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Anker’s Qi2 MagGo Power Bank is down to its best price in months

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Anker’s magnetic battery pack can both prop up and charge your phone. | Image: Anker Given how often most of us rely on our smartphones, it’s a good idea to keep a power bank on hand in the event your phone dies while you’re out and about. If you don’t own one already, Anker’s MagGo Power Bank (10K) is down to $71.99 (nearly $20 off) at Amazon in the lead-up to the retailer’s annual Big Spring Sale . You can also buy it directly from Anker for the same price when you use coupon code WS7DV27ZN58X , which drops it to the best price we’ve seen this year. Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) Where to Buy: $89.99 $71.99 at Amazon $89.99 $71.99 at Anker (with code WS7DV27ZN58X) Anker’s lightweight power bank can deliver 15W of wireless power to MagSafe-compatible iPhones, allowing you to charge an iPhone 17 to about 50 percent in about 45 minutes. The battery’s 10,000mAh capacity also means you can charge the base iPhone 17 nearly twice or the iPhone 17 Pro Max at least once. There...

Google reveals its solution for true Android sideloading: a mandatory waiting period

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Google has revealed the "advanced flow" that will be required to install certain Android apps once the company introduces mandatory developer verification later this year. The company had initially announced that it would no longer be possible to install apps from unverified developers, and the process announced today is its concession to critics who accused it of killing off app sideloading and making Android less open. The good news is the new advanced flow is a one-off process that won't need to be repeated every time a user wants to sideload an app; the bad news is that part of that process includes a mandatory one-day waiting period. … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/897420/android-sideloading-unverified-developers-process

Meta is actually keeping its VR metaverse running, for now

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Meta is reversing its plans to shut down its VR metaverse - sort of. On Monday, the company announced that it would be shutting down the VR version of its 3D social platform Horizon Worlds on June 15th in favor of a new focus on the mobile version of the app . But in a Wednesday AMA on his Instagram, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said the company has decided that existing VR worlds would remain available and that the Horizon Worlds VR app will be available to download "for the foreseeable future." Meta is keeping VR Horizon Worlds experiences around as a way to support "the fans who reached out, like yourself, who really care about that," Boswor … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/897396/meta-vr-horizon-worlds-metaverse-andrew-bosworth

Epic and Disney now let Fortnite creators make Star Wars games

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Epic Games and Disney are making a big announcement as part of their continually deepening relationship. In June, Epic announced that Fortnite creators would "soon" be able to make custom Star Wars -themed games and experiences, and starting Thursday that feature is finally launching. While creators can start making experiences now, they'll be able to publish them for players to jump into beginning May 1st. Since announcing the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) , the tool that lets creators build experiences that sit alongside Epic's own modes like battle royale and Fortnite Festival , Epic started introducing a handful of big-name franchises … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/games/897163/fortnite-star-wars-creators-uefn-epic-games-disney

My favorite robot vacuum now supports Matter

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The Matic robot vacuum finally adds smart home control. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Matic , my current top pick for the best robot vacuum, just got a big update. The unique-looking floor bot now works with Google Home and Apple Home , with support coming through the smart home standard Matter . This enables voice control and smart home integrations, features that have been missing from the robot since launch. Now you can set up automations such as "Run Matic when everyone leaves home," "Dock the robot when I arrive home," or "Stop Matic when the door unlocks." The Matter integration isn't yet certified and doesn't work with all the platforms, but it's a good start. However, as it's still unofficial, there are some rough edg … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/896775/matic-robot-vacuum-apple-home-matter

The best AirPods deals you can get right now

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If you know where to look, you can often score deals on Apple’s ever-expanding AirPods lineup. Both the first-gen AirPods Max and the AirPods 4 (with and without ANC) now consistently receive discounts, as do the newer AirPods Pro 3 . And while major shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day have delivered some of the biggest price drops, there are still good deals to be found on every model. Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals currently available on each set of AirPods, including both iterations of the AirPods 4, the third-gen AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max. The best AirPods 4 deals Apple AirPods 4 Where to Buy: $129 $99 at Amazon $129.99 $99.99 at Walmart $129.99 $99.99 at Best Buy AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Where to Buy: $179 $148.99 at Amazon $179 $148.99 at Walmart $179.99 $149.99 at Best Buy At the end of 2024, Apple introduced the AirPods 4, a pair of wireless earbuds available in two variations: a $129 standard model ...

Weird Nintendo never went away

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Nintendo has been playing it safe of late, whether it's the conservative nature of its Switch successor or the squeaky-clean image presented in its museum . As the company has expanded its ambitions, it's done so while largely trying to avoid risk , which can seem at odds with the playful Nintendo that brought us the likes of the DS and Labo . But that weird Nintendo still exists - and I have a strange Talking Flower on my bookshelf to prove it. Nintendo's most recent release isn't a console or a game, but a toy. The Talking Flower is exactly what it sounds like: a physical version of the character first introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/896736/talking-flower-weird-nintendo