Tesla’s latest update adds Steam games and Apple Music
The Steam Beta in a Tesla. | Image: Tesla
Tesla’s new “Holiday Update” adds a few long-awaited new features, including the ability to play games from Steam in your car and support for Apple Music.
Tesla already offers a bunch of games for owners like Cuphead and Stardew Valley, and the official addition of Steam doesn’t come as a total surprise, as CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company was “making progress” with a Steam integration in July. But now that Steam for Tesla is finally here, owners could have a lot more games available to them.
Steam isn’t the only major app coming to Teslas; the company’s cars are finally getting Apple Music as well. The app had reportedly appeared in a Model S in a museum exhibit last month, and now it’s officially rolling out as part of an official Tesla release.
The Holiday Update includes a lot of other features, too. An upgraded light show mode lets you schedule a show that will appear across multiple vehicles at the same time. The company put out a pretty ridiculous video to show it off:
Schedule your own Light Show on multiple vehicles simultaneously to create your own orchestra of light pic.twitter.com/mJdUcBmXLm
You’ll also be able to make Zoom calls from the cabin camera and view the inside of the car from the Tesla app while in Dog Mode or Sentry Mode. The update, officially numbered 2022.44.25, is rolling out now.
Tidal is testing a new DJ session feature for HiFi Plus subscribers
The now-playing screen shows a red DJ button that enables the live streaming-like function. | Image: Tidal
Tidal, the high-bitrate quality music streaming service, is testing a new feature that lets its HiFi Plus subscribers play DJ. Participants of the service’s Early Access Program can switch from playing music just for themselves to a DJ session, which then provides a link that can be sent to friends who can listen in.
Tidal DJ works like running your own live radio broadcast or a headphones-only silent party. It’s similar to remote sharing features from other streaming services, like Spotify’s remote group session or Apple’s SharePlay — except you don’t have to know who the listeners are. In that way, it’s more like Turntable.fm or the old Spotify add-on (when Spotify wanted to be the “OS of music”) SoundDrop.
The Tidal feature can let you play remote work office DJ; just send the link to your team — assuming they all pay for Tidal (none of my co-workers could join my session). It could also be an outlet for people who are always demanding the AUX cable during road trips with friends — but now without complaints!
Image: Tidal / The Verge
Start by tapping the DJ button, name the session, and then share out the link to people (in this case through Discord). Tidal paid subscribers who open the link can then stream on their mobile device.
If you want to try out the new feature, first, you need to subscribe to Tidal’s top HiFi Plus feature (free for 30 days, then $19.99 per month). Then, sign up for the Early Access Program, which guides you to install a beta version of the app (either through Test Flight on iOS or join the beta in the Google Play store). Finally, open the app, play any playlist, then tap the DJ button to enable a session and get the share link.
The new feature is not to be confused with Tidal for DJs, which lets DJ performers and music producers get access to the Tidal library within “pro” audio software. While you might not be a real DJ using Tidal that way, at least now you can pretend to be.
Smart speakers help people living alone feel less lonely, survey finds
Research by Ofcom also found the devices give disabled people a stronger sense of independence
Smart speakers help people who live on their own feel less lonely and give some disabled people a stronger sense of independence, according to new Ofcom research.
During an in-depth survey of 100 owners and 15 non-owners who tested a smart speaker, some described their device as being like a companion and said they liked being able to talk to it.
Netflix is making a live-action My Hero Academia film
Image: Viz Media
Netflix is making yet another live-action anime adaptation, and this time, it’s taking on My Hero Academia. In an announcement on its website, the streamer says filmmaker Shinsuke Sato (I Am a Hero, Kingdom) will serve as director, while Obi-Wan Kenobi producer Joby Harold is penning the script.
My Hero Academia takes place in a universe where the majority of humans are born with superpowers — called quirks — and centers around the once-quirkless Izuku Midoriya (or Deku). When Midoriya’s granted super strength from the hero he idolizes the most, All Might, he’s accepted into the prestigious UA High School for heroes-in-training. There, meets other quirk-wielding students while working toward unlocking his true strength and coming face-to-face with powerful enemies.
It’s still too early to tell who will play the role of Midoriya and some of the other supporting roles, like the gravity-defying Ochaco Uraraka, the fiery Katsuki Bakugo, or the top hero All Might. But as is the case with other live-action anime adaptions, casting can make or break the remake.
Netflix doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to making live-action adaptations of anime; both its Death Note film and the now-canceled Cowboy Bebop didn’t really capture the essence of their source material. Hopefully, the streamer can take this feedback into account before it starts working on My Hero Academia and the several other live-action anime adaptions it has planned, including One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Yu Yu Hakusho,and (yet another) Death Note.
My Hero Academia is set to hit theaters in Japan and will land on Netflix everywhere else, although there’s no word on a release date.
Here are the best Amazon Echo deals right now
Like Amazon’s Echo speakers, its various smart displays come in a range of sizes. | 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 Echo devices, 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. The bulk of the discounts don’t rival those we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but some models — including the third-gen Echo Dot and second-gen Echo Show 5 — are still available for their lowest price to date in the run-up to the holidays.
Best Amazon Echo deals
The best Echo Dot deals
In September, Amazon announced the fifth generation of the Echo Dot. It looks more like a sphere than an actual dot — much like its last-gen predecessor — but offers twice as much bass as the prior model and a temperature sensor; it also doubles as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi extender, though, said functionality will also be coming to the prior model at some point via a free over-the-air firmware update.
Despite the arrival of the new model, you can still pick up the third-gen Echo Dot, which retains the puck-like design of earlier models and is on sale for $14.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. As for the fifth-gen model, it’s currently on sale for $27.99 ($22 off) at both Target and Best Buy, or at Amazon for the same price with a free Sengled smart bulb.
If you’re looking to upgrade, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy are also selling the latest Echo Dot with a built-in LED display that showcases the time, weather, and other info for $39.99 ($20 off). Like with the non-clock model, Amazon is also throwing in a free Sengled smart bulb with your purchase, at least for a limited time.
The best Echo Dot Kids Edition deals
Both the fifth- and fourth-gen Echo Dot Kids Edition are as spherical as the adult versions but designed to look like a variety of creatures, from pandas to dragons. They also come with a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus service, which provides access to a slew of kid-friendly content, including audiobooks and games. That said, the fifth-gen model features better sound, a temperature sensor, and other improvements found on the standard edition.
If you want to buy the latest, kid-centric Echo Dot, it’s available at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy right now for $29.99 (its best price to date). If you’re looking to pick up several Echo devices for your home, Amazon is also selling the latest Echo Dot Kids with either a second model or the standard, fifth-gen Echo Dot for up to $70 off when you use promo code DOT2PK at checkout.
The fourth-gen Amazon Echo also received a makeover in 2020. The latest model sports a sphere-shaped design like the newer Echo Dot models, but one that’s noticeably bigger. That said, it also touts a built-in smart home hub and produces better sound than the fifth-gen Dot thanks to a pair of 0.8-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer.
As of right now, the fourth-gen Echo is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $59.99 ($40 off), which nearly matches the speaker’s best price to date. Like with other Echo devices, Amazon and Best Buy are also pairing each purchase with a free Sengled smart bulb.
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. Normally $199.99, the Echo Studio is on sale in black or white at Best Buy and Amazon with a free Sengled smart bulb for $159.99 — a price we’ve only seen a handful of times since the speaker’s initial debut in 2019. It’s also available at Target for the same price, though, without the added bulb.
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.
Right now, the second-gen Echo Show 5 is available at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy in blue, black, or white for $34.99, an all-time low on the capable smart display.
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, the Echo Show 5 Kids is still matching its best price to date, likely as a result of Amazon’s recent sales push during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Regardless of the reason, however, you can pick up the compact smart display at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for just $39.99 ($55 off).
Like the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8 is typically available in two distinct models, both of which feature 8-inch displays and dual speakers. However, unlike the first-gen Echo Show 8, the latest 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 second-gen Show 8 drop to an all-time low $69.99 ($60 off), which is the smart speaker’s current price at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Amazon is also offering the second-gen model with a free Echo Show 5 Kids or six months of Amazon Music Unlimited, though the retailer doesn’t stipulate how to qualify for the latter promotion.
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.
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 compatible with an optional stand, too, 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 only seen a handful of discounts on the Echo Show 15. That said, you can currently buy it at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $184.99, which is only about $15 more than its sale price during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Twitter abruptly dissolves safety council moments before meeting
The firm’s turmoil appears to deepen since Elon Musk’s takeover with Yoel Roth forced to flee home amid personal attacks
Elon Musk’s Twitter abruptly dissolved its Trust and Safety Council on Monday night, just moments before it was scheduled to meet with company representatives.
The council was an advisory group of nearly 100 independent civil, human rights and other organizations that the company formed in 2016 to address hate speech, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform. But Twitter informed the group via email that it was disbanding shortly before the meeting was to take place on Monday, according to multiple members.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Parents Under Scrutiny in FTX Collapse The FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother and father, who teach at Stanford Law School, are under scrutiny for their connections to their son’s crypto business.
Discord leans on linked accounts to verify who you are and what you can access
A list of Linked Roles on a server, along with icons for the connections they’ll require. | Image: Discord
Discord is making the accounts you have linked to your profile a key part of the chatting experience. It’s introducing a system called Linked Roles, where admins and moderators can grant people access to certain channels and even entire servers based on which third-party apps and websites those people have connected to their Discord account.
In an extremely detailed blog post on Monday, the company says the feature, which will be rolling out over the next few weeks, will support connecting accounts from sites like Steam, Twitter, Reddit, DeviantArt, and more (there are “over twenty official Connections,” according to Discord’s blog post). Server administrators will then be able to set up certain filters based on those connections — for example, they could make it so only people with a linked Crunchyroll account can get into the “Anime-Fans” channel or that you have to have a linked eBay account to see the “Garage-Sale” chat.
Above: Discord’s video is a surprisingly clear illustration of what Linked Roles are.
Discord says that users won’t be automatically assigned these Linked Roles based on what accounts they have connected, as that could end up causing some privacy concerns. Instead, they’ll be able to see a list of the roles they’re eligible for based on what accounts they’ve linked and can choose if they want to accept them. You can see if a server offers linked roles by clicking on its name in the top left corner, and looking for a “Linked Roles” button.
Image: Discord
Some of the connections that Discord will support for Linked Roles.
As the name suggests, Linked Roles are kind of a mash-up between the connections system that lets you share info about your other accounts and the roles system that helps admins and moderators manage what parts of a server people can access, and what sorts of things they can do when they’re there.
But Discord is also pitching the improved connections as a way to verify yourself to other users — some of them will provide even more information and stats about the account that you’ve linked, so people will be able to see, say, your Reddit karma, or your seller rating on eBay. As an example of how this could be useful, Discord says that you’ll be able to make sure that the artist you’re chatting with about commissions actually does have a DeviantArt full of past work, and that it’s actually their account.
Image: Discord
Truly, check marks are inescapable.
Of course, those verifications will only really be as trustworthy as the sites they come from; if someone creates a fake eBay bot and verifies themselves with it, that’s not going to be particularly useful for users. To that end, Discord’s working on an “Official” designation for apps, which will give them a Twitter-style checkmark if they come from a “vetted developer.” As of Monday, there will be 22 apps with the badge, including PayPal, and the company will be opening up an application process next year.
Discord says the main purpose of Linked Roles is to “help bring a sense of security to your space” and to help automate the process of determining whether people are legit or not. If you want to set a few up on your own server, you can check out Discord’s help article on how to do it — and if you’re a Discord user trying to navigate a server with a bunch of new roles, the article aimed at community users may be of use.
Comcast’s symmetrical multi-gigabit internet test is a preview of next year’s ‘10G’ rollout
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Comcast announced in a press release it successfully tested a symmetrical multi-gigabit DOCSIS 4.0 connection on its live network, taking a major step toward “offering 10G-enabled services” in the second half of 2023.
In Philadelphia, where Comcast is headquartered, it connected service at an undisclosed business location using multiple cable modems and a DOCSIS 4.0-enabled 10G node. If you’re wondering what 10G means, the answer is — more than 5G. As we noted in 2019, the cable industry rolled out its marketing term just in time to have something that’s twice as many Gs as 5G wireless.
DOCSIS 4.0 tech should enable download speeds of up to 10Gbps with 6Gbps uploads, and Comcast said a lab test in January achieved more than 4Gbps speed in both directions.
It also potentially gives Comcast another way to earn more money from existing subscribers, which would align with Comcast’s new plan to increase revenue despite customer growth that’s stalled in recent quarters. Comcast has already announced to its customers it’s increasing its cable and internet prices this month, with the average nationally going up by 3.8 percent. One Verge writer’s bill shows a $3 bump for internet service and a TV subscription that will be more than $7 more expensive next month.
Earlier this year, Comcast announced it was working on rolling out multi-gig Internet speeds to more than 50 million residences and businesses in the U.S. by the end of 2025. The company planned on deploying 2Gbps speeds to 34 cities by the end of this month and has also given a slight bump to download speed on internet service in many areas.
The advantage of 10G tech is that it should make multi-gig speeds available for both downloads and uploads (currently, Comcast’s gigabit plans include upload speeds of just 200Mbps), just as it is with fiber optic internet connections. However, for anyone considering upgrading, we should note that you will probably need another new cable modem.
Ideally, this will increase speeds for those in places where fiber isn’t available, especially non-metropolitan areas. And in places that have competition, it measures closer against rivals that deliver fiber services, such as Verizon, AT&T, Google, and Frontier Communications, which are already offering some customers symmetrical multi-gigabit connections.
“We started this year with the announcement of our world-first test of 10G modem technology capable of delivering multi-gig speeds to homes and, as of today, 10G is a reality with the potential to transform and evolve the Internet as we know it,” said Elad Nafshi, EVP and Chief Network Officer at Comcast Cable. “It’s been an incredible year of progress, and we look forward to continuing to refine and harden our 10G technology as we work to make this service—and all its incredible benefits—available to all customers in the years ahead.”
Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.
Anisotropy dependence of damage evolution and material removal during nanoscratching of MgF₂ single crystals The research team, led by A/Prof. Chen Li from the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System (HIT), Harbin Institute of Technology, China, has shown the anisotropy dependence of the damage evolution and removal behaviors involved in ultra-precision machining of MgF2 crystals in terms of stress field, slip deformation and cleavage fracture.
Twitter Blue is back, letting you buy a blue checkmark again
Would you pay for Twitter? | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Elon Musk’s $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription with verification is officially available, and you’ll need a verified phone number to sign up.
In a thread on Twitter, the platform notes that Blue will cost $11 per month if you sign up on iOS and will grant you access to the ability to edit tweets, upload 1080p videos, reader mode, and, of course, the coveted blue checkmark. If you paid for the old $4.99 / $2.99 Blue package, then you’ll need to subscribe again to keep its benefits, while anyone who signed up on Apple at the old $7.99 per month price will be automatically renewed at $11 per month unless they cancel.
we’re baaaack! Twitter Blue is now available for $8/month on web or $11/month on iOS – we’ve made some upgrades and improvements pic.twitter.com/uRMuwCSElb
This time around, Twitter is relying on a lightly described review process, as well as the phone number verification requirement, to limit any “verified” hoaxing:
We’re committed to maintaining integrity of accounts on Twitter and making the platform a place people can join and engage safely. Only Twitter accounts created more than 90 days ago can sign up for Twitter Blue.
Once subscribed to Twitter Blue, changes to your profile photo, display name, or username (@handle) will result in the loss of the blue checkmark until the account is validated as continuing to meet our requirements, and no further changes will be allowed during this review period. Learn more about checkmark requirements here.
The company says the current price point is a “limited time offer” on the signup page and lists several features coming soon. Those include the ability to “rocket to the top of replies,” post “longer videos,” and see around half the number of ads.
Twitter says anyone with an existing blue checkmark won’t lose it “at this time,” although this is something Musk says will happen in “a few months.” It does note, however, that users who change their display name or profile photo will lose their checkmark until their account is reviewed.
Getting a PlayStation 5 no longer has to be an uphill battle. Thanks to the increased availability of Sony’s next-gen console, there are multiple options for bringing home a PS5. While availability is sometimes limited to bundles that come packaged with a game, this is still a great opportunity to bring home a console relatively stress-free. We’re keeping a lookout across the web to find where, when, and how you can buy either the PS5 (with a disc drive) or the PS5 Digital Edition, as well as any bundles that are not price surged.
Demand for this console is still high, with no guarantees that inventory will remain available for long. Nevertheless, we’ll do our best to keep this article updated with the latest in-stock alerts and tell you where to look.
Where can I buy a PS5 right now?
If you’re looking to take a PS5 home today, your best bet is springing for theGod of War Ragnarökbundle. The $559.99 bundle packages the disc-based version of the PlayStation 5 with a digital copy of the excellent God of War Ragnarök. Right now, it’s available direct from Sony and PC Richards, as well as in-store at Best Buy, Target, and Walmart locations.
Most major retailers restock consoles and bundles both online and in physical stores on an intermittent basis, but availability can fluctuate based on your local store. It’s important to note that some retailers won’t ship your console, too, so make sure the store you select is within a reasonable distance if you’re planning to pick one up. You’ll also need a verified account with these retailers in order to check out.
Restock events can happen at any time. Additionally, retailers like Best Buy are combatting the demand for this console by restricting access to Totaltech members. A similar program is in place for Walmart Plus members, with premium members getting the first stab at fresh stock. If you’re trying to go through Amazon to get a console, you’ll have to sign up for an invitation first, but you don’t need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to take advantage of said process. Being a member doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a console, though it can potentially improve your odds.
Opting for a bundle that includes games like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West is a perfectly viable option for getting a console without having to pay a premium. Bundles are made available through the PlayStation Direct store and other retailers, with new bundles becoming available alongside the release of new PlayStation exclusives. Whether it’s due to their higher price or that they’re packaged with a game someone may not want, bundles tend to sell out less quickly than standalone consoles.
Below, we’ve collected the PS5 landing pages for various retailers if you want to check the available stock for standalone consoles or bundles.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Every PS5 comes with one DualSense controller. You can use the DualShock 4 controller, but it’ll only work when you’re playing PS4 games on the next-gen console.
What accessories do I need to buy for the PS5?
The PlayStation 5 includes all the basic things you need to get started (minus the games, of course). However, you might want to consider picking up a few additional accessories if you’re looking to get the most out of your new console.
First, there’s the controller. Every PS5 includes one DualSense Wireless Controller, but there are a few benefits to owning at least one additional controller, such as if you plan to play local co-op games with a friend or family member. Or, if you’re like us and want to keep playing your game but don’t want to be tethered to the charging cable, a second controller lets you continue playing while the other charges.
Sony’s official gaming headphones are a fantastic way to experience the spatial audio of the PlayStation 5. The Pulse 3D sports a clean, minimalist aesthetic and is still one of our favorite gaming headsets thanks to its comfortable fit and solid sound quality.
The PS5 HD Camera is a neat accessory for people interested in using their PS5 to livestream video games or broadcast their gameplay with friends. It includes dual 1080p lenses and allows you to remove the background of your camera’s feed and replace it with something else.
We strongly recommend subscribing to PlayStation Plus if you have not already done so; outside of taking advantage of some online gaming functionalities, PlayStation Plus provides a ton of additional incentives, most notably PS5 owners have access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, a digital library of some of the most impactful titles to release on the PS4. The service has changed substantially since it launched and now offers tiered memberships with different pricing.
An annual membership to PlayStation Plus Essential, the lowest tier, costs $59.99 and provides you with free games each month, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved games, and access to the PlayStation Plus Collection on the PS5. A year of PlayStation Plus Extra, on the other hand, will run you $99.99 and grants you all the Essential benefits, in addition to even more free games by way of the PlayStation Game Catalog.
At the top of the heap, we have PlayStation Plus Premium, which costs $119.99 for an annual subscription. It offers all of the same benefits as lower tiers but provides access to the PlayStation Classics catalog, in addition to the ability to stream games to your PC and mobile devices. Premium subscribers also get the perk of game trials for eligible titles, allowing for time-limited access to games for free.
The PS5 comes with 825GB of storage out of the box but is compatible with a variety of M.2 SSDs if you need more space. There’s no shortage of M.2 SSDs on the market, but they can vary wildly in terms of their performance. Also, not all M.2 SSDs come packaged with a heatsink, which is necessary if you’re planning to use this drive with your PS5. Here are a couple of options we can recommend based on their performance and price point.
Update December 12th, 5:30PM ET:Article updated with new availability and pricing information, a table of retailers, and new accessory recommendations.
Only a quarter of US iPhones are sold through Apple
September is now an unofficial free iPhone bonanza. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
A new report from CIRP says that only about 24 percent of recent iPhones purchased in the US were sold directly by Apple. Instead, the most popular way to buy a new iPhone was through a wireless carrier, which accounted for 67 percent of sales. That’s certainly a perception shift from the time of lines around the block at the Apple store on launch day, but it’s not at all surprising given how aggressively AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile now promote iPhone giveaways every fall.
CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) surveys iPhone buyers to find out which models they’re buying and where they’re shopping — information Apple doesn’t disclose. Outside of carriers and Apple retail, CIRP attributes 4 percent of iPhone sales to Best Buy and 5 percent to “other,” which includes Target and Walmart. Those are just tiny slivers of the pie compared to the gigantic piece wireless carriers are eating.
None of this is entirely surprising. In the US in particular, carriers have a lot of advantages when it comes to phone sales. For starters, there’s a wireless store on every street corner in this country, while Apple stores are far less easy to come by. It’s also likely that many people are just used to buying phones from their carriers, so that’s where most people start when it’s time for a new iPhone — not Apple’s website. So even though Apple and Best Buy offer deeply discounted iPhones with carrier activation, they struggle to overcome the inertia that carriers have accumulated.
Taking the free phone deal from their carrier seems to be the path of least resistance for most of us in the US. And who’s to blame anyone for taking a free phone when a loaf of bread costs roughly half your paycheck? If you do take your carrier up on an aggressive upgrade offer, just remember to read the terms carefully, know how long the repayment plan is, and be sure you’re happy sticking with that wireless company for the duration.
Xbox boss: Sony wants to ‘grow by making Xbox smaller’
Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge.
Xbox chief and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer says Sony’s opposition to the Activision Blizzard deal comes down to the PlayStation maker wanting “to protect its dominance” in consoles. “The way they grow is by making Xbox smaller,” said Spencer in a recent Second Request podcast (Via Eurogamer).
Sony has been opposed to Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, and has focused on the future of Call of Duty in filings with regulators. “Sony is leading the dialogue around why the deal shouldn’t go through to protect its dominant position on console, so the thing they grab onto is Call of Duty,” says Spencer. “The largest console maker in the world raising an objection about the one franchise that we’ve said will continue to ship on the platform.”
Microsoft has reached a 10-year deal with Nintendo to make Call of Duty available on Nintendo consoles if the Activision Blizzard deal closes. That could potentially lead to Call of Duty releasing on Nintendo Switch for the first time.
Whether Call of Duty arrives on Nintendo consoles or Xbox Game Pass hangs in the balance right now, after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a legal challenge to try and block Microsoft’s plan to buy Activision Blizzard. Regulators in Europe are also closely examining the deal, with the EU on a March 23rd deadline to complete its in-depth investigation and issue a decision. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is also performing a deeper review of the deal.
WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ feature might expand to include text messages
Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
WhatsApp’s “View Once” feature, which currently lets you send photos and videos that disappear after the recipient has viewed them, may soon also support standard text-based messages. WABetaInfo reports that it found evidence of the in-development feature in the latest beta version of WhatsApp’s Android app, which might one day let users send messages that are only viewable once before disappearing into the ether.
Much like the current “View Once” feature, the new functionality could one day be useful for sending sensitive information that you don’t want a recipient to have ongoing access to, like a password or credit card details. In fact, when WhatsApp announced the launch of View Once for photos and videos, it used the example of someone sending a photo of their Wi-Fi login details as a case where it might be useful. It’s not hard to imagine this same information being sent in the form of a disappearing text message.
WhatsApp already offers a disappearing messages feature which allows you to set every message sent in a chat to disappear after a set period of time. But the new “View Once” feature would only apply to a specific message rather than a whole conversation, and would have a message disappear after it’s been viewed, rather than after a set period of time.
As it stands, WABetaInfo reports that the feature may one day be accessible via a button in the app that has the traditional send message logo on it combined with a padlock. But since the feature is in-development, and currently isn’t even available to beta testers, this design may change before it’s officially released.
WhatsApp currently prevents recipients from being able to screenshot a piece of view once media if they’re using the most recent version of its app, but it’s unclear whether this same protection will be extended to text messages.
A spokesperson for WhatsApp declined to comment on WABetaInfo’s report on the upcoming feature, so it’s unclear when, or even if, it might be officially available.
The Game awards: three patience-testing hours of video game advertorials
By focusing on the near-future of the industry, the honours failed to adequately celebrate its present
The high point of the ninth annual Game awards arrived within its first 15 minutes. A charmingly unkempt Al Pacino arrived on stage to present the award for best performance, quickly admitting that he neither played “a whole lot of video games” nor could read the teleprompter especially well. Still, he managed to hand the gong out to actor Christopher Judge for his electrifying performance as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök. Dressed in a sparkling gold suit, Judge began his moment in the sun by hugging the Hollywood star. This was just the start of a further 10 heartfelt minutes on stage, the actor relaying the personal anguish he went through leading up to the game’s production. As the minutes wore on, the show’s producers seemingly began to fret about the night’s schedule, eventually playing orchestral music in an attempt to hurry him along. Yet this only made Judge’s words more epic – all the more affecting.
Judge’s time on stage was a rare moment of spontaneity and personality in a three-hour awards show otherwise sorely lacking these ingredients. Creator, host, and producer Geoff Keighley, had promised a “streamlined” runtime compared with its predecessors, and so Judge’s extended appearance left less time for other winners. However, this year’s glitzy event continued to show the extent to which the Game awards lack balance. The length of time given to the awards and their winners was dwarfed by that allocated for what the show calls “world premiere” trailers of new and announced games. The awards should be a celebration of the year’s interactive excellence yet the evening demonstrated the extent to which it remains fixated on a hype-filled future, often to the detriment of the creators it purports to recognise.
US agency moves to block landmark merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard
Regulators voted 3-1 to stop the biggest acquisition in video game history, citing concerns over thwarting of competition
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved to block Microsoft’s takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, citing concerns that the deal would thwart competition by denying rivals access to popular gaming content.
Microsoft, which owns the Xbox video game console system, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7bn, which would make it the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Activision is the maker of popular games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
Elsewhere, NASA’s Orion spacecraft successfully returned to Earth over the weekend, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. Although this Artemis I mission was uncrewed, NASA hopes that will change with an upcoming 2024 flight that’ll send a group of astronauts around the Moon.
Finally, although 16GB has long served as the default amount of RAM recommended for most PC games, Returnal’s upcoming port looks set to buck the trend if its Steam listing is to be believed. The listing lists 32GB of RAM as the recommended amount for decent performance, though you should be able to scrape by with 16GB as a minimum.
And now, here’s a silly tweet:
absolute madman has claimed his front and center solo seat for Avatar 2 the day it opens at the biggest IMAX in town pic.twitter.com/ZoCJ53TKLT
Returnal is coming to PC, but you’ll need 32GB of RAM to play comfortably
Returnal demands more RAM than even Microsoft Flight Simulator. | Image: Sony
Sony’s Returnal is the latest PlayStation exclusive to make the jump to PC, but it comes with a hefty RAM recommendation (via WccfTech). While you’ll need a minimum of 16GB of RAM in your rig just to get it in a playable state, Returnal’s Steam listing recommends at least 32GB to get the most out of its gameplay and graphics.
Returnal is a third-person roguelike shooter that features undeniably stunning visuals, but it’s still not clear why the game demands so much RAM to unlock its full potential. The rest of the system requirements seem pretty normal for a game ported from a next-generation console, as you’ll need at least an Intel i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, along with an Nvidia RTX 2070 Super or AMD RX 6700 XT GPU or better to meet its recommended specs.
However, a leaked video of the game (which has since been taken down) might shed some light on the high RAM recommendation. As noted by PC Gamer, the video suggests that Returnal could include support for both Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR upscaling technology, ray-tracing for both shadows and reflections, as well as unlocked framerates.
Mikael Haveri, the brand director at Returnal developer Housemarque, appears to hint at some of these perks in the Sony blog post announcing the PC port. “For our PC version there will be an array of PC specific tweaks and upgrades to make sure that the experience is as fluid as possible,” Haveri explains, while adding that more details about this will become available “later.”
Even if Returnal does support ray-tracing and upscaling technologies, it still doesn’t explain what it does differently for Sony to recommend 32GB of RAM as a baseline. Both Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered support ray-tracing and DLSS, but only their highest ultimate ray-tracing options require 32GB of RAM. Otherwise, you can still play both games comfortably with just 16GB of RAM.
In addition to Returnal, Sony also announced that it’s bringing the PS5 exclusive The Last of Us Part 1 remake to PC next year. Sony hasn’t revealed the required specs for this game yet, so we’ll have to wait and see if the company ups the RAM recommendation on this, too.
The developer who unlocked 90Hz on the Pixel 6A needs help finishing the project
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Remember that Pixel 6A mod that unlocks a 90Hz refresh rate? Well, the developer behind it, Nathan Brooke (aka Lunarixus), just made the changes public in hopes that other developers can finish off the tweak.
In a post on Twitter, Brooke includes a link to the project on GitHub and says that he just doesn’t have enough time to work on it. The mod activates a seemingly untapped 90Hz refresh rate on the budget-friendly Pixel 6A, which would otherwise ship with a 6.1-inch OLED display running at 60Hz. While The Verge’s senior editor, Sean Hollister, confirmed that the mod does work, there are a few caveats.
Note: Green tint is not fixed, this is why we never released it officially, you won't notice green tint on max and lowest brightness, only in the middle, my hope is other devs can figure out how to overwrite the gamma table and finish this off, the rest is stable.
For one, some users report seeing a green tint on their displays when trying the mod, but that’s something Brooke and his team hope other developers can fix. “The screen tints the exact way high refresh rate OLED panels do when they’re not correctly calibrated,” Brooke tells The Verge. “I know it is fully possible to overwrite these tables but I don’t have the time to work on it myself so I open-sourced the driver edits so that other developers can work on it.“ Brooke adds that you shouldn’t notice the green tint when the display is on the max or lowest brightness; the problem persists when it’s set in the middle.
The process of installing the mod is still pretty complicated, and if you do actually get it to work, we don’t know whether running the higher refresh rate affects the device. It’s still not clear whether the 90Hz option is software locked, or if the mod just overclocks the device, something developer Kuba Wojciechowski pointed out on Twitter a couple of months back. The Verge reached out to Google to see if the Pixel 6A’s display really does support 90Hz, and we’ll update this article if we hear back.
Hopefully, we’ll get some solid information about any possible effects on the device once more developers start diving in. Brooke tells The Verge that developers will eventually “be able to release their own kernels with improved versions” of the driver, so we’ll just have to stay tuned for a finished product.
Ex-Theranos executive Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison
Term slightly longer than one given to Elizabeth Holmes for defrauding investors in now-defunct blood testing firm
Sunny Balwani, the former Theranos executive and ex-romantic partner of Elizabeth Holmes, has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison over his role in the now-defunct blood testing firm.
The sentence is slightly longer than that given to Holmes, who was his accomplice in one of Silicon Valley’s biggest scandals, just a few weeks ago.
Toilets spew invisible aerosol plumes with every flush. Here's the proof Every time you flush a toilet, it releases plumes of tiny water droplets into the air around you. These droplets, called aerosol plumes, can spread pathogens from human waste and expose people in public restrooms to contagious diseases.
Twitter relaunches blue tick service with higher price for iPhone users
Users willing to pay $8 on the web or $11 a month via Apple’s app store will get more prominence on the platform
Twitter is relaunching its subscription service on Monday, offering users verified status for $8 (£6.50) a month or $11 a month on their iPhone.
The move follows a botched revamp of the service last month that resulted in a host of impersonator accounts appearing on the platform as some users took advantage of the chance to launch bogus “verified” accounts for major companies and public figures.
What was Dracula really like? 550-year-old clue to life of Vlad the Impaler emerges
Scientists are hoping ‘historical biomolecules’ on a 15th-century missive written by Vlad Dracula, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s vampire count, will reveal more about him
On a dark and stormy night in May this year, exactly 125 years to the day that Bram Stoker published the definitive vampire novel, two people pored over a document more than 500 years old in a room in Transylvania – signed by Dracula himself.
Gleb and Svetlana Zilberstein’s mission? To extract genetic material from the letters written by Vlad Dracula – the historical inspiration for Stoker’s vampiric count – left there by his sweat, fingerprints and saliva.
Elon Musk’s $8 Twitter Blue subscription is coming back with phone number verification and a higher price on iOS
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Twitter’s relaunching its Blue subscription on Monday, one month after abandoning a chaotic first attempt that spurred hoax accounts and general mayhem.
As reported previously, the subscription will cost $8 per month to purchase on the web or $11 per month via the iOS App Store to make up for the up to 30 percent commission Apple takes off of in-app purchases. This time, anyone paying for Blue who wants to display a “verified” checkmark on their profile will need to register a phone number first, and changing your “handle, display name or profile photo” will remove the label until your account is reviewed again.
we’re relaunching @TwitterBlue on Monday – subscribe on web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to get access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark pic.twitter.com/DvvsLoSO50
In a thread on Twitter, the company says subscribers will get access to the blue profile checkmark along with a number of features, including the ability to edit tweets, upload 1080p videos, and access reader mode. The company lists fewer ads and prioritization in search and replies as “coming soon.”
Esther Crawford, the product manager at Twitter, says the company’s adding the phone verification requirement before users are granted a blue checkmark to combat impersonation.
Last month, The Verge’s Alex Heath reported that Musk told Twitter employees he wouldn’t relaunch Blue until the company’s “confident about significant impersonations not happening.” In addition to requiring Blue subscribers to provide a verified phone number, Musk previously said accounts will “be manually authenticated” before the blue checkmark appears on their profiles.
Concern as US media hit with wave of layoffs amid rise of disinformation
Wider economic uncertainty is behind cuts at companies including CNN, BuzzFeed and Gannett, executives say
A wave of layoffs have hit the beleaguered American media industry as several major companies, including CNN, BuzzFeed and Gannett, have laid off hundreds of workers in recent weeks citing economic volatility and uncertainty.
The job losses are the first major slate of cuts since the beginning of the pandemic, when a handful of companies laid off workers over the unpredictability of Covid’s impact on the economy. As the economy rebounded with the introduction of the Covid vaccine in 2021, the news industry saw the lowest number of layoffs in years.
The New Chat Bots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them? Siri, Google Search, online marketing and your child’s homework will never be the same. Then there’s the misinformation problem.
Stellantis is blaming EVs for its upcoming Jeep layoffs
One of Stellantis’ EV concept vehicles. | Image: Stellantis
Stellantis, the company behind Fiat, Dodge, and Jeep, has announced that it plans to halt one of its plants and lay off 1,200 workers come February. Its reasoning? Pressure from COVID-19, sure, along with a dash of chip shortages — but mainly all those electric vehicles it has to make.
The factory in question is one that builds Jeep Cherokees in Illinois, and the news comes as the automaker is gearing up for union negotiations. While United Auto Workers argues that “the transition to electrification also creates opportunities” at the plant, an unnamed Stellantis spokesperson told CNBC and The Wall Street Journal that it was instead the reason for the halt. “The most impactful challenge is the increasing cost related to the electrification of the automotive market,” the company claims, adding that it’s exploring other uses for the plant, and that it’s trying to find jobs for the workers it’s laying off.
But let’s back up for a second — one of the world’s largest automakers is saying it has to shutter a plant indefinitely because of how much electrification is costing? That’s a bold claim, especially since it’s coming from a company I’d consider to be in distant third in the big three American automakers’ race to move their lineups from gas to batteries. It also doesn’t help that Stellantis has been promising quite a few electrified Jeeps, and it’s hard to see why this factory couldn’t play a role in making those vehicles, at least one of which is due out next year (and many of which have been very difficult to find).
This isn’t to say that Stellantis isn’t spending big on EVs — it’s promised to split an up to $3 billion bill with Samsung for a battery factory in Indiana, and it’s investing $4.1 billion in a similar facility located in Canada, this time with LG. But that’s not an unthinkably large investment compared to some of its peers: GM is spending a whopping $7 billion on one of its three EV battery factories in the works, Honda’s helping build a $4.4 billion plant in Ohio (and spending $700 million more to retool existing facilities), and Ford has announced it’s building three EV-related locations with a price tag of over $11.4 billion.
Ford’s an interesting comparison, though, because it also went through a recent round of layoffs, cutting around 3,000 jobs. No prizes for guessing one of the excuses it gave employees; “We have an opportunity to lead this exciting new era of connected and electric vehicles,” read a memo from CEO Jim Farley and chairman Bill Ford. “Building this future requires changing and reshaping virtually all aspects of the way we have operated for more than a century.” That, of course, meant cutting jobs.
It’s too early to say whether EVs are going to become a common scapegoat if the auto industry keeps carrying out layoffs, but now we have at least two companies trying to paint thousands of peoples’ livelihoods as the cost of the future. (EV-native companies like Tesla or Rivian, which have also had their own massive rounds of layoffs this year, don’t have that luxury.)
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