Technology

Walmart says it’s partnering with Microsoft on a potential TikTok deal. The retailer is pitching the partnership as a way for it to expand its advertising business and grow its third-party marketplace. It comes as reports suggest Microsoft is close to finalizing a deal with TikTok, that could be announced in the coming days. “The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets,” says a Walmart spokesperson in a statement to CNBC. “We believe a potential relationship with TikTok US in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising business...

If you want a comfortable chair with a low-profile design that won’t break the bank, Secretlab’s gaming chairs are generally agreed upon (even by a few Verge writers who have owned one) as being a worthy purchase. And now, its 2020 lineup of chairs, consisting of the Omega, Titan, and Titan XL, can be outfitted in a minimalist black colorway called SoftWeave black. While these chairs already look more subtle than most other options on the market, they do still look a bit like something yanked out of a race car, so the new color option helps. According to Secretlab, this new color is “upholstered in a custom tri-color weave featuring three different shades of black.” It’s worth noting that the fabric looks quite similar to the existing charcoal variant, though it’s definitely a bit darker. ...

Google is expanding its “Snapshot” feature in Assistant, adding new reminders and more proactive suggestions for new activities you may want to try. The initial version of Snapshot showed information like your daily commute time, upcoming schedule, reminders, upcoming flights, recent online orders, and stock market updates. Google is adding to that list with additional reminders for things like upcoming birthdays or holidays, too. The updated Snapshot view will also expand its recommendations — where the app would previously suggest YouTube videos or Spotify songs, the updated version will use your existing user data to offer new recipe ideas, podcasts, or restaurants to order from. Those suggestions will update over the course of your day, too, just like the rest of the Snapshot mode (so ...

Valve is adding a customizable profanity and slur filter to Steam’s chat system. The feature is now available through the Steam Lab beta program, with plans to make it a universal option soon. It filters a default list of commonly used “strong profanity” and slurs for “racial, religious, ethnic, and other identifying groups,” but users can choose to add or remove specific words or upload full block lists of terms. Steam already censors offensive language across its public platform, including in forum posts and reviews. It’s also implemented an optional profanity filter for specific games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Destiny 2. The new feature works across Steam’s chat service as well as supported games, and its block lists offer more options than simply enabling or disab...

The pen, as the saying goes, is mightier than the sword. And modern computers, apparently: despite the leaps and bounds of technology, with tablet styluses and Wacom digitizers, ordinary pen and paper has survived to this day. But the $399 reMarkable 2 — the company’s new second-generation E Ink tablet — looks to challenge that assumption, offering an updated design, improved specs, and a better pen to try and give the centuries-old technology of paper some new digital flair. The original reMarkable was a unique device: a massive E Ink panel with a unique pen and the ambitious goal of killing traditional paper. It fell short in a few key respects, with the first-generation E Ink display unable to match the speed and reliability of paper. Verge Score 7.5 out of 10 Good Stuff Enjoyable writi...

The opening keynote for Gamescom, the biggest gaming convention on Earth, is happening today, August 27th. But instead of passionate fans and media roaming through the event in person, it’s all happening online due to the coronavirus pandemic. If you want to tune into that, we’ve provided all the info below that you’ll need. The gaming news will continue to pour until the event ends on Sunday, August 30th. There is always a lot of big news that comes out of Gamescom, so it’s worth paying attention if you want to hear about the latest games coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and the Xbox Series X, as well as the PS4 and Xbox One. A small sampling of what to expect includes Star Wars: Squadron, Fall Guys, but of course there will be a lot more. Here’s everything you need to know to follow a...

Three thousand Californian apartments will be linked up to solar panels and batteries — meaning they might never experience a power outage again, no matter what California’s utility companies do. The project, planned by German energy storage company Sonnen, will be spread across seven apartment complexes — the largest of its kind. Virtual power plants can offer California residents reliability The connected set of solar panels and batteries form what’s called a “virtual power plant.” Besides making sure the whole community can run on backup solar power during blackouts, these VPPs also reduce strain on the grid — because VPPs store their energy on-site. What’s more, they can be tapped to provide energy during demand peaks. “As I look out my window I can see [wildfire] smoke right now and I...

Amazon is getting into the health gadget market with a new fitness band and subscription service called Halo. Unlike the Apple Watch or even most basic Fitbits, the Amazon Halo band doesn’t have a screen. The app that goes along with it comes with the usual set of fitness tracking features along with two innovative — and potentially troubling — ideas: using your camera to create 3D scans for body fat and listening for the emotion in your voice. The Halo band will cost $99.99 and the service (which is required for Halo’s more advanced features) costs $3.99 per month. Amazon is launching it as an invite-only early access program today with an introductory price of $64.99 that includes months of the service for free. The Halo service is a separate product that isn’t part of Amazon Prime. The ...

Ikea and Lego just announced the Bygglek collection of playful storage boxes fitted with Lego studs that let you build directly onto their surfaces. The range consists of four different products: one set of three small boxes, two sets of bigger boxes, and one set of Lego bricks to get the creative juices flowing. The Ikea x Lego collaboration was first announced back in 2019. “Bygglek is more than boxes. It is storage and play intertwined,” said Lego designer Rasmus Buch Løgstrup. “Bygglek provides families with a product range that helps create space for more play in their everyday — fueling creativity, making it possible to have more fun together. It’s a possibility to play, display the cool creations and return to it to replay, remake, recreate or start over.” The Bygglek series will be...

Today sees the launch of an exciting new season in Fortnite — but not for everyone. Because of the ongoing legal battle between developer Epic Games and Apple, the game’s latest season won’t be appearing on Apple hardware, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This marks a huge change for Fortnite, a game that has long been at the forefront of crossplay. Now that’s changed. If you’re playing the game on an Apple device — which is still possible if you already have it installed — you’re experiencing a very different version of Fortnite. And it’s one that feels vastly inferior to what’s available on every other platform. One of the best things about Fortnite is the way it works seamlessly across mobile, consoles, and PCs. Aside from some control and graphical differences, it’s essentially the...

LG has officially announced a portable air purifier that you wear on your face like a mask. The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier uses a pair of replaceable filters similar to what you’d find in LG’s range of air purifiers for the home, pairing them with battery-powered fans to help you breath. LG says the device has sensors to detect when you’re breathing in or out, and adjusts the fans’ speeds accordingly. Today’s announcement ahead of IFA 2020 doesn’t explicitly mention the COVID-19 pandemic, but it heavily implies that the mask was developed in response to it. The company says the wearable air purifier is designed to replace the “inconsistent” homemade masks worn by some people, as well as the disposable masks that it says have been in short supply. Back in July, when LG first announced t...