Bluesky starts letting users host their own servers
Image: Bluesky
Bluesky is taking a big leap toward federating. On Thursday, the social network announced that it is opening up early access for users and developers who want to self-host their data. While this isn’t true federation yet, the company plans to open up federation to larger servers with even more users in its next phase. When the dust settles, anyone can (in theory) create their own server with their own rules on Bluesky’s AT Protocol.
The draw of self-hosting is that it offers users more control over their social media. Rather than store your data on Bluesky’s servers, you can keep it on your own, or move your existing posts, likes, and followers to another company’s platform. If Bluesky were to go bankrupt or change hands, users who self-host would have a degree of extra security.
In its developer’s blog, Bluesky stressed that “guardrails” are still in place. Most significantly, users can only self-host their own accounts for now, and in the next phase, self-hosted servers will initially be limited to 10 accounts each, with rate limits on usage. Bluesky will increase the baseline rate limits over time, as “trust and reputation is established” among those who self-host. It is also working on tools to detect and mitigate abuse.
Even though there are training wheels, users should still self-host with caution. Bluesky does warn in its developer’s instructions not to be surprised if things are slow or just outright break, and it recommends against self-hosting for most users, at least on their main accounts.
Earlier this month, Bluesky finally tossed its invite-only system, opening up the network to expand well beyond the 3 million signups since its launch in 2023. As self-hosting becomes more accessible, more users and third-party developers will hopefully flock to the platform.
But for the average Bluesky user, this round of changes won’t dramatically alter their experience on the platform. The platform also clarifies that this recent move doesn’t turn Bluesky into a Mastodon clone:
On Bluesky, server choice doesn’t affect what content you see. Servers are only one piece of the protocol — when you browse Bluesky, you see posts that are pulled together from many different servers. This is why you can change your server after signing up without losing your username, friends, or posts.
All told, today’s Bluesky will still look very different from the Bluesky of the future. Independent moderation is also expected to arrive at Bluesky sometime soon. The platform is gradually taking more steps to give third-party developers and users more control over their experiences online. And Bluesky may no longer retain ownership of its AT protocol. CEO Jay Graber told The Verge that the plan is to hand over control of the AT protocol to a web standards body like the Internet Engineering Task Force.
Microsoft and Intel strike a custom chip deal that could be worth billions
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Intel will be producing custom chips, designed by Microsoft for Microsoft, as part of a deal that Intel says is worth more than $15 billion. Intel announced the partnership during its Intel Foundry event today. Although neither company specified what the chips would be used for, Bloomberg noted today that Microsoft has been planning in-house designs for both processors and AI accelerators.
“We are in the midst of a very exciting platform shift that will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual organization and the entire industry,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in the official press release.
The chips will use Intel’s 18A process, which has been a big part of its road map since the company brought CEO Pat Gelsinger back to turn things around. The company is counting on its chip foundry services to put it back on top of the chipmaking world, and it seems that Microsoft will be the first major customer for this project.
Leaning on producing others’ designs is a playbook that’s worked well for competitor Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which has lucrative partnerships with companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD. Gelsinger told VentureBeat today that the company’s foundry is a big part of its strategy.
Intel’s new foundry plans come as more companies seek to produce their own self-designed chips, but it still faces challenges. Intel recently pushed back the opening of a $20 billion Ohio chip plant to 2026 — it was originally slated for 2025 — citing a slow chip market and delays in government grants.
Spotify needs every win against Apple it can get
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign upherefor more.
Hello! Today, I have a look at what Europe’s regulatory moves against Apple mean for Spotify, and podcasting more broadly. Plus, a lightning round featuring all kinds of audio stories from the purely business (a cash influx at iHeart) to the delightfully criminal (a missing radio tower).
As a heads-up, I will not be publishing Hot Pod next week due to Hot Pod Summit and On Air Fest. Insiders, I’ll be back on Friday. As for the rest of you, I’ll see you in March.
EU expected to slap Apple with $540 million fine
If this turns out to be true, it would be a big win for Spotify in its perpetual battle with Apple. In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission, the EU body that deals with antitrust issues, claiming that it was clamping down on rival music services with its App Store fees. The Financial Times and Bloomberg both reported that the EU plans to fine Apple €500 million — not so much as to hurt the $2.8 trillion company in a material way, but enough to signify that the Commission is no longer tolerating its business practices.
The Financial Times also says Apple could be banned from putting restrictions on music services that would stop it from letting users switch to cheaper payment options. The details are vague for now, but such a ruling could potentially carve out more space for Spotify to operate on iOS within the European Union — even as the EU’s new legal regime starts to open things up in other respects.
These reports come at a key time. Apple is being regulated as one of six “gatekeeper” tech companies that will have to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Under the DMA, Apple will be required to open up its tightly controlled app ecosystem in order to foster competition from smaller developers. Spotify, in particular, is planning for a future in which Apple cannot slap a 30 percent fee on all digital transactions, which could have a huge upside for Spotify’s subscription and audiobook businesses.
Apple introduced changes last month in order to be compliant with the DMA, including support for alternative browser engines and app stores, as well as an alternative regime that includes reduced App Store fees and more flexibility for developers. But Apple has been accused by developers and fellow gatekeepers of making it onerous for third parties to use those new features (particularly thanks to a new €0.50 fee per app install after the millionth install). Companies still have to pay Apple — potentially quite a bit — to skirt that 30 percent tariff and use their own payments systems. Apple even ended support for progressive web apps on iPhones, in what is being viewed as a bad faith move.
If Apple’s changes are ruled to not be enough, the EU can fine the company up to 10 percent of its annual turnover. Considering it made $383 billion last year, a fine like that would make $540 million look like a slap on the wrist.
The outcome of this regulatory battle could have a big impact on the podcast space. If smaller audio companies’ apps are better able to attract iPhone users, we could see real innovation in the space. Plus, without the App Store tax, podcasters and podcast platforms could have more ways to make money beyond ads (which, as we have seen, are not enough to support the ambitions of the industry). Apple is certainly not moving toward that future quietly, but the EU’s decision to fine them at least shows that regulators there are serious about holding the company accountable.
Lightning Round
The Podcast Academy has revealed the nominees for this year’s Ambies. Ten shows have been nominated for Podcast of the Year, including Embedded from NPR, Ghost Story from Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, and 50 Years of Hip-Hop from KEXP. The awards ceremony will be held on March 26th in LA.
iHeartMedia sold its stake in performance rights organization BMI for $101.4 million. Some of that money may go toward paying down company debt, which is an issue for all of the radio giants.
Sports podcast company Blue Wire has raised a new round of funding led by Decathlon Capital, according to Axios. The funding is mainly for the development of proprietary tech for podcasters.
Acast reported its first profitable quarter. The company reported a slight year-over-year decline in listens (5 billion in 2023 vs. 5.1 billion in 2022), but the average revenue per listen increased.
In case you are still wondering what that iOS 17 automatic downloads change is and why it matters, Podnews has a comprehensive breakdown.
The upside to the iOS 17 change is that the more accurate metrics are improving ads-based performance.
Framework is selling a cheap modular laptop
A picture of the Framework 13 from The Verge’s 2021 review. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Framework is now selling a $499 version of its modular 2021 Laptop 13, a “barebones configuration” equipped with an 11th-generation Intel i7-1165G7 CPU (Intel is now on its 14th generation for mobile processors). The company says this is a first for its affordable “B-stock Factory Seconds” machines that use leftover parts and ship without memory or storage included. So it’s cheap, but you’ll need to provide a couple of parts on your own.
Framework writes in its announcement that it’s also selling refurbished DDR4 RAM for half what it would cost new “to reduce the all-in price.” The base B-stock Laptop 13 configuration is one step up from the version that Monica Chin said in her Verge review was “uniquely friendly to user upgrades,” but notably lacked available screen or GPU upgrades.
The company also announced that preorders for its larger, gaming-focused Laptop 16 have made it to customers’ hands. The Verge’s Sean Hollister reviewed that one last month, calling it “the most ambitious laptop I’ve ever touched.” Unfortunately, he also found it to be glitchy, somewhat flimsy, hot, and loud — which puts a bit of a damper on the laptop, which costs $1,699 pre-built.
But luckily, if you’re not out for digital blood, you don’t have to spend anywhere near that with the $499 version. It might not get you silky frame rates in Helldivers 2, but you’ll certainly be able to whip up a mess of documents or stream TV shows without worrying about what happens when your fan breaks.
Switching to electric vehicles would be fantastic for kids’ health
Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge
A wholesale switch to electric vehicles would be a tremendous boon to the health of many people around the world. But a new report from the American Lung Association highlights the particular advantages for children, especially those vulnerable to respiratory illness.
Based on a model in which all new vehicles sold by 2035 are zero-tailpipe emission, the group concludes that there would be 2.7 million fewer asthma attacks among children, as well as 147,000 fewer acute case of bronchitis. The transition to EV-only sales would also prevent 2.67 million cases of upper respiratory symptoms and 1.87 million cases of lower respiratory symptoms in children. And there would be 508 fewer cases of infant mortality.
Highlighting the specific impact switching to EVs would have on kids was important because children’s bodies develop at a different rate than adults’, said Laura Kate Bender, national assistant vice president for Healthy Air at the American Lung Association
“Kids are at greater risk of air pollution, their lungs are still growing,” she said in an interview. “I can say that as a person growing up with asthma, [it] put me in the ER more often than I think my parents would have liked.”
Combustion engine vehicles are huge drivers of climate change, accounting for over a quarter of all global emissions. That’s why governments around the world are attempting to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, which emit far fewer pollutants in the atmosphere. Children stand to gain a lot from this switch, especially kids at particular risk for respiratory illness.
That’s assuming all new passenger cars sold in the US are EVs by 2035 and all new heavy-duty vehicles sold are electric by 2040. What’s more, those vehicles would need to be powered by an electrical grid that is also free of fossil fuels.
“We see the two as inseparable,” Bender said of EVs and a zero-emission grid. “That’s really how you get to the greatest possible health benefits.”
The switch to EV-only sales will be difficult, especially as demand for plug-in cars wavers in the face of high prices and concerns about charging availability and reliability. Still, sales have been increasing steadily year over year, with EVs comprising a little more than 8 percent of all vehicle sales in 2023.
But “fleet turnover” can be slow, especially with conventional gas-powered cars and trucks becoming more capable, breaking down less, and staying on the road longer. The average light-duty vehicle on the road today is 12 years old, up from 9.6 years old in 2002.
If the United States wants to move to a fully electric fleet by 2050 — to meet President Biden’s goal of net zero emissions — then sales of gasoline-powered vehicles would likely have to end altogether by around 2035. That’s an extraordinarily heavy lift.
It could get even more difficult if the EPA follows through on its plan to slow the transition to EV-only sales. Bowing to the pressure from automakers and labor unions, the Biden administration recently pulled back on strict new Environmental Protection Agency rules that would have forced US automakers to phase out gas-powered cars by 2032.
Still, the American Lung Association wants to highlight the health benefits of such a transition — not just for us, but for our kids, too. Bender said she hopes the report will serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, especially as they consider strengthening new emission rules for cars and trucks.
“That would mean that even as automakers continue to make gas-powered vehicles, that they would actually be cleaner,” she said. “So there are real gains to be made even with the rules on the table.”
Yes, Amazon gift bags have handles now
This blue medium-size Amazon bag has handles just like a reusable grocery store bag. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
As skeptical as I am of Amazon the company, it knows its packaging. Its paper-tape cardboard boxes are wonderfully easy to rip apart for recycling, its paper mailers are promising (though missing firm commitment), and its gift bags are far too good to toss in the trash. Especially these new blue bags with integrated shopping bag handles.
We just got three of them in the mail for my daughter’s birthday. Was this some sort of experiment? Nope! They’re legit, Amazon spokesperson Nicole Pampe confirms to The Verge. The new gift bags with handles are available in both the US and EU.
“We’re pleased to offer customers a convenient way to wrap various sizes of gifts in our store, including our new medium-sized gift bags with handles. The gift bags are made from 100% recycled material, and can be reused for future wrapping, storage or other uses,” Amazon writes.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
Three gift bags, with handles.
Pampe writes that Amazon technically began adding handles this past holiday season to the medium-sized bags, but we didn’t see them on any of the holiday gifts we gave or received, and I haven’t seen anyone writing about them yet.
They’re nice! Pretty much the same as Amazon’s classic bags, but now with some strong fabric reusable-grocery-bag-esque handles sewn onto the inside of the bag. They’ve still got the dual drawstrings, and you can just stuff the handles down inside the bag if you prefer the classic giftbag look.
Image: Amazon
Amazon’s classic bags, for comparison.
I gave the handles a good yank, and was definitely able to pull a stitch loose when I pulled in opposite directions, hard, but they seem just as durable as all the reusable recycled fabric grocery bags we have stuffed in the back of the car.
The handles are long enough we can sling them over one or both shoulders as an impromptu purse or backpack. Perhaps the best part, though, is that they don’t have quite as much of a Christmas ornament feel as the company’s previous bags. Depending on the light, the blue tinsel pattern almost blends in.
Would I pay the $4 for one myself? Nah. But when we get gifted some, we probably won’t just stick ‘em in the closet anymore. There are all kinds of jobs for a strong fabric bag with handles, particularly one we’ll be happy to give away or shred in the process. Distributing leftovers after a potluck? My daughter’s Girl Scout cookie deliveries? I’ll def be taking one along the next time I do a crawl under the house.
The best deals on MacBooks right now
Some of the latest M3 MacBooks are on sale, plus upgraded Mac Minis are near all-time lows. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,499. But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.
While Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various current models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without as much waiting for the changing winds of deals to blow your way. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.
But if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available right now.
The best MacBook Air deals
M1 MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. The redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air has been with us for a bit — there’s now even a 15-inch M2 Air — but the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains in the lineup as the budget option. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.
The base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It typically sells for $999, but Amazon and Best Buy are currently discounting it to $749.99 ($250 off), matching its lowest price to date. The M1 Air may be a few years old now but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value — especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.
M2 MacBook Air
As for the newer, fancier 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip, the base model with 256GB of storage and an eight-core GPU recently received a price drop. Along with introducing a 15-inch M2 Air during WWDC last year, Apple announced that the 13-inch model now starts at $1,099 instead of $1,199.
As for deals, the 13-incher is currently selling for $949 ($150 off) at B&H Photo with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can also get it with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at B&H Photo for $1,099 ($200 off) or the 16GB RAM, 512GB storage model from B&H Photo for $1,299 ($200 off). Heavier users can jump up to the 10-core / 16GB / 512GB SSD configuration for $1,399 at B&H Photo ($200 off).
The M2 MacBook Air is a super slim and light laptop, one that comes with a 1080p webcam that’s actually usable and a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its two USB-C ports. Its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, but it’s a great performer for any user outside of more demanding creatives.
It does have some slight downsides, like slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, there hasn’t been a more travel-friendly laptop offered by Apple since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this one’s good enough to be the No. 1 laptop we now recommend in our buying guide.
The newer 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is a lot like a blown-up 13-inch Air, and judging from our glowing review, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like its smaller counterpart, it has an M2 chip, two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, MagSafe charging, and its base model comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. But it differs by having a larger, 15.3-inch notched screen with 2880 x 1864 resolution, six speakers instead of four, a 10-core GPU that costs extra on the 13-inch, and a higher starting price of $1,299. Bumping up to a larger, faster 512GB of storage will run you $1,499.
The MacBook Pro line is once again in a transitional phase. Apple announced Macs using a new M3 processor at its “Scary Fast” event in October, including a new 14-inch MacBook Pro that replaces the 13-inch M2 model. That means Touch Bar Macs are finally dead, but some of those outgoing M2 models are still available for now. You’ll find any deals on them further down, but first, let’s focus on the new M3 generation.
M3 and M3 Pro MacBook Pro
The new entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).
The M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can get it on a deal that puts more price distance between it and the M3 Pro version. The base model with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM on sale has been as much as $200 off. If you can’t wait for that deal to come back around, you can find it at Amazon and B&H Photo for only a smidge more at $1,449 ($150 off).
The 1TB configuration with 8GB of RAM is also selling for its all-time low of $1,599 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, while the configuration with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM is selling for $1,599 ($200 off) at B&H Photo. That said, if you plan on going with a higher-spec configuration than that, you’ll likely want to spring for the M3 Pro model instead (see below).
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros for late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.
While these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts. The 14-inch MacBook Pro in its base configuration with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is currently on sale for $1,799 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo. You can also step up to the version with 1TB of storage and a 12-core / 18-core M3 Pro for $2,149 in space black at B&H Photo, or $2,199 ($200 off) in silver at Amazon and B&H Photo.
If you need more horsepower, you’ll want to consider the 14-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro (14-core CPU / 30-core GPU) with 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which is going for $2,999 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.
As for the base 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (12-core CPU / 18-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, it’s selling for $2,299 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo. If you need the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max (14-core CPU / 30-core GPU) in this size, the starting configuration with a 1TB SSD and 36GB of RAM has fallen to $3,299 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.
M2 Pro MacBook Pro
As for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros from early 2023 with M2 Pro / Max processors, they’re still more than capable — they may even be a better buy than the new models if you can find them at a steep discount. Right now, however, the only viable deal we can find on a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro in new condition is at B&H Photo, where you can grab a silver model with a 10-core M2 Pro chip with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM for $1,799 ($200 off) or an upgraded 12-core M2 Pro chip with the same memory configuration in space gray for $1,999 ($300 off). We’d recommend the M3 Pro model, though, seeing as it’s currently on sale for less.
Sadly, the situation isn’t much better for the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro. The best (and only) deal available right now on the creator-friendly laptop in new condition is at B&H Photo, where you can grab the M2 Pro model with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in silver for $2,849 ($200 off) or in space gray for $2,899 ($200 off). That’s not great and we’d sooner recommend a lesser model at full price if you don’t need that much memory. Hopefully, we’ll see better deals as retailers work to clear inventory on other configurations.
M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro
For now, the older 2021 MacBook Pros can occasionally be had for some steep discounts that actually make a two-generation-old laptop still worth considering. You’re unlikely to find any base models still kicking around, but if you want a souped-up configuration on the cheap, you may be in luck.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2021 with an M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, and an expanded 1TB of storage is available at B&H Photo for $1,849 ($850 off). You also can find a 16-inch M1 Max model (32-core GPU) with 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM at B&H Photo for $2,499 ($1,000 off). Deals and inventory on new M1-based MacBooks are rare to come by these days, but keep checking back as we continue to monitor availability.
The best Mac Mini deals
The latest Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or in a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro. It’s an excellent upgrade to one of the most affordable yet performant desktop computers you can get (as long as gaming isn’t your priority). The M2 Mac Mini starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor plus gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.
The latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
Right now, Amazon and B&H Photo have the base M2 Mac Mini with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $499.99 ($100 off). You can also buy an upgraded 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD model at B&H Photo for $719 ($80 off) or an 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD model at Amazon for $689 when clipping a coupon and at B&H Photo for $699 ($100 off).
The beefier base M2 Pro model with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, meanwhile, is currently going for $1,149.99 ($150 off) at Amazon when clipping the coupon, and $1,199 ($100 off) at B&H Photo. If you want 1TB, you can pay $1,349 ($150 off) at B&H Photo. There’s also a version with 512GB of storage and 32GB of RAM at B&H Photo for $1,599 ($100 off). The M2 Mac Mini remains a great value for a desktop computer, with the M2 Pro version functioning like a baby Mac Studio for much less.
It’s about to get even harder to buy some of Disney’s weirdest movies on Blu-ray
The Verge
Disney is ending Disney Movie Club, the subscription service and online store where fans could buy Blu-ray or DVDs of films from the House of Mouse. The Digital Bits is reporting that the closure follows a new deal that Disney has signed with Sony, under which Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will take over all physical media production. The news of Disney Movie Club’s shuttering was delivered to the service’s 10 million US users by email, as well as the service’s website on Tuesday.
“We’ve enjoyed serving you for the last 23 years, but consumer behavior and viewing preferences continue to evolve so we have made the tough decision to close Disney Movie Club,” wrote Disney Movie Club in a statement viewed by The Wrap. Disney Movie Club users will have until May 20th to place their last orders, and Disney will officially end the service on July 20th.
First launched in 2001, the Disney Movie Club offered fans access to a vast selection of Disney’s physical media library, including titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and 20th Century Studios. New members who signed up for a two-year contract would receive their first four titles for $1, under the condition they purchase at least five other films for full price for the remainder of the contract, noted Disney Trippers in its review.
Although Disney Movie Club’s prices were often higher than that of physical retail stores or Amazon, the size of its library was unmatched. For fans of older or hard-to-find Disney films that aren’t available to stream, purchasing a DVD from the Disney Movie Club was sometimes the only option to view the film at home (unless they stumbled upon an old copy on eBay or elsewhere). The service also offered extra perks for members, such as special editions or exclusive prizes.
For some Mouseketeers, the writing has been on the wall. Disney shut down the service in Canada last October, citing “declining membership” as a factor. Only a couple of months prior in August, Disney halted production of DVDs and Blu-ray discs in Australia and New Zealand.
Many families and Disney Adults likely replaced Disney Movie Club with the Disney Plus streaming service, which launched in 2019. But since not all of Disney Movie Club’s selection was available on Disney Plus, some fans kept both services. Especially given that Disney and other streamers remove titles on occasion, buying a physical copy of a beloved film or show eliminates the risk it will one day disappear forever. Outside of Disney Movie Club, Disney super fans and collectors commonly turn to Amazon, eBay, or physical media resale sites for vintage or hard-to-find Disney films.
Consumption of physical media has been on a free fall for over a decade, coinciding with the widespread availability of streaming services and digital rentals and purchases. It took a particularly serious hit in 2023. Combined sales and rentals of physical media (including DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and 4K Ultra HDs) dropped by more than a quarter (25.3 percent) last year in the US, according to estimates from the Digital Entertainment Group.
Given that Sony is taking over Disney’s physical media operation, Disney fans in the US will still have some sort of option to purchase DVDs and Blu-ray discs. But it’s unclear what exactly this new offering will look like, and whether Sony will scale back Disney’s physical media offerings or continue to make the same titles available.
When Eyes in the Sky Start Looking Right at You New satellites that orbit the Earth at very low altitudes may result in a world where nothing is really off limits.
Fujifilm announces the X100VI, its follow-up to a TikTok sensation
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Fujifilm’s X100V became so wildly popular that it felt like the camera was endlessly backordered at every camera retailer around. On the secondary market, prices for the rangefinder-style mirrorless camera shot up into truly silly territory after it had a big viral moment on TikTok. The X100V was so in demand that Fujifilm could’ve taken the easy route for a successor and still been guaranteed to have a hit on its hands.
The new model, being announced today, looks practically the same on the outside, but the X100VI includes meaningful improvements that will make it a more capable camera — in far more shooting environments — than any previous entrant in the X100 series. The flip side to those upgrades is that the price has climbed by $200 to a new MSRP of $1,599. That’s not far off from the X-T5, but the two cameras serve very different purposes: the X-T5 is an interchangeable lens system, whereas here, you’re getting a 23mm f/2 fixed lens.
Image: Fujifilm
The X100VI offers twice the resolution of the X100V and adds in-body image stabilization.
Like the X-T5 and X-H2 before it, the X100VI has jumped up to a 40-megapixel sensor, which provides greater cropping leeway and editing flexibility. Having more resolution to work with is great and all, but a more impressive upgrade is that Fujifilm has built in-body image stabilization (IBIS) into this camera. You get up to six stops of stabilization help for those scenarios where you want to keep the shutter speed as slow as possible while preserving image sharpness.
But Fujifilm hasn’t upgraded everything. The X100VI sticks with a UHS-1 SD card slot — pretty slow for a camera this expensive — and it uses the same battery as the X100V rather than the bulkier (and much longer-lasting) battery that’s present in the company’s other models. The latter choice was made to preserve the X100VI’s overall size (it’s just a bit thicker), but it means you’ll want to have a spare battery on hand whenever you’ll be out shooting for a full day. The electronic viewfinder and rear LCD also have the same resolutions as last time, at 3.69 million and 1.62 million dots, respectively. You still have the freedom to choose either the optical viewfinder, EVF, or a hybrid of the two when shooting, and the X100VI continues to offer an internal four-stop neutral density filter when needed.
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
The camera’s top dials and rear controls are largely unchanged.
Fujifilm has equipped the X100VI with its latest X-Processor 5, which makes the new camera “almost” twice as fast as the X100V. Along with the speed boost, you’re getting much-improved autofocus that uses the company’s latest algorithms for subject detection. And the X100VI will come loaded with 20 Fujifilm film simulations, including the Reala Ace sim that was previously exclusive to one of the company’s pricey medium format cameras. Ask any Fujifilm shooter, and they’ll tell you one of the company’s core strengths is JPEG processing: there are entire websites devoted to tweaking these film sims and getting the best possible straight-out-of-camera results.
As for its construction, not much has changed: the X100VI has an aluminum body designed to withstand some bumps and go everywhere with you. But as before, you’ll need to outfit the lens with Fujifilm’s sold-separately adapter ring and protective filter to achieve true weather resistance. In a departure from its made-in-Japan predecessor, the X100VI will follow other recent Fujifilm cameras in making the switch to China-based manufacturing. Some might view this camera as having less photography “mystique” as a result — there’s a ton of history and heritage to cameras being produced in Japan — but shifting the process to China should allow the company to get many, many more X100VIs off the assembly line and into camera shops.
The X100VI will be available in silver or black and is expected to start shipping in early March. Alongside the standard model, Fujifilm will release an extremely limited-edition version of the camera that’s “engraved with the corporate brand logo from Fujifilm’s founding in 1934.” Priced at $1,999, “each unit bears a unique serial number,” and the company says “these numbered X100VI units are packaged in a special, soft-release box that includes a special strap and Fujifilm history cards.” You’ll only be able to order the LE directly from Fujifilm.
If the X100V is any indication, there’s going to be a ton of interest in this camera. For anyone willing to learn how to use them, the X100VI’s dials and manual controls offer a glorious reprieve from auto-everything smartphone shooting and the growing prevalence of computational photography. And those Fujifilm JPEG colors are just as good as people say. Stay tuned for more impressions from both Becca Farsace and myself in the weeks ahead.
Porsche adds two new hybrids to its lineup of plug-in Panameras
Image: Porsche
Porsche announced two new plug-in hybrid Panameras, as the German automakers looks to hedge its bets by offering a broader set of electrified options.
Late last year, Porsche unveiled the third generation Panamera, which included the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid as the first of four Panamera E-Hybrid models that will eventually be offered. Today, the automaker is adding two more: the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. The fourth model will be announced at a later date.
Porsche says it is responding to “significant demand for efficient and dynamic E-Hybrid powertrains” with the release of these two new variants. Indeed, hybrids are increasingly in demandin a variety of markets, even as sales growth of pure battery-electric vehicles slows down.
But its Porsche, so it won’t come cheaply. The 4 E-Hybrid will start at $117,495, while the 4S E-Hybrid kicks off at $128,795 (both include destination fees). Pre-orders can be placed starting at the end of March and are expected to start deliveries by the fall.
The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid will offer better acceleration and improved torque by combining a new hybrid system with a “significantly revamped” 2.9-liter V6-twin-turbo engine with an output of 224 kW or 300 horsepower. The combined system clocks in at 346 kW or 463 hp, with a maximum torque of 479 lb.-ft., a 0-to-60 mph acceleration in 3.9 seconds, and a top track speed of 174 mph.
Meanwhile, the 4S E-Hybrid will also feature a 2.9-liter, six-cylinder engine with a slightly higher performance output of 260 kW or 348 hp. The total system will get 400 kW or 536 hp, and a maximum torque of 553 lb.-ft. This enables the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and a top track speed of 180 mph.
There’s more to like from these two new models, including a higher charging speed and better throttle response. The new battery is also bigger, with a gross capacity of 25.9 kWh, placing among the top tiers of plug-in hybrids. Porsche says it represents about 45 percent more capacity than its predecessors.
An 11-kW onboard AC charger can charge up the battery in as little as two hours in the right conditions. And a completely new electric motor, which supplements the gas engine, will by itself put out 140 kW, or 187 hp, as well as 331 lb.-ft. of torque, making it more powerful than the one used in the previous generation.
The 4 and 4S will both start out in fully electric E-Power mode when turned on. Once the state of charge of the battery is under a certain minimum value, Porsche says the system will automatically switch over to the Hybrid Auto mode, which manages the powertrain based on the current driving situation. And a smart navigation system sends information about the route to the vehicle, which is processed by Hybrid Auto mode to “optimize the drivetrain strategy.” For example, the drive mode can be optimized to use less energy when driving in a city, with lots of stops and starts.
Two additional drive modes, E-Hold and E-Charge, also provide unique benefits. In E-Hold mode, the current state of charge of the battery is preserved. In E-Charge mode, the battery is charged to 80 percent by the combustion engine at speeds above 34 mph.
In Sport and Sport Plus mode, the targeted state of charge of the battery is reduced to 20 and 30 percent, respectively (previously 30 percent and 80 percent). This is geared toward hopefully better battery life without sacrificing performance.
Porsche has been on a bit of a tear lately, announcing an all-electric Macan and a refreshed Taycan with ultra-fast charging capabilities. But as the rate of EV sales comes back down to earth, the automaker is hedging its bets by broadening the number of hybrid models it has on hand.
Porsche has been in the hybrid game for over 10 years, offering plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera, as well as non plug-in hybrid models of the Panamera and Cayenne.
U.S. Awards $1.5 Billion to Chipmaker GlobalFoundries The grant will go toward chips for the auto and defense industries, and is the largest award to date from $39 billion in government funding.
Rice is not included in Apple’s official guidance for a wet phone
Getting water on phones happens to the best of us. Lucky for us, there’s one household staple the internet consistently suggests will draw that liquid out and save phones: uncooked rice. But contrary to popular advice, Apple, like most people in tech support, explicitly advises against putting your wet phone in a bag of rice.
“Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” Apple support documents said.
The support documents first spotted by Macworld are technically addressing what to do when you get the liquid detection alert on your iPhone. They’re not just out to put a long lingering internet myth to bed.
To that end they also suggested avoiding using an external heat source, like hair dryers, or compressed air to blow off liquid. Also, don’t insert cotton swabs or paper towels into charging ports either.
Instead, Apple suggests tapping your phone against your hand with the connector pointing down. Think of it like getting water out of your ear after swimming. Then, just leave it in an area with good airflow to dry and wait 30 minutes before charging it. If the alert still pops up, leave the phone and just wait. It can take up to 24 hours to really get dry. Unplug the charging cable and reconnect if the phone is dry but still isn’t charging.
For years, rice was supposed to be the thing that would dry out waterlogged electronics faster. It’s a desiccant that people assumed would draw additional liquid out. I did it after stubbornly refusing to turn my iPhone off during a rain-soaked Taylor Swift concert. But it was probably the time spent powered down and out of my hands that helped my phone—not a dunk in rice.
The Verge wrote way back in 2015 that uncooked rice wasn’t very absorbent, so it’s mostly the time spent drying out that worked. And leaving it in a bag of rice often keeps phones out of sight, out of mind, so people don’t get tempted to power it on.
Constellation adds a dark and creepy tone to Apple’s growing sci-fi lineup
Image: Apple
Slowly but surely, Apple TV Plus has morphed itself into arguably the premier destination for streaming science fiction. (Or at least streaming sci-fi not named Star Wars or Star Trek.) There are adaptations like Silo and Foundation; original stories like Invasion, For All Mankind, and Severance; and even a franchise spinoff with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. There’s a nice range to the service’s offerings — and now it’s adding another flavor with the premiere of Constellation. In its first few episodes the show is dark, creepy, and will mess with your mind in a way that makes it just the thing for those already missing True Detective: Night Country.
The first three episodes of Constellation premiere on February 21st, and they follow an astronaut named Jo (Noomi Rapace), who is part of a small crew working on the International Space Station. Also on board is a mysterious and experimental device from NASA — and the second it’s switched on for tests, all hell breaks loose. Something smashes into the ISS, and when Jo heads outside to do repairs, she swears she sees the body of an old cosmonaut. Eventually, the rest of the crew aboard the ISS are forced to evacuate due to the damage, while Jo stays behind to repair an escape pod and hopefully get back to Earth, too.
Jo does eventually make it back safely, which, yes, is a small spoiler, but also key to the structure of the show, as the story jumps around between her time on the ISS and her life after she returns to Earth. (And even though you know she survives, those moments are still incredibly stressful.) It’s a story jam-packed with mysteries, the core of which is just what the heck that NASA gadget even is. The project is led by a legendary American astronaut named Henry (Jonathan Banks), who won a Nobel prize decades ago, but now does guest appearances at sci-fi cons and is desperate to return to the forefront of scientific discovery. Early on, all we really know about his research is that it involves finding another state of matter, one that is apparently only possible in a zero-gravity environment, and Henry is so determined to unravel this mystery that he cares more about the results of the test than any of the human lives it ends up costing.
Whatever it is, the experiment has some very noticeable side effects, particularly on Jo. Initially everything seems fine after her improbable return to Earth; she immediately reunites with her husband and daughter and tries to get back to something resembling a normal life. But it eventually becomes clear that things aren’t normal.
First, it’s small details; Jo forgets what color the family car is and mixes up a friend’s name. It gets weirder — and darker — from there. When Jo is giving a statement on what happened during the ISS disaster, her memory differs from the rest of the crew. Jo’s visions hint at a strange disconnect between her current self and who she was before, and Rapace’s performance almost makes it feel like you’re watching two different characters at times. At certain points, Constellation approaches psychological horror, with unsettling voices, blood and severed body parts floating around in zero-G, and constant time jumps that make it hard to tell what’s real and what is one of Jo’s hallucinations (if they are in fact hallucinations). Which, of course, is exactly how she feels.
I brought up Night Country earlier because the shows share a similar vibe (and not just because they both feature important scenes where someone goes searching in a snowstorm in the dark). They’re slow burns, taking time to share important clues and information, and occasionally obscuring them under bits of weirdness or horror. Of course, it’s impossible to tell yet if Constellation actually makes good on all of its creepy promises, and there are plenty of examples of shows that get, let’s say, lost, during that process. But it’s off to a good start — and gives another reason for sci-fi fans to check out Apple’s streaming service.
Constellation premieres on Apple TV Plus on February 21st, with new episodes out on Wednesdays.
Plans to Expand U.S. Chip Manufacturing Are Running Into Obstacles Delays in finishing new factories are emerging, just as the Biden administration begins handing out money to stoke domestic production.
Apple to be fined over $500 million under EU antitrust law
Image: The Verge
Apple will reportedly have to pay around €500 million (about $539 million USD) in the EU for stifling competition against Apple Music on the iPhone. Financial Times reported this morning that the fine comes after regulators in Brussels, Belgium investigated a Spotify complaint that Apple prevented apps from telling users about cheaper alternatives to Apple’s music service.
The issue comes down to Apple’s efforts to keep apps and users corraled inside its App Store payments system. Spotify complained in 2019 that Apple’s policies muted competition against Apple Music, kicking off an EU investigation the next year. The EU whittled its objections down to oppose Apple’s refusal to let developers even link out to their own subscription sign-ups within their apps — a policy that Apple changed in 2022 following regulatory pressure in Japan.
$500 million may sound like a lot, but a much bigger fine of close to $40 billion (or 10 percent of Apple’s annual global turnover) was on the table when the EU updated its objections last year. Apple was charged over a billion dollars in 2020, but French authorities dropped that to about $366 million after the company appealed.
Apple representative Emma Wilson told The Verge via email that the company is “not commenting on speculation” and referred us to previous statements made by another Apple spokesperson, Hannah Smith, who said in February last year that the company hoped the Commission would stop pursuing the case, which Smith said “has no merit.” European Commission spokesperson Lea Zuber declined to comment.
How to live your life in text files
Illustration: William Joel / The Verge
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 26, 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 some non-earbud earbuds, a nerdy video about nerdy stuff, a new to-do list app, a new thing in ChatGPT, and much more. Let’s do it.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you doing, reading, watching, playing, testing, cooking, lifting, soldering, or charging right now? What cool stuff are you into that everyone else should also be into? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com or +1 203-570-8663. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)
The Drop
Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds. For some reason, over the last year or so, almost all in-ear headphones suddenly leave my ears sore and scratchy. So I’m very curious to try these — even though at $299 they’re too expensive for my tastes, the clip-on style seems like it could work.
Bulletin.The Verge’s Parker Ortolani turned me onto this: a new (Apple-only) news- and RSS-reading app with a lot of AI features for summarization and stuff, but also just a really lovely UI for reading news feeds. You can add premade lists, dump in any site or feed, even save stuff to read later.
The Space Race. A really cool documentary about early Black astronauts, with tons of archival footage and a really wild Cold War subplot. As with all good space docs, make sure you watch this one on the biggest screen you can find.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Vision Pro review. The review itself is, like, fine — I think Zuck is right about a lot of the things people actually want headsets for, and about the price-to-quality balance being a tricky one. But shooting a review of a competitor’s product, with your own product, in such a casual way, is just fascinating to me.
The ONE thing keeping this iconic vintage laptop from working… Recently, for reasons I hope to someday be able to tell you about, I’ve been deep down the rabbit hole of awesome old gadgets. And the This Does Not Compute channel has become one of my favorite new resources — the host is perpetually trying to restore or resurrect some old PC, and even this random Toshiba laptop left me desperately wanting one.
Superlist. This week’s “to-do list app that’s so close to being everything I wanted and maybe I’ll just spend the whole weekend trying it out.” It’s a teams-first product, which, meh, but this is the best-looking productivity app I’ve seen in years.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong. More updated spins on old-school Mario games for the Switch! How did we get so lucky! This one’s a platformer with a really fun puzzle-y twist, which is exactly the kind of game I like to spend too many hours playing on the couch.
How AI Tech Can Give Dead People a Voice. This week’s winner of the “Is this powerful and awesome, or is this horrifying” award is The Shotline, which is using AI to recreate the voices of kids who were victims of gun violence. Joanna Stern’s video is great, and The Shotline’s voices will make you feel… a lot of things.
A while back, I got really close to moving all my personal docs, email, calendar, and files into Skiff, which was basically a privacy-focused Google Drive competitor. Stuff got busy, and moving all that stuff is a big project, but it’s been on my list for a while. Super glad I didn’t get to it, though, because Skiff was just acquired by Notion and is now shutting down.
If I’ve learned one thing in my years of covering tech, it’s that nothing is guaranteed to stick around, no matter how much you love it or how popular it is. Things change, mistakes happen, stuff disappears. And every time it happens, I get a little more religious about something that Steph Ango, the CEO of Obsidian, likes to say: file over app.
The idea of “file over app” is to care a lot more about your data itself than the app or platform it’s in. Like, the app you’re using now? Probably not going to be around in 50 years. Text files and JPGs and PDFs? Way more likely to still be here! So invest in formats that last, not apps that don’t.
What that means for me, personally, is that I try to turn my life into text files and their equivalents as often as possible.
I use an iOS and Mac app called NotePlan for daily notes and task management — the app is built on top of a folder of Markdown files I can easily use anywhere else. Obsidian and Logseq are both the same way and are both excellent (if very different) apps.
I use the bookmarking service Raindrop to store all the links I care about, for Installer and everything else, and once a week I export all my links as a CSV file and again as a text file.
Day One is where I keep my actual journal, and every month or so I export the whole thing to a PDF.
Once a year or so, when I’m feeling both bored and ambitious, I’ll back up my entire camera roll and Google Photos library to an external hard drive. All the other stuff goes into Google Drive, and onto that same hard drive.
I try to find apps that are made with text files in mind. When I can’t, I try to find apps with good, durable export systems, and make sure I’m backing things up often. I’m done getting stuck inside an app I can’t trust to be around for long.
There’s a lot more for me to do here, and frankly still a lot of stuff in my life that will disappear if some big-name services delete my account or go offline altogether. (I’m still trying to figure out whether my email and calendar are things I should be archiving…) But I now have years of journal entries, daily tasks, project archives, and more in a format I’m confident I’ll be able to at least open and look at on my neural face-puter in 2096. And it makes me feel better, so I figured I’d share.
Oh, and by the way, there are so many great text editors out there. Typora is probably the best writing app I’ve ever used. If you write code, you already know BBEdit and VS Code and Sublime Text.Nota, Ulysses, iA Writer, and a bunch of others all do a good job of helping you both write and organize. Living in text files doesn’t mean living in Notepad or TextEdit; you really can have the best of both worlds. Text files forever!
Screen share
Zoë Schiffer, the managing editor at the excellent Platformernewsletter (and a Verge alum!), just published one of the best tech books I’ve read in a while. It’s called Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter, and trust me, however wild you think the last couple of years have been at X / Twitter, the actual truth is much wilder. Zoë’s been reporting on this saga throughout, and the book’s a total winner.
I asked Zoë to share her homescreen with us on the eve of her book launch, because one thing I’ve always liked about Zoë is that she is forever deeply conflicted about technology. She reports on it, understands it deeply, uses it constantly, but is also perpetually trying to get her Screen Time numbers down. Since I’m deeply embarrassed by my Screen Time report basically every week, I wanted to see how she does it.
Here’s Zoë’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps she uses and why:
The phone: This is an iPhone 14, I believe. The screen is cracked and I use it exclusively for work. I have an iPhone mini with no apps except Spotify and Google Maps that I use as my personal phone. The process of having a separate work phone (with apps) and a personal phone (with almost nothing interesting) has dropped my screentime to about 2.5 hours a day, not to brag.
The wallpaper: My wallpaper is a photo of my hot a** husband, and my two-year-old daughter.
The apps: Apple Calendar, Google Maps, Apple Notes, Signal, Apple Mail, Threads, ChatGPT, Spotify, Phone, Messages.
My main homescreen has Signal, which I use constantly to communicate with sources, and Threads, which is my primary Twitter replacement. I also have ChatGPT, which I love. I ask it about various health symptoms and also to create recipes for, like, a single chocolate chip cookie.
One screen over I have TikTok, which is my guilty pleasure, and Bluesky, which I’m trying to use more but feels a little chaotic. I also have a pregnancy tracker because (duh) I’m pregnant. Right now the baby is the size of a lime, so that’s nice.
I also asked Zoë to share a few things she’s into right now. Here’s what she said:
Oh you meant on the internet??? Huh. Huuuuuh. I like the fashion newsletter Blackbird Spyplane. I’m a big fan of the Moderated Content podcast.
I’ve seen the comedian Jacqueline Novak twice IRL (the first time, I dragged Casey Newton along, not realizing the entire set is about blow jobs, and I seriously worried I was going to get fired), and she has a new comedy special on Netflix that really gets me.
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’ve been playing the new Dominion card game app! Dominion is a deckbuilding game from back in the day, and it’s got several (I believe 15) expansions so far. Previous iterations of the game online and in app form never fully realized their potential. This is the best implementation of the game to date. There is offline play against AI, matchmaking, and you can also do private matches with friends via a Nintendo-esque friend code system.” — Matt
“I’ve been listening to and immensely enjoying Worlds Beyond Number, an actual play narrative podcast from the best folks to ever do it.” — Caleb
“I received my Retroid Pocket 4 Pro in the mail this week after about a month of waiting from China. It exceeded expectations, and I’m having a great time emulating N64, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 games. On Saturday I had a friend over, and we played couch co-op games just like the good old days using a USB-C hub and a couple controllers. Highly recommended for a huge nostalgia kick.” — Nicholas
“Having fun playing old Nintendo titles on the Miyoo Plus. Such a great device. Feels like a time machine.” — Jamie
“I’m playing, and overwhelmingly impressed with, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It feels like a love letter to Castlevania and Metroid, and heavily inspired by Hollow Knight… but also innovates in some really clever ways. It also runs incredibly well on the Switch.” — Steve
“Probably one of the most used apps on my phone is Mela, by Silvio Rizzi. It’s a thoughtfully designed recipe app designed to share with your family. It has a shared family recipe library and integrations with Reminders and Calendar to ensure my fiancé and I are always on the same page. Oh, and it also has a built-in RSS reader for finding new recipes!” — Liam
“It’s called What Happened Last Week, and it’s a great way to keep up with news from countries that are not often reported on in places like Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It contains clear explanations and contexts on developments so it is easy to read even if you have never heard of the names in the story. I find it really useful and complementary to the big Western news sources.” — Richard
“Windows95Man is Finland’s entry to Eurovision this year, and it’s amazing on so many layers. Watching the video on YouTube is mandatory for full appreciation.” — Sighjinks
“The new season of Game Changer on Dropout started this week, and it’s a treat as always!” — Noah
Signing off
The biggest, weirdest tech story of this weekend is coming from a slightly surprising place: the floor of the NBA All-Star Game. Have you seen the videos of the all-LED full-court screen? Here’s an example of what this kind of thing looks like during a game, too. It looks like a total nightmare to play on, and I’d bet $10 we’ll never see this in a real game with any stakes. But boy is it going to be something to watch. This is my kind of augmented reality.
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Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
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Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
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