Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s final trailer has open skies and lots of drama

Nintendo

At T-minus one day less than a month until Tears of the Kingdom launches, Nintendo has released a final trailer for Breath of the Wild’s potentially life-ruining sequel.

The three-minute trailer featured sweeping vistas of Hyrule, some new friendly faces, and one very old not-so-friendly face. It looks like Link will have some friends to help him along the way, like he did in Breath of the Wild, which is neat because exploring all of Hyrule alone can get pretty boring. It also looks like my girl Riju is back and all grown up, along with Prince Sidon, so I am very excited to see my old friends again.

During the last presentation on TotK, I was a bit bummed that we didn’t get any story beats. There were so many questions surrounding Link’s...

Continue reading…

Apple’s colorful HomePod Mini is down to one of its best prices to date

Apple’s HomePod Mini comes in a variety of fun colors, including orange, yellow, and blue. | Image: Jennifer Tuohy / The Verge

Believe it or not, May is now just a few weeks away, which means both Mother’s Day and graduation season are nearly upon us. If you plan on picking up a gift for either occasion, it might be wise to get a head start on your shopping now before your calendar fills with festivities.

For Apple aficionados, Apple’s Siri-enabled HomePod Mini makes for a versatile gift, one that’s on sale at Costco for members for $79.99 ($20 off) through April 23rd. Non-members can also buy the smart speaker at a discount when they pay a 5 percent surcharge, which raises the final sale price to $83.99 — a price we still rarely see.

If you’re already embedded in Apple’s ecosystem, the HomePod Mini will let you do more than just play music and check the...

Continue reading…

This is the best time in a decade to splurge on a premium OLED TV

LG’s G3 OLED hits new brightness highs. | Image: LG

LG’s G3 and Samsung’s S95C promise the brightest, most impressive picture we’ve ever seen from OLED TVs — and that’s on top of other advantages like perfect blacks and excellent gaming performance.

Continue reading…

Coachella is headed back to Fortnite this year

Image: Epic Games

Fortnite’s push into music continues with its second collaboration with Coachella, and it’s a bit more involved than last year.

The music festival will be featured inside of the game in a few different ways. Perhaps most notable is the “Coachella Island” that players can explore, built using the game’s Creative mode, and which features music from Porter Robinson, some mini-games to play, and a virtual merch tent. (The island will be available to check out starting on April 14th at 3PM ET.)

Meanwhile, 18 different songs from Coachella artists will be playing on Fortnite’s in-game radio station in the battle royale mode from now until May 12th. There will also be Coachella-themed quests to complete and, since this is Fortnite, a pair of...

Continue reading…

Adobe announces new collaboration and editing features for Frame.io and Premiere Pro

Image: Adobe

Adobe has announced several product updates ahead of the 2023 NAB Show, including the addition of text-based video editing features to Premier Pro and the expansion of the Frame.io cloud-based video collaboration platform to include photos and PDFs. The Frame.io update is designed to increase remote collaboration across departments and appeal to a wider range of creative professionals and businesses by introducing a new end-to-end workflow to capture, edit, review, and approve content through one centralized hub.

The new Frame.io Camera to Cloud integrations now enable photographers to directly transfer RAW, JPEG, and HEIF files from their cameras to the Frame.io cloud platform where the images can be reviewed by editors, reducing the...

Continue reading…

Leica’s $9,195 M11 Monochrom camera lives in a gray area of expensive minimalism

You have to have a keen eye to tell the M11 Monochrom apart from the M10 Monochrom.

Leica is looking to charm us with the beauty and mystery of black-and-white photography once again. The German camera maker is announcing the Leica M11 Monochrom, its first new offshoot of last year’s 60-megapixel M11 and its fifth digital camera to only shoot black and white. Launching today alongside the blacked-out $9,195 camera is a new Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens, which focuses closer and has more aperture blades than the current model, selling for $4,495 in black or $4,795 in silver.

If you’re unfamiliar with Leica’s Monochrom cameras, here’s a quick once-over of the formula: Leica takes its latest M or Q camera, takes out the color filter array of the sensor (rendering it incapable of taking a color photo), stealthily...

Continue reading…

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G review: a little bit flagship, but mostly midrange

The A54 5G delivers some flagship-level features for a midrange price, but as always, you get what you pay for.

Continue reading…

Apple’s new series Drops of God turns wine tasting into high-stakes drama

Tomohisa Yamashita and Fleur Geffrier in Drops of God. | Image: Apple

Everything about Apple’s newest streaming series is extreme — which you can probably tell since it’s a show about wine with the overly dramatic title Drops of God. And yet it works. It takes what may seem like a niche subculture full of snobs and millionaires and turns it into a high-stakes thriller that constantly kept me on edge. I really can’t believe how tense I got watching someone sniff a glass of red wine.

Loosely based on a manga of the same name, Drops of God is a story about family and competition. Things really kick off with a death. When world-renowned wine aficionado Alexandre Leger (Stanley Weber) passes away, he leaves behind an incredible inheritance: a cellar packed with 87,000 bottles widely believed to be the most...

Continue reading…

Microsoft is experimenting with a Windows gaming handheld mode for Steam Deck

A prototype game launcher for Windows. | Image: h0x0d (Twitter)

Microsoft is exploring early concepts around a Windows handheld mode for devices like the Steam Deck. A leaked video posted on Twitter by h0x0d shows early concept and prototype work for an optimized Windows 11 UI for handhelds, and a launcher and Windows gaming shell that’s designed for touchscreens and controllers.

The video is part of a hackathon project inside Microsoft from September, where employees regularly present ideas or projects that sometimes end up getting support from Microsoft executives and end up shipping.

https://t.co/OWiw0f2k2v pic.twitter.com/RdSGMmhgBd

— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) April 13, 2023

While it’s not clear who’s narrating the video, they do a good job of highlighting all the current issues of running...

Continue reading…

PBS also stops tweeting after being hit with ‘Government-funded Media’ label

Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has stopped tweeting from its primary Twitter account after it was given a “Government-funded Media” label. As of this writing the @PBS account hasn’t tweeted since April 8th, and the organization has since confirmed that it currently has “no plans” to resume posting to Twitter.

“PBS stopped tweeting from our account when we learned of the change and we have no plans to resume at this time,” PBS spokesman Jason Phelps tells Bloomberg. “We are continuing to monitor the ever-changing situation closely.” While PBS isn’t tweeting from its main account, it’s continued to put out content on affiliated accounts like @NewsHour, which have not had the “Government-funded” label applied.

“PBS stopped tweeting...

Continue reading…

What we’ve learned about Sony PlayStation’s new smartphone games team

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Sony wants 20 percent of new games to be on smartphones by 2025, and last August it announced a new PlayStation Studios Mobile Division to help make that happen. But you should know that what Sony’s building doesn’t look like a new game studio that will produce its own games, nor, say, a way to port Sony’s biggest games to phones the way they’re getting ported to PC.

17 current and former job postings suggest that PlayStation Studios Mobile is more of a cross-functional management, strategy, licensing, and support team.

They figure what PlayStation intellectual property would best fit a mobile phone, help dish out that licensed IP to internal and external game studios alike, oversee the titles, make sure the final games live up to...

Continue reading…

Congressional Republicans subpoena the FTC for asking Twitter too many questions

Image: Getty Images

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed the Federal Trade Commission for documents related to its ongoing privacy investigation into Elon Musk’s Twitter, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the committee, authorized the subpoena sent to FTC Chair Lina Khan, accusing the agency of refusing to comply with a handful of other requests the committee has made over the last few months. The demand requires the FTC to hand over all internal communications related to Musk’s October 2022 purchase of Twitter.

In his letter to Khan Wednesday, Jordan accused the FTC of making “inappropriate and burdensome demands” of Musk’s Twitter, calling the agency’s responses to past requests for...

Continue reading…

The Google graveyard: all the products Google has shut down

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

There’s a lot of them

Continue reading…

Google will shut down Currents, the work-focused Google Plus replacement

Currents was introduced in 2019. | Image: Google Currents

Update April 12th, 2023, 5PM ET: Google announced it will begin winding down Currents on July 5th, with data available for export until August 8th, 2023, when it will no longer be available.

Google has announced that it’ll shut down Currents, which was introduced in 2019 as a replacement for Google Plus for G Suite. In a blog post, the company says it’s “planning to wind down” Currents, and that it’ll push the people who were using it to Spaces, which is sort of like Google Chat’s version of a Slack channel or Discord room.

Google says that it’s making the change so users won’t have to work in a “separate, siloed destination” — instead, they’ll be using Chat and Spaces, which will soon be prominently integrated into Gmail. The company...

Continue reading…

Summer gaming events 2023: with E3 canceled, here’s what’s next

Starfield. | Image: Bethesda Softworks

E3 isn’t happening, but the news isn’t stopping.

Continue reading…

Max is charging more money for 4K, and that means it can’t suck this time

Things just got a little pricier.

Max, the successor to HBO Max, might be getting a little more serious about 4K content. At an event today, Warner Bros. Discovery detailed its plans for the new app, including how the migration of accounts will work and what kind of new content will be appearing on the service. The company also announced an additional paid tier for $19.99 that will allow for more concurrent streams and 4K. It better not mess this up.

The first two tiers will keep their current prices. For $9.99, you’ll get two concurrent ad-supported streams at HD quality. For $15.99, you’ll lose the ads and be allowed to download up to 30 pieces of content at a time, but you’ll no longer get access to 4K. Finally, for $19.99, you’ll get 4K with HDR and Dolby Atmos, four...

Continue reading…

It’s now just Max: all of the news from Warner Bros. Discovery’s reveal event

Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

The company’s combined HBO Max and Discovery Plus streaming service is nearly here.

Continue reading…

Game of Thrones is getting another prequel, and its plot sounds very familiar

Screenshot: Jake Kastrenakes / The Verge

The Game of Thrones franchise is getting a new entry on Warner Bros. Discovery’s newly-announced Max streaming service. The new prequel, called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: the Hedge Knight, has been rumored for some time, but it wasn’t clear which part of the ample Game of Thrones lore it would borrow from.

At today’s HBO Max rebranding event, HBO head Casey Bloys confirmed that the new show has been ordered straight to series and would focus on Dunk and Egg. In the world of Game of Thrones, Dunk is a famous knight, and Egg is his squire, both of whom travel the land righting wrongs.

A century before @GameofThrones, there was Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.

Executive produced by George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker, Ryan...

Continue reading…

Chipotle plans to ditch gas grills at 100 new locations

An electric grill at a Chipotle location in Jacksonville, Florida. | Image: Chipotle

Chipotle is switching from gas to electric grills at many of its locations as part of a plan to design more environmentally sustainable restaurants.

In 2024, Chipotle plans to open up at least 100 new locations that “utilize all-electric equipment,” the company announced yesterday. The fast food chain has a goal of slashing its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, which is in line with what’s needed globally to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

Gas stoves have been at the center of a fight to make homes and buildings less polluting. For decades, the fossil fuel industry has fed consumers “cooking with gas” campaigns — going as far as to pay Instagram influencers to harp on how much they love their gas stoves.

A...

Continue reading…

Harry Potter is getting a 10-year-long TV series on Max

Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery is officially working on a Harry Potter series for its new streaming service, Max. The series was recently rumored to be in development, and now we know that it’s officially on the way.

In a press release, the company says it will be a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.” The show will have a new cast playing the series’ iconic characters, and Warner Bros. Discovery promises that “each season will be authentic to the original books.” The original movies will still be “available to watch globally,” even with this new show in development.

Author J.K. Rowling will be among the show’s executive producers. The author has been heavily criticized for her...

Continue reading…

Love & Translation is basically that Duolingo reality dating show minus the owl

TLC

While it was clearly in development long before Duolingo’s very funny and compelling April Fools’ joke, Love & Translation is definitely going to get a lot of comparisons to the viral ad. That’s because they’re basically the same thing.

In the new show, three men who only speak English look for love amongst 12 women who don’t speak any English at all, which is... a little cringier than the Duolingo gag. Also, there’s no green owl looming in the distance and trying to teach people to new languages so they can better communicate.

But if you’re okay with all that, this sure looks like the kind of show you’ll plow through on a rainy Saturday when you forget to put on real pants until like 5PM.

Love & Translation will be coming to TLC this...

Continue reading…

Gotham has a new king in Max’s first Penguin teaser

Collin Farrell as The Penguin.

In Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Oswald Cobblepot was still just a two-bit criminal working for other, bigger crime lords who kept Gotham PD on their toes. But in the first teaser trailer for Max’s upcoming Penguin spinoff series starring Colin Farrell, Cobblepot’s well on his way to making it in the big leagues (of villainy).

Though the Batman himself doesn’t make an appearance in The Penguin’s new teaser revealed today during the official unveiling of Max, it’s clear from all the back alley dealings and shootouts that Cobblepot’s getting into that Gotham’s as seedy as ever and still a hotbed for criminal activity. Because of all the chaos, it seems very much like Gotham’s in one of its more lawless phases, where even the city’s worst...

Continue reading…

Warner Bros. Discovery explains why it’s dropping the HBO Max name

The official logo doesn’t actually look like this. | Illustration: The Verge

Warner Bros. Discovery’s revamped subscription service is just called “Max,” and the company explained why it dropped the HBO branding at a press event on Wednesday. A key reason was to help Warner Bros. Discovery broaden the appeal of the app so that it’s not mostly targeted at content for adults.

“We want [Max] to be welcoming to all and easily recognizable, including to a key customer segment, kids and families,” JB Perrette, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming and games, said at the event. “We all love HBO. And it’s a brand that has been built over five decades to be the edgy, groundbreaking trendsetter in entertainment for adults. But it’s not exactly where parents would most eagerly drop off their kids.”

W...

Continue reading…

HBO and Discovery’s ‘Max’ streaming service is here

Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

The time has come: HBO Max and Discovery Plus are merging to create a combined streaming service called “Max.” During an event on Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the service will launch on May 23rd.

“Max is the one to watch,” CEO David Zaslav said. “It’s the one to watch because it’s the place every member of the household can go to see exactly what they want at any given time.”

This move has been long in the works (long enough that you’d think Warner Bros. Discovery would come up with a better name than just “Max”). WarnerMedia completed its messy megamerger with Discovery last year, which resulted in the elimination of several shows and movies. Around that same time, the company also announced its plans to create a...

Continue reading…

Android 14’s first beta introduces a back arrow that matches your background

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

The first beta of Google’s Android 14 OS is available to download today, introducing new features focused on system navigation, privacy, performance, and user customization. We already had a good idea of what to expect thanks to the first two developer-only previews, but the beta release is the first opportunity for the general public to test the changes.

Gesture navigation has been updated to include a more conspicuous Material You-themed back arrow that adjusts to complement the device’s theme or wallpaper. Aside from arguably being more aesthetically pleasing, the updated back arrow is designed to help users better understand Android 14’s predictive back gesture experience, which now previews the screen users are navigating to within...

Continue reading…

The best laptops for video editing

We’ve tested and reviewed every laptop on this list ourselves. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Here are the best laptops for video editing of every shape, size, and price point.

Continue reading…

Xbox’s new energy-saving power options roll out this week

Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Microsoft is getting ready to roll out its new energy-saving features for the Xbox Series X / S consoles this week. This includes an active hours feature that Microsoft initially started testing in January that will let Xbox owners boot their console quickly during certain hours and shut it down fully to save on energy during times when it’s used less.

Active hours means an Xbox will only draw 0.5 watts when it’s fully shut down, instead of 10–15 watts during the Standby mode. You can either set active hours times yourself or let your Xbox adjust them automatically depending on when you use the console the most. In other words, if your active hours are set between 12PM and 10PM, that means your console will be ready to boot in seconds...

Continue reading…

Sanctuary’s new trailer is a twisted game of cat and mouse

Image: Neon

After a tease yesterday, the first trailer for the dark comedy Sanctuary is here — and it looks appropriately twisted. The film made its debut at TIFF last year, and it stars Margaret Qualley (Death Stranding, The Leftovers) and Christopher Abbott (Girls, Possessor) and is the second feature from director Zachary Wigon. The new trailer is a back-and-forth game of power dynamics filled with safe words, hidden cameras, and some light betrayal.

Here’s the official premise:

In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal (Abbott) attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca (Qualley). A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling to keep the upper hand...

Continue reading…

Redfall won’t have a 60fps mode on Xbox at launch

Image: Microsoft

Redfall, which is set to be one of Microsoft and Bethesda’s biggest Xbox releases of the year, won’t have a 60fps performance mode on consoles at launch, developer Arkane Austin announced on Wednesday. Instead, the game will be limited to a quality mode that enables 30fps at 4K resolution on Xbox Series X and 30fps at 1440p on Xbox Series S.

The announcement is disappointing, especially so close to the game’s nearly here May 2nd launch date and when previous footage has been in 60fps. Redfall looks like it will be a decently fast-paced shooter, and I’m worried that the 30fps limitation on Xbox will make the game feel sluggish. (And personally, I always pick a higher frame rate over higher-quality graphics anyway.)

Still, the game does...

Continue reading…

NPR becomes first major news organization to leave Twitter

Image: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

NPR has announced that it will no longer use Twitter to distribute its content after the social media platform began labeling the network as “US state-affiliated media,” putting it in the same category as government mouthpiece publications like RT and China Daily. NPR is the first major news organization to pull from the platform and comes at a time when Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s relationship with the press is at a low point.

NPR’s main Twitter account has been silent since getting the label a week ago, but CEO John Lansing made the stance official in a memo sent to staffers Wednesday morning. “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of...

Continue reading…