1More’s noise-canceling ComfoBuds Pro are nearly half off at $55

The ComfoBuds Pro normally retail for $94.99, but right now Amazon has them for as low as $55. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Planning on flying out for a holiday this summer? Trying to unwind on a packed flight while a baby screams like a banshee isn’t the most relaxing start to a vacation — and is exactly when a pair of noise-canceling earbuds could come in handy. Unfortunately, many tend to be over $100, but today you can buy 1More’s ComfoBuds Pro on Amazon in white for $55 instead of $94.99 or in black for $59.99 as opposed to $99.99, both of which require you to clip the on-page coupon.

True to their name, we found 1More’s ComfoBuds Pro to be very comfortable, even over long stretches of time. The budget-friendly true wireless earbuds boast good sound quality for the price as well, along with decent noise cancellation with various levels of intensity. They...

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Congress is finally taking medical cybersecurity seriously

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Years of alarm bells from cybersecurity experts about the vulnerabilities of medical devices are finally being heard by Congress. Senators proposed a new bill this week that would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue cybersecurity guidelines more regularly, and share information about vulnerable devices on its website.

The legislation, first reported by CyberScoop, comes from Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.). The bill comes a few weeks after cybersecurity expert Joshua Corman testified before a Senate committee on the vulnerabilities of medical devices to cyberattacks, and a few months after FDA leaders asked Congress in April to dedicate more funding and authority to the agency around device cybersecurity....

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Tempo Move review: a great idea with terrible connectivity

Reliable connectivity on a connected fitness gadget is a must

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Elon Musk says Tesla’s fake robot might be ready by September 30th

Could a working prototype of Optimus be imminent? Or is this another fake out? | Image: Tesla

In a tweet that is definitely not meant to distract from the news that he’s planning on laying off about 10 percent of his workforce, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that he was shifting the company’s “AI Day” event from August to September in anticipation of being able to show off a “working” Optimus prototype.

You’ll recall that Optimus is the name given to the humanoid robot that Musk said will take on the repetitive, boring tasks that humans are loath to do. The robot was revealed during Tesla’s last AI day in August 2021, and as with all things Musk, it’s difficult to parse the reality from the smokescreen of bullshit he tends to throw out. After promising to reveal a working prototype sometime in 2022, the evening was capped by a person...

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Sega is making another mini Mega Drive, now with CD games

It looks like the mini console trend isn’t over quite yet. Sega has announced a sequel to its miniature Mega Drive (otherwise known as the Sega Genesis), and this one will feature both cartridge games and titles from the Mega CD add-on. In total, the tiny console will feature 50 built-in games, including the likes of Silpheed, Shining Force CD, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Virtua Racing, and Shining in the Darkness.

Unfortunately, as of now the device has only been announced for Japan; it’s expected to launch on October 27th for 9,980 yen (about $75).

Miniature retro consoles were all the rage a few years ago, following the blockbuster success of the NES mini in 2016. Nintendo followed that up with a tiny SNES, and Sony made a...

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Amazon Astro review: too much Alexa, not enough arms

While it’s not the robot we were looking for, Astro is rolling in the right direction.

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Vergecast: Meta’s executive shakeup, vaporware cars, and a WWDC preview

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Every Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and editor-at-large David Pierce discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.

This week, Nilay and David, along with Verge managing editor Alex Cranz and deputy editor Alex Heath discuss the news of Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg stepping down from the company after 14 years. How will this affect the structure and direction of the company?

Later in the show, transportation editor Andrew Hawkins joins to drive through the latest car news, including Volvo using Epic’s Unreal Engine to create ‘photorealistic’ graphics in its cars, GM slashing the price for the Chevy Bolt, and a first look at...

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Apple TV’s Shining Girls is a genre-bending crime thriller

Elisabeth Moss in Shining Girls_._ | Image: Apple

Chicago isn’t a dreamland for Kirby

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The Realme GT Neo 3 puts other fast-charging phones to shame

The Realme GT Neo 3 comes in 80W and 150W versions.

You’re never going to find a phone like the Realme GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition on a store shelf at Verizon or AT&T. For starters, Realme branded phones are usually only available in the US as unlocked global versions sold on Amazon, and they aren’t necessarily compatible with your wireless carrier’s network.

This particular model is also a special edition device with only 5,000 units made that pays tribute to the anime franchise Naruto. Either the US population just doesn’t have an affinity for special edition phones, or manufacturers have decided that it’s not worth the effort to sell them here. About the most exciting thing we seem to get is a green iPhone, which is just… an iPhone that’s green.

Photo by Allison Johnson...

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Chromebooks 101: how to take screenshots on your Chromebook

Screenshots can be useful for a variety of reasons. For example, you can send copies of error messages to support services, show a friend what your game screen looks like, or save a tweet that you suspect is going to be deleted in a few minutes. Today’s laptops all include ways to take screenshots, and that includes Chromebooks.

Chromebooks can be a little confusing for someone coming from another platform, especially because their keyboards are somewhat different than those of Macs or Windows PCs. Some keys present on other laptops are missing while new ones have been added. Luckily, there are two ways to take screenshots on Chromebooks: either by using key combinations or by using the Quick Settings pop-up.

Screenshots via Quick...

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This smart mosquito system actually works — for a hefty price

Thermacell’s Liv keeps the biting bugs at bay until you step outside its zone of protection

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BMW i4 review: better than expected

On the road, the 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 looks like any other 4 Series. There’s a reason the four-door sedan with its gigantic kidney grilles and sleek roofline commands is one of the automaker’s best-selling vehicles. It looks the part of a German sedan, and the EV version of the vehicle is the fruit of the automaker’s desire to build a platform that can accept any powertrain. Except, this is the best 4 Series.

While the push for electric SUVs continues, not every driver wants to sit above cars and haul all that extra weight around. There are real competitors for the BMW sedan — namely, the Tesla Model 3, Mercedes EQE, and Polestar 2. All of these vehicles are courting the midlevel luxury buyer who’s likely looking for either something a...

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Elon Musk reportedly orders hiring freeze, 10 percent staff reduction at Tesla

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

Elon Musk emailed Tesla executives on Thursday, Reuters reports, telling them the company needs to pause hiring worldwide and cut its workforce by about 10 percent. At the end of 2021, Tesla said in a filing that it had 99,290 employees worldwide. In the email seen by Reuters, Musk cites his “super bad feeling” about the economy.

One thing to note is that widespread layoffs aren’t an unusual practice for Musk and Tesla. It cut hundreds of workers in October 2017, nine percent of staff in June 2018, and about seven percent in January 2019, then cut salaries and furloughed employees in April 2020. There are no details in the report about which departments may be more or less impacted. Still, Musk recently sent a company-wide email claiming...

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Behind the high-tech COVID-19 tests you probably haven’t heard about

Did you know you can buy over-the-counter molecular COVID-19 tests?

OTC molecular tests combine PCR accuracy with the convenience of rapid antigen tests

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New York lawmakers pass a moratorium on Bitcoin mining

Representation of Bitcoin cryptocurrency is seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on June 1, 2022. | Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Bitcoin mining boom in New York state hit a roadblock as the State Senate passed a bill that will halt new permits for certain fossil fuel power plants to be used in Bitcoin mining. The measure, which also initiates a study on the environmental impact mining facilities are having in the state, passed in the State Assembly earlier this year.

Promising new jobs, the crypto industry had split Senate Democrats on whether the moratorium would come with greater environmental or economic costs. Talks languished until late in the evening as the State Senate neared its legislative deadline.

The bill will face another test as it heads to Governor Kathy Hochul to sign or veto. Hochul received a $40,000 donation last month from a chief...

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Horizon, Resident Evil Village, and more are coming to PlayStation VR2

Sony

Sony’s latest State of Play showcase gave a glimpse into what games will support the launch of the PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) headset. Neither a price or release date has been shared yet for the headset, but at least we know what kind of games we can look forward to. For what it’s worth, Sony committed to launching the headset with 20 “major” games, so it’s still got a bit of work to do to fill the gaps. We’ve covered the main highlights below, including trailers.

Horizon Call of the Mountain continues to look good

Guerilla Games showed off some combat and traversal gameplay for its upcoming PSVR2 exclusive game, Horizon Call of the Mountain. Like the console game, there seems to be a heck of a lot of climbing, and the visuals look...

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Here are the best tablet deals right now

Microsoft is currently discounting a bundle containing the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro keyboard to $1,099.99. | Image by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Tablets exist in a space between phones and laptops that is becoming increasingly muddled. As phones become more powerful and gain larger displays, laptops continue to get lighter. Tablet manufacturers haven’t been resting on their laurels, though. Many of the more recent tablets we’ve seen are looking to bridge the gap in terms of performance and, in select cases, handle some tasks more efficiently than both phones and laptops.

The tablet spectrum is varied, too. Inexpensive models like the Amazon Fire HD 10 make for excellent media streaming devices, while those in Microsoft’s versatile Surface lineup can easily serve as ad-hoc laptops when paired with an optional folio-style keyboard. Then there’s the ubiquitous iPad, a slate that has...

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Stray, the cyberpunk cat simulator, is now coming out in July

The last time we saw Stray, the open-world cyberpunk game where you play as a cat, it had been delayed. But now we have a new release date, and it’s soon: the game is coming out on July 19th. (It was originally slated to launch in early 2022.) It’ll be coming to the PS4 and PS5, as well as PC. And if you’re not sure what all of the fuss is about, there’s a brand-new trailer above showcasing all the futuristic feline action. It looks equal parts adorable and stressful, and I swear that if anything happens to that little kitty, I will absolutely lose it.

I mean, come on...

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Final Fantasy XVI is coming summer 2023

Square Enix

If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, today’s State of Play is for you. Today, Square Enix has revealed a bit more information about Final Fantasy XVI.

In the new trailer, we get our first glimpse of combat, which features high-speed real-time action that looks reminiscent of what Cloud and the gang get up to in Final Fantasy VII Remake. The trailer also features more of the mysterious Eikons, powerful monsters that resemble the summons of Final Fantasies of yore and seem to reside in human controllers called Dominants. It seems like befriending or fighting these Dominants will be at the heart of the game’s story.

Final Fantasy XVI was revealed in 2020 with a bloody trailer that was unlike anything the usually bright and hopeful series usually...

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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered is coming to PC in August

Sony announced during its June 2022 State of Play showcase that Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered from Insomniac Games is coming to PC on August 12th, 2022. This title debuted on PS5 as a launch title. The company didn’t share a price for the PC version, but like previous games, it’s coming to Steam and Epic Games Store.

There’s likely much more news to come — at least for spec nerds. The remastered edition of the game contains all DLC, and on the PS5, it came with some impressive graphical features, including ray tracing. Suffice to say, similar settings should be coming to the PC version, too. Sony showed off alpha footage in the showcase, but it looked good as a work-in-progress.

The release of Marvel’s Spider-Man on PC continues Sony’s...

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Meta’s next COO spent 14 years leading the platform’s relentless growth

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Photo Courtesy Meta

Meet the most powerful exec in social media you’ve never heard of

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Meta’s next COO spent 14 years leading the platform’s relentless growth

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Photo Courtesy Meta

Meet the most powerful exec in social media you’ve never heard of

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Resident Evil 4 remake is coming to the PS5 in March 2023

Capcom is continuing its trend of remaking classic Resident Evil games with the fourth mainline entry in the survival horror series. A remake of Resident Evil 4 will be hitting the PS5 on March 24th, 2023, bringing the action-focused game to modern platforms. Capcom also says the game will feature some kind of support for the next iteration of PlayStation VR. You can check out the first trailer above to see what a next-gen Leon Kennedy looks like.

“We aim to make the game feel familiar to fans of the series, while also providing a fresh feeling to it,” Capcom wrote in a blog post. “This is being done by reimagining the storyline of the game while keeping the essence of its direction, modernizing the graphics and updating the controls to...

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Meta adds new Calls tab to its Messenger app for iOS and Android

The Call tab will be available at the bottom portion of the user interface in the Messenger app | Image: Meta

Meta is rolling out a new ‘Calls’ tab globally in its Messenger app for iOS and Android users. The new tab will keep track of each call you make or receive in the app in one place and make it easier to connect calls with one tap. Also, for people who don’t regularly use the feature, it adds a clear reminder that they can use the app for voice or video calls in addition to text-based messaging.

In 2014, Facebook pulled messaging out of the main Facebook app, pushing mobile users to download a separate one to continue using the feature as part of its push to make Messenger a singular experience. The video call feature arrived in 2015, followed by cross-app messaging with Instagram and eventually cross-app group chats. Most recently, it a...

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It’s okay if the Pixel Watch only manages a day of battery life

We don’t know any official specs for the Pixel Watch, but the rumor mill is rife with speculation. | Image: Google

While Google confirmed last month that a Pixel Watch is on its way, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the device, like its hardware specs. The rumor mill has been buzzing, however, and the gist is the device will purportedly feature a 300mAh battery and Samsung’s last-gen wearable processor. The latest report from 9to5 Google claims that the watch will get around 24 hours of battery life on a single charge and that fast charging isn’t in the mix. It might be tempting to cry doom and gloom, but if this pans out? These numbers are par for the course.

Battery life remains one of the biggest challenges for smartwatch makers. Try to pack in a larger battery to get more juice and end up with a gargantuan watch that excludes anyone with...

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BMW is making an all-electric version of its redesigned X1 compact SUV

Image: BMW

BMW has redesigned its X1 compact SUV and is introducing an all-electric version of it. The new iX1 xDrive30 is the company’s latest EV option built on its fifth-generation eDrive platform, the same one that the new BMW i4 is built on. Unfortunately, BMW spokesperson Jay Hanson tells The Verge there are currently no plans to offer the iX1 in the US.

The German automaker will be building the new X1s in Regensburg, where gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and all-electric versions of the vehicle will be built on one assembly line. BMW is calling the refreshed X1 vehicles compact SAVs, or “Sports Activity Vehicles,” in an effort to better differentiate the entry-level compacts from the rest of the X line. Noticeable changes in the...

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Tumblr is adding a feature to disable reblogs of posts

Tumblr users who don’t want a specific post to be reblogged by others will now have the option to turn off the reblog setting. In a blog post, Tumblr says it will start rolling out reblog controls today on web and iOS, with Android to come soon.

When composing a post, users can choose between two reblog options. One option allows anyone on the platform to reblog the post to their own blog. A new option will let users disable reblogs on that post, making it so nobody can reblog it.

In the post, Tumblr says that the feature comes at the request of users who say controlling reblog settings would create a sense of safety. Even if a user blocks someone else after the post is made, the blocked user still would not be able to reblog the post,...

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BioWare reveals official title of Dragon Age 4

BioWare

Wardens, Inquisitors, Champions, it’s time to break out the whisks. Today, in a surprise announcement, BioWare revealed the name of the next installment in the Dragon Age series: Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

May the Dread Wolf take you.

Your newest adventure begins in Dragon Age: #Dreadwolf. pic.twitter.com/riYYZXS7O1

— Dragon Age (@dragonage) June 2, 2022

The reveal pretty clearly establishes what’s been known for a while now; that Solas, one of the companions in Dragon Age: Inquisition, will be the main antagonist of the new game.

If you did not play Dragon Age: Inquisition and have no idea who Solas is or why whenever his name is mentioned people like me start reaching for frying pans and spatulas, let me explain.

Spoilers for Dragon...

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iOS 16, Notifications, and Macs: what to expect at WWDC 2022

Kristen Radtke / The Verge

What will Apple’s next OS bring?

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Regulators sue Winklevoss crypto firm over futures contracts

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss at the Bitcoin 2021 Convention in Miami. | Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images

On Thursday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed suit against Gemini Trust Company, a cryptocurrency business founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. The commission alleges that Gemini misrepresented key details of its exchange and futures contracts in meetings with regulators in 2017.

As punishment, the commission is calling for civil monetary penalties and an order blocking Gemini and its affiliates from trading commodities or soliciting investments.

“We look forward to definitively proving this in court.”

The complaint puts particular focus on Gemini’s Bitcoin Futures Contract, one of the first financial instruments allowing investors to trade on expectations of a cryptocurrency’s future value. Because the futures...

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