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The new Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with Apple’s new iPad Pros and Airs, unlike the second-gen model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

Unfortunately, if you’re looking at picking up the new iPad Pro or Air, you’re going to have to pay to upgrade your second-generation Apple Pencil, too. After all, the new tablets are only compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, but thankfully, today, there’s a deal to offset the cost slightly. Right now, Amazon and Walmart are selling the new Apple Pencil Pro for $119 ($10 off), which is the best price we’ve seen and the first real discount on the stylus since its debut.

Apple might have launched the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil last year, but it lacks support for Find My and advanced creative features, like pressure sensitivity and double-tap tool switching. It also comes with new capabilities the second-gen Apple Pencil lacks, like the new “Barrel Roll” gyroscope, which lets you quickly turn your digital pen or brush by twisting the stylus as you draw. Apple also added a useful new squeeze gesture, which lets you switch between software functions so you can quickly navigate between menus and other tools you often use and even control your smart home. And of course, with the release of iPadOS 18 later this year, you’ll be able to do even more with the stylus, like solving math problems after writing them out.

The new Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with Apple’s new iPad Pros and Airs, unlike the second-gen model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

Unfortunately, if you’re looking at picking up the new iPad Pro or Air, you’re going to have to pay to upgrade your second-generation Apple Pencil, too. After all, the new tablets are only compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, but thankfully, today, there’s a deal to offset the cost slightly. Right now, Amazon and Walmart are selling the new Apple Pencil Pro for $119 ($10 off), which is the best price we’ve seen and the first real discount on the stylus since its debut.

Apple might have launched the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil last year, but it lacks support for Find My and advanced creative features, like pressure sensitivity and double-tap tool switching. It also comes with new capabilities the second-gen Apple Pencil lacks, like the new “Barrel Roll” gyroscope, which lets you quickly turn your digital pen or brush by twisting the stylus as you draw. Apple also added a useful new squeeze gesture, which lets you switch between software functions so you can quickly navigate between menus and other tools you often use and even control your smart home. And of course, with the release of iPadOS 18 later this year, you’ll be able to do even more with the stylus, like solving math problems after writing them out.

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Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge

The Biden administration is announcing plans to ban the sale of Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus software in the United States due to national security concerns, Reuters reports.
Sources told Reuters that Kaspersky’s close ties to the Russian government pose a national security risk, potentially letting the company — and the Russian government — steal sensitive information from, install malware on, or withhold updates from Americans’ computers.
The Biden administration is expected to announce the ban Thursday. Kaspersky will be banned from conducting new US business 30 days after the restrictions are published. The ban will also prohibit downloads of software updates, resales, and licensing of the antivirus software, according to Reuters. Businesses already using Kaspersky’s software will have 100 days after the announcement — until September 29th — to find alternatives. Biden’s authority to ban the software is derived from powers created under the Trump administration. (It’s unclear which powers.)
The ban is the culmination of a two-year probe into Kaspersky by the Department of Commerce, which first began investigating the company in 2022. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the federal government warned some companies that the Russian government could manipulate Kaspersky software, causing the Commerce Department to escalate the probe, Reuters reported at the time. National security concerns notwithstanding, Kaspersky’s antivirus software has been well-reviewed. PCMag called the software highly effective but later stopped recommending it in 2022 “based on the increasing censure and criticism of Kaspersky by US government agencies, foreign agencies, and informed third parties.”
Concerns over Kaspersky preceded Russia’s invasion. In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security prohibited federal agencies from using the software, citing the fact that Russian law let intelligence agencies compel assistance from companies, including Kaspersky, and intercept certain communications.

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge

The Biden administration is announcing plans to ban the sale of Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus software in the United States due to national security concerns, Reuters reports.

Sources told Reuters that Kaspersky’s close ties to the Russian government pose a national security risk, potentially letting the company — and the Russian government — steal sensitive information from, install malware on, or withhold updates from Americans’ computers.

The Biden administration is expected to announce the ban Thursday. Kaspersky will be banned from conducting new US business 30 days after the restrictions are published. The ban will also prohibit downloads of software updates, resales, and licensing of the antivirus software, according to Reuters. Businesses already using Kaspersky’s software will have 100 days after the announcement — until September 29th — to find alternatives. Biden’s authority to ban the software is derived from powers created under the Trump administration. (It’s unclear which powers.)

The ban is the culmination of a two-year probe into Kaspersky by the Department of Commerce, which first began investigating the company in 2022. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the federal government warned some companies that the Russian government could manipulate Kaspersky software, causing the Commerce Department to escalate the probe, Reuters reported at the time. National security concerns notwithstanding, Kaspersky’s antivirus software has been well-reviewed. PCMag called the software highly effective but later stopped recommending it in 2022 “based on the increasing censure and criticism of Kaspersky by US government agencies, foreign agencies, and informed third parties.”

Concerns over Kaspersky preceded Russia’s invasion. In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security prohibited federal agencies from using the software, citing the fact that Russian law let intelligence agencies compel assistance from companies, including Kaspersky, and intercept certain communications.

Read More 

Image: FromSoftware

Before Shadow of the Erdtree finally goes live, Bandai Namco has implemented a patch that adds a couple of small features and updates just in time for the DLC’s launch in a few short hours. FromSoftware also shared a new launch trailer to herald the DLC’s arrival, but it’s chockful of spoilers, so beware. The update isn’t particularly earth-shattering, but it does include some things worth keeping in mind before all you Tarnished get your head beat in by the vicious monsters patrolling the Shadow Lands.

Firstly, we get new hair options! I was pretty down on Elden Ring’s character creator for its lack of Black hairstyles. It just didn’t make sense that the character creator was so robust and detailed but lacked hairstyles that represent a good chunk of the human population. There are five new styles to choose from, with two of them being dreadlocks. I chose the loose loc option so my Tarnished can finally get rid of her abhorrent pigtails. I’m not sure if the “white hairs” option was present in the base game or a new addition with this patch, but I really like how it adds gray to my locs, reminding me of when I started picking out errant gray hairs when I had locs.

Image: FromSoftware
Hooray! New hair options!

To change your appearance, all you have to do is visit Fia, Deathbed Companion’s room at the Roundtable Hold. She should have a mirror you can interact with that will let you change your appearance. However! If you’re like me and have completed Fia’s questline, neither she nor her mirror will be present at the Roundtable Hold. Instead, travel to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library site of grace and talk to Rennala. You’ll be able to change your appearance through her.
Secondly — and this is arguably the best little housekeeping update the game has had — the new patch lets you see all your recently acquired items. From now on, new items you pick up either in the Lands Between or the DLC’s Shadow Lands will be marked with a little exclamation point. The game will even collect those new items under their own tab, though that “new items” tab isn’t enabled by default. You have to go into the game’s settings and select the “Show recent items tab” option.

It was extremely helpful in my journey to see the new items and equipment I picked up so I could compare them to the stuff I’d been carrying around for the last 100 hours. Without it, I would have missed the new “Festive Grease” item that increases the number of runes you earn every time you land an attack and the little notes I picked in my travels that hint at where to go next. The “new items” feature makes choosing the right gear and weapons to tackle all the new threats in Shadows of the Erdtree so much easier. Enable it right away.
Beyond that, the patch adds a bunch of weapon balance changes and helpfully tweaks the summoning pool feature for folks who need help taking down Mohg, Lord of Blood, in order to access the DLC. The new patch will also let you summon your faithful horse-goat Torrent during the Elden Beast fight, which will undoubtedly make that final encounter loads easier. You can read the patch notes in detail here.

Image: FromSoftware

Before Shadow of the Erdtree finally goes live, Bandai Namco has implemented a patch that adds a couple of small features and updates just in time for the DLC’s launch in a few short hours. FromSoftware also shared a new launch trailer to herald the DLC’s arrival, but it’s chockful of spoilers, so beware. The update isn’t particularly earth-shattering, but it does include some things worth keeping in mind before all you Tarnished get your head beat in by the vicious monsters patrolling the Shadow Lands.

Firstly, we get new hair options! I was pretty down on Elden Ring’s character creator for its lack of Black hairstyles. It just didn’t make sense that the character creator was so robust and detailed but lacked hairstyles that represent a good chunk of the human population. There are five new styles to choose from, with two of them being dreadlocks. I chose the loose loc option so my Tarnished can finally get rid of her abhorrent pigtails. I’m not sure if the “white hairs” option was present in the base game or a new addition with this patch, but I really like how it adds gray to my locs, reminding me of when I started picking out errant gray hairs when I had locs.

Image: FromSoftware
Hooray! New hair options!

To change your appearance, all you have to do is visit Fia, Deathbed Companion’s room at the Roundtable Hold. She should have a mirror you can interact with that will let you change your appearance. However! If you’re like me and have completed Fia’s questline, neither she nor her mirror will be present at the Roundtable Hold. Instead, travel to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library site of grace and talk to Rennala. You’ll be able to change your appearance through her.

Secondly — and this is arguably the best little housekeeping update the game has had — the new patch lets you see all your recently acquired items. From now on, new items you pick up either in the Lands Between or the DLC’s Shadow Lands will be marked with a little exclamation point. The game will even collect those new items under their own tab, though that “new items” tab isn’t enabled by default. You have to go into the game’s settings and select the “Show recent items tab” option.

It was extremely helpful in my journey to see the new items and equipment I picked up so I could compare them to the stuff I’d been carrying around for the last 100 hours. Without it, I would have missed the new “Festive Grease” item that increases the number of runes you earn every time you land an attack and the little notes I picked in my travels that hint at where to go next. The “new items” feature makes choosing the right gear and weapons to tackle all the new threats in Shadows of the Erdtree so much easier. Enable it right away.

Beyond that, the patch adds a bunch of weapon balance changes and helpfully tweaks the summoning pool feature for folks who need help taking down Mohg, Lord of Blood, in order to access the DLC. The new patch will also let you summon your faithful horse-goat Torrent during the Elden Beast fight, which will undoubtedly make that final encounter loads easier. You can read the patch notes in detail here.

Read More 

Image: Microsoft

Last week, I revealed that Microsoft’s Windows engineers were scrambling to secure its controversial AI-powered Recall feature in time for its planned debut on June 18th. Hours later, Microsoft announced that the feature that screenshots nearly everything you do on new Qualcomm-powered laptops is being recalled.
Copilot Plus PCs shipped earlier this week without Recall, and Microsoft has modified the setup process to remove it from Windows 11 — it’s now a feature that’s “coming soon” to these devices. Recall is still prominently featured in Microsoft’s marketing materials, which suggests the company is confident it will return very soon.
After developing Recall largely in secret away from the usual Windows Insider public testing, Microsoft is now relying upon that community of thousands to help test the new AI feature on new Copilot Plus devices. Recall will also be an opt-in feature with additional security improvements to address concerns from researchers.
Microsoft first announced its changes to Recall on June 7th, less than two weeks before it was due to ship on new devices. That rush to fix Recall’s security issues always felt like a big ask, especially having to encrypt the database in time and implement Windows Hello authentication, too. I understand Microsoft had been working on some of these changes before the Recall concerns were raised by security researchers, but OEMs already had the final Windows bits shipping on devices, so that further complicated the situation.
The surprise decision to not ship Recall at launch came on Thursday, June 13th, just five days before Copilot Plus PCs were about to ship. Sources tell me OEMs were informed of the delay ahead of a public acknowledgment from Microsoft. But security researcher Kevin Beaumont got wind of the Recall announcement, forcing Microsoft to edit a previous blog post in response to press queries.
I had planned to write about my time using Recall over the past couple of weeks, but given the feature has now been delayed, I’ll wait to see what changes before I write up my final impressions. In my limited testing with an early version of Recall, I did notice that the feature failed to filter out URLs correctly from its capture method…

This story is exclusively for subscribers of Notepad, our newsletter uncovering Microsoft’s era-defining bets in AI, gaming, and computing.
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Image: Microsoft

Last week, I revealed that Microsoft’s Windows engineers were scrambling to secure its controversial AI-powered Recall feature in time for its planned debut on June 18th. Hours later, Microsoft announced that the feature that screenshots nearly everything you do on new Qualcomm-powered laptops is being recalled.

Copilot Plus PCs shipped earlier this week without Recall, and Microsoft has modified the setup process to remove it from Windows 11 — it’s now a feature that’s “coming soon” to these devices. Recall is still prominently featured in Microsoft’s marketing materials, which suggests the company is confident it will return very soon.

After developing Recall largely in secret away from the usual Windows Insider public testing, Microsoft is now relying upon that community of thousands to help test the new AI feature on new Copilot Plus devices. Recall will also be an opt-in feature with additional security improvements to address concerns from researchers.

Microsoft first announced its changes to Recall on June 7th, less than two weeks before it was due to ship on new devices. That rush to fix Recall’s security issues always felt like a big ask, especially having to encrypt the database in time and implement Windows Hello authentication, too. I understand Microsoft had been working on some of these changes before the Recall concerns were raised by security researchers, but OEMs already had the final Windows bits shipping on devices, so that further complicated the situation.

The surprise decision to not ship Recall at launch came on Thursday, June 13th, just five days before Copilot Plus PCs were about to ship. Sources tell me OEMs were informed of the delay ahead of a public acknowledgment from Microsoft. But security researcher Kevin Beaumont got wind of the Recall announcement, forcing Microsoft to edit a previous blog post in response to press queries.

I had planned to write about my time using Recall over the past couple of weeks, but given the feature has now been delayed, I’ll wait to see what changes before I write up my final impressions. In my limited testing with an early version of Recall, I did notice that the feature failed to filter out URLs correctly from its capture method…

Read More 

Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images

For years, automakers have been fussing over the sounds emitted by their electric vehicles, trying to tune them in a way that both presents as futuristic while also not alienating to people who are used to the rev of a four-cylinder engine.
They seem to have settled on a series of sounds that could best be described as somewhere in between a whir and a hum. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way. But according to a new survey, most people may prefer something else entirely.
Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way
The online survey of 400 adults in the US found the top-rated sound was a “non-tonal” sound more closely resembling a gas-powered car than any of the inorganic sounds emitted by today’s electric vehicles. The survey — a joint effort by “sonic branding agency” Listen and behavioral science and neuromarketing research agency CloudArmy — asked participants to rank a series of sounds based on several criteria, including likability, noticeability, familiarity, and pleasantness. There were five tonal sounds and five non-tonal ones.
The two top-ranking sounds were both non-tonal and could best be described as white noise with slightly different pitches. The survey’s respondents preferred the non-tonal sounds over the tonal ones, which they perceived as being “alarming,” “ugly,” and “unappealing.” In contrast, people liked the non-tonal sounds because they sound more like white noise or “nature-derived.” Indeed, some respondents said they wanted sounds that most closely resembled a conventional car noise.
That could come as a shock to automakers, which so far have largely been over-indexing themselves on EV sounds. Several companies have announced high-profile projects to design unique sounds for their battery-electric models. BMW hired famed film composer Hans Zimmer to formulate soundscapes for its i4 electric sedans, while Mercedes-Benz is teaming up with Will.i.am to create an “interactive musical experience” for its cars. The Fiat 500e emits literal classical music at low speeds.
Other automakers are leaning the opposite way, designing fake exhaust sounds to overcompensate for the absence of internal combustion. Dodge even went so far as to brand its own fake engine noise as the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust System.” While the survey seems to indicate that people are open to conventional car sounds for their EVs, it’s unclear whether these particular artificial acoustics will go over well or not.
Government regulations require EVs to emit low-speed sounds to alert pedestrians and other road users to an approaching vehicle. These sounds need to contain frequencies between 1,000 and 4,000 Hz, which is an audible range often associated with the higher, brighter end of the human voice. These tonal sounds do capture people’s attention, but often with a negative side effect.
A non-tonal, more white noise-inspired approach could be a better approach. Famous composers and hip-hop impresarios need not apply.

Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images

For years, automakers have been fussing over the sounds emitted by their electric vehicles, trying to tune them in a way that both presents as futuristic while also not alienating to people who are used to the rev of a four-cylinder engine.

They seem to have settled on a series of sounds that could best be described as somewhere in between a whir and a hum. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way. But according to a new survey, most people may prefer something else entirely.

The online survey of 400 adults in the US found the top-rated sound was a “non-tonal” sound more closely resembling a gas-powered car than any of the inorganic sounds emitted by today’s electric vehicles. The survey — a joint effort by “sonic branding agency” Listen and behavioral science and neuromarketing research agency CloudArmy — asked participants to rank a series of sounds based on several criteria, including likability, noticeability, familiarity, and pleasantness. There were five tonal sounds and five non-tonal ones.

The two top-ranking sounds were both non-tonal and could best be described as white noise with slightly different pitches. The survey’s respondents preferred the non-tonal sounds over the tonal ones, which they perceived as being “alarming,” “ugly,” and “unappealing.” In contrast, people liked the non-tonal sounds because they sound more like white noise or “nature-derived.” Indeed, some respondents said they wanted sounds that most closely resembled a conventional car noise.

That could come as a shock to automakers, which so far have largely been over-indexing themselves on EV sounds. Several companies have announced high-profile projects to design unique sounds for their battery-electric models. BMW hired famed film composer Hans Zimmer to formulate soundscapes for its i4 electric sedans, while Mercedes-Benz is teaming up with Will.i.am to create an “interactive musical experience” for its cars. The Fiat 500e emits literal classical music at low speeds.

Other automakers are leaning the opposite way, designing fake exhaust sounds to overcompensate for the absence of internal combustion. Dodge even went so far as to brand its own fake engine noise as the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust System.” While the survey seems to indicate that people are open to conventional car sounds for their EVs, it’s unclear whether these particular artificial acoustics will go over well or not.

Government regulations require EVs to emit low-speed sounds to alert pedestrians and other road users to an approaching vehicle. These sounds need to contain frequencies between 1,000 and 4,000 Hz, which is an audible range often associated with the higher, brighter end of the human voice. These tonal sounds do capture people’s attention, but often with a negative side effect.

A non-tonal, more white noise-inspired approach could be a better approach. Famous composers and hip-hop impresarios need not apply.

Read More 

Image: Amazon

Amazon is on track to fully remove plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging in North America. On Thursday, the company announced that it has replaced 95 percent of plastic air pillows with paper filler, and it plans to stop using plastic air packaging by the end of this year.
This change will eliminate almost 15 billion plastic air pillows annually, according to Amazon. Unlike the old packaging, paper filler is made with 100 percent recycled content, which should allow customers to easily recycle the material at home. Amazon says the paper filler “offers the same, if not better, protection.”
Despite switching from single-use plastic delivery bags in Europe and India as well as using made-to-fit paper packaging in Australia and Japan, Amazon has been slow to make the transition to paper in the US. Last year, Amazon ditched plastic packaging at a warehouse in Ohio, replacing plastic bubble mailers and air pillows with recyclable paper packaging.

Image: Amazon

A recent report from the nonprofit conservation organization Oceana estimates that the company generated 208 million pounds of plastic waste from its packaging in the US in 2022. Even though Oceana welcomes Amazon’s commitment to do away with plastic air pillows in North America, it acknowledges that there’s still more work to be done.
“While this is a significant step forward for the company, Amazon needs to build on this momentum and fulfill its multiyear commitment to transition its North America fulfillment centers away from plastic,” Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s senior vice president of strategic initiative, says in a statement. The organization would like to see Amazon phase out single-use plastic packaging “everywhere it sells and ships.”

Image: Amazon

Amazon is on track to fully remove plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging in North America. On Thursday, the company announced that it has replaced 95 percent of plastic air pillows with paper filler, and it plans to stop using plastic air packaging by the end of this year.

This change will eliminate almost 15 billion plastic air pillows annually, according to Amazon. Unlike the old packaging, paper filler is made with 100 percent recycled content, which should allow customers to easily recycle the material at home. Amazon says the paper filler “offers the same, if not better, protection.”

Despite switching from single-use plastic delivery bags in Europe and India as well as using made-to-fit paper packaging in Australia and Japan, Amazon has been slow to make the transition to paper in the US. Last year, Amazon ditched plastic packaging at a warehouse in Ohio, replacing plastic bubble mailers and air pillows with recyclable paper packaging.

Image: Amazon

A recent report from the nonprofit conservation organization Oceana estimates that the company generated 208 million pounds of plastic waste from its packaging in the US in 2022. Even though Oceana welcomes Amazon’s commitment to do away with plastic air pillows in North America, it acknowledges that there’s still more work to be done.

“While this is a significant step forward for the company, Amazon needs to build on this momentum and fulfill its multiyear commitment to transition its North America fulfillment centers away from plastic,” Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s senior vice president of strategic initiative, says in a statement. The organization would like to see Amazon phase out single-use plastic packaging “everywhere it sells and ships.”

Read More 

This is how I feel when I don’t get a deal. | Image: Bandai Namco

Dear Tarnished, it’s time to travel back to the Lands Between — but you don’t have to pay full price.
Elden Ring’s long-awaited Shadow of the Erdtree DLC officially launches tomorrow, June 21st, and both returning and new players can save on either the expansion or a cost-effective bundle with the base game. Fanatical is selling the PC (Steam) version of Shadow of the Erdtree for $35.19 (about $5 off) as well as a digital bundle with the base game for $70.39 (about $9 off / $30 cheaper than buying them separately at full price). Purchasing either option through Fanatical nets you an emailed code to redeem on Steam.
These prices are slightly better than similar discounts out there from fellow third-party retailers like CDKeys and Eneba, making it the cheapest way to currently jump into FromSoftware’s dark fantasy RPG (at least on PC). However, the sale on the DLC itself is set to expire today, June 20th, at 6PM ET / 3PM PT, which is actually when Shadow of the Erdtree unlocks for PC players. (Yes, you get it a little early, you lucky ducks.)

A few extra deals that won’t give you frequent “game over” screens

Max is offering a one-week free trial for new customers until June 23rd. It’s not a whole lot of time, but you’ll be able to get through the first few episodes of the new House of the Dragon season and test out which plan works for you (ad-supported, 1080p ad-free, and 4K ad-free plans are all included).

Lego is selling its Atari 2600 set for $191.99 ($48 off). The 2,532-piece building kit exquisitely captures the retro vibes of the wood-clad console, complete with game cartridges and a hidden ’80s-style room that pops up from the inside.
The Nothing Ear (a) noise-canceling earbuds are $99 ($10 off) in their slick yellow color at Amazon. The latest Nothing wireless earbuds may be a bit budget-conscious, but they offer some very good sound quality for the money. And just look at that striking yellow and see-through design. Read our hands-on.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are selling for $179 ($100 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. These may have been officially replaced (and ever so slightly outclassed) by the newer QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but the last-gen model is quite similar and still offers some of the best noise-canceling performance you can find in a set of earbuds today. Read our review.

This is how I feel when I don’t get a deal. | Image: Bandai Namco

Dear Tarnished, it’s time to travel back to the Lands Between — but you don’t have to pay full price.

Elden Ring’s long-awaited Shadow of the Erdtree DLC officially launches tomorrow, June 21st, and both returning and new players can save on either the expansion or a cost-effective bundle with the base game. Fanatical is selling the PC (Steam) version of Shadow of the Erdtree for $35.19 (about $5 off) as well as a digital bundle with the base game for $70.39 (about $9 off / $30 cheaper than buying them separately at full price). Purchasing either option through Fanatical nets you an emailed code to redeem on Steam.

These prices are slightly better than similar discounts out there from fellow third-party retailers like CDKeys and Eneba, making it the cheapest way to currently jump into FromSoftware’s dark fantasy RPG (at least on PC). However, the sale on the DLC itself is set to expire today, June 20th, at 6PM ET / 3PM PT, which is actually when Shadow of the Erdtree unlocks for PC players. (Yes, you get it a little early, you lucky ducks.)

A few extra deals that won’t give you frequent “game over” screens

Max is offering a one-week free trial for new customers until June 23rd. It’s not a whole lot of time, but you’ll be able to get through the first few episodes of the new House of the Dragon season and test out which plan works for you (ad-supported, 1080p ad-free, and 4K ad-free plans are all included).

Lego is selling its Atari 2600 set for $191.99 ($48 off). The 2,532-piece building kit exquisitely captures the retro vibes of the wood-clad console, complete with game cartridges and a hidden ’80s-style room that pops up from the inside.
The Nothing Ear (a) noise-canceling earbuds are $99 ($10 off) in their slick yellow color at Amazon. The latest Nothing wireless earbuds may be a bit budget-conscious, but they offer some very good sound quality for the money. And just look at that striking yellow and see-through design. Read our hands-on.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are selling for $179 ($100 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. These may have been officially replaced (and ever so slightly outclassed) by the newer QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but the last-gen model is quite similar and still offers some of the best noise-canceling performance you can find in a set of earbuds today. Read our review.

Read More 

Image: Instagram

Instagram is introducing a way to livestream to a smaller, more private audience.
Beginning today, Instagram users will be able to host Live broadcasts only available to their curated list of Close Friends. Up to three other accounts can join the Live broadcast and stream with the original user. The feature rolls out globally.
Until this point, beginning a Live broadcast meant that anyone could tune in and watch it if your account was public, and all followers could watch the stream if you had a private account. Live videos are a popular feature for influencers and celebrities chatting with followers or fan accounts streaming live footage from concerts — in other words, content that’s more geared toward wide audiences and for public consumption.
The ability to go live only to a small group of people feels closer to a giant FaceTime call than to a public livestream — and, indeed, use case examples offered by the company are decidedly more intimate. A user could start sharing influencer content like haul or “get ready with me” videos without judgment from certain followers, for example, or host a study session with a handful of friends.
Instagram has emphasized more private modes of using the platform, attributing significant growth to features like direct messaging. In November, users got the option to make posts on their grid visible only to close friends as opposed to their full follower list. In May, Instagram added the ability to mute interactions from everyone but your close friends, meaning users wouldn’t see comments, DMs, mentions, and more if they opt in to stricter safety settings. This kind of filtering was intended to limit harassment content creators might face but has since expanded in use and can be deployed by anyone who wants a smaller, more curated Instagram experience.

Image: Instagram

Instagram is introducing a way to livestream to a smaller, more private audience.

Beginning today, Instagram users will be able to host Live broadcasts only available to their curated list of Close Friends. Up to three other accounts can join the Live broadcast and stream with the original user. The feature rolls out globally.

Until this point, beginning a Live broadcast meant that anyone could tune in and watch it if your account was public, and all followers could watch the stream if you had a private account. Live videos are a popular feature for influencers and celebrities chatting with followers or fan accounts streaming live footage from concerts — in other words, content that’s more geared toward wide audiences and for public consumption.

The ability to go live only to a small group of people feels closer to a giant FaceTime call than to a public livestream — and, indeed, use case examples offered by the company are decidedly more intimate. A user could start sharing influencer content like haul or “get ready with me” videos without judgment from certain followers, for example, or host a study session with a handful of friends.

Instagram has emphasized more private modes of using the platform, attributing significant growth to features like direct messaging. In November, users got the option to make posts on their grid visible only to close friends as opposed to their full follower list. In May, Instagram added the ability to mute interactions from everyone but your close friends, meaning users wouldn’t see comments, DMs, mentions, and more if they opt in to stricter safety settings. This kind of filtering was intended to limit harassment content creators might face but has since expanded in use and can be deployed by anyone who wants a smaller, more curated Instagram experience.

Read More 

Image: The Verge

We’ve got a special episode of Decoder today — I was traveling last week, so Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and our new senior AI reporter Kylie Robison are filling in for me, with a very different kind of episode about AI.
We talk a lot about AI in a broad sense on Decoder — it comes up in basically every single interview I do these days — and then we also dive deep into very specific problems that AI is causing with things like copyright law, misinformation, and other various policy challenges.
But we don’t spend a ton of time on the day-to-day happenings of the AI industry itself. And that’s for good reason: it’s been moving so rapidly and changing so often that it’s nearly impossible for the average person to keep up. Making sense of all the different players, who’s building what, and what people in the industry honestly think about where it’s all going — it’s a lot.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to take a beat and have Alex and Kylie break down the modern AI boom as it exists today: the companies you need to know, the most important news of the last few months, and what it’s actually like to be fully immersed in this industry every single day.
You’ll hear Alex and Kylie talk about OpenAI, the gravitational pull it’s had on the entire tech sector, and how Google is trying to challenge that — to mixed results. But they also got into the relationship between the overzealous hype driving AI funding and product development and the very real paranoia in the Bay Area around what you’ll hear Kylie refer to as p(doom), shorthand for the probability percentage that AI might actually kill us all.
They also break down all the most important AI companies, how likely it is some smaller AI startup unseats ChatGPT, the open vs. closed source debate, and — as Alex puts it — the “Wall Street-ification” of AI.
Oh, and look out for a mention of an effective accelerationist rave where Grimes DJ’d for the CTO of OpenAI. Those are all real words, all in the same sentence together.

Image: The Verge

We’ve got a special episode of Decoder today — I was traveling last week, so Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and our new senior AI reporter Kylie Robison are filling in for me, with a very different kind of episode about AI.

We talk a lot about AI in a broad sense on Decoder — it comes up in basically every single interview I do these days — and then we also dive deep into very specific problems that AI is causing with things like copyright law, misinformation, and other various policy challenges.

But we don’t spend a ton of time on the day-to-day happenings of the AI industry itself. And that’s for good reason: it’s been moving so rapidly and changing so often that it’s nearly impossible for the average person to keep up. Making sense of all the different players, who’s building what, and what people in the industry honestly think about where it’s all going — it’s a lot.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to take a beat and have Alex and Kylie break down the modern AI boom as it exists today: the companies you need to know, the most important news of the last few months, and what it’s actually like to be fully immersed in this industry every single day.

You’ll hear Alex and Kylie talk about OpenAI, the gravitational pull it’s had on the entire tech sector, and how Google is trying to challenge that — to mixed results. But they also got into the relationship between the overzealous hype driving AI funding and product development and the very real paranoia in the Bay Area around what you’ll hear Kylie refer to as p(doom), shorthand for the probability percentage that AI might actually kill us all.

They also break down all the most important AI companies, how likely it is some smaller AI startup unseats ChatGPT, the open vs. closed source debate, and — as Alex puts it — the “Wall Street-ification” of AI.

Oh, and look out for a mention of an effective accelerationist rave where Grimes DJ’d for the CTO of OpenAI. Those are all real words, all in the same sentence together.

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“Four matrix tweeters and four force-balanced woofers” on the Lenovo Tab Plus deliver 26W of sound. | Image: Lenovo

Tablets aren’t known for their room-shaking bass, but Lenovo’s new 11.5-inch Tab Plus is going all in. It features 26W of sound produced by four tweeters and four woofers split across each side of the tablet (when used in landscape mode). To fully take advantage of the Tab Plus’ sound capabilities, Lenovo has included the option to wirelessly connect other devices to the tablet and use it as a Bluetooth speaker.
Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage that’s expandable with a microSD card, the Tab Plus definitely isn’t a powerhouse productivity tool. Lenovo is positioning it as a media consumption device first and foremost, which is further reflected in a front and rear camera that both only muster 8MP. The tablet ships with Android 14, and Lenovo is promising two years of OS upgrades and four years of security patches.

Image: Lenovo
Lenovo has decided we should expect more from how our tablets sound.

The Tab Plus’ 11.5-inch 90Hz 2K LCD display is far from best in class, but Lenovo claims its 8,600mAh battery will keep it streaming for up to 12 hours (it doesn’t specify whether that’s streaming audio or video), while 45W fast charging means a dead battery can be fully revived in 90 minutes.
An integrated pop-out kickstand on the back makes it easier to use the tablet as a Bluetooth speaker, but for those preferring to listen privately, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack is still included that supports 24-bit 96kHz high-res audio with Dolby Atmos tuning.
One big tradeoff of those four integrated woofers is a very noticeable bulge on the back of the new Tab Plus that pushes the thickness of the 7.77mm tablet to a chonky 13.58mm. Remember, Apple has managed to slim the new 13-inch iPad Pro down to just 5.1mm, aside from its camera bump.
Although Lenovo hasn’t specified where the new 11.5-inch Tab Plus is available starting today aside from “select global markets,” its $289.99 price tag could make it a tempting solution for those tired of lugging around a tablet and a separate wireless speaker to bolster its sound.

“Four matrix tweeters and four force-balanced woofers” on the Lenovo Tab Plus deliver 26W of sound. | Image: Lenovo

Tablets aren’t known for their room-shaking bass, but Lenovo’s new 11.5-inch Tab Plus is going all in. It features 26W of sound produced by four tweeters and four woofers split across each side of the tablet (when used in landscape mode). To fully take advantage of the Tab Plus’ sound capabilities, Lenovo has included the option to wirelessly connect other devices to the tablet and use it as a Bluetooth speaker.

Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage that’s expandable with a microSD card, the Tab Plus definitely isn’t a powerhouse productivity tool. Lenovo is positioning it as a media consumption device first and foremost, which is further reflected in a front and rear camera that both only muster 8MP. The tablet ships with Android 14, and Lenovo is promising two years of OS upgrades and four years of security patches.

Image: Lenovo
Lenovo has decided we should expect more from how our tablets sound.

The Tab Plus’ 11.5-inch 90Hz 2K LCD display is far from best in class, but Lenovo claims its 8,600mAh battery will keep it streaming for up to 12 hours (it doesn’t specify whether that’s streaming audio or video), while 45W fast charging means a dead battery can be fully revived in 90 minutes.

An integrated pop-out kickstand on the back makes it easier to use the tablet as a Bluetooth speaker, but for those preferring to listen privately, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack is still included that supports 24-bit 96kHz high-res audio with Dolby Atmos tuning.

One big tradeoff of those four integrated woofers is a very noticeable bulge on the back of the new Tab Plus that pushes the thickness of the 7.77mm tablet to a chonky 13.58mm. Remember, Apple has managed to slim the new 13-inch iPad Pro down to just 5.1mm, aside from its camera bump.

Although Lenovo hasn’t specified where the new 11.5-inch Tab Plus is available starting today aside from “select global markets,” its $289.99 price tag could make it a tempting solution for those tired of lugging around a tablet and a separate wireless speaker to bolster its sound.

Read More