Tech
Final Fantasy XVI adds blood and grit but doesn’t change the series’ soul
The game is hindered by its reliance on tropes inspired by Game of Thrones, but its combat and character performances more than make up for a ho-hum story. By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku. There’s a moment within the first quarter of Final Fantasy XVI in which Clive, the protagonist, faces an enemy that has withstood his strongest attacks. Beaten and worn out, the game prompts Clive to “accept the truth.” As he does, two limit-break bars (ones that Final Fantasy XIV players will recognize) appear. But they don’t just pop in as though the game was merely updating its UI to introduce a new feature — they burn on as though they’ve been branded onto the screen with a hot poker. It...
Amazon Prime Day 2023 will take place on July 11th and 12th
/ Historically, Prime Day offers some of the best deals of the year, especially on Amazon devices. So if you didn’t want to buy the new Echo Pop at its full price, you may be in luck. 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″>Amazon’s Prime Day will take place in mid-July. Other retailers will likely also hold competing events around that time.
Discord plans to let creators sell downloadable products
/ It’s one of a few new monetization features from Discord. 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 by Alex Castro / The Verge Discord plans to give creators a new way to make money from their communities by selling digital products via one-time purchases. These new “Downloadables” can be things like a recipe ebook, a gaming guide, or a digital wallpaper, and the company plans to begin experimenting with them “over the coming months,” Discord’s Derek Yang wrote in a Tuesday blog post. Downloadables will be available to purchase from a Server Shop, which is also in testing. Th...
Tesla hacker discovers secret “Elon Mode” for hands-free Full Self-Driving
/ A Tesla software hacker has found an ‘Elon Mode’ driving feature that seems to allow Tesla vehicles with Full Self-Driving to operate without any driver monitoring. 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”>Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge Tesla CEO Elon Musk might have his very own supersecret driver mode that enables hands-free driving in Tesla vehicles. The hidden feature, aptly named “Elon Mode,” was discovered by a Tesla software hacker known online as @greentheonly...
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and many Xbox executives are set to defend its FTC case
/ Lots of Microsoft executives are due to take the witness stand this week in a big court case against the FTC. 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 by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is sending CEO Satya Nadella, Xbox chief Phil Spencer, and many other Xbox executives to defend against its Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case for its proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition. Both Nadella and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will appear in court this week to defend against a potential preliminary injunction against Microsoft’s giant $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Bli...
C SEED’s Unfolding Outdoor TV Will Set You Back $233,000 USD
C SEED has revealed its new N1 Outdoor TV, which takes form through an unfolding open-air sculptural design.At first glance, the tv just looks like a piece of minimalist outdoor due to its titanium matte metallic color. But at the touch of a button, the tv rises to its three-meter height after just 60 seconds. After another 25 seconds, the tv's five panels would have unfolded to reveal its seamless display. Alongside the bold build, the tv is completely weatherproof against rain, seawater, wind and snow with a protection grade of IP65.On to its technical details, the N1 Outdoor TV boats 4K MicroLED panels, two built-in 1011-watt broadband coaxial speakers, an integrated subwoofer and additional twin coaxial speakers in each wing. Additionally, the tv features C SEED's Adaptive Gap Calibrat...
Razer Blade 14 (2023) review: this pricing is silly
By Monica Chin, a senior reviewer covering laptops and other gadgets. Monica was a writer for Tom’s Guide and Business Insider before joining The Verge in 2020. Photography by Amelia Holowaty Krales The 14-inch gaming laptop space basically has two products in it. Sure, there are others here and there. But if you come up to me saying you want a 14-inch gaming laptop, barring very extreme circumstances, I am going to be recommending you one of two. There have been years when the decision between the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and the Razer Blade 14 was a tough one. But 2023, it appears, may not be one of those years. The Blade 14 is Razer’s fastest 14-inch laptop to date. It has one of AMD’s most powerful mobile CPUs inside, the Ryzen 9 7940HS — and it’s a monster of a chip, with eight cor...
Save $13 on Elgato’s Cam Link 4K streaming dongle
/ You can also get an Xbox Series X console with a free controller and other great deals today. 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”>Image: Elgato The Elgato Cam Link 4K,an HDMI-to-USB dongle that seamlessly connects your compatible mirrorless camera, DSLR, or action cam is an essential piece of kit for many streamers and Twitch creators. It is now on sale for one of its lowest prices of $86.99 ($13 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. Elgato’s Cam Link 4K is incredibly sim...
CEO Linda Yaccarino Envisions Twitter As “World’s Most Accurate Real-Time Information Source”
Linda Yaccarino, a former advertising executive at NBCUniversal, has officially taken the reins at Twitter. After being announced as the incoming CEO last month, serving alongside Elon Musk, who has pivoted to the role of CTO and executive chair, Yaccarino will focus on business operations at the platform.On Monday, Yaccarino sent out her first email to company employees, entitled “Building Twitter 2.0 Together.”Yaccarino starts out the email recognizing Musk’s contributions across industries before echoing his sentiment to establish Twitter as a “global town square.”“From space exploration to electric vehicles, Elon knew these industries needed transformation, so he did it,” she wrote. “More recently it has become increasingly clear that the global town square needs transformation—to driv...
Microsoft-Activision Merger Temporarily Blocked by US Judge
Microsoft has faced a series of roadblocks in its journey to acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion USD. The latest obstacle comes in the form of a temporary restraining order blocking the deal.A federal judge in California issued the order, which will remain in effect until the court makes a decision on the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction. The US agency filed the injunction just the other day, reiterating its argument that Microsoft would have a monopoly on the cloud gaming space.In its filing, the FTC described that “Microsoft would have the ability and increased incentive to withhold or degrade Activision’s content in ways that substantially lessen competition — including competition on product quality, price, and innovation.”Microsoft, in turn, has downplayed the game...
Vimeo’s new AI script generator will write corporate marketing filler in seconds
/ The video hosting platform says its new AI tools will help companies quickly create video announcements, write scripts, and remove filler words in recordings. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Video platform Vimeo is integrating new AI tools for paying users, including an AI script generation feature powered by OpenAI’s tech. The company is promoting the tools as a way for users to “create a fully produced video in minutes,” and stressing the utility for corporate customers — potential use-cases range “from quickly creating highlight reels, to hosting virtual events or company meetings, to exporting quote clips for short marketing videos.” There are three new features. A script generator that gen...
WhatsApp can now silence calls from unknown numbers
/ After recent reports of spam calls, Meta has added a new option to its messaging service to screen out ‘spam, scams, and calls from unknown people.’ 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 new option is available from the privacy menu in settings.
