The Fisker Pear’s disappearing trunk is a nifty magic trick

Image: Fisker

Fisker released new images of its optimistically priced Pear electric crossover, including footage of its so-called “Houdini trunk” in action. And as far as automotive gimmicks go, this is a pretty good one.

Henrik Fisker has been talking about the Houdini trunk for a while now, but this is my first time seeing it in action. With the touch of a button, the rear window rolls down into the hatch — and then the entire door disappears into the underbody of the vehicle. It just rolls down like the window.

I’ve watched this video a couple of times now, and without seeing it in real life, it’s hard to say how exactly this feat is achieved. Like, how does the entire trunk fit within the bumper? Fisker showed it off during the company’s Vision...

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks trippy as hell in new gameplay trailer

Nintendo

As people eagerly await Starfield reviews and rev up their Xboxes for the game’s early access opening, Nintendo decided that it would not be left out of today’s video game news. During today’s interestingly timed Mario Direct presentation, Nintendo shared roughly 15 minutes of gameplay from Super Mario Bros. Wonder andannounced a new Mario-themed Switch OLED.

Despite Nintendo’s traditional wholesomeness, I cannot shake the feeling that the thesis of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is just, “What if this time, Mario and all his friends just got super high?” In the gameplay presentation, the flowers talk now, the new Flower Kingdom seems a bit more wacky than other Mario locations, and with the power of the Wonder Flowers, Mario can get up to...

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Threads will soon let you search through posts

Image: The Verge

Threads, the X (formerly Twitter) competitor created by Meta, is working on a way to search through posts using keywords, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced.

You can see how Threads’ new search feature might work in the image embedded below. While your search for a specific keyword will pull people up with that username (as it does now), pressing the “search” button will expand your search to all the posts containing that keyword. This makes it seem like a simplified version of Instagram’s search feature.

You’ll be able to sift through posts with a specific keyword by hitting the “search” button.

Keyword search isn’t available in the US just yet. Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai tells The Verge that Threads is...

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Nintendo is making a bright red Switch OLED for Mario Wonder

Image: Nintendo

At its most recent Nintendo Direct, the company showed off some fresh gameplay for the upcoming platformer Super Mario Bros. Wonder. But we also got a look at some new hardware — or, at least, a new color for the OLED version of the Nintendo Switch. The tablet is getting a Mario makeover to coincide with the game, with a slick red color scheme, complete with a Mario silhouette and some coins hidden beneath the back panel. It’ll be available on October 6th, just ahead of Wonder’s launch on October 20th.

Warp into a world of games with the #NintendoSwitch – OLED Model: Mario Red Edition system!

The system features a console, dock, and Joy-Con controllers all in the iconic Mario Red color, with a silhouette of Mario on the back of the...

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Xgimi’s latest 4K projector is super bright for the price

The Horizon Ultra is bright enough to overcome some ambient light. | Image: Xgimi

Home projector upstart Xgimi just announced its new Horizon Ultra model, dubbed the “world’s first 4K long-throw projector with Dolby Vision.” While I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for the device to produce an image with jaw-dropping HDR, it’s certainly a very bright all-in-one Android TV 11 projector for well below $2,000.

The Horizon Ultra uses a new “Dual Light” laser and LED hybrid light source to produce 2,300 ISO lumens. That’s a 77 percent increase in brightness compared to the reasonably bright (1,760 ISO lumens) Xgimi Horizon Pro projector I reviewed a few years ago. Of course, that brightness is measured at the bulb, and the image brightness falls off considerably the farther away you move the unit in order to grow the...

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X wants permission to start collecting your biometric data and employment history

Image: The Verge

X, the platform previously known as Twitter, is expanding the amount of data it collects on users. The social network has updated its privacy policy to include carveouts for “biometric information” and “employment history,” as spotted by Bloomberg.

“Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the privacy policy reads. It doesn’t include any details on what kind of biometric information this includes — or how X plans to collect it — but it typically involves fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial features.

X Corp. was named in a proposed class action lawsuit in July over claims that its data collection violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act....

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Universal won’t be seeing Ana de Armas fans in court for their Yesterday trailer lawsuit

Photo by Todd Owyoung / NBC via Getty Images

Though some Ana de Armas fans have insisted that Universal tricked them into seeing Danny Boyle’s 2019 musical Yesterdaywith trailers featuring the Blondeactor, a US district judge has found that not to be the case.

It’s unclear how serious Peter Michael Rosza and Conor Woulfe — two Ana de Armas fans from California and Maryland, respectively — were last year when they filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Universal, claiming that the studio misled the public with trailers that made it seem like de Armas played a substantial role in Yesterday. But on Monday, US District Judge Stephen Wilson dismissed the case due to its lack of standing and said that whatever injury the plaintiffs might have suffered from watching Yesterday was...

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Samsung’s noise-canceling Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are over $50 off right now

Even the lavender version of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are on sale right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Apple may release a new set of AirPods with support for USB-C in a matter of weeks, but if you’re embedded in the Samsung ecosystem, there are more suitable pairs of earbuds on the market already. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a great case in point and are on sale starting at $177.99 ($52 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.

The Buds 2 Pro deliver some of the best sound you can get in a pair of wireless earbuds, along with effective noise cancellation and a worry-free IPX7 water resistance rating that makes them more durable than the second-gen AirPods Pro. The wireless earbuds work well with a variety of Android phones, too, though features like automatic device switching and higher bit rate audio are exclusive to Samsung...

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VanMoof e-bikes finds a buyer

People swarm around the S5 at its reveal in March 2022. VanMoof’s future is less clear. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Lavoie is buying bankrupt e-bike maker VanMoof. The e-mobility subsidiary of McLaren Applied announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the VanMoof e-bike business. The announcement gives new hope to the trailblazing brand and the roughly 200,000 people who bought its high-tech e-bikes made from proprietary components.

“Under the terms of the agreement, the acquisition will see Lavoie and McLaren Applied inject stability into the VanMoof operations,” reads a press release, “then combining and integrating their premium capabilities to create a next-generation e-mobility business and establish a world-leading premium e-mobility offering.”

Lavoie announced its first electric scooter in late 2022, with...

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IBM promised to back off facial recognition — then it signed a $69.8 million contract to provide it

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

IBM has returned to the facial recognition market — just three years after announcing it was abandoning work on the technology due to concerns about racial profiling, mass surveillance, and other human rights violations.

In June 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests swept the US after George Floyd’s murder, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna wrote a letter to Congress announcing that the company would no longer offer “general purpose” facial recognition technology. “The fight against racism is as urgent as ever,” he wrote. “IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms,...

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Jabra announces its most premium (and toughest) earbuds yet

Image: Jabra

With Apple and Samsung both offering earbuds that deliver excellent sound quality and compelling ecosystem tricks, it’s getting increasingly harder for regular old earbud makers to stand out. Even mainstays in the category like Jabra can sometimes get lost in the mix — despite having an expansive product lineup. So today Jabra is announcing two new premium earbuds at the same time, with each targeted at very different use cases. The flagship Elite 10 ($249) is intended to be the company’s best-sounding and most comfortable pair of earbuds yet, while the fitness-geared Elite 8 Active buds ($199) have reached a new level of durability (with the ratings and certifications to prove it). Both also mark Jabra’s embracing of spatial audio.

D...

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A new AI-generated map of the world’s trees and renewable energy projects could help fight climate change

A view showing the parts of the world covered by SATLAS using images from Sentinel-2 satellites. | Image: Allen Institute for AI

A first-of-its-kind map of renewable energy projects and tree coverage around the world launched today, and it uses generative AI to essentially sharpen images taken from space. It’s all part of a new tool called Satlas from the Allen Institute for AI, founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The tool, shared first with The Verge, uses satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites. But those images still give a pretty blurry view of the ground. The fix? A feature called “Super-Resolution.” Basically, it uses deep learning models to fill in details, like what buildings might look like, to generate high-resolution images.

For now, Satlas focuses on renewable energy projects and tree cover around the world....

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Cannondale joins the electric cargo bike party

The Wonderwagen Neo (left) and Cargowagen Neo (right) are Cannondale’s first cargo bikes. | Image: Cannondale

Cannondale is announcing its first electric cargo bikes today with the Cargowagen Neo long-tail model launching in the US, and the Wonderwagen Neo front-loader headed exclusively to Europe. They aren’t cheap until you compare them to the $12,000 annual cost to own and operate a car, which these heavy haulers are designed to replace.

Having the 52-year-old Connecticut-based bicycle maker — owned by Dutch giant Pon Holdings — finally release not one but two cargo bikes is just the latest sign that we’re truly entering a golden age for e-cargo bikes.

The Cargowagen Neo is coming to the US “this winter” with a price that starts at $4,300, or €4,000 when it lands in Europe a bit earlier this fall. It’s a long-tail e-cargo bike powered by a...

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LG’s suitcase TV is as sturdy as it is bizarre

The TV neatly folded down into its suitcase. | Photo by Jon Porter / The Verge

LG’s StanbyME Go, its bizarre $999.99 27-inch suitcase TV announced for the US earlier this month, is on show in Berlin at a corner of its booth at IFA 2023.

We had a poke around the demo model being displayed on the show floor, and couldn’t find any of the games that are apparently optimized for its touchscreen. But we were able to get acquainted with its robust articulating design. The TV can be swiveled from portrait into landscape, and set at any angle from straight upwards to straight forwards.

The stand mechanism feels nice and sturdy, and you definitely need two hands to move it around. On the back there’s a single HDMI port and USB input, as well as a power socket for its built-in battery (LG advertises around three hours of...

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This USB button helps Jeopardy! contestants get their buzz on

Many Jeopardy! contestants say they used this button to practice buzzing in before the show. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

In Jeopardy, the button is almost as important as the answer.

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The Eve Play brings AirPlay 2 audio to your Hi-Fi gear this November

The Eve Play is AirPlay 2-ready. | Image: Eve

Eve announced it’s releasing a $149.95 AirPlay 2 receiver called the Eve Play — its first audio device — on November 14th. Though a little pricey, the receiver looks aimed at audiophiles: it’s got optical, coaxial, and RCA audio outputs, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, a built-in DAC, and an ethernet port.

Eve says you can adjust latency between speakers automatically or manually using the Eve app’s Audio Sync feature if you’re finding multiroom audio isn’t perfectly synchronized. Users will need an iPhone or iPad to use it, as well as a home network to connect it to either via Wi-Fi or ethernet.

Image: Eve

The Eve Play has a great set of outputs for a variety of setups, but no inputs.

Wireless receivers like this with...

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Alexa and Google Assistant play together nicely, but not perfectly, on JBL’s new speakers

The JBL Authentics 200, the smallest of the three speakers.

After JBL announced its new lineup of Authentics speakers at IFA 2023, we put the two built-in voice assistants that promise simultaneous usage to the test.

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Anker’s new MagGo wireless chargers might charge iPhones just as fast as MagSafe

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10,000mAh, 15W) | Image: Anker

Anker’s newest batch of mobile power accessories includes new Qi2-equipped MagGo magnetic chargers, stations, and power banks, as well as new Nano USB-C chargers ready for any future iPhone 15 owners who might be tearing out old Lightning-equipped setups to go with their new phones and AirPods. Rumors suggest Qi2 support will be enabled with the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup, possibly enabling 15W charge speeds without Apple’s MagSafe certification.

However, Apple hasn’t confirmed its plans on that front just yet, and we’ll find out soon if other manufacturers will update their devices for Qi2 or support the spec on new phones launching later this year, like the Pixel 8 series.

Supporting the next version of the Qi wireless charging...

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Microsoft is unbundling Teams from Office in Europe to address regulator concerns

Illustration: The Verge

Microsoft will start unbundling Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 productivity suites in EU markets in October. The move is designed to avoid further antitrust scrutiny, after the European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s bundling of its Teams software with the Office productivity suite last month.

“Today we are announcing proactive changes that we hope will start to address these concerns in a meaningful way, even while the European Commission’s investigation continues and we cooperate with it,” says Nanna-Louise Linde, VP of Microsoft european government affairs. “These changes will impact our Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites for business customers in the European Economic Area and...

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Philips Hue finally (for real this time) adds support for Matter

The Philips Hue Bridge. | Image: Philips Hue

Things are looking brighter for smart home owners. After months of delays and uncertainty, the Philips Hue Bridge is finally being updated to support the new smart home standard Matter. A software update will roll out in September, letting users connect their Hue systems with other Matter devices and apps. This means that every existing Philips Hue product will now work with Matter, all the way back to their original bulbs launched in 2012.

The news was announced by Signify, which makes Philips Hue, during the IFA tech show in Berlin, along with a bevy of other updates, including the rollout of the Hue line’s first smart security cameras and a handful of new lights.

Every smart home owner’s nightmare is being stuck with a bunch of...

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Philips Hue’s new security cameras are end-to-end encrypted and predictably expensive

Philips Hue’s new wired indoor/outdoor security camera comes in black or white and can work as a motion sensor for Hue’s smart lighting and its new Hue Secure security system.

Philips Hue is moving into the smart home security space with the launch of Philips Hue Secure, a DIY security system that leverages new cameras and new sensors that work alongside Philips Hue’s smart lighting system to scare off potential burglars. When the system is triggered by a sensor, you can activate any compatible Hue lights to flash red or white and/or sound an alarm through the camera.

Philips Hue Secure is launching this fall with a wired indoor/outdoor camera ($199.99), a battery-powered indoor/outdoor camera ($249.99), a full-color floodlight camera ($349.99), and new contact sensors ($39.99) to secure windows and doors.

The Verge got an in-person preview of the new devices at IFA 2023 in Berlin this week. I was impressed...

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IFA 2023: the biggest announcements from Europe’s big tech show

Photo by John MacDougall / AFP via Getty Images

From the smart home to foldables, here’s everything being announced in Berlin.

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Aqara put a notification light in its new Matter ceiling light

The outer ring can create a gradient — or serve as a notification light. | Image: Aqara

Aqara is adding a bunch of new products to its smart home lineup today, one of which includes a Matter-enabled ceiling light with a pretty unique perk. With a diameter of 50cm (~19.7 inches), Aqara’s Ceiling Light T1M features a range of 16 million different colors, along with an independently addressable RGB ring on the outside.

While you can use the ring to create a gradient lighting effect, Aqara notes that it can also serve as a status indicator when linked to other smart home products. That means you can program the outer light to show a specific color when one of your other smart devices detects an issue, such as a leak or an open door.

Like some of the other Zigbee-supported products offered by Aqara, the company says the ceiling...

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Google kills Pixel Pass without ever upgrading subscriber’s phones

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

In October 2021, Google launched a new Pixel Pass subscription program alongside the Pixel 6 series of phones that promised three things for one monthly payment ($45 for a Pixel 6 or $55 for a 6 Pro): “Google’s best mobile services, device protection, and regular device upgrades.”

However, on Tuesday, Google emailed Pixel Pass customers to say: “We are writing to you to inform you that starting today, we are no longer offering new Pixel Pass subscriptions or renewals.”

They’re not losing out on special paid-for privileges (the fee covered the cost of the phone and a discounted rate for the bundled services over its two-year timeframe). Still, disappointed customers in the Google Pixel subreddit mention things like losing a...

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Xbox clips will soon automatically upload to OneDrive cloud storage

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is working on a feature that will allow Xbox owners to automatically upload their screenshots and clips to OneDrive. Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings can now test this new feature, which also allows you to upload your existing clip and screenshot collection to OneDrive.

A new wizard will help Xbox owners walk through the process of syncing clips to OneDrive, including the option to upload existing ones. You don’t have to upload your entire existing collection, and you can choose the ones you want individually. Microsoft does warn that if you have a lot of clips, then the upload process could take a couple of days as it runs in the background.

Switching on automatic uploads for future clips and screenshots...

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Apple may stop offering customer support on social media

Illustration: The Verge

Apple employees will soon stop providing assistance to customers via X — formerly Twitter — as well as YouTube and the Apple Support Community online forum, MacRumors reports, citing anonymous sources.

Apple reportedly plans on getting rid of its social media support advisor roles, including the paid community specialist role for the Apple Support Community, later this year. Over 150 employees will be affected, though MacRumors reports that Apple will offer these workers an opportunity to switch to a phone-based support role.

The changes are supposed to begin going into effect on October 1st. Starting then, users on X will receive automated messages directing them elsewhere for help. Apple will also stop offering assistance to...

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Sennheiser’s latest soundbar is half the size and almost half the price

You’ll find no upward-firing full-range drivers on the Soundbar Mini. | Image: Sennheiser

Sennheiser’s new Ambeo Soundbar Mini is the German audio brand’s third and most affordable soundbar. At $799 (€799 / £699), it’s still an expensive AV accessory, but in the context of the company’s original $2,499.95 Ambeo Soundbar Max and $1,499.95 Ambeo Soundbar Plus, the Mini’s asking price almost looks almost entry-level in comparison (almost).

The Ambeo Soundbar Mini maintains many of the core specs of Sennheiser’s previous soundbars. It still supports a range of 3D surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio, and MPEG-H, it can still be paired with an utterly excessive four Sennheiser Ambeo Subs, and it still supports a full array of streaming options like Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Chromecast built-in, and...

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The best Android phone to buy in 2023

Image: The Verge

Whether you want everything but the kitchen sink or top-tier performance for a midtier price, you’ve got options.

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Starz is lowering the price of its annual subscription, unlike everyone else

Starz often picks up canceled shows like HBO Max’s Minx_._ | Image: HBO Max

Starz has lowered its annual subscription price from $74.99 a year to $69.99, Cord Cutters first reported and TechCrunch later confirmed. Starz emailed its subscribers the news on August 29th, explaining existing members will see the change in price on their next bill.

It’s not clear why Starz, which is home to TV shows like Outlander, The Serpent Queen, and Minx, made the move, but it’s a welcome one. Alison Hoffman, president of domestic networks at Starz, only told TechCrunch via email that “as one of the few streaming networks that is profitable, we are always looking for ways to drive success for the business while providing great value to our customers.”

“Our annual plan subscribers are some of our most valuable customers, so we...

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Google is now blurring sexually explicit images by default

Image: Google

Google has rolled out a new SafeSearch feature that automatically blurs explicit (meaning violent, sexual, etc.) images in its results. This will occur for all users by default — including those who don’t have SafeSearch enabled. This setting was first announced back in February but was scheduled to roll out globally this month.

The announcement is part of a larger Google Search initiative to, as the company puts it, “help you stay in control of your personal information, privacy, and online safety.” The company also recently announced updates to its “results about you” dashboard, which make it easier to request the removal of your own personal information or explicit imagery from search results. It’s also making it easier for families...

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