Technology

Microsoft surprise-launched Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer beta on Monday, but if you’re having trouble jumping into the game, you’re not the only one. According to Brian Jarrard, Halo community director at 343 Industries, some players playing on Xbox or from the Windows store are “likely hitting some blue screens / errors” while trying to launch the game. “The build is still publishing and rolling out, expected to resolve in due time,” he said. PSA: We’re in the thick of things at the moment but FYI that players on Xbox/WinStore are likely hitting some blue screens / errors trying to launch. The build is still publishing and rolling out, expected to resolve in due time. Hang in there! — Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) November 15, 2021 The Xbox support Twitter account also acknowl...

This morning, Russia destroyed one of its own satellites with a ground-based missile, creating thousands of pieces of debris that have spread out into Earth orbit, according to the US State Department. The US has identified at least 1,500 trackable pieces of debris from the event, and many thousands of smaller ones that cannot be traced, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said during a briefing. The news comes amid reports from Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, independently verified by The Verge via NASA’s live feed, that the astronauts living on board the International Space Station had to shelter in place this morning due to a cloud of space debris that seems to be passing by the station every 90 minutes, the time it takes for the ISS to orbit the Earth. NASA has yet to ...

After a delay lasting around 72 hours, Rockstar Games finally made Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition playable and purchasable again on PC. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is again available through the Rockstar Games Launcher for play and purchase. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and are working to improve and update overall performance as we move forward: https://t.co/hAfEKqYS3o — Rockstar Support (@RockstarSupport) November 15, 2021 “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and are working to improve and update overall performance as we move forward,” Rockstar said in a tweet. The Trilogy, which includes remastered versions of GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas, was only accessible on PC during a brief window...

As is often the case with new technology, under-display cameras didn’t make a great first impression. It’s a nice idea in theory, of course — you don’t need a notch or a hole-punch if you can put a selfie camera under the display — but the earliest efforts had some issues. ZTE’s Axon 20 last year was the first phone to ship with one, and it was bad. The camera quality was incredibly poor, and the area of the screen looked more distracting than a notch. Samsung followed up this year with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which had similar issues. But things are actually getting better. Two newer phones on the market, Xiaomi’s Mix 4 and ZTE’s Axon 30, use a different approach to the technology, and it’s an improvement on the previous generation. Instead of having a lower resolution area of the screen tha...

The limited-edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X is coming to select Best Buy stores across the US today. The console includes a digital copy of Halo Infinite, which will be playable on December 8th — or possibly sooner, if you believe internet rumors about a countdown ending today. You can check for participating stores near you on Best Buy’s Xbox in-store event page. It looks like the page was just posted around 6AM ET today, in line with a tweet from restocking tipster Lord Restock. The same account, as well as other console trackers, indicates the consoles will be available today from BestBuy.com. They expect to see the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X restocked along with a number of PS5s and Nintendo Switch OLEDs, however, those sales may only be available to people who are a part of Best ...

Casper Sleep is being acquired by private equity firm Durational Capital Management, which will take the boxed mattress company private, the companies announced Monday. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022. Founded in 2014, Casper was one of a handful of companies whose ads were ubiquitous on podcasts and that sold its products directly to consumers. The company went public in February 2020, with plans to expand from its primary business of direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales of boxed mattresses into products that “promote the ideal ambience for sleep,” according to its S-1 prospectus. That list of products included sleep tracking devices, bedside clocks, sleep services like digital apps and counseling, and even sleep supplements. But besides mattresses and things that go ...

If you’re after a great bargain on truly wireless earbuds that we really like, check out Best Buy’s deal on the Jabra Elite 75t. These usually cost $150, but the black-colored model is back down to just $80 — matching the lowest price yet. Best Buy says that this is its best deal of the season, and it’ll price match retailers if you find a better price. Consider this a great early Black Friday deal that you can take advantage of to get ahead with your holiday shopping. The Verge’s Chris Welch enjoyed the several improvements that the Elite 75t made to the already-winning Elite 65t formula. They’re smaller, with a more comfortable design. And the sound quality should please those who are looking for thumping bass. The Elite 75t can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, which is o...

Netflix’s live-action take on Cowboy Bebop comes with a lot of expectations. Much of those come from the existing fans, of course — those who loved the original anime with its jazz- and corgi-infused mix of noir and sci-fi and are hoping the new series does it justice. Then there are those coming to the show without existing expectations, who are just looking for some great space capers. On top of this, Netflix’s Bebop is also the latest in a growing list of attempts at turning classic anime into live-action shows or movies. For the most part, these have been an unqualified disaster, whether it’s the Americanized Death Note movie or M. Night Shyamalan’s forgettable take on The Last Airbender. Cowboy Bebop, though, has offered glimpses of hope in the lead-up to its debut. There’s the painfu...

Samsung is making its One UI 4 software update available for the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra starting today, the company has announced. The update is based on this year’s Android 12, was released in public beta in September, and adds new theming options, keyboard tweaks, and privacy settings. The new features coming with the latest version of Samsung’s software should look familiar to anyone who’s been keeping up with Android 12’s upgrades. First up is a Material You-style overhaul, including the ability to change the operating system’s color scheme based on your chosen wallpaper, and there are also redesigned widgets. New privacy-focused features include a Privacy Dashboard that keeps track of how often apps are requesting sensitive information from your phone, and there are also ...

OnePlus has announced a special Pac-Man Edition of the Nord 2. It’s a new version of the company’s latest mid-range smartphone with design tweaks inspired by the classic ‘80s arcade game. But underneath the new theme this is fundamentally the same hardware as the excellent OnePlus Nord 2 released in July this year. The Pac-Man enhancements made to the phone are mostly cosmetic. Its back has a small Pac-Man logo on it and glows in the dark to reveal a Pac-Man maze, and there’s also a semi-translucent themed case featuring the titular character alongside ghostly antagonists Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Boot up the phone and you’re presented with a dynamic Pac-Man-themed wallpaper, one of eight in total. There’s a Pac-Man themed charging animation, and other 8-bit-style touches include red...

Earlier last week, Kanye West and Wack 100 were spotted visiting SpaceX and appeared to receive a private tour from Elon Musk himself. Ye’s visit was documented by the CEO of Kano, Alex Kleinis while Wack took to Instagram to post his own photo with the founder to thank him for the visit. Wack expressed his appreciation and wrote, “@elonmusk I appreciate the hospitality appreciate the Invite appreciate the business tips, appreciate the welcoming. I’m deaf to what’s beneath me. Shit just got different. Out with the OLD IN WITH THE NEW ! #AntiParkNGarage #GangstaButWokeASF.” The meeting between Musk and West was hardly unanticipated as both have been fans of one another for a long time. In the past decade, the pair have been spotted together starting in the beginning of 2011 when Musk reveal...

Following widespread community backlash, Discord has now decided to suspend its plans to integrate cryptocurrencies and NFTs into its platform. The original announcement came from Discord CEO Jason Citron himself, who took to Twitter to post a screenshot of the company’s app showing support for MetaMask and WalletConnect. Unfortunately, the post backfired with many users in the community criticizing the decision. Mirroring many’s sentiments, one user replied “Man, can’t wait to tell my friends that Discord is encouraging pyramid schemes at the grand cost of the environment, and persuading them to cancel their Nitro subscriptions and use competing platforms. Thanks for the heads up!” Noting this dismay from many of its users, Citron ultimately backpedaled and said that Discord has no plans ...