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Showing posts from November, 2022

OnePlus says select 2023 phones will get four major Android updates

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The recently released OnePlus 10T, which will only get three major OS upgrades. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge OnePlus is committing to a longer support period for some upcoming phones, with an announcement that “select devices launched in 2023 and beyond” will receive four major Android updates and five years of security updates. But a company spokesperson declined to give an on-the-record answer about which of its phones will benefit from this extended support period, meaning it’s unclear whether it’ll just apply to OnePlus’ flagship phones or also the midrange Nord lineup. The length of support OnePlus has given to its phones has historically varied between devices but, in general, has started to lag behind what’s offered by other Android manufacturers. Both the OnePlus 10T and OnePlus 10 Pro are due to get three major OS version upgrades and... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/zUoeNiD

Elon Musk is delaying Twitter’s paid verification to avoid Apple’s 30 percent cut

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You might have to buy Blue somewhere else. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter’s revamped Blue subscription might not be available as an in-app purchase on iOS when it eventually relaunches so that it can dodge Apple’s 30 percent cut of App Store purchases, according to Platformer . When the new Blue was briefly available earlier this month, you could only purchase it through Twitter’s iOS app. But while Elon Musk is publicly tweeting his displeasure with Apple, it appears he wants to avoid having to pay Apple’s fees. Musk had said that the new Blue, which allows people to purchase a blue verification check mark, was set to relaunch on Tuesday after signups were paused following a wave of impersonators . But that launch has been delayed, Platformer says, and The Verge has also heard of the delay from a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/uHOqblL

Good luck getting a new iPhone 14 Pro before the holidays

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iPhone 14 Pros are a scarce sight these days. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple is on track to ship 20 percent fewer iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max units than expected this quarter due to recent covid lockdown restrictions and labor protests at an iPhone production plant owned by Foxconn. The latest report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates a shortfall of 15 to 20 million units, far worse than the 6 million units predicted earlier this week . The 14 Pro and Pro Max were already hard to find, and Kuo predicts that mass shipments won’t resume until late December at the earliest. Workers at the massive Foxconn facility have reportedly been forced to live on-site in an attempt to contain a covid outbreak. Protests ensued, with workers citing withheld pay and poor conditions, spurring Foxconn to offer some newly... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/cafwJdT

This is why streaming Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max keeps getting more expensive

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge It’s a lose-lose situation. While some streamers are losing money by paying to get content on their platforms, others are losing money by distributing it on their own platforms. The result? Price hikes. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/PA1KWTJ

At its halfway point, NASA’s Artemis I mission breaks a record

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“Orion reached its maximum distance from Earth during the Artemis I mission when it was 268,563 miles away from our home planet.” — NASA | Image: NASA On Monday, NASA’s Orion spacecraft reached its farthest distance from Earth, clocking in at 268,563 miles away from our planet. This marks the halfway point of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission , and the spacecraft will now continue its orbit around the Moon before heading back toward Earth. “Artemis I has had extraordinary success and has completed a series of history-making events,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a press conference, pointing out that Orion was the first spacecraft designed to carry humans to enter a distant retrograde lunar orbit and that it has surpassed the record for the furthest distance traveled away from Earth by a human-rated spacecraft. During Orion’s orbit around the Moon, which will last about a week, it... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/r47pu8S

Kensington made a new wireless version of its SlimBlade trackball mouse

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The new SlimBlade Pro. | Image: Kensington Kensington’s new version of its SlimBlade trackball mouse has a big improvement over the original model: wireless connectivity. With the SlimBlade Pro, which Kensington announced on Tuesday , you’ll be able to connect the trackball to your PC or Mac via Bluetooth or with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle ( via 9to5Mac ). Kensington claims the SlimBlade Pro will be able to get up to four months of battery life on a single charge, so you should be able to use the trackball for quite a while before needing to plug it in. The dongle has a handy storage spot on the bottom of the trackball if you want to keep it out of sight. And if you prefer keeping your mouse or trackball hooked up to your computer all the time, the SlimBlade Pro works with a wired... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/WQ9ZXtY

Pentiment’s pretty pages protect otherwise poor play

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Image: Obsidian Entertainment The game’s excellent art style and thoughtful narrative obscure a pretty boring gameplay loop. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/HzZYMVh

Chinese police are searching phones for Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram as protests mount

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Protestors in Hong Kong show solidarity with people in mainland China and hold blank sheets of paper as a symbol of censorship. | Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images Police in China are checking people’s phones for the presence of foreign apps, including Instagram, Twitter, and the encrypted messaging app Telegram, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and CNBC . While both outlets indicate that police are stopping people at transportation hubs in Shanghai, William Yang, the East Asia correspondent at the German outlet DW News , says it’s happening in Beijing and Hangzhou as well. According to reports from TechCrunch and The Washington Post , people in the country are accessing banned services like Twitter, Telegram, and Instagram through virtual private networks (VPNs) to communicate and organize protests against China’s zero-covid policies. Posts about the protests are heavily censored on... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/EibPfhm

The best Chromebook for 2022

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Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge The best Chromebook for anyone who wants Chrome OS on their laptop Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Lmd9KGX

Elon Musk says Apple has ‘threatened to withhold Twitter’ from the App Store

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Elon Musk is speaking out against Apple. | Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Elon Musk claims that Apple has threatened to “withhold” Twitter from the iOS App Store for unknown reasons. The news follows a tweet where Musk said Apple had “mostly stopped advertising” on the platform and a poll asking whether Apple should “publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers.” Apple did not immediately comment on Musk’s claim. The news follows much more subtle signs of mounting tension between Apple and Musk-owned Twitter. Musk has criticized Apple’s App Store fee for in-app purchases, dubbing it a “hidden 30% tax” on the internet. And Apple App Store boss Phil Schiller deleted his Twitter account following Musk’s takeover, shortly after Donald Trump’s account was reinstated. In a November 15th... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/H3QTO51

The N64 controller for Switch is back in stock at the Nintendo store

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Finally play StarFox64 the way Nintendo intended | Image: Nintendo Call it a Cyber Monday miracle if you will, but the official N64 controller for the Nintendo Switch has just been restocked at the Nintendo eShop. This $49.99 controller allows you to experience N64 games the way they were meant to be played — with a big gray controller that has an awkwardly placed central analog stick. This offer is exclusive to the Nintendo store and is only available to purchase if you’re a current Nintendo Switch Online subscriber. (Note: you can only access the N64 games with the purchase of the Switch Online Expansion Pack.) Unlike some restocks for the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, the method for purchasing this controller is very straightforward. Just sign in to your Nintendo account, click “add to cart,” and... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/wfyhzYO

Google partners with med tech company to develop AI breast cancer screening tools

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Medical personnel use a mammogram to examine a woman’s breast for breast cancer. | Photo by Michael Hanschke/picture alliance via Getty Images Google announced today that it has licensed its AI research model for breast cancer screening to medical technology company iCAD. This is the first time Google is licensing the technology, with the hopes that it will eventually lead to more accurate breast cancer detection and risk assessment. The two companies aim to eventually deploy the technology in real-world clinical settings — targeting a “2024 release,” Google communications manager Nicole Linton told The Verge in an email. Commercial deployment, however, still depends on how successful continued research and testing are. “We will move deliberately and test things as we go,” Linton said in the email. “We will move deliberately and test things as we go.” The partnership builds on... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/qLTO7dK

Twitter hit with wave of porn and spam obscuring tweets about China protests

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter search results for major Chinese cities have become filled with tweets about escort services, porn, and gambling that are obscuring legitimate reports about a wave of protests that have gripped the country, Washington Post and TechCrunch are reporting . Searches for “北京” (Beijing) or “上海” (Shanghai) are filled with such spam which, as of this writing, vastly outnumber any tweets about the protests. One analysis highlighted by Stanford Internet Observatory’s Alex Stamos estimates that over 95 percent of tweets under the Beijing search term are from spam accounts, with over 70 percent of the accounts only having started tweeting in such volumes recently. New spam tweets are appearing every few seconds from accounts that are tweeting... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/CLQvAw0

Inflight 5G calls and data could become a reality in Europe with new decision

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Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images The European Commission is opening the door for European airlines to begin offering inflight 5G connectivity, the organization has announced , by allocating certain spectrum for inflight 5G as well as “previous mobile technology generations.” Passengers will connect to an on-board pico-cell base station, which then connects to ground-based networks via satellite. Calls, texts, and data are all expected to be supported. “5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies,” said EU commissioner Thierry Breton. “The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity.” The Commission’s announcement does not offer details on exactly when 5G... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ZgRDUhV

Gran Turismo chief says devs are ‘looking into’ a PC port

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Image: Sony Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi isn’t ruling out a PC port for the long-running racing sim franchise. In an interview with GTPlanet ( via Eurogamer ) during the Gran Turismo World Finals on Sunday, Yamauchi told the outlet that the Polyphony Digital development team is “looking into” bringing the series from PlayStation to PC. “Gran Turismo is a very finely tuned title,” Yamauchi told GTPlanet , while also expressing some concern about getting the game to consistently run in 4K at 60 frames per second across all platforms. “It’s not a very easy subject, but of course, we are looking into it and considering it.” Gran Turismo 7 was released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 back in March, and its potential jump to PC... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/x7LzRHD

A bunch of Sonos speakers are 20 percent off for Cyber Monday

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The Arc is 20 percent off. Still expensive though. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Here’s a good deal: a big swath of Sonos’s speakers and soundbars are 20 percent off through Cyber Monday. The sale is now live at Sonos’s website as well as Best Buy, Target, and other retailers. Pretty much everything is at its lowest price ever, and while there are some notable exclusions — including the Sonos Roam, Five, and Sub Mini — it’s still a great time to fill out your Sonos system. Deals on Sonos soundbars and subwoofers The Sonos Arc is their flagship soundbar with Dolby Atmos, perfect for pairing with that big-ass new TV. It’s $720 at Best Buy , Sonos , and Target , which is better than $900. ( read our review ) The Sonos Beam (second gen) is smaller, and half the price (currently $360 at Best Buy , Sonos , and Target ). It... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/8AeNvn7

The best early Cyber Monday deals under $100

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The latest Kindle Paperwhite starts at $94.99 with 8GB of storage and ads.. | Image: Amazon Deals on new LG OLED TVs are nice and all, but not everybody can afford to spend over $1,000. If you’re trying to keep your holiday shopping on a budget, we’re here to help. We found plenty of terrific Cyber Monday discounts under $100 that make for good gifts, ranging from deals on streaming services like Hulu’s to e-readers like the latest Kindle Paperwhite . We’ve curated the cream of the crop here, but if you’re on an even tighter budget, check out our guides to the best Cyber Monday deals under $50 and under $25 . The best early Cyber Monday deals under $100 The best deals on streaming services and devices A yearlong subscription to Hulu with ads is down to $23.88 from $79.99. Even better, new and returning subscribers... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/MXfVw1h

Today I learned LG makes a space-saving cubicle monitor

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The LG Libero sits flush against partitions. | Image: LG Desk space is pretty limited when you’re working inside a cubicle, but LG’s 27-inch Libero Monitor could help you clear up a little more room. The monitor, which LG released back in August, comes with a two-way stand that lets you either hang it up on the wall of your workspace or have it stand on its own. The Libero’s design is pretty clever. It actually hangs upside down when hooked to the included partition hanger, and then flips right side up when set atop your desk. LG says it automatically adjusts its screen orientation when flipped, and it also comes with a detachable webcam (along with two webcam ports), so you can partake in video calls no matter how it’s mounted. That said, it seems like a useful external monitor or a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/C5jwPk7

The Genki Covert Dock Mini lets me put an entire gaming system in my purse

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That’s it. That’s the dock. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Friday afternoons growing up meant a trip to the video store. It was an utter thrill, like a little weekly Christmas, where my mom would turn my sister and me loose among the laminated, empty VHS boxes to pick out something to rent for the weekend. And as a rare treat, she would sometimes relent to our whining and let us take home the Holy Grail of rentals: a Sega console. A teenage Video Update employee would retrieve it for us and make sure that the controllers and cords were all accounted for in a massive, nuclear-code-style suitcase. That’s what carrying an entire game console looked like in 1993. Things are a little different now. A few weeks ago, I packed our game console to take it along on a family vacation. This time, it all... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/vFUpEdi

The best early Cyber Monday deals you can get now

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The Noc Design / The Verge You know how most streets in US towns look exactly the same, barring a few differences? That’s kind of how Cyber Monday is to Black Friday. Many of its deals should be familiar if you’ve been paying attention throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, even though it’s taking on another name. If you haven’t been tuned in, well, you’re in for a treat. There are so many best-ever deals on tech like noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, iPads, video games, budget-friendly gadgets, and a lot more (pour one out for the $569 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV at Best Buy, which is no longer available). We’re serving you the best-of-the-best deals right up top, just below a handy table of contents that’ll help you zip around to your preferred product category. ... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/pGwDvSb

A Twitter executive got a court injunction to prevent Elon Musk from firing her

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Sinead McSweeney, Twitter’s Ireland-based global vice president of public policy, secured a temporary injunction from the High Court of Dublin to prevent her from getting fired, according to a report from The Irish Times . McSweeney claims she was locked out of her work accounts and Twitter’s Dublin office after not responding to the email Elon Musk sent to employees, which asked workers to reply “yes” to commit to Twitter’s “extremely hardcore” culture , or otherwise leave. Musk sent out the email shortly after his Twitter takeover on November 16th, and gave employees a little over a day to confirm whether they wanted to stay at the company. If an employee didn’t click “yes” on the form included in the email, Twitter said it would “treat... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ZdrbKaJ

The Nintendo Switch is on sale with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for just $299.99

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My actual face after destroying my nephews with a blue shell. The holidays ( excluding Black Friday ) are truly a time to show a little extra compassion and empathy toward our fellow humans, but if you feel the need to use that blue shell, don’t hesitate. Right now, multiple retailers still have an excellent Nintendo Switch bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , a three-month individual membership to Nintendo Switch Online , and a standard Nintendo Switch . Normally, the combined price of everything included in this bundle would cost roughly $368, but it’s currently available at Walmart , Target , and Best Buy for just $299.99. Mario Kart is a game that needs no introduction, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a rguably the best entry in the series to date thanks to not only the portable... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/KDEpjIT

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is still available for its Black Friday price

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The latest Kindle Paperwhite is still available for its best price yet at Amazon and elsewhere | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge Despite the arrival of Amazon’s latest entry-level Kindle , the Kindle Paperwhite remains the best value in Amazon’s current Kindle lineup. Thankfully, you can currently find the 8GB, ad-supported model still discounted to just $94.99 (normally $139.99) at Amazon , Buy Buy , and Target . The ad-free model is also available at Amazon for $114.99 instead of $159.99 , which remains its lowest price to date. While 8GB can still hold roughly 2,000 individual pieces of literature, if you’re planning on using your Paperwhite to listen to audiobooks, there are also substantial discounts on the 16GB model, which is on sale at Amazon for $99.99 instead of $149.99 in the ad-supported configuration or for $119.99 (normally $169.99) without ads . While... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/8Xnw5G4

The DOJ is reportedly investigating rent-setting software company RealPage

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Image: TC Sottek / The Verge The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has reportedly opened up an investigation into RealPage, the real estate technology company accused of contributing to higher-than-normal rent prices. According to a report from ProPublica , the DOJ is looking into whether the company’s rent-setting software allows landlords to coordinate and raise rent across the nation. This comes after last month’s report from ProPublica , which revealed that RealPage’s YieldStar software uses an algorithm to “help landlords push the highest possible rents on tenants.” As noted by ProPublica , YieldStar’s algorithm uses the non-public rental rates gathered from the landlords and property managers that are its clients. YieldStar then repackages that... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Etm3JZx

The Internet Archive just put 565 Palm Pilot apps in your web browser

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Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Yes, I am playing Dope Wars on a Palm Pilot inside my iPhone. It’s thanks to The Internet Archive, which is once again launching a giant collection of software you can instantly play on any web browser, up to and including your touchscreen-equipped phone. There are currently 565 classic Palm apps in all , including games, widgets, and even free trials from both the greyscale and color eras. Reach out and touch a 1996 pocket computer with your 2022 pocket computer And it’s more than just the individual apps, too: the entire Palm OS is loaded into each launch, including its full selection of default apps (like the calculator and memo pad) and a working Graffiti touchscreen writing system. I cannot emphasize this enough: you can reach out... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/rlhY6ZA

iRobot’s terrific Roomba i3 Plus EVO is on sale for $200 off for Black Friday

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The iRobot Roomba i3 Plus EVO is on sale for just $349 right now. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Cleaning is probably one of the most tedious tasks for many people, which is why the right robot vacuum can make for a fantastic gift (and cat Uber , of course). And while there are plenty of heavily-discounted robovacs available right now for Black Friday — including the top-of-the-line Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra and Roomba j7 Plus — the iRobot Roomba i3 Plus EVO offers great bang for your buck, especially since it’s currently available at Amazon , Best Buy , and Target promotion for around $350 ($201 off), matching its best price to date. In addition to doing a terrific job of cleaning your house, the i3 Plus Evo comes with a few perks that just make life easier. Its advanced mapping features, for instance, mean you can program it to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/OIq7D51

The FCC just banned these Chinese cameras and telecom hardware from reaching the US

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, and Dahua all sell telecommunications equipment and video surveillance technology into the United States, but many of their future security cams and radio hardware will no longer be welcome. The Federal Communications Commission has just announced it’ll no longer authorize some of their equipment — which is a big deal, because companies can’t legally import or sell anything with a radio in the US without that authorization . But as I’ll explain, it’s not a blanket ban, either. Clearly-marked consumer products are likely going to be exempt. Weren’t these companies already banned? Not exactly. You’re probably remembering how the Trump administration didn’t make Chinese telecom companies feel particularly... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Ax7SZn5

The God of War Ragnarök PS5 bundle is back in stock at Walmart

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The excellent bundle isn’t on sale, but it does include one of the best games of the year. | Image: Santa Monica Studio If you’ve been hunting for a PlayStation 5, Walmart is hosting yet another restock event today for Sony’s next-gen console. For the second time this week, Walmart is selling the disc-based PS5 with a digital copy of God of War Ragnar ö k . This time, though, the bundle is available to everybody — not just premium Walmart Plus subscribers. As usual, we recommend logging in to an account you might already have or creating one. It can help to have your billing and shipping info already saved in your account, thus reducing the time it takes for you to check out and minimizing the chance of errors. If you don’t nab a console today, fear not — we will continue serving you with details when more restocks happen. If you’re looking for more Black... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/tfI7uJC

The best Black Friday deals on Amazon devices

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Amazon’s Echo Show 15 is $169.99 at various retailers, which is an $80 discount. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Don’t worry if you missed out on the steep Amazon device discounts we saw during July’s Amazon Prime Day and October’s Prime Early Access Sale: Black Friday is here, and the deals, in some cases, are even better. With the holiday season just around the corner, the timing’s perfect, too, as even popular presents like the Kindle Paperwhite are on sale at new all-time low prices. Even better, we’re seeing some of the first significant discounts on Amazon’s recently launched tech, like the fifth-gen Echo Dot , which just came out last month and is already half off. For your convenience, we’ve curated all the best deals you can currently get on Amazon devices in this post. If you want to save even more, though, be sure to check out our other... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/FoTRian

The best Black Friday laptop deals

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This MacBook Air M2 could be yours for a discounted price this Black Friday season. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great times to get your gadget shopping out of the way. Not only can you find discounts on smaller devices like headphones and games, but you can also save on bigger-ticket items like laptops across the price continuum. Whether you’re looking for the thinnest and lightest device you can buy or a heavy-duty gaming rig, Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring discounts for all. Amazon Laptop Deals The Razer Book 13 is down to $1,549.99 at Amazon (normally $1,999.99) and $1,399.99 at Best Buy . The Razer Book has Razer’s signature portability and sleek style, but it’s built for work and productivity use rather than gaming. Read our review . Samsung’s 13-inch Galaxy Book2 Pro is available at Amazon for $899.99... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Jinv7Az

Genesis Electrified G80 review: an unconventional cruise missile

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Genesis has electrified one of its earliest hallmark models. | Image: Tim Stevens The latest EV from Genesis mixes calm performance with stately manners and stunning style Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/oEla0y5

The best Black Friday deals on 4K TVs

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TCL’s 6-series R646 (shown here) is selling at its lowest price yet. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities to get the 4K TV of your dreams at a lower-than-usual price. However, these shopping days cap off what has been an amazing year to get a fantastic TV for far less than its listing price. The market in 2022 has been kind, whether you want a low-frills pick that includes Roku, Fire TV, or Google TV streaming software, or one that delivers heaps of features on top of top-tier picture quality. Regardless of what your needs are, we think you’ll be satisfied from the deals that we’ve found from brands like TCL, Insignia, and LG, with more on the way soon. The best 4K TV deals during Black Friday 55-inch Toshiba C350 Fire TV If you want the most TV for your buck, Toshiba’s 65-inch C350 Fire... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/e8yx5hp

Splinter Cell is getting a… radio adaptation?

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The Last of Us is getting a big budget HBO TV show , the Metal Gear Solid movie is still in development, and now Ubisoft’s long-dormant stealth series Splinter Cell is getting an eight part radio adaptation. The BBC has just announced Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Firewall , an adaptation of the Splinter Cell novel of the same name released earlier this year starring Will Poulter. In the context of the many recent big-budget game adaptations for the big and small screen alike, a radio play sounds like an odd choice for what was once one of Ubisoft’s flagship franchises. But considering the games were generally at their best in their slowest and most deliberate stealth moments rather than the high stakes action set-pieces of other titles, I’m... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/yG8HdK2

UK plans to make the sharing of non-consensual deepfake porn illegal

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Graphic by James Bareham / The Verge The UK government says it plans to make the sharing of non-consensual pornographic deepfakes illegal, with offenders facing “potential time behind bars.” The new offense is set to be added to the long-awaited and controversial Online Safety Bill, a mammoth piece of legislation that will rewrite the UK’s rules for policing harmful internet content. The government announced this morning that deepfakes would be covered in the legislation along with strengthened laws against “downblousing” (taking explicit images down a women’s top without consent). The passage of the bill was delayed this year by recent political chaos , but the UK government now plans to return it to parliament in December for further debate. 1 in 14 adults in England and... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/4W2maYd

Elon Musk says Twitter will begin manually authenticating Blue, Grey, and Gold accounts as soon as next week

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Elon’s answer to Twitter verification hell is to go back to manually authenticating accounts. Oh, and making the tick a different color. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Elon Musk says that Twitter’s check mark program could return on Friday, December 2nd, with a new procedure to verify individual identities in order to resolve impersonation issues. Musk described the new manual authentication process as “ painful, but necessary. ” Verified check marks will also be expanded with additional colors — gold for companies, grey for the government, and the original blue for individual accounts. As it turns out, offering so-called verified check marks for an $8 monthly subscription without actually verifying identities wasn’t a brilliant idea. After Musk ignored warnings from Twitter’s own trust and safety staff , the platform’s paid Twitter Blue subscriptions rolled out and quickly resulted in some ‘verified’... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/gi...

Elon Musk just decided to bring the worst people on the internet back to Twitter

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Photo by James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Twitter CEO Elon Musk has decided to offer “general amnesty” to suspended accounts — a gentler way of saying that he’s decided to welcome back some of the site’s worst and most toxic people. It’s the second major moderation decision he’s made since taking over after unbanning former President Donald Trump ; both decisions were made after Musk ran an informal poll from his personal Twitter account. The decision to reverse years of moderation work at Twitter effectively trashes Musk’s original promise: to create a diverse council that would help adjudicate serious moderation decisions. Musk then backed out of the idea by blaming “political/social activist groups” for breaking an alleged “deal” — a claim nobody has verified and that... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ZiAMIHS

The best Black Friday 2022 phone deals

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The deals are at hand. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you’ve been putting off replacing an old phone until the end of the year, then well done — Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are here to take the sting out of a new phone purchase. This year’s batch of deals features some healthy discounts on the latest flagships, including the iPhone 14 Pro and Google’s excellent Pixel 7 , as well as some steep price cuts on already well-priced midrange models. If you’re shopping for a new phone, take a look at our picks for the best deals of the bunch. The best Black Friday iPhone deals Apple isn’t one for Black Friday, but you can still find a few ways to save on a new iPhone. Verizon is offering a free iPhone 14 Pro when you trade in an old phone on a select 5G unlimited plan, while AT&T is... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/mNLSCRp

Google Messages has started letting some users react with any emoji

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And just like that, Messages are now way more fun. Google has started letting some users of its Messages app react to text messages with any emoji, instead of limiting them to the standard set of seven that have been available in the app for a while now ( via 9to5Google ). The feature’s similar to what other messaging platforms like Slack, WhatsApp , and paid versions of Telegram have — pressing and holding on a message gives you the standard emoji reactions, but you can then access the picker to react with whatever you want. The expanded emoji reactions appear to be a limited test at this point — 9to5Google says it’s heard two reports of it being rolled out, and while one person on The Verge ’s staff has access to it, two other people who checked do not. Google didn’t immediately respond to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/DCaYKGE

It’s easier to change Alexa’s accent now if you’re into that

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Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge If you’ve been dreaming of the day you can make Alexa sound like your very own British butler, well then, you’re in luck: Amazon is now making Alexa’s English vocals region-free. “We’ve added more voice options for English-speaking customers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia by giving them the ability to select from Alexa’s American, Australian, British, Canadian, or Indian voice options,” PR representative for Amazon Kaley Heuschkel tells The Verge in an email. Previously, if you attempted to switch up Alexa’s voice, Amazon would force you to make a region change as well , which would disrupt products and services that are only available in the country you live in. In comparison, Apple already lets US customers switch Siri’s accent to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/vmgTnMH

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2022: deals, news, and more

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge We’re rounding up all of the best deals from across the internet to help you cross some names off your holiday shopping list. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/eTpMDvo

An alleged crypto scam involving a bank called Polybius is headed to court

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Two Estonians have been arrested and are facing extradition to the US after being accused of defrauding thousands of people out of around $575 million with a crypto Ponzi scheme, according to the US Department of Justice . Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, along with four unnamed co-conspirators, were allegedly behind a scam crypto mining company called HashFlare and a fake crypto bank project called Polybius. The scheme began in 2013 when Potapenko, Turõgin, and the others started a company called HashCoins, according to an indictment, which you can read in full below. HashCoins said it built cryptocurrency mining equipment, though the DOJ says it actually only “sometimes” resold equipment and components that it bought off the shelf. By... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/YS0mNDo

The best Black Friday streaming deals on Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, and more

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For a limited time, Hulu’s just $1.99 per month for 12 months. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If you’ve been waiting for a good deal to land on a streaming service you’ve been eyeing, Black Friday is a great opportunity to save. A number of major services are currently offering some pretty solid deals that’ll save you a lot in the long run, and best of all, some of them are available to both current and returning subscribers. Right now, for instance, new and returning subscribers can enjoy a year of Hulu for just $1.99 a month instead of $7.99 a month , which equates to a savings of $72. To make your life just a little easier, we’ve highlighted some of the best Black Friday streaming service deals currently available below. If you’re looking to save even more money this week, though, be sure to check out our roundup of the best... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/BW4awJk

The best Black Friday deals on gaming laptops

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The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge You’re not just looking for a workhorse. You want a laptop that’s got game . Maybe that means frame rates, maybe even a high-refresh-rate screen for enhanced responsiveness in less demanding games. But above all, you want bang for the buck. That’s why you’re buying right now, during Black Friday week, when some of the best deals (and a bunch of predatory fake ones ) show up. These are the deals that caught my eye — the ones I might consider myself or recommend to a friend, depending on their needs and budget. Let’s start with the least expensive and go from there! The best Black Friday gaming laptop deals The Gigabyte A5 K1 is $729 at Newegg ($470 off) or $749 at Best Buy , a killer deal for midrange specs — an RTX 3060 (130W) and Ryzen... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/8Rq9QCP

The best Black Friday deals on Amazon devices

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Amazon’s Echo Show 15 is $169.99 at various retailers, which is an $80 discount. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Don’t worry if you missed out on the steep Amazon device discounts we saw during July’s Amazon Prime Day and October’s Prime Early Access Sale: Black Friday is here, and the deals, in some cases, are even better. With the holiday season just around the corner, the timing’s perfect, too, as even popular presents like the Kindle Paperwhite are on sale at new all-time low prices. Even better, we’re seeing some of the first significant discounts on Amazon’s recently launched tech, like the fifth-gen Echo Dot , which just came out last month and is already half off. For your convenience, we’ve curated all the best deals you can currently get on Amazon devices in this post. If you want to save even more, though, be sure to check out our other... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/IVpdaZ8

The best Black Friday deals you can already get at Walmart

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Walmart is selling the first-gen AirPods Pro for just $159, which is a $90 discount. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Just like Best Buy and Target, Walmart has already dropped many of its Black Friday deals ahead of the main event. The retailer began rolling out discounts online as part of its Deals for Days event earlier this month, and has continued adding to the pile on a weekly basis. Although it’s possible we’ll see prices drop even further when Black Friday officially lands later this week, we’re already seeing some steep discounts on a range of popular products, including the first-gen AirPods Pro . For your convenience, we’ve curated some of the best tech deals at Walmart for you to check out here. If you’re looking for even more deals, be sure to check out our roundup of the best early Black Friday deals available at all retailers . We’ve also... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/NsLGZYT

Marvel Snap introduces new cards and a way to get the cards you want

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Image: Second Dinner The developers behind Marvel Snap keep giving the people what they want. In a blog post , the developers announced that in the next patch, they’re adding a slew of new cards and a way for players to get the cards they’ve been pining for. Right now, the way you earn cards in Marvel Snap is by making your way up the collection rank ladder. Every so often, you’ll be rewarded with a new card from a specific pool at random. Random is all fun and good as it forces players to get creative in how they construct their decks so everyone isn’t running the same high-powered cards. But it still kinda sucks when you could craft the perfect deck to drive your enemies from you wailing and screaming if only you had that one card. ( Wong , I need Wong!) C... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/YSk3LZt

The best Black Friday deals you can already get at Best Buy

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LG This is it, Black Friday week. We’re just days away from the start of the biggest shopping holiday of 2022, but in a way, it already started at Best Buy. It came out swinging in early October with several good deals. It’ll add more price cuts once actual Black Friday comes around on the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Barring some items selling out, many of the deals you’ll find below should last through Black Friday. A few important things to note from Best Buy’s frequently asked questions page : it isn’t offering rain checks on Black Friday deals that sell out, though its great price-matching policy won’t be in effect from now through Cyber Monday, which is November 28th. For items purchased between now and the end of the year, you... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Pk27QqR

LG’s 27-inch OLED gaming monitor does 240Hz and costs $1,000

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This OLED monitor stands out with its adjustable stand, giving you more versatility than the legs included with OLED TVs. | Image: LG LG’s OLED panels are getting even smaller. With no fanfare, the company posted a product page for a new 27-inch OLED gaming monitor (model 27GR95QE-B). Reddit noticed first ; then, it got picked up by TechSpot and the HDTVTest YouTube channel. It’s the company’s first OLED panel of this size that’ll deliver 1440p (QHD) resolution, an increasingly popular resolution for PC and console gamers since it’s not as demanding as 4K. The dip from 4K to 1440p shouldn’t impact its ability to produce stunning image quality, though its anti-glare coating will probably give off a different look than a glossy TV screen. The new display is listed at $999.99, but there’s no specific release date provided. I’m excited for its adjustable stand that lets you... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/sloCKOh

Sony and Honda might stick a PS5 in their upcoming autonomous electric car

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Sony’s Vision-S concept on display at CES 2020. | Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge Sony and Honda are mulling cramming a PS5 into their upcoming entertainment-focused electric vehicle as they set up to challenge Tesla ( via Eurogamer ). Speaking to the Financial Times , Izumi Kawanishi, the joint venture’s president, said that it’s “technologically possible” for Sony to integrate the PlayStation 5 platform into the car it intends to build with Honda. Tesla started delivering its latest Model S and X vehicles with larger horizontal screens last year and added an AMD RDNA 2 graphics chip that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said is “literally at the level of a PlayStation 5” during a demo . Over a year later, Musk’s promises for big games like Cyberpunk 2077 and a demo for Steam in August have yet to be fulfilled, with the most notable... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/rm6Spl0

Ubisoft is back to releasing games on Steam, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

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Key art for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla . | Image: Ubisoft Ubisoft is bringing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla , Anno 1800, and Roller Champions to Steam, arguably its first major releases on Valve’s PC distribution platform since 2019. “We’re constantly evaluating how to bring our games to different audiences wherever they are, while providing a consistent player ecosystem through Ubisoft Connect,” reads part of a statement from Ubisoft spokesperson Jessica Roache to The Verge . Roache declined to say whether that means Ubisoft will now regularly bring games to Steam or if it’ll be on a case-by-case basis. It’s not clear why Ubisoft stopped putting its PC games on Steam or why it’s coming back now, but it appears to be picking up where it left off: Valhalla was the 2020 flagship game in the Assassin’s... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/lV61O7t