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Showing posts from March, 2021

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 review: Ring’s best doorbell yet

The new top-of-the-line Ring doorbell is expensive but works well Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/39uYmkp

Specialized Como SL e-bike review: mellow yellow

A fun lightweight commuter from the maker of the Turbo Vado Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3wcpXke

The Resident Evil tall lady comes to life thanks to a former Olympian’s cosplay

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Image: Yekaterina Lisina / Photography by nikolayshlykov Resident Evil Village is coming on May 7th , but if you have been keeping up with the news surrounding the game, you may have heard about Lady Dimitrescu, a very tall woman who has become very popular on the internet . There have been a few cosplayers who’ve attempted to re-create the iconic villain, but the most recent cosplay from Yekaterina Lisina is arguably the best yet. Lisina, a former Olympian-turned-model , recently shared some content on Instagram of her cosplaying Lady Dimitrescu, even going so far as to re-create a parody of one of the trailers for the game. But don’t take my word for it, just check out the video she shared on her Instagram page: View this post on Instagram A post shared by... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3wfyUt6

Original Xbox and Xbox 360 games arrive on Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service

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Microsoft is bringing 16 original Xbox and Xbox 360 games to the company’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service today. Titles like Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind , the original Banjo-Kazooie , and Fallout: New Vegas are all now available to stream to Android devices. Microsoft is also enabling touch controls for Jetpac Refuelled , Viva Pinata , and Viva Pinata TIP . The 16 games will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members and streamable to Android phones and tablets. “We’ve listened to the feedback, going all the way back to our earliest cloud gaming preview, and making games from previous generations available on mobile devices has been one of the most requested features by the community,” says Microsoft . Microsoft is also still... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cErV5m

Zola’s first trailer is as over-the-top as the Twitter thread it’s based on

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Photo by Anna Kooris / Sundance Institute Social media has produced plenty of stories that have a ring of truth but are packed with ridiculous twists that seem way too good to be true. Thus it was with #TheStory, a 148-part Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” Wells King — except her thread turned out to be a relatively true recounting of two women on a nightmare Florida road trip. Last year at the Sundance Film Festival, director Janicza Bravo turned that thread into a film that dramatizes the story without losing Zola’s sardonic charm. A24 is now releasing Zola in theaters this summer, and the first trailer was released online today. It’s a pretty good encapsulation of the movie, starring Taylour Paige as the semi-fictionalized A’Ziah King and Riley Keough as her volatile frenemy... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cI5M6d

Facebook shorted video creators thousands of dollars in ad revenue

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Illustration by William Joel / The Verge Due to a ‘technical issue’ Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2O8nlme

The unsettling surveillance of anti-Asian racism

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Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge The rise of assaults on the elderly, captured on security camera footage, raises questions about policing and what really keeps people safe Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2ObYhLe

This might be your last chance to get a deal on Super Mario 3D All-Stars

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As it promised, Nintendo will pull Super Mario 3D All-Stars , the Switch compilation featuring Super Mario 64 , Super Mario Sunshine , and Super Mario Galaxy , from shelves at the end of the day — both digital and physical. This final day in March 2021 is your last chance to get the game digitally on your Nintendo Switch, and it could be the last day you’ll be able to find it in cartridge form (that is, without spending more than the retail asking price of $60). If you already got the game or are fine without it, scroll on. But if you’ve even considered picking it up to play in the future, you might as well take the plunge today. There are other pressing deals to share with you, including Nintendo’s Game & Watch handheld console that... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3unpUAz

SpaceX is adding a glass dome on Crew Dragon for 360 views of space

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The Crew Dragon capsule poised to fly four civilian astronauts to space this year is getting an upgrade: a glass dome will be added at the top to give space tourists a 360-degree view of the cosmos. Plans for the window were announced on Tuesday as SpaceX and the team managing the tourist mission, Inspiration4, revealed the full crew for the upcoming expedition. The glass dome-shaped window replaces Crew Dragon’s docking adapter at its nose since the spacecraft won’t be docking to the International Space Station. It’s similar to the famed cupola aboard the International Space Station, but Crew Dragon’s appears to be an uninterrupted sheet of glass, with no support structures dividing the window’s view. Probably most “in space” you... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cCWOXR

No Man’s Sky’s latest update, Expeditions, arrives today

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Hello Games is releasing a major update for No Man’s Sky today. Called “Expeditions,” it adds seasonal events to the game in which players begin from the same planet and set off on a plotted journey. The developer released a short trailer alongside the news today. Each expedition is themed and is intended to bring the game’s community together in a shared adventure. As players progress, they’ll earn exclusive rewards for their troubles, including parts and ship designs. The update will also include quality-of-life fixes to UI, combat, and more. Hello Games has continued to update the game extensively since its release in 2016. This year marks No Man’s Sky ’s fifth anniversary; the developer has said previously it has more content in... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3fyxhAL

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine highly effective in adolescents

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Pfizer / BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in 12- to 15-year-olds, the companies announced today in a press release. None of the children who received the vaccine in a clinical trial developed COVID-19, and they all developed strong antibody responses. There were no serious side effects. The study included 2,260 participants. Around half received the two-dose vaccine, and the other half received placebo injections. There were 18 cases of COVID-19 found in the placebo group and none in the vaccine group. Based on the study, the vaccine was 100 percent effective in this age group. The study was small, though, so it’s difficult to say if that number will hold up in a larger group. “But obviously, it looks good for the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3dhGD14

It’s game over for Arizona’s controversial App Store bill

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Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The legislation disappeared before a scheduled vote last week, and now it’s likely done for the year Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31N2cBv

Spotify Mixes are new personalized playlists based on your favorite artists and genres

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A selection of the new mixes Spotify will generate for you. | Image: Spotify Spotify Mixes are a new family of personalized playlists populated with songs you already like and then supplemented with additional songs Spotify thinks you’ll like, based upon your favorite artists, genres, or music decades. The new Mixes are rolling out globally starting today for both free and premium Spotify subscribers. The music streaming service already offers a similar feature in the form of Daily Mixes, which appear in the same “Made for You” section. However, the problem with Daily Mixes is that it can be a little hard to work out the unifying theme of each playlist based on their vague names like “Daily Mix 1” and “Daily Mix 2.” Sometimes you can work it out from the included songs, but other times it can be more mysterious.... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3m5QLOk

Fiat made a ‘Hey Google’ car

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The ‘Hey, Google’ logo appears above the front wheel arches of the new Fiat 500 vehicles | Image: Google / Fiat As vehicles are increasingly defined by their digital features, tech companies are seeking out ever-closer partnerships with carmakers. A new collaboration between Google and Fiat, though, is the most extreme we’ve seen yet. Three new special edition Fiat 500s — the Fiat 500, 500X crossover, and 500L MPV — have been branded with Google livery that extends from using the tech giant’s corporate colors in the cars’ seat upholstery to placing “Hey Google” badges above their front wheel arches. Having this sort of branding inside a car is not unusual, but this is the first time we’ve seen a tech company’s logo appear on a vehicle’s exterior . A press release from the Italian automaker (translated by Google, of course) boasts that the vehicles... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3fxBcOe

A first look at Xbox running Discord and Google Stadia in its new Edge browser

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has started testing a new version of its Edge browser on Xbox consoles. The software giant provided access to the Chromium version of Edge to Xbox Insiders earlier this month , offering an early look at the improved browsing capabilities coming to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S. I’ve had a chance to try out this early version over the past few days, and I’ve been able to test Discord, Stadia, and other web services running inside Edge on the Xbox. It’s like having the full version of Edge from PC running on your TV. The Xbox version of Edge looks almost identical to the one you can find on PC or Mac right now. It even includes features like vertical tabs and Collections. Like Edge on PC and mobile, the Xbox version also... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3dpBd3Y

Huawei offsets US sanctions with dominance in China

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Huawei has released its annual report and financial information for 2020, demonstrating the effect that US sanctions had on its business last year. The report shows that while revenue from North America and Europe has fallen significantly, stronger performance in China has allowed the company to record higher sales and net profit than a year ago. Huawei doesn’t report traditional quarterly earnings, since it’s a private company with an unusual employee ownership structure. Its annual reports tend to be the best look at how it’s actually performing. The company’s revenue for 2020 was 891.4 billion yuan (~$136 billion), a 3.8-percent increase on 2019. Net profit was up 3.2 percent to 64.6 billion yuan (~$9.86 billion). 66 percent of... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3sHAamz

Facebook is making it easier to turn off algorithmic ranking in your News Feed

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Image: Facebook Facebook is introducing a handful of new features that will give users greater control over their News Feed, including an easier way to turn off the feed’s algorithmic ranking and display content in the order it was posted instead. The changes build on previous tweaks to News Feed functionality. Last October, Facebook introduced a “ Favorites ” tool that allows users to select up to thirty friends and pages, prioritizing their content or displaying it in a separate feed. The company also offers users the option to sort their feeds by “ most recent ,” but buries these options in obscure menus. Facebook is now making these “Favorites” and “Recent” filters much more prominent, putting them right at the top of the News Feed as separate tabs... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cCuXGW

Nick Clegg doesn’t think Facebook is polarizing

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Photo Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge Facebook’s VP of global affairs on the platform’s new changes, with Casey Newton Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3disdxS

Biden plans to connect every American to broadband in new infrastructure package

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Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images President Biden plans to announce a sweeping infrastructure plan Wednesday that includes $100 billion to connect every American to high-speed broadband internet over the next eight years. Biden is scheduled to unveil his $2 trillion “American Jobs Plan” in Pittsburgh later on Wednesday. The long-awaited infrastructure and jobs package contains funding for broadband expansion, semiconductor manufacturing, and slew of other interests like public transportation and helping consumers purchase electric vehicles. On a call with reporters Tuesday, an administration official said that the package would be paid for by changes to the corporate tax rate. Biden’s $100 billion figure for broadband expansion trumps most other efforts Biden’s $100... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3sCUUvT

Google Meet’s free ‘unlimited’ calls will continue until June

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Google Meet. | Image: Google Google will not introduce a 60 minute call limit on free Google Meet users at the end of March, the company announced in a tweet . Instead, it will now be begin on June 30th. Until then, anyone using the service’s free version will be able to host calls up to 24 hours in length, which Google refers to as “unlimited.” This is the second time Google has pushed back the introduction of call limits since opening up the service to free users last April . A 60 minute limit had originally been due to come into effect at the end of September , but that deadline was later pushed back to March when it became clear that many of us wouldn’t be able to celebrate the holidays in person with our loved ones. We’re continuing unlimited #GoogleMeet calls... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3rJmo1G

Even LinkedIn is making a Clubhouse clone

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Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images It feels like just about every big tech company is working on a Clubhouse-like social audio feature — Twitter’s Spaces feature is rolling out now , Facebook is reportedly building one , Spotify is making one , Mark Cuban has one , even Slack is getting in the game . But now, the idea of the shared audio space, which started on Clubhouse largely as an exclusive club for tech venture capitalists and elites, has come full circle. Professional social network LinkedIn is working on an audio networking feature of its own, the company confirmed to TechCrunch . “We’re doing some early tests to create a unique audio experience connected to your professional identity,” LinkedIn said in a statement to TechCrunch . “And, we’re looking at how we can bring... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3u8aDmN

Apple supplier Foxconn warns that component shortages will last until 2022

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Photo by Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The ongoing global shortage for electronic components continues, and Foxconn — which handles manufacturing for Apple, among other major tech heavyweights — has announced that it’s starting to see the impact of shortages. According to Young Liu, Foxconn’s CEO, the company won’t be able to fulfill some of its orders due to those shortages, which he expects will last until at least the second quarter of next year, Nikkei reports . “The [supply in the] first two months of this quarter was still ok, as our clients are all very big, but we started to see changes happening this month,” Liu reportedly told investors during the company’s latest earnings call. The impact of the shortages isn’t expected to be large, at least for now: Liu expects... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Plgq9V

Snapchat’s Spectacles might become true AR glasses this time — and there’s a drone

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The first generation Snap Spectacles. Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is planning to continue its push into hardware devices with a new pair of augmented-reality glasses and a drone, according to a report by The Information . The Spectacles will reportedly include displays so the wearer can see the AR effects without having to use their phone — a feature that was notably missing from the all the Spectacles that came before. One of The Information ’s sources says that the new Spectacles will be meant for developers and creators, rather than consumers — though you could probably argue that, at $380, the Spectacles 3 are already mostly limited to that market as well. As the article points out, though, the intention is likely to have the developers make lenses and experiences... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2OapEW0

Broadcasting George Floyd’s death violates Twitch rules, even during a murder trial

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Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP via Getty Images On Tuesday, Twitch removed graphic video of Minneapolis resident George Floyd’s death, shown during the trial of his alleged murderer Derek Chauvin — the latest test of how Amazon’s live streaming platform handles newsworthy events. Nonprofit news site Unicorn Riot said its Twitch account was suspended during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering Floyd. Trial witnesses were shown footage of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, an act of apparent police brutality that led to months of protests. That footage apparently ran afoul of Twitch’s guidelines. “A few minutes ago our [Twitch] account was suspended for 30 days for rebroadcasting the #DerekChauvinTrial, which showed the video... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3sDivwb

Snag a refurbished, waterproof Kindle Oasis for $100 at Woot

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you’re currently searching for a Kindle e-reader to buy, the best one for your money is the Kindle Oasis. Normally, that wouldn’t be the case, since they cost $250 new, but Woot has the 2018 version (the previous generation) available refurbished starting at $100. That price will get you the 8GB version with Wi-Fi support. Though, if you want 32GB of storage and cellular connectivity, the step-up model costs $140, which isn’t a bad price. Currently, Woot has the graphite color of both models in “very good” condition, and they’re covered by a 90-day warranty. As for why you might want the Oasis over the Paperwhite, it has a higher-resolution display (but the same pixel density as the Paperwhite), and it has more front LEDs that make... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3u7J3pP

Volkswagen is really rebranding as ‘Voltswagen’ in the US

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Volkswagen is changing the name of its American brand to Voltswagen, in a not-so-subtle nod to the German automaker’s multibillion-dollar effort to become the biggest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world. The company was apparently planning to make the announcement at the end of April but accidentally published a press release about the name change early Monday afternoon, which was first spotted by CNBC before it was taken down. The proximity of the name change to April Fool’s Day initially raised suspicions that it was just a joke. But VW insists that it’s a real thing, so here we are. The company confirmed the change to The Verge , and the announcement was later published on Tuesday morning . The larger Volkswagen Group (which... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QUWBXD

Google celebrates the unblocking of the Suez Canal with a small boat parade in search

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Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa via Getty Images The big boat is no longer stuck . After days of rapt attention from the internet, a non-metaphorical rising tide has indeed lifted all the boats — and particularly, the Evergreen Marine Corporation’s Ever Given cargo ship — reopening the Suez Canal to regular shipping traffic and ensuring that the precious lifeblood of capitalism can continue to flow freely. Naturally, Google is celebrating this simultaneously momentous and absurd moment in human history the only way it knows how: an Easter egg in Google searches for the phrases “Suez Canal” and “Ever Given” that show a tiny parade of cute lil’ emoji boats marching across your screen, just like the (much bigger) boats that can now (less cutely, one presumes) float their way through the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3ubZ4Lz

Nvidia’s Resizable BAR frame rate boosts now available on all 30-series GPUs

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Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge Nvidia is launching Resizable BAR support today, a feature of PCI Express that can boost frame rates in certain games by up to 10 percent. Resizable BAR works by unlocking access to the full graphics frame buffer, instead of limiting it to 256MB block reads. This can improve frame rates in games, but it will require a compatible CPU, motherboard BIOS update, and even a VBIOS update for all 30-series desktop GPUs. Nvidia has been working with both AMD and Intel to provide chipset support. AMD’s Zen 3 CPUs are supported, alongside Intel’s 10th Gen processors and the company’s new 11th Gen desktop chips that launch today. You can find Nvidia’s full FAQ on motherboard and VBIOS updates right here . Resizable BAR works the same as AMD’s Smart... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31yRyOl

Fortnite’s dinosaur eggs have hatched, and now raptors roam the island

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Screenshot via Fortnite News . The newest season of Fortnite , dubbed “Primal,” did two main things: it introduced animals to the island and added a prehistoric theme. So it’s only fitting that the latest update includes a dinosaur. Thanks to a recent patch, raptors now roam the battle royale game, joining other predators like wolves and sharks. They appear to spawn at random, however, so there’s no guarantee you’ll encounter one in a match; I played for more than an hour this morning before I spotted one in the wild. In traditional Fortnite fashion, the news had been teased over the last few days; giant eggs scattered across the island began to crack, hinting that something was in the works. It was reminiscent of previous events like the volcano eruption , Kevin the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3wc1taR

Intel’s 11th Gen Core i9 processor boosts Microsoft Flight Simulator by 20 percent

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Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge Intel delivers a speed boost and PCIe 4.0 Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3rAm1Go

Volvo and Aurora team up on fully autonomous trucks for North America

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Volvo is partnering with self-driving startup Aurora on a new lineup of fully autonomous semi trucks, the companies announced. The trucks will be deployed in North America on highly frequented hub-to-hub routes. The deal between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora — which was founded by former executives from Google, Tesla, and Uber — is a “long-term partnership spanning several years,” the companies said. “long-term partnership spanning several years” It’s also the latest partnership between a major OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and an autonomous technology startup, as the industry continues to slowly inch toward a future with more fully driverless passenger vehicles and trucks on the road. Aurora has been testing its... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3u7Oo0s

SpaceX’s latest Starship landing attempt ends in destruction

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One of the last visuals from SpaceX’s SN11 before it exploded. | SpaceX Another Starship prototype exploded Tuesday morning during an attempt to nail a tricky landing technique at SpaceX’s test launch facilities in Texas. The landing attempt followed a clean liftoff and a demonstration of the rocket’s autonomous in-flight maneuvers, marking SpaceX’s fourth high-altitude flight since December. The SN11 rocket launched at 9AM ET in foggy weather at SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas facilities, soaring roughly 6.2 miles in the company’s fourth high-altitude test flight. Like past prototype tests, SN11 demonstrated a clean firing of three Raptor engines and autonomous control of the aerodynamic flaps that steer its descent back to land. A live camera feed aboard SN11 froze moments before its landing attempt. Another... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3do1lfX

Apple WWDC 2021 announced as online-only event

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Apple just announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place on June 7th through June 11th this year, and that like last year it will be an online-only event. The announcement, as is typical for Apple, is opaque when it comes to details, but there might be a tantalizing hint: is the memoji character’s glasses simply showing a reflection from their laptop? Or could Apple finally be gearing up to announce its long-rumored VR headset or AR glasses? “We are working to make WWDC21 our biggest and best yet, and are excited to offer Apple developers new tools to support them as they create apps that change the way we live, work, and play,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3rCKmLP

Flying taxi startup Lilium goes public via SPAC, unveils its new electric aircraft

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Germany’s Lilium will be the latest electric aviation startup to go public via a reverse merger with a special acquisition company, or SPAC. Lilium will merge with Qell Acquisition, a SPAC founded by former General Motors executive Barry Engle. The newly formed company will list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LILM.” As part of the announcement, Lilium unveiled a new, seven-seat electric aircraft that it says will launch as part of an inter-city flying taxi service in 2025. Previously, the company’s prototype was said to have only five seats — so we can assume that Lilium’s ambitions to ferry more passengers are growing along with its financial expectations. It’s the latest deal involving an electric vertical takeoff and landing... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3u7GeF8

Poshmark’s Tracy Sun on why community is the future of retail 

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Photo Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge The resale app’s co-founder on stitching e-commerce with social media Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3w5c5Iq

The NBA tries to make a slam dunk out of NFTs

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Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge | Video: NBA Top Shot Top Shot is playing the long game in the NFT craze Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3u41EmI

Xiaomi announces the Mi Mix Fold, its first folding phone

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The Mi Mix Fold pairs a folding screen on the inside with a smaller outer display. | Image: Xiaomi Xiaomi has resurrected its Mi Mix series with the Mi Mix Fold, the company’s first commercial folding phone. Unlike previous outlandish Mix devices and concepts from the company, the Mi Mix Fold is a pretty conventional folding phone that uses a big-screen-on-the-inside/small-screen-on-the-outside design similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series and Huawei’s new Mate X2 . The inner screen is an 8.01-inch 4:3 OLED panel with 2480x1860 resolution, a standard display brightness of 600 nits (900 peak), and support for Dolby Vision HDR. Xiaomi says the display is able to withstand being folded 200,000 times. The outer screen is 6.52-inches with a 90Hz refresh rate. Xiaomi is making big claims about the Mi Mix Fold’s audio capabilities, with... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3m5ikHD

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric crossover will be Motional’s robotaxi

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Lyft and Motional have selected the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for their forthcoming autonomous ride-hailing service. Motional, which is a joint venture between Aptiv and Hyundai, said the Ioniq 5 was chosen because it represents a “convergence of mobility’s two most transformative technologies — electrification and autonomy.” Motional hasn’t said how many vehicles it would acquire, nor where it will eventually deploy them for its robotaxi service. The company is currently testing its fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans in Las Vegas, where it is also running an autonomous ride-hailing service with Lyft. The Ioniq 5 was first unveiled by Hyundai last month , and won’t go on sale until later this year. Also, the vehicle won’t hit public roads as part... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3m2Ew5c

Bang & Olufsen’s luxurious gaming headset costs as much as an Xbox Series X

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Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen has announced Beoplay Portal, its first wireless gaming headset. The product maintains the company’s signature sophisticated look, and it has more features than your average headset. These were created with the Xbox ecosystem in mind, and with a push of its pairing button, they can connect to the Series X, Series S, Xbox One, or to a PC that has the Xbox Wireless adapter plugged into it. Additionally, they support a concurrent connection via Bluetooth 5.1 for other devices (including other consoles if you supply the Bluetooth adapter). This way, you can take calls without totally detaching from game audio. Similar to the Bose QC35 gaming headset that released last year, the Beoplay Portal look like high-end wireless... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3mco3vu

Virgin Galactic unveils new SpaceShip III

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VSS Imagine | Virgin Galactic Richard Branson’s space tourism firm Virgin Galactic is unveiling a new space plane dubbed VSS Imagine on Tuesday, the first SpaceShip III addition to the company’s growing fleet of suborbital vehicles. It’s a shiny, chrome-colored ship designed for quicker reuse than SpaceShipTwo, the current centerpiece of the company’s effort to kickstart its space tourism business in 2022. “Imagine will be the first of our SpaceShip III’s to come join the fleet,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier tells The Verge. “It will be followed up by Inspire, which we’re pivoting our manufacturing now.” Functionally, SpaceShip III is the same as the company’s SpaceShipTwo, dubbed VSS Unity . But SpaceShip III is designed in a “modular fashion” that will... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3m6gQwF

Polaris and Optimus Ride are co-developing ‘fully autonomous’ low-speed shuttles

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Photo by Andrew Hawkins / The Verge Autonomous shuttle startup Optimus Ride and power sports vehicle manufacturer Polaris are teaming up to co-develop a new lineup of vehicles that will be low-speed, electric, and self-driving. These low-speed vehicles (LSV) will be equipped with Optimus Ride’s full stack of sensors and software to enable “fully autonomous” driving without a safety driver behind the wheel — though the vehicles will also be monitored remotely by a team of engineers who can offer suggestions to the vehicle when things go wrong. The vehicles, which can seat six, will be deployed as a last-mile transportation service in residential communities, corporate and academic campuses, and other “localized environments,” as both a fixed-route shuttle and a more... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2O3Z68I

PayPal will let US users pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin starting today

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Image: PayPal We already knew that PayPal was planning to support cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. And now, the online payment app announced US customers can do just that with its “Checkout with Crypto” feature, rolling out today. After rolling out the ability for US users to directly buy and sell cryptocurrency directly from their accounts last November, PayPal’s new “Checkout with Crypto” allows users to instantly convert their Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, or Bitcoin Cash to US dollars (with no additional transaction fees) that PayPal then uses to complete the transaction. If a merchant doesn’t take US dollars, PayPal also converts those dollars into local currency at standard conversion rates set by PayPal. PayPal will... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3sEIVho

The LF-Z concept shows just how far Lexus has to go in EVs

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Images: Lexus Lexus’ next generation looks a lot like what we have now Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31uQg6W

Google is making some big upgrades to directions in Google Maps

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is announcing a bunch of new features planned for Google Maps, including a new tool to help with indoor navigation and suggestions for eco-friendly driving routes. The features announced today aren’t rolling out all at once, though; many aren’t available just yet, and it’s unclear when some will be available in some parts of the world. One of the biggest announcements is that Google is bringing its Live View augmented reality directions to airports, transit stations, and malls. Live View directions let you hold your phone up, point your camera at the world around you, and see arrows and icons pointing you where you need to go, and previously, they only worked outdoors. Disappointingly, though, these indoor AR directions aren’t... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3czyzcP

Kia’s EV6 is a small electric car with big dreams

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Images: Kia The first of a new wave of Kia (and Hyundai) electrics Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QKVRUB

Canoo’s deal with Hyundai appears dead

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Image: Canoo The deal between Canoo and Hyundai to build electric vehicles appears to be dead, as the California EV startup is moving away from trying to sell its electric vehicle technology to other automakers. Canoo chairman Tony Aquila shared the news Monday during an icy investor call — Canoo’s first as a publicly-traded company. Canoo’s CEO was also absent from the call, and the company announced earlier in the day that its CFO had resigned to take another job — the second major departure in recent weeks following Canoo losing its head of corporate strategy. “These are significant surprises on the call today, and that’s not ideal,” Roth Capital analyst Craig Irwin said at one point on the call. The deal with Hyundai was announced in February... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cziXpW

Ratchet & Clank is currently free, and it’s getting a PS5 update, too

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Insomniac Games’ 2016 remake of Ratchet and Clank is one of the most popular first-party exclusives released during the PS4’s life span. And today, the developer announced that the game will receive a next-gen optimization patch sometime next month to take advantage of the PS5’s hardware. The new update will allow PS5 owners to run the game at 60 frames per second. If you own a PS4 copy digitally or physically, you will receive the update free of charge. Additionally, the update will be available for users who play Ratchet & Clank via the PlayStation Plus Collection . Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be playable in 60 FPS on PS5 after a new update in April! As part of the Play at Home campaign, download the game for free now through 3/31. #... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3w8jWVG

Cyberpunk 2077’s latest patch fixes hundreds of bugs

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CD Projekt Red released an update for Cyberpunk 2077 with hundreds of bug fixes. Patch 1.2, a 34GB or more download depending on platform, is live on PC and consoles, with a Stadia update coming later this week. Fixes range from quality-of-life improvements to game-crashing bugs, including improvements to vehicles, police forces, NPC behavior, quests, and much more. The full list is available on the game’s website. CD Projekt Red released its first major patch in January , an update it said “lays the groundwork” for future fixes. The latest patch was delayed after hackers accessed the developer’s internal network, forcing the developer to push the release back to late March. CD Projekt Red’s work is far from done. The game’s launch late... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3szDgsR

Sony is closing its PlayStation Store for PS3 in July and Vita in August

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Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Sony is officially closing its PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 on July 2nd, with the store shuttering for Vita devices on August 27th. The shutdowns mean you’ll no longer be able to purchase digital copies of games or DLC for the PS3 and Vita. Sony is also removing the remaining purchase functionality for its PlayStation Portable (PSP) on July 2nd. Thankfully, you’ll still be able to download and play previously purchased games, videos, and media content. The only thing that’s changing, at least for now, is that you won’t be able to purchase PS3, PS Vita, or PSP digital games and videos. In-game purchases will also stop after the stores are closed. You’ll also still be able to purchase cross-buy content following the closures,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3stEHsJ

Here are the best iPad deals right now

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Photo by Brennan King / The Verge Deals on Apple’s iPad are more common than you might think. Whether you’re after the affordable iPad, the high-end iPad Pro, or something in between like the iPad Air or iPad Mini, there’s usually some sort of price cut happening somewhere. Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly where you can find those deals unless you’re looking around at all of the major retailers. But that’s what we’re doing each day when we hunt for deals, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed each of the current iPads available for purchase. Most of the time, there’s some sort of discount happening on a new or refurbished model. When there is a deal we think worth telling you about, we’ll let you know, along with any info you need to keep it in context. If... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3cCvDsX

Ford stops sales of its home charging station

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Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge Ford has stopped selling its Level 2 home chargers for the Mustang Mach-E after discovering some weren’t working, the company tells The Verge . The issue, which was first reported by Automotive News , has to do with the wall-box chargers registering a fault and stopping charging altogether. Ford says there are no safety concerns, but it decided to stop selling the $800 home charging stations at the end of February until it figures out the problem. Mach-E owners can still charge their electric Mustangs using 120V or 240V outlets at home, or at public charging stations. (Owners who run into any issues can call Ford at (800) 392-3673 .) Ford’s 48-amp Level 2 charger (officially called the Ford Connected Charge Station) is able to put around... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2O3ZlAN

Power sports company BRP will make electric watercraft, go-karts, and motorcycles

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Canadian power sports firm BRP announced that it would spend $300 million to electrify its entire lineup of vehicles by 2026. The company, which manufacturers watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs, and go-karts, will start rolling out its first products in the next two years. The $13 billion global power sports market is slowly coming around to electric drivetrains, and BRP, which owns popular brands like Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Ryker ATVs, and Rotax go-karts, is trying to position itself at the forefront of the movement. “We have always said electrification was not a question of ‘if’ but a question of ‘when,’” said José Boisjoli, BRP president and CEO, in a statement. “Today, we’re very excited to unveil more details of our... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3rwm7yP