Lead Hacker

Image: Bluesky Bluesky is apparently ready for a bigger challenge. It says it’s allowing heads of state to sign up now, a little over two months after it opened for general signups . In May last year, the site asked its users not to give invitation codes to “recent/prominent heads of state,” stating that it was its policy not to accommodate them . When Bluesky instituted its heads-of-state policy, the site was still in its showing-everyone’s-ass phase , and its moderation approach wasn’t in place, yet. So instead of the varying degrees of controlled chaos that social networks are, Bluesky was filled with, well, lots of unsettlingly sexy pictures of the cat-eating alien puppet star of the 1980s sitcom Alf, which The Verge ’s Elizabeth Lopatto pointed out... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/13/24129357/bluesky-heads-of-state-ban-lifted-twitter-alternative

Image: Android Headlines We’re a month out from Google I/O, where the company will likely announce its new Pixel 8A phone. At this point, there have already been plenty of renders and even some real-world shots. And now, courtesy of Android Headlines , it appears official marketing images of the device have leaked. If accurate, they show that Google plans to offer the Pixel 8A in four colors: black, porcelain, blue, and a very vibrant green. It’s certainly more saturated than the subdued “mint” that Google added to the Pixel 8 color choices earlier this year. Like its predecessor, the phone is rumored to have a 6.1-inch display , though it’s not yet clear whether it’ll top out at 90Hz or 120Hz. The 8A still has thicker bezels than the flagship Pixel 8 and 8 Pro —... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/12/24128507/google-pixel-8a-colors-leak

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge We found the best cameras for your budget and needs. Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/23133103/best-instant-cameras-fujifilm-polaroid-kodak

Photo by Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for The Recording Academy Taylor Swift’s catalog of music has returned to TikTok, just a few months after it was purged alongside other popular artists represented by Universal Music Group (UMG) . In January, UMG and TikTok’s licensing deal expired, and the companies took turns blaming each other for why fans would no longer be able to use UMG artists’ music on the app. UMG argued that TikTok wasn’t willing to pay what it wanted and that allowing AI-generated content on the app was “sponsoring artist replacement” by the technology. Meanwhile, TikTok said UMG was being greedy and that it was able to come to agreements with every other label and publisher. It’s not immediately clear how Swift’s music has made its way back to TikTok — as Variety noted , Swift may... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/11/24127406/taylor-swifts-music-tiktok-umg-deal

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Sony is changing up the strategy around its mainstream wireless headphones and speakers. Today, the company is announcing several new products and introducing a new brand, ULT Power Sound , to go with them. Any kind of actual “name” is an improvement from years past, when Sony would typically just refer to devices by their model number. And as the branding implies, all of these new products — three speakers and one pair of headphones — focus on lively, bass-forward sound. All of them also have an ULT button that can cycle between different sound modes depending on how much bass emphasis you want. ULT1 gets you “deeper, lower frequency bass,” while ULT2 delivers “powerful, punchy bass.” And yes, apparently there’s a difference between... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/11/24127358/sony-ult-power-sound-headphones-speakers-price

The G502 has stellar ergonomics, sensitivity, and customizability for a reasonable price. | Image: Logitech I’ve tried many gaming mice over the years, but I always seem to come back to Logitech’s G502 Hero . I started with the wired version many moons ago, and it’s just as good as the wireless model if you don’t mind it staying tethered to your PC. It has the advantage of having zero latency (although the wireless model is close) and it’s the more economical choice, too. The wired model is even cheaper than usual over at Amazon right now, where it’s close to an all-time low at $35.99. That’s about $14 off its usual price of $49.99. Best Buy also has it for a dollar more at $36.99. The G502 uses a 25,600 DPI Hero sensor, which offers so wide a range of sensitivity tuning that you should have no problems getting your cursor or turning speeds... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126107/logitechs-g502-hero-hori-split-pad-compact-kasa-smart-plug-...

Image: Ford Ford unveiled the 2024 Mustang Mach-E, with more range, faster charging, and quicker acceleration than past models. Ford is the No. 2 seller of EVs in the US but still trails far behind Tesla in terms of total number of sales. The Elon Musk-run company has seen its market share in the US slip quarter over quarter but still commands over 50 percent of the EV market. As such, Ford is tweaking its flagship EV in the hopes of improving its market position. The 2024 Mach-E will now travel around 10–20 miles farther than previous model years The 2024 Mach-E will now travel around 10–20 miles farther than previous model years, Ford says. The rear-wheel drive motor configuration with extended battery range now boasts a total EPA-estimated... Continue reading… source https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126098/ford-mustang-mache-2024-model-updates-range-charging