The Verge
Competitive Overwatch won’t end with the League
Blizzard / Xbox
Blizzard says it’s working on “evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction,” after confirming the League’s end after six seasons.
The VergeThe VergeChatGPT is powering a new kind of Snapchat lens
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Snapchat will soon have AR lenses that use ChatGPT. The company announced the update today at Lens Fest, its annual developer event.
The new beta of Lens Studio for developers includes the ability to create filters with ChatGPT. In an example lens, Snap shows a solar system-themed filter where a user has asked, “How far away is Neptune?” Within a few seconds, the lens returns an answer to the question. The new feature could also be applied to create quizzes or randomizers, according to TechCrunch.
Image: Snap
Snap’s AI lenses are powered by ChatGPT.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT already powers another Snap feature called My AI, a chatbot that users can talk to like they’re messaging a friend. Originally an exclusive...
The VergeThe iPhone 15 Pro is getting spatial video capture in iOS 17.2
Apple is enabling spatial video capture in beta for use on the upcoming Vision Pro headset. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Apple is rolling out its latest beta version of iOS 17, and it includes the ability to record spatial videos on the iPhone 15 Pro for viewing in the upcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Those who have access to and install iOS 17.2 beta 2 on their devices can start filming videos with a 3D effect using the iPhone 15 Pro’s top two cameras when held sideways.
To enable the new feature, users can toggle the “Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro” option in the Settings app. As 9to5Mac notes, Apple’s description says spatial video is captured in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second, and a minute of footage takes about 130MB of storage.
Image: Apple
Spatial video is captured using the main and ultrawide cameras...
The VergeMint is going away, but these easy budgeting apps can take its place
Image: Mint
If you’ve been using Intuit’s Mint app to help you budget, automatically collect your expenses, put them in useful categories, and remind you to pay them, then you were probably a bit shocked to find out that Intuit will be folding Mint into its other financial service, Credit Karma, as of January 1st, 2024.
Credit Karma’s main service is to offer advice about financial products based on your credit score, which means this may be a good fit depending on how many of Mint’s features will be moved to Credit Karma. But it’s too soon to tell. (According to Intuit, “some of the most popular Mint-like features are available on Intuit Credit Karma,” which isn’t the most encouraging phrase I’ve ever seen.)
This could be a problem for a lot of...
The VergeWhere to preorder Sony’s Pulse Explore earbuds and Pulse Elite headset
The Pulse Explore earbuds retail for $199.99. | Image: Sony
PlayStation fans have a ton of gadgets to look forward to in the next few months. The new PlayStation 5 “slim” has already landed (at least in limited quantities), while the PlayStation Portal is set to arrive in less than a week. Meanwhile, the $199.99 Pulse Explore earbuds and $149.99 Pulse Elite headset are slated to launch on December 6th and February 21st, respectively.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on the Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite, you can preorder them starting today, November 9th, in the US, UK, France, Germany, and other European countries. To help make the process a little easier, we’ve rounded up all the details you need so you can place your preorders ASAP.
Where to preorder the Pulse Explore earbuds
The Pulse...
The VergeValve says it has sold ‘multiple millions’ of Steam Decks
Photo by The Verge
Valve has sold “multiple millions” of its Steam Deck handheld gaming PCs, Valve designers Lawrence Yang and Pierre-Loup Griffais tell The Verge. Given that it just announced a new revision with an OLED screen, the company is probably set to sell a lot more.
The Steam Deck has been a hit for Valve right from its launch; when the device first went up for preorders in July 2021 (has it really been that long?), the demand created some major issues for Valve’s Steam store. And the handheld gaming PC is often at or near the top of Steam’s top-selling chart — even just two months after the device’s official February 2022 launch, it was clear that the Steam Deck was not a flop. The company apparently even made a cake to celebrate selling 1...
The VergeSteam Deck OLED review: better, not faster
A new screen, a pile of improvements, and better pricing make this everything the original should have been.
The VergeValve reveals the Steam Deck OLED: $549 buys better screen, battery, and more
The Steam Deck OLED. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
On October 5th, we saw the first proof a refreshed Steam Deck was nigh. Now, Valve is officially revealing the $549 and up Steam Deck OLED, which starts shipping on November 16th.
It’s an overhauled version of Valve’s handheld gaming PC but not one that’s focused on performance — the company is sticking with its plan not to produce a faster handheld for the next couple of years.
Instead, the new Steam Deck OLED is designed to be the ultimate version of the original Steam Deck, the device that Valve would have liked to originally ship. Valve is promising the “first handheld with HDR OLED” with a larger 7.4-inch, 90Hz, 1,000-nit screen and up to 50 percent longer battery life.
As you might read in my just-published Steam Deck OLEDr...
The VergeAmazon is expanding Fresh grocery deliveries to more non-Prime members
Image: Amazon
Amazon is making Fresh grocery deliveries available to more non-Prime members. In an update on Thursday, Amazon said that non-Prime subscribers in all US states and towns where its Fresh grocery stores are located can now order deliveries.
While Amazon previously only offered Fresh delivery to Prime customers, it opened up the service to non-Prime members in August. At the time, the company only offered deliveries in about a dozen major cities to start, including Dallas, Boston, and San Francisco.
This latest expansion still doesn’t mean Amazon’s grocery delivery service is available nationwide, however. Right now, Amazon only has Fresh stores located in California, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Washington, DC,...
The VergeHumane officially launches the AI Pin, its OpenAI-powered wearable
The AI Pin does a lot of smartphone things — but it looks nothing like a smartphone. | Image: Humane
On Thursday, after months of demos and hints about what the AI-powered future of gadgets might look like, Humane finally took the wraps off of its first device: the AI Pin.
The device, as we revealed yesterday, is a $699 wearable in two parts: a square device and a battery pack that magnetically attaches to your clothes or other surfaces. In addition to that price, there’s also the $24 monthly fee for a Humane subscription, which gets you a phone number and data coverage through T-Mobile’s network. The company told Wired the device will start shipping in early 2024 and that preorders begin November 16th.
The AI Pin is powered by a Snapdragon processor — though it’s not clear which one — and you control it with a combination of voice...
The VergeFitbit quietly pulled its products from over a dozen countries
You’ll no longer be able to buy Fitbit products in several European, Asian, and Latin American countries. | Illustration: The Verge
Fitbit is no longer selling its products in several countries spanning Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The news, first spotted by Android Authority, was confirmed on two separate Fitbit support pages. The official list of confirmed countries affected includes Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Thailand. More vaguely, the support pages say Fitbit will also stop selling products in “the broader Latin American countries.”
South Africa is also on the list, per an interview with South African publication TechCentral. Google, which finished its acquisition of Fitbit in early 2021, told the publication that...
The VergeYour car can keep collecting your data after a judge dismissed a privacy lawsuit
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
A federal judge upheld the dismissal of a class action lawsuit that alleged automakers unlawfully collected and recorded car owners’ text messages, as first reported by The Record. In a ruling on Tuesday, the Seattle-based judge said the claims aren’t severe enough to be considered a violation of the state’s Washington Privacy Act (WPA).
A group of five related class action lawsuits allege that Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors, and Ford “recorded and intercepted [car owners’] private text messages and call logs” when their phones were connected to the vehicles’ infotainment systems. The case filed against Ford has already been dismissed, according to The Record.
The federal judge’s ruling states that the district court...
The VergeThe Apple Watch Series 9 is available at its best price yet
Even the cute new pink Apple Watch Series 9 is on sale. | Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales
With all the turkey, eggnog, and chocolate, it can be hard to stay healthy during the holidays. Investing in a smartwatch before the holiday season kicks into full gear can help you stay on track with your health goals, and right now, one of the best is available at an all-time low. The GPS-equipped, 41mm Apple Watch Series 9 is down to $349 ($50 off) in a variety of colors, including the new pink, at Amazon and Walmart as part of their early Black Friday sales. The 45mm configuration is also on sale for $379 ($50 off) at Amazon and Walmart.
If you’re an iPhone user looking for a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch Series 9 is our go-to pick, tracking all the essential fitness metrics and other measures of well-being like sleep. It also...
The VergeBraid’s long-delayed anniversary edition finally has a release date
A screenshot from Braid, Anniversary Edition_._ | Image: Thekla
Remember Braid, Anniversary Edition — the updated version of the time-bending puzzle platformer that was first announced in 2020 with a 2021 release date? The game obviously missed that release window, but on Thursday, developer Thekla finally announced an exact release date: April 30th, 2024.
The anniversary edition will offer a bunch of updates that seem like they’ll improve the core essence of the game without changing too much. There are new “hand-repainted” graphics, according to a press release, and you can swap between the old graphics and the new ones at will. It has “improved sound” and “new mixes and variants of the soundtrack.”
It also has more than 15 hours of developer commentary featuring a lot of people, including...
The VergeSpotify’s redesigned TV app works more like your phone
Image: Spotify
Spotify is rolling out a redesigned TV app that should make it a little easier to find what you want to listen to. The app comes with a new homepage that’s similar to Spotify on mobile and desktop, featuring your most-listened-to content at the top, followed by your Made For You playlists and your recently played albums or podcasts.
There’s also a new playback queue that you can open up from the right side of the screen, allowing you to see the audio that’s currently playing as well as what’s coming up next. Spotify added a new dark mode option as well, along with a way to switch between accounts by selecting your profile in the top-right corner of the screen.
Image: Spotify
The new playback queue gives you a list...
The VergeAliro could unlock a new future for smart locks and digital keys
Aliro is a new open standard for smart locks. | Image: CSA
Apple, Google, and Samsung have teamed up with lock makers and chip makers, including Allegion (Schlage), Assa Abloy (Yale), Qualcomm, and NXP, to build an open standard for smart locks and digital keys, using devices like your smartphone or smartwatch. Launching Thursday, the effort is called Aliro, and if you’ve ever enjoyed using Apple’s Home Key technology on your watch or phone to unlock your door, you’ll be excited about this new standard.
But don’t get too excited. It’s going to be a while until Aliro even confirms how it's going to achieve this digital key nirvana. The working group behind Aliro is part of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), and spokesperson Nelson Henry told The Verge they’re targeting early 2025 for the...
The VergeNvidia announces January event after rumors of an RTX 4080 Super launch
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Nvidia has started emailing out press invites for a “special address” at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The event invitations come just days after rumors suggested Nvidia’s RTX 40-series Super cards will debut at CES 2024, including an RTX 4070 Super and RTX 4080 Super.
Nvidia’s invite doesn’t mention GeForce, nor who will be presenting at the keynote on January 8th at 11 AM ET / 8AM PT. Nvidia’s event will take place on a busy day of press conferences at CES, so we’re definitely expecting some news here.
Image: Nvidia
Nvidia’s CES 2024 event invite.
Hardware leakers have been revealing details about RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Super cards for weeks now, with the more powerful RTX 4080 Super rumored to...
The VergeOmegle is shutting down notorious video chat service as scrutiny grows
Even if you never used Omegle, you’d probably heard about its sketchy reputation. | Image: Omegle
Omegle, a popular video chat service that randomly connects users with strangers, has shut down after 14 years amid misuse of the platform and increased scrutiny by online safety regulators. In a lengthy statement announcing the closure, website founder Leif K Brooks said that operating Omegle is “no longer sustainable, financially nor psychologically,” and that fighting to prevent it from being misused is “simply too much.” While the website remains live to host Brook’s statement, its anonymous video chat function is no longer accessible.
Omegle gained a reputation as a breeding ground for sexual abuse of minors, leading to a prominent lawsuit in which the website was accused of pairing an 11-year-old girl with a sexual predator. The...
The VergeSignal tests usernames so you can avoid sharing your phone number
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Signal is publicly testing letting users add usernames to their accounts so they don’t have to share their phone number to connect via the encrypted messaging service. The test was announced via a post on the Signal forums by VP of engineering Jim O’Leary, who referred to the feature as “pre-beta” and warned that there’ll be rough edges including crashes and broken push notifications. An official release is planned for early 2024, Signal president Meredith Whittaker recently announced.
Support for usernames is significant for the messaging service, which markets itself as a private and secure way to communicate. Although accounts will still be associated with a traditional mobile number at setup, the username feature means you’ll be able...
The VergeGoogle offered Epic $147 million to launch Fortnite on the Play store
Photo illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Philip Pacheco, Bloomberg, Getty Images
Google has confirmed in court that Epic was offered a $147 million deal to launch its hit game Fortnite on Android’s Google Play store. The deal, which Google’s VP of Play partnerships Purnima Kochikar says was approved and presented to Epic but not accepted, would have seen the money dispensed over a three-year period of “incremental funding” (ending in 2021) to the games publisher. It was meant to stem a potential “contagion” of popular apps bypassing Android’s official store, and with it, Google’s lucrative in-app purchase fees.
Epic launched Fortnite on Android in 2018 directly through its website, avoiding the Play store. That allowed it to sell Fortnite’s in-game currency V-Bucks without paying the commission required of Play Store...
The VergeHollywood actors reach tentative deal to end their strike
Illustration by William Joel / The Verge
Hollywood actors may soon be back to work. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have approved a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the trade association representing Hollywood studios — to end their strike.
“In a unanimous vote this afternoon, The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved a tentative agreement with the AMPTP bringing an end to the 118 day strike,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “The strike officially ends at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, November 9.”
The new deal will include higher minimum pay, improved residual payments for streamed shows, and “new rules for the use of artificial intelligence,” the L...
The VergeSamsung details ‘Galaxy AI’ and a feature that can translate phone calls in real time
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
Samsung wants to make sure you know it cares about AI, too. In a new blog post, the company previewed what it calls “a new era of Galaxy AI” coming to its smartphones and detailed a forthcoming feature that will use artificial intelligence to translate phone calls in real time.
“Galaxy AI is a comprehensive mobile AI experience, powered by both on-device AI developed at Samsung and cloud-based AI enabled by our open collaborations with like-minded industry leaders,” Samsung wrote in the post. “It will transform your everyday mobile experience with the peace of mind you count on from Galaxy security and privacy.”
Samsung’s live translate feature, which the company is calling “AI Live Translate Call,” will be built into the company’s...
The VergeThe UK just laid out new rules for the internet — it only gets harder from here
Illustration by Hugo Herrera for The Verge
After the Online Safety Act’s arduous multiyear passage through the UK’s lawmaking process, regulator Ofcom has published its first guidelines for how tech firms can comply with the mammoth legislation. Its proposal — part of a multiphase publication process — outlines how social media platforms, search engines, online and mobile games, and pornography sites should deal with illegal content like child sexual abuse material (CSAM), terrorism content, and fraud.
Today’s guidelines are being released as proposals so Ofcom can gather feedback before the UK Parliament approves them toward the end of next year. Even then, the specifics will be voluntary. Tech firms can guarantee they’re obeying the law by following the guidelines to the...
The VergeMaine’s right-to-repair law for cars wins with 84 percent of the vote
A January 13, 2020 picture from a right to repair hearing in Boston, Massachusetts. | Photo: David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe / Getty Images
The right-to-repair movement gained a significant victory yesterday as a Maine law regarding auto repair rights won over 84 percent public support, according to Ballotpedia’s unofficial tally. As 404 Media reported, the “Question 4” measure asked if voters want auto manufacturers to enable owners and their preferred mechanics to access their car’s diagnostics systems. Voters said yes.
Maine follows four states that enacted new right-to-repair laws this year. In California, a law signed into effect last month now guarantees seven years of parts for electronics and appliances.
Both Minnesota and Colorado passed repair laws pertaining largely to electronics and farm equipment, respectively, as well as exemptions for certain modifications...
The VergePopular Lego marketplace went offline after a ‘ransom’ demand
Closeup of a Lego Batcave set. | Image: Lego
BrickLink, the unofficial online Lego parts marketplace, is back online after several days of downtime due to a cybersecurity incident that apparently targeted some merchant accounts. The company said it received a “threat and ransom demand” last Friday, presumably in regard to company or user data, leading it to shut down the site “out of an abundance of caution.”
The site has been detecting “limited suspicious activity” since mid-October, where unauthorized sellers fraudulently attempted to collect money through unrealistically discounted listings.
BrickLink says a “relatively small” amount of accounts may have been compromised but does not see any evidence that its systems were breached. It says “credential stuffing” occurred, where...
The VergeExclusive leak: all the details about Humane’s AI Pin, which costs $699 and has OpenAI integration
Humane’s AI Pin is set to officially be revealed this Thursday. | Image: Humane
Humane has been teasing its first device, the AI Pin, for most of this year. It’s scheduled to launch the Pin on Thursday, but The Verge has obtained documents detailing practically everything about the device ahead of its official launch. What they show is that Humane, the company noisily promoting a world after smartphones, is about to launch what amounts to a $699 wearable smartphone without a screen that has a $24-a-month subscription fee and runs on a Humane-branded version of T-Mobile’s network with access to AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI.
The Pin itself is a square device that magnetically clips to your clothes or other surfaces. The clip is more than just a magnet, though; it’s also a battery pack, which means you can swap...
The VergeDisney will start testing a combined Disney Plus and Hulu app next month
Nick Barclay / The Verge
Disney’s combined Disney Plus and Hulu streaming app is on the way. As part of its fourth quarter earnings results, Disney announced it’s going to launch the new app in beta for bundle subscribers in December, with the official launch coming in early spring 2024.
“We remain on track to roll out a more unified one-app experience domestically, making extensive general entertainment content available to bundle subscribers via Disney Plus,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday. “We expect that Hulu and Disney Plus will result in increased engagement, greater advertising opportunities, lower churn, and reduce customer acquisition costs.”
We last heard about the “one-app experience” in May. The combined app...
The VergeMicrosoft won’t let you close OneDrive on Windows until you explain yourself
You now have to let Microsoft know why you want to close the OneDrive app.
Microsoft now wants you to explain exactly why you’re attempting to close its OneDrive for Windows app before it allows you to do so. Neowin has spotted that the latest update to OneDrive now includes an annoying dialog box that asks you to select the reason why you’re closing the app every single time you attempt to close OneDrive from the taskbar.
Closing OneDrive is already buried away and not a simple task, with Microsoft hiding it under a “pause syncing” option when you right-click on OneDrive in the taskbar. But now, the quit option is grayed out until you select a reason for quitting OneDrive from a drop-down box. Here are the options:
- I don’t want OneDrive running all the time
- I don’t know what OneDrive is
- I don’t use OneDrive
- I...
The VergeThe best early Black Friday tech deals you can already get
Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge
It’s official: the 2023 early holiday shopping season has arrived. And if you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping, retailers like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have already launched their early Black Friday promos, dropping prices on tablets, wireless earbuds, laptops, and even OLED TVs. What’s more, Amazon and other retailers are matching prices in some cases, letting you save no matter where you shop.
We may see better deals arrive as we get closer to November 24th — especially since Amazon’s real Black Friday event kicks off on November 17th — but what’s discounted so far is still worth a look. For example, Apple’s second-gen AirPods have dropped to a new all-time low. A range of other gadgets and gizmos are also on...
The VergeWhat is Google trying to hide in its deal with Spotify?
Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge
Is there something Google doesn’t want the world to know about its deal with Spotify? That’s what Google attorney Glenn Pomerantz suggested in Fortnite court this morning. Pomerantz argued that the court should seal portions of an upcoming exhibit revealing Google’s User Choice Billing agreement with Spotify — which lets Spotify use its own payment system for subscriptions while still giving Google a cut.
“Disclosure of the Spotify deal would be very, very detrimental for the negotiation we’d be having with those other parties,” Pomerantz told Judge James Donato, who is overseeing the Epic v. Google antitrust case. Pomerantz didn’t specify who the other parties were by name. He also said he was all right with “two numbers” being...