The Verge
Fujifilm Instax Square Link review: hip to print square
Minus a few gimmicky social features, the Square Link adds up to good nostalgic fun
The VergeThe VergeThe Twitter deal is all downside risk for Elon Musk
Illustration by William Joel / The Verge
Elon Musk has everything to lose and only retweets to gain
The VergeMicrosoft: Xbox game streaming console is ‘years away’
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has revealed that the company’s Xbox game streaming console is now “years away.” Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference yesterday, Spencer discussed the Xbox game streaming device, Keystone, that we saw appear on his shelf recently.
“Keystone was the codename of something we were incubating internally, which was ... a streaming console, so there’s no local gameplay, low-cost, plug it into a TV, and you’d be able to stream Xbox games,” said Spencer. “In the late spring, we pivoted to working with Samsung. We put an app on Samsung TVs that let you play Xbox games, and I still have the prototype; it sits on the shelf behind my computer.”
Image: Phil Spencer (Twitter) ...
The VergeiPads made flight decks digital — now United is using them to confirm airplane maintenance
United lead line technician Mansur Zia observes the exterior of the plane and uses the iPad to create service tickets and perform a digital maintenance release sign-off. | Image: Apple / United
It’s great that iPads can help pilots replace heavy paper flight plans and logbooks, but digitizing airplane maintenance could arguably be even more important. Apple and United announced today that the latter is now doable, after United received the first and only FAA approval to complete maintenance sign-off via iPads.
If you’ve boarded a flight before, you might have noticed technicians on the ground checking around the plane for anything that could be a problem (and you silently thank them for it).
United says that using iPads expedites the document release process by 10 minutes
At the end of their process, a lead technician would need to sign off on a physical Maintenance Release Document (MRD) that confirms the completion of...
The VergeNever pay the ransom — a cybersecurity CEO explains why
Illustration by Vincent Kilbride / The Verge
Ransomware attacks still plague our healthcare system. Steve Cagle’s cybersecurity company is trying to prevent them.
The VergeYouTube will let doctors and nurses apply to be labeled as reliable
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Licensed healthcare professionals on YouTube can now apply to get panels added to their videos that mark them as reliable health information sources, the company said Thursday. They’ll also be able to have videos added to health content shelves, which compile information on specific medical conditions.
Licensed doctors, nurses, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and social workers are eligible for the feature. YouTube will verify applicants’ licenses. They’ll have to agree to follow the best practices for health information sharing created by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the National Academy of Medicine, and the World Health Organization — which says information should be science-based, objective, transparent,...
The VergeYou can save $200 on the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 today
Samsung is currently matching the Prime Day pricing for the midtier Galaxy Z Flip 4. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
If you missed out on the lowest price ever for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 during Amazon’s Prime Day Early Access Sale, you’re in luck. Currently, you can find the unlocked 256GB configuration of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 matching its Prime Day price at Samsung. Normally $1,059.99, Samsung has discounted the midtier Flip 4 to $859.99, knocking $200 off the regular price of a phone that’s just incredibly fun to use. You can laugh if you want, but the fourth iteration of the Galaxy Z Flip is actually a pretty decent phone with solid battery life that easily compresses into a roughly 3 x 2-inch block that fits in your pocket. The Android phone’s photo capabilities are slightly lacking compared to the Z Fold 4, but the Flip 4 is an excellent...
The VergeElon Musk tells advertisers he will not make Twitter a ‘free-for-all hellscape’
Laura Normand / The Verge
In a tweet posted Thursday morning, Elon Musk dismissed speculation about why he’d buy Twitter and his thoughts on advertising, writing, “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.”
The thread appears to be a fairly direct response to a report published earlier in the day from The Wall Street Journal that said, “Advertisers are concerned about the billionaire’s plans to soften content moderation and what they say are potential conflicts of interest in auto advertising.”
Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27,...
The VergeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s disc is just 72MB of nothing
Image: Activision
Physical copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II are starting to be delivered worldwide, and players have been stunned to find the discs only include 72MB of data. Instead, owners have had to download the entire game digitally, which Eurogamer reports could take up as much as 150GB of space on the PS5.
Activision has effectively shipped a dummy disc, meaning physical copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will always have to connect up to the internet to get a copy of the game. It’s a process that has seen widespread criticism in the past, particularly because it can hinder game preservation, force firmware updates, and overall, pushes owners toward DRM versions of games that might not work properly years in the future.
70mb … p...
The VergeApple macOS 13 Ventura review: a bunch of good updates you can mostly ignore
Apple’s latest desktop software is familiar territory for the majority of Mac users, but it does have some new ideas about multitasking and a whole new Settings app. And of course, it ties into your iPhone more than ever.
The VergeSnapchat rolls out more advanced video editing tools with Director Mode
Image: Snapchat
Snapchat is giving users more powerful video tools through a new feature called Director Mode. It’s available starting today globally for iOS and Android.
Director Mode, first previewed in April, brings a handful of new features for filming and editing videos on Snapchat, including a few that are popular on other platforms. Green screen, for example, allows users to record videos with a background, similar to the TikTok filter of the same name. And dual camera, previously only available for iOS users, is a BeReal-esque feature that takes a front and back-facing photo or video simultaneously.
Other tools include quick edit, which allows users to trim and splice multiple videos together, and a camera speed feature to speed up or slow down...
The VergeBoost Mobile’s new no-fee banking comes with a surprising number of fees
Why stop at wireless services when you can add a side of finance? | Image: Boost Mobile
Dish Network-owned Boost Mobile is getting into financial services with the launch of OmniMoney, a basic banking service aimed at people who can’t access traditional bank accounts. It’s a service that Boost CEO Stephen Stokols hopes will make the brand “stickier to existing customers” and attract new ones. This comes at a time when the company very much needs to attract new customers, as the Boost brand continues to lose subscribers and Dish is struggling to get a viable 5G network off the ground. At least part of that plan includes offering “basic no-fee banking services” — except, well, there are fees.
To be clear, Boost Mobile is not becoming a bank. It’s licensing the service from a company called Alviere, which handles the banking...
The VergeMicrosoft’s new Xbox Home UI feels like a giant Game Pass ad
Microsoft started testing a new Xbox Home UI last month that will arrive in 2023. I’ve managed to try an early version of the Home UI this week, and while there are some much-needed improvements, the home section of the Xbox dashboard is starting to feel like one giant Xbox Game Pass ad.
The main interface now replaces the larger tile for the most recent app or game, with six tiles that are now all the same size across the top row. These are the latest apps or games, and I’m glad to see that Microsoft has removed apps like Settings and the Microsoft Store from appearing in this recent list given you can easily access both from the new Xbox Home UI.
While most Xbox users have been asking for a less cluttered UI on the home screen, this...
The VergeThis tablet pairs an E Ink display with a... 16-megapixel rear camera?
The Boox Tab Ultra is a new $599.99 E Ink tablet from Onyx that pairs a 16-megapixel rear camera with a 10.3-inch paper-link display. It’s an odd combination. Tablets already have a bit of a rough reputation when it comes to photography, and E Ink displays aren’t exactly known for their color accuracy or high refresh rates — two features that are pretty important when it comes to taking good photos. So what’s going on here?
The truth is a lot more sensible than it initially seems. Onyx is pitching the Boox Tab Ultra as a device for professional and business usage, where it thinks a rear camera might be helpful for scanning documents with support for OCR. “Turn on the rear camera to take a picture of your document and convert it to text...
The VergeMicrosoft’s great OneNote merge begins with a single app in the Windows store
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft has been unifying its OneNote and OneNote for Windows 10 apps into a single app over the past year, and now there’s only one version of OneNote in the Windows store. The great OneNote merge, as I call it, has seen some features from the UWP OneNote for Windows 10 app arrive in the traditional OneNote desktop app, alongside a visual refresh, too.
Now, Microsoft wants to make sure you download the correct version of OneNote moving forward. “OneNote for Windows 10 will no longer be available in the Microsoft Store,” explains the OneNote team in a blog post. “It will continue to work, but it will not get new feature updates and will reach end-of-support in October 2025.” If you still need to download the OneNote UWP version to a...
The VergeAsus’ foldable laptop goes on sale for $3,499.99
The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, more or less fully unfolded. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Asus’ first foray into the world of folding-screen laptops, the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, is now on sale for $3,499.99, the company has announced. Asus says the laptop is being sold in the US via B&H and Newegg though as of this writing only Newegg seems to have the laptop available for immediate shipping, with B&H listing it as “coming soon.” That aligns with the Q4 target date given to us when we reviewed the laptop in August.
At $3,499.99, Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is eye-wateringly expensive, but my colleague Monica Chin points out that it’s the first such device that starts to deliver on the promise of this new form factor. You can either use the laptop with its 17.3-inch 2560 x 1920 screen fully unfolded and paired with a bluetooth keyboard...
The VergeGrandson of Samsung’s founder takes control of empire as earnings fall
Jay Y. Lee speaking in May this year. | Photo by Kim Min-Hee - Pool/Getty Images
Samsung Electronics has appointed Lee Jae-yong — who is known in the West as Jay Y. Lee — as its executive chairman, giving the grandson of the company’s founder formal control, the South Korean tech giant announced today. The announcement came on the same day that Samsung announced a series of disappointing earnings results, as profits fell 23 percent compared to the previous quarter.
According to Samsung’s official announcement justifying the appointment, “the Board cited the current uncertain global business environment and the pressing need for stronger accountability and business stability in approving the recommendation.” Samsung is currently battling a slump in demand for several of its key businesses including memory chips,...
The VergeApple pauses App Store gambling ads after developer outcry
Other unspecified categories of apps have also been paused. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Apple has “paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages” after developers and commentators criticized the types of advertisements showing up in the iPhone’s App Store, according to a statement from spokesperson Trevor Kincaid.
On Tuesday, Apple announced that companies could advertise their apps on the store pages for other apps, putting their icon in the “you might also like” section. Almost immediately, developers started showing examples of ads for gambling apps being recommended under their apps.
Twitter is also full of screenshots of very inappropriate ad placements: one Twitter user shows a slot machine app being advertised alongside gambling addiction recovery apps, and there are examples of...
The VergeEverything you need to know about The Wire’s retracted reporting on Meta
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
Update October 26th, 6:42PM ET: After retracting its story on Meta, The Wire posted an update stating it was subject to “deception” by a staff member. Here’s how the story unfolded previously.
Meta — Facebook and Instagram’s parent company — is at the center of controversy in India, where a local publication claimed the company removed an Instagram post on behalf of an Indian politician. Meta pushed back on these claims and accused the outlet of using “fabricated” evidence.
After Meta and several experts online found inconsistencies in The Wire’s reporting, the outlet decided to suspend access to its stories on October 18th and conduct an “internal review” of the documents it used as evidence. It later retracted its report on October...
The VergeZuckerberg is all in on the metaverse whether you like it or not
Image: Getty Images
Toward the end of Meta’s earnings call on Wednesday discussing the company’s results for Q3 2022, CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a moment to address his metaverse doubters.
“Look, I get that a lot of people might disagree with this investment, but from what I can tell, I think this is going to be a very important thing,” he said. “People will look back a decade from now and talk about the importance of the work being done here.”
“People will look back a decade from now and talk about the importance of the work being done here”
The problem is that a decade is a long time from now. And as Zuckerberg experienced on today’s earnings call, he is losing faithful supporters quickly. “I think kind of summing up how investors are feeling right now is...
The VergeDisney wants to use your viewing history to personalize your park experience
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
Disney could soon start using your Disney Plus viewing habits to influence your experience at its parks — and vice versa. In an interview at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the company’s working on a way to tailor both experiences based on how you interact with its physical and digital offerings.
“If you’re on Disney Plus, we should be aware of what happened, what you experienced, what you liked, the last time you visited a park, and vice versa,” Chapek explained. “When you’re in a park, we should know what your viewing habits are on Disney Plus.”
Disney CEO Bob Chapek talking about how your Disney+ viewing habits could soon impact your experience at the theme parks: pic.twitter.com/72FGccKJ46
—...
The VergeElon Musk seems to feel at home inside Twitter’s HQ as ‘Chief Twit’
Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge
With about 48 hours to go in the judge-mandated timeline to close his deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion, Elon Musk has arrived at the company’s San Francisco base of operations and is certainly walking around like he owns the place, which gives off the vibe that, soon, he really will.
As reported earlier by The Verge’s own Alex Heath, Twitter chief marketing officer Leslie Berland informed staffers in an email that they should expect to see Musk around HQ this week and hear from him directly on Friday.
Meeting a lot of cool people at Twitter today!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
Musk has also changed the description on his profile to read “Chief Twit,” which sounds fitting for the soon-to-be majority owner of Twitter and...
The VergeThe Wire blames retracted Meta story on ‘deception’ by staff member
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
The Wire, the Indian news outlet that published an explosive and now-retracted story on Meta earlier this month, says it was subject to “deception” by one of the members of its “Meta investigation team.” In an update posted on its site today, The Wire apologizes for running the retracted story, which originally accused Meta of granting an Indian politician special privileges on Instagram and Facebook.
This latest admission indicates the outlet’s editorial team was somehow tricked by an employee, calling into question whether the employee (who The Wire does not name) fell victim to some kind of deceit or if it was done intentionally as a way to smear Meta. The Wire says it’s currently reviewing its editorial processes and that doing so...
The VergeTesla’s self-driving claims are reportedly under criminal investigation
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Tesla is facing a criminal probe over its claims about its driver assist technology, according to Reuters. The US Department of Justice launched an investigation late last year following more than a dozen crashes, some of which were fatal, involving the company’s Autopilot feature.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been promising actual driverless cars are coming since 2016 — a promise he has yet to deliver. He’s gone from saying that Tesla will have 1 million robotaxis on the road by the end of the year to 1 million people in the FSD beta program, which are wildly different things.
The US Department of Justice launched an investigation late last year following more than a dozen crashes
Tesla vehicles today come standard with a driver-assist...
The VergeXbox’s Phil Spencer says the metaverse is a ‘poorly built video game’
“For me, building a metaverse that looks like a meeting room... I just find that’s not where I want to spend most of my time.” | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s CEO of gaming, is the latest tech exec to take a shot at Meta’s vision of the metaverse. When asked his definition of the metaverse, Spencer described it as “a poorly built video game” at the WSJ Tech Live conference today.
Meta rebranded from Facebook last year as a testament to its focus on the metaverse, which it believes will become a place where you not only socialize with friends but also do serious work with colleagues. It seems as if Spencer doesn’t necessarily agree with the work aspect of the metaverse, at least in one form. “Video game creators have an amazing ability to build compelling worlds that we want to go spend time in,” he said at the conference. “For me, building a metaverse that looks like...
The VergeArgo.ai, driverless startup backed by Ford and VW, is shutting down
Drew Anthony Smith
Argo AI, the self-driving startup backed by Ford and Volkswagen, is shutting down, The Verge has learned. Employees were notified that an announcement would be made late in the day Wednesday. (The news was first reported by TechCrunch.)
The company, which was founded by veterans of Google and Uber’s self-driving car projects, has lost the financial support of Ford and VW, a source said. And according to TechCrunch, the company’s resources will be absorbed by both automakers. Argo is estimated to have around 2,000 employees, though it did announce a round of layoffs earlier this year. A spokesperson for Argo declined to comment.
Argo was founded in 2016 by Bryan Salesky, the former head of hardware development for Google’s autonomous...
The VergeHow to use personalized spatial audio on your Apple AirPods
Samar Haddad / The Verge
When it’s used well, spatial audio can lend extra immersion and depth to music, movies, and TV shows. Apple has offered the feature across its iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Beats products since 2020 for videos, and last year, the company brought spatial audio to Apple Music. Spatial audio is intended to make content sound more multidimensional compared to traditional stereo and leave you feeling like sound is coming at you from all directions.
With the release of iOS 16, Apple rolled out a new tool for making the experience even better: personalized spatial audio. This process calibrates the sound profile based on your own specific ears and head, which can enhance the 360-degree sensation and lead to more convincing instrument and...
The VergeMicrosoft says Xbox Game Pass is profitable as it sees subscription growth slow
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has revealed that the company’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service is already profitable. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference, Spencer also revealed that Xbox Game Pass is around 15 percent of Microsoft’s overall Xbox content and services revenue.
Spencer says he now expects Xbox Game Pass to stay at around 10–15 percent of Microsoft’s Xbox content and services revenue and that “it’s profitable for us.”
“Game Pass as an overall part of our content and services revenue is probably 15 percent,” says Spencer. “I don’t think it gets bigger than that. I think the overall revenue grows so 15 percent of a bigger number, but we don’t have this future where I think 50–70 percent of our...
The VergeBritish hacker charged for allegedly running The Real Deal dark web market
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
A British hacker who brought the entire nation of Liberia offline more than seven years ago was arraigned before a US federal court today, facing new charges of access device fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The hacker, Daniel Kaye, has been accused of operating a dark web marketplace called The Real Deal for stolen login information for social media and bank accounts, US government devices, and a variety of illicit goods like drugs and unlawful hacking tools. The Real Deal allowed third-party vendors to set up online stores and purchasers to rate sellers based on their authenticity.
“This case is an example of our persistent determination to work with our international partners to hold criminals accountable no matter how...
The VergePeloton finally has a Wear OS 3 app
If you have a Wear OS 3 app, you can download the Peloton app from the Play Store. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
While Peloton has long supported the Apple Watch, Wear OS users were left in the cold. Not anymore. The Peloton app is now available for download in the Play Store for Wear OS 3 smartwatches.
The app, which was first spotted by 9to5Google, doesn’t actually do much, though. I downloaded the app onto my Pixel Watch and started a walking workout in The Verge office. I was able to view my heart rate while meandering through cubicles, as well as which heart rate zone I was in. After I ended the workout, I was then able to view a workout summary detailing calories burned, average heart rate, “best” heart rate, and my Strive Score, a heart rate-based metric that Peloton uses to gauge effort. That’s about it.
Also, while Peloton added Apple...