Everything we know about the Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers

Image: The Verge, Nintendo

The arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2 heralds some much-needed improvements over its predecessor, especially its Joy-Con controllers. Here’s a quick breakdown of what the announcement trailer showed us about the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons.

Before the official reveal of the console, there were rumors alluding to how the new Joy-Cons would work and their internal mechanisms. The most significant rumor was that they were held to the console via magnets, and in the reveal video, that appears to be the case. The video features the Joy-Con seemingly snapping to a cover as though attracted by a magnetic force.

Gif: Nintendo

The new Joy-Cons snap to everything as though powered by magnets.

The video shows that the Joy-Cons have a protrusion that fits into an oval depression in the main body of the console, plugging into ports (with that iconic Nintendo Switch “snap” sound) instead of sliding down rails. There’s also a button at the top of each controller that is ostensibly how the Joy-Cons detach from the main console, but the reveal video didn’t show that in action. According to some of the Switch 2 rumors reported on by The Verge, pressing that button actuates a pin that will push the Joy-Cons away from the console, and in the video, you can see on the inside track of each controller a small circle at the top that looks like it pushes out.

Gif: Nintendo

You can see a tiny protrusion at the top of the Joy-Con that is likely what detaches the controller from the console.

The Joy-Cons, like the Switch 2 itself, are larger. In the version of the console shown in the announcement video, they’re black with accents in the traditional red and blue colors from the original Switch. Other elements from the previous Joy-Cons are still there, like the indicator lights and the SL / SP buttons that are visible when the Joy-Cons are being used individually. The left Joy-Con still has its square screenshot button and the right one has the home button, but directly below that is a new button whose function is still unconfirmed.

The biggest problem plaguing the original Switch Joy-Cons was a condition known as Joy-Con drift. Users reported that their analog sticks would display movement without input from the player, kind of like a cursor moving on a computer screen without moving the mouse. Nintendo didn’t share any information about the internal mechanisms powering the Joy-Cons, so we don’t know how susceptible they will be to this problem.

We’ll know more about the Joy-Cons, along with the console and its upcoming library of games, when Nintendo holds its Switch 2 Direct on April 2nd.

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Here’s the Nintendo Switch 2

Image: Nintendo

Nintendo shared the first details about the Nintendo Switch 2 in a video published Thursday. Nintendo doesn’t give a specific release date for the console besides “2025.”

The console looks a lot like the original, but it’s bigger. In the video, the Joy-Con controllers are black with colored accents, and they attach to the side of the console instead of sliding on and off. The Joy-Cons appear to snap on quite easily — leaks have suggested they could be attached via magnets.

There’s a new button under the home button on the right Joy-Con, which had shown up in leaks. The video also appears to show the Joy-Cons being used similarly to a mouse. And the SL and SR buttons on the Joy-Cons are bigger than they are on the original Switch’s Joy-Cons.

On top of the Switch 2, there’s a new USB-C port next to the 3.5mm headphone jack. The kickstand has a new design — it’s shaped more like a U. The dock for the Switch 2 has a more rounded design. And, like with the original Switch, there will also be a separate controller grip that you can snap the Joy-Cons into.

The only game shown is what appears to be a new Mario Kart title. But the console will be backward-compatible with both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games — though the video cautions that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.”

Nintendo is promising to share more details in a Nintendo Switch 2-focused Direct on April 2nd, 2025. The specific time will be shared “at a later date.”

Your first chance to try it could come at a series of events in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas that are scheduled over several days later in April, according to a press release — ticket registration will be available here on Nintendo’s website starting January 17th at 3PM ET.

Image: Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch 2 console.

The Nintendo Switch will be a tough act to follow. The device was a clever hybrid of a home console and a handheld, and the formula resulted in one of the bestselling consoles of all time. A huge part of the console’s success was that it was home to some of Nintendo’s best-ever games, including hits like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey, Metroid Prime Remastered, and the very popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Fortunately, you’ll be able to play all of those games on the new console — Nintendo said in November that the Switch’s successor will be compatible with Switch games and will have Nintendo Switch Online.

The first Switch was also a massive sales hit. The company says that, so far, it’s sold 146.04 million units, making the console its second-highest-selling video game system behind the original Nintendo DS, which sold 154.02 million units. The Switch’s sales figures also mean that it has surpassed the Nintendo Wii (101.63 million units), the Game Boy (118.69 million units), and the Nintendo 3DS (75.94 million units).

While we’ve been waiting years for a true Switch successor, the console had mid-cycle hardware refreshes along the way. The Nintendo Switch Lite was a great way to play Switch games on a smaller device, and the Nintendo Switch OLED added a beautiful display and a handful of other nice upgrades.

Starting in December, supposed information about Nintendo’s next console began to trickle out from accessory manufacturers. Dbrand, for example, gave us what it believed to be actual dimensions of the hardware and said that its “understanding” was that the Joy-Con controllers would be magnetically attached. And at CES 2025, Genki showed off a 3D-printed mockup of what it believed the Switch’s successor would look like.

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You’ll be able to try out the Switch 2 starting in April

Image: Nintendo

We don’t know when the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch (aside from later this year), but we do know when you can get your hands on the hardware — at least briefly. Nintendo is taking the Switch 2 on tour with a series of events it’s called the “Nintendo Switch 2 experience.” Players around the globe will be able to check out the new console for themselves, and presumably play brand-new games, like the just-teased next entry in the Mario Kart series.

The events will span North America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe, and kick off in April — which is also when Nintendo will be hosting a Direct event to share more details on its new console. Here’s the full schedule, and you can keep an eye out for tickets right here. Nintendo says the tickets “will be made available through a free-to-enter, randomly selected drawing.”

• New York, April 4-6, 2025
• Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
• Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
• Toronto, April 25-27, 2025
• Paris, April 4-6, 2025
• London, April 11-13, 2025
• Milan, April 25-27, 2025
• Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
• Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
• Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025
• Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025
• Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
• Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
• Hong Kong, To be announced
• Taipei, To be announced

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Nintendo teases a new Mario Kart for the Switch 2

Image: Nintendo

Nintendo is finally making a new Mario Kart. While the official announcement of the Switch 2 didn’t feature much in the way of game announcements, the company did tease the next entry in the Mario Kart series. We don’t know anything about it really, though. There’s currently no title or details about the game. That should change later this year, as Nintendo is planning a Switch 2 Direct event for April.

It’s been a long time coming. Mario Kart 8 originally launched in 2014 for the Wii U, before an upgraded edition hit the Switch three years later, where it became the platform’s bestselling title, moving more than 64 million copies. Of course, it’s not like fans have been without new content; the Switch version of Mario Kart 8 got a huge number of DLC add-ons, which doubled the number of available tracks. Nintendo also released a mobile spinoff called Mario Kart Tour in 2019, though it stopped receiving updates as of 2023.

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Nintendo announces Switch 2 Direct for April

Image: The Verge

Now that Nintendo’s reveal of the Switch 2 has put to rest years of anticipation and rumormongering, it’s time to hear more information about the console and, importantly, all the games. The company has announced it will hold a Switch 2 Direct scheduled for April 2nd.

The Switch 2 reveal trailer showed footage that looks to be a new Mario Kart game, which is a good indication it’ll be a launch title. There’s speculation that the forthcoming Metroid Prime 4 might straddle both consoles the way Breath of the Wild launched on both the Wii U and the Switch back in 2017. The Switch 2 Direct might also reveal the follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey. Who knows?

But we do know that it is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a Switch 2 must be in want of games to play on it, and we’ll get a good idea of what those games will be in early April.

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Nintendo Switch 2 live updates: all the news on the next console

Image: Nintendo

The day is finally here.

It’s finally time: after months of teases and rumors, Nintendo has finally revealed the successor to the Switch. A new console generation is always a big deal, but this is an especially pivotal one for Nintendo.

Since its debut in 2017, the Switch has become Nintendo’s second-bestselling piece of hardware ever, trailing only the Nintendo DS. And it has been home to some of the company’s most successful games, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the juggernaut that is Mario Kart 8.

Those are some big shoes to fill, which means there are some important questions for Nintendo to answer about what comes next. The lead-up to today was filled with questions: What will the hardware look like? Will the big franchises be there at launch? Will games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A be cross-generation?

Now we have official answers to at least some of them — you can keep up with everything we learned from the reveal right here.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 supports original Switch cartridges

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Nintendo has a new console on the way, but you can still hang onto those old games. The company has confirmed that the just-announced Switch 2 device will support cartridges from the original Switch.

The news shouldn’t be too surprising. Late last year, Nintendo confirmed that the then-unnamed console would be backward-compatible with the Switch. However, that original statement — “Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch” — wasn’t clear on whether that included physical games as well as digital. Now we know for sure. Additionally, Nintendo Switch Online, which includes a growing library of retro games and other features like a music app, will also carry over between the two devices for subscribers.

However, there appear to be some restrictions, as Nintendo notes that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” It’s not clear yet which games that might include.

Image: Nintendo

The big reveal of the Switch’s successor comes after a long period of leaks and rumors, culminating in today’s official announcement. Here’s the full video of the reveal, which includes the tidbit about backward compatibility.

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ChargePoint is doing something about all the EV charger cable-cutting crooks

Photo by Andrew Liptak / The Verge

ChargePoint has had enough of vandalizing thieves who saw through EV charger cables to steal valuable copper — so now it’s making new “cut-resistant” cables and adding alarm systems in an attempt to mitigate the damage.

ChargePoint’s VP of product management Steve Farrell tells The Verge the cable uses a patent-pending technology that includes strategically placed steel to provide protection. Although the design may make the cables a bit larger and less flexible, Farrell wrote that usability won’t be impacted, and that most users “will not notice the difference” with the changes. The new cable can be retrofitted on commercial and fleet charging stations (both AC and DC models) made by the company.

Farrell also says the cables were tested against “commonly used devices,” including wirecutters, bolt cutters, and battery powered tools. ChargePoint was “satisfied with its ability to significantly increase the time, effort, and resources (i.e. tools) required to sever cables.”

ChargePoint is planning to license out the new cable design to other “select” EV charger OEMs that may want to try it out to combat copper crooks. Vandalized EV stations are a rising problem that adds to the already unreliable electric vehicle infrastructure in the US. The new cables are expected to be available for licensing by the middle of 2025.

Tougher cables aren’t the only theft deterrent ChargePoint is launching soon. The company has also developed new “ChargePoint Protect” security software that turns its EV stations into “highly effective” alarm systems. The software can detect tampering with the cables in real-time and engage alarms to scare thieves away while also sending out text messages and email alerts to EV stall owners.

ChargePoint Protect works on most of the company’s existing commercial EV charger models except for some older models, according to Farrell. The update is free to station owners, will arrive over the air, and will be available later this month.

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Insta360’s new Flow 2 Pro gimbal can keep multiple people perfectly framed

The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is able to keep multiple subjects in frame, even while they’re all moving. | Image: Insta360

Insta360 has announced a new version of its Flow Pro stabilized smartphone gimbal after releasing the original last July. The new Insta360 Flow 2 Pro introduces the company’s upgraded Deep Track 4.0 AI tracking technology that can now track multiple people while also providing more flexibility in how tracked subjects are framed. The company says it has also strengthened the gimbal’s retractable tripod legs, improving its use as a hands-free autonomous camera operator.

The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is available starting today for $159.99 in stone gray and summit white color options. That’s about $10 more expensive than the Flow Pro but the same price as Insta360’s first Flow gimbal that debuted in early 2023.

Image: Insta360

The gimbal can track people using Apple’s DockKit framework if you prefer the iPhone’s native camera app.

As with the original Flow Pro, the Flow 2 Pro supports Apple’s DockKit framework, allowing the gimbal to track people while using the iPhone’s native Camera app as well as other third-party camera apps, including Blackmagic Camera. A glowing ring light on the gimbal lets users know when tracking is active and working.

Image: Insta360

Filming a dance routine? Insta360’s camera app can now ensure a group of performers remains centered in frame.

But the Flow 2 Pro becomes far more capable when used with Insta360’s own camera app, available for iOS and Android. Using its Deep Track 4.0 technology, the app can now track multiple subjects and ensure that an entire group remains centered in frame, even while they’re moving. It also supports tracking nonhuman subjects like animals and random objects and tracking while zoomed in on a subject up to 15x.

Image: Insta360

Insta360’s camera app now offers more flexible framing options while tracking subjects.

Insta360 is also introducing another new tracking feature called Pro Framing Grid. Users can select one of nine different grid squares to change where a tracked subject appears in frame, allowing for more creativity with framing than just having the target centered at all times.

The new Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is slightly lighter than its predecessor — 357 grams compared to 366 grams, respectively — with the same estimated 10 hours of battery life while perched on a flat surface using its tripod legs. When using it handheld, which requires continuous stabilization, battery life will be reduced, but Insta360 doesn’t say by how much.

Image: Insta360

A small mirror on the back of the gimbal allows the subject to frame themselves while using a smartphone’s rear camera to shoot selfies.

A new mirror on the back of the gimbal’s mount allows users to frame themselves while shooting selfies using their smartphone’s higher-quality rear cameras when the screen isn’t visible. For other times when the screen isn’t visible, like when a subject is filming themselves at a distance, Insta360 now allows the gimbal and recording to be controlled remotely using either an additional smartphone or an Apple Watch. Framing can be adjusted by swiping the Apple Watch’s screen to pan the gimbal around, while its zoom can be changed by turning the Digital Crown.

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Realme’s new phone changes color in the cold, but it won’t last forever

Realme’s 14 Pro and 14 Pro Plus turn blue in the cold, even underwater. | Image: Realme

Realme just launched its 14 Pro phones in India, and they come with a party trick: the phones can change color in the cold. That’s in addition to a triple camera flash and a triple IP rating that should protect the phone from extreme water conditions.

Both the Realme 14 Pro and 14 Pro Plus share the color-sensitive tech, though it’s limited to the pearl white versions, with purple and gray models stuck on one lousy color. Co-designed with Danish studio Valeur Designers, the pearlescent phones include thermochromic pigments that start out as white, but pick up blue hues when the temperature drops below 16 degrees Celsius (about 61 degrees Fahrenheit), reversing as it warms up again.

Image: Realme

Realme says that the colder the temperature, the faster the phone will change. It’s even possible to create short-lived patterns by only cooling specific spots, which Indian YouTubers are already enjoying putting to the test.

It does come with one meaty caveat in the small print though: “The cold-sensitive color-changing function will gradually lose effect due to daily use and is not a quality issue.” How long it will last remains to be seen, but even Realme’s own website only promises the effect “during initial use.”

The color-changing design isn’t the only oddity to the 14 Pro series. The rear cameras include three separate flash modules, a design which Realme says “automatically restores natural skin tones in low-light conditions.” On the 14 Pro Plus those flashes sit in between three camera lenses, though the 14 Pro pulls a bit of a fast one, including two rear cameras and a third circle that only looks like a lens, but is in fact empty.

Image: Realme

The Realme 14 Pro looks like it has three rear cameras, but looks can be deceiving.

This is also the latest phone to feature an IP69 rating for protection against dust and jets of water at high temperatures and pressure, joining the OnePlus 13, Moto G Power, and Honor Magic 7 Pro in adopting the stringent standard, which until recently was limited to the bulkiest rugged phones. The 14 Pro is also rated IP68 for submersion in water and IP66, which also applies to jets of water but for higher water volume at lower pressures and longer distances.

Otherwise, the two Realme phones are typical midrangers. They both feature 50 megapixel main cameras and middle-of-the-line chipsets, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 in the Pro Plus model and a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 in the Pro. The large 6,000mAh batteries and 80W charging speeds are still impressive, though. Both phones are out in India now, and start at ₹22,999 (about $265).

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Biden warns nation about the rise of American tech oligarchs

Some big concerns for Biden to raise in his final days in office. | Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images, Nathan Howard

President Biden used his final public address from the Oval Office to warn the nation about the dangers presented by the spread of misinformation and power-hungry tech leaders.

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.”

In his farewell message on Wednesday, Biden called back to warnings that President Dwight Eisenhower gave about the military-industrial complex causing a “disastrous rise of misplaced power.”

“Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well,” Biden said. Despite praising US technology leadership for its innovation and ability to transform lives, Biden said he was concerned about “a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people,” warning that there could be alarming consequences “if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”

While he didn’t specify names, Biden’s oligarch remark likely refers to Elon Musk, who has landed himself a leadership role in a not-really-government-department of the incoming administration after spending an estimated $250 million of his own money to help get Donald Trump elected.

Alongside Musk, Mark Zuckerberg also appears to be a specific target of Biden’s concerns regarding the rise in misinformation and conspiracy theories across social media platforms. Last week, Zuckerberg announced that Meta would scrap its third-party fact-checking program for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the US and remove several restrictions around heated topics.

“Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power,” Biden warned. “The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”

On Monday, tech CEOs including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg are expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, seated in a position of honor on the dais alongside former presidents and family members. These same CEOs — either through their companies or via personal contributions — have reportedly donated $1 million apiece to Trump’s inauguration fund.

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Blue Origin successfully launches its SpaceX rival

New Glenn on the launchpad. | Image: Blue Origin

The billionaire space race entered a new phase today when Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin successfully launched its 320-foot-tall New Glenn rocket this morning from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

At 2:03AM ET this morning, New Glenn’s seven reusable BE-4 engines ignited to propel the NG-1 rocket into space, with the second stage and payload reaching orbit to achieve Blue Origin’s primary mission goal.

In parallel, the first stage booster — dubbed, “So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance” — autonomously descended to its landing platform located several hundred miles downrange in the Atlantic. As it approached the Jacklyn barge, the booster lost contact with control and stopped sending data. Blue Origin confirmed that the booster was lost during landing.

Second stage engine cutoff confirmed. New Glenn’s second stage and payload are now in orbit. Another burn coming up...

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 16, 2025

Nevertheless, Blue Origin’s goal for today’s uncrewed launch was for New Glenn to reach orbit. Anything beyond that would be a bonus — like activating a prototype of the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload vehicle or landing the reusable booster. “No matter what, we will learn a lot,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp ahead of today’s launch.

Image: Blue Origin

Today’s flight profile. Success meant launching into orbit, everything else was a “bonus.”

The launch comes after almost a decade of development and puts Elon Musk’s SpaceX on notice. New Glenn has about the same carrying capacity as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, and is meant to shuttle cargo into space on the reusable launch platform. This includes satellites for Blue Origin’s rival to Starlink’s high-speed low-latency internet service. The first of these 3,236 Project Kuiper satellites are expected to launch into low Earth orbit soon, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket before New Glenn can take over the heavy lifting.

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LG Display announces its brightest, most striking OLED TV panel yet

Image: LG Display

LG Display didn’t have its usual exhibit of flashy, breakthrough new screens at this year’s CES. This resulted in an odd situation where it was actually Panasonic that shared the most details about LG Display’s latest and greatest OLED panel. Even before any official announcement, it was already the centerpiece of 2025 flagships like Panasonic’s Z95B and the LG G5 from LG Electronics (not to be confused with the display division).

But now the company is ready to spill the full details on its new four-layer tandem OLED design. “33 percent brighter than the previous generation and optimized for the AI TV era, it is the industry’s first-ever OLED display to achieve a maximum brightness as high as 4,000 nits,” LG Display wrote in a press release that went out tonight. The AI mention made me roll my eyes a bit, but there’s no doubting that this is a very impressive panel.

Here’s the rundown on what’s so innovative, according to LG Display:

The new panel’s innovation centers on a Primary RGB Tandem structure, which is LG Display’s proprietary technology that uses independent stacks of RGB elements to produce light. It had previously used a three-stack light source, with two layers of blue elements emitting relatively short energy wavelengths alongside red, green, and yellow elements in a single layer.

The Primary RGB Tandem structure applied to the fourth-generation OLED TV panel organizes the light source into four stacks by adding two layers of blue elements and independent layers of red and green elements. It improves maximum brightness by increasing the amount of light produced by each layer compared to the previous structure.

Graphic: LG Display

The latest-gen OLED display uses a four-layer structure to maximize brightness — this time without any micro-lens array technology.

Of course, seeing as we’re squarely in the OLED brightness wars, Samsung Display has its own brighter-than-ever QD-OLED screen that’s going into Samsung’s S95F, which was also announced in Las Vegas. But whereas Samsung is going all in on its glare-free display finish, LG is sticking with a more traditional glossy finish — though it uses “ultra-low reflective technology” to lessen any potential distractions.

Energy efficiency has improved again with the fourth-gen LG Display OLED, and the company says that color brightness can reach 2,100 nits, which is a 40 percent improvement compared to the prior version. These peak brightness numbers are what the panel is technically capable of, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that TV makers like Panasonic will necessarily push it that hard in consumer sets.

Either way, OLED keeps getting brighter and more vibrant while still retaining all of its trademark strengths like perfect blacks, fantastic viewing angles, and fast response times for gaming. The best ones don’t come cheap, but they’re worth saving up for. If you’re after more info on the new panel, I recommend these great videos from Caleb Denison at Digital Trends and Vincent Teoh at HDTVTest.

LG Display’s rival, Samsung Display, did have a CES showcase that my colleague Sean Hollister caught during the show, so be sure to give that a watch as well.

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The original Kindle Scribe is more than $100 off in refurbished condition

The last-gen Kindle Scribe is nearly identical to the new model, only with a few minor upgrades.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the new Kindle Scribe, we’ve got good news: the first-gen model is on sale for a couple hundred dollars less than the second-gen model. Normally $349.99 in new condition, Amazon is currently selling it with in refurbished configuration with 16GB of storage, a Basic Pen, and a one-year warranty for just $233.99 as a part of a limited-time lightning deal. You can also buy it at Amazon with 32GB of storage for $259.99.

Both of Amazon’s note-taking ebook readers sport a spacious 10.2-inch 300 ppi display and an adjustable warm light, though the latest Scribe builds upon the original with thinner bezels, a textured display, and a soft-tipped Premium Pen. The most significant changes come in the form of software features, which are available on the first-gen model via a free download. That means no matter which e-reader you buy, you can finally write notes directly on pages. You’ll also be able to take advantage of various AI features, including AI-generated summaries and a tool that lets you refine your handwriting. The only difference is that the new Scribe comes with these features baked in.

Read our original Kindle Scribe review.

Three more midweek discounts

• The Beats Powerbeats Pro are down to $99.99 (half off) at Best Buy, which is their lowest price to date. The wireless earbuds are still exceptionally comfortable despite their age, with over-ear hooks that keep them securely in place during intense workouts. They also continue to deliver good sound, pair well with Apple devices, and last up to nine hours on a single charge, though you’ll still need a Lightning cable to charge them. Read our review.
• Amazon and Best Buy are selling the Apple Pencil Pro for$99 ($20 off), which is one of its best prices to date. The stylus is compatible with the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini; however, unlike the Apple Pencil (USB-C), the Pro model features Find My support so you can quickly locate it. It also comes with extra creative capabilities, including pressure sensitivity, double-tap tool switching, and a “barrel roll” feature that lets you twist your digital brush’s orientation by turning the stylus as you paint.
• You can pick up the Chipolo One Point at Amazon for $22 ($5 off), an all-time low. The puck-shaped Bluetooth tracker is perfect for keeping tabs on various items, whether it be a set of keys or a pet collar. The keyring tracker also features a user-replaceable battery, IPX5 water resistance, and support for Android’s Fast Pair feature, though keep in mind it only supports Google’s Find My platform, not Apple’s.

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The Supreme Court could decide the fate of Pornhub — and the rest of the internet

Cath Virginia / The Verge

In Supreme Court oral arguments over a potentially seismic change to the internet, the most memorable question came from Justice Samuel Alito. “One of the parties here is the owner of Pornhub, right?” Alito asked Derek Shaffer, lawyer for the adult industry group Free Speech Coalition. “Is it like the old Playboy magazine? You have essays there by the modern-day equivalent of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr.?”

The massive adult web portal Pornhub, in case you’re wondering, does not publish essays by distinguished intellectuals. (Shaffer notes that it does host sexual wellness videos.) The question inspired a slew of commentary on social media, alongside a few quips directed at Justice Clarence Thomas, who declared during oral argumentthat “Playboy was about squiggly lines on cable TV.” But as funny as the quotes were, whatthe justices were getting at was hardly a joke: how much protection does sexual content and other legal speech deserve, if hosted online?

FSC v. Paxton concerns Texas’ HB 1181, which requires sites with a large proportion of sexually explicit content to verify users’ ages and post scientifically unproven health warnings about how porn “is proven to harm...

Read the full story at The Verge.

USDOT sues Southwest Airlines over ‘chronically delayed’ flights

Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is suing Southwest Airlines for “illegally operating multiple chronically delayed flights and disrupting passengers’ travel,” according to a press release.

The USDOT’s investigation found that “Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights — one between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, Calif, and another between Baltimore, Md. and Cleveland, Ohio — that resulted in 180 flight disruptions for passengers between April and August 2022,” per the release. “Each flight was chronically delayed for five straight months.”

A flight is considered chronically delayed if “it is flown at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time,” the USDOT says.

“Southwest is disappointed that DOT chose to file a lawsuit over two flights that occurred more than two years ago,” Southwest spokesperson Laura Swift says in a statement to The Verge. “Since DOT issued its Chronically Delayed Flight (CDF) policy in 2009, Southwest has operated more than 20 million flights with no other CDF violations. Any claim that these two flights represent an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible when compared with our performance over the past 15 years. In 2024, Southwest led the industry by completing more than 99% of its flights without cancellation.”

In addition, the USDOT is taking “enforcement action” against Frontier Airlines for operating chronically delayed flights. USDOT has fined Frontier $650,000 in civil penalties; the US Treasury will be paid $325,000, while the other $325,000 will be suspended if Frontier “does not operate any chronically delayed flights in the next three years,” the USDOT says.

Frontier Airlines spokesperson Jennifer F. de la Cruz declined to comment.

Earlier this month, USDOT announced a $2 million penalty against JetBlue for operating chronically delayed flights. The USDOT also fined Southwest Airlines in 2023 over a holiday meltdown that stranded millions in 2022.

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Obsbot’s Tiny SE is a $99 pan and tilt webcam that tracks your movements

The Tiny SE includes an integrated stand allowing it to sit atop a laptop’s screen or a monitor. | Image: Obsbot

Obsbot has announced a $99 webcam with a two-axis motorized mount that’s capable of tracking and dynamically reframing subjects. The Tiny SE is available now for $99, making it one of the cheapest ways to add a tracking camera to your streaming setup.

To hit that price tag for a two-axis gimbal-mounted webcam with tracking capabilities, the Tiny SE comes with one notable limitation: it tops out at 1080p. For comparison, the $199 Insta360 Link 2 can do 4K at up to 30fps, while Obsbot still offers its 4K-capable Tiny 2 Lite for $179.

Image quality will be lower than more expensive options, but the Tiny SE should still outperform the webcams built into many laptops. It can stream at 1080p at up to 100fps (or up to 120fps with the resolution dropped to 720p) and supports staggered HDR recording at up to 60fps.

Image: Obsbot

The Tiny SE’s tracking can be limited to certain parts of the body like a person’s hands or their upper or lower torso.

The webcam can reframe and tighten up a shot so it better focuses on a person and what they’re interacting with, and it can be limited to track specific body parts like the lower body or the hand, or to keep their face hidden. But with no optical zoom capabilities — only 4x digital zoom — image quality will be further reduced. Using the Obsbot Center app, available for Windows and macOS, you can even adjust the composition of a shot, so tracked targets don’t always appear in the middle of the frame.

Other features include the ability to use hand gestures to manually adjust the framing of a shot while on camera, a built-in microphone with three noise reduction levels, background blur for increased privacy, and a standard tripodmount on the bottom for more flexibility on where it can be used.

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Super Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Fox announced on Wednesday that Super Bowl LIX will stream live on Tubi, its free, ad-supported streaming service, when it kicks off on February 9th, 2025. You’ll be able to stream the game in 4K for free from the service’s app on your phone or smart TV, but you’ll need an account to watch.

This is the first time the Super Bowl will be available on Tubi. It’s also its biggest live sporting event yet. The free streaming platform, which Fox acquired in 2020, reported reaching 97 million monthly active users earlier this month.

Though Fox had the broadcast rights to the Super Bowl LVII in 2023, it only aired the game on its linear TV channel, website, and app, while giving cord-cutters the option to access the game on pricey live TV streaming services like Fubo and Sling TV. Perhaps the Tubi “interface interruption” commercial shown during Super Bowl LVII was a hint of what’s to come.

Tubi’s Super Bowl coverage will begin at 3:30PM ET on February 9th with a red-carpet event hosted by Olivia Culpo. Along with Tubi, Super Bowl LIX will air across Fox, Fox Deportes, Telemundo, Fox’s website, and the NFL Plus app.

Correction, January 15th: A previous version of the article stated that you will not need an account to stream Super Bowl LIX on Tubi. You do not need an account to watch Tubi, but Tubi spokesperson Seana Sullivan told The Verge after publication that an account will be required to stream the Super Bowl. This article also previously implied that Super Bowl LVII was only available to stream on paid streaming services; Fox also made it available for free on the Fox Sports app.

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The best deals on MacBooks right now

MacBooks are almost always on sale, including newer M4 models. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto

Apple currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. It discontinued the M1 MacBook Air to make room for the latest models, but some retailers are still selling the last-gen laptop starting at $649 — a far cry from the $2,499 starting price of the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro. Purchasing a new MacBook can certainly be a pricey endeavor, but thankfully, finding a deal on more recent models is actually not that difficult. Apple has recently shaken up the starting RAM for several models, creating more options than ever before and resulting in steeper discounts on older models.

Although Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without waiting for the changing deal winds to blow your way. It’s also the only option to find certain SKUs of older models as Apple continues to move forward on newer releases. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.

But if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available.

The best MacBook Air deals

M1 MacBook Air

TheM1 MacBook Air was considered Apple’s entry-level laptop before the M3 model’s arrival prompted Apple to stop selling it directly in its online and brick-and-mortar stores. But while the redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air (which has been with us for a while as well) seems poised to take over as the top value choice, the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains available at some retailers as a solid budget option. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.

The base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s becoming harder to find in new condition, but Walmart has committed to keeping it around for the foreseeable future and is currently discounting it to $649 ($350 off) — a special sale price that’s hung around since the retailer ran its counter-Prime Day promotions in July. The M1 Air may be a few years old now, but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value, especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.

M2 MacBook Air

The M2 MacBook Air is a super slim, lightweight laptop with a 1080p webcam and a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its two USB-C ports. Although its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, it’s a great performer for any user, including more demanding creatives.

It does have some slight downsides, though, including slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, Apple hasn’t offered a more travel-friendly laptop since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this prior-gen model was once good enough to top our list of the best laptops.

The M2-powered MacBook Air 13 from 2022 seems to be on its way out, with availability for the 15-inch version waning. However, you can get the 13-inch M2 model with 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an eight-core GPU at Amazon and Best Buy for $799 ($200 off). You can also get the 13-inch Air with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD at Amazon starting at $949 ($250 off); however, that’s a significant premium for a configuration that offers less RAM than the base model.

It’s a bit harder to find discounts on the 15-inch MacBook Air M2. You can still pick up the base model with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD at retailers like Best Buy for $1,299 — or $1,234.05 (about $65 off) if you’re a member of My Best Buy Plus or Total. That being said, you’d be better off going with a discounted M3 model.

M3 MacBook Air

The M1 Air and its wedge had to perish for the M3 MacBook Air to exist. Apple’s updated entry-level laptops arrived in both 13- and 15-inch variants simultaneously this time, bringing with them slightly faster performance and a slate of minor upgrades. Apple added Wi-Fi 6E, for one, along with an additional Thunderbolt port that allows you to use two external displays when the lid is closed. They also continue to offer 18 hours of battery life and a MagSafe charging port, though the M3 Air starts at a slightly higher price than its predecessor at $1,099. That said, Apple recently discontinued the M3 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and now considers the 16GB / 256GB model as the starting configuration.

Right now, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo in its new entry-level configuration with an 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $999 ($100 off), which isn’t exactly a great deal given it’s been $156 cheaper before. You can also find a $200 discount on the 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD model with a 10-core GPU, which drops it to $1,099 in select colors at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is $50 more than its all-time low.

As for the 15-inch MacBook Air M3, you can currently grab it with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage starting at $1,189 ($110 off) at Amazon or $1,199 ($100 off) at B&H Photo. You can also get it in the 16GB / 512GB configuration at Amazon and B&H Photo starting at $1,299 ($200 off).

The best MacBook Pro deals

During its “Scary Fast” event in 2023, Apple announced new MacBook Pros that use M3 processors — including a new 14-inch model that replaced the 13-inch M2 model. Apple followed the M3 models up with M4-based machines in October, and we’re already starting to see the discounts on them. That being said, the last-gen M3 models are often the better bargain, as they’re still relatively easy to find and receive steeper discounts.

M3 and M3 Pro MacBook Pro

The entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).

The M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can find a deal that puts more price distance between the M3 model and the M3 Pro version. Availability for the base model with 8GB and 512GB of storage seems to be waning as Apple standardizes 16GB of RAM across its lineup.

We’re finding it challenging to find the base 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD model in stock, but if you don’t mind going with a reputable third-party seller, you can get one with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD starting at $1,349.95 (about $250 off) at Amazon. The model with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is also on sale for $1,399 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, while the step-up configuration with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is going for $1,499 ($200 off) at Best Buy.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros of late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.

But rest assured, versions that actual humans buy now receive regular discounts. For instance, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is going for $1,599 ($400 off) at B&H Photo. It was $500 off not long ago, however, making the current discount good but not that good. You can also get the step-up model with 18GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in space black for $1,999 ($400 off) at Amazon.

As for the base 16-inch Pro — which comes with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD — it’s on sale starting at $2,099.99 (about $400 off) at Amazon, which is $100 more than the lowest price to date. B&H Photo is also selling the 16-inch M3 Pro model with 36GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $2,499 ($400 off).

M4 and M4 Pro MacBook Pro

Apple released the M4-series MacBook Pro on November 8th. Notably, the base 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro is the first to launch with 16GB of RAM — double the previous generation’s starting memory — and 512GB of storage for the same $1,599 starting price as the last-gen model. It also picks up a third Thunderbolt 4 port, which is positioned on the right side and supports dual external monitors while the lid is opened. Also new this year is an upgraded 12-megapixel webcam that supports Center Stage and a new Desk View feature, plus the option to add a nano-texture display for an extra $150. It’s also available in space black.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips also received additional RAM, bringing them up to 24GB. They start with 512GB of storage, too, and retail for $1,999 and $2,499, respectively. While the total port selection hasn’t changed compared to their respective M3 Pro and M3 Max counterparts, you’ll get faster Thunderbolt 5 ports on these more substantial models. That’s in addition to the SD slot, dedicated full-sized HDMI port, and 3.5mm jack. They also have the upgraded 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam with Desk View and the optional nano-texture display option.

Deals for the M4 MacBook Pro have already started to roll in. Right now, for example, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $1,449 ($150 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is $51 more than its all-time low. You can also get it for $1,499 ($100 off) at Best Buy and save an extra $50 with a My Best Buy Plus or Total subscription. Meanwhile, the 24GB / 512GB variant with an M4 Pro chip (12-core CPU / 16-core GPU) is down to $1,799 ($200 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, which is $100 more than its best price to date.

The base 16-inch MacBook Pro is also on sale with an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $2,249 ($250 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, which is its typical sale price.

The best Mac Mini deals

There’s a new Mac Mini in town, as M4-based models arrived earlier this year. Apple increased the starting RAM from 8GB to 16GB, as it did with the 2024 MacBook Pro and 2024 iMac. That makes Apple’s newest desktop an excellent value, even if you factor in the more aggressive discounts we’ve recently seen on the M2 Mac Mini.

M2 and M2 Pro Mac Mini

The 2023 Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro, both of which have proven to be some of Apple’s most value-packed computers to date. The M4 version is poised to take that crown, but the M2 Mac Mini is still kicking around and starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor, gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.

The latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor. Right now, the base model with an M2 chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is down to $495 ($105 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, or $499 ($100 off) at Best Buy.

M4 and M4 Pro Mac Mini

Deals on the last-gen Mac Mini are still available, sure, but we’re also starting to see discounts on the newest models. The M4 Mac Mini starts with an M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $599. That’s an incredible value for a tiny desktop computer that can rival the Mac Studio and Mac Pro when it comes to certain tasks, including light gaming, 4K video editing, and 3D modeling. Vertically, the M4 Mac Mini is a fair bit thicker than the M2 model at 2 inches tall, yet it measures a mere 5 inches wide and 5 inches deep.

In addition to the odd decision to place the power button on its underside, Apple moved the 3.5mm headphone jack and two of its five USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports to the front. The rear features an additional three thunderbolt ports, HDMI-out, and a gigabit ethernet port. You can also get the Mac Mini with an M4 Pro chipset starting at $1,399, which comes with faster Thunderbolt 5 storage and the option to upgrade to 10-gigabit ethernet for another $100.

Right now, you can get the base Mac Mini at Amazon and B&H Photo with an M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $569 (about $30 off). (It’s also available at Best Buy for roughly the same price if subscribe to My Best Buy Plus or Total.) If you need more storage, you can step up to the version with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $744 ($55 off) at Amazon, which is $45 more than its lowest price to date.

We’re not seeing any deals on the M4 Pro model right now, but we’ve previously seen it on sale for as low as $1,369.99 (about $29 off).

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Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim images show off its super-thin design

Image: OnLeaks and Smartprix

Samsung, like Apple, is rumored to be working on a super-thin smartphone, and on Wednesday, OnLeaks and Smartprix published renders of a phone they call the Galaxy S25 Slim.

The renders show a phone with a flat front, flat back, flat sides, and three cameras on the back — it seems to resemble last year’s Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S25 renders that leaked last week. However, it will apparently have a depth of 6.4mm, making it 1.2mm thinner than the Galaxy S24. OnLeaks and Smartprix also claim that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a depth of 8.2mm, meaning the S25 Slim could be nearly 2mm thinner than that flagship.

Image: OnLeaks and Smartprix

OnLeaks and Smartprix say that the S25 Slim’s camera system will include a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5X optical zoom. The telephoto lens will apparently have a special design:

Samsung is also expected to use its new ALoP (All Lenses on Prism) design for the 3.5X telephoto lens, which arranges the lenses in front of the prism rather than behind it. This design should help the S25 Slim remain “slim” while offering long-range optical zoom.

The S25 Slim will also have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM, according to OnLeaks and Smartprix. The phone will apparently launch in May 2025, though OnLeaks and Smartprix say that the phone “may be showcased” at the January 22nd Galaxy Unpacked event.

Apple’s rumored slim phone, which may be called the “iPhone 17 Air,” could launch later this year.

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DJI claims its decision to let drones fly in dangerous areas is not political

The DJI Mini 2, an older DJI drone. | Photo by Ryan Loughlin

DJI will no longer stop drones from flying over airports, wildfires, and the White House, passing the buck to US law enforcement to prevent some of the worst forms of drone misuse. Some are suggesting the curious timing of that decision is political, coming just days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, weeks after the New Jersey drone hysteria, and days after a plane fighting the LA wildfires got taken down by a DJI drone. Some even suggest this is China firing back at the United States for orchestrating the TikTok ban, which feels like a stretch to me.

Either way, DJI is now reacting to the whole vibe with an official blog post that claims the timing is coincidental.

“We had planned to roll this update in the US months ago but delayed the implementation to ensure the update would work properly,” the company’s unsigned blog post reads.

It also claims, in bold letters, that “Politics does not drive safety decisions at DJI.”

“To suggest that this update is linked to the current political environment in the US is not only false but also dangerous,” DJI’s unnamed author writes.

While the post does contain a variety of additional details about what is and isn’t happening to the company’s geofencing system, it does not dispute that DJI has eliminated the feature that prevents the vast majority of US drone pilots, by default, from flying over airports, power plants, active wildfires, military bases, and government buildings like the White House, apparently without exception.

If politics didn’t drive that decision, what did? The blog post doesn’t quite say. While it promises to offer “the true reasons behind this update,” it continues to generically suggest that DJI has aligned itself with aviation regulators around “the principle of operator responsibility” and, on a lesser note, points out that its No Fly Zones created “missed opportunities, delayed operations, or unnecessary waiting times” for pilots.

“This was especially challenging for commercial operators, drone businesses — and most critically — public safety agencies performing lifesaving work, where delays are simply unacceptable,” DJI writes.

It’s true that DJI’s geofencing system was created voluntarily by DJI and isn’t mandated by US regulators. “The FAA does not require geofencing from drone manufacturers,” FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor told The Verge.

But does removing hard geofencing make us safer, and did it cost DJI anything to keep it in place? We’ve asked DJI the following questions:

• If politics did not drive this decision, what did?
• Were US regulators or representatives asking DJI to remove No Fly Zones?
• Was there a financial benefit to DJI for removing them, or an opportunity cost DJI would pay by maintaining them?
• Was DJI technologically unable to update its GEO system with official FAA data while maintaining No Fly Zones?
• The blog post suggests that public safety agencies were experiencing unlocking delays — are there specific instances where DJI unlocking delays resulted in specific impacts to lifesaving work?
• How does removing No Fly Zones make drones safer?

We’ll let you know how DJI responds.

Even if this decision has nothing to do with China, the company has very strong reasons to get on the radar of US regulators right now — it’s currently facing a total import ban of its drones and cameras in the United States, until or unless “an appropriate national security agency” publicly declares that its products are not an unacceptable national security risk.

Perhaps this move helps highlight how DJI voluntarily made its drones less of a national security risk by keeping them away from important facilities. Perhaps DJI leaders believe the US will only understand that once it takes the feature away.

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Cars with Android Automotive are about to get a lot more apps

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

Google is set to launch its Android Automotive app conversion program this February that helps developers convert their Android apps to in-vehicle screens.

As reported by Android Authority, the “Car ready mobile apps program” guides Android developers to make slight changes to apps so they can be available in vehicles with Google Play Store in the dash.

To start, Google is specifically looking for streaming entertainment, gaming, and browser apps, and they need compatibility with x86 processors since many cars aren’t using Arm chips.

However, a compatibility mode option can also get many apps working in Android Automotive even without following all the guidelines. Google had said it would create an easier path for in-car app approval last May during its I/O 2024 developer conference.

There’s already a growing number of Google Play Store apps in some Android Automotive vehicles such as the Lincoln Nautilus that we reviewed in September. It has games such as Angry Birds, streaming apps like Max and Crunchy Roll, and meeting apps like WebEx that ran similarly to their Android tablet version counterparts.

However, the selection is still slim overall, with primarily car-relevant apps like Waze and A Better Route Planner making the list. Come February, expect a lot more apps to trickle into the dash.

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Blue Origin is gearing up for a high-stakes launch with its New Glenn rocket

Image: Blue Origin

Following a scrubbed launch attempt and weather-related delays, Blue Origin will once again try to send its New Glenn rocket into space for the first time. During the attempt, the Jeff Bezos-owned space company aims to reach orbit, helping to further its goals of shuttling Project Kuiper satellites, equipment, and eventually humans into space.

Here’s what you need to know about when and how to watch New Glenn’s long-awaited inaugural launch.

What is New Glenn?

New Glenn is the 320-foot-tall rocket that Blue Origin initially announced in 2016. Though Blue Origin planned to launch New Glenn by 2020, the project was beset by delays due to issues with engine development and other technical setbacks.

The rocket has a reusable first stage powered by the company’s BE-4 engines, which run on liquified natural gas and liquid oxygen. Shortly after launch, the first stage is supposed to detach and autonomously land upright on a sea-based platform, where Blue Origin can then retrieve it and reuse it for future missions.

Following separation, New Glenn’s upper stage should fire up its BE-3U engines — a less powerful engine that uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen — as it attempts to propel itself into space with its payload. The upper stage is capable of delivering 45 metric tons of cargo into low Earth orbit.

For this uncrewed launch, New Glenn will house the Blue Ring Pathfinder, a payload consisting of a communications array, a power system, and a flight computer. This will let Blue Origin test its Blue Ring spacecraft, which will eventually support missions with refueling, hosting, data relay, and cloud computing capabilities.

Image: Blue Origin

New Glenn’s first stage uses BE-4 engines, while its upper stage has less powerful BE-3U engines.

Earlier this week, Blue Origin scrubbed New Glenn’s launch due to a “vehicle subsystem issue.” A successful first launch could make Blue Origin a serious rival to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Along with competing for government contracts, both commercial space companies are also working to build out internet satellite constellations, with SpaceX regularly sending Starlink satellites into space and Blue Origin on tap to support Amazon’s Project Kuiper initiative.

When will Blue Origin launch New Glenn?

Blue Origin’s next launch attempt will take place at Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday, January 16th. The three-hour launch window opens at 1AM ET (10PM PT).

How to watch New Glenn’s launch

You can watch a livestream of New Glenn’s launch from Blue Origin’s website, its X account, and its YouTube channel. We’ll embed a livestream here when it becomes available.

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Trump’s transportation pick says he’ll let Tesla investigations proceed

Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Sean Duffy, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Transportation, said he would allow safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced driving technology to proceed, possibly setting himself up for a clash with a top supporter of the president-elect.

Duffy, a former Republican congressman, lobbyist, and Fox News personality, made the comments during his confirmation hearing Wednesday in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked whether he could maintain objectivity in investigating Tesla, which is headed by Trump donor and supporter Elon Musk.

“Yes, I commit to this committee and to you that I will let NHTSA do their investigation,” he said. “I think I also mentioned to you that a lot of the players in these spaces, I haven’t met any of them.”

“Yes, I commit to this committee and to you that I will let NHTSA do their investigation”

Duffy’s comments follow months of reporting about Musk’s unprecedented influence over Trump’s transition, in which the Tesla CEO has sat in on meetings with potential nominees, vetted new hires, and volunteered to co-lead a committee to oversee massive spending cuts. Trump is also reportedly weighing policy decisions that would favor Musk’s business, such as eliminating a crash reporting rule for partial and fully autonomous vehicles.

During the Biden administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched several investigations into the safety of Tesla’s automated driving technology. One the largest probes resulted in a December 2023 recall of more than 2 million Tesla vehicles to install better safeguards for the company’s Autopilot driver assist feature. NHTSA launched another investigation into the adequacy of the recall.

Duffy didn’t say anything more about stepping into a role that could put him at odds with Musk. But he did comment on the needs for national legislation to better regulate the safe rollout of autonomous vehicles. He said:

This is not just a wonderful technology that has a potential of making our roads safer, but this is a national security issue. We can’t fall behind China or other countries as it comes to AV technology. Right now, we have a patchwork of laws from state to state. I believe there has to be a federal law by which all of these innovators can abide by it, no matter if they’re in Texas or in California or somewhere else. And again, I’ll always make sure that safety is key. But after safety, we want to give a wide runway for these companies and innovators to create products that are going to bring us this new technology that, again, can revolutionize the way we get items, how we travel, whether you’re taking an Uber or ... It can be remarkable and exciting.

As transportation secretary, Duffy has a bully pulpit to advocate for a national law for self-driving cars. And its been reported that Trump is in favor of passing such a bill once taking office.

But Congress has taken up several proposals over the past decade, with little to show for it. And its unclear whether major differences will be settled by the time the next opportunity arises.

The federal government has largely taken a back seat to in regulating autonomous vehicles, leaving states to develop their own rulebooks for safe deployment — which Duffy said was not ideal. Legislation that would dramatically increase the number of AVs on the road has been stalled in Congress for over seven years, with lawmakers at odds over a range of issues, including safety, liability, and the right number of exemptions from federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Meanwhile, NHTSA has recently released new voluntary framework for autonomous vehicles that aims to ease the rollout of fully driverless cars.

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uBreakiFix will be able to repair your Xbox Series X and S

Image: Tom Warren / The Verge

Microsoft will soon let you get in-person repairs for Xbox Series X / S consoles at uBreakiFix stores, the company announced today.

Microsoft already offers in-person Xbox repairs at Microsoft retail stores, but uBreakiFix will be the “the first Xbox Authorized Service Provider,” according to the announcement. You’ll be able to get Xbox repairs at uBreakiFix’s “nearly 700 participating store locations across the US” starting January 20th, Microsoft says. (The company notes that you should check with your local uBreakiFix store to make sure they are participating in the Xbox repairability program.)

In the announcement, Microsoft says that it’s expanding its repairability program for the white Xbox Series S, the white Xbox Series X digital edition, and special edition Xbox Series X “Galaxy Black” model. We’ve asked Microsoft if the black Xbox Series X with a disc drive and the black Xbox Series S qualify for uBreakiFix repairs as well.

If you’re looking to repair your Xbox yourself, sourcing parts for that recently got a bit easier after iFixit started offering genuine Xbox parts and step-by-step repair guides in December. iFixit offers parts and guides for repairing Surface devices, too.

In its announcement today, Microsoft also says that packaging for the white Xbox Series S, the white Xbox Series X digital edition, and Xbox Series X “Galaxy Black” model “are now fully paper and fiber-based, eliminating all single-use plastics.”

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Sonos continues to clean house with departure of chief commercial officer

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

This week is quickly becoming a sea change moment for Sonos as the company looks to undo the damage done to its reputation since last May. It all began on Monday with the departure of CEO Patrick Spence, who was replaced by board member Tom Conrad. Then came news that chief product officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin would also be leaving the company — another indication that Sonos is serious about correcting course and taking accountability for its new app woes.

In a third shakeup within the company’s leadership ranks, I can report that chief commercial officer Deirdre Findlay is also stepping down. Sonos’ not-yet-updated corporate governance page says Findlay “oversees all marketing, revenue, and customer experience organizations at Sonos. She is responsible for integrated brand strategy, geographic expansion strategies, and all go to market execution.”

By now, there’s no arguing that Sonos’ go-to-market strategy for its rebuilt mobile app was deeply flawed and rushed. Before he lost his job, Spence eventually conceded that the company should’ve taken a far more cautious approach and offered the new software as a beta release while keeping the previous, more stable version in place. Instead, Sonos pushed a buggy experience on all customers and has spent the months since dealing with the resulting fallout.

As it relates to marketing, some Sonos employees have expressed their dismay to me over just how much money the company dumped into advertising last year even amid the app controversy. Those big spends included an expansive New York City subway campaign for the Sonos Ace headphones and a holiday elves campaign that cost a staggering amount. The Ace headphones, which I maintain are a very good product, were quickly forgotten when the gravity of Sonos’ app problems came into focus, so the marketing had little effect. None of that sat well internally — especially after layoffs in the summer.

But that was then. In the span of 48 hours, interim CEO Tom Conrad has demonstrated a clear objective to get Sonos back on the right path. I’m told that the moves have immediately boosted morale inside the company, with employees sensing that the new regime is serious about getting back to doing what Sonos does best.

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The Google Home app will soon support the Nest Protect

Image: The Verge

Will the last device leaving the Nest app please turn out the lights? The day finally arrived; Google has announced it’s transitioning the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm to the Google Home app. This means you’ll be able to get alerts and notifications for your alarm directly through Google Home, as well as hush alarms, according to a blog post from Google. This means you no longer need the Nest app for any device, but you can still use it — for now, at least.

The Nest Protect was the last device that could only be accessed and controlled from the Nest app, following Google’s efforts over the last couple of years to fully port its Nest cameras and other devices to the Home app. With this move, Google will finally be able to sunset the Nest app, although the company has said it will keep it in maintenance mode indefinitely.

Image: Google Home

Screenshots of the Nest Protect in the Google Home app showing safety checkups, the status of all your Protects, and a view of the heads-up notification page.

The new function for the Nest Protect is coming to Google Home users in Public Preview on Android this week and to iOS “soon.” According to Google, it will enable the following features:

Receive emergency and heads-up notifications for smoke and carbon monoxide

Get critical status alerts like battery health or device issues

View when alarms were last tested and run a system-wide safety checkup.

Create a schedule for automatic sound check testing when you’re away from your home

Modify your configuration: change system-wide and alarm-specific settings

View your camera live feeds directly from the emergency alarm card

E911 calling for Nest Aware subscribers - If you are a Nest Aware subscriber in the US, you can use the Google Home app to quickly contact an emergency call center close to your home, even if you’re not home.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

The Yale Assure Lock SL with Matter is a Matter smart lock that should soon have more function in the Google Home app.

Alongside the Nest updates, the Google Home app is also getting expanded support for smart locks connected via Matter, adding the ability to set passcodes, among other features. The lock updates are rolling out through the app’s “Public Preview” feature on Android, with iOS support coming in early 2025.

Image: Google Home

Screenshots of smart lock control in the Google Home app, including managing access and creating profiles for guests.

This will allow more manufacturers’ locks to work with Google Home and bring more functions to the app, including passcode management and automatic locking. Google says that not all of the features will work with all Matter locks; it depends on the lock manufacturer. Here’s a rundown of what will be added:

Passcode Management: You’ll be able to manage who has access to your home by sharing and editing passcodes with ease to household members and guests.

One-tap entry: You can enable one-tap entry instead of typing in your passcode and you can lock/unlock your door remotely from the Home app with just a tap of a button.

Automatic locking: Choose how long your lock should wait before automatically re-locking.

Vacation Mode: This mode locks the keypad so it can’t be unlocked from the outside using the touchpad.

One-touch locking: Lock the door using the touchpad or button on the lock.

Push notifications for lock events

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Adam Scott on using Severance’s weird, retrofuturistic computers

Image: Apple

Much of Severance — the sci-fi workplace thriller on Apple TV Plus — takes place in a brightly lit office, with characters huddled over strange computers where they do work they’re told is both mysterious and important. In the show, that work looks a bit like an alternate reality take on Minesweeper, except the characters are attempting to find numbers that “feel scary,” even though they don’t know what that really means — and the cast is largely going through the same experience.

The computers on the show are functional, so when Mark and Helly are moving pixelated numbers around on a screen, that’s something the performers are doing on set. “When you see us, we really are refining numbers,” Adam Scott, who plays Mark and serves as a producer on the show, tells The Verge. “There is actually a way to do it.”

The computers are the brainchild of prop master Cath Miller and production designer Jeremy Hindle. The office-dwelling characters in Severance have undergone a procedure that separates their work selves from their life outside, effectively creating two people, one of whom exists only within the basement offices of Lumon Industries. As Hindle told me back in 2022, this allowed the team to design the computers with playfulness in mind. “We kept thinking, ‘If you’re experimenting with these people, what would you put in front of them?’” Hindle told me. “Imagine how fun it would be to sit at this thing, as opposed to if I put a laptop in front of them. It’s like a child’s device.”

Image: Apple

A lonely Lumon computer on the severed floor.

Image: Marion Curtis / StarPix for Apple TV Plus

Zach Cherry and Britt Lower using a Lumon computer at an installation at Grand Central Station in New York.

For Scott, using the devices — which pair a vintage-yet-touchscreen monitor with a keyboard that has a built-in trackball — was a nostalgic experience. “They remind me of the old Apple IIe [computers] I grew up using that my brother and my dad had,” he explains. But even though the terminals look familiar, they’re just different enough to make them feel almost surreal — a perfect fit for Severance. “They also have their own interface, and their own keyboard and trackball, but the buttons are in an odd place ergonomically,” Scott adds. “So it’s tricky to use. But I feel like me and [costars Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, and John Turturro] have all figured out how to use it.”

“These people have no idea what they’re doing.”

Scott says that the functionality of the computers is a big help for his performance, noting that, often, when actors interact with a gadget, there’s nothing really there onscreen. But on Severance, each actor is able to “actually refine these numbers and come up with your own strategies and apply your own meaning to it.”

That meaning is important because, well, nobody knows what’s really going down in Lumon’s basement. They sit there clicking around a computer without understanding the importance of their work (at this point in the story, viewers don’t know the importance, either). So for the actors, actually using the computers and being just as clueless as their characters helps them better inhabit the role.

“These people have no idea what they’re doing,” says Scott. “They just know that they need to refine numbers by feeling sort of when they get scary. Getting to actually do that when we’re on camera is really important and really helps a lot.”

Severance season 2 hits Apple TV Plus on January 17th.

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Sling TV adds unlimited recording to its DVR — but it still costs extra

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Streaming TV services keep getting more expensive, and those subscription costs will only continue to rise in 2025 and beyond. Amid all these price hikes, the best we can hope for is that the companies behind them will continue to add new features to ease the sting of paying more. Sling TV is trying to do just that with its cloud DVR, which has removed its previous recording limits and is now “unlimited.”

“Unlimited DVR (previously called DVR Plus) will allow customers to record as much content as they want, with recordings saved for up to nine months,” the company wrote in a press release today. That endless recording freedom still requires an extra $5 each month, however; YouTube TV includes an unlimited cloud DVR in its base subscription — but that subscription costs quite a bit more. Either way, unlimited is certainly better than the 200-hour limit that Sling’s Premium DVR had before.

Here’s what the newly enhanced DVR gets you:

Unlimited DVR: Record without restrictions, whether it’s a single show or an entire season.

Exclusively on Sling: Replay top sports, TV shows and movies - even if you forget to record.

Ad-Skipping Freedom: Fast-forward through commercials or pause and rewind at your convenience.

Cloud-Based Convenience: No need for physical hardware—Sling’s Unlimited DVR is fully cloud-powered.

Cross-Device Accessibility: Watch your recordings on any Sling-supported device.

As usual, there’s the potential for asterisks or exceptions depending on what content you’re trying to save. Sling TV actually has a few different tiers of DVR depending on your needs and which plan you’re subscribed to. The simplest options are free, but unlimited DVR is not:

• Freestream DVR provides 10 hours of storage at no cost, with recordings available for up to 30 days. (Freestream is Sling TV’s FAST / free ad-supported TV service and available without a subscription.)
• DVR Free plan includes 50 hours of storage with recordings kept for nine months, also free of charge.
• Unlimited DVR offers endless storage, allowing users to record as much content as they like with a nine-month retention period.

Sling TV last raised its monthly subscription at the end of 2024. Sling Blue and Orange each now cost $45.99 per month, and the combined package is $61. The service even now has an arcade gaming component. Was anyone asking for that? Probably not. But if you’re paying through the teeth anyway, I guess any incentive counts.

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Drake sues his label, UMG, saying ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory

Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage

Drake’s ongoing legal battle with his label, Universal Music Group, has escalated. The artist filed a lawsuit in federal court today, accusing UMG of harming his reputation and endangering him for profit. The suit stems from the diss track “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, another UMG artist. Drake’s legal complaint also again accuses UMG of using bots on Spotify and other streaming platforms, and payola to make the song more popular.

“On May 4, 2024, UMG approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him,” the complaint reads. “Even though UMG enriched itself and its shareholders by exploiting Drake’s music for years, and knew that the salacious allegations against Drake were false, UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

Image: Aubrey Drake Graham vs. UMG Recordings

Drake accuses UMG of using bots to drive up listens and views, and paying for promotion on social media.

The lawsuit details a shooting at Drake’s (real name: Aubrey Graham) home just a few days after the song was released, during which a security guard was injured. Multiple break-ins occurred in the following days, which the lawsuit says were caused by UMG’s actions.

Why would UMG pit two of its own artists against each other? Drake’s team has a theory:

UMG’s actions are motivated, at least in part, by UMG’s desire to best position itself in negotiations with Kendrick Lamar in 2024 and Drake in 2025. With respect to Lamar, on information and belief, UMG was incentivized to prove that it could maximize Lamar’s sales—by any means necessary—after only being able to get him to sign a short-term exclusive contract. UMG wanted Lamar to see its value on an expedited timeframe in order to convince Lamar to resign exclusively and for a longer period of time. As to Drake, in 2024, his contract was nearing fulfillment. On information and belief, UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would come at a high cost to UMG; as such, it was incentivized to devalue Drake’s music and brand in order to gain leverage in negotiations for an extension

Lamar is not named as a defendant in the suit; instead, Drake’s legal team pins the blame on UMG for releasing the song despite knowing the song’s “allegations are unequivocally false.”

“Drake is not a pedophile. Drake has never engaged in any acts that would require he be “placed on neighborhood watch.” Drake has never engaged in sexual relations with a minor. Drake has never been charged with, or convicted of, any criminal acts whatsoever,” the suit reads.

The suit follows a petition filed in November in which Drake accuses UMG and Spotify of artificially inflating the success of “Not Like Us” using payola and streaming bots. The petition — which itself isn’t a lawsuit but a precursor — was withdrawn this week. But the suit filed today includes similar allegations of “pay-for-play” schemes to get “Not Like Us” played on radio stations and promoted on streaming platforms. The suit also again accuses UMG of using bots to “artificially inflate the spread” of the song.

UMG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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