Tech
Samuel Ross Appointed as Beats Principal Design Consultant
British designer Samuel Ross is on an upward trajectory, establishing himself at the top of the UK landscape. From unveiling his first partnership with Nike to opening his COARSE exhibition at Friedman Benda in New York City, Samuel Ross is unstoppable and enters the tech world with the right foot forward. Samuel Ross has just been appointed Beats' Principal Design Consultant. As the first-ever Principal Design Consultant, the A-COLD-WALL* designer will work alongside Beats and Apple to develop industrial design strategies for new tech gear. Ross will focus on creating sustainable packaging, eco-friendly materials, and premium finishes alongside industrial design studio SR_A. Speaking on his new role, Samuel Ross says: “It's an honour to join Beats as the first Principal Design Consultant....
Instagram Now Allows Users To Download Reels
Instagram first rolled out Reels in August 2020 as a new way to provide short, entertaining content – and of course, level itself with TikTok. On TikTok, however, users have always been able to download videos and post them elsewhere.While Instagram previously didn’t offer that same capability, the app has now expanded so that viewers can download their favorite Reels.CEO Adam Mosseri shared the news of the expanded feature in one of Instagram’s new broadcast channels. Users can download Reels that have been posted by public accounts by tapping the "Share" icon, from which they’ll be given the option to download it.To start, downloads will only be available to users located in the US. They also won’t be an option for private accounts and those who are public but don’t want their Reels bein...
Apple Has Filed To Own the IP Rights of the Visual Imagery of Granny Smiths
Apple is embarking on a rather unusual trademark case that involves the actual fruit. For context, the 111 years old Fruit Union Suisse, which is symbolized by a red apple with a white cross, may have to change its logo due to Apple, the company, wanting to gain the intellectual property rights to said fruit. In a report from Wired, Fruit Union Suisse director Jimmy Mariéthoz says, "We have a hard time understanding this, because it’s not like they’re trying to protect their bitten apple. Their objective here is really to own the rights to an actual apple, which, for us, is something that is really almost universal … that should be free for everyone to use."While the news of the trademark is head-turning, World Intellectual Property Organization records have shown Apple makings similar req...
Mark Zuckerberg is ready to fight Elon Musk in a cage match
/ A tech billionaire brawl for the ages that needs to happen. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Zuckerberg says he recently completed “the Murph Challenge” workout in just under 40 minutes, which is insane.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Zuckerberg posted this on his verified Instagram account Wednesday.
Meta is increasing the performance of its Quest 2 and Pro headsets
/ The new version 55 software update for the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro increases CPU and GPU performance in the headsets alongside updated Messenger and Explore experiences. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Meta Quest 2 is about to get performance enhancements (and not a new strap).a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Messenger in VR.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gr...
A first-of-its-kind climate trial just ended — will it work?
/ The first climate trial of its kind in the US just came to a close. The case brought by young people in Montana could break down barriers for similar lawsuits across the nation. But it’s probably going to take a while before its impact is felt in Montana. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by William Campbell / Getty Images A landmark US climate trial over whether the state of Montana is violating young people’s right to a healthy environment came to an ea...
Why Spotify’s podcast experiment went off the rails
The company is entering the ‘next phase’ of its podcast strategy — but will it learn from its mistakes? By Amrita Khalid, one of the authors of audio industry newsletter Hot Pod. Khalid has covered tech, surveillance policy, consumer gadgets, and online communities for more than a decade. Share this story
Bang & Olufsen Continue Atelier Editions Series, Debuting Limited-Edition Green Speaker and Wireless Earbuds
Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen is building out their Atelier Editions, a curated lineup of luxury listening equipment, released in limited drops. For its fourth and fifth drops, B&O has returned with a pair of wireless headphones and a futuristic-looking speaker in two shades of rich green.For the Beosound 2 speaker, the audio brand says it was inspired by the lightness of spring, giving way to the “Gradient Green” shade. Crafted out of aluminum, the hardware itself takes on a cylinder shape, which isn’t merely an aesthetic decision, but functions to provide 360-degree sound throughout each corner of a room. The shape also means it has a small footprint, ideal for placing on the kitchen counter or on an end table.The top of the speaker has a sensor that will light up a control p...
Nothing Teases the Launch of Phone (2)
Nothing has announced details of its next online launch event where it is expected to reveal the release date for its latest flagship device – Phone (2).The London-based tech brand launched Phone (1) last summer and went on to ship half a million units in the time since then. Arriving one year after its predecessor's debut, Phone (2) continues the traditional 12-month iterative cycle shared by most of its competitors. It will be Nothing's second release of the year after the Ear (2) launch in March.While not much has been revealed about the new device, the phone's signature Glyph Interface is expected to return after peering through the tentacles on the mysterious teaser released by the brand (they're after octopus name suggestions on Twitter, by the way). Nothing has also confirmed that P...
Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings 2D action to the Switch in October
/ Mario can turn into an elephant — what more do you need to know?
Super Mario RPG is getting a remake for Nintendo Switch
/ The SNES classic is getting a modern adaptation on Nintendo Switch. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Nintendo is remaking one of the most beloved RPGs of all time: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The new version of the game for Nintendo Switch, titled only Super Mario RPG, was revealed during the June Nintendo Direct presentation on Wednesday. Super Mario RPG looks like a faithful reimagining of the original, though with a modern art style. I saw a bunch of iconic characters and moments from the Super NES classic: Mallow and Geno are back, for example, as are baddies like Birdo and Booster (!). It appears the battle system will be largely similar as well. And the game’s reveal trailer was...
FTC sues Amazon for tricking customers into signing up for Prime
/ The complaint hinges on Amazon’s alleged use of ‘dark patterns.’ a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for enrolling customers in its Prime program without their consent and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions. In its complaint filed Wednesday, the FTC accuses Amazon of “knowingly” deceiving millions of customers into subscribing to Amazon Prime through the use of “dark patterns.” Specifically, the FTC describes how Amazon’s checkout process would allegedly present customers sever...
