Leaks suggest Google is about to release a cheaper Chromecast

The speculated dongle will be cheaper than the current Chromecast with Google TV but can’t match its 4K streaming capabilities. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

According to leaked information from “retail sources” given to German-language site WinFuture, a 1080p version of the Google Chromecast streaming dongle will imminently hit the European market for around €40 (tax inclusive). The current Chromecast with Google TV dongle costs €70, making the upcoming alternative around 40 percent cheaper, though we’ll have to wait and see how prices will compare across other regions.

A cheaper alternative to the standard Chromecast has been speculated since January of this year, with an FCC filing for a new wireless device designated as “Google G454V” emerging in June. While this wasn’t explicitly named as a Chromecast dongle, the listing mentioned the product is capable of 1080p resolution video...

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Former Conti ransomware gang members helped target Ukraine, Google says

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

A cybercriminal group containing former members of the notorious Conti ransomware gang is targeting the Ukrainian government and European NGOs in the region, Google says.

The details come from a new blog post from the Threat Analysis Group (TAG), a team within Google dedicated to tracking state-sponsored cyber activity.

With the war in Ukraine having lasted more than half a year, cyber activity including hacktivism and electronic warfare has been a constant presence in the background. Now, TAG says that profit-seeking cybercriminals are becoming active in the area in greater numbers.

From April through August 2022, TAG has been following “an increasing number of financially motivated threat actors targeting Ukraine whose activities seem...

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Twitter is expanding its experimental community moderation system

Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter is expanding Birdwatch, its community-driven content moderation program, to half of all US users on Wednesday.

Twitter first launched Birdwatch last year with the goal of empowering users to provide additional context to potentially misleading tweets. Members of the program are asked to write notes contextualizing posts or provide related information that appears on user feeds. While only a small group of users have been able to view Birdwatch notes in the past, all notes have been publicly available on the Birdwatch website.

Twitter has its own policies addressing misinformation on its platform and has started labeling false tweets and manipulated videos over the last few years. In a call with reporters on Tuesday, Twitter’s...

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Apple’s iPhone 14 event live blog

Image: Apple

Live from Apple’s ‘Far Out’ event in Cupertino

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Conservative podcasters are ditching the industry’s largest event

After Ben Shapiro’s appearance at Podcast Movement prompted outcry, the company that handles his podcast sales is cutting ties with the event. | Photo by Jason Kempin / Getty Images

I hope you all had a chill Labor Day à la Miss Flo. I spent more of it on Twitter than I would have liked because of the spit , a gift from the messy drama gods. I don’t care what Chris Pine’s PR says — we saw what we saw.

Speaking of drama, the Ben Shapiro / Podcast Movement brouhaha simply will not die. Let’s get into it.

Cumulus cuts ties with Podcast Movement over Ben Shapiro controversy

Do I love getting a juicy, unprompted news nugget in my inbox after 4PM? Not really. But I do appreciate the shit stirring on Cumulus’ part. Yesterday afternoon, the company announced that it will not be participating in Podcast Movement next year after the event’s organizers apologized for Ben Shapiro showing up at the conference last month.

“At...

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Netflix is resurrecting the Teletubbies with a new series

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po | Image: Netflix

Almost as if they heard about HBO Max kicking Sesame Street to the curb, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po are coming back to entertain (and hopefully scare the hell out of) a new generation of Teletubbies fans in a new series from Netflix.

Today, Netflix announced the impending arrival of its refreshed Teletubbies preschool show from Andrew Davenport, co-creator of the original series that first took the world by storm in the late ’90s. The news series is set to be narrated by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Tituss Burgess and will star Doctor Who’s Jeremiah Krage as Tinky Winky, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’s Nick Kellington as Dipsy, Rebecca Hyland as Laa-Laa, and Wonder Woman 1984 stuntwoman Rachelle Beinart as Po.

...

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YouTube TV now has surround sound on Apple TV and Fire TV

YouTube TV finally released the promised 5.1 surround sound audio, and it made this graphic for the occasion. | Image: Google

After releasing YouTube TV surround sound capability for Google’s TV devices and Roku in June, Google is finally adding the feature for its cord-cutter audiences using Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV platforms. The company had promised to release the enhanced audio stream capability for those platforms eventually, saying it was “still working internally and with partners.”

Google initially announced plans to add 5.1 surround sound capability for YouTube TV last year, coinciding with the launch of a 4K Plus package that includes higher-quality video and the ability to play recordings offline. At the time, Google promised the Dolby 5.1 surround features would be out for all subscribers (Plus package or not) in the “coming weeks,” but it...

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The Apple event is going to be a hot one

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP via Getty Images

Tech reporters are descending on Cupertino, California, today for Apple’s product launch event, where they’re expecting a first look at new iPhones and Apple Watches. They’ll also be hot — really hot. There’s a suffocating heatwave across the whole state, including in the Bay Area, where temperatures hit all-time highs.

Tomorrow we’re going to get a bunch of new iPhones and a bunch of tech reporters melting into the pavement at Apple Park pic.twitter.com/coFcfCK6gP

— David Pierce (@pierce) September 6, 2022

These sorts of extreme heat events are becoming more common because of climate change. The odds of record-breaking heatwaves are far greater now than they were a few decades ago. They’ll be even higher in the next few decades....

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PSA: If you have an original Eero router, it’s time to upgrade

The first-gen Eero had the same small, white squircle form factor as today’s Eeros. | Image: Eero

Eero’s original mesh Wi-Fi router is going to the tech junkyard in the sky. This week, the company delivered an End of Life notice to users in its app, warning that the OG router’s days are numbered.

The first-gen Eero, which debuted in 2016 and was discontinued in 2017, will stop receiving guaranteed software security updates after September 30th, 2022, Amazon spokesperson Connor Rice confirmed to The Verge. This is just over six years after the product launched. The devices won’t stop working, but they won’t receive new features — or, most crucially, security updates — beyond this date.

This gives rise to the question of just how long you should keep your Wi-Fi router around. An essential piece of infrastructure in modern homes, it’s...

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Nintendo announces a new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet-flavored Switch OLED

Nintendo Switch OLED Model Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Edition | Image: Nintendo

Seems like whenever a new flagship Nintendo game is about to release, it gets a special edition Switch to go with it. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are no exception, as today, Nintendo has revealed the orange and grape-flavored OLED Switch that will accompany the release of the next major Pokémon title.

Burdened with the especially cumbersome name — The Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition — the OLED Switch launches on November 4th and retails at $359.99, making the fancy paint job featuring Scarlet and Violet’s new legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon worth $10 extra bucks than the regular stark white SWOLED.

In addition to the new SWOLED, Nintendo also released a new trailer for ScarVi (my new name for the game...

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Microsoft’s new Xbox Elite 2 ‘Core’ controller is more affordable at $129.99

Microsoft’s new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is announcing a new Xbox Elite 2 Core controller today, and it’s priced at $50 less than the existing Xbox Elite 2. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core (yes, that’s the full name!) is available for preorder today for $129.99, but it doesn’t include the usual interchangeable components — you’ll have to purchase those separately.

The Xbox Elite 2 Core, as we’re calling it, offers the usual adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wraparound rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks, and it now comes in white. It’s the same white controller we saw in leaked video footage last month, and it’s essentially designed to be a more affordable Xbox Elite 2 controller.

Image: Microsoft

The new Xbox Elite...

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Splatoon remains the most playful and stylish shooter around in third outing

Image: Nintendo

And now it has a killer single-player campaign, too

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Xbox Elite 2 controllers will be customizable in the Xbox Design Lab later this year

An Xbox Elite 2 controller. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Elite 2 controllers to the company’s Xbox Design Lab later this year. Xbox owners will be able to order custom color variants of the Xbox Elite 2 in the same way they currently can for existing Xbox Series S / X controllers.

“Player choice has always been at the core of the elite series design philosophy. That is why we’re also excited to announce that we will be bringing Elite Wireless Series 2 Controllers to Xbox Design Lab later this holiday,” explains Daniel Ruiz, senior marketing manager for Xbox accessories. “We’ll have more details to share at a later date.”

The announcement that Xbox Elite 2 controllers are coming to Design Lab arrives just as Microsoft announces a more affordable Xbox Elite 2 Core...

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review: sometimes bigger is better

At least, in terms of reading and battery life

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Judge denies Elon Musk’s attempt to delay Twitter trial

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

A Delaware court has denied billionaire Elon Musk’s attempt to push back the October trial over his abortive Twitter acquisition, but it agrees that he can incorporate claims made by former Twitter security chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko into his case.

The decision follows a hearing yesterday afternoon that saw Musk’s attorneys argue for a “meager” few weeks to review new information before the trial’s October 17th start date. Twitter, meanwhile, accused Musk of trying to drag out the trial and “sow chaos” with more document requests — claiming at one point that its lawyers had been forced to pause responding to international law enforcement requests.

Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick said that Musk should be granted wide latitude to amend...

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Tesla Model Y earns five-star rating from European safety agency

All of Tesla’s vehicles are rated five stars by the Euro NCAP.

Tesla extended its five-star rating streak in Europe with the Model Y, the company announced. The electric crossover SUV earned top marks during safety tests conducted by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), receiving the highest overall score among any vehicle tested under the agency’s more stringent test protocol.

The testing measures four areas: the vehicle’s ability to protect adults; its ability to protect children; the protection it provides vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians; and its safety assistance features. The Model Y, made at Tesla’s new gigafactory in Berlin, scored a 97 percent in Adult Occupant Protection and a “near-perfect” 98 percent in Safety Assist, with full points for its lane...

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Asus’ excellent Chromebook Detachable CM3 has returned to its lowest price to date

Asus’ excellent ChromeOS machine is $100 off at Best Buy today. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

In need of a new laptop but working with a tighter budget? A good Chromebook like Asus’ Chromebook Detachable CM3 is an affordable alternative to consider if you don’t require a lot of power. It’s even cheaper today, too, now that the convertible has returned to its best price in nearly a year. Regularly $369.99, the Chromebook Detachable CM3 is on sale at Amazon with a MediaTek 8183 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage for just $269.99.

The CM3 is our favorite detachable Chromebook, one that features a dual-folding kickstand that allows it to stand up like a laptop or fold horizontally. Plus, it comes with a detachable keyboard, a magnetic cover, a built-in USI stylus, and an excellent battery that should last you nearly 13...

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Destiny 2’s new Eruption mode is the best thing to happen to its PvP in years

Destiny 2_’s new Eruption mode._ | Image: Bungie

Bungie’s new Eruption mode for Destiny 2 is the most exciting thing that’s happened to the game’s player-vs-player (PvP) Crucible for years. If you remember Cranked from Call of Duty, this is Destiny 2’s version. You run around eliminating players in the Iron Banner playlist to build streaks, and then you’re hunted by the entire opposite team in an elaborate game of cat and mouse.

After a few frustrating years of Destiny 2 PvP, Eruption is fast-paced, rewarding, and very fun. I’m hooked.

Destiny 2 is known for its space magic and abilities, and Eruption cranks this up into a truly thrilling back and forth, whether you’re experienced at PvP or not. Eruption is Clash with energy boosts based on kill streaks. It’s like a mix of the Mayhem...

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It’s time for the Apple Watch to become Apple’s next big thing

The Apple Watch is an excellent fitness device – but its wrist computer potential is still out there. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Nothing will kill the iPhone, but the Watch is ready for the spotlight

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Ring finally brings end-to-end encryption to its flagship video doorbells

Ring’s battery-powered video doorbells —including the Ring Video Doorbell 4 — now work with end-to-end encryption of video and audio. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Ring is now offering end-to-end encryption of video and audio on its battery-powered video doorbells and security cameras, over a year after it added the option to its hardwired and plug-in devices. End-to-end encryption lets users of the company’s video cameras keep their footage locked down, making it accessible only on their enrolled iOS or Android device. Separately, Ring is also making it easier to save recorded videos when an owner sells or disposes of a Ring device

With end-to-end encryption enabled, no one but the camera’s owner can access recorded footage. Even if law enforcement asked Ring, or its parent company Amazon, for the video, they couldn't provide it. Only the enrolled mobile device can unlock the video.

By default,...

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Android 13 is making it easier to keep work and personal data separate

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Android 13 has new features that aim to improve the experience of using a single device for both work and play. According to Google, Android 13’s redesigned “work profiles” build upon last year’s enhancements to keep an employee’s personal data separate from their work data and make the user experience better and more productive, all while still adhering to an IT department’s admin policies.

One improvement in Android 13 lets employees specify if an app should be opened in their personal or work profile. This can be useful to keep corporate videos out of personal YouTube watchlists, suggests Google in one example. Employees can also have two photo galleries on their devices (one for personal use and the other for work) for a more curated...

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New PS5 update rolling out with 1440p support, gamelists, and UX improvements

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Sony is rolling out a new PS5 system software update that includes 1440p resolution support, a new gamelists feature, and UX and social improvements. Testing for 1440p on PS5 first started in July, and now all PS5 owners will be able to access the software update.

The new 1440p option allows PS5 owners to pick this resolution on compatible TVs and monitors. If games fully support 1440p then they’ll natively output at this resolution, otherwise 4K games will improve anti-aliasing by using supersampling down to 1440p output. The only drawback is that Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) won’t be supported at 1440p, and will only work at 1080p and 4K on the PS5.

This new PS5 update also includes a gamelists feature, which is essentially folders for...

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Sony’s new PS5 has been totally redesigned inside and uses less power

The new PS5 (1200) internals. | Image: Austin Evans (YouTube)

Sony has totally revamped the internal design of its latest PS5 models. A revised PS5 model started appearing in Australia last month, and now YouTuber Austin Evans has taken a look at the internals and discovered a lot of changes. Sony is using a new, smaller motherboard for the PS5, different cooling, and has even changed the SSD enclosure.

All of these changes add up to another weight reduction, but no obvious changes to the exterior of the PS5. The real big change is the updated motherboard in the PS5. It has shrunk by around two inches, and the cooling for the PS5 is slightly different thanks to an additional heat pipe at the rear and a smaller heatsink.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a redesigned cooling solution on the PS5....

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Google Maps can now tune its eco-friendly navigation for gas, diesel, and electrified vehicles

You can tell maps if you have a petrol, diesel, hybrid, or electric car. | Image: Google

Google is expanding Maps’ eco-friendly routing mode, rolling the feature out in dozens of European countries and making it even more powerful by letting you pick what type of fuel your car runs on.

The feature, originally launched in the US and Canada last year, will highlight routes that use less energy if they have a similar ETA to other alternate routes. Google says that starting today, it is rolling out to users in “nearly 40” European countries, including France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the UK. (It was introduced in Germany last month.)

Gif: Google

Telling Google what type of car you drive could let it give you even more efficient directions.

Google’s also adding the ability to tell Maps if your car...

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The first phone maker to add satellite texting to its devices is... Huawei

The Huawei Mate 50 might have just edged out Apple in the space-texting race. | Image: Huawei

Huawei has announced the Mate 50 series, a day ahead of Apple’s September event and with a feature that the iPhone 14 is expected to offer: the ability to send texts via satellite communication. The Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro will be able to send short texts and utilize navigation thanks to China’s global BeiDou satellite network, allowing for communication in areas without cellular signal.

The flagship Mate 50 series includes 4G-only versions of the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset with 8GB of RAM. The 50 Pro comes with a slightly bigger 6.74-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Mate 50 offers a 6.7-inch, 90Hz OLED panel. Both include a 50-megapixel main rear camera with a variable aperture lens with stops from f/1.4 to...

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Sundar Pichai, live at the Code Conference

Sundar Pichai. | Laura Normand / The Verge

Verbatim search

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How Cloudflare got Kiwi Farms wrong

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Why more platforms need to close the stochastic terrorism loophole

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The best Sonos speaker and soundbar deals

The Sonos Roam launched last year is now available in refurbished condition for $139.99. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Most would agree that Sonos offers some of the best speakers and soundbars currently available. That’s because Sonos makes speakers that — more often than not — boast great sound quality, support for all the major streaming platforms, and simple multi-room functionality. Unfortunately, however, those perks often come at a high price. Sonos products aren’t cheap, and, outside of the occasional rogue discount, they rarely go on sale. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t ways to save at least a few dollars on Sonos gear.

If you’re comfortable buying refurbished, for example, you could save a decent amount. We also occasionally see sales on Sonos’ collaborative series with Ikea and discounted bundles that include Sonos...

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How The Merge will slash Ethereum’s climate pollution

Computer equipment used by an Ethereum miner on October 20, 2021 in Vilassar de Mar, Spain. | Photo by Manuel Medir/Getty Images

Ethereum just set The Merge in motion — and the stakes are huge for the planet. The Merge is arguably one of the most anticipated events yet in cryptocurrency history, when the Ethereum blockchain will switch from a disturbingly energy-hungry method of validating transactions to a new strategy that uses a fraction of the electricity as the network gobbled up before.

The transition is supposed to slash Ethereum’s energy consumption by a whopping 99.95 percent. That’s a seriously big deal since, just last week, the cryptocurrency network was estimated to use as much electricity annually as the country of Bangladesh. All that energy, of course, comes with a lot of carbon dioxide pollution that’s exacerbating climate change. Ethereum’s...

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T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is now available in parts of NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile is expanding its 5G home internet service to 64 cities in several states in the Northeast, reaching residents in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

This latest expansion in coverage gives more than 9 million homes access to T-Mobile’s internet, the company says. However, as our review last year showed, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be consistent everywhere. T-Mobile warns that even if your city is on the list (available below), it’s not ready to go everywhere yet. However, some people may be eligible for 4G LTE service. Currently, the service is $50 a month for AutoPay customers and $30 for families with Magenta MAX, T-Mobile’s phone plan.

Launched in April 2021, the Home Internet...

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