You can see Netflix’s new AV1 streaming tech on select TVs and the PS4 Pro

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Netflix now supports the AV1 codec when streaming to some TVs, the company announced on Tuesday. It’s only available on certain devices to start with, though that list includes any TV connected to the PS4 Pro, so if you have one of those, you can give AV1 Netflix streaming a shot.

Netflix shared this lineup of supported devices with The Verge:

• Select Samsung 2020 UHD Smart TVs
• Select Samsung 2020 UHD QLED Smart TVs
• Select Samsung 2020 8K QLED Smart TVs
• Samsung The Frame 2020 Smart TVs
• Samsung The Serif 2020 Smart TVs
• Samsung The Terrace 2020 Smart TVs
• Any TV connected to a PS4 Pro streaming with the Netflix app
• Select Amazon Fire TV devices with Fire OS 7 and above
• Select Android TV devices with Android OS 10 and above

Netflix noted...

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Gmail’s upcoming iOS widget could actually be useful

Image: Google

Google announced it’s updating the Gmail iOS widget with a new one that’s actually useful, showing you the subjects and senders of the emails sitting in your inbox. The company says the new widget will be “launching in the next few weeks,” to replace the previous version that wasn’t particularly well-received. This also means that, as 9to5Google points out, this means that Gmail’s iOS widget will have the same functionality as the current Android one.

When the first version of the Gmail widget launched, we pointed out that it isn’t particularly helpful. It really only provides shortcuts to different screens on the app like your inbox and the email composer. Critically, it doesn’t actually show you much information about the emails you’ve...

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Elon Musk offloads $1.1 billion worth of Tesla shares after Twitter poll troll

Photo by Asa Mathat for Vox Media

Over the weekend, Elon Musk made headlines by tweeting, as he often does, and in one of the tweets, proposed selling 10 percent of his stock in Tesla. At the time, he said, “I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes.” Now, SEC filings (1, 2) reveal the exec has exercised his options on over two million shares of the automaker and sold 934,091 of them (via CNBC). At the company’s current valuation, the shares he sold are worth about $1.1 billion.

So did he do it because someone on Twitter voted one way or the other? In this case, no, because as analyst Matt Levine points out, the documents reveal the plan for this sale has been established since September 14th.

As we told you over the weekend, Musk’s...

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Microsoft is emailing out gift cards to its online store

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

It’s November, which means it’s officially the holiday season (according to Mariah Carey, at least), and Microsoft seems to already be celebrating by emailing people gift cards to the Microsoft Store. We’ve seen a few reports on Twitter of people receiving legitimate emails from Microsoft offering gift cards for $10 or even $100, and the Microsoft Store Twitter account confirmed the promotion in a direct message with The Verge.

I wouldn’t have bothered to check the email I use for my Xbox live account if I didn’t see this tweet. Thanks! pic.twitter.com/SYFoCcduQT

— Christian Cerda (@_cerdafied_) November 10, 2021

It’s unclear who is eligible for the gift cards or how Microsoft is selecting people to get them. But if you have a...

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Rep. Gosar anime video highlights ties to the online right

Photo by Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images

Republican Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ) ignited national fury this week after tweeting a video portraying himself as an anime character killing other prominent lawmakers. But while Democrats are now calling for his expulsion from Congress and his accounts to be banned, the incident has drawn new attention to Gosar’s long association with far-right meme culture.

Gosar first posted the problematic video parodying the opening credits of the popular anime series “Attack on Titan” on Sunday. The video — captioned “Any anime fans out there?” — depicts Gosar as one of the show’s main characters killing Democratic politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden by superimposing their faces onto those belonging to other...

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Twitter will now show full-sized images on web

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter is dropping the crop on web. This is the same update that banished Twitter’s awkward auto-cropping algorithm on its Android and iOS apps, which means that you’ll see images in their entirety on your timeline as you scroll through Twitter on your web browser.

This is now available on web!

Pic looking good in the Tweet composer? That’s how it will look on the timeline.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 10, 2021

The same goes for when you post images of your own; you’ll see an accurate preview of your image that doesn’t appear oddly formatted when you post it. The platform touts its full-size preview window as a “what you see is what you get” look at your post.

The ongoing changes to Twitter’s handling of photos stem...

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Withings’ ScanWatch with built-in EKG is finally available in the US

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

After almost two years, the Withings ScanWatch is now available to purchase in the US after its announcement back at the beginning of 2020. The ScanWatch was waiting for clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, which it had received in October for its EKG and blood oxygen measurement features.

Unlike its competitors Apple Watch and Fitbit, both of whom can track blood oxygen and have EKG technology, Withings is claiming that the hybrid watch can detect sleep apnea, a sleep disorder charactered by disrupted breathing patterns. The ScanWatch is still a part of an ongoing clinical study for this claim.

Unlike Apple and Fitbit’s devices, the Withings ScanWatch also requires medical review. Users are required to gain medical...

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Foxconn buys Ohio electric vehicle factory once touted by Donald Trump

Foxconn has officially agreed to buy the former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio from struggling EV startup Lordstown Motors, giving the iPhone assembler its first automotive factory and a second chance at establishing a manufacturing foothold in the United States. The Taiwanese conglomerate has spent the last year buying up or partnering with companies in the electric vehicle space in a massive effort to diversify away from laptops and smartphones.

The two companies announced Wednesday that they’ve agreed to the framework deal first announced in September, meaning Foxconn will pay Lordstown Motors $230 million for the 6.2-million-square-foot factory. Foxconn has also agreed to contract manufacture Lordstown Motors’ electric...

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Spotify now frustratingly defaults to autoplay for connected devices

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Spotify quietly updated its autoplay feature with a seriously frustrating quirk. When you play music on your Spotify Connect devices, autoplay is now enabled by default and there’s no way to turn it off. This means that after your album, playlist, or your song selection is done playing on any device other than your phone or computer, Spotify will continue playing recommended tracks indefinitely.

Users have voiced their complaints in the Spotify Community forum for weeks, filling an ongoing thread with their grievances. It caught the attention of a Spotify Community moderator, who provided some more information about the issue — which is apparently a feature and definitely not a bug.

“We can confirm that Autoplay is the default setting...

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Spotify makes it easier to block other users

Spotify has made it easier to block other users | Alex Castro / The Verge

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that will allow users to more easily block others on the platform. Previously, users had to contact customer support to block someone, but now the feature is easier to find on a user profile.

To block a user, go to their Spotify profile. Under their username and photo, above their public playlists and next to the “follow” button, click the three dots menu and choose “block,” or on mobile, “block user.” Now that user won’t be able to access your listening activity, your page, or any public playlists. You also can unblock a user you’ve previously blocked at any time.

Screenshot: Spotify

How to block a user on Spotify.

“At Spotify, we’re committed to delivering the best...

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Screenshots reveal what extra information the Robinhood hackers accessed

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Screenshots obtained by Motherboard reportedly show the internal Robinhood tools that a hacker used to access “more extensive account details” for some of the trading platform’s accounts. The heavily redacted screenshots show that hackers had access to buttons labeled “Disable MFA” (multi-factor authentication) and “Add to Trusted Device Email Code Whitelist,” along with information about what devices were logged into the account, and the ACH bank transfers the user had done.

Motherboard says it got the screenshots from someone claiming to be affiliated with the hackers and says that Robinhood denied that hackers made any actual changes to any accounts.

Image: Motherboard

One of the screenshots reportedly...

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Elden Ring hands-on: an open world so pretty you won’t mind dying a lot

Let me climb the tree, Elden Ring

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Apple will soon let you pass on your iCloud data when you die

The Digital Legacy program lets users choose up to five people who can access their iCloud account when they pass away. | Image: Apple

Apple is solving a complicated problem with its latest iOS update: right of survivorship. Until now, when a loved one or family member dies, there was no easy way to access their iCloud account and absolutely no way of unlocking their phone without knowing their passcode. According to the iCloud terms of service, the deceased person’s data goes with them even with a death certificate.

With the new Digital Legacy program, first announced at WWDC earlier this year and arriving in iOS 15.2, you can designate up to five people as Legacy Contacts. These individuals can then access your data and personal information stored in iCloud when you die, such as photos, documents, and even purchases.

To activate Digital Legacy, Apple still requires...

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The best noise-canceling headphones to buy right now

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Get some peace and quiet with the best noise-canceling headphones for a variety of uses

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Instagram is testing a Take a Break feature

Instagram is testing a Take a Break feature to get you off the app | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said Wednesday that the platform is testing the long-awaited Take a Break feature to give users reminders when they’ve spent a long time on the platform.

“It does what you think it does,” Mosseri said in a video posted to Twitter. “If you opt in, it encourages you to take a break from Instagram after you spend a certain amount of time on the app; 10, 20, or 30 minutes,” he said.

Testing “Take a Break” ‍

We started testing a new feature called “Take a Break” this week. This opt-in control enables you to receive break reminders in-app after a duration of your choosing.

I’m excited to dig into the results & hopefully launch this sometime in December. ✌ pic.twitter.com/WdSTjL6ZdH

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) N...

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All I want from my smartwatch is to give me a break

Apple’s rings are a good motivator, until they aren’t | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

If there’s one thing wearable makers learned during the pandemic, it’s that people are stressed out — and with good reason. It’s led to companies like Fitbit and Apple expanding stress management and mindfulness features in their most recent products and services. But while it’s encouraging to see wearables makers acknowledge that mental health is part of overall health, there’s still one major oversight: modern wearables are fundamentally centered around building and maintaining streaks.

Whether it’s hitting your daily 10,000 steps, burning a certain number of calories, or reminders to move every hour, the aim for most wearables is to help you build better health habits. To do that, consistency is key. No one’s denying that. But any...

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Steam Deck launch delayed by two months

Valve’s Steam Deck, which has been delayed to February. | Image: Valve

Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Deck, its handheld gaming PC, by two months. The Steam Deck had been set to launch in December, but Valve now estimates that the first orders will start shipping in February 2022.

“We’re sorry about this — we did our best to work around the global supply chain issues, but due to material shortages, components aren’t reaching our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial launch dates,” Valve said in a blog post.

One editor at The Verge is now seeing a Q1 2022 estimated ship date for a Steam Deck reservation that was originally slated for the December launch window. Another is seeing a Q2 2022 estimated ship date for an order that was initially going to arrive in Q1. (Both placed...

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Uber discriminates against people with disabilities, new DOJ lawsuit alleges

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber discriminates against people with disabilities by charging them a “wait time” fee while entering the vehicle, according to a new lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department against the ride-hailing company.

These extra fees have “harmed many passengers and potential passengers with disabilities throughout the country,” some of whom may be entitled to monetary damages, the department said. The lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for Northern California, alleges that Uber is in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies.

Passengers would incur the fee two minutes after their Uber car arrives at their pickup location

According to...

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Windows 11 is making it easier to share your screen in Teams and other video calls

Microsoft Teams share buttons will appear in Windows 11 soon. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is adding a useful new Microsoft Teams integration into Windows 11 soon. The software maker has started testing a feature in Windows 11 that will allow Teams users to hover over open windows on the taskbar and quickly share the window content on a Microsoft Teams call. It will make screen sharing a lot easier for Teams and other communication apps on Windows 11.

Microsoft is testing this initially with Microsoft Teams for work or school rather than the built-in consumer version of Teams in Windows 11. “This means not everyone will see this right away with their Teams calls,” says Amanda Langowski, head of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program. “We plan to bring this to Chat from Microsoft Teams (Microsoft Teams for home) later.”

Z...

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DoorDash will acquire European delivery company Wolt as it builds a global platform

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

DoorDash has agreed to acquire the food delivery company Wolt for €7 billion (about $8.1 billion) with plans to expand its reach to Europe (via TechCrunch). Founded in 2015, Wolt is a Finland-based company that contracts out couriers to deliver takeout, groceries, and other goods to customers in 23 countries mainly throughout Europe.

Both DoorDash and Wolt announced the all-stock transaction in separate blog posts, confirming a move that will bring DoorDash to Europe for the first time. Currently, DoorDash is only available in cities across the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia.

“By joining forces, we believe we will accelerate our product development, bring greater focus to each of our markets, and improve the value we provide to...

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Rivian goes public in one of the biggest IPOs ever

Electric vehicle startup Rivian is now a publicly traded company after executing one of the biggest initial public offerings in history. Rivian shares started trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange Wednesday at around $78 per share. That gave Rivian an overall valuation of nearly $80 billion and helped it net $12 billion in fresh cash, despite the fact that it only just recently started to make and ship its first electric pickup trucks.

It’s the sixth-largest IPO ever on a US stock exchange, according to Bloomberg, and it’s hard to imagine the company picking a better time to debut. Tesla has generated an incredible amount of interest in electric vehicles _and_is now one of the most highly valued companies in the world. The public markets...

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Lego is now letting you preorder unofficial sets, including an epic Lego store

What do a Lego store, a beautiful abandoned windmill, a retro bowling alley, a miniature aquarium, and a pair of Venetian houses have in common? They’ve all just become incredibly limited edition Lego sets that you can preorder from the Lego company itself.

They started out as candidates for Lego’s Ideas program, got rejected, and now, they’ve been crowdfunded back to life by fans like you through a separate competition called the BrickLink Designer Program that gives creators 10 percent of the proceeds for their work. That means you have a short window of opportunity to snap up these unofficial official sets for yourself.

And if you’ll allow me to indulge myself, they are glorious.

Atop this post, you’ll spot the $179.99 Modular Lego...

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Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs

Photo: Vizio

It’s been less than a year since Vizio became a publicly traded company, and one consequence of that is we know more about its business than ever before. The TV maker released its latest earnings report on Tuesday and revealed that over the last three months, its Platform Plus segment that includes advertising and viewer data had a gross profit of $57.3 million. That’s more than twice the amount of profit it made selling devices like TVs, which was $25.6 million, despite those device sales pulling in considerably more revenue.

Most of Vizio’s profit came from advertising

When Vizio filed to go public, it described the difference between the two divisions. While Devices is easy to understand — 4K TVs, soundbars, etc. — Platform Plus is a...

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2020 was the worst year yet for power outages in the US

LAKE ARTHUR, LA - OCTOBER 09: Roberta Palermo, left, the owner of The Bank Hotel, and a hotel guest, right, check their smartphones in darkness due to power outage at the lobby of The Bank Hotel as Hurricane Delta makes landfall on October 9, 2020 in Lake Arthur, Louisiana. | Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images

2020 was a record-breaking year for power outages in the United States, according to an Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis published today. Extreme weather is leaving Americans in the dark for longer than it has in the past, a problem that is bound to get worse as climate change fuels even more violent weather.

On average, a person in the US went over eight hours without electricity in 2020. That’s more than twice as long the average American went without power in 2013, the year that the EIA started keeping track. Across the US, outage times varied considerably. Residents of Louisiana, the state with the longest outages, went a full 60 hours, on average, without electricity last year.

A problem that is bound to get worse as...

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Twitter is launching a dedicated crypto team, part of its push toward decentralization

Twitter Crypto is launching | Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge

Twitter is building a new division for “all things blockchain at Twitter,” called Twitter Crypto, and has hired Tess Rinearson as the team’s engineering lead to “set the strategy for the future of crypto at (and on) Twitter,” the company said in a release Wednesday.

“First, we’ll be exploring how we can support the growing interest among creators to use decentralized apps to manage virtual goods and currencies, and to support their work and communities,” Rinearson said on Twitter. “Looking farther ahead, we’ll be exploring how ideas from crypto communities can help us push the boundaries of what’s possible with identity, community, ownership and more.” She added that her team would be working closely with Bluesky, an independent...

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YouTube gives dislikes the thumbs-down, hides public counts

Image: YouTube

YouTube has announced that it’ll be hiding public dislike counts on videos across its site, starting today. The company says the change is to keep smaller creators from being targeted by dislike attacks or harassment, and to promote “respectful interactions between viewers and creators.” The dislike button will still be there, but it’ll be for private feedback, rather than public shaming.

This move isn’t out of the blue. In March, YouTube announced that it was experimenting with hiding the public dislike numbers, and individual creators have long had the ability to hide ratings on their videos. But the fact that the dislike counts will be disappearing for everyone (gradually, according to YouTube) is a big deal — viewers are used to...

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Juiced’s new fat-tire electric bike targets a younger generation of riders

Juiced, the San Diego-based electric bike company known for its extremely fast, extremely heavy, moped-style cruisers, wants you to know that its newest model, the RipRacer, is “fun-sized.” Not like tiny-Snickers-bars-you-hand-out-at-Halloween-fun-size, but like a smaller frame size for a younger generation of riders.

Electric bikes are typically marketed and sold to adults, but increasingly, companies are seeing an opportunity around selling bikes to teens and young adults. Juiced is the latest to try its hand at making bikes that are smaller and cheaper than the typical e-bike.

The RipRacer may be fun-sized, but it will no less powerful than Juiced’s other hulking models

The RipRacer may be fun-sized, but it will no less powerful...

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Paramount Plus is trying to make its shows go viral with new Twitter partnership

Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus has announced a new partnership with Twitter centered around better promoting its exclusive shows and events, in addition to hosting three Twitter Watch Parties with fans for “select highly-anticipated original series.”

Or, more practically speaking, Paramount Plus would really, really like its shows to be viral on Twitter, with the kinds of trending topics and engagement that ultra-popular shows like HBO’s Succession enjoy on a weekly basis. And what better way to be popular on Twitter than to cozy up to Twitter directly?

A lot of this deal is deeply boring stuff, things like granting major Paramount Plus shows “Twitter marketing support and brand sponsorship sales rights via Twitter’s Amplify program.” ViacomCBS will...

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This graphene battery pack charges incredibly fast

The Elecjet Apollo Ultra graphene battery charges five times faster than conventional power banks. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The Elecjet Apollo Ultra power bank charges five times faster than conventional battery packs

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Airbnb improves accessibility search filters for its accommodations

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Airbnb has updated its search filters and accessibility review process with the goal of making it easier for people with disabilities to find accommodations on its platform, the company announced in a blog post.

Hosts can now submit pictures of the accessibility features in their homes, and “a specialized team of Airbnb agents” will review them to determine if they’re suitable for people with disabilities. On its accessibility review page, Airbnb says that this team works “with engineers, designers, and others across the company” but doesn’t specifically state whether they’re trained or how they’re qualified to recognize accessibility features. It notes that its staff has already reviewed and approved 100,000 accessibility features in...

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