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Showing posts from July, 2025

All the news from Nintendo’s July 2025 Direct showcase

It’s been a little over a month since the Switch 2 launched and Nintendo’s ready to share more of the games coming to the console. This Nintendo Direct will be a short one, only 25-minutes long, and focused exclusively on third-party games. It’s likely that Hades 2 will make an appearance. The game, out on PC in early access, got a huge update recently and it seems like a formal launch date announcement is imminent. We may also see some more of FromSoftware’s contributions to the platform, like the multiplayer game Duskbloods . And of course, the eternally patient Hollow Knight fans are once again pinning their hopes on this Direct finally being The One to reveal more Silksong . With the Switch 2’s improved graphics and processing power , this third-party showcase might also contain some surprising technical additions to the console’s catalog like Call of Duty . We’ll find out more when the Nintendo partner direct starts at 9 AM ET. Nintendo is ready to show off its partners. ...

DJI’s first 360-degree camera can continuously capture 8K footage for over 100 minutes

The Osmo 360 is DJI’s first 360-degree action camera. | Image: DJI DJI has announced the company’s first 360-degree action camera designed to compete with the Insta360 X5 and the aging GoPro Max (which the company is planning to replace soon ). The new DJI Osmo 360 slightly edges out the X5’s recording capabilities by capturing 8K videos at 50fps instead of 30fps, and features a design that’s both smaller and nearly 20 grams lighter than the Insta360’s. We just don’t know how much the Osmo 360 will cost because DJI hasn’t revealed when it will be coming to the US. The Osmo 360 doesn’t feature swappable lenses, but unlike the X5, which uses only part of its rectangular 1/1.28-inch sensors, DJI’s 360-degree camera uses all of its new 1-inch square-shaped HDR sensors. The company says that this “reduces unnecessary bulk” and helps keep the camera compact and light at 183 grams. The Osmo 360 also captures 10-bit video, which offers more creative freedom when color correcting footage...

Uber Eats is adding AI to menus, food photos, and reviews

In examples like those garlic knots on the bottom left, Uber Eats’ AI would have to generate sections of the food itself. The menus on your next Uber Eats order may be embellished using generative AI. The food delivery service is rolling out new features that aim to help businesses advertise and communicate with customers, which include  AI additions to menu descriptions, food photos, and review summaries, along with a live chat tool and payments for user-submitted photos. The AI tools can be used to generate descriptions for menu items and summarize customer reviews to quickly highlight feedback regarding areas of the business that need improvement. Uber Eats also says it’s using AI to “detect and enhance low-quality food images” on menus, either by making changes to lighting, resolution, and framing, or editing the food onto different plates or backgrounds. The example images provided by Uber Eats suggest that this feature may also use generative AI to make adjustments to the...

Hey Microsoft, is it ‘Xbox PC’ or ‘Xbox on PC’?

Microsoft first started using the "Xbox PC" term in a blog post announcing the Gears of Wars remaster in early May. It was a new branding effort designed to signal that games are available on PC through its own Xbox PC app and store. The Xbox PC branding didn't last long though, as Microsoft has now started using "Xbox on PC" instead. Which one is it, Microsoft? The Xbox PC branding has been picked up by third-party publishers, with Focus Entertainment using it for a gameplay trailer in early June. Then on June 25th Microsoft introduced the Xbox on PC branding for its Hellblade II Enhanced announcement , but confusingly used both Xbox PC and … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/WOUVCNb

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: more of a good thing

The Flex Window gets an upgrade. It's the flip phone paradox: if you want to be more mindful about your mobile device usage, you need more screen, not less. I know. But I swear it's true: with a bigger cover screen, you get more than just a new way to check notifications. You can actually get shit done . Things that are annoying or even impossible to do on a smartwatch, like sending a text or reading an email, are the perfect candidates for a larger-but-still-small screen. Best of all, you can avoid opening the phone altogether, which is a win for attention spans everywhere. That's what makes the $1,099.99 Flip 7 kind of a big deal. It finally offers a proper edge-to-edge … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/dbEJwOt

Google’s Pixel 10 sure looks like it’ll support magnetic Qi2 charging

This definitely looks like a magnetic wireless charger. Evidence is mounting that Google’s Pixel 10 series will support Qi2 wireless charging, including built-in magnets, finally offering a mainstream Android alternative to Apple’s MagSafe. The latest sign is a leaked image of the Pixel 10 with what appears to be a magnetic wireless charging puck attached to the back. The leaked image comes from the reliable leaker Evan Blass , and shows a bright blue Pixel 10 — the base model, going by other renders we’ve seen so far — with what appears to be a wireless charging puck attached magnetically to the back. It’s part of a selection of leaked images of the Pixel 10 phones, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2A that corroborate previous leaks.  The puck is likely part of the “PixelSnap” accessory line previously leaked by Android Authority , though we haven’t seen this specific charger before. That leak, along with a separate report of a PixelSnap phone case , left open the po...

YouTube makes it easy for TV users to skip to the best bits of videos

It seems YouTube is finally giving its TV app the AI feature that lets you skip to the most interesting parts of a video. Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman reports that the Jump Ahead perk for YouTube Premium subscribers appeared on his Nvidia Shield TV yesterday, a feature that was previously exclusive to YouTube’s web and mobile platforms. Jump Ahead gives users an easy way to automatically get to the best bits of a video by using AI to analyze the most-watched segments that viewers typically skip to. YouTube started testing the feature last year before later releasing it for Premium subscribers on web and mobile , but those who prefer watching on the big screen — which is now the primary viewing source in the US — have been left wanting until now. Premium subscribers can activate Jump Ahead by double-tapping the fast-forward button on the video player, which then takes viewers to the next point in the video that most users view. This works differently on TVs, according to Yo...

Photoshop just made it shockingly easy to edit objects and people into photos

Harmonize makes it easy to naturally edit objects and people into other images. Adobe is launching some new generative AI features for Photoshop that make it easier than ever to convincingly add or remove people and objects in photographs. An update rolling out today introduces AI image upscaling, improved object removal, and an automatic composition tool that can seamlessly blend new elements into images in just a few clicks. The “Harmonize” compositing feature builds on the Project Perfect Blend experiment that Adobe showcased last year. When you add a new object to a photograph, Harmonize will automatically adjust the color, lighting, shadows, and visual tone of the added element to naturally blend it into the main image — something that typically requires a decent amount of skill and experience with photo editing software. It’s launching in beta for Photoshop users on both web and desktop, and is available in early access on the Photoshop iOS mobile app . A generative AI-powe...

Trump’s AI plan is a massive handout to gas and chemical companies

The Trump administration put out its vision for AI infrastructure in the US last week. It's a dream for the fossil fuel and chemical industries - and a nightmare for wind and solar energy and the environment. An " AI Action Plan " and flurry of executive orders Donald Trump signed last week read like manifestos on making AI less "woke" and less regulated . They're packed with head-spinning proposals to erode bedrock environmental protections in the US, on top of incentives for companies to build out new data centers, power plants, pipelines, and computer chip factories as fast as they can. It's a deregulation spree and a massive handout to … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/EMkAsgZ

Home Depot now has an app-controlled version of its viral Halloween skeleton

The summer isn’t halfway over, and Home Depot already wants you to start thinking about Halloween. After introducing a limited-edition animated version of its 12-foot-tall skeleton decoration last year, the hardware company is hoping for more viral fame this year with a new Ultra Skelly . At 6.5 feet tall, it’s much smaller than the original towering Skelly, but Ultra Skelly features more animated features, additional lighting effects, and the ability to talk to trick-or-treaters through a mobile app. Ultra Skelly’s upper torso and head can both rotate independently using motors, while the skeleton’s right arm can move up and down. It has LED lights in its mouth and chest, as well as LCD-screen eyes (the larger Skelly has the same eyes), which can display one of 18 different animations, including cat eyes, hypnotic swirls, or even the waving stars and stripes for those who want to reuse the skeleton for July Fourth. It includes five prerecorded Halloween-themed phrases that play w...

Xbox will let you play Silksong at Gamescom in August

Microsoft will let Gamescom attendees play a demo of the long-awaited  Hollow Knight: Silksong  on the new  ROG Xbox Ally handhelds . It’s part of more than 20 titles that will be available at the Xbox booth at Gamescom, including a new theater experience to demonstrate The Outer Worlds 2 . Silksong will be available to play on the new Xbox Ally devices at Gamescom, just months after Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed in June that Silksong will be available “at launch and in Game Pass” when Asus’ new handhelds launch later this year. Gamescom attendees will also get to try out Microsoft’s new Xbox and Windows UI , as well as play Roblox, Sea of Thieves, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 on the new Xbox Ally handhelds. Grounded 2 will also be at Gamescom, as well as the first public hands-on of Ninja Gaiden 4 . We’ve been waiting three years to get a Silksong release date, after Microsoft originally said in 2022 that the sequel to the indie side-scrolling action pla...

How Trump let Boeing off the hook for the 737 MAX crashes

On July 18th, a federal judge in Texas scheduled what will likely be the final hearing in the case of United States v. The Boeing Company. After five years of litigation, the end result can only be described as a victory for Boeing - and a permanent setback for those who hoped that the company would be held accountable for a decade of safety violations. Last year, Boeing's prospects looked far bleaker. In 2021, the Department of Justice charged the company with conspiracy to defraud the government about the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) software on the 737 MAX, which has been linked to the deaths of 346 people in t … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/ryI8YOp

Reddit and Discord’s UK age verification can be defeated by Death Stranding’s photo mode

You can point your phone camera at Sam to pass age checks. Enforcement of the UK's new online safety rules started on Friday , forcing a variety of platforms to roll out mandatory age verification tools for Brits. We already know that the age-gating checks are easy to bypass with a VPN , but what we didn't know is that the face scanning tools used by platforms like Reddit and Discord can also be easily bypassed with Death Stranding 's photo mode. Dany Sterkhov alerted the world to the Death Stranding bypass on Friday morning, and gamers have been using the photo mode and Sam Bridges to trick face scanning tools into accepting them as an adult all weekend. All you have to do is point your phone at your … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Px6NYae

The Fujifilm X-E5 proves familiar isn’t always a bad thing 

The Fujifilm X-E5 has a familiar but gorgeous new look. The X-E5 is Fujifilm's tiny powerhouse . It's part of a line of cameras that has often been described as similar to the X100, except with an interchangeable lens. But the X-E line has evolved this year and is taking on a new shape. It used to be seen as a budget option, but at $1,699 , that can no longer be said. Despite the fact that I've used almost every Fuji out there, this was my first time playing around with any of the X-E line of cameras. The X-E5 is a gorgeous, petite, and classy-looking camera with sharp lines throughout the body, and with buttons and an occasional concave edge for some extra flair and a distinctive look. It is ever … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Bn2sl9S

The Verge’s 2025 back-to-school shopping guide

Back-to-school season is closer than you might realize, especially for college students, many of whom are set to return to campus in a matter of a few short weeks. And while school can be a challenging time on many fronts, regardless of the grade, there are tools that can help you better prepare for life both inside and outside the classroom. With that in mind, we've compiled a selection of dorm-friendly recs from the larger Verge staff, as well as a few essentials suitable for high school and beyond. Apple's AirPods 4 and Roku's latest smart TV , for instance, are two entry-level upgrades designed to help students make the most of their dow … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Rc5rKXf

Apple beta season is here

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, how is summer more than a month over already, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I'm pondering the leaked Pixel 10 lineup , marveling at BYD's leaping Yangwang U9 supercar , reading about why everyone's reading Reddit , already looking forward to Ted Lasso 's fourth season , rewatching MKBHD's videos about the Escobar folding phone , melting with joy at the new Pokémon Concierge season 2 trailer , dreaming of buying the Lego Game Boy but not actually doing so because my to … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/LeXRJB1

The Drifter is a good old-fashioned thriller

Point-and-click adventure games often tell silly, lighthearted stories. For me, the mishaps of the pirate Guybrush Threepwood in the Monkey Island series come to mind. The nature of the genre - wandering around, talking to people, and trying to solve puzzles - lends itself well to humor, as every interaction with a person or object offers an opportunity for a joke. The Drifter , a new point-and-click game from Powerhoof, cleverly uses the format to instead tell a dark, twist-filled thriller, and it sucked me in like a gripping novel. In The Drifter , you play as Mick Carter, who you meet shortly after he hops aboard a train as a stowaway. Wit … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/RXuj0hr

OnePlus Nord 5 review: selfie-centric midranger

The OnePlus Nord 5 does exactly what the company's Nord phones have always done: deliver strong specs at a relatively low price. It's one of the more powerful phones at this price point and should easily outstrip Samsung and Google's more expensive alternatives. This is a function-over-form phone, one where the key selling points are a powerful processor and long battery life, which are the boring mainstays that tend to matter the most in midrange models like this. The problem for the Nord 5 is that other midrange phones in the markets where it's available - including Europe and India, but not the US - offer even faster chipsets and bigger … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/XjKkzh2

Inside the struggle to create a cozy Lord of the Rings game

When new employees start at Weta Workshop, they're herded into a meeting room with a long, unassuming conference table. On the walls, behind panes of glass and in between statues, swords, and masks, are five Oscars. Four of them were awarded to the studio for its efforts on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films. New hires are offered a chance to hold one of those Oscars, but there's a catch: handling the golden statuette marks you with a curse, preventing you from ever winning one yourself. Rarely do inductees take Weta up on the offer. Weta Workshop's fledgling Game Studio hasn't achieved the same level of prestige as its film and sp … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/oT287Ph

I ‘fooled’ Samsung’s new antioxidant feature with a Cheez-It

Turns out, Cheez-Its have antioxidants. If I were to believe the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, I don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. Normally, smartwatches don't make judgments about your nutritional intake. But this year, Samsung introduced a new experimental feature called Antioxidant Index. Using blue, yellow, and infrared LEDs, the watch's sensor can pick up carotenoid levels in your skin. (Carotenoids are a type of antioxidant that give fruits and veg their yellow, orange, or red hues.) You stick your thumb on the sensor, press, and in 10 seconds, you get an estimate of whether you're meeting the recommended amount of 400g of fruits and veggies per day. I wasn't expecting t … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/RMQuwm8

Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature is now blocked by Brave and AdGuard

Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature , that automatically screenshots nearly everything on a Copilot Plus PC, is meeting resistance from app developers. Signal kicked off a trend of blocking Recall earlier this year , with AdGuard and the Brave browser now also blocking the Windows AI feature. AdGuard calls Recall a “privacy concern” in a blog post outlining why it’s blocking Microsoft’s AI tool. “The very idea of background screen captures is unsettling,” says AdGuard. “At any given moment, the system could snap a screenshot of a private chat window, an online form where you’re entering your credit card, or simply something personal you didn’t want saved.” Brave admits it was “partly inspired by Signal’s blocking of Recall,” for its decision to also block Recall from accessing its browser. “We will disable it by default for Windows 11+ users, with a toggle to turn it back on for users who really want Recall,” says Brave. Signal first started blocking Windows 11’s Recall scre...

Syncing desktops and better AI wallpapers are coming to ChromeOS

The improved AI wallpapers now let you prompt with anything you like. Google has released a new version of ChromeOS that allows you to sync desktops between devices, ideal for anyone who works across more than one Chromebook. It also significantly improves the AI wallpapers available on Chromebook Plus laptops with a completely freeform prompting field. Desk sync is designed to help you pick up where you left off when changing devices. It will sync your windows, tabs, and cookies so you can change devices without losing where you were. Google suggests it’ll be particularly useful for workers in healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing who might share a pool of devices. It’s optional, but can be enabled in the ChromeOS user settings under “Desk sync.” ChromeOS version 138 also delivers a major update to AI wallpapers, which remain exclusive to the more powerful Chromebook Plus models. The previous version, introduced in May 2024 along with Gemini, limited users to specific art...

Google AI Mode will generate fake clothes to help you buy real ones

Google is injecting more generative AI into its online shopping experience in Search. An upcoming feature for AI Mode will generate images of outfits and decor ideas based on user descriptions, to help people find visually similar products. Also launching is a new tool that allows people to virtually try on clothes. The new AI Mode shopping feature will launch this fall in the US. It’s designed to provide a visual aid that can better guide what kinds of products should be recommended, compared to just using search descriptions. If users search for “a green flowy dress for a garden party,” for example, AI Mode will generate images of fake dresses in a variety of different styles that allow users to find the closest match to the dress they were envisioning.  Google will then show the users real listings for visually similar dresses in online stores. This seems like a better way to use AI as a shopping inspiration tool than browsing through AI images hosted on moodboard platforms ...

AppleCare One is a good deal, but not for everyone

Apple announced some big changes to its device protection plans this week with the introduction of AppleCare One . The new service lets you protect three devices for $19.99 per month. That means things like your Apple TV, AirPods Max, and iPad can be covered under one plan at a cost that doesn't fluctuate. And every device after that costs $5.99 per month to add. The company's goal is to convince customers that this new service is easier and a better value compared to enrolling each device in its own AppleCare Plus plan. In reality, how much you save depends entirely on the Apple devices you have. People who buy its latest and greatest prod … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/kHvV04i

Itch.io follows Steam in removing adult games

The indie-focused open gaming marketplace Itch.io has abruptly deindexed adult content from its browse and search pages, warning that some games will be permanently removed from the platform. In a blog post on Thursday , Itch.io creator Leaf Corcoran said that the update was due to concerns that the website’s payment processors had “about the nature of certain content” hosted on the platform, following similar scrutiny against Steam. “Our ability to process payments is critical for every creator on our platform,” said Corcoran. “To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance.” While Itch.io hosts a variety of gaming content, adult and pornographic titles are often among the top-sellers on the platform. Content creators who host their work on Itch.io were given no warning ahead of the decision. “We know this is not ideal, and we apologize ...

Apple launches $20 subscription service to protect your gadgets

Apple is announcing a new AppleCare subscription called AppleCare One that lets you cover multiple products with a single plan. For $19.99 per month, AppleCare One covers up to three products, and tacking on a new product costs $5.99 per month each. With the products covered under AppleCare One, you get the same coverage you would under AppleCare Plus, including battery coverage, unlimited repairs for accidental damage, and 24/7 priority support. If you subscribe to AppleCare One, you can also add products that are up to four years old to your plan — a big jump from the 60-day window you have to add AppleCare Plus coverage to a product after you buy it. However, Apple says that older products that you add to your AppleCare One subscription have to be in “good condition” and that the company may run diagnostic checks on them before adding them to your plan. Apple will also only allow you to add headphones to an AppleCare One plan if they are less than a year old. Theft and Loss cove...

Proton is launching a privacy-focused AI chatbot

Proton, the company behind the encrypted email service Proton Mail, has launched an AI assistant aimed at preserving user privacy. The new chatbot, called Lumo, can summarize documents, generate code, write emails, and more, while storing data locally on users’ devices. Proton says it will protect this information using “zero-access” encryption , which grants users an encryption key that only they can use to view their content, preventing third parties, including Proton, from accessing the information. This helps ensure that Proton can’t share user data with advertisers or governments, or use it for training large language models, Proton says. Though Lumo comes with the ability to search the web, Proton turns this feature off by default to “give users maximum privacy.” If users enable the feature, Lumo will search the web for answers using “privacy-friendly” search engines. Additionally, Proton says Lumo can analyze uploaded files, but it doesn’t save any of its information. Users...

A-lister antics and Schedule A shenanigans

Summer blockbusters like the new Superman and Jurassic World movies may be doing great at the box office , but promoting them is more complicated than ever. The old celebrity playbook of magazine profiles, TV chat shows, and press junkets isn’t enough in an era of audience fragmentation. Publicists now have to strategize which podcasts to make time for, and whether their clients will eat chicken on YouTube with Amelia Dimoldenberg or Sean Evans. This week on The Vergecast , guest host Mia Sato talks to Vulture ’s Fran Hoepfner to break down the ever-changing new media circuit, whether you’re a beloved A-lister, a formerly beloved A-lister, or an aspiring A-lister. Subscribe:  Spotify  |  Apple  Podcasts  |  Overcast  |  Pocket Casts  |  More Then, we take a deep dive with Sarah Fackrell into a controversial legal tactic brands are using to go after online sellers hawking everything from Grumpy Cat T-shirts to closet hooks. Final...

Hellraiser is being turned into a survival horror game

The developers at Boss Team Games have such sights to show you: the studio just announced that it’s taking the terrifying world of the classic Hellraiser films and turning it into a survival horror game. The new title is called Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival , and somehow it’s the first gaming adaptation of the franchise, which has been around since 1987. According to the studio, the game will blend “survival horror with a single-player, story-driven action experience.” And, yes, there will be a dark and mysterious puzzle box. There are also some notable names on board. Doug Bradley, the original actor for Hellraiser ’s iconic villain Pinhead, will be reprising the role, and series creator Clive Barker is assisting with the game’s story. In a statement, Barker said that “I’m eager for both the curious and the damned to experience this new chapter in the Hellraiser mythos, where every moment balances on the brink of nightmare and revelation.” While this will be the first Hellra...

Sony’s 30th Anniversary DualSense Controller is back in stock online at 10AM ET

Sony will have a “limited restock” of its 30th Anniversary DualSense Wireless Controller on the PlayStation Direct storefront . The $79.99 gamepad is available for preorder starting July 21st at 10AM ET for PlayStation Plus subscribers and on July 23rd at 10AM ET for everyone else. It will begin shipping on September 9th. If you want to order today, a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller 30th Anniversary Limited Edition The 30th Anniversary DualSense Wireless Controller is a fully-functional gamepad with the same colors as the original PlayStation console released in December of 1994. Where to Buy: $79.99 at PlayStation The limited-edition PlayStation 5 controller was released last year to commemorate the launch of the original PlayStation in December of 1994. Its outer shell and buttons feature the same color scheme as Sony’s original console and peripherals, and the “PS” button matches ...

Meta snubs the EU’s voluntary AI guidelines

Meta says it won’t sign the European Union’s artificial intelligence code of practice agreement, warning that “Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI.” The code published by the EU on July 10th is a voluntary set of guidelines to help companies follow the AI Act’s rules around general-purpose AI before they come into effect in a few weeks. “We have carefully reviewed the European Commission’s Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and Meta won’t be signing it,” Meta’s global affairs chief, Joel Kaplan, said via a statement on LinkedIn . “This Code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act.” While the code of practice itself isn’t legally enforced, the EU says that general-purpose AI model providers who sign it will benefit from a “reduced administrative burden and increased legal certainty,” compared to providers that may otherwise be subject to more regulatory scrutiny. OpenA...

WhatsApp is dropping its native Windows app in favor of an uglier web version

Meta is planning to drop its native WhatsApp Windows app in favor of a web wrapper version instead, just months after introducing a native iPad app . The latest beta version of WhatsApp on Windows includes the major changes, with Meta noting it has “updated how WhatsApp beta looks and works.” Behind the scenes it’s a big change to WhatsApp on Windows, moving it from a native Windows and WinUI app to the WhatsApp web version simply wrapped in a web view. That means not only does the app look different, but the way notifications work has changed and the settings UI is far more basic. The beta app also includes WhatsApp Channels and “more functionality” for Status and Communities features. Meta is using Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology in the latest WhatsApp beta, allowing it to easily package up its web version of WhatsApp into a desktop app. Windows Latest points out that this makes it easier for Meta to maintain a single code base, instead of having to also maintain a native W...

The frenzied, gamified chase for Labubus

On Thursday night, I toggled endlessly between a TikTok Live stream and a shopping app in anticipation of 9:30PM. For 30 minutes, I hunted for an available listing; many expletives were uttered. I exhibited bot behavior and got iced out of the app multiple times. I tapped so many times my thumbs got sore. This is Labubu drop night. Something that's lost in the Labubu mania is that actually buying one from the source is, in one word, maddening. There are, of course, countless fake options ("Lafufus") that some collectors have come to embrace. But if you want a guaranteed real one, you have to go to the source. Pop Mart, the Chinese toy compa … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/HLtvdJq

The intolerable memes of Alligator Alcatraz

Alligator Alcatraz, Florida's hastily built, $225 million-and-counting immigrant detention facility in the Everglades, is both a de facto concentration camp and a right-wing meme. President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters are willing to excuse - or are in some cases reveling in - allegations of inhumane treatment at the facility : worms in food, floors flooded with fecal water, fluorescent lights left on for 24 hours a day, and no air conditioning at night despite South Florida's relentless humidity. To them, the whole thing is a big joke, fodder for memes that activate the base even as they turn the majority of Americans off from Tru … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/kfEJwAB

The Switch 2’s next killer app is already here

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 90, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, hope you're staying cool, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I have been watching The Bear 's fourth season , preparing for the deluge of Qi2.2 wireless chargers , pondering how I'll use the upcoming Bigfoot emoji to troll my group chats, studying the relaunched EmojiTracker , reading this giant profile of NBA star Joel Embiid , enjoying Pixar's Hoppers teaser trailer way more than I expected, learning who Alex Warren is, and wondering if I should actually watch all of S … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/fQ8C2NL