Elon Musk is killing ‘Environmental Twitter’

Climate activists of Extinction Rebellion wearing masks of company CEOs including X’s Elon Musk take part in a demonstration in Berlin, Germany, on April 13th, 2023 | Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP via Getty Images

Almost half of “Environmental Twitter” has vanished from the platform now called X, new research shows. A wave of “environmentally oriented” users abandoned the site after Elon Musk took over, according to a study published this week in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

The study confirms fears about how Musk’s leadership might quell climate discourse and scientific research on the platform. Before he took the wheel, Twitter was an important tool for environmental researchers and activists alike.

“We saw that there was a vibrant community engaging in discourse around environmental topics. This then raised the question of how this community may be impacted by changes to Twitter’s governance,” Charlotte Chang, lead author of the...

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Acura ZDX is a Google-powered premium EV with 325 miles of range and a $60K price tag

Image: Acura

Here’s the Acura ZDX, a $60,000 premium electric vehicle with a Google-powered brain and 325 miles of range. It signals the return of the ZDX, which was discontinued over a decade ago after poor sales.

The ZDX will be the second EV from Honda / Acura, after the 2024 Honda Prologue. Both vehicles are expected to start deliveries next year — though it’s unclear which will come first. And like the Prologue, the ZDX will be the product of the three-year-old partnership with General Motors, with the US automaker’s Ultium battery serving as a foundation.

The ZDX appears to have many of the same styling and themes presented as part of the Precision concept car last year. It will also be the first model from the Honda-owned Acura to be sold...

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Slack briefly experienced some major issues

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Slack briefly experienced some major issues on Thursday. On The Verge’s Slack, I found that some posts just wouldn’t send in both channels and threads, and a few of my colleagues were reporting similar issues.

We weren’t the only ones. At one point, Downdetector showed that more than 10,000 users reported issues, but the site now says that number peaked at a bit under that. I also saw a bunch of posts about Slack problems on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The company confirmed the issues were fixed in a 12:58PM ET message on its status page. “We’ve restored full functionality of Slack for all impacted users. Sorry for the trouble, we appreciate your patience today.” At 12:37PM ET, the company’s status page had confirmed...

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Microsoft to hold ‘special event’ in New York City on September 21st

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has started sending media invites for a “special event” in New York City next month. “Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 21, 2023, for a special Microsoft event,” reads the invite to members of the press. Microsoft typically holds Surface events in September or October, so it’s likely we’re about to see some new hardware next month.

Microsoft has been rumored to be working on a Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Studio 2, and Surface Laptop Go 3 for the fall. Windows Central recently reported that the updated Surface Laptop Studio 2 will ship with Intel’s latest processors, a more powerful GPU, and an improved selection of ports. Microsoft also reportedly postponed a Surface Go 4 with an Arm processor in favor of an Intel...

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Netflix is sending its DVD subscribers 10 extra discs for the service’s last hurrah

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Netflix has one last surprise in store for those who subscribe to its DVD by mail rental business. It’s telling members that it will send up to 10 extra discs before it ends the 25-year-old subscription service for good, as reported earlier by Collider. Netflix first announced that it was sunsetting its DVD service in April, which came as a disappointment to those who still use the service to get their hands on films that aren’t available on streaming services or in stores.

In an email posted on Reddit, Netflix tells customers it’s sending out the extra discs on September 29th — the service’s final shipment date. Users will just have to click the link included in the email by August 29th to opt in.

“After 25 years of movies in the...

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Vampire Survivors could be getting cross-saves and an ‘adventures’ mode

Image: Poncle

Vampire Survivors is out on Switch on Thursday (it’s great), and sometime in the future, you might be able to bring your save file to Nintendo’s console — and everywhere else the game is available, developer Poncle announced.

“A lot of people have been asking for cross-save, and the Nintendo Switch port will most likely increase demand even more,” Poncle wrote in a post on Steam on Thursday. “We’re working on it: we have already run successful tests in moving saves between PC, mobile, and consoles, while also adding cloud save slots! We’ll keep you updated, but save data is a very delicate thing, so this will really need a lot of testing and an adequate amount of time in the oven to be released in a safe, fully working state.”

The fact...

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Apple reportedly won’t make leather cases for the iPhone 15

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

Apple won’t make leather cases for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, according to 9to5Mac and a couple of generally reputable leakers.

It seems the rumor was first shared by DuanRui, who said, “I’ve heard that Apple won’t be releasing a Leather Case for the iPhone 15 series,” in a Thursday morning post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. 9to5Mac posted its story soon after, saying that its “sources are corroborating” that Apple won’t release the leather cases. Another leaker, ShrimpApplePro, then quote-posted 9to5Mac’s story on X, saying that they have been “also hearing the same.”

It’s unclear why Apple might be making this move, and the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 9to5Mac speculates that Apple...

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Samsung’s second-gen Freestyle projector is now available — and it’s still overpriced

Samsung’s original Freestyle portable projector had a ton of promise, but it really fell apart in the execution and was severely overpriced for the hardware specs on offer. Still, the blueprint was encouraging, and it seemed like just the kind of product that Samsung could nail the second time around — or so I hoped.

But back at CES in January, the company showed off a barely changed revision of the Freestyle that addressed virtually none of my quibbles with the original. It was updated with Samsung’s latest TV software, which meant owners would be able to access the Gaming Hub and various cloud gaming services from Xbox, Nvidia, and more. Samsung also demonstrated a neat “smart edge blending” trick whereby you could combine two...

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WhatsApp will let users send ‘HD’ photos

Illustration: The Verge

WhatsApp is flipping a switch that will let users send higher-quality “HD” images on the messaging platform. “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced via his Meta broadcast channel on Instagram. “Now you can send in HD.”

The feature is rolling out worldwide over the next few weeks, so users with the feature can send higher-quality and higher-resolution images (likely still compressed from the original) from Android, iOS, or the web, and recipients on any platform will see a small icon that indicates it as such. According to Meta, support for HD videos is coming soon after.

Once users get the new feature, they’ll see an “HD” gear icon when adding an image to a message thread, as first seen in...

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 family review: easier choices

Samsung’s highest-end tablets are more similar than ever, and this year, they come with water resistance. Here’s a guide on how to choose the right model for you.

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Apple shows off a first look at its Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Image: Apple

Last year, Apple announced that it was working with Legendary on a streaming series that would be part of the company’s Monsterverse, i.e., the revival of King Kong and Godzilla in a live-action universe. And while we still don’t have a trailer or premiere date, we at least now have a first look and some details on the kaiju show.

It’s called Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and the 10-episode series appears to take place after the 2014 Godzilla film left San Francisco in a disastrous state as well as in the 1950s following the early days of the mysterious Monarch group. In a fun twist, the show will feature a military officer named Lee Shaw across both time periods, and Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell will play Shaw at different ages. Here’s...

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You can already save $10 on a Starfield preorder for either PC or Xbox

Starfield may be one of Microsoft’s first games priced at $69.99, but this $10 discount remedies that slightly. | Image: Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda’s Starfield will kick off a busy fall lineup of game releases when it launches on September 6th, and if you’re considering getting into the massive sci-fi action RPG on day one (or day negative-five if you get the premium edition), Newegg has a preorder deal for you. Now through August 22nd, you can save $10 on a preorder of Starfield for either Steam or both Xbox and Windows when you use code SAVEXDPP at checkout. This makes the digital standard edition on Steam or Xbox and Windows $59.99 instead of $69.99, and the digital premium edition (Steam / Xbox and Windows) drops from $99.99 to $89.99.

Game Pass subscribers will automatically have access to Starfield at launch, but these discounts are a nice opening salvo of deals for...

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Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Store to close in July 2024

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is preparing to close down its Xbox 360 Store and Xbox 360 Marketplace on July 29th, 2024. Xbox 360 owners will no longer be able to purchase new Xbox 360 games, DLC, and other content from the Xbox 360 Store next July, and the Xbox 360 Marketplace that includes avatars and games will also be closed to new purchases.

If you already own a bunch of Xbox 360 digital games, they’ll continue to be playable. You just won’t be able to purchase new games or DLC from an Xbox 360 console. Microsoft is also removing the Movies & TV app from Xbox 360. This means “TV and movie content will no longer be viewable on your Xbox 360 after July 29th, 2024,” explains Dave McCarthy, corporate vice president of Xbox player services.

While the Xbox...

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AMD is gearing up to reveal new Radeon GPUs next week

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

AMD could reveal a new set of Radeon graphics cards as soon as next week. Scott Herkelman, AMD’s senior vice president, says in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Radeon team will make some “major product announcements” at Gamescom (via VideoCardz).

While Herkelman didn’t specify what those “major” announcements could be, AMD is due to launch new Radeon RX 7000-series graphics cards sometime this year. During an earnings call earlier this month, AMD CEO Lisa Su said the company will reveal “enthusiast-class Radeon 7000 series cards in the third quarter” of 2023.

Please join the @AMDRadeon team at Gamescom next week for our next major product announcements!

If you can make it to Germany and will be one of the couple hundred of...

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Red Dead Redemption works just fine on the Switch

Image: Rockstar Games

Here’s some nice if slightly boring news: Red Dead Redemption runs just fine on the Nintendo Switch. That might not be too surprising given that it’s a port of a game that first released in 2010 and that the Switch has already proven capable of running large, slightly older open-world titles like The Witcher 3. But given developer Rockstar Games’ recent history with rereleases, some fans are probably rightfully suspicious of this new version.

I’ve played the first few hours of the Red Dead port on the Switch, which is out today on both Nintendo’s tablet and the PS4. I’ve had the chance to get into one shoot-out, herd some cows, scare away chicken-stealing coyotes, break in a pair of horses, and watch plenty of cutscenes. And it feels...

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Microsoft will let you uninstall more built-in Windows 11 apps soon for less bloat

Photo by Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Microsoft will allow Windows 11 users to uninstall even more built-in apps soon. The software maker has started testing a new build of Windows 11 with Canary Channel testers that includes the ability to uninstall the Camera app, the recently discontinued Cortana app, the Photos app, the People app, and the Remote Desktop (MSTSC) client.

Microsoft ships a large number of these so-called “inbox apps” preinstalled with Windows 11. It has been gradually allowing users to uninstall more of them, and we’re getting to the point where most can be removed freely. Most of these built-in apps aren’t huge, so you’re not going to save lots of space by uninstalling them, but having the option to uninstall them completely should make Windows feel a...

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HMD’s repairable Nokia phone initiative lands stateside

The HMD Nokia G310. | Image: HMD

HMD is bringing its repairable phone initiative to the US with the Nokia G310, a $186 smartphone that’ll be available from T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile on August 24th. This is technically the third smartphone HMD has released with a design that makes it easier to replace commonly broken components like its battery and display, but its previous Nokia G22 and Nokia G42 were focused on European markets.

As with its previous repairable phones, HMD is partnering with iFixit to supply spare parts and repair guides for the G310. The company’s press release doesn’t offer too many details on how exactly the phone is easy to repair, but previous repairable Nokia-branded handsets have included design features like rear cases that can be unclipped...

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Leaked images reveal Lenovo’s Steam Deck competitor with a hint of the Switch

Image: Windows Report

Valve’s Steam Deck might be getting more competition. Last month, Windows Central reported that Lenovo is working on a handheld gaming PC that runs Windows called the Legion Go, and on Wednesday, Windows Report published what appear to be the first images of the upcoming device.

Based on the images, Lenovo’s take on a PC gaming handheld looks a lot like devices such as the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, but it also has a lot in common with the Nintendo Switch. According to Windows Report, the Legion Go has an eight-inch screen, images show two Joy-Con-like controllers that can be removed, and it even appears to have a wide Switch OLED-like kickstand that you can pop out for tabletop gaming.

Image: Windows Report

The...

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You can get genuine Pixel 7A parts at iFixit now

The iFixit Pixel 7A screen repair kit. | Image: iFixit

DIY repairs for the Google Pixel 7A just got a lot easier as famed right-to-repair-supporting website iFixit has added official parts for Google’s newest slab phone to its store. iFixit has been stocking genuine Google Pixel phone parts for over a year after it made a deal with Google that followed a recent trend by phone makers to improve the accessibility of OEM components.

When we reviewed Google’s more affordable flagship in May, Allison Johnson called the Pixel 7A the best midrange Android phone for most people thanks to good build quality, a great camera, and an improved 90Hz OLED display.

Parts on sale at iFixit include a replacement digitizer screen ($109.99), rear plastic cover ($44.99), both rear camera modules, adhesive films...

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Chrome will soon tell you why an extension disappeared

Illustration: The Verge

Google is adding a new feature to the next release of Chrome that will proactively alert you when an extension isn’t in the Chrome Web Store, according to a post from Oliver Dunk, a developer relations engineer for Chrome extensions. The new feature, being added as part of Chrome 117, will make it easier to stay on top of extensions that have been removed by a developer, been taken down for violating the Chrome Web Store policies, or been marked as malware.

Dunk says Chrome will show extensions that fall under those categories in a “Safety check” section in the privacy and security part of Chrome’s settings. “When a user clicks ‘Review,’ they will be taken to their extensions and given the choice to either remove the extension or hide...

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8BitDo tests your fine dexterity with its newest keychain-size controller

The itty-bitty 8BitDo Micro. | Image: 8BitDo

8BitDo is launching a new supersmall wireless gaming controller designed for Nintendo Switch and Android devices that could literally fit inside the palm of your hand. The company’s new Micro controller, which comes in blue and green, is available to preorder on Amazon for $24.99 each and will start shipping next week.

Fans of 8BitDo’s excellent retro gaming controllers will probably remember the company’s previous hand-cramping and ultracompact wireless controller: the Zero 2. The Micro seems to be the Zero 2’s spiritual successor, increasing its button count from 12 to 16 while still staying keychain-sized and lightweight at 24.8 grams. (The Zero 2 is 20 grams, and Joy-Cons are around 50 grams comparatively.)

Image:...

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Roblox is about to let users sell custom-made avatar bodies and heads

Image: The Verge

Roblox will let users sell “full avatar bodies and standalone heads” that they create by Thursday, Roblox said in a post on its developer forums (via VentureBeat). The new line of creator-made virtual goods (something Roblox calls user-generated content, or UGC) could help more people build businesses on Roblox, which might keep them from making things for competing metaverse platforms like Meta’s Horizon Worlds and Epic Games’ Fortnite.

There will be some limits on what users can sell. The bodies and heads must follow the company’s community standards, marketplace policy, and “pass proactive checks against Roblox IP,” so you won’t be able to sell an obvious Shrek look-alike. Bodies will need to have “modesty layers built in,” which is a...

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3D printer nightmare fuel: Bambu X1C and P1P started printing while owners were asleep

The Bambu P1P, with optional 3D-printed panels. | Image: Bambu

When owners of Bambu’s extremely well-regarded 3D printers woke up on August 15th, some found their printer had gone rogue.

Some woke up to failed prints. Some found a second copy of a previous print. And at least a few found their Bambu X1C or P1P had started smacking itself apart — damaging components — while trying to print a second copy atop the object they’d actually asked for.

Ok so this is a bit concerning, I have zero clue how their system is setup (yay proprietary closed source) but it looks like a disruption in Bambulab`s cloud service cause a whole bunch of peoples printers to just.....start printing last night. pic.twitter.com/Sqbk9zmc60

— NERO 3D (@3dpNero) August 15, 2023

These printers started printing unattended,...

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Amazon will reportedly charge sellers an extra fee for shipping their own products

Image: The Verge

Amazon will soon start tacking on an extra fee for sellers who don’t use the company’s fulfillment service, according to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC. Documents viewed by the outlets indicate that Amazon will start imposing a fee on each product that merchants send out themselves.

The fee will reportedly go into effect on October 1st and will apply to the sellers who are members of Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) service. Unlike Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), the SFP program lets third-party merchants sell Prime products directly from their own warehouses instead of having Amazon handle the logistics process. That means sellers are also required to keep up with Prime’s one- to two-day delivery standards and weekend shipping, CNBC...

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Linus Tech Tips pauses production as controversy swirls

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge; Image: Linus Tech Tips

Linus Sebastian’s Linus Media Group YouTube empire is currently in crisis, with accusations of theft, lapses in ethics, and most recently, allegations of sexual harassment. The company has currently paused all production to improve its review processes, and CEO Terren Tong tells The Verge an outside investigator will be hired to examine the harassment allegations.

In a video posted this morning titled “What do we do now?” Linus Media Group CFO Yvonne Ho announced the entire channel was pausing production for the next week to address the issues raised by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus about errors in videos and concerning ethical practices. “I agree with the community,” Ho said in the video, “so I’m putting my foot down. Effective...

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The Associated Press sets AI guidelines for journalists

Image: AP

The Associated Press released guidelines around generative AI to its journalists as it and other news organizations look at ways to use the technology in news gathering.

AP vice president for standards and inclusion Amanda Barrett said in a blog post the publication does not see AI “as a replacement of journalists in any way” but developed guidelines for reporters and editors on how to use it.

Journalists for AP can experiment with ChatGPT but are asked to exercise caution by not using the tool to create publishable content. Any result from a generative AI platform “should be treated as unvetted source material” and subject to AP’s existing sourcing standards. The publication said it will not allow AI to alter photos, videos, or audio...

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Special counsel obtained ‘some volume’ of DMs from Donald Trump’s Twitter account

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

US special counsel Jack Smith acquired direct messages — potentially including deleted messages — from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, unsealed court transcripts have revealed. The transcripts, spotted by Politico, show that engineers for Twitter (now known as X) were able to produce Trump’s Twitter data after missing a January 7th deadline to comply with a search warrant that earned the company a $350,000 fine.

Among many other things, the warrant sought the former president’s tweets (including drafts), likes, retweets, and any direct messages “sent from, received by, stored in draft form in, or otherwise associated with” his account, @realDonaldTrump.

Twitter engineers were able to provide what Twitter lawyer George...

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OpenAI bought the makers of a Minecraft clone

Image: Global Illumination

OpenAI says it has acquired Global Illumination, a small company based in New York that describes itself as a “digital product company.”

In its announcement, OpenAI didn’t disclose the terms of the acquisition but said that Global Illumination’s “entire team” has joined the company to work on its “core products,” including ChatGPT. Beyond that, OpenAI didn’t specify what the Global Illumination team would be doing at the company. OpenAI didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

“Global Illumination is a company that has been leveraging AI to build creative tools, infrastructure, and digital experiences,” OpenAI said in the announcement. “The team previously designed and built products early on at Instagram and Facebook and have...

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See how heat-related illness spiked in the US this summer

A sign gives direction to a cooling center in Portland, Oregon, during another heatwave on August 14th, 2021. | Photo by MICHAEL HANSON / AFP via Getty Images

Record heat is leading to more emergency room visits in the US, according to national tracking tools.

July was the hottest month on record for the planet, with North American heatwaves that would have been ‘virtually impossible’ without climate change, a recent study says. That led to a 12 percent increase in emergency medical service responses to heat-related illness between July 13 and August 11, according to a new federal dashboard. But national numbers only give part of the picture.

Zooming in shows how health risks ballooned in the hardest-hit regions. The situation has been especially bad this week in the Pacific Northwest. The number of emergency department (ED) visits associated with heat-related illness was 16 times higher on...

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NYC bans TikTok on city-owned devices

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

New York City is banning TikTok from city-owned devices and requiring agencies to remove the app within the next 30 days.

The directive issued Wednesday comes after a review by the NYC Cyber Command which a city official said found that TikTok “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” Starting immediately, city employees are barred from downloading or using the app and accessing TikTok’s website from any city-owned devices.

“While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” a NYC City Hall spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge Wednesday. “NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive...

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