Technology

After four months in closed beta, Fortnite is now available to stream via Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service. It means iOS users have another workaround to play one of the most popular games in the world after it was unceremoniously booted from the App Store in August 2020 for bypassing Apple’s in-app payment system. The official launch follows a months-long beta period during which Nvidia says 500,000 people streamed over 4 million sessions of Fortnite via the service. As a result of the testing, Nvidia claims it’s been able to optimize its “on-screen touch controls and game menus.” Hopefully the changes address a control scheme that my colleague Jay Peters called “finicky” back in January. Fortnite’s on-screen control interface. Image: Fortnite While iOS users have the most to gai...

On Thursday, aerospace company Boeing is set to conduct a critical test flight of its new passenger spacecraft, the CST-100 Starliner — a mission that will launch the gumdrop-shaped capsule to the International Space Station without any people on board. It’s a flight that Boeing desperately needs to go well after a long journey to the launchpad that’s been marked by numerous failures, false starts, and lengthy delays. Starliner is, in essence, a space taxi. Designed to carry up to seven passengers, the capsule is meant to launch to orbit on top of an Atlas V rocket, automatically dock with the International Space Station, or ISS, and then eventually land back on Earth again under a suite of parachutes. Once it’s deemed operational, Starliner will primarily transport NASA astronauts to and ...

Fastly, a major provider of cloud services, announced today that it’s acquiring Glitch, the quirky and capable web coding platform. Glitch will continue to operate within Fastly, with Fastly planning to grow the team and enable Glitch apps to tap into its edge computing services. Glitch CEO Anil Dash will join Fastly as its VP of developer experience, overseeing Glitch and a new team focused on creating a “repository of tools and resources” to help people start using Fastly’s products. “The web is back as a place that people want to create, and you have to have this bigger platform to do it,” Dash tells The Verge. “This edge platform that they’ve built is cool as shit.” Dash says Glitch could have raised more money to continue on its own, but he knew the company wasn’t “going to stay indep...

The formula for a good $400 phone is a tough one to solve for, and Motorola hasn’t gotten it quite right with the Moto G 5G. For $300, you’re prepared for some significant tradeoffs — performance might not be top-notch, but hey, you only paid $300. At $500, you’re spending quite a bit more, but you’ll find some worthwhile upgrades and even a few nice-to-haves. But at $400, phones seem to get the worst of both worlds: a no-frills experience with a significantly higher price than that $300 budget phone. That more or less sums up the 2022 Moto G 5G’s problem. It’s a good performer, particularly the model I tested with 6GB RAM. It has a truly long-lasting battery that I struggled to drain much lower than 50 percent in a day. But I’m not convinced that it’s worth $100 more than the OnePlus Nord...

Apple has been accused of union-busting at its flagship World Trade Center store in New York City. According to a complaint filed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the iPhone-maker violated federal labor laws by interrogating workers about union activity, prohibiting employees from posting union flyers in shared spaces, and forcing workers to attend anti-union presentations. It’s the second time the CWA has accused Apple of union-busting activity this week, with similar complaints filed in Atlanta on Tuesday. These complaints form part of a wave of union organization in retail and tech sectors, including the successful unionization of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island. Three Apple stores have officially launched union drives so far, though Apple does not currently have any...

Microsoft is adding an optional web search to the Windows 11 desktop in the operating system’s latest Insider Preview Build. The company describes the feature as “lightweight interactive content” — the first, it says, of many such tools it’s considering adding to Windows 11 — but let’s call the thing what it really is: a widget. Not everyone signed up to the latest Windows 11 preview build will see the new search box, but anyone who does and doesn’t like it can disable the feature by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting “Show more options,” and then toggling “Show search.” If you are running the latest preview build, you’ll also have to restart your computer to give the search box a chance to show up. Is web search on your desktop useful? Is it a useful feature? Probably for some, and ...

After introducing the Pokémon-themed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, the tech company is expanding its nostalgic offering to include a limited edition pair of Galaxy Buds 2 earphones. The Galaxy Buds 2 earphones arrive with a separate Pokéball case, sure to pique the interest of nostalgic fans. The earbuds also come with one of various Pokémon stickers including popular characters like Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, MewTwo and more so fans can decorate their own cases. The stickers are chosen at random with a one in 11 chance for fans to pick up the holographic MewTwo sticker. The Galaxy Buds 2 also come in five different colors including onyx, olive, white, lavender and graphite. The Pokéball case also fits Galaxy Buds Pro or Galaxy Buds Live earphones for those who do not have the Galaxy Buds 2....

Earlier this week, Apple previewed several new accessibility features that are scheduled to release in the second half of this year. The most notable change is a new live captions function which will roll across all Apple devices to assist those that are hard of hearing. Real-time captions can be turned on when viewing any audio, video, or streaming content including FaceTime, video-conferencing apps, and social media apps. Real-time captioning will automatically transcribe convos to all participants over Facetime and texts submitted into the chat can be read aloud when using a Mac. Users can also scale the text size up and down for readability. Other features introduced include door detection, which locates a door and determines its distance and characteristics, Apple Watch Mirroring whic...

In celebration of the British audio company’s 60th-anniversary, KEF has now reunited with renowned industrial designer Michael Young for its new LS60 wireless floor standing sound system. Available in “Titanium Grey,” “Mineral White” and “Royal Blue,” KEF’s latest offering packs its relatively slim speakers with a whole host of its latest technology. The 1,400W system’s Single Apparent Source technology provides a more coherent, immersive listening experience while the 12th Generation Uni-Q and Metamaterial Absorption Technology ensure the most accurate acoustics. You can expect exceptional bass performance as well from its four 5.25-inch Uni-Core force-canceling drivers, with KEF’s Music Integrity Engine pulling everything together for a rich, full-bodied sound. Connectivity pretty much c...

Kwumsy has now introduced the world’s first mechanical keyboard with a built-in touchscreen display. Dubbed the “K2,” the new keyboard is constructed around a 12.6-inch touchscreen display capable of supporting up to 10 touchpoints. The entire device connects to your laptop or desktop via an HDMI or USB-C cable which conveniently gives you a multi-display setup, with the built-in screen supporting a 1920 x 515P resolution at 60Hz. When you’re on the go, you’ll even be able to connect the K2 to your smartphone or tablet, effectively turning it into a mini-computer. As for the keyboard portion itself, the 71-key setup gives you plenty of customization options through its easily removable keycaps and fully hot-swappable switches. You’ll also have 15 different RGB backlight settings to choose ...

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday that her office has launched an investigation into Twitch, Discord, 4chan, 8kun (previously 8chan), and other web and social media platforms in response to the racist attack in Buffalo, New York. The investigation will focus on “platforms that may have been used to stream, promote, or plan the event.” James is focusing her attention on the platforms the shooter used to “discuss and amplify” the attack. The gunman reportedly planned his attack in a private server on Discord before the shooting. In a document written by the shooter, he mentions using and getting influenced by both 4chan and 8chan, two sites known for a lack of moderation. “As we continue to mourn and honor the lives that were stolen, we are taking serious action to ...