keynote, too), perhaps they’re also taking requests? Here’s my wishlist. Don’t forget, you’re here forever. Offline MapsWithout a cellular signal or Wi-Fi, Apple Maps turns into a brick — you can’t search for locations, find routes, or do anything useful. This is, to put it lightly, a bit of a problem for a navigation app that’s been... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge On Friday, House Democrats introduced five new bills meant to chip away at the power of big tech companies, targeting a variety of practices that antitrust advocates say are stifling competition.These measures are the House Judiciary Committee’s historic, 16-month long investigation into the business tactics of companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. With this new slate of bills, Congress is getting ready to legislate based on the concerns raised by that investigation — and the move could reshape the tech industry as we know it.“Right now, unregulated tech monopolies have too much power over our economy”“Right now, unregulated tech monopolies have too much power over our economy. They are in a unique position to pick... Continue reading…

China’s Zhurong rover with its landing platform. | Image: CNSA China has released new images from its Zhurong rover, which began wheeling its way around Mars in late May. One of the photos is a lovely selfie of Zhurong posed next to its landing platform. The “touring group photo,” as the China National Space Administration calls it in a blog post, was taken with a small wireless camera that the rover placed on the surface before scooting back to line up for the shot like an excited parent.Zhurong also took a photo of the landing platform by itself, showing the ramp the rover drove down, the Chinese flag, and if you look closely to the left of the flag, the mascots for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Image: CNSA Zhurong’s landing platform. There are more photos in the Twitter... Continue reading…

Razer’s new Opus X comes in three divisive colors | Razer Razer announced the Opus X, a new set of over-ear wireless headphones that offer active noise cancellation for just $100. Based on the small amount of differences and seemingly no major compromises compared to the pricier Opus headphones it launched last year, these could be a solid option if you have a little less money to spend on wireless headphones. It’s available to purchase now on Razer’s site.Overall, the design appears to be similar to the Opus. It’s tough to tell from images how build quality or materials might have changed given the price reduction. This model comes in one of three new colors — green, pink, and white — which are a bit louder and more divisive than the black or midnight blue colors of the standard Opus. The... Continue reading…

A look at Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. | Image: Adi Shankar on Twitter Ubisoft and Netflix on Friday shared a first look at a new series based on Far Cry and announced that another is set to debut on the streaming service.One Far Cry series is an anime based on the cyberpunk-themed Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, called Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Variety describes the show as “an original anime featuring alter egos of Ubisoft characters in a highly-referenced homage to the early 80s.”Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix has been given a six-episode order, according to Variety. You can get a look at it in the tweets below from creator and executive producer Adi Shankar.

Apple In 2019, facing down extensive investigations by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times that showed Apple’s App Store clearly and consistently ranking its own apps ahead of competitors, Apple claimed it had done nothing wrong — a secret algorithm containing 42 different variables was working as intended, top executives told the Times, insisting that Apple doesn’t manually alter search results.Why do I bring this up? An intriguing email chain has surfaced during the Epic v. Apple trial where it sure looks like Apple did the exact opposite — seemingly admitting it manually boosted the ranking of its own Files app ahead of the competition for 11 entire months.“Who green lit putting the Files app above Dropbox in organic search... Continue reading…

Photo by ADITYA AJI/AFP via Getty Images The fast food mega chain McDonald’s is the latest company to have private data stolen by a third party, The Wall Street Journal reports. Unlike other recent attacks on CNA Financial and the Colonial Pipeline, McDonald’s claims it isn’t dealing with ransomware, but store information in the US was taken, along with some customer information in South Korea and Taiwan.The company discovered the data breach after hiring consultants to “investigate unauthorized activity on an internal security system” McDonald’s tells the Journal. In the US, the data accessed included business contact information for franchises, the seating capacity of stores, and the square footage of play areas. The South Korean and Taiwanese arms of McDonald’s “had... Continue reading…

Photo: Netflix Geralt of Rivia is coming back, and you can get the first look at The Witcher’s second season in the incredibly brief clip below. It’s focused primarily on Ciri, though it appears there are some secrets hidden in the teaser. You may want to watch it a few times to catch everything.

King Dice, voiced by Wayne Brady, in The Cuphead Show. | Image: Netflix Netflix showed off a brief teaser of its upcoming show based on the game Cuphead at its Geeked Week event on Friday, and just as you’d expect, the game’s old-school animation style looks to translate perfectly into an animated series. Netflix also announced that Wayne Brady will voice the dastardly King Dice.You can check out the clip, which features Brady’s King Dice, in the video above.Studio MDHR, developer of the Cuphead game, first announced that The Cuphead Show was in the works nearly two years ago. “Witness the wondrous Inkwell Isles as you’ve never seen them before in an original series inspired by classic animation styles of the 1930s,” Studio MDHR said in a tweet at the time.The animation in this teaser looks fantastic,... Continue reading…

The sprawling fantasy realm of League of Legends is expanding in a big way. At its Netflix Geeked Week, the streaming service showed off a new two-minute clip for Arcane, the first animated series set in the world of Riot’s popular strategy game. The show has been in the works for some time: it was first revealed in 2019, and earlier this year, Netflix confirmed its partnership with Riot.According to Riot, the new show is “set in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League champions-and the power that will tear them apart.”While this is Riot’s first foray into television, Arcane is part of a bigger plan to turn League into an MCU-style behemoth spanning... Continue reading…

Cal from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. | Image: EA EA released a free next-gen update for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on Friday, and the announcement comes with good news for people who own a physical copy of the game but have a discless next-gen console: EA will let you convert your physical copy to a digital one so you can take advantage of the upgrade, the company says in an FAQ.If you want to upgrade your disc version to digital, click this link to EA’s support website. If you click on the Digital Edition PS5 or Xbox Series S icons, then “Codes and promotions,” then “Replace disc with code,” then “Select Contact Option,” you’ll be taken to a form to fill out to request your digital code. The form says an EA support representative will email you within 72 hours after you fill it... Continue reading…

Archer Aviation, a Santa Clara-based aviation startup, unveiled a new electric aircraft Thursday that it says will serve as the basis for a future fleet of air taxis that will criss-cross cities and help alleviate traffic. But much like the majority of these startups, the company was not able to demonstrate its flying taxis doing the thing they’re supposed to do: flying.At an event in Los Angeles Thursday, complete with dramatic lighting, soaring visuals, and even a pair of drummers, the company showed off the 12-rotor aircraft, which it is calling Maker. Clocking in at 1,508kg (3,324lbs), the gleaming silver vehicle looks like an airplane / helicopter hybrid, with two wings sporting six rotors each jutting out from an egg-shaped... Continue reading…

SharePlay displayed on an iPhone. | Image: Apple Apple is bringing one of streaming’s trendiest features to iPhone users with the debut of SharePlay in iOS 15 later this year, allowing FaceTime users to stream music, online videos, and movies together with friends. The move positions FaceTime to compete more directly with platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Houseparty, which all offer ways to video chat while watching things as a group. It offers Apple a chance to hook a new generation of users on FaceTime — but the service is still missing some key integrations to make that happen, particularly for the teens most likely to use it.SharePlay, announced earlier this week and likely arriving in the fall, will allow FaceTime users to share and stream media in real time from... Continue reading…

Disney is set to launch its standalone Star+ streaming service in Latin America in August, but Starz has filed complaints in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina alleging Disney is infringing on its brand identity and that the soon-to-launch service will only confuse consumers.In an English language translation of the complaints seen by The Verge and previously reported by The Wrap, Starz argues that Disney’s “Star Plus” service — which will host content from Disney, FX, 20th Century Studios and National Geographic, as well as Star originals — sounds too phonetically similar to its own StarzPlay offering also available in the regions where it filed its complaints.Starz, a premium cable offering and streaming app, has been operating under the... Continue reading…

Every Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where co-hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.This week, Nilay and Dieter bring in Verge editors Alex Cranz and Chris Welch to discuss all of the announcements from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference that took place this week — from a preview of iOS 15 to the introduction of spatial audio on Apple Music to a new drag-and-drop feature between the Mac and the iPad.You can listen to the full discussion here or in your preferred podcast app.Links from this week’s episode:

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verg Apple is finally adding support for Windows Precision Touchpad drivers in its latest Boot Camp update. The new 6.1.15 update includes support for Windows Precision Touchpad, including single tap to click, lower-right corner to right-click, down motion to scroll up, and three or four finger gestures.Various Reddit users noticed the surprise update went live yesterday, and it apparently works better than third-party solutions like Trackpad++ and mac-precision-touchpad that people have had to use for years. “Works way better than both of them with better palm and thumb detection too,” says one Reddit user.Microsoft started supporting Precision Touchpads more than seven years agoMicrosoft first started introducing Windows Precision... Continue reading…

Illustration by Maria Chimishkyan I’m a chronic oversharer on social media — and usually an intentional one. Mostly, I write about my severe mental health struggles and things that deeply enrage me, but that constant oversharing can be hard to maintain. As much as I post, I delete a lot too, either because posts are too vulnerable, too hurtful, or too likely to spark conflict. It’s hard to know if the defiant overshares are really helping, or if I’m just worried about how a judgmental world will respond.The intimacy of social media can lead us to share a lot, and being vulnerable in those spaces can give us a rare sense of power. The #MeToo movement brought on a flood of women disclosing their experiences with sexual violence and other issues, leading to increased... Continue reading…

Finding a webcam during the early stages of the pandemic was borderline impossible. That’s not the case anymore. Most models are in stock, and sometimes, they’re even cheaper than their original prices, like Razer’s unique Kiyo webcam that has a ring light built in to make you look a little more lively during video calls. Normally $100, it’s $75 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. This webcam supports 1080p at 30 frames per second, or 720p resolution at 60 frames per second. Those aren’t cutting-edge specs, but there’s a good chance that it’s better than your laptop’s webcam.The $200 Kiyo Pro released in early 2021 with support for 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, but it doesn’t have the built-in ring light.There was a $30 off... Continue reading…

A great travel coffee kit. A thousand times better than whatever’s in the room Continue reading…

Illustration by Maria Chimishkyan In 2016, Lily Chen started a competition to rewrite the building blocks of encryption.With her team of mathematicians at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chen reached out to academic and industry cryptographers around the world to find algorithms that could resist new threats posed by quantum computers. Five years later, the project is almost complete. After three rounds of elimination, Chen and her team have now narrowed the 69 submissions down to a final seven algorithms, with several winners to be named at the end of the year. If things go according to plan, the result will be a new set of NIST-certified algorithms — and a new measure of protection against the chaos of a fully operational quantum computer.“... Continue reading…

Illustration by Maria Chimishkyan All of those obnoxious marketing emails that crowd your inbox aren’t just pushing a product. They’re also tracking whether you’ve opened the email, when you opened it, and where you were at the time by using software like Mailchimp to embed tracking software into the message.How does it work? A single tracking pixel is embedded in the email, usually (but not always) hidden within an image or a link. When the email is opened, code within the pixel sends the info back to the company’s server.There have been some attempts to restrict the amount of information that can be transmitted this way. For example, since 2014, Google has served all images in Gmail through its own proxy servers, which could hide your location from at least some... Continue reading…