Philips Hue is offering a buy one, get one free deal on select lighting products

The current Philips Hue promo applies to both mainstay smart bulbs and portable options like the Hue Go. | Image: Philips Hue

Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping? Philips Hue lighting often makes for a popular gift, and right now, the brand is throwing a new buy two, get one free promotion in the run-up to the holidays. Now through November 20th, you can buy two smart bulbs, light strips, starter kits, and select accessories and get a third for free. That means you can buy two 1,600-lumen E26 color smart bulbs for $64.99 each and get a free Philips Hue Bridge valued at $59.99. The latter accessory, while not necessary to control Philips’ Bluetooth-enabled bulbs, allows you to set lighting routines, fold in additional lights, and carry out more advanced features.

Alternatively, as part of a separate Philips Hue promo, you can buy two mood lighting...

Continue reading…

iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature is coming later this month

Image: Apple

Apple’s new Emergency SOS via satellite feature for its iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models is arriving later this month. iPhone 14 and 14 Pro owners in the US and Canada will be able to start using satellite connectivity to help relay messages and location info to emergency services when they’re out of cell range.

The service will be free for the first two years for new iPhone 14 and 14 Pro owners, and it will rely on the phone’s antennas to connect to satellite frequencies. During its initial announcement of the service, Apple said it can take less than 15 seconds to send a message with a clear view of the sky. You can also use the Find My app to share your location with friends and family.

Image: Apple

G...

Continue reading…

Roku is adding sports directly to the homescreen

Image: Roku

Roku has never radically overhauled its simple, familiar homescreen. Instead, the company has gradually introduced new sections like “what to watch” and “featured free” that help steer users to new content. Today, the company is following the same strategy, but this time, it’s with sports. A new sports hub is coming to the Roku homescreen starting today, and it “integrates live and upcoming sports across the Roku platform and introduces a centralized location for sports content.”

Clicking into the sports section will show you various live games happening at that moment, and you can also browse by whatever individual sport or league you’re interested in. When you choose a specific game, Roku will present the various ways that you can...

Continue reading…

Design platform Canva launches text-to-image AI feature

Canva’s text-to-image tool is the latest example of the technology hitting mainstream apps. | Image: Canva

Australia design app Canva is the latest creative platform to launch a text-to-image AI tool. The company began testing the feature in September and is now rolling it out to the app’s more than 100 million users.

The feature is an implementation of open-source text-to-image model Stable Diffusion, with a few extra safety filters and a custom UI to help steer Canva’s users to get the results they want. Canva, which is available as a free app as well as a paid version with extra features, will give all its users the ability to generate 100 images a day with the tool.

Canva’s UI helps steer users to create specific images

Load up Canva’s text-to-image feature, and you’ll be prompted to “describe the image you want to see,” with a few...

Continue reading…

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Intel) review: this is the one to buy

There are two Surface Pro 9s. The Intel model is the boring but safer buy.

Continue reading…

Apple limits AirDrop in China after its use in protests

AirDrop in China is now limited to just ten minutes of wireless file-sharing for “Everyone” following its use in protests against the Chinese government. | Image: Bloomberg

Apple has placed time restrictions on AirDrop wireless file-sharing across iPhones in China after the feature was used by protesters to share images opposing the Chinese government, Bloomberg reports.

The “Everyone” option in Airdrop is now limited to a ten-minute window for users in China. After the ten minutes have passed, AirDrop’s device-to-device sharing will switch back to “Contacts Only,” making it harder to distribute content to strangers en masse. These new time restrictions have been introduced by Apple just weeks after the service was used to spread posters opposing president Xi Jinping.

iOS 16.1.1 release notes make no mention of the new limitations

The AirDrop restriction was included in the public release of iOS 16.1.1 on...

Continue reading…

Elon Musk ends remote work at Twitter, tells staff to prepare for ‘difficult times ahead’

Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge

Elon Musk has sent his first email to Twitter’s staff, warning employees to prepare for “difficult times ahead” and putting an immediate end to remote work.

In the email reported by Bloomberg News, Musk warned that a weaker economic environment in the US would mean difficulties for Twitter. Analysts have been projecting slower growth in advertising spend in 2023, and, as a business where ads account for roughly 90 percent of revenue, Twitter will be strongly affected by this.

Musk previously said only ‘exceptional’ employees should be able to work remotely

Musk said there was “no way to sugarcoat the message” about these challenges. He also reportedly told employees that they were expected to be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours...

Continue reading…

Philips Hue’s new smart string lights arrive just in time for the holiday season

Philips Hue’s new Festavia smart string lights cost $160. | Image: Signify

With pumpkins being put out to pasture and turkeys starting to gobble, it's time to think about decorating your home for the winter holidays. Be it Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Solstice, any celebration can be glammed up with some smart lighting, and Philips Hue’s new Festavia string lights look like a good option for a little extra wow.

The $159.99 string of smart lights features 250 mini color-changing smart LEDs along a 66-foot / 20-meter cord. These indoor lights are suitable for swirling around your Christmas tree, stringing up your staircase, or draping over your mantlepiece to bring a touch of holiday magic to your home. They’re available to order now at philips-hue.com.

Image: Signify

The Hue Festavia...

Continue reading…

Auto sales ‘overshoot’ will make it impossible to prevent the worst effects of climate change

Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and other major automakers are on track to sell 400 million more diesel and petrol vehicles than is feasible to stave off the worst effects of climate change, Greenpeace Germany concludes in a new report.

Transportation currently makes up a quarter of fuel-related greenhouse gas emissions globally, with half of that coming from passenger cars. Many automakers have pledged to phase out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by the end of the decade in favor of electric vehicles. But the damage to the climate will already have been done by then, according to Greenpeace.

“Leading auto manufacturers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, are transitioning far too slowly to zero-emission vehicles, which has...

Continue reading…

Mario flipped off Twitter for nearly two hours with the blessing of Musk’s ‘verification’

Image: “nIntendoofus” on Twitter

Twitter verification used to mean “Twitter has checked you are who you say you are.” As of this morning, the only thing it means is that you’re coughing up eight dollars to join the club because Elon Musk decided that anyone can buy a “verified” check mark without any verification at all.

In the hours since, some hilarity has ensued.

Can't imagine why all the advertisers are pulling out of Twitter lmao pic.twitter.com/pg55WXkxhS

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 9, 2022

Screenshot by Joon Lee

“LeBron James” says he’s officially requesting a trade away from the Lakers.

Screenshot by @randymco

“Donald Trump” points out why Elon Musk’s verification system is flawed.

...

Continue reading…

The Pixel Watch calorie bug is a reminder of why ‘accuracy’ isn’t everything

Calorie data can only ever be a very rough estimate.

Like many other first-gen devices, the Google Pixel Watch has a lot of quirks. So far, early users have reported that the watch dramatically overreported calorie burn due to a bug. According to Android Police, the Pixel Watch team is aware of the issue and suggests rebooting the device could fix the problem. That said, it’s an apt reminder that calorie burn isn’t a reliable metric.

In the Pixel Watch’s case, the bug appears to have impacted how a user’s basal metabolic rate was calculated. Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is essentially the number of calories you burn every day simply existing. It’s calculated based on factors like your age, weight, sex, and height. If you put in the wrong data, you’re going to get the wrong calorie burn....

Continue reading…

Why NASA is launching a new polar satellite

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of launch. | Image: NASA

This Thursday, a new Earth observation satellite will launch into space, where it will help scientists forecast the weather and keep an eye on increasingly common extreme weather events. The satellite, called Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2), is part of a global observation system and a product of a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“NOAA’s weather satellites have never been more critical as extreme weather events continue to be more frequent because of climate change,” said Irene Parker, deputy assistant administrator for systems at NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Services, in a prelaunch briefing. “From 2017 through to September of 2022, the US has...

Continue reading…

How to record a phone conversation with an Android phone

Samar Haddad / The Verge

There are a number of legitimate reasons that you’d want to record a phone call. For example, when you’re talking to a medical professional about, say, test results, you may want to make sure that you got all the information right. Or if you’re interviewing somebody for an article or for a job position, you may want to be able to make sure you remember the conversation accurately. Or if an older member of your family suddenly launches into a story about one of your grandparents, it might be nice to have a record of it.

Unfortunately, though, it’s become nearly impossible to record a phone call. As I explained in a previous article, federal law in the US says that you can legally record a phone conversation but only if you are taking part...

Continue reading…

Binance won’t bail out FTX, cites reports of ‘mishandled customer funds’

The Verge

Binance, the largest crypto exchange by volume, says it isn’t buying the beleaguered FTX crypto exchange, saying that “the issues are beyond our control or ability to help,” according to a company statement. The statement also said that “news reports regarding mishandled customer funds and alleged US agency investigations” also led them to back out of the deal, which was announced yesterday.

Binance’s change of heart was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. But even yesterday, the deal seemed uncertain, with CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao emphasizing that there was only a letter of intent in place. Binance would be conducting due diligence throughout the week before actually going through with a legally binding purchase agreement, Zhao...

Continue reading…

Hot Pod Summit LA: from Crooked to Coco

It’s been a minute! Thanks to Jake for taking over the newsletter while I was prepping for Hot Pod Summit LA. I had an awesome time, and I hope those of you who attended did as well. We had some great conversations on the evolving relationship between podcasting and Hollywood. Many thanks to our sponsors Amazon Music, Wondery, and AdsWizz, as well as our partners at work x work and KCRW.

Today, some tidbits from last week’s panels: why scripted podcasts are not more of a thing, how the left can combat the right-wing talk machine, and why podcasting is replacing late-night comedy.

Scripted podcasting still hasn’t had its “Serial” moment

In discussing how podcasts have fared in the Hollywood development factory, the entire panel agreed (to...

Continue reading…

Everyone knows you paid to be verified on Twitter

The old verification label and the new one. | Image: Jay Peters / The Verge

Twitter just rolled out the new Twitter Blue with verification, and one unsaid feature is that it will let you see who is paying the $7.99 per month fee for their blue check mark.

For as long as I can remember, Twitter has offered additional context about verification check marks when you click on them on someone’s profile. The old context message stated that accounts were verified because they were “notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category,” with a link to Twitter’s support page about verification. Now, clicking someone’s blue check just says that “this account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue,” also with a link to the verification support page.

welcome to the new blue tick...

Continue reading…

NASA’s Artemis I launch is delayed again as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is illuminated by spotlights after sunset on November 6th, 2022. | Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images

NASA’s massive next-generation rocket is facing down yet another tropical weather system, delaying its next launch attempt until November 16th at the earliest.

This rocket was scheduled to finally launch on November 14th, taking off in the dark early morning hours. But with Tropical Storm Nicole approaching the Florida coast, NASA decided to push back the launch attempt. “Adjusting the target launch date will allow the workforce to tend to the needs of their families and homes, and provide sufficient logistical time to get back into launch status following the storm,” a NASA blog post said.

The next launch attempt will take place two days later than originally planned, during a two-hour window that opens at 1:04AM ET. If the rocket...

Continue reading…

How to set up eSIM on a new iPhone

Say goodbye to your physical SIM card. | Samar Haddad / The Verge

If you buy an iPhone 14 series phone in the US, you’ll notice it’s missing one key feature: a SIM tray. That’s because Apple’s going all in on eSIM, which is a digital version of the tiny card that allows you to use your wireless provider’s network.

There’s good news and bad news here. If you’re switching from an older iPhone, activating an eSIM on your new iPhone is incredibly easy. If you’re switching from an Android phone to an iPhone 14, well, it’s less straightforward.

Whichever path you need to take, we’ve got some guidance for you.

iPhone with physical SIM to iPhone 14

To switch from an iPhone with a physical SIM card to an eSIM iPhone 14, follow these steps:

• Make sure your old iPhone is running iOS 16 or later, Bluetooth is...

Continue reading…

Sports Story launches on the Switch next month

Image: Nintendo

Nintendo held its fall Indie World Showcase today showing off a number of titles primed to hit the Switch in the coming months (and some even later today). We got to see cozy Indian cooking with Venba, Desta: The Memories Between got its console debut, and the sequel to Golf Story finally got a release window. Here are the highlights from today’s presentation.

Venba — Spring 2023

In Venba, an Indian immigrant family honors the traditions of their homeland by cooking mouthwatering dishes. Throughout the game, you’ll see the story of Venba and her family as they adjust to a new life in Canada in the 1980s. I can’t wait to play and snag some of these recipes for myself.

Goodbye World — November 2022

If you ever wanted to know the...

Continue reading…

Now Google Home users can sign up to test the redesigned app

Illustration: The Verge

The wait is over: some Google Home users can finally try out the newly redesigned Google Home app. If you want to try out the new Google Home app public preview, you might be able to easily sign up inside the app itself.

To get started, you’ll request an invite within the Google Home app for Android and iOS, which takes a couple of steps, as we’ve outlined below. It’s also not an immediate process, either, as some people have had to wait a while to be accepted, so be prepared to wait.

1. Assuming the preview is available to you, first head on over to Google Home’s Settings menu.
2. There, you’ll be able to see Public Preview under General.
3. You can then click on Request invite to try out the preview.

Image: Google

C...

Continue reading…

Details on the next Pixel phones are already leaking

What’s next for the Pixel may already be leaking. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have barely been out for a month, and we’re already hearing rumors about Google’s next flagship phones. German mobile news site WinFuture reports two new Google devices with codenames “Husky” and “Shiba” have been referenced in publicly available source code. Both devices are apparently housing a new “Zuma” chip that could be a successor to the company’s Tensor G2 SoC (via XDA Developers).

The code was analyzed by WinFuture writer Ronald Quandt, who found the doggy-nicknamed smartphones within and found that they run on Android 14. Google seems to have given it a new dessert name, too: “Upside Down Cake,” continuing the tradition of sweetly naming its Android OS versions, even though those have faded to the...

Continue reading…

The firm that bought my car for more than I paid new has lost 98 percent of its value

E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune via Getty

Carvana, the used car dealer that trusts robotic algorithms to buy your car practically sight unseen, was the third-fastest company to ever make it onto the Fortune 500 — only Amazon and Google did it faster. But for the third day in a row, its stock is trading for just around $7 a share, plummeting 98 percent from its all-time high of over $360 last August.

Image: Google

All of Carvana’s pandemic gains, wiped out

My first thought on reading the news: maybe the company shouldn’t let robots pay people more than their cars cost brand-new? This February, I sold a seven-year-old car to Carvana for more than I paid out the door and wrote a story about the perfect storm of factors that led to that outcome. (Stimulus...

Continue reading…

Microsoft’s iCloud Photos integration for Windows 11 is now rolling out

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is starting to roll out iCloud Photos integration into Windows 11. A new update to the Photos app in Windows 11 is now available, which will include the ability to link an iCloud Photos library straight into the built-in Windows Photos app.

Windows 11 users will need to update their Photos app from the Microsoft Store and then install an iCloud for Windows app from the Store, sign in, and choose which photos or libraries automatically sync to the Photos app.

Image: Microsoft

iCloud Photos integration in Windows 11.

“We know that many Windows customers have photo and video collections on their iPhones that they would like to be able to view on their PC,” says Dave Grochocki, principal product manager...

Continue reading…

Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue with verification is now live

Elon Musk’s revised Twitter Blue is available now. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The new Twitter Blue, which now costs $7.99 per month and gets you a blue verified check mark, is officially available in its app for iPhones and iPads. Twitter owner Elon Musk began hyping the new Blue just days after taking over the company at the end of October, promising features like verification, priority in replies, mentions, and search, and “half as many ads,” and now you can actually get the new subscription.

Right now, for people who subscribe to the new package, their account instantly adds a verified check, but the other new benefits aren’t available yet. According to a support page, “only accounts subscribed to Twitter Blue on iOS on or after November 9, 2022 are eligible for the blue checkmark moving forward.” It’s unclear...

Continue reading…

Andor’s designers approached it like a Star Wars period drama

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the droid B2EMO. | Image: Lucasfilm

Production designer Luke Hull and costume designer Michael Wilkinson talk about creating the most grounded Star Wars show yet.

Continue reading…

The fate of crypto mining is back on the table in New York

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrates her win during an election night party during on November 8th, 2022, in New York City. | Photo by Alex Kent / Getty Images

Time is running out for newly elected New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a statewide moratorium on particularly polluting methods of cryptocurrency mining. Hochul managed to sidestep the controversial bill while on the campaign trail. Now, her decision to sign or veto the bill could determine whether crypto miners flee the state or stay and potentially derail its climate goals.

State legislators passed a bill in June that establishes a two-year moratorium on new permits for fossil fuel power plants seeking to mine energy-hungry cryptocurrencies. The bill also requires the state to complete an environmental impact study on crypto mining in the state. Hochul has until the end of the calendar year to sign the bill into law. Missing that...

Continue reading…

Andor’s Tony Gilroy is worried about more important things than discourse

Tony Gilroy at a launch event for Andor at the El Capitan Theatre. | Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Disney

Andor creator Tony Gilroy and writer Beau Willimon see the show as a story about the act of becoming and understanding different kinds of sacrifice.

Continue reading…

Twitter’s double-check verification disappears, Elon Musk says he ‘killed it’

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

After briefly rolling out new “Official” verified designations on Twitter, the gray badges disappeared this morning, just a few hours after they were first spotted.

“I just killed it,” tweeted Twitter’s billionaire owner Elon Musk, responding to a tweet about the gray check disappearing. “Blue check will be the great leveler.”

There are no sacred cows in product at Twitter anymore. Elon is willing to try lots of things -- many will fail, some will succeed. The goal is to find the right mix of successful changes to ensure the long-term health and growth of the business. https://t.co/cMf27EmmpJ

— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 9, 2022

The gray checks were supposed to be Twitter’s way of helping the public identify...

Continue reading…

The versatile Google Nest Mini smart speaker is on sale for just $18

The puck-like Nest Mini comes in four colors to match home decor and is wall mountable. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Early Black Friday deals are already landing, so it feels like a good time to start making your list and checking it twice for holiday shopping. How convenient for you that our main holiday gift guide is here and filled with great ideas for your perusal. Also, our budget-friendly guide for gifts under $25 just went up today (and there’s plenty more to come). But you can get an incredible stocking stuffer on a budget with today’s best deal.

The tiny but mighty second-gen Google Nest Mini is on sale for just $18 in all four colors at Walmart. This Google Assistant-powered smart speaker normally sells for $49 and typically gets discounted as low as $25, but $18 is a new low price. It’s easy to recommend one for anyone in your family who...

Continue reading…

‘Hey, GitHub!’ will let programmers code with just their voice

Image: GitHub

Microsoft-owned GitHub is experimenting with a new voice-based interaction system for its Copilot software. “Hey, GitHub!” will allow programmers to code with just their voice and no keyboard, just like how you’d speak to Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.

The new experiment will be available in Copilot, a $10 per month AI tool that GitHub launched earlier this year to help developers write code. Copilot suggests lines of code to developers inside their code editor, and it’s capable of suggesting the next line of code as developers type in an integrated development environment (IDE) like Visual Studio Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs. Copilot can even suggest complete methods and complex algorithms alongside boilerplate code and...

Continue reading…