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Image: Google Google’s earlier-than-expected Pixel hardware event is just around the corner — it’s scheduled for Tuesday, August 13th . Thanks to the relentless flow of leaks that have emerged over the past few weeks, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Google has already confirmed that it’s launching the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but the company may have some other surprises in store, including the Buds Pro 2 and maybe even the Pixel Watch 3. Here’s a roundup of everything we know so far. Google Pixel 9 lineup adds a smaller Pro option Alongside the Pixel 9, Google is expected to release the Pixel Pro in two sizes: a larger 6.8-inch model and a smaller 6.3-inch variant. It’ll be the first time the Pro features are available in two... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/31/24208625/google-pixel-hardware-event-august-2024-leaks

Image: Taco Bell Your next Taco Bell drive-thru order might be handled by AI — and AI may have helped you get a Chalupa already. Parent company Yum! Brands has been testing its “Voice AI” technology at more than 100 Taco Bell drive-thru locations in the US, and now Yum! aims to bring the technology to “hundreds” of Taco Bell stores by the end of the year, according to a press release . Yum! is pitching the AI tech as a way to ease the workloads of its staffers, improve order accuracy, and reduce wait times — all, of course, while “driving profitable growth for Taco Bell, Yum! Brands and their franchisees.” But the fast food industry’s experiments with AI have had mixed results so far: while Wendy’s has been thrilled with its tests , McDonald’s recently p... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/31/24210506/taco-bell-drive-thru-ai-order-expansion

Image: Bungie Another round of layoffs has hit Bungie. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons made the announcement on the studio’s website , citing the increasing costs of development and economic conditions as the reason for the reduction of staff — a refrain that’s become common in the last two years of prolific video game industry layoffs . Parsons wrote that 220 roles would be eliminated, representing 17 percent of the company’s workforce. Additionally, Parsons wrote that Bungie was working to integrate another 155 employees into other departments within Sony Interactive Entertainment. These numbers, combined with the 100 people laid off in October of last year, mean that Bungie has lost roughly 40 percent of its total workforce in the last 12 months. Bungie had... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/31/24210476/bungie-to-layoff-220-employees-new-project

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images The Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (also known as COPPA 2.0), the first major internet bills meant to protect children to reach that milestone in two decades. A legislative vehicle that included both KOSA and COPPA 2.0 passed 91-3. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called it “a momentous day” in a speech ahead of the vote, saying that “the Senate keeps its promise to every parent who’s lost a child because of the risks of social media.” He called for the House to pass the bills “as soon as they can.” KOSA is a landmark piece of legislation that a persistent group of parent advocates have played a key role in pushing forward — meeting with lawmakers, s... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24205718/senate-passes-kids-online-safety-act-kosa-content-moderation

Amazon’s new Echo Spot strikes a good balance between smart speaker and smart display. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24207052/amazon-alexa-echo-spot-review

The LimeBike (left) and the LimeGlider (right). | Image: Lime Lime is testing two new e-bikes designed to make bike-sharing accessible to a wider range of riders. Alongside throttles that mean you don’t have to pedal to move, the LimeBike and the LimeGlider both offer 20-inch wheels with fat tires for better traction, step-through frames to make getting on and off easier, and lower centers of gravity for more stability. The LimeBike is meant to “complement” the pedal-assist Gen4 e-bike that Lime launched in 2022 . It comes with pedals as well as a handlebar throttle, allowing riders to either pedal with electric assist or move with electric power only. Its seatpost has a quick-adjust clamp to make it easier to move up or down, among other improvements. Image: Lime The... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24209553/lime-tests-shared-rideables-limebike-limeglider

Image: The Verge Texas announced a massive settlement with Meta over the use of facial recognition on Facebook, resolving a lawsuit filed in 2022 claiming that the “Tag Suggestions” feature on photos uploaded to Facebook violated the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Meta has agreed to pay $1.4 billion over five years to settle the suit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office said today. It’s the largest settlement ever resulting from an action brought by a single state, according to Paxton. It’s also the first lawsuit and settlement under CUBI and serves as a warning to other companies in violation of the state’s privacy rights, he says. “Any abuse of Texans’ sensitive data will be met with... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24209538/meta-settlement-facial-recognition-tag-suggestion-texas-lawsuit

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Twitch’s mobile app is getting a major update that puts its TikTok-like feed front and center. The company started testing the update earlier this year, and over the course of this week, the new app will roll out to all users on Android and iOS, Twitch says in a blog post. The big change is that the new app will open on a feed of content you might like (a “Home” tab) instead of opening on the “Following” tab. The change follows a lot of steps in this direction from Twitch: the company announced an initial “discovery feed” experiment in August , and it rolled the feed out to all users in April as a “Feed” tab in the mobile app. Earlier this year, as part of his 2024 open letter , Twitch CEO Dan Clancy also discussed the company’s plans to... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/29/24207119/twitch-tiktok-feed-app-update

Image: Sony Sony Interactive Entertainment and Team Asobi — the developers behind the forthcoming Astro Bot — have teamed up to design and release a limited edition Astro Bot DualSense controller . Just look at it. I need it. The Astro Bot limited edition controller adds blue controller grips and sci-fi accents and features Astro’s signature pair of bright blue eyes on the touchpad that, based on the adorable trailer, appear to blink at you. (They better blink at you — what’s the point of the eyes if they don’t blink at you?) Team Asobi has added a bunch of new interactions between DualSense controllers and the Astro Bot game, some of which I got to experience during my demo of the game at Summer Game Fest . The team has increased the number of... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/29/24208726/astro-bot-limited-edition-ps5-dual-sense-controller

Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo by Logitech The new head of Logitech discusses the company’s return to growth and plans to reduce its carbon footprint by half. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24206847/logitech-ceo-hanneke-faber-mouse-keyboard-gaming-decdoer-podcast-interview

When Simone Biles saluted the judges and stepped onto the mat to vault at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, it seemed like every camera in the packed arena was trained on her. People in the audience pulled their smartphones to record. The photographers zoomed in from their media perches. One TV camera tracked her run on a high-speed dolly, all the way down the runway, as she hurdled into a roundoff onto the springboard. The spider cam, swinging above, caught the upward trajectory of her body as she turned towards the table and blocked up and off, twisting one and a half times before landing on the blue mat and raising her arms above her head. The apex of human athleticism and kinesthetic beauty had been captured. But there were other... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/c/24182327/olympics-gymnastics-ai-judging-fujitsu-jss-fig

Image: MysteryLupin ( X ) Google appears to be preparing to launch a fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat. Details on the thermostat first leaked last week , and now the same leaker has posted more documents on X that show this new model will have a customizable home screen, a new “Dynamic Farsight” feature, and a “borderless” display. The leaks detail a “high-res borderless display” which looks like it will allow the UI of the Nest Learning Thermostat to extend into the area that was typically a black bezel on existing third generation units. Other leaked images show UI elements that appear much closer to the bezels of the display, too. Image: MysteryLupin ( X ) The leaked specs of the fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat. D... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/29/24208556/google-nest-thermostat-4th-gen-leak-pricing-features

Did I mention it’s only $56?! It doesn’t do anything other than track steps, but that’s all I want it to do. And at this price? I ain’t complaining. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24206037/casio-ws-b1000-review-smartwatch-wearable

Photo by Tristan Fewings / Getty Images Following reports that the Russo brothers were in talks to helm more features for Marvel , the studio confirmed at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con that the pair will be directing two new Avengers films. During Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the studio announced that the Russo brothers have signed on to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — the former of which will see Robert Downey Jr, return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. Doomsday is due out in May 2026, while Secret Wars will follow in May 2027. Just announced in Hall H: The Russo Brothers return to direct Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Only in theaters May 2026. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/oqnSwWKnYn — Marvel... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/27/24206259/marvel-russo-brothers-avengers-doomsday-secret-wars-sdcc

Image: Apple The end of the world just got a little closer. Apple confirmed that the much-anticipated second season of its postapocalyptic series Silo will start streaming on November 15th. Silo premiered last May and was renewed before the first season finished. Apple first teased season 2, alongside the return of Severance , at WWDC 2024 . ( Severance’ s second season will start streaming in January .) Based on the trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Silo is set in the distant future and follows the remains of humanity, who live in giant underground bunkers — the titular silos — to avoid the deadly world outside. The season 1 finale ended with a big twist that made it clear there’s a lot more going on than the show initially lets on. It also only covers... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24177603/silo-season-2-apple-tv-plus-premiere-date-sdcc-2024

Image: Hulu It only takes a few minutes before Futurama ’s new season starts explaining non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, a concept most people probably haven’t thought about for more than a year. Despite being set in the far future, Futurama has always been comfortable commenting on modern life. There have been episodes about smartphones and 3D printers that use sci-fi nonsense to complicate the concepts in a way that makes them funny. That has largely continued to be true over many years (and cancellations). But in its Hulu revival last year, the show really started to mess up the balance, and its topical jokes began to overshadow the sci-fi gags. The upcoming 12th season struggles even more to find a Futurama -style twist on absurd... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24206898/futurama-season-12-review-hulu-nft-ai

Image: Furniture and Mattress The game’s deceptively complicated puzzles will make you love every second as you lose track of time. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24206836/arranger-puzzle-game-review-netflix-summer-game-fest

Image: OnLeaks via Android Headlines While there’s been no shortage of Pixel 9 leaks over the past couple of days, a new ad for the device seems to have leaked in full — and it shows off a new feature that makes sure you aren’t left out of a group photo. The feature, seemingly called “Add Me,” appears in a leaked ad shared with Android Headlines by OnLeaks. The ad shows someone using a Pixel 9 to take a picture of two friends in front of a van. After snapping a shot, the photographer trades spots with her two friends, allowing her to get a picture in front of the van — only the Pixel’s display shows the phantom-like image of the two friends standing beside her. Her friend snaps a photo, and boom, she appears in the picture as if she were there the entire time. Judging by... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/26/24206969/google-pixel-9-add-me-group-photos-leak

An Intel Core i9-13900K CPU, one of the first types that was identified to sometimes crash games this way. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge On Monday, it initially seemed like the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop CPU instability woes — the company confirmed a patch is coming in mid-August that should address the “root cause” of exposure to elevated voltage. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, that patch apparently won’t fix it. Citing unnamed sources, Tom’s Hardware reports that any degradation of the processor is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson did not deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” the patch will keep it from happening in the first place. (As another preventative measure, you should update your motherboard BIOS ASAP.) But if your defective CPU has been damaged, your best option is to replace it instead of... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/26/24206529/intel-13th-14th-gen-crashing-i...

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge Global temperatures are shattering records this week. And the United Nations is making an urgent “ call to action ” on extreme heat that’s killing workers and putting more people at risk with climate change. The first three days of this week have been the hottest on record for the planet, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. And it’s now looking likely that 2024 could beat last year to become the hottest year on record. Against that backdrop, United Nations (UN) agencies released a new global analysis of heat stress on workers today, along with a roadmap for how to protect the most vulnerable. “Let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one-day, one-week, or one-month... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205999/heat-record-action-call-united-nations-workers

Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images The Associated Press has apparently retracted a fact-check published yesterday with the headline, “No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch.” As of Thursday morning, the article page displayed a “page unavailable” error message. The fact-check references a few joke social media posts that have been circulating that claim the Republican vice presidential nominee wrote in his book Hillbilly Elegy about having sex with a couch. One tweet reads, “In his dreadful novel, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ JD Vance described having sex with a rubber glove secured between cushions on his couch. Republicans chose him to be one heartbeat away from becoming POTUS. Voters in NC, the U.S. furniture capital, should be particularly horrified.” (Fact-check: H... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24206088/jd-vance-fact-check-sex-couch-rumor-associated-press-retraction

Illustration: The Verge Google’s Gemini AI chatbot will be able to respond to you more quickly and process more content in prompts thanks to an upgrade to the company’s Gemini 1.5 Flash AI model. With the upgrade to 1.5 Flash, you’ll see “across-the-board improvements in quality and latency, with especially noticeable improvements in reasoning and image understanding,” Amar Subramanya, VP of engineering for Gemini, says in a blog post . Gemini’s context window, or the amount of chunks of text that an AI model can process at once, is also getting quadrupled to 32K tokens, Subramanya says. 1.5 Flash, which was announced at Google I/O in May , will be available in the free version of Gemini on the web and mobile starting today, according to Subramanya. Google is... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24206071/google-gemini-ai-flash-upgrade

The set perfectly recreates the pixelated 16-bit Mario and Yoshi sprites from Super Mario World. | Image: Lego Lego has announced its latest collaboration with Nintendo at San Diego Comic-Con: a pixelated recreation of Mario and Yoshi from the 16-bit Super Nintendo classic, Super Mario World . Like Lego’s Art sets , it’s a 2D creation meant for display but also includes hidden moving mechanisms, bringing Yoshi to life. The 1,215-piece set stands over 15 inches tall when assembled and features a yellow-caped Mario riding Yoshi atop a grass-covered hill. The front of the set is assembled from Lego tiles and looks to be a very accurate recreation of the 16-bit sprites used in Super Mario World . Image: Lego The mechanisms powering the display piece’s animations are all left exposed on the back. But when you turn the set... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205955/lego-nintendo-super-mario-yoshi-snes-gaming-sdcc

Image: Google Google has updated the suspicious file warnings Chrome displays for why it might have blocked a potentially suspicious or dangerous file download to hopefully give users clearer explanations. For people who turn on the anti-phishing Enhanced protection feature , opting in to upload suspicious files for scanning in the cloud, it’s also shifted to automatic scans, saying files sent for deep scans are 50 times more likely to be marked as malware. In response to widespread targeted cookie theft attacks on YouTube channels and other groups, like the Linus Tech Tips hacker takeover last year , Chrome has also added a prompt to scan encrypted archive files such as .zip files that have a password. Users will be prompted to enter the password so... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/24/24205249/google-chrome-download-malicious-file-cloud-malware-scanning

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to announce in a speech that he will bring the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) to the Senate floor this week for a procedural vote. This tees up the biggest step yet on the federal level to move forward with a law in the area of kids' online safety legislation. “Over the past few months I’ve met with families from across the country who have gone through the worst thing a parent could endure – losing a child,” Schumer said in a statement. “Rather than retreating into the darkness of their loss, these families lit a candle for others with their advocacy. I am proud to work side-by-side with them and put on the floor... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/23/24204318/schumer-kosa-coppa-senate-floor

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Apple continues to work on a foldable iPhone, which could arrive as early as 2026, according to a report from The Information . The phone is rumored to fold horizontally, like the clamshell-style Samsung Galaxy Z Flip . In February, The Information reported that Apple was in the early stages of developing two folding iPhone prototypes . But now, it seems Apple may have settled on a design, as The Information says the device has an internal nickname, V68, indicating “the idea has moved beyond the conceptual stage” and is now ”in development with suppliers.” Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple’s folding iPhone could look similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. Apple is reportedly still working to flatten... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/23/24204421/apple-first-foldable-iphone-arrive-2026

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge There’s a new name in charge of Netflix’s ongoing gaming efforts. As Variety reports , the streamer has hired Alain Tascan as the new president of its gaming division, after he previously served as executive VP of game development at Fortnite maker Epic Games. The news comes as the game division’s former boss, Mike Verdu, moved into a different role at Netflix focused on a new team “on the cutting edge of game innovation.” In his previous role at Epic, which he held since 2018, Tascan was in charge of the company’s first-party output, which included not only Fortnite and its various modes like Lego Fortnite but also other live-service games like Rocket League and Fall Guys . In a statement, Tascan explained that he took the role at the... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/23/24204447/netflix-president-of-games-alain-tascan

Image: Activision Microsoft is bringing last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow . It’s the first time a Call of Duty game will be available on Game Pass, and it’s the last in Activision’s franchise to have PlayStation-exclusive content now that Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will be available for Xbox Game Pass for Console, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on July 24th. The announcement comes just weeks after Microsoft revealed price hikes for its subscription service . Microsoft announced price hikes for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass earlier this month. The launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on Game Pass could soften the blow of the price increases, which, in... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/23/24195537/call-of-duty-xbox-game-pass-modern-warfare-3

Image: Shokz Shokz may be getting some fresh competition in the open-ear headphone space from the likes of Bose and Suunto , but it’s hard to beat the value of its OpenRun Pro — especially while they’re still discounted to $124.95 ($55 off) at Amazon and Best Buy until July 23rd at 1AM ET. The OpenRun Pro are a “form follows function” device, designed primarily for fitness and exercise use with bone conduction tech that doesn’t block your ears. The wraparound headphones may not be the prettiest, but they are incredibly helpful if you want to venture out into busy streets without blocking out the surrounding noise. To go along with the running-focused name, the OpenRun Pro are both lightweight and water / sweat resistant, so you can get plenty gross... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/22/24203441/shokz-openrun-pro-open-air-fitness-headphones-deal-sale

A Mac app for true notch-heads. | Image: NotchNook There’s a new app for Macs called NotchNook that transforms the notch on your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro into, basically, the iPhone’s Dynamic Island . And after using it for a day, I’m not sure I can do without it. Just like the Dynamic Island, NotchNook expands out from the notch, revealing a “Nook” with basic media controls (sort of like Live Activities in iOS) and other customizable widgets. Then there’s a “Tray” tab that you can drop files or apps into; it’s similar to the macOS dock, except that the tray empties when you quit NotchNook. GIF: NotchNook NotchNook made my MacBook Air’s notch useful. You access this by clicking on a tab that blends in with the notch, or by swiping downward on your trackpad... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/21/24202914/notchnook-mac-app-dynamic-island-iphone

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images Joe Biden and Donald Trump were expected to face off on Tuesday, November 5th. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24187615/2024-us-election-biden-trump-president

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images, Anna Moneymaker President Joseph R. Biden says he will stand down from his reelection bid and “focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” Biden announced his decision with a letter posted to social media (first X , then Instagram / Threads , and then Facebook ) after a growing movement among Democrats and the media called for him to step aside. Biden is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement, writing , “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.” Harris ran for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president before dropping out and later endorsing Biden for the position. Biden named her as his running mate in August 2020, which eventually... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/21/24195289/biden-drops-out-presidential-election-race

Image: The Verge The CrowdStrike outage that hit millions of Windows machines on Friday has left IT workers scrambling to get their organizations’ computer infrastructure back up and running. Images and stories shared online are illustrating just how tedious and overwhelming this task is. Microsoft and CrowdStrike don’t have a way to push a fix for the issue to crashed computers. And in many cases, systems administrators can’t repair the machines remotely, either. That leaves them working in person to do things like use a Microsoft-created tool on a USB drive , delete a specific file while in Safe Mode, or restart affected computers over and over again , hoping an update comes through. And these things must be done for every individual computer affected.... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/21/24202960/crowdstrike-windows-outage-it-workers-photos-videos

Gamma supports Dual Shock controls now. | Screenshot: Gamma The Gamma PS1 emulator has gained a number of significant updates since it launched as one of the first console emulators for iPhones in May. Recent updates added a new “Enhance Audio” feature and better multiplayer support, joining other key updates over the last few weeks. Developer Benjamin Stark (aka ZodTTD) told The Verge in an email that the Enhance Audio feature in his most recent update improves audio “using reverb and interpolation effects.” He also “added Multitap emulation” for games that used Sony’s adapter that expanded the PS1’s controller port count from two to four. (That was used for games like Crash Team Racing, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition , and more .) Gamma, the PlayStation(tm) 1 emulator for iOS App Store, has been... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202627/iphone-gamma-ps1-emulator-updates-graphics-multitap-multidisc-video-games

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge There are going to be times when you’ve only got one hand free to use your phone. You may be walking the dog, carrying groceries, hanging on to a subway pole, or you just don’t have another hand available. But with just about every modern phone sporting a screen at least six inches corner to corner, using one hand to work your phone could be a difficult balancing act. Luckily, both Android and iOS phones come with integrated features to make one-handed phone use less tricky. There are also some helpful options inside individual apps you can turn to. Methods for Android phones One-handed mode Android has a dedicated one-handed mode that lets you shrink any app down to the bottom half of the screen to make it easier to reach. The way to... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24201413/iphone-android-ios-samsung-one-hand-how-to

Image: The Verge CrowdStrike’s faulty update caused a worldwide tech disaster that affected 8.5 million Windows devices on Friday, according to Microsoft . Microsoft says that’s “less than one percent of all Windows machines,” but it was enough to create problems for retailers, banks, airlines, and many other industries, as well as everyone who relies on them. Separately, the technical breakdown from CrowdStrike released Friday explains more about what happened and why so many systems were affected all at once. CrowdStrike’s breakdown explains the configuration file that was at the heart of the issue: The configuration files mentioned above are referred to as “ Channel Files ” and are part of the behavioral protection mechanisms used by the Falcon sensor.... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202527/crowdstrike-microsoft-windows-bsod-outage

Would you confront Ganondorf 10 times over to acquire such a relic? | Image: Nintendo It’s a good time to be a Legend of Zelda fan. A live-action film based on the franchise is currently in development , for one, and Nintendo recently announced that the next mainline game in the series , Echoes of Wisdom , will launch on the Nintendo Switch later this year. To mark the occasion, Nintendo plans to launch a “Hyrule Edition” Switch Lite , which is now up for preorder at Best Buy , GameStop , and Target for $209.99 ahead of its September 26th release date. You’ll still have to purchase Echoes of Wisdom separately, but the special-edition console does include a 12-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (a $49.99 value) as a bonus. The console comes dipped in a golden hue with black trim — an iconic... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24190886/nintendo-switch-lite-hyrule-edition-preorder-price-release-date-zelda

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images Have you seen the memes online where someone tells a bot to “ignore all previous instructions” and proceeds to break it in the funniest ways possible ? The way it works goes something like this: Imagine we at The Verge created an AI bot with explicit instructions to direct you to our excellent reporting on any subject. If you were to ask it about what’s going on at Sticker Mule, our dutiful chatbot would respond with a link to our reporting . Now, if you wanted to be a rascal, you could tell our chatbot to “forget all previous instructions,” which would mean the original instructions we created for it to serve you The Verge ’s reporting would no longer work. Then, if you ask it to print a poem about printers, it would do that for you... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/19/24201414/openai-chatgpt-gpt-4o-prompt-injection-instruction-hierarchy

Photo: Stephanie Lindgren Evo 2024 starts Friday July 19th, kicking off a weekend full of one of the most intense fighting game competitions in the world. This year over 10,000 players will participate in a host of games, making this the largest Evo ever while also setting the record for the largest esports tournament. Evo has been getting bigger and bigger, with participation bolstered by the release of new versions of the tournament’s most popular games. Street Fighter 6 made its Evo debut last year, and boasted the largest number of entrants in the franchise’s history . This year both Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 will make their first Evo appearances. In addition to those heavy hitters, Evo 2024’s other featured games include Guilty Gear Strive , Gran Blue... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/19/24201924/how-to-watch-evo-2024-schedule-twitch

Image: Instagram Instagram Notes — a temporary away status-like feature — is expanding, the company announced today. Users will now be able to leave Notes on Reels and grid posts, where their comments will float on top of the content in little bubbles. Like Notes, these comments are temporary — they’ll disappear after three days unless you delete them earlier. The new temporary comments are also semiprivate, and users can tailor who’s able to see their comment: either your curated list of close friends or followers you follow back. Based on screenshots, it also appears as though users can tag each other in Notes on Reels and posts. They’re basically hidden comments for a smaller audience. When users encounter Reels and posts with Notes from friends,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/18/24201105/instagram-notes-status-expansion-reels-grid-posts

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge; Photos by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images The fallout from the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally over the weekend is seeping into even the most tangential circles — in this case, the print-on-demand custom sticker industry. This week, Sticker Mule, a popular option for companies, creators, event organizers, and others wanting branded merchandise, shared a long message expressing support for Trump. “People are terrified to admit they support Trump. I’ve been scared myself,” cofounder Anthony Constantino wrote in a post on the social media platform X. “The more people realize that kind-hearted, compassionate people support Trump, the sooner the hate will end.” The company also sent an email and text message to customers containing much of the... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/17/24200441/sticker-mule-trump-endorsement-rally-shooting

Premium Spotify subscribers can switch between DJ’s English and Spanish voice options. | Image: Spotify Spotify is launching a Spanish-language version of its “AI DJ” feature. The new Spanish-language voice has been provided by Spotify’s senior music editor, Olivia “Livi” Quiroz Roa, with users able to switch between hearing Livi or Xavier “X” Jernigan, another Spotify staffer who voices the English-speaking DJ variant released in February 2023 . The feature uses an AI-generated voice to create radio-like commentary that provides users with additional context and information about the song they’re hearing, which Spotify says makes listeners less likely to skip to another track. This commentary is paired with an endless playlist of personalized music recommendations that change based on user activity, such as if users switch to different... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/17/24200511/spotify-ai-dj-spanish-language-update-playlist-feature

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro underwent a major redesign , making them look much more like AirPods and any number of other stemmed earbuds. So far, my impressions have been quite positive — full review coming soon — but even before the earbuds are widely released on July 24th, early buyers have been running into a frustrating issue. Apparently, the ear tips are quite fragile and can be prone to breaking if you’re not careful. Reddit is already starting to light up with examples: “How are you supposed to remove the tips?” “Rant: Buds 3 Pro Eartips” The Zuyoni Tech YouTube channel also fell victim to the issue . GIF: Zuyoni Tech Not the ideal first impression. With the switch to an AirPods-like design, Samsung... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/17/24200422/samsung-galaxy-buds-3-pro-ear-tips-breaking-ripping

The wrecked bow of the Titanic. | Image: NOAA / Institute for Exploration / University of Rhode Island A pair of remote-operated submersibles (ROV) is heading down to the wreckage of the Titanic this week to conduct digital 3D scans and take high-resolution images of the ship’s remains. Orchestrated by RMS Titanic, Inc., the expedition is the company’s first to visit the ship since 2010. RMS Titanic’s seven-person crew arrived at the Titanic’s coordinates last night, according to the company’s most recent Instagram update . View this post on Instagram A post shared by RMS Titanic, Inc. (@rmstitanicinc) This will also have been the first attempt of any kind to reach the ship since the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded on its way to the wreck last year, killing five people. (Incredibly, that event d... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/17/24200418/first-titanic-expedition-since-oceangate-titan-implos...

An aerial view of the flooded neighborhood of Juana Matos in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Cataño, Puerto Rico, on Friday, September 22nd, 2017. | Photo: Getty Images Puerto Rico filed suit against fossil fuel companies this week, alleging that the oil and gas giants have misled the public about climate change and delayed a transition to clean energy. The suit seeks $1 billion in damages to help Puerto Rico defend itself against climate disasters. In a complaint filed in San Juan yesterday, Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice says that the companies violated trade law by promoting fossil fuels without adequately warning about the dangers. The defendants include ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and other energy companies. It’s the latest in a slew of lawsuits attempting to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the consequences of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/16/2419...

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Everyone loves cheap stuff that’s actually good to use or invaluably helpful in your day-to-day. While Amazon Prime Day offers a deluge of deals on no-name tchotchkes and sketchy knockoffs (many of which have inflated, bot-fueled review scores) it does have its fair share of inexpensive hidden gems that are actually worth your money. We know not everyone is shopping for big, multi-hundred or thousand dollar tech every time a deal comes around, so we’re always on the lookout for sales that fit into more modest budgets like sub-$100 and sub-$50 . Here, we’re rounding up our top picks for Prime Day that are just 25 bucks or less. Some of them may be ho-hum essentials like a USB-C charging cable, but you may be surprised what kind of tech... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/16/24198756/amazon-prime-day-tech-deals-under-25-cheap-gifts-accessories

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images Several close friends of Elon Musk, including Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, venture capitalist Doug Leone, and investor and podcast host David Sacks, have donated lavishly to a super PAC backing former President Donald Trump — and The Wall Street Journal reports that Musk plans on donating as much as $45 million a month to America PAC. In a post on X, Musk replied to the Journal ’s article with a meme claiming it was “fake gnus” (fake news), though Bloomberg reported this weekend that he had already contributed an undisclosed amount to the super PAC. Musk endorsed Trump on Saturday following the assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and praised Trump’s selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/16/24199700/elon-musk-joe-lonsdale-america-pac-donald-trump

The Fitbit Charge 6 is a great $100 tracker with a solid set of fitness and health tracking features. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge What do the latest AirPods Pro , the Meta Quest 3 , and the iRobot Roomba j7 Plus all have in common? They’re all on sale for Prime Day... for upwards of $200. Thankfully, you can still score deals on terrific gadgets and goods without racking up credit debt or dipping into your savings account during Amazon’s two-day sale. In fact, there’s plenty of tech on sale for less than a Benjamin if you know where to look. Over the years, we gadget nerds at The Verge have tested all kinds of incredible stuff, some of which are currently on sale for less than $100. They range from one of the best e-readers on the market to some of our favorite streaming devices , Fitbits , speakers , video doorbells , and video games . We could go on, but to make things... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24196835/amazon-prime-day-ch...

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images After the assassination attempt on the former president, tech platforms scrambled to curb false information in what will be one of the largest content moderation problems in years. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/15/24199116/trump-shooting-assassination-attempt-rally-presidential-race

The HP OmniBook Ultra features an AMD Ryzen AI 300-series processor and integrated AMD Radeon 800M graphics. | Image: HP HP’s resurrected OmniBook line will soon be getting a performance boost with the new HP OmniBook Ultra , featuring an AMD Ryzen AI 300-series processor with integrated AMD Radeon 800M graphics, up to 32GB of RAM, and a pair of 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. Available starting in August for $1,449.99, the new HP OmniBook Ultra will eventually receive a free software update to make it one of the first Copilot Plus PCs not powered by an ARM-based processor. The OmniBook branding was originally revived back in May with the HP OmniBook X AI laptop , which, as with most of the Copilot Plus PCs announced at that time, is powered by an ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite processor. Its neural processing unit was rated at 45 trillion operations per... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/15/24198859/hp-omnibook-ultra-ai-amd-ryzen-microsoft-windows-co...

Illustration: The Verge Google is considering spending $23 billion to buy Wiz, a cloud cybersecurity startup with partners that include Amazon and Oracle, reports The Wall Street Journal . At close to twice what it spent for Motorola Mobility in 2012, it would be the most Google has ever paid for another company. The New York City-based Wiz offers “siloed security tools and scanners” for the enterprise space, according to the company. Wiz writes that it secures corporate cloud infrastructure “by creating a normalizing layer between cloud environments,” letting businesses “rapidly identify and remove critical risks.” Buying such a company feels particularly targeted at an increasingly vulnerable-looking Microsoft that’s recently weathered multiple high-profile... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/14/24198613/google-wiz-acquisition-talks-23-billion-cloud-cybersecurity