This happened today
Apple Maps Vehicles Collecting 'Look Around' Imagery in Several More Countries.
Apple Maps vehicles rigged with LiDAR equipment are collecting street-level imagery and data in several more countries and regions this summer, including Austria, Switzerland, and Hong Kong, according to a list of locations maintained on Apple's website. The vehicles have also returned to Belgium to survey additional regions after focusing on the Brussels area last year. ...
Tech company anti-terrorism initiative will increase its focus on far-right groups.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge A cross-platform counterterrorism program will start targeting white supremacist and far-right militia material, flagging content for moderation on Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, and several other services. Reuters reported the news this morning in an interview with Nicholas Rasmussen, executive director of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT). ...
'Death Stranding' has sold five million copies since launch.
Whatever you think of Death Stranding as a game, it was apparently a commercial success. Kojima Productions publishing head Jay Boor told GamesIndustry.biz in an interview that the sci-fi courier game has sold five million copies across PS4 and PC.That's not as strong as Metal Gear Solid V, which moved six million copies in just the first few months after its September 2015 debut. ...
Apple Museum With 1,500 Exhibits to Open in Poland.
A museum dedicated to Apple and its products is set to open in Poland later this year, it has been announced. The museum will feature 1,500 exhibits related to the development and evolution of Apple products throughout the company's history. It is said to be the biggest and most complete collection of its kind in the world. ...
Deals: Anker's New Sale Includes Savings on Wireless Charging Stands, USB-C Accessories, and More.
Anker has started the week with a new collection of discounts on wireless chargers, USB-C wall chargers, and other popular charging accessories. This also includes markdowns on a pair of Eufy branded robot vacuums. The sales will be found on Amazon and coupon codes are not needed this time. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. ...
Spotify Rolling Out New Notification Tab for New Releases From Artists, Creators, and More.
In the coming weeks on iOS and Android, Spotify will be rolling out a new tab in its mobile app that will provide users with notifications about new songs and album releases from their favorite artists, podcasts shows, and more. The new page will be accessible with a tap of a new bell icon placed on the top-right hand corner on the Spotify home page. ...
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 leak hints at a massive camera upgrade.
Microsoft's Surface Duo drew flak for delivering outdated specs at top-tier prices (among other missteps), but that might not be true for the sequel. Windows Central has shared a Tech Rat leak purporting to show images of the Surface Duo 2, and they suggest Microsoft is dragging its dual-screen Android phone into the modern era. ...
Next Gen.
Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge The Verge is always interested in the future — so this week, we’re taking a look at the people who will live there. All week, we’re going to publish stories focused on young people, whether they’re pushing for immigration reform or making bank in the online vintage trade. ...
Phil Schiller Reflects on iPod, Timeless Design, Electric Cars, and More in Interview With Lamborghini.
Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Countach sports car with a new video series involving inspirational personalities, and the latest videos shared today feature Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller. Schiller, who is now an Apple Fellow, said innovative products that stand the test of time have both great design and solve a problem. ...
Apple’s AirPods Pro are $179 in-store at Staples through the rest of July.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Staples is hosting some stellar back-to-school deals this week, especially if tech is on your checklist. The AirPods Pro are $179 (visible on the third page of the ad) and are available at this price in-store only. Originally $249, these have been falling in price, but it’s not often that they sell for less than $189. ...
Nintendo's 'Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit' is on sale for $75 right now.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a good way to spice up your regular racing competitions. It brings the virtual-racing action into the real world with tiny karts that zoom around your home on tracks you create yourself. A single set is fairly expensive at $100 — especially considering you need a Nintendo Switch to use it at all — but now you can grab either than Mario or Luigi set from Amazon for only $75. ...
Spotify will now notify you of new releases from your favorite artists.
Spotify is introducing a feature to notify people when their favorite artists and podcast producers have a new release to check out. Taking the form of a bell icon you’ll find at the top of the app’s home interface, the What’s New panel collects new releases from bands, musicians and shows you follow on the platform. ...
Novation Circuit Rhythm review: A modern sampler inspired by a classic.
The original Circuit groovebox developed something of a cult following thanks in large part to Novation’s relentless updates. So it was no surprise that the company decided to give it a proper sequel earlier this year. What was a surprise, though, was that along with the Circuit Tracks, Novation also announced the Circuit Rhythm, an entirely sample-based instrument. ...
Next Gen Favorites: Parsec.
Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge A new tool for an older kind of gaming Continue reading…
Next Gen Favorites: the Alicia Keys Tiny Desk concert.
Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge Looking for the thrill of live music during lockdown, I turned to NPR Continue reading…
Next Gen Favorites: the half-finished Duolingo course.
Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge I am tormented by the specter of Duo the Owl Continue reading…
Next Gen Favorites: Wattpad.
Illustration by Ari Liloan for The Verge Looking beyond my local library, I found a new way to think about writing Continue reading…
Australia Considers Case for Opening iPhone NFC Chip to Third Party Payment Systems.
Apple on Monday responded to questions from Australia's parliament about its third-party access approach to the NFC chip in its iPhones, following claims that its Apple Pay system is stifling innovation in the contactless payment technology space. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services heard for-and-against arguments from Apple, Google, and others relating to whether Apple should open up access to its near-field communication (NFC) chip. ...
The best Apple AirTag accessories you can buy.
Apple lovers who constantly lose their keys got a new way to keep track of them with the launch of AirTags. But despite how easy they are to set up, Apple’s tiny Bluetooth trackers have one critical flaw — no built-in keychain hole. That means anyone who buys AirTags will have to buy holders or cases to attach them to their stuff. ...
Paramount+ and Showtime Bundle for Apple TV+ Subscribers Seemingly Ending.
Users who subscribed to the Paramount+ and Showtime bundle via Apple TV channels are noticing that their subscription is being refunded and showing as "expired," likely indicating that the bundle is coming to an end. A large number of subscribers on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums are reporting billing errors for the bundle, where the $9. ...
Leaked Surface Duo 2 photos reveal new triple camera system.
Surface Duo 2. | Tech Rat (YouTube) Microsoft is readying a Surface Duo 2 for release later this year. Leaked images have revealed the dual-screen device will include a new triple camera system. The leaked images first appeared in a YouTube video last month, and Windows Central claims they’re legitimate. ...
Samsung's 'The Wall' will be used to form a virtual movie studio.
The emergence of virtual productions like those popularized by Disney's The Mandalorian have given display giants a new niche for their massive screens. Sony, which boasts a movie production arm, is already using its modular crystal LEDs to provide backgrounds for shoots. Now, Samsung is getting in on the act through a new partnership with major Korean movie and TV show producer CJ ENM. ...
The Morning After: EV-charging roads in Indiana.
One problem with our electric vehicle future is the need for ubiquitous, easy-to-use charging points all over the world. After all, the only way to avoid range and lines-at-the-charger anxiety is to make sure you can get power whenever you need it. That’s what makes a project, started by Indiana’s Department of Transport, so exciting: It’s working on a road that can charge your EV as you drive. ...
LG’s new true wireless earbuds have a privacy-conscious ‘Whispering Mode’ .
LG’s Tone Free FP8 wireless earbuds. | Image: LG LG’s new Tone Free FP true wireless earbuds feature a “Whispering Mode” where you can hold the right earbud next to your mouth during calls to use it as a dedicated microphone. It’s a neat privacy-conscious feature for those moments when you don’t want to have to speak loudly enough for the sound to be picked up by the earbuds in your ears. ...
LG's new Tone Free earbuds have a case that doubles as a wireless dongle.
LG may be through with smartphones, but it's still making gear you can use with your mobile. The Korean company has unveiled its new range of LG Tone Free wireless earbuds, and this time the germ-killing UV tech isn't the highlight. Of the three newcomers, the high-end FP9 model has a charging case that plugs into a headphone jack to work as a Bluetooth dongle. ...
Larger Redesigned High-End iMac Rumored to Launch Next Year.
Apple's larger redesigned iMac will arrive sometime in 2022 rather than later this year, according to the leaker known as "Dylandkt." On Twitter, Dylandkt claimed that Apple's "high end iMac" is not expected to release in the fourth quarter of 2021 alongside Apple's "M1X Macs" – a reference to Apple's redesigned MacBook Pro models – because "Apple simply does not want their devices to compete for attention and delays in product releases have led to this timetable. ...
Apple Reportedly Orders 100 Million A15 Chips for Upcoming iPhone 13.
Apple has ordered more than 100 million of its "A15" chips to be produced by supplier TSMC, as it prepares to launch its upcoming iPhone 13 lineup, according to supply chain sources cited by CNBeta. Apple is expecting the upcoming line-up to be high in demand and has reportedly asked its suppliers to boost production by more than 25% for this year's new iPhone. ...
‘Good night’ or ‘bedtime’, Alexa routines now support multiple phrases.
Alexa routines now support up to seven custom phrases. | Image: Thomas Ricker / The Verge Alexa routines can now be triggered using multiple custom phrases making it easier for everyone in a household to initiate smart home automations without having to remember the exact wording (via AFTVnews). For example, instead of having to remember to say “Alexa, good night” to kick off a nighttime routine that locks the doors and shuts off the lights, you can now assign additional phrases like “Alexa, bedtime” or “Alexa, night night. ...
A magnetic helmet shrunk a deadly tumor in world-first test.
We've seen helmets and AI that can spot brain tumors, but a new hard hat can actually treat them, too. As part of the latest neurological breakthrough, researchers used a helmet that generates a magnetic field to shrink a deadly tumor by a third. The 53-year-old patient who underwent the treatment ultimately passed away due to an unrelated injury. ...
Autonomous quadrotor beats two human pilots in a drone race.
Unlike self-driving cars, autonomous drones can generally get from "A" to "B" safely, but could they beat a human pilot in a drone race? So far the answer has been "no way," but now, researchers from the University of Zurich (UZH) have created an algorithm that allowed an AI-powered drone to beat two human pilots on an experimental race track. ...
Report: iPhone 14 Pro Models to Feature Tough Titanium Alloy Chassis.
Next year's "iPhone 14" series is expected to feature high-end models with a new titanium alloy chassis design, claims a new investors report by JP Morgan Chase. According to the report, the use of titanium alloy will be one of the biggest changes to the case design in the 2022 iPhone series, and Foxconn will be the exclusive manufacturer of the titanium frames for the high-end models. ...
Turtle Beach’s first gamepad pairs its audio expertise with great ergonomics.
Each gaming accessory company has one thing they do well, like Corsair and its keyboards or Razer’s line of mice. Turtle Beach is known as a premium headset manufacturer, but that hasn’t stopped it from expanding its offerings, starting with its very first gamepad, the Recon Controller. And it happily still incorporates the company’s audio expertise. ...
Researchers are testing concrete that could charge your EV while you drive.
Roads that can charge electric cars or buses while you drive aren't a new concept, but so far the technology has been relatively expensive and inefficient. However, Indiana's Department of Transport (INDOT) has announced that it's testing a new type of cement with embedded magnetized particles that could one day provide efficient, high-speed charging at "standard roadbuilding costs," Autoblog has reported. ...