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Epic’s ambitious digital asset shop is now open
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276113/epic-games-fab-marketplace-digital-assets-live
Celebrity jet-tracking accounts have vanished from Threads and Instagram
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276546/meta-threads-instagram-elonjet-celebrity-jet-tracking-suspended
iRobot’s budget-friendly Roombas add a self-emptying option
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275897/irobot-robovac-robot-vacuum-essential-self-empty-dock
Amazon says it ditched plastic air pillows
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24276049/amazon-plastic-air-pillows-packaging
One-third of DHS’s border surveillance cameras don’t even work
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24276110/border-patrol-surveillance-cameras-not-working-mark-green
Streamer’s apology for racist rant exposes the rot in streaming culture
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275996/asmongold-palestinians-racist-rant-apology-twitch-streaming-culture
Qualcomm’s new mobile chip is the 8 Elite
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273802/qualcomm-8-elite-oryon-cpu-android-smartphone-soc
Anker’s Solix C300 DC power station has hit a new low price for Verge readers
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275682/anker-solix-c300-dc-portable-power-station-iphone-16-pro-max-case-deal-sale
The GameCube’s retro styling lives on in this customized PS5 DualSense controller
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275805/killscreen-cubesense-ps5-dualsense-controller-nintendo-gamecube
Disney’s still looking for a new CEO — but not this year or next year
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275676/disney-new-ceo-announcement-2026-bob-iger
Kwikset takes a smart approach with its new smart lock
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273662/kwikset-halo-select-new-smart-lock-matter-thread-wifi
Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing health features are as good as they sound
https://www.theverge.com/24275178/apple-airpods-pro-hearing-aid-test-protection-preview
Nintendo’s mysterious Playtest begins to leak
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275596/nintendo-switch-online-beta-playtest-program-leak-mmo
Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek spy movie has a release date
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274900/star-trek-section-31-michelle-yeoh-paramount-plus-streaming-premiere-date
Elon Musk is offering people $1 million to vote
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274971/elon-musk-1-million-prize-america-pac-petition-voting-presidential-election
Jack Sweeney says that 38 of his jet tracking accounts have been suspended. | Illustration: The Verge
Meta has suspended several Threads and Instagram accounts that track the private jets of celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg (https://www.instagram.com/ZuckerbergJet/), Elon Musk (elonmusksjet" rel="nofollow">https://www.threads.net/@elonmusksjet), Jeff Bezos (https://www.instagram.com/BezosJets/), Kim Kardashian (https://www.instagram.com/kimkjet/), and former US president Donald Trump (trump_jets" rel="nofollow">https://www.threads.net/@trump_jets).
Jack Sweeney, who gained notoriety for his @ElonJet account on X and maintained many of the suspended accounts, said on Threads (jacksweeney/post/DBah3gRgv4M" rel="nofollow">https://www.threads.net/@jacksweeney/post/DBah3gRgv4M) that the development is “reminiscent of all my accounts getting suspended on Twitter (https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/23/23524060/twitter-elon-musk-jet-tracking-elonjet-elonjetnextday).” The shuttered accounts, which used publicly available data to show the flight paths of private jets, initially displayed a message on Monday that read, “The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
Meta provided no direct warning or explanation for the suspensions, according to Sweeney, who says the...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24276546/meta-threads-instagram-elonjet-celebrity-jet-tracking-suspended)
The Roomba Combo 2 Essential can clean and mop floors for up to two hours on a single charge. | Image: iRobot
The new Roomba Combo 2 Essential and Roomba Vac 2 Essential (https://media.irobot.com/2024-10-21-iRobot-Brings-More-Power-and-Self-Emptying-to-Affordable-Roomba-Essential-Lineup) include a dock for self-emptying their dirt bins — a feature missing from the budget-friendly Essential robovacs (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/4/24120812/irobot-roomba-combo-essentials-robot-vacuum-price-release-date) that iRobot introduced six months ago. The 2-in-1 Combo 2 features both vacuuming and mopping capabilities for $424.99 (https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8532386/type/dlg/sid/verge/https://www.irobot.com/en_US/roomba-combo-2-essential-robot-plus-autoempty-dock/Y054020.html) and is slightly more expensive than the Vac 2, which only sucks up dust and dirt for $399.99.
The Combo 2 is now the most expensive option in iRobot’s Essential line and slightly pricier than the $400 DreameBot D10 Plus (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VKZT1FQ?tag=theverge02-20), our current choice for the best budget robot vacuum and mop (https://www.theverge.com/23846479/best-budget-robot-vacuum-robot-mop). The Vac 2 is available via “select retailers” in North America (including Target (https://goto.target.com/c/482924/81938/2092?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Firobot-roomba-vacuum-2-essential-robot-and-auto-empty-dock-black%2F-%2FA-93037003&sharedid=theverge.com) and Best Buy (https://howl.me/cnlCKhjc3bf), so far) and has the same features as the Combo except for the mopping...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275897/irobot-robovac-robot-vacuum-essential-self-empty-dock)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Amazon says that it has gotten rid of plastic air pillows at its warehouses.
“As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers,” the e-commerce giant said in an October 9th blog post (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/how-amazon-is-reducing-packaging).
It’s a welcome change following years of pressure from environmental groups to stop plastic pollution flooding into oceans. The company is still working to reduce the use of single-use plastics more broadly in its packaging.
“Fantastic news for the world’s oceans”
“The fact that the world’s largest e-commerce company has made plastic air pillows history globally is fantastic news for the world’s oceans,” Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24276049/amazon-plastic-air-pillows-packaging)
Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
The House Committee on Homeland Security is looking into (https://homeland.house.gov/2024/10/17/chairman-green-sends-request-to-dhs-for-information-following-reports-of-non-functional-cameras-at-the-southwest-border-security-lapses/) Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) surveillance network in the wake of a report that nearly one-third of the agency’s cameras along the US-Mexico border don’t work. Privacy advocates say this is just the latest instance of expensive border surveillance infrastructure not working as advertised.
An internal Border Patrol memo obtained by NBC News said that “several technical problems” had contributed to a large-scale outage of the Remote Video Surveillance Systems, a series of surveillance towers and cameras that have been used to remotely surveil the border since 2011. According to the memo, approximately 150 of the 500 cameras are non-operational. The memo says that the Federal...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24276110/border-patrol-surveillance-cameras-not-working-mark-green)
Image: YouTube / Asmongold TV
Asmongold apologized for his racist comments regarding Palestinians, revealing that streaming culture has made him a ‘psychopathic version’ of himself.
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275996/asmongold-palestinians-racist-rant-apology-twitch-streaming-culture)
The 8 Elite comes with a new Oryon CPU. | Image: Qualcomm
Just a few years after changing its mobile chipset naming conventions (https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/22/22796541/qualcomm-snapdragon-branding-naming-scheme-changes-updates), Qualcomm has gone and done it again. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the company’s newest high-end smartphone SoC, and like the laptop chips it borrows its “Elite” name from, it comes with a new Oryon CPU. The company says that this shift enables faster performance and — lest we forget about AI — offers on-device support for multimodal intelligence.
The Oryon CPU inside the 8 Elite hasn’t been borrowed directly from the laptop chips; Qualcomm is calling it a second-gen chipset. It replaces the Kryo CPUs Qualcomm has used in previous mobile chipsets and comprises two prime cores with six performance cores. There’s an X80 5G modem-RF chip (https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24083395/this-is-not-the-snapdragon-8-gen-4) and an Adreno GPU with a new sliced...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273802/qualcomm-8-elite-oryon-cpu-android-smartphone-soc)
The Solix C300 DC, one of Anker’s latest power stations, provides a healthy balance of power and portability. | Anker
Having an alternative power source ready for sudden outages or extended off-grid adventures is never a bad idea. Thankfully, the Anker Solix C300X DC Portable Power Station is a neat, affordable option that loads you up with enough power and USB ports to charge several devices concurrently. And right now, Wellbots (https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1264455&u=1225169&m=83747&urllink=www.wellbots.com%2Fproducts%2Fanker-solix-c300x-dc-portable-power-station-288wh-90000mah-with-carry-strap&afftrack=vergeanker102124) is offering it to Verge readers for $148 (about $52 off) with promo code VERGEANKER26.
To be clear, this particular version excludes the three AC ports offered on the more expensive Solix C300 (https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Portable-Generator-Traveling-Emergencies/dp/B0D62GMQ3F?tag=theverge02-20). That said, it’s a viable alternative if you don’t anticipate plugging in hardware with AC plugs. It offers the same 90,000mAh (288Wh) capacity and spreads up to 300W of power across four total USB-C ports (two deliver up to 140W, one up...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275682/anker-solix-c300-dc-portable-power-station-iphone-16-pro-max-case-deal-sale)
Killscreen has taken inspiration from the Nintendo GameCube for its latest customized DualSense. | Image: Killscreen
Following the 30th anniversary versions of the PlayStation 5 (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249013/sony-playstation-ps5-pro-30th-anniversary-retro) featuring an old-school gray colorway, Killscreen has announced a customized version of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller (https://www.killscreen.io/product/indigo-clear-cubesense-ps5-controller/) called the CubeSense, which comes with a purple shell and custom joysticks inspired by the Nintendo GameCube.
Killscreen’s customized controllers are all based on a standard DualSense Wireless Controller, so while the CubeSense pairs a matte purple shell on the front with a transparent one on the back, its red, green, and light gray face buttons don’t match the unusual button layout (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/14/24244670/8bitdo-mod-kit-gamecube-controller-bluetooth-hall-effects-joystick) Nintendo used for the GameCube’s gamepads.
But for a starting price of $149, Killscreen has swapped out the standard DualSense’s joysticks for versions that closely...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275805/killscreen-cubesense-ps5-dualsense-controller-nintendo-gamecube)
Image: The Verge
Disney will announce a replacement for CEO Bob Iger in “early 2026,” according to an update from the company (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241021972311/en/The-Walt-Disney-Company-Board-Names-James-P.-Gorman-as-Chairman-Effective-January-2-2025) on Monday.
The entertainment giant has been on the hunt for a new leader since Iger’s return to Disney in 2022 (https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/20/23470368/disney-ceo-bob-iger-in-bob-chapek-out). Last year Iger extended his contract (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/12/23793027/disney-ceo-bob-iger-contract-2026) with Disney until December 31st, 2026, and, as The New York Times notes, delayed retirement four times during his previous run as the company’s CEO before eventually handing control over to Bob Chapek in 2020.
Even though we’re still years away from hearing who will replace Iger, CNBC reports (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/21/disney-ceo-succession-plan-board-chair.html) that Disney has interviewed several potential candidates in “recent weeks,” including ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, Disney experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro, and Disney entertainment co-chairmen...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275676/disney-new-ceo-announcement-2026-bob-iger)
The Halo Select smart lock is Kwikset’s first to support Matter. It works over Thread and can also be used as a Wi-Fi lock. | Image: Kwikset
The Halo Select is Kwikset’s first new smart lock in five years, and its new features, updated design, and creative approach to connectivity could make the long wait worthwhile.
The Halo Select (http://www.kwikset.com/halo-select) is a ground-up redesign of the company’s Halo line (https://www.kwikset.com/halo) and its first lock to support Matter (https://www.theverge.com/23568091/matter-compatible-devices-accessories-apple-amazon-google-samsung). It works with the new standard over the low-power, mesh networking protocol Thread (https://www.theverge.com/23165855/thread-smart-home-protocol-matter-apple-google-interview) and, interestingly, has the option of skipping Matter and using Wi-Fi.
“You have Wi-Fi, which is what most customers want today, but it’s also future-proofed with Matter and Thread.”
It’s a clever move by Kwikset. Smart locks have limited features in Matter today (https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/8/23753915/matter-smart-lock-aqara-u100-apple-home-key), but the standard offers greater interoperability and Thread promises better battery life (a key feature in a...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273662/kwikset-halo-select-new-smart-lock-matter-thread-wifi)
The AirPods Pro 2 will soon offer more robust hearing protection and a new hearing aid feature. But it’s the hearing test that really hooked me.
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/24275178/apple-airpods-pro-hearing-aid-test-protection-preview)
Simply telling playtesters not to share any details hasn’t exactly worked out. | Image: The Verge
Nintendo has updated the official website for its mysterious “Switch Online: Playtest Program (https://playtest-p.nintendo.com/en-us)” today, privately revealing more information to participants about what it entails. The playtest is running from October 23rd, 9PM ET until November 5th, 8PM ET, and is only available to the roughly 10,000 people who have already registered (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/9/24266478/nintendo-switch-online-invite-application-beta-playtest) for the program.
The test software is now available to download ahead of the start of gameplay, and requires 2.2GB of free space. Participants didn’t sign an NDA, but Nintendo requested in the playtest terms and conditions that users refrain from sharing any details about it — which has gone about as well as can be expected. While Nintendo has already started issuing copyright strikes (https://x.com/Ethan_ThisGuy/status/1848221882496987233) to take leaked media...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24275596/nintendo-switch-online-beta-playtest-program-leak-mmo)
Michelle Yeoh is back in Trek. | Screenshot: YouTube
Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere as a direct-to-streaming movie on January 24th on Paramount Plus, which revealed the date (https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/star-trek-section-31/releases/?view=110465-paramount-announces-original-movie-star-trek-section-31-to-premiere-friday-january-24) during a Trek panel at the New York Comic Con. Fans will finally see Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Discovery character, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, put her Mirrorverse skills to use as a super secret space spy.
When we last saw Emperor Georgiou (an alternate dimension version of Captain Georgiou Discovery’s first season) she was flung back in time by a being called the Guardian of Forever. Before that, though, she had been recruited as a member of Section 31, the clandestine organization that the Trek franchise often uses to illustrate that even the glossy Federation has a shady side.
The film, originally announced a... (https://deadline.com/2019/01/star-trek-spinoff-michelle-yeoh-philippa-georgiou-series-development-1202534747/)
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274900/star-trek-section-31-michelle-yeoh-paramount-plus-streaming-premiere-date)
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Tech billionaire Elon Musk gave a $1 million check (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o) to an audience member at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he’s been Trump-stumping (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/16/24271770/elon-musk-trump-pennsylvania-talks), on Saturday. And he said he will continue to give that prize to one random voter per day until the Presidential election on November 5th. The move could very well break US election law.
Only people who have signed a petition (https://petition.theamericapac.org/) from Musk’s America PAC are eligible for the sweepstakes-style offer. And only registered voters are eligible to sign the petition. According to its terms, Musk will give $1 million to someone in Pittsburgh today, but will later expand to anyone living in swing states like Georgia, Nevada, or Arizona.
It’s against federal law to impel anyone to vote or get registered to...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274971/elon-musk-1-million-prize-america-pac-petition-voting-presidential-election)
It’s time to dust off your VCR and clean the heads, because Alien: Romulus is coming to VHS as a limited edition on December 3rd alongside the other physical releases, director Fede Alvarez announced during “a special Beyond Fest (https://beyondfest.com/)-partnered screening” in Los Angeles yesterday.
The “fully functioning VHS tape” is meant to celebrate 45 years since the Alien franchise first (chest) burst into theaters, 20th Century Studios wrote in a release emailed to The Verge. It’ll present the movie, appropriately, in a 4:3 aspect ratio (hopefully without pan-and-scan). It also comes in a slick, vintage-style sleeve.
Image: 20th Century Studios
Has anyone seen my composite cables?
The art for the box comes from Matt Furgeson,...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274915/alien-romulus-vhs-limited-edition-collectible-release-date)