Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree trailer is full of new ways to die

Image: FromSoftware

Wake up, Tarnished. It’s time to visit the Shadow of the Erdtree.

In Shadow, it looks like we’re going to a darker part of the Lands Between, and of course, there are all sorts of new lil’ freaks to fight. But the biggest news is that the DLC’s main antagonist appears to be Miquella, the twin brother of Malenia, meaning “Let me solo her” might have to change his name soon.

In 2023, FromSoftware confirmed the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was in development. No release date was given at the time, and FromSoftware went radio silent afterward, as we’ve had no significant updates on the DLC since its announcement almost exactly a year ago. But now, we know we can return to the Lands Between on June 21st.

It’s really hard to imagine that Elden...

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Elden Ring: all of the updates about FromSoftware’s open-world hit

Image: FromSoftware

Arise now, ye tarnished

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WhatsApp adds new text formatting options to improve messaging

The new formatting options each have an easily remembered shortcut. | Image: WhatsApp / Meta

Four new text formatting options have been added to WhatsApp to help users communicate more effectively. Available starting today, WhatsApp users can now use bulleted and numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code to highlight and organize their messages, making it easier to break down large sections of text into something easier to read.

These new formatting options have been in development for a while, but now they’re available on WhatsApp for Android, iOS, Web, and Mac, alongside support for Channels. They join the existing bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace formats that were already available to all WhatsApp users.

Image: WhatsApp / Meta

Here’s a handy visual guide for all the text formatting...

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One month with Microsoft’s AI vision of the future: Copilot Pro

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft’s Copilot Pro launched last month as a $20 monthly subscription that provides access to AI-powered features inside some Office apps, alongside priority access to the latest OpenAI models and improved image generation.

I’ve been testing Copilot Pro over the past month to see if it’s worth the $20 subscription for my daily needs and just how good or bad the AI image and text generation is across Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Some of the Copilot Pro features are a little disappointing right now, whereas others are truly useful improvements that I’m not sure I want to live without.

Let’s dig into everything you get with Copilot Pro right now.

Designer image creation

One of the main draws of subscribing to Copilot...

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Apple launches Apple Sports app with scores and betting odds

The Apple Sports app for iPhone. | Image: Apple

Apple launched a new iPhone app today called Apple Sports, giving users a one-stop location to check scores, team stats, betting odds, and more across a number of major sports leagues. The app supports the NBA, NHL, NCAA, Premier League, and several other leagues at launch, including MLS — the soccer league Apple has exclusive streaming rights to.

Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1, and Serie A are also supported, and more services will be added after launch. Apple says that MLB, NFL, NCAAF, NWSL, and WNBA will be available “for their upcoming seasons.”

Images: Apple

Different screens from the Apple Sports app for iPhones.

The app’s launch comes as Apple amps up its involvement in live sports. The company...

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Grounded and Pentiment are Microsoft’s first Xbox-exclusive games for Nintendo Switch

Image: Microsoft

Grounded and Pentiment are the first previously Xbox-exclusive games to arrive on Nintendo Switch. Obsidian’s 2D narrative adventure roleplaying game Pentiment will launch on Switch tomorrow, followed by Grounded, the survival co-op that’s a combination of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and A Bug’s Life, on April 16th.

Both games were confirmed in Nintendo’s partner showcase today, after Microsoft revealed last week that it would be taking four previously Xbox-exclusive games to rival consoles like the PS5 and Nintendo. The Verge revealed that the four games would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded.

Image: Nintendo

While Hi-Fi Rush was rumored for Nintendo Switch, it’s not clear if the game is still...

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Bluetti’s fridge, freezer, and ice-making combo can go three days on solar charge

The Bluetti SwapSolar 3-in-1 fridge (center) can swap batteries with the company’s AC180T solar generator (right). | Image: Bluetti

Bluetti’s SwapSolar is a battery-powered portable refrigerator, freezer, and ice maker that can also be plugged into solar, your car, or wall jack for long-term use. It’s the latest off-grid gadget for people who just can’t do without modern luxuries and is very similar to the EcoFlow Glacier I reviewed in December... but better, I think.

To start with, the dual-zone fridge and freezer compartments have slightly more capacity (40L versus 38L), and its much bigger battery uses improved LFP battery chemistry instead of NMC, which can pack more capacity into less space. That results in the SwapSolar being slightly heavier at 55 pounds (25kg) when fitted with the wheels and telescoping handle compared to the 51lb (23kg) Glacier. But that’s...

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The Echo Hub is Alexa’s missing piece

Amazon’s new control panel makes using an Alexa-powered smart home as easy as flipping a light switch (only better, trust me).

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Google Gemma: because Google doesn’t want to give away Gemini yet

Google’s new model Gemma. | Image: Google

Google has released Gemma 2B and 7B, a pair of open-source AI models that let developers use the research that went into its flagship Gemini more freely. While Gemini is a big closed AI model that directly competes with (and is nearly as powerful as) OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the lightweight Gemma will likely be suitable for smaller tasks like simple chatbots or summarizations.

But what these models lack in complication, they may make up for in speed and cost of use. Despite their smaller size, Google claims Gemma models “surpass significantly larger models on key benchmarks” and are “capable of running directly on a developer laptop or desktop computer.” They will be available via Kaggle, Hugging Face, Nvidia’s NeMo, and Google’s Vertex AI.

G...

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Nintendo Direct February 2024: all the news and trailers

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Nintendo offers news on releases for the first half of 2024.

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‘Burning Man for rednecks’: inside King of the Hammers, the gnarliest off-road race of the year

Photo by Ryan Del Ponte

While the event is known as one of the biggest motorsport events in the world, it’s also a place to showcase technology, land stewardship, and just a tiny bit of nightlife.

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Switching to electric vehicles would be fantastic for kids’ health

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

A wholesale switch to electric vehicles would be a tremendous boon to the health of many people around the world. But a new report from the American Lung Association highlights the particular advantages for children, especially those vulnerable to respiratory illness.

Based on a model in which all new vehicles sold by 2035 are zero-tailpipe emission, the group concludes that there would be 2.7 million fewer asthma attacks among children, as well as 147,000 fewer acute case of bronchitis. The transition to EV-only sales would also prevent 2.67 million cases of upper respiratory symptoms and 1.87 million cases of lower respiratory symptoms in children. And there would be 508 fewer cases of infant mortality.

Highlighting the specific...

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Yes, Amazon gift bags have handles now

This blue medium-size Amazon bag has handles just like a reusable grocery store bag. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

As skeptical as I am of Amazon the company, it knows its packaging. Its paper-tape cardboard boxes are wonderfully easy to rip apart for recycling, its paper mailers are promising (though missing firm commitment), and its gift bags are far too good to toss in the trash. Especially these new blue bags with integrated shopping bag handles.

We just got three of them in the mail for my daughter’s birthday. Was this some sort of experiment? Nope! They’re legit, Amazon spokesperson Nicole Pampe confirms to The Verge. The new gift bags with handles are available in both the US and EU.

“We’re pleased to offer customers a convenient way to wrap various sizes of gifts in our store, including our new medium-sized gift bags with handles. The gift...

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The best deals on MacBooks right now

Some of the latest M3 MacBooks are on sale, plus upgraded Mac Minis are near all-time lows. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,499. But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.

While Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various current models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without as much waiting for the changing winds of deals to blow your way. Apple’s refurbished store provides a...

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Cox Communications won’t have to pay $1 billion to record labels after all

Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In the seemingly endless fight between record labels and ISPs over music piracy, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia decided Tuesday that $1 billion is too much for Cox Communications to pay record labels in damages. Instead, as reported by Reuters, a new trial should be set in a federal district court to figure out what would be an appropriate amount.

This new ruling overturns a 2019 US district court jury’s decision siding with the record labels involved in the lawsuit, which includes Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI. The companies accused Cox of not addressing over 10,000 copyright infringement notices and failing to take action against music pirates, such as cutting off their...

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It’s about to get even harder to buy some of Disney’s weirdest movies on Blu-ray

The Verge

Disney is ending Disney Movie Club, the subscription service and online store where fans could buy Blu-ray or DVDs of films from the House of Mouse. The Digital Bits is reporting that the closure follows a new deal that Disney has signed with Sony, under which Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will take over all physical media production. The news of Disney Movie Club’s shuttering was delivered to the service’s 10 million US users by email, as well as the service’s website on Tuesday.

“We’ve enjoyed serving you for the last 23 years, but consumer behavior and viewing preferences continue to evolve so we have made the tough decision to close Disney Movie Club,” wrote Disney Movie Club in a statement viewed by The Wrap. Disney Movie Club...

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Fubo sues Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros. to block their combined sports streaming app

Green Bay Packers vs. the San Francisco 49ers on January 20th, 2024. | Photo by Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images

Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s surprise partnership to create a sports streaming platform hasn’t sat well with the TV streaming service Fubo. Today, Fubo filed an antitrust lawsuit against the three companies following what it calls “a years-long campaign to block Fubo’s innovative sports-first streaming business” at consumers’ expense.

Fubo CEO David Gandler said that the three companies had “blocked our playbook for many years, and now they are effectively stealing it for themselves.” Fubo has styled itself as a “sports-focused” streaming service, but the company says restrictive licensing terms from sports networks have limited its options. It argues that “unfair” bundling terms have made it pay for and distribute...

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Call of Duty League team owner suing Activision Blizzard for $680 million

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, CEO of OpTic Gaming, is suing Activision Blizzard for alleged monopolistic practices regarding the publisher’s Call of Duty esports league.

Rodriguez — whose company owned and operated the Call of Duty League’s OpTic Texas team — and now-retiredOpTic player Seth “Scump” Abner are seeking $680 million in damages. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the pair claim that Activision Blizzard’s “unlawful 100 percent monopoly” over the league forced them into financially ruinous partnerships at the risk of being unable to compete in the League.

Before the arrival of the Call of Duty League, competitive Call of Duty tournaments were hosted by independent third-party organizers and featured an “open” structure whereby any team...

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One of the last small-ish Android phones looks like it’s going the way of the iPhone Mini

The Zenfone 10 was a little-ish phone with big ambitions. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

As phone sizes trended upward, one small device stood its ground year after year: the Asus Zenfone. That appears to be changing soon, and if you’re a card-carrying member of the small phone fan club like me, then it’s only appropriate to take a moment to observe its passing.

Asus, to its credit, isn’t keeping us waiting in suspense. The company posted a teaser for the Zenfone 11 Ultra that leaves little to the imagination: an animated graphic showing its display growing in size with text that reads, “Expand your vision.”

Image: Asus

A formal announcement is timed for March 14th, while a handful of other teaser clips tout its “ultra size” and long-lasting battery life. It doesn’t exactly keep you guessing.

...

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Japan just got a foldable flip phone that costs only $420 — or $265 on sale

Image: Y!Mobile

Foldable phones generally aren’t affordable, but maybe that’s about to change? In Japan, the new ZTE Libero Flip is going on sale for just $420 — or $265 on preorder. That’s a fraction of the $1,000 that Samsung charges for its latest Galaxy Z Flip, and nearly as low as the clearance-sale refurbished old Flips you can still find on Amazon and thereabouts.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series chip, the Libero Flip isn’t exactly a high-end phone, but its 6.9-inch, 2790 x 1188 foldable OLED panel is slightly larger than the Samsung, and it may have a slightly larger battery at 4,310mAh vs. 3,700mAh. (Please ask your manufacturers to report those in watt-hours so we can properly compare.)

Image: ZTE

The ZTE Libero...

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Signal will soon let you share a username instead of your phone number

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Signal is rolling out support for usernames on its encrypted messaging service over the next few weeks. The feature, which is still in beta, lets you add an optional username that will allow you to connect with others without sharing your phone number with them.

You can create a username by heading to your settings and selecting “Profile.” After you create a unique username, you can generate a QR code or link that points people to your username in the app. Other users can also connect with you by typing your username into the new chat bar and sending a message. As noted in Signal’s FAQ page for usernames, you can change your username whenever you want, but other users will be able to claim your previous name. Signal first started testing...

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The EU is formalizing rules for taking CO2 out of the atmosphere

The Orca carbon removal and storage facility operated by Climeworks in Hellisheidi, Iceland. | Image: Arnaldur Halldorsson / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The EU took a significant step toward legitimizing technologies that suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by agreeing to set up a certification process.

The European Council and European Parliament reached a provisional agreement today to create the first-of-its-kind certification framework for carbon removal technologies. The new climate tech has yet to prove itself at scale, but the EU is already folding it into its plan to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Net zero implies that the bloc would resort to capturing any remaining CO2 emissions that it hasn’t been able to prevent, either by harnessing the natural ability of plants to absorb carbon dioxide or by building technologies that filter CO2 out of the air or s...

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‘Prolific’ LockBit ransomware group loses its keys to a global takedown

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Enforcers from the US and UK disrupted a ransomware group they say has targeted more than 2,000 victims and taken over $120 million in ransom payments. They even got the keys from seized LockBit assets to access data that was encrypted after the group’s attacks, the US Department of Justice announced in a press release Tuesday.

The US DOJ, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and UK National Crime Agency’s Cyber Division said they managed to seize websites and servers used by LockBit to prevent them from stealing data that they allegedly use to extort victims for money.

The NCA and FBI also came up with decryption strategies that they believe could help hundreds of victims globally regain access to systems that were attacked by LockBit,...

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Ubisoft turns Rainbow Six teeny tiny for new game on Netflix

Image: Ubisoft

The typically gritty world of Rainbow Six is getting a colorful makeover. Ubisoft just revealed the franchise’s latest spinoff, a mobile game called Rainbow Six: Smol that shrinks down the tactical action and adds a whole lot of goofy personality. The game is available now through Netflix games on both iOS and Android.

“We saw an opportunity here to widen the audience a bit, with a more approachable take on the Rainbow Six universe,” creative director Renaud Forestié tells The Verge. The game features what Forestié describes as the pillars of the franchise — which include the Operator characters and destructible environments to open up new strategies — but introduces a top-down viewpoint and a cutesy art style. You can get a taste for it...

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Ford slashes Mustang Mach-E prices again as EV price war enters its second year

Image: Sean O’Kane / The Verge

The Ford Mustang Mach-E just became a lot more affordable after the automaker announced a major price cut for the 2023 model year. The new adjustments will bring at least one version of the Mach-E below $40,000 for the first time.

The Mustang Mach-E was the number two bestselling electric SUV in the US in 2023. But to get there, Ford had to wage a brutal price war with Tesla that is now entering its second year. The Elon Musk-run company has seen its market share in the US slip quarter over quarter, but Tesla still commands over 50 percent of the EV market.

The price cuts are also a reflection of the new reality in which EV sales are not growing as fast as they were in prior years

The price cuts are also a reflection of the new reality...

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The official Xbox wireless controller is down to $44 ($16 off)

Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, it’s one of the best controllers you can buy. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

A sudden gout attack dictated that my long holiday weekend was full of gaming. Between fraught journeys across the high seas in Skull and Bones, I scratched my competitive itch with several rounds of Tekken 8 and Madden NFL 24. However, my game time was interrupted by a few too many dropped combos and misfires due to worsening button responsiveness in my controller.

It would have felt good to exhaust my frustration by chucking the controller right through my TV, but a much less expensive (and less alarming) solution would have been to replace it with one of the official Xbox wireless controllers currently on sale. Amazon has core colors such as white, black, and red starting at $44 ($16 off). You can also pay $49 ($16 off) for blue, g...

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Electric boat startup Arc expands lineup with new plug-in sports boat

Image: Arc

Arc is ready to make a splash with its latest electric boat model: a wake sports boat appropriately called the Arc Sport.

With 226kWh of battery capacity and a 570-horsepower motor, Arc claims that the Arc Sport will have “more than double the torque of most premium wake boats.” The new model is aimed at the growing wake sports segment, which has been called the fastest-growing water sports category in the world.

That means that it’s also leading to a profound impact on the environment, especially around lakes, where most wake sports boats are used. And while the Arc Sport will be unique in its lack of carbon emissions, it will still have an impact on aquatic life. Wake boats have been known to disturb sediment at the bottom of lakes,...

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The right to repair — and play games anywhere

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

Last year was a big one for the right-to-repair movement, with California and other states passing laws that promised consumers they can fix their own stuff — or take that stuff to a third-party repair shop without breaking their warranty or their gadgets. This year, more states are considering laws to the same effect, and the tech industry appears to be more behind the effort than ever. (Some companies appear to be only begrudgingly behind it, but it’s a win for the movement nonetheless.)

But whenever you ask about the state of the right-to-repair fight, you tend to hear a lot of optimism and then two scary-sounding words: parts pairing. Those words, and what they mean for your ability to actually fix your stuff, are what might be...

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HBO holds back Last Week Tonight YouTube clips in hopes you’ll use Max instead

John Oliver poses with his Emmy awards on January 15th, 2024. | Photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

HBO has long posted the main segment from new episodes of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver to YouTube on Monday to coincide with the episodes’ premiere, but now you’ll have to wait. John Oliver posted yesterday that “HBO has decided they’re going to wait until Thursday to post them to YouTube from now on,” adding that he hopes HBO changes its mind.

HBO confirmed the change to Variety yesterday, saying that when the show first premiered, “the convenience of watching on Max did not exist,” so it leaned on YouTube clips for exposure and promotion. The rep added that the company hopes “fans choose to watch the entire show on Max.”

I know I usually share a link to our main story here on Mondays, but HBO has decided they’re going to wait...

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OnePlus is getting back into the smartwatch game

The OnePlus Watch 2 sounds like a standard smartwatch. | Image: OnePlus

OnePlus is making another run at a smartwatch with its Watch 2. The company claims in an announcement that the new watch will have up to 100 hours of battery life and said it will come in black and silver colors. It says it will share more at Mobile World Congress this Sunday, February 25th.

The new watch has a stainless steel chassis and sapphire crystal watchface and will feature “meticulous health monitoring.” The 100-hour battery life claim requires what it’s calling “Smart Mode,” which presumably is just a weird way of saying “low-power mode.”

Image: OnePlus

OnePlus wants to be an “ecosystem builder.”

That’s actually less battery life than the first OnePlus smartwatch, which made it about 10 days during T...

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