Now you can stream Elden Ring’s soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube
Image: From Software
Elden Ring developer FromSoftware is making the game’s music soundtrack available to stream online in case you want to relive Malenia’s boss fight more than you’ve already replayed it. As announced in a Playstation blog post, you can listen to the 67-track album on Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and more (you can view the whole list of services here).
I, for one, did not even realize that there were 67 different songs in Elden Ring but maybe that was because I’ve been too busy yelling to notice the difference. The post also features an interview with FromSoftware lead sound design and composer Tsukasa Saito, who explains what actually went into making some of the game’s music, which is arguably one of the more underappreciated aspects of the Elden Ring (even if the song lyrics are plain gibberish).
Saito reveals something interesting about the haunting voices you hear in the “Song of Honor,” the track that plays in Redmane Castle as you prepare for your fight against the tiny-horse-riding Radahn. Those voices apparently don’t belong to a group of trained singers; they actually belong to the brass section of the Budapest Film Orchestra (the talented group that performed the soundtrack).
The FromSoftware team made the last-minute decision to swap out professional singers for the orchestra’s tuba, trumpet, and trombone players to get a grittier sound, as they realized Castle Redmane probably isn’t the kind of place where people sit around all day training their vocals (unless, of course, it’s for a war cry). And if you’re interested in putting some faces (and instruments) to the music that rings throughout the Lands Between, there’s even a brief behind-the-scenes video that shows the Budapest Film Orchestra in action.
DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket website and app crash on opening weekend
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Football fans are struggling to watch the first NFL Sunday Ticket game of the season due to issues with DirecTV’s website and app. While some users (including myself) report seeing an error page when trying to access the Sunday Ticket website, others say they can’t even sign in.
But that’s not all — users are reporting a range of other issues, too, with some getting locked out of the stream and receiving an error message that says they must be located in an NFL stadium in order to watch. To make matters even worse, those who subscribe to the NFL Plus subscription (which is separate from Sunday Ticket) say the app isn’t loading game scores.
I am not near an NFL stadium but Directv thinks I am so the Sunday Ticket app I paid for doesn’t work. @DIRECTV continues to provide terrible customer service. pic.twitter.com/Mzv1TUpJF0
Right now, it’s unclear what exactly’s causing the issues with the Sunday Ticket stream, which started several hours leading up to the game and are still ongoing.
“We’re aware some customers are unable to access NFL Sunday Ticket online or through the app,” DirecTV spokesperson Alisha Laventure said in a statement to The Verge. “Our teams are working to resolve this, but in the meantime, we recommend satellite customers watch on TV.”
As noted by several users, issues like these apparently aren’tuncommon when streaming the game with DirecTV, which has held the rights to Sunday Ticket since 1994. These rights expire at the end of this football season, and several companies, like Google and Apple, are reportedly looking into securing those rights (and can hopefully provide a more reliable stream)
Ikea’s Swedish House Mafia record player is actually going on sale next month
Ikea’s Obegränsad record player. | Image: Ikea
Ikea’s record player made in collaboration with music supergroup Swedish House Mafia is set to go on sale in October. The all-black device sports an unsurprisingly minimalistic look and will cost you $159.99 once it hits Ikea’s maze-like stores.
The record player is part of Ikea’s overarching Obegränsad (the Swedish word for “unlimited”) collection, which includes an equally-as-modern armchair, desk, LED work lamp, record stand, laptop stand, and shelving units, among other items. Ikea first announced the record player in June, marking the furniture maker’s second attempt at creating and selling a record player. The record player it was working on in 2018 never went on sale, but it looks like we have a much better shot of actually getting our hands on the device this time around.
Image: Ikea
The sleek Obegränsad record player is powered by USB-C.
Ikea hasn’t revealed too many technical details about the record player, other than that it’s powered by USB-C, is compatible with the Eneby Bluetooth speaker (albeit through a wired connection), and comes with a replaceable needle and cartridge. The retailer doesn’t specify an exact date for when the player goes on sale either, but we’ll update this article if we find out.
Matternet’s delivery drone design has been approved by the FAA
Matternet’s Model M2 drone delivering for the Swiss Post. | Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
Matternet has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Model M2 drone delivery drone design. In a press release, Matternet explains that the Model M2 is the first non-military unmanned aircraft to achieve Type Certification by the FAA, which determines that an aircraft’s design meets regulatory standards.
The California-based Matternet has been testing its Model M2 drone over the past four years in the US as part of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program. Matternet says getting the green light from the FAA could help streamline the process of “implementing new networks and getting approvals.”
Image: Matternet
Matternet’s Model M2 delivery drone.
In a statement, the FAA says Matternet’s Model M2 drone “meets all federal regulations for safe, reliable and controllable operations and provides a level of safety equivalent to existing airworthiness standards applicable to other categories of aircraft.” The four-rotor drone’s been approved to carry four-pound payloads and fly at an altitude of 400 feet or lower with a maximum speed of 45mph.
Cloud labs and remote research aren’t the future of science – they’re here
At high-end labs in the US and UK, anybody, anywhere, can conduct experiments by remote control cheaply and efficiently. Is the rise of the robot researcher now inevitable?
It’s 1am on the west coast of America, but the Emerald Cloud Lab, just south of San Francisco, is still busy. Here, more than 100 items of high-end bioscience equipment whirr away on workbenches largely unmanned, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, performing experiments for researchers from around the world. I’m “visiting” via the camera on a chest-high telepresence robot, being driven round the 1,400 sq metre (15,000 sq ft) lab by Emerald’s CEO, Brian Frezza, who is also sitting at home. There are no actual scientists anywhere, just a few staff in blue coats quietly following instructions from screens on their trolleys, ensuring the instruments are loaded with reagents and samples.
Cloud labs mean anybody, anywhere can conduct experiments by remote control, using nothing more than their web browser. Experiments are programmed through a subscription-based online interface – software then coordinates robots and automated scientific instruments to perform the experiment and process the data. Friday night is Emerald’s busiest time of the week, as scientists schedule experiments to run while they relax with their families over the weekend.
The iPhone 14 won’t have a SIM tray in the US
Living in the moment. Not a SIM tray in sight. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The new iPhone 14 lineup will ship without physical SIM trays — but only in the US. They’ll be able to use two eSIMs at once (and store more than that), but is the lack of a physical tray a big deal? And is it user-hostile and stupid?
First, a refresher on eSIMs: they’re SIM cards, but electronic, not physical. That means your phone can be provisioned remotely — no more going to a store to get a physical SIM. This makes it easier (in some ways) to switch networks or try one out — T-Mobile now uses eSIMs to let people test-drive its network for up to three months. As of iOS 16, you can even transfer your eSIM between iPhones via Bluetooth, which should make it almost as easy as a physical SIM — as long as you’re staying in the Apple ecosystem. Of course.
Most major US carriers, and many worldwide, have eSIM support, and iPhones have supported them since 2018, including the ability to use two SIMs at once. Up until the iPhone 13, that meant one eSIM and one physical SIM; the iPhone 13 family introduced the ability to use two eSIMs at the same time. Removing the physical SIM — and the hole in the case it requires — is the next logical step. At least for Apple, and at least in the US — the iPhone 14 still has a SIM tray everywhere else.
If you’re on a major US cell phone network — AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile — the lack of a physical SIM tray probably won’t impact you much. Even if you change carriers or change phones, you can download an eSIM directly from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile without going to a store.
But if you are on a carrier that doesn’t have eSIM support or you’re planning to switch to one, well, you shouldn’t get the iPhone 14 right now. You might not have to wait too long; this could be the push smaller carriers need to get on board with eSIMs.
(Outside the US, the iPhone 14 lineup still includes nano-SIM slots.)
That’s no SIM slot; it’s a mmWave cutout
At the launch event, Apple spokespeople told The Verge that the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro can store at least eight eSIMS, with up to two active at once. Global eSIM reseller Airalo says previous iPhones could hold five to 10, depending on the model. This could take some of the sting out of the loss of the physical SIM tray, though not all international carriers support eSIMs. (I haven’t used Airalo and can’t vouch for them, but being able to remotely provision a local eSIM when traveling abroad could remove the hassle of finding a local SIM.)
The ability to have more than one active SIM is great for frequent travelers, people who live in areas where any one network has spotty coverage, or folks who have separate work and personal numbers. I bought my iPhone 11 when I lived in the Netherlands, and it has both a Dutch eSIM and a physical Verizon SIM. That meant I could use a local SIM whether I was in Europe or the US without losing access to my other number or having to mess with my iMessage or WhatsApp settings.
Physical SIMs make it easy to bring your phone to a different carrier or bring your number to a new phone. They’re ubiquitous, work on all phones, and are easy enough to use (though also easy to lose; ask me how I know). Many of my co-workers are not psyched about losing the SIM slot. Moving an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android phone isn’t necessarily trivial.
I don’t think removing the SIM tray is necessarily user-hostile for most people; most people just do not switch carriers or phones every few weeks. But that depends on how easy providers make it to install and migrate eSIMs across platforms. We’ll see how this plays out.
Update Sept 7th, 4:45PM ET:Added information on eSIM support.
Correction Sept 8th, 12:06PM ET:The original text of this article misspelled the name of eSIM retailer Airalo. We regret the error.
Correction Sept 10th, 9:26PM ET:An earlier version of this article stated the iPhone 14 can store up to six eSIMs; both the 14 and 14 Pro models can store at least eight.
Instagram owner Meta fined €405m over handling of teens’ data
Penalty follows investigation into Instagram setting that allowed teenagers to set up accounts that displayed contact details
Instagram owner Meta has been fined €405m (£349m) by the Irish data watchdog for letting teenagers set up accounts that publicly displayed their phone numbers and email addresses.
The Data Protection Commission confirmed the penalty after a two-year investigation into potential breaches of the European Union’s general data protection regulation (GDPR).
Let me watch TV on the Apple Watch Ultra
A screenshot of a Yankees game in my camera roll. But here’s what the TV experience could look like. | Image: Andrew Marino
Apple introduced the rugged Apple Watch Ultra this week — with a bigger, brighter 49mm screen, an additional hardware button, a bigger battery, and better speakers — made for more extreme outdoor conditions. But I believe the $800 smartwatch can be used another way: to watch TV.
Wait, wait, wait, hear me out; it’s not a new idea. In 1982, Japanese watchmaker Seiko debuted a wristwatch that could receive UHF and VHF channels, albeit the actual receiver was in a huge belt pack you had to connect to the LCD screen on your wrist. The idea never really caught on (besides in the James Bond film Octopussy), but it introduced an exciting and futuristic television experience we still haven’t nailed yet.
Image: Seiko
The Seiko T001.
When the original Apple Watch hit the market in 2015, references were made to the Seiko TV Watch. It was, after all, a futuristic Bond-esque wrist computer. But seven years later, barely any functionality around watching video has been added to the device. The two ways I have found to watch any sort of video is for someone to send me a clip via iMessage and then view it from my Apple Watch or to download a third-party app called WatchTube, which is a little buggy and lacks a lot of video playing features. Neither of these methods is very close to the experience of television. With the Apple Watch Ultra’s screen, speaker, and battery life upgrades, video support is now a more justifiable request.
I’m not sure viewing prestige TV like House of the Dragon or movies like Top Gun: Maverick would be a great experience on a watch, but what if we could watch something like… a baseball game straight from our wrists? An ambient yet active television pastime. It’s the future that the Seiko TV Watch promised: to have the most portable hands-free television live at a moment’s notice. I would absolutely love to go on a walk in my neighborhood with the Yankees game attached to my arm without having to constantly unlock my phone or take it out of my pocket to view what just happened. I just heard Aaron Judge hit a fly ball into left field; how fast can I check the screen to see if someone catches it?
Imagine using the digital crown to scroll down the TV channel guide.
I think one scenario is enough to warrant a software feature most times, but I will share a few more. What if you’re kneading dough for your outdoor pizza oven and you want to watch the gubernatorial debate? Perhaps you are shoveling asphalt during the Indy 500. You are running track in the morning and love The Drew Barrymore Show. The elevator is stuck and you need to call maintenance, but it’s late in the fourth quarter and the Giants are driving down by four. Scuba diving during the Olympics opening ceremony? Who needs picture-in-picture mode when you can watch The Tonight Show on your phone and The Late Show on your watch simultaneously? Oh my god, what if you get one of those little Apple Watch stands that looks like an old Macintosh and watch the US Open on your desk while you work? I would like to keep Emily in Paris playing on my portable TV while I am throwing a frisbee on the beach. Forget about the classic sitcom predicament about the father who has to go to church during the Big Game. Who’s to say, but perhaps having Quibi available to watch on your wrist would have saved the streaming service.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
The Apple Watch Ultra kind of looks like a little TV.
The customizable action button on the Apple Watch Ultra would be great for changing channels on a linear TV app like Pluto TV or YouTube TV or rewinding a video back 30 seconds to replay a clip from Apple TV Plus’ Friday Night Baseball coverage. A hardware button makes play, pause, fast-forward, and closed captioning a little easier with a tiny screen. The brighter screen would make it easier to watch in bright outdoor environments, like tailgating at a concert. The upgraded speakers enable you to watch without your AirPods for family viewing.
Though the technology is here, the Apple Watch Ultra still won’t let you do this. Is it because it would diminish the already short battery life of the device for a feature only a few people would actually use? Is it because Apple wants you to think of the watch as a health device and not a television? Probably. But the dream is still alive. There’s a reason why someone made a third-party YouTube app for the watch, and I’ve seen a few weird tiny-screen gadgets people have been strapping to their wrists. As batteries are lasting longer and processors are getting faster, we’ve hit the point where TV can be watched anywhere. So it’s time to be able to watch TV on my watch.
Siberian tiger v bear: even David Attenborough ‘wowed’ by Frozen Planet II
The BBC’s new wildlife series overcame photography challenges with hi-tech equipment and years of patience
The tension in the air was palpable as the group of television producers waited with bated breath to see what would happen as the Siberian tiger crept into the bear’s cave. This was a groundbreaking moment in the making of wildlife documentaries, and one that will be seen by millions who tune into Frozen Planet II.
It took three years of persistence and trial-and-error filming in Russian forests using remote cameras to get the footage of the tigers entering bears’ caves, said Elizabeth White – who worked on the originalFrozen Planet and produced the award-winning “iguanas vs snakes” episode of Planet Earth II.
EcoFlow Delta Pro battery review: maximum solar power for an uncertain world
Six charging methods with a seventh in the works
It’s hard to imagine, but there could soon come a time when a 100-pound battery on wheels that costs $3,699 is something you’ll want or even need.
Maybe it’s because you want to take out some insurance in the form of emergency backup power now that the public grid is increasingly under siege by heatwaves, fires, and floods. Or maybe, like me, you just want to take advantage of your employer’s new work-from-home policy to disappear into the forest for weeks at a time with a laptop, Starlink RV, Super73-ZX e-bike, and all the latest gadgets that define modernity.
Either way, you’ll need a very powerful battery, and one that’s flexible enough to be refueled by whatever means is available. In other words, something like the Delta Pro from EcoFlow.
The Delta Pro is a suitcase-sized battery designed to handle the unexpected. It’s relatively portable, loaded with DC and high-wattage AC outputs, and can be charged in half-a-dozen ways including solar panels and from thousands of level 2 EV charging stations.
Not only did a 3.6kWh Delta Pro and 400W EcoFlow solar panel keep all my family of five’s gear charged for three weeks without dropping below 55 percent, but this big-ass solar generator also proved capable of charging an RV and an entire house without even flinching.
I’ve been covering EcoFlow since the company launched its first product in 2017. In that time, it has gone from making standalone batteries to creating an entire ecosystem of products that build upon one another as your needs evolve. Sonos customers will immediately recognize the approach: you start with a single speaker, then a second for real stereo separation, then a Sonos soundbar to create a home theater, and later a subwoofer to round out the 5.1 sound. At this point, you’re so locked in you’re unlikely to buy anything else.
With EcoFlow, you buy one of its flagship 3600Wh Delta Pro batteries, then an EcoFlow expansion battery or two to boost capacity to 10.8kWh, and then some EcoFlow solar panels to keep it all charged in an environmentally friendly way. You find you’re not using your $10,000 setup all the time so you fit an EcoFlow smart home panel into your electricity box so that the entire house can still be powered during a temporary blackout, and then add an EcoFlow dual-fuel generator for serious emergencies to keep everything powered for as long as you feed it diesel or propane. Or maybe take all that gear off-grid to augment the performance of EcoFlow’s turnkey Power Kits installed in a remote cabin or RV. Then kick back with a portable EcoFlow AC unit in comfort and watch the fossil fuel-obsessed world burn.
I reviewed a European model of the Delta Pro, which differs only slightly from the US version. The EU model has four 230V/16A AC outlets, whereas the US model has four standard 120V/20A outlets and one 120V/30A. Both models produce up to 3600 watts (with a 7200W surge) which is enough to power just about any major or minor household appliance you throw at it.
The Delta Pro is fitted with a new generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4) battery which has several advantages over typical lithium-ion batteries. These include faster charge times, longer life, lighter weight, and improved safety. EcoFlow says the Delta Pro will still be at 80 percent capacity after 3,500 cycles, which would take almost 10 years if you were to charge and deplete it every day. By comparison, an iPhone’s lithium-ion battery hits the 80 percent mark after just 500 cycles.
Ecoflow says the Delta Pro’s 1.8-hour charge time is the “world’s fastest.” It achieves this impressive figure by combining multiple charging methods for a maximum input of 6500W. The Delta Pro can be charged in six different ways.
The Delta Pro earns its name with a wide selection of inputs and outputs. And there are still more on the other side.
I only tested three of the Delta Pro’s six charging methods: regular AC input via shore power while parked at an RV site (fast at 2900W max), via the 400W portable solar panel I packed (reasonably quick in full sun), and from my van’s 12v socket (slow, but better than nothing). My review unit didn’t come with the optional Type 1 adapter that allows it to charge at up to 3400W while parked at an EV station. The other two charging methods are proprietary EcoFlow solutions I also couldn’t test: the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel (3400W), which turns the Delta Pro into a short-term battery backup for your home, and the EcoFlow Smart Generator, which will charge the battery at 1700W using diesel or propane fuels.
For this review, I brought along a large EcoFlow 400W solar panel. The Delta Pro supports up to 1600W of solar input from a variety of panel makers due to the wide voltage range (11-150V) it supports. Having to deal with a single 35.3-pound (16kg) panel is unwieldy enough at 94.1 inches / 239cm unfolded. It does fold down flat, though, which allowed it to be easily packed into the rear storage area of the camper (aka, the garage) I had rented.
The Delta Pro powering a tiny off-grid house in the middle of the Swedish forest.
A 400W EcoFlow solar panel charges the Delta Pro (inside the van), which charges the Fiat Ducato RV.
Delta Pro’s battery being solar charged at 337W while simultaneously charging 168W worth of devices including a detached e-bike battery.
Charging a Super73 e-bike with the battery still connected.
I had previously tested the 400W EcoFlow panel and Delta Pro with EcoFlow’s oddball solar tracking robot. The panel produces a maximum of 310 to 330 watts of continuous power, which is enough to charge the Delta Pro’s 3.6kWh capacity battery at a rate of about 10 percent per hour. I was lucky with the weather, enjoying mostly sunny days on all but a handful of the 21 days we were away. 330W was only possible in full sun and with the panels positioned at 90 degrees to it. But without the help of the solar tracking robot, my charging rate would hover closer to 100W because I was too lazy to move the panels more than three or four times each day.
Charging anxiety for van lifers is akin to the range anxiety felt by EV owners. Fortunately, EcoFlow gives you multiple ways to keep on top of your inputs and outputs in real time. The Delta Pro itself is fitted with a large LCD that tells you which ports are active and how many watts they’re using. Otherwise, EcoFlow will sell you a dedicated display panel you can mount on a wall or just use the iOS and Android apps which is what I did. The apps connect over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi; the former is great from inside the van, while the latter (when connected to my mobile hotspot or Starlink RV) let me monitor my power situation from more than 100 feet away.
I don’t know if access to this data reduced or increased my anxiety, but I found it to be compelling and addictive. Seeing the solar input drop off was also a good reminder to realign the panels to the sun. The app maintains a historical graph of inputs and outputs but only for as long as the app is open. That’s a shame because I’d love to see a daily archive of that data to better understand my consumption needs.
During my three weeks away, I was able to rely almost exclusively on that 400W panel to keep the Delta Pro charged, usually finishing the day with the battery at close to 100 percent. I plugged into shore power just once to test it and marveled at how quickly the battery filled by drawing just over 2600W. The heavy-duty three-pronged jack used by my RV is the one input the Delta Pro doesn’t have, but my shore power cable came with a two-prong European plug adapter. I also plugged the Delta Pro into the van’s 12v car socket while driving in my quest to always be charging — it very slowly moved the needle, but I was happy to have it.
Despite using a wide variety of devices that needed regular charging, including a GoPro, two MacBooks, a handful of phones, a projector, a portable Nespresso coffee maker, Starlink RV internet, and an e-bike, my battery never dropped below 55 percent with diligent charging despite having to plug the e-bike’s depleted 615Wh battery into the Delta Pro every few days.
The EcoFlow app lets you remotely monitor and control your inputs and outputs — it’s addictive.
The Delta Pro could also power much larger devices. For example, on one occasion, I had to plug the Fiat Ducato directly into the EcoFlow battery after the van’s recreational battery died while parked in the same spot for a few days (it only charges off the van’s alternator when driving). The Delta Pro allowed me to keep the van’s water pump, lights, and two fridges operating off-grid for days longer as a result.
For kicks, I even plugged a house into the Delta Pro. Not just any house, mind you, but a tiny house that’s built to exist on its own in the Swedish forest, far away from the public grid. It worked as expected, feeding electrons into the home’s even larger battery over the van’s shore-power cable and adapter. The forest house typically receives power from the six 320W solar panels mounted on the roof to charge its 4800Wh battery during the long Nordic days of summers, making the 400W / 3200Wh Delta Pro kit I was traveling with a capable backup solution.
Solar generators like the Delta Pro certainly have their benefits (can be used indoors, run quiet and green), but similarly specced diesel generators are usually cheaper and can run for as long as you have fuel, making them a more practical backup for such a home in the dark Swedish winters. But if cost is no option, EcoFlow does sell that dual-fuel generator mentioned earlier that automatically kicks into action if the Delta Pro’s battery drops below a user-defined threshold. Like I said: ecosystem.
Other observations:
The battery itself isn’t waterproof (you can buy a waterproof cover), but it’s still very durable. We had it parked in between the captain seats where my dog would claw at it and use it for his travel perch. And the wheels stood up to gravel, dirt, and sand while being dragged around by the telescoping handle that never buckled under the stress.
The Delta Pro’s fast charging inputs create a lot of heat which means its fans can get quite loud. That can be annoying in the confines of an RV or tiny home. It’s much louder than the smaller, slower charging, and less capable Jackery solar generator I reviewed in July. Fortunately, there’s a button on the back of the Delta Pro that can reduce the fan noise, but this also slows down the charging speed. You can also reduce the charging rate in the app by setting it to whatever wattage you prefer.
As if six charging methods wasn’t enough, EcoFlow has a wind solution “coming soon” for the Delta Pro. That could be a lifesaver in a storm when the sun is blocked out and the power grid is down.
The app can be buggy at times. For example, setting the max AC input charging rate won’t commit until you kill and reopen the app. But overall, the app is very good, giving you nearly full control over the Delta Pro battery and its ports.
The Delta Pro has enough power and charging options to live and work off the grid with all your toys for days at a time.
I just returned from a day at the largest RV show in Europe and overheard three random conversations by attendees who were raving about their EcoFlow setups. One or two would be a coincidence, but three is remarkable. I can understand why.
EcoFlow is an interesting company that makes a compelling ecosystem of portable power solutions suitable for job sites or people who enjoy going off-grid for just a weekend or as a way of life. Its easy-to-use products can also be your insurance policy against blackouts if that’s a concern where you live.
Products like the $3,699 Delta Pro (which is often on sale for less) and its huge storage capacity, high AC output, portability, insightful app, and wide range of ports and charging options let people go further off the beaten path for longer periods of time. Return home, and it can then be used as emergency backup power for everything in your house. That type of freedom, unencumbered by worries about how you’ll keep all your devices for work and play powered up, can be truly liberating.
Intelligent toaster and a ‘nappy fullness sensor’ among UK inventions in 2021
Other inventions include a humane insect remover, a gas-flushing toilet and a collar that stops dogs fighting
An artificial intelligence-driven toaster that gets the perfect level of brownness each time, a device to humanely remove flying insects from a room, and a sensor that tells you when a nappy needs changing. These were just three of the new things created by UK based inventors last year.
A Guardian analysis of patent applications listed by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) found 6,087 patent applications published with at least one UK-based inventor listed in 2021.
With the September 2022 full moon rising, also known as the harvest moon, many people will pull out their mobile phones to try and get an Instagram-worthy photograph, but unfortunately the moon is really challenging to get a great photo of.
Two reasons: it is very far away and unless you have a telephoto lens (which makes the moon appear closer than it is) it will always appear as a very small glowing dot in the frame.
Klutzes rejoice: AppleCare Plus now covers unlimited repairs
Don’t drop it! But if you do, it’s not the end of the world. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
If you’re the kind of person who’s always dropping your phone, AppleCare Plus may have just become a much better deal. As MacRumors points out, the service now covers “unlimited repairs for accidental damage protection.” According to an archived version of the AppleCare Plus page from last month, you used to be limited to “two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months.”
Before you toss your phone in the air in celebration, though, do note that the service fees and deductibles are still around — a screen or back glass repair will cost $29, while “other accidental damage” will run you $99. Also, Apple’s fine print clearly notes that the damage has to be caused by “unexpected and unintentional events” to fall under AppleCare Plus.
The service itself is, perhaps a bit surprisingly, still the same price. (Though that was a recurring theme during Apple’s event on Wednesday). Getting it for a brand-new iPhone 14 Pro will cost $9.99 a month or $199 for two years, the same price it used to cost to cover an iPhone 13 Pro. However, covering the iPhone 14 Plus does cost more than covering the regular iPhone 14 or the iPhone 13: it’s $8.99 a month versus $7.99 a month — or an extra $30 if you buy the two-year plan.
The upgrade to the service isn’t just for the phones Apple announced on Wednesday. You can also get it for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, as well as for the rest of Apple’s lineup. Yes, this will also have you covered if you keep accidentally sending your AirPods through the wash, knocking your iPad off the counter, breaking your watch in a fall, or sitting on your MacBook Pro. (It also applies to the Apple TV and HomePod Mini, but I’m hard-pressed to imagine how you’d break a device that mostly just sits around the house.) I wasn’t able to find a single example of the price for coverage going up, though getting AppleCare Plus for the Apple Watch Ultra does cost a little more than it does for the Series 8.
The change is also retroactive. I purchased AppleCare Plus for my iPhone 12 in December 2020, and received an email from Apple on Friday telling me that my plan “now protects your covered device from unlimited incidents of accidental damage from handling.” The email continued, saying that the extra protection comes at no additional charge, and that I didn’t have to do anything to activate it.
One final important thing to note: if you get AppleCare Plus with theft and loss protection, replacements for stolen or misplaced iPhones are still limited to two per year. You’ll still get the unlimited repairs, but if you completely lose your iPhone more than twice a year, you’ll be out of luck — not that it sounds like you had much good fortune to begin with.
Update September 9th, 9:45PM ET:Updated to note that the changes to AppleCare Plus are retroactive.
Valve now has repair centers that can fix your Steam Deck
If you don’t want to take apart your own Steam Deck, Valve’s new repair centers can do it for you. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
If something’s broken with your Steam Deck and you don’t want to try to fix it yourself, Valve now has a new option for you: you can send your handheld gaming PC to one of the company’s new repair centers to get it fixed.
Repairs for anything that’s covered by the Steam Deck’s warranty (which is one year in the US) will be free, Valve says. If your device is out of warranty, the company will offer to fix it up for a cost. If you don’t want to pay that fee, you can decline the repair and ask to have your Steam Deck sent back.
This out of warranty paid repair service is completely optional, and if you want to repair your Deck yourself (via @iFixit parts and guides, for instance), that's up to you! More details here: https://t.co/e0q4ytqQ9V
Of course, if you think you can fix your Steam Deck on your own, Valve is totally open to you doing that; the company has teamed up with iFixit to sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck so you can get the parts you need to repair things yourself. (Check out how my colleague Sean Hollister fixed his noisy fan.) But as Valve continues to ramp up its Steam Deck shipments, for those of us who are a little nervous about the prospect of opening up their beloved Steam Deck (me), these new repair centers offer another way to get things fixed.
Logitech’s webcam software is a mess
The Logi StreamCam has features that cannot be activated with Logitech’s current software on newer Macs.
Logitech makes some of the most popular webcams in the world, but using them on some of the most popular computers, like the M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro, is a less than stellar experience. Plugging one into any M1 or M2 Mac for a video call isn’t an issue, but if you want to tweak in-depth settings or use some of these webcams’ highlight features, doing that right now ranges from clumsy to impossible. That’s because its most capable webcam software, Logitech Capture, isn’t available on computers with Apple silicon.
Logitech switched up its software plan for people who use newer Mac laptops and desktops without making much effort to tell anyone. Instead of offering Logitech Capture, its de facto software focused squarely on webcam settings and content creation features, it has two distinct and lesser Mac applications to choose from: Logi Tune and Logitech G Hub. Tune is a confusing app that lets you toggle settings for Logitech gadgets, with calendar integration added in, for some reason. G Hub was built for gamers who want to tweak RGB lighting and sensitivity settings for gaming-focused products and, now, webcams.
Each app’s interface looks different and lets you switch different settings, so you’ve got a choice with which app you use — too much choice, if you ask me, given how limited the functionality is within each one. But neither offers as many options as Logitech Capture. You can access basic settings, like the ability to zoom in for a tighter crop or make a host of adjustments to the picture settings (or set them to auto settings), but you can’t adjust the frame rate or the resolution. What that means is people who own an M1 or M2 Mac cannot utilize its face-tracking feature or switch between horizontal or vertical orientations on a nice, relatively high-end webcam like the $160 Logi StreamCam.
Logi Tune’s interface is simple, which is good. But it doesn’t offer access to every feature that I want to toggle, like frame rate or resolution.
And this stuff isn’t super apparent unless you’re using an affected computer. I’ve tested webcams on a laptop without Apple silicon, so I only noticed after a reader reached out to note some of the Logitech picks in our best webcam buying guide have limited functionality on M1 and M2 Macs. There are plenty of posts on Reddit about this, too, and plenty of people working on solutions that Logitech hasn’t itself presented. Someone even succeeded with a workaround to get a previous version of Logitech Capture software working on an M1-equipped machine. It crashed on launch for me, though.
I asked Logitech if it planned to port Capture to computers with M1 and M2 chips. Spokesperson Christian Cooper told The Verge that “There are currently no plans for Logi Capture to support M1 or M2 chips. However, camera and video settings are supported in our Logitech G HUB software and on Logi Tune for macOS.”
After some follow-up questions on whether these apps deliver feature parity with Logitech Capture (they don’t) and if its new software strategy was born from a technical hurdle with M1 / M2 Macs (or if this sloppiness was the plan all along), Logitech spokesperson Ciara Dixon provided this boilerplate response that didn’t provide useful answers.
“Logitech provides multiple software options for diverse customers across multiple operating systems including Windows and Mac. For video conferencing (including webcam, headset, and Logi Dock), we recommend using Logi Tune. For gaming and streaming, G HUB offers convenience and control over multiple devices from Logitech G, Blue Microphones, and Litra Glow. Streamlabs is the all-in-one livestreaming and recording software across multiple platforms including Twitch, YouTube and Facebook.”
Logitech G Hub lays out more of the features at once, but it still doesn’t give you all of the options that Logi Capture does.
This software problem is an issue for newer Macs right now, but it’s about to be an issue for a lot more users very soon. As of the latest update, Logitech has sunset the Capture app entirely for Windows computers and older Intel-based Macs. In its latest patch notes for the software for both Windows 10 and several macOS versions, it says, “This is the final version of Logitech Capture and no new software updates will be available. Logitech recommends that you download and install Logitech G HUB if you want to adjust compatible webcam settings.” It has a support page that instructs all users to download Logitech G Hub, and it instructs users to uninstall Logi Capture.
Right now, this means if you own an M1 or M2 Mac, you can’t get the most out of your Logitech webcam. This problem will spread — by Logitech’s choice — to Windows and other Intel-based Macs later in 2022. We’ve, naturally, reached out to Logitech again for more answers.
Until Logitech is clearer about its software plans for its webcams, we’ll add a note in our webcam buying guide that your experience with its webcams will vary wildly depending on the computer that you use.
Google is working on ‘clear calling’ for Android phone calls
Android call quality is progressing. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The first beta for the Android 13 quarterly release includes a new “clear calling” feature that “reduces background noises during calls.” It was first spotted by Mishaal Rahman on Twitter who also tweeted directions to enable it for yourself without root, if you’re feeling bold.
The images shared by Rahman note that Clear Calling works “on most mobile networks,” is “not available for Wi-Fi calling,” and “content from your call is not sent to Google.”
Manually enabled "Clear Calling" settings. Don't want to bother testing it, but here's a first look! pic.twitter.com/JUYPxlXiSN
Google has been flexing its noise-canceling muscles (and custom six-core audio chips) for awhile. First, and most impressively, by using AI to suppress background noises like the crackling of snack bags, keyboard clicks, and dogs barking in Google Meet. More recently with the $199 Pixel Buds Pro — the company’s first earbuds with active noise cancellation.
My colleague Chris Welch, who knows more about noise-cancelation tech (and unannouncedSonosspeakers) than anyone I know, called the ANC on the Pixel Buds Pro, “more than competent — even if it won’t be bumping Sony or Bose from the top of the mountain.” Not bad for a first effort, now let’s see how Google does with regular old phone calls.
Since Roe v Wade was overturned in the US in June, there are concerns that law enforcement could request the intimate data users share with period tracking apps. Johana Bhuiyan reports on the privacy concerns
Millions of women around the world use period tracking apps to understand their bodies and work out when their ovulation or period is due.
While many people find these apps useful and empowering, there are concerns about where the data put on these apps goes.
When bitcoin plunges, Buttcoin cheers: the online community praying for crypto’s death
A Reddit subforum for people who are horrified by the proliferation of crypto scams and pyramid schemes pokes fun at cryptocurrency
As bitcoin plunged below $20,000 in mid-June, many cryptocurrency users were distraught over massive losses – with some reporting they had lost their life savings. But one corner of the internet was cheering: Buttcoin, a Reddit subforum launched in 2011 to poke fun at cryptocurrency.
“I’m addicted, I need help,” read one popular post. “I just love watching line go down too much. I always tell myself ‘after it breaks through this next support line, you’ll be satisfied’ but there’s ALWAYS another lower level after that.” “I’m actually hoping it levels off at 20K for tonight,” said another user. “I’m kinda tired and need more time to think of new lower priced memes.”
Apple Watch Ultra repairs could be ultra-expensive
Hey bud, be careful with that. | Image: Apple
On Wednesday Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, a $799 wearable meant for people partaking in extreme activities like climbing mountains, running ultra-marathons, or diving. But as MacRumors points out, breaking its screen, button, sensors, or other various parts while doing any of these activities could be very expensive: repairs for the watch will cost $499 if you don’t have AppleCare Plus (we’ll get to that in a minute), according to an estimate tool on Apple’s website. That’s significantly more than the $299 repair for an entry-level Series 8.
Getting the battery replaced on an Ultra will also cost more than it would for Apple’s less extreme watches, coming in at $99 instead of $79. That does make some sense; the Ultra likely has a much bigger battery than the Series 8, given that Apple estimates it’ll last twice as long.
While I do get that it’s always fun to poke fun at Apple’s sometimes out-there pricing — I still sometimes have a giggle at the $19 polishing cloth — I do somewhat understand why the Ultra’s repairs will cost so much. Apple Watches are general tiny and glued together, and neither of those factors make for easy repairs. That more or leaves leaves Apple with two options when you send it your broken watch; it can just recycle it and send you a refurbished one, or it can hire folks with serious skills to actually repair it. Neither of those options are exactly cheap.
Fair or not, the Ultra’s high repair price isn’t unique. Apple estimates you’d have to pay the same $499 to get a Titanium Series 7 Edition repaired, which tracks given that the Ultra is made from the same material. (A footnote does say that shipping is free for Apple Watch Editions, where you have to pay for it otherwise. Apple didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment on whether it’d cover shipping for the Ultra too.) Those aren’t even the most expensive repairs though; if you break your ceramic Series 5, you could be out $800 if you want it fixed without AppleCare Plus.
Speaking of AppleCare, though, that’s really the solution here. Apple’s protection plan for the Ultra is $100 up front (or $4.99 a month), and that’ll knock repairs down to a much more manageable $79. If you get your Ultra repaired even once — and let’s face it, if you’re one of the “outdoor adventurers” Apple’s marketing the watch to, you’ll probably have to at some point — you’ll come out way ahead with AppleCare. Plus, Apple just made it so the policy covers unlimited repairs instead of just two a year, which is a boon for those who’ll be pushing themselves and their gear to its limits.
Here are the best Amazon Echo deals right now
The Echo Show 5 (left), Echo Show 8 (middle), and the Echo Show (right). | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
Amazon’s current Echo lineup offers a broad selection of smart speakers and displays that can fit just about anywhere in your home. Whether you want to place a voice assistant in your living room, replace the bulletin board in your office, or pick up a touchscreen-enabled device to showcase recipes in the kitchen, there's an Echo device for just about every occasion and use case.
Regardless of why you might want one, there’s also always a way to save on an Echo device, from the last-gen Dot to the wall-mounted Echo Show 15. Even when they’re selling at full price, for instance, Amazon offers a 25 percent discount when you trade in select devices, meaning there are still other ways to save money when none of the models are on sale.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals available on each device in Amazon’s Echo lineup. None of the current discounts rival those we saw during Amazon Prime Day, but some models — specifically the Echo Show 15 — are still available with an extra smart display at no additional cost. Also, keep in mind that, in many instances, Best Buy is also offering $10 off the price of a pair of Echo devices, giving you an additional way to save if you’re looking to outfit your home with more than one smart speaker or display.
In 2020, Amazon released the fourth generation of the Echo Dot, which looks more like a sphere than an actual dot. But if you prefer the previous design, don’t worry: Amazon has not discontinued the third-gen Echo Dot, which retains the familiar dot shape and is available for $39.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy.
As for the latest Echo Dot, it’s available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $49.99, its full retail price and about $30 more than we saw the speaker go for on Prime Day. Amazon, Target, and Best Buy are also selling the model with a built-in LED display that showcases the time, weather, and other information for $59.99, the speaker’s usual list price.
The best Echo Dot Kids Edition deals
The fourth-gen Echo Dot Kids Edition is as spherical as its adult version but is designed to look like a tiger or panda. The device also comes with a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus service, which provides access to a slew of kid-friendly content, including audiobooks and games.
If you’re looking to pick up the latest, kid-centric Echo Dot, it’s available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now for $59.99, which is the speaker’s typical retail price and a far cry from the all-time low we saw on the smart speaker during Prime Day.
The fourth-gen Amazon Echo also received a makeover in 2020. Like the aforementioned fourth-gen Echo Dot, the latest Amazon Echo has a sphere-shaped design, but it’s noticeably bigger than the Echo Dot. That said, it also touts a built-in smart home hub and produces better sound, thanks to a pair of 0.8-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer.
In the past, we’ve seen the namesake Echo drop to as low as $60, primarily during shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. However, perhaps given the recency of Amazon’s two-day sales event, the smart speaker is only available at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now for its standard retail price of $99.99.
If you’re interested in an Alexa smart speaker with better audio quality and Dolby Atmos support, the Echo Studio is the Amazon product to check out. Unfortunately, however, the Echo Studio is currently only available at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for its usual asking price of $199.99. Amazon also offers a Billie Eilish Limited Edition Echo Studio with the singer’s image pasted on the side for $229.99, if you consider yourself an Avocado, Eyelash, or whatever Eilish fans call themselves these days.
If you are looking for a compact Echo device that functions more as a smart clock than an entertainment speaker, the Echo Show 5 is the Echo device to consider. The latest edition, which launched last year, features an always-on microphone, an upgraded 2MP camera, a 5.5-inch display, and a physical shutter, allowing you to block the camera’s view.
During Prime Day, we saw the second-gen Echo Show 5 drop to as low as $44.99 ($40 off). Right now, however, it’s only available at Target in either blue or white for $79.99, which is a mere $5 off and substantially more than the smart display’s all-time low. It’s also available at Amazon and Best Buy in all colorways for $84.99, if you don’t mind paying the full MSRP.
The best Echo Show 5 Kids Edition deals
The Echo Dot isn’t the only Echo device with a kid-friendly design. The Echo Show 5 Kids Edition offers all of the same features as the standard, second-gen Echo Show 5, only with a vibrant print on the rear and a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus service, which grants your family access to a trove of videos, games, and other kid-friendly content. It even comes with a two-year warranty, providing a bit of protection from whatever your child might (literally) throw at it.
As far as pricing goes, we recently saw the Echo Show 5 Kids drop to $39.99 — its lowest price to date — during Prime Day. Sadly, the compact smart display is back to its typical retail price of $94.99 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and other retailers.
Like the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8 is available in two distinct models, both of which feature 8-inch displays and dual speakers. However, unlike the first-gen Echo Show 8, the newer model is equipped with a 13MP camera and some unique software tricks, one of which grants it the ability to keep the subject centered in the frame as they move around.
We recently saw the first-gen Show 8 drop to as low as $54.99 ($55 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, but neither retailer is currently offering the smart display at the aforementioned price. As of right now, you can only pick it up at the aforementioned retailers — as well as Target — for $109.99, the suggested retail price.
As for the second-gen model, it’s readily available at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $129.99, the usual list price. Amazon is offering select customers six months of Amazon Music Unlimited with the purchase of either the first- or second-gen model, though, the retailer doesn’t stipulate how to qualify.
Last year, Amazon released a third-gen Echo Show 10. The device features a 10.1-inch HD screen and, unlike the Show 5 and Show 8, the 2021 model allows you to adjust the angle of the screen. It’s also mounted on a motorized, swiveling base that allows the display to follow you as you move. If you plan on doing a lot of video calling, this is the model to get.
We’ve seen the latest Echo Show 10 get discounted to as low as $200, but no active deals are available right now. If you still want to pick it up, however, you can get it for $249.99 — the smart display’s typical retail price — at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Like with other Echo devices, Amazon is also offering six months of Amazon Music Unlimited to select customers.
Unlike other smart displays in Amazon’s Echo lineup, the new Echo Show 15 is a large, wall-mounted device with a 15.6-inch touch display. It’s designed to replace the likes of bulletin boards and calendars, and as such, it functions as a shared hub for families where everyone can see digital sticky notes, upcoming calendar appointments, shopping lists, and other reminders. It also features support for Alexa, meaning it offers the same functionality as other Echo displays and smart speakers, and you can even use it as a decent 1080p TV in your kitchen or to display photos and artwork. It’s even compatible with an optional stand, though, we’d argue it remains a better fit for your wall than your countertop given its size.
Having launched at the end of last year, we’ve seen very few discounts on the Echo Show 15. That said, you can currently buy it at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $249.99, its full retail price and $50 more than its most recent sale price. All three retailers (Best Buy, Amazon, and Target) are also throwing in a second-gen Echo Show 5 at no additional cost, though, each retailer requires you to select the correct configuration or add the second-gen Show 5 to your car prior to checking out.
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