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At just $300, Apple’s entry-level iPad offers even better value if you’re looking for a powerful tablet for basic entertainment purposes and light productivity. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

I got a nice sunrise surprise this morning. Sure, trees and power lines in my little corner of Texas were being hewn to the ground by the storms ripping across the central South, and I’m still without power as of this writing — but I have just enough juice in my power bank to inform you that we’ve found the best deal yet on the 10th-generation iPad. The 64GB configuration is down to $300 (up to $34 off) at Amazon in select colors when you clip the coupon. That’s a new price record for Apple’s entry-level iPad.

The latest baseline iPad now looks more like the pricier ones in Apple’s lineup, although it’s lost the home button and headphone jack and switched out the Lightning port for USB-C. And while it’s still on the A14 Bionic processor (compared to the M-series iPad Air), you don’t need to stretch for something more powerful than that if you’re only looking for basic browsing, entertainment, and light gaming. You’re still getting the newest versions of iPadOS, too, which should get even better after Apple makes new software announcements at WWDC in June.

Read our Apple iPad (10th-gen) review.

More great deals to shop

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 are down to $69.99 ($80 off) at Amazon, a new all-time low. The Pro model might deliver more robust IPX7 water and sweat resistance, but the Bluetooth wireless earbuds still deliver impressive features at this price. Those include good active noise cancellation, pleasing sound, and wireless charging. Read our review.
Apple’s newer FineWoven fabric accessories are notoriously bad. If you want something more long-lasting that won’t show signs of wear and tear as quickly, it’s wiser to buy Apple’s leather AirTag Loop when you can find them in stock. Normally $39, right now, you can buy the discounted AirTag accessories in select colors at a new all-time low of around $9 at Amazon and Walmart. Given that AirTags lack keychain holes, an accessory like this is necessary if you want to attach the location tracker to the likes of keys and suitcases, rendering this a good deal to grab while it lasts.

Woot is currently taking up to 50 percent off various Keychron mechanical keyboards, including the Keychron K8 with your choice of red or blue Gateron optical switches. Normally $89.99, you can buy it for half at $44.99. The tenkeyless wireless mechanical keyboard comes with RGB backlighting and can also connect to Bluetooth, Mac, and Windows devices.

At just $300, Apple’s entry-level iPad offers even better value if you’re looking for a powerful tablet for basic entertainment purposes and light productivity. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

I got a nice sunrise surprise this morning. Sure, trees and power lines in my little corner of Texas were being hewn to the ground by the storms ripping across the central South, and I’m still without power as of this writing — but I have just enough juice in my power bank to inform you that we’ve found the best deal yet on the 10th-generation iPad. The 64GB configuration is down to $300 (up to $34 off) at Amazon in select colors when you clip the coupon. That’s a new price record for Apple’s entry-level iPad.

The latest baseline iPad now looks more like the pricier ones in Apple’s lineup, although it’s lost the home button and headphone jack and switched out the Lightning port for USB-C. And while it’s still on the A14 Bionic processor (compared to the M-series iPad Air), you don’t need to stretch for something more powerful than that if you’re only looking for basic browsing, entertainment, and light gaming. You’re still getting the newest versions of iPadOS, too, which should get even better after Apple makes new software announcements at WWDC in June.

Read our Apple iPad (10th-gen) review.

More great deals to shop

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 are down to $69.99 ($80 off) at Amazon, a new all-time low. The Pro model might deliver more robust IPX7 water and sweat resistance, but the Bluetooth wireless earbuds still deliver impressive features at this price. Those include good active noise cancellation, pleasing sound, and wireless charging. Read our review.
Apple’s newer FineWoven fabric accessories are notoriously bad. If you want something more long-lasting that won’t show signs of wear and tear as quickly, it’s wiser to buy Apple’s leather AirTag Loop when you can find them in stock. Normally $39, right now, you can buy the discounted AirTag accessories in select colors at a new all-time low of around $9 at Amazon and Walmart. Given that AirTags lack keychain holes, an accessory like this is necessary if you want to attach the location tracker to the likes of keys and suitcases, rendering this a good deal to grab while it lasts.

Woot is currently taking up to 50 percent off various Keychron mechanical keyboards, including the Keychron K8 with your choice of red or blue Gateron optical switches. Normally $89.99, you can buy it for half at $44.99. The tenkeyless wireless mechanical keyboard comes with RGB backlighting and can also connect to Bluetooth, Mac, and Windows devices.

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Image: The Verge

More than 77 percent of people who participated in a big Apple-sponsored study have experienced tinnitus at some point in their lives, according to preliminary data. Around 15 percent say they’re affected daily by tinnitus, perceiving ringing or other sounds that other people can’t hear.
In one of the largest surveys of its kind, researchers at the University of Michigan gathered data from more than 160,000 participants who responded to survey questions and completed hearing assessments on Apple’s Research app since 2019. The goal is to study the effects of sound exposure through headphones, how tinnitus impacts people, and perhaps develop new methods for managing the symptoms.
“The trends that we’re learning through the Apple Hearing Study about people’s experience with tinnitus can help us better understand the groups most at risk, which can in turn help guide efforts to reduce the impacts associated with it,” University of Michigan environmental health sciences professor Rick Neitzel said in a press release.
“The trends that we’re learning through the Apple Hearing Study about people’s experience with tinnitus can help us better understand the groups most at risk”
Tinnitus is a widespread issue that can affect daily life. For comparison, around 10 percent of adults in the US grapple with some form of tinnitus, according to estimates from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
But the way people get tinnitus, which can be triggered by exposure to loud noise, may be changing with the devices people use. Tinnitus used to be associated more with workers exposed to a lot of noise on the job. Over the past decade, listening to music through headphones, attending concerts or sports events, and other “recreational” noise exposures have become a bigger concern to researchers. Previous studies suggest that for people who live in urban areas, listening to music could be the biggest source of noise exposure. Apple’s iPods, smartphones, and headphones have no doubt played a part in that trend.
Unsurprisingly, “noise trauma” — which Apple calls “exposure to excessively high levels of noise” — was the leading cause of tinnitus participants identified in the new study. Roughly 10 percent of people in the Apple-backed study said that tinnitus interferes with their ability to hear clearly. The researchers also found that the duration of a tinnitus episode “significantly increases” with age. Nearly 36 percent of participants aged 55 or older experience constant tinnitus compared to 14.7 percent among all adults. To cope, more than half of participants turn to noise machines or nature sounds to manage their tinnitus.
The study could “help develop new products to optimize your hearing experience and reduce the likelihood of hearing loss,” the University of Michigan says on its website. And Apple advertises some of its devices’ features as ways “Apple products can help,” like using the Noise app on Apple Watch to get notifications when loud sounds around you reach a level that could be risky.
This hearing study is one of three ongoing projects run through the Apple Research app (the other two have to do with heart health and menstrual cycles). Participants in the hearing study need to be adults living in the United States. They don’t need to use Apple headphones to join the study, except for certain tone and tinnitus exercises calibrated to AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, AirPods, or EarPods.

Image: The Verge

More than 77 percent of people who participated in a big Apple-sponsored study have experienced tinnitus at some point in their lives, according to preliminary data. Around 15 percent say they’re affected daily by tinnitus, perceiving ringing or other sounds that other people can’t hear.

In one of the largest surveys of its kind, researchers at the University of Michigan gathered data from more than 160,000 participants who responded to survey questions and completed hearing assessments on Apple’s Research app since 2019. The goal is to study the effects of sound exposure through headphones, how tinnitus impacts people, and perhaps develop new methods for managing the symptoms.

“The trends that we’re learning through the Apple Hearing Study about people’s experience with tinnitus can help us better understand the groups most at risk, which can in turn help guide efforts to reduce the impacts associated with it,” University of Michigan environmental health sciences professor Rick Neitzel said in a press release.

Tinnitus is a widespread issue that can affect daily life. For comparison, around 10 percent of adults in the US grapple with some form of tinnitus, according to estimates from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

But the way people get tinnitus, which can be triggered by exposure to loud noise, may be changing with the devices people use. Tinnitus used to be associated more with workers exposed to a lot of noise on the job. Over the past decade, listening to music through headphones, attending concerts or sports events, and other “recreational” noise exposures have become a bigger concern to researchers. Previous studies suggest that for people who live in urban areas, listening to music could be the biggest source of noise exposure. Apple’s iPods, smartphones, and headphones have no doubt played a part in that trend.

Unsurprisingly, “noise trauma” — which Apple calls “exposure to excessively high levels of noise” — was the leading cause of tinnitus participants identified in the new study. Roughly 10 percent of people in the Apple-backed study said that tinnitus interferes with their ability to hear clearly. The researchers also found that the duration of a tinnitus episode “significantly increases” with age. Nearly 36 percent of participants aged 55 or older experience constant tinnitus compared to 14.7 percent among all adults. To cope, more than half of participants turn to noise machines or nature sounds to manage their tinnitus.

The study could “help develop new products to optimize your hearing experience and reduce the likelihood of hearing loss,” the University of Michigan says on its website. And Apple advertises some of its devices’ features as ways “Apple products can help,” like using the Noise app on Apple Watch to get notifications when loud sounds around you reach a level that could be risky.

This hearing study is one of three ongoing projects run through the Apple Research app (the other two have to do with heart health and menstrual cycles). Participants in the hearing study need to be adults living in the United States. They don’t need to use Apple headphones to join the study, except for certain tone and tinnitus exercises calibrated to AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, AirPods, or EarPods.

Read More 

Lego’s Great Deku Tree set. | Image: Lego

The rumors were true: Lego is finally making a Legend of Zelda set. The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 includes 2,500 pieces, is available for preorder now for $299.99, and will start shipping out in September.

The set covers two different Zelda games: Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, letting you build the Great Deku Tree in green summer foliage or pink spring cherry blossoms. It features several versions of Link, including Link as a child and an adult in Ocarina of Time’s green Hero of Time tunic and Link in Breath of the Wild’s blue Champion’s tunic.
According to Lego, the Great Deku Tree set will have interactive features including the ability to animate the tree’s facial expressions. The set also includes a skulltula, koroks, Hestu waving his signature maracas, fairies, and Princess Zelda herself.

Build the Legend. #LEGO #TheLegendofZelda pic.twitter.com/uKGa0iQoKF— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) May 28, 2024

Several Nintendo properties including Animal Crossing, Mario, and Donkey Kong have gotten the Lego treatment in recent years. There’s been pent-up demand: Lego has rejected fan-submitted ideas for a Zelda-themed set for years, going so far as to outright ban Zelda submissions back in 2022 due to “license conflict.” However, rumors regarding an official Zelda Lego set started popping up in February of last year.

Lego’s Great Deku Tree set. | Image: Lego

The rumors were true: Lego is finally making a Legend of Zelda set. The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 includes 2,500 pieces, is available for preorder now for $299.99, and will start shipping out in September.

The set covers two different Zelda games: Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, letting you build the Great Deku Tree in green summer foliage or pink spring cherry blossoms. It features several versions of Link, including Link as a child and an adult in Ocarina of Time’s green Hero of Time tunic and Link in Breath of the Wild’s blue Champion’s tunic.

According to Lego, the Great Deku Tree set will have interactive features including the ability to animate the tree’s facial expressions. The set also includes a skulltula, koroks, Hestu waving his signature maracas, fairies, and Princess Zelda herself.

Several Nintendo properties including Animal Crossing, Mario, and Donkey Kong have gotten the Lego treatment in recent years. There’s been pent-up demand: Lego has rejected fan-submitted ideas for a Zelda-themed set for years, going so far as to outright ban Zelda submissions back in 2022 due to “license conflict.” However, rumors regarding an official Zelda Lego set started popping up in February of last year.

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Image: Google

Google announced Tuesday it’s adding Gemini and AI features from its other devices to Chromebook Plus laptops, including a few from Asus and HP already on the market and brand-new ones from Acer. These and future Chromebook Plus laptops will support new features like Google’s “Help me write” tool and the ability to make custom wallpaper with generative AI. Magic Editor on Google Photos is coming to Chromebook Plus, too, which has also started to appear on older Android devices.
The company said previously it would integrate Gemini with the Chrome desktop browser — so it’s no surprise to see it baked into Chromebook Plus, which tends to be more powerful (and more expensive) Chromebooks. Google added the Gemini icon to the app shelf for faster and easier access. It’s also offering to anyone who buys a new Plus laptop 12 free months of Google One AI Premium, which includes access to Gemini Advanced, 2TB of cloud storage, and Gemini integrated with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail.
Google is also releasing new features available for both Chromebook Plus and standard Chromebooks: a QR code setup process that will let your Android phone directly share your Wi-Fi and login credentials with your new Chromebook, the ability to make GIFs from screen recordings, and a built-in view of Google Tasks.
Acer’s new 2-in-1 and gaming Chromebook Plus laptops

Image: Acer
The new Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714.

Acer announced two new Chromebook Plus devices today as well, both of which will have Gemini and the other AI features: its refreshed Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Chromebook Plus 516GE — its gaming Chromebook.
The Spin 714 is a 2-in-1 laptop that can be configured with one of two Intel Core Ultra 7 or one of two Core Ultra 5 processors and up to 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. All configurations have a 14-inch, 1200p touch display with optional stylus support; a 1440p webcam, and up to 10 hours of battery life.
Acer’s gaming Chromebook Plus 516 GE supports the same Google AI and Gemini features as the Spin 714 but has a 16-inch 1600p, 120Hz IPS display; an RGB keyboard, GeForce Now preinstalled, a 1080p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E in addition to a 2.5G ethernet port.
Configurations include an Intel Core 7 150U or Core 5 120U processor and up to 16GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and 10 hours of battery life. Notably, while this laptop will work with Google AI and Gemini features both the Core 7 150U and Core 5 120U lack NPUs, which means they won’t be as nimble with on-device AI tasks as more equipped devices.
The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 will be available in North America and EMEA starting in May for $749.99 and €979.00, respectively. The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE will be available in North America in May starting at $699.99.
Gemini on Asus and HP Chromebook Plus

Image: HP
The HP Chromebook Plus 14.

The same Gemini and other Google AI tools and features will be available on HP’s 14 and x360 Chromebook Plus refreshes, as well as the Asus CX34 and ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus.
HP’s Chromebook Plus 14 has an Intel Core 13-N305 processor (this one does not have an NPU, either), 8GB of memory, up to 256GB of storage, an Intel Wi-Fi 6E or MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 adapter, a 14-inch, 1080p IPS display with 300 nits of brightness (the non-touch option has 250 nits), 1080p webcam, and up to 11 hours of battery life. The HP Chromebook Plus x360 14, or 2-in-1 version of the clamshell above, has the same specs aside from battery life (up to 10 hours) and a touch display with 250 nits of brightness.
Asus’ ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus has up to an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor, 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage (either PCIe Gen 3 or 4), and a non-touch 1600p display with up to 500 nits of brightness. Its Chromebook Plus CX34 has up to an Intel Core i3-1215U (this also does not have an NPU), up to 16GB of memory and 256GB storage, and a 14-inch, 1080p touch-optional display.

Image: Asus
The Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus.

All four of these Chromebook Plus laptops are available to purchase.
Google also said it will release more features to ChromeOS on Chromebook Plus devices throughout the rest of the year. That includes the company’s “Project Gameface” AI face and gesture tracking, which was open-sourced to Android developers earlier in May, and Gemini’s “Help me read,” which is designed to summarize PDFs and answer follow-up questions. Chromebook Plus devices will also get a new Focus feature with a Do Not Disturb mode and the ability to share open windows and programs across all your devices, regardless of the operating system.

Image: Google

Google announced Tuesday it’s adding Gemini and AI features from its other devices to Chromebook Plus laptops, including a few from Asus and HP already on the market and brand-new ones from Acer. These and future Chromebook Plus laptops will support new features like Google’s “Help me write” tool and the ability to make custom wallpaper with generative AI. Magic Editor on Google Photos is coming to Chromebook Plus, too, which has also started to appear on older Android devices.

The company said previously it would integrate Gemini with the Chrome desktop browser — so it’s no surprise to see it baked into Chromebook Plus, which tends to be more powerful (and more expensive) Chromebooks. Google added the Gemini icon to the app shelf for faster and easier access. It’s also offering to anyone who buys a new Plus laptop 12 free months of Google One AI Premium, which includes access to Gemini Advanced, 2TB of cloud storage, and Gemini integrated with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail.

Google is also releasing new features available for both Chromebook Plus and standard Chromebooks: a QR code setup process that will let your Android phone directly share your Wi-Fi and login credentials with your new Chromebook, the ability to make GIFs from screen recordings, and a built-in view of Google Tasks.

Acer’s new 2-in-1 and gaming Chromebook Plus laptops

Image: Acer
The new Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714.

Acer announced two new Chromebook Plus devices today as well, both of which will have Gemini and the other AI features: its refreshed Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Chromebook Plus 516GE — its gaming Chromebook.

The Spin 714 is a 2-in-1 laptop that can be configured with one of two Intel Core Ultra 7 or one of two Core Ultra 5 processors and up to 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. All configurations have a 14-inch, 1200p touch display with optional stylus support; a 1440p webcam, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

Acer’s gaming Chromebook Plus 516 GE supports the same Google AI and Gemini features as the Spin 714 but has a 16-inch 1600p, 120Hz IPS display; an RGB keyboard, GeForce Now preinstalled, a 1080p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E in addition to a 2.5G ethernet port.

Configurations include an Intel Core 7 150U or Core 5 120U processor and up to 16GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and 10 hours of battery life. Notably, while this laptop will work with Google AI and Gemini features both the Core 7 150U and Core 5 120U lack NPUs, which means they won’t be as nimble with on-device AI tasks as more equipped devices.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 will be available in North America and EMEA starting in May for $749.99 and €979.00, respectively. The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE will be available in North America in May starting at $699.99.

Gemini on Asus and HP Chromebook Plus

Image: HP
The HP Chromebook Plus 14.

The same Gemini and other Google AI tools and features will be available on HP’s 14 and x360 Chromebook Plus refreshes, as well as the Asus CX34 and ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus.

HP’s Chromebook Plus 14 has an Intel Core 13-N305 processor (this one does not have an NPU, either), 8GB of memory, up to 256GB of storage, an Intel Wi-Fi 6E or MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 adapter, a 14-inch, 1080p IPS display with 300 nits of brightness (the non-touch option has 250 nits), 1080p webcam, and up to 11 hours of battery life. The HP Chromebook Plus x360 14, or 2-in-1 version of the clamshell above, has the same specs aside from battery life (up to 10 hours) and a touch display with 250 nits of brightness.

Asus’ ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus has up to an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor, 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage (either PCIe Gen 3 or 4), and a non-touch 1600p display with up to 500 nits of brightness. Its Chromebook Plus CX34 has up to an Intel Core i3-1215U (this also does not have an NPU), up to 16GB of memory and 256GB storage, and a 14-inch, 1080p touch-optional display.

Image: Asus
The Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus.

All four of these Chromebook Plus laptops are available to purchase.

Google also said it will release more features to ChromeOS on Chromebook Plus devices throughout the rest of the year. That includes the company’s “Project Gameface” AI face and gesture tracking, which was open-sourced to Android developers earlier in May, and Gemini’s “Help me read,” which is designed to summarize PDFs and answer follow-up questions. Chromebook Plus devices will also get a new Focus feature with a Do Not Disturb mode and the ability to share open windows and programs across all your devices, regardless of the operating system.

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Image: Activision

Microsoft is confirming today that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the next installment in the popular franchise, will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass. After a premature notification earlier today, an official Xbox Wire blog post has now revealed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Microsoft’s game subscription service later this year.
“We’re excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on day one with Game Pass,” says Megan Spurr, senior community lead of Xbox Game Pass.

The confirmation of a Game Pass release for the next Call of Duty installment comes after questions about Call of Duty’s availability on Xbox Game Pass. I reported earlier this month that Microsoft had been debating whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass, with concerns from some at the company that the revenue generated from typical Call of Duty sales would be undermined by Game Pass. Activision traditionally sells more than 20 million copies of Call of Duty on average, at around $70 each.
It’s still not clear whether Microsoft plans to raise the prices of its Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and the company hasn’t announced a release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, so there are still many months to go until its eventual release on Game Pass. I understand Activision is currently targeting a late October release for Black Ops 6, which is set during the ’90s Gulf War.
Microsoft plans to provide further details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 during a special stream after the main Xbox summer showcase on June 9th. The main Xbox showcase will feature a new Gears of War announcement, alongside the next Doom game. The showcase will also include a number of release dates for upcoming Xbox games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Image: Activision

Microsoft is confirming today that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the next installment in the popular franchise, will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass. After a premature notification earlier today, an official Xbox Wire blog post has now revealed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Microsoft’s game subscription service later this year.

“We’re excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on day one with Game Pass,” says Megan Spurr, senior community lead of Xbox Game Pass.

The confirmation of a Game Pass release for the next Call of Duty installment comes after questions about Call of Duty’s availability on Xbox Game Pass. I reported earlier this month that Microsoft had been debating whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass, with concerns from some at the company that the revenue generated from typical Call of Duty sales would be undermined by Game Pass. Activision traditionally sells more than 20 million copies of Call of Duty on average, at around $70 each.

It’s still not clear whether Microsoft plans to raise the prices of its Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and the company hasn’t announced a release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, so there are still many months to go until its eventual release on Game Pass. I understand Activision is currently targeting a late October release for Black Ops 6, which is set during the ’90s Gulf War.

Microsoft plans to provide further details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 during a special stream after the main Xbox summer showcase on June 9th. The main Xbox showcase will feature a new Gears of War announcement, alongside the next Doom game. The showcase will also include a number of release dates for upcoming Xbox games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

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Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

Almost 12 years ago, Microsoft showed us the Surface for the first time. Back then, the company’s big bet was that the laptop market was ready for a shake-up, that it could radically change both the hardware and software of a Windows PC and make everything better. Windows 8 didn’t go so well, and neither did the early attempts at building Windows on top of Arm processors. The Surface, though, has turned into a pretty great device.
Now, Microsoft is making a very different wager, this time on AI being the future of computing in practically every way you can think of. And once again, it’s making that bet with the Surface.

On this episode of The Vergecast, Microsoft’s Windows and devices head Pavan Davuluri joins the show to discuss the 12-year Surface story and why the company continued to press to make Windows, Arm, and the laptop / tablet hybrid idea work. We also talk about how you’re supposed to use AI, whether chatbots are the future of everything, and which other kinds of devices could be cool in an AI world. (Looking at you, Surface Duo.)
After that, The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins to go through a big list of recent smart home headlines and tell us: big deal, medium deal, or small deal? We talk Google Home, Dyson mops, Brilliant switches, and much more.
Finally, we take a question on the Vergecast Hotline (866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about why Google’s AI search overhaul feels like such a big deal when Google’s actually a bit late to the game.

If you want to know more on everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, first on Microsoft:

Microsoft’s new Windows chief on the future of the OS, Surface, and those annoying ads
Microsoft’s big bet on building a new type of AI computer
Microsoft Build 2024: news and announcements from the developer conference
All the Copilot Plus PCs announced at Microsoft’s Surface event
Inside Microsoft’s mission to take down the MacBook Air

And on the smart home:

The Dyson WashG1 is the company’s first dedicated mop
Amazon’s Matter Casting is shaping up so nicely, I want to use it everywhere
Matter 1.3 arrives with new device types and features
Smart lighting company Brilliant is looking for a buyer
Google launches new Home APIs and turns Google TVs into smart home hubs

And on the AI future of Google Search:

How Google perfected the web
The people who ruined the internet
Google is getting even worse for independent sites
Google is redesigning its search engine — and it’s AI all the way down

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

Almost 12 years ago, Microsoft showed us the Surface for the first time. Back then, the company’s big bet was that the laptop market was ready for a shake-up, that it could radically change both the hardware and software of a Windows PC and make everything better. Windows 8 didn’t go so well, and neither did the early attempts at building Windows on top of Arm processors. The Surface, though, has turned into a pretty great device.

Now, Microsoft is making a very different wager, this time on AI being the future of computing in practically every way you can think of. And once again, it’s making that bet with the Surface.

On this episode of The Vergecast, Microsoft’s Windows and devices head Pavan Davuluri joins the show to discuss the 12-year Surface story and why the company continued to press to make Windows, Arm, and the laptop / tablet hybrid idea work. We also talk about how you’re supposed to use AI, whether chatbots are the future of everything, and which other kinds of devices could be cool in an AI world. (Looking at you, Surface Duo.)

After that, The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins to go through a big list of recent smart home headlines and tell us: big deal, medium deal, or small deal? We talk Google Home, Dyson mops, Brilliant switches, and much more.

Finally, we take a question on the Vergecast Hotline (866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about why Google’s AI search overhaul feels like such a big deal when Google’s actually a bit late to the game.

If you want to know more on everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, first on Microsoft:

Microsoft’s new Windows chief on the future of the OS, Surface, and those annoying ads
Microsoft’s big bet on building a new type of AI computer
Microsoft Build 2024: news and announcements from the developer conference
All the Copilot Plus PCs announced at Microsoft’s Surface event
Inside Microsoft’s mission to take down the MacBook Air

And on the smart home:

The Dyson WashG1 is the company’s first dedicated mop
Amazon’s Matter Casting is shaping up so nicely, I want to use it everywhere
Matter 1.3 arrives with new device types and features
Smart lighting company Brilliant is looking for a buyer
Google launches new Home APIs and turns Google TVs into smart home hubs

And on the AI future of Google Search:

How Google perfected the web
The people who ruined the internet
Google is getting even worse for independent sites
Google is redesigning its search engine — and it’s AI all the way down

Read More 

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile has agreed to purchase parts of regional wireless carrier US Cellular in a $4.4 billion deal that includes US Cellular’s wireless customers, stores, and approximately 30 percent of spectrum assets. US Cellular will retain ownership of its towers and “approximately 70 percent of its spectrum portfolio across several spectrum bands,” with T-Mobile entering a long-term arrangement to lease space on more than 2,000 towers.
According to T-Mobile, the deal will improve nationwide coverage for US Cellular wireless customers while providing better 5G connectivity in “underserved rural areas” where T-Mobile sometimes struggles compared to AT&T and Verizon.
In the announcement, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said:
With this deal T-Mobile can extend the superior Un-carrier value and experiences that we’re famous for to millions of UScellular customers and deliver them lower-priced, value-packed plans and better connectivity on our best-in-class nationwide 5G network. As customers from both companies will get more coverage and more capacity from our combined footprint, our competitors will be forced to keep up – and even more consumers will benefit.
T-Mobile says that US Cellular customers can choose to stay on their current plan or move to an unlimited T-Mobile plan “of their choosing with no switching costs.”
The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025, provided regulators can be convinced to allow it. It was previously rumored that US Cellular’s business would be carved up between T-Mobile and Verizon to deter regulators from blocking the deal, according to The Wall Street Journal, but Verizon hasn’t yet announced anything related to US Cellular.
Developing…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile has agreed to purchase parts of regional wireless carrier US Cellular in a $4.4 billion deal that includes US Cellular’s wireless customers, stores, and approximately 30 percent of spectrum assets. US Cellular will retain ownership of its towers and “approximately 70 percent of its spectrum portfolio across several spectrum bands,” with T-Mobile entering a long-term arrangement to lease space on more than 2,000 towers.

According to T-Mobile, the deal will improve nationwide coverage for US Cellular wireless customers while providing better 5G connectivity in “underserved rural areas” where T-Mobile sometimes struggles compared to AT&T and Verizon.

In the announcement, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said:

With this deal T-Mobile can extend the superior Un-carrier value and experiences that we’re famous for to millions of UScellular customers and deliver them lower-priced, value-packed plans and better connectivity on our best-in-class nationwide 5G network. As customers from both companies will get more coverage and more capacity from our combined footprint, our competitors will be forced to keep up – and even more consumers will benefit.

T-Mobile says that US Cellular customers can choose to stay on their current plan or move to an unlimited T-Mobile plan “of their choosing with no switching costs.”

The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025, provided regulators can be convinced to allow it. It was previously rumored that US Cellular’s business would be carved up between T-Mobile and Verizon to deter regulators from blocking the deal, according to The Wall Street Journal, but Verizon hasn’t yet announced anything related to US Cellular.

Developing…

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

An upcoming version of Microsoft Phone Link lets you select and copy text from within images synced from your Android phone. The feature is live now in Release Preview Insider builds, so it should roll out to everyone soon.
Phone Link (called Link to Windows on the phone side) lets you sync calls, messages, notifications, and images — and cast your entire phone — from your Android phone to your Windows computer. It also works in a more limited fashion with iOS devices, which only sync notifications, messages, and calls over Bluetooth.

Screenshot: Nathan Edwards / The Verge
Phone Link will now let you select and copy text from images synced from your Android phone.

The Windows Snipping Tool got text extraction last year around the same time Phone Link got image share notifications, so it’s been possible for a bit to extract text from phone photos with the Snipping Tool. This update just saves you a step and lets you do it in-app. The feature is live in Phone Link 1.24051.91.0 and I gave it a quick test in Insider Preview Build 22635.3646 (Beta Channel).
In my testing, the OCR was decent, though it made more errors than either Samsung or Apple’s text extractors with the same photo of a book page. For longer passages you’re probably better off enabling cross-device copy and paste, extracting the text on your phone, and sending it to your PC that way.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

An upcoming version of Microsoft Phone Link lets you select and copy text from within images synced from your Android phone. The feature is live now in Release Preview Insider builds, so it should roll out to everyone soon.

Phone Link (called Link to Windows on the phone side) lets you sync calls, messages, notifications, and images — and cast your entire phone — from your Android phone to your Windows computer. It also works in a more limited fashion with iOS devices, which only sync notifications, messages, and calls over Bluetooth.

Screenshot: Nathan Edwards / The Verge
Phone Link will now let you select and copy text from images synced from your Android phone.

The Windows Snipping Tool got text extraction last year around the same time Phone Link got image share notifications, so it’s been possible for a bit to extract text from phone photos with the Snipping Tool. This update just saves you a step and lets you do it in-app. The feature is live in Phone Link 1.24051.91.0 and I gave it a quick test in Insider Preview Build 22635.3646 (Beta Channel).

In my testing, the OCR was decent, though it made more errors than either Samsung or Apple’s text extractors with the same photo of a book page. For longer passages you’re probably better off enabling cross-device copy and paste, extracting the text on your phone, and sending it to your PC that way.

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The Verge

Elon Musk founded xAI last summer, and today it announced raising $6 billion in funding, saying it will help bring the startup’s “first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate the research and development of future technologies.”
So far, xAI has launched Grok, a supposedly edgier version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT available via X, formerly known as Twitter, where the chatbot is currently only available to X Premium subscribers.
Funding in this round came from several sources, according to xAI, including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Last year, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that xAI was looking to raise up to $1 billion in equity investments, and a few months ago, The Financial Times reported it was seeking up to…. $6 billion. Musk denied that report at the time.

The hardware capable of powering AI development is pretty pricey, with Nvidia’s upcoming Blackwell B200 AI graphics cards costing anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 apiece. Last week, a report from The Information said that xAI would need 100,000 of Nvidia’s current H100 chips for a supercomputer to power an upgraded version of its Grok AI chatbot. Musk reportedly told investors the plan is to launch the new data center by the fall of 2025.
Continuing on in the AI race for chips, talent, and technology won’t be cheap — big tech firms have dumped billions into AI startups like Anthropic in addition to the resources Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are pouring into AI projects of their own.
Microsoft has also struck a multi-billion partnership with OpenAI, whose CEO Sam Altman is reportedly pursuing trillions more dollars to revamp the global chip industry. Musk, a founding member of OpenAI, is suing that company while claiming it has abandoned its mission to benefit humanity.
Outside of xAI and OpenAI, Musk said he would “prefer to build products outside of Tesla” when it comes to AI and robotics unless he gets more control. Tesla shareholders will start voting this week on whether to restore Musk’s $56 billion pay package ahead of its annual meeting on June 13th.

The Verge

Elon Musk founded xAI last summer, and today it announced raising $6 billion in funding, saying it will help bring the startup’s “first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate the research and development of future technologies.”

So far, xAI has launched Grok, a supposedly edgier version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT available via X, formerly known as Twitter, where the chatbot is currently only available to X Premium subscribers.

Funding in this round came from several sources, according to xAI, including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Last year, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that xAI was looking to raise up to $1 billion in equity investments, and a few months ago, The Financial Times reported it was seeking up to…. $6 billion. Musk denied that report at the time.

The hardware capable of powering AI development is pretty pricey, with Nvidia’s upcoming Blackwell B200 AI graphics cards costing anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 apiece. Last week, a report from The Information said that xAI would need 100,000 of Nvidia’s current H100 chips for a supercomputer to power an upgraded version of its Grok AI chatbot. Musk reportedly told investors the plan is to launch the new data center by the fall of 2025.

Continuing on in the AI race for chips, talent, and technology won’t be cheap — big tech firms have dumped billions into AI startups like Anthropic in addition to the resources Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are pouring into AI projects of their own.

Microsoft has also struck a multi-billion partnership with OpenAI, whose CEO Sam Altman is reportedly pursuing trillions more dollars to revamp the global chip industry. Musk, a founding member of OpenAI, is suing that company while claiming it has abandoned its mission to benefit humanity.

Outside of xAI and OpenAI, Musk said he would “prefer to build products outside of Tesla” when it comes to AI and robotics unless he gets more control. Tesla shareholders will start voting this week on whether to restore Musk’s $56 billion pay package ahead of its annual meeting on June 13th.

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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Netflix isn’t just programming content only a small group of people would like — it’s intent on having a little something for everyone. During an interview with The New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says he regrets comparing Netflix to HBO and its more limited selection of content in the past.
Here’s the quote, published in this 2013 GQ profile of Reed Hastings:
His dream project: a Netflix series created by Warren Beatty. “He’s great in long form,” Sarandos says. “His only problems have been when he’s constrained.” Sarandos is also warming up Jodie Foster, who directed an episode of Orange Is the New Black. “The goal,” he says, “is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.” His seductive pitch to today’s new breed of TV auteurs: a huge audience, real money, no meddlesome ecutives (“I’m not going to give David Fincher notes”), no pilots (television’s great sucking hole of money and hope), and a full-season commitment.
He tells the NYT interviewer, “What I should have said back then is, We want to be HBO and CBS and BBC and all those different networks around the world that entertain people, and not narrow it to just HBO.” He adds that “prestige elite programming” is a “very small” business, which isn’t what Netflix is about anymore.

Instead, Sarandos explains that Netflix must have a “broad variety of things that people watch and love.” That’s why not everything the service offers may not appeal to your taste. “The people who love ‘Ginny & Georgia’ will tell you, ‘Ginny & Georgia’ is great,” Sarandos says.
As my colleague Alex Cranz pointed out earlier this year, Netflix’s programming strategy makes it more like cable TV, as the service now has everything from Young Sheldon to The 100 — and soon, WWE’s Monday Night Raw.
Netflix is still eyeing the competition from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Comcast. “Early on, we were discounted because I think the studios thought these tech guys are never going to figure out programming,” Sarandos tells the NYT. “We largely have proved them wrong. And I think it would be crazy for us to think, Well, these entertainment companies are never going to figure out the tech.”
Netflix has undergone a big transformation over the past few years, pushing ahead with some of the things it said it’d never do, including advertising and paid password sharing. As the streaming landscape shifts focus to revenue rather than subscriber numbers, we could see other streamers follow a similar path.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Netflix isn’t just programming content only a small group of people would like — it’s intent on having a little something for everyone. During an interview with The New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says he regrets comparing Netflix to HBO and its more limited selection of content in the past.

Here’s the quote, published in this 2013 GQ profile of Reed Hastings:

His dream project: a Netflix series created by Warren Beatty. “He’s great in long form,” Sarandos says. “His only problems have been when he’s constrained.” Sarandos is also warming up Jodie Foster, who directed an episode of Orange Is the New Black. “The goal,” he says, “is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.” His seductive pitch to today’s new breed of TV auteurs: a huge audience, real money, no meddlesome ecutives (“I’m not going to give David Fincher notes”), no pilots (television’s great sucking hole of money and hope), and a full-season commitment.

He tells the NYT interviewer, “What I should have said back then is, We want to be HBO and CBS and BBC and all those different networks around the world that entertain people, and not narrow it to just HBO.” He adds that “prestige elite programming” is a “very small” business, which isn’t what Netflix is about anymore.

Instead, Sarandos explains that Netflix must have a “broad variety of things that people watch and love.” That’s why not everything the service offers may not appeal to your taste. “The people who love ‘Ginny & Georgia’ will tell you, ‘Ginny & Georgia’ is great,” Sarandos says.

As my colleague Alex Cranz pointed out earlier this year, Netflix’s programming strategy makes it more like cable TV, as the service now has everything from Young Sheldon to The 100 — and soon, WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

Netflix is still eyeing the competition from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Comcast. “Early on, we were discounted because I think the studios thought these tech guys are never going to figure out programming,” Sarandos tells the NYT. “We largely have proved them wrong. And I think it would be crazy for us to think, Well, these entertainment companies are never going to figure out the tech.”

Netflix has undergone a big transformation over the past few years, pushing ahead with some of the things it said it’d never do, including advertising and paid password sharing. As the streaming landscape shifts focus to revenue rather than subscriber numbers, we could see other streamers follow a similar path.

Read More