Technology

If you wanted to play PUBG Mobile at a frame rate higher than 60fps, it was a bit tricky. You either needed to live in China or download the Chinese version of PUBG Mobile (well, it’s actually called Game for Peace), plus you needed a phone with a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate. Now, Tencent Games is finally adding support for 90fps in the US and other countries, but you’ll need to wait a month unless you have some specific OnePlus phones. Specifically, if you own a OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 7T, or OnePlus 7 Pro you can now run the game at a smooth 90 frames per second. OnePlus announced a similar partnership with Epic Games in May After the timed exclusivity deal expires on September 7th, Tencent said that any PUBG Mobile player… Continue reading… You Deserve to Make Mone...

Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge Microsoft is now rebuking Apple over its stringent developer restrictions and its stance on cloud gaming apps, which the iPhone maker does not allow on the App Store for apparent violations of its guidelines. In a statement attributed to a Microsoft spokesperson, the company tells The Verge, “Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.” Apple earlier today elaborated on its controversial position to not allow services like Microsoft’s upcoming xCloud and the competing Google Stadia platform to exist on the App Store because the company cannot review individual games available on cloud platforms. A number of other App Store guidelines also… Continue readi...

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images President Trump has signed a new executive order which will block all transactions with Bytedance, TikTok’s parent corporation, in an effort to “address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain.” The move comes after months of escalating tensions, which saw Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others at the White House warn that TikTok presented a national security threat because of its Chinese ownership. Microsoft is currently in talks to acquire portions of the app, aimed to be complete by September 15th. BREAKING: President Trump just issued an executive order “on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok.” It takes effect in 45 days, prohibits “any transaction” with ByteDance, th...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge TikTok is launching its first TV app, called “More on TikTok,” on Amazon Fire TV devices today (via Business Insider). The app will have curated video playlists and compilations from the mobile TikTok app, Amazon spokesperson Delaney Simmons confirmed in an email to The Verge. It will also include interviews with creators, along with other content that runs over the one-minute limit of TikTok’s mobile app. “We’ve been thinking through what the adoption of streaming devices like Fire TV means for connecting with our users and how we can offer them more dynamic experiences, and we feel bringing our content to the TV to some extent is a natural next step,” Nick Tran, head of global marketing for TikTok, said in an email to The Verge. A… Continue r...

When Apple first announced its refreshed Mac Pro, one of the most mocked aspects was the optional $400 wheels, which only became more absurd when Apple started selling the wheels as a standalone upgrade for a whopping $700. Fortunately, Mac accessory company OWC is finally stepping in with the first set of third-party wheels, which are a (relative) steal compared to Apple’s official ones: they only cost $249 (via Kif Leswing on Twitter). Is that, objectively speaking, a lot of money to spend on wheels for your computer? Yes. On the other hand, they’re nearly a third of the cost of Apple’s official option and are actually more versatile: where Apple’s wheels require removing the stationary legs and a variety of tools to install, OWC Rover… Continue reading… You Deserve to Make ...

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Uber is continuing to bleed cash during the coronavirus pandemic. The chronically unprofitable company lost $1.8 billion over the last three months, with its adjusted net revenues down 29 percent compared to Q2 of 2019. Even Uber’s successful delivery business, which saw revenues grow 162 percent year over year, wasn’t enough to buoy the company’s finances. Gross bookings in its ride-hailing business fell 35 percent year over year to $10.2 billion. Most of that was in its mobility division, which fell 73 percent year over year. Meanwhile, gross bookings in its Uber Eats delivery business grew 113 percent year over year, thanks to increased demand for food deliveries. Developing… Continue reading… You Deserve to Make Money Even When y...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook will let its employees continue to work from home through June 2021, joining other companies like Google, which announced similar plans to have employees work remotely until next summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, via Business Insider. Facebook has had nearly all of its roughly 48,000 employees working remotely since the initial wave of stay-at-home orders back in March, and it previously announced that it would have employees work remotely through the end of 2020. In a statement to Business Insider, Facebook spokesperson Nneka Norville commented: “Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue… Continue ...

Image: Apple Following the release of the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 public betas, Apple is now following through with public access to the macOS Big Sur beta. This next big update for macOS is the jump to 11.0, and with it comes several big changes. The most noticeable difference, though not necessarily the most notable, is the revised design. Everything looks a little cleaner, with a look that’s really starting to resemble iOS. In this article, we’re going to walk you through what’s new and how to get the beta onto your computer, should you want it. Once you install the beta, it will likely receive several updates between now and the final release, which we expect to happen later in 2020. What to know about macOS Big Sur before installing the beta First,… Continue reading… You Des...

Five months ago, I and many other people declared that despite Universal’s Trolls World Tour skipping theaters to premiere digitally, the idea of Disney exploring the same route with big blockbusters like Mulan was preposterous. I was wrong. Mulan, regarded as one of Disney’s biggest films of the year, will premiere exclusively on Disney Plus in the United States and other countries where Disney Plus is available. The film will cost an additional $30, which people will own as long as they are Disney Plus subscribers. Disney has essentially created a video-on-demand portal within its own streaming service, which will give Disney 100 percent of sales revenue, 100 percent control over how people watch the movie, and 100 percent of user… Continue reading… You Deserve to Make Money...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter will label the accounts of government officials and state-affiliated media outlets, following similar policies from Facebook and YouTube. The new labels are already being applied but will roll out gradually, with government labels being applied to officials from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Twitter will also stop recommending tweets from state-affiliated media. Twitter says the labels will provide context to help users make informed decisions. Its public officials rollout focuses on accounts that represent “the voice of the nation-state abroad” and are likely to engage in geopolitical discussion on Twitter. The US State Department has a label (as does Secretary of State Mike Pompeo), for… Continue re...

Screenshot: Samsung Outside of its hardware announcements, one of the bigger takeaways from yesterday’s Samsung event was its ever-closer relationship with Microsoft. The two companies are partnering together on everything from mobile gaming bundles, to optimizing their apps and integrating their software. They even announced that you’ll soon be able to use and control multiple apps from your Samsung phone directly on your Windows 10 PC, as well as use your Samsung tablet as a secondary display. It’s not a new partnership, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella even personally appeared at Samsung’s Note 10 event last year. But it’s more important than ever before, as the industry hurtles toward the next big ecosystem battle between iOS and Android. It’s no longer… Continue reading… Y...

Image: The Verge An update to Twitter’s iOS app lets all users limit who can reply to their tweets. Twitter has been experimenting with this feature since May, but now seems to be rolling out it more widely. “In May, we tested a new way to have a chat with exactly who you want, so you can create and consume more meaningful changes,” says the update text on the App Store. “Now, everyone can try this new feature and choose who can reply to their tweets.” To use the feature, users simply tap a box above the keyboard when composing a tweet that says “Everyone can reply.” They can then choose between three options: everyone can reply to their tweet, only people they follow can reply, and only people they mention can reply. Choosing one option doesn’t make… Continue reading… You Des...