NASA wants SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver cargo to the moon

A conceptual rendering of Blue Origin’s cargo lander. | Image: Blue Origin / NASA

After asking both SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop cargo landers for its Artemis missions, NASA has announced plansto use those landers to deliver heavy equipment to the Moon.

The agency wants Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use its Starship cargo lander to deliver a pressurized rover to the Moon “no earlier” than 2032, while Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will be tasked with delivering a lunar surface habitat no sooner than 2033. Both launches will support NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to bring humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Both companies are developing human landing systems for Artemis missions — SpaceX for Artemis III and Blue Origin for Artemis V. NASA later asked both companies to develop cargo-hauling variants...

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Reddit is having some issues

Image: The Verge

Reddit appears to be having some issues, as many users can’t get the platform to load reliably. Its status page says Reddit is experiencing “degraded performance” across the web and mobile apps, and that it’s “currently investigating the issue.”

For many Reddit users, myself included, the site doesn’t load at all and simply displays the error message: “upstream connect error or disconnect/reset before headers. reset reason: connection failure.” On Reddit’s mobile app, users are getting another message that says, “We have encountered an error. Please try again later.” It looks like Reddit may end up loading if you keep refreshing the page, but it only seems to fix the problem temporarily.

Yes. We're working on it. h...

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Microsoft tries to convince Windows 10 users to buy a new PC with full-screen prompts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft has been trying to convince Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 for months now, ahead of the end of support date for Windows 10 in October, 2025. Earlier this year, Microsoft started using fullscreen prompts to warn Windows 10 users about the support cutoff, and now it’s using similar prompts to try and tempt people to buy a new Windows 11 PC instead.

Over the weekend some Windows 10 users have noticed these new fullscreen prompts, and Microsoft is using them to suggest you can “do more with a new Windows 11 PC” or “level up to the new Copilot Plus PCs” to get “the ultimate Windows 11 experience.” Like the prompts earlier this year, the read more link goes to a promotional site that includes links to new Windows 11 PCs.

...

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Messenger video calls will look and sound better — and add AI backgrounds

Image: Meta

Meta has announced that it’s adding HD video calling and noise suppression to its Messenger app, along with several other features like AI backgrounds that help bring it up to par with other popular smartphone video calling apps.

HD video calling is enabled by default on Wi-Fi but can be turned on for calls using your cell data plan in the “Call settings” menu. You’ll also find options to adjust noise cancellation or switch your call’s audio output. Meta says it’s giving users the ability to leave voice or video messages as well.

Image: Meta

Messenger now has AI-generated backgrounds.

Apps like Google Meet, Zoom, and FaceTime have all had these features already, and for many years in some cases. The same goes...

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Sonos’ smart TV plans might have found an OS

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

After its foray into headphones, the next major new product category from Sonos is rumored to be a video streaming box similar to a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV. Such a device has been rumored for ages now, with Bloomberg previously reporting that its price is expected to fall between $150 and $200. And today we got confirmation (or at least something close to it) that the Sonos streamer will run an operating system built by The Trade Desk, a digital advertising business.

Janko Roettgers first reported on a partnership between the two back in September, noting that The Trade Desk is “supplying Sonos with the core smart TV OS, and facilitating deals with app publishers, while Sonos is designing its own hardware, and customizing the...

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T-Mobile actually stopped some hackers from stealing customer data

Good one, T-Mo. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile isn’t exactly known for having a stellar track record against hackers, but it seems that the company actually caught a recent cyberattack in progress and shut it down in time. Bloomberg reports that T-Mobile detected suspicious activity in a recent attempt to access customer data and kicked the cyber criminals out before they were able to infiltrate deeper levels of the network.

The report doesn’t name the hackers or the date when the breach occurred, but details are consistent with the recent Salt Typhoon attack in which Chinese hackers targeted US telecom companies — including T-Mobile. Targets of that attack included members of the Trump and Harris campaigns. Hackers successfully breached Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lumen ISPs....

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The New York Times is trying to shut down a popular Connections puzzle creator

A screenshot of today’s NYT Connections on the alternate puzzle creator. | Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

The New York Times wants to shut down a copy of its popular Connections word game. The publication sent a cease and desist letter to the owner of a website that lets you make your own Connections games. The site also has a full archive of all of the NYT’s past Connections puzzles, which the NYT keeps behind a paywall.

The Connections creator website is built and run by Anthony Salazar, a freelance web developer who runs the creative studio Swellgarfo. Earlier this month, striking New York Times tech workers used Salazar’s Connections tool to make their own strike-themed puzzle. Salazar previously told me that he built the archive using the NYT’s publicly available API.

In the letter, which Salazar shared with The Verge, the NYT’s counsel...

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LimeWire’s new merch will help you impress your peer(-to-peer)s

Dumbgood’s Limewire apparel collection includes a mix of sweaters, jackets, and tees. | Image: Dumbgood

LimeWire, the popular peer-to-peer file sharing app from the early aughts that was resurrected in 2022 as an NFT marketplace, is back once again. But this time it’s just the platform’s retro branding that’s making a comeback as part of a new officially licensed apparel collection from lifestyle brand Dumbgood.

The collection includes a $120 Playlist Work Jacket, a $90 Disc Burning Green Zip Up Hoodie, and a $90 Gnutella Network Beige Pullover covered in iconography from the burnable CD-R discs that were an important accessory for those using the original LimeWire app.

Image: Dumbgood

The collection ranges in price from $42 for t-shirts to $120 for a jacket.

The collection also features a trio of $42 t-shirts,...

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Final Fantasy XIV Mobile will bring Eorzea to your phone

Image: Square Enix / Lightspeed Studios

Have you heard that the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is getting a mobile version? In a video announcement, Final Fantasy XIV game director Naoki Yoshida announced FFXIV Mobile, a joint production between Square Enix and Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios_._ The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer showing Warriors of Light in locations all across the game’s world of Eorzea.

It seems as though FFXIV Mobile will be a reset of sorts for the MMORPG, featuring content from the base game without anything from its five expansions. In the video, Yoshida said that Lightspeed Studios was working to, “faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content, and other aspects of the original game.” Lightspeed Studios, known forP...

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Threads’ custom feeds are already rolling out

Illustration: The Verge

Just five days after Meta started testing custom feeds in Threads, the company is already rolling them out to everyone. With custom feeds, you can track topics and accounts in one feed, making it easier to keep an eye on specific things that matter to you.

To make a custom feed, search for a topic, then click on the three dots menu next to the search bar, and then click on the “Create new feed” option. Custom feeds can also contain information about multiple topics — just add a new one from a search or, on desktop, from the three dots menu next to a feed. You can add individual accounts to custom feeds, too, giving you a lot of flexibility on what’s contained in that feed.

The quick rollout of the feature follows increased pressure...

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Google’s Drive app is now available for Windows on Arm

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google has released a beta version of the Google Drive desktop app that supports Windows 11 running on Snapdragon chips. The app offers the same features as on computers with Intel and AMD chips, with the exception of the Outlook Meet plugin, a Google employee wrote in a Drive community forum post spotted by Android Authority.

You can download the beta from Google using this direct link to the .exe file. Besides requiring Windows 11, Google says the installer will prompt users to install the also-necessary Microsoft WebView2.

Google Drive getting a native app for Windows on Arm brings the Snapdragon-powered PCs a step closer to native software parity with their x86 cousins. Chrome has already supported Arm PCs since January, and other...

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Xbox cloud streaming expands beyond Game Pass to games you own

Image: The Verge

Microsoft is starting to open up Xbox Cloud Gaming to existing Xbox game libraries today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream 50 games that they already own, including Balatro, Baldur’s Gate 3, a variety of Final Fantasy titles, and Hogwarts Legacy.

The expansion to 50 more games is just the beginning of opening up the Xbox game library to cloud streaming. “Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our partners around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices,” says Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox Experiences and platforms engineering.

The 50 additional games will be available through TVs, smartphones, tablets, and PCs through...

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Ford retracts in Europe with layoffs and lower EV production

Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images

Ford said it would cut 4,000 jobs from its business in Europe, while also lowering production estimates for its upcoming Explorer and Capri electric vehicles.

The planned cuts, which amount to 14 percent of the automaker’s European operations, will primarily affect its workers in Germany and the UK, with “minimal reductions” coming from other European markets.

The news comes as EVs continue to lose momentum in markets around the world, as governments eliminate subsidies and economic headwinds force many automakers to rethink their strategies.

Image: Ford

It also comes at a tough time for Ford, which has been dealing with disruptions both at home and abroad. The company recently paused production of its F-150...

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Garmin’s Venu Sq 2, our favorite Fitbit alternative, hits its lowest price ever

Garmin’s Venu Sq 2 comes with an impressive set of health features, including hydration tracking, which its Fitbit rivals lack. | Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

If you’re looking to upgrade your old Fitbit, Garmin’s Venu Sq 2 smartwatchis a stylish alternative that’s currently down to an all-time low price. Normally $249.99, right now you can buy the wearable for $149.99 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Garmin’s online storefront.

Not only is Garmin’s Venu Sq 2 currently cheaper than rivals such as Fitbit’s aging Versa 4 and Fitbit’s Sense 2 smartwatches, in many ways it’s even better. The Venu Sq 2 boasts a beautiful and bright OLED display that’s easy-to-read and battery life that lasts around 11 days. The wearable also offers many health features you won’t be able to find in the Versa 4 or the Fitbit Sense 2, including hydration tracking and Garmin’s recovery feature, Body Battery. You...

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Anker’s excellent 6.6K MagGo Power Bank is down to an absolute steal at $19.99

Most MagSafe power bank kickstands are too flimsy to safely hold an iPhone. Anker’s design is much better. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

We’ll soon see an explosion of early Black Friday deals, with several extended sales kicking off tomorrow and more underway as the week itself approaches. That said, there are still many bargains to be had right now.

It’s hard to pass on a Prime-exclusive deal that brings the Anker MagGo 6,6000mAh Qi2 power bank as low as $19.99 ($50 off) in select colors when clipping a coupon at Amazon. It’s also available at Anker for $29.99 ($40 off) through the end of the day with code WSPEV2JAZSLN. That’s a good fallback if you’re not a Prime member or prefer it in white or black, as those colors are sold out at Amazon as of this writing.

While it’s a little chunkier than comparably sized power banks, the advantage here is that you can charge any...

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Amazon’s new Echo Show 21 has a huge screen and built-in smart home hub

Now that’s a big smart display. | Image: Amazon

Amazon’s first wall-mounted smart display just got a big upgrade. Today, the company announced the launch of the Echo Show 21, an upgrade to the Echo Show 15 that debuted in 2022. The new model has a 21-inch screen with 1080p resolution for $399.99. Amazon says it has better audio quality than the original Show 15 and nearly doubles the viewing area. An improved camera and a built-in smart home hub round out the features. A new Echo Show 15 for $299.99 was also announced and comes with the same audio, camera, and smart home upgrades.

According to Amazon, the Show 21 will be capable of “delivering immersive sound, double the bass and room adaption technology." The company also upgraded the auto-framing camera for improved video calls with...

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Google fixes Chrome issue that broke text highlighting on some sites

Image: The Verge

The latest version of Chrome (Version 131.0.6778.86) has addressed an issue in the browser that broke the ability to highlight text on some websites over the weekend, Google’s Scott Westover confirmed to The Verge in an email.

We tested the change, and found that we were able to highlight text within stories on sites like Bloomberg and The Verge, and in the post composer on X, both in updated Windows and Mac versions of Chrome. It’s not clear whether the change applies to other Chromium-based browsers, such as Arc, which continues to be affected in our testing.

Westover says the update has gone out to all users. To see the change, you’ll need to restart Chrome; if text highlighting still isn’t working, you can check the Chrome version...

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This keyboard is a touchscreen that doubles as a second monitor

The DS Pixel Keyboard combines the flexibility of a touchscreen keyboard with the tactile feedback of a physical one. | Image: DS

The creators of the DS Pixel Keyboard have come up with a potential solution to the challenge of typing on a touchscreen. The keyboard, which doubles as a display, includes a removable “electrostatic capacitive keycap” frame that sits atop its touchscreen, providing physical keys that facilitate touch typing.

The DS Pixel Keyboard is now available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The earliest backers can reserve a model with a 1,000Hz polling rate discounted to $349 (plus shipping) or a version for gamers with an 8,000Hz polling rate that is available for $419. Full retail pricing is expected to be closer to $580 and $640, respectively, with delivery estimated as early as February 2025. That’s just a few months away, but its...

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Stellantis’ electric STLA Frame gives vehicles 690 miles of range with an extender

STLA Frame platform with a battery pack. | Image: Stellantis

Stellantis released new details about its big “multi-energy” vehicle platform, STLA Frame. The new platform runs primarily on battery-electric technology but can also underpin internal combustion, hybrid, gas-extending, and hydrogen vehicles, the company said.

STLA Frame supports bidirectional charging, and its pure EV version has an 800-volt architecture with up to 350kW of DC fast charging speeds that can add 100 miles in 10 minutes. When configured with a gas range extender (REEV), the platform uses a 400-volt architecture with up to 175kW charging that adds 50 miles in 10 minutes.

STLA Frame will give trucks like the Ram 1500 Ramcharger up to 690 miles of range with the help of a gas-powered range extender, or 500 miles purely on...

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Vision Pro’s viral Lapz app put on hold after F1 complaint

Image: Lapz

Lapz, the Apple Vision Pro app that puts Formula One races in mixed reality, is on hold after F1 asked it to stop using its content, as reported by UploadVR. In a message posted to its Discord channel, Lapz says it halted distribution through TestFlight while it explores “licensing opportunities with various racing leagues and tech partners.”

“F1® have respectfully asked us to discontinue the use of their F1®TV broadcast rights in our platform for the time being while we continue to advance our roadmap and enhance the beta experience,” the message says.

Lapz started out as just a concept video created by designer John LePore. However, the video garnered a lot of attention, leading LePore to work with a group of developers to create an...

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FromSoftware parent company confirms Sony’s acquisition interest

Elden Ring. | Image: FromSoftware

Reports that Sony was in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the Japanese media conglomerate that owns Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, have been confirmed. Kadokawa has released a short statement acknowledging Sony’s intention but stating that no decision had been made.

Read the full letter below:

There are some articles on the acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation (hereinafter “the Company”) by Sony Group Inc. However, this information is not announced by the Company. The Company has received an initial letter of intent to acquire the Company’s shares, but no decision has been made at this time. If there are any facts that should be announced in the future, we will make an announcement in a timely and appropriate manner.

In addition to owning a...

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NFL, celebrity boxing, and hot dogs: Netflix’s push into live TV

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024

Netflix is following up the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight with NFL games and WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a glorious and beautiful pain in the ass

Image: GSC Game World

GSC Game World’s long-awaited survival epic delivers the ultimate stalker fantasy — if you can look beyond the plethora of glitches.

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Comcast is spinning off its cable TV business

Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images for Comcast

Comcast is splitting from its NBCUniversal television arm as the market of cable TV customers shrinks in the age of cord-cutting and TikTok.

The US media giant announced plans on Wednesday to spin off the bulk of its cable network channels — including CNBC, MSNBC, Universal Kids, USA Network, E!, Oxygen, Golf Channel, and Syfy — into a separate company. Comcast will retain its reality TV darling Bravo and the Peacock streaming service within its NBC TV business.

The new, currently untitled venture (dubbed “SpinCo” as a placeholder) will be led by NBCUniversal chairman Mark Lazarus, with NBCUniversal’s CFO Anand Kini serving as both its financial and operating head. Non-cable services including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, and...

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 wasn’t prepared for takeoff

Reviews for the game on Steam are currently labeled as “Overwhelmingly Negative.” | Image: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was released on PC and Xbox yesterday but early players have struggled to load or even finish installing the game. Users have reported a range of issues — including post-installation loads stalling before completion, long login queues, and the game itself crashing — with the $70 flying sim currently tagged as “Overwhelmingly Negative” in customer reviews on Steam.

Some players are seeing their downloads freeze at 97 percent, while others were stuck on a login queue page at launch for several hours that says “too many users are trying to connect at the same time.” Microsoft advised players to check the Xbox Support Status page for updates, which doesn’t list any ongoing issues with the game at the time of...

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Google workers to DOJ: we need protections to make your breakup effective

Illustration: The Verge

Google employees met with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division last month to share workers’ perspectives ahead of the government’s expected proposal to break up the company. Their message? That as the DOJ attempts to end Google’s search monopoly, any effective remedy must make sure workers are protected and empowered to speak out.

Three members of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) met virtually with staff from the DOJ Antitrust Division on October 23rd, workers who attended the meeting told The Verge exclusively. During the hour-long conversation, the Google employees urged the government to consider how any remedies imposed by the court could impact workers and to make sure workers are protected and aware of their rights to share...

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Samsung Galaxy Watch FE review: a bogus bargain

As an entry-level device, the FE doesn’t quite nail the right mix of price, features, and hardware.

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Google Meet’s automatic framing is now available to everyone

Illustration: The Verge

Google Meet is making it easier for everyone to position themselves in video calls without having to move the camera or mess around with the webcam’s frame adjustment settings. The automatic framing feature that was launched for Google Workspace accounts in 2022 is now rolling out for all Google Meet users, centering users in the middle of the screen to correct weird camera angles.

The toggle is enabled by default, but can be switched off by clicking the three-dot menu before you join a call, selecting “Apply visual effects,” and clicking “Appearance.” It’s similar to Apple’s Center Stage feature, but Google’s version doesn’t track users as they move to keep them in frame — which can help reduce distractions in meetings.

G...

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UberXXL will let you catch an even bigger ride to the airport

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber has launched a new airport-only fare option in its ride-sharing app called UberXXL. It surpasses UberXL’s single X by guaranteeing rides with trunk space that can handle large families with lots of big bags — no more sitting at the curb trying to figure out what to do next.

Screenshot: Uber

The new option is available today at more than 60 airports worldwide, with more coming down the road. In terms of pricing, UberXXL will sit somewhere between UberXL and Uber Black, the company says. XXL also adds a stopgap before Uber Shuttle, the charter-style option it launched in New York last month that lets you book up to five seats for a trip to the airport with discounted rates and protection against surge pricing.

T...

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Strava closes the gates to sharing fitness data with other apps

Image: Strava

Strava recently informed its users and partners that new terms for its API restrict the data that third-party apps can show, refrain from replicating Strava’s look, and place a ban on using data “for any model training related to artificial intelligence, machine learning or similar applications.”

The policy is effective as of November 11th, even though Strava’s own post about the change is dated November 15th.

Effective November 11, the updated API agreement introduces three key changes that provide Strava users with greater control, security, and a consistent experience:

Stronger Privacy Standards: Third-party apps may now only display a user’s Strava activity data to that specific user. Users will continue to have access to their...

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