Minecraft owner bans in-game NFTs to discourage profiteering
Minecraft developer Mojang Studios is taking a strong stance against NFTs. In a blog post titled “Minecraft and NFTs,” the studio, which is owned by Microsoft, wrote that “integrations of NFTs with Minecraft are generally not something we will support or allow.”
“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our client and server applications, nor may Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods, be utilized by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital asset,” Mojang said.
According to Mojang, some companies have created “NFT implementations that are associated with Minecraft world files and skin packs.” The studio also suggests that there could theoretically be Minecraft “collectible” NFTs or that players could earn NFTs by doing things in Minecraft on a server or earning them outside the actual game.
Mojang argues these practices encourage digital scarcity and exclusion, which goes against the values of Minecraft. “NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots,” the studio said. Mojang goes even further by saying that the speculative nature of NFTs “encourages profiteering.”
I strongly encourage you to read the blog post in full, as it succinctly lays out many criticisms of NFTs and blockchain projects in language that’s easy to understand. (There are quite a few more quotes that I could have included.)
While Mojang doesn’t completely shut the door on incorporating blockchain in the future, it concludes by saying that “we have no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft right now.”
I replaced my Steam Deck’s noisy fan and am so happy I did
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
160 hours into Elden Ring, I’m sure of one thing: the single most annoying thing about my Steam Deck is its whiny fan. And now, I’m so happy to report there’s a way to fix it. It takes roughly 15 minutes and $30 — depending on where you live — to install a replacement fan from iFixit.
Is the fan still loud? Yes, yes it is, but it’s a whoosh instead of a whine. I like to think of it as the sound of air escaping the Deck’s vents, but mostly, I don’t think about it at all. I can easily tune out the new whoosh, whereas the whine always managed to get my attention even after Valve tweaked its software to bring the fan noise down.
In fact, the new fan has less whine than the electrical tape trick I showed you in April, and — YMMV — seems to be oh-so-slightly quieter overall. I did an admittedly unscientific test with the new fan against both my original whiny fan and one fixed up with the electrical tape, and the new fan measured 2 to 2.5 decibels lower than either in the quietest room in my house.
Each time, I let the Deck’s chip heat up to over 90 degrees Celsius and nearly maxed out its power draw at 28 watts to ensure the fan was blowing as much as possible — which, honestly, is pretty similar to how it runs when I’m playing Elden Ring normally.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
iFixit sells the “good” fan, made by Huaying.
How can a replacement fan make such a difference? It’s a long story, but the Steam Deck community figured out many months ago that Valve shipped its gaming handheld with one of twodifferent fans. One is made by Delta, the other by Huaying, and it’s long been suspected that the Delta fan is an inferior part that Valve didn’t initially design for. But while Valve has attempted to alleviate the issue with software, it’s definitely a hardware problem as well.
Last month, GamersNexus all but settled the question, putting both fans to the test and providing excellent audio samples of what the “whine” actually sounds like in practice (skip to 8:51 for that):
So when iFixit announced it had found a supply of the Huaying fans, there was reason for excitement. Would fixing it be as simple as buying the “better” fan, popping the Deck open, swapping the fans and re-fastening 13 screws? I think I’ve now seen enough to say the answer is yes.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
The $30 iFixit kit comes with picks to open the Deck, a screwdriver and ESD-safe tweezers, and the fan.
I won’t attempt to re-write iFixit’s fan replacement guide, which you can find right here, but I will say that it was quick and easy with those instructions and the kit — which includes a simple screwdriver with the right Philips bits, a pair of tweezers, and a handful of blue picks to pop open the Steam Deck’s plastic shell clips.
It took a couple tries to figure out how to use those blue picks to pop open the case, and I found it easier to pull out the fan’s electrical connector with my fingernails than tweezers, but every piece got used and I didn’t need anything that wasn’t in the box.
I spend a lot of time playing the Deck in quiet rooms where family members are trying to doze off. So for me, it’s $30 well spent. I just wonder why Valve isn’t doing something about the fan itself — it’s pretty clear now that the whiny fan isn’t the intended experience.
In case you’d like to hear some of my own audio samples (you’ll need to turn the sound up and/or wear headphones!), I took recordings of the bare Delta fan, a taped-up Delta fan, and the Huaying fan all at the same distance from the microphone.
Delta fan
Delta fan ramping up (whine more obvious)
Delta fan with electrical tape (very slight whine in background)
Samsung says folding phone shipments reached nearly 10 million last year
Image: Dan Seifert / The Verge
Samsung is gearing up the hype machine for the release of its next foldables once again, and ahead of the next Unpacked event on August 10th, mobile president TM Roh has published another blog post making the case that the time for foldables is now — and that more people are picking up foldable phones.
“Three years ago, Galaxy foldables could be summed up in a single word: radical,” Roh wrote. “Very quickly, however, it became clear that this groundbreaking, flexible design fit perfectly into modern lifestyles. As a result, what was once a novelty three years ago is now the preferred choice for millions.”
In the post, Roh says that the industry shipped almost 10 million foldable smartphones worldwide in 2021, a figure that was up 300 percent from 2020. Samsung could be overstating the market a little bit — Ross Young, CEO of DSCC and a widely-cited display tech analyst, shared data with The Verge that says there were 7.9 million foldables shipped, while IDC says there were 7.1 million foldables shipped. Whatever the number is, it would represent just a fraction of the smartphone market; according to IDC, Samsung alone shipped 272 million smartphones just in 2021.
But Ross also shared data that suggests Samsung overwhelmingly has the lead in the foldable market. Samsung led by a mile in 2021 with 87.8 percent of phones shipped, according to DSCC, while Huawei came in a distant second at 9.3 percent. The bottom three on DSCC’s list had just a tiny share of shipments: Xiaomi had 2.4 percent, Royole had 0.3 percent, while Oppo had 0.2 percent. And with foldable shipments estimated to reach 27.6 million in 2025, per IDC, Samsung is going to want to capture as much of that potential market as it can.
This is all to say that it makes sense why Samsung is beginning to roll out the red carpet for its next Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip models, even if they aren’t expected to look muchdifferent from last year’s: the company practically is the foldable market right now, and it wants to take that lead even further. Apple is reportedly exploring foldableconcepts, but with any sort of release apparently at least a year away — or maybe more — Samsung’s upcoming Unpacked event is yet another opportunity for the company to keep its foot on the gas.
Elon Musk now says Tesla could start Cybertruck deliveries in mid-2023
An upgrade from “hopefully next year.” | Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company hopes to start delivering the Cybertruck, its battery-powered electric pickup, in the “middle of next year” during a call for investors. This is a more specific timeline than Musk has provided before — in last quarter’s earnings call, he said that the truck would be coming “hopefully next year.”
Tesla originally announced the truck in 2019, with a goal of starting production in late 2021. In August 2021, the company announced a delay until 2022, and Musk pushed that prediction further back until “hopefully” next year during the company’s Q4 earnings call in January. In the meantime, competitors like Ford and Rivian have launched their own electric pickups, with Ford saying that it plans to make 150,000 F-150 Lightnings in 2023.
One of the defining features of the Cybertruck is its outlandish, angular design — it looks like an early video game model. The company has apparently had problems making that design safe for use in the real world; in late 2021, Musk tweeted that he was worried about the truck’s windshield wiper. Currently, it’s one giant arm that’s meant to clean off the entire windshield in a single stroke.
Videos have leaked out of the truck driving on test tracks, and earlier this year, someone posted a video showing a walk-around of a prototype unit. In other words, the truck hasn’t been entirely MIA, in sharp contrast to the second-gen Roadster that’s also supposed to ship in 2023.
During the call, Musk didn’t elaborate on what Tesla had left to do to get the Cybertruck out on the road. However, the company has run into production issues even with its existing Model S, X, 3, and Y vehicles in the past few months — a factory it opened in Shanghai, China, has faced repeated shutdowns due to COVID, which the company said were a factor in the drop in production it reported in its second-quarter earnings results. “Tesla does not have a demand problem, we have a production problem,” Musk said on the earnings call.
Picture the scene. You’re sitting alone, enjoying a coffee. Maybe you’ve got a podcast on. Maybe you’re on the phone to your mum. Enter a random person clutching a bunch of flowers.
“Would you be able to hold this?” they ask, before gliding away, content in the knowledge they’ve just made your day (probably).
Volkswagen names a new CEO to run its electric truck and SUV spinoff Scout
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The electric rebirth of Scout, the classic off-road SUV brand, is getting real this week as Volkswagen names Scott Keogh as CEO of its new spinoff company. The former head of VW Group America, as initially reported by Axios, pushed for VW to start a new electric truck line after seeing a fully restored vintage Scout: “the rights to the brand were just sitting there,” Keogh said.
VW acquired the Scout brand through a 2020 merger of its commercial trucking company Traton with Navistar, which the German automaker initially bought part of in 2016. In May, it was reported that VW Group is willing to pump $1 billion into the new Scout brand and set goals to sell a quarter million electric off-roaders under the name annually starting in 2026.
Image: Volkswagen via AxiosNew Scout CEO and former head of Volkswagen Group America, Scott Keogh, stands in front of a classic International Harvester Scout vehicle.
With Keogh now leading Scout, Volkswagen’s management board in Chattanooga, Tennessee, placed all VW North American responsibilities on current South American VW head Pablo Di Si. “It’s time now to concentrate more on the US market and the US customer, and one piece of the puzzle, for sure, is Scout,” Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess tells Axios in an interview. The company said it will develop “True American” electric SUVs and pickup trucks, according to the report, as it attempts to restore a reputation that took a hit from the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.
VW hopes that Scout will be the answer to double its 5 percent US market share of electric vehicles; the automaker hit a roadblock this year after selling out of all its EV offerings — ID.4 and Audi E-trons included — for 2022. In its previous life, Scout built an off-road SUV to compete with Jeep in the 1960s and is now reborn as a company that can flourish separately from VW (and perhaps go public itself) so it can try and go head to head with electric SUVs and trucks that remain a popular category in the US.
It remains to be seen if Scout will design boxy retro-looking SUVs like the indefinitely delayed Bollinger B1 / B2 and Hummer EV or if it’ll follow the trends of other midsize and compact SUVs with well-worn nameplates like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the new Chevy Blazer. One thing is for sure: the company is said to be working on vehicles that are good for camping, off-roading, or used for work — a clear indication that Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T electric pickups are top targets.
Samsung’s August 10th Unpacked will definitely feature at least one foldable
Yep, that’s a foldable. | Image: Samsung
Samsung has provided a clear solution to the unusual puzzle it provided yesterday, confirming that its Galaxy Unpacked event will indeed take place on August 10th. The image included with the teaser also confirms that its foldables will be taking center stage, with a Galaxy Z Flip-shaped device acting as a “greater than” symbol. The event will start at 9AM ET and will be streamed on Samsung.com.
Based on the cryptic hint that Samsung dropped yesterday, along with the timing of last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3 launch, it was kind of a no-brainer to assume that we’d see updated foldable phones next month. If the phone in the invitation image is actually the Z Flip 4, then rumors that the device would feature minimal updates appear to be accurate. It seems to feature the same shape, rear dual-camera setup, and side-mounted power button / fingerprint scanner as the Flip 3. We’d also expect to see an update to the Z Fold 3 on the 10th, and rumors suggest it might have a slightly different-looking camera bump than its predecessor.
New Galaxy Watches are also expected, and Samsung’s pre-preorder promotion mentions discounts for bundling combinations of a Galaxy phone, watch, and buds. That’s right — for simply supplying Samsung with your name and email address, US customers can earn the ability to reserve a preorder deal on whatever it is the company is announcing in August. If you’d rather find out what Samsung has up its sleeve first, then it seems like you’ll just have to tune in to the livestream in a few weeks.
Netflix’s ad-supported tier won’t have everything at launch
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Netflix’s upcoming ad-supported offering won’t include all of the content you can currently watch on the streaming service, Netflix executives said during the company’s Q2 2022 earningsinterview video.
“Today, the vast majority of what people watch on Netflix, we can include in the ad-supported tier,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said. “There are some things that don’t — that we’re in conversation about with the studios on — but if we launched the product today, the members in the ad tier would have a great experience. We will clear some additional content, but certainly not all of it, but we don’t think it’s a material holdback to the business.”
“It’s certainly a nice to have,” said CFO Spencer Neumann. “But it’s not a must-have. As Ted says, we can launch today without any additional content clearance rights. Hopefully we can supplement that, but we’ll be disciplined in what we do.”
We’ll have to wait and see exactly what’s missing from the ad-supported tier, which Netflix said Tuesday that it aims to launch early 2023. The upcoming tier wouldn’t be very compelling if you couldn’t watch Netflix hits like Stranger Things or Bridgerton, for example.
You can hear the interviewer’s question and Sarandos and Neumann’s responses in context from this timestamped link (or scrub to 18:55 in the interview video). The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Netflix was seeking to negotiate its deals with studios so that it could include their content on the tier with ads. Netflix will be partnering with Microsoft on the ad-supported tier.
Disclosure: The Verge recently produced a series with Netflix.
Samsung will give you up to $200 credit for placing a Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Z Flip 4 reservation
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Another Samsung Unpacked virtual event is right around the corner, now confirmed to take place on August 10th at 9AM ET / 6AM PT, and along with it are some incentives for the early, early birds. Samsung is offering customers in the US the chance to put in free, no-commitment reservations for its upcoming devices on its website now, well ahead of preorders — and even the devices’ announcement.
Galaxy fans who reserve before the August 10th Unpacked will later receive varying tier-levels of store credit once the devices can be ordered, ranging from $30 to $200, toward Samsung’s next devices. As for what devices you’re signing up for? We can say with certainty that among the rumors, leaks, and Samsung’s own invite graphic, you can expect the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 phones to be part of the promo, as well as the anticipated Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and the next Galaxy wireless earbuds.
Image: Samsung
A teaser promo image of the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event invite, scheduled for 9AM ET / 6AM PT on August 10th.
To get the promotion, you need to fill out your name and email address on Samsung’s site to make a reservation. Once you do so, you’ll qualify for the following once preorders are actually live, presumably on the 10th:
$200 credit toward a bundle of a new Galaxy phone, smartwatch, and wireless earbuds
$150 credit toward a bundle of a new Galaxy phone and smartwatch
$130 credit toward a bundle of a new Galaxy phone and wireless earbuds
$80 credit toward a bundle of a new Galaxy smartwatch and wireless earbuds
$100 credit on Samsung’s site towards qualifying devices when you reserve a new Galaxy phone
$50 credit on Samsung’s site towards qualifying products when you reserve a Galaxy smartwatch
$30 credit on Samsung’s site towards qualifying products when you reserve Galaxy wireless earbuds
This isn’t the first time Samsung has offered a similar reservation incentive, and it has become a bit of standard procedure for its biggest Unpacked announcements. We’ll be covering everything that Samsung announces on August 10th, so stay tuned for more.
The best Sonos speaker and soundbar deals
The Sonos Roam launched last year is now available for just $139 when purchased in refurbished condition from Sonos. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Most would agree that Sonos offers some of the best speakers and soundbars currently available. That’s because Sonos makes speakers that — more often than not — boast great sound quality, support for all the major streaming platforms, and simple multi-room functionality. Unfortunately, however, those perks often come at a high price. Sonos products aren’t cheap, and, outside of the occasional rogue discount, they rarely go on sale. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t ways to save at least a few dollars on Sonos gear.
If you’re comfortable buying refurbished, for example, you could save a decent amount. We also occasionally see sales on Sonos’ collaborative series with Ikea and discounted bundles that include Sonos products, which makes it easier to set up an entire home audio system while saving money. And, if you’re a student, Sonos offers a program you can join to get a 15 percent discount when you spend up to $2,500 on full-priced speakers and accessories.
Regardless of their existence, these discounts can be hard to find. That’s why we’ve curated this list of the best Sonos deals you can currently take advantage of. Here, we’ll guide you through the best sales available, helping you to get the best bang for your buck.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
The portable Roam offers the best water resistance of any speaker in the Sonos lineup.
The Sonos Roam is one of the clearest, most pleasant portable speakers we’ve ever used, and we’d recommend it as a personal speaker for small gatherings. It offers a rugged design, a relatively durable build, wireless charging, and support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It’s also compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2, which lets you stream music from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac over your home network. Plus, it’s the first Sonos speaker with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, which means you could use it in the bathroom or near pools.
Note, however, Sonos won’t let you pair two in stereo when listening over Bluetooth, unlike other similar speakers, though you can play Bluetooth audio over your entire Sonos system. It also only offers around 10 hours of battery life, which isn’t that great, and it can be challenging to use the speaker’s Wi-Fi features outside of your home. Read our Sonos Roam review.
The second-generation Sonos One is a small smart speaker with a good microphone for voice control. It emits balanced, full-bodied sound that’s impressive for its size while integrating well with existing Sonos products. The 2017 speaker also works with a range of music services and supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, however, the process for setting up voice assistants can be complicated. The One offers touch controls, too, as well as support for AirPlay 2 thanks to a post-launch software update.
Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The Sonos One SL is similar to the second-gen Sonos One, but without the always-listening microphones and voice controls.
However, if you prefer something cheaper, you can also buy the Sonos One SL. It’s basically the same as the Sonos One and features identical sound quality, however, it lacks an always-on microphone and voice assistant support. The Sonos One SL typically sells for $199.99 new, but right now you can buy a pair in new condition for $378 ($20 off) from Sonos; you can also buy the white model as a standalone speaker in refurbished condition from Best Buy for $179.99.
Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge
The Sonos Arc works well as both a home theater soundbar and music speaker.
The Sonos Arc is an all-in-one home theater soundbar that pairs quite nicely with large TVs, but works well as a music speaker. The 45-inch soundbar boasts powerful, immersive sound and is compatible with Dolby Atmos and a range of other audio formats, including TrueHD (for external Blu-ray players), Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Digital.
Like the Sonos Roam, it also offers built-in support for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s AirPlay 2. One drawback, however, is that you may need a recent 4K TV — likely something released after 2017 — that supports Atmos over HDMI ARC to hear it at its best. We also noticed surround sound doesn’t always work well in large rooms, which means it’s not particularly apartment-friendly, especially when coupled with its size.
Sonos
The newer Sonos Five sounds exactly like its fantastic predecessor, the Play:5.
Sonos Five (2020) deals
The Sonos Five replaced the Play:5 music speaker in 2020 but is actually nearly identical to its excellent-sounding predecessor. It shares the same six custom-designed drivers inside, so it should offer the same high-quality listening experience as the Play:5, which was ideal for large rooms or parties. Other than that, however, there aren’t many noticeable differences. Compared to the Play:5, Sonos says its successor offers increased memory and processing power, as well as a new wireless radio. There are also all-black or all-white options. Note, however, that the Sonos Five lacks a built-in microphone and support for Alexa and Google Assistant — something every other speaker in the current Sonos lineup offers.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The last-gen Sonos Beam offers great TV sound quality but, unlike the second-gen model, lacks support for Dolby Atmos.
Sonos’ previous entry-level soundbar, the first-gen Sonos Beam, functions as both a smart speaker and a soundbar for smart TVs equipped with HDMI ARC. We praised how well it improves TV sound quality in our 2018 review, as well as how simple and easy it is to set up and use. It’s not as great as other standalone speakers in the Sonos lineup for just playing music, but as a general-purpose speaker, it’s a good buy overall, especially if you’re adding it to an existing Sonos setup. The Sonos Beam also offers touch controls and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, allowing for hands-free commands.
The Sonos Move offers a loud, powerful sound similar to the Sonos One, but with slightly more volume. Unlike the One, however, you don’t need to find the right spot in your home for it to hear it well, given it’s better at distributing sound throughout a room. We also found that it sounds terrific no matter whether you’re in the living room or outside at the park.
However, while the Move was Sonos’ can certainly function as a portable speaker, it's better suited for moving about your home. That’s especially true when compared to the newer Sonos Roam, namely because the 10-inch speaker weighs 6.6 pounds and is a bit more challenging to lug around while traveling. Additionally, the fact that its battery can only last 10 hours on a single charge — which is noticeably less than many other Bluetooth speakers on the market — means this doesn’t make for the best portable speaker.
That said, it is a great buy if you want an excellent-sounding Sonos speaker you can pick up and take into your garage, living room, patio, or any other room in your home. It also comes with features like IP56 weatherproofing and support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s AirPlay 2, not to mention seamless integration with other Sonos devices.
Russia fines Google $365 million over YouTube videos containing ‘prohibited’ content
Illustration by William Joel / The Verge
Russia imposed a nearly $365 million fine (21.1 billion rubles) on Google for failing to delete YouTube videos that go against the country’s laws, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a translated press release, Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor states that YouTube didn’t follow orders to remove “prohibited content,” which includes videos “promoting extremism and terrorism,” as well as supposedly false information about the war in Ukraine.
In March, the Roskomnadzor threatened to charge Google over its failure to remove “illegal” YouTube videos, stating the fee would start at 8 million rubles (~$94,675 USD at the time), with the possibility to climb to 20 percent of Google’s annual revenue. The 21.1 billion rubles reflects a chunk of Google’s yearly turnover in the country, but it’s unclear if Google will actually go through with paying the fine. Google didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
The new Google Wallet is starting to show up on people’s phones
Return of the Wallet | Image: Google
Google Wallet, the app that will replace Google Pay in many countries (more on that in a moment), has started to show up on people’s phones. According to Google spokesperson Chaiti Sen, the company has “started rolling out the Wallet to Android users in 39 countries,” and it’ll be available “to all users over the next few days.”
Google announced Wallet at its 2022 I/O event, pitching it as an app to manage all your digital cards — not just for payment, like debit and credit cards (though it does hold those), but for digital representations of your identification, vaccination status, tickets, keys, and more as well.
In most countries, Wallet will be replacing the current Google Pay app. (9to5Google reports that it’s currently rolling out as an update to Google Pay.) However, Google said that users in the US and Singapore would use both Google Pay and Wallet. In those countries, Pay will stick around as a way to send friends money.
Image: Google
Google’s rollout information for Wallet from I/O.
Google’s had several iterations of Wallet that came before the one rolling out today. In 2011, it was an NFC payment app, and it evolved to include other payment features, such as peer-to-peer money transfers (there was even a physical Google Wallet debit card at one point). In 2018, Google combined it with Android Pay to form Google Pay. Now — in most places, at least — that app is starting to turn back into Wallet. It’s another big change in a long line of shake-ups for Google’s payment apps but hopefully one that will make it easier to store digital cards and pay with your Android phone.
Unity CEO apologizes for calling some game developers ‘fucking idiots’
Unity CEO John Riccitiello has apologized for calling some game developers “some of the biggest fucking idiots” in an interview and has vowed that he will “do better.”
This is a saga that has been playing out over several days, so let’s take a few steps back. On July 13th, Unity, which makes a popular game development engine, announced that it would be merging with ironSource, which offers software that helps developers monetize their apps. Riccitiello (who was formerly the CEO of EA) and Unity SVP Marc Whitten were interviewed by Pocket Gamer about the news, and the interviewer talked about how some developers push back on implementing monetization earlier in a game’s development.
That’s where Riccitiello said the “fucking idiots” quote (with emphasis ours):
[Pocket Gamer:] Implementing monetisation earlier in the process and conversation is certainly an angle that has seen pushback from some developers.
Riccitiello: Ferrari and some of the other high-end car manufacturers still use clay and carving knives. It’s a very small portion of the gaming industry that works that way, and some of these people are my favourite people in the world to fight with – they’re the most beautiful and pure, brilliant people. They’re also some of the biggest fucking idiots.
I’ve been in the gaming industry longer than most anybody — getting to the grey hair and all that. It used to be the case that developers would throw their game over the wall to the publicist and sales force with literally no interaction beforehand. That model is baked into the philosophy of a lot of artforms and medium, and it’s one I am deeply respectful of; I know their dedication and care.
But this industry divides people between those who still hold to that philosophy and those who massively embrace how to figure out what makes a successful product.
That statement, unsurprisingly, led to some significant criticism fromdevelopers, including from Donut County (and more recently, Neon White) developer Ben Esposito. “I made Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year in 2018 (Donut County) using Unity, but according to their CEO I’m a ‘big fucking idiot’ for not making Hole.io, the F2P game that ripped it off,” Esposito wrote on Twitter.
i made Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year in 2018 (Donut County) using Unity, but according to their CEO i’m a ‘big fucking idiot’ for not making Hole io, the f2p game that ripped it off https://t.co/Gv1zqy0BjH
Riccitiello posted his first apology on Twitter a day after the interview was published. While he was “deeply sorry” for offending developers, he claimed that something was “clickbait” and “out of full context,” seemingly referring to the “fucking idiots” quote from the Pocket Gamer interview.
Clickbait. Out of full context. Deeply sorry if what I said offended any game dev. Absolutely love the people that make games. Creative, hard work. #Unity
On Monday, Riccitiello shared a second apology on Twitter: “I want to talk about both what I said in the interview, and my follow up tweet. I’m going to start with an apology,” he wrote. “My word choice was crude. I am sorry. I am listening and I will do better.”
Much of the message celebrates developers, but he also makes a point to clarify his comments to Pocket Gamer. “What I was trying to say, and clearly failed at saying, is that there are better ways for game developers to get an early read on what players think of their game,” he wrote. “To learn from their feedback. And, if the developer wants, to adjust the game based on this feedback. It’s a choice to listen and act or just to listen. Again, both are very valid choices.”
“Anyway, that’s it,” he concludes. “Lots of words. And a sentence that I wish I had never said.”
NGL Is the App That Will Tell You What You Don’t Want to Hear NGL is only the latest anonymous-messaging platform to take off by making explicit the subtext of most social media: We’re all judging one another. Why is it so hard to resist?
Watch the trailer for a new HBO show from the Weeknd and the creator of Euphoria
Lily-Rose Depp and the Weeknd in The Idol. | Image: HBO
HBO has released the first teaser trailer for The Idol, a new show co-created by Sam Levinson, creator and primary director of Euphoria, as well as Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd. The Idol stars Tesfaye as a Los Angeles club owner and modern-day cult leader as he embarks upon a “complicated relationship” with a rising pop idol played by Lily-Rose Depp.
As you’d expect from a show that shares its creator with Euphoria, The Idol’s trailer is a debauched affair that promises the series will tell “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood.” Levinson is directing each of the show’s six episodes after director Amy Seimetz stepped away from the project in April, Deadline reported at the time. News of the change in director was joined by reports of casting changes and reshoots to rework the series.
An official release date for The Idol is yet to be announced, but its trailer promises that it’s “coming soon.”
Union calls on UK Uber users to join 24-hour strike over revelations
Public asked to avoid using ride-hailing service on Wednesday in response to issues raised by Uber files
A trade union representing “gig economy” workers is calling on Uber customers to join a 24-hour strike in response to the Uber files, a series of revelations about the cab-hailing app published by the Guardian and its media partners.
The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) invited Uber users to avoid using the service for a day on Wednesday and instead join a demonstration at the company’s headquarters in London.
Nephew of jailed Hotel Rwanda dissident hacked by NSO spyware
Latest findings suggest Rwandan government has deployed surveillance campaign against relatives of Paul Rusesabagina
The mobile phone of a Belgian citizen who is the nephew of Paul Rusesabagina, a jailed critic of the Rwandan government made famous by his portrayal in Hotel Rwanda, was hacked nearly a dozen times in 2020 using Israeli-made surveillance technology, according to forensic experts at The Citizen Lab.
The findings follow earlier revelations by the Guardian and other media partners in the Pegasus Project, an investigation of Israel’s NSO Group, that Rusesabagina’s daughter, a dual American-Belgian national named Carine Kanimba, was under near-constant surveillance by a client of NSO Group from January to mid-2021, when the hacking attack was discovered by researchers at Amnesty International’s security lab.
Travel tech: the best gadgets to pack on your holiday this summer
Technology to keep you entertained when you’re away, from headphones to TV streaming sticks and more
Summer is finally here, and after two years of disruption, many people will be getting on a plane, long-distance train or ferry for the first time in a long while.
A lot of us will inevitably be chucking a few gadgets and gizmos into our suitcases and hand luggage – from essentials such as travel adaptors to the items that can make a journey more pleasant, such as headphones and portable handheld fans.
Hyundai N’s ‘rolling labs’ imagine performance EVs that aren’t so boring
Image: Hyundai
Hyundai’s attempting to keep car culture alive with its two performance-focused electric vehicle (EV) concepts it calls “rolling labs.” The RN22e features a modified Ioniq 6 body, and the N Vision 74 is modeled after the never-released 1974 Pony Coupe concept — but both feature a refreshing sporty design that doesn’t look like some sort of futuristic pod (or, well... this thing).
The two concepts come from Hyundai’s “N” sub-brand, which focuses on high-performance vehicles. The N Vision 74 is the most striking of the two, and features a design that draws elements from the 2025 Hyundai N Vision Gran Turismo and the 1974 Pony Coupe concept that was originally designed by the iconic Giorgetto Giugiaro — the same man who went on to make the DMC DeLorean.
But this iteration swaps the gas-powered engine for a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell system capable of pushing the car over 250 kph (155mph). There’s also the 62.4 kWh battery with 800V fast charging capabilities, as well as an over 372-mile driving range.
This isn’t Hyundai’s first attempt at creating an EV modeled after the Pony, though. In 2019, Hyundai showed off a 45 EV concept that’s supposed to pay homage to the classic car (but doesn’t really do it justice in my opinion). Hyundai later converted a 70s-era Pony hatchback into an EV and equipped it with a bunch of cool retro-meets-modern elements.
The RN22e isn’t as flashy as the N Vision 74, but it’s still pretty sleek. It utilizes the same aerodynamic streamliner design as the Ioniq 6 that the company just introduced last week, which allows for more efficient performance. According to Hyundai, the RN22e has a 77.4kWh battery with 400 or 800V fast multi-charging capability, as well as a maximum speed of over 250kph (155mph). And if you want to indulge in what Hyundai describes as an “emotional driving experience,” you can take advantage of the RN22e’s N Sound Plus feature that generates fake engine sounds as you drive.
Hyundai has been pushing out some impressive concept cars lately, like this badass EV restomod. We don’t know if any of these concepts will ever make it out of the factory door, but at least we do know that Hyundai N’s releasing its first EV, the Ioniq 5 N, in 2023.
Chris Evans still misses his iPhone 6S and its home button
Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen in The Gray Man | Image: Paul Abell/Netflix
Fans of buttons can count on Captain America for support, as Chris Evans notes that even after a few weeks with a newer phone, he still prefers his old iPhone 6S and its button. The topic came up in an interview with Collider (via iMore) while doing a press tour for Netflix’s $200 million+, Russo brothers-directed spy flick The Gray Man, which he stars in along with Ryan Gosling.
Evans is far from the only person still stuck on the missing button (he and Donald Trump agree on at least one thing), which Apple swapped for a solid circle with taptic engine feedback on the iPhone 7, and eventually dropped entirely from the iPhone X onward. Evans’ other big complaint is that it’s just too heavy. Like many people who struggle with bulkier phones, the actor is uncomfortably bracing the phone with his pinky finger, and no, the recently-refreshed iPhone SE (2022) just won’t do as a replacement.
Collider reports that Evans confirmed his new phone is an iPhone 12, which the cameras show is definitely a Pro model, but not the iPhone 13 Pro we guessed it would be from the original Instagram post. The interview didn’t mention where he picked up the older model, which Apple dropped from its lineup last fall but is still readily available from other retailers and carrier stores.
Elon Musk says we should see Steam running on Teslas soon
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
Tesla’s apparently looking to expand its collection of in-car games... by adding Steam. In a reply to a tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company’s “making progress with Steam integration” and that we can expect a demo “probably next month.”
Tesla already offers a number of games through the built-in Tesla Arcade, like Cuphead and Sonic the Hedgehog 1, but adding Steam’s digital storefront could give users access to a whole lot more. We still don’t know if the integration will go so far as to allow users to make purchases on Steam while sitting in their cars, or if there will be any games Teslas can’t support.
We’re making progress with Steam integration. Demo probably next month.
Musk still hasn’t followed through on promises to bring Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher to newer Model S and X vehicles, which come outfitted with an AMD Ryzen processor and a discrete AMD RDNA 2 GPU. But a potential Steam integration could be an indication that Tesla’s inching closer to its goal.
In February, Musk tweeted that the company is “working through the general case of making Steam games work on a Tesla vs specific titles.” This means Musk is likely looking to make high-end titles available through a Steam integration, rather than as individual games.
Tesla came under fire last year after flip-flopping on its policies, first allowing drivers to play games only while in park, and then letting drivers play games when the vehicle is in motion by bypassing a safety confirmation. After facing criticism from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla walked back on this change and once again pulled the plug on gameplay while driving.
Lawmakers push FTC to clean up the VPN industry
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Last week, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address deceptive practices in the Virtual Private Network (VPN) industry. Eshoo and Wyden’s letter comes as people look to hide their digital footprint following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In their letter, Eshoo and Wyden ask the FTC to clamp down on VPN providers that engage in deceptive advertising, or make false assertions about the range of their service’s privacy. The lawmakers cite research from Consumer Reports that indicate 75 percent of the most popular VPNs “misrepresented their products” or made misleading claims that could give “abortion-seekers a false sense of security.” Eshoo and Wyden also call attention to reports accusing various VPN services of misusing user data, as well as “a lack of practical tools or independent research to audit VPN providers’ security claims.”
“With abortion illegal or soon to be illegal in 13 states and severely restricted in many more, these abusive and exploitative data practices are simply unacceptable,” the letter reads. “We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take immediate action... to curtail abusive and deceptive data practices in companies providing VPN services to protect internet users seeking abortions.” Eshoo and Wyden also ask that the FTC develop a brochure that informs anyone seeking an abortion about online privacy, as well as outlines the risks and benefits of using a VPN.
Google’s now solely relying on developers to provide accurate app data collection information
Image: Google
Earlier this year, the Google Play Store launched a new data privacy section that relies on developers to disclose the information their apps collect. But as pointed out by Esper senior editor Mishaal Rahman (via Ars Technica), this may mean that Google will no longer display a verified list of permissions it automatically gathers from each app, giving developers full control over what they choose (or don’t choose) to disclose to users.
When Google first announced the new data privacy section last year, the company made it clear that its system would rely on information provided by developers. On a support page, Google states that developers have until July 20th to fill out a data privacy form for their apps, noting developers “alone” must make “complete and accurate declarations” for their apps.
“Google Play reviews apps across all policy requirements; however we cannot make determinations on behalf of the developers of how they handle user data,” Google explains. “Only you possess all the information required to complete the Data safety form.” Google says it will take “appropriate action” if it finds any discrepancies between developers’ reported information and the app itself.
It’s worth noting that the Apple App Store has a similar policy in place for its privacy “nutrition” labels, and also requires developers to submit “self-reported summaries” about their apps’ privacy practices. Just like Google’s doing now, Apple puts its trust in developers to provide truthful information about the data their apps collect, which a report from The WashingtonPost found is often “misleading or flat-out inaccurate.”
While Google doesn’t indicate any plans to replace the automatically-generated app permissions with the data privacy section, it looks like Google quietly swapped it out. In a thread on Twitter, Rahman shows screenshots comparing one app listing with the old “Permissions” section, and another that has just “Data safety.” I noticed the same after comparing an archived version of TikTok’s Google Play Store listing from 2021 with the one that’s available right now.
With the launch of the Data Safety section on Google Play, which will be mandatory for all apps in 1 week, it seems the app permissions list is going away in both the mobile app and the web.
As Rahman points out, Google is storing app permissions in the Play store, but it’s just not visible from the front end. He suggests downloading the open-source Play Store alternative, called Aurora, which still displays permissions before you download an app.
That said, it would make a lot more sense for Google to display both app permissions and the data privacy section. This way, users could compare both to confirm that the developer-reported permissions are consistent with Google’s findings. The Verge reached out to Google to see if the company plans on reinstating the app permissions section, but didn’t immediately hear back.
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