Technology

Solar-powered headphones are a tantalizing prospect. The battery life of wireless models has improved a lot over the years, but it’s still far from perfect, and those wide headbands provide the perfect surface for a sheet of solar cells to provide continuous charging. Urbanista isn’t the first company to attempt to make good on this idea — JBL announced a pair of its own in 2019 that it was subsequently forced to delay due to the pandemic — but its Los Angeles are the first solar-powered headphones to have actually made it to market. Although the design is almost identical to the company’s existing Miami headphones, a layer of PowerFoyle solar cells on the headband allows them to continuously suck up solar energy when exposed to light. Urbanista reckons the average listener should be able ...

For this weekend, you can get a whole year of Playstation Plus at Eneba for just $37 by using the code 365USVERGE at checkout. Anyone who owns a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 should consider becoming a PlayStation Plus subscriber. By becoming one, you get access to a variety of perks, including online multiplayer, cloud storage for saves, and complementary games every month, as well as exclusive discounts. This discount is only valid through Saturday, October 23rd, though, so you’ll have to move fast. PlayStation Plus (annual subscription) $37 $60 39% off A membership to PlayStation Plus allows PS4 and PS5 owners to play games online, download free titles every month, and take advantage of discounts on the PS Store. Currently, Eneba is offering Verge readers a 12-month subscription for ar...

When Apple announced the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Mini LED backlighting earlier this year, I knew it was time to upgrade from my 2018 model. And I wasn’t disappointed. The improved brightness (especially when watching movies in HDR) and superior contrast have made the purchase worthwhile — even if iPadOS continues to underwhelm and disappoint in other ways. It’s a wonderful screen that makes me want to use the iPad wherever I can instead of my laptop. As a refresher of what Mini LED is, there are thousands of tiny LEDs behind the display — much smaller than those in conventional TVs or LCD displays — that allow for more precise backlighting. In turn, this leads to deeper black levels and all of the other benefits mentioned above. Apple’s iPads and MacBook already had excellent displays with...

T-Mobile said it will delay its planned shutdown of Sprint’s 3G network by three months to ensure its “partners” have time to help customers with the transition. It had originally planned to phase out the network in January; that date has now been pushed to March 31st, 2022. “Recently it’s become increasingly clear that some of those partners haven’t followed through on their responsibility to help their customers through this shift,” the company said in a statement. “So, we’re stepping up on their behalf.” T-Mobile’s statement doesn’t mention it by name, but likely is referring to Dish Network. The two sides have tangled over T-Mobile’s announcement it was shutting down Sprint’s legacy network, because of the impact it would have on Dish’s Boost Mobile customers. As one of the conditions ...

Instagram’s recent conveyor belt of new features looks set to continue, after the platform announced it is currently testing a new tool that will make it easier for creators to connect with sponsors. Previewed at its Creator Week event earlier this year, affiliate shops and dedicated “partnership” inboxes are currently being trialed, in a bid to help creators monetize their content. Essentially an extension of Facebook’s current shopping features, affiliate shops will allow creators to earn commission when a follower purchases a product. Instagram did also add that for now, this will only be available to those who are a part of IG’s affiliate program. What’s more, the social platform also announced it is testing a new inbox feature that will make it easier for creators to communicate with ...

Following recent link ups with MA®KET and BTS, Hong Kong-based label CASETiFY returns with its latest “Care” capsule collection, designed in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Teaming up with a group of talented artists, the label delivers an extensive capsule of iPhone cases — including the Impact, Ultra Impact and Ultra Compostable cases — all of which adorning a unique breast cancer-related illustration. Featuring pieces from the likes of Giulia Hartz, Wisut, Babs Draw, Edreika, Street Writing and Amy Louise, CASETiFY’s latest collection will see $5 USD from every sale donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. The collection is available to buy now from the CASETiFY webstore. In other news, WorldCoin reportedly wants to give everyone free crypto if they scan their irises. Read Full A...

Noted hub-maker Satechi has come out with a new dongle that combines extra ports and a slot for an M.2 SATA SSD for expanding both your computer’s IO and storage while only taking up one of your precious ports. It doesn’t come with an SSD, but it does have a catchy name: the Satechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter. The concept has been done before by lesser-known brands, but if you’re considering it now that Satechi is making one, maybe hold off for just a moment while we break down the caveats and the potentially better options. As a hub, it’s pretty standard and unobjectionable: it has 100W USB-C PD passthrough (that will supply your computer with around 85W after it takes the energy it needs to operate), two USB-A 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port capable of driving a 4K screen at 60Hz. Then, ...

Google Meet hosts will soon be able to turn off participants’ microphones or cameras and prevent them from turning them back on, the company announced in a Workspace blog. The feature could be a useful way for hosts to keep noisy or rowdy attendees from continually interrupting meetings even after they have already been muted. The microphone and camera lock feature will be off by default; hosts will have to turn it on during meetings if they want to use it. If your meeting has breakout rooms, any audio and / or video locks made in the main will apply in those, too. The opposite isn’t true, though, meaning that locks applied in individual breakout rooms won’t apply to other breakout rooms or the main room. The host controls screen in Google Meet.Image: Google If you’re using older versions ...

Mobile spam calls have been a nuisance for years. I get between four and six robocalls daily, and a quick survey of friends shows that I’m not alone. Every waking day brings with it a new barrage. Robocallers have upped their game by masking their spam with local, genuine-looking phone numbers. Sometimes their nonsense is amusing — like when you get a threatening voicemail about your impending arrest over owed back taxes — but the vast majority of the time, it’s an unwelcome distraction. It’s all too easy for these scammers to wield the power of the internet and fire off countless calls with ease. And once even just a few people fall for a scam, they’ve made enough profit to cover their trivial expenses. Estimates put the number of robocalls in 2019 at over 50 billion. Both the Federal Com...

Jesse McCree, Overwatch’s cowboy hero, has been renamed Cole Cassidy. The name change is part of a number of updates Blizzard is making to its games to remove references to problematic people or themes that have come to light in the wake of several discrimination and harassment suits filed against the company. Last month, World of Warcraft removed NPCs that referenced former senior creative director Alex Afrasiabi, who was named in the harassment suit as participating in the infamous “Cosby Suite” incident. Jesse McCree — a former lead designer — was also a part of that incident and for whom Overwatch’s cowboy character was named. When these allegations were publicized, casters refused to say the character’s name during Overwatch League matches. The Overwatch team later stated they were in...