Logitech wants you to press its new AI button
Logitech’s new Signature AI Edition M750 with a dedicated AI button to launch its Prompt Builder | Logitech
Tomorrow’s AI PCs may not only have a Copilot key on their keyboards — Logitech is introducing its own way to summon ChatGPT, too. It’s called the Logi AI Prompt Builder, and it’ll use a dedicated button on your mouse or keyboard.
The Logi AI Prompt Builder doesn’t just present you with a chatbot, it gives you preset “recipes” to help you prompt it too. After I assigned an AI button to a Logitech mouse, I could ask it to “Rephrase” paragraphs of text, turn them into bullet points, make them shorter and more concise, or fit a specific word count. Another recipe helped me summarize press releases. And since I pay for ChatGPT Plus, I customized another recipe to generate an image.
Screenshot: Emilia David/The Verge
Logi AI Prompt Builder let me reply to emails with the press of a Logitech mouse button
Prompt Builder seems like it could actually be useful. But I had to get a new Logitech mouse to use it, as my own personal Logitech M557 that I bought in 2022 was deemed too old to work with the software. Also, it strangely only launched when I wasn’t on either of my two browser windows. (I found myself using a ChatGPT tab in my web browser, instead, since that way I wouldn’t have to click out of my browser.)
Logitech
Users can choose how they want the prompt to sound like.
Logitech will also sell at least one mouse with a dedicated AI button you won’t need to map to its prompt builder: an AI edition of its M750 mouse with a teal-colored key to instantly launch it. It’ll only be available in the US and UK for $49.99 or £54.99 respectively. You don’t need the special edition AI mouse, but you do need a Logitech device, as the prompt builder is part of the company’s bundled Logi Options+ software.
For now, Logi AI Prompt Builder only works with ChatGPT and only understands English at launch. Logitech did say it’s working on linking it to other chatbots.
At the end of the day, this seems like a way for Logitech to sell more Logitech peripherals, and it likely won’t be the only company with such an idea. When the time comes that all PCs have dueling AI buttons, which one will you push to ask your chatbots a question?
The Boring Phone is a nostalgic branding exercise by HMD and Heineken
The phone is boring so you can focus on good times with your friends, get it? | Image: HMD
HMD really wants us to have more fun. Earlier this year, it announced a collaboration with Mattel on an upcoming Barbie flip phone. Now, it’s teaming up with Heineken and creative firm Bodega on another effort designed to tap into nostalgia: the Boring Phone. There are more details on Heineken’s site — which you’ll need to be at least 21 to view — but basically It’s a translucent flip phone with no apps, just good retro vibes to help you connect with your friends over a cold one.
The Boring Phone is apparently real — I know, I was skeptical, too — but it will only be available through giveaways and isn’t going on sale. It’s a limited edition run and Heineken’s website indicates 5,000 will be made. There’s a 2.8-inch QVGA display on the inside, a 1.77-inch display on the outside, a 0.3-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It supports calling and texting via 2G, 3G, and 4G, but good luck finding a functioning 3G network anywhere in the US.
Specs are beside the point, though; the Boring Phone is a marketing stunt and, honestly, a pretty fun one. If you need navigation, Heineken’s promotional website suggests that you simply text your friends for directions. You can also play Snake in a nod to HMD’s Nokia license. And once again, translucent tech is in the news. Call it a comeback.
The Boring Phone will be available through social media giveaways in the UK, with other markets to follow later in the year. And if you don’t happen to win one, you’ll be able to download an app that “turns smartphones boring” starting in June. Sign up on Heineken’s website to stay on top of all things Boring Phone.
Anker’s latest Soundcore Sleep earbuds actually improve slumber for less than $90
The Soundcore Sleep A20 are decent passive earbuds that are great for side sleepers, even if Anker overpromises.
“Sleep when you’re dead” was the rallying cry of my youth. But now, in the soft haze of dull middle age, I feel like I’ll die without enough sleep. That’s why I took interest in the new Sleep A20 earbuds from Anker’s Soundcore brand, which promise “pressure-less comfort for side sleepers.”
I, like many, fall asleep listening to podcasts. It’s either that or let a three-pound hunk of fat and neurons lodged in my skull harass me about the future. But my Apple AirPods Pro, like most true wireless earbuds, are too big for comfortable side sleeping, so I only wear one and swap them throughout the night as I toss and turn in fits related to some undiagnosed sleeping disorder.
And since they’re designed as sleep aids, the A20 buds offer lots of sleep-focused features like “unmatched noise blocking” and noise masking to “silence common disturbances such as snoring,” according to Anker.
But not really.
It’s important to understand that Anker doesn’t offer any active noise cancellation to silence snoring or chatty neighbors. The Sleep A20 buds block all external sounds passively by fitting snuggly inside the ear, just like regular ol’ earplugs. That’s partly why the company can charge just $89.99 at launch and still claim up to 14 hours of continuous white noise to mask sounds or 10 hours of audio listening before needing a recharge.
The app lets you switch between two listening modes: Bluetooth audio and sleep sounds. The former is for listening to podcasts, music, or anything else you’d like to stream, while the latter gives you access to dozens of very lifelike sleep sounds grouped by water, nature, life (trains, airplanes, and such), and meditation — I particularly like Rain on Tent. You can also double-tap a bud to switch between listening modes and configure them to keep playing audio all night or until you fall asleep. This is done manually (via timer) or automatically, which I found to be too unreliable.
The A20 buds also include a variety of masking sounds. You can play with a multitude of sliders to mix white noise with seven other colors and two types of snore-masking tracks. It didn’t really work when I attempted to mask a variety of snoring sound effects playing on a nearby speaker. While it did diminish the snoring by layering on less annoying sounds, it certainly didn’t live up to the claim of silencing common disturbances. It also didn’t silence barking dogs or drunken frat boys passing below my bedroom window, I came to find out.
The Sleep A20 buds in and out of their case. They come with multiple ear tips and wings to dial in your correct size.
In my side-by-side testing, the AirPods Pro with noise cancelation enabled and playing music did a noticeably better job of neutralizing those disturbances than the Sleep A20 buds also playing music. But I can’t sleep on my side wearing Apple’s AirPods Pro buds (they also cost more than double the A20s during Anker’s discounted launch period).
Nevertheless, I have to say that for my needs these buds are a game-changer. Although I suffered a bit of mild discomfort the first week of wearing them, sleeping with the A20 buds on my side now feels normal — as does inserting them with a push and a twist and then digging them back out each morning (they’re snug!). I do have to micro-adjust the pillow-to-ear angle occasionally for optimal comfort, and the bud facing the pillow will often just mute itself due to the pressure, which means listening to audio from just one ear. But the end result is that I’m sleeping longer and waking up less frequently. And, anecdotally, I feel better rested.
According to sleep data measured by my Apple Watch Ultra, I’m now averaging 7 hours and 14 minutes of sleep time for the two weeks I’ve been testing the A20 buds, up from 6 hours and 50 minutes for the two weeks prior (wearing AirPods Pro) with slightly improved deep sleep. Other sleep tracking data is about the same.
Screengrabs from the Soundcore app showing (left) available noise masking sounds and (right) data collected by Anker’s sleep algorithm showing me rolling over 45 times... my poor wife.
Anker also offers sleep tracking data in the Soundcore app, including novelties like Position (left or right side) and Roll Over (times I’ve switched sides). Unfortunately, the data is only available to view when my iPhone is paired with the buds in my ears. It says I’m predominately a left-side sleeper away from my partner, which makes sense. But several nights measured between 40 and 50 rollovers, or up to six times an hour, which presumably means I need an exorcism.
I found the battery to be excellent when listening to a few hours of podcasts each night, waking up with between 50 and 75 percent charge remaining. (The built-in Soundcore alarms are startlingly loud and not recommended.) They did much better than my three-year-old AirPods Pro that can’t make it through a single night.
Dropping the buds into the charging case takes some practice initially due to the buds’ amorphous shape, but it can be mastered after a few uses. The case can keep the battery charged for up to 80 hours, according to Anker, if you only listen to its collection of soothing sounds in sleep mode downloaded to the buds themselves. That comes with a side benefit of no Bluetooth audio alerts to interrupt your slumber.
Otherwise, the buds feature a Find Device feature, which sounds like and is about as loud as the alarm on a vintage Timex watch (read: not very). You can also configure double and triple taps on each earbud independently to switch between sleep sounds or Bluetooth audio, volume up / down, next, previous, play / pause, or nothing at all. Anker’s app provides a lot of flexibility to dial in the A20 buds to your exact taste.
Listening to music is fine in a pinch with an adjustable EQ. But I wouldn’t buy these tiny, lightweight earbuds if music appreciation is your primary goal.
Still, as a side sleeper who listens to podcasts every night when falling asleep, I’m completely sold on Anker’s $149.99 Soundcore Sleep A20 buds, especially for the early bird price of $89.99 when they go on sale today via Kickstarter.
NASA confirms origin of space junk that crashed through Florida home
The four-inch tall metal object tore through a roof in Naples, Florida last month. | Image: Alejandro Otero
NASA has confirmed suspicions that the strange object that crashed into a Florida home last month did indeed come from the International Space Station (ISS). The agency analyzed the cylindrical object after it tore through the roof and two floors of a house in Naples on March 8th, and established that it came from a cargo pallet of aging batteries that was released from the ISS back in 2021.
More specifically, NASA revealed in a blog post on Monday that the offending object was a support component used to mount the batteries on the 5,800-pound (2,630-kilogram) pallet released from the space station. Made from Inconel (a metal alloy that can withstand extreme environments like high temperature, pressure, or mechanical loads), the recovered stanchion weighs 1.6 pounds and measures 4 inches high by 1.6 inches in diameter — a smidge smaller than a standard can of Red Bull.
Image: NASAThis image from NASA shows a comparison between the recovered stanchion (right) and what it would have originally looked like (left).
It’s not unheard of for space-related junk to find its way back to Earth — components from rockets launched by SpaceX and (more recently) the China National Space Administration have crashed into properties for example, though such debris typically burns up in the atmosphere. NASA said that also should have happened in this incident, and now it’s trying to work out why it didn’t.
Hello. Looks like one of those pieces missed Ft Myers and landed in my house in Naples.
Tore through the roof and went thru 2 floors. Almost his my son.
Can you please assist with getting NASA to connect with me? I’ve left messages and emails without a response. pic.twitter.com/Yi29f3EwyV
“The hardware was expected to fully burn up during entry through Earth’s atmosphere on March 8, 2024,” said NASA. “The International Space Station will perform a detailed investigation of the jettison and re-entry analysis to determine the cause of the debris survival and to update modeling and analysis, as needed. These models require detailed input parameters and are regularly updated when debris is found to have survived atmospheric re-entry to the ground.”
Microsoft Makes High-Stakes Play in Tech Cold War With Emirati A.I. Deal Microsoft plans to invest $1.5 billion in G42, an Emirati company with ties to China, as Washington and Beijing maneuver to secure tech influence in the Gulf.
Senator Elizabeth Warren claims TurboTax ‘relentlessly’ upsells customers in letter to FTC
Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has written a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, saying that TurboTax “continues to relentlessly upsell” customers while also directing them away from services that would otherwise be free.
As noted in the letter, Warren’s staff analyzed TurboTax’s services using a sample taxpayer and found that the company attempted to upsell the customer eight times during the tax filing process. Warren writes that in “several cases,” these solicitations “appear to be efforts to mislead customers into thinking that they must pay the extra fees in order to file their taxes when that is not the case.” Some show up as full-screen prompts, forcing users to scroll to the bottom to deny the upgrade.
In one instance, Warren’s team found that TurboTax highlighted its $89 tax filing package as “the right option” for their sample taxpayer, leaving the free option at the bottom of the page. After choosing just one upgrade, Warren’s staff found that their sample taxpayer with “simple” filing requirements had to pay an extra $69 to report her unemployment income and educator expenses, plus $64 to file Massachusetts state tax returns.
Image: Elizabeth Warren
TurboTax forces customers to scroll to the bottom to decline the upgrade.
That makes for a grand total of $133 — a sum people wouldn’t have to pay through the IRS’s free Direct File service, Warren argues. The IRS is currently testing its Direct File service in 13 states, including Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New York, Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
“Given Intuit’s ongoing anti-taxpayer practices, it is outrageous that the company continues to fight the FTC lawsuit and lobby against the IRS Direct File program,” Warren writes. “I applaud your work to crack down on Intuit’s false advertising and junk fees, and urge you to continue your efforts to protect taxpayers from these schemes.”
Tesla Will Lay Off More Than 10% of Workers Elon Musk’s electric car company reported a drop in sales in the first three months of the year, and its profit margin has been falling for months.
Tesla is reportedly laying off ‘more than 10 percent’ of its workforce
The layoffs follow the company’s first drop in year-over-year vehicle deliveries since 2020. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
A few weeks after reporting its first year-over-year decline in vehicle deliveries since 2020, Tesla is now planning to lay off over ten percent of its global workforce, according to an internal company-wide email seen by Electrek. That works out to at least 14,000 of the 140,473 employees that Tesla reported in its latest annual earnings. It’s not clear which teams at Tesla will be impacted.
“There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done,” said Elon Musk, in the email published by Electrek. “This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle.”
Today’s development is the latest in a string of bad news for the EV maker. The company reported a miss in delivery estimates ahead of its quarterly earnings on April 23rd, alongside a predicted slowdown in sales growth back in January, which it attributed to manufacturing issues surrounding its next generation of vehicles.
Tesla has also reportedly abandoned its plans to produce an affordable Model 2 that would cost around $25,000 as it shifts to instead focus on a new robotaxi. This comes as the company faces mounting pressure from the one-two punch of waning demand and more affordable EVs made by Chinese manufacturers. Last year, Tesla lost the title of world’s top maker of electric vehicles to China’s BYD which produced 3.02 million EVs, compared to Tesla’s 1.81 million.
Ikea’s new gaming furniture looks like furniture, not an energy drink
Ikea’s Brännboll range is just the right mix of neutrals and bright colors to match most modern homes. | Image: Ikea
Ikea is introducing a new range of gaming furniture that subverts the usual dark, edgy “gamer” aesthetic for designs that are more likely to blend in with your existing home decor.
Seating is the main focus. There’s an armchair that folds out into a lounging position, a rocking-style chair designed to swing with your body’s movement, and an inflatable donut-style chair with a matching footstool.
Image: Ikea
You can wheel this chair around to a better gaming location thanks the the castors...
Image: Ikea
...or fold out the cushion into a lounging chair if you have the space.
Image: Ikea
The inflatable donut chair comes with a footstool that slots neatly away into the chair itself.
Image: Ikea
This rocking-style chair suspends the user on swinging ‘bungies’ that move with your body during intense gaming sessions.
The Brännboll collection also includes a “gaming station” that folds away into something resembling a wardrobe, complete with a foldable tabletop, integrated PC tower storage, and cable management. There’s also a storage box that doubles as a side table, display shelving, and some textile accessories like a mousepad, rug, and a throw.
Image: Ikea
This entire desk setup can be closed away into a cupboard for when you don’t want it cluttering up your room.
Image: Ikea
Ikea’s recognizable pegboard customizations are available in this rollable side table.
Image: Ikea
There’s also some wall-mounted display shelves to show off any collectable or gaming merch...
Image: Ikea
...and some textile accessories like this throw that adds some additional pops of color.
It’s a little difficult to pin down what qualifies any of this as “gaming” furniture, but I guess that’s kinda the point — anything designed to accommodate lengthy sessions of sitting down is suitable for gaming, and not everyone wants a section of their home to look like it was sponsored by an energy drink company. Ikea says the Brännboll collection is instead inspired by street sports and athleisure, with a mix of neutrals and bright colors that easily blend into modern homes.
Image: Ikea
It moves with you.
“With Brännboll, we are embracing the idea that gaming is for everyone and belongs everywhere in the home,” Ikea product design developer Philip Dilé said in the company’s press release. “It’s about making it simple for people to create spaces that adapt to gaming, living, and everything in between.”
While it’s mostly children in Ikea’s press images, Dilé confirmed to The Verge that the range is age-inclusive and suitable for adults. There’s no pricing available yet, but we should learn more about the Brännboll collection before its September launch.
Google’s Pixel 9 may get an Apple-like satellite SOS feature
Image: OnLeaks / 91Mobiles
Google could be adding a feature very similar to Apple’s Emergency SOS feature to the Pixel 9 and the next Pixel Fold. That’s according to leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, who writes for Android Authority that the company would partner with T-Mobile to offer the feature but may add other providers later.
Just like Apple’s system, Google’s SOS feature would reportedly present future Pixel owners with a series of questions to ascertain what’s happening, rather than let users thumb one out. A video in the Android Authority article features the animation Google will display to users to help them get the phone aligned with a satellite.
According to Wojciechowska, these are some of the questions the feature will ask:
What happened?
[Are you/Are they/Is everyone] breathing?
In total, how many people are [missing/trapped]?
What best describes your situation?
What is on fire?
Are there weapons involved?
What type of vehicle or vessel?
Do any of these apply?
T-Mobile announced it was teaming up with SpaceX for a satellite messaging service well over a year ago but didn’t specify pricing — and as of January, it was still in testing. Last year, a developer spotted some Google Messages code that suggested the feature was on its way with Garmin as the provider. Garmin offers such a service for its InReach 2-way messaging devices using the Iridium satellite network, which Iridium says can reach “anywhere on earth.”
Still, whether it’s offered by T-Mobile or Garmin, the feature wouldn’t necessarily be free — for instance, Garmin’s costs $15 per month to start. Then again, Apple subsidizes its service for now, so maybe Google will, too.
Blackmagic Design releases a DaVinci Resolve editing panel for iPads
Blackmagic’s new Micro Color Panel lets you edit video on the go. | Image: Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design announced its video editing software, DaVinci Resolve, was coming to the iPad back in 2022, and although it supports multitouch input and the Apple Pencil, sometimes, nothing beats purpose-built hardware. On Friday, Blackmagic announced the $495 DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel, which it says will be available worldwide in May and is specifically designed for the iPad.
At 14.33 inches by 7.18 inches, the Micro Color Panel is about the size of a computer keyboard. It has an iPad Pro mounting slot and connects either via Bluetooth or USB-C. Besides being smaller than Blackmagic’s other color panels, the Micro is also significantly cheaper (The next one up — the Mini Panel — is listed at over $2,000 on Blackmagic’s website). It comes with three weighted trackballs, which the company says will still feel professional. And 12 control knobs can be used to adjust things like shadows, highlights, contrast, and mid-tones.
Image: Blackmagic Design
The DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel is about the size of a computer keyboard.
Blackmagic says that many of the other controls found on the right and left sides of the new panel — like wipe still, cursor, and select — would normally only be found on its larger Mini and Advanced panels. It says it kept many of the controls in the same position as on larger panels, to keep things familiar for editors.
The device is a touch more than half the price of the company’s $895 Micro Panel, which features three weighted trackballs and 12 control knobs, like the new Micro Color Panel, but only connects via USB-C and lacks the iPad slot.
“The old DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel model has been popular with customers wanting a compact grading panel,” said Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty, “but we wanted to design an even more portable and affordable solution.” He added that the company will sell localized versions “in multiple languages so you don’t need to learn another language to use it.”
If you happen to be at NAB 2024, Blackmagic says it will be demonstrating the panel at its show booth (#SL5005).
The first Apple-approved emulators for the iPhone have arrived
A screenshot from iGBA. | Screenshot: Wes Davis / The Verge
I played Game Boy Advance games on my iPhone last night thanks to a new emulator called iGBA, which appears to be the first Game Boy Advance emulator on the App Store since Apple started allowing emulators worldwide. The only trouble is, it doesn’t look like iGBA is developer Mattia La Spina’s own work.
Despite that, he says it’s Apple he’s frustrated with, not La Spina.
Testut also provided this statement to The Verge:
I’ve been working with Apple to release AltStore as an alternative app marketplace for over a month now, and I’m disappointed to see that they’ve approved a knock-off of AltStore’s flagship app Delta in that time. However, we’re still planning to launch Delta ASAP, and we’ll have more to share on that very soon.
Here are some screenshots of GBA4iOS and iGBA for comparison, starting with iGBA.
Screenshots: Wes Davis / The Verge
Screenshots from iGBA. Image: Riley Testut
Screenshots from GBA4iOS.
When reached for comment, La Spina did not explicitly confirm using Testut’s code, but told The Verge they “did not think the app would have so much repercussion, I am really sorry,” and added that they have reached out to Testut via email.
The other issue with iGBA is that, according to its App Store listing, it collects data that can be used to identify you, such as location data and identifiers. I’d suggest reading developer Mattia La Spina’s Github-hosted privacy policy before diving in. The app didn’t request location data permission when I loaded it, however, and I didn’t see the in-app browser tracker consent form some Reddit users reported seeing.
I’m aware of one other emulator, spotted by The Verge’s Parker Orlotani. It’s a Commodore 64 emulator called Emu64 XL. Here, I did see a consent request form populated with toggles for what seemed like miles of trackers. I did not attempt to find or play any Commodore 64 games with Emu64 XL and deleted the app.
Apple has tightly controlled the App Store since its inception. That control is breaking down now, with the EU’s Digital Markets Act making the company permit other app stores and sideloading on the iPhone. The company also faces a US Department of Justice lawsuit that could force it to make similar concessions — which may be why the company started allowing emulators in the first place. Whatever the case, emulators being allowed feels like a win; it’s just a shame the first apps to take advantage of that aren’t quite up to snuff.
Update April 14th, 2024, 11:17AM ET:Updated with comment from developers Riley Testut and Mattia La Spina.
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 34, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you an excellent new video game show, a new ebook reader worth a look, yet another doc about how bad tech is, a sweet new drone, and much more.
I also have a question, one I can’t believe I haven’t asked yet: What do you use AI for? Are you using Copilot to write all your emails? Cooking with the help of ChatGPT? Querying your every thought with some app I’ve never even heard of? Not getting anything out of AI at all? I want to know the apps and platforms you’re using and how you’re using them — I’m obsessed with trying to figure out what AI is actually for, and I want to hear all your thoughts.
Alright, lots to get to this week, and I have a plane to catch. (If you’re in Chicago, come see me talk AI, and come say hi!) Let’s go.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you into right now? What should everyone else be into right now? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com, or hit me up on Signal. I’m @davidpierce.11. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, and tell them to subscribe here.)
The Drop
Fallout. First The Last of Us, then Super Mario Bros., now this! We’re suddenly spoiled for choice in great video game adaptations. It’s postapocalyptic, it’s epic, it’s apparently pretty funny? The reviews are fantastic — I’ll be watching this on the plane to and from Chicago this weekend. Can’t wait.
The DJI Avata 2. There are two kinds of drones: camera drones and flying drones. This one’s a flyer: a first-person experience through goggles that lasts longer and moves better than its predecessor. I need to take one of these for a spin.
Find My Device on Android. It took Google a while to get this right, but device tracking is a great feature — and it appears Google will be much more open with the network than Apple is with Find My. Clever to use Nest devices to tell you where you left your keys in the house, too.
The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem. Most of these hand-wringy Netflix docs about how bad the internet is — The Great Hack, The Social Dilemma, that sort of thing — are simplistic and frustrating to watch. This 4chan doc has a bit of the same problem but is smart and deep enough to teach you a few things about the web.
Frame.io Version 4. If you do anything with video, especially with other people, this is a big upgrade: Frame.io this week got much better search, more organization tools, and custom metadata for better keeping track of things. And it’s all much better on mobile now.
Kobo’s Clara Colour. Color ebook readers! I love that Kobo exists as a check on and competitor to the Kindle, even though I’m stuck in Amazon’s ecosystem at this point. This is the latest and greatest in E Ink, and for $150, the faster and better Clara seems like a good deal.
“This Invention Made Disney MILLIONS, but Then They LOST It!” The Sodium Vapor Process is both an incredibly cool story about the history of filmmaking and a rad-sounding name for a pop punk band. Fun video about a fun invention and why a much worse product ended up winning out.
Fairphone’s Fairbuds. Repairable earbuds are a huge win. Because, you know, environment and waste and stuff, but also because you can replace the battery when the battery dies! As someone who keeps replacing AirPods because they only last an hour after a while, this is a big win. They look pretty nice, too.
Strut. This is a really nice-looking app for anyone who writes a lot. It’s part blank page, part organizer, plus a bunch of AI writing tools built in. You’ll pay if you want the AI, but lucky for me, I don’t. Free writing apps for the win!
Civil War. I don’t know if I want to see this movie because it seems so plausible or if I never want to see this movie because it seems so plausible. But by all accounts, this dystopian near-future America goes pretty hard — though we’ll see if it really pulls it off.
Screen share
I’ve known Eric Migicovsky since he was making smartwatches, way before everyone was making smartwatches cool. After years of running Pebble and a stint as a VC, he’s spent the last few years building a cross-platform messaging app called Beeper. It’s a great app, had a messy fight with Apple, and recently was acquired by Automattic, which owns WordPress.com and Tumblr and a bunch of other things. Eric’s now in charge of Automattic’s big messaging plans — and they’re seriously big.
I asked Eric to share his homescreen knowing two things: he’s an Android fan through and through, and he uses a lot of messaging apps. I mean, he made a messaging app to collate all those messaging apps, so what do you expect? Eric’s also Canadian, which means… I don’t know, exactly. But I wanted to find out.
Here’s Eric’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:
The phone: Samsung Z Flip 5 — smallest Android phone on the market right now!
One of the things I love the most about Android is how few taps are required to perform tasks. I love having Calendar and Google Search right on the homescreen. We added a search button to the Beeper Android widget for the same reason! One click + type name = message anyone you want.
I still have ALL the chat apps installed because I need to keep tabs on them!
I also asked Eric to share a few things he’s into right now. Here’s what he shared:
I have two kids under four so I don’t get a ton of free time, but we’ve enjoyed 3 Body Problem on Netflix and Mr. & Mrs. Smith!
I’m listening to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and just finished reading There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm — my new favorite author! Highly recommend their short story “Lena.” It’s made me reconsider my wish to have my brain uploaded at some point.
Best new app is ChatGPT — I use the audio version to create short stories and have it include my kiddos in them!
Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now as well! Emailinstaller@theverge.comor message +1 203-570-8663 with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week.
“I picked up Grindstone after a while away from it and have managed to 100 percent complete the main levels, the bonus levels and the “cosmic darkside,” and collect all the achievements. It has been worth the price of Apple Arcade on its own!” – Rod
“I’ve recently moved to the UK and I needed to get a bank. I chose Revolut. The app is feature-packed, reminding me a little of Simple (RIP). It’s a little loaded, and I really had to get used to it, but it works, and it’s pretty incredible. The multi-national, multi-currency use is impressive. It’s available in the US, too!” – Greg
“I’ve been using AntennaPod for over a year, and it’s a perfect app to replace Google Podcasts. It’s open source, no ads, no analytics, and the people who work on it are amazing: they regularly conduct community calls to discuss the project and take feedback very seriously. Android only!” – Chethan
“Playing Dune: Imperium (on Android). Such a great way to experience this incredible board game! The AIs are tough!” – Gary
“I’ve been catching up with the criminally underrated John Rogers on YouTube. He typically makes history videos walking through the various boroughs of London, but the one that has caught my attention is him walking to North Ockendon, a small village that is technically considered part of London.” – Joe
“I’ve been rewatching early episodes of The Big Bang Theory and marveling at all the older tech. iPod docks in every apartment, an entire subplot about Siri when it launched on the 4s, and the super chunky Windows laptops.” – Kaleb
“I’m giving Lyrak a shot this week. Yes, ANOTHER social media app. They claim it’s built to be more real time than Threads, so better for news, which is good, and built on ActivityPub, which is great. Federation for the win! Still giving it a shot, but it’s interesting.” — Sighjinks
“So I was playing Rytmos, an iOS puzzle game with a really great visual design themed around world music. They’ve got a bunch of Spotify playlists with examples of the music that inspired the game, but I’m an Apple Music user. So I turn to SongShift, a surprisingly handy little app that can, say, give you the Tidal link for a song you scrobbled on Last.fm or copy your old iTunes playlists right into YouTube. Even when it can’t find a track, it makes it really easy to help you, a human, match the correct one. It’s super handy to switch music streaming services and continues to be handy to send and receive links to my Spotify friends.” – Daniel
Signing off
A couple of weeks ago, I complained here about my busted keyboard and my complicated relationships with clicky mechanical keyboard. Thanks to everyone who reached out with ideas! Some of you were like, “Buy these switches and this keyboard and do this customization and it only costs $95,000,” and to all of you: thank you, you’re my favorite. But the main recommendation I got was for the Logitech MX Keys, which I ended up buying. I love this thing so far. I’m certainly no expert, but it’s clicky without being loud, it has approximately six trillion shortcut keys and customization options, and it feels both fantastic and easy to type on. The backlight is kind of finicky and uneven, but I’ll take that in exchange for the hardware microphone-mute key that has already made every meeting 10 percent more manageable.
Thanks to everyone who recommended stuff! Someday I will go Full Mechanical Keyboard, and I promise to update you with all the dumb decisions I make.
When Bluesky instituted its heads-of-state policy, the site was still in its showing-everyone’s-ass phase, and its moderation approach wasn’t in place, yet. So instead of the varying degrees of controlled chaos that social networks are, Bluesky was filled with, well, lots of unsettlingly sexy pictures of the cat-eating alien puppet star of the 1980s sitcom Alf, which The Verge’s Elizabeth Lopatto pointed out last year. It didn’t seem ready to manage world leaders along with the likes of infamous shitposters like Dril.
Screenshot: Wes Davis / The Verge
Come one, come all.
Things are different now, and the platform offers moderation, in its own unique way. Bluesky lets users handle moderation themselves by building out their own filters based on its open-sourced Ozone tool. It also does feeds differently than most social networks. Instead of foisting a one-size-fits-all algorithm on everyone like the default Threads For You feed, it offers people the ability to apply user-created options in addition to the Discover and Popular With Friends tabs.
The site also introduced other features this week, including hashtags in profile bios and the ability to long-press a link to share them.
As Bluesky updates its policy, world leaders are already on other platforms, including, sort of, Mastodon. US President Joseph Robinette Biden’s account started usingThreads’ limited fediverse integration earlier this month, for instance. At the moment, it doesn’t look like Biden has joined up, so there’s no Commander-in-Skeets quite yet.
I’ve tried lots of different ways to light up the patio in my backyard so I can enjoy sitting outside into the wee hours. Everything from fairy lights to path lights to standard string lights has been wrapped around the myrtles or dug into the borders. But none have survived more than a couple of scorching South Carolina summers. So, I was excited to test two new smart outdoor string lights from Nanoleaf and Lifx.
The Nanoleaf Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights ($129.99 for a 49-foot string with 20 bulbs) and Lifx Outdoor SuperColor String Lights ($129 for a 24-foot light string with 12 bulbs) both feature individually addressable full-color and tunable white LED bulbs and are capable of gradient lighting effects. This makes them super versatile. I can have a green and gold-themed St. Paddy’s Day party in March, a red, white, and blue-themed Fourth of July bash, and a lovely soft candlelight white for dinner al fresco anytime.
Both are compatible with all major smart home platforms, so I can set the lights on schedules, control them with voice commands, and have them turn on when the patio door opens using a contact sensor. Most importantly, both these brands’ string lights are seriously sturdy. After watching them survive a cracking spring storm last week, I’m hopeful that these could be a more permanent solution to illuminating my backyard.
I tested the Lifx and Nanoleaf head-to-head over two weeks. Read on to see which came out on top and which could be a good fit for your garden this summer.
Design and build quality: Lifx looks good, but Nanoleaf is so sparkly!
These are not your mother’s string lights. Nanoleaf and Lifx have gone for bold industrial design, with Nanoleaf building on its dodecahedron heritage to produce a gorgeous light bulb. The faceted face creates a lovely effect that looks like a crystal hanging from my trees and is dazzling even when off.
Lifx has gone for an ultra-modern, Tron-style look — a tubular shape with a stick of light inside. They’re stylish but with less flair than Nanoleaf’s. I do like that the Lifx bulbs attach directly to the string and don’t dangle as far down as the Nanoleaf, creating a cleaner look. This makes the Lifx a better choice for hanging along a structure like the wall of a porch.
Both lights feel solid and durable, and the acrylic bulbs don’t break when dropped. The cables and plugs are similarly super heavy-duty, being weatherproof and holding up to rough handling during installation. Neither offers replaceable bulbs, but if a bulb goes bad, both string lights are covered under two-year warranties.
Winner: Nanoleaf
Lifx tunable white light goes down to a lovely warm glow — much softer than Nanoleaf’s.
Light quality: Lifx has serious range
The Lifx's color rendering and tunable white light are very impressive. With a color rendering index (CRI) of 90 and white light that goes from rich, warm candlelight at 1500 Kelvins to an icy blue cool white at 9000 Kelvins, the Lifx has better color and a broader range of white than Nanoleaf (80CRI and 2700K to 6500K).
Lifx on the left, Nanoleaf on the right.
Its colors are also more saturated; red on the Lifx is really red, whereas on the Nanoleaf, it’s more pink and softer. But while brighter is usually better in a light bulb, I’d argue that accent light in your garden is one place you probably don’t need to go for the brightest.
Winner: Lifx
Lighting effects and features: Lifx’s color blending is mind-bending
Each Lifx bulb has three addressable zones that blend together in an almost magical way. It’s hard to pinpoint which color you’re seeing; instead, it’s just a soft ambiance, a welcome change from jarring multicolor effects on most addressable lighting I’ve tested.
While the Nanoleaf bulbs can only show one color at a time per bulb, the cut glass design does create an array of different shades. Nanoleaf’s scenes can also cycle through different colors to give a similar effect to the Lifx, but Lifx’s technology is better.
Lifx’s color blending is technically very impressive. (Yes. Photographing lights at night is hard.)
Lifx also has more options for flashier effects. Options like twinkle, color cycle, strobe, and morph created a fun ambiance on my patio, and I could adjust features like speed, colors, and direction. Lifx has a decent library of colorful lighting designs and I really like the art series inspired by pieces such as Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
However, Nanoleaf has many more designs to choose from, including hundreds of user-generated ones. A handful were created just for the string lights; my favorites were Sunset Sky, which cycled through warm reds and oranges, and Twilight, with crisp whites and soft grays.
I could create my own designs in both apps, with Lifx’s being the easiest to use. Nanoleaf’s app is messy and crashes a lot, but its new AI scene generator makes it easier to create new designs without struggling through the app.
Lifx’s app also has basic functions like setting schedules, which is frustratingly not an option with Nanoleaf — to set a schedule, you need to use a third-party smart home platform.
Winner: Lifx
That’s a lotta lights! The Nanoleafs come in maximum of 147 feet with 60 bulbs (this is 98 feet with 40 bulbs).
Cost: Nanoleaf is cheaper and longer
While both string lights start at $130, for that Nanoleaf gives you 20 bulbs on almost 50 feet compared to just 12 bulbs over 24 feet on the Lifx (30 feet including the power cord). The Lifx are closer together, though, at 23 inches apart compared to 28 inches for Nanoleaf.
Nanoleaf is the better deal, especially for a large area like my patio. The 98-foot string with 40 bulbs is $200, and the 147-foot string with 60 bulbs is $300. In comparison, the maximum length of the Lifx — three strings together, totaling 74 feet and 36 bulbs — costs almost $400.
Winner: Nanoleaf
I installed the Nanoleaf and Lifx the same distance from my router. The Lifx connected easily but the Nanoleaf struggled.
Connectivity and compatibility: Nanoleaf has more connection options, but Lifx is more reliable (so far)
The Nanoleaf and Lifx lights work over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. While the Lifx connected easily, I struggled to get the Nanoleaf on the same network, even though both lights were set up in the same location. Eventually, moving the router closer to the Nanoleaf worked.
Both lights will work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. As part of Nanoleaf’s Matter Essentials line, the Nanoleaf string lights connect to smart home platforms via Matter-over-Wi-Fi. This means it works with any Matter-compatible platform. However, you will need a Matter controller to connect.
Lifx relies on individual integrations with each platform, so it works with fewer but doesn’t require any additional hardware. Lifx says a firmware upgrade will bring the option of Matter-over-Wi-Fi compatibility later this year.
As is par for the course with Matter and me, it took multiple attempts to get the Nanoleaf lights onto a Matter platform. I wasn’t able to connect at all using my iPhone 15. Eventually, with a Samsung Galaxy S22 I connected to SmartThings and, from there, successfully shared the lights with Apple Home and Amazon Alexa using Matter’s multi-admin feature. You don’t have to use Matter with the Nanoleaf; you can connect directly to the Nanoleaf app over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but you will need Matter for smart home integrations.
Winner: Lifx
Both these string lights will make spring sparkle
These are both very nice string lights. They’re expensive but built to last. While Lifx has better lighting effects and an easier-to-use app, the Nanoleaf has the edge in terms of overall look. The bulb shape is just gorgeous and looks so nice in my backyard. While not as bright as Lifx, the whites and colors provide more than enough richness and warmth for ambient outdoor lighting. Lifx’s effects and color blending are very impressive, but Nanoleaf’s soft, sparkly glow won me over. Plus, it’s more affordable.
Both Lifx and Nanoleaf have other smart outdoor lighting options, so you can sync their lighting effects across your whole landscape. However, Philips Hue has the biggest outdoor selection (although, strangely, no string lights).
There are also other options for smart string lights, including those from Govee, Twinkly, and Wiz. But these are all the traditional round bulb shapes. Nanoleaf and Lifx have added unique twists to the outdoor string light look, and both have done it very well.
Xgimi’s portable MoGo 2 Pro projector is $200 off right now
The Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro is an excellent Android TV projector with Chromecast built-in. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Let’s face it, a big TV isn’t always an option, especially if you live in a tiny apartment or prefer a more nomadic lifestyle. In those instances, it might be wiser to buy the Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro, a portable Android TV projector that’s small enough to toss in your backpack before heading out the door. Thankfully, Xgimi’s 1080p smart projector is currently on sale at Amazon for $399.99 ($200 off) when you clip the on-page coupon, which drops it to one of its lowest prices to date.
Despite its small stature and modest 400 ANSI lumens, the MoGo 2 Pro can project large, 200-inch images while delivering surprisingly good picture quality at smaller sizes (think 30 inches). It looks best when viewed in the dark, like most projectors, which results in a brighter, richer image than if you were to view it in a room awash with ambient light. That being said, picture quality is only part of the equation. Xgimi’s mini projector also has Chromecast built-in and doubles as a surprisingly solid Bluetooth speaker — one you can easily run on a USB-C power bank should the need arise.
If you’re an Apple fan looking to pick up a new smart speaker, Apple’s pint-sized HomePod Mini has returned to its all-time low at Best Buy, where you can grab in one of five colors for $79.99 ($20 off).
If you’re embedded in Apple’s ecosystem, the HomePod Mini can make life a little easier. As Apple’s smallest Siri-based speaker, it integrates well with other Apple devices and can act as a dedicated smart home hub, allowing you to control various lights, locks, plugs, and other compatible smart home gadgets. Thanks to a post-launch software update, it can also monitor temperature and humidity levels — something that is particularly useful when paired with a connected thermostat or air quality monitor. Then there’s the speaker itself, which produces good sound for its size and more bass than similarly-sized options from Amazon and Google. It can’t rival the second-gen HomePod and bigger, more expensive speakers, but then again, it doesn’t have to when it costs less than a third of the price.
If you’re looking for a robot vacuum, the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro is on sale for $149.99 ($300 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, which is one of its better prices to date. Although it lacks the obstacle avoidance found in our top robovac pick, the Roomba j7, the Yeedi is still an excellent budget robovac that can avoid obstacles over an inch tall. Plus, it comes with an oscillating mop that scrubs floors instead of simply wiping them.
You can grab the Jabra Elite 10 for $199.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is just $10 shy of their all-time low. Jabra’s premium set of wireless earbuds offer a comfortable semi-open design along with support for Dolby Spatial Audio with head tracking. They also feature active noise cancellation, multipoint support, and wireless charging, making them a well-rounded set of earbuds overall.
Amazon’s Smart Thermostat is available at Woot in refurbished condition for $39.99, which is $40 less than buying it new. The smart thermostat can adapt to your habits over time in a similar fashion to more expensive models, which can help lower your energy consumption and potentially save you money. That said, it’s only compatible with Amazon Alexa, so it might be a better choice if you’re already tapped into Amazon’s ecosystem. Read our review.
The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip is on sale for $44.99 ($35 off) at Amazon. In addition to offering six outlets that are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, the power strip features three USB-A ports for juicing tablets and other electronics. Each outlet is set up to monitor energy consumption, too, much like Amazon’s aforementioned smart thermostat.
Galaxy AI features are coming to last-gen Samsung phones — including the S21 series
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Samsung is planning to bring select Galaxy AI features to several older flagship phones and tablets next month via the One UI 6.1 update, according to 9to5Google and Android Central, both of which referred to a post from a Samsung representative who posted on the company’s community forum in Korea. The Verge has reached out to Samsung for further comment.
A slightly trimmed-down version of Galaxy AI (sans Instant Slow-Mo) will be coming to Samsung’s flagship lineup from 2022, specifically the S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, Tab S8, and Tab S8 Ultra. Each device will receive the same version of Galaxy AI as Samsung’s lower-priced Galaxy S23 FE. Instant Slow-Mo, which automatically plays a video in slow motion once you tap it, was introduced to Galaxy AI with the S24 line, though it’s also now available in S23 models.
If you happen to own a flagship Samsung phone from 2021, there’s even a treat in store for you. Samsung’s forthcoming update will bring two Galaxy AI features, Circle to Search and Magic Rewrite, to the S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, Flip 3, and Fold 3.
The Google One VPN service is heading to the Google graveyard
The service will be shut down on an unspecified date later this year. | Image: Google
Google is shutting down its VPN by Google One service, according to a vague customer email seen by Android Authority, less than four years after it was rolled out in October 2020. The email doesn’t specify when this will happen, only that the VPN service will be discontinued “later this year.”
Subscription prices for Google One’s VPN start at $1.99, with availability on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. The company told 9to5Google that it is killing the service because “people simply weren’t using it.” Perhaps its customers were simply spoilt for choice, given this is actually one of three VPN services provided by Google alongside the VPN offerings still available via Google Fi, and Pixel devices from the Pixel 7 on up.
VPN by Google One is the latest offering to get tossed into the infamous “Google Graveyard” just weeks after the Google One cloud storage service announced it had hit a 100 million subscriber milestone. Google mentioned in its shutdown email that the VPN was being phased out to “focus on providing the most in-demand features and benefits,” which may relate to all the Gemini AI stuff that the company is shoving into Google One.
Despite the Watch World’s Secrecy, Data Services Expand Swiss brands and retailers now have a few options to determine what’s happening with the industry. Just a couple of years ago, they had almost none.
Europe’s A.I. ‘Champion’ Sets Sights on Tech Giants in U.S. Mistral, a French start-up considered a promising challenger to OpenAI and Google, is getting support from European leaders who want to protect the region’s culture and politics.
X’s Premium users can no longer hide their blue checks
Illustration: The Verge
X giveth, and now X taketh away. The platform is eliminating the ability for Premium users to hide their blue checkmarks, according to a notification received by multiple users on Thursday. X made displaying the blue check optional last summer, and it’s unclear exactly why the platform plans to remove the feature — or when.
Once a status symbol, the blue check lost some of its luster after X shifted to a paid verification system under Elon Musk’s ownership. A blue check then just became an indicator that the account holder paid for a Premium subscription. The feature was also abused by scammers and online impersonators, and some blue checks became the target of online harassment or mass blocking. X eventually rolled out the blue check to accounts with more than a million followers, covering most living celebrities (and some dead) as well as public figures.
Just last week, the platform doled out free blue checks to accounts with high numbers of verified followers — whether the owners wanted them or not. The move (despite being announced earlier by owner Elon Musk) took some of these users by surprise. A number of newly-minted Premium and Premium Plus users later opted to hide their blue checks in order to avoid the recent stigma around it. Now, it appears these users will have no choice in the matter.
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