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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Disney’s streaming business has finally become profitable. In its Q3 earnings results released on Wednesday, the company reported making $47 million off Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus.
Like other streamers, Disney has struggled with making its streaming business profitable. At the same time last year, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu recorded a $512 million loss. Things started to turn around last quarter when both Disney Plus and Hulu posted a profit, but losses at ESPN Plus prevented Disney’s overall streaming business from crossing the line into profitability.
“This was a strong quarter for Disney, driven by excellent results in our Entertainment segment both at the box office and in DTC, as we achieved profitability across our combined streaming businesses for the first time and a quarter ahead of our previous guidance,” says Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement.
Meanwhile, Disney Plus added just under 1 million subscribers in the US and Canada, bringing its total to 54.8 million. Hulu subscribers also grew to 51.1 million, compared to 50.2 million last quarter. Even though its subscriber growth remained relatively flat, Disney is still looking for ways to make more money off its existing user base.
On Tuesday, Disney announced a surprise price hike affecting plans across Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. Disney has consistently raised the prices of its streaming services over the past couple of years, with Disney Plus and Hulu going up in price around the same time last year and in 2022. Disney is also planning a crackdown on password sharing.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Disney’s streaming business has finally become profitable. In its Q3 earnings results released on Wednesday, the company reported making $47 million off Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus.

Like other streamers, Disney has struggled with making its streaming business profitable. At the same time last year, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu recorded a $512 million loss. Things started to turn around last quarter when both Disney Plus and Hulu posted a profit, but losses at ESPN Plus prevented Disney’s overall streaming business from crossing the line into profitability.

“This was a strong quarter for Disney, driven by excellent results in our Entertainment segment both at the box office and in DTC, as we achieved profitability across our combined streaming businesses for the first time and a quarter ahead of our previous guidance,” says Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement.

Meanwhile, Disney Plus added just under 1 million subscribers in the US and Canada, bringing its total to 54.8 million. Hulu subscribers also grew to 51.1 million, compared to 50.2 million last quarter. Even though its subscriber growth remained relatively flat, Disney is still looking for ways to make more money off its existing user base.

On Tuesday, Disney announced a surprise price hike affecting plans across Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. Disney has consistently raised the prices of its streaming services over the past couple of years, with Disney Plus and Hulu going up in price around the same time last year and in 2022. Disney is also planning a crackdown on password sharing.

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Image: AMD

AMD has finally revealed the launch prices for its new range of Ryzen 9000 desktop CPUs, and it’s pricing them slightly lower than the Ryzen 7000 launch prices. The flagship Ryzen 9 9950X with 16 cores will be priced at $649, which is $50 less than the $699 Ryzen 9 7950X that launched nearly two years ago. The rest of the lineup are priced between $20 and $50 less than equivalent Ryzen 7000 CPUs.
After a delay to the launch of its Ryzen 9000 CPUs “out of an abundance of caution,” the Ryzen 7 9700X ($359) and Ryzen 5 9600X ($279) will both launch on August 8th, followed by the Ryzen 9 9950X ($649) and Ryzen 9 9900X ($499) on August 15th.

Image: AMD
AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series pricing.

AMD is promising around a 16 percent instructions per cycle (IPC) uplift in performance over the previous-generation Ryzen CPUs, with big promises of performance gains in both productivity tasks and gaming.
AMD is also launching new X870 and X870E motherboard chipsets for these new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, but these motherboards won’t be available at launch. Fortunately, these new Ryzen 9000 CPUs work in any existing AM5 motherboards, a socket that AMD has committed to support until at least 2027.
AMD’s new CPUs arrive just as Intel, its main rival, struggles with crashing and stability issues with its 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPUs. Intel has discovered the root cause of the problems and is planning to issue a microcode fix in the coming weeks, but existing CPUs that are already damaged from too-high voltages will need to be replaced.

Image: AMD

AMD has finally revealed the launch prices for its new range of Ryzen 9000 desktop CPUs, and it’s pricing them slightly lower than the Ryzen 7000 launch prices. The flagship Ryzen 9 9950X with 16 cores will be priced at $649, which is $50 less than the $699 Ryzen 9 7950X that launched nearly two years ago. The rest of the lineup are priced between $20 and $50 less than equivalent Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

After a delay to the launch of its Ryzen 9000 CPUs “out of an abundance of caution,” the Ryzen 7 9700X ($359) and Ryzen 5 9600X ($279) will both launch on August 8th, followed by the Ryzen 9 9950X ($649) and Ryzen 9 9900X ($499) on August 15th.

Image: AMD
AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series pricing.

AMD is promising around a 16 percent instructions per cycle (IPC) uplift in performance over the previous-generation Ryzen CPUs, with big promises of performance gains in both productivity tasks and gaming.

AMD is also launching new X870 and X870E motherboard chipsets for these new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, but these motherboards won’t be available at launch. Fortunately, these new Ryzen 9000 CPUs work in any existing AM5 motherboards, a socket that AMD has committed to support until at least 2027.

AMD’s new CPUs arrive just as Intel, its main rival, struggles with crashing and stability issues with its 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPUs. Intel has discovered the root cause of the problems and is planning to issue a microcode fix in the coming weeks, but existing CPUs that are already damaged from too-high voltages will need to be replaced.

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Image: Ford

Ford announced today that it would be working with bike company N plus to introduce two new e-bikes inspired by the automaker’s most iconic brands, the Bronco and Mustang.
There’s nothing new about car companies working with bike manufacturers to co-develop e-bikes in the hopes of exciting gear heads. GM, Porsche, Jeep, Polestar, and others have tried to do the same, with varying degrees of success. But Ford says its bikes will be unique insofar as they are directly tied to two of the company’s most storied models.
G.O.A.T. = “Goes Over Any Type of Terrain”
The Bronco e-bike will, of course, be very rugged and designed to handle rough terrain. The company says that the bike will come with a 750W hub motor that generates 85 Nm of torque for maximum hill-crushing capacity. The bike will also feature a dual-suspension system that Ford has branded “GOAT,” which it says stands for “Goes Over Any Type of Terrain” —and not the other meaning that is much more popular. (Anyway, shouldn’t that be GOATT?) A motorcycle-inspired saddle will be exclusive to the Bronco-branded bike.
The Bronco e-bike will be a Class 3, meaning it can reach a top speed of 28mph but lacks a throttle (which is increasingly popular among American consumers). The bike’s battery can propel it for up to 60 miles of range, depending on route, driving style, and power usage. And it will take up to 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery.

There will be two Mustang e-bikes, both of which feature similar performance specs as the Bronco e-bike. The standard Mustang e-bike will be joined by a limited-edition Mustang 60th Anniversary Edition model that is available exclusively through Ford dealers. Both bikes will handle in a way that “mimics the iconic sports car,” Ford says.
The Bronco e-bike will sport Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M hardwall 27.5 x 2.6-inch tires, while the Mustang e-bike will perch on Pirelli Angel GT semi-slick tires. Both bikes will come with four-piston hydraulic brakes and full-color center-mounted LCDs that will provide real-time information, like speed, battery life, and range.

Neither bike will be cheap. The Bronco e-bike will start at $4,500, with an additional $350 applied for a paint color other than the standard Area 51. The Mustang bike will sell for $4,000, with a similar option to choose a different paint beyond the base carbonized metallic gray. Both bikes can be pre-ordered now at the company’s website, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.
Other car companies have made similar moves to appeal to those who prefer two wheels over four. Often, when you hear about car companies releasing their own electric bikes, it’s just a brand licensing deal. (Think Jeep’s e-bike or those Hummer bikes from last decade.) Other times, it’s a much-hyped project that ends up falling victim to corporate cost cutting, like General Motors’ Ariv e-bikes.
And of course, the e-bike world has been plagued by financial mismanagement. Early this year, boutique e-bike brand Cake, which had a cobranding deal with Polestar, declared bankruptcy.
But occasionally, something interesting emerges, like Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 e-bikes. Porsche has proven adept at gathering the necessary pieces to make an attractive e-bike, including the acquisition of leading e-bike drive systems manufacturer Fazua. Recently, Robert Downey Jr. was spotted astride one of the automaker’s $10,000 luxury bikes.
Ford is working with N plus on its Bronco and Mustang bikes, which is not exactly a household name. The company makes e-bikes with Mercedes-AMG, so perhaps the preexisting relationship with an OEM was enough to convince Ford that the partnership could bear fruit.

Image: Ford

Ford announced today that it would be working with bike company N plus to introduce two new e-bikes inspired by the automaker’s most iconic brands, the Bronco and Mustang.

There’s nothing new about car companies working with bike manufacturers to co-develop e-bikes in the hopes of exciting gear heads. GM, Porsche, Jeep, Polestar, and others have tried to do the same, with varying degrees of success. But Ford says its bikes will be unique insofar as they are directly tied to two of the company’s most storied models.

The Bronco e-bike will, of course, be very rugged and designed to handle rough terrain. The company says that the bike will come with a 750W hub motor that generates 85 Nm of torque for maximum hill-crushing capacity. The bike will also feature a dual-suspension system that Ford has branded “GOAT,” which it says stands for “Goes Over Any Type of Terrain” —and not the other meaning that is much more popular. (Anyway, shouldn’t that be GOATT?) A motorcycle-inspired saddle will be exclusive to the Bronco-branded bike.

The Bronco e-bike will be a Class 3, meaning it can reach a top speed of 28mph but lacks a throttle (which is increasingly popular among American consumers). The bike’s battery can propel it for up to 60 miles of range, depending on route, driving style, and power usage. And it will take up to 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery.

There will be two Mustang e-bikes, both of which feature similar performance specs as the Bronco e-bike. The standard Mustang e-bike will be joined by a limited-edition Mustang 60th Anniversary Edition model that is available exclusively through Ford dealers. Both bikes will handle in a way that “mimics the iconic sports car,” Ford says.

The Bronco e-bike will sport Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M hardwall 27.5 x 2.6-inch tires, while the Mustang e-bike will perch on Pirelli Angel GT semi-slick tires. Both bikes will come with four-piston hydraulic brakes and full-color center-mounted LCDs that will provide real-time information, like speed, battery life, and range.

Neither bike will be cheap. The Bronco e-bike will start at $4,500, with an additional $350 applied for a paint color other than the standard Area 51. The Mustang bike will sell for $4,000, with a similar option to choose a different paint beyond the base carbonized metallic gray. Both bikes can be pre-ordered now at the company’s website, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.

Other car companies have made similar moves to appeal to those who prefer two wheels over four. Often, when you hear about car companies releasing their own electric bikes, it’s just a brand licensing deal. (Think Jeep’s e-bike or those Hummer bikes from last decade.) Other times, it’s a much-hyped project that ends up falling victim to corporate cost cutting, like General Motors’ Ariv e-bikes.

And of course, the e-bike world has been plagued by financial mismanagement. Early this year, boutique e-bike brand Cake, which had a cobranding deal with Polestar, declared bankruptcy.

But occasionally, something interesting emerges, like Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 e-bikes. Porsche has proven adept at gathering the necessary pieces to make an attractive e-bike, including the acquisition of leading e-bike drive systems manufacturer Fazua. Recently, Robert Downey Jr. was spotted astride one of the automaker’s $10,000 luxury bikes.

Ford is working with N plus on its Bronco and Mustang bikes, which is not exactly a household name. The company makes e-bikes with Mercedes-AMG, so perhaps the preexisting relationship with an OEM was enough to convince Ford that the partnership could bear fruit.

Read More 

Logitech is dismissing the idea it might charge ongoing fees for a mouse. | Image: Logitech

“There are no plans for a subscription mouse,” said Logitech communications head Nicole Kenyon in a statement provided to The Verge and other publications.
The statement came in response to immediate backlash over a concept described by Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber shared her company’s early concept of a “forever mouse” with The Verge’s EIC Nilay Patel on the Decoder podcast. Faber described the potential mouse as a high-quality, software-enabled mouse that lasts as long as a good wristwatch.

@decoderpod Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber says the “forever mouse” might be a product you never have to replace, but it could come with a subscription for updates. #computers #tech #business #gaming #logitech ♬ original sound – Decoder with Nilay Patel

“The forever mouse, I think, is one of the things that we’d like to get to,” said Faber at the time. The ensuing outcry around the idea that Logitech might be planning to make you pay monthly for a common computer peripheral was fierce.
Now, Kenyon writes in response to inaccurate reports about the interview, Logitech’s stance is “The mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product but a peek into provocative internal thinking on future possibilities for more sustainable consumer electronics.”
(This was actually Logitech’s second statement to try and mitigate confusion from Faber’s comments. The first was to assure customers of its smart home cameras that it wasn’t discontinuing them, as Faber’s comments on the podcast implied.)
Subscription fatigue is real. Companies that provide ongoing software support for products such as mice and keyboards clearly need to fund that, but “a subscription model” can’t be the default response for every CEO looking for new revenue streams.
You can listen to the discussion for yourself, or read the relevant section below, and see how “provocative” the idea seems.

Faber: The other day, in Ireland, in our innovation center there, one of our team members showed me a forever mouse with the comparison to a watch. This is a nice watch, not a super expensive watch, but I’m not planning to throw that watch away ever. So why would I be throwing my mouse or my keyboard away if it’s a fantastic-quality, well-designed, software-enabled mouse. The forever mouse is one of the things that we’d like to get to.
Patel: What made the mouse a forever mouse?
It was a little heavier, it had great software and services that you’d constantly update, and it was beautiful. So I don’t think we’re necessarily super far away from that.
But, again, I just come back to the cost. You sell me the mouse once. Maybe I’ll pay 200 bucks for it.
The business model obviously is the challenge there. So then software is even more important when you think about it. Can you come up with a service model? In our video conferencing business, that is now a very important part of the model, the services, and it’s critical for corporate customers.
Let’s come to that in a second because that makes sense to me. You sell managed services to enterprises. You price support contracts for cameras and whatever. That’s an ongoing need businesses have. I’m still stuck on, “You’re going to sell me a mouse once and it’s going to have ongoing software updates forever.”
Imagine it’s like your Rolex. You’re going to really love that.
But Rolex has to employ software engineers to ship me over-the-air updates forever.
But the artifact is like your Rolex, and then given that we know the technology that we attach to changes, it’s not going to be like your Rolex in that it doesn’t have to ever change. Our stuff will have to change, but does the hardware have to change? I’m not so sure. We’ll have to obviously fix it and figure out what that business model is. We’re not at the forever mouse today, but I’m intrigued by the thought.
It certainly will help with sustainability. There are two ways people have traditionally proposed monetizing hardware over time. It’s subscription fees and it’s advertising. Is there a third way that I don’t know about that you’re thinking of?
No. The third way is the traditional model of “we innovate and we have you upgrade.” That’s the current model. And we’re pretty damn good at that model because we have pretty damn good innovators around the company who do come up with fabulous products.
That is definitely the model today. It’s not a bad model at all, especially since we’re continuing to design for more sustainable products. We’re continuing to recycle and refurbish products. All of that is good. But that said, I am intrigued by a forever mouse or forever video conferencing solution that you just update with software and create a business model around that.
I’m going to ask this very directly. Can you envision a subscription mouse?
Possibly.
And that would be the forever mouse?
Yeah.
So you pay a subscription for software updates to your mouse.
Yeah, and you never have to worry about it again, which is not unlike our video conferencing services today.
But it’s a mouse.
But it’s a mouse, yeah.
I think consumers might perceive those to be very different.
[Laughs] Yes, but it’s gorgeous. Think about it like a diamond-encrusted mouse.

Logitech is dismissing the idea it might charge ongoing fees for a mouse. | Image: Logitech

“There are no plans for a subscription mouse,” said Logitech communications head Nicole Kenyon in a statement provided to The Verge and other publications.

The statement came in response to immediate backlash over a concept described by Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber shared her company’s early concept of a “forever mouse” with The Verge’s EIC Nilay Patel on the Decoder podcast. Faber described the potential mouse as a high-quality, software-enabled mouse that lasts as long as a good wristwatch.

“The forever mouse, I think, is one of the things that we’d like to get to,” said Faber at the time. The ensuing outcry around the idea that Logitech might be planning to make you pay monthly for a common computer peripheral was fierce.

Now, Kenyon writes in response to inaccurate reports about the interview, Logitech’s stance is “The mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product but a peek into provocative internal thinking on future possibilities for more sustainable consumer electronics.”

(This was actually Logitech’s second statement to try and mitigate confusion from Faber’s comments. The first was to assure customers of its smart home cameras that it wasn’t discontinuing them, as Faber’s comments on the podcast implied.)

Subscription fatigue is real. Companies that provide ongoing software support for products such as mice and keyboards clearly need to fund that, but “a subscription model” can’t be the default response for every CEO looking for new revenue streams.

You can listen to the discussion for yourself, or read the relevant section below, and see how “provocative” the idea seems.

Faber: The other day, in Ireland, in our innovation center there, one of our team members showed me a forever mouse with the comparison to a watch. This is a nice watch, not a super expensive watch, but I’m not planning to throw that watch away ever. So why would I be throwing my mouse or my keyboard away if it’s a fantastic-quality, well-designed, software-enabled mouse. The forever mouse is one of the things that we’d like to get to.

Patel: What made the mouse a forever mouse?

It was a little heavier, it had great software and services that you’d constantly update, and it was beautiful. So I don’t think we’re necessarily super far away from that.

But, again, I just come back to the cost. You sell me the mouse once. Maybe I’ll pay 200 bucks for it.

The business model obviously is the challenge there. So then software is even more important when you think about it. Can you come up with a service model? In our video conferencing business, that is now a very important part of the model, the services, and it’s critical for corporate customers.

Let’s come to that in a second because that makes sense to me. You sell managed services to enterprises. You price support contracts for cameras and whatever. That’s an ongoing need businesses have. I’m still stuck on, “You’re going to sell me a mouse once and it’s going to have ongoing software updates forever.”

Imagine it’s like your Rolex. You’re going to really love that.

But Rolex has to employ software engineers to ship me over-the-air updates forever.

But the artifact is like your Rolex, and then given that we know the technology that we attach to changes, it’s not going to be like your Rolex in that it doesn’t have to ever change. Our stuff will have to change, but does the hardware have to change? I’m not so sure. We’ll have to obviously fix it and figure out what that business model is. We’re not at the forever mouse today, but I’m intrigued by the thought.

It certainly will help with sustainability. There are two ways people have traditionally proposed monetizing hardware over time. It’s subscription fees and it’s advertising. Is there a third way that I don’t know about that you’re thinking of?

No. The third way is the traditional model of “we innovate and we have you upgrade.” That’s the current model. And we’re pretty damn good at that model because we have pretty damn good innovators around the company who do come up with fabulous products.

That is definitely the model today. It’s not a bad model at all, especially since we’re continuing to design for more sustainable products. We’re continuing to recycle and refurbish products. All of that is good. But that said, I am intrigued by a forever mouse or forever video conferencing solution that you just update with software and create a business model around that.

I’m going to ask this very directly. Can you envision a subscription mouse?

Possibly.

And that would be the forever mouse?

Yeah.

So you pay a subscription for software updates to your mouse.

Yeah, and you never have to worry about it again, which is not unlike our video conferencing services today.

But it’s a mouse.

But it’s a mouse, yeah.

I think consumers might perceive those to be very different.

[Laughs] Yes, but it’s gorgeous. Think about it like a diamond-encrusted mouse.

Read More 

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

The experience of charging an electric vehicle in the US could be better, and a big new study is out that lists the biggest infrastructure pain points, including a failure to report broken stalls, inaccurate station status messages, aging equipment, and some habitually unreliable network providers (who go unnamed in the study, unfortunately).
The study was conducted by the company ChargeHelp, which offers EV charger operations and maintenance solutions. The firm also had its findings reviewed and confirmed by Professor Gil Tal, who is director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis. ChargeHelp used four years of data from 20,000 chargers it monitors, comparing networked stations’ self-reported uptime against the actual uptime EV drivers find on location.
EV chargers can break in many ways, the study concludes. These include broken retractor systems intended to protect the cable from getting mangled by vehicle tires, broken screens, and inoperable payment systems. There is also general damage to the cabinet and, of course, broken cables and connectors.

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge
How long to you think these stressed cables and retractors would last?

Across the chargers recorded, ChargeHelp calculates that actual uptime is only 73.7 percent compared to 84.6 percent as self-reported by the EV network providers.
The study found that 26 percent of all stations analyzed did not positively match the perceived status of the chargers as presented in the networks’ software. That means some charge networks overstate the number of stations it has that are online, which puts a damper on the confidence EV owners should have in the charging infrastructure. It’s especially problematic when one badly needs a charge and ends up at a station that an app said was online, but wasn’t.
Zombies and Ghosts
The study lists various situations where an EV driver can’t successfully connect with a charger, including “ghost” station scenarios, where stalls appear in an app but either don’t exist or are broken. The study also describes “zombie stations,” which exist and work but don’t appear in the apps, so drivers don’t go to them. And “confused occupancy” is when an app tells drivers certain stalls are available, but they aren’t. “Dead ends” seem all gravy until you plug in and find out it doesn’t work. ChargeHelp claims reliable software interoperability and network data sharing can help fix these issues.
There are also surprising variations in charger downtime based on location. For instance, at 4.4 percent, New Jersey had some of the lowest number of down ports in the country at the start of 2023. However, the state only had 27 working public charge ports per 1,000 registered EVs, which might not satisfy demand. Contrast that with Washington DC, which had almost 11 percent down ports, yet had 137 ports per 1,000 registered EVs.

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

The experience of charging an electric vehicle in the US could be better, and a big new study is out that lists the biggest infrastructure pain points, including a failure to report broken stalls, inaccurate station status messages, aging equipment, and some habitually unreliable network providers (who go unnamed in the study, unfortunately).

The study was conducted by the company ChargeHelp, which offers EV charger operations and maintenance solutions. The firm also had its findings reviewed and confirmed by Professor Gil Tal, who is director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis. ChargeHelp used four years of data from 20,000 chargers it monitors, comparing networked stations’ self-reported uptime against the actual uptime EV drivers find on location.

EV chargers can break in many ways, the study concludes. These include broken retractor systems intended to protect the cable from getting mangled by vehicle tires, broken screens, and inoperable payment systems. There is also general damage to the cabinet and, of course, broken cables and connectors.

Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge
How long to you think these stressed cables and retractors would last?

Across the chargers recorded, ChargeHelp calculates that actual uptime is only 73.7 percent compared to 84.6 percent as self-reported by the EV network providers.

The study found that 26 percent of all stations analyzed did not positively match the perceived status of the chargers as presented in the networks’ software. That means some charge networks overstate the number of stations it has that are online, which puts a damper on the confidence EV owners should have in the charging infrastructure. It’s especially problematic when one badly needs a charge and ends up at a station that an app said was online, but wasn’t.

The study lists various situations where an EV driver can’t successfully connect with a charger, including “ghost” station scenarios, where stalls appear in an app but either don’t exist or are broken. The study also describes “zombie stations,” which exist and work but don’t appear in the apps, so drivers don’t go to them. And “confused occupancy” is when an app tells drivers certain stalls are available, but they aren’t. “Dead ends” seem all gravy until you plug in and find out it doesn’t work. ChargeHelp claims reliable software interoperability and network data sharing can help fix these issues.

There are also surprising variations in charger downtime based on location. For instance, at 4.4 percent, New Jersey had some of the lowest number of down ports in the country at the start of 2023. However, the state only had 27 working public charge ports per 1,000 registered EVs, which might not satisfy demand. Contrast that with Washington DC, which had almost 11 percent down ports, yet had 137 ports per 1,000 registered EVs.

Read More 

The Ember Mug 2 comes in a variety of colors, including simple options like white and black. | Image: Ember

Ember’s fancy-schmancy smart mugs are all discounted on its site through August 13th as part of the company’s back-to-school sale so you can prepare for the cooler months ahead well ahead of time. While the current promo takes 20 percent off the Ember Tumbler, Cup, and Travel Mug 2 (with code B2S20), our collective favorite here at The Verge is the Ember Mug 2 — which is on sale in both its 10- and 14-ounce sizing direct from Ember, with other retailers matching.

If you’re shopping for the Ember Mug 2, you can get the 10-ounce version in black at Amazon for $102.22 (around $28 off), at Best Buy for $103.99, or direct from Ember for $103.96 (with code B2S20). As for the 14-ounce model, the white version is down to $118.99 (about $31 off) at Amazon, while the exclusive blue model is going for $119.99 ($30 off) at Best Buy. Ember, meanwhile, is offering all the standard colors for $119.96 when you use offer code B2S20.
Ember products are not exactly a necessity, but if you don’t mind the splurge, they’re very convenient — especially for big coffee or tea drinkers who work from home. The mug pairs with your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to dial in your desired temperature via the Ember app. While the Mug 2 only maintains that temperature for up to 90 minutes on battery (depending on the size), it will keep things heated indefinitely while docked on the included charging coaster. That’s especially nice if you’re the type (like me) that often pours a hot cup of coffee and forgets to touch it until it’s well passed lukewarm.

The Ember Mug 2 comes in a variety of colors, including simple options like white and black. | Image: Ember

Ember’s fancy-schmancy smart mugs are all discounted on its site through August 13th as part of the company’s back-to-school sale so you can prepare for the cooler months ahead well ahead of time. While the current promo takes 20 percent off the Ember Tumbler, Cup, and Travel Mug 2 (with code B2S20), our collective favorite here at The Verge is the Ember Mug 2 — which is on sale in both its 10- and 14-ounce sizing direct from Ember, with other retailers matching.

If you’re shopping for the Ember Mug 2, you can get the 10-ounce version in black at Amazon for $102.22 (around $28 off), at Best Buy for $103.99, or direct from Ember for $103.96 (with code B2S20). As for the 14-ounce model, the white version is down to $118.99 (about $31 off) at Amazon, while the exclusive blue model is going for $119.99 ($30 off) at Best Buy. Ember, meanwhile, is offering all the standard colors for $119.96 when you use offer code B2S20.

Ember products are not exactly a necessity, but if you don’t mind the splurge, they’re very convenient — especially for big coffee or tea drinkers who work from home. The mug pairs with your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to dial in your desired temperature via the Ember app. While the Mug 2 only maintains that temperature for up to 90 minutes on battery (depending on the size), it will keep things heated indefinitely while docked on the included charging coaster. That’s especially nice if you’re the type (like me) that often pours a hot cup of coffee and forgets to touch it until it’s well passed lukewarm.

Read More 

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Reddit’s “ask me anything” posts, or AMAs, could feel more like special events than standard posts with a twist, thanks to changes that go sitewide on Thursday. While none of the updates reflect a total overhaul, they do put a new kind of emphasis on the popular Q&A sessions.
Starting on Thursday, a new AMA tab will offer special options like the ability to schedule and promote an AMA in a single post. Creators of the posts can also add up to five cohosts, whose answers are tagged as such in the comments section. When the AMA is over, hosts can also add an ending note with closing thoughts, links, or final promotional info.
For ordinary site users, a new RSVP option will let them get notifications so they don’t miss one. Once the AMA is live, new tabs let readers filter comments by questions the hosts have answered or those they haven’t. Also, scheduled AMAs will get labels noting if they’re coming soon, already live, or have passed.
Here’s an image gallery with some of the changes:

Reddit has been testing its new format for a while, so you can see how it works in a few AMAs. There’s one hosted by Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, another cohosted by a pair of journalists and a man who was falsely imprisoned for almost four decades for murder, and a session from, er, Homelander of Amazon Prime’s The Boys.

Like a lot of people, I always feel the need to brace myself whenever Reddit announces it’s doing something new. But these tweaks to the site’s Q&A sessions feel like genuine improvements. Having missed my share of AMAs that I really wanted to be a part of because I simply forgot, I’m looking forward to getting reminders for them.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Reddit’s “ask me anything” posts, or AMAs, could feel more like special events than standard posts with a twist, thanks to changes that go sitewide on Thursday. While none of the updates reflect a total overhaul, they do put a new kind of emphasis on the popular Q&A sessions.

Starting on Thursday, a new AMA tab will offer special options like the ability to schedule and promote an AMA in a single post. Creators of the posts can also add up to five cohosts, whose answers are tagged as such in the comments section. When the AMA is over, hosts can also add an ending note with closing thoughts, links, or final promotional info.

For ordinary site users, a new RSVP option will let them get notifications so they don’t miss one. Once the AMA is live, new tabs let readers filter comments by questions the hosts have answered or those they haven’t. Also, scheduled AMAs will get labels noting if they’re coming soon, already live, or have passed.

Here’s an image gallery with some of the changes:

Reddit has been testing its new format for a while, so you can see how it works in a few AMAs. There’s one hosted by Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, another cohosted by a pair of journalists and a man who was falsely imprisoned for almost four decades for murder, and a session from, er, Homelander of Amazon Prime’s The Boys.

Like a lot of people, I always feel the need to brace myself whenever Reddit announces it’s doing something new. But these tweaks to the site’s Q&A sessions feel like genuine improvements. Having missed my share of AMAs that I really wanted to be a part of because I simply forgot, I’m looking forward to getting reminders for them.

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Image: Netflix

Netflix is bringing its Stranger Things play to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre next March. The play, called Stranger Things: The First Shadow, takes place years before the events in the streaming series unfold. It made its debut in London’s West End last year.
The play takes place in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959 and follows a young Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado, and Bob Newby’s sister as they contend with the arrival of the new kid in town: Henry Creel. The production credits Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers as the original story and creative producers of the play, with Kate Trefy serving as the writer.
Tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway go up for presale on September 13th, while general availability starts on September 17th.

Since its premiere last year, Stranger Things: The First Shadow has scooped up two Olivier Awards for best new entertainment and best set design. Based on the clips from the play in London, it looks like there’s no shortage of action and flashy special effects. That’s backed up by reviews, which sometimes found the story lacking, but the effects extraordinarily dazzling.
Even if you don’t plan on making the trek to New York to see the Stranger Things play, at least you can watch the show’s fifth and final season from the comfort of your home when it premieres next year.

Image: Netflix

Netflix is bringing its Stranger Things play to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre next March. The play, called Stranger Things: The First Shadow, takes place years before the events in the streaming series unfold. It made its debut in London’s West End last year.

The play takes place in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959 and follows a young Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado, and Bob Newby’s sister as they contend with the arrival of the new kid in town: Henry Creel. The production credits Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers as the original story and creative producers of the play, with Kate Trefy serving as the writer.

Tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway go up for presale on September 13th, while general availability starts on September 17th.

Since its premiere last year, Stranger Things: The First Shadow has scooped up two Olivier Awards for best new entertainment and best set design. Based on the clips from the play in London, it looks like there’s no shortage of action and flashy special effects. That’s backed up by reviews, which sometimes found the story lacking, but the effects extraordinarily dazzling.

Even if you don’t plan on making the trek to New York to see the Stranger Things play, at least you can watch the show’s fifth and final season from the comfort of your home when it premieres next year.

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Illustration: The Verge

Amazon Music on Tuesday introduced Topics, a new AI-powered feature that should let you easily discover other related podcasts based on topics discussed in a particular episode.
After analyzing podcast transcriptions and descriptions to identify key topics, AI, with the aid of human reviewers, generates a Topics tag button. Located beneath each episode description, clicking on any tag will produce a list of related podcast episodes to that subject.
As an example, Amazon shared an Amazon Music mobile app screenshot of an episode about the effects of caffeine as a drug from the Stuff You Should Know podcast. Titled, “Selects: The Duality of Caffeine,” Amazon added three Topics tags underneath the product description: “Caffeine,” “Coffee,” and “Dopamine.”

Image: Amazon

Right now, the feature is only available for US customers using the latest version of the Amazon Music mobile app on iOS or Android. It’s currently rolling out across “top podcasts,” though Amazon plans to expand it to others.
With Topics, Amazon’s likely trying to keep up with Spotify. Last November, the rival announced it had started using Google Cloud’s AI tools to analyze its podcasts and audiobooks. Its aim was to offer better personalized recommendations, as users noted Spotify’s suggestions for related podcasts on their homescreens and under its “More like section” weren’t always relevant.
Correction, August 6th: An earlier version of this post misstated Amazon Music introduced the feature on Wednesday. Amazon Music actually announced the news on Tuesday.

Illustration: The Verge

Amazon Music on Tuesday introduced Topics, a new AI-powered feature that should let you easily discover other related podcasts based on topics discussed in a particular episode.

After analyzing podcast transcriptions and descriptions to identify key topics, AI, with the aid of human reviewers, generates a Topics tag button. Located beneath each episode description, clicking on any tag will produce a list of related podcast episodes to that subject.

As an example, Amazon shared an Amazon Music mobile app screenshot of an episode about the effects of caffeine as a drug from the Stuff You Should Know podcast. Titled, “Selects: The Duality of Caffeine,” Amazon added three Topics tags underneath the product description: “Caffeine,” “Coffee,” and “Dopamine.”

Image: Amazon

Right now, the feature is only available for US customers using the latest version of the Amazon Music mobile app on iOS or Android. It’s currently rolling out across “top podcasts,” though Amazon plans to expand it to others.

With Topics, Amazon’s likely trying to keep up with Spotify. Last November, the rival announced it had started using Google Cloud’s AI tools to analyze its podcasts and audiobooks. Its aim was to offer better personalized recommendations, as users noted Spotify’s suggestions for related podcasts on their homescreens and under its “More like section” weren’t always relevant.

Correction, August 6th: An earlier version of this post misstated Amazon Music introduced the feature on Wednesday. Amazon Music actually announced the news on Tuesday.

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A small-scale model of a carbon removal facility during a groundbreaking ceremony at the Occidental Petroleum and 1PointFive Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant in Ector County, Texas, on April 28th, 2023.  | Photo: Getty Images

Companies are increasingly turning to newfangled ways to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as a way to hit their sustainability goals. But who’s watching to make sure these tactics are working?
A new project called the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative (CRSI) launched today, with the goal of helping develop standards for efforts to draw down and sequester CO2. It comes as big names in tech scale-up investments in carbon dioxide removal (CDR), even though there are still concerns about whether those technologies will be able to prove themselves at commercial scale.
Who’s watching to make sure these tactics are working?
CDR can look like many different things — building an industrial facility to filter CO2 out of the air or seawater, for instance. While they can sound green on paper, there’s a danger that all the carbon accounting won’t add up enough to help stop climate change. Those new industrial facilities use a lot of energy, for example, and the carbon they capture could potentially be used to produce more oil and gas. There isn’t much oversight yet to make sure new projects are making good on their claims.

Policymakers are still trying to catch up with all these new technologies. The European Union is developing the first certification framework of its kind for carbon removal technologies. In the meantime, industry groups have set up their own initiatives to get the ball rolling on CDR. Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability launched one effort called Frontier in 2022 to connect vetted carbon removal projects with companies interested in paying for their services.
Rather than developing its own guidelines for others to follow, CRSI says it’s taking a “bottom-up approach to standardization.” It’s setting out to provide technical assistance to regulators and other organizations working on carbon removal policies. It has already put together a publicly available database of academic papers, industry white papers, and other resources on the emerging landscape.
CRSI wants to set itself apart as a nonprofit that doesn’t accept corporate donations or rely on the sale of credits from carbon removal projects. “As the carbon removal industry grows, there’s a lot of self-regulation,” says Anu Khan, CRSI founder and executive director. “Industry will always be a part of standards development, but industry can’t be the only voice in the room.”

To be sure, CRSI’s initial funders include Bill Gates’ climate investment firm, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Microsoft has bet big on carbon removal, making one of the largest purchases yet in July from oil giant Occidental’s carbon removal project in Texas. Microsoft pledged in 2020 to reach negative carbon emissions by the end of the decade, but its carbon footprint has grown by around 30 percent since making that commitment. So, it’s not surprising that some environmental groups are worried that carbon removal could be a red herring, allowing companies to say they’re fighting climate change even though they’re still pumping out lots of pollution that’s making the crisis worse.
Khan says that carbon removal needs to grow beyond being a tool for companies to use to try to make up for their pollution. That means capturing carbon for the climate’s sake, without necessarily having to sell credits to companies that haven’t managed to slash their emissions. They’ll need strong standards in place first.
“I think it’s a really promising conversation,” Khan says. “But for all of these policies, we need to make sure that they are actually measurably, quantifiably drawing down carbon.”

A small-scale model of a carbon removal facility during a groundbreaking ceremony at the Occidental Petroleum and 1PointFive Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant in Ector County, Texas, on April 28th, 2023.  | Photo: Getty Images

Companies are increasingly turning to newfangled ways to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as a way to hit their sustainability goals. But who’s watching to make sure these tactics are working?

A new project called the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative (CRSI) launched today, with the goal of helping develop standards for efforts to draw down and sequester CO2. It comes as big names in tech scale-up investments in carbon dioxide removal (CDR), even though there are still concerns about whether those technologies will be able to prove themselves at commercial scale.

CDR can look like many different things — building an industrial facility to filter CO2 out of the air or seawater, for instance. While they can sound green on paper, there’s a danger that all the carbon accounting won’t add up enough to help stop climate change. Those new industrial facilities use a lot of energy, for example, and the carbon they capture could potentially be used to produce more oil and gas. There isn’t much oversight yet to make sure new projects are making good on their claims.

Policymakers are still trying to catch up with all these new technologies. The European Union is developing the first certification framework of its kind for carbon removal technologies. In the meantime, industry groups have set up their own initiatives to get the ball rolling on CDR. Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability launched one effort called Frontier in 2022 to connect vetted carbon removal projects with companies interested in paying for their services.

Rather than developing its own guidelines for others to follow, CRSI says it’s taking a “bottom-up approach to standardization.” It’s setting out to provide technical assistance to regulators and other organizations working on carbon removal policies. It has already put together a publicly available database of academic papers, industry white papers, and other resources on the emerging landscape.

CRSI wants to set itself apart as a nonprofit that doesn’t accept corporate donations or rely on the sale of credits from carbon removal projects. “As the carbon removal industry grows, there’s a lot of self-regulation,” says Anu Khan, CRSI founder and executive director. “Industry will always be a part of standards development, but industry can’t be the only voice in the room.”

To be sure, CRSI’s initial funders include Bill Gates’ climate investment firm, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Microsoft has bet big on carbon removal, making one of the largest purchases yet in July from oil giant Occidental’s carbon removal project in Texas. Microsoft pledged in 2020 to reach negative carbon emissions by the end of the decade, but its carbon footprint has grown by around 30 percent since making that commitment. So, it’s not surprising that some environmental groups are worried that carbon removal could be a red herring, allowing companies to say they’re fighting climate change even though they’re still pumping out lots of pollution that’s making the crisis worse.

Khan says that carbon removal needs to grow beyond being a tool for companies to use to try to make up for their pollution. That means capturing carbon for the climate’s sake, without necessarily having to sell credits to companies that haven’t managed to slash their emissions. They’ll need strong standards in place first.

“I think it’s a really promising conversation,” Khan says. “But for all of these policies, we need to make sure that they are actually measurably, quantifiably drawing down carbon.”

Read More