Technology

If your desire to mine bitcoin has been thwarted by a lack of GPU stock and flimsy BIOS locks, YouTuber StackSmashing may be able to help. They’ve made a Game Boy miner, which only needs a Game Boy console (and a slightly modified Link Cable), a Raspberry Pi Pico, and a regular computer (via Tom’s Hardware). The conceit of the project is that all of the mining happens on a stock Game Boy, which was released a full 20 years before bitcoin was invented. Of course, it does need some help: the Game Boy can’t actually connect to the internet, and it can’t hold the entire blockchain. To deal with that, StackSmashing uses the Pico and Link Cable to connect to the computer, which is running a bitcoin node. After it’s connected, the Game Boy runs the hashing program from a programmable cartridge, a...

The Louvre Museum announced Friday that its entire collections are now available to view online at collections.louvre.fr. This includes pieces that are on loan or in storage, which is exciting for museum nerds like me who have ever expressed woe at the number of cool things museums have kept away from my eager eyeballs. “The site offers several ways to delve into the collections: simple or advanced searches, entries by curatorial department, and themed albums,” says the press release. I humbly offer another way to delve in: hand-selected links to some paintings of animals that should tickle your whimsy. The Louvre’s terms of use for their photos indicate that I can’t repost them from their site, and I would strongly prefer not to start a fresh fight with the French. Instead, I will describ...

Nike has sued internet collective MSCHF for selling “unauthorized Satan Shoes” in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X. The shoe company says MSCHF infringed on its trademarks by selling limited-edition custom Nikes that were allegedly modified with a drop of human blood. Since the Satan Shoes (as they are officially called) were announced last week, Nike claims they’ve harmed its reputation, “including among consumers who believe that Nike is endorsing satanism.” It’s asking for the shoes to be destroyed and for MSCHF to pay financial damages. MSCHF is known for stunt products like its 2019 “Jesus Shoes,” a $1,425 pair of white Nike Air Max 97s with custom stitching and 60ccs of water from the River Jordan. Nike didn’t object to the Jesus Shoes. But it’s apparently less happy with their th...

Getting an Apple product repaired often involves going directly to the (expensive) source — an Apple Store — or a big third-party firm. If you live somewhere with limited choices, Apple’s recently announced expansion of its Independent Repair Provider program might change that. The company plans to expand its repair program to “nearly every country where Apple products are sold,” meaning someone near you could soon be using official Apple parts to fix your cracked phone. Right now, the program is only available in the US, Canada and Europe, but according to Apple’s announcement, repair providers from countries including Australia, Japan, and Korea will be able to join this week, with providers from even more countries including China joining the program later this year. Providers have to a...

Only five months after announcing its TVision streaming service, T-Mobile today shared news that TVision’s three bundles of live channels will all shut down at the end of April. The development comes as part of T-Mobile’s new partnership with Google and YouTube, which it’s making out to be a huge deal. The carrier says YouTube TV will now fill the role of its “live TV solution.” It’s also positioning Philo TV as the replacement for its base offering. The Live, Live Plus, and Live Zone services that were available with TVision will go dark on April 29th. T-Mobile is giving a free month of YouTube TV to customers who had signed up for one of the TVision Live packages, and all T-Mobile subscribers will be eligible to save $10 on the usual monthly rate of $64.99; so if they want the service, i...

Google and T-Mobile are announcing a huge partnership today, with the carrier agreeing to showcase a suite of Google’s services on Android phones sold on the carrier’s network. The list includes officially supporting Google’s Android Messages (with RCS) app on all of T-Mobile’s Android phones, dropping T-Mobile’s own TV services for Google’s YouTube TV, showcasing Google One as the default backup service, and expanding support and sales of Google hardware like the Pixel. T-Mobile and Google say the carrier has “the most Android smartphone customers in the US.” With this big partnership, those customers will have a phone that is more likely to showcase native Google services instead of less-well-supported services from the carrier or manufacturer. It’s also a big win for Google, which will ...

Activision is finally doing something about the tremendous file sizes of recent Call of Duty games. The company is announcing that both Modern Warfare and the free-to-play Warzone will be much easier on hard drives after the next update. The space savings vary depending on what platform the game is installed (and which content packs you have installed), but they’ll be at least 30GB if you have both full games installed — meaning you’ll actually have enough room to install another AAA game if you like. The update is set to be released on March 30th, but while it may be easier on your hard drive, downloading it won’t be easy on your internet connection. Activision says the one-time Season Two Reloaded update will be larger than usual (up to 57GB for those who just play Warzone). The good new...

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for 2019–2020 Hyundai Kona and 2020 Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicles after over a dozen battery fires were reported. The agency is also warning owners against parking their vehicles near their homes or any flammable structure. An electrical short in the Kona’s lithium-ion battery cells increases the risk of fire while parked, charging, and driving, NHTSA said, adding, “The safest place to park them is outside and away from homes and other structures.” Last month, Hyundai announced that it would recall some 76,000 Kona EVs built between 2018 and 2020 over battery fire concerns. It was the second recall for the Kona but the first one that was global in nature. The automaker also said it would recall some Ioniqs and electric...

When it comes to truly wireless earbuds, there are a ton of brands and products to choose from. Whether you enjoy the unconventional design of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live or prefer Jabra’s compact Elite 75t, there’s a pair of wireless earbuds for just about everyone. Fortunately, many of the best wireless earbuds go on sale on a regular occurrence. Regardless of which brand you prefer, we have compiled some of the best deals on wireless earbuds right now. Of course, if you want to do more research before making a buying decision, I encourage you to read out the Best Wireless Earbuds buyer’s guide to help you determine which pair of earbuds is best for you. Apple’s AirPods Pro.Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge APPLE AIRPODS DEALS If you own an iPhone or multiple Apple products in general, the...

The boat is unstuck. If you’ve been following the news, you know exactly the boat and exactly how stuck it was: the Evergreen Marine Corporation’s Ever Given cargo ship has been stuck across the Suez Canal for the last six days, disrupting billions of dollars in global trade. Nevertheless, it’s given people something to laugh about because it seems like a mostly harmless thing; according to Bloomberg, the big boat was blocking $9.6 billion in global shipping traffic a day, but those numbers are abstract enough that many haven’t felt an impact in their daily lives. You might not have been able to get your things on time, but at least you knew why. A big boat was stuck. The other boats had to traverse the historical route around the horn of Africa. I am not a nautical man, though, like many ...

Canadian power sports firm BRP announced that it would spend $300 million to electrify its entire lineup of vehicles by 2026. The company, which manufacturers watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs, and go-karts, will start rolling out its first products in the next two years. The $13 billion global power sports market is slowly coming around to electric drivetrains, and BRP, which owns popular brands like Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Ryker ATVs, and Rotax go-karts, is trying to position itself at the forefront of the movement. “We have always said electrification was not a question of ‘if’ but a question of ‘when,’” said José Boisjoli, BRP president and CEO, in a statement. “Today, we’re very excited to unveil more details of our plan to deliver market-shaping products that will enhanc...

Ford has stopped selling its Level 2 home chargers for the Mustang Mach-E after discovering some weren’t working, the company tells The Verge. The issue, which was first reported by Automotive News, has to do with the wall-box chargers registering a fault and stopping charging altogether. Ford says there are no safety concerns, but it decided to stop selling the $800 home charging stations at the end of February until it figures out the problem. Mach-E owners can still charge their electric Mustangs using 120V or 240V outlets at home, or at public charging stations. (Owners who run into any issues can call Ford at (800) 392-3673.) Ford’s 48-amp Level 2 charger (officially called the Ford Connected Charge Station) is able to put around 28 miles of range back into the Mustang Mach-E battery ...