The Continental’s first trailer takes the John Wick series to the ’70s

Image: Peacock

We’re fresh off the debut of the fourth John Wick movie, and more is already on the way — though without the iconic assassin the series takes its name from. Peacock just released the first teaser trailer for The Continental — full name The Continental: From the World of John Wick — a prequel series that explores the history of the titular hotel, which plays a big part in the Wick mythology.

The series takes place in 1970s New York and follows a younger version of Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell) as “he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will...

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The Super Mario Bros. theme is the first video game tune to enter the Library of Congress

Mario music composer Koji Kondo (right) joins Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto (center) and Nintendo camera programmer Takumi Kawagoe at a Super Mario Bros. Movie screening in April. | Image: Kayla Oaddams/WireImage

We’re living in a Nintendo renaissance right now, which includes the release of one of the most successful animated movie launches ever, brand-new theme parks, and a bestselling console. But now, the Super Mario Bros. theme — one of the most recognizable tunes ever — is being eternally honored with an entry into the US Library of Congress (via The Guardian).

The Super Mario Bros. theme is officially known as “Ground Theme,” as in the aboveground music in Super Mario Bros., and was first included in the game when it was released on the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. It marks the first video game music to be inducted into the Library of Congress.

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

Super Mario Bros....

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LinkedIn gets a free verified badge that lets you prove where you work

LinkedIn now has a verification system. | Image: LinkedIn

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn is rolling out a free verification system that will allow users to prove their identity and where they work. The verification options include the ability to use CLEAR to prove your identity, verification of your workplace through an email address, and Microsoft’s Entra verified ID platform to obtain digital workplace IDs for free.

Unlike Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you won’t need to pay to get verifications that will show up on your LinkedIn profile. You can verify your workplace just by using a company-issued email address or through Microsoft Entra if your organization already uses Entra.

If you want to verify your own identity, then LinkedIn has partnered with CLEAR to allow you to securely confirm your...

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Microsoft’s spring sale brings discounts on controllers, games, and even Surface laptops

You can save up to $300 on Microsoft’s beautiful new Surface Laptop 5. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Like Amazon, Microsoft is throwing its own spring sales event and offering discounts on a range of tech. However, while many of Amazon’s deals have since expired, Microsoft’s sale has only just begun and will last through April 20th. Right now, for instance, you could potentially save hundreds on some of Microsoft’s newest laptops, including the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5. Even better, some retailers like Best Buy are matching Microsoft’s prices.

It’s not all laptops, though; Microsoft is also offering some great deals for gamers. This includes deals on a refurbished Xbox Series X as well as one of our favorite controllers and a few games. Below, we’ve curated some highlights from the sale that are worth a look.

Laptop deals

F...

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Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 headset is getting a Windows 11 upgrade

Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Microsoft is bringing Windows 11 to its HoloLens 2 headset. The update will be available free of charge, and Microsoft says it should appear by the end of June as an optional upgrade. HoloLens 2 owners can continue to use Windows 10, but Windows 11 will offer better app performance and some key developer-focused additions.

“The free upgrade to Windows 11 promises continuous platform support, meaning our customers can trust in the continued security of their devices,” explains Robin Seiler, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices, in a blog post. “With the upgrade, HoloLens 2 users will continue to receive monthly security servicing updates that reinforce the protection of sensitive information while also improving app...

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EPA lays out aggressive new tailpipe emission rules aimed at boosting EV sales

Image: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

The Environmental Protection Agency announced new emissions standards to slash tailpipe pollution, fight climate change, and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

The proposal, which was first reported over the weekend and released Wednesday, represents the most aggressive plan to reduce carbon emissions by an administration to date. Depending on how the auto industry responds, the EPA projects that the new standards could result in electric vehicles accounting for 67 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46 percent of new medium-duty vehicle sales by 2032 — a dramatic increase over the current EV sales numbers of around 6 percent.

The Biden administration is portraying the proposal as a critical effort to reverse the...

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Here are some must-have accessories for your new Xbox Series X or Series S

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The Xbox Series X and Series S are excellent machines, yet, no matter how good they are, there will always be room for improvement. Accessories like the Elite Series 2 Controller and the Xbox Stereo Headset can help you get the most out of your new console, while others, like Seagate’s Storage Expansion Cards, will help ensure you have ample storage space for years to come.

Below, we’ve listed some of the best accessories available for the Series X and S, many of which often go on sale at most major retailers.

Controllers and charging stands

Xbox Wireless Controller

First up, controllers. The last-gen Xbox Wireless Controller from the Xbox One may be compatible with the Series X / S consoles; however, the older controller...

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The best mechanical keyboards for gaming

Photo Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge

You can game on any keyboard. Or you could pick one with an 8000Hz polling rate. Or analog switches. Or modular macro pads. And, of course, they all have RGB. We’re not barbarians.

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The one where we tried to pick all the best streaming services

Image: The Verge

What’s the best streaming service? It feels like a big and important question to answer. It’s also a completely impossible, completely subjective question that depends on everything from your budget to your favorite Mission: Impossible movie. The streaming market is a teeming mass of stuff, with various platforms rising and falling, and nothing ever stays the same for very long.

But here at The Verge, we like answers. So, for this episode of The Vergecast, we decided to answer that big question the only way we know how: chaotically and at great length. So we held the first annual Vergecast Streaming Services draft in which our three co-hosts each drafted their top five streaming services. There were surprises from the very beginning,...

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Nvidia RTX 4070 review: a $599 RTX 3080 — kind of

The RTX 4070 is the most affordable RTX 40-series GPU yet, with solid 1440p performance.

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Nvidia announces $599 RTX 4070, available April 13th

Image: Nvidia

Nvidia is making its new RTX 4070 graphics card official today after weeks of leaks. The RTX 4070 will be available on April 13th priced starting at $599 for Nvidia’s own Founders Edition model. Nvidia is pitching the RTX 4070 for 1440p gaming at more than 100fps with ray tracing and the company’s latest DLSS 3 upscaling tech enabled.

The RTX 4070 is Nvidia’s first 40-series Founders Edition card that’s reasonably sized, so it can fit inside most cases — even those with small form factors. The RTX 4070 is actually shorter than an RTX 3080 and is designed to match its performance at 1440p at least. Built on Nvidia’s latest Ada Lovelace architecture, the RTX 4070 includes 12GB of GDDR6X instead of the 8GB found on both the prior RTX 3070...

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Samsung’s midrange A54 is already on sale with a $50 gift card at Amazon

Samsung’s A54 is a notable upgrade over the last-gen A53, one that comes in either black or violet. | Image: Jon Porter / The Verge

Happy Wednesday, y’all. We recently crowned Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Plus the best Android phone you can buy, though we wouldn't say it’s the cheapest Galaxy device currently available. Samsung’s midrange Galaxy A54 presents a more affordable alternative, one you can pick up at Amazon or Best Buy right now with a $50 gift card for $449.99.

There’s a lot to love about Samsung’s popular A-series, particularly the A54. It’s very much in line with this year’s Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus and features a number of improvements over the last-gen A53. The newer model packs a 50-megapixel main shooter that allows for better low-light photography along with a 6.4-inch OLED display and support for 25W fast charging. It also includes Samsung’s speedy Exynos...

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China wants homegrown AI to reflect the core values of socialism

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

Chinese officials have signaled how generative AI may be regulated in the country, writing in recently published draft guidelines that the software “should reflect the core values ​​of socialism,” CNBC reports. The proposed rules were published by the country’s Cyberspace Administration of China as it seeks public feedback and provide key indications of how the country’s heavy-handed speech rules may be applied to locally developed competitors to ChatGPT.

As well as reflecting socialist values, the draft rules (translated via Google Translate) say generative AI should not attempt to subvert state power, overthrow the socialist system, or undermine national unity. Promoting terrorism, extremism, or ethnic hatred is also prohibited, along...

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Microsoft is changing the Print Screen key to open its Snipping Tool on Windows 11

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Microsoft is getting ready to change how the Print Screen (Prt Scr) key works in Windows 11. For the first time in decades the default behavior will now open Microsoft’s own Snipping Tool instead of capturing an image of your entire screen and copying it to the Clipboard. Microsoft has started testing this change in recent beta builds of Windows 11.

While Windows 11 already has a setting to allow you to change Print Screen to open the Snipping Tool, Microsoft will set this as the default behavior in the upcoming KB5025310 update. If you have previously modified the option in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard then Windows 11 will keep the setting you chose, but for many this will be switched over.

Print Screen has always been in need of...

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WhatsApp now lets users shop and pay in-app in Brazil

Illustration: The Verge

WhatsApp users in Brazil can now officially pay small businesses for goods and services from within the Meta-owned messaging app, the company has announced. The payments-to-merchant feature is available now for a “small number of businesses” but will be rolling out more widely in the coming months, allowing customers to make purchases using Mastercard or Visa credit, debit, or prepaid cards “without having to go to a website, open another app or pay in person.”

The rollout of WhatsApp payment services in Brazil has been a multi-year process, and is complicated by the fact that the messaging app has been trying to offer both peer-to-peer transfers and payments-to-merchant services within its app. On the peer-to-peer side, WhatsApp...

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OpenAI offers bug bounty for ChatGPT — but no rewards for jailbreaking its chatbot

Illustration: The Verge

OpenAI has launched a bug bounty, encouraging members of the public to find and disclose vulnerabilities in its AI services including ChatGPT. Rewards range from $200 for “low-severity findings” to $20,000 for “exceptional discoveries,” and reports are submittable via crowdsourcing cybersecurity platform Bugcrowd.

Notably, the bounty excludes rewards for jailbreaking ChatGPT or causing it to generate malicious code or text. “Issues related to the content of model prompts and responses are strictly out of scope, and will not be rewarded,” says OpenAI’s Bugcrowd page.

Jailbreaking ChatGPT usually involves inputting elaborate scenarios in the system that allow it to bypass its own safety filters. These might include encouraging the chatbot...

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iPhone 15 Pro could end up having physical rather than solid-state buttons after all

The iPhone 14 Pro’s physical buttons, which could re-appear on this year’s followup. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

After months of leaks saying Apple will ditch the physical volume and power buttons on this year’s iPhone 15 Pro in favor of fancy solid-state replacements, one of the original sources of the rumor now says it’s not happening.

“My latest survey indicates that due to unresolved technical issues before mass production, both high-end iPhone 15 Pro models (Pro & Pro Max) will abandon the closely-watched solid-state button design and revert to the traditional physical button design,” reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a Medium post. 9to5Mac reports that another analyst, Haitong Tech’s Jeff Pu, also thinks Apple will stick with traditional mechanical buttons for iPhone 15 Pro models.

Two iPhone 15 Pro models’ removal of...

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It’s been 84 years, but Strava finally has a Spotify integration

You don’t need a Spotify or Strava subscription to use the new in-app widget. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

Strava has been around since 2009, but today, the popular fitness app is finally, finally adding an in-app Spotify integration. Instead of having to switch between apps, you can now access your Spotify favorites from the workout record screen. And, perhaps the best part is you don’t need a Spotify or Strava subscription to use it.

“It’s just one of those things we know people have been asking for a long time, and finally, the stars aligned,” says Mateo Ortega, Strava’s vice president of connected partnerships. When asked about the possibility of adding other platforms, Ortega didn’t rule out the possibility but noted that Spotify was a clear first step.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why Strava and Spotify partnering matters....

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The NYPD is bringing back its robot dog

Image: NYC’s Mayor Office

The New York Police Department is reenlisting Digidog, the four-legged robot that the city faced backlash for deploying a few years back, as reported earlier by The New York Times. NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced the news during a press event on Tuesday, stating that the use of Digidog in the city can “save lives.”

Digidog — also known as Spot — is a remote-controlled robot made by the Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics. It’s designed to work in situations that may pose a threat to humans, helping to do things like perform inspections in dangerous areas and monitor construction sites. However, Boston Dynamics also touts its use as a public safety tool, which the NYPD has tried in the past.

.@NYPDnews has always been on the cutting edge of...

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Connor Roy is the real heart of Succession

The emotional core of Succession | Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris /WireImage

The key to Succession has been staring you in the face for four seasons and has been played off as comic relief. It is the neglected son Connor Roy, played impeccably by Alan Ruck.

Connor is often ignored by the rest of the family. His half-siblings and father seem to view him as irretrievably goofy. But the main theme of Succession is highlighted by his character: he is the oldest son, and he is irrelevant. He even has to remind his half-siblings that he — not Kendall — is the oldest son in the season 3 finale.

Spoilers for Succession season 4 below

Still, Connor’s not in the race to replace his father, Logan Roy. He’s not even tasked with anything important. His mother got shipped off to “the funny farm,” and Logan remarried. In the...

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‘Baby Shark’ gets a podcast deal

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

I have to say — it is not the spiciest week in podcast news so far. But so it goes!

Today, Baby Shark podcasts go at a premium, BBC gets an unwelcome Twitter label, and Lemonada leans further into its audiobook club.

Lemonada and Apple Books launch audiobook club

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again until it gets annoying: the worlds of podcasts and audiobooks are becoming increasingly intertwined. Podcast studio Lemonada Media has found a new partner for its book club, this time teaming up with Apple Books.

The companies have selected three titles — A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung, Drama Free by Nedra Glover Tawwab, and You Can Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith — that are available as ebooks and audiobooks on Apple...

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The entire story of Elon Musk and Twitter, so far

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

Forget Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company — Elon Musk is now the owner, CEO, and sole director of Twitter.

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Lofi Girl’s new synthwave livestream features a new person — and their dog

Image: Lofi Girl

There’s a new person in the Lofi Girl universe. The countdown on the mysterious new Lofi Girl stream wrapped up earlier on Tuesday, and when it was over, a person in a purple sweater with an adorable dog sat down at their computer and started listening to some excellent synthwave beats.

You can listen to the new stream here. The new person in the stream doesn’t have a name; an announcement from the Lofi Girl channel only calls them a “brand new character.” “Get ready to fully immerse yourselves in the new realm of retro-futuristic sounds and join us as we embark on a journey through time and space, exploring the wonders of Synthwave and unravelling the mysteries of the Lofi universe!” part of the announcement reads.

Today marks a very...

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Warner Bros. Discovery’s $15.99-ish ‘Max’ combo will be revealed tomorrow

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Warner Bros. Discovery is getting ready to announce its combined HBO Max and Discovery Plus offering it will supposedly call “Max.” The media giant will officially reveal the service during a press event on Wednesday, which will cost up to $16 per month, according to a report from The New York Times.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had been planning on bringing the two services together ever since WarnerMedia merged with Discovery last year, and now that time is closely approaching. The combined service will dump Discovery Plus’ eclectic range of content, including Deadliest Catch, Property Brothers, and (my personal favorite) _90 Day Fianc_é into a single vat with HBO’s more high-profile offerings, like The Last of Us and The W...

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Sony is gearing up for a new cloud gaming push amid rumors of a PlayStation handheld

The logo for PlayStation Now, Sony’s cloud gaming service that got folded into PS Plus. | Image: Sony

Now that Google Stadia is dead and buried, it looks like Sony may seriously care about cloud gaming again. Despite a recent round of layoffs, Sony is currently hiring 22 roles related to cloud gaming tech — including one person whose job will literally be to “Develop and deliver the strategic vision for cloud game streaming at PlayStation.”

“Are you a ground-breaking innovator in the cloud streaming product space? Then you likely agree that Cloud Gaming is on its way to becoming a major part of the gaming industry,” reads part of a Sony job posting for a Director of Product Management for Cloud Gaming.

That person won’t be alone: Sony is also hiring five senior platform engineers, three software engineers, two technical project managers...

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Ikea’s virtual interior design service brings in a pro to pick out your new furniture

Image: Ikea

If you’re like me, you enjoy walking through Ikea stores and dream your home could be as neat and organized as the showroom samples — but you really don’t feel like putting in all that effort. Well, Ikea has a new interior design service that just might help you over that mental barrier of attempting to make a beautiful, modern, and functional space (via Fast Company).

Ikea’s not alone in spotting the profit potential of adding more services to everything it already does. Apple just launched Music Classical on top of its iCloud, AppleCare Plus, Apple TV Plus, Apple News, and Arcade. Meanwhile, retailer services continue to creep wider, with Walmart’s own Plus order and delivery services, Best Buy’s Totaltech, and of course, the...

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Twitter alternatives for the Musk-averse

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Twitter users (and ex-users) are still watching to see what the next chapter will be in the soap opera called “What Elon Musk will do with Twitter next.” Start a small war with Substack? Temporarily replace its bird logo with a Doge? The possibilities seem endless.

If you’re becoming bored with the whole thing, and you want to continue following social networking without having to deal with Twitter, where do you go? We’ve looked around and found several possible alternatives. Most don’t have the size and scale of Twitter, and it’s hard to say if any of them will attract enough followers to give it a run for its money. Some of them ape the real-time feed of Twitter, but most provide a different take on what a social network can look...

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Ford’s Oakville plant in Canada will start making EVs in 2024

Image: Ford

Ford’s factory in Oakville, Ontario, will begin its $1.3 billion ($1.8 billion CAD) transformation into an electric vehicle assembly plant in the second quarter of 2024. The retooling is expected to take six months to finish, the automaker said Tuesday.

During the process, an estimated 3,000 workers will be furloughed, according to Automotive News. Ford, however, says it expects to bring back virtually all the factory workers when the plant comes back online at the end of 2024.

The factory, which currently produces gas-powered Edge and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers, will be renamed the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex and will include a 407,000-square-foot battery assembly plant. The facility will use battery cells produced by Ford’s B...

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This pixelated outfit could be yours for $4,350

Image: Loewe

If you have a spare couple thousand dollars and love confusing people with your clothing, Loewe has something right up your alley.

The Spanish luxury brand is now selling the glitchy clothing shown on the runway at Paris Fashion Week last fall under the “Pixel” capsule collection. The release includes clothing items like a baby blue hoodie, a denim skirt, and a T-shirt as well as accessories like a handbag. If you’re on a budget, the cheapest thing is a T-shirt with a blurry Loewe logo for $590. Staying true to the bit, Loewe says purchases will come in limited-edition pixelated packaging.

Image: Loewe

Loewe’s “pixelated top in technical knit” retails for $1,850.

Image: Loewe

A...

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Google TV’s live guide is getting crammed full of over 800 free channels

Google TV’s live guide is about to include over 800 free channels. | Image: Google

FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channels are becoming inescapable these days and booming in popularity through their combination of familiar reruns and news programming offered at no cost. Nearly any modern smart TV you buy today will include a slew of them. Roku and Amazon (with Fire TV) are both big advocates. And now, Google is doubling down more than it already was on linear FAST content.

Starting today in the United States, the company’s Google TV platform is adding a ton of additional FAST channels. Whether you’re watching from a Chromecast or a TV that runs the software, you’ll start seeing them pop up over the next few weeks.

Google TV had already offered FAST content from Pluto TV, but it’s now expanding to...

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