Technology

El Salvador has passed a resolution to make Bitcoin a legal currency, which makes it the first country to do so (via The Guardian). According to the law, citizens will be able to use Bitcoin to do everything from paying taxes and paying off debts to buying goods and services. The move was championed by President Nayib Bukele, who says it’s a way to help those who don’t have access to banks, and those who want to send money back to the country from abroad, but critics worry that it’ll be more show than substantive change. The proposal was passed by El Salvador’s congress on Tuesday night, after Bukele announced it at a Bitcoin conference in Miami last week. It wasn’t a close call, with 62 out of 84 legislators voting for it, but it’s worth noting that Bukele has large amounts of political p...

Sony is now fully revealing its Airpeak S1 drone, which it teased at CES 2021 in January. The announcement contains a lot more detail on the drone’s capabilities, features, and reveals a $9,000 pricetag for the drone sans gimbal or camera, all of which cements the idea that this drone will be aimed squarely at the professional video market. The Airpeak with an A7S and 24mm lens attached to the sold-separately gimbal.Image: Sony The Airpeak S1 is built to work with Sony’s mirrorless cameras, including the A7S Mark III, FX3, or even the 8K-capable Alpha 1. They’ll be attached to a special version of the Gremsy T3 gimbal that’s been designed specifically for the Airpeak and that you’ll have to buy separately. With a camera, the drone will have around 12 minutes of flight time (though it can a...

A controversial amendment pushed by Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin passed the Senate Wednesday night, inching closer to becoming law. Crammed inside a mammoth science and technology bill designed primarily to counter competition from China, the amendment would allow NASA to spend up to $10 billion on its embattled Moon lander program. Aside from countering China, it also marks the latest development on Bezos’ warpath to counter competition from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. For Blue Origin, the $10 billion boost is a key weapon in an enduring rivalry between the country’s two richest people — one way or another, the company hopes parts of the funding could help give it a better chance to compete with SpaceX. It’s just one front in a wide-ranging effort to change the outcome of NASA’s watershed H...

Volkswagen will receive around $350 million as part of a settlement with executives who ran the company during the Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal, after claiming they breached their “duty of care.” Former CEO Martin Winterkorn has agreed to pay the company 11.2 million euro ($13.6 million), while former Audi boss Rupert Stadler will pay Volkswagen 4.1 million euro ($5 million). Volkswagen will also receive smaller amounts from two other managers who were implicated in the scandal. Most of the rest of the money — some 270 million euros (nearly $330 million) — will come from what’s known as “directors’ and officers’ insurance,” or D&O insurance, which normally helps protect executives from individual liability but can also be used to reimburse a company for legal fees and other co...

Apple is clashing with the platform Fanhouse over whether it gets to take a cut of in-app payments to creators. The incident underscores just how little Apple understands about the creator economy, with the likely outcome being less money in creators’ pockets — and more money for one of the world’s most profitable corporations. Founders of Fanhouse — which is basically OnlyFans without the nudity — say the platform will be kicked out of the App Store in August if it doesn’t start forking over 30 percent of the fees people pay creators when purchases are made through the iPhone app. One of Fanhouse’s creators, the streamer Breadwitchery, says that cut would mean losing two months of rent from her earnings to date. The company doesn’t have a lot of options to push back, but it’s launching a ...

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote came and went this year without a new MacBook Pro — but it looks like that wasn’t the original intent! Intriguingly, Apple quietly included the phrases “M1X MacBook Pro” and “M1X” as tags on its YouTube video of the live keynote, as spotted by Max Balzer (via 9to5Mac). Not only does that sound like tacit confirmation of at least one new Arm-powered MacBook Pro, it also corroborates the rumors that it’ll include a new M1 chip, and that Apple will likely market it as an enhanced “X” variant, like it used to do with its high-end iPads, rather than going straight to M2. Three weeks ago, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that we’d see redesigned 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros “as early as this summer,” ones that would bring back the SD card slot, HDM...

After some major hiccups and a delay, Apple Podcasts says it’s launching in-app subscriptions next week. The global launch of subscriptions and channels, which are groups of shows, will happen on June 15th, the company said today in an email to podcasters, which The Verge has viewed. Apple first debuted in-app subscriptions in April with a launch planned for May. It then emailed creators to tell them the feature launch would be pushed to June to “ensure we are delivering the best experience for creators and listeners,” likely because of issues the company introduced with a recent backend update. Through the feature, listeners can subscribe to certain shows or networks for early access and ad-free content, among other perks. Beyond this rollout being delayed, podcasters have complained that...

Google has announced that it is rolling out the second beta for Android 12 to Pixel phones today. It adds a few more of the Android 12 features that were announced at Google I/O last month but weren’t included in the first beta. But it also has a couple of newer features, including a new way to manage your internet connection. In Quick Settings, Android 12 now has a new button called “Internet” that replaces the old Wi-Fi button. Tap it and you’ll get a screen that will let you switch between Wi-Fi networks and also shows your current cellular connection (which you can also toggle). The new Internet settings in Android 12.Image: Google Google says the idea is to help users “switch between their Internet providers and troubleshoot network connectivity issues more easily.” Google’s post asks...

We still don’t know when Stranger Things 4 is coming, but today, Netflix revealed a few interesting projects to help fans deal with the wait. For starters, there’s a crossover with Magic: The Gathering, which will see Eleven and other characters from the show featured in the game, as part of a “secret lair” drop. It’s expected to happen later this year. And for those looking for more story, there will also be a six-part audio drama podcast called Surviving Hawkins, which is described as a prequel. It stars Maya Hawke as Robin and will debut on June 29th. As for the show itself, Netflix did introduce a handful of new characters for season 4, including one played by Amybeth McNulty, best-known for starring in Anne with an E. She’s joined by fellow newcomers Myles Truitt, Regina Ting Chen, an...

Apple’s next big macOS update, macOS Monterey, adds a bunch of good-looking new features, but some of the more interesting ones won’t be coming to Intel-based Macs, according to the fine print on Apple’s macOS Monterey website (via MacRumors). If you don’t have an M1-based Mac — and many people probably don’t, given that the first Macs with M1 chips were just released in November — here are the new features that you won’t be able to use in macOS Monterey: FaceTime’s Portrait mode, which blurs the background behind you while you’re on a video call Live Text, which lets you interact with text in photos and images (such as being able to copy and paste an address on a sign) Apple Maps’ new globe view Apple Maps’ more detailed maps in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and L...

In its much-anticipated WWDC session on Monday, June 7th, Apple introduced a load of new features for its upcoming update of its iOS mobile operating system: iOS 15. The developer’s beta is now available for anyone who’d like to download it — and who is a registered developer. First, the obligatory warning: this version of iOS 15 is going to be very new and very beta. If you’re a developer, you know all this, but it’s worth repeating: it’s best to install this on a phone that isn’t the one that you rely on. In addition, remember that Backups Are Your Friend. You can find the developers beta of iOS 15 on Apple’s Developers Website. You will, of course, have to sign in (we’re assuming you’ve paid your $99 for a developer’s account). You may be asked to register your device if it isn’t regist...

The Simpsons arcade game, a classic four-player brawler that I personally spent an untold amount of quarters on growing up, is getting a rerelease in celebration of the game’s 30th anniversary thanks to Arcade1Up. In the game, which was first released by Konami in 1991, you and up to three of your friends fight waves of oncoming baddies as Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa Simpson in a quest to save Maggie. I always liked playing as Bart because you traveled around on your skateboard and used it as a weapon, which I thought was the coolest thing ever when I was a kid. I’m not sure I’d put this right next to a couch, personally.Image: Arcade1Up If you decide to get the machine, you should know that it actually comes with two games: The Simpsons and a bonus game that will be announced when preorde...