Tech Talk

There are a few gotchas though. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is adding Markdown support to Google Docs on the web, letting you format your document using text shortcuts rather than keyboard ones. In a blog post announcing the feature , Google says it’s doing this through its autocorrect feature, so it will automatically format the text for you after you type it in Markdown format. For example, if you type “# Google Docs is getting more Markdown support” it’ll automatically get converted to a level one heading. Google says that Docs already supported a few Markdown autocorrections for bulleted and numbered lists, and checkboxes. It’s adding much wider support, though — you can now use Markdown to add headings, bold and italicize text (or do both ), strikethrough (though it’s done using a - on either side of your content, rather than the traditional ~), and links. That’s a far from complete implementation of Markdown , but at least it covers most of what I person

Closeup of the center speaker orb. | Image: Devialet Devialet today announced the Dione, a $2,400 Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 soundbar with built-in subwoofers and a central “ORB” speaker that can rotate depending on the soundbar’s installed position ( via Gizmodo ) . The French audio company calls it the “ultimate all-in-one soundbar” since it completely forgoes satellite speakers in favor of a virtual surround solution and has built-in subwoofers. Crammed into the three-inch-thick profile of the Dione are 17 drivers: eight of them serving as the subwoofers, another eight for full-range audio, and a center driver inside the rotatable orb. The Dione also houses a gyroscope that will automatically correct the sound orientation whether you mount the soundbar or lay it flat — no need to make that adjustment via its mobile app. Image: Devialet The orb is pretty distinctive. One thing that is not automatic is the orb itself. To aim the central speaker in the correct direction, you’ll need

Plus, save on OLED TVs, controllers, and the 2020 iPad Air In the market for a quality pair of noise-canceling earbuds that don’t cost a fortune? If so, you’ll definitely want to check out today’s deal on Amazon’s second-generation Echo Buds. Right now, Amazon is taking a whopping 59 percent off , selling its popular wireless earbuds with a wired charging case for just $49.99 instead of $119.99. The ones that include a wireless charging case cost $139.99. (If you really want the wireless charging case, buying it separately costs $69.99 .) That’s a new all-time low on a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that offer very good sound quality for the price, along with an excellent passthrough mode that allows you to hear your surroundings. Their noise cancellation tech may not be as good as the more expensive AirPods Pros or that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but we still found it effective (it’s a great perk for this price). P

The Sonos Roam launched last year is now on sale in refurbished condition at Best Buy. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Most would agree that Sonos offers some of the best speakers and soundbars currently on the market . That’s because Sonos makes speakers that — more often than not — boast great sound quality, support for all the major streaming platforms, and simple multi-room functionality. Unfortunately, however, all of those perks often come at a high price. Sonos products aren’t cheap, and, outside of the occasional rogue discount, they rarely go on sale. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save at least a few dollars on Sonos gear. If you’re comfortable buying refurbished, for example, you could save a decent amount. We also occasionally see sales on Sonos’ collaborative series with Ikea and discounted bundles that include Sonos products, which makes it easier to set up an entire home audio system while saving money. And, if you’re a student, Sonos offers a pr

The NTH-100 offers a great option for audio mixing Rode, the audio company best known for its microphones, is debuting its first pair of headphones, the NTH-100. The NTH-100s are wired, over-ear headphones designed for audio and video productions. Compared to headphones made for casual listening, these deliver a flatter frequency response for more accurate mixing and monitoring. The NTH-100 aims to take on some popular models used in productions, like Sony’s MDR-7506 , Sennheiser’s HD 280 Pro , Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 Pro , and Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50x . They are competitive in price, costing $149, and they have some unique features, highlighting that Rode knows what producers and audio editors need as they edit for long periods of time. Photo by Andru Marino / The Verge The NTH-100’s sound signature is designed to be flat and not color the audio in any way. I was able to try out the NTH100 over the past month and here are the features that really stand out to me: CoolTech

MIT will once again require standardized test scores for admission | Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said Monday it’s reinstating requirements that students provide scores from the SAT or ACT standardized tests for future admissions. At the start of the pandemic, many schools waived standardized test requirements for incoming students or, like MIT, made reporting them optional. The temporary change was meant to relieve some of the unprecedented stresses and obstacles students graduating from US high schools in 2020, 2021, and 2022 were facing. In 2020, the College Board, which administers the SAT , said millions of students had been unable to take the test as scheduled in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. It asked colleges and universities to be flexible in their admissions processes. The nonprofit that administers the ACT admissions test also announced disruptions for students taking that test. The SAT plans to g

Graphics by Michele Doying / The Verge 2A US lawmaker has proposed a large-scale trial of government-backed digital cash. The Electronic Currency and Secure Hardware (ECASH) Act , introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to publicly test an “electronic version” of the US dollar. While the bill’s odds of passing likely remain low, it demonstrates governments’ increasing interest in launching alternatives to cryptocurrency. The ECASH Act would require the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program called the Electronic Currency Innovation Program (ECIP). ECIP would oversee a series of pilot programs for what the bill dubs “e-cash”: Treasury Department-issued legal tender that can be used without private intermediaries like banks or credit card companies. The Treasury would initiate the pilot within 90 days of the bill’s passage and deploy e-cash to the public within four years. The bill asks for “general deployment” of e-cash within