Technology

Tinder is adding a new “Blind Date” feature that switches up the dating app’s usual left or right swipe: this time, you have to chat with other users before you can see what they look like. The Blind Date feature supposedly appeals to the “’90s nostalgia” felt by Gen-Z Blind Date is the latest addition to Tinder’s Fast Chat lineup that features other in-app experiences like Hot Takes and Swipe Night. With the feature, users will be paired based on what they have in common, answer prompts, and play games. If both users decide to match, they will be able to finally see each other’s photos. Image: Tinder Within the feature, Tinder users answer timed questions / prompts like “It’s OK to wear a shirt ___ times without washing it” or “I put ketchup on _______.” If you aren’t impressed by their a...

Apple has released an update to solve the battery drain issues some Mac users experienced since upgrading to macOS 12.2. The release notes for the new version, 12.2.1, say it contains fixes for “an issue for Intel-based Mac computers that may cause the battery to drain during sleep when connected to Bluetooth peripherals.” Before Thursday’s updates, some users reported their MacBooks’ batteries would drain while the computer was asleep, sometimes even reaching 0 percent charge overnight. While there was evidence that Bluetooth was the culprit, some users reported that turning off Bluetooth before closing their computers didn’t help, making it slightly unclear what the issue was. Now, Apple’s said it’s specifically fixing an issue with Bluetooth — hopefully, it’ll work for everyone. It’s an...

California, you may have noticed more robot cars on your roads than usual over the past year. That’s because autonomous vehicle testing is booming in the state, with AV companies having driven more than 4 million miles in 2021, according to data released by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This represents a sharp increase over the previous two years, a sign that the AV industry has come roaring back after the pandemic-influenced lockdowns of 2020. There were also fewer companies testing vehicles overall, a reflection of the increased pace of mergers and acquisitions that have taken place in recent years. Of the 50 companies registered with the DMV, only 22 reported testing during the year. Despite skepticism about the longer-than-expected timeline to mass adoption of AV technol...

Small rocket company Astra’s launch today out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, ended in failure a little more than three minutes after takeoff, when an unexpected issue cropped up during flight and prevented the vehicle from reaching orbit. It’s unclear what exactly happened, but live footage from the rocket showed it spinning out of control just after the two main stages of the vehicle separated as planned. Today marked Astra’s first time launching out of the Cape, after launching primarily out of Kodiak, Alaska, for all of its previous missions and test flights. NASA was the customer for today’s mission, marking the first time Astra launched a payload for the space agency. Called the ELaNa41 mission, the launch carried four small satellites known as CubeSats for NASA, part of an ongoing initi...

Gary Bowser, a leader of a group that sold mod chips for video game consoles, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison over his involvement with the organization, the Department of Justice said in a release Thursday. Bowser was a part of Team Xecuter, which made hacks for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, NES Classic Edition, Sony’s PlayStation Classic, and Microsoft’s Xbox, the DOJ said. Bowser’s role was to “administer the websites that communicated with customers offering devices for sale.” He pleaded guilty to two felony charges in October 2021, and the DOJ’s release noted that as part of his plea agreement, Bowser has agreed to pay $4.5 million in restitution to Nintendo of America. The sentencing is the latest update in what’s been an ongoing saga. Bowser was arrested in the Domini...

Corsair’s latest mechanical keyboard is the K70 RGB Pro, which adds a numpad to the K70 RGB TKL released last year while retaining many of its other improvements. These include reduced input latency, as well as a detachable USB cable and standard key layout that should make it easier to customize the K70 RGB Pro with third-party accessories. The K70 RGB Pro is designed first and foremost as a gaming keyboard, with an emphasis on speed and responsiveness. It internally scans for keypresses at 4,000Hz and can report them to an attached PC at up to 8,000Hz. Compared to more typical 1,000Hz keyboards, this should result in reduced input latency. The K70 RGB Pro is also available with Cherry MX Speed switches, which need to be pressed less far before they register a press, alongside more typica...

Today on YouTube’s official blog, chief product officer Neal Mohan published “Look at 2022: Community, Collaboration, and Commerce,” where he announced new product features coming to YouTube this year. Neal also joined our podcast The Vergecast with Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and streaming reporter Catie Keck to chat further about these new features coming to YouTube — including more editing tools for Shorts, interactive live streaming, monetization, a new YouTube TV interface, and more. Also in the theme of 2022, the discussion also covers this year’s most talked-about tech trends: NFTs and the metaverse. Here is a brief example of what you could possibly do with NFTs on YouTube, according to Neal Mohan: You could imagine it being, as you described the canonical use case, right? Th...

Chromebooks are growing up. When I first began reviewing them, Google’s Pixelbook was largely still the gold standard among Chrome OS-based devices that might appeal to working professionals (rather than younger students, as has been the primary Chromebook market for years on end). Just a short time ago, higher-end devices like the Pixelbook and Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook were something of an anomaly. But in the past couple years, a new class of Chromebooks has been trickling in. We’ve been seeing more expensive, better-built devices that focus on elements like screen and webcam quality at the expense of features like weight and battery life, which have traditionally been Chromebook staples. While HP’s $659 Chromebook x360 14c doesn’t quite occupy what I’d characterize as the premium tier...

Tesla announced a recall of about 579,000 vehicles that have the novelty “Boombox” external music software feature (via Bloomberg). The company plans to remedy the issue by removing the Boombox function via an over-the-air software update, the National Highway Traffic Administration said. The recall affects all 2020–2022 Tesla Model S, X, and Y vehicles and also some 2017–2022 Tesla Model 3s equipped with the pedestrian warning system, which is an external speaker emitting artificial noises designed to alert pedestrians and cyclists of the passing vehicle. The “Boombox” feature in these cars can obscure this safety feature. Federal law requires all new electric vehicles and hybrids to create artificial external noise that lets pedestrians hear them approaching Federal law requires all new ...

Tesla has been sued by a state civil rights agency for operating what it describes as a “racially segregated workplace” in California. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed the lawsuit late on Wednesday, after the automaker published a blogpost pre-empting and denying the charges. DFEH director Kevin Kish said in a statement: “After receiving hundreds of complaints from workers, DFEH found evidence that Tesla’s Fremont factory is a racially segregated workplace where Black workers are subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against in job assignments, discipline, pay, and promotion creating a hostile work environment.” Warning: racist language and slurs as reported from DFEH’s case follow. The DFEH’s case against Telsa describes a wide range of discrimin...

Ever since Microsoft announced its $68.7 billion plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, the big question has been whether Call of Duty will become an Xbox exclusive. Sony has expressed “expectations” that Call of Duty would remain on its platform, while Microsoft has said explicitly that it wants to keep the game on PlayStation. But many, myself included, have speculated whether Microsoft might still make parts of Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox in the future. Microsoft has now made it clear it sees Call of Duty the same way it sees Minecraft: as a multi-platform franchise that will draw gamers to Microsoft’s services. And it’s not just Call of Duty — Microsoft wants to bring more Activision Blizzard games to more platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. The company has seen success with Min...

Target is once again restocking PlayStation 5 consoles today. The major retailer now has the standard $499.99 PS5 console on sale, while the $399.99 Digital Edition and the $499.99 Xbox Series X are active on its website, which indicates that the inventory is about to become available shortly. Online options for the Xbox may be limited to the $34.99 All Access subscription package, with direct purchases available in-store only. For all of these, availability will depend on your local supply. The PlayStation 5 continues to be one of the hottest commodities around, even though reselling them is less fruitful for turning around a quick buck than in months past. Many retailers frequently restock new consoles, though some still loop you into pricier bundles with games or accessories you may not...