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Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm launched its first big wave of Windows laptops this summer at $999 and up — but a new, somewhat weaker chip could soon shave off at least $100. Today, the company’s announcing its first 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chips, which will feature in a new Asus Zenbook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 that’ll retail for $899 each.

While the new Qualcomm chips have all the same features as the 10-core and 12-core models, they’re decidedly weaker in some ways — especially graphics. On average, they’ve got less than half the GPU power for games and other graphical apps. And while they all feature the same 45 TOPS of AI performance from their NPU, they’ve also got 12MB less CPU cache.

Image: Qualcomm
1.7 teraflops is a lot less than 4.6 teraflops. But the new chips have boost clocks.

According to Qualcomm’s own internal benchmarks for the new 8-core chips (take with grain of salt), all that means they’re roughly 80 percent as capable as the company’s 12-core chips in the CPU realm, and on-par with the 10-core chips for productivity. But with the 8-core, those graphics scores are predictably cut in half.

Image: Qualcomm
Qualcomm reviewer’s guide suggests these chips aren’t that much slower in the CPU realm, at least.

Would you want to save money this way? I could definitely see it for entry-level laptop buyers — particularly if you’re actually saving $400, as the case might be for the Asus Vivobook S 15. That laptop originally cost $1,300 with the 12-core chip, but it’s just $900 with the 8-core, despite featuring the same big 70 watt-hour battery and 3K 120Hz OLED screen. The only other obvious sacrifice is half the storage, as you’ll get 512GB instead of 1TB.
But sales might make the pricing gap smaller than it appears: The 12-core Asus Vivobook S 15 is already on sale for $1,100 or lower, and Dell is already selling the a 12-core model of its Inspiron 14 Plus for $899.
Asus is also announcing a Qualcomm-based creator laptop today, the $1,099 ProArt PZ13, which also has the same 3K OLED touchscreen and 70-watt hour battery, but with a detachable keyboard and stylus support, and both Asus machines should be available today. Dell also has an Latitude 5455 with the new chip and very similar specs to the Inspiron, but no pricing.
Qualcomm previously said its laptops would dip as low as the $700 mark in 2025.

Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm launched its first big wave of Windows laptops this summer at $999 and up — but a new, somewhat weaker chip could soon shave off at least $100. Today, the company’s announcing its first 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chips, which will feature in a new Asus Zenbook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 that’ll retail for $899 each.

While the new Qualcomm chips have all the same features as the 10-core and 12-core models, they’re decidedly weaker in some ways — especially graphics. On average, they’ve got less than half the GPU power for games and other graphical apps. And while they all feature the same 45 TOPS of AI performance from their NPU, they’ve also got 12MB less CPU cache.

Image: Qualcomm
1.7 teraflops is a lot less than 4.6 teraflops. But the new chips have boost clocks.

According to Qualcomm’s own internal benchmarks for the new 8-core chips (take with grain of salt), all that means they’re roughly 80 percent as capable as the company’s 12-core chips in the CPU realm, and on-par with the 10-core chips for productivity. But with the 8-core, those graphics scores are predictably cut in half.

Image: Qualcomm
Qualcomm reviewer’s guide suggests these chips aren’t that much slower in the CPU realm, at least.

Would you want to save money this way? I could definitely see it for entry-level laptop buyers — particularly if you’re actually saving $400, as the case might be for the Asus Vivobook S 15. That laptop originally cost $1,300 with the 12-core chip, but it’s just $900 with the 8-core, despite featuring the same big 70 watt-hour battery and 3K 120Hz OLED screen. The only other obvious sacrifice is half the storage, as you’ll get 512GB instead of 1TB.

But sales might make the pricing gap smaller than it appears: The 12-core Asus Vivobook S 15 is already on sale for $1,100 or lower, and Dell is already selling the a 12-core model of its Inspiron 14 Plus for $899.

Asus is also announcing a Qualcomm-based creator laptop today, the $1,099 ProArt PZ13, which also has the same 3K OLED touchscreen and 70-watt hour battery, but with a detachable keyboard and stylus support, and both Asus machines should be available today. Dell also has an Latitude 5455 with the new chip and very similar specs to the Inspiron, but no pricing.

Qualcomm previously said its laptops would dip as low as the $700 mark in 2025.

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Microsoft’s latest Surface lineup for businesses. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is ready to start selling its Qualcomm-powered Surface devices to businesses. Starting on September 10th, both the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will be available for business customers for the first time, after launching in June to consumers as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PC wave of devices and its Windows on Arm push.
The hardware inside the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be identical to the consumer options. Businesses will be able to pick between two main options for the Surface Pro 11. There’s the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus Surface Pro 11 with 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and the regular LCD display, or the OLED model with the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.
The Surface Laptop 7 will be available in Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite models for the 13.8-inch models, or just the X Elite for the larger 15-inch model. All Surface Laptop 7 models have options for up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new Surface Keyboard has a Copilot key.

Microsoft is also launching a 5G model of the Surface Pro 11 on September 26th, and a 5G variant of the Surface Pro 10, which is powered by Intel’s Ultra Core processors. Microsoft previously launched the Intel-powered Surface Pro 10 exclusively to business customers earlier this year, alongside the Surface Laptop 6.
In addition to the new Surface options for businesses, Microsoft is also releasing a new Surface Keyboard on October 3rd. The full-size keyboard includes Microsoft’s new Copilot key and an expanded keyset to cover options like call, mute, and Snip & Sketch function keys.

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Microsoft’s latest Surface lineup for businesses. | Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is ready to start selling its Qualcomm-powered Surface devices to businesses. Starting on September 10th, both the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will be available for business customers for the first time, after launching in June to consumers as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PC wave of devices and its Windows on Arm push.

The hardware inside the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be identical to the consumer options. Businesses will be able to pick between two main options for the Surface Pro 11. There’s the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus Surface Pro 11 with 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and the regular LCD display, or the OLED model with the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.

The Surface Laptop 7 will be available in Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite models for the 13.8-inch models, or just the X Elite for the larger 15-inch model. All Surface Laptop 7 models have options for up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new Surface Keyboard has a Copilot key.

Microsoft is also launching a 5G model of the Surface Pro 11 on September 26th, and a 5G variant of the Surface Pro 10, which is powered by Intel’s Ultra Core processors. Microsoft previously launched the Intel-powered Surface Pro 10 exclusively to business customers earlier this year, alongside the Surface Laptop 6.

In addition to the new Surface options for businesses, Microsoft is also releasing a new Surface Keyboard on October 3rd. The full-size keyboard includes Microsoft’s new Copilot key and an expanded keyset to cover options like call, mute, and Snip & Sketch function keys.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Snapchat will soon start “experimenting” with placing sponsored messages next to chat threads from friends, according to CEO Evan Spiegel.
These “Sponsored Snaps” from brands will appear as unread messages in Snapchat’s main Chat tab, implying that they’ll sit above messages from a person’s contacts until they’re acted on. This is the first time Snap will show ads in the most used part of its app.
In an employee memo also posted on the company’s website, Spiegel says that Sponsored Snaps will appear “without a push notification, and opening the message is optional.” It’s unclear how easy it will be to get rid of a Sponsored Snap without opening it, or if doing so will even be possible. (Snap declined to comment beyond Spiegel’s memo.)
“Sponsored Snaps empower advertisers to communicate visually with the Snapchat community, making the core functionality of Snapchat accessible to advertisers,” writes Spiegel, who goes on to note that, “As always, your conversations with friends are private and are not used for advertising purposes.”

To understand why Snap is doing this now, look no further than its stock price, which is hovering near an all-time low. Despite now reaching over 850 million monthly users globally, Snap’s ads business is still tiny compared to its biggest competitors, including Meta. Snap also still isn’t profitable.
“The growth of our digital advertising business is one of the most important inputs to our long term revenue potential, and investors are concerned that we aren’t growing faster,” writes Spiegel in his memo, which is timed to the company’s 13-year anniversary. He writes that Snap will also start letting advertisers pay to promote places in its Map tab, where Snapchat users can see the whereabouts of their friends.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Snapchat will soon start “experimenting” with placing sponsored messages next to chat threads from friends, according to CEO Evan Spiegel.

These “Sponsored Snaps” from brands will appear as unread messages in Snapchat’s main Chat tab, implying that they’ll sit above messages from a person’s contacts until they’re acted on. This is the first time Snap will show ads in the most used part of its app.

In an employee memo also posted on the company’s website, Spiegel says that Sponsored Snaps will appear “without a push notification, and opening the message is optional.” It’s unclear how easy it will be to get rid of a Sponsored Snap without opening it, or if doing so will even be possible. (Snap declined to comment beyond Spiegel’s memo.)

“Sponsored Snaps empower advertisers to communicate visually with the Snapchat community, making the core functionality of Snapchat accessible to advertisers,” writes Spiegel, who goes on to note that, “As always, your conversations with friends are private and are not used for advertising purposes.”

To understand why Snap is doing this now, look no further than its stock price, which is hovering near an all-time low. Despite now reaching over 850 million monthly users globally, Snap’s ads business is still tiny compared to its biggest competitors, including Meta. Snap also still isn’t profitable.

“The growth of our digital advertising business is one of the most important inputs to our long term revenue potential, and investors are concerned that we aren’t growing faster,” writes Spiegel in his memo, which is timed to the company’s 13-year anniversary. He writes that Snap will also start letting advertisers pay to promote places in its Map tab, where Snapchat users can see the whereabouts of their friends.

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Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding the ability to leave comments on Instagram Stories, the ephemeral posts that many people use even more than traditional posts these days.

Previously, replying to an Instagram Story sent a private message visible only to the person who posted the content. The addition of comments adds a more public way to respond to Stories. The ability to comment in the first place is more limited, though: only people who follow the poster and who the poster follows back will be able to leave a comment. Instagram explains how most of it works in this video.
Just like Stories, the comments are temporary and will last for up to 24 hours; Instagram spokesperson Emily Norfolk says users will have the option to turn comments on or off for any Story they share. It’s not clear whether comments will be archived after a Story post expires, but we’ve asked Instagram for clarification.
Instagram has steadily added new features to surfaces like Reels and Stories that seem to suggest the company views them as key places for user engagement with friends, not just casual content meant to be scrolled through.
Earlier this summer the platform added disappearing “notes” (essentially comments) to grid posts and Reels, meant to draw more attention to how your friends are engaging with content. Those disappearing notes expire after three days, and users can choose who’s able to see their notes — either mutual follows, or a curated list of close friends. Temporary notes are overlaid on top of the post, making comments from friends more prominent.
Instagram also announced today that some likes on posts will now appear more prominently as floating hearts, similar to how they appear on the disappearing notes.

Image: Instagram

Instagram is adding the ability to leave comments on Instagram Stories, the ephemeral posts that many people use even more than traditional posts these days.

Previously, replying to an Instagram Story sent a private message visible only to the person who posted the content. The addition of comments adds a more public way to respond to Stories. The ability to comment in the first place is more limited, though: only people who follow the poster and who the poster follows back will be able to leave a comment. Instagram explains how most of it works in this video.

Just like Stories, the comments are temporary and will last for up to 24 hours; Instagram spokesperson Emily Norfolk says users will have the option to turn comments on or off for any Story they share. It’s not clear whether comments will be archived after a Story post expires, but we’ve asked Instagram for clarification.

Instagram has steadily added new features to surfaces like Reels and Stories that seem to suggest the company views them as key places for user engagement with friends, not just casual content meant to be scrolled through.

Earlier this summer the platform added disappearing “notes” (essentially comments) to grid posts and Reels, meant to draw more attention to how your friends are engaging with content. Those disappearing notes expire after three days, and users can choose who’s able to see their notes — either mutual follows, or a curated list of close friends. Temporary notes are overlaid on top of the post, making comments from friends more prominent.

Instagram also announced today that some likes on posts will now appear more prominently as floating hearts, similar to how they appear on the disappearing notes.

Read More 

The port is on the wrong side of the car for most Tesla Supercharger stalls, but at least Hyundai didn’t tape it on this time. | Image: Hyundai

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 refresh revealed today looks like it will be one of the first non-Tesla vehicles to get a native Tesla-based charging port, now known as the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, built in from the factory. Last year, largely every automaker selling electric cars in the US announced it’s adopting the connector, but most haven’t added the port on their new cars yet, forcing customers to rely on CCS to NACS adapters that Tesla is taking a while to distribute.
We’ve seen prototypes of the new Rivian R2 with NACS, but that vehicle is not slated for release until 2026. While Ioniq 5 buyers won’t need an adapter at Tesla stations, the company will give owners a dongle that goes the other way in case they need to charge somewhere that only has Combined Charging System (CCS) plugs available.
In addition to the new port, the new 2025 Ioniq 5 lineup also has larger batteries compared to the current model:

Standard Range models: 58.0 to 63.0 kWh
Long Range models: 77.4 to 84 kWh

The beefier batteries mean the new Standard Range models are targeting 240-plus miles on a single charge, up from 220 miles on the current model, while the Long Range plus RWD combination sees its range estimate increase from the current 303 miles to a target of more than 310.
Hyundai is also tossing in a new rugged XRT package with an off-road appeal similar to Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Rally.

Image: Hyundai
The new XRT.

Hyundai is building this new version of the Ioniq 5 in the US at its new Georgia factory, and production will begin this fall. Hyundai expects the new model to qualify for a $3,750 federal tax credit for electric vehicles at the start of the sale and anticipates additional federal incentives to come. According to Hyundai, leases still qualify for the $7,500 federal credit, which is “fully” passed down to the consumer.

The port is on the wrong side of the car for most Tesla Supercharger stalls, but at least Hyundai didn’t tape it on this time. | Image: Hyundai

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 refresh revealed today looks like it will be one of the first non-Tesla vehicles to get a native Tesla-based charging port, now known as the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, built in from the factory. Last year, largely every automaker selling electric cars in the US announced it’s adopting the connector, but most haven’t added the port on their new cars yet, forcing customers to rely on CCS to NACS adapters that Tesla is taking a while to distribute.

We’ve seen prototypes of the new Rivian R2 with NACS, but that vehicle is not slated for release until 2026. While Ioniq 5 buyers won’t need an adapter at Tesla stations, the company will give owners a dongle that goes the other way in case they need to charge somewhere that only has Combined Charging System (CCS) plugs available.

In addition to the new port, the new 2025 Ioniq 5 lineup also has larger batteries compared to the current model:

Standard Range models: 58.0 to 63.0 kWh

Long Range models: 77.4 to 84 kWh

The beefier batteries mean the new Standard Range models are targeting 240-plus miles on a single charge, up from 220 miles on the current model, while the Long Range plus RWD combination sees its range estimate increase from the current 303 miles to a target of more than 310.

Hyundai is also tossing in a new rugged XRT package with an off-road appeal similar to Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Rally.

Image: Hyundai
The new XRT.

Hyundai is building this new version of the Ioniq 5 in the US at its new Georgia factory, and production will begin this fall. Hyundai expects the new model to qualify for a $3,750 federal tax credit for electric vehicles at the start of the sale and anticipates additional federal incentives to come. According to Hyundai, leases still qualify for the $7,500 federal credit, which is “fully” passed down to the consumer.

Read More 

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Microsoft has started testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11 that’s designed for Xbox controllers. The gamepad keyboard layout improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, so you can use an Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS.
The gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11 and even includes button accelerators so you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button on an Xbox controller to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, so it’s easier to type with a controller.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11.

It’s encouraging to see Microsoft add a feature like this, particularly as Windows-powered handheld devices need these types of improvements. I wrote last month that Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race against Valve as the Steam Deck maker gets ready to capitalize on its SteamOS work and bring it to more Windows-powered handhelds.
Microsoft still needs to address basic things, like not being able to log into Windows with a controller or not getting the on-screen keyboard when you tap into text fields. Hopefully, this new gamepad keyboard is a step in the right direction, but we still need to see a lot more.
Microsoft is also making its Windows Game Bar more handheld-friendly, with a compact mode that’s designed for smaller screens. It follows a similar compact mode for the main Xbox app on PC. Microsoft has also made controller improvements to the Xbox app, making it easier to navigate around the app with just an Xbox controller.

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Microsoft has started testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11 that’s designed for Xbox controllers. The gamepad keyboard layout improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, so you can use an Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS.

The gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11 and even includes button accelerators so you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button on an Xbox controller to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, so it’s easier to type with a controller.

Image: Microsoft
Microsoft’s new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11.

It’s encouraging to see Microsoft add a feature like this, particularly as Windows-powered handheld devices need these types of improvements. I wrote last month that Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race against Valve as the Steam Deck maker gets ready to capitalize on its SteamOS work and bring it to more Windows-powered handhelds.

Microsoft still needs to address basic things, like not being able to log into Windows with a controller or not getting the on-screen keyboard when you tap into text fields. Hopefully, this new gamepad keyboard is a step in the right direction, but we still need to see a lot more.

Microsoft is also making its Windows Game Bar more handheld-friendly, with a compact mode that’s designed for smaller screens. It follows a similar compact mode for the main Xbox app on PC. Microsoft has also made controller improvements to the Xbox app, making it easier to navigate around the app with just an Xbox controller.

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Image: The Verge

In a reversal, Starlink says it’s “complying with the order” to block access to X in Brazil. The company previously refused to restrict X unless Brazil unfroze its financial assets.
Starlink, the satellite internet company controlled by Elon Musk, has been caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing feud between the billionaire, who also owns X, and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
In addition to imposing a ban on X over the spread of misinformation, the Brazilian justice also handed down an order that prevents Starlink from performing financial transactions. The move was supposed to coerce X into paying $3 million in fines for failing to block accounts flagged by the Brazilian government, as reported by The New York Times.

To our customers in Brazil (who may not be able to read this as a result of X being blocked by @alexandre):The Starlink team is doing everything possible to keep you connected. Following last week’s order from @alexandre that froze Starlink’s finances and prevents Starlink…— Starlink (@Starlink) September 3, 2024

Starlink’s block on X puts the company in a strange position, especially when Musk considers himself a “free speech absolutist.”
“We immediately initiated legal proceedings in the Brazilian Supreme Court explaining the gross illegality of this order and asking the Court to unfreeze our assets,” Starlink says in a post on X. “Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.”
On Monday, a Brazilian Supreme Court panel upheld the decision to limit access to X. Internet service providers and mobile app stores have until September 4th to block X, and those who continue accessing the platform through a virtual private network (VPN) could face steep daily fines.

Image: The Verge

In a reversal, Starlink says it’s “complying with the order” to block access to X in Brazil. The company previously refused to restrict X unless Brazil unfroze its financial assets.

Starlink, the satellite internet company controlled by Elon Musk, has been caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing feud between the billionaire, who also owns X, and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

In addition to imposing a ban on X over the spread of misinformation, the Brazilian justice also handed down an order that prevents Starlink from performing financial transactions. The move was supposed to coerce X into paying $3 million in fines for failing to block accounts flagged by the Brazilian government, as reported by The New York Times.

Starlink’s block on X puts the company in a strange position, especially when Musk considers himself a “free speech absolutist.”

“We immediately initiated legal proceedings in the Brazilian Supreme Court explaining the gross illegality of this order and asking the Court to unfreeze our assets,” Starlink says in a post on X. “Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.”

On Monday, a Brazilian Supreme Court panel upheld the decision to limit access to X. Internet service providers and mobile app stores have until September 4th to block X, and those who continue accessing the platform through a virtual private network (VPN) could face steep daily fines.

Read More 

Cath Virginia / The Verge

An antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice focusing on Nvidia’s AI dominance as the hardware company of choice is escalating, reports Bloomberg. The outlet reports that Nvidia and other companies have received legally binding requests for information as its sources say regulators are investigating whether Nvidia is “making it harder to switch to other suppliers and penalizes buyers that don’t exclusively use its artificial intelligence chips.”

Earlier this summer, Nvidia had overtaken Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company, but now it trails both Microsoft and Apple. Before the subpoenas were reported on Tuesday afternoon, its share price dropped more than 9 percent, wiping out about $279 billion in market value in one day.
But as Bloomberg notes, Nvidia’s stock is still up more than double this year as the AI boom has fueled sales of the company’s pricey chips, even after a report by The Information a few weeks ago saying that its upcoming Blackwell series of AI chips may be delayed “by three months or more due to design flaws.”

Cath Virginia / The Verge

An antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice focusing on Nvidia’s AI dominance as the hardware company of choice is escalating, reports Bloomberg. The outlet reports that Nvidia and other companies have received legally binding requests for information as its sources say regulators are investigating whether Nvidia is “making it harder to switch to other suppliers and penalizes buyers that don’t exclusively use its artificial intelligence chips.”

Earlier this summer, Nvidia had overtaken Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company, but now it trails both Microsoft and Apple. Before the subpoenas were reported on Tuesday afternoon, its share price dropped more than 9 percent, wiping out about $279 billion in market value in one day.

But as Bloomberg notes, Nvidia’s stock is still up more than double this year as the AI boom has fueled sales of the company’s pricey chips, even after a report by The Information a few weeks ago saying that its upcoming Blackwell series of AI chips may be delayed “by three months or more due to design flaws.”

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Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Last month, it was discovered that an inactive piece of software that ships on all Google Pixel smartphones presented a potential security vulnerability for device owners. The company quickly said it would remove “Showcase.apk,” which was created years ago “for Verizon in-store demo devices and is no longer being used.” But on the off chance it were ever exploited, cybersecurity firm iVerify found that the software could make phones “accessible to hackers and ripe for man-in-the-middle attacks, code injection, and spyware.” The flare-up was enough for Palantir to implement a companywide ban on Android devices.
At the time, Google told us that it had “seen no evidence of any active exploitation,” and with today’s release of the monthly Pixel software update, it’s getting rid of Showcase.apk altogether. The release notes confirm that the September patch includes a fix to “remove third-party APK to address security vulnerability.”
Other than that, it’s a very small update, with improvements to Wi-Fi stability and performance for Google’s brand-new Pixel 9 portfolio as the only other bullet point. Bigger software upgrades await next month; that’s when Google plans to roll out Android 15 to its devices. The major OS update was released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) today, but it’ll be a few more weeks until it’s ready for Pixel hardware.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Last month, it was discovered that an inactive piece of software that ships on all Google Pixel smartphones presented a potential security vulnerability for device owners. The company quickly said it would remove “Showcase.apk,” which was created years ago “for Verizon in-store demo devices and is no longer being used.” But on the off chance it were ever exploited, cybersecurity firm iVerify found that the software could make phones “accessible to hackers and ripe for man-in-the-middle attacks, code injection, and spyware.” The flare-up was enough for Palantir to implement a companywide ban on Android devices.

At the time, Google told us that it had “seen no evidence of any active exploitation,” and with today’s release of the monthly Pixel software update, it’s getting rid of Showcase.apk altogether. The release notes confirm that the September patch includes a fix to “remove third-party APK to address security vulnerability.”

Other than that, it’s a very small update, with improvements to Wi-Fi stability and performance for Google’s brand-new Pixel 9 portfolio as the only other bullet point. Bigger software upgrades await next month; that’s when Google plans to roll out Android 15 to its devices. The major OS update was released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) today, but it’ll be a few more weeks until it’s ready for Pixel hardware.

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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. | Image: Konami

For anyone looking to explore the best Castlevania has to offer, the just-launched Castlevania Dominus Collection is pretty much a no-brainer. It includes a trilogy of games from the Nintendo DS era that show designer Koji Igarashi arguably at the height of his powers: the experiences combine smooth, satisfying action with worlds that are intricate labyrinths to be mastered slowly over time. Bringing that experience to modern platforms alone makes the collection worth it. But the Dominus Collection also goes a step further and includes some smart options for porting over a dual-screen game. Then, it throws in an unexpectedly excellent remaster just for fun.
Part of what made Castlevania such a good fit for the DS was how much information could be displayed at once. While the side-scrolling action took place on one screen, the other could show character information or, more crucially, the map. For a game that’s all about traversing a complex castle, with lots of backtracking and blocked entrances to contend with, having that map always on is incredibly helpful. And not only is that option still present in this modern rerelease but Konami has also given players a few choices for how they want their info displayed.
By default, the Dominus Collection — which includes Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia and is available on PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and PC — displays the games as shown in the screenshot above. The action is largest on the left side of the screen, while both the map and character info are displayed beside it. There are a few other options, though, which really let you customize the experience. For two examples: you can have just the action and the map side by side, or you can have it top and bottom to mimic an actual DS, like this:

I’ve been playing through Portrait of Ruin mostly using the side-by-side option, but the fact that there’s so much choice here is important. It’s a thoughtful approach to porting games from a distinct piece of hardware and means that these excellent titles are available in a way that both feels native to modern platforms and honors the original releases.
There’s also an added bonus included in the Dominus Collection. While Castlevania is a series with some beloved highs, it has also had some notable duds over the years. And while the arcade spinoff Haunted Mansion always looked good, it plays like, well, a game that’s trying to suck up all of your quarters. It’s hard and tedious and missing that Castlevania oomph. Including it in this collection is therefore a surprising choice but also one that is very welcome because, in addition to the stodgy original, you also get a full-on remake that spruces up the graphics and tweaks the design and difficulty to make it actually fun to play. It turns an inaccessible arcade release into a decidedly old-school Castlevania, from before the series shifted to an exploration focus.
It’s also the kind of oddity that’s perfect for a retro bundle like this. In the absence of a playable documentary, the Dominus Collection is about as good as it gets.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. | Image: Konami

For anyone looking to explore the best Castlevania has to offer, the just-launched Castlevania Dominus Collection is pretty much a no-brainer. It includes a trilogy of games from the Nintendo DS era that show designer Koji Igarashi arguably at the height of his powers: the experiences combine smooth, satisfying action with worlds that are intricate labyrinths to be mastered slowly over time. Bringing that experience to modern platforms alone makes the collection worth it. But the Dominus Collection also goes a step further and includes some smart options for porting over a dual-screen game. Then, it throws in an unexpectedly excellent remaster just for fun.

Part of what made Castlevania such a good fit for the DS was how much information could be displayed at once. While the side-scrolling action took place on one screen, the other could show character information or, more crucially, the map. For a game that’s all about traversing a complex castle, with lots of backtracking and blocked entrances to contend with, having that map always on is incredibly helpful. And not only is that option still present in this modern rerelease but Konami has also given players a few choices for how they want their info displayed.

By default, the Dominus Collection — which includes Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia and is available on PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and PC — displays the games as shown in the screenshot above. The action is largest on the left side of the screen, while both the map and character info are displayed beside it. There are a few other options, though, which really let you customize the experience. For two examples: you can have just the action and the map side by side, or you can have it top and bottom to mimic an actual DS, like this:

I’ve been playing through Portrait of Ruin mostly using the side-by-side option, but the fact that there’s so much choice here is important. It’s a thoughtful approach to porting games from a distinct piece of hardware and means that these excellent titles are available in a way that both feels native to modern platforms and honors the original releases.

There’s also an added bonus included in the Dominus Collection. While Castlevania is a series with some beloved highs, it has also had some notable duds over the years. And while the arcade spinoff Haunted Mansion always looked good, it plays like, well, a game that’s trying to suck up all of your quarters. It’s hard and tedious and missing that Castlevania oomph. Including it in this collection is therefore a surprising choice but also one that is very welcome because, in addition to the stodgy original, you also get a full-on remake that spruces up the graphics and tweaks the design and difficulty to make it actually fun to play. It turns an inaccessible arcade release into a decidedly old-school Castlevania, from before the series shifted to an exploration focus.

It’s also the kind of oddity that’s perfect for a retro bundle like this. In the absence of a playable documentary, the Dominus Collection is about as good as it gets.

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