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Image: Bungie

Before there was Halo and Destiny, there was Marathon — and now Steam users can check out the classic sci-fi shooter for themselves. Bungie just announced that the first game in the original trilogy has surprise-dropped on Steam, and it’s available on both Mac and PC. Even better, you can play it for free.
The game is actually credited to Aleph One Developers, which is described as an “open source continuation of Bungie’s Marathon 2 game engine.” In fact, the group has already made the entire trilogy available to download right here with support for Mac, PC, and Linux. But the Steam launch opens up the games to a big new audience of gamers, and Bungie says the plan is to bring both sequels — Marathon 2: Durandal and Marathon Infinity — to Valve’s platform as well.
While Marathon never became a huge blockbuster like Bungie’s other sci-fi franchises, it’s the series that put the studio on the path to games like Halo. And it’s also in the process of being revived in another way: last year, Bungie confirmed a new Marathon was in the works in the form of a PvP extraction shooter, which is expected to launch in 2025.

Image: Bungie

Before there was Halo and Destiny, there was Marathon — and now Steam users can check out the classic sci-fi shooter for themselves. Bungie just announced that the first game in the original trilogy has surprise-dropped on Steam, and it’s available on both Mac and PC. Even better, you can play it for free.

The game is actually credited to Aleph One Developers, which is described as an “open source continuation of Bungie’s Marathon 2 game engine.” In fact, the group has already made the entire trilogy available to download right here with support for Mac, PC, and Linux. But the Steam launch opens up the games to a big new audience of gamers, and Bungie says the plan is to bring both sequels — Marathon 2: Durandal and Marathon Infinity — to Valve’s platform as well.

While Marathon never became a huge blockbuster like Bungie’s other sci-fi franchises, it’s the series that put the studio on the path to games like Halo. And it’s also in the process of being revived in another way: last year, Bungie confirmed a new Marathon was in the works in the form of a PvP extraction shooter, which is expected to launch in 2025.

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Photo by Zhang Dagang / VCG via Getty Images

Who’s afraid of China’s electric vehicles? President Joe Biden.
The president is preparing to announce higher tariffs on imported Chinese EVs, effectively closing out the possibility that the country will be able to afford to import its much cheaper and, in many cases, more desirable plug-in vehicles to the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration will announce plans to roughly quadruple tariffs, to 100 percent from the current 25 percent, as well as tack on an additional 2.5 percent duty.
Who’s afraid of China’s electric vehicles? Joe Biden
So far, the current tariffs have been effective at preventing Chinese companies from importing their EVs to the US. But officials are reportedly nervous about the willingness of China’s government to subsidize the auto manufacturing sector. China is the number one exporter of cars globally, even though virtually none of them end up in the US.
The Chinese auto industry is the largest in the world, and roughly 30 percent of the country’s vehicle sales are electric. Most of the world’s EV batteries are manufactured in China, and many of the country’s most popular models have been praised for their design, functionality, and price.
But US automakers have long been worried that an influx of Chinese EVs could effectively put them out of business. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who sells most of his cars in China — warned that Chinese manufacturers would “demolish” domestic rivals without trade barriers. The concern is that Chinese EVs are so cheap — BYD’s Seagull sells for around $10,000 — that domestic automakers couldn’t possibly compete. Other politicians have called for an outright ban of Chinese-made EVs.
Fear of Chinese-made EVs has guided much of the Biden administration’s consumer and manufacturing policies over the past three years. The $7,500 EV tax credit, for example, is structured in a way to encourage automakers to source their batteries from within the US or its trade partners. Vehicles, batteries, and other components from “foreign entities of concern,” which includes China, are ineligible for the credit. And earlier this year, the administration launched an investigation into the potential security risks posed by smart car technology produced in China.
Despite these policies, Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, have criticized Biden’s EV policies as setting the stage for a takeover by Chinese companies. In fact, Biden has kept many of the trade restrictions on China imposed by Trump — and introduced a few new ones of his own.
The new tariffs are also expected to apply to other clean energy goods, like solar panels and critical minerals, the Journal reports. This comes amid reports that China is preparing to flood the global market with less expensive products amid its own flagging domestic economy.
Of course, the dearth of affordable electric vehicles in the US is partly contributing to a slowdown in sales. And that could imperil Biden’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions attributable to transportation.

Photo by Zhang Dagang / VCG via Getty Images

Who’s afraid of China’s electric vehicles? President Joe Biden.

The president is preparing to announce higher tariffs on imported Chinese EVs, effectively closing out the possibility that the country will be able to afford to import its much cheaper and, in many cases, more desirable plug-in vehicles to the United States.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration will announce plans to roughly quadruple tariffs, to 100 percent from the current 25 percent, as well as tack on an additional 2.5 percent duty.

So far, the current tariffs have been effective at preventing Chinese companies from importing their EVs to the US. But officials are reportedly nervous about the willingness of China’s government to subsidize the auto manufacturing sector. China is the number one exporter of cars globally, even though virtually none of them end up in the US.

The Chinese auto industry is the largest in the world, and roughly 30 percent of the country’s vehicle sales are electric. Most of the world’s EV batteries are manufactured in China, and many of the country’s most popular models have been praised for their design, functionality, and price.

But US automakers have long been worried that an influx of Chinese EVs could effectively put them out of business. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who sells most of his cars in China — warned that Chinese manufacturers would “demolish” domestic rivals without trade barriers. The concern is that Chinese EVs are so cheap — BYD’s Seagull sells for around $10,000 — that domestic automakers couldn’t possibly compete. Other politicians have called for an outright ban of Chinese-made EVs.

Fear of Chinese-made EVs has guided much of the Biden administration’s consumer and manufacturing policies over the past three years. The $7,500 EV tax credit, for example, is structured in a way to encourage automakers to source their batteries from within the US or its trade partners. Vehicles, batteries, and other components from “foreign entities of concern,” which includes China, are ineligible for the credit. And earlier this year, the administration launched an investigation into the potential security risks posed by smart car technology produced in China.

Despite these policies, Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, have criticized Biden’s EV policies as setting the stage for a takeover by Chinese companies. In fact, Biden has kept many of the trade restrictions on China imposed by Trump — and introduced a few new ones of his own.

The new tariffs are also expected to apply to other clean energy goods, like solar panels and critical minerals, the Journal reports. This comes amid reports that China is preparing to flood the global market with less expensive products amid its own flagging domestic economy.

Of course, the dearth of affordable electric vehicles in the US is partly contributing to a slowdown in sales. And that could imperil Biden’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions attributable to transportation.

Read More 

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

Electronic Arts has a long, storied history of trying to wring more money out of gamers after they’ve purchased a game — now, it appears, the company’s hard at work on its next generation of in-game ads.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson admitted as much on the company’s Q4 earnings call: when an analyst asked about “the market opportunity for more dynamic ad insertion across more traditional AAA games,” he said the company’s already working on it.
“We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how do we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences,” said Wilson.

I don’t want to take Wilson out of context. If you read the full question and answer (page 12), you’ll see that in-game ads aren’t the thing he’s most excited about. He says it’s “still early on that front,” repeatedly says EA needs to be “very thoughtful,” and suggests the bigger ad opportunity is “beyond the bounds” of games — outside of a game itself.
“As we start to build community and harness the power of community beyond the bounds of our games, how do we think about advertising as a growth driver in those types of experiences?” he asked.
As a writer working for a website that relies on advertising, I guess I can’t take issue with that… but I can’t say hearing that makes me want to join the community for an EA title.
Anyhow, if in-game ads are the endgame for EA, might I suggest the company look back to the one time it tried ads that were actually cool? Fifteen years ago, Mercenaries 2 let you literally blow that shit up. Let me nuke your ads, EA, and I might tolerate them.
And, of course, stop retroactively sticking ads in games we’ve already bought, like UFC 4.

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge

Electronic Arts has a long, storied history of trying to wring more money out of gamers after they’ve purchased a game — now, it appears, the company’s hard at work on its next generation of in-game ads.

EA CEO Andrew Wilson admitted as much on the company’s Q4 earnings call: when an analyst asked about “the market opportunity for more dynamic ad insertion across more traditional AAA games,” he said the company’s already working on it.

“We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how do we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences,” said Wilson.

I don’t want to take Wilson out of context. If you read the full question and answer (page 12), you’ll see that in-game ads aren’t the thing he’s most excited about. He says it’s “still early on that front,” repeatedly says EA needs to be “very thoughtful,” and suggests the bigger ad opportunity is “beyond the bounds” of games — outside of a game itself.

“As we start to build community and harness the power of community beyond the bounds of our games, how do we think about advertising as a growth driver in those types of experiences?” he asked.

As a writer working for a website that relies on advertising, I guess I can’t take issue with that… but I can’t say hearing that makes me want to join the community for an EA title.

Anyhow, if in-game ads are the endgame for EA, might I suggest the company look back to the one time it tried ads that were actually cool? Fifteen years ago, Mercenaries 2 let you literally blow that shit up. Let me nuke your ads, EA, and I might tolerate them.

And, of course, stop retroactively sticking ads in games we’ve already bought, like UFC 4.

Read More 

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is a better value than Amazon’s less capable Kindle Scribe. | Image: Kobo

I’ll be honest: every model in Amazon’s discounted Kindle lineup is fantastic for those embedded in the Amazon ecosystem, but it’s Kobo that makes my absolute favorite e-readers. If you don’t mind buying ebooks outside of Amazon, Kobo’s e-readers offer fantastic value for the money, which is why I’m excited by today’s sale. The Kobo Sage and Kobo Clara 2E are up to $30 off at Target, but it’s the Kobo Elipsa 2E, which is matching its all-time low of $349.99 ($50 off) at Target and Rakuten Kobo, that stands out the most. Even better, Rakuten Kobo is throwing in a $10 credit when you buy a $50 gift card, which can be used toward an ebook or audiobook from the Kobo store.

Kobo’s ad-free Elipsa 2E is my favorite e-reader for taking notes, namely because it offers features its biggest rival — the Kindle Scribe — currently lacks. Most notably, you can write directly on any page and get a whopping 32GB of storage, which is twice that of the base Kindle Scribe. It’s also a good replacement for a notebook with a great selection of pens, one that can convert your handwriting into typed text and even solve math equations for you. It offers a spacious 10.3-inch screen and support for a wide array of file formats, too, and while it doesn’t natively support Kindle books, Kobo’s bookstore offers millions of titles. There are even ways to convert books purchased from Amazon, though they can be somewhat time-consuming.

A few more deals to wrap up the week

Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are currently selling a four-pack of AirTags for around $79 ($20 off), which is $5 shy of the bundle’s all-time low. The ultra-wideband Bluetooth tracker is a great buy for iPhone owners looking to keep tabs on their personal items, as it can tap into Apple’s vast Find My system for exceptionally precise tracking. It features other perks as well, including IP67 water and dust resistance, user-replaceable batteries, and the ability to be shared with up to five other people using iOS 17. Read our review.
You can pick up a physical copy of last year’s Dead Space remake for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for $24.99 ($45 off) at Best Buy, which is an all-time low. The gruesome space horror title is a terrific remake of the 2008 game, one that’s even more fun to play thanks to its engaging characters and improved weapons. Read our review.
The second-gen Polaroid Now Plus is available for $129.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Polaroid, which is one of its better prices to date. The instant camera is our top pick for retro fans, as it allows you to print charming vintage-style photos and take advantage of modern perks like Bluetooth and USB-C support. It also offers multiple creative modes via its companion app along with five colored lenses for more creative control.

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is a better value than Amazon’s less capable Kindle Scribe. | Image: Kobo

I’ll be honest: every model in Amazon’s discounted Kindle lineup is fantastic for those embedded in the Amazon ecosystem, but it’s Kobo that makes my absolute favorite e-readers. If you don’t mind buying ebooks outside of Amazon, Kobo’s e-readers offer fantastic value for the money, which is why I’m excited by today’s sale. The Kobo Sage and Kobo Clara 2E are up to $30 off at Target, but it’s the Kobo Elipsa 2E, which is matching its all-time low of $349.99 ($50 off) at Target and Rakuten Kobo, that stands out the most. Even better, Rakuten Kobo is throwing in a $10 credit when you buy a $50 gift card, which can be used toward an ebook or audiobook from the Kobo store.

Kobo’s ad-free Elipsa 2E is my favorite e-reader for taking notes, namely because it offers features its biggest rival — the Kindle Scribe — currently lacks. Most notably, you can write directly on any page and get a whopping 32GB of storage, which is twice that of the base Kindle Scribe. It’s also a good replacement for a notebook with a great selection of pens, one that can convert your handwriting into typed text and even solve math equations for you. It offers a spacious 10.3-inch screen and support for a wide array of file formats, too, and while it doesn’t natively support Kindle books, Kobo’s bookstore offers millions of titles. There are even ways to convert books purchased from Amazon, though they can be somewhat time-consuming.

A few more deals to wrap up the week

Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are currently selling a four-pack of AirTags for around $79 ($20 off), which is $5 shy of the bundle’s all-time low. The ultra-wideband Bluetooth tracker is a great buy for iPhone owners looking to keep tabs on their personal items, as it can tap into Apple’s vast Find My system for exceptionally precise tracking. It features other perks as well, including IP67 water and dust resistance, user-replaceable batteries, and the ability to be shared with up to five other people using iOS 17. Read our review.
You can pick up a physical copy of last year’s Dead Space remake for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for $24.99 ($45 off) at Best Buy, which is an all-time low. The gruesome space horror title is a terrific remake of the 2008 game, one that’s even more fun to play thanks to its engaging characters and improved weapons. Read our review.
The second-gen Polaroid Now Plus is available for $129.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Polaroid, which is one of its better prices to date. The instant camera is our top pick for retro fans, as it allows you to print charming vintage-style photos and take advantage of modern perks like Bluetooth and USB-C support. It also offers multiple creative modes via its companion app along with five colored lenses for more creative control.

Read More 

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shot down a Reuters report that claims OpenAI is launching a search product next Monday, the day before Google’s flagship conference, Google I/O.
Altman posted on X that while there is an OpenAI announcement set for Monday morning, it’s “not gpt-5, not a search engine,” but whatever it is, he says it “feels like magic.” The only details provided by the official OpenAI post are that the launch will have updates on ChatGPT and its latest model, GPT-4.

not gpt-5, not a search engine, but we’ve been hard at work on some new stuff we think people will love! feels like magic to me.monday 10am PT. https://t.co/nqftf6lRL1— Sam Altman (@sama) May 10, 2024

The Verge reported on Monday that sources say OpenAI has been aggressively trying to poach Google employees for a team that is working hard to ship the product soon, while Bloomberg and The Information have both reported about a search product in development with no fixed launch date.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shot down a Reuters report that claims OpenAI is launching a search product next Monday, the day before Google’s flagship conference, Google I/O.

Altman posted on X that while there is an OpenAI announcement set for Monday morning, it’s “not gpt-5, not a search engine,” but whatever it is, he says it “feels like magic.” The only details provided by the official OpenAI post are that the launch will have updates on ChatGPT and its latest model, GPT-4.

The Verge reported on Monday that sources say OpenAI has been aggressively trying to poach Google employees for a team that is working hard to ship the product soon, while Bloomberg and The Information have both reported about a search product in development with no fixed launch date.

Read More 

A smartphone camera will provide better views than your own eyes if you’re lucky enough to witness the aurora this weekend. | Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

Those of you looking to the skies this weekend may bear witness to a cosmic visual experience typically reserved for regions near the Arctic Circle. Various global weather agencies are reporting that the aurora borealis could be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California over the coming days thanks to unusually strong solar flares.
On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch — the first to be declared in almost 20 years. G4 geomagnetic storms (which are the second-strongest variety and considered “severe”) can potentially interfere with power infrastructure and navigation systems, but they can also trigger the aurora borealis. That means parts of the world could enjoy a rare and captivating light show if the clouds behave.
Predicting if, where, and when the aurora borealis will appear is incredibly difficult, but because the G4 watch is in place between May 10th and 12th, this particular event has a wide window of opportunity. The NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center estimates that Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota are the US states with the best chance of seeing them, especially on Friday. The UK’s Meteorological Office also says the aurora may unfurl across the northern half of the UK, with a chance of it being visible across the entire country.

Image: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
If you’re in any of these red zones, there’s a good chance of observing the aurora.

And while some people may want to experience this event “in the moment,” recording it via a smartphone camera will likely provide a better view. That’s because cameras are more sensitive to light than human eyes, and modes optimized for low-light conditions can produce images and video that look especially vivid.

Remember day length & light pollution will have an impact on your viewingTop tipsIt’ll look better through a camera with a long exposure, make sure you keep it steadyYou’ll need to look to the northern horizonLet your eyes adjust before viewingEyes (left) vs Camera (right) pic.twitter.com/sM64wYTlx8— Chris Page – Weatherman (@ChrisPage90) May 10, 2024

Aurora can only be seen at night, toward the northern horizon. While it can be visible any time between sundown and sunrise, peak viewing times generally occur between 10PM and 2AM when the sky is at its darkest. The NOAA says it can be observed from as much as 1,000 kilometers (around 621 miles) away if conditions are right, and avoiding areas with heavy light pollution can improve your chances.

A smartphone camera will provide better views than your own eyes if you’re lucky enough to witness the aurora this weekend. | Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

Those of you looking to the skies this weekend may bear witness to a cosmic visual experience typically reserved for regions near the Arctic Circle. Various global weather agencies are reporting that the aurora borealis could be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California over the coming days thanks to unusually strong solar flares.

On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch — the first to be declared in almost 20 years. G4 geomagnetic storms (which are the second-strongest variety and considered “severe”) can potentially interfere with power infrastructure and navigation systems, but they can also trigger the aurora borealis. That means parts of the world could enjoy a rare and captivating light show if the clouds behave.

Predicting if, where, and when the aurora borealis will appear is incredibly difficult, but because the G4 watch is in place between May 10th and 12th, this particular event has a wide window of opportunity. The NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center estimates that Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota are the US states with the best chance of seeing them, especially on Friday. The UK’s Meteorological Office also says the aurora may unfurl across the northern half of the UK, with a chance of it being visible across the entire country.

Image: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
If you’re in any of these red zones, there’s a good chance of observing the aurora.

And while some people may want to experience this event “in the moment,” recording it via a smartphone camera will likely provide a better view. That’s because cameras are more sensitive to light than human eyes, and modes optimized for low-light conditions can produce images and video that look especially vivid.

Aurora can only be seen at night, toward the northern horizon. While it can be visible any time between sundown and sunrise, peak viewing times generally occur between 10PM and 2AM when the sky is at its darkest. The NOAA says it can be observed from as much as 1,000 kilometers (around 621 miles) away if conditions are right, and avoiding areas with heavy light pollution can improve your chances.

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An aurora borealis glows a faint purple in the night sky in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in East Brandenburg. | Photo: Getty Images

The National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a rare “severe” geomagnetic storm watch for the US for Friday night. The Met Office weather service also issued a similar watch for the UK for Friday and Saturday. They’re worried about coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explosions of plasma and magnetized particles coming from the Sun, that could potentially impact critical infrastructure, including the power grid, internet cables, and satellites.
This is the first time since 2005 that the SWPC has issued a watch for a storm rated as G4, which is the scale’s second-highest rating. Critical infrastructure operators have been notified so they can take precautions, the center says.
Worst-case scenario, all those charged particles shooting toward Earth could lead to power outages and disrupt services, including GPS, that rely on satellites. If grid and satellite operators can shore up their infrastructure ahead of time, and if the storm doesn’t grow even more extreme than forecast, people might not notice anything is going on — save for aurora lights that could become more visible. It’s too early to predict the impact, but the storm watch means it’s a good idea to prepare.
You can compare this geomagnetic storm watch to similar notices issued for tornadoes or hurricanes
You can compare this geomagnetic storm watch to similar notices issued for tornadoes or hurricanes. The watch means that conditions for a severe event are likely possible. If it elevates to a warning, that means the agency is pretty certain we’re about to get hit.
While the watch is in effect starting tonight, the timing is still up in the air. The peak of the storm could occur as early as this evening, Eastern Daylight Time, or later Saturday night. The agency only expects 20–45 minutes of lead time before issuing a warning. They won’t know the level of severity until the CMEs are around 1 million miles from Earth (the Sun is around 93 million miles away from Earth).
Once they reach Earth, CMEs interact with our planet’s magnetic field. That can suddenly induce an electrical current into power lines, railroad tracks, pipelines, and basically any long piece of infrastructure that can conduct electricity.
The last time a storm like this was a big problem was the notorious Carrington Event of 1859 when a G5 geomagnetic storm knocked out telegraph machines around the world. Obviously, there are a lot more technologies we rely on today that could become vulnerable. Blackouts would not only affect homes and businesses; they could also cut off power to the network of subsea fiber optic cables that undergird the internet. Fortunately, SWPC says, there should be enough redundancy in these systems to avoid major problems. But this is all still uncharted territory.

“I don’t think we have any real-time experience yet with a significant [geomagnetic] storm and fiber optic cables under the sea,” Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at SWPC, said in a briefing. “There would be impacts, but they should not be to the level that would disable them.”
There are also changes to Earth’s atmosphere that could pose risks to satellites. The ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere, becomes more dense — creating more drag for satellites in lower Earth orbit.
“They slow down … If they don’t take the proper measures, then they can lose altitude,” SWPC space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said.
Back in 2022, a geomagnetic storm may have led to the demise of as many as 40 Starlink satellites that couldn’t reach their proper orbit. Changes in the ionosphere also affect high-frequency radio communications and GPS, potentially severing signals between GPS satellites and receivers on Earth.
The upside is that more people could see the northern and southern lights this weekend since auroras are the result of particles from solar storms interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. Back in 1859, the northern lights extended all the way to Central America. This time around, they might be seen as far south as Alabama.

An aurora borealis glows a faint purple in the night sky in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in East Brandenburg. | Photo: Getty Images

The National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a rare “severe” geomagnetic storm watch for the US for Friday night. The Met Office weather service also issued a similar watch for the UK for Friday and Saturday. They’re worried about coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explosions of plasma and magnetized particles coming from the Sun, that could potentially impact critical infrastructure, including the power grid, internet cables, and satellites.

This is the first time since 2005 that the SWPC has issued a watch for a storm rated as G4, which is the scale’s second-highest rating. Critical infrastructure operators have been notified so they can take precautions, the center says.

Worst-case scenario, all those charged particles shooting toward Earth could lead to power outages and disrupt services, including GPS, that rely on satellites. If grid and satellite operators can shore up their infrastructure ahead of time, and if the storm doesn’t grow even more extreme than forecast, people might not notice anything is going on — save for aurora lights that could become more visible. It’s too early to predict the impact, but the storm watch means it’s a good idea to prepare.

You can compare this geomagnetic storm watch to similar notices issued for tornadoes or hurricanes. The watch means that conditions for a severe event are likely possible. If it elevates to a warning, that means the agency is pretty certain we’re about to get hit.

While the watch is in effect starting tonight, the timing is still up in the air. The peak of the storm could occur as early as this evening, Eastern Daylight Time, or later Saturday night. The agency only expects 20–45 minutes of lead time before issuing a warning. They won’t know the level of severity until the CMEs are around 1 million miles from Earth (the Sun is around 93 million miles away from Earth).

Once they reach Earth, CMEs interact with our planet’s magnetic field. That can suddenly induce an electrical current into power lines, railroad tracks, pipelines, and basically any long piece of infrastructure that can conduct electricity.

The last time a storm like this was a big problem was the notorious Carrington Event of 1859 when a G5 geomagnetic storm knocked out telegraph machines around the world. Obviously, there are a lot more technologies we rely on today that could become vulnerable. Blackouts would not only affect homes and businesses; they could also cut off power to the network of subsea fiber optic cables that undergird the internet. Fortunately, SWPC says, there should be enough redundancy in these systems to avoid major problems. But this is all still uncharted territory.

“I don’t think we have any real-time experience yet with a significant [geomagnetic] storm and fiber optic cables under the sea,” Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at SWPC, said in a briefing. “There would be impacts, but they should not be to the level that would disable them.”

There are also changes to Earth’s atmosphere that could pose risks to satellites. The ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere, becomes more dense — creating more drag for satellites in lower Earth orbit.

“They slow down … If they don’t take the proper measures, then they can lose altitude,” SWPC space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said.

Back in 2022, a geomagnetic storm may have led to the demise of as many as 40 Starlink satellites that couldn’t reach their proper orbit. Changes in the ionosphere also affect high-frequency radio communications and GPS, potentially severing signals between GPS satellites and receivers on Earth.

The upside is that more people could see the northern and southern lights this weekend since auroras are the result of particles from solar storms interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. Back in 1859, the northern lights extended all the way to Central America. This time around, they might be seen as far south as Alabama.

Read More 

Image: Ubisoft

Sometimes you gotta know when to hold ‘em, and that’s exactly what Evil Empire, developer on The Rogue Prince of Persia, has done. Today, the studio announced that it would postpone the release of its Prince of Persia-themed roguelike to give players more time with another roguelike that released earlier this week… *checks notes* Hades II.
“Seeing as everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team… and their mums), we have decided to let people have their fun with it before we release The Rogue Prince of Persia,” the studio explained in a statement.

So we’ve got a little bit of news about The Rogue Prince of Persia, it’s all in the big yellow box https://t.co/S3FiyGFfrY pic.twitter.com/9PXlw4J2MZ— Evil Empire (@Studio_Evil) May 10, 2024

Originally, The Rogue Prince of Persia was scheduled to enter early access on May 14th. But now, with Hades II in the mix, Evil Empire decided, in one of the best examples of “game recognize game,” to just get out of its way.
“It’s not every day that a game in the same genre as you […] will release into early access a week before you plan to do the same,” the studio wrote in its announcement. “We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that, and we truly believe that this short delay is the best decision for us.”
Hades II stealth launched in early access this week to the surprise and delight of many, except perhaps anyone else with an indie game actually on the schedule — and there were a lot. This week alone saw the launch of Animal Well, Crow Country, Little Kitty, Big City, and 1000xResist. But even though Hades II is one of the most anticipated games of the year, it doesn’t seem to be taking too much air away from these other releases. All these games have received rave reviews, and Animal Well in particular is burning up the Steam Charts, currently beating out Hades II on Steam’s Top Sellers list.
You know that comic where an artist is upset because their cake doesn’t look as cool as another cake and the next panel is an enthusiastic customer excited that they have two cakes? This week is very much a “two cake” situation, but instead of two cakes, it’s a boatload of indie video games.
Evil Empire wrote that it still plans on releasing The Rogue Prince of Persia this month and that this postponement will allow it a bit more time to polish the game. The studio will formally announce the game’s new release date next week.

Image: Ubisoft

Sometimes you gotta know when to hold ‘em, and that’s exactly what Evil Empire, developer on The Rogue Prince of Persia, has done. Today, the studio announced that it would postpone the release of its Prince of Persia-themed roguelike to give players more time with another roguelike that released earlier this week… *checks notes* Hades II.

“Seeing as everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team… and their mums), we have decided to let people have their fun with it before we release The Rogue Prince of Persia,” the studio explained in a statement.

Originally, The Rogue Prince of Persia was scheduled to enter early access on May 14th. But now, with Hades II in the mix, Evil Empire decided, in one of the best examples of “game recognize game,” to just get out of its way.

“It’s not every day that a game in the same genre as you […] will release into early access a week before you plan to do the same,” the studio wrote in its announcement. “We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that, and we truly believe that this short delay is the best decision for us.”

Hades II stealth launched in early access this week to the surprise and delight of many, except perhaps anyone else with an indie game actually on the schedule — and there were a lot. This week alone saw the launch of Animal Well, Crow Country, Little Kitty, Big City, and 1000xResist. But even though Hades II is one of the most anticipated games of the year, it doesn’t seem to be taking too much air away from these other releases. All these games have received rave reviews, and Animal Well in particular is burning up the Steam Charts, currently beating out Hades II on Steam’s Top Sellers list.

You know that comic where an artist is upset because their cake doesn’t look as cool as another cake and the next panel is an enthusiastic customer excited that they have two cakes? This week is very much a “two cake” situation, but instead of two cakes, it’s a boatload of indie video games.

Evil Empire wrote that it still plans on releasing The Rogue Prince of Persia this month and that this postponement will allow it a bit more time to polish the game. The studio will formally announce the game’s new release date next week.

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Illustration: The Verge

Apple’s plans for AI on the iPhone could bring real-time transcription to its Voice Memos and Notes apps, according to a report from AppleInsider. The new feature is expected to arrive with iOS 18 and will reportedly let you see a running transcription of your audio recordings in either app.
While Notes currently doesn’t let you record audio, a separate rumor from AppleInsider suggests Apple plans on adding this capability in iOS 18 as well. Audio transcription in either app sounds especially handy for students or journalists, who can save time transcribing a lengthy lecture or interview. It should also be helpful for anyone who just wants to take a quick look at their Voice Memos without having to listen to their recordings.

As for Notes, Apple reportedly plans to go beyond transcriptions by adding AI-powered summaries. The company may add an option to generate a text summary of the recorded audio, AppleInsider reports. Audio transcription services like Otter offer similar features, but putting the capability directly on the iPhone could help reduce the reliance on third-party apps.
During an earnings call earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized that the company’s AI features will have an “unwavering focus on privacy.” Apple’s own research papers suggest that the company will process simple AI requests directly on the iPhone, while sending out more complex asks to a third-party server.
Notes and Voice Memos aren’t the only apps rumored to get the AI treatment in iOS 18. Other reports indicate that Apple is planning to introduce more AI features to Siri, which could eventually analyze and summarize texts in the Messages app. It may even add a new webpage summarization feature within Safari.

Illustration: The Verge

Apple’s plans for AI on the iPhone could bring real-time transcription to its Voice Memos and Notes apps, according to a report from AppleInsider. The new feature is expected to arrive with iOS 18 and will reportedly let you see a running transcription of your audio recordings in either app.

While Notes currently doesn’t let you record audio, a separate rumor from AppleInsider suggests Apple plans on adding this capability in iOS 18 as well. Audio transcription in either app sounds especially handy for students or journalists, who can save time transcribing a lengthy lecture or interview. It should also be helpful for anyone who just wants to take a quick look at their Voice Memos without having to listen to their recordings.

As for Notes, Apple reportedly plans to go beyond transcriptions by adding AI-powered summaries. The company may add an option to generate a text summary of the recorded audio, AppleInsider reports. Audio transcription services like Otter offer similar features, but putting the capability directly on the iPhone could help reduce the reliance on third-party apps.

During an earnings call earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized that the company’s AI features will have an “unwavering focus on privacy.” Apple’s own research papers suggest that the company will process simple AI requests directly on the iPhone, while sending out more complex asks to a third-party server.

Notes and Voice Memos aren’t the only apps rumored to get the AI treatment in iOS 18. Other reports indicate that Apple is planning to introduce more AI features to Siri, which could eventually analyze and summarize texts in the Messages app. It may even add a new webpage summarization feature within Safari.

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Photo: 20th Century Studios

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes remixes beats from the franchise’s previous films to tell a story about how myths evolve. 20th Century Studios’ rebooted Planet of the Apes films became monster successes by presenting remixed takes on the classic tale with some of the most shockingly impressive VFX and motion capture work Weta has ever produced. It was surprising to see a series of blockbusters remain so consistently strong, and Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes makes solid use of the fertile narrative groundwork laid out in the previous films. But while the movie’s visuals are fantastic and its commitment to worldbuilding is admirable, its promising story about the way myths evolve over time gets drowned out by familiar beats borrowed from other big-screen action spectacles.
After three films that chronicled the first decade and change of life on Earth following the outbreak of a virus that both grants apes increased intelligence and kills infected humans, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes jumps 300 years into the future. It introduces a new group of players trying to establish new societies in what used to be the United States of America. Though centuries have passed since the death of Caesar, the first superintelligent ape and leader of the revolutionary uprising that freed his kind, his legacy still lives on in the myths that apes like Noa (Owen Teague), Anaya (Travis Jeffery), and Soona (Lydia Peckham) all know bits and pieces of.
As members of the Eagle Clan — a group of forest-dwelling chimpanzees who have developed a very human kind of falconry — everything about Noa and his friends’ lives revolves around community and their sense of stewardship over the birds they train to hunt. But while the Eagle Clan’s culture is a unique creation of the present-day chimps, there are very distinct echoes of the original Caesar’s teachings in their beliefs that apes are stronger together and that violence between their kind puts them all in danger. Harming other apes is the last thing on Noa’s mind as Kingdom opens the night before he and his friends are to receive the birds they’ll bond with for life.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

The VFX used to transform the modern Planet of the Apes’ mo-cap suit-wearing humans into photorealistic apes has always been phenomenal. But here, Weta’s postproduction work and the actors’ performances combine in what often feels like an even more intricate, uncanny way that highlights just how much these apes have evolved compared to their mythic ancestors.
As Noa and his friends playfully scramble up trees or race through the Eagle Clan’s village with all of its cleverly built wooden structures, you can feel the apes’ exuberance just from the way they struggle to catch their breath in between hoots and hollers of excitement. There’s a palpable tension between Noa and his father that’s expressed through the terseness of their verbal conversations, but these small moments of awkwardness — things like furtive glances and hesitant physical contact — really convey the emotional distance between them.

It all helps illustrate how time and freedom have allowed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ talking animals to develop cultures and levels of emotional complexity that speak to them surpassing humanity as the world’s dominant species. But when a solitary and seemingly mute human girl (Freya Allan) begins stealing from the Eagle Clan, her presence thrusts them into a brutal conflict with evolution-obsessed bonobo king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) that puts all of their lives in jeopardy.
It’s hard not to think of James Cameron’s Avatar movies watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes because of how effectively the films make their worlds feel organic and revolve around conflict-averse stewards of flying animals. Rather than unobtanium, it’s the Eagle Clan’s culture and identity (also their lives) that are under attack as Proximus enslaves them. But like Avatar, Kingdom similarly posits that working with a good human audience surrogate is the only way Noa can hope to save his people.

The echoes of blockbusters past grow even louder as Noa — with the human girl in tow — sets out to find Proximus’ stronghold and encounters a scholarly orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), who decides to name the girl “Nova.” Nova and Kingdom’s packs of wild, mentally regressed humans create one of the clearest throughlines between the modern Planet of the Apes franchise and the original 1968 film. Ball pays homage to director Franklin J. Schaffner’s classic especially well through one of the new movie’s first set pieces that sends wild humans running as Proximus’ soldiers hunt them down looking for Nova.
And while the girl’s name initially plays like a jokey callback, it’s also one of many ways the movie reinforces the idea that legends and the meanings they carry can warp over time as they’re shared across generations. That warping is what gives Proximus his power and what makes his relationship with enslaved human historian Trevathan (William H. Macy) so fascinating to watch.
As interesting as these characters are conceptually, though, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brings them together in a rather predictable way that works more to establish the possibility for more sequels down the line than to really dig into the substance at hand. To be clear, the straightforwardness of the movie’s last third as Noa finds himself trying to break into a Fallout-like vault doesn’t keep it from being an exciting watch. But as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes to an end, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re still just seeing the stage being set for what might come next — even after four films.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also stars Sara Wiseman, Eka Darville, Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi, and Dichen Lachman. The movie is in theaters now.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes remixes beats from the franchise’s previous films to tell a story about how myths evolve.

20th Century Studios’ rebooted Planet of the Apes films became monster successes by presenting remixed takes on the classic tale with some of the most shockingly impressive VFX and motion capture work Weta has ever produced. It was surprising to see a series of blockbusters remain so consistently strong, and Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes makes solid use of the fertile narrative groundwork laid out in the previous films. But while the movie’s visuals are fantastic and its commitment to worldbuilding is admirable, its promising story about the way myths evolve over time gets drowned out by familiar beats borrowed from other big-screen action spectacles.

After three films that chronicled the first decade and change of life on Earth following the outbreak of a virus that both grants apes increased intelligence and kills infected humans, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes jumps 300 years into the future. It introduces a new group of players trying to establish new societies in what used to be the United States of America. Though centuries have passed since the death of Caesar, the first superintelligent ape and leader of the revolutionary uprising that freed his kind, his legacy still lives on in the myths that apes like Noa (Owen Teague), Anaya (Travis Jeffery), and Soona (Lydia Peckham) all know bits and pieces of.

As members of the Eagle Clan — a group of forest-dwelling chimpanzees who have developed a very human kind of falconry — everything about Noa and his friends’ lives revolves around community and their sense of stewardship over the birds they train to hunt. But while the Eagle Clan’s culture is a unique creation of the present-day chimps, there are very distinct echoes of the original Caesar’s teachings in their beliefs that apes are stronger together and that violence between their kind puts them all in danger. Harming other apes is the last thing on Noa’s mind as Kingdom opens the night before he and his friends are to receive the birds they’ll bond with for life.

The VFX used to transform the modern Planet of the Apes’ mo-cap suit-wearing humans into photorealistic apes has always been phenomenal. But here, Weta’s postproduction work and the actors’ performances combine in what often feels like an even more intricate, uncanny way that highlights just how much these apes have evolved compared to their mythic ancestors.

As Noa and his friends playfully scramble up trees or race through the Eagle Clan’s village with all of its cleverly built wooden structures, you can feel the apes’ exuberance just from the way they struggle to catch their breath in between hoots and hollers of excitement. There’s a palpable tension between Noa and his father that’s expressed through the terseness of their verbal conversations, but these small moments of awkwardness — things like furtive glances and hesitant physical contact — really convey the emotional distance between them.

It all helps illustrate how time and freedom have allowed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ talking animals to develop cultures and levels of emotional complexity that speak to them surpassing humanity as the world’s dominant species. But when a solitary and seemingly mute human girl (Freya Allan) begins stealing from the Eagle Clan, her presence thrusts them into a brutal conflict with evolution-obsessed bonobo king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) that puts all of their lives in jeopardy.

It’s hard not to think of James Cameron’s Avatar movies watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes because of how effectively the films make their worlds feel organic and revolve around conflict-averse stewards of flying animals. Rather than unobtanium, it’s the Eagle Clan’s culture and identity (also their lives) that are under attack as Proximus enslaves them. But like Avatar, Kingdom similarly posits that working with a good human audience surrogate is the only way Noa can hope to save his people.

The echoes of blockbusters past grow even louder as Noa — with the human girl in tow — sets out to find Proximus’ stronghold and encounters a scholarly orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), who decides to name the girl “Nova.” Nova and Kingdom’s packs of wild, mentally regressed humans create one of the clearest throughlines between the modern Planet of the Apes franchise and the original 1968 film. Ball pays homage to director Franklin J. Schaffner’s classic especially well through one of the new movie’s first set pieces that sends wild humans running as Proximus’ soldiers hunt them down looking for Nova.

And while the girl’s name initially plays like a jokey callback, it’s also one of many ways the movie reinforces the idea that legends and the meanings they carry can warp over time as they’re shared across generations. That warping is what gives Proximus his power and what makes his relationship with enslaved human historian Trevathan (William H. Macy) so fascinating to watch.

As interesting as these characters are conceptually, though, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brings them together in a rather predictable way that works more to establish the possibility for more sequels down the line than to really dig into the substance at hand. To be clear, the straightforwardness of the movie’s last third as Noa finds himself trying to break into a Fallout-like vault doesn’t keep it from being an exciting watch. But as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes to an end, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re still just seeing the stage being set for what might come next — even after four films.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also stars Sara Wiseman, Eka Darville, Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi, and Dichen Lachman. The movie is in theaters now.

Read More