Technology

A Japanese supercomputer has taken the top spot in the biannual Top500 supercomputer speed ranking. Fugaku, a computer in Kobe co-developed by Riken and Fujitsu, makes use of Fujitsu’s 48-core A64FX system-on-chip. It’s the first time a computer based on ARM processors has topped the list. Fugaku turned in a Top500 HPL result of 415.5 petaflops, 2.8 times as fast as IBM’s Summit, the nearest competitor. Fugaku also attained top spots in other rankings that test computers on different workloads, including Graph 500, HPL-AI, and HPCG. No previous supercomputer has ever led all four rankings at once. While fastest supercomputer rankings normally bounce between American- and Chinese-made systems, this is Japan’s first system to rank first on the Top500 in nine years since Fugaku’s predecessor,...

Apple today announced two major changes to how it handles App Store disputes with third-party developers. The first is that Apple will now allow developers to appeal a specific violation of an App Store guideline, and that there will also be a separate process for challenging the guideline itself. Additionally, Apple says it will no longer delay app updates intended to fix bugs and other core functions over App Store disputes. “Additionally, two changes are coming to the app review process and will be implemented this summer. First, developers will not only be able to appeal decisions about whether an app violates a given guideline of the App Store Review Guidelines, but will also have a mechanism to challenge the guideline itself,” reads a press release from Apple published this afternoon...

Mac OS X is finally finished, with Apple confirming that it’s officially moving to macOS 11 with the newly announced Big Sur update after almost 20 years of OS X (or macOS 10.) That means that this fall, users will finally be upgrading from the 10.X versions that Apple has been using for nearly two decades to version 11.0. Yes, macOS 11. The original version of Mac OS X (which Apple rebranded to macOS to better match its iOS, watchOS, and tvOS software brands with the release of macOS Sierra back in 2016) was released as a public beta for $29.99 back in September of 2000, as a successor to Mac OS 9, the last of the “classic” Apple operating systems that dated back to the original Macintosh in 1984. The release of Mac OS X was a dividing line in the sand between the original era of Apple’s ...

On Monday, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending a range of visa programs — including the guest worker visas, like the H-1B, commonly used by tech companies to attract overseas talent. The new restrictions apply primarily to new visa applicants or H1-B holders who are currently out of the country. A range of tech companies and industry groups have already pushed back against the proclamation, casting the order as a threat to the tech industry and US innovation more broadly. In a statement to The Verge, Google emphasized the contributions of immigrants to American public life, without directly addressing the new restrictions. “Immigrants have not only fueled technological breakthroughs and created new businesses and jobs but have also enriched American life,” said Google spokespe...

Rad Power Bikes, one of the top electric bike manufacturers in the US, is out with a new slimmed- and stripped-down city commuter called the RadMission Electric Metro Bike. This bike is no frills, with a single-speed drivetrain, a torquey 500W geared hub motor, and a battery that’s somehow smaller than Rad Power Bikes’ regular packs but just as powerful. But the real shocker is the price. The Seattle-based company, which is known for its value-based prices, is offering the RadMission at an introductory price of $999 — its cheapest model yet. That’s about $500 less than most of Rad Power Bikes’ lineup. (No word yet on what the regular, non-introductory price will be.) the real shocker is the price That will certainly help attract anyone emerging bleary-eyed from their coronavirus lockdown r...

One of the biggest upgrades coming to tvOS 14 is one that Apple didn’t mention during today’s WWDC presentation. Buried on the preview page for the update (coming this fall) is news that YouTube content will finally be able to be viewed in 4K starting with tvOS 14. Currently, YouTube’s app has a maximum resolution of 1080p on Apple’s 4K streaming box — even for UHD videos. That’s because Apple has so far refused to support the VP9 codec that’s the foundation of YouTube’s 4K library. The Verge has reached out to both YouTube and Apple for more details on what led to this change. The text on Apple’s website does specify that this applies to “the latest YouTube videos,” so it could be a change on YouTube’s side. The company might now be utilizing the AV1 codec as it has started doing on Andro...

Following in the footsteps of Trolls World Tour and Scoob!, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run will skip its theatrical release and head straight to video-on-demand marketplaces before landing on CBS All Access. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run was originally slated to hit theaters on August 7th, but is now delayed to 2021. The movie will premiere first on premium video-on-demand services (like Amazon, iTunes, and other marketplaces) for an undisclosed amount of time before it moves to CBS All Access. By the time it does move to CBS All Access, all prior seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants will also be available to stream, the company confirmed today. Earlier seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants are available for non-cable customers to watch via NickHits on Amazon — a separate Nickelode...

Apple plans to extend its Find My network for locating real-world devices to third-party companies, the iPhone maker announced this afternoon during its State of the Union developer address following today’s WWDC keynote. Soon, Apple says compatible devices — including those without internet connectivity — will be able to sync to the network and become locatable when you open the Find My app. The most obvious candidate here is Tile, the popular maker of square Bluetooth trackers you can attach to your wallet or keys. “Introducing a new program that will let customers locate your products using the power of the vast Find My network,” reads a developer page for the new feature, which Apple detailed today with a documentation preview. “With hundreds of millions of Apple devices around the wor...

At WWDC, Apple announced its latest software for all its devices: iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and macOS Big Sur. But that new software won’t be coming to all of Apple’s currently supported hardware — as is the case every year, a few older devices didn’t make the cut. Here’s what will — and won’t — be getting software updates this year. iOS and iPadOS are the easiest: if your device currently runs iOS and iPadOS 13, it’ll run iOS and iPadOS 14, too, with no new devices set to lose support this year. For iOS 14, that includes the following devices: iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone XS iPhone XS Max iPhone XR iPhone X iPhone 8 iPhone 8 Plus iPhone 7 iPhone 7 Plus iPhone 6s iPhone 6s Plus iPhone SE (1st generation) iPhone SE (2nd generation) iPod touch (7th generation) While i...

Apple has announced at this year’s WWDC that the company’s adding a long-awaited feature to its default Maps app when iOS 14 drops: cycling directions. But Apple is only launching in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Beijing, and it didn’t immediately say when it will expand into other parts of the world. Users will be able to see elevation changes, and Apple Maps will even suggest if people should take a flight of stairs. Cycling directions will be available in the watchOS 7, too. The company also announced that Maps in iOS 14 will get a new “EV routing” feature, making it possible for users to find EV chargers and plan trips around where and when they’ll need to charge their electric vehicles. Of course, Apple said it’s only working with Ford and BMW to start. Both are ...

Apple has announced new features coming to its AirPods headphones at WWDC: automatic switching between devices, and a new “Spatial Audio” feature for 3D sound on its AirPods Pro headphones. The new automatic switching feature is coming to both regular AirPods and AirPods Pro in a firmware update, and will automatically switch audio inputs based on which Apple device you’re using. For example, if you’re listening to something on your iPhone and then start playing a video on your laptop, the audio feed will automatically switch over to your computer. Or if you answer a phone call on your iPhone, your AirPods will automatically switch from your computer. Additionally, Apple announced a new “Spatial Audio” feature, which will only be coming to its AirPods Pro headphones. Apple didn’t say when ...

Apple is finally allowing iPad owners to alter default email and browser apps in iPadOS 14. The company briefly revealed the major change during a slide in the WWDC keynote today, noting that iPadOS 14 will be able to “set default email and browser apps.” Apple didn’t detail this change fully during its keynote, and it’s not immediately clear whether iOS 14 will also allow default mail and browser apps to be changed. Apple has only mentioned browser and email apps so far, so it’s likely limited to just these two types of apps rather than broader default apps for digital assistants or music apps. The change to default email and browser apps will now allow iPad owners to select email apps like Gmail or Outlook to handle email links by default, or Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and many other browser...