Technology

Apple TV Plus’ first-ever live baseball broadcast left some fans frustrated and disappointed, with complaints about connectivity issues and the quality of the commentary surfacing during and after the games (via iMore). The streaming service aired the New York Mets against the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Angels last night, and I think the fans of all four teams can agree on one thing: Apple TV Plus’ Friday Night Baseball debut did not go down as expected. For starters, a number of fans said their broadcasts were interrupted during the games, despite their internet working just fine. When the stream cut out, viewers got an error message that read: “There’s a problem loading this video. If this continues, check your internet connection.” It looks like ...

Twitter has confirmed it reversed a change that altered the appearance of deleted tweets embedded on websites outside of Twitter (thanks to @RuinDig on Twitter for pointing this out). Instead of leaving a blank gap in place of the deleted tweets, the site will go back to displaying the tweet’s original text. “After considering the feedback we heard, we’re rolling back this change for now while we explore different options,” Twitter spokesperson Remi Duhé said in an emailed statement to The Verge. “We appreciate those who shared their points of view — your feedback helps us make Twitter better.” If you head to any third-party webpage with an embedded tweet (like this one from The Verge), you’ll see that you can once again see the tweet’s original text, date, and the name of the user who pos...

It’s time for some spring cleaning, but let’s be smart about it — both with the tech we buy to help us and the money we spend. Wellbots has an extra special discount on one of the most popular and affordable iRobot robovacs around, and it’s exclusive to Verge readers. From now through Sunday, April 10th, you can get the Roomba i3 Plus for $459 when you use code VERGE40. This promo code knocks an additional $40 off the already-discounted price of $499. It’s not the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this robot vacuum, but it’s the best price since early 2022 — and since iRobot added more features like smart mapping via a firmware update, making it an even better value. Additionally, if you’re in the US, purchasing from Wellbots may not require you to pay sales tax depending on which state you...

Google Fi is cutting the prices across its two unlimited cellular plans, in addition to adding more high-speed data (via 9to5Google). The Simply Unlimited plan has dropped from $60 / month to $50 / month for one line, while the full-featured Unlimited Plus plan now sits at $65 / month for one line, compared to its previous $70 / month price. This marks the first price cut for the Unlimited Plus and Simply Unlimited plans since their debuts in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The cheaper cost comes with more high-speed data The cheaper cost comes with more high-speed data on both plans, increasing from 22GB to 50GB with the Unlimited Plus plan and from 22GB to 35GB with Simply Unlimited. As noted on the MVNO’s updated plans page, Google Fi says it will start throttling your data after you excee...

When I called up iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, I figured he’d be celebrating — after years of fighting for right-to-repair, big name companies like Google and Samsung have suddenly agreed to provide spare parts for their phones. Not only that, they signed deals with him to sell those parts through iFixit, alongside the company’s repair guides and tools. So did Valve. But Wiens says he’s not done making deals yet. “There are more coming,” he says, one as soon as a couple of months from now. (No, it’s not Apple.) Motorola was actually the first to sign on nearly four years ago. And if Apple meaningfully joins them in offering spare parts to consumers — like it promised to do by early 2022 — the era of fixing your own phone may be underway. Last October, the United States effectively made it legal t...

Many big YouTube creators have expressed frustration with an increase in comment spam on their channels in recent weeks, including Linus Tech Tips, Jacksepticeye, and MKBHD. The problem has been particularly acute for these high-profile creators, who often see more malicious commenters impersonate them in an attempt to scam their viewers. “YouTube has a problem. Spam,” Linus Sebastian said to start a February 1st video on his Linus Tech Tips channel. “From crypto scams to health supplements to free Robux, it just keeps getting worse with each passing day.” “YouTube comments spam has been next-level out of control for months,” reads the description for Marques “MKBHD” Brownlee’s April 1st video titled “YouTube Needs to Fix This.” [embedded content] YouTube comment spam can take many forms. ...

The parents of HBO Max and Discovery Plus have officially completed their merger, allowing WarnerMedia and Discovery to build what the companies have said will be “the most differentiated content portfolio in the world.” Investors today approved the multibillion-dollar deal that will allow AT&T, WarnerMedia’s current owner, to offload its content powerhouse to Discovery and form a new business under the name Warner Bros. Discovery. This new business, the companies said last year, “will be able to invest in more original content for its streaming services, enhance the programming options across its global linear pay TV and broadcast channels, and offer more innovative video experiences and consumer choices.” Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav is set to helm the new company, a mass...

Jeep unveiled an updated Magneto 2.0 concept EV that renews its teasing of what the iconic off-roader could look like as a fully electric vehicle. Jeep didn’t mention any hardware upgrades for its custom-built motor but appears to have made some significant performance refinements from last year’s model. The Magneto 2.0’s motor operates at a lower RPM now, with higher peak amperage that it’s now capable of delivering for up to 10 seconds. It offers up to 850 pound-feet of torque — more than triple from last year — and 625 horsepower. quicker than a Tesla Model X Plaid and Rivian R1S Jeep Magneto 2.0 carries the same mutant villain nameplate from last year’s prototype and still has a six-speed manual transmission — rare for an EV but similar to what was in Ford’s concept Mustang in 2019. It...

In especially bad news for those who try to reach Inbox Zero, Substack had a problem today that sent out some of the platform’s newsletters for a second time. Verge contributing editor Casey Newton noted it sent out a second copy of the free edition for his Platformer newsletter (which you can subscribe to here), and several of us have seen additional copies for some of the emails we subscribe to in our inboxes. Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie tells The Verge it was a “one-off bug.” Looks like Substack just re-sent this week’s free @platformer post to you all. Not sure what happened — also getting lots of notifications for older posts from other Substacks. — Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) April 8, 2022 It’s unclear exactly how many emails were mistakenly duplicated, but the company explai...

Here at The Verge, we occasionally like to write about gaming thrones, whether they’re shaped like scorpions, semi-circles, or… well, I’m not sure how to describe this one. But the thing with thrones is that the crown often weighs heavy — being MVP and getting play of the game every round can be tiring. Thankfully, Gizmodo found just the thing to help with that: a motorized gaming bed that moves you from the sleeping position to the pwning position with the press of a button, all the while keeping your gaming setup within arms’ reach. The Bauhutte Electric Gaming Bed and Bed Desk are made to work in tandem: your rig goes on the adjustable desk, which is designed to have a bed placed under it, and the bed frame uses motors to elevate your back and knees into a seated position (though,...

While all gadgets have their design challenges, there’s one that continues to plague smartwatches — battery life. There are a few ways to mitigate that, but unfortunately, many smartwatch makers choose the absolute worst solution: making the smartwatch bigger. The latest example might be Samsung. According to a SamMobile report, the company is mulling a “Pro” version of the next-generation Galaxy Watch. Details were scant, except for one thing: this “Pro” model could potentially pack a much larger 572mAh battery. If true, that would be a meaningful upgrade. Poor battery life is one of the biggest complaints users have reported with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 lineup. It’s also common for “Pro” models to act as the premium option with longer battery life, better materials, and, unfortunately, ...