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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it seized two domain names and more than 900 social media accounts it claims were part of an “AI-enhanced” Russian bot farm. Many of the accounts were designed to look like they belonged to Americans and posted content about the Russia-Ukraine war, including videos in which Russian President Vladimir Putin justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Justice Department claims that an employee of RT — Russia’s state media outlet — was behind the bot farm. RT’s leadership signed off on a plan to use the bot farm to “distribute information on a wide-scale basis,” amplifying the publication’s reach on social media,” an FBI agent alleged in an affidavit. To set up the bot farm, the employee bought two domain names from Namecheap, an Arizona-based company, that were then used to create two email servers, the affidavit claims. The servers were then used to create 968 email addresses, which were in turn used to set up social media accounts, according to the affidavit and the DOJ.
In early 2023, a member of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) created a private intelligence organization whose membership included the deputy editor and other employees of RT, the affidavit claims. The organization’s true purpose “was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm,” the DOJ claimed in a statement. In other words, the goal was not to expand RT’s audience but to spread disinformation on behalf of the Russian government using RT’s bot network, according to the DOJ.
The effort was concentrated on X, where profiles were created with Meliorator, an “AI-enabled bot farm generation and management software,” according to a joint cybersecurity advisory published by the US, Canadian, and Dutch governments. Meliorator had an obfuscation technique designed to bypass X’s verification methods, the cybersecurity advisory claims.
Each bot’s profile had an identity or “soul” based on an archetype or persona. They were given biographical information, political ideologies, and a location. For example, one account purported to be a Bitcoin enthusiast and free speech absolutist from Minneapolis who was opposed to the New World Order. A “thoughts” tab allowed the operator to control the bots’ online behavior based on their soul or archetype.
The alleged scheme violates the Emergency Economic Powers Act, which lets the president impose economic sanctions on certain foreign actors and governments. Under the IEEPA, the executive branch has imposed a number of orders and regulations governing Americans’ transactions with Russian nationals and the Russian government, including an executive order that prohibits US persons from providing funds, goods, or services “to or for the benefit of” Specially Designated Nationals without obtaining authorization from the Treasury Department.
The investigation is ongoing.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it seized two domain names and more than 900 social media accounts it claims were part of an “AI-enhanced” Russian bot farm. Many of the accounts were designed to look like they belonged to Americans and posted content about the Russia-Ukraine war, including videos in which Russian President Vladimir Putin justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Justice Department claims that an employee of RT — Russia’s state media outlet — was behind the bot farm. RT’s leadership signed off on a plan to use the bot farm to “distribute information on a wide-scale basis,” amplifying the publication’s reach on social media,” an FBI agent alleged in an affidavit. To set up the bot farm, the employee bought two domain names from Namecheap, an Arizona-based company, that were then used to create two email servers, the affidavit claims. The servers were then used to create 968 email addresses, which were in turn used to set up social media accounts, according to the affidavit and the DOJ.

In early 2023, a member of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) created a private intelligence organization whose membership included the deputy editor and other employees of RT, the affidavit claims. The organization’s true purpose “was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm,” the DOJ claimed in a statement. In other words, the goal was not to expand RT’s audience but to spread disinformation on behalf of the Russian government using RT’s bot network, according to the DOJ.

The effort was concentrated on X, where profiles were created with Meliorator, an “AI-enabled bot farm generation and management software,” according to a joint cybersecurity advisory published by the US, Canadian, and Dutch governments. Meliorator had an obfuscation technique designed to bypass X’s verification methods, the cybersecurity advisory claims.

Each bot’s profile had an identity or “soul” based on an archetype or persona. They were given biographical information, political ideologies, and a location. For example, one account purported to be a Bitcoin enthusiast and free speech absolutist from Minneapolis who was opposed to the New World Order. A “thoughts” tab allowed the operator to control the bots’ online behavior based on their soul or archetype.

The alleged scheme violates the Emergency Economic Powers Act, which lets the president impose economic sanctions on certain foreign actors and governments. Under the IEEPA, the executive branch has imposed a number of orders and regulations governing Americans’ transactions with Russian nationals and the Russian government, including an executive order that prohibits US persons from providing funds, goods, or services “to or for the benefit of” Specially Designated Nationals without obtaining authorization from the Treasury Department.

The investigation is ongoing.

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The game is an oldie but goodie, especially with multiple people playing. | Screenshot: Nintendo

If you have a sudden or anticipated need for Joy-Con replacements or additional controllers to supplement the pair that came with your Nintendo Switch, the ongoing Walmart Deals event is where you want to be. Until July 11th, the retailer is selling the red and blue Joy-Con bundled with a copy of Super Mario Party for $69 ($31 off). The Joy-Con controllers retail for about that much on their own, and the game is usually around $40 to $50 when it’s on sale, so the game is effectively free.

Super Mario Party for Switch (the 11th in its long history, though there’s a newer title in Mario Party Superstars) offers four-player fun with 80 different minigames, from racing and sports to puzzlers and gladiator-style rumbles. There’s a mix of new and classic boards and games to enjoy, all of which are completely playable with just a single Joy-Con per player (including a sizable amount that use the controllers’ motion capabilities). You can play with up to four people in free-for-all or team-based formats, whether you’re online or hosting a couch co-op night.

Super Mario Party has a fun mix of Nintendo characters to play with. You have iconic mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Princess Peach, of course, but you’ll also find characters from popular series like Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and The Legend of Zelda. You can earn several unique dice blocks for each with special abilities or improved odds to roll the numbers you need.
To win, you’ll need to acquire more stars than your opponents before the turn or time limit expires. As you move across the board, you’ll claim bonuses and powerups that may help you land on lucrative squares that can earn you more stars. You might also land on squares that aren’t so helpful to your plight.
Between the skill-based minigames, boosts and busts you can encounter on the board from random dice rolls, and last-minute swings that can completely turn the tide, no two games of Super Mario Party ever feel quite the same. Be careful playing with loved ones — there’s a good chance your friendly rivalries can turn a little bitter as you continually settle the score.

The game is an oldie but goodie, especially with multiple people playing. | Screenshot: Nintendo

If you have a sudden or anticipated need for Joy-Con replacements or additional controllers to supplement the pair that came with your Nintendo Switch, the ongoing Walmart Deals event is where you want to be. Until July 11th, the retailer is selling the red and blue Joy-Con bundled with a copy of Super Mario Party for $69 ($31 off). The Joy-Con controllers retail for about that much on their own, and the game is usually around $40 to $50 when it’s on sale, so the game is effectively free.

Super Mario Party for Switch (the 11th in its long history, though there’s a newer title in Mario Party Superstars) offers four-player fun with 80 different minigames, from racing and sports to puzzlers and gladiator-style rumbles. There’s a mix of new and classic boards and games to enjoy, all of which are completely playable with just a single Joy-Con per player (including a sizable amount that use the controllers’ motion capabilities). You can play with up to four people in free-for-all or team-based formats, whether you’re online or hosting a couch co-op night.

Super Mario Party has a fun mix of Nintendo characters to play with. You have iconic mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Princess Peach, of course, but you’ll also find characters from popular series like Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and The Legend of Zelda. You can earn several unique dice blocks for each with special abilities or improved odds to roll the numbers you need.

To win, you’ll need to acquire more stars than your opponents before the turn or time limit expires. As you move across the board, you’ll claim bonuses and powerups that may help you land on lucrative squares that can earn you more stars. You might also land on squares that aren’t so helpful to your plight.

Between the skill-based minigames, boosts and busts you can encounter on the board from random dice rolls, and last-minute swings that can completely turn the tide, no two games of Super Mario Party ever feel quite the same. Be careful playing with loved ones — there’s a good chance your friendly rivalries can turn a little bitter as you continually settle the score.

Read More 

Image: The Verge

Mark Matlock, a political candidate for the right-wing Reform UK party, clarified in The Independent that he is a real person, not an AI bot, as some suspected.
Perhaps it was the glossy, hyper-smooth skin in a campaign image or the fact that Matlock had apparently missed events like the election count — but earlier this week, a thread on X questioned whether Matlock existed at all. “We might be on the verge of a HUGE SCANDAL,” the post read.

We might be on the verge of a HUGE SCANDAL. Suspicions have been raised that Reform have fielded election candidates that aren’t real people. Is there any evidence that Mark Matlock (candidate for Clapham & Brixton Hill) actually exists? He looks AI generated. pic.twitter.com/0wJcR4HZXG— Dr Bella (@Dr_BellaR) July 8, 2024

An AI-generated political candidate isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility: during this election, an executive at an AI company used an AI persona to run for Parliament in the UK. He lost, obviously, getting just 179 votes.
Matlock, however, is a human candidate who apparently was very ill during the election.
“I got pneumonia three days before election night I was exercising taking vitamins so I could attend but it was just not viable. On election night I couldn’t even stand,” he told The Independent. Matlock also provided the outlet with the original photo that drew attention, saying the background was removed and the color of his tie was changed. The photo does have that rubbery, uncanny look to it that’s come to be associated with AI, though —particularly Matlock’s hair and skin. This seems like a good lesson for all elected officials: don’t edit your pictures in a way that looks like a Midjourney result for the prompt “youthful, nonthreatening-looking politician.”
The 2024 elections in the US and abroad are already feeling the effects of the proliferation of AI tools, though, for now, we still haven’t seen an AI bot replace a human politician. (To be fair, some people would probably prefer that.) Convincingly real deepfakes of politicians are easier than ever to make, with President Joe Biden’s voice being cloned to discourage people from voting, in one notable incident. There’s also the question of how to handle political ads created using AI tools — Google said earlier this month it will automatically create disclosures for political ads that have been labeled as AI-generated by the advertiser.
As The Guardian points out, some Reform UK candidates offered barely any details about themselves online, likely adding to the speculation about Matlock. So if you’re planning to run for elected office anytime soon, be warned: show up to events, engage with constituents, and keep a public profile. And, of course, lay off the photo editing.

Image: The Verge

Mark Matlock, a political candidate for the right-wing Reform UK party, clarified in The Independent that he is a real person, not an AI bot, as some suspected.

Perhaps it was the glossy, hyper-smooth skin in a campaign image or the fact that Matlock had apparently missed events like the election count — but earlier this week, a thread on X questioned whether Matlock existed at all. “We might be on the verge of a HUGE SCANDAL,” the post read.

An AI-generated political candidate isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility: during this election, an executive at an AI company used an AI persona to run for Parliament in the UK. He lost, obviously, getting just 179 votes.

Matlock, however, is a human candidate who apparently was very ill during the election.

“I got pneumonia three days before election night I was exercising taking vitamins so I could attend but it was just not viable. On election night I couldn’t even stand,” he told The Independent. Matlock also provided the outlet with the original photo that drew attention, saying the background was removed and the color of his tie was changed. The photo does have that rubbery, uncanny look to it that’s come to be associated with AI, though —particularly Matlock’s hair and skin. This seems like a good lesson for all elected officials: don’t edit your pictures in a way that looks like a Midjourney result for the prompt “youthful, nonthreatening-looking politician.”

The 2024 elections in the US and abroad are already feeling the effects of the proliferation of AI tools, though, for now, we still haven’t seen an AI bot replace a human politician. (To be fair, some people would probably prefer that.) Convincingly real deepfakes of politicians are easier than ever to make, with President Joe Biden’s voice being cloned to discourage people from voting, in one notable incident. There’s also the question of how to handle political ads created using AI tools — Google said earlier this month it will automatically create disclosures for political ads that have been labeled as AI-generated by the advertiser.

As The Guardian points out, some Reform UK candidates offered barely any details about themselves online, likely adding to the speculation about Matlock. So if you’re planning to run for elected office anytime soon, be warned: show up to events, engage with constituents, and keep a public profile. And, of course, lay off the photo editing.

Read More 

The second-gen AirPods Pro are one of several Apple devices that have dropped to an all-time low ahead of Prime Day. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Amazon Prime Day may kick off on July 16th, but if you can’t wait or you’re not a Prime member, Walmart’s competing sales event is worth a look. Now until July 11th, the retailer is discounting a whole bunch of gadgets and goodies, from the latest AirPods Pro to the Nintendo Switch OLED. What’s more, Walmart is offering half-price yearlong Walmart Plus memberships ($49) throughout the sale, which grants you access to free delivery, a complimentary subscription to Paramount Plus, and early access to deals during future sales events.

Below, we’ve rounded up all the worthwhile deals you can currently take advantage of. If you’re a Prime member, we’d also recommend checking out our guide to the best early Prime Day deals so you can save even more ahead of the two-day shopping event.

The best headphone and earbud deals

If you want a pair of wireless earbuds that integrate well with Apple’s ecosystem and can do without ANC, the third-gen AirPods are on sale at Walmart and Amazon with a Lightning charging case for $129 ($45 off). That’s the best price we’ve seen on the latest entry-level AirPods, which deliver good sound and improved battery life; unlike their predecessor, they also offer IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Read our review.

If you want the cheapest AirPods money can buy, Apple’s second-gen AirPods are down to an all-time low of $69 ($60 off) at Walmart and Amazon. They don’t have IPX4 sweat and water resistance like the third-gen AirPods, but they still sound good, last a long time on a single charge, and offer reliable performance. Read our review.

Sony’s LinkBuds S are on sale at Walmart starting at $138.60. This isn’t the lowest we’ve seen the wireless earbuds go for — they’ve dropped down to as low as $108 in the past — but it’s still a respectable $61 discount. That’s a decent price for a pair of noise-canceling earbuds with excellent sound and support for the LDAC lossless audio codec. They also feature a helpful transparency mode for when you want to hear your surroundings. Read our review.

The best gaming deals

Govee’s DreamView G1S Pro gaming lights are down to $80 ($26 off) at Walmart. The lighting set includes two desktop light towers and a flexible strip light for the back of your monitor. It comes with a 1080p camera that reads the colors on your screen, which, in turn, allows the lights to reflect what’s happening in your game. There’s also an integrated microphone that allows the lights to respond to sound, whether from the game you’re playing or to visualize any music you’re listening to.

Sony’s DualSense Edge controller for the PlayStation 5 is down to $174.99 ($25 off) at Walmart, which is the best price we’ve seen on the pro-style controller so far. It builds upon the original DualSense’s innovative features with swappable thumb sticks, customizable stick sensitivity and dead zones, adjustable trigger travel, and programmable back buttons that you can swap and remove at will. It comes with a hard-shell carrying case, too. Read our review.
The original Pulse 3D headset for the PlayStation 5 is down to $87.99 ($12 off) in select colors at Walmart, which isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen but is a decent consolation if you can’t afford the updated Pulse Elite model. The wireless headset supports Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio tech, which offers spatial audio that surrounds you with accurately positioned sound effects. You can dial in your preferred EQ settings, too, with three presets and three slots to customize your own.
If you’ve always dreamed of adding an arcade machine to your game room, Walmart is currently selling Arcade1Up’s Capcom Legacy cabinet for just $249 ($51 off). The “Yoga Flame” design takes after the featured Street Fighter franchise and showcases iconic characters from the preloaded games, including Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. It also comes with a selection of other classic Capcom games, such as Strider, Final Fight, and Captain Commando.

The best smartwatch deals

Apple’s latest entry-level smartwatch — the second-gen Apple Watch SE — is on sale at Walmart in the GPS configuration starting at $189 ($60 off). It lacks the temperature, EKG, and blood oxygen sensors found in the Apple Watch Series 9, but it’s otherwise a capable wearable for tracking various health and fitness metrics. It also sports the same chipset and Crash Detection feature as the Apple Watch Series 8. Read our review.
The Fitbit Versa 4, which is more akin to a traditional smartwatch than other Fitbit trackers, is down to $119.95 (about $80 off) at Walmart. It has built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, and an estimated three days of battery life while using its always-on display.
You can pick up a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in the 46mm / Bluetooth configuration at Walmart for a mere $99 ($50 off). We’re expecting to see the seventh generation in the lineup at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 10th, but the current promo on the fourth-gen model is a decent deal if you have a specific need for a Galaxy Watch that runs Wear OS on a shoestring budget. Read our review.

The best TV and streaming device deals

You can save on the 2023 TCL Q6 series of TVs in a variety of sizes, including the 65-inch configuration (now $398 at Walmart and Amazon), the 75-inch configuration (now $498 at Walmart), and the 85-inch configuration (now $748 at Walmart). The Q6 sets use Google’s TV software, which supports voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The TVs can technically meet modern gaming standards with a “Game Accelerator 120” mode, which halves the 4K resolution to push its native 60Hz refresh rate to a simulated 120Hz variable refresh rate. It also supports AMD FreeSync and an auto low-latency mode for reduced input lag and screen tearing. Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus round out the list of visual upgrades with DTS Virtual:X for surround audio, but sadly, there’s no Dolby Atmos support.
The 55-inch TCL S5 from 2024 is also on sale for $278 ($172 off) at Walmart. While it doesn’t have the QLED panel like the Q series highlighted above, the S5 supports a lot of the same visual features and even has some unique tricks of its own. That includes support for Dolby Atmos and Apple Home with AirPlay 2 integration.

Miscellaneous deals

The second-gen Apple Pencil is basically matching its all-time low of $79.99 ($50 off) at Walmart, Amazon, and Target (with a free Circle membership). Compared to the first-gen Apple Pencil, it ditches the awkward Lightning port charging in favor of a magnetic charging mechanism that attaches to the side of the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini models. It also supports tap gestures.
You can grab a pair of Govee DreamView P1 light bars for $49.99 ($21 off) at Walmart and Govee. The reactive lights are small enough to fit on a desk or an entertainment stand yet bright enough to paint your wall with colors, allowing you to illuminate your room based on whatever music you’re listening to or the content on your TV. You can also control the lighting using your voice via Alexa, Google Assistant, or Govee’s smartphone app.

The Insta360 X4 will still run you the base $499.99 price at Walmart as it will everywhere else, but the retailer is currently bundling it with a carrying case, a 64GB microSD card, a lens cleaning kit, and a few other accessories. The waterproof 8K action camera uses two sensors to record in all directions around you, which lets you swivel the point of view to any angle you want when editing your footage. (You can also record with just one sensor if you want to use it as an ordinary action cam.)

The second-gen AirPods Pro are one of several Apple devices that have dropped to an all-time low ahead of Prime Day. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Amazon Prime Day may kick off on July 16th, but if you can’t wait or you’re not a Prime member, Walmart’s competing sales event is worth a look. Now until July 11th, the retailer is discounting a whole bunch of gadgets and goodies, from the latest AirPods Pro to the Nintendo Switch OLED. What’s more, Walmart is offering half-price yearlong Walmart Plus memberships ($49) throughout the sale, which grants you access to free delivery, a complimentary subscription to Paramount Plus, and early access to deals during future sales events.

Below, we’ve rounded up all the worthwhile deals you can currently take advantage of. If you’re a Prime member, we’d also recommend checking out our guide to the best early Prime Day deals so you can save even more ahead of the two-day shopping event.

The best headphone and earbud deals

If you want a pair of wireless earbuds that integrate well with Apple’s ecosystem and can do without ANC, the third-gen AirPods are on sale at Walmart and Amazon with a Lightning charging case for $129 ($45 off). That’s the best price we’ve seen on the latest entry-level AirPods, which deliver good sound and improved battery life; unlike their predecessor, they also offer IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Read our review.

If you want the cheapest AirPods money can buy, Apple’s second-gen AirPods are down to an all-time low of $69 ($60 off) at Walmart and Amazon. They don’t have IPX4 sweat and water resistance like the third-gen AirPods, but they still sound good, last a long time on a single charge, and offer reliable performance. Read our review.

Sony’s LinkBuds S are on sale at Walmart starting at $138.60. This isn’t the lowest we’ve seen the wireless earbuds go for — they’ve dropped down to as low as $108 in the past — but it’s still a respectable $61 discount. That’s a decent price for a pair of noise-canceling earbuds with excellent sound and support for the LDAC lossless audio codec. They also feature a helpful transparency mode for when you want to hear your surroundings. Read our review.

The best gaming deals

Govee’s DreamView G1S Pro gaming lights are down to $80 ($26 off) at Walmart. The lighting set includes two desktop light towers and a flexible strip light for the back of your monitor. It comes with a 1080p camera that reads the colors on your screen, which, in turn, allows the lights to reflect what’s happening in your game. There’s also an integrated microphone that allows the lights to respond to sound, whether from the game you’re playing or to visualize any music you’re listening to.

Sony’s DualSense Edge controller for the PlayStation 5 is down to $174.99 ($25 off) at Walmart, which is the best price we’ve seen on the pro-style controller so far. It builds upon the original DualSense’s innovative features with swappable thumb sticks, customizable stick sensitivity and dead zones, adjustable trigger travel, and programmable back buttons that you can swap and remove at will. It comes with a hard-shell carrying case, too. Read our review.
The original Pulse 3D headset for the PlayStation 5 is down to $87.99 ($12 off) in select colors at Walmart, which isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen but is a decent consolation if you can’t afford the updated Pulse Elite model. The wireless headset supports Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio tech, which offers spatial audio that surrounds you with accurately positioned sound effects. You can dial in your preferred EQ settings, too, with three presets and three slots to customize your own.
If you’ve always dreamed of adding an arcade machine to your game room, Walmart is currently selling Arcade1Up’s Capcom Legacy cabinet for just $249 ($51 off). The “Yoga Flame” design takes after the featured Street Fighter franchise and showcases iconic characters from the preloaded games, including Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. It also comes with a selection of other classic Capcom games, such as Strider, Final Fight, and Captain Commando.

The best smartwatch deals

Apple’s latest entry-level smartwatch — the second-gen Apple Watch SE — is on sale at Walmart in the GPS configuration starting at $189 ($60 off). It lacks the temperature, EKG, and blood oxygen sensors found in the Apple Watch Series 9, but it’s otherwise a capable wearable for tracking various health and fitness metrics. It also sports the same chipset and Crash Detection feature as the Apple Watch Series 8. Read our review.
The Fitbit Versa 4, which is more akin to a traditional smartwatch than other Fitbit trackers, is down to $119.95 (about $80 off) at Walmart. It has built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, and an estimated three days of battery life while using its always-on display.
You can pick up a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in the 46mm / Bluetooth configuration at Walmart for a mere $99 ($50 off). We’re expecting to see the seventh generation in the lineup at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 10th, but the current promo on the fourth-gen model is a decent deal if you have a specific need for a Galaxy Watch that runs Wear OS on a shoestring budget. Read our review.

The best TV and streaming device deals

You can save on the 2023 TCL Q6 series of TVs in a variety of sizes, including the 65-inch configuration (now $398 at Walmart and Amazon), the 75-inch configuration (now $498 at Walmart), and the 85-inch configuration (now $748 at Walmart). The Q6 sets use Google’s TV software, which supports voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The TVs can technically meet modern gaming standards with a “Game Accelerator 120” mode, which halves the 4K resolution to push its native 60Hz refresh rate to a simulated 120Hz variable refresh rate. It also supports AMD FreeSync and an auto low-latency mode for reduced input lag and screen tearing. Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus round out the list of visual upgrades with DTS Virtual:X for surround audio, but sadly, there’s no Dolby Atmos support.
The 55-inch TCL S5 from 2024 is also on sale for $278 ($172 off) at Walmart. While it doesn’t have the QLED panel like the Q series highlighted above, the S5 supports a lot of the same visual features and even has some unique tricks of its own. That includes support for Dolby Atmos and Apple Home with AirPlay 2 integration.

Miscellaneous deals

The second-gen Apple Pencil is basically matching its all-time low of $79.99 ($50 off) at Walmart, Amazon, and Target (with a free Circle membership). Compared to the first-gen Apple Pencil, it ditches the awkward Lightning port charging in favor of a magnetic charging mechanism that attaches to the side of the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini models. It also supports tap gestures.
You can grab a pair of Govee DreamView P1 light bars for $49.99 ($21 off) at Walmart and Govee. The reactive lights are small enough to fit on a desk or an entertainment stand yet bright enough to paint your wall with colors, allowing you to illuminate your room based on whatever music you’re listening to or the content on your TV. You can also control the lighting using your voice via Alexa, Google Assistant, or Govee’s smartphone app.

The Insta360 X4 will still run you the base $499.99 price at Walmart as it will everywhere else, but the retailer is currently bundling it with a carrying case, a 64GB microSD card, a lens cleaning kit, and a few other accessories. The waterproof 8K action camera uses two sensors to record in all directions around you, which lets you swivel the point of view to any angle you want when editing your footage. (You can also record with just one sensor if you want to use it as an ordinary action cam.)

Read More 

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Google’s Pixel Watch 3 may have a brighter 2,000-nit display with smaller bezels and an ultra wideband (UWB) chip, according to a new report from Android Authority. And it won’t just be a new display and chip — the Pixel Watch could be getting a battery boost, too. The rumored 45mm Pixel Watch will have a 420mAh battery, up from the 306mAh of last year’s watches, while the 41mm model will only get a 310mAh battery.
Over the weekend, an FCC filing appeared to confirm a UWB chip for the Pixel Watch 3. (FCC documents shut down the notion for the Pixel Watch 2 last year.) UWB chips, which use short, high-frequency wireless bursts for pinpoint-accurate location sensing, mean the Watch 3 could be more easily findable on Google’s recently upgraded Find My Device network. The tech is also showing up in other devices like smart locks and in cars, letting them react to you when you’re nearby if you have a UWB device linked to them.

If the rumor is true, it suggests another marked improvement for the Pixel Watch series, after the Pixel Watch 2 got better health tracking and a bigger battery than the first version. But there was only one size, it wasn’t as light as it seemed like it should be, and The Verge’s Victoria Song questioned its durability after it took on mysterious scratches just two days into her review of it. It’s unclear if all of those issues will be resolved with the Watch 3 — but if you want to be optimistic, this all sounds like great news.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Google’s Pixel Watch 3 may have a brighter 2,000-nit display with smaller bezels and an ultra wideband (UWB) chip, according to a new report from Android Authority. And it won’t just be a new display and chip — the Pixel Watch could be getting a battery boost, too. The rumored 45mm Pixel Watch will have a 420mAh battery, up from the 306mAh of last year’s watches, while the 41mm model will only get a 310mAh battery.

Over the weekend, an FCC filing appeared to confirm a UWB chip for the Pixel Watch 3. (FCC documents shut down the notion for the Pixel Watch 2 last year.) UWB chips, which use short, high-frequency wireless bursts for pinpoint-accurate location sensing, mean the Watch 3 could be more easily findable on Google’s recently upgraded Find My Device network. The tech is also showing up in other devices like smart locks and in cars, letting them react to you when you’re nearby if you have a UWB device linked to them.

If the rumor is true, it suggests another marked improvement for the Pixel Watch series, after the Pixel Watch 2 got better health tracking and a bigger battery than the first version. But there was only one size, it wasn’t as light as it seemed like it should be, and The Verge’s Victoria Song questioned its durability after it took on mysterious scratches just two days into her review of it. It’s unclear if all of those issues will be resolved with the Watch 3 — but if you want to be optimistic, this all sounds like great news.

Read More 

Photo: Games Done Quick

Summer Games Done Quick concluded over the weekend, raising $2.5 million for Doctors Without Borders. While the figure didn’t break any records, the speedrunning charity event hit a major milestone, reaching a lifetime total of over $50 million raised across all events and charities in its 10-plus-year history.
With the general news out of the way, let’s talk about the highlight of the weeklong stream: a shiba inu named Peanut Butter.
You may remember him. He was a major highlight of Awesome Games Done Quick 2024, when he became the first dog to participate, running Gyromite with the assistance of his owner, JSR, and a custom controller. Peanut Butter and JSR completed the run remotely, but for their Summer Games Done Quick run, they attended in person with a brand-new controller and a new game: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for the Super Nintendo.

I was really worried about this in-person run. To play the game, JSR, with the help of some kibble, instructs Peanut Butter to hit a button with the correct timing to either strike out a batter or hit a home run. The patience and concentration required to perform complex tricks like that is probably stressful enough for a dog, even without the disruption of a large and loud crowd of people. But Peanut Butter managed the distractions beautifully. Whenever the dog’s attention started to wane, JSR refocused him with the ultimate treat: some cheese on a stick.
Halfway through the run, it was looking grim for Peanut Butter, who was down 0–1 in the sixth inning. But after loading the bases, we all held our breath as we waited to see if Peanut Butter would finally score. He did, and the energy from the crowd was so infectious, I felt it three time zones away.
There was a moment when it didn’t seem like Peanut Butter would complete his objective to win the game. Tied and in extra innings, any score from the computer would immediately result in a loss. But Peanut Butter proved he is the best of boys, winning the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, scoring with Ken Griffey Jr. himself. The hype was so great it couldn’t be contained to just the Games Done Quick audience, and pretty soon Peanut Butter’s exploits appeared on ESPN.com and Canadian sports channel Sportsnet.

No way, @GamesDoneQuick was on Sportsnet’s play highlights lmao pic.twitter.com/KCcgtgHzRG— Neco-Tan #EnVTuber (@TannerOfDaNorth) July 6, 2024

There are, of course, other fun runs to watch in addition to Peanut Butter’s Big Baseball Score. The Super Metroid race was pretty exciting and incredibly close. There’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 run done on the hardest difficulty and without exploiting any glitches. And there’s a run of Super Mario 64 where the runner is blindfolded and every star’s location is randomized. Every run is available as a VOD on YouTube, and with over 150 runs, you’re guaranteed to find something interesting.
It sounds a little saccharine, but there’s something sublime about watching a dog play video game baseball with thousands of other people. I have an incredibly soft and tender spot for dogs, especially ones that look like and are as smart as Peanut Butter. It’s hard being around them, even through a computer screen, without getting completely overwhelmed. And though I had to do it through a curtain of tears, watching Peanut Butter eased a grief I still can’t name directly even a year later.
What a good boy.

Photo: Games Done Quick

Summer Games Done Quick concluded over the weekend, raising $2.5 million for Doctors Without Borders. While the figure didn’t break any records, the speedrunning charity event hit a major milestone, reaching a lifetime total of over $50 million raised across all events and charities in its 10-plus-year history.

With the general news out of the way, let’s talk about the highlight of the weeklong stream: a shiba inu named Peanut Butter.

You may remember him. He was a major highlight of Awesome Games Done Quick 2024, when he became the first dog to participate, running Gyromite with the assistance of his owner, JSR, and a custom controller. Peanut Butter and JSR completed the run remotely, but for their Summer Games Done Quick run, they attended in person with a brand-new controller and a new game: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for the Super Nintendo.

I was really worried about this in-person run. To play the game, JSR, with the help of some kibble, instructs Peanut Butter to hit a button with the correct timing to either strike out a batter or hit a home run. The patience and concentration required to perform complex tricks like that is probably stressful enough for a dog, even without the disruption of a large and loud crowd of people. But Peanut Butter managed the distractions beautifully. Whenever the dog’s attention started to wane, JSR refocused him with the ultimate treat: some cheese on a stick.

Halfway through the run, it was looking grim for Peanut Butter, who was down 0–1 in the sixth inning. But after loading the bases, we all held our breath as we waited to see if Peanut Butter would finally score. He did, and the energy from the crowd was so infectious, I felt it three time zones away.

There was a moment when it didn’t seem like Peanut Butter would complete his objective to win the game. Tied and in extra innings, any score from the computer would immediately result in a loss. But Peanut Butter proved he is the best of boys, winning the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, scoring with Ken Griffey Jr. himself. The hype was so great it couldn’t be contained to just the Games Done Quick audience, and pretty soon Peanut Butter’s exploits appeared on ESPN.com and Canadian sports channel Sportsnet.

There are, of course, other fun runs to watch in addition to Peanut Butter’s Big Baseball Score. The Super Metroid race was pretty exciting and incredibly close. There’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 run done on the hardest difficulty and without exploiting any glitches. And there’s a run of Super Mario 64 where the runner is blindfolded and every star’s location is randomized. Every run is available as a VOD on YouTube, and with over 150 runs, you’re guaranteed to find something interesting.

It sounds a little saccharine, but there’s something sublime about watching a dog play video game baseball with thousands of other people. I have an incredibly soft and tender spot for dogs, especially ones that look like and are as smart as Peanut Butter. It’s hard being around them, even through a computer screen, without getting completely overwhelmed. And though I had to do it through a curtain of tears, watching Peanut Butter eased a grief I still can’t name directly even a year later.

What a good boy.

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You can fit this PC in your pocket. | Image: Linglong

Headless portable PCs packing everything except a display are growing in popularity among enthusiasts who don’t want to settle for a laptop they can’t easily upgrade — and now Chinese manufacturer Linglong is taking things further with this folding keyboard PC.
Tom’s Hardware points to a presentation posted by the company showing the tiny PC that’s reminiscent of the folding wireless keyboards that were popular with PDAs like the PalmPilot. But this one’s quite a bit thicker, with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity all packed inside, in addition to Bluetooth and a 16,000mAh rechargeable battery.

Linglong suggests pairing the tiny PC with AR or VR glasses to create a truly portable workstation (have they even heard of Samsung DeX?). But it can also be connected to a fixed display monitor using one of the three USB ports, two of which are USB-C.

Image: Linglong
An exploded view of Linglong’s folding keyboard PC reveals a cooling fan on one side.

A claimed battery life of up to 10 hours for lightweight desktop work or up to six hours of watching videos makes this portable PC more enticing than some others since it doesn’t need to be completely shut down every time it’s moved. Unfortunately, while Linglong plans to sell the keyboard PC for between $412 and $495, depending on the specs, the company said it’s only making 200 units available to beta testers, with no timeline for any wider retail availability.
In the earliest days of personal computing, PCs like the Apple II and Commodore 64 were essentially much larger versions of this keyboard PC. And while we’ve seen several modern attempts to stuff entire PCs into keyboards — the cheaper Pentaform Abacus and custom CJ64 come to mind — Linglong’s solution looks more appealing to those prioritizing portability.

You can fit this PC in your pocket. | Image: Linglong

Headless portable PCs packing everything except a display are growing in popularity among enthusiasts who don’t want to settle for a laptop they can’t easily upgrade — and now Chinese manufacturer Linglong is taking things further with this folding keyboard PC.

Tom’s Hardware points to a presentation posted by the company showing the tiny PC that’s reminiscent of the folding wireless keyboards that were popular with PDAs like the PalmPilot. But this one’s quite a bit thicker, with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity all packed inside, in addition to Bluetooth and a 16,000mAh rechargeable battery.

Linglong suggests pairing the tiny PC with AR or VR glasses to create a truly portable workstation (have they even heard of Samsung DeX?). But it can also be connected to a fixed display monitor using one of the three USB ports, two of which are USB-C.

Image: Linglong
An exploded view of Linglong’s folding keyboard PC reveals a cooling fan on one side.

A claimed battery life of up to 10 hours for lightweight desktop work or up to six hours of watching videos makes this portable PC more enticing than some others since it doesn’t need to be completely shut down every time it’s moved. Unfortunately, while Linglong plans to sell the keyboard PC for between $412 and $495, depending on the specs, the company said it’s only making 200 units available to beta testers, with no timeline for any wider retail availability.

In the earliest days of personal computing, PCs like the Apple II and Commodore 64 were essentially much larger versions of this keyboard PC. And while we’ve seen several modern attempts to stuff entire PCs into keyboards — the cheaper Pentaform Abacus and custom CJ64 come to mind — Linglong’s solution looks more appealing to those prioritizing portability.

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Illustration: The Verge

Since last year, Google has monitored dark web leaks of stolen account information for Google One subscribers, such as phone numbers and physical addresses. But, starting later this month, Google’s dark web reports will be available to anyone with a Google account.
According to a Google support page about the transition, the free service will be part of Google’s “results about you” page. This is where you can currently check for information Google has indexed that contains personal contact info like your home address, phone number, or email address and request it be removed so that it doesn’t surface in search results. Google says the move will create a “combined solution to help users protect their online presence.”

Screenshot by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Google One users, such as myself, are losing their dark web monitoring benefit — but a version is coming to every Google user for free.

Of course, several services — both paid and free, like Have I Been Pwned? — will scan the dark web for your data and send you alerts. But, for Google users, combining the company’s two monitoring features into a single place to view potential personal information leaks makes sense.
This does means that both perks added last spring for the more than 100 million paid-up Google One subscribers (which starts at $1.99 a month) have been removed. Last month, Google announced that the other addition, its VPN by Google One service, will shut down later this year.
It’s unlikely these were the reasons anyone signed up for Google One in the first place, but it could be disheartening to see benefits disappear without a corresponding drop in price.
The main reason to sign up for Google One is to get more storage for your Google account, including photos and Gmail storage. While there are other perks — including premium Google Meet video calling features, the ability to share your storage with up to five people, and enhanced appointment scheduling in Google Calendar — none are that compelling. Google’s Gemini-powered AI features might be something you’d consider paying for, but those require higher tiers of Google One, starting at $19.99 a month.

Illustration: The Verge

Since last year, Google has monitored dark web leaks of stolen account information for Google One subscribers, such as phone numbers and physical addresses. But, starting later this month, Google’s dark web reports will be available to anyone with a Google account.

According to a Google support page about the transition, the free service will be part of Google’s “results about you” page. This is where you can currently check for information Google has indexed that contains personal contact info like your home address, phone number, or email address and request it be removed so that it doesn’t surface in search results. Google says the move will create a “combined solution to help users protect their online presence.”

Screenshot by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Google One users, such as myself, are losing their dark web monitoring benefit — but a version is coming to every Google user for free.

Of course, several services — both paid and free, like Have I Been Pwned? — will scan the dark web for your data and send you alerts. But, for Google users, combining the company’s two monitoring features into a single place to view potential personal information leaks makes sense.

This does means that both perks added last spring for the more than 100 million paid-up Google One subscribers (which starts at $1.99 a month) have been removed. Last month, Google announced that the other addition, its VPN by Google One service, will shut down later this year.

It’s unlikely these were the reasons anyone signed up for Google One in the first place, but it could be disheartening to see benefits disappear without a corresponding drop in price.

The main reason to sign up for Google One is to get more storage for your Google account, including photos and Gmail storage. While there are other perks — including premium Google Meet video calling features, the ability to share your storage with up to five people, and enhanced appointment scheduling in Google Calendar — none are that compelling. Google’s Gemini-powered AI features might be something you’d consider paying for, but those require higher tiers of Google One, starting at $19.99 a month.

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One of the affected HP LaserJet printers. | Image: HP

Last May, I told you how HP’s bestselling printer can lock you to the company’s own subscription ink for life, with no way to cancel, with its dastardly HP Plus scheme. But HP has decided to remove those shackles from future laser printers, at least.
“We will no longer be offering HP+ on any LaserJet series products moving forward,” spokesperson Nick Lucido tells The Verge.

Druckerchannel reports that HP is also quietly discontinuing all of its budget “e”-series LaserJet printers that straight-up mandated an HP Plus subscription, and HP confirms it’s discontinuing its Instant Ink subscription for laser printer toner as well. (Existing customers shouldn’t be affected.) But HP’s e-series inkjet printers (like the one I wrote about) and their Instant Ink subscription will live on, and HP will almost certainly continue to try to block third-party cartridges anyhow.
Why just LaserJets, and why now? HP says it’s to help business customers. “We understand some customers in IT managed office environments are unable to meet the cloud connection requirements for HP+,” writes Lucido. But I wonder if it also has something to do with Brother — the company whose Verge-recommended laser printers don’t play these hostage games.
Additional reporting by Jess Weatherbed and Umar Shakir

One of the affected HP LaserJet printers. | Image: HP

Last May, I told you how HP’s bestselling printer can lock you to the company’s own subscription ink for life, with no way to cancel, with its dastardly HP Plus scheme. But HP has decided to remove those shackles from future laser printers, at least.

“We will no longer be offering HP+ on any LaserJet series products moving forward,” spokesperson Nick Lucido tells The Verge.

Druckerchannel reports that HP is also quietly discontinuing all of its budget “e”-series LaserJet printers that straight-up mandated an HP Plus subscription, and HP confirms it’s discontinuing its Instant Ink subscription for laser printer toner as well. (Existing customers shouldn’t be affected.) But HP’s e-series inkjet printers (like the one I wrote about) and their Instant Ink subscription will live on, and HP will almost certainly continue to try to block third-party cartridges anyhow.

Why just LaserJets, and why now? HP says it’s to help business customers. “We understand some customers in IT managed office environments are unable to meet the cloud connection requirements for HP+,” writes Lucido. But I wonder if it also has something to do with Brother — the company whose Verge-recommended laser printers don’t play these hostage games.

Additional reporting by Jess Weatherbed and Umar Shakir

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Image: Apple TV Plus

Apple’s new A24-produced dark comedy imagines an impeccably designed near future where humanity’s bugs are robots’ special features. More than yet another sci-fi parable about a future plagued by dangerous robots, Colin O’Sullivan’s 2018 novel The Dark Manual was a lyrical meditation on grieving and the emotions we project onto everyday objects. The book’s premise, prose, and thematic ambivalence about artificially intelligent machines made it feel like the kind of story that could only be adapted as a grim drama. But Apple TV Plus and A24’s Sunny brings a new depth and nuance to O’Sullivan’s story by tempering it with healthy doses of whimsy and animatronic puppetry.
Similar to The Dark Manual (which seems to have been recently retitled in anticipation of Apple’s new show), Sunny revolves around Suzie Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), a woman trying to piece her life together following a plane crash that (seemingly) killed her husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and their young son Zen (Fares Belkheir).
As an American transplant with a limited ability to pick up languages or make new friends, grieving in a near-future Japan is a disconcerting experience for Suzie. Even with her overbearing mother-in-law Noriko (Judy Ongg) constantly at her door, and everyone being connected by their Devices — pillow-like smart gadgets that feel inspired by It Follows’ shell phone — Suzie’s loss leaves her spiraling into a profound loneliness. But as painful as it is living in a house full of memories, what unnerves Suzie most is the unexpected arrival of a domestic homecare robot called Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), who insists that Masa programmed her specifically for the mourning widow before the crash.

There’s a pronounced sense of dread running through O’Sullivan’s novel that makes its homebot-filled world feel like a cold, dark place, where the drumbeat of technological progress has convinced many to embrace machines they don’t entirely understand. Jones brings some of that energy to her witheringly acerbic Suzie who, like her book counterpart, does not initially trust Sunny and lashes out at the homebot as it begins taking care of chores.
But unlike The Dark Manual’s mechanical servants with their unblinking sensors that shift from a menacing shade of scarlet to blue as they process information, all of Sunny’s robots are presented as smiling, friend-shaped beings whose cartoony designs are reflections of a larger shift toward aesthetically playful technology.
Had Sunny been created entirely out of CGI, the energy between Sotomura and Jones might not play so dynamically as the homebot and her owner snipe at each other in the show’s first few episodes. But because Sunny is an animatronic puppet whose animated facial expressions were real-time recreations of Sotomura’s, there’s a realness to their interactions that makes them both feel like weightier (in the narrative sense) characters as a result.
Through Sunny and Suzie’s caregiver / caretaker relationship, Sunny taps into something very real about how societies turn to technology to deal with personal and communal issues. And yet the silliness of Sunny being a googly-eyed puppet who we never see (but presumably can) go up stairs is a huge part of how the show also manages to work as a comedy that’s really about its two leads trying to solve a pulpy mystery.

While few of Sunny’s twists and turns are entirely novel, the show’s commitment to making its world feel like a plausible vision of a future where people’s gadgets work to address their needs is fantastic. In place of the book’s allusions to tensions with North Korea, Sunny puts more emphasis on yakuza boss Hime (You) and the shadowy community of people illegally jailbreaking homebots to perform functions they’re not technically supposed to be able to do.
Some of Sunny’s most fascinating worldbuilding comes by way of its villains and their fixation with the fabled Dark Manual key to turn homebots into murder machines. But as Suzie and Sunny’s intrigue pulls them deeper into Japan’s underworld, you can feel Apple setting Sunny up to continue growing beyond its first season in a way that seems like it could lead to too much of a good thing.
Sunny also stars annie the clumsy, Jun Kunimura, and Shin Shimizu. The show’s first two episodes hit Apple TV Plus on July 10th.

Image: Apple TV Plus

Apple’s new A24-produced dark comedy imagines an impeccably designed near future where humanity’s bugs are robots’ special features.

More than yet another sci-fi parable about a future plagued by dangerous robots, Colin O’Sullivan’s 2018 novel The Dark Manual was a lyrical meditation on grieving and the emotions we project onto everyday objects. The book’s premise, prose, and thematic ambivalence about artificially intelligent machines made it feel like the kind of story that could only be adapted as a grim drama. But Apple TV Plus and A24’s Sunny brings a new depth and nuance to O’Sullivan’s story by tempering it with healthy doses of whimsy and animatronic puppetry.

Similar to The Dark Manual (which seems to have been recently retitled in anticipation of Apple’s new show), Sunny revolves around Suzie Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), a woman trying to piece her life together following a plane crash that (seemingly) killed her husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and their young son Zen (Fares Belkheir).

As an American transplant with a limited ability to pick up languages or make new friends, grieving in a near-future Japan is a disconcerting experience for Suzie. Even with her overbearing mother-in-law Noriko (Judy Ongg) constantly at her door, and everyone being connected by their Devices — pillow-like smart gadgets that feel inspired by It Follows’ shell phone — Suzie’s loss leaves her spiraling into a profound loneliness. But as painful as it is living in a house full of memories, what unnerves Suzie most is the unexpected arrival of a domestic homecare robot called Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), who insists that Masa programmed her specifically for the mourning widow before the crash.

There’s a pronounced sense of dread running through O’Sullivan’s novel that makes its homebot-filled world feel like a cold, dark place, where the drumbeat of technological progress has convinced many to embrace machines they don’t entirely understand. Jones brings some of that energy to her witheringly acerbic Suzie who, like her book counterpart, does not initially trust Sunny and lashes out at the homebot as it begins taking care of chores.

But unlike The Dark Manual’s mechanical servants with their unblinking sensors that shift from a menacing shade of scarlet to blue as they process information, all of Sunny’s robots are presented as smiling, friend-shaped beings whose cartoony designs are reflections of a larger shift toward aesthetically playful technology.

Had Sunny been created entirely out of CGI, the energy between Sotomura and Jones might not play so dynamically as the homebot and her owner snipe at each other in the show’s first few episodes. But because Sunny is an animatronic puppet whose animated facial expressions were real-time recreations of Sotomura’s, there’s a realness to their interactions that makes them both feel like weightier (in the narrative sense) characters as a result.

Through Sunny and Suzie’s caregiver / caretaker relationship, Sunny taps into something very real about how societies turn to technology to deal with personal and communal issues. And yet the silliness of Sunny being a googly-eyed puppet who we never see (but presumably can) go up stairs is a huge part of how the show also manages to work as a comedy that’s really about its two leads trying to solve a pulpy mystery.

While few of Sunny’s twists and turns are entirely novel, the show’s commitment to making its world feel like a plausible vision of a future where people’s gadgets work to address their needs is fantastic. In place of the book’s allusions to tensions with North Korea, Sunny puts more emphasis on yakuza boss Hime (You) and the shadowy community of people illegally jailbreaking homebots to perform functions they’re not technically supposed to be able to do.

Some of Sunny’s most fascinating worldbuilding comes by way of its villains and their fixation with the fabled Dark Manual key to turn homebots into murder machines. But as Suzie and Sunny’s intrigue pulls them deeper into Japan’s underworld, you can feel Apple setting Sunny up to continue growing beyond its first season in a way that seems like it could lead to too much of a good thing.

Sunny also stars annie the clumsy, Jun Kunimura, and Shin Shimizu. The show’s first two episodes hit Apple TV Plus on July 10th.

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