Starlink Mini is now available for anyone in the US to roam
The Starlink Mini can be powered by a portable USB battery. | Image: SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starlink Mini dish — which Elon Musk says “will change the world” — is now available to anyone in the US. The diminutive internet-from-space kit neatly integrates the dish and Wi-Fi router into a weatherproof package that’s significantly smaller and uses less power than previous Starlink kits. The laptop-sized all-in-one dish can even be powered directly by a USB-PD power bank capable of 100W (20V/5A).
Initially, Starlink Mini was only available as an add-on for current Residential subscribers in the US. Now, just a few weeks since launch, it’s available to a wide spectrum of vanlifers and digital nomads who want to stay connected no matter where they set up shop.
The Starlink Mini hardware costs $599 and is available with both Regional and Mini Roam services. Regional costs $150 per month for unlimited portable data in North America, with an option to pay per GB for in-motion use. Mini Roam is just $50 per month but is limited to 50GB of portable or in-motion data on the continent, with additional data priced per GB. Both services can be paused between adventures.
Florida’s digital ID app has suddenly disappeared
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has shut down its digital ID app, Florida Smart ID, for iPhones and Android phones. The department emailed users asking them to delete the app and said it’s looking for another vendor to help it revive the service by “early 2025,” according to 9to5Mac.
The state promoted its Smart ID app as a contact-free way to show proof of age or identity at stores or when talking to police, but now it’s gone. According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel last year, not many people were using it, with only 95,000 activations out of more than 17 million licensed drivers, and many police departments said they weren’t using it, either.
The Florida Smart ID applications will be updated and improved by a new vendor. At this time, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is removing the current Florida Smart ID application from the app store. Please email FloridaSmartID@flhsmv.gov to receive notification of future availability.
I’ve been using the Florida smart ID for a while and just received an email out of the blue that they are redeveloping with a new vendor and thus the virtual ID can’t be used until 2025. What the heck. Florida is such a mess.
Other states, like Louisiana and New York, are part of a slowly increasing number of states adopting digital IDs. Like Florida, they’re offering the service through their own apps, while other states like Maryland and Arizona support digital IDs added to Google Wallet or Apple Wallet.
The best Prime Day deals you can already get
Some of these products are already better than they were during Black Friday, and we’re just getting started. | Image: Shira Inbar
Amazon’s Prime Day 2024 is now right around the corner, taking place on Tuesday, July 16th, and Wednesday, July 17th. Fortunately, if you’re looking to get a leg up on deals ahead of the upcoming sales event, Amazon has already begun rolling out steep discounts on several of its own devices, including TVs, ebook readers, streaming devices, smart displays, and even Alexa-powered shades. The list of Prime-only deals is still relatively short for now, but it’ll explode to include thousands of products in short order.
However, keep in mind that you must be an Amazon Prime subscriber to take advantage of any and all Prime Day deals. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial as a new member, though, which will give you more than enough time to take advantage of the upcoming sale and enjoy other Amazon Prime benefits in the run-up to the event. Once you’re signed in to an account with an active subscription, you’ll gain immediate access to all of the deals below.
Amazon’s latest Echo Dot has dropped to $24.99 ($25 off) at Amazon for Prime members, nearly matching its all-time low. The fifth-gen model is the newest Dot available, though it doesn’t have the same speaker power as the full-sized Echo, nor can it act as a Zigbee hub for neater smart home control. It can still double as an extender for Amazon’s Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers, however, and otherwise works just fine as an Alexa-capable smart speaker.
Prime members can pick up the new Amazon Echo Spot for $44.99 ($35 off) at Amazon, which is a remarkable discount considering the smart speaker launched earlier this week. Much like the older version, the 2024 Echo Spot doubles as an Alexa-enabled alarm clock with the help of an integrated color display — only it’s much more sleek now. It can show not just the time but also the weather and details about whatever music you’re listening to. You can also use it to set up and control compatible smart home devices via Matter, whether by touch or with your voice.
If you prefer smart speakers with larger displays, you’ll want to jump on the third-gen Echo Show 5, which is available for $49.99 ($40 off) at Amazon for Prime members. The five-inch touchscreen display makes for a solid control center, allowing you to manage various smart home devices. You can also add a number of widgets and use the display to watch videos, place video calls using the integrated camera, or view weather and other information at a glance. It still has microphones for making hands-free Alexa commands, of course, and the speakers have improved bass and clarity over the second-gen model.
You can get an Amazon Kindle Scribe with either a Basic Pen starting at $234.99 ($105 off) or a Premium Pen starting at $259.99 ($110 off). The Premium Pen is the better value since it has a built-in digital eraser and a shortcut button, both of which the Basic Pen lacks.
We’ve warmed up to the Kindle Scribe since first reviewing it at launch. The ebook reader’s large 10.2-inch display is great for reading, but we felt the e-reader’s note-taking capabilities lacked substance. That’s changed considerably over the past year as Amazon rolled out a slew of updates, some of which added handwriting recognition, more pen styles, improved notebook organization, and the ability to make notations directly on individual pages.
Amazon is selling its newer Ring Battery Doorbell Plus for $99.99 ($50 off). This is our top choice among battery-powered video doorbells since it has quite a fast response time for such a model and also has a square head-to-toe view like the Pro models — albeit, at a much lower price. It can be installed just about anywhere since you don’t need built-in wiring, but keep in mind that its battery needs a charge about every two months.
The Blink Video Doorbell is our favorite budget option — and that was beforeAmazon dropped the price to $29.99 (50 percent off) to match its all-time low. The basic 1080p doorbell supports motion detection, two-way video, night vision, and an impressive two years of battery life using two AA batteries. It lacks nice-to-have features like smart alerts and quick replies, and you can’t view live feeds on battery — you’ll need to hardwire it or add the optional $49.99 Sync Module 2 for that. That’s a small price to pay, however, compared to the ongoing monthly subscription other doorbells often need.
Ring’s Stick Up Cam Battery has fallen to a new low at Amazon, where Prime members can currently pick it up for $54.99 ($45 off). The versatile, battery-powered security camera comes with flexible mounting options that allow you to use it indoors or outside, along with a weather-resistant build that’s suitable for the latter scenario. The wire-free 1080p cam also features color night vision, motion detection, and two-way audio, but you’ll need an optional Ring Protect Plan to access cloud-based recordings and other features.
Elsewhere in the early Prime Day deals on smart home security devices, a Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is $199.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. It’s remained the top recommendation in our smart floodlight camera buying guide for a few years now, and that’s thanks in part to its 1080p video quality, radar-powered motion detection, and very bright (2,000 lumens) aimable lights. Like all Ring devices, it’s meant to be used with Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem, and it pairs well with a Ring doorbell to offer another vantage point over a yard or driveway while also illuminating the space once motion is detected.
Amazon is discounting the latest Fire TV Cube streaming box to $99.99 ($40 off), which is a new price floor and $10 cheaper than the previous record. The Fire TV Cube is the brand’s top-end streaming device, blending a streamer with an Echo smart speaker — as the fabric-clad box features Alexa voice support to even control connected devices around your home.
Amazon is also offering its latest Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $34.99 ($25 off) right now, which beats the streaming device’s all-time low by $5; you can also pick up a refurbished model for $32.99 ($21 off). The latter has undergone a factory reset — meaning it’s been wiped, cleaned, and inspected — and comes with the same one-year warranty as a new model.
The Max is the first Fire TV streaming device we’d recommend if you need a sleek option and can’t go with a set-top box like the Fire TV Cube. It’s considerably faster than the regular Fire TV Stick 4K, offers double the storage, and supports Wi-Fi 6E. It can also display artwork and widgets while idle — much like Samsung’s Frame TVs — and comes with an upgraded Alexa Voice Remote with shortcut buttons for popular streaming services.
Amazon’s55-inch Fire TV Omni is down to $349.99 ($200 off) at Amazon — which is just $50 more than its best price to date — while the 75-inch model is sitting at an all-time low of $699.99 ($350 off). They’re not the QLED-bearing Omnis, to be clear, nor are they the greatest TV for gamers looking to make the most of the high refresh rates on newer consoles. That being said, Omni TVs are decent for the money if you don’t care about any of that.
The 55-inch version of the 4K set doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR (you’ll need a 65- or 75-inch model for that), but it still supports HDR10, HLG, and relatively low input lag. There are built-in mics for hands-free Alexa voice commands, meaning you don’t always need the remote to turn the TV on and find something to watch. Each TV also has three HDMI ports for connecting Blu-ray players, consoles, and other streaming devices, one of which supports HDMI eARC for one-cable external audio for supported soundbars and receivers.
Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar is down to $89.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, which is $10 less than its previous low. It doesn’t exactly compare to a midrange Atmos system, but the two-channel Bluetooth soundbar does support Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X for simulated surround sound. It’s also relatively compact at 24 inches and pairs well with Amazon Fire TVs and Fire TV streaming devices (you can use the same remote for both device types).
The third-gen Amazon Echo Frames are certainly more stylish than previous models, but they’re also somewhat expensive when they’re not on sale. Thankfully, the smart glasses have dropped to just $169.99 ($130 off) at Amazon in all five styles with blue light filtering lenses, which beats their previous low by $55. You can also go for a pair of the Carrera, which are currently down to $269.99 ($120 off) for Prime members and available with darker shades for those who prefer sunglasses over a pair of traditional lenses.
In terms of features, Amazon’s latest Echo Frames offer decent battery life and integrated open-ear audio for calling, music, and podcasts, with a microphone for Alexa voice control. But there’s no onboard camera for easy POV snapshots and video, which you can get on similar wearables like the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
You can currently save quite a bit on Amazon’s biggest smart display, the Echo Show 15, when you buy it in refurbished condition at Amazon for $215.99 ($39 off). Amazon says the refurb model is fully functional and sports a “like-new” appearance, though it’s also backed by Amazon’s standard one-year warranty should you run into any issues with the hardware.
Thanks to its Fire TV integration and the included Alexa Voice Remote, the Echo Show 15 can easily double as a 1080p TV. This means you can use it as a kitchen companion when you need some entertainment or recipe help; it can also function as a family hub for viewing shared calendar appointments, the weather, and other info. You can even set up widgets to control any smart home gadgets you have, although it doesn’t quite compare to the Amazon Echo Hub in that regard.
Amazon’s invite-only deal on the Sony WH-CH520 is a great opportunity to get in some early Prime Day practice. The tan model will be on sale for an all-time low of $35.99 ($44 off) on July 16th and 17th; however, you have to be a Prime member and request an invitation to purchase them. If selected, Amazon will email you details on how to complete your purchase, which is how invite-only deals will work throughout the event.
The entry-level headphones are a step down from Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and even the WH-CH720N, but that’s forgivable considering the massive price difference. You’ll miss out on active noise cancellation, and because they use an on-ear design instead of a more traditional over-ear build, you might not find them as comfortable as other models. However, they should offer solid sound quality in a pinch, along with an impressive 50 hours of battery life. They also offer support for multipoint connectivity, Google Assistant, Siri, and Google’s Find My Device network.
You can pick up a SwitchBot S10 for an all-time low of $799.99 ($400 off) at Amazon (when you clip the on-page coupon) or directly from SwitchBot with promo code 400SHK. The excellent robot vacuum / mop hybrid can pick up dirt from your floors and then go over hardwood areas with its self-lifting mop pads. It can also clean itself and has two separate emptying stations — one to dump and refill water (it can connect to your plumbing system) and another for dust and charging. We especially like how it does all of that with very minimal input required on your part.
Amazon’s entry-level Echo Buds are on sale for Prime members at Amazon for an all-time low of $24.99 ($25 off). The wireless earbuds lack more premium features like noise cancellation and aren’t particularly attractive, but there aren’t many earbuds with seamless Alexa support, water resistance, and multipoint Bluetooth connectivity in this price range. They’ll last up to six hours per charge, too, or 20 hours with the included charging case.
Right now, Prime subscribers who have never signed up for Amazon Music Unlimited can get five months for free at Amazon, while non-Prime members can score three months for free. After the promotional period ends, you’ll be able to keep the bathroom mirror concerts going for the usual $10.99 a month (or $9.99 if you’re a Prime subscriber).
For those unfamiliar, Amazon Music Unlimited provides ad-free, on-demand access to millions of songs and podcasts. It features unlimited song skips and offline listening, too, which is pretty standard for premium music services. What’s not standard is the service’s support for spatial audio and Amazon’s “Ultra HD” audio quality, which offers 24-bit, 192Hz streaming for 7 million tracks if you have the ears and hardware to pick up on the added detail. Over 100 million more support lossless CD-quality audio, too.
A few more Prime Day deals you can shop right now
Feeling studious but don’t feel like scanning pages? You can get a three-month trial of Audible Premium Plus at Amazon to see if audiobooks are more your style. Normally $14.95 a month, the subscription gives you one credit per month to permanently add any audiobook you want to your Audible library. You can also freely listen to a rotating list of thousands of other titles and original audio experiences.
The non-Max Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is down to $24.99 ($25 off) at Amazon exclusively for Prime members. It isn’t drastically cheaper than the aforementioned Max model — which offers faster performance, faster Wi-Fi, and expanded storage — but the Fire TV Stick 4K is still a serviceable streaming device if you absolutely can’t expand your budget.
The Amazon Echo Pop is currently matching its Black Friday low of $17.99 ($22 off) at Amazon, rendering it one of the cheapest smart speakers you can get. Amazon’s smaller model can’t fill a room with sound the way bigger Echo speakers can. That said, it could work well in the corner of your kitchen, in a guest room, or any other area of your home where you’d appreciate having Alexa close by. Read our review.
The battery-powered Ring Spotlight Cam Plus is available at Amazon for $109.99 ($60 off), which is $10 cheaper than the previous all-time low. The 1080p security camera has two integrated lights that turn on automatically upon detecting movement to help deter intruders; you can also remotely sound a siren or speak with your visitor using two-way audio, though you’ll need a Ring Protect Plan to make the most of the camera.
The 64GB, ad-supported variant of Amazon’s latest Fire HD 8 is on sale at Amazon with a folio cover for $89.99 ($74.99 off). The inexpensive tablet features an eight-inch, 1280 x 800 screen and serves up the essential Fire OS experience, which makes it easy to browse apps and games via the Amazon Appstore. Just know that’s really limited if you were hoping to tap into non-Amazon content, particularly given how lacking the Appstore currently is.
Amazon’s Luna Controller is matching its all-time low of $39.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. The wireless gamepad is designed for use with Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service, but you can use it with PCs, Android phones, Fire TV devices, and Apple devices via Bluetooth and USB-C. New subscribers get a month of Luna Plus for free with the deal.
Update, July 10th:Removed expired deals and added several new ones, including those for SwitchBot’s S10 robot vacuum and the Amazon Echo Spot.
Carvana will apply a clean vehicle tax credit at checkout for used EVs
There are some good EVs and hybrids that are eligible for the incentive. | Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge
Carvana is now offering discounts of up to $4,000 at checkout for eligible used EVs and plug-in hybrids. The discount is essentially an advancement of the federal tax incentive for previously owned vehicles, but it lets customers reap the benefit immediately rather than waiting for tax refunds the following year.
You will still need to file your taxes correctly using IRS Form 8936, and you have to agree to transfer the credit to Carvana once you do file. So, while it’s not making tax season any easier, Carvana is offering a lower cost of entry to buy an electric vehicle, which could help push customers interested in EVs to take the leap.
You can now take advantage of the offer on Carvana’s app or website by searching for EVs or plug-in hybrids with a green tax credit banner. As the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act outlines, not every used clean vehicle is eligible. It has to have at least a 7kWh battery and a price less than or equal to $25,000, including shipping and delivery charges. It’s also only valid on a vehicle’s previous two model years.
Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge
I don’t know if you care, but most eligible Spark EVs are gone.
For instance, if you want a Chevy Spark EV because it’s small, zippy, and fits in any parking space, only the 2015 and 2016 models are eligible. Carvana is selling them for about $11,000 to $14,000 each, so the incentive could bring it down to $10,000 or under (although, as of writing, I’ve noticed some of them no longer have the advertised discount banner).
At checkout, you must confirm your eligibility, which includes the requirement that your income not exceed $150,000 for a married couple filing jointly, $112,500 when filing as the head of a household, or $75,000 for a married couple filing separately, individually, or other.
The credit can’t be claimed for vehicles already purchased with the used clean vehicle tax credit or if you have used that benefit in the past three years (which is not technically possible yet). Either way, take advantage of it sooner rather than later because Republicans may end up killing it eventually.
Amazon Says It Reached a Climate Goal Seven Years Early The company said it effectively got all of the electricity it used last year from sources that did not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Some experts have faulted the company’s calculations.
Defeated by A.I., a Legend in the Board Game Go Warns: Get Ready for What’s Next Lee Saedol was one of the world’s top Go players, and his shocking loss to an A.I. opponent was a harbinger of a new, unsettling era. “It may not be a happy ending,” he says.
Instagram is sticking to short videos, says Adam Mosseri
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Instagram isn’t going to focus on longform video because it might “undermine” the platform’s “core identity to connect people with friends,” Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says in a video. Yes, you can technically post Instagram videos to your feed that are as long as one hour, and yes, Instagram did try to push for longer videos with IGTV before shutting the app down! But now, shortform is where it’s at, Mosseri argues.
Mosseri says that Instagram’s two main jobs are to help you connect with friends and to help you explore interests “usually through shortform video.” He says that those two jobs are “symbiotic” because you might send a video that you like to a friend who might also like it.
On the other hand, longform videos (think videos that are longer than 10 minutes or feel more like TV shows) are “less symbiotic” with Instagram’s two jobs because they mean “you see less content from friends, you interact with your friends less, and you’re actually less likely to send that content or that video to a friend,” Mosseri says. Because of that, Instagram won’t go after the format. (TikTok, on the other hand, is investing moreinto longer videos.)
Here’s a full transcript of Mosseri’s remarks, which I’ve slightly edited for clarity:
A creator asked me recently: “are we going to do longform video on Instagram?” The answer is no and I wanted to explain why.
We do a number of different things on Instagram but at the heart of it there are really two jobs. One: connecting you with friends. Two: helping you explore your interests, usually through shortfrom video.
It turns out that those two things are symbiotic. You see an amazing video that makes you laugh out loud from a comedian doing a bit, and you send it to someone who you know is going to laugh just as loud as you did. Or for me, I see a highlight of an amazing soccer goal or trick, and I send it to someone who I know loves soccer as much as I do. So these things are about connecting with friends over your interests.
It turns out longfrom video is less symbiotic with these other jobs. If you watch a 10- or 20-minute video, you see less content from friends, you interact with your friends less, and you’re actually less likely to send that content or that video to a friend. So we’re not going to go after that business because it’s part of our core identity to connect people with friends and we don’t want to undermine that by going after longform video.
We understand shortform video doesn’t always do that, but it can. We try and prioritize shortfrom video that does. So let me know down below the comments what you think. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of hot takes on this one. Peace.
When you move, what do you do with all those books?
Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge
If you have a large collection of hardcover and paperback books, it can be hard to get rid of them — but not impossible.
When my partner and I moved in together, we didn’t just have to combine furniture and posters and clothing but also two very large collections of books. Those collections have grown considerably since then, and should we ever have to make a move again, we’ll have a real problem on our hands. What to do with all those books?
Unfortunately, because so many people are now reading on phones, tablets, or portable reading devices like a Kindle, it can feel more difficult than it used to be to sell or give away physical books. But there are still places out there where you can pass on your used books. Here are some ways you can move your reading material along to someone else.
Sell books online
One solution is to sell your books. The first place you might think of is through a site such as Amazon, but that can get both complicated and frustrating. As an individual (as opposed to a business), you have to set up a seller’s account and pay Amazon 99 cents per book, a referral fee of 15 percent of the selling price, and a closing fee of $1.80 per item.
Screenshot: Powell’s
Selling your books online sounds like a good idea, but it may not be worth the trouble.
Luckily, there are alternatives. For example, at Powell’s, you enter the ISBN and the condition of the book(s), and you get back a quote. You then mail the books to them and reap your reward via PayPal. (Although it may not be worth the trouble — for a like-new hard copy of the 2010 novel All Clear by Connie Willis, I was offered $1.67.) AbeBooks is also a popular place to look for used books, but it deals mainly with professional sellers; fees for selling start at $25 a month.
If you have recent textbooks you don’t need anymore — and we all know how expensive those can get — you can try GoTextbooks. BookScouter will show you the prices offered by a variety of booksellers, along with user ratings, and you can choose which one to sell to.
Try used bookstores
Once upon a time, many cities and towns had bookstores that specialized in collecting and selling used books. Depending on where you live, there may still be shops that will either pay for used books, accept them for store credit, or just take them off your hands.
For example, Don Blyly runs Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis and says, “People are still buying and reading hardcover and softcover books. I estimate that about 3/4 of the books leaving the store are used books.” He adds that people often go to used bookstores not just to save money but to find out-of-print books by authors they have recently discovered.
Photo: Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore
There are still some old-fashioned used bookstores that might accept your books.
In NYC, you can try the well-known Strand bookstore, where you can get cash or store credit for up to 40 books. The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe accepts used books and clothing to help support people with HIV or AIDS. And at Sweet Pickle Books, if you donate books in person, you can exchange them for a jar of, yes, homemade pickles.
In other areas, you can see if one of the many Half Price Books stores is located near you; bring your books there and see what they’ll offer.
There are even quirky sources such as Connecticut’s The Traveler Restaurant, which offers free books with each meal (and will take your excess books as well).
Libraries
Libraries have traditionally been good places for people to unload books they no longer want. Many still take used books that they then add to their collections, sell for extra cash, or give away. Unfortunately, since the start of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, some have stopped that practice, so it’s a good idea to check with your library’s website or call ahead to make sure they accept donations.
Little Free Library
If you have some time on your hands, you can build your own library. Little Free Library is a program that helps individuals put up their own “take a book, leave a book” box right outside their homes, stores, or wherever they have permission. The Little Free Library site provides all the information necessary to either start a book distributing program or find one in your neighborhood where you can drop off a few of your own. (There’s even a mobile app.)
Photo: Little Free Library
A Little Free Library can be simple or imaginative.
Charities that accept book donations
There are still a number of charities that may take books, such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army or similar thrift stores. Whether they take books and what kind of books they accept can vary based on location, so check with your nearest thrift store or do a search online.
Other possibilities include:
Better World Books has drop boxes for your used books in a variety of locations throughout the US. It donates books and funds via a number of nonprofits and supports literacy projects.
Books Through Bars is based in Philadelphia and sends free books to incarcerated people. Check with the site to see what they are looking for and learn how to donate.
Operation Paperback sends books to US troops overseas as well as to their families and veterans at home. On the site, you can find out which books are being requested and where to send them.
Another website that lists local resources for donating books is Local Book Donations.
You can also check with local homeless shelters or nursing homes. People who don’t have ready access to electronics or who are not comfortable reading from a screen may welcome a fresh source of reading material.
And finally, if none of these work for you, some of my neighbors simply put a box of books outside their home for passersby to check out. Just make sure it’s not going to rain.
If nothing else, recycle the paper
If nothing else works, then it’s time to consider recycling. As much as the idea of pulping a book feels, well, wrong, it’s better to recycle the paper than to just send it to the local dump.
Before dropping your books in your paper recycling bin, make sure you understand what’s accepted by your local recycling center. For the most part, paperback books are fine. However, hardcover books are not; the covers are not generally manufactured solely of paper and are therefore not recyclable — you’ll have to pull out the pages.
You can get more information on recycling books at a site called Earth911 or, again, from your local recycling center.
And now that you’ve sold, given away, or recycled your old books — well, you’ve got room for new ones, right?
David Ellison Poised to Become a New Mogul in a Diminished Hollywood David Ellison is poised to soon run Paramount Pictures, among other entertainment assets. But what does that mean in a fractured cultural landscape?
Logitech’s $80 supercapacitor gaming mouse is the most versatile it’s ever made
The Logitech G309. | Image: Logitech
I haven’t thought about charging my Logitech wireless gaming mouse in two and a half years, because I have a magic mousepad that does it automatically. But Logitech mice that work with the Powerplay mousepad are expensive, heavy, or both, and none of them double as a Bluetooth mouse so I can wirelessly pair them to my laptop, handheld, or phone.
Today, Logitech is changing that with the Logitech G309, an $80 mouse that almost does it all. It’s the first Powerplay mouse this inexpensive, the first with Bluetooth, the first that lets you use a AA battery when you’re on the go — and the first Logitech wireless mouse with a supercapacitor inside so you don’t necessarily need a battery at all.
Even without Powerplay, the G309 is a dual-mode wireless gaming mouse that promises up to 300 hours of battery life using its Lightspeed wireless dongle, or up to 600 hours over Bluetooth, while you’re slinging around its 86-gram frame.
But if you’ve got that $120 Powerplay pad, you can remove the AA battery to reach a total mouse weight of just 68 grams, nearly as light as the 60-gram, $160 Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 that gave me serious mouse envy last year. It’s possible because the supercapacitor acts as a tiny battery constantly being wirelessly charged by the Powerplay mousepad underneath. “It’s never going to die at all; it’s endless battery life,” promises Logitech senior global product manager Nicolas Métral.
Image: Logitech
It’s not the first wireless gaming mouse to test the waters with a supercapacitor — but when Mad Catz and Razer tried that in 2018, those pricey wireless power mice didn’t have any other way to charge. You had to use them on their bundled pad or with a wired cord. Until now, Logitech’s used internal rechargeable lithium cells to let you make its Powerplay mice somewhat portable; here, a AA battery picks up the slack.
Image: Logitech
Despite being on the budget end of Logitech’s gaming mice, the G309 also has the same Hero 25K sensor and hybrid optomechanical switches the company’s been shipping in premium mice for a while, both of which might be welcome upgrades over the $60 G305 mouse it’s based upon.
Image: Logitech
But it’s still missing the one Logitech mouse feature I’d have a hard time doing without — the company’s dual-mode ratcheting/free spinning scroll wheel that I’m constantly using to zip through documents and webpages when I’m using my gaming mouse for work. Among gaming mice, that’s still exclusive to its G502 and G903 from what I can tell.
And, it’s a bit of a shame Logitech still sells its Powerplay mousepad for $120 with only the rarest and smallest of discounts. If the company really wants to fulfill the G309’s promise of “Wireless Play for All” — that’s Logitech’s tagline — I’d recommend making the complete package more affordable.
Logitech says it will keep selling the G305 alongside the G309. The G309 can also share a single Lightspeed wireless dongle with a bunch of Logitech’s wireless keyboards, including the new G515 TKL, G715, G915, G915 TKL, Pro X 60, and Pro X TKL.
Hulu was down for a lot of people, but now it’s fixed
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Hulu was having an outage, with as many as 50,000 reports noted on Down Detector late on Monday night. There’s no indication of what has caused the outage, but the official Hulu Support account on X acknowledged the issue, following up with posts from customers after about 11:15PM ET, saying, “Our developers were able to put changes in place to mitigate the interruption. Please reboot your device to start streaming, and let us know if you run into any further trouble.”
Not everyone was having trouble accessing Hulu, but for the people who were, posts on social media said they either couldn’t log in or that they didn’t see any content listed on Hulu’s website or apps for streaming. It didn’t seem to exclusively affect people who have or have not linked their Hulu and Disney Plus accounts, and it’s unclear if the problem was linked to certain regions.
Hulu’s support messages didn’t offer any other details about why the service went down for so many people, but if you were hoping to wrap up The Bear season three or something else exclusive to the service, then you should be back online now.
Apologies for the trouble! We've got you covered now! Our developers were able to put changes in place to mitigate the interruption. Please reboot your device to start streaming, and let us know if you run into any further trouble.
Paramount agrees to sweetened Skydance merger deal
Skydance founder David Ellison is set to become Paramount’s new chairman and chief executive. | Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Paramount Global has agreed to merge with Skydance Media in a deal that will see the joint enterprise, temporarily dubbed “New Paramount,” valued at approximately $28 billion.
As part of the two-step agreement announced on Sunday, Paramount Chair Shari Redstone (the daughter of Sumner Redstone) will sell National Amusements — which holds her family’s controlling stake in Paramount — for $2.4 billion. Skydance will then merge with Paramount, investing $8 billion to purchase Paramount’s shares and pay off some of the company’s balance sheet. Bloomberg reports that Paramount has $14.6 billion of debt as of March, partially attributed to streaming losses and a decline in the company’s broadcast and cable TV business.
“Given the changes in the industry, we want to fortify Paramount for the future while ensuring that content remains king,” said Redstone, citing a phrase often associated with her late father. “Our hope is that the Skydance transaction will enable Paramount’s continued success in this rapidly changing environment. As a longtime production partner to Paramount, Skydance knows Paramount well and has a clear strategic vision and the resources to take it to its next stage of growth.”
Skydance founder David Ellison (son of Oracle’s Larry Ellison) will become the new chairman and chief executive of Paramount, with former NBCUniversal chief executive Jeff Shell assigned as its new president. Ellison replaces former Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, who departed the company in April after reportedly clashing with Redstone over the Skydance deal.
The merger announcement follows months of negotiations, with the agreement initially appearing to be called off in June after the companies couldn’t “reach mutually acceptable terms.” According to Reuters, the new deal offered by Skydance increases the Redstone family’s payout to $1.75 billion and bolsters legal protections against potential shareholder lawsuits.
Redstone now has a 45-day “go-shop” period under the merger agreement to accept a better deal. However, as Deadline notes, Redstone’s internal announcement sent to employees thanking them for their service suggests it’s a done deal. “The agreement we entered into today is subject to closing conditions, and we expect the deal to be completed in the first half of 2025.”
Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 is proof that gadgets can still be fun
Honestly, this is Nothing’s best idea yet.
I’ve never had so much fun taking a phone apart.
That’s a misleading statement; I haven’t really taken any phones apart lately, but when CMF’s Phone 1 arrived, that’s the first thing I did. Because this one, my friends, is built different. It won’t be widely available in the US, but if you’re game, you can get one through Nothing’s beta program — and for $199, that’s seriously tempting.
CMF, Nothing’s budget-conscious but still extremely style-driven subbrand, is shipping its first phone, the aptly named Phone 1. While it shares a name and an operating system with Nothing’s first own-brand phone, it comes to the table with a new modular approach to phone customizations. Why put a different case on your phone when you can put a whole new phone on your phone?
Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge
Nothing heard you like orange gadgets.
The concept is simple: it’s a phone, but the back panel comes off so you can swap it with a different one. Each replacement comes with everything you need for the job, including its own little screwdriver, screws, and a color-matched SIM tray.
There’s also a round accessory port cover in the bottom corner of the phone. Although it resembles the control dial on CMF’s neckband earbuds, it doesn’t offer any functional use aside from protecting the accessory port. At launch, CMF will offer three accessories: a lanyard, a wallet, and a kickstand, each $25 and an eye-catching orange color.
Those are all sold separately, as are the colorful replacement back panels, which are $35 each. In the box, you get a thoroughly respectable budget Android phone with a 6.7-inch OLED, 50-megapixel rear camera, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, and a generous 5,000mAh battery. It comes with a black panel installed; other options include orange, light green, and blue.
Just living in the moment, not a back panel in sight.
Taking the back panel off is straightforward, though it takes a bit of force — enough to break a fingernail that was too long, as I learned. Probably for the best, though, since that panel is the thing standing between the guts of your phone and the rest of the world. Speaking of guts, it’s so weird seeing a modern phone all naked and exposed like that.
Once the phone is safely encased again, you can add accessories. The wallet is actually two pieces — a plastic panel with a MagSafe-like magnet embedded and the actual wallet. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that I was able to attach the phone with this magnetic mount to a MagSafe charging stand (though the Phone 1 doesn’t offer wireless charging). You can also attach either the kickstand or the lanyard with the wallet in use.
The lanyard is made of a thick, woven fabric. Someone much cooler and younger than me could probably pull off wearing their phone with it. And the kickstand seems sturdy enough, though I wish the arm sat flush against the phone when not in use. They’re all a vibrant orange color — the gadget color of the year, I guess.
Being a budget phone and all, there are obviously some tradeoffs to consider. There’s no NFC, and the Phone 1 is only splash-resistant. That’s understandable, considering the price point, and you know, the way the whole back of the phone comes off. Carrier support in the US is also quite limited. Like the Phone 2A, it will work on T-Mobile’s 4G and 5G networks, but only supports Verizon and AT&T’s 4G bands. But for $199? It might just be worth it — if nothing else, it’s one heck of an accessory.
Apple Intelligence and a better Siri may be coming to iPhones this spring
Better Siri might be here by the spring. | Screenshot: YouTube
Siri will finally get better in spring 2025 when Apple makes its Apple Intelligence AI system available to everyone via its iOS 18.4 update, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest Power On newsletter. That’s more specific than Apple has been — so far, it’s only said the flagship AI features will be available next year.
Apple regularly doles out its new features piecemeal, in point updates, across its operating systems. So it’s possible, for instance, that Siri will gain the ability (via Apple Intelligence) to do things on your behalf like dig your ID out of your 20,000-photo-deep library in Photos and copy your driver’s license number to enter into an online form, but perhaps the AI-powered emoji generation or writing assistance features won’t be ready yet. Gurman doesn’t speak directly to that, but it’s good to keep in mind.
What’s coming first should become clearer as beta versions of iOS 18 start incorporating the features later this year and the 18.4 release approaches. In the meantime, features like ChatGPT integration, a new Siri interface that ditches the old circle graphic for a pulsing rainbow around the inside of the screen bezel, and deeper product knowledge that lets Siri give you basic tech support are expected this fall.
Down the road, Apple’s AI plan apparently includes those AirPods with embedded cameras that pop up in rumors from time to time, such as in last week’s rumor from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, saying they would have infrared sensors and be used in concert with the Vision Pro, for hand gesture and motion detection. Gurman describes something akin to Meta’s Ray-ban glasses — for example, AI could process imagery from them to describe things in your environment or help you navigate while you’re walking. These new AirPods Pro, he writes, might be two generations away.
The Apple Watch Series 10 may get an Ultra-sized screen
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Here’s some potentially good news for Apple Watch owners who have Apple Watch Ultra screen envy: the Apple Watch Series 10 — may get the same size screen as the company’s 49mm outdoorsy watch. That’s in addition to other possible improvements, like a thinner case and a new chip that could “lay the groundwork for some AI enhancements down the road,” according to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg.
The screen rumor seems to back up a CAD render from last month that showed a Series 10 watch with a two-inch display. Gurman says — and that render appears to show — that the watch won’t otherwise feature any major design changes. If that means no magnetic watch strap attachments or whatever, I’m putting that part of the rumor in the “good” column — like many, I’ve accumulated a number of watch straps over the years, and I’d like to keep using them if I decide to upgrade.
As for new sensors, that seems cloudier, as Gurman says Apple is struggling with two big health sensor updates it’s been planning. The company reportedly hasn’t been able to get its rumored blood pressure monitor’s reliability up to snuff, and he writes that not being able to use its banned blood oxygen sensor is hampering its efforts to add sleep apnea detection.
Apple is reportedly planning a cheaper version of the Apple Watch SE to bring pricing in line with Samsung’s $199 Galaxy Watch FE. One way it might do this, apparently, is with a rigid plastic case. That could make the watch cheaper, sure, and perhaps lighter — I can think of at least one other Apple product that could stand to benefit from a similar decision! (The Vision Pro. I’m talking about the Vision Pro.)
Finally, Gurman says that the company is planning to release a Watch Ultra 3, but don’t expect big visual changes. It will reportedly get the new chip that will power the Series 10, though.
What to expect at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in July
Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event is coming up fast at 9AM ET on July 10th in Paris, France. The company isn’t being coy about at least a couple of things it’s talking about — the graphic in its announcement video clearly hints at foldables, and the video’s description reads in part, “Galaxy AI is here.” You can watch the stream either on YouTubeor its website.
There’ll be more to the event than just folding phones and pre-announcement device reservation discounts. Samsung does its regular Galaxy phone announcements at its other Galaxy Unpacked event early in the year, so that’s out of the way, but we might also hear about other stuff, including a new Samsung Watch product and, of course, the Galaxy Ring.
Galaxy Ring
Samsung January Galaxy Ring announcement was little more than a tease, but the company gave reporters hands-on time with a prototype at Mobile World Congress in February, revealing colors and ring sizes and a little about what kind of data its sensors will gather. What we’d love to hear is how much the thing will cost, what kind of health sensors it will have, and when it’s coming.
For now, there are rumors, like that it will cost around $300 or $350 and that Samsung may spin up a fitness and health subscription to go along with it. But apart from that and FCC testing records that revealed battery capacities, very little has made its way out of Samsung’s halls about the Galaxy Ring.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6
Image: Evan BlassLeaked renders show the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (left) and the Z Flip 6 (right).
Plenty about the Galaxy Z foldableshas already leaked. It seems the Z Fold 6 is getting an updated, more squared-off design, significantly brighter screens, and a touch longer battery life, though using the same 4,400mAh battery size as its predecessor.
The clamshell Flip 6 may be less changed from the previous model, but it’s expected to see some other key updates. Besides a similar brightness boost to the Fold 6, the phone may get a much brighter screen like its larger sibling, along with a vapor chamber cooling system and either a 4,000mAh battery or a 3,790mAh battery, depending on the rumor (the current model’s battery capacity is rated at 3,700mAh). The secondary screen might be an IPS panel instead of OLED.
Both phones are expected to be lighter, thinner, and powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Galaxy AI
Samsung was quick to jump on the AI train, and at least some of its Galaxy AI features are available or coming to all manner of Galaxy phones and devices — not just the latest and greatest. So far, Galaxy AI is full of table stakes for artificial intelligence: things like on-device, in-call audio and text translations and photo and video editing, and Google’s Circle to Search feature. Now is the company’s chance to set itself apart a little bit.
Samsung Galaxy Watch
Image: Smartprix / OnLeaksThe Galaxy Watch 7 ‘Ultra’ in all its rendered squircle glory.
Samsung will probably talk about its next Galaxy Watch lineup. Leaked images have suggested more of the same for the regular Watch 7, but the company is expected to announce a cheap Galaxy Watch FE, as well as a heaping helping of smartwatch, maybe called the Galaxy Watch 7 ‘Ultra.’
The Watch 7 Ultra looks like a bigger, badder watch with a squircle case — but a still-circular watchface. The chunky watch seen in leaked renders seems to be the company’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra, to the point that leaked images even show a third button that could be similar to Apple’s Action Button. It even appears to feature a Samsung interpretation of Apple’s proprietary slide-in watchband connector — meaning you may not be able to use your old Galaxy Watch bands with this one.
The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra isn’t the only thing apparently taking cues from Apple’s designs — Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3, based on leaks so far, plainly look like Apple’s third-generation AirPods, but with angular stems instead of round ones, and blue and orange accents at the tips. “Pro” models look a little more different, featuring a matte gray finish. Someone on Reddit claimed to have already bought a pair of those for $250 at a Walmart in the US, so it would seem they’re already in retail store rooms (and, apparently, on some shelves).
NASCAR shows off an EV prototype
Is now the right time to say “ka-chow,” or should I wait? | Image: NASCAR
NASCAR showed off a new EV prototype stock car at the Chicago Street Race today as part of a presentation on its sustainability initiatives, which it has a new partner for in Swedish electrification firm ABB. The car, which looks more like a performance crossover like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, is in many ways a total departure from the traditional stock car. Don’t expect the ABB NASCAR EV Prototype to replace the fuel-burning V8 anytime soon, though.
NASCAR says the car has three electric motors — one in the front and two in the back — powered by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery that can generate 1,000kW “at peak power,” according to today’s announcement.
Image: NASCAR
NASCAR writes that the EV sits on a modified version of the Next Gen chassis NASCAR introduced in 2022, which was designed with an eye toward transition to alternative fuels. Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota helped with its development, the organization writes.
Before its unveiling, the $1.5 million prototype had only been driven by NASCAR driver David Ragan, reported The Associated Press. Ragan told the outlet that his fastest lap at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia was “two-tenths of a second slower” than a typical racer, despite it having almost twice the acceleration. Unsurprisingly, the weight was a big factor, slowing him down in the turns.
Traditional stock cars aren’t heading for their final left turn, though there are rumors it will introduce hybrids in a few years. Still, it could do something similar to the ABB-sponsored, all-electric Formula E series; NASCAR says it “may explore possibilities around high-performance racing,” according to NBC News.
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