Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro is up to $300 off right now

These are the best prices yet on the M2 Pro MacBook Pro. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

If you’re in need of a speedy laptop that can handle some extensive creative workflows with long battery life, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better than Apple’s latest crop of MacBook Pros. And with the base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro processor now selling for $1,749 ($250 off) at Amazon, you won’t find a better deal than this right now. But if 512GB isn’t enough storage, the 1TB configuration is also on sale for its own all-time low of $2,199 ($300 off) at both Amazon and B&H Photo.

The 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro looks just like the redesigned model that came before it in 2021 — which is totally fine since that was an excellent return to form for Apple’s Pro laptops. It’s got the same MagSafe charger, three Thunderbolt...

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Bose’s next flagship headphones could add premium flair to the QuietComfort formula

Image: MySmartPrice

Bose is nearing the announcement of its latest flagship headphones and earbuds, according to leaked images published by MySmartPrice. Both products will reportedly be branded under a new “QuietComfort Ultra” name when they ship in the coming months. The QuietComfort Ultra headphones look like a mashup of the Noise Canceling Headphones 700 and QuietComfort 45; they lean more heavily on the latter’s overall design, but you can see some premium upgrades to the headband and ear pads.

The $400 Noise Canceling Headphones 700 were announced back in 2019. Technically, they’re still the company’s top-of-the-line product, so the timing is about right for a sequel. But the fact that Bose came back two years later and announced the QuietComfort 45...

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Audacy takes $10 million hit to leave ‘onerous’ podcasting deal with APM

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

This story originally ran in Hot Pod Insider_, a newsletter from_ The Verge on podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here.

American Public Media and Audacy’s Cadence13 will exit a multiyear advertising partnership at the end of August — roughly a year before its intended end date, Hot Pod has learned from APM. Neither company has disclosed the exact reasons for the contract’s termination or its timing, though APM cited “changing market dynamics” and Audacy referred to the deal as “onerous.” The public radio broadcaster will take ad sales and brand partnerships for its podcasts in-house as a result.

“Given the changing market dynamics, APMG, Audacy and Cadence13 have mutually decided to end their partnership, effective August 31st,...

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It looks like Android is getting a Continuity-like device-linking feature

There’s no word yet on when the new feature will start rolling out. | Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

Google is reportedly planning to introduce a new Android feature that will let users link their various Android devices together, similar to Continuity features across the Apple ecosystem. Android expert Mishaal Rahman tweeted about the potential feature, noting that it could allow Android devices that are signed into the same Google account to communicate with each other.

This could enable features like “Call Switching,” which allows users to jump between connected devices during calls, and “Internet Sharing,” which Android Authority speculates could be an easier way to quickly set up a personal hotspot across the linked devices. Apple has a similar call-switching feature called “iPhone Mobile Calls” that allows users to make and...

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Microsoft shuts down Cortana app on Windows 11

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Microsoft has shut down its Cortana app for Windows 11. A new update is rolling out for Cortana that simply disables the digital assistant three years after Microsoft also discontinued its Cortana apps for iOS and Android.

If you attempt to launch Cortana on Windows 11 you’ll now be met with a notice about how the app is deprecated and a link to a support article on the change. Microsoft is now planning to end support for Cortana in Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams Display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms “in the fall of 2023.” Surprisingly, Cortana inside Outlook mobile “will continue to be available,” according to Microsoft.

Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Verge

Cortana has been discontinued in Windows 11.

Cortana...

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Google Slides is getting native support for annotations

Circling! Underlining! And more! | Image: Google

Google is adding a new annotation feature to its Slides presentation software that’ll let users doodle on their work while presenting it. The search giant hopes that having the ability to “circle, underline, draw connections or make quick notes” will make for presentations that are “more engaging, interactive and impactful.”

While Microsoft PowerPoint users have long had the ability to doodle on their decks, Google Slides users haven’t been so lucky. In response people have developed workarounds like using Chrome extensions like Annotate and Web Paint to draw over their browser while presenting. Needless to say, having the feature natively built into Slides should be much simpler.

Releasing for everyone in the coming weeks

According...

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Elon Musk’s new round of X Ads Revenue Sharing payments arrived, eventually

The Verge

The Twitter Blue — pardon me — X Premium Ads Revenue Sharing payouts that were supposed to roll out last week have been delivered, as the @Support account tweeted the news Monday night. Asked about the delay, X employee Eric Farraro said the late Friday announcement of a delay came only once the company was sure payments would not go out.

As for future rounds, he wrote, “We’ve done payouts to a much smaller number of creators before, but scaling to thousands of creators adds new challenges in terms of engineering, operations, and support. Having completed the initial wave of payouts yesterday, repeating that process is an easier task.”

We’ve seen some of the emails sent to participants in the program, and while the payments showed up,...

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Olivia Rodrigo just released a new song — and a new Instagram feature

Image: Instagram

A new Instagram feature allows users to add music to their grid posts — and Olivia Rodrigo is the first person to do it.

The feature was introduced today by Rodrigo, who used it to unveil her new song, “bad idea right?” Instagram users can attach a song of their choice to soundtrack a carousel post with multiple photos or videos, similar to how tracks can be added to Stories or Reels. The feature appears to be in the process of rolling out to users.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olivia Rodrigo (@oliviarodrigo)

Sadly, The Verge did not get a preview of the song and post under embargo, so I can’t really tell you much about it. But if it’s anything like “good 4 u” off of her last album, I...

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Robotaxis score a huge victory in California with approval to operate 24/7

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Waymo and Cruise were approved to operate their robotaxi services 24/7 in San Francisco after a contentious six-hour public hearing in which residents voiced their support and opposition to the vehicles. It’s a big win for autonomous vehicle operators, who have spent tens of billions on the technology with very little return.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 3-to-1 in favor of allowing the two companies to operate their vehicles at any hour of the day throughout the city of San Francisco.

“Today is the first of many steps in bringing AV transportation services to Californians,” CPUC Commissioner John Reynolds said at the end of the hearing. (Reynolds, a former general counsel at GM-backed Cruise, had recused...

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We asked LG for a burn-in warranty on its OLED monitor — and it’s delivering

LG’s 27-inch OLED monitor. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

OLED might be the future of monitors, but first, they need to finish addressing burn-in fears. In my recent review of LG’s 27-inch OLED desktop gaming monitor, I wrote how the company’s warranty explicitly excludes “burned-in images resulting from improper usage.” And when I reached out to clarify, I couldn’t get a straight answer about burn-in coverage from the company.

But after four months of conversations with The Verge, LG Electronics has changed that warranty. LG now has a two-year burn-in warranty for its OLED gaming monitor in the US, Christopher De Maria, LG’s head of consumer PR for North America, tells The Verge.

The new warranty, which De Maria says also applies retroactively to any LG 27GR95QE-B monitors that have already...

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The next Final Fantasy VII mobile game launches next month

Image: Square Enix

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, a new game in the FFVII universe, will be released on iOS and Android on September 7th. The game brings together moments from other FFVII titles, adds some new ones, and will let you “experience the journey of a young hero Sephiroth.” You can preorder it on the App Store and preregister for it on Google Play right now ahead of the official launch.

Ever Crisis’ art style takes inspiration from the original PlayStation release’s blocky characters but updates it so that Cloud actually has hands. I think it looks quite charming, and it’s one of the reasons I want to play the game for myself.

Take a look at the Church in FF7EC, one of many environments lovingly recreated with nostalgic 3D graphics! #...

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The best Fitbits for your fitness and health

Fitbit makes an array of fitness trackers, from basic fitness bands to full-fledged smartwatches, though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit. | Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge

Whether you want a basic fitness tracker or a smartwatch, there’s a Fitbit for everyone — though the best Fitbit smartwatch isn’t technically a Fitbit.

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Multifunctional smartwatch bands should be more of a thing

It’s less violently green in person, but what I appreciated was how it changes up the feel of the watch without me having to do anything. | Image: Nomad

It’s no surprise that most fitness trackers have swappable straps these days. Watches — smart or otherwise — are a fashion statement, people have different needs from their wearables, and everybody’s skin reacts differently to certain materials. But after trying out Nomad’s new glow-in-the-dark Apple Watch strap and Samsung’s hybrid eco-leather strap this week, I find myself yearning for straps that serve multiple purposes.

Nomad’s strap launched earlier this week, and it’s as straightforward as you can get. It’s the definition of business during the day, party at night. In normal lighting, all you see is a normal cream-colored strap. In the dark, it turns day-glo green. I’ll admit it’s not the most practical strap — it’s a subtler glow...

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Augie lets you make videos with an AI clone of your own voice

Image: Daniela Vladimirova / Flickr

Aug X released Augie, an AI-powered video creation platform incorporating a voice cloning feature to read ad copy without booking a recording studio.

Partnering with ElevenLabs, Aug X lets users record their or someone else’s voice and clone it to use for other short videos. The Augie platform, aimed primarily toward marketers and social media teams, lets people quickly add narration, photos, text, and music to videos without needing to learn audio and video editing.

Jeremy Toeman, founder of Aug X, said the company wanted to add a voice cloning feature after realizing some people do not like speaking into a microphone or recording voice-overs.

“You’d be surprised at the number of people who’ve used our voice cloning feature that came...

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Roblox makes an in-Roblox career center that’s all about Roblox

Image: Roblox

Roblox has created a virtual career center inside Roblox where people can learn more about the metaverse platform, prepare for interviews at the company, and attend events hosted by Roblox itself, according to a blog post. In the future, some initial interviews will even happen directly in the experience, Roblox says.

You can get an idea of what it looks like in this video, which I’ve also embedded at the top of the post. “You’ll see what it’s like to work here and how you can join us in shaping the future of human connection and communication,” says a voiceover in the clip. In the experience, you can go to places like a lobby (with plaques featuring the company’s values), a library, an auditorium, a boba cafe, and more.

I briefly...

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Rival air taxi startups Wisk and Archer settle their trade secret theft lawsuit

Image: Wisk.aero

Wisk and Archer, two leading air taxi startups, have settled their legal dispute over allegations of stolen trade secrets, avoiding a jury trial that would have cast a negative light on the emerging aviation technology sector.

Wisk, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, sued Archer in 2021 for allegedly stealing its trade secrets and infringing on its patents. A judge sent the lawsuit to trial in June, but now, the two sides have settled the dispute.

Wisk said it will become the exclusive provider of autonomous flying technology to Archer, should Archer decide to pursue a self-flying aircraft. Boeing will invest in the private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing that Archer released today as part of its second quarter earnings...

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Amazon is dropping dozens of in-house brands you didn’t even know it owned

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon is slashing the number of in-house brands it offers on its marketplace. The retail giant plans on cutting 27 of its 30 private-label clothing brands as it looks to cut costs and stave off antitrust scrutiny, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Over the years, Amazon has created dozens of private-label brands across a variety of departments, most of which operate without Amazon branding, such as Solimo, Wag, and Mama Bear. However, this cutback will leave Amazon with just three in-house clothing brands: Amazon Essentials, Amazon Collection, and Amazon Aware.

Additionally, the WSJ notes that Amazon is ditching some private-label furniture brands as well, including Rivet and Stone & Beam. Sources close to the...

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The WGA’s labor contract negotiations with the AMPTP will resume this Friday

Image: The Writers Guild of America

After recently meeting to discuss the possibility of resuming talks about a new labor contract, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are now set to return to the negotiation table this Friday — more than three months into Hollywood’s writers strike.

Variety reports that the AMPTP plans to meet with the WGA this Friday to present a formal response to the guild’s list of proposals for a new labor contract, which includes changes like improved minimum rates, a larger percentage of streaming residuals, and staffing requirements for writers rooms.

In an email sent out to WGA members, the union said that AMPTP president Carol Lombardini personally reached out with the request...

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How to turn off and delete your YouTube watch history

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

Many app homepages have gotten incredibly busy, filled with suggestions and ads, many based on your previous searches or stuff you’ve read / written / watched in the past. YouTube is certainly no exception — in fact, it’s one of the worst offenders — but recently, Google’s video service announced that users now have a choice. If you turn your watch history off and “have no significant prior watch history,” all that confusion will disappear, and your homepage will only show the search bar and the Shorts, Subscriptions, and Library buttons.

In other words, you’ll have a clean, simple, easy-on-the-eyes YouTube page.

The change in the home feed is being slowly rolled out over the next few months, but it doesn’t hurt to be ready for it. The...

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NFL RedZone is coming to NFL Plus

Photo by Adam Bow / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NFL RedZone, the NFL’s excellent whip-around show that jumps from game to game to showcase highlights and key moments as teams are about to score, is coming to the NFL Plus subscription service. It wasn’t a total surprise: RedZone host Scott Hanson had teased the announcement on Wednesday. NFL Network is also being added as a perk for subscribers.

NFL Plus launched last year with two tiers: NFL Plus and the more expensive NFL Plus Premium, which added the ability to watch game replays. A key caveat with the service, however, is that you can’t watch live local and primetime regular season and postseason games on anything bigger than a tablet (like your TV), which might be a dealbreaker for some people — unless they own that new 14.6-inch S...

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Substack wants to make itself a better place for readers, not just writers

Illustration by The Verge

Substack wants to make the platform a better place for readers and will be adding features to its reading apps so that they “feel increasingly useful and fun,” co-founders Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Jairaj Sethi said in a post on Thursday. Substack is perhaps best known as a place for writers to build newsletter audiences and make a living from their work, but the co-founders spelled out a vision for how Substack itself can be a better place to actually read things as well.

“The internet revolutionized reading, but instead of a utopia, it has delivered a mess,” the co-founders said. “The main places where we read online today are cacophonic, stressful, and milking our minds for ad dollars.” They acknowledge that there are nice but...

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Baldur’s Gate 3 reactivates PS5 cross-saves

Image: Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 just changed the game. I don’t mean the fact that it’s become the second most played game on Steam right now, catching up to Steam mainstays CS:GO and DOTA 2. I don’t mean how it’s enjoying incredible success without elements like a battle pass or microtransactions. And I don’t even mean how it’s a game crafted to appeal to a wide range of players across race, gender, and sexuality. Any one of these qualities alone makes Baldur’s Gate 3 an incredible game.

On Thursday, with yet another hotfix, Larian Studios blew the doors off the hinges for what a developer can do with a game with one simple sentence: “As of today, we’re also reactivating cross-saves as we near our PlayStation 5 launch.” (Cross-saves were deactivated...

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Is that viral ‘superconductor’ legit?

A screenshot of a video showing LK-99 partially levitating. A group of researchers who developed the material say it’s evidence that LK-99 is the world’s first room-temperature superconductor. Experts are skeptical. | Image: A screenshot taken of a video uploaded to ScienceCast by Hyun-Tak Kim

LK-99 hasn’t turned out to be the miraculous superconductor some people initially claimed it was.

The newly discovered material made headlines after a research team claimed it was the first room-temperature superconductor, which could revolutionize our energy system. Speculation that it could bring on a perfect power grid or easily make trains levitate sparked a frenzy to test whether LK-99 really was as game-changing as portrayed by the original team.

But the results so far indicate that LK-99 is not a superconductor, at room temperature or otherwise. A slew of research groups have released studies that counter claims originally made about LK-99.

“With a great deal of sadness, we now believe that the game is over. LK99 is NOT a...

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Overwatch 2 needs a win — the Invasion event, at best, is a draw

Image: Blizzard

There’s hope that the game’s new story missions and game type will win back fans disappointed by PvE’s cancellation.

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GameStop’s ongoing buy one, get one sale includes a host of great games

It’s no The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom_, but_ Skyward Sword HD is still worth revisiting in 2023. | Image: Nintendo

It often feels as though we encounter a buy two, get one sale every other month or so, whether that’s on video games, keycap sets, or other tech. GameStop’s latest promo lets you get two for the price of one, however, allowing you to pick up an assortment of Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox games at a steep discount for a limited time.

The full list of available titles is pretty staggering, with many of the best BOGO deals being on Switch titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, the ever-moody Metroid Dread, and Live A Live, the last of which is really just a playable short story collection masquerading as an old-school RPG. That said, the current promo also applies to next-gen standouts like the fantasy epic Elden...

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FEC could limit AI in political ads ahead of 2024

Photo by Oscar Del Pozo / AFP via Getty Images

After weeks of back and forth, the Federal Election Commission decided that it will, maybe, make rules regulating the use of AI-generated content in political ads.

At an open meeting Thursday, the FEC voted to open up the petition for public comment, kicking off a process that could result in new rules governing how campaigns use AI going into effect before the end of the year. The petition, filed by the advocacy group Public Citizen, calls on the commission to leverage its authority to punish fraud by creating rules banning candidates and political parties from using AI to misrepresent their opponents.

“The need to regulate deepfakes and other deceptive uses of AI in election ads becomes more urgent with each passing day”

“The need to...

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Quake II is getting the remaster treatment

Image: Bethesda Softworks

Two years after the surprise announcement and release of a remastered version of the original Quake, Quake II is getting a similar glow-up to coincide with the start of QuakeCon. Its remaster, which is simply titled Quake II, is available today for $9.99 for PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation. It’s available as part of a Game Pass subscription if you have one, and if you already owned Quake II via the Microsoft Store, Steam, or Good Old Games (GOG), the new version should be available as a free update.

From the screenshots and trailer released today, developer id Software looks like it’s stuck pretty close to the 1997 original for its remaster. But the remaster is packed with modern conveniences, including cloud saves, 4K Ultra...

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Kai Cenat goes live on Twitch for the first time after Union Square ‘riot’

Screenshot taken from a Kai Cenat YouTube video.

On Wednesday night, streamer Kai Cenat went live on Twitch for the first time since his chaotic Union Square giveaway event in New York City on Friday. Thousands of people descended on Union Square after Cenat and another streamer promised to give away prizes like PS5s and gift cards, and Cenat has been charged with at least two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly for the gathering.

“After Friday, I’ve come to realize the amount of not only power but influence that I have on people,” says Cenat. “And I’m saying that to say this: I am beyond disappointed in anybody who became destructive that day. That shit is not cool.” (You can watch a shortened replay of his stream on YouTube.)

Cenat added that “none of that was my...

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter just isn’t scary enough to live up to Dracula’s legacy

Corey Hawkins as Clemens and Aisling Franciosi as Anna in The Last Voyage of the Demeter_._ | Image: Universal

The Last Voyage of the Demeter turns one of the most riveting chapters from Bram Stoker’s Dracula into a soggy feature-length horror that never finds its sea legs.

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Decoder merch has landed

Photo by Parker Ortolani / The Verge

Hats! Stickers! Mugs! Questions about org charts!

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