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Showing posts from November, 2024

Marvel Rivals gets Wolverine, Black Widow, and more in the latest trailer

With a new Marvel Rivals trailer , Marvel has revealed that Wolverine, Black Widow, Iron Fist, Squirrel Girl, and Cloak and Dagger will all be part of its upcoming 6 v 6 hero shooter . The company says in an announcement that each of them will be “fully revealed” in one trailer per day leading up to its December 6th launch. The trailer hints at some of the attacks the characters will have, including a Hulk / Wolverine team-up that involves the big green guy flinging Marvel’s furry short king at their adversaries. Some other paired attacks show up, like Squirrel Girl catching a Spider-Man web ball and apparently turning it into an exploding slingshot projectile, or Black Window and Hawkeye firing side-by-side. Marvel also took the wraps... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/xf7kLJA

The best Black Friday deals you can still get today

Image: Elen Winata for The Verge Just because it’s Saturday doesn’t mean the deluge of deals on laptops, headphones, and other Verge-approved gadgets is letting up. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ACFL6fP

You can still score a PlayStation 5 for as low as $374 for Black Friday

If white isn’t your style, Sony is also discounting some of its colorful console covers. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Sony and other game makers are running all kinds of Black Friday sales right now, allowing you to save on games, consoles, and plenty of accessories. However, one of the better offers still available is on the latest PlayStation 5 Digital Edition , which is on sale at Walmart , Best Buy , and Sony’s PlayStation Direct storefront for an all-time low of $374 ($75 off). It’s also available at Amazon as part of a Fortnite bundle that includes some in-game cosmetics and other freebies. Alternatively, if you prefer your console to come with its disc drive (instead of having to potentially add one later), you can get a disc-ready PS5 for $424 (regularly $499) at Best Buy , Walmart , PlayStation Direct , and Amazon (in that same Fortnite bundle). A... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2ruaSCI

How to watch Fortnite’s big Juice WRLD, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Spice concert

Image: Epic Games If it feels like Fortnite just had a major concert, that’s because it did — the beginning of November saw a live performance from Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice in New York that also aired in game. That event was used to kick off a mini season that remixed the battle royale’s second chapter . Now here we are with another virtual concert, albeit one that looks like it will more closely resemble musical events from Fortnite ’s past, like those featuring Ariana Grande and Travis Scott . It’s called Remix: The Finale, and the big difference appears to be scale. Instead of one artist, the event will feature four: Snoop, Ice Spice, Eminem, and Juice WRLD. All of them have been featured in the game’s current season ( Eminem also had his own solo event a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/bOqoUNm

Max, Hulu, and Paramount Plus are all heavily discounted for Black Friday

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge If you’re looking to catch up on recent shows and movies — including Shogun , The Penguin , and Dune: Part Two — the upcoming holiday weekend is the perfect time to do so. Thankfully, multiple streaming services are slashing subscription prices ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, including Max, Hulu, and others. Right now, for example, you can sign up for a year of Hulu for less than $12 . What’s more, you don’t have to be a new subscriber to take advantage of the ongoing promo, which is a rarity in the world of streaming. Hulu is just one of many platforms currently offering a holiday discount, though. We’ve rounded up a selection of other streaming deals below, many of which will run through November 2nd. Hulu and Disney Plus deals ... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/xmL1Q56

Staff home favorites that are on sale for Black Friday right now

Screenshot: Twinkly Whenever Verge staff is asked to describe their favorite games, smart tech, desktop accessories, or whatever, they are free to talk about things they recently bought, things they picked up 10 years ago, or things they’ve had sitting around their house for decades. Inevitably, though, some of the items have popped up in Black Friday sales. We thought we’d offer a curated list of a few of them. Strategy board game Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, reviewer Finding a board game that will entertain a 13-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, my partner, and me is a challenge. We’ve cycled through all the classics as well as newer options — Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and more. While these are all great, inevitably one of the group develops a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/nofHEyR

Here are the best Black Friday deals you can grab for under $30

Amazon’s latest Echo Dot is one of the better Echo speakers available — and it’s down to just $22.99. | Image: Amazon Combing through the deluge of Black Friday deals can be a daunting task, but the most affordable end of the spectrum is always a good place to start. In fact, we’re already seeing plenty of discounts available on budget-friendly gadgets and goodies ahead of the holiday, much of which can be had for under $30. You’re not just getting junk, either. If you know where to look, it’s not hard to find something useful for your arsenal. Right now, for example, you can get a great smart speaker in the fifth-gen Echo Dot , pick up a classic platformer like Super Mario Odyssey , or even level up your home security with cameras like the Blink Video Doorbell or Ring Indoor Cam . Many of the deals make for great stocking stuffers, too, or serve as an... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/DEGfRe0

All of our favorite robot vacuums are seeing steep discounts for Black Friday

Shark’s newest robot vacuum is $500 off for Black Friday and is worth buying just so you can call it Sharkira. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Robot vacuums are on sale all the time . But this Black Friday, there are some fairly significant price drops, including on rarely reduced flagship models like Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra and iRobot’s Combo 10 Max. If you’ve been holding out on trying the latest and greatest, now is a good time to dive in. Deep discounts are also available on some of our favorite midrange and budget bots, and iRobot is slashing prices on its entire line. Read on for our rundown on the best deals on robotic floor cleaners this holiday shopping weekend. Top-of-the-line robots with big discounts SharkNinja’s latest robot vacuum is down to an all-time low of $699.99 ($500 off) at Amazon and SharkNinja’s online storefront . The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/RMUA982

The hardest part of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is making a choice

Image: BioWare From romance to character classes, BioWare has made made almost all the game’s options compelling. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ocxYHRJ

Craft 3 is shockingly close to my ideal productivity app

The team behind the note-taking app Craft released a new version this week, after months of beta testing and more than a year in development. It includes lots of changes, but three big ones: new ways to style your documents; a new section called Collections that lets you compile and organize related stuff; and a bunch of new task-management tools. Craft works on Apple devices, Windows, and the web, and the team says Android is coming eventually. I’ve been testing the beta for the last few months, and I absolutely love it. This new Craft is the best app I’ve tried for managing both big projects and day-to-day life. It’s still missing a few features, particularly on the to-do list front, but it is both beautifully designed and very... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/zFjbkAI

Casio turns back time with the G-Shock that started it all

Here you can see the original 1983 G-Shock (left) compared to the DW-5000R recreation (right). | Image: Casio It’s been 41 years since Casio debuted the very first G-Shock digital watch, and its latest timepiece is the brand’s most faithful recreation to date. The new G-Shock DW-5000R is visually near-identical to the original DW-5000C launched in 1983 — right down to the length, and dimple positioning on the watch strap. The rugged appeal of the original DW-5000C carries plenty of nostalgic charm, but it was a novel concept when it first launched. Its creator, Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe, was inspired to make a damage-resistant timepiece after his mechanical watch shattered on the ground when it fell off his wrist. The resulting G-Shock design was intended to have “triple 10” resistance — meaning a battery life of ten years, water resistance of 10... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/cK2j7v1

You can now wear Apple’s running shoe emoji

The Shoe 1’s design was inspired by Apple’s running shoe emoji. | Image: Jose Wong Artist and designer Jose Wong has turned Apple’s running shoe emoji into a real sneaker that’s now available through their website in sizes ranging from five to 12. The Shoe 1, released through Wong’s ABCD brand, will set you back $219.90 for a pair, with shipping expected to start in about a week. The shoes feature an upper section made of full-grain nubuck leather combined with mesh for breathability, while the midsole and heel are made from lightweight EVA foam paired with a polyurethane rim to deliver a mix of comfort and “all-day support.” The Shoe 1’s rubber outsole is made using five percent recycled rubber, and the foam insoles inside feature an electronics print that references an A(BCD)5 processor — a nod to the A series chips... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/X9tiK2B

TikTok will block beauty filters for teens over mental health concerns

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images TikTok is placing age restrictions on some of its beauty filters to address concerns about how they impact the mental health of its teenage users. Some of the changes rolling out “in the coming weeks” include preventing under-18s from using certain appearance-altering effects, and expanding filter descriptions to specify what the filters adjust when applied. The press release says that age restrictions won’t apply to filter effects that are “designed to be obvious and funny,” such as adding animal ears or comically exaggerating certain features. The change likely aims to address beautifying effects like Bold Glamour that give users smoother skin, longer eyelashes, and slimmer faces — which can be more difficult to detect. As the... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Ev4SYbq

No, Microsoft isn’t using your Office docs to train its AI

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images Microsoft says it isn’t using customer data from its Microsoft 365 apps to train its AI models. The clarification addresses reports circulating online in the last few weeks claiming Microsoft required Word and Excel users to opt out of training the company’s AI systems. The confusion arose from a privacy setting in Microsoft Office that toggles “ optional connected experiences ” — a feature that helps users “search for online pictures” or “find information available online,” according to Microsoft. This toggle is switched on by default, and fails to mention AI training in the disclosure. Similarly, a Microsoft learning document posted on October 21st, 2024 seems to have contributed to the confusion by describing a long list of connected... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/uL4NMp8

How to use Google Gemini on your phone

Image: The Verge While Google Assistant is going to be around for a while, the future of Google-powered digital assistants now seems to be Gemini . Gemini comes preinstalled if you buy a Google Pixel 9 phone, and you can install the Android app on older Pixels and non-Pixel handsets. There’s also now an app for the iPhone . Whether you’ve already got it installed or you’re thinking about upgrading from Google Assistant, here’s what you can do with Gemini. (This was tested on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold.) Pay or not? You can grab the Gemini app for free for Android and iOS , sign yourself in with your Google account, and switch. As with Gemini on the web, the model you can access will depend on whether you’re willing to pay Google $20 a month for Google One AI... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/hcZnVtz

Intel awarded almost $8 billion in bid to protect US chipmaking interests

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge The Biden administration is giving Intel $7.865 billion in CHIPS Act funding to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the US. The agreement confirmed by the US Department of Commerce today is the largest award granted under the CHIPS Act to date, though notably smaller than the up to $8.5 billion earmarked for the chip maker in March. “Today’s award marks another key step in implementing President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act and the Investing in America agenda to reshore manufacturing, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthen our economy,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said in the announcement. The confirmed CHIPS investment will be put towards building and expanding Intel’s semiconductor... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/S6a7hR8

Video leaks of Samsung’s curvier Galaxy S25 Ultra flagship

The edges of the leaked Galaxy S25 Ultra look much softer than the current S24 Ultra flagship. | Image: 1gzlim3 / Reddit The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is poised to launch in early 2025, but a new leak gives us a good idea of what it will look like. A misleadingly titled “S24 Ultra definitely” video posted to Reddit , determined to be the Galaxy S25 Ultra by reliable leaker Ice Universe , shows off rounded corners not found on Samsung’s current flagship smartphones, backing up previous leaks and rumors. The rounded corners also echo the rounder UI elements found in the upcoming One UI 7 software update that Samsung will soon be rolling out. Other features seen in the hands-on video include a glossy finish, metallic-looking edges, and Samsung’s recognizable rear camera setup — all of which were also seen in supposed Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy units that leaked... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/lzBwsFY

How to watch a baby

Kristen Radtke / The Verge Parenthood is abrupt and total. When I went to the hospital, I understood that I’d be sent home with a vulnerable being who would require constant care, but it was impossible to prepare for what that actually felt like. I’d loved being in the maternity ward, a leisurely four nights thanks to a C-section and a few complications, where I was surrounded by perky and competent nurses who took care of me and my baby, checking my bandages and bringing me ice and answering my questions. (I had a lot of questions.) “If she doesn’t want to eat, is that okay?” “What does that raspy noise mean?” “Her lower lip keeps quivering, is that okay?” “Does she need to keep the hat on all the time?” “How often should I change her diaper?” When we were... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/L0c1UJd

Corning offers Gorilla Glass concessions to settle EU’s antitrust case

Gorilla Glass is used in many of the most popular smartphone offerings, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 (pictured). | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Gorilla Glass producer Corning has proposed several commitments in an attempt to settle an antitrust investigation initiated by the European Union. The bloc launched a probe into Corning on November 6th over concerns the New York-based company used exclusivity contracts to push out rival glass makers from the phone industry, allowing it to dominate the worldwide market for break-resistant Alkali-AS Glass. According to the EU Commission’s press release, the remedies proposed by Corning include waiving all exclusivity clauses in its current agreements with phone companies and glass finishers, promising not to use such clauses again in future, and not forcing its customers to buy specific quantities of stock from Corning. Corning also... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/H07lpzQ

Apple’s movie theater beef with Hollywood is getting worse

Image: Apple Wolfs director Jon Watts told Collider on Friday that he didn’t think a sequel to the George Clooney and Brad Pitt movie, which Apple had already greenlit, would be happening. Yesterday, he revealed to Deadline that he had backed out of the project because he “no longer trusted [Apple] as a creative partner” after the company made a u-turn on its wide theatrical release. The New York Times reported in August that Apple pulled the theatrical run for Wolfs because it was concerned it was spending too much on films after suffering multiple high-profile box office disappointments. At the same time, its limited-run approach worked out for Doug Liman’s The Instigators , which analysts cited by the Times said was the most-watched streaming movie... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/enEXz6C

Nintendo’s terrific Switch Pro Controller is $20 off through Black Friday

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge Nintendo recently announced a batch of Black Friday deals , all of which run through November 30th. This includes a steep discount on the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller , which drops it to an all-time low of $49.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy , GameStop , and Target . This is one of the more notable Black Friday discounts from Nintendo this year — that is, aside from the current promo on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo’s latest Switch OLED bundle — namely because the Pro Controller rarely goes on sale, even today. Although there are many great third-party gamepads available, the Switch Pro Controller remains the best all-around controller for Nintendo’s aging console. It’s much more comfortable to use a full-size controller... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/9p3VmsB

Two new tech documentaries you really need to see

Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 61, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy Hallmark season, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) I missed you all last week — thanks to everyone who told me you missed Installer , too! Warms my heart, and also makes me feel terrible for not being there, but mostly warms my heart. Let’s get back at it. This week, I’ve been reading about venom and deadly car races and hockey phenoms , setting up the new Mac Mini I finally caved and bought, watching The Day of the Jackal (which is spectacular) and Wolfs (which is fine), devouring the Dark Matter and Say Nothing books before I watch the shows , seeing if Google’s... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/ENy5whB

Microsoft is testing a new in-game browser

Microsoft’s new Game Assist browser overlay can automatically surface tips and tricks for you. | Image: Microsoft Microsoft has announced that Microsoft Edge Game Assist, a new Edge-powered in-game browser overlay, is available for beta testing in Windows 11. The “game-aware” overlay lives in the Microsoft Game Bar and is designed to automatically find and show you links to tips and guides for the game you’re playing, using the Edge browser. Game Assist uses the profile you’re logged into in Edge, so it’ll give you access to your data, like cookies, autofill, and favorites, so “you don’t need to log into sites again.” Like other Game Bar widgets, you can pin it above your game as you play. Game Assist is currently available in English, and you’ll need to opt into the preview and set Microsoft Edge Beta 132 as your default browser to use it. Here’s a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/CFtvpf1

What’s on your desk, Kylie Robison?

A cozy workspace full of character and characters — and a cat. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/HR5eV2z

Twitter’s heir apparent isn’t X or Threads — it’s Bluesky

Kristen Radtke / The Verge Bluesky feels like the big winner right now. I’ve been covering Bluesky ever since I got my invite in April 2023. I’ve felt the platform has always had promise, especially with features like feeds with custom algorithms and the ability to let users pick their own moderation filters. But for a long while, it didn’t have the critical mass of users that I could follow to make it the first social network I load up every day. Over the course of this month, that’s changed. It added 700,000 new users in a week. Then, it crossed the 15 million-user mark. This week, CEO Jay Graber said it crossed more than 20 million users and had been adding more than a million users per day . Part of the interest in Bluesky is that it looks and feels like a... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/SkDZKni

A proposed climate tax on crypto mining is gaining momentum

Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge A tentative proposal to tax cryptocurrency mining to raise funds for climate action took off during a United Nations climate conference that’s set to come to a close today. A levy on energy-hungry crypto mining, at $0.045 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used, could generate $5.2 billion in revenue annually, according to a report released last week by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, led by Kenya, Barbados, and France. The Bitcoin network is estimated to use more electricity annually than a majority of the world’s countries do individually . The idea is that a climate tax could reduce emissions by incentivizing mining firms to clean up their operations. And it could provide desperately needed funding to help less affluent... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/xJEVDnT

Apple’s first smart display needs to make the smart home just work

Some Apple Home users have shoehorned iPads into wall-mounted home controllers. However, reports indicate Apple is developing a dedicated home control device. | Photo By Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images The smart home has an interface problem . Searching for an app on your phone, fighting with a confused voice assistant, and fiddling with a “smart” display to turn off a light is enough to send anyone running back to the wall switch. But now, Apple is taking a crack at solving the frustrations of smart home control — and it has the opportunity to actually make the smart home work. Next year, the company will reportedly launch an “AI wall tablet for home control,” and it’s said to be developing more devices for the home (including cameras , a tabletop robot , and maybe even a TV ). Among other features, such as video calling, this new smart display will reportedly be a hub for Apple’s home automation platform, Apple Home , providing a communal......

This functional Rick and Morty Butter Bot can roam your breakfast table

The Butter Bot has a functional camera that can live stream video to an included wireless remote. | Image: Kickstarter Geek Club and CircuitMess have created a functional replica of one of Rick and Morty ’s most tragic characters — the Butter Bot — with new capabilities so the bot is more than just a breakfast butler. With a camera, working treads, and AI capabilities, this Butter Bot can navigate the world, recognize your face, and chat with you. The tiny robot is available for preorder now through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for $139, with delivery expected as early as August 2025. For aspiring Ricks, the Butter Bot is also available as part of a pricier $219 “Mad Scientist Pack” that includes a collection of upgradeable modules expanding its functionality. With any crowdfunded product there’s always the risk of delays or delivery never... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/UZ10zqF

This digital D&D watch lets you roll a fireball from your wrist

Who even carries eight six-sided dice with them anyway? | Image: Timestop Dice hoarding is a common hobby among Dungeons and Dragons players, but I’m betting most won’t have a digital watch in their collection. Alongside displaying the time, day, and date, the Timestop D-20 includes all the dice-rolling features you need to play tabletop roleplaying games directly from your wrist at the push of a button. The watch allows the wearer to digitally roll a 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 20-, or 100-sided dice, alongside “Advanced Combat” features such as rolling up to 12 dice at once, and D20s with advantage or disadvantage (a fancy way of rolling two dice and taking either the higher or lower results). It’ll also display specific icons when a D20 rolls a 1 or a 20 — known as a “critical failure” or “critical success”... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/DnOfRN4

Google workers to DOJ: we need protections to make your breakup effective

Illustration: The Verge Google employees met with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division last month to share workers’ perspectives ahead of the government’s expected proposal to break up the company . Their message? That as the DOJ attempts to end Google’s search monopoly, any effective remedy must make sure workers are protected and empowered to speak out. Three members of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) met virtually with staff from the DOJ Antitrust Division on October 23rd, workers who attended the meeting told The Verge exclusively. During the hour-long conversation, the Google employees urged the government to consider how any remedies imposed by the court could impact workers and to make sure workers are protected and aware of their rights to share... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/iOaL7Me

UberXXL will let you catch an even bigger ride to the airport

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Uber has launched a new airport-only fare option in its ride-sharing app called UberXXL. It surpasses UberXL’s single X by guaranteeing rides with trunk space that can handle large families with lots of big bags — no more sitting at the curb trying to figure out what to do next. Screenshot: Uber The new option is available today at more than 60 airports worldwide, with more coming down the road. In terms of pricing, UberXXL will sit somewhere between UberXL and Uber Black, the company says. XXL also adds a stopgap before Uber Shuttle , the charter-style option it launched in New York last month that lets you book up to five seats for a trip to the airport with discounted rates and protection against surge pricing. T... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/JWyVrHC

Instagram will let you rebuild your recommendations from scratch

I nstagram users can soon clear and make a fresh start on the content that’s recommended to them. | Image: Meta Instagram is testing a new feature that will let users completely refresh the content that’s recommended to them on the platform. The recommendations reset feature will “soon roll out globally,” according to Meta’s announcement , and can be used to clear the algorithmic content that currently appears in Feeds, Explore, and Reels. The new feature will be available to users of all ages, including Teen accounts. “We want to make sure everyone on Instagram – especially teens – has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” Meta said. “We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience, so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve.” ... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/284fAXt

NBA settles with WBD as it prepares to stream games on Amazon in 2025

Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images The NBA has reached an 11-year agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery that will continue the development of content like Inside the NBA , which will appear on ABC and ESPN. The settlement comes months after Warner Bros. Discovery sued the NBA for dropping TNT’s licensing package. In July, the NBA chose licensing deals with Amazon’s Prime Video , Disney, and NBCUniversal over TNT. This resulted in a lawsuit from Warner Bros. Discovery that accused the NBA of breach of contract. During the 2025-2026 season, dozens of the NBA’s regular-season and playoff games will stream on Prime Video service, while some games will still appear on ESPN, ABC, and NBC. Warner Bros. Discovery’s settlement includes the highlight rights to NBA games, which it can... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/Q98A2zc

Roblox will restrict kids under 13 from chatting outside of games

Illustration: The Verge Roblox is starting to roll out some recently-announced child safety features, and the updates include some new limitations for how users under 13 can communicate on the platform. Beginning Monday, users younger than 13 won’t be able to DM players outside of games or experiences on Roblox. And they’ll need parental permission to be able to send in-game DMs — though this change won’t be fully implemented across the platform until the first quarter of 2025. The changes follow recent reports highlighting instances of Roblox failing to protect children. A big article from Bloomberg described how predators on the platform use chat to communicate with kids. And a report from Hindenburg Research described Roblox as “an X-rated pedophile... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/L5t1nYv

LG’s first 480Hz OLED gaming monitor is $1,000

Image: LG LG’s 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is one of the fastest models we’ve seen to date and it’s finally ready for preorder. The UltraGear 27GX790A (or GX7 for short) is priced at $999.99 and is built around a 480Hz panel from LG Display announced in early January with a 2560 x 1440 resolution and 0.03ms response time. The base specs of the GX7 are on par with the $1,100 InZone M10S that Sony released in September. That makes the UltraGear GX7 a smidge cheaper, but it lacks some of the performance modes and variable refresh rate features available on Sony’s offering. The UltraGear GX7 is listed as available for preorder on LG’s US website , but there’s no mention of a delivery date and it can’t yet be added to the basket for checkout. We’ve... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/go6EUKB

An Ohio man guilty of Bitcoin laundering must forfeit over $400 million in assets

Image: The Verge An Ohio man named Larry Dean Harmon will serve three years in prison and forfeit more than $400 million worth of cryptocurrency and other assets, the Department of Justice announced on Friday . Harmon was indicted in 2020 on money laundering conspiracy charges related to Helix, a darkweb cryptocurrency “mixer” service he ran. Also known as crypto “tumbling,” services like Helix are designed to hide cryptocurrency transactions — often for illegal drugs — and the identity of people involved. From 2014 to 2017, Harmon processed more than 350,000 Bitcoin (about $311 million USD at the time) in such transactions, according to the DOJ’s announcement. Harmon, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in August 2021, will be on... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/YnFaf5E

After Musk endorsed Trump, X boosted conservatives, study suggests

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Elon Musk’s X may have tweaked its algorithm to boost his account, along with those of other conservative-leaning users, starting around the time he announced his support of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. That’s according to a new study published by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which found that Musk’s posts in particular were suddenly much more popular. The study’s authors — QUT associate professor in digital media Timothy Graham and Monash University communications and media studies professor Mark Andrejevic — first looked at Musk’s engagement before and after his July endorsement of Trump . They report that starting around July 13th, Musks’ posts received 138 percent more views and 238 percent more retweets than... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/TnlSrJm

Making human music in an AI world

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge Ge Wang doesn’t use computers to make music the way most people use computers make music. He uses computers to make... computer music. Wang works at Stanford, as an associate professor in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. He also conducts the school’s famed Laptop Orchestra , was a co-founder of the music app maker Smule, and created a programming language called Chuck that turns code into sound. He understands how computers, music, and humans interact more deeply than most. He also has some ideas about where it’s all headed. On this episode of The Vergecas t , the third and last in our mini-series about the future of music, we chat with Wang about what’s next for computer music. He tells us about teaching his... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/PSKM0N5

Sometimes you just need a straightforward, old-school RPG

Image: Square Enix We’re in a pretty good moment for sprawling, complex role-playing games. New releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age Absolution , along with older titles like Elden Ring ( including this year’s expansion ), Cyberpunk 2077 , and Baldur’s Gate 3 have sucked millions of people into their expansive worlds. They can be all-consuming experiences, offering players all kinds of freedom to explore their worlds and characters. But honestly? Sometimes I don’t want to fuss with conversation wheels or make difficult, narrative-altering choices. I just want to go on a big adventure and slowly turn into an overpowered hero fighting monsters — and that’s where the excellent new remake of Dragon Quest 3 comes in. The game originally came out way... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/h0szd59

Gabe Newell says Half-Life 2: Episode 3 didn’t happen because he was ‘stumped’

Concept art for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 , from the Half-Life 2 20th Anniversary Documentary. | Screenshot: YouTube Unsurprisingly, yesterday’s big Half-Life release wasn’t the sequel to Half-Life 2 or even the third Half-Life 2: Episode entry, but a 20th-anniversary update to Valve’s legendary 2004 game. And given what studio co-founder Gabe Newell has to say on the subject in a 2-hour documentary that the company released in tandem with the update, it seems less likely than ever that we’ll be seeing either follow-up anytime soon. Newell explains what he calls his “personal failure” near the end of the video: You can’t get lazy and say, “oh, we’re moving the story forward.” That’s copping out of your obligatiion to gamers, right? Yes, of course they love the story. They love many, many aspects of it. But sort of saying that your reason to do it is... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/TOfXIrh

Here’s some cool stuff you can do with Bluesky

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge So, you’ve finally decided to give Bluesky a shot. The social network has come a long way since the early bare-bones days of invite-only signups and recently grew past the 15 million user mark . Along the way, it’s gathered a lot of familiar posting platform features, like direct messages , pinned posts , and the ability to post videos up to 60 seconds in length . But there’s a lot more to it than that, and I’m not only talking about lore. (Yes, Bluesky has lore , and that’s probably the most classic Twitter thing about it.) It’s also got a number of features and settings you won’t find on X or Threads, like the ability to choose your own algorithm or moderation tools. These serve not just as a fast lane to getting the platform to feel... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/oJpsvjV

The Rise of the Golden Idol makes a great puzzle game even better

Image: Playstack / Color Gray Games The Case of the Golden Idol was a rewarding series of point-and-click murder mysteries that became one of my favorite games of 2022. And while I felt there was more story to explore about the titular golden idol, I wasn’t sure if a potential sequel could live up to its clever puzzles and fascinating, slowly unfolding story. Turns out, I had nothing to fear: The Rise of the Golden Idol , the newly launched sequel , easily surpasses the original by improving on just about everything. At its core, Rise is a very similar game to Case . The new game takes place in the 1970s, around 200 years after the events of the original, and each of Rise ’s cases drops you into a specific moment in time, typically during or shortly after a murder. You’re... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/HnjhLz7

Dune: Prophecy is a slow and cerebral meditation on the power of patience

Image: HBO HBO’s new Dune prequel series sharpens the Bene Gesserit’s history into pointed drama that calls for some patience. Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/FjmSZqh

Bitfinex hacker receives five-year sentence for record-breaking crypto heist

Nick Barclay / The Verge The hacker behind one of the biggest-ever cryptocurrency heists will serve five years in prison for conspiring with his wife to launder billions in stolen Bitcoin. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein was sentenced in Washington federal court Thursday after he admitted to hacking the Bitfinex crypto exchange in 2016 and stealing almost 120,000 Bitcoin tokens. Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan were arrested in 2022, and in August last year both pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering . The stolen cryptocurrency, worth around $71 million at the time of the theft, had soared in value to approximately $4.5 billion by the time Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested. Valued at today’s prices, the stolen funds would be worth an even more... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/sJVxSF4

Google Photos Partner Sharing is less of a snitch now

Illustration: The Verge Google has placed some new limitations on a Google Photos feature that allows users to automatically share images and videos in their library with a partner. The update to Partner Sharing now means that users can only share photos or videos that were taken using their device’s default camera app, meaning partners are unable to see screenshots or images shared on services like WhatsApp. Some Reddit users who utilize Partner Sharing initially reported the issue as a bug, but several comments made by a presumed Google employee say the change was intentionally made “to better align with most users’ expectations.” This is backed up by an updated Partner Sharing help article that says “photos from other apps on Android aren’t shared with your... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/S0nbzrd

Snapchat will let parents request their teen’s real-time location

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Once known only for its self-destructing pics, in recent years Snapchat has sneakily evolved into a location-oriented social media app . It’s now leaning further than ever into that identity with a new real-time location sharing feature that allows family members to share their live locations with each other. The feature will roll out alongside other new location and privacy tools in the coming weeks. Once you have the update, you’ll see an option in the Family Center that lets parents request their teen’s locations, and vice versa. The hub will also allow parents to view their child’s location-sharing settings alongside existing privacy settings to ensure they’re using the app safely and responsibly. If that’s not enough, Snap is... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/MPy9H1V

Google’s Gemini AI now has its own iPhone app

In the AI chatbot world, ubiquity is everything. Companies have raced to build desktop and mobile apps for their bots, in order to both give them new capabilities but also to make sure they’re right in front of your face as often as possible. There’s no better example of that than Google’s new Gemini app for iPhone , which quietly hit the App Store around the world this week. The free app is simple and straightforward: it’s just a chat window and a list of your previous chats. You can query the bot with text, voice, or your camera, and it’ll give you answers. It’s effectively identical to the Gemini section of the Google app, or what you’d get by opening a browser and going to the Gemini website. The Gemini app does have one newish... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/j2K45dL

Google will let you search for products on Maps to help with holiday shopping

The Verge Google has added some new travel and shopping features to Maps that aim to make it easier to find local products and stay on time during busy periods. Starting today, Maps now allows users to search for items like home goods, clothing, and electronics, and find stores nearby that sell them — a useful feature to have for any last-minute holiday shopping. The search results in Maps will display individual product listings alongside locations where generic examples of desired items can be found (showing nearby stores that sell “holiday sweaters,” for example). The product listings are presented similarly to products in Google Shopping, only with useful information like store distance and if the item is currently in stock. G... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/RXW83UB

PayPal will let you pool money for group gifts and shared expenses

PayPal is making it easier to collectively pool together funds on the platform. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images PayPal is introducing a new money-pooling feature that aims to make it easier to collect and pay for things as a group. The feature is free and allows PayPal users to create a pool online or via the platform’s app, invite friends and family to contribute, track contributed funds, and transfer that cash to their own PayPal balance. Provided you trust the pool organizer who will hold the power to spend or withdraw those funds, the pooling feature should provide a simple way to gather cash for things like gifts and group traveling collectively. Pool organizers can share pool joining links via “text, email, WhatsApp, and more” to people regardless of whether they have a PayPal account or not. Contributions can be made using a PayPal balance... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/OCcbV3L

Bluesky crosses the 15 million user mark

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Short-form posting platform Bluesky crossed the 15 million user mark today amid a recent surge of user signups in the wake of the US presidential election. That’s according to a stat-tracking site put together by Bluesky developer Jaz , using the Bluesky API. The platform, which rests on the decentralized AT Protocol, added about a million new users in the last week. Bluesky COO Rose Wang recently told The Verge that the “majority” of new users flocking to the platform have been from the US. The Bluesky app is currently at number one in the iOS app store, followed by Threads, ChatGPT, and the Google app. Screenshot: iOS App Store Bluesky is the number one free iOS app this morning. Meta’s Threads is still... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/yQ0F9f8