The Verge
The Mac Studio is myth fulfillment
In 2008, Macworld devoted five pages to the kind of midtower Mac that Apple refused to make. | Photo by Jason Snell
The myth of xMac, the midrange Mac tower that never was
The VergeThe VergeSubaru retires the gas-powered WRX STI while it explores electrification
Photo by David Graff/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The next-generation Subaru WRX STI could be electric. In a press release shared by the automaker on Friday, Subaru says it has no plans to build a gas-powered STI based on this generation’s WRX platform.
“Subaru Corporation is exploring opportunities for the next generation Subaru WRX STI, including electrification”
“Subaru Corporation is exploring opportunities for the next generation Subaru WRX STI, including electrification,” the company writes. “In the meantime, a next generation internal combustion engine WRX STI will not be produced based upon the new WRX platform.”
Subaru cites its efforts to meet the “regulations and requirements for greenhouse gasses (GHG), zero emissions vehicles (ZEV), and Corporate Average Fuel Economy...
The Verge‘Fan token’ company Socios accused of crypto price manipulation
Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Alexandre Dreyfus, the CEO and founder of fan token site Socios, has been accused of withholding payments in order to maintain the price of Chiliz (CHZ), the cryptocurrency used by the Socios community, according to a report from Off the Pitch.
Fan tokens are tied to real-life sports teams, creators, or artists, and give token holders access to exclusive fan clubs where they can vote on decisions within their community. In Socios’ case, the platform centers around sports, with users buying Chiliz to purchase the fan tokens representing various teams in soccer, football, motorsports, and more.
Staff members, who were also supposed to receive a portion of their salary in Chiliz, weren’t so lucky
As reported by Off the Pitch, Dreyfus...
The VergeHow to change your PlayStation Network username
The first change is always free | Photography: Vjeran Pavic
It wasn’t always easy to change your PlayStation Network (PSN) account name. Actually, it wasn’t until April 2019 that Sony allowed account holders to do it at all. Now, each account is allowed to change its username once for free. Any changes after that come at a cost: $4.99 if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, or $9.99 for everyone else.
Whether you’ve outgrown your username or you simply want to change it, we’re going to walk you through the process. However, there are a couple of warnings to run through first.
If you mostly play newer games (specifically, games released after April 1st, 2018), Sony says that you shouldn’t encounter many, if any, issues with the username change since those games were developed to support this...
The VergeEverything Everywhere All At Once is charming, sprawling, and completely ridiculous
A24
Martial arts meets surreal sci-fi
The VergeJabra’s noise-canceling Elite 85t earbuds are on sale for their best price yet
Jabra’s Elite 85t offer solid noise cancellation, excellent controls, and multipoint functionality for just $149.99.
If you’re on the market for a great pair of noise-canceling earbuds, it’s hard to go wrong with Jabra’s comfortable Elite 85t, which are on sale at Amazon right now with a pair of Qi-certified wireless charging pads for just $149.99 ($80 off). Although the Elite 85t are not Jabra’s newest model, they still offer good noise cancellation, solid on-earbud controls, and the ability to pair with two devices simultaneously, a feature many true wireless earbuds still lack. They also come with a case that charges wirelessly or via USB-C, and they carry an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. Read our review.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a capable device, but it can’t do it all. Luckily, there are accessories like Apple’s well-made Magic...
The VergeSony pulls Crunchyroll, home entertainment releases from Russia
Crunchyroll’s Russian website has been temporarily shut down. | Screenshot: Crunchyroll
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has suspended all operations in Russia, halting home entertainment releases, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, and temporarily blocking access to its anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, according to a report from Variety. The move will also pause any TV distribution deals in the country.
“We stand with many businesses around the world who have now paused their business operations in Russia, and in support of the humanitarian efforts currently underway in Ukraine and the surrounding region,” SPE CEO Tony Vinciquerra said in an email to employees seen by Variety. “We have also halted our planned home entertainment releases, including ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ and any future television distribution deals....
The VergeThe Nintendo Switch is once again the top-selling console
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
The Nintendo Switch outsold the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 in both unit and dollar sales in February after bouncing back from a weaker January, according to NPD’s Mat Piscatella. Last month, the PS5 took the top spot as the US’s best-selling gaming hardware, while the Switch came in behind the Xbox Series X.
The Switch’s on-and-off-again reign has a lot to do with availability
The Switch and PS5 have been swapping spots as the number one console ever since the PS5 broke the Switch’s almost three-year streak last October. Its time on top was short-lived, however, as the new Switch OLED boosted the console’s sales, bringing it back to the number one position through November and December 2021. So far in 2022, the Switch has sold the...
The VergeApple’s chips are on the table
Apple’s dramatic introduction to the M1 Ultra. | Image: Apple
The shape of Apple’s silicon strategy is clear
The VergeEA says the Dead Space remake will be released in early 2023
EA announced an early 2023 “arrival window” for the next-gen remake of its survival horror hit Dead Spaceon Friday. The announcement was made as part of a developer livestream focused largely on the game’s audio.
>> STATUS UPDATE INCOMING…
ARRIVAL WINDOW: EARLY 2023…#DeadSpacepic.twitter.com/Et89fS617W
— Dead Space (@deadspace) March 11, 2022
EA first announced the remake in July, but at the time, didn’t say when it might be released. However, it did share that the game would be “rebuilt from the ground up” and developed by Motive, who might be best known for its work developing Star Wars: Squadrons. Motive shared a few more details in a livestream last year, including that actor Gunner Wright will return to voice protagonist Isaac...
The VergeYour next Uber ride will have an extra fee for gas — even if it’s in an EV
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Uber is adding a “temporary fuel surcharge” to fares to help drivers pay for record-high gas prices around the country, the company announced Friday. “Rides customers will pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 on each Uber trip, and Eats customers will pay either $0.35 or $0.45 on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location,” Uber’s head of driver operations in US and Canada, Liza Winship, said in a blog post.
The entirety of the surcharge will be passed on to drivers, and the plan is for the surcharge to be in place for the next 60 days. However, Winship cautions that “we will continue to monitor gas prices and may make additional changes.” And this temporary fuel surcharge will even be in place for rides or deliveries done in...
The VergeSamsung might be planning ‘Fashion Film’ for its phones
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
A new trademark application by Samsung in the UK suggests the company may be working on fashionable skins for its phones, as reported by Android Headlines and Let’s Go Digital. The UK Intellectual Property Office application describes “protective and decorative films adapted for smartphones,” using the name “Fashion Film.”
This doesn’t confirm that an actual product will follow (you can see other trademarks Samsung’s registered to find out how many are never used). Still, any sign the company is taking a step to enter the skin accessory market is notable. Currently, the space is mainly taken over by smaller companies like Dbrand, which has even had its product featured in Samsung’s stores. And while the trademark application doesn’t...
The VergeGoogle wins court battle with Genius over song lyrics
Google won its court fight with Genius | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Google has once again prevailed in an ongoing legal battle with song lyrics website Genius, which claimed that Google was using its transcribed lyrics without permission in search results.
Genius sued Google in 2019, arguing that Google was scraping lyrics from its website in violation of Genius’ copyright. Genius has a large database of song lyrics, and bills itself as “the world’s biggest music encyclopedia.” It tried to demonstrate that Google was scraping info from its website by putting watermarks on its lyrics, which it said then appeared in Google searches but without any link back or attribution to Genius.
Google said in a blog post at the time that it did not “crawl or scrape websites to source” song lyrics. Canadian lyrics...
The VergeBored Ape Yacht Club creator buys CryptoPunks and Meebits
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Yuga Labs, the creator of Bored Ape Yacht Club, announced today that it had acquired CryptoPunks and Meebits from Larva Labs. CryptoPunks is one of the oldest and most valuable brands in the NFT world, and Meebits quickly joined the list of most valuable NFT collections after launching last May.
Yuga Labs hopes to foster a “community of builders” creating derivative works around the two projects. To do that, it plans to grant intellectual property and commercialization rights to CryptoPunks and Meebits owners, allowing them to create works and products based off their NFTs the same way that Bored Ape owners have.
“Everybody knows CryptoPunks, everybody loves CryptoPunks,” Greg Solano, a Bored Ape Yacht Club co-founder who goes by the...
The VergeThe best gaming headset deals you can get right now
Logitech’s budget-friendly G435 boasts color and comfort, as well as a host of solid features. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
A good gaming headset is practically a necessity these days. Clean and precise audio is essential for competitive gaming, allowing you not just to pinpoint your enemies, but communicate effectively with your teammates. Moreover, recent developments in spatial audio and virtual surround sound have allowed headsets to meet — and occasionally surpass — more expensive audio setups, allowing even the most budget-conscious gamer to obtain a competitive edge at a fraction of the price.
While you could always invest in a massive pair of speakers, they’re likely to earn you the dubious distinction of the worst roommate of the decade. Thankfully, the right headset will allow you to keep the running and gunning to yourself, which is why we’ve...
The VergeA top Wikipedia editor has been arrested in Belarus
Image: Wikipedia
The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of Belarus (GUBOPiK) has detained prominent Wikipedia editor Mark Bernstein, according to the Belarusian publication Zerkalo. The arrest comes after Bernstein’s personal information was shared on GOBUPiK’s public Telegram channel. Bernstein is one of the top 50 editors of Russian Wikipedia.
The Verge was able to confirm that Bernstein’s information — including his social media, Wikipedia handle, and place of work — had been shared in GUBOPik’s channel on the messaging app. A video of Bernstein’s arrest was also posted alongside his photo and personal details. In the photo itself, Bernstein is accused of “distributing fake anti-Russian information.” The channel has since...
The VergeThe best deals on Nintendo Switch games right now
Even new games like_Pokemon Legends: Arceus_get occasional discounts. | Image: Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles ever released, one with an ever-expanding library of games to choose from. Odds are if a game is capable of working on the Switch’s hardware, it’s either already available, or it will be soon. Thankfully, having a massive library of games also means there are often regular price breaks on a variety of titles, from first-gen offerings like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey to remasters like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2.
If you’re looking for deals on Nintendo Switch games, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites below. The Nintendo eShop is typically the best place to find deals on digital downloads, especially if you prefer the indie variety, but there are...
The VergeDisney CEO apologizes for silence on ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Facing a tidal wave of backlash following Disney’s failure to speak out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney CEO Bob Chapek formally apologized to employees today for the company’s failure to support its queer community.
In an internal memo, Chapek addressed widespread criticism of Disney’s witting silence in response to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed recently by Florida’s Senate. The message was addressed to all Disney employees, “but especially our LGBTQ+ community.”
“Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill,” Chapek wrote. “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better...
The VergeEVs won’t save us from high gas prices
Photo by David Crane / MediaNews Group / Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
With gas prices soaring above $4 a gallon, electric vehicles are starting to look a lot more attractive to car buyers. But a combination of supply chain constraints, the global chip shortage, higher-than-average prices, and low inventory at dealerships will conspire to keep EVs out of reach for most people.
Interest in switching from gas to electric is at an all-time high. Car shopping site Edmunds reports the number of people searching for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicles jumped 39 percent from February to March and 18 percent over the last week.
Following through on that purchase is going to be tough for most people, given the scarcity of new EVs on the market. The EVs that are available are more expensive than their gas...
The VergeHow to use Xbox PC Game Pass on your Windows PC
Microsoft
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that offers on-demand access to dozens of games. It’s a great value if you like to play and discover new games, and now that it’s on PC instead of solely being a console experience, your subscription can follow you from your Xbox console to your Windows desktop.
However, the expansion to Windows PCs hasn’t been seamless. While an Xbox lets you easily access your Game Pass right on the home dashboard, finding Game Pass games on a PC is a whole other story.
There are two ways to find Game Pass games on PC. The first and easiest requires you to download a free app, though I think it will be worth the effort. The second method doesn’t require any additional installations, but finding...
The VergeI’ve made a huge mistake in Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, it’s killed or be killed — brutally. The game is designed to put you ever on the defensive, ready to lash out before you yourself can be lashed. But that shoot first, ask questions later mindset led to an event I truly and deeply regret. I killed a dragon, and I feel really awful about it.
In Elden Ring, even the damn flowers are dangerous, but contrary to the game’s reputation, not everything in the Lands Between wants to kill you. There are those cute rodents that scurry about and delightful little donut-rolling sheep that exist only to bleat at you as you zip by them on Torrent. I’ve had so many peaceful moments sitting on the edge of a cliff, gazing in wondrous awe at the golden Erdtree with a convocation of eagles for...
The VergeHulu with Live TV is adding unlimited DVR for free
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Hulu with Live TV is giving its users unlimited DVR starting next month at no additional cost — a feature that’ll allow it to compete more directly with cord-cutting rival YouTube TV.
The feature will apply to all Hulu with Live TV subscriptions beginning April 13th and will support playback and fast-forwarding on recordings for up to nine months (the same storage period supported by YouTube TV). Previously, Hulu with Live TV supported up to 50 hours of DVR storage but could upgrade to up to 200 hours of storage through add-ons that ranged in price from $10 per month to $15 per month.
Those customers who opted into add-on packages that supported additional DVR space will no longer be charged for the added storage beginning April 13th.
...
The VergeGoogle Takeout will get more ways to securely transfer files across different services
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
In 2018, Google, Facebook / Meta, Microsoft, and Twitter teamed up to announce the Data Transfer Project, which worked on tools to help users “transfer data directly from one service to another, without needing to download and re-upload it.” Since then, Apple has signed on, while other integrated services include Google Photos, Mastodon, and SmugMug, in addition to the various data export and transfer tools available from the original four companies.
This week, Google provided an update on its participation, pledging $3 million in funding and “hundreds” of hours of work from engineers over the next five years to work on the open-source libraries that keep the project going.
The Data Transfer Project plays a part in tools that you can use...
The VergeAndroid 101: how to use Google Pay
Google Pay is a digital wallet and online payment system that’s developed by Google to make it easy for you to make purchases. It automatically syncs your saved credit cards wherever your Google account is logged in for quick payments, and it will import loyalty cards, tickets, and offers from your Gmail account. Google Pay is supported at most major markets, gas stations, and department stores.
How to set up Google Pay
Setting up Google Pay is straightforward.
You need a debit / credit card or PayPal account, a Google account, and a supported Google Pay device (an Android phone, a Wear OS watch, or a desktop / laptop computer). You can even use it with an iOS device. In this article, we’ll concentrate on how to use Google Pay with...
The VergeYouTube is now blocking Russian state-funded media worldwide
YouTube says it could take time for the change to roll out. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
YouTube says that it will start completely blocking YouTube channels funded by the Russian government, after it blocked channels like RT and Sputnik in Europe earlier this month. The company also announced that it would be removing content about the Russian invasion of Ukraine that denies, minimizes, or trivializes “well-documented violent events.”
At time of writing, two American Verge staffers were still able to access livestreams from RT, a channel that YouTube’s interface notes is “funded in whole or in part by the Russian government.” According to a tweet from the YouTube Insider account, the change is supposed to be effective immediately, but the company says it expects its systems to take some time to roll it out.
2/ In line...
The VergeRussia will ban Instagram in 48 hours
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
One week after placing a ban on Facebook in Russia, the country’s communications agency Roskomnadzor announced it will ban Instagram, too. While the Facebook ban cited “discrimination against Russian media,” this time, the government claims it’s happening because of a decision by parent company Meta directing moderators to allow posts calling for violence against Russian soldiers if they originate from certain countries, including Ukraine.
Google translated from Russian, the agency’s statement says the following:
As you know, on March 11, Meta Platforms Inc. made an unprecedented decision by allowing the posting of information containing calls for violence against Russian citizens on its social networks Facebook and Instagram.
Messages...
The VergeUbisoft says it experienced a ‘cyber security incident’
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Ubisoft experienced a “cyber security incident” last week that temporarily disrupted some games, systems, and services, the company reported Thursday. Ubisoft said it believes that “at this time there is no evidence any player personal information was accessed or exposed as a by-product of this incident” and says that games and services are now “functioning normally.” Out of caution, the company also “initiated a company-wide password reset.” When asked for comment, Ubisoft spokesperson Jessica Roache said the company had no additional details to share.
News of the incident arrives amid a recent wave of high-profile hacks. Nvidia confirmed on March 1st that it was hacked and said that the hackers are leaking employee credentials and...
The VergeAI-produced images can’t fix diversity issues in dermatology databases
Photo by: IMAGE POINT FR/NIH/NIAID/BSIP //Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Image databases of skin conditions are notoriously biased towards lighter skin. Rather than wait for the slow process of collecting more images of conditions like cancer or inflammation on darker skin, one group wants to fill in the gaps using artificial intelligence. It’s working on an AI program to generate synthetic images of diseases on darker skin — and using those images for a tool that could help diagnose skin cancer.
“Having real images of darker skin is the ultimate solution,” says Eman Rezk, a machine learning expert at McMaster University in Canada working on the project. “Until we have that data, we need to find a way to close the gap.”
But other experts working in the field worry that using synthetic images could introduce...
The VergeThe TikTok and Oracle ‘trusted technology partner’ deal might really happen
Tiktok | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
TikTok is reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Oracle that would see the short-form video platform storing its US users’ data without providing access to Chinese parent company ByteDance. As first reported by Reuters, a dedicated team of engineers and cyber security workers would act as gatekeepers for US users’ data and would likely not be under TikTok’s supervision.
According to a report by BuzzFeed News, the agreement is known internally at TikTok as “Project Texas,” a reference to Oracle’s Austin, Texas headquarters. The company will put in place new controls that restrict access to US user data, which it will later recreate in Europe, BuzzFeed reported. But BuzzFeed says it’s still undecided how much access Chinese managers...
The VergeIn Ukraine, hacktivists fight back with data leaks
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Is it working?