Sony’s big PS5 update with M.2 SSD support launches September 15th

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Sony’s first PS5 beta included access to the long-awaited M.2 SSD slot, and now the company is ready to release the update to everyone.

When the second major system update for the PlayStation 5 is released tomorrow, everyone who has managed to acquire the system will also be able to experience 3D audio via their TV’s built-in stereo speakers, similar to the way it works on compatible headsets.

Still, upgrading the next-gen system’s 825GB of built-in storage is the most important thing for many of us. We have all the advice you need on which SSDs to buy, how fast they really need to be, and instructions for installing the extra storage, once the update rolls out tomorrow.

You can also customize the layout of the Control Center, while PS4...

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Everyone will be able to clone their voice in the future

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

AI speech synthesis is quick, easy, and uncannily good

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Sonos announces second-gen Beam soundbar with Dolby Atmos

Image: Sonos

When Sonos announced price increases for the majority of its product lineup last week, some people noticed that the entry-level Beam soundbar was absent from the list. And indeed, that’s because the company has been at work on a follow-up. The new second-generation Beam being announced today costs $449 (a $50 increase over the original) but adds Dolby Atmos audio and an improved external design. It’ll be available October 5th in black or white.

But there’s something you should know about the Atmos part right off the bat: the new Beam doesn’t actually include any up-firing speakers. In fact, the drivers inside are the exact same as before. The outside of the Beam has switched from a fabric cover to Sonos’ signature perforated plastic, but...

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Sony’s WF-1000XM3 are back down to their best-ever price

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Best Buy and Amazon are hosting a deal on Sony’s WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds that offer stellar sound quality and active noise cancellation. Originally $229, they’re available from Amazon in the black or silver colorways for $148. Best Buy has them for $150. This model includes a USB-C charging case and multiple sets of ear tips to help you find a perfect fit. The XM3s have been outclassed by Sony’s own XM4 that released in June 2021, but this older model is still a great value. We called the XM3 “the best AirPods rival” at the time of release, citing their lengthy battery life, effective noise cancellation, and seriously good sound quality. Given that their price has dropped sharply (and that the XM4 cost a staggering $278), it’s an...

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I hate the new Windows 11 taskbar

Microsoft promotes itself as _the_productivity company, but the new Windows 11 taskbar removes key functionality and makes me less productive as a result. Missing features include power user elements like displaying the time and date on multiple monitors, or simple things like having small icons and being able to move the taskbar around. There’s so much missing here that I’m stunned Microsoft is shipping a new OS that takes the Windows taskbar back decades.

While this missing functionality initially seemed like bugs or unfinished code, it’s clear Microsoft now intends to ship the taskbar like this on October 5th. I personally use three monitors on my PC, and if I’m using a fullscreen app or a game on my primary one, I can’t see the date...

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The iPhone 13 may finally get features Android has had for years

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

It’s new iPhone day. And as with any new smartphone announcement these days, we have a fairly decent idea of what to expect. Leaks and rumors are more accurate than ever, and though there’s always the potential of a big surprise, the most likely scenario is the iPhone 13 will be what we think it will be.

Just because the rumors are clear doesn’t mean they’re not exciting, though. This year, the iPhone 13 (we assume that’s the name) will have some new technology in the same design. New designs tend to drive big upgrade cycles, but it’s the second year of the design that usually has the most interesting refinements.

We can list them out fairly quickly. There should be four iterations again: A Mini, a regular, a Pro, and a Pro Max. The...

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How to watch Apple’s ‘California Streaming’ event

Image: Apple

It’s September, which means iPhone season is just nearly here. The rumor mill has been spinning about the highly anticipated iPhone 13, as well as the Apple Watch Series 7, a third generation of AirPods, and the potential for new MacBooks. A new, bezel-less iPad Mini is also a possibility, as is the official release of iOS 15 and macOS Monterey.

Since Apple sent out the invite for its “California Streaming” event, we’ve been able to take guesses at what hidden meanings there might be to decipher from the night sky and the illuminated Apple logo, but just when does it actually get underway and where?

What time does the iPhone 13 event start?

Apple’s “California Streaming” event will go live at 10AM PT / 1PM ET today, Tuesday, September...

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Canon’s $5,999 EOS R3 focuses by tracking your eye

Canon confirmed plans for its highest-end mirrorless camera yet back in April, but that was just a notice of development — now the company is ready to announce its specs in full. As expected, the EOS R3 will sit right at the top of the company’s still fairly new EOS R range of full-frame mirrorless cameras, above last year’s R5 and R6.

The 24-megapixel stacked BSI sensor is lower resolution than the 45-megapixel R5’s, but the R3 is all about high speed, fast AF performance, and low light capability. Canon says it can shoot at up to 30fps with the electronic shutter and 12fps with the mechanical shutter, and the maximum native ISO is 102,400. As for video, the R3 can shoot 6K at 60fps and uncropped 10-bit 4K at 120fps in the Canon Log 3...

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Amazon One’s palm-scanning tech makes first move into entertainment venues

Amazon’s palm-scanning technology, Amazon One, has always been about more than just fast payments. Really, it’s about Amazon controlling and verifying identities, with the company hoping to deploy its service in public spaces like offices and stadiums. Today, Amazon announced the tech’s first launch in an entertainment venue as part of a partnership with ticketing firm AXS. Amazon One will be available to validate entry into Colorado’s famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, an open-air venue built into a rocky outcrop.

It’s the first time the technology has been deployed outside Amazon and Whole Food stores, and Amazon says it expects the tech will be added “to more AXS ticketed venues in the future.” People can enroll into the scheme at...

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Samsung’s latest monitor has a pop-up webcam with Windows Hello support

Windows Hello support lets you log in to Windows with just your face. | Image: Samsung

Samsung’s Webcam Monitor S4 comes with all the work-from-home accessories you could need built right in. It’s got 2W stereo speakers for listening to colleagues, an HD webcam so they can see you, a microphone so they can hear you, and a USB hub to cut down on the amount of ports needed on a laptop or desktop. The monitor is available now, Samsung says, and costs $319.99 in the US.

The 24-inch, 1080p monitor’s built-in webcam is neatly integrated, with a pop-up design that keeps things looking tidy when you’re not on video calls. As a bonus, the design doubles as a privacy shutter for the webcam to help prevent accidental (or malicious) appearances on camera. It’s not automated like on many phones. Instead, the webcam is revealed by...

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Twitter is once more accepting requests for verification

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Kick the football, Charlie Brown! You’ll definitely get it this time! And while you’re at it, why not apply to be verified on Twitter? There’s no way that can go wrong either.

The news: after temporarily halting new applications for its revamped verification process last month, Twitter announced it’s “back to rolling out access to request a blue badge.” The company said it put a pause on new applications in order to improve “the application flow and review process.” That may have something to do with the fake accounts that the company accidentally verified in July, but maybe Twitter has now learned from its mistakes.

We’re back to rolling out access to request a blue badge.

If you’re planning to apply and don’t yet have access, keep...

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Google found guilty of restricting Android forks in South Korea, fined $177 million

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google has been fined 207.4 billion won (around $177 million) in South Korea for abusing its dominant market position to stop device manufacturers from using modified versions of Android, _Bloomberg_reports. Specifically, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) is taking issue with the anti-fragmentation agreements (AFA) Google has manufacturers like Samsung sign, which prevents it from making changes to the operating system.

The ruling prohibits Google from forcing manufacturers to sign these AFAs, and will also require it to modify existing agreements.

The regulator is concerned that restricting these forks to the OS has prevented the emergence of viable competitors to Android from the likes of Amazon and Alibaba. Android is currently...

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Logitech’s G435 is a lightweight, feature-packed wireless gaming headset

A PC/PlayStation headset that uses beamforming mics instead of a boom mic. | Logitech

Many of Logitech’s previous wireless gaming headsets cost more than $100, but its latest is a relative bargain without compromising too much on comfort or features. The G435 Lightspeed costs $80, comes in three colorways, and can connect wirelessly to a PC or PlayStation console via its USB dongle, and to a phone, tablet, or other devices via a low-latency Bluetooth connection (Logitech didn’t share specific millisecond latency specs in time for publication). The headset will be available sometime in September 2021 from Logitech’s site.

Its design picks up where the G733 Lightspeed left off, with lots of color, breathable mesh fabric, and plastic all around. There are some differences, both cosmetic and functional. Logitech says the G435...

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Xiaomi shows off concept smart glasses with MicroLED display

Xiaomi has announced a pair of smart glasses called Xiaomi Smart Glasses. A company spokesperson tells The Verge that there’s no plan to actually put them on sale, but Xiaomi has provided enough detail to make the concept product seem somewhat plausible — at least for some point in the future.

Xiaomi’s glasses have a relatively conventional form factor, but unlike Facebook and Ray Ban’s just-announced Stories glasses, they actually do have a display that can be used for AR features. Xiaomi says it went with a monochrome MicroLED system because of its “higher pixel density and longer lifespan while having a simpler structure” when compared to OLED. According to Xiaomi, MicroLED “allows for a more compact display, as well as easier screen...

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Twitter won’t act on Nicki Minaj tweet irresponsibly linking COVID-19 vaccine to impotency

Photo by Pierre Suu/GC Images

Twitter has committed to labeling tweets containing misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines, but the company says a recent Nicki Minaj tweet which claimed that “the vaccine” made her cousin’s friend impotent does not violate its rules. There is no known scientific evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine could cause a fertility problem in men or women; the CDC dedicates an entire page to debunking those fears.

“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent,” Minaj tweeted to her 22.6 million followers. “His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”

...

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Samsung is rolling out an Android 12 beta to Galaxy S21 owners

One UI 4 on the Galaxy S21 | Samsung

Samsung has announced that it’s rolling out a public beta of Android 12 for Galaxy S21 devices, just a few weeks ahead of when we expect the final OS to be officially available for the first time on Pixel phones. Samsung is touting that it is managing to get these betas out earlier every year, though this year it’s only by a week or two compared to 2020.

Registration for the beta program will begin on September 14th, the same day the iPhone 13 is announced. Users will need to register in the Samsung Members app to try it — and if Samsung repeats the past, the number of open slots will be limited. It’s only available in the U.S. as of now.

The beta is actually for Samsung’s One UI 4, its version of Android. That distinction is important...

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WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart on a rocky year for the app

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A candid Q&A on encryption, privacy, and ProPublica

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LittleBigPlanet online security issues blamed for permanent server shutdown on PS3 and Vita

Sony has permanently shut down the servers for the original three LittleBigPlanet games on Playstation 3 and the handheld LittleBigPlanet on the Playstation Vita, according to a tweet posted by the official LittleBigPlanet account on Monday (via IGN).

The new status quo leaves the originally PS3 trilogy of LittleBigPlanet games and the Vita version playable as offline single-player or co-op experiences only, with purchased and already downloaded DLC also usable. Any user-created content — the most intriguing aspect of Sony and original developer Media Molecule’s famous action-platforming series — will only be accessible on the newly updated Playstation 4 version of LittleBigPlanet 3. The server shutdown also means that anyone stuck with...

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Stop and update your iPhone to iOS 14.8 right now

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Apple has released a suite of new updates for iOS, macOS, and watchOS to fix a bug that security researchers at Citizen Lab say was very likely exploited to allow government agencies to install spyware into the phones of journalists, lawyers, and activists. The researchers say the bug allowed for a “zero-click” install (meaning the target didn’t have to do anything to be infected) of the Pegasus spyware, which is reportedly capable of stealing data, passwords, and activating a phone’s microphone or camera. You can read our explainer of Pegusus here for more details.

Given the severity of the exploit, you should update to iOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, and watchOS 7.6.2 as soon as you can.

Apple’s update page says it’s “aware of a report...

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Sennheiser’s latest true wireless earbuds offer noise cancellation for less

The earbuds will be available later this month in either black or white. | Image: Sennheiser

Sennheiser’s CX Plus true wireless earbuds aren’t its first pair to offer noise cancellation, but it’s the first time the feature has appeared on its more affordable CX range. At $179, the CX Plus are more expensive than the $129 CX True Wireless announced earlier this year, but they’re affordable compared to the flagship $300 Momentum True Wireless 2.

Beyond noise cancellation, the CX Plus also include a transparent hearing mode, which uses their microphones to pass through audio from the outside world when you need to be aware of your surroundings. It’s got an IPX4 resistance to splashing water, two microphones on each earbud, and battery life that stands at a total of 24 hours when the buds are topped up from the charging case...

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The best deals on MacBooks right now

MacBook Air (late-2020).

With multiple configurations and various models to choose from, including some equipped with Apple’s new M1 processor, finding a deal on a MacBook or Mac Mini is not all that difficult.

Here, we’ll run through the discounts that are currently available for the latest MacBook models, as well as any deals to be had on the Mac Mini. Of course, there are also frequent discounts available for older Intel-based configurations — which will be compatible with macOS Monterey upon its release in the fall — and we’ll highlight those when we find them.

Alternatively, purchasing refurbished is another way to save money on an Apple computer. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally has discounts of 15- to...

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SpaceX is about to send its first crew of private citizens to space

SpaceX

Four people are set to launch to space Wednesday night aboard a SpaceX capsule, and none of them are professional astronauts. Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, booked the Crew Dragon capsule last year and picked three normal folks to ride with him. It will be the first completely private mission to orbit.

Dubbed Inspiration 4, the mission is a multimillion-dollar fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and — like a lot of recent flights to space these days — an effort to convince those watching from the ground that space won’t be always be exclusive to government officials and the ultra-wealthy. Isaacman’s crew includes Hayley Arceneaux, a cancer survivor and St. Jude physician assistant; Sian Proctor, a...

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Nvidia leak may reveal unannounced games, including God of War for PC

If you made an Nvidia GeForce Now server spit out a confidential list of thousands of games, some never-before-seen, would you think they were legit? Fake? Somewhere in between? That’s not a rhetorical question, because developer Ighor July has published that very list to GitHub — including games like the PlayStation exclusive God of War seemingly coming to Windows PC via Steam.

Here’s a screenshot of what that looks like in the GeForce Now client, according to the developer:

There are reasons to believe the list is legit. We know graphics giant Nvidia has access to games long before they’re released — and we know Sony in particularly has been banking on banking on PlayStation games on PC. It quietly revealed Uncharted 4...

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Amazon gives the Kindle’s interface a refresh

Image: Amazon

Amazon has announced that most recent Kindles will be getting a new simpler UI through a software update (via Ars Technica). The update mainly focuses on navigation, adding a bar to the bottom of the screen that lets you jump between the Home screen, the book you’re currently reading, and the Library screen. Some have had the update for a few weeks, but Amazon has announced that the update will be rolling out widely over the next few weeks.

The way you access the Kindle’s quick settings (which let you turn on airplane mode, adjust brightness, and more) has also changed. You now get access to the menu by swiping down from the top of the screen, instead of tapping a button.

Amazon says more changes will be coming later this year, with an...

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HP ZBook Studio G8 review: works hard, plays harder

Well-designed, but far too expensive for most people

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A doctor’s quest for more organ emoji

The anatomical heart and lungs emoji, as seen on iOS. | Image: Apple/Emojipedia

The medical world needs more emoji, according to Shuhan He, an emergency medicine physician who helped proposethe anatomical heart and lungs emoji. Now,He and others have laid out the case for an even larger variety of health-related emoji, which they argue could improve communication between doctors and patients.

In recent years, emoji related to medicine and health — like stethoscopes, hearing aids, bones, and microbes — have made their way into the Unicode Standard. In commentary published last week in JAMA, He and his co-authors hope Unicode will approve more emoji that could be used in medical contexts, including emoji for more organs, like the stomach, liver, and intestines, and equipment like an IV bag, CT scan, and pill pack....

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Android 12 may be released on October 4th

Android 12 may be released on October 4th, according to an internal document shared by XDA Developers. The next version of Google’s mobile operating system features the new Material You visual design and has been in public beta since May.

The document is used by Google to inform OEM partners when it will stop approving software builds for the various versions of Android (which it does for every software update to maintain compatibility with Google Mobile Services), according to XDA Developers. October 4th is the date Google lists as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) release of Android 12 in the document. _XDA_editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman notes that these AOSP release dates typically fall on the same day as the launch of a stable...

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Joe Biden to nominate facial recognition critic to FTC

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

President Joe Biden is expected to nominate privacy hawk Alvaro Bedoya to the Federal Trade Commission, as first reported by Axioson Monday.

Bedoya is a professor at Georgetown University’s law school, focusing on privacy law. If confirmed, he would replace current Democratic Commissioner Rohit Chopra, who was nominated to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this year. In 2014, Bedoya founded Georgetown’s Center on Privacy and Technology. He also served as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law under the chairmanship of Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).

Bedoya’s expected nomination comes at a time when the FTC has faced heightened scrutiny

A naturalized immigrant from Peru, Bedoya...

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Apple hasn’t decided whether to appeal the Epic v. Apple ruling

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Apple is still weighing whether to appeal last week’s _Epic v. Apple_antitrust ruling, the company said today. In a call with reporters, a representative said Apple was still evaluating its legal options and had not made a decision about its next steps. The position contrasts sharply with Epic, which announced yesterday that it intends to appeal.

Apple reiterated a position it took last week, casting the ruling as a near-total victory. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed nine of Epic’s 10 claims, including ones that would have required iOS to allow third-party app stores and payment processors. She ordered Epic to pay damages for breaching its developer contract. Apple also doesn’t have to return Epic’s hit game Fortnite to the iOS App...

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What comes next for the App Store?

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

On September 10th, a verdict finally arrived in Epic v. Apple, and it has left the App Store model in a precarious state. Epic wanted to do away with the system entirely, breaking Apple’s control over software distribution on iOS — but the ruling stopped well short of that. Instead, we got an ambiguously worded injunction that seems to open the door to developers skirting Apple’s commission system — or at least making it easier to use non-Apple payment methods outside their apps.

In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, Apple pushed to cast it as a victory — and Epic seemed sure it had lost. It’s understandable: until we see how Apple reacts and how the court looks on Epic’s recent appeal, it’s hard to know for sure what the injunction...

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