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Showing posts from July, 2022

Hidden Android code hints at another Google Pixel 7 upgrade

The Google Pixel 7 got its initial unveiling back at Google IO in May, but we don't yet know everything about this upcoming flagship phone. Now newly discovered references in debug documentation for Android give us another hint about what's on the way. As reported by Android Police , the documentation includes a mention of a Hall effect sensor: that's a sensor that can detect the presence of a magnet, most often deployed to tell a phone when a case is closed over it. When it comes to flip covers, a variety of useful functions can be enabled if the phone knows whether that cover is open or closed. Essentially, it expands the possibilities for Pixel 7 accessories – and it's a feature that the Google Pixel 6 range didn't have. Details, details, details While it's perhaps not the biggest upgrade that the Pixel 7 could possibly get over the Pixel 6, it does show that Google is thinking about the details when it comes to its next handset – and that it's als

Rollerdrome is Doom Eternal on roller skates – and it’s as good as it sounds

I’m rollerskating at maximum velocity and still a sniper’s laser sight is pinned to my torso. I wait for the final moment, just when they’re about to pull the trigger, to dodge the incoming bullet and fire my shotgun – right at the brute swinging a spiked club at my forehead. After beelining for the nearest half-pipe, I spin a nose grab mid-air to replenish my pistol ammo, and land on a grind rail – heading straight for the marksmen. Now it’s just a case of shooting a few homing rockets out of the air, engaging slow motion, and unloading my dual pistols – all before wall-grinding to safety. I feel like a gun-toting martial artist on wheels. I look like a high-speed jumpsuit of death. And I’m having an amazing amount of fun. This is Rollerdrome, an upcoming single-player arena shooter from Roll7 that signs you up to the titular fictional bloodsport. Made up of a series of deathmatches that string together into a complete single-player narrative campaign, Rollerdrome challenges you to

The best gaming PCs are cheaper than you think

If you love PC gaming, you’re going to want a sweet gaming PC, but there are many things to consider before getting one, the biggest being budget. Trying to build the absolute best gaming PC imagineable can be obscenely expensive and buying one prebuilt isn't much better, but there are ways to get cheaper ones; particularly when you build your own, but even if you get them pre-built.  More than anything, the best computer for gaming is ultimately the best one you can actually afford, but you don't want to just settle for any old PC. Here are some tips for how to get the very best gaming machine possible for any budget. Budget gaming PCs You don't have to spend a fortune to get the pretty good prebuilt gaming PC, believe it or not. Let’s start with the brand name. People tend to opt for PCs made by well-known brands like Alienware, Corsair or MSI. It makes sense that they would, particularly when shopping for a relatively expensive PC, considering how difficult compa

Today I learned about an easy way to share files between Mac apps

No Finder required.  Apple has made macOS very good at handling drag and drops . For example, I often pull a picture right out of the Photos app or Safari and drop it into iMessage or Slack. One thing that’s always slowed me down, though, is moving around more traditional files, like PDFs or other documents. But then I learned that quite a few apps, including many of the built-in ones, have a quick shortcut to get at the file you’re viewing. Using this shortcut (which is officially called the proxy icon ), you can easily do things like upload a PDF you have open in Preview to Google Drive without having to go looking for the file in Finder. Here’s how it works: GIF of someone dragging a file from Preview to a Safari window with Google Drive. Nary a Finder window was opened. The trick is using the title bar, which is the area where Apple puts the traffic light-style window controls and the name of the file you have open as well as other buttons, depending on the app. If you ho

Microsoft says hydrogen fuel cells could be the future of data center power

Microsoft says it has produced a zero-carbon emissions replacement for the diesel-powered generators used for backups in data centers, in the event of power outages and other service disruptions. In a blog post announcing the news, Sean James, Microsoft’s director of data center research, called the breakthrough a "moon landing" moment for the data center industry Data center sustainability is a huge deal whatever way you look at it; the cornerstones of modern cloud hosting currently use nearly 1% of global electricity demand contributing 0.3% of all global CO2 emissions, according to research from  the International Energy Agency. How does it work? Microsoft's backup generator was powered by two fuel cells residing inside two 40-feet-long shipping containers. The set-up can reportedly generate up to 3 megawatts of power, which is enough to replace one diesel generator or up to 1,800 homes. Microsoft has been experimenting with fuel cell technology since 2013, a

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases appear in new leak

August 10 is going to be a big day for Samsung fans, as we're getting the formal unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 (and more besides). Ahead of the event, a new leak has revealed some of the official cases we can expect to see launching alongside the foldable phones. As spotted by SamMobile , one retailer in Germany has already started listing a few accessories for both the Z Fold 4 and the Z Flip 4, showing off different elements of the design of both smartphones at the same time. These cases don't seem to have changed massively from those we got with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 , suggesting that there haven't been any major shifts in the designs of the foldable handsets either. Cases and pricing For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it looks as though there's a Slim Standing Cover that does double duty as a case and a stand for the device, and according to the retailer that's going to go on sale for €43.47 (about $

Netflix sues creators behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical following sold-out show

Image: Liam Daniel / Netflix Netflix is suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical over copyright infringement, as first reported by Deadline . The streaming giant filed the complaint in a Washington, DC district court just days after Barlow and Bear held a live, sold-out show dedicated to their Bridgerton -inspired album. After Bridgerton ’s 2020 debut, Barlow and Bear began creating music based on the Netflix original series and promoting the endeavor on TikTok, where it quickly gained popularity. As fans requested more content, Barlow and Bear soon had enough to create a 15-song album that went on to win a Grammy in April, a first for music originating on TikTok . On July 26th, Barlow and Bear held a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, featuring live performances and music from the National Symphony Orchestra. Absolutely blown away by the Bridgerton musical playing out on TikTok Standing ovation for @abigailbarloww

The Verge’s 2022 back-to-school gift guide

All the best backpacks, laptops, tablets, and wearables for the new school year. | The Verge Our favorite laptops, bags, and gadgets for students As quickly as it arrived, summer vacation is drawing to a close. A new school year is right around the corner, and while the learning landscape has transformed rather drastically over the past couple of years, many aspects have remained unchanged. Having the right supplies, for instance, can make a world of difference for new students, especially if they’re looking to recharge between lessons or better manage their hefty course load. If you’re at a loss as to what you should gift the student in your life, we’ve collected some slick bits of technology that are perfect for pupils returning to the classroom — virtual or otherwise. Whether they’re entering the throes of high school or diving into the larger academic-industrial complex, there are plenty of staples on our list that everyone will love. These picks aren’t just for students, eit

Apple is planning to put ads right in the App Store’s Today tab

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple is planning to show ads in the App Store’s Today tab and on individual app pages, according to MacRumors , 9to5Mac , and AppleInsider . The two new ad placements will expand upon the ads you can already see in the App Store’s search tab and in search results. Ads in the Today tab will appear in the larger card format used by other content in that tab, but you’ll see a small blue box with the word “Ad” inside it under the app’s name. Ads in individual app pages will appear under the “You Might Also Like” header that suggests apps related to the one you’re looking at. Like in App Store search, ads on app pages will be highlighted in blue to distinguish them from other recommendations. According to 9to5Mac , ad buyers won’t be able to target specific applications for these ads, but the ads will be relevant to the app they’re shown under. Apple is going to start testing the ads soon “Apple Search Ads provides opportunities for developer

HBO just canceled another comedy with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

HBO has canceled coming-of-age comedy Gordita Chronicles.  According to Deadline , the show, which launched only last month to real critical acclaim, earning itself a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating in the process, has now been axed and will not get a second season, at least not on HBO Max.  Set in the 1980s, the show followed 12-year-old Carlota "Cucu" Castelli who leaves her home in Santo Domingo to pursue the American Dream after her father's work takes him to Miami. The show starred Diana-Maria Riva and Olivia Goncalves, with Juan Javier Cardenas, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico, Cosette Hauer and Dascha Polanco in supporting roles.  Speaking about the decision, a spokesperson for HBO Max told Deadline: “Live-action, kids and family programming will not be part of our programming focus in the immediate future, and as a result, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to end Gordita Chronicles at HBO Max.  They continued: "The series earned critical acclai

The wait is over, Valve to ship out all Steam Decks by the end of 2022

Valve made an announcement that will excite plenty of gamers waiting patiently for their Steam Decks. According to the company, all reservations will be fulfilled by the end of 2022.  Great news: Everyone who currently has a reservation can get their Steam Deck by the end of this year! We’ve cleared up supply chain issues, a bunch of folks got moved up to Q3, and all other reservations are now in Q4. More details here:https://t.co/Xj2yEHqpKZ pic.twitter.com/floa2xZelK July 29, 2022 See more Valve cites this as the easing of supply chain issues, which had previously choked out Steam Deck production for months. Now it can ramp up production of the handheld, with some gamers’ ship date moved up to the third quarter (July-September). Everyone else will receive theirs by the end of Q4 2022 (October-December). If you reserve one now, you should be able to lock in a Q4 2022 date. And once Valve reaches full capacity, it will start up the queue for a 2023 delivery window. This news

The best Samsung Galaxy Watch Active deals and prices for July 2022

If you're looking to score a price cut on Samsung's fitness-inspired smartwatch, then you've come to the right place. We're rounding up all the best Samsung Galaxy Watch Active deals so you can be sure to find the lowest price online. As the name implies, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is focused on fitness, and its new design and features reflect that. The ultra-lightweight Galaxy Active comes in one size and features a 1.1-inch display. The fitness watch continually monitors your heart and will send alerts when an abnormal heart rate is detected. The Samsung watch can also help with your sleep and stress, analyzing your sleep patterns and sending you breathing exercises when high-stress levels are detected. The Galaxy Active will also help you keep on track with your health and fitness goals by tracking up to 39 exercises and displaying your health summary on the smartwatch display. The waterproof watch comes in four different colors and has a battery that las

Overwatch Contenders teams ‘go on strike’ mid-broadcast

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard is facing another walkout of sorts; this time, it’s players in the regional Overwatch Contenders tournament. After a competitive ruling ended a match prematurely, players in the European Overwatch Contenders Summer Series tournament refused to play. In the off-week of the Overwatch League as teams rest up from t he beautiful chaos of the Midseason Madness tournament last week, Blizzard ran an Overwatch Contenders tournament to fill the time. Just like Midseason Madness, the Overwatch Contenders Summer Series is a double-elimination tournament with a winner’s bracket and a loser’s bracket. Today’s European winner’s bracket final — the game that would determine which team would go on to the grand final and which team would fall to the loser’s bracket final — was between 01 Esports and Munich Esports and was, according to several players involved and the tournament’s rules website, listed as a best of seven. In Overwatch League proper, it’s not typica

The cheapest Samsung Galaxy Buds prices, sales and deals for 07 2022

Samsung Galaxy Buds deals can take the incredibly popular true wireless earbuds and drop them down to far more affordable price points. Now that these buds have all spent long enough on the shelves, we're seeing some particularly strong discounts hitting the market as well. Whether you're after the Buds Live or something more traditional in the Buds Plus, we've got you covered with all the latest prices. Following the release of 2019's Samsung Galaxy Bud, two subsequent additions to the range are now available - the Samsung Galaxy Bud Plus and the recently released Samsung Galaxy Bud Live. All three are worthy alternatives to the likes of the Apple AirPods and Sony WF-1000XM3, and you'll find all the best prices on all three models right here. All Samsung Galaxy Buds come with a small compact case that doubles as a charging capsule. On a full charge, the baseline buds last an impressive six hours of playtime, while the newer models can range all the way up to 11

Beware - that PayPal email could be a wallet-draining scam

For cybercriminals engaged in phishing, the key question is - how do they get the malicious email past the email security measures? After all, most email service providers are good at spotting, and blocking, spam and phishing emails.  Cybersecurity researchers from Avanan have now uncovered that some hackers have gotten quite creative, using payment service providers such as PayPal to distribute phishing emails via fake invoices. What they’ll do is create a phony PayPal account, and impersonate a major brand. Creating a PayPal account is quick, easy, and most importantly - free. Then, they’d send malicious invoices and requests for payment directly from the service.  Calling the scammers Given the (legitimate) nature of PayPal, email service providers can do nothing else but let the email through. The invoice will look legit. It will have the brand logo, proper wording, but also - a phone number for the victim to call.  Unless they ignore the invoice altogether, there are two

AT&T is not building a cloud gaming business — but it might be angling for a cut

Image: AT&T For many months, AT&T has been dangling a tantalizing possibility: what if its network let you instantly try blockbuster games for free? The company started by generically bundling free six-month subscriptions to Google Stadia and then began letting its customers stream full copies of Batman: Arkham Knight and Control over the internet. Next, it hinted at something even more intriguing: a try-before-you-buy game service where you could try a game directly from a search result , buy and download a full copy once you determine you like it, and pick up right where you left off. No current cloud gaming service offers anything of the sort. But, after speaking to the man in charge of these AT&T initiatives, we’ve learned that AT&T isn’t planning to create such a thing itself. In fact, the company’s experiments aren’t pointing toward a cloud gaming business at all. “We’re not going to turn it into a business,” says Matthew Wallace, AT&T’s assistant vi

Rivian is laying off 6 percent of its employees

Rivian wants to produce 25,000 vehicles by the end of the year. Electric automaker Rivian is laying off around 6 percent of its 14,000 employees, or around 800 people, Amy Mast, a spokesperson for the company, confirmed in an email. The company made the decision in part to speed up development on future versions of its electric trucks and SUVs, she said. “Today we announced the difficult decision to reduce the size of the Rivian team by approximately 6%,” Mast wrote. “This decision will help align our workforce to our key business priorities, including ramping up the consumer and commercial vehicle programs, accelerating the development of R2 and other future models, deploying our go-to-market programs and optimizing spend across the business.” This follows a report from earlier in the month that suggested the company’s leadership was looking to remove jobs that were added as it scaled up and that aren’t involved in manufacturing. Rivian has been making changes recently in an at

Facebook reports drop in revenue for the first time

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg | Photo illustration by William Joel | Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images Facebook’s decade-long streak of nonstop revenue growth has come to end. The social network reported its first-ever yearly decline in revenue for the second quarter, announcing a 1 percent drop to $28.8 billion, and predicted that growth in the third quarter could fall even more. The overall profit for its parent company, Meta, fell 36 percent to $6.6 billion. The Reality Labs division responsible for building Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse dreams lost $2.8 billion in the quarter. While the first-ever drop in revenue growth was expected on Wall Street going into Wednesday’s earnings report, it solidifies how challenged Meta’s business has quickly become on all fronts. Apple’s “ask app not to track” prompt on iPhones has made its ads much less effective, costing Meta $10 billion in ad revenue last year alone. And now a rapidly slowing economy has caused advertiser

Nest co-founder Matt Rogers invests in EV conversion company Everrati

Everrati and Irvine, California-based Aria Group take apart a Porsche 911 to begin its EV rebirth. | Image: Everrati When we last spoke with Everrati CEO Justin Lunny, his UK-based restomod company that converts iconic cars to electric vehicles was expanding into the US market . Since then, the company set up headquarters in Calabasas, California, and in April, it partnered with Irvine-based manufacturer Aria Group to work on state-side electric conversions of Porsches and other prestige vehicles. Now Aria Group is helping build the first Everrati Porsche in California, and the owner of that car is a major investor: former Nest CEO Matt Rogers. Rogers’ car is a Porsche 911 (type 964) wide body, similar to his father’s that he has fond memories of riding in as a kid. Since then, he promised himself that he’d get one, too, but only if it were electric. The once Apple engineer left Nest in 2018 and has since been focused on technologies to help fight climate change . Rogers heard a