Wyze captures the banality of suburban life in its newest video doorbell ad (and it’s not pretty)

Screenshot

The typical sell for a video doorbell is: “You need to see what’s going on at your front door from your phone so no one steals your Amazon packages.” Smart home company Wyze has gone a step further, warning its prospective users: “You need a video doorbell so your neighborhood kids don’t put flaming bags of poop on your doormat.”

In a frankly hilarious video promoting the new Wyze Video Doorbell Pro, the company invites you to purchase its newest doorbell so you can keep a watchful eye over the bonafide war zone that is the classic suburban neighborhood.

The video opens with a soothing James Earl Jones-style voiceover discussing the magnificence of the American “Front Porch” as a young boy runs joyfully along the path to his front door....

Continue reading…

Snapchat says the Pixel 6 is ‘the fastest phone to make a Snap’

Photo by Google

At today’s Pixel event, Google dove into the details about the Pixel 6 series devices and outlined a brand new feature that will make sending Snaps even faster. The new feature, called Quick Tap to Snap, adds a camera-only version of Snapchat directly to the lock screen of the Pixel.

Us @Snapchat#Pixel6 is the fastest phone to make a Snap thanks to Quick Tap to Snap!

And check out Pixel lenses and other exclusive features toopic.twitter.com/94trIxzHzk

— Made By Google (@madebygoogle) October 19, 2021

To access it, all you have to do is tap the back of your phone twice, and the Snapchat camera will open. From there, you can snap a picture all without unlocking your device — you’ll only have to authenticate your...

Continue reading…

The biggest announcements from Google’s Pixel 6 event

Google just wrapped up its Pixel 6 Fall Launch event, where it announced two new phones as well as a wealth of features that are supported by its new Tensor processor. Here are the biggest things Google announced during its live stream.

Image: Google

Google finally shows off the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

After months of leaks, we got the full details on Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones — the Pixel 6 will sell for $599 and the Pixel 6 Pro for $899. Both will feature Google’s Tensor processor and a 50-megapixel camera (which bins images down to 12.5-megapixels during processing). The phones also feature an ultra-wide camera, and the Pro adds a telephoto camera and gives the selfie camera an upgrade with a wider...

Continue reading…

Here’s how the Pixel 6 compares to the Pixel 6 Pro

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

There’s a lot that we already knew about the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ahead of their debut at Google’s October 2021 event. Some of the key specs, including the Tensor processor and the camera details, were made publicly available by Google itself. But of course, we know a lot more now than we did before.

Check out my colleague Dan Seifert’s big hands-on with both phones right here. It dives into the design, features, and he talks about how this is a big moment both for Google to prove that its Tensor processor is as good as it claims to be and that it knows how to make flagship phones that people want.

If all that you’re curious about is raw specs, we’ve got that below. Given that the design differences between the Pixel 6 Pro and...

Continue reading…

Google Store serves would-be Pixel 6 buyers nothing but errors

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Pre-orders for Google’s new line of phones started at the same time as their launch event, but for most of us, trying to buy a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro has meant seeing nothing but error screens. Some unsteadiness is to be expected given the sudden demand, but at 1PM ET, the doors opened and Google’s store seemed to fall flat.

Image: Google

Since then things have improved, but more than an hour later, most of us are only seeingone error code after another. If you can get through, you can select to use the new Pixel Pass or add on a 30W phone charger. The fast wireless charging Pixel Stand, however, says it’s “coming soon.”

A quick scan of social media reveals that some people have been able to complete purchases for...

Continue reading…

Nikola allowed to proceed with $2 billion patent lawsuit against Tesla

Image: Nikola

Hydrogen trucking startup Nikola is being allowed to continue its three-year-old $2 billion patent lawsuit against Tesla. A federal judge shelved the suit earlier this month after the two companies stopped responding to the court’s orders.

The case against Tesla will still remain “administratively closed” but won’t be dismissed, Judge James Donato said in a new order on Tuesday. He assigned Nikola two new January deadlines: one to walk the court through the technologies in question and one for a hearing about the scope of the patents Nikola claims were infringed.

Donato closed the case on October 1st after neither Nikola nor Tesla responded to orders in July and September to prep and schedule these meetings. He gave Nikola an October 6th...

Continue reading…

Smash Ultimate’s final update is a love story

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is delighted to announce the long-awaited nuptials between Mr. Doom Slayer Ripandtearington III and Ms. Isabelle née Shizue. The wedding ceremony took place during Smash Ultimate’s final content update.

Mr. Doom Slayer and Ms. Isabelle are a match made in Final Destination. The two met back in March 2020 when their respective games Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizonslaunched on the same day. With the vast differences between their two lines of work, the pairing was regarded as little more than an accidental meeting of polar opposites. But what started as a joke quickly became serious as memes of the two spread throughout the internet, sparking rumors that there was more to this unlikely couple —...

Continue reading…

Sundar Pichai and Rick Osterloh think the Pixel 6 is Google’s breakout phone

Sundar Pichai (left) and Rick Osterloh (right). | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

‘We acknowledge we’re a challenger’

Continue reading…

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro can make calling customer service less nightmarish

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

The Pixel 6 is Google’s first phone with a custom-designed SoC, and the appeal of the Tensor chip isn’t in raw power, it’s what the combination of hardware and software can do. Speech and image processing that happens on device are great for Google Assistant or improving photographs, but a feature many owners will appreciate at launch is an improved Phone app that’s built to manage annoying calls to customer service lines.

Image: Google

According to Google, the app can tell you the current hold time for a business’s 1-800 number before you even dial, as well as the projected wait times for later in the day or week. These projections are “inferred from call length data that is not linked to user identifier.” Google...

Continue reading…

Google’s new Pixel Stand supports up to 23W wireless charging

Google’s new Pixel Stand wireless charger. | Image: Google

Google revealed a new second-generation Pixel Stand wireless charger on Tuesday. The new charger offers charging speeds of up to 23W with “compatible Pixel phones” and up to 15W with other Qi-certified devices. To keep the stand cool while it’s charging at those higher speeds, the new Pixel Stand has a “nearly silent built-in fan,” which could be similar to the fans inside recent OnePluschargers. We haven’t used the stand ourselves, though, so we’ll have to wait and see if the fan is as quiet as Google claims it will be.

Like Google’s first Pixel Stand, the second-generation version is designed to let your phone sit in portrait mode. That could make it easier to keep up with texts and notifications as they come in.

The new Pixel Stand...

Continue reading…

The Pixel 6’s Tensor processor promises to put Google’s machine learning smarts in your pocket

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are officially here, and with them, the debut of Google’s new Tensor chip. Google has finally revealed more information on what the new SoC can actually do, for the fastest Pixel phones ever.

The initial reveal of the Pixel 6 and the Tensor chip was largely centered on its AI-focused TPU (Tensor processing unit) and how the custom hardware would help Google differentiate itself from competitors.

That’s still the big focus of Google’s announcement today: the company calls Tensor a “milestone for machine learning” that was co-designed alongside Google Research to allow it to easily translate AI and machine learning advances into actual consumer products. For example, Google says that the Tensor chip will...

Continue reading…

Android 12 is now available for Pixel phones

Google

The final version of Android 12 has been available to developers and eager fans for a few weeks on AOSP, but today, it officially launched for people who want to easily pick up the update over the air. It’s available to install right now on Pixel 3 and up, including the Pixel 3A, Pixel 4, Pixel 4A, Pixel 4A 5G, the Pixel 5, and the Pixel 5A. It’ll launch on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as well. Android 12 will be coming later this year to Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, and Xiaomi devices.

The most noticeable feature in Android 12 is the new Material You design, which lets you go a little deeper to tweak the look of the homescreen to your liking. It’s more expressive than previous versions of Android, with tools to...

Continue reading…

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro finally bring new camera hardware in addition to software

The rear bar of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro house new cameras. | Image: Google

Today at its Pixel Fall Launch event, after many pre-announcements and leaks, Google finally announced all the details of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Some of the biggest changes to these new flagship phones from Google are updated camera modules. Pixel phones were long the champions of smartphone photography, but Google has been resting on its laurels for a while, using the same 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor from Pixel 3 through Pixels 5 and 5A.

Now, the main cameras of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro house a 50-megapixel sensor that is larger than its predecessors and bins the images down to a 12.5-megapixel output. Google claims it can capture 150 percent more light than the Pixel 5. Following the iPhone playbook, both Pixels feature...

Continue reading…

Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have big screens, big ambitions, and small prices

The Google Pixel 6 Pro (left) and Pixel 6 | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Google claims to finally be ready to take on Apple and Samsung

Continue reading…

Pixel Pass bundles Google’s phone and services into one monthly subscription

The Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Google Pixel Pass is a new subscription bundle designed to let US customers pay for a Pixel phone in monthly installments while also getting access to Google’s premium subscription services like 200GB of Google One cloud storage, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, and Google Play Pass.

Prices start at $45 a month for Pixel 6 or $55 for a Pixel 6 Pro, and Google says they’re available unlocked and should work with all major carriers. Pixel Pass subscribers are eligible for an upgrade after two years, Google says, and the subscription also includes an extra year of warranty coverage over the standard one-year manufacturer warranty (aka Preferred Care).

Starting at $45 a month

Pixel Pass, which is being announced today alongside the...

Continue reading…

How to preorder the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro

You can preorder Google’s just-announced Pixels. | Image: Google

Google’s new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are freshly announced, and they’re already up for preorder. The new Pixels promise to offer the latest from Google, including new designs, new cameras, a new and uniquely designed Google Tensor CPU, and more.

This year’s Pixel phones come in two flavors: the standard Pixel 6 and the larger, triple-camera equipped Pixel 6 Pro. The base Pixel 6 with 128GB of storage starts at a price of $599, while the Pixel 6 Pro runs $899 and up if you prefer to go above the base 128GB.

Google has already kicked off its preorders on its own store, and other retailers and carriers are coming online shortly. We will update this post as more options become available.

Related:

Continue reading…

Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro launch event live blog

Image: Google

The biggest Pixel in years — literally

Continue reading…

Wyze’s new Video Doorbell Pro costs $65 and promises six months of battery life

Wyze’s Video Doorbell Pro promises up to 6 months of battery life | Image: Wyze

Smart home company Wyze has revealed its latest category-breaking device, and this time, it’s going straight for Ring’s lunch with an impressive-sounding video doorbell that checks pretty much all the right boxes. Except maybe the “cool style and nice design” one.

Available for preorders on October 19th and shipping in December, the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro costs $65 (plus shipping), can be installed fully wired or wire-free, has up to six months of battery life, and a 1:1 aspect ratio that can take in your entire front porch. It records and streams video in 1440 x 1440 HD and offers 12-second clip playback for motion and sound events for free. The recordings are stored in Wyze’s cloud; there is no local storage option.

The doorbell comes...

Continue reading…

The new MacBook Pros have one big question mark: battery life

Image: Apple

Apple’s new MacBook Prosare here, and they may actually live up to the “Pro” moniker. But there’s one big question that comes with the new sizes and processors: how’s the battery life? To hear Apple tell it, it’s going to be great — the company even said onstage that the 16-inch had the best battery life ever, besting last year’s M1 Macs (which it also boasted would have the longest-lived batteries). But the metric Apple used to back up that claim is a bit suspect, and its other numbers tell a very different story.

In its keynote and press release, Apple says the 14-inch MacBook Pro will provide 17 hours of video playback and estimates that the 16-inch model can last for an unprecedented-for-Macs 21 hours. But using video playback as a...

Continue reading…

When WhatsApp went down, Brazilian workers’ jobs went with it

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Facebook outage shut down an entire economy of informal work

Continue reading…

Apple botched the MacBook Pro notch

The day that many have been dreading has finally arrived. Apple has added a notch to its new MacBook Pros. And somehow, Apple — notch pros at this point — managed to utterly botch the notch. Because the new MacBook Pros completely missed out on the most important part of the notch: adding Face ID.

I’ve been on the record of being extremely pro-MacBook notch: back in 2018, I argued that Apple should do exactly what it’s done here: add a notch to its MacBook laptops, taking up the exact width of the persistent menu bar that already permanently lives on the top of its macOS software (barring the occasional dip into a full-screen app).

And to be fair, Apple has actualized most of the benefits of a notch: smaller bezels, particularly at the...

Continue reading…

The MLB may launch streaming service for local games — no cable TV required

Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

You may soon be able to watch your local teams’ home games without cable TV, as the MLB is considering launching a web-based streaming service that will do exactly that (via New York Post). Shrinking viewership rates may be the main factor behind the potential streaming service. As the New York Post points out, the MLB viewership has dropped 12 percent this year in comparison to 2019.

The MLB already offers MLB.TV, a streaming service for out-for-market games. Unlike MLB.TV, the planned streaming service will only focus on local games that you can currently only view via regional cable. MLB.TV would still be available if and when the new streaming service launches.

A subscription could cost anywhere from $10 to $20 per month

Having both...

Continue reading…

Get 10 percent off a PC you can build yourself at NZXT

For the next 48 hours, NZXT is giving 10 percent off all of its pre-built BLD systems. This includes its pre-fab configurations, as well as any custom-tailored builds. With PC parts at something of a premium right now, a sale like this is fantastic for anyone that’s been biding their time on investing in a new PC.

Pre-builts are the easiest way to currently get your hands on a new GPU without having to spend an absolute mint, and with NZXT’s BLD service, you also get the added benefit of a two-year warranty on parts and labor, as well as guaranteed performance right out of the box.

While NZXT has been in the pre-built PC game for a while now, a new service it’s offering is the NZXT BLD kit. This is the first time a major PC manufacturer...

Continue reading…

What is the new Apple Music Voice plan, and who is it for?

Apple Music Voice relies entirely on your dulcet tones to play music from any Siri-enabled device | Image: Apple

The new Apple Music Voice plan that Apple announced at its “Unleashed” event on Monday is causing some confusion. I’m here to help you understand this new, cheaper option, which capitalizes on the power of Apple’s smart voice assistant, Siri (don’t laugh).

Put simply, the Apple Music Voice plan is a voice control-only access to the service’s catalog of 90 million songs. It arrives later this year, and with it, you can play everything — full albums, individual songs, Apple’s playlists; it’s all-you-can-eat Apple Music. The caveat is you have to use your voice to control it, and you have to play it through a Siri-enabled device, such as a HomePod Mini (now in some spiffy new colors), AirPods, or an iPhone.

What it is not is a fee to use...

Continue reading…

Instagram will let users co-author posts and share likes

Users will have to accept an invite to be co-author of a post. | Image: Instagram

Instagram is kicking off a week of product reveals with the announcement of “Collabs,” a new feature that lets two users jointly share ownership of a single feed post or Reel. Tomorrow, it’s following this up by testing a new way to add a nonprofit fundraiser to a post, and finally on Thursday it’s rolling out the ability to create photo and video posts on desktop, as well as launching new music-focused effects for Reels.

The new Collabs feature effectively allows two accounts to co-author a post or Reel. The post or Reel will appear jointly to each user’s followers and will share the same comment thread, as well as view and like counts. Collabs are enabled from the tagging screen, after which the second account will have to accept the...

Continue reading…

Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 review: bad timing

A shock to the ecosystem

Continue reading…

Facebook’s digital wallet finally launches... without Diem cryptocurrency

Image: Facebook

Facebook is finally starting to roll out a “small pilot” of its Novi digital wallet today in the US and Guatemala, more than two years after it was first announced. The pilot program will let users send and receive money “instantly, securely, and with no fees” using the Paxos stablecoin, in partnership with Coinbase (which will be serving as the custody partner that holds the actual funds for the pilot).

According to Facebook’s David Marcus, the head of F2 (Facebook Financial), the pilot is meant to “test core feature functions, and operational capabilities in customer care and compliance,” in addition to trying to demonstrate a viable use of stablecoins for payments.

Remittances are a critical way to achieve financial inclusion....

Continue reading…

Far Cry 6 is a failed chance to put Spanish front and center

A missed opportunity

Continue reading…

Facebook content moderators protest low wages with mobile billboard

Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Facebook moderators are protesting low wages at contracting agency Accenture in the form of a mobile billboard and an internal letter, according to a tip received by The Verge. Most of all, moderators say they just want to be treated as humans.

The content moderators, who are contracted by Accenture, will run a mobile billboard today targeting Accenture CEO Julie Sweet. The billboard features a picture of Sweet, along with a prominent statement that reads: “Julie Sweet stop exploiting your workers. Pay up. Clean it up. Fix it.” Sweet made a total of $17 million in 2020 alone, a sum that shot up drastically from 2019. The mobile billboard will start its journey in Bethesda, Maryland, the very place that Sweet resides, and come to a stop...

Continue reading…

Facebook’s new Portal Go is great for video calls, but not much else

The first battery-powered smart display, the Portal Go lets you bring video calling to every room in your home

Continue reading…