The next Baldur’s Gate 3 patch will finally let you change your appearance

Image: Larian Studios

Thenext Baldur’s Gate 3 patch (launching tomorrow) is adding the No. 1 thing players have been asking for: a barbershop. Starting tomorrow, the Magic Mirror will be added with Patch 3, which will give players the ability to change the appearance of their characters.

Finally.

With Patch 3 comes the Magic Mirror, which lives in your camp and allows you to change your Tav’s appearance whenever you’d like!

Change appearance, voice, pronouns
‍♀️ Race & body type can’t be changed
Can’t alter Origins — they’re all *very* particular about their hair pic.twitter.com/fZo4LOOCLO

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) September 21, 2023

I really love my Tav. I think she’s hot. And I really appreciate that while she has the appearance of a Tiefling...

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Where to preorder the new Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Laptop Go 3

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2 looks to be a minor update of the prior model, with faster performance and new connectivity options. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Laptop Go 3 during its recent hardware event in New York City, introducing the two laptops alongside a flurry of AI-powered features for Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and Bing. The high-end Surface Laptop Studio 2 starts at $1,099, while the Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799; both are slated to launch on October 3rd at 12AM ET.

Although the forthcoming laptops look similar in design to their predecessors, the new Surface devices arrive with upgraded processors, better battery life, and other minor spec bumps. We’ve yet to fully test either laptop, but if you want to preorder them ahead of their official release, you can already do so via the Microsoft Store. Here’s what you...

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Microsoft announces Surface Hub 3 with portrait mode

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has revealed the Surface Hub 3, the latest version of the company’s all-in-one collaborative touchscreen device. Unlike its predecessors, the Surface Hub 3 supports smart rotation and portrait mode, allowing users to physically rotate the screen to a vertical orientation while the layout updates automatically.

The Surface Hub 3 comes in two sizes: 50 and 85 inches. As is the case with previous devices, the Surface Hub 3 is meant to live in conference rooms as a replacement for TVs and monitors. The device runs Microsoft Teams on Windows, which means the device will offer a “consistent experience across all meeting spaces,” allowing users to “effortlessly transition from one room to another.” Microsoft says the Surface Hub will...

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A first look at Microsoft’s upgraded Surface Laptop Studio 2

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2.

We’ve just had a chance to play with Microsoft’s new Surface Studio Laptop 2 after it was announced at a “special event” in New York City. Visually, it doesn’t look a lot different than what came before it, but the trackpad is greatly improved, the specs inside upgraded, and there’s a new AI-focused neural processing unit that’s designed to light up some AI-powered experiences in Windows 11.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 retains the same unique fold-over design as its predecessor but makes the laptop all around more capable. It runs on one of Intel’s 13th Gen i7 H-class processors and can be specced with an Nvidia GPU, including the RTX 4050 and 4060, between 16 and 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. It still has a 14.4-inch...

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Google taunts Apple again over its lack of RCS messaging support

Okay, but you just know there is an Apple fanboy somewhere who would love this. | Image: Google

Google is revisiting the “Get The Message” publicity campaign started last year to pressure Apple into adopting the Rich Communication Services, or RCS, messaging protocol. The latest installment includes new content and a cheesy video advertising a fake “iPager” gadget — a jab at Apple for converting iMessages texted to Android devices into old-fashioned SMS and MMS.

“iPager isn’t real, but the problems that Apple causes by using SMS are,” said Google in the video description on YouTube. “Let’s make texting better for everyone and help Apple #GetTheMessage and upgrade to RCS.”

RCS offers several improvements to messaging, including end-to-end encryption, read receipts, and the ability to share high-resolution photos and videos....

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MGM Resorts are operating ‘normally’ after hacks, sort of

MGM says its computers are back up after a hack, pictured above. | Image: K.M. Cannon / Las Vegas Review-Journal / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Everything is fine and back to normal at the MGM Resorts, MGM Resorts announced on X / Twitter. I still couldn’t book a room there online.

The computers at MGM Resorts had been shut down for 10 days after a cyberattack. A ransomware group, ALPHV / BlackCat, took credit for the hack, according to malware tracker vx-underground. It wasn’t just the Las Vegas casinos that got hit, either — MGM’s Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City and MGM Grand Detroit Casino were also affected.

“We are pleased that all our hotels and casinos are operating normally,” the MGM Resorts statement read. “Our amazing employees are ready to help guests with any intermittent issues. We thank you for your patience and look forward to welcoming you soon.”

Very cool! I...

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Hands-on with the Surface Laptop Go 3

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft just announced the Surface Laptop Go 3 at its Surface event on Thursday, and we’ve gotten to briefly try it out as part of a demo session after the main presentation.

As we expected after watching Microsoft’s presentation, the laptop looks just like last year’s Surface Laptop Go 2 in person. It’s very light, but it has a solid build. That lightness is the real draw of this device — but the low-resolution 12.4-inch screen, at 1536 x 1024, feels like a bit of a disappointment when the rest of the hardware is built with such high quality. The nice chassis makes the screen look all the more grainy, and with Copilot taking up a good chunk of the right side of the screen, the interface has a cramped feel. We’ll have to conduct more...

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You can finally ask Siri to play Spotify on a HomePod

Siri can now play your Spotify playlists on your HomePod. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

A new feature in iOS 17 finally sets Spotify free — allowing you to use the voice assistant to start your Spotify session directly on your HomePod, hands-free.

The capability (spotted by 9to5Mac) allows you to start an AirPlay session from your phone using a Siri command. So now you can say, “Hey Siri, play The National on Spotify” to your HomePod, and Siri will route the command through your phone and start streaming Spotify on the smart speaker.

It’s a workaround, but it works. When The Verge’s Dan Seifert tried it, Siri on the HomePod responded, “To use Spotify, I’ll need to AirPlay from your iPhone,” but it just proceeded to do so, no action needed. This prompt sometimes popped up; other times, Siri just responded with “on it.”

Your...

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The Surface Go 4 comes with a much-needed performance boost

The Surface Go 4 is now a business exclusive device. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has announced the Surface Go 4 — the latest version of its affordable 2-in-1 laptop series — at its Surface device launch event today. The new Go 4 features some minor performance upgrades over its predecessor, but it won’t be sold to consumers — the company says it’s specifically targeted at businesses and frontline workers. As WinFuture leakedlast week, the official Surface Go 4 specifications reveal that the two-core Intel Pentium processor featured on the Surface Go 3 has now been replaced with a new, slightly beefier four-core Intel N200 chip.

Microsoft has also ditched the 4GB RAM configuration that’s been available on previous models, which means the Surface Go 4 will now only be available with 8GB of LPDDR5 memory....

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Microsoft Surface event: the 6 biggest announcements

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft has just wrapped up its September event, where it made several major announcements. Not only did we see some new Surface devices, but Microsoft also shared some updates about the new AI features coming to its products.

You can check out all the news from Microsoft’s event below.

A more powerful Surface Laptop Studio 2

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has finally revealed its new Surface Laptop Studio 2. The company calls it the “most powerful” Surface it has built to date, as it comes with Intel’s 13th Gen i7 H class processor, Nvidia’s RTX 4050 or 4060 GPU, and 64GB of RAM. It also features a more adaptive touchpad that Microsoft calls the “most inclusive” yet.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 starts at $1,999. You...

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Facebook officially embraces fake profiles

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Meta is going to let Facebook users create multiple personal profiles and switch between them without logging out and logging back in, according to a blog post published Thursday. Basically, Meta is embracing finstas but for Facebook.

“Whether you’re new to Facebook or a longtime user, you may want to keep your personal and professional relationships separate, or you may want to keep one profile tied to a community you’re a part of and another profile just for friends,” Meta wrote. “Creating multiple personal profiles lets you easily organize who you share with and what content you see for the various parts of your life. Think one profile for the foodie scene you love and another one to keep up with your friends and family.”

You’ll be...

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Musicians are eyeing a legal shortcut to fight AI voice clones

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

People worry about AI taking their jobs, but some musicians could face something more worrying: AI taking their voice.

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Microsoft announces the new Surface Laptop Go 3

New Surface Laptop Go 3. | Image: The Verge

Microsoft has revealed a new third-generation model of its Surface Laptop Go line during its Surface event today. The company’s new notebook will launch on October 3rd and will have “up to 15 hours of battery” and command a starting price of $799.

The new Surface Laptop Go 3 is not to be confused with the non-laptop Surface Go, a smaller and less performant version of the popular main Surface tablet line. The 12.4-inch Surface Laptop Go 3 is the company’s latest cheap and light notebook offering for those who aren’t looking for a powerhouse but like the Surface style.

Just as the WinFuture leak suggested, Microsoft’s latest Laptop Go release looks similar to the previous Surface Laptop Go 2 but has some new internal upgrades. The...

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Microsoft announces the Surface Laptop Studio 2 with upgraded chips and ports

The new Laptop Studio 2 looks like the old one, but has much more power inside. | Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft just showed off its new high-end convertible laptop, the Surface Laptop Studio 2, at its launch event in New York City. The Laptop Studio 2 keeps the overall aesthetic of its predecessor, including the pull-forward 14.4-inch display that makes it a much more touch-friendly device but adds some welcome power-user features.

The Studio 2, which starts at $1,999, runs on Intel’s 13th Generation chips — specifically the i7 H class — with an Nvidia RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 GPU inside. It also has an Intel Neural Processing Unit, or NPU, which is the first Intel NPU in a Windows computer. (There were rumblings that Microsoft might be making this chip itself, but it appears not.) You can configure it with up to 2TB of storage and 64 gigs...

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Microsoft to add DALL-E 3 to Bing Chat

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft announced it will soon add access to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 image generator for users to create images right in a chat.

DALL-E 3, which will be released for ChatGPT’s enterprise users in October, will allow people to type a couple of sentences to create a photo. Microsoft did not specify when DALL-E 3 on Bing will come out.

The company also added new shopping features to Bing. Bing can ask users specific questions on how a product will be used or other more personalized questions so people can pinpoint the right product that suits their needs. Bing also lets people find and use discount codes. These more personalized answers work as Bing also now remembers previous chats.

Bing was one of the first Microsoft products to take...

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Gelato Pique’s new Pokémon Sleep(wear) collab is perfect for catching some Z’s

A model showing off Gelato Pique’s new Snorlax hoodie. | The Pokémon Company / Gelato Pique

Pokémon Sleepdidn’t launch with any real accessories aside from a peripheral that’s more of a slightly soupled-up Pokémon Go autocatcher than anything else, but clothier Gelato Pique is getting ready to change that with a new collection of pokémon-themed sleepwear.

Though they’ll run you a pretty penny, each of Gelato Pique’s new Pokémon Sleep-inspired hootie and shorts / leg warmer sets will also leave you swaddled in plush comfort and ready to have your dreams eaten as if you’ve just been hit by potent hypnosis attack. Along with the hoodies inspired by some of thefranchise’s sleepiest (or sleep-inducing) monsters like Snorlax and Jigglypuff, Gelato Pique’s new collab also features parkas, pants, pullovers, and headbands all meant to...

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Microsoft 365 Copilot launches in November

Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft’s 365 Copilot AI assistant will be available starting on November 1stfor Microsoft 365 customers on certain business and enterprise plans. But the add-on isn’t free: the company announced in July it would be charging a $30 per month premium per user for access to the feature, which almost doubles the total price of a subscription for businesses on some lower-end plans.

Copilot is like a modern-day Clippy sans anthropomorphic animated paperclip. With it, business users can sum up documents or outsource email creation to their AI helper. It can also create wholly new Word projects using information from other files or offer real-time highlights from Teams meetings. It can even tell you how it did something in Excel after you ask...

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YouTube made a video editing app — just like TikTok

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is releasing a new app called YouTube Create that lets you edit video right on your phone, the company announced on Thursday. The new app could encourage more people to make Shorts, YouTube’s take on TikTok-style videos; it’s generally easier to make a TikTok video than it is to make a full-fledged YouTube video, which is a key reason why TikTok has exploded in popularity.

Making a separate app also mimics TikTok’s strategy of releasing the separate (and popular) CapCut app, which helps you make videos you can share on TikTok and other platforms.

✨ introducing YouTube Create

a new easy-to-use editing app that helps you make high-quality vids & can publish to YouTube

now in *beta* in 8 countries on Android

we want your feedback

d...

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YouTube is going all in on AI

Image: YouTube

More content on YouTube is going to be created at least in part using generative AI.

The video platform announced several new AI-powered tools for creators at its annual Made on YouTube event on Thursday. Among the features coming later this year or next are AI-generated photo and video backgrounds, AI video topic suggestions, and music search.

A new feature called Dream Screen will create AI-generated videos and photos that creators can place in the background of their YouTube Shorts. Initially, creators will be able to type in prompts to generate backgrounds; eventually, YouTube says, creators will be able to remix and edit their existing content using AI tools to create something new.

At Made on YouTube, the company demonstrated...

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Microsoft’s unified Copilot is coming to Windows, Edge, and everywhere else

Copilot will be “available when you need it and out of the way when you don’t” | Photo by Chris Welch, The Verge

Microsoft today announced a new, unified Copilot experience launching on September 26th. The new “AI companion,” just called Copilot, will be built into Windows 11 and “seamlessly available across all the apps and experiences you use most,” including Office 365, Windows, the Edge browser, and (uh) Bing.

Yusuf Mehdi, consumer chief marketing officer, called Copilot “a handshake between you and technology — available when you need it and out of the way when you don’t.”

Developing… see our live blog for the latest details.

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How to customize the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button

Illustration: Cathryn Hutton / The Verge

If you pick up an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you’ll notice one thing missing: the mute switch. It’s been a fixture on iPhones since the very beginning, but the 15 Pro models have swapped it out for a new button that’s dubbed the Action Button.

Like the Action Button on the Apple Watch Ultra series, you can customize it to do almost anything you want. It can open up a specific mode on your camera, turn on your flashlight, and, if you’re crafty, even order your favorite seasonal beverage from your neighborhood Starbucks.

Here’s how it works. (I followed these steps using an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17.)

Long press, short press

The first thing to know is just how the Action Button works.

To perform whatever action you assign to the...

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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review: still great but a questionable ‘upgrade’

Spatial audio and voice call improvements are the main new features, but these earbuds are largely identical to last year’s QuietComfort Earbuds II otherwise.

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Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from News Corp, Fox

Photo by Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic

Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chair of Fox and News Corp on Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal. Murdoch will exit his roles at both companies in mid-November and will be appointed as chairman emeritus of both companies.

“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles,” Murdoch reportedly wrote in a staff memo Thursday. “Our companies are in robust health, as am I.”

In true Succession style, Murdoch’s eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, appears to be his heir apparent. Lachlan will be taking over as the sole chair of News Corp, the company that owns a vast number of newspapers, magazines,...

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Here are the documents the Google antitrust trial judge didn’t want you to see

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

The already locked-down US v. Google antitrust trial got a little more restricted earlier this week — when Judge Amit Mehta, following a complaint from Google, chided the Department of Justice for posting exhibits from the trial online without notifying him first. These documents are, for all intents and purposes, public: they were viewable in court and will likely be entered into public records, something Mehta acknowledged. Unlike in the recent FTC v. Microsoft debacle, there’s no evidence of failed redactions that reveal bombshell details about a company, although the parties have argued over exhibits Google deems irrelevant.

Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen, who argued for access to the documents in court, has the full writeup of what happened...

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Microsoft Surface and AI event: live coverage from the keynote

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is ready to talk more about its AI plans at a “special event” in New York City today. We’re expecting to hear about three new Surface devices, with the Surface Laptop Studio 2 the main flagship device that could be part of a bigger AI push for Windows.

The event comes just days after former Surface and Windows chief Panos Panay announced his resignation from Microsoft. Panay won’t be presenting at the event anymore, and we’re expecting to see Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s head of consumer marketing, instead. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will also appear on stage.

Microsoft won’t be live streaming this event so you can follow along with the latest here. The event starts at 10AM ET / 7AM PT and should run for around an hour. Our own...

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Microsoft’s Surface and AI event: all the news and announcements

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Microsoft’s big Windows and Surface event will focus on its AI vision of the future.

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Four very different horror movies from TIFF 2023

Sleep. | Image: TIFF

This year is shaping up to be a good one for horror, particularly on the festival circuit. Things kicked off nice and early at Sundance with the impressive quartet of Birth/Rebirth, Talk To Me, In My Mother’s Skin, and Infinity Pool. This month at TIFF, meanwhile, I watched another four movies that each add something interesting to the genre. What’s most impressive about these films is how, when combined, they really show off the breadth of what’s possible under the horror banner. You’ll wince and cover your eyes, but you’ll also laugh.

Sleep

Sleep is the first feature from director Jason Yu, and it really taps into a common fear: namely, that something absolutely awful is going to happen when you’re sleepwalking. It follows a young...

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GM CEO Mary Barra drops out of the Code Conference due to UAW strike

The annual Code Conference is set to kick off next week, but one of our headline speakers won’t be there: GM CEO Mary Barra and her new EVP of software Mike Abbott have dropped out of the show, citing the ongoing UAW strike and contract negotiations.

“Mary and Mike unfortunately needed to change their plans to be at Code,” writes GM spokesperson Brandee Barker. “They are staying focused on the ongoing labor negotiations and supporting internal operations through the strike. They have long been supporters of Code and want to return to a future conference.”

That’s great and all, but we were very much planning to ask Barra about that strike and how negotiations are proceeding — she told CBS that things “still have a ways to go” last week....

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Apple’s failure to develop its own modem detailed in new report

Apple wanted the iPhone 15 to use custom-built modems, but failed. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple recently extended its deal for Qualcomm modems despite years of effort to develop its own — now we know why. According to a detailed report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s attempt to develop its own in-house 5G modem has been stymied by issues resulting from the iPhone maker underestimating the complexity and technical challenges of the task, and a lack of global leadership to guide the separate development groups siloed in the US and abroad.

Apple’s motivation to develop its own modems is reportedly two-fold. First, developing its own silicon had helped improve device performance and increase profit margins. Second, the company wanted to break from Qualcomm, which Apple sued in 2017 over excessive patent fees. “They hate...

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Pixel Fold replacement parts and iFixit repair guides now available

You can purchase Pixel Fold parts separately or bundled with iFixit’s repair tools. | Image: iFixit

The prospect of having to repair your own Pixel Fold just became a lot less daunting thanks to Google’s continuing partnership with device repair specialists iFixit. As spotted by 9to5Google, iFixit’s website now provides multiple repair guides that instruct Pixel Fold owners on how to replace their broken phone components, in addition to stocking the genuine Pixel Fold parts needed to complete the job.

Among the parts available is a kit to replace the Pixel Fold’s flexible inner screen. It costs $899.99 (or $909.99 when bundled with iFixit’s Fix Kit toolset) and includes the inner OLED display, a flexible glass panel, batteries, display bezels, side buttons, and fingerprint scanner. You can also buy some of these components separately,...

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