Lead Hacker

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apex Legends is one of the only battle royale games that lets you play on a Steam Deck gaming handheld — Fortnite, Valorant, PUBG and more never supported it in the first place, citing concerns about anti-cheat. But today, Electronic Arts and Respawn are taking the game away for that very same reason. “In our efforts to combat cheating in Apex, we’ve identified Linux OS as being a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats. As a result, we’ve decided to block Linux OS access to the game,” writes EA, in a blog post explaining the decision . Apex Legends did have anti-cheat software that did run on the Steam Deck — specifically, the game uses Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), which has been compatible with the Linux gaming... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/31/24284644/apex-legends-loses-linux-steam-deck-support-anti-cheat

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Microsoft is finally revealing that it will charge consumers $30 for a year of extra security updates to Windows 10. Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14th, 2025, but consumers will be able to purchase a single year of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for $30 for the first time ever. While businesses will be charged $61 for a single year of ESU, they also have the option to pay $122 for a second year and then $244 for a third year of updates. Microsoft will only offer consumers a single year if they’re willing to pay the $30 fee. “Enrolled PCs will continue to receive Critical and Important security updates for Windows 10; however, new features, bug fixes, and technical support will no longer be available from Microsoft,” e... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/31/24284398/microsoft-windows-10-extended-security-updates-consumer-pricing

Image: Dropbox Dropbox is cutting its workforce by 20 percent today — laying off 528 people — amid slowing growth for its core cloud storage business. The latest round of cuts comes after Dropbox laid off around 500 people in early 2023 to redirect efforts to its AI division. “We’re making more significant cuts in areas where we’re over-invested or underperforming while designing a flatter, more efficient team structure overall,” writes Dropbox CEO Drew Houston in a blog post titled An update from Drew . At the same time, Houston mentions that the market is moving towards where the company placed its “biggest bets,” which includes Dropbox’s Dash AI search product . For its second-quarter earnings this year in August, Dropbox reported an increase of... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/30/24283613/dropbox-layoffs-20-percent-slow-core-business-demand

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images Waymo has long touted its ties to Google’s DeepMind and its decades of AI research as a strategic advantage over its rivals in the autonomous driving space. Now, the Alphabet-owned company is taking it a step further by developing a new training model for its robotaxis built on Google’s multimodal large language model (MLLM) Gemini . Waymo released a new research paper today that introduces an “End-to-End Multimodal Model for Autonomous Driving,” also known as EMMA. This new end-to-end training model processes sensor data to generate “future trajectories for autonomous vehicles,” helping Waymo’s driverless vehicles make decisions about where to go and how to avoid obstacles. But more importantly, this is one of the first indications... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/30/24283516/waymo-google-gemini-llm-ai-robotaxi

Sony’s WH-1000XM5s, our favorite noise canceling headphones, are $100 off. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge It can be hard to get some peace and quiet even on an average day, but with the holidays slowly yet steadily approaching, it’s about to become impossible. Luckily, though, today, Sony’s WH-1000XM5s have dropped to one of their best prices yet, selling for $299.99 ($100 off) at Amazon , Target , and directly from Sony in almost every colorway. That’s about $5 shy of their 2024 all-time low and $50 shy of their best price ever. When it comes to noise-canceling headphones, few can rival Sony’s WH-1000XM5s, which is why they’re our favorite pair on the market . Along with canceling out noise impressively, they deliver clear, detail-rich sound with support for LDAC, Sony’s codec for higher-quality wireless audio. The over-ears also have a... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24279458/sony-wh-1000xm5-thermapen-one-deal-sale

Image: Nintendo Though we’re mere months away from the reveal of the Switch’s successor, Nintendo still has some unfinished business with its current hardware. Nintendo has announced that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition , a remaster of Monolith Soft’s 2015 action RPG , will launch on the Switch on March 20, 2025. According to the press release , the remaster features enhanced visuals and added story elements. Nintendo released a new trailer to mark the occasion and its opening seconds feel hilariously on the nose. There’s something deeply ironic about the trailer for a Switch port of a ten-year old Wii U game starting with the dialogue, “Well, here we are. Not too shabby, huh?” It’s like a tongue-in-cheek joke acknowledging there’s a wealth of... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24282741/xenoblade-chronicles-x-nintendo-switch-release-date-march-2025

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge GitHub is going multi-model for its Copilot code completion and programming tool. Developers will soon be able to choose models from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI for GitHub Copilot. GitHub is also announcing Spark, an AI tool for building web apps, and updates to GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Copilot for Xcode, and more at its GitHub Universe conference today. GitHub Copilot users on the web or VS Code can select Claude 3.5, with Gemini 1.5 Pro in the coming weeks. OpenAI’s GPT-4o, o1-preview, and o1-mini models will also be available in GitHub Copilot soon. Developers will be able to toggle between models during a conversation with Copilot Chat to find the model that’s best for a particular task. “There is no one model to rule every... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24282544/github-copilot-multi-model-anthropic-google-open-ai-github-spark-announcement

Image: Disney Disney is releasing an experience tied to Fortnite — but it’s not the big “persistent universe” featuring all things Disney that was teased earlier this year. This new experience launching today is instead all about ESPN, and it’s called ESPN Football Island . In the experience, you’ll be able to participate in activities, challenges, mini-games, and a big Payload-style game called “Touchdown Rush” where you guard a football from your opponents as it moves toward an end zone. ESPN Football Island will also have persistent progression and its own unlockable cosmetics that will be exclusive to the experience. ESPN Football Island was built using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), a powerful set of development tools Epic launched last... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24279789/fortnite-espn-football-island-disney

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is suing Elon Musk and his Donald Trump-supporting America PAC. Filed Monday in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, it’s the first legal action against Musk’s $1 million daily award offered to registered voters . As reported previously by CNN and the Philadelphia Inquirer , the lawsuit argues that all lotteries in Pennsylvania must be run by the state and calls the arrangement deceptive, saying that “Though Musk says that a winner’s selection is ‘random,’ that appears false because multiple winners that have been selected are individuals who have shown up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.” According to the suit, “Since launching on October 19, 2024, America PAC claims it awarded $1,000,000 checks... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/28/24281752/elon-musk-pennsylvania-election-2024-lottery-lawsuit

Solo 3 owners have plenty of reasons to consider upgrading. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge One of the best deals on wireless headphones during Prime Day earlier this month is back. The Beats Solo 4 headphones, which only launched in April, are 50 percent off at $99.99 ($100 off) from Amazon , Best Buy , and Target , matching their all-time low. If you prefer over-ear headphones or need active noise cancellation, the Beats Studio Pro fit the bill and are also matching their record low price of $169.99 ($180 off) at Amazon , Best Buy , and Target . The Solo 4 are a solid refresh that should serve you well into 2025 and beyond. Like typical Beats, they have a sound signature favoring emphasized bass, but with a healthier balance between the mids and highs than older headphones in the line. Apple meets today’s expectations for... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/28/24281656/beats-solo-4-studio-pro-lenovo-legion-go-deal-sale

Image: Apple Apple did more than put out a series of press releases when it announced the new iMac with M4 and the release of its Apple Intelligence software updates . The company also made a video to go with them — although it took a keen eye to spot it at first, as it was tucked away in a “ Watch the announcement ” link on the company’s splashy iMac page . Apple has since released the 10-minute video on YouTube as well. In it, Apple Intelligence product manager Allegra Tepper discussed Apple’s AI system, which is now available as a software update for compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Tepper ran through coming features, while specifying that today’s update only includes things like writing tools and slight Siri improvements (including the glowy... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/28/24281798/apple-imac-m4-2024-announcement-video-keynote

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge Google’s upcoming Pixel phones could come with an upgraded Tensor chip that powers several new AI features, according to leaked documents seen by Android Authority . One feature reportedly coming to the Pixel 11 includes a more advanced, on-device version of the Pixel’s Video Boost with Night Sight feature that brightens up videos shot in the dark. The Pixel’s existing low-light feature uses AI to automatically adjust the exposure of your video, stabilize it, and reduce graininess. My colleague Allison Johnson got to try it out on the Pixel 8 Pro and found that it works pretty well . To brighten up videos on the Pixel 9, Google uses a combination of on-device and cloud-based processing. The Pixel 11’s rumored “Ultra Low Light video”... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/28/24281679/google-pixel-10-11-leak-ai-features-rumors

Image: Mr.Nelson design for The Verge / Getty Images Your vote matters. Here’s how it will change the future. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24279103/2024-election-guide-trump-harris-policy-issues

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Apple’s unusual approach to an October event is skipping the event and just announcing some forthcoming announcements. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/24279307/apple-mac-m4-updates-news-announcements

Image: The Verge A few months ago, my doctor showed off an AI transcription tool he used to record and summarize his patient meetings. In my case, the summary was fine, but researchers cited by ABC News have found that’s not always the case with OpenAI’s Whisper, which powers a tool many hospitals use — sometimes it just makes things up entirely. Whisper is used by a company called Nabla for a medical transcription tool that it estimates has transcribed 7 million medical conversations, according to ABC News . More than 30,000 clinicians and 40 health systems use it, the outlet writes. Nabla is reportedly aware that Whisper can hallucinate, and is “addressing the problem.” A group of researchers from Cornell University, the University of Washington, and... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/27/24281170/open-ai-whisper-hospitals-transcription-hallucinations-studies

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge Ever wondered why some of your Instagram videos tend to look blurry, while others are crisp and sharp? It’s because, on Instagram, the quality of your video apparently depends on how many views it’s getting. That’s according to a video AMA from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, in which he explained why some videos are lower-quality than others. Here’s part of Mosseri’s explanation, from the video, which was reposted by a Threads user today: In general, we want to show the highest-quality video we can ... But if something isn’t watched for a long time — because the vast majority of views are in the beginning — we will move to a lower quality video. And then if it’s watched again a lot then we’ll re-render the higher quality video. He... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/27/24280968/instagram-video-quality-lower-for-less-popular-videos

Image: The Verge Google could preview its own take on Rabbit’s large action model concept as soon as December, reports The Information . “Project Jarvis,” as it’s reportedly codenamed, would carry tasks out for users, including “gathering research, purchasing a product, or booking a flight,” according to three people the outlet spoke with who have direct knowledge of the project. Powered by a future version of Google’s Gemini , Jarvis reportedly only works with a web browser (it’s tuned specifically for Chrome). The tool is aimed at helping people “automate everyday, web-based tasks” by taking and interpreting screenshots and then clicking buttons or entering text, The Information writes. In its current state, it apparently takes “a few seconds” between... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/26/24280431/google-project-jarvis-ai-system-computer-using-agent

A Lyft sign taken in January 2023 at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. | Photo: Mat Hayward / Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Friday that rideshare company Lyft has agreed to pay $2.1 million as part of a proposed settlement that requires it to change how it advertises driver pay. The company routinely advertised that drivers could make “specific hourly amounts” — in one instance, claiming earnings of “up to $33” per hour for driving in Atlanta — that were based not on an average, but on what the top fifth of drivers made, according to the Commission. The company also apparently included tips in those figures. Such moves “overinflated the actual earnings achieved by most drivers by as much as 30%,” writes the FTC, which says the company now must base potential pay claims on what drivers typically make, instead. And... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/26/24280303/lyft-fine-misleading-earnings-claims-ads-ftc-doj ...

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images Governor Tim Walz is returning to Twitch and this time, he’ll actually be playing a game. Earlier this month, Kamala Harris’ campaign teamed up with a Twitch streamer to live-stream a Walz rally as part of a World of Warcraft stream. But on Sunday afternoon, Walz will be playing Madden NFL on Twitch with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY). Like with live-streaming the Walz rally alongside WoW , the idea with this Madden livestream is to try to reach young men, a demographic that Trump polls relatively high with . Ocasio-Cortez is already well-known for her huge Among Us stream ahead of the 2020 election and a stream in July 2023 where she played Pico Park and Gartic Phone . (She’s a fan of League of Legends , too.) But while Walz is a k... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/26/24280200/tim-walz-aoc-twitch-madden

Google may be working on persistent notifications similar to its phone call status pictured here. | Photo: Wes Davis / The Verge Android 16 may come with a new “Rich Ongoing Notifications” feature that lets developers keep persistent notifications in the Android status bar, according to Android 15 beta code discovered by Android Authority ’s Mishaal Rahman , who frequently dives into code to surface coming features. Right now, the code enables adding a pill-shaped icon with custom text and background color to the Android status bar. Some mock notifications Rahman created show how it could be used for things like telling you when to expect your Uber to arrive. Android has already had a feature like this since Android 12 that lets you know how long you’ve been on a phone call, Rahman notes. Screenshot: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority A... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/26/24280157/android-16-rich-ongoing-notifications-beta-code-iphone-ios-live-a...

8BitDo’s first smartphone controller is Android-only. | Image: 8BitDo 8BitDo has announced its Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller , the company’s first gamepad that attaches directly to smartphones and mobile devices using an expanding clamping mechanism. It’s available for preorder now for $49.99 and is expected to be released on November 29th, 2024. The Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller can be attached to smartphones or smaller tablet devices measuring between 100mm and 170mm in length. For expanded compatibility, instead of plugging in with USB-C, 8BitDo’s new controller connects wirelessly over Bluetooth but only supports Android devices. The use of Bluetooth necessitates a 350mAh rechargeable battery in the controller, which 8BitDo says is enough for 15 hours of play on a 1.5-hour charge. That added... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/25/24279435/8bitdo-ultimate-mobile-gaming-controller-android-hall-effect

The powerful Asus ROG Ally is $100 off, which is nearly half the price of its successor. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge If you’re a gamer looking to save but can’t wait until another a month until Black Friday, it might be worth checking out Best Buy’s three-day gaming sale . Now through October 27th, the retailer’s offering discounts on gaming gear, but some of the best deals are on hardware specifically. For example, Best Buy has some notable deals on Windows handheld consoles, like the Asus ROG Ally , which is on sale with a Z1 Extreme chip for $549.99 ($100 off) (and even cheaper at $499.99 for My Best Buy Plus and Total members). That’s $50 shy of its best price to date, and nearly half the price of its successor, the ROG Ally X. Admittedly, the ROG Ally X , offers more impressive performance and battery life, but the ROG Ally is still more powerful... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/25/24278489/ring-battery-doorbell-plus-deal-sale

Photo by Gerald Matzka/picture alliance via Getty Images McDonald’s always-broken ice cream machines might finally get easier to fix. That’s because the US Copyright Office granted an exemption allowing third parties to diagnose and repair commercial equipment — including the ones that make your McFlurries. Now, franchise owners will be able to break through the digital locks that have blocked them from repairing McDonald’s ice cream machines for years. According to the Copyright Office, the exemption will allow people to diagnose, perform maintenance, and repair “retail-level commercial food preparation equipment.” McDonald’s ice cream machines have become so notorious for breaking that someone even created a tool to track broken machines . The decision is part of the Copyright Office’s final... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/25/24279371/mcdonalds-ice-cream-machines-right-to-repair-copyright

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Everything you need to know about games from The New York Times, Apple, and even LinkedIn. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/25/24279439/news-games-crossword-wordle

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple may not be doing a formal product event this October, but Apple SVP Greg Joswiak is teasing a “week” of Mac announcements starting on Monday morning. Rumors have been swirling about announcements of updated Macs. Bloomberg ’s Mark Gurman has been all over them, saying in an early October Power On newsletter that Apple was planning to announce a suite of Macs powered by M4 chips as well as a refreshed iPad Mini — though that has since been announced. Mac ( ) your calendars! We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/YnoCYkZq6c — Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 24, 2024 M4 Macs would make sense; Apple first announced the M4 chip alongside new iPad Pros in May, so we’ve... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/24/24266448/apple-mac-announcements-october-2024

Illustration: The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced fines totaling $89 million against Apple and Goldman Sachs because the companies “illegally mishandled transaction disputes and misled iPhone purchasers about interest-free payment options” with the Apple Card. The CFPB says the issues affected “hundreds of thousands of Apple Card users.” Apple didn’t send “tens of thousands” of Apple Card transaction disputes to Goldman Sachs, according to the CFPB. The CFPB says that Goldman Sachs didn’t complete timely inquires on disputes it received in accordance with federal law, either. Cardholders were also led to believe that they would automatically get interest-free financing if they bought Apple devices using the Apple Card, but... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/23/24277710/apple-goldman-sachs-cfpb-fine-charge-disputes-system

Garmins aren’t just multisport behemoths anymore. | Illustration by Will Joel / The Verge Garmin may be best known for its hardcore fitness watches, but it’s got an extensive line of lifestyle offerings, too. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23691498/best-garmin-smartwatch-fitness-tracker-wearables

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, one of our favorite fitness trackers, is up to $150 off at Amazon right now. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is a good Android smartwatch, especially if you’re already embedded in Samsung’s ecosystem, but it’s best suited for casual fitness tracking. If you’re the outdoorsy type or simply want the most full-featured Samsung smartwatch on the market, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra is the better choice — one that’s currently on sale at Amazon starting at a new low of $499.99 ($150 off). Built for adventurous types, the Galaxy Watch Ultra offers features you won’t find in other Galaxy Watches, including an emergency siren, a multisport activity for triathletes, as well as a customizable shortcut button for quick access to the flashlight and workout app. The wearable also offers longer battery life than the Galaxy Watch 7 —... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/23/24276728/samsung-galaxy-watch...

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass features a 90mm multi-coated glass lens for sharper instant prints. | Image: Lomography Lomography has announced an upgraded version of its Lomo’Instant Wide Camera that swaps the original’s 90mm plastic lens for one made with multi-coated glass. The company says its new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is the “sharpest instant camera on earth,” but while it probably outperforms other Lomography offerings, it’s up against instant alternatives like the Nons SL660 which is compatible with EF mount lenses. And in either case, it’s still going to be held back by the limitations of instant film. Those upgraded optics come with a much steeper price tag. The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is available now for $279, where as the all-plastic Lomo’Instant Wide Camera Black Edition is still $169. Fujifilm’s own Instax Wide 400 is even cheaper at... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/23/24277617/lomography-lomo-instant-wide-glass-camera-photography-f...

Image: The Verge Microsoft and OpenAI announced they’re offering a select group of media outlets up to $10 million ($2.5 million in cash plus $2.5 million worth of “software and enterprise credits” from each) to try out AI tools in the newsroom. This news comes while the two companies are still facing a slew of copyright lawsuits, including from The New York Times , The Intercept , Raw Story , AlterNet , the Center for Investigative Reporting , and Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund behind the New York Daily News and Chicago Tribune . Those have continued despite licensing deals reached with many media outlets , including The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media. The first round of funding will go to Newsday , The Minnesota Star Tribune , The Philadelphia... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276747/microsoft-openai-news-outlets-10-million-ai-tools

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Get some peace and quiet with any of our top picks for noise-canceling headphones. Sony’s still the best overall, but there are reasons to go elsewhere, too. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/21345733/best-noise-canceling-headphones

Plugable’s PS-10CC can deliver 100W to all 10 of its USB-C ports, but not simultaneously. | Image: Plugable Plugable has announced a new multi-port USB-C hub that can power or charge up to 10 connected devices using intelligent power distribution and an easy-to-understand priority-based charging system. The company is bringing its new PS-10CC hub to consumers through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign . The earliest backers can get one for $59, while the hub’s full MSRP will be closer to $99, with delivery expected as early as January 2025. There’s always a level of risk when backing a crowdfunded product, but Plugable has successfully delivered three devices through previous Kickstarters and says it already has functional prototypes of its new PS-10CC. Image: Plugable You’ll need to supply your own power adapter for the... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276661/plugable-usb-c-hub-power-charger

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge Arkansas is sitting atop lithium reserves that could be vast enough to satisfy the entire world’s demand for EV batteries, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It estimates that there could be 5 to 19 million tons of lithium under southwestern Arkansas. That would be enough to supply nine times the amount of the key material needed globally for car batteries in 2030, the USGS says. Lithium is a key ingredient for rechargeable batteries used in EVs and all kinds of devices. As the US tries to limit the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change by encouraging electric vehicle adoption, the Biden administration has made it a priority to build up domestic supply chains for critical minerals including lithium. The US might... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276615/ev-car-battery-lithium-reserves-arkansas

Image: TGL Tiger Woods is gearing up to debut TGL , a new “tech-infused, team golf league” he co-founded with fellow pro golfer Rory McIlroy next year. The first matchup at the SoFi Center in Florida will premiere on ESPN and ESPN Plus on January 7th, the league announced today. TGL is essentially a big-budget version of Top Golf that happens in a stadium setting. In matches, two teams of golfers will drive balls into a 3,400-square-foot screen until they get within 50 yards of the “hole.” Then they’ll switch to a football field-sized artificial green that morphs between holes using “nearly 600 motorized actuators” and a 41-yard-wide rotating section. Each match is expected to take about two hours and will see three of each team’s four players... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275825/tiger-woods-tgl-tech-golf-league-launch-january-espn-plus

The Solix C300 DC, one of Anker’s latest power stations, provides a healthy balance of power and portability. | Anker Having an alternative power source ready for sudden outages or extended off-grid adventures is never a bad idea. Thankfully, the Anker Solix C300X DC Portable Power Station is a neat, affordable option that loads you up with enough power and USB ports to charge several devices concurrently. And right now, Wellbots is offering it to Verge readers for $148 (about $52 off) with promo code VERGEANKER26. To be clear, this particular version excludes the three AC ports offered on the more expensive Solix C300 . That said, it’s a viable alternative if you don’t anticipate plugging in hardware with AC plugs. It offers the same 90,000mAh (288Wh) capacity and spreads up to 300W of power across four total USB-C ports (two deliver up to 140W, one up... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275682/anker-solix-c300-dc-portable-power-station-...

Killscreen has taken inspiration from the Nintendo GameCube for its latest customized DualSense. | Image: Killscreen Following the 30th anniversary versions of the PlayStation 5 featuring an old-school gray colorway, Killscreen has announced a customized version of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller called the CubeSense, which comes with a purple shell and custom joysticks inspired by the Nintendo GameCube. Killscreen’s customized controllers are all based on a standard DualSense Wireless Controller, so while the CubeSense pairs a matte purple shell on the front with a transparent one on the back, its red, green, and light gray face buttons don’t match the unusual button layout Nintendo used for the GameCube’s gamepads. But for a starting price of $149, Killscreen has swapped out the standard DualSense’s joysticks for versions that closely... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275805/killscreen-cubesense-ps5-dualsense-controller-nintendo-g...

Ford Ford is giving its flagship EV a makeover, a better price, and more efficient components, in a bid to maintain its spot as the second best selling electric vehicle in America. Say hello to the 2025 Mustang Mach-E. Unlike the 2024 model , this year’s Mach-E is not getting a range bump, but fortunately it doesn’t seem like it will be necessary. With an improved design, and some slick new tech, the refreshed Mach-E will likely stay popular among buyers for years to come. First and foremost, the 2025 Mustang Mach-E is getting a standard heat pump, joining the F-150 Lightning Flash in the automaker’s lineup. Heat pumps can keep batteries at a more optimal temperature during the winter months, which helps with charging times, range, and... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275797/ford-mustang-mache-2025-heat-pump-bluecruise-design

The Special Edition model of the Galaxy Z Fold. | Image: Samsung Samsung just announced the Special Edition model of the Galaxy Z Fold. It’s thinner and a little lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 that only recently went on sale, and includes slightly larger displays on the inside and out and a new banded pattern on the back. It also has more memory available for Galaxy AI and an upgraded 200 megapixel wide-angle camera. Great! Unfortunately, it’s only been announced for South Korea, priced at 2,789,600 KRW or just over $2,000 when it goes on sale Friday, October 25th. And it seems the only other release market will be China. At 10.6mm and 236 grams, the Galaxy Z Fold SE is 1.5mm thinner and 3 grams lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Memory is now 16GB standard, and the wide-angle sensor has been bumped... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275571/samsung-z-fold-special-edition-price-specs

Michelle Yeoh is back in Trek. | Screenshot: YouTube Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere as a direct-to-streaming movie on January 24th on Paramount Plus, which revealed the date during a Trek panel at the New York Comic Con. Fans will finally see Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Discovery character, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, put her Mirrorverse skills to use as a super secret space spy. When we last saw Emperor Georgiou (an alternate dimension version of Captain Georgiou Discovery’ s first season) she was flung back in time by a being called the Guardian of Forever. Before that, though, she had been recruited as a member of Section 31, the clandestine organization that the Trek franchise often uses to illustrate that even the glossy Federation has a shady side. The film, originally announced a... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274900/star-trek-section-31-michelle-yeoh-paramount-plus-streaming-premiere-date

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Tech billionaire Elon Musk gave a $1 million check to an audience member at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he’s been Trump-stumping , on Saturday. And he said he will continue to give that prize to one random voter per day until the Presidential election on November 5th. The move could very well break US election law. Only people who have signed a petition from Musk’s America PAC are eligible for the sweepstakes-style offer. And only registered voters are eligible to sign the petition. According to its terms, Musk will give $1 million to someone in Pittsburgh today, but will later expand to anyone living in swing states like Georgia, Nevada, or Arizona. It’s against federal law to impel anyone to vote or get registered to... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274971/elon-musk-1-million-prize-america-pac-petition-voting-presidential-election

It’s time to dust off your VCR and clean the heads, because Alien: Romulus is coming to VHS as a limited edition on December 3rd alongside the other physical releases, director Fede Alvarez announced during “a special Beyond Fest -partnered screening” in Los Angeles yesterday. The “fully functioning VHS tape” is meant to celebrate 45 years since the Alien franchise first (chest) burst into theaters, 20th Century Studios wrote in a release emailed to The Verge . It’ll present the movie, appropriately, in a 4:3 aspect ratio (hopefully without pan-and-scan). It also comes in a slick, vintage-style sleeve. Image: 20th Century Studios Has anyone seen my composite cables? The art for the box comes from Matt Furgeson,... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274915/alien-romulus-vhs-limited-edition-collectible-release-date

Ford says some of its NACS adapters could cause issues. | Image: Ford Ford started offering free adapters for Tesla’s Supercharger network to owners of its EVs in February , and now it’s telling some of its customers to stop using them, reports InsideEVs . The company found a “potential issue” that could cause “reduced charging speeds over time” or even damage to the charge port itself, according to a service bulletin it’s sending to those affected. Ford EV owners should follow the link on Ford’s notice to make sure it has the right address on file. If it is, they won’t need to do anything else to get their replacement, but if not, the company says customers need to update their address by October 24th. Ford will supply a replacement adapter in the coming weeks and provide return instructions to send back... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/19/24274405/ford-ev-nacs-adapter-faulty-replacement-service-bulletin

What if I told you the Meta Quest 3S is in some ways just a more powerful Quest 2 with color passthrough? “Yes, of course it is,” someone who’s read our coverage might say, but iFixit shows just how true that is in the teardown video it published today. The first hint of that is the headset’s Fresnel lenses, which iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari writes in a blog post are “100% compatible” with those used by the Quest 2. The headset has the older headset’s IPD adjustment mechanism, as well; and it shares the same single LCD panel, rather than using one panel per eye , like the Meta Quest 3 . Screenshot: YouTube This is what sits behind the faceplate of the Quest 3S. Legacy parts aside, iFixit found that the 3S uses two... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/19/24274330/meta-quest-3s-teardown-quest-2-lenses-lcd-panel

Let’s face it, no one likes room temperature coffee. | Image: Ember Fall has arrived, bringing cooler temperatures with it. Thankfully, Ember is running a sale through October 21st that takes 20 percent off many of its self-heating vessels — including the Ember Mug 2 , a guilty pleasure of ours. The 10-ounce mug is available for about $104 ($27 off) with promo code SEASON20 , while the 14-ounce version is down to about $120 ($30 off). The same code is good for the metallic versions of either model, too, as well as the 16-ounce Ember Tumbler (now $143.96) and the ultra-fancy Travel Mug 2 Plus (now $159.96). Each Ember Mug 2 features a built-in battery, which allows the second-gen smart mug to last up to 90 minutes per charge or indefinitely if you set it on the included charging coaster. It pairs with a... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/19/24272664/ember-travel-mug-2-plus-smart-tumbler-xbox-wireless-controller-deal-sale

I’ve never been so happy to use a computer that meets my state’s legal drinking age. | Photo: Wes Davis / The Verge It’s been 20 years since Apple discontinued the iMac G4, a unique computer with a funky half-globe base and a flatscreen LCD on a fancy hinge and adjustable arm. In its unaltered state, it’s a nice-to-look-at, nostalgic relic that’s unusable in modern contexts. I coveted it and never got to own one at the time, but thanks to Juicy Crumb’s DockLite G4 , I’m using this classic iMac every day as an external monitor. The DockLite G4 is a drop-in replacement motherboard for the iMac G4’s board that features an HDMI port, along with three USB-A and a single USB-C port, and 3.5mm ports for audio. Most importantly, it uses the iMac’s existing mounting holes and internal connectors for power and video, so all you need is a couple of screwdrivers... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/19/24274206/imac-g4-docklite-g4-external-monitor-display-hdmi-conv...

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge Google just netted a small but key victory in its Epic legal battle. Last week, the company asked Judge James Donato to press pause on his November 1st deadline to drastically alter its Android app store rules. Today he did just that, Epic and Google confirm to The Verge, granting Google a temporary administrative stay. That means Google may not have to change its Play Store practices for years, if at all, while it appeals the verdict . In December, a jury unanimously decided that Google’s Android app store, the Play Store, had become an illegal monopoly , though Google is now appealing that jury verdict as well as the court’s order. Technically, today’s temporary administrative stay only pushes back the clock a bit, long enough for the... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/18/24271996/google-epic-lawsuit-play-third-party-app-store-changes-delayed-administrative-stay-granted

Image: Nintendo Fans of the popular Mario blog, Supper Mario Broth , have come together to remind us that the internet can still be a place where good things happen. Supper Mario Broth is one of the most wholesome Mario blogs on the internet. Since 2017, its owner has posted a regular stream of Mario-flavored tidbits he could dig up including interesting glitches, old advertisements and merchandise, screenshots, gifs, artwork, and more. If it’s obscure and has to do with Mario, Supper Mario Broth will let you know about it and the blog has become a celebrated institution in the broader Nintendo community. However on October 17th, the person behind all this wonderful content posted a video saying the entire endeavor was in danger of being permanently... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/18/24273563/supper-mario-broth-creator-fan-support

Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is probing whether John Deere used unfair practices related to the repair of its agricultural equipment that might violate the FTC Act. The investigation into John Deere’s restrictions on customers’ right to repair agricultural equipment was revealed by data analytics company Hargrove & Associates, Inc. (HAI), as it fights a subpoena-like civil investigative demand (CID) from the FTC to hand over sales data. As reported earlier by Reuters , the company fears sharing the information the FTC seeks about agricultural equipment sales could harm its business relationships. Screenshot: Hargrove & Associates, Inc.’s Petition to Quash or Limit Civil Investigative Demand ( FTC ) “We are... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/18/24273639/ftc-probe-john-deere-right-to-repair

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The best from Apple, Bose, Samsung, Sony, Beats, Google, and more. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/21309820/best-wireless-earbuds

Illustration: Beatrice Sala The FBI has arrested an Alabama man who is accused of hacking the Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account in January. The indictment ( PDF ) alleges that 25-year-old Eric Council Jr. worked with co-conspirators to take control of the account and post a fake message from SEC Chair Gary Gensler about Bitcoin ETFs that caused the price of Bitcoin to jump by more than $1,000 momentarily. To carry out this scheme, Council is accused of creating a fake ID using the information belonging to the person in control of the SEC’s X account. He then allegedly tricked AT&T into providing a SIM card with the victim’s phone number and install it into a new iPhone he purchased. Finally, Council was able to gain control of the SEC’s account using... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/17/24272739/sec-fake-bitcoin-etf-tweet-fbi-arrest-eric-council