How much would you pay for this prototype Super Famicom with a headphone jack?

Image: Yahoo! Auctions (Japan)

Over on the Japanese Yahoo Auctions site, someone has listed an apparent pre-production version of the Super Famicom — the Japanese counterpart of the Super Nintendo (SNES). It’s similar to the console Nintendo eventually released in 1990 but with some stand-out differences, like a headphone jack and volume wheel on the side. Video game collector and historian Chris Kohler called it “god-tier Nintendo collector bait.”

Some other variations include a big red power switch and the fact that the controller ports are on the left side of the console, rather than centered as they were in the eventual production model. There’s also what looks like the console’s expansion port on the front, rather than the bottom where it lived on the final...

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Google TV’s ‘Magic Button’ makes its debut — but not on a Chromecast

Not a Chromecast remote with a new button. | Image: AFTVnews

Google’s rumored “Magic Button” shortcut for Google TV has been spotted in the wild on a real-world remote for an upcoming streaming box... made by Walmart.

AFTVnews got hold of Walmart’s still-unreleased Onn 4K Pro — a Google TV-powered streaming box — and the remote features the new star button in the top right corner. The device simply calls it the “customizable button,” and it can be programmed as a shortcut to an app or to allow you to change inputs. It replaces the dedicated TV input button on previous Onn streaming box remotes.

Image: AFTVnews

Google’s new button is introduced on non-Google hardware.

The button has been leaking as part of Google TV-adjacent hardware for years, but it hasn’t actually...

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Google’s AI plans now include cybersecurity

Illustration: The Verge

As people try to find more uses for generative AI that are less about making a fake photo and are instead actually useful, Google plans to point AI to cybersecurity and make threat reports easier to read.

In a blog post, Google writes its new cybersecurity product, Google Threat Intelligence, will bring together the work of its Mandiant cybersecurity unit and VirusTotal threat intelligence with the Gemini AI model.

The new product uses the Gemini 1.5 Pro large language model, which Google says reduces the time needed to reverse engineer malware attacks. The company claims Gemini 1.5 Pro, released in February, took only 34 seconds to analyze the code of the WannaCry virus — the 2017 ransomware attack that hobbled hospitals, companies,...

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Microsoft ramps up plans to capture carbon from burning wood

Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, speaks during a climate initiative event at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, on Thursday, January 16th, 2020. | Photo: Getty Images

Microsoft is doubling down on a controversial plan to capture carbon dioxide emissions from wood-burning power plants. It announced a contract with energy company Stockholm Exergi to capture 3.33 million metric tons of carbon emissions from a biomass power plant in the Swedish capital in what is potentially the biggest deal of its kind to date — equivalent to taking more than 790,000 gas-powered cars off the road for a year.

It’s supposed to help Microsoft meet its goal of capturing more planet-heating carbon dioxide than it produces as a company by 2030 and then removing as much CO2 from the atmosphere as it has ever emitted since its founding by 2050.

But the jury is still out on whether wood-burning power plants actually help fight...

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Rare Magic: The Gathering card breaks records with $3 million sale

Image: Wizards of the Coast

A rare Magic: The Gathering card has sold for $3 million, making it the most expensive Magic card ever sold.

And before you ask, Magic nerds, of course it was a Black Lotus. The sale of the card was announced last week by CGC Cards, a certification and grading company for trading cards, video games, comics, and more.

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A post shared by CGC Cards (@cgccards)

The Black Lotus is the holy grail of Magic cards. It was first printed as a part of the card game’s Alpha and Beta sets that launched with the game’s debut in 1993. Though highly sought as a collector’s item, the card itself is unplayable, as it is banned in all but one format because it is simply too powerful, allowing...

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These are the upcoming Sonos Ace wireless headphones

Image: Schuurman

There’s a lot riding on Sonos’ first pair of wireless headphones; CEO Patrick Spence has expressed confidence that the new product category will be a huge revenue driver for his company after Sonos has faced cooling demand for its speakers. The headphones are expected to ship sometime next month, but today, we’re getting a first look at the hardware design — and we now know what they’ll be called.

You’re looking at the Sonos Ace headphones. These images were prematurely published by authorized Sonos parts dealer Schuurman. The main image reveals quite a few buttons on both ear cups, a toggle switch of some sort, and a premium build that seems fitting of headphones expected to be priced around $450. The Schuurman website shows a price of...

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Watch NASA launch its first astronauts aboard the Boeing Starliner

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

NASA will attempt to send a pair of astronauts to space aboard Boeing’s Starliner aircraft for the first time today. Starliner has faced several delays over the years, with its first uncrewed test flight in 2019 ending in failure before it successfully docked at the International Space Station in 2022. While Starliner’s first crewed flight was supposed to take place last May, NASA delayed the launch due to technical issues.

The launch will take place at 10:34PM ET from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and you can watch it live from NASA’s YouTube channel.

The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will propel the Starliner aircraft to space, where it will stay at the ISS for one week. While on board, flight commander...

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Republicans are pulling out all the stops to reverse EV adoption

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Republican lawmakers are attempting to overturn the twin pillars of the Biden administration’s climate platform: tax credits for electric vehicles and the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules to curb tailpipe emissions.

The effort involves new bills introduced by members of Congress, as well as lawsuits filed by state attorneys general, all with the goal of rolling back the minimal progress made by the Biden administration to reduce the share of planet-warming carbon emissions produced by the automotive sector.

Last month, 25 Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit intended to overturn the EPA’s recently finalized tailpipe rules aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2032. In a statement, Kentucky Attorney...

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Here are the best Kindle deals right now

The Kindle Paperwhite, our favorite ebook reader, is down to its best price of the year. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge

When it comes to finding a device to read ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on Twitter. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality.

Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon looks to be moving beyond...

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Samsung announces new entry-level OLED TVs — likely with LG panels inside

Image: Samsung

In its quest to carve out a chunk of the OLED TV market, Samsung has, until now, focused on the premium end with impressive QD-OLED models. But today, Samsung announced the entry-level S85D series of OLED TVs, bringing the fight to LG Electronics at lower price points as well.

And here’s the interesting thing: these sets almost certainly include OLED panels manufactured by LG Display. Samsung placed a big order for them last year to help meet its production needs, establishing a business alliance that would’ve been unthinkable in the not-too-distant past.

The S85D comes in 55-inch ($1,699.99), 65-inch ($2,099.99), and 77-inch ($3,399.99) sizes — and inevitably, you’ll be able to nab them for less once retailers start discounting the...

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Sony reverses unpopular Helldivers 2 decision after blistering player reaction

Image: Arrowhead Game Studios

Stand down, Helldivers. Your battle is won. Late last week, Sony announced that Helldivers 2, one of the most popular multiplayer games of the year, would require Steam players to link their account to a PlayStation Network account. After a weekend of strong player backlash, including review bombing the game on Steam, Sony reversed course earlier this morning and will no longer require PC players to link to a PSN account.

Helldivers fans -- we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward.

We’re still…

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 6, 2024

...

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Google is changing how you set up 2FA

Illustration: The Verge

Google is streamlining the process of setting up two-factor authentication (2FA). Instead of entering your phone number first to enable 2FA, you can now add a “second step method” to your account such as an authenticator app or a hardware security key to get things set up.

This should make it safer to turn on 2FA, as it lets you avoid using less secure SMS verification. You can choose to enter a time-based one-time passcode through apps like Google Authenticator, or you can follow the steps to link a hardware security key.

Google offers two options to link a security key, including by registering a FIDO1 credential on the hardware key or by assigning a passkey to one. If you have a Workspace account linked to an organization and want to...

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OpenAI and Stack Overflow partner to bring more technical knowledge into ChatGPT

Illustration: The Verge

OpenAI and the developer platform Stack Overflow have announced a partnership that could potentially improve the performance of AI models and bring more technical information into ChatGPT.

OpenAI will have access to Stack Overflow’s API and will receive feedback from the developer community to improve the performance of AI models. OpenAI, in turn, will give Stack Overflow attribution — aka link to its contents — in ChatGPT. Users of the chatbot will see more information from Stack Overflow’s knowledge archive if they ask ChatGPT coding or technical questions. The companies write in the press release that this will “foster deeper engagement with content.”

Stack Overflow will use OpenAI’s large language models to expand its Overflow AI,...

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You can grab a pair of AirPods starting at just $79.99

Both the second- and third-gen AirPods are on sale for some of the lowest prices we’ve seen. The same goes for the latest AirPods Pro. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Apple’s AirPods should be on every iPhone owner’s list of earbuds to try before exploring third-party options. The wireless earbuds offer a wealth of exclusive features for Apple users, and they make for a great Mother’s Day gift or replacement for an aging pair of earbuds.

Fortunately, the second-gen AirPods are down to $79.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy right now, which is just $10 more than they were during Black Friday. The third-gen AirPods, meanwhile, are also matching their all-time low of $139.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, while the second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C can be had for $179.99 ($70 off) at Amazon and Target (also an all-time low).

If you’re after a simple pair of AirPods and could care less for...

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Hades II early access begins today

Image: Supergiant Games

The wait is over: Hades II launches in early access today. The game was slowly rolled out to select players during its technical test period that began last month. After that testing period — in which players got to experience the game’s opening area, fight the first boss, and meet a smattering of new gods and characters — early access grants players an in-progress build of the full game.

HADES II is HERE !!

Experience the bewitching sequel to our god-like rogue-like, now available in Early Access.

Steam: https://t.co/MwAiwL8ZeW
Epic Games Store: https://t.co/bKD6BvLhw6#HadesGame #Hades2 #DeathToChronos pic.twitter.com/jXhqctKj95

— Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) May 6, 2024

According to the Hades II FAQ page, this early...

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More Tesla employees laid off as bloodbath enters its fourth week

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Tesla’s brutal round of layoffs entered its fourth week, with more employees posting on LinkedIn and elsewhere about receiving notice that their time at the company has come to an end.

The most recent layoffs, which were first reported by Electrekand Business Insider, appear to be hitting different segments of the company, including software, services, and engineering. Employees said they received layoff notices over the weekend and on Monday.

It’s unclear how many employees have been affected. Business Insider reported at least seven employees posted about being laid off on Sunday.

The layoffs first started last month, when Tesla began laying off what was said to be at the time 10 percent of the company’s global workforce of...

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Weather advisory: unusually strong Meltdown May incoming

Be safe out there! | Photo by Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

I don’t know what the explanation is — warm weather? too many histamines? too much Benadryl? — but we have once again entered Meltdown May, a season in which vulnerable specimens go absolutely wild on social media. We are not even a full week in, and folks, this one looks like a doozy. The Kendrick Lamar / Drake feud escalation alone is a formidable front that threatens to envelop much of the music industry.

But even if you don’t command the follower count of an extraordinarily popular rapper, knowing how to prepare for Meltdown May is the best way to avoid its dangers: becoming the main character of Online.

Warning signs of an incoming meltdown include spending too much time on social media, especially Instagram and Twitter; searching...

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Amazon’s entire Kindle lineup is on sale starting at just $80

The Kindle Paperwhite is our favorite Kindle, with waterproofing both the entry-level model and the Kindle Scribe lack. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge

Whether mom’s a bibliophile or you’re looking to gift a graduate something useful as they head to college, Amazon’s Kindles are great presents that we’ve highlighted in both our Mother’s Day and graduation gift guides this year. They’re even more attractive buys now that they’re down to their best prices of the year.

Right now, for example, Amazon’s latest Kindle with ads and 16GB of storage starts at $79.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is just $5 shy of its all-time low price. The 2021 Kindle Paperwhite with ads and 16GB of storage starts at $114.99 ($35 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, while even the base Kindle Scribe is down to a new all-time low starting at $239.99 ($100 off) at Amazon and Target.

Both the...

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‘Apple Pencil Pro’ spotted in code on Apple’s Japanese site

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Code on Apple’s website in Japan mentions the “Apple Pencil Pro” — a potential hint at what’s to come during the company’s iPad event on Tuesday, as spotted by X user @ribu_ap712 and reported by MacRumors.

The code, which The Verge confirmed, was uncovered in the alternative text that describes the GIF for the Apple event and mentions a “Pencil Pro” several times. A version of the text translated by Google reads:

Green, yellow, orange, and blue paper are folded to form the Apple logo. Inside the logo, a creator’s hand is seen holding an Apple Pencil Pro, preparing to draw. Orange and pink splashes burst from the tip of the Apple Pencil Pro, which is pressed against the bottom of the logo, creating a vibrant wave pattern upwards. As the...

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Apple’s latest Pride band and wallpapers are bathed in neon

Image: Apple

Apple’s newest band honoring LGBTQ+ communities is a brightly fluorescent Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, Apple’s one-piece braided yarn band that stretches over a wearer’s wrist. The band will be available for $99 at Apple retail locations or through the company’s online store starting on May 22nd in the US and Canada — and elsewhere on May 23rd.

The new Pride band, looking far less like it sprang forth from the early ’90s than last year’s Sport band, will be available in both 41mm and 45mm sizes, making it compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 or later and all versions of the Apple Watch SE. If you haven’t had one of the Braided Solo Loop bands, I hear you’re in for a treat. (I haven’t had one, but The Verge’s David Pierce quite...

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Beat Saber is axing multiplayer support for Quest 1 users

Image: Beat Games

Beat Saber players using Meta’s first Quest headset soon won’t be able to compete against friends. In an updated support page, Beat Saber’s developers say they’re ending multiplayer support, along with updates and customer service for the Quest 1 starting November 2nd, 2024.

Quest 1 users will still be able to play the game after the change goes into effect. They can also continue to access multiplayer features and updates by playing the game’s PC version through the Meta Quest Link. But this is a bigger hassle than just booting up the game from a headset — and it also requires players to have a PC that can run the game.

Dear players, to focus our development efforts on our next projects within Beat Saber, we will no longer support...

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Robinhood’s crypto arm receives SEC warning over alleged securities violations

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Robinhood’s cryptocurrency division could soon be in trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In an 8-K filing submitted on Saturday, Robinhood revealed that it received a Wells notice from the SEC’s staff recommending the agency take action against the trading platform for alleged securities violations.

Robinhood says it received the Wells notice after cooperating with the SEC’s requests for investigative subpoenas about its crypto listings, custody of cryptocurrencies, and the platform’s operations. A Well notice is a letter from the SEC that warns a company of a potential enforcement action. The SEC’s response could include an injunction, a cease-and-desist order, disgorgement, limits on activities, and / or civil...

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Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath on life after Volvo and weathering the EV slowdown

Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: Polestar

Polestar, now a more independent brand distinct from Volvo, is gearing up to deliver its most affordable cars yet.

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US to fund digital twin research in semiconductors

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Biden administration wants to attract companies working on digital twins for semiconductors using funding from the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act and the creation of a chip manufacturing institute.

The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute aims to establish regional networks to share resources with companies developing and manufacturing both physical semiconductors and digital twins.

Digital twins, virtual representations of physical chips that mimic the real version, make it easier to simulate how a chip might react to a boost in power or a different data configuration. This helps researchers test out new processors before putting them into production.

“Digital twin technology can help to spark innovation in research,...

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Randy Travis gets his voice back in a new Warner AI music experiment

Randy Travis in 1987. | Photo: Mark Junge / Getty Images

For the first time since a 2013 stroke left country singer Randy Travis unable to speak or sing properly, he has released a new song. He didn’t sing it, though; instead, the vocals were created with AI software and a surrogate singer.

The song, called “Where That Came From,” is every bit the kind of folksy, sentimental tune I came to love as a kid when Travis was at the height of his fame. The producers created it by training an unnamed AI model, starting with 42 of his vocal-isolated recordings. Then, under the supervision of Travis and his career-long producer Kyle Lehning, fellow country singer James DuPre laid down the vocals to be transformed into Travis’ by AI.

Besides being on YouTube, the song is on other streaming platforms...

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Jack Dorsey says he’s no longer on Bluesky’s board

Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is apparently no longer on the board of Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform he helped start. Yesterday, an X user asked him if he was still on the company’s board, and Dorsey responded, without further elaboration, “no.”

As TechCrunch points out, Dorsey was on a tear yesterday, unfollowing all but three accounts on X while referring to Elon Musk’s platform as “freedom technology.”

Screenshot: X

Jack Dorsey’s response.

There’s seemingly no evidence that Dorsey is off the Bluesky board yet, apart from his post. The company still lists him as a board member, along with its CEO, Jay Graeber, and Jabber / XMPP inventor Jeremie Miller. Dorsey originally backed Bluesky in 2019...

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Tesla plans to charge some Model Y owners to unlock more range

Image: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on Friday that the Standard Range rear-wheel drive Model Y the company has been building and selling “over the last several months” actually has more range than the 260 miles they were sold with. Pending “regulatory approval,” he wrote that the company will unlock another 40–60 miles of total range, depending on which battery Model Y owners have, “for $1,500 to $2,000.”

Tesla replaced the Standard Range Model Y with a 320-mile range version for $2,000 more. The car now starts at $44,990, or about $37,490 if you qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

The “260 mile” range Model Y’s built over the past several months actually have more range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000 (gains 40 to 60 miles...

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The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks tonight — here’s how to see it

The Eta Aquarids as viewed from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. | Photo: Thilina Kaluthotage / NurPhoto via Getty Images

If you’ve got clear skies and want an excuse to get away from town, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is roughly at its peak and should be going strong tonight. Made up of remnants of Halley’s Comet that the Earth passes through, this annual shower is active from April 15th to May 27th and can show up at a rate of about 10–30 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.

You can see the Aquarids starting around 2AM local time in the Northern Hemisphere, radiating from the Aquarius constellation (though you’ll want to look 40–60 degrees around Aquarius to see them). Weather permitting, conditions are pretty good for watching them since the moon is in its late waning period and won’t be reflecting much light. Try to plan your...

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A speedrunner’s quest to (re)build the perfect N64 controller

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge

A good video game speedrun is a marvel to witness. You watch players fly through your favorite games, hitting impossible jumps and finding shortcuts you never knew existed. It makes you see a familiar game in a whole new light. If you’ve never watched a speedrun, check out this world-record run through the original Super Mario Bros., and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Being, you know, a speedrun, it’ll take all of five minutes of your time.

But what you won’t see (unless you follow speedrunners on Twitch) is the hours upon hours of work it took to create that perfect run — the thousands of attempts to navigate a game with perfect precision, shaving off every unnecessary move, exploiting every weird glitch. It’s punishing work for the...

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Better Siri is coming: what Apple’s research says about its AI plans

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Apple hasn’t talked too much about AI so far — but it’s been working on stuff. A lot of stuff.

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