The Verge

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge Sometimes, an app's icon just doesn't look right on your homescreen. For example, let's say - just for the sake of argument - that the icon for a social networking app was switched from a pretty blue bird to a rather stark X." Could you change that icon?The answer is yes - it's doable using Apple's built-in Shortcuts app. You actually won't be replacing the app's official icon. Rather, you'll be creating a separate shortcut that leads to the app. It's a tedious and time-consuming process, but in the end, you can have a fully customized iPhone homescreen.Here's how you do it:

Image: Apple Alfonso Cuaron's Disclaimer is a gripping erotic thriller about the power stories have over us. Continue reading...

New LX 700h Overtrail edition. | Image: Lexus Lexus is launching a new LX SUV with a rugged" hybrid engine that's capable of surviving some watery excursions. The LX 700h is equipped with a 3.5L V6 twin-turbo hybrid system with a waterproof battery and a divider that helps prevent water ingress to the engine, and a waterproof AC inverter that provides up to 2,400 watts of external power supply. If water gets into the system, you'll be alerted on the new 12.3-inch full LCD meter screen.Lexus says its newly designed parallel hybrid system integrates a motor generator with a clutch positioned in between the engine and transmission. The setup lets it maximize torque output and maintain full-time 4WD, which is good for efficiency. It's also the automaker's first system that includes... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Update, October 10th: Registration is full for Nintendo's playtest. Our original story follows.Do you want to be one of the 10,000 people who participate in Nintendo's mysterious new Playtest Program" for Nintendo Switch Online? If you meet the criteria, you can apply for the playtest from the To application page" link on Nintendo's website starting today at 11AM ET / 8AM PT.Applications will stay open until October 15th at 10:59AM ET, though Nintendo says it will stop taking applications early if it reaches capacity. I imagine you'll be up against a legion of hopefuls, but if you want to throw your hat in the ring, here's what you need to know.Perhaps most importantly, is the fact that only people with an active Nintendo Switch... Continue reading...

There are lots of fun gadgets and stocking stuffers to be had right now- including Elago's W3 Apple Watch stand, which is down to $11.99. | Image: Elago Despite how you may feel about the price of groceries, gas, and other essential goods right now, you can actually get quite a bit for under $25. That's even truer during a major shopping event like Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which only has a few hours remaining.There are only a few hours left to shop, but we're continuing to dig through the online bargain bin to find an assortment of inexpensive, Verge-approved tech that comes in under $25. Right now, for instance, you can get your smart home started with a fifth-gen Echo Dot or an Amazon Smart Plug. Need something to watch? The standard Fire TV Stick 4K is a great conduit for streaming endless entertainment. Or you can pick up Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for its lowest price... Continue reading...

Philips Hue's Festavia lights can be used as Halloween decor or to add a bit of festive cheer during the holidays. | Image: Philips Hue Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is well into its second day, and as was the case yesterday, it remains an excellent time to pick up good deals on great smart home gear. We scoured through deals on video doorbells, robot vacuums, smart lights, smart speakers, and more to gather up some of the best bargains that caught our eye. Check out a full list of all the deals in our main post, and read on for smart home deals. Just know the sale runs through the end of today, October 9th.Smart speaker and smart display deals

The latest Fire TV Cube remains Amazon's best streaming device - and it's still available for $99.99 ($40 off). | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge If you're looking to maximize your budget and score a bigger haul for your money during October's Amazon Prime Day sale, you'll be happy to know that there are many great deals you can find on tech and other gear for well under $100. Some of the inexpensive gadgets we like under that threshold are discounted even further, while others normally in the triple digits have snuck into double-digit territory, some for the first time.Right now, for example, you can find great prices on Amazon's newest Fire TV Cube, Philips Hue RGB smart bulbs, and Anker's MagGo 3-in-1 charging stand. These Prime Day deals are only guaranteed to stick around for one more day, though, as the sale is only scheduled to run through the end of today, October 9th.... Continue reading...

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Amazon is continuing many of its best headphone and earbud discounts on the second day of its October Prime Day sale. If you want to get a jump on your holiday shopping - or just treat yourself to a new upgrade - this is a great opportunity to do so.Apple's AirPods Pro, which are about to receive significant hearing health features, can be had at a great price, but there are also excellent options from Sony, Bose, Samsung (like the Buds 3 Pro I just reviewed), Sennheiser, and other mainstays in this category. If you want to take out the guesswork, check out our best earbuds buying guide, and you'll find that many of my favorite picks are available at tempting prices.Apple / Beats

Image: The Verge Nintendo is inviting people to apply to play test a new feature for Nintendo Switch Online - though the company isn't specifying what the feature is.Considering that this company just launched a gesture-controlled alarm clock, this could mean just about anything up to and including a preview of features for the much-anticipated Switch 2. Guesses from Verge staffers ran the gamut of bringing GameCube games to Switch Online to a preview for a Wii mini retro console or perhaps another long-lost Star Fox game. Feel free to leave your best guesses in the comments.Applications will be open from Thursday, October 10th, at 11AM ET to Tuesday, October 15th, at 10:59AM ET. You can apply by clicking the To Application Page" link on this page.... Continue reading...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge When visiting The Internet Archive (www.archive.org) on Wednesday afternoon, The Verge was greeted by a pop-up claiming the site had been hacked.Here's what the popup said:

Image: Amazon It's now the second day of Amazon's October Prime Day event, and since the company is still pushing a lot of interesting deals, we looked through some of our recent favorites" articles to find discounts on a lot of the devices we like.What are the favorites" articles? Well, every month or so, we like to ask our staff about their favorite stuff - whether it's board games, smart tech, or kitchen gadgets. And the results are usually quirky, personal, and a lot of fun.So, we thought we'd list a few in case you have read about them in the past and thought, well, that sort of sounds good, but it's a bit pricey. (Or - that's pretty cheap, but maybe I'll wait until the price goes down even more...)What follows are some of our staff's... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge On Threads, the topic of Threads Moderation Failures" is trending. Some users complain their accounts are being deleted or restricted for linking to articles with controversial topics. Instagram and Threads boss Adam Mosseri is directly replying to some complaints and said he's looking into it." And I'm one of many people who's had their account deleted for allegedly being a child - which I am not.Moderation is a perennial problem on social media, but based on social media posts and The Verge staff's own experiences, Meta is currently banning and restricting users on a hair trigger. One of my colleagues was locked out of her account briefly this week after joking that she wanted to die" because of a heatwave.Others, like Jorge... Continue reading...

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Sure, it's not the Switch 2, but it's a fun new Nintendo gadget. Continue reading...

This pricey bedside clock can sense your movements and wake you up with Nintendo's beloved characters. Continue reading...

JMGO's Picoflix projector is the size of a water bottle and includes a built-in battery. | Image: JMGO JMGO's new Picoflix adds to the ever-growing list of portable projectors small enough to be carried in a water bottle pocket. But instead of standing on one end like many cylindrical compact projectors do, the Picoflix is used horizontally and features an integrated rotating gimbal so it's easier to aim at a screen or wall.Available now through the company's website for $599, the Picoflix uses a 1080p LED light source capable of outputting up to 450 ANSI lumens of brightness. That's a little less than what similarly sized projectors - such as the Samsung Freestyle - are capable of, but it should be adequate for use in dark conditions assuming you're not trying to fill a movie theater-sized screen.Cylindrical projectors with integrated... Continue reading...

A thunderstorm can be seen moving over Tampa in the distance from St. Petersburg, Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in the middle of this week on October 8, 2024. | Photo: Getty Images Hurricane Milton, like Hurricane Helene before it, is souped up on hot water in the Gulf of Mexico.Hurricanes need warm water to develop, with higher temperatures helping them gather strength. It's a risk that's growing with climate change, and we're already seeing the alarming consequences this hurricane season.The warmer the water is, effectively, the more fuel that is available for the storm engine to work with," says Scott Braun, a research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center who specializes in hurricanes.The warmer the water is, effectively, the more fuel that is available for the storm engine"Milton exploded on October 7th, rapidly intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in near-record time. That... Continue reading...

Game Pass Ultimate offers first-party games on day one and a rotating library of other titles. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If your Game Pass Ultimate subscription is in danger of expiring, Woot's latest deal is a great opportunity to reset the clock. Now through 12:59AM ET on October 10th, you can save an extra 20 percent on top of Woot's already-discounted codes when you use promo code SAVE20 at checkout. That drops the price of a three-month subscription to $29.19 (about $16 off) and a one-month subscription to $11.03 (about $6 off).Taking advantage of the current promo - which just so happens to also coincide with Amazon's ongoing October Prime Day sale - is an easy way to nullify Microsoft's recent price hike, which raised the price of an Ultimate subscription to $19.99 a month. Plus, unlike the 13-month limit associated with Xbox Game Pass Standard,... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge After winning a fight to get Google's search business declared an unlawful monopoly, the Department of Justice has released its initial proposal for how it's thinking about limiting Google's dominance - including breaking up the company.The government is asking Judge Amit Mehta for four different types of remedies to Google's anticompetitive power in search engines. They include behavioral remedies, or changes to business practices, as well as structural remedies, which would break up Google. And they're focused particularly on futureproofing the search industry for the rise of generative AI. While AI might not be a substitute for search engines, the DOJ warns, it will likely become an important feature of the evolving search... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Some YouTube users have observed the platform making it harder to skip ads in recent days. On Reddit, a user reported seeing black rectangles over the skip button on desktop instead of the expected countdown timer, and a few days later, Android Police reported not seeing a countdown to skip on mobile.But in statements to The Verge, YouTube says it isn't removing the skip button - it's just changing some elements of how ads are displayed.YouTube is not hiding the skip button," YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun says in a statement to The Verge. On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always."As for the changes, Falodun says that YouTube is reducing elements on the ads player" so that viewers can... Continue reading...

LYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images The Wimbledon Championships, the most prestigious of professional tennis events, declared it would no longer use human line judges at next year's tournament. In 2025, the London event will use an electronic line-calling system (ELC) instead.First reported in The Times of London, the announcement marks a radical change to a 147-year-old tradition, albeit one that's on trend with the sport's broad shift toward technology-assisted officiating. In 2023, the Association of Tennis Professionals announced all of its events would move toward automating line calls, and two of the four Slams have already incorporated it. With Wimbledon going with ELC, the last holdout is the French Open.In the past, a court was monitored by as many as nine line... Continue reading...

Image: Nintendo Nintendo just announced its new Alarmo clock with a motion sensor, and even though we're still soaking in the $100 device, the company also shared a look at some interesting early prototypes that reveal how the project changed during its development.While the Alarmo is round and an eye-catching red, one early" prototype Nintendo showed in an Ask the Developer" interview had a more boxy shape and came in gray. This prototype did have an interesting feature in its dot matrix LED display (similar to the now-discontinued Echo Dot with Clock), but Nintendo ultimately went in a different direction because we felt that this display system wouldn't be able to communicate the instructions sufficiently," says Nintendo's Yosuke Tamori, who... Continue reading...

Illustration: Samar Haddad / The Verge Among the plethora of new features ushered in with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, you might have spotted a brand-new app called Passwords. This is Apple's new password manager for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, and Windows PC, and it takes over from the more rudimentary password saving and syncing that was previously available via Safari and iCloud Keychain.Before these software updates rolled out, you could find your stored passwords for apps and the web in a variety of places, depending on how you synched them. Most recently, there were Passwords entries in iOS Settings and macOS System Settings. Now, there's a dedicated app and one that offers more than password storage.It's all simple to use and comprehensive, but it might not... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency sent orders to service providers to unblock X, ending a five-week ban of the social media company.The agency known as Anatel, which is like the country's FCC, issued the directive today and indicated that each internet service provider is responsible for taking the measures to implement the order. Anatel said:

The company's latest flagship earbuds might lack originality, but they nail sound quality, transparency mode, and voice call performance. Continue reading...

Image: Nintendo It's not a successor to the Switch, but Nintendo does have a new piece of hardware to announce: a motion-controlled alarm clock. The device is called Alarmo, and it responds to your movements," which means you can snooze it with a gesture, or stop it by actually getting out of bed. It costs $99.99 and will be available in early 2025, though Nintendo says Switch Online subscribers can purchase it early right now.It appears this is the mystery Nintendo gadget that hit the FCC last month. In addition to the motion features, a big part of the device appears to be its immersive sounds, which are pulled from five different Switch games: Breath of the Wild, Pikmin 4, Splatoon 3, Super Mario Odyssey, and Ring Fit Adventure. There are 35 audio... Continue reading...

The desk clock is inspired by a classic Casio digital watch but includes additional functionality. | Image: Casio Japan Casio Japan is releasing a new desk clock that will be familiar to those who've eschewed smartwatches in favor of simpler digital timepieces. It's a supersized version of the Casio A158W digital watch that could make for a great nightstand alarm clock, although you may not want to hide its retro charm in your bedroom.Officially called the DQD-851J-8JF, the clock will be exclusively available in Japan starting on October 25th for 4,378 yen (around $29). That's even cheaper than the Casio A158W watch because the clock is made from plastic instead of stainless steel.The desk clock also lacks a stopwatch and a chime that rings at the top of each hour but adds features not found on Casio's basic digital watches like a thermometer and a... Continue reading...

Demis Hassabis (left) and John Jumper (right) are seen here accepting a separate award at the 2024 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in April. | Photo by Lester Cohen / Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three scientists today - two of whom are significant figures at Google DeepMind - for their work around proteins, which the Nobel Prize committee describes as the chemical tools of life."DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and senior DeepMind research scientist John Jumper received the award for creating the open-source AlphaFold2 AI model to calculate the structure of human proteins. With its help, they have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins that researchers have identified," the Nobel committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in its announcement.David Baker, who shares the prize with Hassabis and Jumper, was awarded for computational... Continue reading...