Spotify is reorganizing its app to better separate podcasts and music

Spotify’s new Home screen, which includes filters for music and podcasts. | Image: Spotify

Spotify has been working on a new design for its home tab that will create separate feeds for your music and your podcasts. The company says it’s part of an effort to give you more and better recommendations, but it also addresses a common criticism of the Spotify experience: with every kind of audio smushed together in the app, it can sometimes be hard to figure out.

The new home feed, which is rolling out now for Android users and is coming to iOS “in the near future,” actually doesn’t look that different at first glance. But up at the top of the screen are two new buttons: one for Music and one for Podcasts & Shows. Tapping one of those will take you into separate feeds. Music will show you suggestions based on what you’ve been...

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Audi’s custom electric S1 ‘Hoonitron’ will visit the states for Monterey Car Week

Ken Block with the Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron concept. | Image: Audi

Audi built a special S1 E-Tron Quattro, dubbed the “Hoonitron,” in December for American precision driver Ken Block. And now, the automaker is set to bring the EV to US soil this month during Monterey Car Week. It’ll be juxtaposed with its design inspiration: the 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 that rally driver Walter Röhrl set a Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record with in 1987.

Audi’s new performance E-Tron will make a starring appearance in Block’s latest production dubbed Elektrikhana, a play of words between electric and gymkhana, the drifting motorsport with obstacles. Block and his crew produced a series of Gymkhana films where the pro stunt driver maneuvers through impossible-looking courses, like the streets of LA. Previously,...

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Walmart is trying to build a streaming service, again

Walmart has tried streaming before but may be back in the race. | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Walmart is investigating building its own streaming service, The New York Times reported, and is talking to some big-name content players about which shows and movies it can offer to Walmart Plus subscribers. The company has apparently held discussions with Paramount, Disney, and Comcast about the service, though it’s not clear whether those discussions came to anything. (Walmart declined to comment.)

Over the last few years, Walmart has tried a number of ways to get deeper into the entertainment business. It acquired Vudu all the way back in 2010, then mostly neglected the service for a decade before selling it to Fandango in 2020. Meanwhile, as far back as 2018, Walmart was rumored to be developing its own streaming service before d...

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How to use a TikTok video template

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

You can create a great TikTok video by doing nothing more than simply talking to the camera. However, if you want to do something a little fancier or you’re still unsure of your own ability to spruce up your video, you can start with some of the predesigned templates that come with the app.

Templates make it easy to create a lively, complex video. You just have to drop your own photos and / or videos into the template, and you’re done. (You can, of course, add your own text, sounds, effects, and more as well.)

Here’s how to start using a template:

• Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new video.
• Select Templates. (You’ll find it next to the Story label at the bottom of the screen.)

First, tap on...

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Amazon sold unauthorized mole removers, and the FDA isn’t happy about it

Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Unauthorized mole and skin tag removers sold on Amazon put the company in the crosshairs of the Food and Drug Administration, which sent a warning letter to the retail giant this month asking that it remove the products from its website.

There are no authorized over-the-counter drugs that remove moles or skin tags, the FDA said in its warning letter, which was addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. As part of its research, the agency says it bought two of the offending products on Amazon:the “Deisana Skin Tag Remover, Mole Remover and Repair Gel Set” and the “Skincell Mole Skin Tag Corrector Serum.”

The “FDA has safety concerns about drugs marketed OTC directly to consumers for these uses,” the agency said in its letter. Moles should be...

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Super Punch-Out!! has a hidden two-player mode — and you can try it on the Switch

You can’t tell from this screenshot, but I’m controlling Gabby Jay. | Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

Super Punch-Out!! has a hidden two-player mode that was just discovered nearly three decades after the game’s original 1994 release (via Kotaku). If you want to mess around with it but don’t have an SNES hooked up, you can actually give the secret mode a shot on the version of the game currently available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

The new two-player mode — and a fight select screen — were revealed by the Twitter account Unlisted Cheats in a thread on Monday. To activate them, you’ll need to have two controllers hooked up to your console of choice. (On Switch, I got them to work with a Pro Controller as player one and two Joy-Cons acting as one controller as player two.)

First, on the title screen, hold down Y and R with the p...

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Twitter is experiencing some problems right now

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter has been having issues for some users on Tuesday. I’m not personally experiencing any problems (yet), but a colleague says that things have been loading very slowly, specifically when it comes to new tweets and replies. They were also logged out on the web and weren’t able to sign back in.

I seem to be the lucky one — there are more than 30,000 user reports of problems on Downdetector. A heatmap shows that reports are coming in from all over the country, and there’s apparently a big outage in Atlanta.

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

Downdetector’s heatmap of user reports about Twitter problems as of 2:27PM ET.

Twitter spokesperson Shaokyi Amdo told The Verge that Twitter is “looking into this now”...

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Arlo Go 2 or Eufy 4G Starlight: which is the best cellular security camera?

We put these two self-sufficient smart home security cameras to the test

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How to fast-forward through a TikTok video

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

TikTok videos aren’t what you would call long, but sometimes you might want to skip a few seconds ahead — especially now that the videos can be up to 10 minutes long. Or you may have a favorite moment that you want to replay over and over and over. Either way, TikTok has a way to go forward and back on its videos.

When you’re playing a TikTok video, look at the bottom of the video for a faint white line. You will probably not see it in all videos; after some experimenting, I found that I was mainly finding it in the longer videos. If you do see it, then you can use it to go forward and back:

• You should also see a slightly thicker white line progress as the video progresses.
• Touch the thicker white line and it will highlight, with a dot...

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These new WiZ smart lighting options will light up your world… and floor

WiZ’s Mobile Portable Light can go with you to the bathroom. | Image: WiZ

WiZ, the more budget-friendly, hubless sibling to Philips Hue (both companies are owned by Signify), beefed up its range of Wi-Fi-powered smart lighting products with new releases this week.

The $89.99 WiZ Mobile Portable Light is coming in October, and the $24.99 WiZ Smart Button, which acts as a switch or remote control for all WiZ lighting, arrives in September. The company also added WiZ bar and floor lights as options for indirect lighting and wall-washing, which are available now.

The current WiZ range starts at under $11 a bulb and includes the standard shapes for white and colored bulbs, light strips, and downlights. There are also smart plugs, a wired dimmer, and a motion sensor — most of the building blocks for a smart...

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Issey Miyake, fashion pioneer and designer of Steve Jobs’ turtlenecks, dies at 84

Photo by Pierre Vauthey/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images

I had never held a piece by Issey Miyake before the tail end of a trip back home to Japan in 2019, when I wandered into the Pleats Please boutique in the Narita International Airport before my flight.

Candy-colored clothes hung like streaks of paint against the perfectly white laminated walls. Store attendees patiently strolled about as travelers with luggage fumbled with scarves, jostled hangers, and cocked their heads sideways, assessing how to wear the seemingly shapeless garments.

The way movement is such an integral element in Pleats Please by Issey Miyake is so satisfying and delivers such a sensuous experience pic.twitter.com/0rlCpoG9VW

— mar (@vogueheroine) July 17, 2020

The two-dimensional flatness of the garments is in...

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How to teach TikTok what you like to watch

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

For those who may not yet be familiar with it, TikTok is a different type of social media platform. Unlike more traditional platforms like Instagram or Twitter where you manually curate your feeds by choosing to follow others — most likely, people you know — TikTok uses an algorithm to curate a highly personalized feed of videos. This algorithm can get shockingly specific as it gathers the videos it thinks you’ll like.

TikTok’s main page is named the For You page — and that really means for you. For instance, after I’d been on TikTok for a while, the algorithm figured out that I’m a grown-up emo kid (it was never a phase, Mom) who is trying to learn French, spends too much time playing The Sims 4, and is also queer. But TikTok’s...

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Street Fighter 6 is bringing the ‘80s (and feet) back

Capcom

Here come some new challengers. At the end of EVO 2022’s Street Fighter V tournament, Capcom revealed two more characters coming to the roster of Street Fighter 6: Juri, the “I can fix her” returning fighter, and newcomer Kimberly, an ‘80s-obsessed teen.

Kimberly, the spunky new ninja, and Juri, the sadistic thrill-seeker, join #StreetFighter6 when it arrives in 2023! Spray cans, a portable cassette player, and motorcyles have never looked more fresh. ️ pic.twitter.com/Lnw87p27aP

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) August 8, 2022

Student of Guy and successor to the bushinryu tradition, Kimberly is spunky and colorful with an affinity for spray painting her enemies midmatch. Though Kimberly is a teenager and Street Fighter 6 seems to...

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Google’s big plans for wearables could include workouts from your TV

You might be able to view Wear OS or Fitbit data on the Google TV during a workout starting next year. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Google has yet to launch its first smartwatch, but the company may already be working on the next steps for its wearable plans. According to a Protocol report, Google is planning to integrate fitness trackers into Google TV and Android TV as part of a broader push to strengthen its product ecosystem. The question is whether the historically fragmented Wear OS platform is up for the challenge.

The company purportedly laid out the plans at a closed-door event with its TV partners, Protocol reports. The idea is to let Wear OS and Fitbit users broadcast real-time metrics like heart rate and calories burned on the screen. Better smart home controls are also part of the plan. That said, these efforts may take a while. Google’s fitness plans...

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The Pokémon anime’s Arceus Chronicles special is headed to Netflix

Goh, Ash, and Dawn hanging out in Canalave City with their Pokémon. | The Pokémon Company

Following the debut of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it was only a matter of (apologies) time before the Pokémon anime started focusing on stories about the Sinnoh region’s distant past when it was first settled by humans. While animated shorts like Hisuian Snowhave delved a bit into the Sinnoh region’s history by introducing new characters, the mainline anime’s about to give Ash Ketchum yet another crash course in dealing with the legendary pokémon whose power shaped the land.

Today, The Pokémon Company announced that the English dub of Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles, a new animated special, is making its way to Netflix this September after first premiering at the 2022 Pokémon World Championships in London this August. Originally released...

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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: all the news and updates from the event

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Live updates and other announcements

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Google launches new website for kids learning to read

Riveting illustrated stories.

Google has released a browser version of its “Read Along” Android app. The website, while still in beta, is up and running now.

The site includes hundreds of illustrated stories at a few different reading levels. Once kids select a story, they start reading into their device’s microphone. Words are highlighted in blue after they’ve read them, and mispronounced words are underlined in red; click an underlined word, and a virtual assistant, Diya, will pronounce it for you.

There may be math involved in some of these stories, just as a warning.

Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, while others (including Safari) are coming soon, Google says. Stories are available in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali,...

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Crypto lender Hodlnaut follows other firms in freezing withdrawals

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Cryptocurrency lender Hodlnaut is the latest firm to respond to tumultuous market conditions by halting withdrawals (via Coindesk). In a post on its website, the Singapore-based company announced that it’s freezing withdrawals, token swaps, and deposits due to an uncertain economy that some say triggered a “crypto winter.”

Hodlnaut is also rescinding its application to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a regulatory license that would allow the company to offer digital payment token services in the city-state. As pointed out by Coindesk, the firm already received in-principle approval for the license in March, and its withdrawal means it can no longer offer token swaps. Hodlnaut says it’s also suspending its borrowing and...

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Arlo’s wire-free video doorbell with smart alerts and a siren is on sale for $149

The white version of the Arlo wire-free video doorbell is currently selling for less than the black model, which is also discounted. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Smart home brand Arlo is running a wide array of discounts that just kicked off recently, with a bunch of its products discounted on its site — ranging from security systems to indoor and outdoor cameras. Our picks for what’s most worth your time and hard-earned dollars are the Arlo Essential video doorbells (wire-free or wired) and the Pro 3 Floodlight Cam.

First off, the best deal outright is on the wire-free Arlo video doorbell, which is currently on sale in white for $149 at Amazon. This discount of about $51 actually undercuts the deal price on Arlo’s site and at other retailers like Best Buy, where it’s on sale for $179.99. This video doorbell, along with its wired counterpart, were among our picks for the best video doorbells you...

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The best wireless earbuds to buy right now

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The best from Apple, Samsung, Sony, Beats, Google, and more

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The e-bike rebate is only mostly dead as supporters plot next steps

Illustration by Grayson Blackmon

A rebate for e-bike purchases was left out of the big climate deal, but it may yet live on

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The risky new way of building mobile broadband networks, explained by Rakuten Mobile CEO Tareq Amin

And why it’s 40 percent cheaper to run

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Google tries publicly shaming Apple into adopting RCS

The infamous green messaging bubbles. | Image: Google

Google is kicking off a new publicity campaign today to pressure Apple into adopting RCS, the cross-platform messaging protocol that’s meant to be a successor to the aging SMS and MMS standards.

The search giant has a new “Get The Message” website that lays out a familiar set of arguments for why Apple should support the standard, revolving around smoother messaging between iPhone and Android devices. Naturally, there’s also a #GetTheMessage hashtag to really get those viral juices flowing.

For most people, the problems Google describes are most familiar in the form of the green bubbles that signify messages to Android users in Apple’s Messages app. While the iPhone app uses Apple’s own iMessage service to send texts between iPhones...

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Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act on Tuesday, writing into law the $280 billion package that includes $52 billion in funding to boost US domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

“Today is a day for builders. Today, America’s delivering,” Biden said during the White House signing ceremony on Tuesday. “The CHIPS and Science Act is a once in a generation investment in America itself.”

The bipartisan deal to revive American innovation in opposition to growing Chinese technological dominance comes amid an ongoing global semiconductor shortage. The shortage has become an incentive for manufacturers like Intel to invest in new plants to meet the growing demand for tech products like laptops and smartphones worldwide. But US...

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AirPods cases with USB-C could be in the cards for 2023

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

AirPods could come with a charging case that supports USB-C in 2023, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It doesn’t look like we should expect USB-C on the AirPods Pro 2 that Apple’s expected to launch later this year, though, as Kuo still believes the case may still feature a Lightning port.

Adding a USB-C port to the AirPods case would be less convenient if you like to swap charging cables with a current iPhone, but would make them more compatible with everything else. It also saves you from going through the trouble of sawing into your existing case and then replacing the Lightning port with USB-C, like this modder did.

I predict Apple will launch USB-C-capable charging cases for all AirPods models in 2023. However, the...

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Samsung’s all alone at the foldable party

Samsung’s early head start on foldables is paying off. | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

Four years into folding phones and Samsung is the king of the party

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Clubhouse is breaking up to stay relevant

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Hello again everyone — it’s been a while! Ariel’s on vacation for the next week-plus, which means I get to tap in again and do my best impression of your usual host. Today, I chat about Clubhouse’s big revamp, Panera adding a branded sound, and PRX Productions boosting its output through a new partnership.

Clubhouse splits up

On Monday, I opened up Clubhouse to see if I could find any rooms worth tuning into. Right up top, the app suggested a room called “ Tech News around the World,” which seemed relevant enough to me, a technology reporter. But after that, things broke down right away. “Quick tip for getting more SAVES on your Pinterest pins!” didn’t seem to be playing well with anyone. (It had only 17 listeners.) “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ...

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How to watch Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is set to begin on Wednesday, August 10th.

Leading up to the event, Samsung has left us with breadcrumbs about what they’re going to announce at their Galaxy Unpacked event. Leaks and other clues have revealed that Samsung may be announcing an updated foldable to match last year’s announcement and release.

We also have a guess that there might be some new Galaxy Watches to announce as Samsung released a reservation for a trade-in for the Galaxy smartphone, smartwatch, and earbuds.

When does the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event take place?

The Samsung Galaxy event is set to take place on Wednesday, August 10th, 2022, at 6:00AM PT / 9:00AM ET.

Where can I watch the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event?

We will have the...

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DNC wants influencers to make their midterm message go viral

With less than 100 days until the midterm elections, the Democrats are equipping influencers and TikTok creators with digital tools to reach voters across the internet with party-sponsored content.

In the run-up to election season, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) built an online organizing hub to drive the party’s messaging beyond its own social channels. The hub creates a central online destination for influencers, surrogates, and supporters to receive party-sponsored talking points, messaging, and a wide variety of digital content to post on their own social media feeds.

“Our goal is to equip grassroots supporters and volunteers with the tools to share our message with their own networks and to be trusted messengers.”

“Our...

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Ford is almost ready to take new F-150 Lightning orders — with a $7,000 price hike

Photo by Andrew Hawkins / The Verge

Nearly nine months after it stopped taking reservations, Ford is ready to reopen the order banks for the F-150 Lightning. But buyers beware: the price for the electric truck has gone up by around $7,000 across all trim levels.

Ford is citing “significant material cost increases and other factors” as the primary reason for raising the price. Indeed, the F-150 Lightning is only the latest electric vehicle to see its price go up as a result of supply chain constraints, inflation, and greater demand for batteries and other components.

“Significant material cost increases and other factors”

Ford said it will honor the original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) for all current reservation holders. But anyone plunking down the $100...

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