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Right now, you can save on the Apple Watch Series 7 and other cool tech as part of Target’s ongoing Black Friday sale. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The holiday shopping season has begun and several retailers, including Target, have already kicked off some spectacular Black Friday deals in the lead-up to the annual shopping event. Some of the steepest discounts we’re currently seeing extend to noise-canceling earbuds like Sony’s WF-1000XM4 (now $179.99) and Apple’s second-gen AirPods (now $89.99) , as well as TVs like Sony’s 55-inch Frame (now $999.99) and gaming mice like the Logitech G502 Hero (now $34.99) . Here, we’ve collected some of the best discounts you can find at Target, many of which will be available through the week of Thanksgiving and price-matched elsewhere. Target also intends to roll out new deals every Sunday so we’ll be updating this page on a weekly basis as new... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/rLzdpIU

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Even though Musk tweeted on Sunday morning that he has “ no idea ” who the CEO of Twitter is, a signed document he just filed with the SEC removes all doubt. It’s Elon Musk. My title is Chief Twit right there in the bio. No idea who the CEO is. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022 This public confirmation is part of the 13th (and presumably final) amendment to a document he filed for the first time way back on April 4th. At that time, it was a late-arriving notification that Musk had acquired more than 9 percent of Twitter’s available shares over the course of several months. Now, this is what the 13th iteration (referring to Musk as the “Reporting Person”) says: This Schedule 13D amends the Schedule 13D initially filed by Elon... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Zbi7WDQ

Double-tapping the side of the Quest 2 triggers passthrough mode, letting you see what’s happening around you. | GIF by Owen Grove / The Verge Virtual reality is for checking out. The wider the field of vision and the less light peeking in, the better. But as VR becomes more mainstream, there needs to be a way to quickly check back in with reality. A safe word, so to speak, to pull you out of VR, whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by a game or if you want to feel more present. That’s exactly what the passthrough button offers on Meta’s Quest and Quest 2 . It’s both a safety tool, as well as a practical one to let you see what’s going on outside of the headset without having to struggle to take it off. After firmly double-tapping either side of the headset where the straps attach to it, a view of your room — albeit a pixelated, monochromatic feed as seen through a handful of... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/wqGBt07

Do it for the Vine. | Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Elon Musk is looking into the Twitter archives for ways to improve his newly acquired social network. His team has told engineers at the company to look at Vine’s code to figure out how much work it would take to revive it, according to a current employee who spoke to The Verge on the condition of anonymity, as they’re not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. Axios first reported the news , saying that the reboot could be ready by the end of the year. That’s an aggressive timeframe to revive a five-year-old app, especially given this tweet from former Twitter product director Sara Beykpour that some of Vine’s code is over 10 years old. But that seems to be a pattern with Musk; this weekend, Twitter employees were told they’d have... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/OUHIQPy

Tenoch Huerta as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . | Image: Marvel Studios The way Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ’s Talocan bears little resemblance to the Atlantis of Marvel’s comic books is one of the most intriguing things about the movie and its central villain: the sea-dwelling antiheroic King Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta . Namor’s short shorts, winged feet , and intense hatred of the surface world are all still important parts of his character that Wakanda Forever spotlights with a tale about how he’s moved to lead Talocan to war. But what Huerta was most moved by as he stepped up to the challenge of bringing Namor to the MCU is how Wakanda Forever ’s story and its conceptualization of Talocan are celebrations of Latin American identity with a distinct focus on its shared Indigenous and African roots. U... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/25L3xoN

DC-America EV stations with Tritium DC fast chargers are built on a skid platform, requiring little digging on-site. | Image: Tritium Tritium and DC-America are partnering to build a nationwide EV fast charging network and have qualified for federal funding to make it happen ( via Electrek ). The two companies are linking their tech to build easily deployable charging solutions, where Tritium provides the chargers and DC-America provides the station infrastructure. DC-America will place all the components on a skid, meaning that the station will require minimal digging and will be easy to deploy and transport “By eliminating the majority of underground conduits and wiring, we are speeding up deployments by greatly reducing the onsite construction as well as reducing installation costs,” said DC-America president Nathan Bowen in an email to Electrek . The systems will... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Ykb0CZS

Tech giant Google has released Chrome OS 107 update, which includes a "Save Desk for Later" feature in an effort to improve user experience. According to 9to5Google, the new update introduces two improvements to Desks. The first one will allow users to quickly "Save desk for later" from the overview screen using the button above the left-most window. Upon clicking, the user will be redirected to the "Saved for later" screen, which can be accessed from the right of the "New desk" screen. Users can also see a row of open favicons, assign it a name, and check its creation date. Upon tapping, the desk will be immediately launched and restored, it added. Meanwhile, it will be now easier to close open desks from the Overview menu, and there will be an "Undo" option at the bottom of the screen if the user closes the desk accidentally. Google is reportedly testing a merge feature as well, so users can combine opened Desks, according to the...

Apple's upcoming M2-powered 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros might not launch till next march. In contrast to earlier reports that claimed Apple might deliver the new devices before the end of the year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now predicts a March launch, reports The Verge. The release of the new MacBooks is expected to coincide with the release of the macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3, which are likely to be in early February and March, respectively. According to Gurman, the company's most recent earnings call is another proof that the improved line of MacBook Pros won't be released this year. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, claimed that the business is "set" with its product lineup for the holiday season, whereas, Luca Maestri, the chief financial officer, believes that Mac revenue would "decline substantially" in December. When the tech giant introduced the MacBook Pros last October, the devices increased Mac revenue by $10.9 billion, but it doesn...

Caviar, known for making lavish custom iPhones and accessories, has created an iPhone 14 Pro with an expensive Rolex Daytona watch on its back panel, which costs a whopping $133,670 (over Rs 1.1 crore). There are only three such limited edition iPhones 14 pro models that carry a Golden Rolex Daytona watch on the back. The watch is completely functional with 18K gold dashboard dials and switches are only for show. Daytona is dedicated to racing and was designed for the professional drivers. The first ambassador of the collection was motor racer Malcolm Campbell, the author of world records in ground speed. Caviar said that this time, the target was an impressive iPhone 14 Pro with a Rolex watch embedded into the body. "Golden Rolex Daytona is a work of art in itself. And now it gets combined with the latest Apple smartphone, which is perhaps the most relevant invention of humanity right now - a truly monumental work," the company said on its website. The phone body is m...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Now that he owns Twitter , Elon Musk has given employees their first ultimatum: Meet his deadline to introduce paid verification on Twitter or pack up and leave. The directive is to change Twitter Blue, the company’s optional, $4.99 a month subscription that unlocks additional features , into a more expensive subscription that also verifies users, according to people familiar with the matter and internal correspondence seen by The Verge . Twitter is planning to charge $19.99 for the new Twitter Blue subscription, though that price is subject to change. Employees working on the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired. Musk has been clear in the months leading... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Yezay9v

The Realme 10 4G is expected to be coming soon, as the company has started to tease the launch of the devices. As of now, they have announced that the Realme 10 4G will be powered by MediaTek's Helio G99 SoC. While other details are still under wrap, the rumours suggest that the 10 4G will be launched alongside the Realme 10 5G and Realme 10 Pro Plus. Not only that, in a recent leak by Paras Guglani, we get to see the purported live images of the device. Let’s check out that and the Realme 10 4G's expected specifications in detail.  Realme 10 Specifications (Expected)  According to the recent leak that showcases the Realme 10 4G images, the phone will be launched in two colour options viz. Pink and Purple. The phone is said to come with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display along with a 90Hz refresh rate.  Realme has already confirmed that the device will be powered by the MediaTek Helio 99 SoC. As for the storage options, the Realme 10 4G could launch in three sto...

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge, photo by Christian Marquardt / Getty Images On his first day, Twitter’s new ‘Chief Twit’ quietly changed the homepage to send a message. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/E864PBn

The Spin 714 isn’t terrible, but it’s not the champion the 713 was Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/nSLANRo

Popular streaming platform Netflix, which recently announced the 'Profile Transfer' feature to prevent password sharing, is now available in India. It is fully enabled and available to users. The "much requested" feature allows users to transfer their personalised recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games, and other preferences to a new account when they start their own membership, said the company. The customers have started receiving emails to upgrade to the new feature. "We will never transfer your payment information, and Children profiles cannot be transferred. All saved games and game progress connected to a profile will move to the new account," it added. The streaming platform also mentioned that the users will always be in control of their account. They can turn off Profile Transfer on the app and web by signing in to their account. Meanwhile, in a bid to introduce an ad-supported tier for its users, the company had announced that...

India will be facing off against South Africa today in the T20 World Cup tournament. As of now, the Indian team has scored 4 points in the tournament as they have won both the previous matches in this T20 World Cup. The game is being played at the Optus Stadium, in Burswood, Australia and will start at 4:30 PM IST. But many are still not aware of where to even watch the game. So let’s first check that out!  India vs South Africa T20 World Cup Match: Where to watch? MATCH-DAY is upon us! #TeamIndia set to face South Africa in their 3⃣rd game of the #T20WorldCup! #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/YP1VDI73Yj — BCCI (@BCCI) October 30, 2022 The India vs South Africa T20 World Cup match that is being played today will be available to be live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, just like the other matches of this year’s T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, on Set-up box TVs, the T20 match will be available to broadcast on the Star Sports Network Star Sports 1 and Star Sports Select HD channels. In case you don’t...

For over eight million monthly paying individual users, Google Workspace is increasing the free cloud storage from 15GB to 1TB. For reference, that is more than 60 times the storage Workspace Individual users were getting. They can get 1TB of cloud storage at the current Workspace Individual pricing (which will soon cost $10 a month). The increased storage space will help Google Workspace Individual users store, access and collaborate on more files than ever. Not just that, Google is expanding the service to more markets like Philippines, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Greece, and Argentina.  Individual Workspace users to enjoy increased cloud storage Google Workspace Individual users do not have to do anything to get 1TB of free cloud storage. They can keep using the service, and Google will automatically upgrade their cloud storage limit from 15GB to 1TB.  While 15GB is too less for some peo...

Earlier this month, Google released two flagship smartphones, the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. The devices come with Google's latest Tensor G2 chipset, have a versatile camera system and provide a mostly stock Android experience to users. However, those following the Pixel series know that Google also releases a toned-down version of its flagship series as an A-series smartphone. This year, that phone could be called Pixel 7a. The purported Pixel 7a is codenamed “Lynx” Pixel 7 series image used for representational purpose. In the past, we have seen the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5a and earlier this year, Pixel 6a, the first Google smartphone to come out in India after a long time. Now, 9To5Google has learnt about a Google device with the codename "Lynx", and it could be the unreleased Pixel 7a.  As per the publication, a public conversation in Android code reveals that Pixel 7a is "in the works." Usually, the A-series smartphones follow Google's flagship next year...

Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk reportedly ordered company-wide layoffs at Twitter on Saturday, according to a report from The New York Times . It’s unclear how many workers will be affected by the purported job cuts, but sources told the NYT that some departments will be affected more than others. Previous reports indicate Musk wants to cut down on Twitter’s workforce by 75 percent. Twitter currently has about 7,500 employees. As noted by the NYT , the layoffs could occur before November 1st, the day when employees are supposed to receive their stock grants, which “typically represent a significant portion” of their pay. Musk may not have to pay these grants if he lays off employees before this date. Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet that... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/UQyrBP8

Season 3 of The Witcher hasn’t even premiered yet. | Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic Although season 3 of The Witcher hasn’t premiered yet, Netflix just announced a major change coming to season 4: Liam Hemsworth is replacing Henry Cavill as the titular Geralt of Rivia. Both actors posted about the change on Instagram, with Liam Hemsworth saying he’s “over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia.” Netflix nor Cavill provided a reason for the casting change. “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4,” Cavill said on Instagram . “In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/utEHg2V

The projects you can build with Lego’s Mindstorms Robot Inventor kit, which will be going away by the end of the year. | Image: Lego As reported by Lego fan sites like Brick Fanatics and Brickset , Lego is discontinuing its Mindstorms kits, which are meant to let people make robots out of Lego bricks, pins, beams, motors, gears, and other pieces, and then program using Lego’s control hubs ( via Gizmodo ). The devices have been sold as a way to let children and adults easily build and program robots since 1998 . While the company isn’t completely done with the idea of educational robotics kits, it will stop selling its Mindstorms Robot Inventor kit by the end of this year. The company’s statements suggest there’s an end date on its support for the various apps used to program and control Mindstorms robots on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Fire OS, saying that it’ll... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/rEXAlG6

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Organizers at Apple’s Towson Town Center store in Maryland claim that the company isn’t telling the whole truth when it comes to withholding benefits from workers at the location. As the company’s first retail location to unionize in the US pushes to negotiate a contract, workers say it’s making it difficult for them to bargain for their benefits. In a letter addressed to Tim Cook , the negotiating committee says they’re disappointed to learn the company won’t be offering workers at the location some new health and education benefits that are rolling out to other retail employees. The union also says that Apple has been spreading “misinformation” by saying workers would have to bargain for those benefits to be included in their contract.... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/kDlTw8q

Learn how to use Google Home Routines in your smart home. | Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge Google Home is Google’s smart home ecosystem, where you can control all your compatible smart home devices — such as smart lighting, smart cameras, smart locks, and more. The easiest way to do this is with Google’s smart home Routines. These are multi-action shortcuts that control one or more devices and / or trigger one or more actions to happen automatically based on another single action. For example, you can set a Routine that turns your lights off and your cameras on at 10PM each night. Or you can set one up that adjusts the brightness of your lights when the TV turns on and one that turns the bathroom light on when a motion sensor detects movement. Routines can be tailored by time as well, so if your doorbell rings after sunset,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/6F1TqzA

Driverless cars aren’t going to change the world. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The driverless car startups that haven’t run out of money, gone out of business, or been bought out want you to know that driverless cars aren’t going away. These companies insist that skepticism about the technology is expected but unwarranted and that driverless cars will, in the words of one co-founder , “change the world.” Where have we heard this before? Oh right, practically every tech company and Silicon Valley partisan that has emerged in the last decade or so has insisted that their only goal is to empower mankind and change the world (and not, I don’t know, make gobs and gobs of money). I do agree autonomous vehicles are coming (many are already here), but I think we need to rein in the “change the world” rhetoric. Like,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gkPyzK4

Vjeran Pavic / The Verge In videos circulating on Twitter Friday morning, two men carrying boxes are seen standing near the entrance to Twitter’s San Francisco building, claiming to have been laid off by Elon Musk, who officially took over the company Thursday evening . There are plenty of problems with what these two men say to reporters. The most glaring is that one man identifies himself as a software engineer named “Rahul Ligma.” The Verge has confirmed that name does not exist in Twitter’s Slack or email system. There is also no evidence that the employee exists on LinkedIn. “Ligma” is, of course, also an internet hoax designed to elicit the response “lick my balls” from people who are in on the joke. That didn’t stop multiple outlets, including CNBC and B... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Q9qfm3H

Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner , says the company is setting up a council to make important moderation decisions at the company. In a tweet on Friday , Musk said the “council” will have “widely diverse viewpoints” and that “no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.” Part of Musk’s professed reasoning for buying Twitter hinged on making it a platform for “free speech,” and he has said he’d consider letting controversial figures like former president Donald Trump back onto the platform. With Friday’s announcement, it seems as if he’s placing that sort of decision into the hands of a council. Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints. No major... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/SoBL5IQ

Laura Normand / The Verge Elon Musk, Twitter’s most important shitposter , has officially added the company to his business empire after months of legal skirmishes, according to CNBC, The Washington Post . a nd Insider . The deal has closed, according to those three outlets, though The New York Times says the deal’s status is unclear. Musk’s first move on Thursday was to oust Parag Agrawal, who was Twitter’s last CEO as a public company. CFO Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, the company’s policy chief whom Musk had publicly criticized have also reportedly left the building. Sean Edgett, the general counsel, is also gone, The New York Times reports , adding that at least one of these executives was walked out by security. Musk has been meeting with Twitter employees this... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/1nfcWw3

Walmart and Netflix are expanding their partnership. | Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Walmart and Netflix are expanding their digital Netflix merch shop to physical stores, the two companies announced on Thursday . The shop, called The Netflix Hub , will be coming to more than 2,400 Walmart locations. At the in-store Netflix zones, you’ll be able to buy things like “music, apparel, collectibles, games, and seasonal items” from big Netflix franchises like Stranger Things , Squid Game , and even the upcoming Knives Out sequel. Walmart and Netflix will also be selling “concession kits” of goodies like popcorn and candy to make watching Netflix at home feel like you’re at the movies. (Though in the case of the Knives Out sequel, you could just go see it at a theater .) Walmart will also be selling a $19.99 Netflix gift card, which... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/27/23427486/netflix-walmart-stores-hub-section-gif...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Intel has confirmed that it will lay off workers soon as part of its plan to cut billions of dollars in spending. The announcement comes after reports that Intel is planning on cutting thousands of jobs . As part of its Q3 earnings, the company announced plans to cut around $3 billion in costs over the course of next year, and CEO Pat Gelsinger told Reuters that part of that would come from “people costs.” He also confirmed the job cuts to Bloomberg and added that the company was reducing factory work hours for some employees. By the end of 2025, the company hopes to have cut its costs by $8 to $10 billion a year. Intel is faced with an industry-wide shift in semiconductor availability as the pandemic shortages give way to overproduction... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/wvo4E2S

Amazon just reported its third quarter earnings for 2022. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon’s sales finally picked up in the third quarter following three consecutive quarters of single-digit growth, according to the company’s earnings released Thursday . But it’s expecting a tighter holiday season amid an uncertain economic environment, and the company’s stock fell more than 4 percent in after-hours trading. Sales hit $127.1 billion last quarter, up 15 percent year over year. That number was likely buoyed by Amazon’s successful Prime Day event in July, which it has called its “biggest Prime Day event ever.” Despite that growth, the company is predicting a slower holiday season. In its guidance, Amazon said net sales should grow between 2 and 8 percent year over year next quarter; last year, Amazon saw 9 percent growth in... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/JrlLkEV

The beta UI’s homescreen certainly looks more modern. Valve is officially letting users try out a new version of Steam’s Big Picture mode, which makes the game client look like its popular Steam Deck handheld. The long-awaited change (we were hearing rumblings about it in July 2021 ) is a big upgrade for the gamepad-friendly version of the Steam user interface. In a news post , the company warns that the new UI has “rough edges” but says it’s looking to gather feedback from the community on it. In addition to the updated look, the test also includes new features, including a universal search that’ll surface results from your library, friends list, and the store as well as updates to the quick access and system menus and controller configurator. It’s likely to be a welcome change for people... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/27/23426994/valve-steam-deck-big-picture-mode-ui-test-beta

Apple’s updated App Store rules could have a big impact on developers. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple’s most impactful changes this week weren’t new iPads or operating systems. The company also shook up the App Store with new rules and ad slots designed to wring more money out of its tight grip over the iOS ecosystem. The changes have big ramifications for developers, either forcing them to share more of their money with Apple or deal with ads they don’t like. And as developers have found in the past, they don’t have much room to push back. In its changes this week, Apple updated its App Store rules to give itself a cut of some advertising revenue in social media apps and purchase revenue from Web3 apps. The company also expanded the scope of its App Store advertising in ways that further intrude on the presentation of developers’... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/5lvXJwQ

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge The Wire , the Indian news outlet that published an explosive and now-retracted story on Meta earlier this month, says it was subject to “deception” by one of the members of its “Meta investigation team.” In an update posted on its site today, The Wire apologizes for running the retracted story, which originally accused Meta of granting an Indian politician special privileges on Instagram and Facebook. This latest admission indicates the outlet’s editorial team was somehow tricked by an employee, calling into question whether the employee (who The Wire does not name) fell victim to some kind of deceit or if it was done intentionally as a way to smear Meta. The Wire says it’s currently reviewing its editorial processes and that doing so... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Rg65wCK

“For me, building a metaverse that looks like a meeting room... I just find that’s not where I want to spend most of my time.”  | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s CEO of gaming, is the latest tech exec to take a shot at Meta’s vision of the metaverse. When asked his definition of the metaverse, Spencer described it as “a poorly built video game” at the WSJ Tech Live conference today. Meta rebranded from Facebook last year as a testament to its focus on the metaverse, which it believes will become a place where you not only socialize with friends but also do serious work with colleagues. It seems as if Spencer doesn’t necessarily agree with the work aspect of the metaverse, at least in one form. “Video game creators have an amazing ability to build compelling worlds that we want to go spend time in,” he said at the conference. “For me, building a metaverse that looks like... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://www.theverge.com/20...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge A British hacker who brought the entire nation of Liberia offline more than seven years ago was arraigned before a US federal court today, facing new charges of access device fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The hacker, Daniel Kaye, has been accused of operating a dark web marketplace called The Real Deal for stolen login information for social media and bank accounts, US government devices, and a variety of illicit goods like drugs and unlawful hacking tools. The Real Deal allowed third-party vendors to set up online stores and purchasers to rate sellers based on their authenticity. “This case is an example of our persistent determination to work with our international partners to hold criminals accountable no matter how... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Yuea3XF

Floating homes and boats rest in mud at Riverside Park Marina in Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park along the Mississippi River on October 19th, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Mississippi River neared record low levels. | Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images Huge swathes of the United States are unusually parched. While drought has been a persistent problem in the western US, it’s now spread across other parts of the country that aren’t typically this dry. Nearly 60 percent of the contiguous US is experiencing drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Drought hasn’t been this widespread in the nation in about a decade, and over 80 percent of the country is at least experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor — a first in the drought monitor’s 22-year history. Dwindling water resources have also outlawed front lawns, left agricultural fields barren, and mangled river shipping routes Drought has sp...

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Apple may be readying an iPad with a larger 16-inch display, according to a report from The Information . Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet Apple could release the device in the fourth quarter of 2023, but this is subject to change. While rumors about an iPad with a 14- to 15-inch screen have been floating around for some time now, this is the first we’ve heard of a 16-inch iPad. Apple tracker Mark Gurman mentioned a 14- to 15-inch iPad back in 2021 , and he recently said a larger model could launch in the next year or two . Supply chain analyst Ross Young backed up this prediction in June and said we could see a 14.1-inch iPad Pro with Mini LEDs and a ProMotion display as soon as next year. Introducing a premium 16-inch... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Kf3U1DQ

James Gunn speaks onstage at the Marvel Cinematic Universe Mega-Panel during 2022 Comic-Con International in 2022. | Image: Daniel Knighton / Getty Images After months of searching for a new leader to head up its answer to Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran to lead its recently formed DC Studios division. Though it at one point seemed as though Warner Bros. Discovery was eyeing Dan Lin to head up DC Studios , company CEO David Zaslav announced today that it ultimately decided on Gunn and Safran, who will serve as both co-chairs and co-CEOS of the division while overseeing all of its various film and television projects. In a statement about the surprising move, Zaslav expressed confidence in Gunn and Safran’s “singular and complementary talents” and excitement at the idea of them shaping the future of WBD’s various superhero... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9HCWYcm

Illustration: The Verge Earlier this summer , Google’s parent company Alphabet made it clear that it was trying to get into fighting form as its profits slipped. The company’s earnings report , released on Tuesday, however, shows that it still appears to be on the same path of growing revenue but shrinking profits. This quarter, the company reports that it earned around $69 billion and made $13.9 billion in profit. That’s compared to its exceptional Q3 2021 , when it brought in $65.1 billion in revenue, netting $18.9 billion and making for a fifth straight quarter of record-breaking profits. As another point of comparison, the company earned almost $69.7 billion last quarter, with profits of around $16 billion. Google’s revenue in Q3 2021: $65.1 billion 2020:... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ovRGUOV

Illustration Kristen Radtke / The Verge Spotify now has 195 million paying subscribers , the company announced on Tuesday, an increase of 7 million since last quarter, surpassing guidance by 1 million net adds. The company expects to cross the 200 million mark by the end of the year. Even with that bright subscription news, Wall Street was not thrilled with the results. The stock is down more than 6 percent in after-hours trading. Spotify’s gross profit margin was 24.7 percent, two points lower than during the same quarter last year and below the company’s prior guidance. The company said this was because of an “unfavorable adjustment to prior period estimates for rights holder liabilities,” which could refer to a recent decision by the Copyright Review Board that streamers... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/oFErK0k

Nick Barclay / The Verge Spotify says Apple is making it harder to sell audiobooks, an offering Spotify just introduced last month . The company called Apple practices “anticompetitive” and said it was “choking competition” in a blog post published just before the company revealed its earnings report on Tuesday . Spotify says Apple’s rules make the process of buying an audiobook on Spotify “far too complicated and confusing,” adding that Apple changes its “rules arbitrarily, making them impossible to interpret.” Apple charges up to a 30 percent commission on purchases made in apps listed on the App Store, and bars certain developers from using or directing users to an external payment processor. As outlined in a webpage Spotify specifically made to support its... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/nXFpwil

Version 1.2.0 will add a whole swath of tweaks and fixes. | Image: Nintendo Your Splatoon 3 multiplayer matches and Salmon Run jobs might feel a little bit faster after a big update coming soon. According to the patch notes , data will be transferred between players “about .05 seconds more quickly” than it was previously, which means you should see a reduction in how quickly a player is splatted after they’re damaged or how fast you pick up a golden egg in Salmon Run after first touching it. The change is just one of many you can look forward to in version 1.2.0, which will be available Tuesday evening, according to Nintendo . The new version includes a huge number of improvements and updates across the board, including bug fixes, weapon adjustments, and some quality-of-life changes. The patch notes are... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/fvuSpt6

This isn’t necessarily what the final version will look like, but if it’s anything close, it’ll be very charming. | Image: Minibrick Productions One of Lego’s latest projects will strike at a lot of photographers’ nostalgia: a replica Polaroid OneStep SX-70 instant camera. Currently, there aren’t details about what the kit will actually look like, how much it’ll cost, or when it’ll become available, but it’s another example of a fan-made design officially going into production thanks to Lego’s Ideas platform. The mock-up was created by Minibrick Productions and features a ton of fun, nerdy touches: it has a working viewfinder, lets you spin a gear that shoots out a “picture” from the film tray, and is “nearly to-scale,” according to the project’s description. It also includes a replica box of film, complete with Polaroid’s beautiful pentachromatic rainbow. GIF:... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/T4WAPhG

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images I am really bummed that we are likely going to have to wait until 2024 for the next season of House of the Dragon and also kind of ashamed that I know more about Westerosi history than I do about, like, World War I (A Wiki of Ice and Fire is a real bottomless pit). I will also miss my day-after routine of HOTD pods like Talk the Thrones and Boars, Gore, and Swords , so if anyone has some fresh pods to recommend, hmu. Anyway, in the real world, Apple is hiking its subscription prices, Spotify is reporting earnings, and Taylor Swift is one of the last real music stars. Apple is raising its subscription prices Yesterday, 9to5Mac reported that Apple is increasing the prices of its plans for Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, and Apple One. It’s the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Lsxreq0

It seems like Disney’s following in Netflix’s footsteps. | Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge If you subscribe to Disney Plus’ upcoming ad-supported tier , you may miss out on features that are available to other subscribers. Some code discovered by MacRumors ’ Steve Moser suggests that GroupWatch and SharePlay — features that let you remotely watch a movie or show with friends and family — won’t be available if you’re using the $7.99 version of Disney’s service ( via XDA ). Disney didn’t immediately reply to The Verge ’s request for comment on whether it’s actually planning to not allow ad-supported users to watch content with it or Apple’s system. The code seems pretty unambiguous; it’s a tooltip saying, “Groupwatch and Shareplay unavailable for accounts on the ads tier.” However, it could always be a placeholder or a decision that... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/vB2eEQd

The Wikipedia logo | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Wikipedia is one of the sturdiest survivors of the old web, as well as one of the most clearly human-powered ones, thanks to a multitude of editors making changes across the globe. But after celebrating the site’s 20th birthday last year, the Wikimedia Foundation is turning to new — and more heavily automated — tools in search of its next wave of contributors. It’s adding features designed to ease users into making their own edits, including suggestions for easy first steps like cross-linking different articles. It’s doing so while trying not to weaken the bonds of its individual communities — and, the Wikimedia team hopes, possibly even making them stronger. Wikimedia has been testing extra features for newcomers since 2019, and it’s... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/tdwe23J

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge At a staff meeting this afternoon here at The Verge , several people started complaining about the problem of keeping their fabric-covered tech clean. It turned out that this is definitely a problem in search of a solution. For example, if you are keeping an Apple HomePod Mini , a Google Assistant speaker , or an Amazon Echo in your kitchen, the device is going to start accumulating crumbs and grease really quickly. Not to mention the pet hair that the fabric is going to attract or what it will look like after being carried from room to room by grubby little four-year-old hands. So how do you keep them clean? I looked it up in various sources, and most agreed: there are a few things you can do to try to keep the surface of your... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/LoWF6ba

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Justice Department has announced charges against two Chinese intelligence officers, accusing them of attempting to obstruct a US investigation into the telecommunications giant Huawei. In charging documents made public on Monday , defendants Guochum He and Zheng Wang were accused of working on behalf of the Chinese government to obtain confidential information and trial evidence related to a Justice Department investigation into Huawei. US law enforcement officials declined to name the company, but both CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported that the case concerns Huawei, which is the subject of an ongoing trade secrets prosecution . “This case exposes the interconnection between PRC intelligence officers & Chinese companies, and it... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/YhmfkSR

Image: Microsoft The Microsoft Surface Duo is getting Windows-like UI tweaks, as well as the improvements that come with Android 12L , an operating system built specifically for devices with larger screens. In an update on its blog , Microsoft shared some of the changes coming to its folding phone, which include revamped icons, colors, and controls made to look as if they’re on a Windows device. We first heard Android 12L’s coming to the Surface Duo back in March, and after some testing , the update is rolling out on Surface Duo devices now. According to Microsoft, the refreshed look extends to the Duo’s Quick Settings and System Settings menus, as well as the Pen menu that appears when using the Surface Slim Pen 2. Just like on a standard Windows device,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/26H1Nkv

Song of Nunu will now be launching sometime in 2023. | Image: Riot Forge Riot Games is delaying two League of Legends spinoffs from its Riot Forge publishing label to 2023. 2D action-platformer Convergence (styled Conv/rgence ) and the single-player adventure game Song of Nunu were set to release in 2022, but now they’re being pushed to next year. With the delay, the development teams can have “a little more time to put on some finishing touches,” Riot wrote on the Forge Twitter account on Monday . Riot announced the Riot Forge label in 2019 , which works with outside studios to create games in the League of Legends universe. Convergence is being developed by Double Stallion Games, while Song of Nunu is being made by Tequila Works. An update from Riot Forge. pic.twitter.com/Og2kdumWOL — Riot Forge (@RiotForge)... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/owq0c8M

(Henry Cavill’s) Superman returns. | Image: Henry Cavill on Instagram Henry Cavill is letting people know that he’s not done playing Superman ( via The Hollywood Reporter ). In an Instagram post on Monday, he posted a promotional image of himself as the superhero, along with a video where he says, “I am back as Superman.” His announcement comes after he made a cameo appearance in Black Adam , DC’s latest movie, and as we’re starting to hear reports that a sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel is in the works. In his video, Cavill calls the image and his appearance in Black Adam “just a very small taste of what’s to come.” The caption also references “the dawn of hope renewed” and says that people’s patience will be rewarded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Henry Cavill... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/8GIx62z

Plastic, Styrofoam, and other trash drain down from storm channels and wash up along the banks of Ballona Creek after the first major rain of the season in Los Angeles, California.  | Photo by: Citizen of the Planet / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images We’ve known for years that plastic recycling rates are low, but they’ve managed to get even worse. The state of plastic recycling in the US is so abysmal that no plastic packaging can even be considered recyclable, according to a new report published today by environmental group Greenpeace. Households in the US tossed out 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, says the new report. Just 2.4 million tons of that plastic was recycled, or just under 5 percent — compared to 8.7 percent in 2018 . With so little of the waste recycled, no type of plastic used in the US meets an industry-backed standard for what’s considered “recyclable,” says Greenpeace With so little of the waste recycled, no type of plastic packagin...

Easier to use and stable. But let’s check in again after a few months. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Ja5FuZS

Apple is increasing the total ad spots in its App Store from two to four. With the change, the iPhone maker expects to triple its advertising revenue to at least $10 billion every year in the near future. So far, the company has been showing ads in the search results and the Suggested tab. Now, Apple will put ads in the Today tab and the "You Might Also Like" section, which will be displayed at the bottom of the app listings. The ads will be live starting October 25, 2022, i.e., Tuesday, in all the countries worldwide except for China.  Apple’s new ad placements to go live from October 25, 2022 Apple just sent all developers an email that "Today tab and product page campaigns start October 25." It's another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there. — Florian Mueller (@FOSSpatents) October 21, 2022 The company announced its intention to expa...