The Verge
Can Xerox reinvent itself for another 100 years?
Illustration: Alex Parkin / The Verge
CEO Steve Bandrowczak thinks the office printer is where the workplace revolution begins.
The VergeThe VergeApple will launch its standalone classical music app on March 28th
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Apple has announced that Apple Music Classical, a standalone app that specializes in the genre, will be released on March 28th. After acquiring music service Primephonic in 2021, the company had originally aimed to release a classical-focused app by the end of last year. It missed that target, but now the service is nearly here. Rather than natively being bundled into iOS, it will come in the form of a standalone release in the App Store. Access to the app comes included with a standard Apple Music subscription.
“Apple Music Classical makes it quick and easy to find any recording in the world’s largest classical music catalog with fully optimized search, and listeners can enjoy the highest audio quality available, and experience many...
The VergeWhich camera wins: big sensor or high resolution?
The Vivo X90 Pro uses a big 1-inch-type sensor, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra goes for maximum resolution with 200 megapixels.
Shooting with the Vivo X90 Pro and Samsung S23 Ultra for a week taught me that bigger sensors aren’t always better.
The VergeHow a social network falls apart
Image: Dale Crosby Close / The Verge
Twitter is in a period of decline. The site still functions, people are still using it, but there’s a familiar stink that lingers on the website. It reminds me of the twilight days of two other social media platforms I’ve used: LiveJournal and Tumblr — onetime vibrant communities that grew in popularity until everyone seemed to be using them, which then began a long, slow death.
Pop onto LiveJournal and Tumblr today, and you’ll still see inscrutable blogs, endless GIFs, and earnest writing. But something is missing — although there’s still content and posters, the sites no longer feel like the communities they once were.
LiveJournal began as an online diary service in 1999, but by the time I signed up for the site in the early 2000s, itw...
The VergeEpic explains how it spends millions of dollars on free games
Call of the Sea is the free game from March 9th through the 16th. | Image: Raw Fury
Epic Games is once again going to give away free PC games every week of the year through the Epic Games Store, the company announced on Thursday. But how does Epic choose which games to give away? The company tells us it’s about timing — and picking some big names.
Since the Epic Games Store’s launch in late 2018, Epic has spent millions of dollars to give away games as a way to hook new users and bolster its nascent game store. (Originally, it gave away a free game every two weeks before upping that to every week in June 2019.) Epic’s goal is to have one “tentpole” game every month, Steve Allison, VP and general manager of the Epic Games Store, said in an interview with The Verge. “Those become really big weeks,” he said. For the weeks...
The VergeEpic will now let developers self-publish to the Epic Games Store
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Epic Games is finally going to let developers self-publish games to the Epic Games Store beginning Thursday. The change could mark a potentially seismic shift for the PC storefront because now that self-publishing is available, a lot more games may show up on the store.
The big draw for developers is Epic’s generous revenue share model. Epic takes a 12 percent commission on game sales, meaning developers keep the money earned from the remaining 88 percent. Valve generally takes a 30 percent cut on its competing Steam marketplace, though that cut decreases if your game hits certain sales milestones.
Epic also doesn’t necessarily take any cut of in-app purchases. Developers can keep the entire split if they use their own payment system,...
The VergeGoogle trashes the Chrome Cleanup Tool
The Chrome Cleanup Tool has been superseded by Google’s alternative antivirus protection services, effectively rendering it obsolete. | Image: The Verge
Google is retiring the Chrome Cleanup Tool, an application for Chrome users on Windows that detects and removes suspicious or unwanted software. The tool will be removed from user systems starting with the release of Chrome 111, at which point users will be unable to scan their device using Chrome Cleanup Tool through the web browser’s Safety Check feature or via the “Reset settings and cleanup” option in chrome://settings on Windows. Google is also removing a Chrome feature that intermittently scans Windows machines for suspicious activity.
First introduced around 2015 as a standalone app named Google’s Software Removal tool, the feature was later renamed and integrated directly into the Chrome for Windows browser (with no equivalent...
The VergeVerizon’s Plus Play hub adds a free year of Netflix if you buy another subscription
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Starting March 12th, Verizon says customers can get a free year of Netflix Premium for a limited time when they sign up for a one-year subscription to select Plus Play partner platforms. Those who took advantage of last year’s similar Netflix promotion are not eligible for this deal, however.
For the unfamiliar, Verizon’s Plus Play is a hub for Verizon customers that centralizes subscriptions to content services spanning from entertainment to fitness. The pitch is that it makes it easier for customers to manage subscriptions across multiple devices via their Verizon account while also informing them of exclusive deals. But it also gives Verizon useful information about its customers, a cut of the revenue, and another reason why customers...
The VergeDutch bolster US fight with China by announcing export restrictions on chip tech
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
The Netherlands has made public its plans to restrict the export of key chipmaking tools, a crucial step in the US’s ongoing effort to limit China’s access to high performance semiconductors, the Financial Times reports. The deal — which is expected to include controls on critical chipmaking tech from the Dutch multinational ASML Holding — was reached with the US in January but was made public this week when Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher wrote to parliament to outline the new measures.
ASML is a key player in the global chip supply chain, producing the tools that the likes of TSMC need to produce advanced semiconductors. Without its equipment, any domestic chipmaker in China will face significant challenges producing...
The VergeWing’s new delivery network lets its drones deliver more with fewer stops
A Wing drone landing zone where it can stop to charge between deliveries. | Image: Wing
Wing, the drone delivery company owned by Google parent company Alphabet, is unveiling a new system that enables its drones to dynamically take pickup and delivery jobs back-to-back without needing to report back to an originating base. The ability is part of the company’s new Wing Delivery Network, a decentralized logistics system that can automatically delegate tasks to a fleet of drones throughout a metro area.
Wing Delivery Network consists of the drones themselves, pads where drones can take off an land as needed for charging, and Autoloader stations. Autoloaders are installed at retailers’ parking lots, and employees can load a prepared order when ready. Then, an available drone can come and lower a rope to grab it without anyone...
The VergeCowboy 4 e-bikes now automatically adapt to wind, hills, and heavy loads
Wind, hills, and baby seats are supposedly no match for this Cowboy 4’s new adaptive power feature. | Image: Cowboy
Cowboy’s latest 4 and 4ST e-bikes are being treated to a free software update today that adds a new adaptive power feature meant to automatically overcome any resistance as it occurs, be it a hill, blast of wind, or kid in a baby seat. Cowboy is also adding three new color options for its 4ST step-through model.
According to Cowboy, its proprietary software feature works at low and high speeds and doesn’t require any gear changes — good, because the company only sells belt-driven single-speed e-bikes. With the new update, Cowboy says the motor will provide the extra power “seamlessly” whenever a C4 or C4ST senses any extra resistance in the environment.
Cowboy’s premium 4-series e-bikes start at $2,990 / €2,990 and are slathered in...
The VergeIs buzzy startup Humane’s big idea a wearable camera?
Humane’s Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, who previously worked at Apple. | Image: Humane
Humane, a secretive startup led by two former Apple executives and staffed by several ex-Apple employees, has secured a further $100 million in investment as part of a new funding round, the company has announced. The Series C round includes investments from Microsoft, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, Volvo and LG, and brings Humane’s total funding to $230 million (per Crunchbase). The company appears to be working on a wearable camera device, if an apparent leaked pitch deck from 2021 is anything to go by.
But despite the investment it’s generated, and its plans to reveal an “initial product offering” as early as this spring, it’s still unclear exactly what Humane actually plans to do as a company. Its press release notes that it’s hoping to...
The VergeNetflix improves its TV subtitles amid growing demand
Netflix brings user-adjustable subtitles and closed captions to TV users, allowing subscribers to personalize their viewing experience to best suit their needs. | Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Netflix TV users can now customize the appearance of subtitles and closed captions on the streaming platform, allowing subscribers to adjust the size and style of the text. Announced on Wednesday, the new feature can toggle subtitle text size between small, medium, and large, and alter the overall appearance of the text to make it easier to read.
Alongside the default white text, Netflix now also provides three new text style options with contrasting backgrounds to make the text stand out: Light (black text / white background), Drop Shadow (white text / black background), and Contrast (yellow text / black background).
Image: Netflix
Netflix TV users can now adjust subtitle text size and style to suit their needs,...
The VergeMicrosoft Bing hits 100 million active users in bid to grab share from Google
Illustration: The Verge
Microsoft’s Bing search engine has passed the 100 million daily active users milestone just weeks after the software maker launched its AI-powered Bing Chat feature. Bing has been steadily growing in recent years, but it appears the new Bing Chat feature is helping Microsoft grow usage with people that have never touched Bing before.
Google has more than 1 billion daily active users, so that puts Microsoft’s 100 million milestone in perspective as it seeks to gain market share.
“We are pleased to share that after a number of years of steady progress, and with a little bit of a boost from the million plus new Bing preview users, we have crossed 100 million daily active users of Bing,” says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s head of consumer...
The VergeSilvergate has collapsed
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Silvergate Bank, which had been a cornerstone in the crypto world, announced it’s closing and returning deposits. In a press release, the bank’s holding company, Silvergate Capital Corporation, said it made the decision to shut down “in light of recent industry and regulatory developments.”
It’s been clear for a while that the company was struggling along with some of its most high-profile clients like FTX and Genesis. In January, its earnings report revealed that it lost a billion dollars in one quarter after its customers withdrew $8.1 billion. Then, on March 1st, it filed a document saying its financials were even worse than the quarterly report had shown.
There are several concerns about what the crypto landscape will look like...
The VergeMicrosoft details how it could get Call of Duty: Warzone running on Switch
Imagine this, but with Nintendo Switch graphics. | Image: Activision
In a filing (pdf) submitted to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Microsoft shared some details about how it thinks it will be able to get Call of Duty games to run on the Nintendo Switch.
Last month, Microsoft signed a binding 10-year agreement to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo players day and date as on Xbox with “full feature and content parity” if its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through. In the CMA filing, Microsoft makes two main points to argue that it’s possible to bring games like Call of Duty: Warzone and “buy-to-play” titles like Modern Warfare II to Switch:
- Microsoft says the engine behind Warzone has been “optimized to run on a wide range of hardware devices,” including the Xbox One...
The VergeIs your Wii U dying of loneliness?
Wii U system on display at the Nintendo Store in NYC. Note the melting joystick — I wonder if it still works... | Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge
Thinking of dusting off your Wii U real quick before the eShop goes down forever so you can nab a digital copy of Wii Party U while you still can? Well, hopefully, your Wii U is of sound health. Wii U owners on forums and Reddit are finding that their systems aren’t working anymore, with errors many owners suspect are linked to leaving them sitting unused for a long period, as Exputer reports.
The issue seems to have come to light based on an account of NeoGAF forums member cireza, whose friend booted up a Wii U system after a long while and got error code 160-0103 on the Game Pad screen, which points to an issue with the on-board memory. Some Twitter users are also reporting the issue. And a similar error 160-2155 was also reported by...
The VergeHow to use sleep tech to become an early bird
Smart lights can be an excellent tool in building the perfect bedtime routine. | Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge
You don’t have to sell me on the benefits of being an early bird. I’ve seen dozens of articles and studies breaking down how getting up early is better for your health, productivity, and stress levels. But becoming an early riser isn’t easy. Speaking from experience, it’s much harder if you’re naturally a night owl and there’s no particular reason — like getting your kids to school — to be up before 7AM. Plus, alarm clocks and phone alarms don’t always work for the sleepiest of sleepyheads.
That said, there are other sleep gadgets and apps that can be a huge help.
If you’re an incorrigible night owl trying to masquerade as an early bird, good news. That was me for the past 10 years, and I’ve tried everything from melatonin to those a...
The VergeMicrosoft is testing file recommendations in Explorer
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is starting to test a system called File Recommendations in File Explorer, which does exactly what the name suggests — when you visit the home tab, it shows specific files that you may want to open at the top. The feature is still in the very early stages, but it could be a sign of things to come, both good and bad.
In a blog post, the company says the current version is only available to some Insiders in its Dev Channel who have installed the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23403 update and will only work if you’re logged in with an Azure Active Directory account (meaning that currently, this feature feels squarely aimed at business users).
For those that do have it, it’ll suggest cloud files that you own or that have been...
The VergeGoogle’s cloud gaming ambitions died with Stadia, exec reveals
Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Two years ago, I wrote a reasonably prescient editorial about how the writing was on the wall for Google’s cloud gaming service Stadia — and how the company was now hoping to sell its white label streaming technology to other companies instead of building out its own Netflix of games.
But it seems that, when Google killed off Stadia, it threw away that technology, too.
Google executive Jack Buser has now admitted that the company is no longer offering the white label version of Stadia that allowed companies like AT&T and Capcom to let anyone try games like Batman: Arkham Knight, Control, and a demo of Resident Evil Village for free over the internet, not to mention the first game from Peloton.
“We are not offering that streaming...
The VergeWhy cars running on e-fuel can’t replace EVs
Porsche’s Haru Oni e-fuel pilot plant in Punta Arenas, Chile. | Image: Porsche
Porsche showed off a new pilot plant in Patagonia, Chile, last month — not one that manufactures cars but, rather, one that makes synthetic e-fuel. The plant, a joint project with ExxonMobil and other energy companies, “is a symbol of hope in the fight against climate change, for a more sustainable future – and one that might also feature the music of a Porsche engine,” Porsche boasts in a February 14th press release.
The dream that car companies like Porsche are selling with e-fuel is that drivers can keep their internal combustion engines and fight climate change at the same time. All they have to do is switch to e-fuel.
When it comes to cleaning up climate pollution from road transport, e-fuel is no silver bullet
The reality is that,...
The VergeSpotify is going big on video podcasts
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge
After spending more than $1 billion on podcast assets, challenging investor skepticism, laying off dozens of podcasting employees, and parting ways with its main podcasting chief, Spotify is establishing its focus for the vertical moving forward: more video, more consolidation, and more splashy names.
At the company’s Stream On event in Los Angeles, head of global podcast studios Julie McNamara unveiled new video podcasts that’ll appeal to younger listeners. Video episodes of Distractable from Markiplier, the popular gaming YouTuber, are coming exclusively to the platform. The podcast ranks at number 36 on Spotify’s top podcast chart. Additionally, Spotify original Forbidden Fruits with Julia Fox is going video for its second season, no...
The VergeSpotify’s new design is part TikTok, part Instagram, and part YouTube
Spotify’s new homescreen design goes hard on full-screen images and video. | Image: Spotify
Spotify is redesigning the core homescreen of its app, trying to make it easier for users to find new stuff to listen to — and watch. The new design goes heavy on imagery and vertical scrolling, turning your homescreen from a set of album covers into a feed that much more closely resembles TikTok and Instagram. As you scroll, Spotify is also hoping to make it easier to discover new things across the Spotify ecosystem.
The new look, which Spotify just announced at its Stream On event, is clear evidence of the kind of company (and product) Spotify wants to be. Over the last few years, it has invested heavily into podcasts, audiobooks, live audio, and more, all in an attempt to be more than just a music app. The company also wants to be a...
The VergeSony is worried that Microsoft will sabotage Call of Duty for the PlayStation
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Sony has laid out its concerns about Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, including a host of fears about the future of Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. In new documents (pdf) submitted to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Sony says it’s worried that Microsoft could raise the price of Call of Duty, make it only available on its own Xbox Game Pass subscription service, and even strategically or incidentally degrade the quality and performance of Call of Duty on PlayStation.
Sony cites a specific hypothetical situation where Microsoft could release a Call of Duty game on PlayStation that has bugs and errors on the final level. Here’s Sony’s example in full:
Microsoft might release a PlayStation...
The VergeThe latest Android 14 developer preview tests new security and privacy features
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Google has just released the second developer preview for Android 14, as app developers test their programs against changes coming in this year’s big mobile OS update. Most of the features in this latest release were already mentioned in the first Android 14 dev preview back in February, such as operational improvements to Android devices, changes to app security and privacy permissions, and a new API that supports passwordless sign-in using passkeys.
The Android 14 preview also includes a test of Credential Manager, a platform API that supports multiple sign-in methods, such as passkeys and federated sign-in solutions (such as the option to sign in with Google) alongside the traditional username / password combinations. This API isn’t...
The VergeThe Big Door Prize does one thing extremely well in its first trailer
Chris O’Dowd as Dusty and Gabrielle Dennis as Cass in The Big Door Prize. | Apple
There are probably more people who know better than to trust strange pieces of biometric-capturing technology in the world of Apple TV Plus’ upcoming comedy The Big Door Prize from David West Read. But in the series’ first trailer, almost no one can be bothered to think about whether they should be messing around with the eponymous machine because they’re all far too busy having the time of their lives thanks to what it does for them.
Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel by the same name, The Big Door Prize tells the story of a sleepy little town that’s turned upside down when a mysterious machine that can show people the untapped potential for greatness they have within them appears one day. When the “Morpho” first appears, neither Dusty (Chris...
The VergeHow NASA is updating its Space Launch System hardware ahead of the Artemis 2 mission
Image: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
After several false starts, NASA finally launched its Artemis I mission in November last year. The big aim of the mission was to test out new hardware like the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft ahead of the crewed Artemis II mission.
Artemis II will be the first crewed launch using the new system and is currently scheduled for next year. This mission will see four astronauts travel into orbit around the Moon, making it the first crewed mission to travel out of low Earth orbit since 1972. It will be followed by Artemis III, which aims to land a crew on the Moon’s surface, launching in 2025.
Before a crewed launch, however, some of the hardware used in Artemis I needs to be refreshed. In a press conference this...
The VergeThe AI Seinfeld show will begin streaming again Wednesday following suspension
Image: Mismatch Media
Nothing, Forever, the show that streams an AI-generated Seinfeld parody, is returning this evening after it received a temporary ban from Twitch due to transphobic content. The show will be back on Wednesday, March 8th, at 8PM ET, according to a tweet from Mismatch Media, which created the show.
Nothing, Forever had become something of a Twitch sensation before the ban. For 24 hours a day, it would generate Seinfeld-like scenes and jokes with crude pixelated graphics and bizarre robotic voices. It was absolutely absurd, and I regularly found myself tuning in to hear the next ridiculous non-sequitur and read Twitch chat’s responses.
But in early February, Nothing, Forever received a two-week suspension from Twitch because the Jerry...
The VergeGoogle’s One plans are getting expanded VPN access and dark web monitoring
Illustration: The Verge
If you pay for a Google One plan to get extra storage or other benefits, you might be about to get some extra features. The company has announced that all One subscribers will be getting access to the VPN that used to be limited to its Premium tier and that it’s adding dark web monitoring to alert you if your sensitive information starts circulating on sites that search engines normally don’t index.
If you live in a supported country, you can use Google’s VPN on a variety of devices, including Android phones and iPhones, as well as Macs and PCs. Previously, you had to pay for the $9.99 monthly tier that included 2TB of storage to access it (or buy a Pixel 7, which includes it even if you’re not a One subscriber). Now, however, it’s even...
The VergeAfter layoffs, SiriusXM looks to star-studded podcasts
Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
I sadly cannot attend Podcast Evolutions this year. If you are in attendance and have some hot goss, feel free to send my way! Also some warm, dry weather — that would be nice.
Today, SiriusXM lays off hundreds of staffers, Twitter Spaces loses another feature, and podcast bros can’t catch a break on the dating market.
How will SiriusXM’s layoffs affect its podcasting business?
On Monday, SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz announced that she was cutting 475 roles, or about 8 percent of employees at the company. Citing economic uncertainty (novel!), Witz said the cuts are a consequence of management’s plan to “improve collaboration, consolidate teams to achieve greater efficiencies, and ultimately, design an organization structure that is best...