Technology

Virtual world-building platform Roblox has signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The deal extends an existing collaboration that included a 2020 Lil Nas X concert inside Roblox as well as a 2021 virtual dance party with Swedish artist Zara Larsson. A press release says the agreement will include “innovative music experiences for the Roblox community that offer a range of new commercial opportunities for Sony Music artists to reach new audiences and generate new revenue streams around virtual entertainment,” although a Roblox spokesperson told The Verge that the company was not announcing any specific events or experiences at this time. A spokesperson says Roblox is in talks with other record labels as well. Roblox has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly with young users...

Nintendo finally did it! There’s a new Nintendo Switch coming in October! Over a year of rumors have amounted to the Nintendo Switch OLED model, featuring a slightly larger OLED display, “improved audio,” a built-in ethernet port, and a better kickstand. All of that hype has brought us a device that’s a mere step or two above the product launched back in March 2017. It sort of reminds me of that half-decade where Apple seemed to be stuck with the same generation of Intel CPUs in its laptops. The incremental improvements are nice, but we were all kind of hoping for more (like an end to Joy-Con drift?). Only Nintendo has never needed to give us more. I’ve spent the last year and a half using a Nintendo Switch Lite and rereading rumors about the “Switch Pro” that seemed to promise a fix for e...

It has a bigger OLED screen, but not much else has changed Contributors: Verge Staff Nintendo has just revealed a new Nintendo Switch, and it brings some nice upgrades to the four-year-old console. The most notable is a larger 7-inch 720p OLED screen, but it also has improved speakers, a Microsoft Surface-like kickstand, 64GB of internal storage, and a new dock with an included ethernet port. The new Switch won’t support displaying 4K graphics when connected to a TV, despite rumors that had suggested otherwise, and there aren’t major changes to the CPU or RAM. But even though this OLED Switch is a lot like the old one, there’s still a lot to dig into about it. You can catch up on all of our coverage of the new console right here. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Date...

The US Defense Department has canceled the $10 billion JEDI cloud computing project it awarded to Microsoft in 2019, saying the controversial program’s design “no longer meets its needs.” The department will replace JEDI with another cloud infrastructure contract and plans to solicit bids from Microsoft as well as Amazon — which sued over losing the original contract. CNBC reported the news earlier today. “Due to evolving requirements, increased cloud conversancy, and industry advances, the JEDI Cloud contract no longer meets its needs,” reads a Defense Department press release sent to The Verge. “JEDI was developed at a time when the department’s needs were different and both the CSPs technology and our cloud conversancy was less mature,” said acting Defense Department chief information o...

Following the recent release of the StudioDock, an opulent stand that turns the iPad Pro into a mini desktop computer, Kensington is expanding its Apple-focused offerings today with the $179.99 StudioCaddy. It’s an unusual product with a simple goal: it’s meant to be the place where all your Apple devices can live. The StudioCaddy is comprised of two halves that attach magnetically. The first half is a basic metal stand that you can slot a closed MacBook into, and there’s also a rubberized shelf out front designed to hold an iPad. The second half attaches onto the front and includes two Qi wireless chargers, one vertical for an iPhone and one horizontal with a recess that you can put an AirPods case into. You could, of course, use the StudioCaddy with many combinations of Windows ultrabook...

In Congress, pretty much everything moves at a glacial pace. But legislation targeting the market power of large tech companies is picking up an unusual amount of bipartisan momentum. After nearly two years of investigations into Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, the House Judiciary Committee pushed through a package of six bills last month that would force these companies to unwind anti-competitive mergers and make the data they obtain on users more portable, in an effort to spur greater competition in the market. The package was surprising in its size and scope, but even more surprising — it was bipartisan. Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, the top Republican on the antitrust subcommittee, played a large role in building that coalition, which has put him at the leading edge of Republican tech p...

Nintendo is announcing a new Switch model today with a larger 7-inch 720p OLED display. While rumors had suggested this new Switch would ship with a new Nvidia chip inside, it doesn’t look like that’s the case. Nintendo lists this Switch OLED model as only supporting 1080p via TV mode, and rumors had suggested 4K support, thanks to a rumored Nvidia chip upgrade. The Switch OLED model will go on sale for $350 starting on October 8th. Other than the new screen, this revised model includes an adjustable stand for tabletop play, 64GB of built-in storage (up from 32GB), a new dock with a wired ethernet port built in, and improved audio for handheld or tabletop play. Nintendo only mentions “up to 1080p via HDMI in TV mode” for the TV dock, so the rumored 4K mode isn’t part of this OLED Switch. N...

Nintendo finally announced the Switch with an OLED screen that comes out in October, but right now, GameStop is hosting a big one-day discount on two must-have Switch games: Super Mario Odyssey and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Each game is going for $35 (usually $60) for the physical or digital versions, and if you have the means, I suggest getting both. Super Mario Odyssey is the latest (delightful) installment in the long-running Mario 3D platforming franchise, while Fire Emblem: Three Houses has strategic, turn-based battles interspersed with team- and friend-building elements you’d usually find in a Persona game. Super Mario Odyssey $35 $60 42% off Mario’s latest adventure is one of his best yet. Super Mario Odyssey usually costs $60 (and is loaded with enough gameplay to warrant the cos...

Scooter company Bird is expanding its services by partnering with another mobility vehicle company Scootaround to bring accessible electric vehicles rentals to New York City. The company recently announced that its main app will now allow those with mobility issues to rent one of three models of electric transportation vehicles, including a three- and four-wheel scooter and the Whill Model Ci2 power wheelchair. After picking their vehicle of choice, the rider will be able to rent it for a period between one and 14 days. Riders are expected to receive an in-person tutorial on the day of their rental so that they can be well-equipped to charge, store and comfortably use the electric scooters. CEO of Scootaround Kerry Renaud said, “As micromobility options such as shared bikes and scooters co...

For the first time since the company’s founding back in 1969, Naim has now added a turntable to its roster of premium devices for audiophiles. Created in collaboration with Clearaudio, the new limited-edition Solstice turntable is a blend of premium audio with exceptionally sleek design aesthetics. The player itself features the brand’s iconic Aro tonearm from originally designed in 1989, paired with its Equinox cartridge carrying a Moving Coil inner assembly sitting comfortably within a solid aluminum housing that’s been machined from a single billet. The turntable is then accompanied by the Soltice Series Phono Stage and Power Supply units to provide accurate sound and amplification, ensuring the high level of audio experience enthusiasts have come to expect from Naim. Limited to just 50...

The OnePlus’ latest flagship phones are marked down at several retailers, as spotted by Android Police, bringing the normally $729 OnePlus 9 down to $649 and the OnePlus 9 Pro (usually $1069) to $969. We think that the more basic 9 is already the better buy than the 9 Pro for most people, and the extra $80 off the retail price makes it an even sweeter deal. The OnePlus 9 gives up surprisingly few features compared to its more expensive sibling — you still get a Snapdragon 888 processor, display with 120Hz refresh rate, and an excellent 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. You’ll have to make do with an unstabilized main camera, plastic rather than aluminum frame, and slower wireless charging. Considering that you save more than $300 off the price of the premium model, these downgrades feel like ...

Three days after ransomware attackers started the holiday weekend by compromising Kaseya VSA, we have a clearer idea of how widespread the impact has been. In a new ransom demand, the attackers claim to have compromised more than 1 million computers, and demand $70 million to decrypt the affected devices. Kaseya’s software is used by Managed Service Providers to perform IT tasks remotely, but on July 2nd, the Russia-linked REvil ransomware group deployed a malicious software update exposing providers who use the platform, and their clients. The Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) revealed that it appears the exploit used for the breach was same one they discovered and were in the process of addressing when the attackers struck. “We were already running a broad investigation...