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The Nook Glowlight 4e struggles to stand out, but at least it’s got buttons to turn the page. | Photo by Sheena Vasani / The Verge
The company is looking to give its stores an indie bookstore vibe, but its e-readers have more of an Amazon Kindle in the early 2010s vibe.
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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
D., a carpenter and Etsy seller of several years, recently sold a piece of custom, made-to-order furniture for around $150. The sale itself was business as usual for their shop — but it came with a sense of exasperation. Their earnings would be tied up for weeks while bills, rent, and expenses pile up.
Since late June, Etsy has had D.’s account under restrictive settings, putting a hold on the bulk of money that’s coming in as customers place orders. In D.’s case, 75 percent of earnings from a $150 order, as an example, are being held by Etsy — in what’s known as a “payment reserve” — for anywhere between two weeks and 45 days. After Etsy fees, taxes, and other expenses are pulled from the remaining 25 percent D. has access to, they’re...
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You can buy four AirTags for $84.99, or about $21 each. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Now we’ve reached the end of July, back-to-school season is officially upon us. If you’re starting to shop for supplies to help kick off the new school year on the right note, we curated a guide to a range of helpful gadgets. We also found a number of good deals this week that’ll help you prepare.
Right now, for example, you can buy some of the best item trackers from Tile and Apple at some pretty notable prices. First off, the latest Tile Mate in black with a pack of lost and found labels for $19.99 ($10 off) from Amazon, which is an all-time low. The platform-agnostic Tile Mate will help you or your children keep track of backpacks, lunch boxes, tote bags, keys, and other belongings up to 250 feet away. That might be 150 feet less than...
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Image: Nintendo
Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series, is famous for his extremely hands-on role in developing the games. But even though he’s said in the past that he’s done “too much of the work myself” on the series, in a new video, he said that he “can’t really imagine a Smash Bros. title without me.”
Sakurai made the statement as part of a video on his YouTube channel about the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii. That was the first Smash Bros. title where Sakurai as a freelance director instead of as a staffer for HAL Laboratory.
During the video, Sakurai pondered how Nintendo might structure a team for a potential next entry in the Smash Bros. series and his fears that there isn’t one person who...
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A screenshot from the Horizon Worlds game Super Rumble_._ | Image: Meta
Meta’s long-in-the-works mobile version of Horizon Worlds, its VR metaverse social platform, may finally launch soon, according to Friday’s Lowpass newsletter from Janko Roettgers.
We’ve been aware of Meta working on a mobile version of Horizon Worlds, the company’s metaverse social platform that is currently only available on its Quest VR devices, for quite some time, but it’s still not here. Apparently, the company had built a working version last year, but “we ended up not shipping it,” Vishal Shah, Meta’s metaverse VP, said in an interview with Roettgers. “It was a little bit too much of a VR game on mobile as opposed to a mobile-native experience.”
Shah didn’t tell Roettgers exactly when the app will be available on mobile, though....
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That’s not a cassette tape! | Image: Remax
As a ‘90s kid who dreamed of being an ‘80s adult, this immediately commanded my attention: you can now charge your phone with a cassette tape.
Shenzhen accessories manufacturer Remax has apparently been on it for over a year, debuting “10,000mAh” batteries that look like classic cassettes. Depending on the color — yellow, red, or the new green 2023 model — you can charge them up with USB-C, micro-USB, or even an Apple Lightning cable, then output up to 22.5W over USB-A or USB-C to fast-charge a phone.
The $20-$40 batteries aren’t not quite as nifty as I originally imagined, though. While they do awesomely come with their own transparent cassette tape cases, they’re definitely larger than a classic cassette, and there’s no...
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Image: Square Enix
Critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is finally coming to Xbox.
During the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer appeared to announce the news alongside game director Naoki Yoshida. “We want to bring the Xbox community and your warriors of light together, in a way that is safe, secure, engaging, and, above all, fun.” Spencer said.
Enjoyed being onstage with Yoshi-P and Kiryu-san to announce Final Fantasy XIV coming to Xbox. We’re thrilled that the Xbox community will join the Warriors of Light and we look forward to partnering closely with Square Enix on future games. pic.twitter.com/zq0ETkDFq1
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 28, 2023
Since the game’s launch in 2013, the MMORPG has only been...
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Twitter, which Elon Musk is currently rebranding to X, is officially rolling out its ads revenue sharing program for creators. The company had given some creators payouts earlier this month, but now, users globally who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for the program from the monetization tab in settings.
To be eligible for the program, you need to be subscribed to X Blue (which appears to be the new name for Twitter Blue) or be a Verified Organization, have “at least 15M impressions on your cumulative posts within the last 3 months,” and have at least 500 followers, according to a support document about the program.
“We want the process to be as simple as possible, so all eligible X Blue and Verified Organizations subscribers are...
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Image: Square Enix
It’s finally time for the Final Fantasy XIV beach vacation episode!
This year’s Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicked off the American leg of the global event in Las Vegas this weekend. Thousands of fans braved the absolute blistering Las Vegas heat for cosplay events, concerts, and, of course, presentations designed around everybody’s favorite critically acclaimed MMORPG.
During the keynote kicking off FanFest, Square Enix revealed the game’s latest expansion, Dawntrail, with a brief introduction trailer.
The trailer reintroduces us to the series’ main characters as they explore a tropical island, noted as Eorzea’s “New World.” Seems like the Scions are enjoying a much-needed break from saving all of existence, going on treasure hunts and...
The Verge
Image: Square Enix
It’s finally time for the Final Fantasy XIV beach vacation episode!
This year’s Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicked off the American leg of the global event in Las Vegas this weekend. Thousands of fans braved the absolute blistering Las Vegas heat for cosplay events, concerts, and, of course, presentations designed around everybody’s favorite critically acclaimed MMORPG.
During the keynote kicking off FanFest, Square Enix revealed the game’s latest expansion, Dawntrail, with a brief introduction trailer.
The trailer reintroduces us to the series’ main characters as they explore a tropical island, noted as Eorzea’s “New World.” Seems like the Scions are enjoying a much-needed break from saving all of existence, going on treasure hunts and...
The Verge
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Earlier this week, a reader contacted me with a dilemma: his wife has always had super sharp hearing when it comes to environmental / ambient noise. She can “hear a gnat blink at 1,000 yards. Forty years ago, she could hear electronic clocks running,” he said. And so they’ve been in search of a solution that would help eliminate some of that background clamor while still helping her clearly hear conversations happening directly in front of her.
I’m no doctor, nor am I any kind of hearing health expert. Consulting an audiologist would be my top recommendation for next steps — regardless of anyone’s age. But increasingly, consumer earbuds are trying to plug away at these common issues: everyday life can get loud. And when it happens...
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Photo by Hannes P Albert / picture alliance via Getty Images
Look, I understand where you’re coming from. You paid good money to be here at the Eras Tour or whatever. You waited in line for two hours. You were up all night selecting your outfit. You sat in ridiculous traffic. You fought a relentless battle against Ticketmaster, and dagnabbit, you won. You’re here, you persevered, and you want the world to know it.
You’re here, you persevered, and you want the world to know it
Also, you’re spending your Saturday night singing “Love Story”at the top of your lungs in a crowd of thousands of very attractive and well-dressed people, and those loser couch potatoes who follow you on Instagram presumably are not. You promised your mom that you’d get out of the house more, and you’d like her to know...
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Google robot choosing a ball. | Image: Google
Google wants to make its robots smarter with the release of the AI learning model Robotic Transformer (RT-2).
RT-2 is the new version of what the company calls its vision-language-action (VLA) model. The model teaches robots to better recognize visual and language patterns to interpret instructions and infer what objects work best for the request.
Researchers tested RT-2 with a robotic arm in a kitchen office setting, asking its robotic arm to decide what makes a good improvised hammer (it was a rock) and to choose a drink to give an exhausted person (a Red Bull). They also told the robot to move a Coke can to a picture of Taylor Swift. The robot is a Swiftie, and that is good news for humanity.
The new model trained on web and...
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The new NASA Plus logo. | Image: NASA
NASA is about to voyage into the streaming-verse. The federal space agency is announcing a new “NASA Plus” streaming service that will bring the on-demand non-sci-fi space content you crave to TVs and mobile devices everywhere. And best of all, NASA says it will be “ad-free, no cost, and family-friendly” (via Gizmodo).
You’ll be able to watch live coverage of future launches, documentaries, and brand-new original series the agency is producing exclusively for NASA Plus. The agency is looking to “better tell the stories of how NASA explores the unknown” and connect with more people by transforming its digital presence, Marc Etkind, NASA’s associate administrator of communications, states.
NASA Plus is launching “later this year,”...
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They may not have the cool old-school looks of their predecessor, but the Momentum 4 Wireless make up for it with amazing battery life and a comfy fit. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless headphones in white are selling for an excellent low price of $259.95 ($120 off) at Amazon. If you were partial to the last-gen version’s touch of vintage styling, that’s sadly no longer present on the current model, but these noise-canceling cans traded that for some extra-long battery life of up to 60 hours and much-improved comfort (so you can actually use it for those marathon sessions with less chance of fatigue).
If white isn’t your thing, the black version is also on sale at Amazon for a still-pretty-good price of $284.95 ($95 off). Either way, the Momentum 4 are a great set of wireless headphones, especially if you don’t want to rely on frequent charging.
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Image: Getty
Ford’s electric future is being paid for by giant, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs.
That fact came into stark relief this week during the company’s second quarter earnings report, in which the Blue Oval reported losing $1.1 billion before interest and taxes on its EV business, more than twice as much it lost over the same period last year.
Compare that to Ford’s profits in the sale of gas and hybrid trucks and SUVs: $2.3 billion before interest and taxes. Commercial vehicle sales also posted a healthy profit of $2.4 billion for the quarter.
Ford lost $1.1 billion on its EV business this quarter
It’s been over a year since Ford split its business into two separate entities — one focused on electric vehicles called Ford Model e, and the...
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes with an IPX8 rating — and the X for dust resistance is a big old “nope.” | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Dust is the enemy of a folding phone, and Samsung says it’s working on measures to make its foldables much more dust-resistant.
Samsung mobile business president TM Roh talked about pursuing foldable dust resistance in a press conference following the company’s Unpacked event earlier this week, as reported by Korean outlet BizWatch and spotted by Android Authority. Roh said, “We are well aware of consumer demand for dustproofing, and we are making various efforts to achieve this.” He noted that Samsung added water resistance a few generations into its foldable line and asked Fold series fans to “please wait a little longer” for that dust resistance rating.
It’s a hard problem for phones with moving parts, but it’s a hurdle that Samsung...
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Turbines generate electricity outside Medicine Bow, Wyoming, on August 14th, 2022. | Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
A new rule aims to speed up the time it takes for renewable energy projects to connect to the grid — and clean energy advocates are celebrating.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided yesterday to overhaul the process for approving new energy projects, which had become a serious holdup for renewable energy growth in the US.
“This is a watershed moment for our nation’s transmission grid,” FERC Chair Willie Phillips said in a press release yesterday.
“This is a watershed moment for our nation’s transmission grid.”
As it is now, it takes an average of five years for a new energy project to connect to the grid. There’s a huge backlog of more than 2,000 gigawatts of clean energy generation and storage that’s just waiting in...
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Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. | Image: Lucasfilm / Disney
Though there won’t be any major studio movie script writing done until Hollywood’s ongoing double labor strike is resolved, Lucasfilm has tapped Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen Glover, to pen its new Lando series — the same Star Wars project Haunted Mansiondirector Justin Simien was previously attached to develop.
Following an initial report from Above the Line, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Donald and Stephen Glover are now set to write Disney Plus’ forthcoming Lando series as part of a deal that was apparently made back in May before the Writers Guild of America officially went on strike. Donald Glover is also said to be reprising his role as a younger Lando Calrissian after first portraying him in Solo: A Star Wars...
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Sony Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 bundle and console covers | Image: Sony
Preorders for Sony’s upcoming limited edition Spider-Man PlayStation 5 console and its matching accessories are available. The themed setup can be bought as a full bundle with a disc-equipped PS5, digital code for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and matching controller for $599.99. Or, if you already own a PS5, you can get the same look via replaceable covers for $64.99, while the matching DualSense controller runs $79.99.
While the next installment of Insomniac’s Spider-Man game series isn’t due out until October 20th, all this friendly neighborhood gear is set to ship on September 1st.
If you want the whole matching package, the limited edition PlayStation 5 bundle comes...
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Image: Getty
The 75th annual Emmy Awards likely won’t take place on September 18th as planned. According to a report from Variety, vendors, producers, and others involved with the ceremony have been notified that the date has been pushed back amid the Hollywood strikes.
While the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced its nominees for the 2023 awards on July 12th, this took place just one day before the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) called a strike. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May, with both unions looking for higher streaming residuals and protections surrounding the use of AI.
The Television Academy still hasn’t confirmed that the Emmys have been delayed, but even if it were to take place, it would...
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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
This is Platformer_, a newsletter on the intersection of Silicon Valley and democracy from Casey Newton and Zoë Schiffer._ Sign up here.
Today let’s talk about some of the most rigorous research we’ve seen to date on the subject of social networks’ influence on politics — and the predictably intense debate around how to interpret it.
I.
Even before 2021, when Frances Haugen rocked the company by releasing thousands of documents detailing its internal research and debates, Meta has faced frequent calls to cooperate with academics on social science. I’ve argued that doing so is ultimately in the company’s interest, as the absence of good research on social networks has bred strong convictions around the world that social networks are...
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Wow, a readable website on your phone. Who knew that was possible? | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
We’ve all been there: someone in our social feeds or group chat just sent a link to an interesting article, but when we click that link and it opens in our phone’s browser, it’s almost impossible to read because there are so many ads, pop-ups, “chat with us” nags, and other crap getting in the way. Most times, I just give up and close the browser, forfeiting knowing about whatever the topic was.
But since I installed Google’s Reading Mode app on Android, I can quickly bypass all of that crap with a simple two-finger swipe gesture and actually read the thing I clicked the link for.
Reading Mode was released late last year and is intended to be an accessibility feature — it makes reading content on your phone easier if you are vision...
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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Now that most of us are traveling around again — to work, to the movies, to friends, or just to get outside and experience the summer — we are pulling our favorite backpacks and bags from our closets and filling them up with laptops, phones, cameras, clothes, groceries, and other stuff. (Not to mention trying to figure out if they might suit any kids of our acquaintance for back-to-school purposes.)
Here are some of the carry-alls that we here at The Verge have been using. As you will read, most of these have gotten months or even years of good use — which is what you want in a good backpack or bag.
Victoria Song, senior reviewer
I’ve always been stymied by the need for a bag smaller than a backpack or knapsack but...
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Garmins aren’t just multisport behemoths anymore. | Illustration by Will Joel / The Verge
Garmin may be best known for its hardcore fitness watches, but it’s got an extensive line of lifestyle offerings, too.
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Image: Netflix / Ripstone Games / Night School
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and The Queen’s Gambit Chess could not be more different, and yet both are key to understanding Netflix’s gaming philosophy.
The VergeThe Fenix lineup feels a bit superfluous now that the Epix Pro is here. The flashlight still rocks, though.
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Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Bloomberg’s latest survey of thousands of Model 3 owners presents a conflicted view of Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, suggesting that while owners are happy with their cars they’re souring on Musk himself. The survey, which asked 5,000 Model 3 owners a series of questions about their vehicles and views on Tesla and Elon Musk more generally, follows a similar project from 2019, making it possible to track how sentiment has shifted over time.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the survey is the divergence in opinion on the Model 3 itself, versus the man whose name is so closely intertwined with the Tesla brand. Overwhelmingly, respondents strongly agreed that the car is enjoyable to drive, and said that it’s been more reliable than...
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Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Sony is running a PS5 sale in the UK, India, Ireland, and Germany where the price of a standard console is dropping by around 16 percent. In the UK the PS5 can now be found for £399.99, below its regular £479.99 price and even far below the £449.99 price at launch, before a PS5 price hike outside the US last year.
The UK £75 off promotion is available immediately and runs until August 10th. In Germany Sony is also taking €75 off the PS5, with Amazon Germany selling a PS5 for even less at €459.99, down from the regular €549.99 pricing until August 7th. You can also find €75 off the PS5 in Ireland and Austria and ₹7,500 off in India.
The price drop promotions come just as Sony has announced it has sold 40 million PS5s since the console’s...
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AMD and Asus have announced the ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D, a beefy 17-inch gaming laptop with an RGB lightstrip on the bottom. Which, sure, whatever. The exciting news is what’s inside this device. This Strix is powered by AMD’s 7945HX3D mobile laptop, which could, if the stars align, provide gaming performance that we haven’t seen in AMD’s current laptop landscape and fulfill last year’s “extreme gaming laptop” promise.
The chip has 16 cores and 32 threads with boost clock up to 5.4GHz, with “55W+” TDP — those things alone put it at the top of AMD’s laptop processor stack. But it’s also the first mobile processor to feature AMD’s 3D V-Cache (144MB of it, to be specific), which allows AMD to place additional layers of cache directly onto the...