technology

/ 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.

/ 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...

/ 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...

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

/ Mario can turn into an elephant — what more do you need to know?

/ 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...

/ 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...

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...

/ 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.

/ 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...

/ 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...

/ 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...