The Verge

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Sony may be working on a version of its Back Button Attachment for the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, according to a patent filing published earlier this month. The filing, spotted by IGN, shows off an accessory identical in appearance to the existing DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment, describing the product as an add-on with buttons that “may be mapped to controller buttons using customized button mapping pre-sets.”The Back Button Attachment, announced in late 2019, is Sony’s low-cost alternative to a proper pro controller. It costs just $30 and adds programmable buttons to the underside of the DualShock 4 that let you remap crucial functions reserved for, say, the X or O buttons. In turn, this lets you trigger the associated... Continue reading…

Razer’s second set of true wireless earbuds nail fit and audio but fall flat elsewhere Continue reading…

UAE’s Hope probe sits in a clean room before launch. A probe from the United Arab Emirates successfully reached Mars on Tuesday, earning the country a spot in a small group of spacefaring powers that have sent spacecraft to study the fourth planet from the Sun. The UAE hopes the mission will yield key discoveries on Martian weather patterns and catalyze a new science and technology sector as it looks to wean its economy from oil dependence.Hope carried out an intricate and fully automatic maneuver called a Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) on time at 10:30AM ET, mission engineers said. This maneuver slams the brakes on the spacecraft’s final leg of its journey, slowing Hope’s cruising speed of 75,000 mph down to 11,000 mph by firing all six of its Delta-V thrusters for 27 minutes. The... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Companies looking to make a name in podcasting have mostly done so by spending lots of money on flashy names, big acquisitions, and valuable content libraries. But increasingly, the audio itself, and the recording techniques used to capture it, are becoming the selling point.Today, iHeart Media announced that it’s investing in binaural audio, also known as 3D audio, which effectively places listeners in the room of a recording and makes them feel like it’s happening around them. Listening to a show in 3D audio sounds like you’re in the scene and hearing things exactly as you would in real life because the microphones are often shaped like a human head or a pair of ears. This means the sounds hit your ears as they would normally, a... Continue reading…

Photo: Getty Images Much has been said and written over the years about the post-Steve Jobs era of Apple and whether CEO Tim Cook’s operations-heavy approach to running the iPhone maker has proved more or less successful than Jobs’ at times cutthroat dealmaking and his obsessive, detail-oriented product development.It’s hard to argue now that Cook hasn’t taken Apple to all-new heights — the company is more valuable than it’s ever been, and the wondrous success of the iPhone over the last decade has allowed Apple to build hugely successful secondary businesses around the Apple Watch, AirPods, the iPad, and much more. But how exactly Cook, a logistics expert with deep ties to Asia and a much more measured temperament than his former boss, pulled this off is... Continue reading…

Trees, pandas, earbuds, and Abe Lincoln Continue reading…

eSIM makes it possible to activate your device with a new carrier without waiting for a physical SIM card. | Image: Visible Visible, the Verizon-owned MVNO, is adding some new services that make using it just a bit more like subscribing to one of the big wireless carriers. Starting today, Visible now supports activating service via eSIM. It only works with recent, compatible iPhones, but Visible says it will add support for Android devices soon. The company also is offering 5G service (with limits) and free calling and messaging to Canada and Mexico.Visible customers’ access to Verizon’s 5G network has some important fine print: both Nationwide and Ultra Wideband are included, but data speeds will be capped at 200Mbps. Direct carrier subscribers (AKA Verizon customers) also have priority on the fastest data speeds during times of congestion. That’s par for... Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Zendure’s SuperTank power bank is $100 at Wellbots today, which is the lowest price we’ve seen that doesn’t require a coupon code. It will ship for free and is a tax-free purchase for people who live outside of New York state, as well. This battery’s best feature is that it can recharge devices requiring up to 100W (this includes the 16-inch MacBook Pro, among other powerful machines) at the same speedy pace that their factory chargers can deliver, yet it’s smaller and more portable.It contains a 27,000mAh 99.9Wh battery (the maximum you’re allowed to legally bring onto a commercial flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration), and it hosts two USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, and a display to see the remaining battery... Continue reading…

Photo Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge An interview with Charlton McIlwain, author of Black Software Continue reading…

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Pool After last month’s deadly pro-Trump attack on the Capitol, lawmakers are investigating the role DLive, one of the video-streaming platforms used to broadcast the riot, played in financing the violence.In a letter to DLive’s chief executive officers Tuesday, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) called on DLive for details into how it moderates extremist content and how the platform ensures bad actors won’t use its cryptocurrency-based donation model to finance that content anonymously.“Our concern is that online platforms such as DLive are being used to promulgate extremist views that incite offline conflict and violence. We have worked with other platforms… to reform their governance practices around extremist... Continue reading…

Illustration by William Joel | Photo by Franziska Krug / Getty Images Jeff Bezos announced on February 2nd that he’d be leaving the CEO job at Amazon. In the announcement, he signaled he’d be pursuing his “other passions,” which include the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post. Well, it’s nice to have hobbies!The real pressing question, though, is what Bezos is going to do with all that money. Forbes pegs his net worth around $193.2 billion as of the close of trading on February 8th, though it’s possible it’s gone up since this writing. That’s more money than most people’s brains can process! For instance, last year, Bezos’ ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott, gave away $4 billion in four months — and her net worth is only a paltry $60 billion by comparison.Anyway, here are some... Continue reading…

Microsoft is improving the dark mode in Word to make it even darker. The software maker has started testing an update to Word that will color entire documents in a dark canvas. Currently, Word has a dark mode that modifies the ribbon and toolbars, but the canvas stays bright white. A future update to Word will include the ability to switch the canvas into dark mode, too.“This has been a long-requested feature from many of Office Insiders and we’re excited to make it happen,” explains Ali Forelli, a program manager on Microsoft’s Word team. “With Dark mode, you’ll notice that the previously white page color is now a dark grey/black.” While the canvas will change, colors in a document will also be adjusted. Reds, blues, yellows, and other... Continue reading…

The unannounced device is likely to be much slimmer than previous devices like the Echo Show 10 (pictured). | Photo: Amazon Amazon is developing a thin Echo device for users to mount on their walls and use as a “smart home command center,” according to a report in Bloomberg. The device could come with a 10- or 13-inch touchscreen display and be capable of controlling smart home devices, playing music and videos, and video chatting thanks to a built-in camera. Naturally, it’s also said to include Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.Wall-mounting a display device could give owners more options for where in the house to place it, rather than having to find an empty space on a table or desk. Amazon has experimented with wall-mounted Echo devices before, like with its Amazon Echo wall clocks, and it’s also possible to wall mount other Echo devices using third-party... Continue reading…

Qualcomm has announced its latest 5G modem — the Snapdragon X65, a successor to last year’s Snapdragon X60 which just started to hit devices as part of the Snapdragon 888 chipset. Qualcomm promises that the new modem will be much, much faster, with support for up to 10Gbps speeds on both standalone and non-standalone 5G networks (assuming your carrier supports it, that is.)It’ll likely be some time before the X65 hits any devices; if history is any indication, it likely won’t show up until next year’s flagship Snapdragon release, which presumably will be announced in December. The new 10Gbps maximum download speed — up from 7.5Gbps on last year’s model — is the flashiest spec, even if its a largely meaningless one, as... Continue reading…

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge Belgian e-bike maker Cowboy has delivered on its promise to help riders avoid pollution on their commutes with a new air quality navigation feature in the company’s latest iOS and Android apps. Owners now have the option to pick the quickest or healthiest routes to their destination.The feature is enabled by the integration of air quality data from a company called Breezometer, with a claimed data resolution of 5-meters (about 16 feet). That’s specific enough to help riders navigate around polluted routes in densely constructed cities like Amsterdam, as demonstrated in the video above.Breezometer’s ability to measure air quality with such granularity involves some guesswork since it doesn’t have physical sensors distributed at 5-meter... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Reddit will double the number of employees it has over the course of this year to around 1,400 after raising $250 million in a new funding round, the company has announced. Reddit currently has around 700 employees globally. Over 600 are based in the US, according to CNBC, where it has offices in San Francisco, New York, LA, and Chicago.The announcement of the new funding round comes as the site’s r/WallStreetBets subreddit gained widespread attention for its role in increasing the share prices of GameStop, AMC, and other companies. Redditors organized to purchase shares in certain companies en-masse, turbocharging their stock prices at the expense of short-selling hedge funds. As of last week the Securities and Exchange commission is... Continue reading…

Image: Nothing Nothing, the new venture from ex-OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, plans to release a pair of wireless earbuds this summer, with other products following later in the year, Bloomberg reports. In an interview, Pei said Nothing plans to eventually produce an ecosystem of devices that can connect to one another. The product details were revealed with the announcement that Nothing has completed a new $15 million funding round led by Alphabet’s venture capital unit, GV (formerly Google Ventures).Manufacturing wireless headphones would bring Nothing into competition with some of the world’s biggest tech companies including Apple, Samsung, and Sony. Notably, Nothing would also be competing with Pei’s old company, OnePlus, which released its first... Continue reading…

Android 12 rumored UI and features. | Image: XDA-Developers A series of leaked images may offer a first look at Google’s Android 12 update. XDA-Developers has published screenshots from what is said to be from an “early draft” of documents Google distributes to Android partners. The screenshots, which XDA-Developers says haven’t been fully confirmed, include what appears to be new UI changes, alongside a new privacy indicator and conversation widget.If accurate, the UI changes include an emphasis on rounded corners, with a reduction in the number of Quick Settings available from the unexpanded notification panel. Google also appears to be using a beige color scheme, which could be part of the rumored new native theme system for Android 12. Image: XDA-Developers Android... Continue reading…

A robotic probe owned by the United Arab Emirates is preparing to jump into Mars orbit on Tuesday after launching from Earth last year. For mission managers in Dubai, it’s a nerve-racking climax in the UAE’s first mission to deep space. If successful, the Hope probe will survey the Martian atmosphere. The Emirati cabinet hopes the mission will also inspire a new science and technology sector as the Gulf state looks to wean its economy from oil dependence.The Hope probe launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center last July as Earth and Mars aligned in their orbits around the Sun. Now, having traveled over 300 million miles, Hope is set to carry out an intricate and fully autonomous maneuver called a Mars Orbit Insertion at 10:30AM ET.... Continue reading…

Image: CD Projekt Red CD Projekt says it’s been hacked by attackers who’ve been able to access its internal network, encrypt some devices, and collect “certain data” from the Polish video game company. The Cyberpunk 2077 developer says it will not give in to the demands or negotiate with the attacker, and does not believe any personal data of players or service users has been compromised.In a tweet disclosing the hack, the company shared the ransom note left by the hackers, who claim to have accessed the source code for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, Gwent, and an “unreleased version of Witcher 3.” The hackers are threatening to release the source code alongside internal legal, HR, and financial documents “if we will not come to an agreement.”

Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei has called for a reset in relations between the US and the Chinese tech giant. Speaking to international media in China for the first time in more than a year, Ren expressed willingness to speak with President Biden and said he hoped for “open policies” from the new administration.“I would welcome [a call from Biden]” Ren said in translated comments provided to The Verge and reported by CNBC, AFP, and the South China Morning Post. “I would talk with him about common development. Both the US and China need to develop their economies, as this is good for our society and financial balance.”“Allowing US companies to supply goods to Chinese customers is conducive to their own financial performance,” Ren... Continue reading…

Snap is introducing a new feature it’s calling Friend Check Up. On Snapchat, having someone friended could give them access to your story and even possibly your location, depending on your Snap Map settings, so Snap wants to make sure that everyone on your friends list is still someone you actually want to call your friend.This feature could help make the platform safer for users, if they choose to use it. It could be a good way to help you realize you might still have somebody friended that you don’t want to see your posts. And I know there’ve been plenty of times when I’ve looked at a friend or follower of mine and said “I have no idea who this person is,” or worse: “oops, my ex can see my sadtweeting.”Snap says that the feature... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Last June, 20-year-old Alex Kearns died by suicide, blaming stock trading app Robinhood for his death. He mistakenly believed he’d lost $730,000, and that the company was coming for more than $170,000 of that money in a matter of days. His family now agrees that it was Robinhood’s fault — on Monday, they sued the company for wrongful death.According to the complaint, Kearns never owed any money at all, but that didn’t stop the Robinhood app from suggesting that he did, or sending him an “immediate action required” email telling him he needed to deposit $178,612.73 by June 17th.Here’s a screenshot one of his relatives shared on Twitter last June of what the app reportedly showed him at the time:

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Though the international version of Steam has been available in China for years, an official Chinese release of the the popular PC gaming platform has now debuted (via analyst Daniel Ahmad). If Chinese gamers needed more reason to celebrate, Sony also announced that the PlayStation 5 will be coming to the country soon.The Chinese version of Steam currently only has around 40 titles available, with another 10 or so listed as coming soon. Included in that list are, of course, Valve’s own e-sports titles Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. The service is a long time coming — Valve announced that it would be bringing it to China back in 2018, though Chinese gamers have been able to access the service with Steam’s global client. ... Continue reading…

What are we actually looking at here? A rock? An enemy? Does it even matter compared to the glory of running Horizon Zero Dawn at the eye-watering resolution of 128 pixels wide by 72 pixels tall? Yes, a YouTuber has managed to play Horizon Zero Dawn at 72p, and that’s not a typo.The YouTuber in question is Kryzzp, who also goes by zWORMz Gaming, and he ran the game at this absurd resolution to test the performance of an Nvidia GT 710, an ultra-budget video card that barely cost $40 brand-new back in 2016. Incredibly, he manages to fend off one of the robotic enemies, though it’s impossible to tell how much ammo he had left after doing so.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook is expanding what false claims it will remove from its platforms related to COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, and vaccines in general starting today. The company began removing debunked COVID-19 claims in December of last year and notifying customers when they had interacted with a post that has false information that same month. But now the list of potential claims that could get a post removed has grown.Highlights from the new expanded list of false COVID-19 and vaccine-related claims that will be removed include:

While Zoom was originally created as a serious meeting application for businesses, it has since become one of the most-used services during the pandemic for anyone who wants to have a face-to-face virtual conversation. As a result, the company has been adding more fun stuff, such as weird backgrounds, to use for online family gatherings, friend chats, and well, for business meetings. And now, it’s come up with a feature called Studio Effects that gives you the ability to add a variety of eyebrows, facial hair, and lip color to your video image during Zoom sessions.The feature, still in beta, isn’t really new — Zoom announced it in September 2020 — but this is the first time many Zoom users are first discovering it. At any rate, it’s... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The parent company of a West Virginia newspaper chain has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook and Google parent company Alphabet, alleging the platforms are siphoning away much-needed digital ad revenue. It appears to be the first such lawsuit by a news organization against the digital giants and makes the argument that the platforms represent a digital monopoly that should be broken up, like Standard Oil or AT&T were back in the day.“Google and Facebook have monopolized the digital advertising market thereby strangling a primary source of revenue for newspapers across the country,” according to the complaint filed by HD Media, which operates the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail and several other West Virginia... Continue reading…

Expanscape A company called Expanscape has created the most Inspector Gadget-like device that I’ve ever seen. It’s a laptop prototype called the Aurora 7 (a working title), and attached to its humongous black box of a chassis are six extra displays that extend out in every direction away from the main screen, each showing its own windows and applications.If you’re like me, the first thought that comes to mind is “that poor hinge!” Yeah, poor hinge, indeed. Many laptop hinges don’t gracefully handle having one screen attached, let alone seven. Piggybacking on the main 17.3-inch 4K display are three other screens of the same size and resolution. Above the left and right displays is a single seven-inch 1200p monitor. You’ll also find one more... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Hackers successfully infiltrated the computer system controlling a water treatment facility in the city of Oldsmar, Florida, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times. In doing so, the hackers were able to remotely control a computer to change the chemical levels of the water supply, increasing the amount of sodium hydroxide before a supervisor was able to catch the act in real time and revert the changes.“At no time was there a significant adverse effect on the water being treated,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a press conference on Monday, which was later posted to YouTube. “Importantly, the public was never in danger.” Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, is used in water to regulate acidity levels, the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Justice Department dropped its 2018 lawsuit challenging California’s state net neutrality rules on Monday, removing one of the law’s major roadblocks preventing it from going into effect.In 2017, the Trump Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the Obama-era internet regulations banning internet service providers, like AT&T and Verizon, from throttling or blocking traffic and implementing paid fast lanes. The following year, California passed its own law instituting net neutrality rules at the state level. That law was quickly challenged by the Trump-led Justice Department, which argued that California’s law was preempted by the FCC’s 2017 repeal.“I am pleased that the Department of Justice has withdrawn this lawsuit. ... Continue reading…

EA is making a big move into the world of mobile gaming with the acquisition of Glu Mobile, a developer best known for its work on celebrity-focused titles, based on stars like Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian. Its portfolio also includes popular titles like Design Home, Covet Fashion, and MLB Tap Sports Baseball. EA says that once the deal is closed, it will have acquired Glu for “$2.1 billion in enterprise value.”“We’re doubling the size of our mobile business.”“Mobile continues to grow as the biggest gaming platform in the world, and with the addition of Glu’s games and talent, we’re doubling the size of our mobile business,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in a statement. EA says that it currently has a mobile audience of more than 100... Continue reading…

Salad vending machine company Chowbotics is now part of DoorDash DoorDash has acquired salad-making robot startup Chowbotics, the companies announced Monday. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the Chowbotics team have all become DoorDash employees, and the company will operate independently within DoorDash.“We have long admired the work that Chowbotics has done to increase access to fresh meals, with its groundbreaking robotics product and vision,” DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang said in statement emailed to The Verge. “With the Chowbotics team on board, we can explore new use cases and customers, providing another service to help our merchants grow.”Chowbotics was founded in 2014, and its fresh food robot Sally — a rectangular machine that’s essentially a salad vending machine —... Continue reading…

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On Monday, California state Senator Connie Leyva introduced the Silenced No More Act, a bill that advocates say will protect employees who speak out about discrimination at work, even if they’ve signed nondisclosure agreements.“SB 331 will prevent workers from being forced to sign non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements that would limit their ability to speak out about harassment and discrimination in the workplace,” Leyva said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any employer to try to silence a worker because he or she was a victim of any type of harassment or discrimination—whether due to race, sexual orientation, religion, age or any other characteristic.”The newly introduced legislation builds on work by Ifeoma Ozoma, a... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Mobile app developer Kosta Eleftheriou has a new calling that goes beyond software development: taking on what he sees as a rampant scam problem ruining the integrity of Apple’s App Store.Eleftheriou, who created the successful Apple Watch keyboard app FlickType, has for the last two weeks been publicly criticizing Apple for lax enforcement of its App Store rules that have allowed scam apps, as well as apps that clone popular software from other developers, to run rampant. These apps enjoy top billing in the iPhone marketplace, all thanks to glowing reviews and sterling five-star ratings that are largely fabricated, he says.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge An Amazon warehouse in Alabama could become the first to unionize in the US Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro The Entertainment Software Association has announced that E3 2021 is happening this year, and it could be going digital, according to Video Games Chronicle. The event will be held from June 15th through June 17th.“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021,” an ESA spokesperson told The Verge. “And will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together.”According to Video Games Chronicle, the ESA has outlined its plans for E3 2021, with intentions to hold multiple two-hour keynote sessions from games partners, an awards show, a preview night on June 14th, plus some small streams from various game publishers, influencers, and media partners.Video Games Chronicle also notes... Continue reading…

‘Is meatball an fruit?’ Continue reading…

The Pokémon Center is selling a Gigantamax Meowth that, while not true to size, is still pretty damn big. This Long Meowth measures 65 inches, which is just over five feet, and has a “dangerous smile.” A bad boy.Gigantamax Meowth is a 1:20 scale version of its Pokémon Sword and Shield counterpart, and it costs $299.99 for the pleasure of its company. Now the bad news: it’s currently sold out. Will it restock? I have no idea, but kudos to the unknown number of people who dropped $300 for a 5-foot-something body pillow. If this isn’t love, I don’t know what is: I’m not thrilled that there is no light in Meowth’s eyes, but who can blame him. At least it’s better than Pikachu centipede. Continue reading…

Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge The real questions behind Section 230 reform Continue reading…

Microsoft is bringing Forza Horizon 4 to Steam on March 9th. It marks the first time the Forza franchise has been available on Steam, and it will include crossplay with players on Xbox consoles, the regular Windows 10 version, and those streaming Forza Horizon 4 through xCloud.Playground Games has been gradually improving Forza Horizon 4 with expansions and a battle royale-like mode. A Halo driving experience even appeared in the game a few years ago, and the Lego Speed Champions expansion includes brick cars and scenery. A new Hot Wheels car pack is also coming soon, which will include a number of new cars for $10.Microsoft’s Forza embrace of Steam comes after the company reversed course nearly three years ago, promising to distribute... Continue reading…

Photo: Apple Apple’s former hardware leader, Dan Riccio, is now overseeing the company’s still-secretive work on augmented and virtual reality products, according to Bloomberg. Riccio stepped back from Apple last month, after serving as senior vice president of hardware engineering since 2012. At the time, Riccio said he would remain at the company with a focus on “creating something new,” but he didn’t say what that would be.Mike Rockwell, who runs Apple’s AR / VR group, is still responsible for day-to-day development of these upcoming products, according to Bloomberg. But Riccio reportedly has “ultimate oversight” of Apple’s first hardware to enter the space.There have been reports for years indicating that Apple is working on AR and VR hardware.... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Today, TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced the formation of what they’re calling an “expanded global alliance.” It’s a continuation and deepening of the agreement that allows TikTok’s massive user base to use songs from UMG artists. “The companies have additionally pledged to experiment with exciting new features,” the companies write in a press release. “TikTok users will now be able to incorporate clips from UMG’s full catalog of music, spanning the company’s iconic labels, songwriters and global territories.”It’s a smart move. TikTokers get to use more of the music they love as the soundtrack for their videos, the artists behind the works get paid, and UMG gets greater access to a proven viral hit-making machine.... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge iOS 14.5 looks like it will be packed with features, including the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while you’re wearing a mask and support for next-gen console controllers. But users who have already installed the beta discovered another great feature: you’ll be able to select a third-party default music service when you ask to play a song using Siri — including Spotify (via MacRumors).When you ask Siri to play a song on iOS 14.5, you may be prompted to select which app you want to use to play it, according to a screenshot shared on Reddit. Image: u/matejamm1 on Reddit The menu to select an app. I’m on the iOS 14.5 beta, but interestingly, the feature worked a bit differently... Continue reading…

Andrew Spinks, the co-creator of Terraria, announced that his studio would no longer be working on a Google Stadia port of the game, he announced on Twitter earlier today. The reason: his studio, Re-Logic, has been locked out of its associated Google and YouTube accounts for “over three weeks” without any explanation and with little recourse from the company.Early Monday, Spinks tweeted that he had “not done anything to violate your terms of service, so I can take this no other way than you deciding to burn this bridge.” In the thread, Spinks says the lockout has cost him access to “thousands of dollars of apps” he purchased, and his Gmail account, which he used for more than 15 years, is gone, too.

Photo by Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) has died after two weeks in the hospital with COVID-19, his office announced today. Wright was the first sitting member of Congress to die from the disease.Wright was 67 years old and had a number of comorbidities. He was sick with lung cancer and was hospitalized for complications related to that condition in September. He announced that he’d tested positive for COVID-19 on January 21st after coming into contact with someone who had the virus the week before.Over 60 members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. That includes three other Texas Republican representatives: Kevin Brady, Louie Gohmert, and Kay Granger. A number of lawmakers contracted the disease after the r... Continue reading…

Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Pool Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), chair of the House Oversight Committee, is demanding documents from the free speech social network Parler related to its financing after last month’s deadly attack on the Capitol.In her letter to Parler’s chief operating officer Jeffrey Wernick Monday, Maloney called on the company to hand over documents outlining who or what entities have ever had any control over the company, a list of some of its creditors, and any documents or communications tying the company to a Russian individual or entity.“Since the attacks, numerous Parler users have been arrested and charged for their roles, with the Department of Justice citing in several instances the threats that individuals made through Parler in the days... Continue reading…

Mark Cuban is getting in on the audio and podcasting hype. Alongside co-founder Falon Fatemi, he’s planning to launch Fireside, a “next-gen podcast platform” that facilitates live conversation, according to an email sent to possible creator partners seen by The Verge. The app idea is similar to the buzzy live audio startup Clubhouse, except with the ability to natively record conversations. A source close to Fireside says the app plans to launch publicly this year.Fatemi, who co-founded and sold the AI customer relations service Node, promises a platform where creators will be able to broadcast, record, and monetize conversations while using Fireside’s built-in analytics tools to figure out what content performs best. The app, according... Continue reading…

Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge Samsung’s new line of Galaxy S21 smartphones launched less than two weeks ago, but Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy have already marked down the phones to their lowest prices to date, with up to $200 in savings.If the Galaxy S21 is the phone you’re looking for, you can grab an unlocked model with 128GB of storage for only $700 or a 256GB model for $750. It includes a 6.2-inch 1080p screen with refresh rates of up to 120Hz and is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. My colleague, Dieter Bohn, praised the Galaxy S21 in his review for having a fast processor, nice screen, and good battery life.The S21 Plus normally starts at $1,000, but you can grab an unlocked model with 128GB of storage for $800 or a 256GB model for $850. It... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Teams inside Twitter are researching ways for the company to offer paid subscriptions, which could include charging money for access to TweetDeck, Bloomberg reports. TweetDeck is a popular alternative to the main Twitter website and mobile app that allows users to more efficiently manage multiple accounts and organize Twitter into a series of easier-to-read vertical feeds.Alongside charging for TweetDeck, the teams are said to be exploring other ideas, including charging for new features like an “undo send” button or more profile customization options. Another idea involves introducing “tipping” to Twitter, where users could pay accounts for exclusive content.Twitter is thought to be exploring these plans as a way to reduce its... Continue reading…