Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

News of a PlayStation 5 Pro could arrive right on time for the holiday season. Rumors of a PS5 Pro have swirled since earlier this year, with sources confirming to The Verge that developers are being asked to ensure their games are compatible with the improved system. On September 10th at 11AM ET, PlayStation is holding a “technical presentation” that appears set to confirm the console’s existence and souped-up specs, like a buffed GPU and faster CPU speeds.
The presentation will be hosted by PlayStation architect Mark Cerny and last a brisk nine minutes.
The rumor mill picked up steam last month with French tech site Dealabs claiming to have seen packaging for the Pro and sharing an illustration of what it supposedly looked like. Then, last week, Sony itself may have accidentally or on purpose shared what looked to be a PS5 Pro in its post celebrating 30 years of PlayStation history.
But now, Sony may put all those rumors to bed. Stay tuned here for all of the updates, and you can watch the livestream below.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

News of a PlayStation 5 Pro could arrive right on time for the holiday season.

Rumors of a PS5 Pro have swirled since earlier this year, with sources confirming to The Verge that developers are being asked to ensure their games are compatible with the improved system. On September 10th at 11AM ET, PlayStation is holding a “technical presentation” that appears set to confirm the console’s existence and souped-up specs, like a buffed GPU and faster CPU speeds.

The presentation will be hosted by PlayStation architect Mark Cerny and last a brisk nine minutes.

The rumor mill picked up steam last month with French tech site Dealabs claiming to have seen packaging for the Pro and sharing an illustration of what it supposedly looked like. Then, last week, Sony itself may have accidentally or on purpose shared what looked to be a PS5 Pro in its post celebrating 30 years of PlayStation history.

But now, Sony may put all those rumors to bed. Stay tuned here for all of the updates, and you can watch the livestream below.

Read More 

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will meet on the presidential debate stage for the first time on Tuesday night.
Though it’s technically the second presidential debate of the general election, it’s the first since Harris became the Democratic nominee, replacing President Joe Biden as the party’s candidate. That happened after Biden’s disastrous debate exacerbated concerns about his age, leading to a fracturing of support in the party and his eventual decision to step down and endorse his VP for the top of the ticket.
Tech isn’t likely to be a major focus of this debate, but since it’s one of the first opportunities we’ve had to hear from Harris since she took on the nomination, we’ll be listening for clues on where she falls on issues including antitrust, a TikTok ban, kids online safety, and more.
How do I watch tonight’s presidential debate?
This debate is being run by ABC News, so you can watch on ABC, the ABC News Live streaming service, Disney Plus, or Hulu. Other TV networks and channels will also simulcast the debate and provide streams on YouTube.
What time does tonight’s presidential debate start?
The debate starts at 9PM ET from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. There’s 90 minutes of debate time and two commercial breaks.
Who are the moderators?
ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis will moderate.
What are the ground rules?
Similar to the first debate, there will be no audience, and microphones will be muted unless it’s a candidate’s turn to speak. Only moderators can ask Harris and Trump questions, and there won’t be opening statements.
Candidates have two minutes to answer questions and two minutes to rebut. There’s also another minute to clarify or follow-up. They won’t have access to prewritten notes or their campaign staff onstage, but they will have a pen and paper to jot things down.
ABC said a virtual coin flip last week determined who will be at which podium and the order of the two-minute closing statements. Trump won the coin flip and chose to offer his closing statement last. Harris got to choose her podium position, which will be on the right side of the screen.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will meet on the presidential debate stage for the first time on Tuesday night.

Though it’s technically the second presidential debate of the general election, it’s the first since Harris became the Democratic nominee, replacing President Joe Biden as the party’s candidate. That happened after Biden’s disastrous debate exacerbated concerns about his age, leading to a fracturing of support in the party and his eventual decision to step down and endorse his VP for the top of the ticket.

Tech isn’t likely to be a major focus of this debate, but since it’s one of the first opportunities we’ve had to hear from Harris since she took on the nomination, we’ll be listening for clues on where she falls on issues including antitrust, a TikTok ban, kids online safety, and more.

How do I watch tonight’s presidential debate?

This debate is being run by ABC News, so you can watch on ABC, the ABC News Live streaming service, Disney Plus, or Hulu. Other TV networks and channels will also simulcast the debate and provide streams on YouTube.

What time does tonight’s presidential debate start?

The debate starts at 9PM ET from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. There’s 90 minutes of debate time and two commercial breaks.

Who are the moderators?

ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis will moderate.

What are the ground rules?

Similar to the first debate, there will be no audience, and microphones will be muted unless it’s a candidate’s turn to speak. Only moderators can ask Harris and Trump questions, and there won’t be opening statements.

Candidates have two minutes to answer questions and two minutes to rebut. There’s also another minute to clarify or follow-up. They won’t have access to prewritten notes or their campaign staff onstage, but they will have a pen and paper to jot things down.

ABC said a virtual coin flip last week determined who will be at which podium and the order of the two-minute closing statements. Trump won the coin flip and chose to offer his closing statement last. Harris got to choose her podium position, which will be on the right side of the screen.

Read More 

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

Let’s be super clear about something: the iPhone 16’s “Camera Control” is very much a button. It’s a cool multipurpose button that has a lot to say about how Apple views cameras and AI and the future of how we interact with technology and the world, but a button just the same. And the new button may be the most interesting thing about the new slate of iPhones.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we gather a few hours after Apple’s latest iPhone launch to talk through all the new devices. We dig into the differences between the iPhone 16 and the 16 Pro and why fans of the regular iPhone might be in for a good year. We talk about the new cameras, the new colors, and the button. We talk a lot about the button.

After that, we talk about the new AirPods — either four new models or two, depending on how you measure — and whether Apple’s new hearing aid capabilities are truly going to be a big deal. We also talk about the new Apple Watches, which… well, they come in black now. That’s most of the story. But they look pretty great.
We also talk a lot about what isn’t shipping on these new devices: Apple Intelligence, the AI-powered overhaul that Apple hopes will convince you to upgrade and change your relationship with your devices. None of that is here yet. So why is Apple shipping its AI phones without AI? And when can we expect to see whether the upgrade is really worth it? We have some thoughts.

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

iPhone 16 event: all the news from Apple’s keynote
Apple announces the iPhone 16 with a faster processor and Camera Control button
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro has a bigger screen, a new chip, and better battery life
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max hands-on: don’t call it a shutter button
Apple’s Visual Intelligence is a built-in take on Google Lens
Apple Watch Series 10 announced with bigger screen and thinner design

Apple announces AirPods 4 with noise cancellation and better sound
AirPods 4 hands-on: noise cancellation for people who hate ear tips
The AirPods Pro 2 will soon double as hearing aids
iOS 18 will launch next week with new ways to customize your homescreen

Apple has a faster MagSafe charger to go with the new iPhone 16 phones
It sure looks like FineWoven is dead

Beats’ new iPhone 16 cases work with the Camera Control button

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge

Let’s be super clear about something: the iPhone 16’s “Camera Control” is very much a button. It’s a cool multipurpose button that has a lot to say about how Apple views cameras and AI and the future of how we interact with technology and the world, but a button just the same. And the new button may be the most interesting thing about the new slate of iPhones.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we gather a few hours after Apple’s latest iPhone launch to talk through all the new devices. We dig into the differences between the iPhone 16 and the 16 Pro and why fans of the regular iPhone might be in for a good year. We talk about the new cameras, the new colors, and the button. We talk a lot about the button.

After that, we talk about the new AirPods — either four new models or two, depending on how you measure — and whether Apple’s new hearing aid capabilities are truly going to be a big deal. We also talk about the new Apple Watches, which… well, they come in black now. That’s most of the story. But they look pretty great.

We also talk a lot about what isn’t shipping on these new devices: Apple Intelligence, the AI-powered overhaul that Apple hopes will convince you to upgrade and change your relationship with your devices. None of that is here yet. So why is Apple shipping its AI phones without AI? And when can we expect to see whether the upgrade is really worth it? We have some thoughts.

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

iPhone 16 event: all the news from Apple’s keynote
Apple announces the iPhone 16 with a faster processor and Camera Control button
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro has a bigger screen, a new chip, and better battery life
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max hands-on: don’t call it a shutter button
Apple’s Visual Intelligence is a built-in take on Google Lens
Apple Watch Series 10 announced with bigger screen and thinner design

Apple announces AirPods 4 with noise cancellation and better sound
AirPods 4 hands-on: noise cancellation for people who hate ear tips
The AirPods Pro 2 will soon double as hearing aids
iOS 18 will launch next week with new ways to customize your homescreen

Apple has a faster MagSafe charger to go with the new iPhone 16 phones
It sure looks like FineWoven is dead

Beats’ new iPhone 16 cases work with the Camera Control button

Read More 

The first two Pixel Watches were playing catch-up. Now, Google’s starting to flesh out its wearable vision. Google was incredibly late to the smartwatch game — and it showed with both the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. The first was a fancy Fitbit plagued by poor battery life and a host of odd quirks. The second successfully put its whole focus on addressing the foibles of the first. Both were competent smartwatches, but with the Pixel Watch 3, it finally feels like Google’s done playing catch-up.
Seriously, there are so many updates with the Pixel Watch 3 that I could easily spend 5,000 words simply detailing them all. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, the updates fall into two buckets: refinement and expansion. About half are incremental tweaks that address previous issues and improve the experience. The rest take the Pixel Watch into newer territory, like more advanced running and better integration into Google’s ecosystem. Alone, these updates aren’t much to write home about. But together, you can see that Google isn’t just laying down the foundation anymore. It’s starting to take steps forward.

It’s the little things
If only you look at the Pixel Watch 3, it’s admittedly hard to see why this is a big leap forward. It looks just like last year’s watch, which looks like the one before that. But on the hardware front, Google basically made a bunch of little changes that add up to a sizable, overall improvement.
Take the displays. This year, they’re brighter at 2,000 nits and sport 16 percent smaller bezels. This isn’t something that’ll blow your mind, but it does subtly improve everything about the Pixel Watch 3. I’ve done about two dozen walks and runs with the Pixel Watch 3 so far, and the screen is much easier to read in direct sunlight compared to last year. Smaller bezels mean you can fit more information on both the 41mm and the new 45mm size. I appreciate all of that as someone with crap vision who spends a lot of time outside.

The 45mm (top) isn’t that much bigger than the 41mm.

And I appreciate the 45mm watch. The lack of a larger size was a major criticism of the first and second watches. This fixes that. As a bonus, this isn’t a behemoth 45mm watch. It wears small. I’m a card-carrying member of the Tiny Wrist Club, and even I have a hard time telling the 41mm and 45mm apart on the wrist. After two weeks of testing, I find I actually prefer the 45mm. Not only can I see more on the screen, but its 35 percent larger battery means I can go longer between charging.
That matters because battery life has been a thorn in the Pixel Watch’s side. This is the first year I’ve felt fully comfortable with the stated 24-hour battery life. A lot of that is because Google’s tripled down on battery life. Wear OS 5 and the new Actua displays are more power-efficient, and an improved battery-saver mode kicks in when you hit 15 percent. Plus, after three generations of waiting, we finally get an automatic bedtime mode so you don’t have to worry about battery drain while you sleep. You used to have to do that manually or sync with a Pixel phone’s bedtime mode. Now, it just works.

None of these add up to true multiday battery life on either watch, but it’s a dramatic change from the first gen and a moderate upgrade from the second. I used the same charging routine for both watches — a 20- to 30-minute fast charge while I shower. With the 41mm, that was enough to get me through the day, but occasionally, I’d be surprised with a low-battery warning before bed. With the 45mm, I’ve never had that happen. No matter when I check my wrist, I’m always comfortably around 50–80 percent. In a rundown test, I got a maximum of about 32 hours.
Smarter health and fitness
When the Pixel Watch first debuted, it was supposed to be a plus that Fitbit drove the entire health and fitness experience. The problem was the merger made for a messy Google-Fitbit smartwatch lineup. The Pixel Watch was the “smarter” flagship, while the Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 were fitness-first devices. What we really got were three arbitrarily nerfed watches that left people confused and cheesed. For better or worse, Fitbit’s been thoroughly Googlefied since then — and it’s made for a smoother experience. That, in turn, now allows the Pixel Watch 3 to stretch in some new directions.
Behold, this year’s boatload of fitness and health updates:

A new running dashboard with form analysis metrics
Custom running workouts
AI-generated daily running workout suggestions
Revamped Daily Readiness Score — no longer paywalled
New Cardio Load metric
Morning Brief
Loss of Pulse feature

The Pixel Watch 3 is a more capable running watch, but it’s still best for beginners and casual athletes.

Since day one, Fitbit’s main thing has been a streamlined, holistic approach to fitness tracking. It was founded on the idea of getting your steps in. Training is a different beast, and yet nearly all of these new features are geared toward that while still catering to beginners and a more casual athlete.
For example, the new running dashboard is designed to be more digestible than Garmin’s data dump while giving you a bit more context than Samsung or Apple. The AI-generated running workouts are a good example, too. The other day, I got recommended a roughly four-mile tempo workout… on a day I was scheduled to do one anyway. There was a card explaining why it was recommended — I’d been doing a lot of moderate steady-state runs and needed to zhuzh it up. I already know what I’m doing and like to take a more active role in my training. But for someone starting out or who has decision fatigue, that’s a neat option. The fact that your Daily Readiness Score and Cardio Load aren’t paywalled is another move in the right direction.
For me, the two primary fitness updates are Cardio Load and custom workouts. Cardio Load is basically Garmin’s Training Load by another name. It measures your seven-day cardio intensity versus previous weeks. The difference here is after a 14-day calibration period, you’ll get a target number to aim for. For example, I set my goal as improving my cardio fitness. Every day, I get a target that takes into account what I’ve been doing that week. Old hats confident in their programs might turn up their nose, but this is helpful context for folks just starting out.

Cardio Load is training load by another name.

You can program Custom workouts on the phone or the wrist.

Custom workouts are another must-have for anyone serious about training. I’m happy to see Google introduced them here, but there are quirks. Warmups and cooldowns can only be programmed by time, not by distance. You can work around it, but it’s annoying. It’s also a bit chatty for my tastes. Like other custom workouts, the watch alerts you when it’s time to move to a new interval or if you’re straying from target goals. I programmed a four-mile Tempo run based on pace, and you can bet the Pixel Watch let me know anytime I was a second outside my pace range. (My pro tip is to turn off voice alerts.) Software updates could easily fix these issues, so I hope Google gets on that quickly.
Lastly, I’d love to weigh in about Loss of Pulse, which calls emergency services on your behalf if the watch can’t detect your pulse. Alas, I can’t. Given the stakes involved, that’s a feature that requires regulatory clearance, and Google has yet to obtain it in the US. Even so, this is a feature that nobody else has yet. Sure, it builds on a foundation set by AFib and fall detection, but it’s also Google pushing in a new direction. There’s something to that.
Better with Pixel
The Pixel Watch 3 works best if you use a Pixel phone. I don’t love that. However, I also can’t deny that the Google integrations this time around were among my favorite features.
For example, the Pixel Watch 3 now has an ultra wideband chip that lets you automatically unlock your Pixel phone. It’s a little thing that makes life easier. (You can also unlock certain BMWs, but I use turn signals, so I can’t have a Beamer.) If you have a Google TV, your Pixel Watch can double as a remote control. Offline Google Maps are now a thing. As a journalist, I found it handy that I can now record calls or notes on the Pixel Watch and magically find it, plus the transcription, on my Pixel 8 Pro seconds later. As an extension of Call Assist, you can now tell people you need an extra minute to pick up a call.

I loved being able to see my Nest Doorbell feed from the wrist.

But the thing I found most useful was using the Pixel Watch 3 to control my Google-powered smart home. It’s much easier to unlock the front door for guests, turn on and off my office light, and adjust my aggressive Nest Thermostat. Plus, now you can view your Nest Doorbell feed directly from the wrist — an absolute game changer for me. My office is on the third floor. My FedEx delivery guy is unaware that patience is a virtue. The ability to say “Hold on, I’m coming down” from the wrist has saved me a lot of grief this review season.
I can’t underscore enough how big this feels. Apple’s seamless ecosystem experience is a big reason why people stick with the iPhone. This had some of that magic — and that’s major considering how much bigger Google Home is compared to Samsung’s SmartThings. This alone isn’t enough to overthrow Samsung’s chokehold on the Android phone market, but it’s definitely something that will make Pixel fans happier.

Recorder is an example of a Pixel phone-only feature.

The cynic in me knows the best smartwatch for you hinges on which phone you have. I can see the lock-in. But the optimist thinks this is Google’s ambient computing vision coming alive. It’s early days, and yeah, sometimes it takes a touch too long for my doorbell feed to pop up, but damn if it isn’t inching closer to what we thought smartwatches would be 10 years ago.
Honestly, I was never sure the Pixel Watch would get to this point. No one would’ve been shocked if Google threw in the towel after the first Pixel Watch or refused to put in years of work to compete with Samsung, let alone introduce new, industry-first features. But here we are, three years later, and I genuinely think the Pixel Watch 3 does certain things better than its rivals. Color me impressed and excited to see where the Pixel Watch 4 goes next.

The first two Pixel Watches were playing catch-up. Now, Google’s starting to flesh out its wearable vision.

Google was incredibly late to the smartwatch game — and it showed with both the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. The first was a fancy Fitbit plagued by poor battery life and a host of odd quirks. The second successfully put its whole focus on addressing the foibles of the first. Both were competent smartwatches, but with the Pixel Watch 3, it finally feels like Google’s done playing catch-up.

Seriously, there are so many updates with the Pixel Watch 3 that I could easily spend 5,000 words simply detailing them all. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, the updates fall into two buckets: refinement and expansion. About half are incremental tweaks that address previous issues and improve the experience. The rest take the Pixel Watch into newer territory, like more advanced running and better integration into Google’s ecosystem. Alone, these updates aren’t much to write home about. But together, you can see that Google isn’t just laying down the foundation anymore. It’s starting to take steps forward.

It’s the little things

If only you look at the Pixel Watch 3, it’s admittedly hard to see why this is a big leap forward. It looks just like last year’s watch, which looks like the one before that. But on the hardware front, Google basically made a bunch of little changes that add up to a sizable, overall improvement.

Take the displays. This year, they’re brighter at 2,000 nits and sport 16 percent smaller bezels. This isn’t something that’ll blow your mind, but it does subtly improve everything about the Pixel Watch 3. I’ve done about two dozen walks and runs with the Pixel Watch 3 so far, and the screen is much easier to read in direct sunlight compared to last year. Smaller bezels mean you can fit more information on both the 41mm and the new 45mm size. I appreciate all of that as someone with crap vision who spends a lot of time outside.

And I appreciate the 45mm watch. The lack of a larger size was a major criticism of the first and second watches. This fixes that. As a bonus, this isn’t a behemoth 45mm watch. It wears small. I’m a card-carrying member of the Tiny Wrist Club, and even I have a hard time telling the 41mm and 45mm apart on the wrist. After two weeks of testing, I find I actually prefer the 45mm. Not only can I see more on the screen, but its 35 percent larger battery means I can go longer between charging.

That matters because battery life has been a thorn in the Pixel Watch’s side. This is the first year I’ve felt fully comfortable with the stated 24-hour battery life. A lot of that is because Google’s tripled down on battery life. Wear OS 5 and the new Actua displays are more power-efficient, and an improved battery-saver mode kicks in when you hit 15 percent. Plus, after three generations of waiting, we finally get an automatic bedtime mode so you don’t have to worry about battery drain while you sleep. You used to have to do that manually or sync with a Pixel phone’s bedtime mode. Now, it just works.

None of these add up to true multiday battery life on either watch, but it’s a dramatic change from the first gen and a moderate upgrade from the second. I used the same charging routine for both watches — a 20- to 30-minute fast charge while I shower. With the 41mm, that was enough to get me through the day, but occasionally, I’d be surprised with a low-battery warning before bed. With the 45mm, I’ve never had that happen. No matter when I check my wrist, I’m always comfortably around 50–80 percent. In a rundown test, I got a maximum of about 32 hours.

Smarter health and fitness

When the Pixel Watch first debuted, it was supposed to be a plus that Fitbit drove the entire health and fitness experience. The problem was the merger made for a messy Google-Fitbit smartwatch lineup. The Pixel Watch was the “smarter” flagship, while the Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 were fitness-first devices. What we really got were three arbitrarily nerfed watches that left people confused and cheesed. For better or worse, Fitbit’s been thoroughly Googlefied since then — and it’s made for a smoother experience. That, in turn, now allows the Pixel Watch 3 to stretch in some new directions.

Behold, this year’s boatload of fitness and health updates:

A new running dashboard with form analysis metrics
Custom running workouts
AI-generated daily running workout suggestions
Revamped Daily Readiness Score — no longer paywalled
New Cardio Load metric
Morning Brief
Loss of Pulse feature

Since day one, Fitbit’s main thing has been a streamlined, holistic approach to fitness tracking. It was founded on the idea of getting your steps in. Training is a different beast, and yet nearly all of these new features are geared toward that while still catering to beginners and a more casual athlete.

For example, the new running dashboard is designed to be more digestible than Garmin’s data dump while giving you a bit more context than Samsung or Apple. The AI-generated running workouts are a good example, too. The other day, I got recommended a roughly four-mile tempo workout… on a day I was scheduled to do one anyway. There was a card explaining why it was recommended — I’d been doing a lot of moderate steady-state runs and needed to zhuzh it up. I already know what I’m doing and like to take a more active role in my training. But for someone starting out or who has decision fatigue, that’s a neat option. The fact that your Daily Readiness Score and Cardio Load aren’t paywalled is another move in the right direction.

For me, the two primary fitness updates are Cardio Load and custom workouts. Cardio Load is basically Garmin’s Training Load by another name. It measures your seven-day cardio intensity versus previous weeks. The difference here is after a 14-day calibration period, you’ll get a target number to aim for. For example, I set my goal as improving my cardio fitness. Every day, I get a target that takes into account what I’ve been doing that week. Old hats confident in their programs might turn up their nose, but this is helpful context for folks just starting out.

Custom workouts are another must-have for anyone serious about training. I’m happy to see Google introduced them here, but there are quirks. Warmups and cooldowns can only be programmed by time, not by distance. You can work around it, but it’s annoying. It’s also a bit chatty for my tastes. Like other custom workouts, the watch alerts you when it’s time to move to a new interval or if you’re straying from target goals. I programmed a four-mile Tempo run based on pace, and you can bet the Pixel Watch let me know anytime I was a second outside my pace range. (My pro tip is to turn off voice alerts.) Software updates could easily fix these issues, so I hope Google gets on that quickly.

Lastly, I’d love to weigh in about Loss of Pulse, which calls emergency services on your behalf if the watch can’t detect your pulse. Alas, I can’t. Given the stakes involved, that’s a feature that requires regulatory clearance, and Google has yet to obtain it in the US. Even so, this is a feature that nobody else has yet. Sure, it builds on a foundation set by AFib and fall detection, but it’s also Google pushing in a new direction. There’s something to that.

Better with Pixel

The Pixel Watch 3 works best if you use a Pixel phone. I don’t love that. However, I also can’t deny that the Google integrations this time around were among my favorite features.

For example, the Pixel Watch 3 now has an ultra wideband chip that lets you automatically unlock your Pixel phone. It’s a little thing that makes life easier. (You can also unlock certain BMWs, but I use turn signals, so I can’t have a Beamer.) If you have a Google TV, your Pixel Watch can double as a remote control. Offline Google Maps are now a thing. As a journalist, I found it handy that I can now record calls or notes on the Pixel Watch and magically find it, plus the transcription, on my Pixel 8 Pro seconds later. As an extension of Call Assist, you can now tell people you need an extra minute to pick up a call.

I loved being able to see my Nest Doorbell feed from the wrist.

But the thing I found most useful was using the Pixel Watch 3 to control my Google-powered smart home. It’s much easier to unlock the front door for guests, turn on and off my office light, and adjust my aggressive Nest Thermostat. Plus, now you can view your Nest Doorbell feed directly from the wrist — an absolute game changer for me. My office is on the third floor. My FedEx delivery guy is unaware that patience is a virtue. The ability to say “Hold on, I’m coming down” from the wrist has saved me a lot of grief this review season.

I can’t underscore enough how big this feels. Apple’s seamless ecosystem experience is a big reason why people stick with the iPhone. This had some of that magic — and that’s major considering how much bigger Google Home is compared to Samsung’s SmartThings. This alone isn’t enough to overthrow Samsung’s chokehold on the Android phone market, but it’s definitely something that will make Pixel fans happier.

Recorder is an example of a Pixel phone-only feature.

The cynic in me knows the best smartwatch for you hinges on which phone you have. I can see the lock-in. But the optimist thinks this is Google’s ambient computing vision coming alive. It’s early days, and yeah, sometimes it takes a touch too long for my doorbell feed to pop up, but damn if it isn’t inching closer to what we thought smartwatches would be 10 years ago.

Honestly, I was never sure the Pixel Watch would get to this point. No one would’ve been shocked if Google threw in the towel after the first Pixel Watch or refused to put in years of work to compete with Samsung, let alone introduce new, industry-first features. But here we are, three years later, and I genuinely think the Pixel Watch 3 does certain things better than its rivals. Color me impressed and excited to see where the Pixel Watch 4 goes next.

Read More 

The new pause option for iOS 18 can be seen here underneath the recording button. | Image: Tom Warren / The Verge

Apple has added a new Camera app feature in the latest iOS 18 beta that gives iPhone users a dedicated option to pause video recordings. The feature, spotted by 9to5Mac, is coming to all iOS 18-supported iPhone models when the OS update is released on September 16th, unlike the wider “Camera Control” tools that are exclusive to the iPhone 16.
The feature will finally enable iPhones to film multiple shots in a single video instead of the current process that requires users to take separate recordings that must be edited together. When updated to iOS 18, a pause button is added to the Camera app which changes to a Record button when users have actively paused their video recording. Users can also switch between camera lenses while a recording is paused if they want to adjust the zoom or focal length.
The pausing capability was added to the iOS 18 Release Candidate beta that Apple seeded to developers on Monday following the “It’s Glowtime” iPhone 16 event.

The new pause option for iOS 18 can be seen here underneath the recording button. | Image: Tom Warren / The Verge

Apple has added a new Camera app feature in the latest iOS 18 beta that gives iPhone users a dedicated option to pause video recordings. The feature, spotted by 9to5Mac, is coming to all iOS 18-supported iPhone models when the OS update is released on September 16th, unlike the wider “Camera Control” tools that are exclusive to the iPhone 16.

The feature will finally enable iPhones to film multiple shots in a single video instead of the current process that requires users to take separate recordings that must be edited together. When updated to iOS 18, a pause button is added to the Camera app which changes to a Record button when users have actively paused their video recording. Users can also switch between camera lenses while a recording is paused if they want to adjust the zoom or focal length.

The pausing capability was added to the iOS 18 Release Candidate beta that Apple seeded to developers on Monday following the “It’s Glowtime” iPhone 16 event.

Read More 

Sure, it’s expensive, but in exchange you get a phone that unfolds like a napkin. | Image: Huawei

After weeks of teasing, Huawei has officially launched the world’s first dual-hinged, triple-screen foldable phone and it’s just as expensive as we feared. In China, prices for the Mate XT Ultimate Design start at 19,999 yuan (about $2,809) for the 256GB storage model — that’s roughly $300 more than a brand-new 16-inch MacBook Pro.
All models are equipped with 16GB of RAM, and two additional storage variants are available that cost 21,999 yuan (about $3,089) for 512GB and 23,999 yuan (about $3,370) for 1TB. Chinese retailer Vmall reported 3.7 million preorders before pricing was announced.
The Mate XT features an inverse dual-hinge design that folds in a “Z” shape, allowing it to be used in a variety of formats. The OLED display measures 6.4-inches when fully collapsed as a traditional single-screen device. When fully unfolded, that display increases to 10.2-inches (2,232 x 3,184) and can still be used when partially unfurled in a smaller 7.9-inch configuration.

The device comes with a 5,600mAh battery and supports 66W of wired charging or 50W wirelessly. There’s a triple camera setup located on the rear that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 12-megapixel periscope camera. The hole-punch selfie camera on the front is 8 megapixels, and located on the left-most screen when the device is fully unfolded.
We’ve reached out to Huawei to ask about availability outside of China, but we’re not holding out hope.

Sure, it’s expensive, but in exchange you get a phone that unfolds like a napkin. | Image: Huawei

After weeks of teasing, Huawei has officially launched the world’s first dual-hinged, triple-screen foldable phone and it’s just as expensive as we feared. In China, prices for the Mate XT Ultimate Design start at 19,999 yuan (about $2,809) for the 256GB storage model — that’s roughly $300 more than a brand-new 16-inch MacBook Pro.

All models are equipped with 16GB of RAM, and two additional storage variants are available that cost 21,999 yuan (about $3,089) for 512GB and 23,999 yuan (about $3,370) for 1TB. Chinese retailer Vmall reported 3.7 million preorders before pricing was announced.

The Mate XT features an inverse dual-hinge design that folds in a “Z” shape, allowing it to be used in a variety of formats. The OLED display measures 6.4-inches when fully collapsed as a traditional single-screen device. When fully unfolded, that display increases to 10.2-inches (2,232 x 3,184) and can still be used when partially unfurled in a smaller 7.9-inch configuration.

The device comes with a 5,600mAh battery and supports 66W of wired charging or 50W wirelessly. There’s a triple camera setup located on the rear that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 12-megapixel periscope camera. The hole-punch selfie camera on the front is 8 megapixels, and located on the left-most screen when the device is fully unfolded.

We’ve reached out to Huawei to ask about availability outside of China, but we’re not holding out hope.

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Google and the US Justice Department each believe the other wants too much of one thing: control.
“Control is the defining characteristic of a monopolist,” DOJ counsel Julia Tarver Wood said during opening statements in the federal government’s second antitrust trial against the search giant, which kicked off Monday in Alexandria, Virginia. To the government, Google exerts too much control over every step in the way publishers sell advertising space online and how advertisers buy it, resulting in a system that benefits Google at the expense of nearly everyone else.
“Control is the defining characteristic of a monopolist”
To Google, the government is seeking control over a successful business by making it deal with rivals on more favorable terms, disregarding the value of its investments in technology and the unique efficiencies of its integrated tools.
By the end of the trial, which is expected to last several weeks, US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema will be left to decide which side is exerting too much control — and ultimately, if Google has illegally monopolized the markets for advertising technology.
Markets is a key word, since one question raised on the first day is how many monopolies Google might actually have. (A federal court in DC says at least one, since it recently ruled Google a monopolist in search.) The DOJ is arguing that Google has monopoly power in three different ad-related markets: those for publisher ad servers (where websites hawk ad space), ad exchanges (which facilitate ad transactions), and advertiser ad networks (where advertisers go to buy ad space). They’re also arguing that Google illegally tied together its publisher ad server with its ad exchange to maintain its monopoly power.
“One monopoly is bad enough,” Wood said during opening statements. “But a trifecta of monopolies is what we have here.”
“A trifecta of monopolies is what we have here”
Google says it’s not a monopolist, and in fact there’s only one market: a two-sided market made of buyers and sellers of online ad inventory. In opening arguments, its counsel said the government is ignoring relevant Supreme Court precedent that says this is the best way to view such a market. The company also argues regulators are carving up the field with terms like “open web display advertising,” which Google calls contrived. What the government really wants here, Google claims, is to require it to deal with its rivals — something the Supreme Court has said isn’t really the job of the judicial system.
After opening statements, the DOJ began calling its first witnesses, focusing on the tools publishers use to monetize display ads. These are the ads that typically pop up at the top or the side of the page on news websites and blogs, populating through super-quick auctions that run while the page loads. During the auction, an ad exchange helps match publishers and advertisers based on things like topic and price without active intervention by a human. The process is called programmatic advertising, and it’s used by The Verge’s parent company Vox Media among many others. (Vox Media president of revenue and growth Ryan Pauley is on the list of potential witnesses but wasn’t called today.)
Google’s tools play an essential role in the process, with some of them holding about 90 percent of the market, according to the government. Google has a publisher ad server called Google Ad Manager (formerly DoubleClick for Publishers, or DFP), which helps publishers sell ad space. It operates an ad exchange, AdX, that facilitates transactions. And it owns an advertiser ad network, rounding out its trifecta of major products across different parts of the ad world.
Four industry players testified Monday, representing a publisher (Tim Wolfe, SVP of revenue at Gannett), an ad exchange (Andrew Casale, president and CEO of Index Exchange), a marketer (Joshua Lowcock, president of media at Quad), and a publisher ad network (James Avery, founder and CEO of Kevel). Across the testimonies, the government tried to establish that programmatic display advertising is not something publishers can easily substitute with other types of advertising, including direct deals with advertisers or ads on social media sites. And it introduced the idea that switching from Google tools isn’t such an easy decision, even when there might be some reason to do so.
In testimony, for instance, Wolfe and Avery both made clear that publishers are largely unwilling to switch away from Google Ad Manager. They said it’s because Google packages it with access to AdX, and losing that package deal would mean giving up large amounts of revenue — even if rivals offer to take a much smaller cut for facilitating each ad sale. Wolfe testified that when Gannett received one such offer, that reduced take rate didn’t move the needle, since it wouldn’t offset the benefits of AdX.
The ad server company Kevel started by targeting traditional publishers, but Avery says competing with Google proved impossibly hard. He recalled publishers asking how his company would replace the revenue they made from AdX, something Kevel simply couldn’t manage. After trying to engage Google twice about ways to connect Kevel’s ad server with AdX, Avery testified, his efforts were rebuffed. Kevel pivoted to facilitating things like sponsored listings for retailers instead.
Speaking from the ad exchange perspective, Casale testified that switching ad servers is a big lift at the technical level, so publishers rarely do it. Building a new one is “very complex and expensive.” In the ad exchange market, Casale said competing with Google’s AdX is “very challenging,” and in experiments, reducing fees had barely a “nominal” impact on the ability to gain more business. Because of the huge network effects it takes to get an exchange off the ground, as well as the fact that it only gets visibility into ad impressions it wins, “I can’t imagine anyone starting a new exchange today,” he said.
Google’s attorneys poked at the witnesses’ arguments and credibility during cross-examination, pointing out ways players like Avery would benefit if the court forced Google to share access to its tools. Google will call its own witnesses to counter the DOJ later in the trial.
“I can’t imagine anyone starting a new exchange today”
This trial covers very different ground from last year’s antitrust fight in the District of Columbia. But on the first day of court, both sides alluded to their earlier battle. The Department of Justice mentioned during opening statements that another court had already adjudicated the question of Google’s search monopoly, referencing a ruling Judge Amit Mehta handed down just over a month ago. And although Mehta ruled mostly against Google, the tech giant cited a piece of the ruling that went in its favor. The topic? A DOJ argument Mehta interpreted as a requirement for Google to cut deals with competitors — and, accordingly, dismissed.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Google and the US Justice Department each believe the other wants too much of one thing: control.

“Control is the defining characteristic of a monopolist,” DOJ counsel Julia Tarver Wood said during opening statements in the federal government’s second antitrust trial against the search giant, which kicked off Monday in Alexandria, Virginia. To the government, Google exerts too much control over every step in the way publishers sell advertising space online and how advertisers buy it, resulting in a system that benefits Google at the expense of nearly everyone else.

To Google, the government is seeking control over a successful business by making it deal with rivals on more favorable terms, disregarding the value of its investments in technology and the unique efficiencies of its integrated tools.

By the end of the trial, which is expected to last several weeks, US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema will be left to decide which side is exerting too much control — and ultimately, if Google has illegally monopolized the markets for advertising technology.

Markets is a key word, since one question raised on the first day is how many monopolies Google might actually have. (A federal court in DC says at least one, since it recently ruled Google a monopolist in search.) The DOJ is arguing that Google has monopoly power in three different ad-related markets: those for publisher ad servers (where websites hawk ad space), ad exchanges (which facilitate ad transactions), and advertiser ad networks (where advertisers go to buy ad space). They’re also arguing that Google illegally tied together its publisher ad server with its ad exchange to maintain its monopoly power.

“One monopoly is bad enough,” Wood said during opening statements. “But a trifecta of monopolies is what we have here.”

Google says it’s not a monopolist, and in fact there’s only one market: a two-sided market made of buyers and sellers of online ad inventory. In opening arguments, its counsel said the government is ignoring relevant Supreme Court precedent that says this is the best way to view such a market. The company also argues regulators are carving up the field with terms like “open web display advertising,” which Google calls contrived. What the government really wants here, Google claims, is to require it to deal with its rivals — something the Supreme Court has said isn’t really the job of the judicial system.

After opening statements, the DOJ began calling its first witnesses, focusing on the tools publishers use to monetize display ads. These are the ads that typically pop up at the top or the side of the page on news websites and blogs, populating through super-quick auctions that run while the page loads. During the auction, an ad exchange helps match publishers and advertisers based on things like topic and price without active intervention by a human. The process is called programmatic advertising, and it’s used by The Verge’s parent company Vox Media among many others. (Vox Media president of revenue and growth Ryan Pauley is on the list of potential witnesses but wasn’t called today.)

Google’s tools play an essential role in the process, with some of them holding about 90 percent of the market, according to the government. Google has a publisher ad server called Google Ad Manager (formerly DoubleClick for Publishers, or DFP), which helps publishers sell ad space. It operates an ad exchange, AdX, that facilitates transactions. And it owns an advertiser ad network, rounding out its trifecta of major products across different parts of the ad world.

Four industry players testified Monday, representing a publisher (Tim Wolfe, SVP of revenue at Gannett), an ad exchange (Andrew Casale, president and CEO of Index Exchange), a marketer (Joshua Lowcock, president of media at Quad), and a publisher ad network (James Avery, founder and CEO of Kevel). Across the testimonies, the government tried to establish that programmatic display advertising is not something publishers can easily substitute with other types of advertising, including direct deals with advertisers or ads on social media sites. And it introduced the idea that switching from Google tools isn’t such an easy decision, even when there might be some reason to do so.

In testimony, for instance, Wolfe and Avery both made clear that publishers are largely unwilling to switch away from Google Ad Manager. They said it’s because Google packages it with access to AdX, and losing that package deal would mean giving up large amounts of revenue — even if rivals offer to take a much smaller cut for facilitating each ad sale. Wolfe testified that when Gannett received one such offer, that reduced take rate didn’t move the needle, since it wouldn’t offset the benefits of AdX.

The ad server company Kevel started by targeting traditional publishers, but Avery says competing with Google proved impossibly hard. He recalled publishers asking how his company would replace the revenue they made from AdX, something Kevel simply couldn’t manage. After trying to engage Google twice about ways to connect Kevel’s ad server with AdX, Avery testified, his efforts were rebuffed. Kevel pivoted to facilitating things like sponsored listings for retailers instead.

Speaking from the ad exchange perspective, Casale testified that switching ad servers is a big lift at the technical level, so publishers rarely do it. Building a new one is “very complex and expensive.” In the ad exchange market, Casale said competing with Google’s AdX is “very challenging,” and in experiments, reducing fees had barely a “nominal” impact on the ability to gain more business. Because of the huge network effects it takes to get an exchange off the ground, as well as the fact that it only gets visibility into ad impressions it wins, “I can’t imagine anyone starting a new exchange today,” he said.

Google’s attorneys poked at the witnesses’ arguments and credibility during cross-examination, pointing out ways players like Avery would benefit if the court forced Google to share access to its tools. Google will call its own witnesses to counter the DOJ later in the trial.

This trial covers very different ground from last year’s antitrust fight in the District of Columbia. But on the first day of court, both sides alluded to their earlier battle. The Department of Justice mentioned during opening statements that another court had already adjudicated the question of Google’s search monopoly, referencing a ruling Judge Amit Mehta handed down just over a month ago. And although Mehta ruled mostly against Google, the tech giant cited a piece of the ruling that went in its favor. The topic? A DOJ argument Mehta interpreted as a requirement for Google to cut deals with competitors — and, accordingly, dismissed.

Read More 

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance — a vocal proponent of conspiracy theories about immigrants “replacing” Americans — is now spreading misinformation about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio killing family pets and protected wildlife.
“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance posted on X on Monday, echoing an unsubstantiated rumor that took off on right-wing social media over the weekend.
The unnamed “reports” Vance cites are likely from Infowars or the Daily Mail, both of which published thinly sourced posts about Haitian migrants eating pets and wildlife. Both publications reference a Facebook post in which someone claims their neighbor’s daughter’s friend lost her cat — and later found it “hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering,” outside a house “where Haitians live.” Local police, however, tell the Springfield News-Sun that there are no reports of pets being stolen and eaten in the community.
Still, the Springfield pet situation is a particularly instructive example of how right-wing media often launders and mainstreams obvious misinformation. The rumor, which reports suggest had been spreading locally for at least a month, was amplified by conservative influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers — and then mainstreamed by politicians including Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and immigration obsessives like Elon Musk.
The News-Sun suggested that the original Facebook post conflated Springfield with Canton, Ohio, a city 175 miles northeast where a woman was recently arrested for allegedly killing and eating a cat in front of multiple people. Right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong — who frequently posts about US politics despite living in Malaysia — suggested the woman who ate the cat was Haitian.
The Springfield pet situation is a particularly instructive example of how right-wing media often launders and mainstreams obvious misinformation
That woman, Allexis Ferrell, is a US citizen, according to Daniel Di Martino, a PhD student at Columbia and fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute who found her voter registration information. Other reports suggest the rumor began before Ferrell’s arrest. “We get these reports ‘the Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks’ or ‘the Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store,’” Jason Via, Springfield’s deputy director of public safety and operations, told NPR in August. “And we haven’t really seen any of that. It’s really frustrating.”
But the rumor has persisted. One Springfield resident brought it up during an August 27th meeting of Springfield’s City Commission, claiming Haitian migrants were “in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them.”
The city commission meetings, which are archived on YouTube, have been a steady source of content for right-wing commentators eager to prove that real Americans are suffering due to the supposedly open border. On September 8th, the X account End Wokeness posted a clip from the commission’s August 27th meeting, amplifying the duck-eating rumor to more than 2.9 million followers. Two days earlier, the same account posted a screenshot of the unsubstantiated Facebook post, claiming “ducks and pets are disappearing” in Springfield. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk reposted the image on September 8th. “Apparently, people’s pet cats are being eaten,” wrote Musk, who often posts about the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. “If not for ,” End Wokeness posted the following day, “you would have no idea that Haitians were eating cats in Springfield.”
Right-wing misinformation campaigns about migrants are by no means limited to Springfield. Last month, after a video depicting armed men knocking on an apartment door went viral on X, conservative commentators claimed members of a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex in Colorado. End Wokeness claimed gang members had begun collecting rent in a second building. City Journal, the in-house publication of the Manhattan Institute, claimed two apartment complexes were “under siege” by Venezuelan gang members. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman later said “criminal elements” had taken over buildings in the city, and were extorting residents. Former President Donald Trump parroted the reports, saying Venezuelans were “taking over the whole town.”
In fact, Aurora police told the Associated Press that gang members hadn’t taken over the apartment complexes and weren’t collecting rent. Residents of one building, some of whom are Venezuelan, said the complex’s New York-based management company had neglected repairs. But the rumor continued to spread on X, where it was amplified by Musk. “Unless Trump wins,” he posted, “meet your new building managers.”

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance — a vocal proponent of conspiracy theories about immigrants “replacing” Americans — is now spreading misinformation about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio killing family pets and protected wildlife.

“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance posted on X on Monday, echoing an unsubstantiated rumor that took off on right-wing social media over the weekend.

The unnamed “reports” Vance cites are likely from Infowars or the Daily Mail, both of which published thinly sourced posts about Haitian migrants eating pets and wildlife. Both publications reference a Facebook post in which someone claims their neighbor’s daughter’s friend lost her cat — and later found it “hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering,” outside a house “where Haitians live.” Local police, however, tell the Springfield News-Sun that there are no reports of pets being stolen and eaten in the community.

Still, the Springfield pet situation is a particularly instructive example of how right-wing media often launders and mainstreams obvious misinformation. The rumor, which reports suggest had been spreading locally for at least a month, was amplified by conservative influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers — and then mainstreamed by politicians including Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and immigration obsessives like Elon Musk.

The News-Sun suggested that the original Facebook post conflated Springfield with Canton, Ohio, a city 175 miles northeast where a woman was recently arrested for allegedly killing and eating a cat in front of multiple people. Right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong — who frequently posts about US politics despite living in Malaysia — suggested the woman who ate the cat was Haitian.

That woman, Allexis Ferrell, is a US citizen, according to Daniel Di Martino, a PhD student at Columbia and fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute who found her voter registration information. Other reports suggest the rumor began before Ferrell’s arrest. “We get these reports ‘the Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks’ or ‘the Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store,’” Jason Via, Springfield’s deputy director of public safety and operations, told NPR in August. “And we haven’t really seen any of that. It’s really frustrating.”

But the rumor has persisted. One Springfield resident brought it up during an August 27th meeting of Springfield’s City Commission, claiming Haitian migrants were “in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them.”

The city commission meetings, which are archived on YouTube, have been a steady source of content for right-wing commentators eager to prove that real Americans are suffering due to the supposedly open border. On September 8th, the X account End Wokeness posted a clip from the commission’s August 27th meeting, amplifying the duck-eating rumor to more than 2.9 million followers. Two days earlier, the same account posted a screenshot of the unsubstantiated Facebook post, claiming “ducks and pets are disappearing” in Springfield. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk reposted the image on September 8th. “Apparently, people’s pet cats are being eaten,” wrote Musk, who often posts about the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. “If not for ,” End Wokeness posted the following day, “you would have no idea that Haitians were eating cats in Springfield.”

Right-wing misinformation campaigns about migrants are by no means limited to Springfield. Last month, after a video depicting armed men knocking on an apartment door went viral on X, conservative commentators claimed members of a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex in Colorado. End Wokeness claimed gang members had begun collecting rent in a second building. City Journal, the in-house publication of the Manhattan Institute, claimed two apartment complexes were “under siege” by Venezuelan gang members. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman later said “criminal elements” had taken over buildings in the city, and were extorting residents. Former President Donald Trump parroted the reports, saying Venezuelans were “taking over the whole town.”

In fact, Aurora police told the Associated Press that gang members hadn’t taken over the apartment complexes and weren’t collecting rent. Residents of one building, some of whom are Venezuelan, said the complex’s New York-based management company had neglected repairs. But the rumor continued to spread on X, where it was amplified by Musk. “Unless Trump wins,” he posted, “meet your new building managers.”

Read More 

Photo by Jemal Countess / Getty Images

James Earl Jones, the distinguished actor behind the voice of Darth Vader, has died at age 93, according to Deadline.
Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931. After managing to overcome a speech impediment, Jones went on to have a massive acting career, with credits spanning dozens of plays, TV shows, and films over several decades. He got his start on Broadway, starring in Sunrise At Campobello at the Cort Theatre in 1958 — now known as the James Earl Jones Theatre.
However, his 1977 role in the very first Star Wars left a huge mark on his audience, though he wasn’t initially credited for voicing the villain as a courtesy to David Prowse, who wore Darth Vader’s suit. While Jones is best known for his distinctive voice in the Star Wars series, he has voiced Mufasa in The Lion King (1994 and 2019). Jones also appeared in Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, and much more. He is among the small group of actors who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — the coveted EGOT.
In 2022, Jones signed over the rights to his archival voice work to a Ukrainian AI voice startup, Respeecher, allowing the company to recreate the sound of his voice for Disney Plus’ Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Photo by Jemal Countess / Getty Images

James Earl Jones, the distinguished actor behind the voice of Darth Vader, has died at age 93, according to Deadline.

Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931. After managing to overcome a speech impediment, Jones went on to have a massive acting career, with credits spanning dozens of plays, TV shows, and films over several decades. He got his start on Broadway, starring in Sunrise At Campobello at the Cort Theatre in 1958 — now known as the James Earl Jones Theatre.

However, his 1977 role in the very first Star Wars left a huge mark on his audience, though he wasn’t initially credited for voicing the villain as a courtesy to David Prowse, who wore Darth Vader’s suit. While Jones is best known for his distinctive voice in the Star Wars series, he has voiced Mufasa in The Lion King (1994 and 2019). Jones also appeared in Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, and much more. He is among the small group of actors who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — the coveted EGOT.

In 2022, Jones signed over the rights to his archival voice work to a Ukrainian AI voice startup, Respeecher, allowing the company to recreate the sound of his voice for Disney Plus’ Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Read More 

Apple now sells four different AirPods, all of which support USB-C charging. | Image: Apple

Alongside the new iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10, Apple announced three new versions of the AirPods during its “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday. They include the new entry-level AirPods 4 for $129, a higher-end AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation (ANC) that costs $179, and a revised AirPods Max priced at $549. All three will be available on September 20th and can be preordered today.

According to Apple, the two new AirPods 4 models offer significantly improved sound over the third generation. And they have new features, like the switch to USB-C. The ANC version also gets a speaker built into the shrunken-down charging case to make Apple’s Find My tracker more effective and wireless charging that works with both Qi and Apple Watch chargers. Meanwhile, the new AirPods Max gets some new colors and also makes the move to USB-C — and not a whole lot else.
We’ve yet to test the new AirPods outside of a very brief hands-on, but we’ll publish full reviews as soon as possible. Until then, here are all the links and information you’ll need to preorder them if you feel like getting a fresh pair of AirPods right away.
Where to preorder the AirPods 4 and new AirPods Max
You can preorder the new AirPods 4 for $129 directly from Apple, while the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) can also be preordered at Apple for $179. Both will be released on September 20th.

As for the new AirPods Max, you can preorder them direct from Apple in midnight, blue, purple, orange, and starlight for $549 ahead of their release date on September 20th.

Related:

Apple now sells four different AirPods, all of which support USB-C charging. | Image: Apple

Alongside the new iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10, Apple announced three new versions of the AirPods during its “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday. They include the new entry-level AirPods 4 for $129, a higher-end AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation (ANC) that costs $179, and a revised AirPods Max priced at $549. All three will be available on September 20th and can be preordered today.

According to Apple, the two new AirPods 4 models offer significantly improved sound over the third generation. And they have new features, like the switch to USB-C. The ANC version also gets a speaker built into the shrunken-down charging case to make Apple’s Find My tracker more effective and wireless charging that works with both Qi and Apple Watch chargers. Meanwhile, the new AirPods Max gets some new colors and also makes the move to USB-C — and not a whole lot else.

We’ve yet to test the new AirPods outside of a very brief hands-on, but we’ll publish full reviews as soon as possible. Until then, here are all the links and information you’ll need to preorder them if you feel like getting a fresh pair of AirPods right away.

Where to preorder the AirPods 4 and new AirPods Max

You can preorder the new AirPods 4 for $129 directly from Apple, while the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) can also be preordered at Apple for $179. Both will be released on September 20th.

As for the new AirPods Max, you can preorder them direct from Apple in midnight, blue, purple, orange, and starlight for $549 ahead of their release date on September 20th.

Related:

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