This happened today

Apple Chip Manufacturing in U.S. to Expand Following New Partnership.

Apple's chip manufacturer TSMC and chip packaging company Amkor on Thursday announced that the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on chip production, packaging, and testing in Arizona. In a press release, the two companies said that the close proximity of their facilities in Arizona will speed up the overall chip manufacturing process: Under the agreement, TSMC will contract turnkey advanced packaging and test services from Amkor in their planned facility in Peoria, Arizona. ...

What happens when solar panels die?.

By the end of 2024, the world will have nearly 2,000 Gigawatts of solar generation capacity in service. Each panel is made of silicon, glass, various polymers, aluminum, copper and an assortment of other metals that capture the sun’s energy. It’s a rule of thumb that, barring damage, a panel will last for up to 30 years before it needs to be replaced. ...

Hasbro is bringing classic board games to Fortnite, starting with Clue.

Image: Hasbro Epic is trying to turn Fortnite into an ecosystem of games and has enticed the likes of Lego to build experiences for the platform. Now, Hasbro is jumping in as well, with plans to create Fortnite adaptations of its most popular board games. The first is called Murder Mystery: Clue, and it’s available today. ...

Casetify's Evangelion collection returns for Evangelion Day.

Casetify is bringing back the accessories based on Neon Genesis Evangelion that it originally launched in 2023, giving you another chance to grab one or two cases for your Apple devices. The crown jewel of the collection is perhaps the collectible case for the AirPods Pro and Pro 2, which was designed to look like the head of Evangelion Unit-01. ...

Get ready to meet your AI best friend .

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge The new Microsoft Copilot is a big departure. It shed some of its Bing-y styling and increasingly corporate vibes in favor of something warmer and friendlier, all in an effort to be more than just a work tool. It might just be a website redesign, but it feels like a shift in how Microsoft perceives the future of AI assistants. ...

159 employees leave WordPress founder's company after extortion lawsuit.

The feud between WP Engine and Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO, recently came to a head when the web hosting service sued the latter, accusing him of "abuse of power, extortion and greed." In a new blog post, Mullenweg said his opponent's attacks on him and his company have been effective enough so that "a good chunk of [his] Automattic colleagues disagreed with [him and his] actions. ...

Joker: Folie à Deux can barely hold a tune.

Image: Warner Bros. Todd Phillips’ new Joker sequel is a pitchy mess that wants to explore what happens when villains become folk heroes. Continue reading…

Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, and Bic are somehow all involved in this weird iPhone case.

Each case includes two matching Bic EZ Reach lighters. | Image: Bic Bic, the company best known for ballpoint pens, razors, and lighters, has just revealed a collaboration that no one could have possibly had on their 2024 bingo cards. Its new Hold the Phone case has a molded cutout on the back to hold one of Bic’s EZ Reach lighters, specifically those designed by Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg as part of a collaboration with the company. ...

Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early deals to shop ahead of the October Big Deal Days event next week.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years. We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an active Prime subscriber to get the discounts. ...

Early Prime Day deals include the Echo Show 8 for an all-time-low price.

As to be expected, we're less than a week out from October Prime Day and Amazon devices are already on sale. Among the deals is an all-time-low price on one of our top picks for the best smart displays, the Echo Show 8. The latest model is back on sale for $85, which is $65 off its normal price. Any time you can get this smart display for less than $100, it's a good deal — but this is the best price we've seen, and it hasn't been this cheap since Prime Day in July. ...

WordPress cofounder is paying employees to leave if they disagree with him.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg offered employees $30,000, or six months of salary, to leave the company if they didn’t agree with his battle against WP Engine. In an update on Thursday night, Mullenweg said 159 people, making up 8.4 percent of the company, took the offer. ...

iRobot Roomba vacuum and mop machines are up to $420 off right now.

Some of iRobot’s best robo-vacs are on sale. Wellbots has the ultra-premium Roomba Combo 10 Max + Autowash Dock for $420 off with Engadget’s code ENGDT420. Or, if you want a high-end model without spending quite as much, the Roomba j9+ and Roomba Combo j7+ are on sale for up to $320 off with these exclusive deals. ...

The Pentax 17 is low-stakes analog photography fun that doesn’t feel like a toy.

$500 is a lot for a point-and-shoot film camera, but it rewards you with a joyous experience. Continue reading…

iOS 18.0.1 Includes Security Fixes for Messages and Passwords Apps.

In addition to several bug fixes, the iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 updates released on Thursday include a few security patches for the iPhone and iPad. In a support document, Apple says iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 address security vulnerabilities involving the built-in Messages and Passwords apps. Here are the full details from Apple: Media Session Available for: iPhone 16 (all models) Impact: Audio messages in Messages may be able to capture a few seconds of audio before the microphone indicator is activated Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks. ...

Google Search is testing verified checkmarks for legitimate businesses.

Google Search has always had one serious drawback — if you're not paying attention, it's easy to click on a fraudulent site that's mimicking a real business. Now, the company appears to be testing a long-overdue solution: blue verified checkmarks that show a company is legitimate.  The checks started appearing next to official site links for corporations including Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon, according to a report from The Verge. ...

Gmail for iOS gets an AI assistant to help manage your inbox.

The Gmail Q&A feature on iOS is only available for users with specific Google accounts. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is rolling out iOS support for its Gmail Q&A feature, which gives users a Gemini-powered AI assistant to help manage their inbox. The Gemini side panel for Gmail was introduced to web and Android devices earlier this year and can potentially provide an easier way to locate specific information that’s buried within emails and Google Drive. ...

Games Done Quick will hold a fundraiser for people affected by Hurricane Helene next week.

Games Done Quick, the organization that organizes charity game marathons featuring high-level speedrunners, has just announced its latest fundraiser. The group will hold an event called Disaster Relief Done Quick in support of the humanitarian nonprofit Direct Relief to aid those affected by Hurricane Helene, it announced in a tweet and press release. ...

Epic and Disney want to make ‘what every Disney fan has ever wanted’.

Image: Epic Games In February, Disney and Epic Games announced that they were collaborating on a “persistent universe” that would feature characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. Disney franchises have been featured in Fortnite for years, but this new universe promises to be something grander — and will be interoperable with Fortnite. ...

Rivian will make fewer EVs this year than it did in 2023.

Photo by Daniel Golson for The Verge Rivian said it would make fewer electric vehicles this year than it did in 2023, resulting from a parts shortage. The news came as the company reported third quarter production and delivery numbers that came in below analyst expectations. Rivian says it expects to produce between 47,000 and 49,000 vehicles this year, down from the 57,000 vehicles it originally forecast. ...

Engadget Podcast: Why the Windows 11 2024 update is all about Copilot AI.

This week, Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 11 2024 update, but it quickly became clear that the company was far more eager to unveil new features for its Copilot AI and Copilot+ AI PCs. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about Microsoft's current AI priorities, and what it means for people with older PCs. ...

The Morning After: Samsung’s latest software update was bricking older Galaxy phones.

I'd be cautious with your software updates if you’ve got a Galaxy phone with a 2019 vintage. An update rolling out from Samsung is reportedly bricking devices from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series of phones. 9to5Google reported some users had the same issue with Galaxy M51 and A90 models. ...

WhatsApp Introduces User Tagging in Status Updates.

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to tag other people in their Status updates, further enhancing the platform's Instagram Stories-like functionality. The addition aims to make it easier for users to connect with friends and family on the popular messaging app. The new tagging feature enables users to mention up to five other WhatsApp accounts in their Status updates. ...

ChatGPT’s ‘canvas’ interface makes it easier to write and code.

Canvas should make it easier for ChatGPT users to make alterations to code and text without rewriting entirely with additional prompts. | Image: OpenAI OpenAI has launched a new “canvas” interface for ChatGPT that allows users to adjust sections of text or code generated by the chatbot in a side-by-side collaboration. ...

Spotify Launches Offline Backup Feature for Premium Users.

Spotify has announced a new feature called Offline Backup, designed to give Premium subscribers an additional way to listen to music offline without manually downloading playlists. Rolling out globally this week, the feature aims to address situations where users find themselves without an internet connection and haven't prepared their offline music library in advance. ...

Apple will reportedly debut its in-house 5G modem with the iPhone SE 4.

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is close to releasing an updated iPhone SE, which will be its first update to the low-end model since 2022. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to use the phone as a launching pad for its in-house 5G modems. The company purchased the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business for $1 billion back in 2019 after taking steps to be more self-reliant and aggressively recruiting staff to make that happen. ...

The best budget Android phone for 2024.

The best budget Android phones are great ways to get all the essentials you want in a handset without breaking the bank. While flagship phones often steal the spotlight with their flashy features and high price tags, there’s no shortage of Android phones that deliver great performance at a fraction of the cost. ...

The best Windows laptops for 2024.

Choosing the best Windows laptop can be overwhelming with the wealth of options available. And with Microsoft's recent announcements at Microsoft Build, we can expect lots of exciting things coming out in the next few months as more Copilot PCs become available. Whether you need a premium ultraportable, a powerful gaming rig, or a versatile mobile workstation, our current list of the best Windows laptops highlights our favorites that have been rigorously tested by our team. ...

Trick or Treat? Apple's First Earnings Call Since iPhone 16 Launch Scheduled for Halloween.

Apple today announced that its next quarterly earnings conference call will be held on Thursday, October 31 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time/5 p.m. Eastern Time. On the call, Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the company's earnings results for the fourth quarter of its 2024 fiscal year. It will likely be Maestri's final earnings call at Apple, as he will be succeeded by Kevan Parekh on January 1, 2025. ...

Texas is suing TikTok for allegedly violating its new child privacy law.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against TikTok claiming the company violated a new child privacy law in the state. It's set to be the first test of Texas’ Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act since it went into effect just over a month ago. Under the law, parts of which were struck down by a federal judge, social media platforms are required to verify the ages of younger users and offer parental control features, including the ability for parents to opt their children out of data collection. ...

2025 iPad Air: All the Rumors So Far.

Apple is planning to refresh the iPad Air in early 2025, about a year after the 2024 refresh. We don't have a full picture of what to expect just yet, but rumors point toward an updated chip and new accessories. Design Apple refreshed the design of the ‌iPad Air‌ in 2024, introducing two size options to match the iPad Pro models. ...

OpenAI rolls out Canvas, its newest ChatGPT interface.

OpenAI is beta testing a new workspace interface for ChatGPT called Canvas. The AI giant unveiled its new ChatGPT workspace on its official blog and it’s currently available for ChatGPT Plus and Team users. Enterprise and Edu users will be able to access Canvas sometime next week. Canvas is a virtual interface space for writing and coding projects that allow users to consult with ChatGPT on certain portions of a project. ...

Duo That Cost Apple $2.5 Million in Fraudulent iPhone Repair Scheme Get Prison Sentences.

Two Maryland residents who defrauded Apple out of 6,000 iPhones worth over $2.5 million were sentenced to prison today, according to the United States Department of Justice. The duo devised a repair scheme where they sent in counterfeit iPhones in order to get genuine iPhones in exchange. Chinese nationals Haotian Sun and Pengfei Xue will each spend more than four years in prison. ...