Sennheiser’s new in-ear monitors are all about the metal

Zirconium is a key part of the IE 600 earbuds. | Image: Sennheiser

Sennheiser’s new earbuds are 3D printed with the same material used in the drill bits for the Mars rover. The IE 600 earbuds have a shell that’s composed of ZR01 amorphous zirconium, lending it a unique aesthetic and remarkable durability.

What the hell is zirconium anyway? Without going into too much detail, zirconium is a shapeable metal that's highly resistant to corrosion. This is why zirconium is frequently used for a variety of industrial and medical applications and is commonly used in steel alloys. So why is Sennheiser using zirconium in its headphones?

One might assume that using this uncommon material would somehow provide you with otherworldly sound quality, but that’s not what Sennheiser seems to be pitching here. Rather,...

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Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 are getting free next-gen updates later this year

Capcom

Later in 2022, Capcom will release free graphical updates for its remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, along with Resident Evil 7, that introduce ray tracing, a high frame rate mode, and 3D audio on the PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC.

If you own copies of these games already on the PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll be able to get these updates for free. On PS5, there will be a digital upgrade option, whereas Xbox offers its Smart Delivery feature that will automatically play the current-gen version of each game once it’s available. On PC, these upgrades will simply come in an update.

For PS5, Capcom is implementing DualSense support for all three games, complete with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

Capcom

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Bullet Train’s first trailer is a warning about quiet cars

There are few things quite as relaxing as settling into the comfortable soundlessness of a high-speed train’s quiet car, but silence is a luxury none of the assassins at the center of Sony’s _Bullet Train_from Atomic Blondedirector David Leitch can afford. Based on Kotaro Isaka’s novel Maria Beetle, _Bullet Train_follows as five hired killers unknowingly board the same high-speed train where they’ve been sent to carry out different assignments. In the novel, it isn’t long before the assassins’ respective jobs expose the killers to one another, and the trailer makes it seem like the movie’s story will follow a similar arc.

As soon as Ladybug (Brad Pitt) gets his hands on the briefcase, he’s been sent by Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock) to...

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Fully Jarvis standing desks are 15 percent off until March 21st

The best work from home companion besides your cat | Photo by Jay Peters / The Verge

If you’ve been working from home, but haven't invested in a standing desk yet, you’re in luck. Right now, Fully is running a promotion until March 21st that knocks 15 percent off the price of many of its popular standing desks. The Jarvis bamboo-topped standing desk, its most popular model and a favorite among several staffers here at The Verge,is currently discounted to $509.15, compared to its typical starting price of $599.99.

Fully’s Jarvis whiteboard standing desk is also discounted to the same $509.15 price, replacing the bamboo desktop with an erasable whiteboard for jotting down notes or just doodling. At the prices mentioned above, both models measure 24 inches deep and 30 inches wide, and both can be adjusted to be as low as...

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Wyze hikes its home monitoring prices, but it’s still a bargain

Wyze is increasing the cost of its professional monitoring service for its home security system. | Image: Wyze

If you were thinking of picking up Wyze’s super cheap home security system, you might want to do it now. Starting April 6th, Wyze is increasing the price of its 24/7 professional home monitoring service for the system from $4.99 a month to $9.99 a month. Existing subscribers will stay locked into their current price, however. “This price increase will help us cover rising costs, make the service more sustainable, and allow us to continue adding new features,” the company said in an email sent to subscribers announcing the change.

With higher costs come more features. The $10 a month (or $100 a year) Wyze Home Monitoring service includes one Cam Plus license worth $15 a year to apply to any camera (adding unlimited event recording and...

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Russia holds OneWeb rocket launch hostage, issues conditional demands

The Russian Soyuz rocket slated to launch OneWeb’s satellites on March 5th from Kazakhstan | Photo by Roscosmos Press Office\TASS via Getty Images

In its latest response to international sanctions and growing geopolitical tensions, Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, is making a list of demands of its customer OneWeb before it agrees to launch the company’s upcoming mission this week. OneWeb’s satellites were scheduled to take off on top of a Russian Soyuz rocket on March 5th in Kazakhstan, but in light of these new demands, it seems likely that launch will not take place.

In a video posted to Twitter, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, outlined in an interview that he wants assurances from OneWeb that the company’s satellites will not be used for military purposes. Roscosmos also demanded that the British government, which is a primary shareholder in OneWeb, divest...

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CalDigit’s TS4 is the new king of Thunderbolt docks

All the ports and all the power

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The Polestar O2 is a sleek electric roadster with an integrated drone for aerial filming

The Polestar O2 roadster is the second concept from the Swedish automaker. | Polestar

Polestar, the Swedish electric automaker, announced a new roadster concept called the Polestar O2. The hardtop convertible, which made its debut in Los Angeles today, is designed to showcase the automaker’s bonded aluminum platform, which it produces in-house, as well as some quirkier innovations, like an integrated drone for aerial filming.

It’s the second concept from the company, which is a joint venture between Volvo and the automaker’s Chinese parent company Geely. And it’s a nod to the company’s roots as a performance sub-brand of Volvo, having since recast itself as an EV-only marque.

We haven’t seen an electric two-seater sports car introduced since the Tesla Roadster

On the surface, the Polestar O2 looks like it would be...

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How one Ukrainian startup is adapting its app during a time of war

Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

From face swaps to information drops

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The Nintendo Switch Lite is $10 off on Woot today

The handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite in its yellow, gray, and turquoise colorways. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The Nintendo Switch Lite is seeing a very rare discount today. The handheld-only variant of the popular Switch normally sells for $199.99, but Woot is offering it today for $189.99 if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. That $10 discount may not sound like much, but Nintendo hardware sales are quite uncommon, with sales on the Switch Lite being even rarer. This deal is only for today or until it sells out.

What’s even sweeter with this deal is that all five colors are on offer: turquoise, yellow, coral, blue, and gray. So you can pick whatever vibrant Switch Lite fits your fancy and kick back with some excellent portable games.

While sales of the Nintendo Switch have continued skyrocketing during the pandemic, it may be easy to overlook...

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The best entertainment of 2022

We all know the feeling: you sit down in front of the TV, exhausted after a long day, only to become absolutely paralyzed by choice. There’s so much to watch and play that settling on one single thing to do can be a challenge. So we’re here to make your evenings a little less stressful. Throughout 2022 this page will be regularly updated with all of our favorite entertainment experiences — everything from the latest hit on Netflix to that open-world game people can’t stop talking about — to make those moments of choice that much easier. If you see a show, game, or movie in this collection, know that it’s an experience we fully recommend.

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Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after 78 reports of burns

The Ionic is being recalled as its battery may overheat and cause burns. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Fitbit announced today that it’s working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to voluntarily recall its Ionic smartwatch. The company says it’s received over 100 reports of the watch’s lithium-ion battery overheating, as well as 78 reports of burn injuries to customers.

“Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches,” Fitbit said in a statement. It went on to say that the reported cases represent less than 0.01 percent of units sold. Roughly 1 million Ionic smartwatches were sold in the US, with an additional 693,000 sold internationally.

If you have an Ionic smartwatch, Fitbit recommends you stop using it immediately. The...

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Ford is splitting its business between electric, gas vehicles

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Confirming rumors that have swirled for months, Ford announced that it was splitting into “two distinct, but strategically interdependent, auto businesses” called Ford Blue and Ford Model E. While Ford Blue will manage all of the legacy internal combustion engine vehicles, Ford Model E represents its push into electric vehicles, with products like the Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.

The company’s executives described the split as “how we’re going to win as a company” while executing Ford’s plans for its EV push that were originally unveiled last May. The automaker decided against trying to spin off the new EV-only unit as a special acquisitions company (SPAC).

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

F...

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There’s still nothing quite like Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo 7 returns to the series’ roots

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Netflix acquires another developer to build ‘world class games’

Next Games is a developer based in Finland. | Image: Netflix

Netflix has made an offer to acquire Next Games, the Finland-based developer behind mobile puzzle RPG Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. In a blog post, Netflix’s VP of games Mike Verdu said that the acquisition was to help the company “build a library of great games for our members to enjoy.” Next Games has also developed a pair of Walking Dead-themed mobile games.

The acquisition comes as Netflix is building a mobile gaming service into its regular subscription service. Netflix Games launched on iOS and Android last year, and consists of a handful of mobile games that are available free to download from app stores for Netflix subscribers, with no ads or in-app purchases.

“We will be able to build a portfolio of world class games that will...

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The best soundbars to buy in 2022

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

There’s no reason to settle for built-in TV speakers

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This diamond company wants to help carbon capture take off

An Aether diamond | Aether

Aether’s diamonds are pulled from the air, literally

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Batman tickets to cost more than other films at AMC theaters

Image: Warner Bros

AMC is experimenting with charging more for tickets to The Batman compared to other films showing at its cinemas, Deadline reports. The move appears to be an attempt to capitalize on the heightened anticipation for the new superhero movie, which sees Robert Pattinson take on the role of the caped crusader for the first time. Deadline reports that tickets to see The Batman currently cost a dollar more than other films like Uncharted and Dog at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square.

“Currently, our prices for The Batman are slightly higher than the prices we are charging for other movies playing in the same theaters at the same time,” AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron said during an earnings call. “This is all quite novel in the United States,...

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Futurama’s revival will feature the original voice of Bender after all

DiMaggio with his character Bender. | Image: Getty

John DiMaggio is officially set to return to voice Bender in Hulu’s revival of Futurama, meaning all key cast members will reprise their roles in the sci-fi cartoon. The show’s return was announced early last month, with Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela), Tress MacNeille (Mom, many others), Maurice LaMarche (Kif), Lauren Tom (Amy), Phil LaMarr (Hermes), and David Herman (Scruffy) all set to come back in their original roles.

At the time, _Deadline_reported that DiMaggio’s role was in the process of being recast. The actor had reportedly turned down the initial offer, which he felt “was not competitive based on the success and name recognition of the original series.” Fans were outraged (obviously), and a #Bendergate hashtag emerged...

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Read Tim Cook’s email to employees on Ukraine

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Tim Cook sent out an email to employees this morning addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and explaining the actions Apple has taken in reaction to the events of the past two weeks. The email also tells employees that Apple will be matching donations they make to certain humanitarian relief funds two to one, and will do so retroactively for donations made since February 25th.

A copy of this email was obtained by The Verge, and you can read it below in full (with the exception of an internal Apple email address being redacted):

I wanted to take a moment to address the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

I know I speak for everyone at Apple in expressing our concern for all of those affected by the violence. With each new image of families...

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Biden demands Congress protect kids online in State of the Union address

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass new rules to enhance child safety on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram in his first State of the Union address on Tuesday. It’s the first time Biden has called for these rules, and the White House plans to make specific funding requests to study and improve children’s online safety.

Specifically, Biden requested that Congress institute stronger children’s privacy rules, ban targeted advertising to children, and pressure social media companies to design their products from the ground up with child safety in mind. In a fact sheet provided by the White House earlier on Tuesday, the administration is also expected to target social media algorithms that discriminatorily target...

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Roku, DirecTV drop Russian-backed RT channel

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

After initially dropping the Russia-backed news channel RT in Europe, Roku says it is now dropping the channel from its Roku Channel Store everywhere — including in its US market.

The company confirmed the carriage change to The Verge late Tuesday. Roku spokesperson Kimberly Sampson said in a statement: “We are removing RT from the Roku Channel Store everywhere, including the US.” The company had earlier confirmed the channel was being yanked from its European market.

The streamer’s decision follows a similar move from DirecTV. Company spokesperson Nicholas Ammazzalorso told The Verge in a statement on Tuesday that DirecTV is “accelerating this year’s contract expiration timeline and will no longer offer their programming effective...

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Nvidia says its ‘proprietary information’ is being leaked by hackers

The company confirms it was hacked. | Photo credit should read Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Nvidia has confirmed that it was hacked — and that the actor behind last week’s “incident” is leaking employee credentials and proprietary information onto the internet. In a statement to PCMag, Bloomberg, and VideoCardz, the company says it became aware of the breach on February 23rd, and that it does “not anticipate any disruption to [its] business or our ability to serve our customers as a result of the incident.”

Hacking group Lapsus$ has claimed responsibility for the attack, and has demanded that Nvidia make its drivers open-source if it doesn’t want more data leaked. Nvidia hasn’t necessarily agreed to those demands; the company says it’s made improvements to its security, notified law enforcement, and is working with...

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Here are the best iPad deals right now

Select iPad models go on sale quite regularly. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

We saw some of the best iPad deals of the last year during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but if you missed out, there are still some decent discounts available. Whether you’re after the high-end iPad Pro or the most affordable Apple tablet, the entry-level iPad, there’s likely a sale going on somewhere you may be interested in.

Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly where you can find the most notable deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at _The Verge_are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, some of which are outgoing models with freshly introduced...

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Bungie rejects Steam Deck’s Linux, threatens to ban Destiny 2 players there

Image: Bungie

When will Bungie let Destiny 2 come to Valve’s Steam Deck handheld gaming PC? It’s looking like the answer is never — because the soon-to-be Sony subsidiary has published an help page that not only says the game’s unsupported, but outright _threatens to ban_prospective Steam Deck players (via Wario64).

The help page has a new section titled “Steam Deck and Destiny 2,” which reads:

Destiny 2 is not supported for play on the Steam Deck or on any system utilizing Steam Play’s Proton unless Windows is installed and running. Players who attempt to launch Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck through SteamOS or Proton will be unable to enter the game and will be returned to their game library after a short time.

Players who attempt to bypass Destiny 2...

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Cargo ship carrying Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys sinks in the Atlantic

Image: Portuguese Navy

A cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles across the Atlantic Ocean has sunk, according to the company that operated the ship (via Insider). A fire broke out on the ship, Felicity Ace, on February 16th as it was traveling from Germany to the USA.

Nearly 4,000 cars from the Volkswagen Group were being transported to the USA, the company confirmed to Insider. Felicity Ace was carrying both electric and non-electric vehicles, according to the Associated Press, and reports from February indicated Porsches, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, and other luxury cars were among those on board. While it’s unclear exactly what started the blaze, captain Joao Mendes Cabecas of the port of Hortas said lithium-ion batteries in EVs aboard the ship caught fire, R...

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The best deals on MacBooks right now

The 2020 MacBook Air, one of the best laptops you can get, is now available at Amazon starting at $949.99.

With multiple configurations and various models to choose from, including ones equipped with Apple’s M1 processor, finding a deal on a MacBook or Mac Mini is not all that difficult. It’s a slightly different story for the newer M1 Pro and M1 Max-equipped MacBook Pros, but any bit of savings you can get on the new Pro models is sure to be worthwhile.

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 still some lingering discounts available for older, Intel-based configurations — which are compatible with macOS Monterey — but we strongly recommend opting for a newer model now that Apple has introduced its M1 chips across the...

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Google’s ‘Fast Emergency Dialer’ brings local emergency numbers to your Pixel’s lock screen

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Google has begun rolling out a new fast emergency dialer (FED) feature designed tohelp users traveling internationally quickly access police, fire, and medical services, 9to5Google reported. The dialer was reportedly first seen last year through the Pixel’s emergency app, but Google confirmed toAndroid Policethat FED is currently rolling out to a wider release.

Accessing the Fast Emergency Dialer when your phone is unlocked will vary by device

Though it’s designed for international traveling, anyone can use it at any location. According to theGoogle Support page, the emergency dialer will show options relevant to your location:

• Quick access: To call an emergency number with one action, use the slider.
• Automatic emergency numbers:...

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‘Former pirate’ hit with $19.5 million fine for piracy

Kodi

Adam Lackman, the self-described “former pirate” behind the Kodi add-on repository TVAddons, has agreed to pay $19.5 million ($25 million CAD) to a group of Canadian telecom giants over copyright infringement, according to a report from TorrentFreak.

As noted by TorrentFreak, TVAddons was still accessible up until last week before going offline (seemingly) for good. In its heyday, TVAddons was a site that allowed users to upload unofficial add-ons for Kodi, the open-source media library you can install on streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Google Chromecast. While Kodi itself is legal software, third-party apps, like TVAddons, can direct people to pirated content.

Canadian telecom giants filed the lawsuit in 2017

A copy...

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GM is selling its stake in embattled EV startup Lordstown Motors

General Motors is selling its stake in Lordstown Motors, an electric vehicle startup that has struggled to produce its first vehicle. GM owned 7.5 million shares, or less than 5 percent of the company, with an initial equity value of $75 million. The news was first reported by the Detroit Free Press.

The sale was made during the fourth quarter of 2021 following an undisclosed lock-up period. James Cain, a spokesperson for GM, confirmed the sale, while a spokesperson for Lordstown declined to comment.

The stock sale signals the beginning of the end of GM’s relationship with Lordstown. The company traces its origins to GM’s announcement in 2018 that it would be closing down its Lordstown factory. Then-President Donald Trump assailed GM...

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