Trump says Netflix will ‘pay the consequences’ if it doesn’t fire Susan Rice
Donald Trump threatened that there would be "consequences" for Netflix if it didn't fire board member Susan Rice. Rice served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, and recently appeared on Preet Bharara's podcast, where she said corporations that "take a knee to Trump" are going to be "caught with more than their pants down. They are going to be held accountable."
Right-wing influencer and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer was quick to jump on the appearance and accused Rice of "threatening half the country with weaponized government and political retribution." She also pointed out that Netflix, whose board Rice is on, is trying to me …
This magazine plays Tetris — here’s how
Tetris has been immortalized in a playable McDonald's plastic chicken nugget, a playable fake 7-Eleven Slurpee cup, and a playable wristwatch. But the most intriguing way to play Tetris yet is encased in paper.
Last year the Tetris Company partnered with Red Bull for a gaming tournament that culminated in the 150-meter-tall Dubai Frame landmark being turned into the world's largest playable Tetris installation using over 2,000 drones that functioned as pixels. Although the timing was a coincidence, Red Bull also published a 180-page gaming edition of its The Red Bulletin lifestyle magazine around the same time as the event, with a limite …
America desperately needs new privacy laws
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the dire state of tech regulation, follow Adi Robertson. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
How it started
In 1973, long before the modern digital era, the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) published a report called "Records, Computers, and the Rights of Citizens." Networked computers seemed "destined to become the principal medium for making, storing, and using records about people," the report's foreword began. These systems could be a "powerful management …
Vibe camera shootout: Camp Snap Pro vs. Flashback One35 V2
There's been a surge of interest over the last few years in inexpensive digital cameras. Younger folks are snapping up old point-and-shoots because they view the aesthetic as more authentic and more appealing than smartphone images. Companies are even rereleasing old tech at new prices. And there are cameras like the original Camp Snap: a $70 single-button point-and-shoot with no screen, designed as a modern take on a disposable film camera. It's cheap enough to send off with a kid to summer camp and accessible enough for just about anyone to enjoy its lo-fi aesthetic.
I've been testing two charming examples of this formula: the $99 Camp S …
Arturia’s FX Collection 6 adds two new effects and a $99 intro version
Arturia launched a new version of its flagship effects suite, FX Collection, which includes two new plugins, EFX Ambient and Pitch Shifter-910. FX Collection 6 also marks the introduction of an Intro version with a selection of six effects covering the basics for $99. That pales in comparison to the 39 effects in the full FX Collection Pro, but that also costs $499.
Pitch Shifter-910 is based on the iconic Eventide H910 Harmonizer from 1974, an early digital pitchshifter and delay with a very unique character. Arturia does an admirable job preserving its glitchy quirks. Pitch Shifter-910 is not a transparent effect that lets you create natu …
Georgia says Elon Musk’s America PAC violated election law
For all his bluster about voter fraud, Elon Musk has been one of the most flagrant flouters of US election law. Now his America PAC has been slapped with a reprimand by the Georgia State Election Board for sending out pre-filled absentee ballot applications. State law prohibits anyone, other than an authorized relative, from sending an absentee ballot application prefilled with the elector's information.
Residents of Chattooga, Cherokee, Coweta, Floyd, and Whitfield counties reported receiving absentee ballot applications from America PAC, partially pre-filled. According to the State Election Board, the applications also failed to note that …
Suspect in Tumbler Ridge school shooting described violent scenarios to ChatGPT
The suspect in the mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was raising alarms among employees at OpenAI months before the shooting took place. This past June, Jesse had conversations with ChatGPT involving descriptions of gun violence that triggered the chatbot's automated review system. Several employees raised concerns that her posts could be a precursor to real-world violence and encouraged company leaders to contact the authorities, but they ultimately declined.
OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood told The Verge that, while the company considered referring the account to law enforcement, it was ultimately deci …
The Pixel 10A and Soundcore Space One are just two of the best deals this week
Welcome to the weekend, folks! The Reviews and Guides team here at The Verge is gearing up for all things Unpacked, but Samsung isn’t the only one readying new phones. Google just announced the Pixel 10A, which, for you early adopters, is already up for preorder with a $100 gift card. Elsewhere in deal land, you’ll find steep discounts on mopping vacuums, slight discounts on Soundcore’s cheap ANC headphones, and a rare discount on a new PC controller with swiveling sticks.
So, let’s get to it, shall we?
We finally have a release date for the Pixel 10A: March 5th. What’s more, if you’re thinking about picking up Google’s latest phone, you can already preorder the base-model configuration at Amazon and Best Buy with 128GB of storage and a $100 gift card for $499. Alternatively, Amazon is offering it with a free pair of the Pixel Buds 2A, a fantastic set of recently released earbuds that typically retail for $130.
Despite being a pretty minimal update, Google’s forthcoming Android handset is a pretty solid deal. It doesn’t adopt a lot of features from the flagship Pixel 10 series; however, last year’s Tensor G4 chip is still speedy enough for most tasks, satellite SOS is handy, and you get slightly faster wired and wireless charging. More importantly, it still comes with seven years of OS and security updates, which, personally, I’d take over Magic Cue, Pixel Screenshots, and other AI-based tools any day of the week.
Read our hands-on impressions.
Google Pixel 10A
Where to Buy:
Twelve. That’s how many AC outlets Anker’s 351 Power Strip — which is now available in black or white from Amazon and Anker for $23.99 ($6 off) — packs into its 9.65-inch, surge-protected build. The beefy power strip also features a 20W USB-C port and two USB-A ports, both of which can deliver up to 15W of juice. Just keep in mind that, like with most power strips and like-minded chargers, you’ll have to split power amongst the USB ports, which are limited to a max output of 15W when charging multiple devices simultaneously.
Anker 351 Power Strip
Where to Buy:
I’m admittedly not a huge fan of fighting games — I have no patience for learning combos, dear readers — but the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot seems like a good compromise if I were forced to choose between a traditional controller and one specifically built for hammering out hadokens. And now, the novel gamepad is on sale at both Amazon and Best Buy for $99.99 ($40 off), its lowest price to date.
Although Turtle Beach’s wireless PC controller offers a slew of welcome components, including drift-free Hall effect joysticks and adjustable trigger stops, its defining feature is a pair of rotating modules that can “pivot” to reveal a customizable controller layout that’s better suited for retro titles and fighting games. You also get programmable back buttons, the ability to save up to five profiles, and a 3.5mm audio jack, not to mention compatibility with mobile devices over Bluetooth and Xbox consoles via a wired connection.
If you’re looking for a cheap(ish) set of noise-canceling headphones, Soundcore’s Space One are on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and directly from Soundcore (with code WS7DV2G0S7DJ) in all four colors for $79.99 ($20 off), matching their second-best price to date.
During Cyber Monday last year, our own John Higgins waxed poetic about the over-ear cans, namely because they deliver impressive sound and comfort for the price. The sound quality and ANC don’t rival the flagships from Sony or Bose, sure, but you can try over 20 different presets or tweak the sound yourself using the eight-band equalizer in Anker’s companion app. They can also last up to 40 hours with ANC enabled, meaning you should be able to fly from New York to Singapore and back again without ever having to charge them.
Soundcore Space One
Where to Buy:
More ways to save this weekend
- Google’s refreshed Nest Cam Indoor, which launched in October, is already down to a new low of $74.99 ($25 off) at Amazon. The wired camera supports 2K HDR video and offers a taller and wider field of view than prior models, along with a new sensor for full-color low-light video. It also comes in a new berry color, which, for better or worse, seems to be Google’s latest obsession.
- After a quick series of price drops, Piggyback’s Metroid Prime 1–3: A Visual Retrospective has settled in at $36.59 (about $13 off) at Amazon and Walmart, which is the best price we’ve seen on the excellent hardcover. We rarely go out of our way to flag tabletop books at The Verge, but given the treasure trove of stunning concept art and the behind-the-scenes stories on display here, we thought we’d make an exception. It even features assets that never appeared in the trilogy, as if the original mock-ups and juicy developer commentary weren’t enough. Read our review.
- Eufy’s Robot Vacuum Omni S2 is right around the corner — which is probably why the Omni S1 Pro is available for an all-time low of $699.99 ($800 off) at Eufy’s online storefront when you use promo code WS24T2080111. The robovac / mop hybrid is still a great option for hardwood floors despite being a last-gen pick, especially since it can self-wash and dry its own roller mop as it cleans. It also features AI-powered obstacle avoidance and 8,000Pa of suction, which is enough power to pick up most debris.
Aerial_Knight’s DropShot captures the thrill of skydiving and makes it stylish
I've always wanted to go skydiving. Aerial_Knight's DropShot, from indie developer Aerial_Knight, lets me live out that dream - at least in a safe, virtual kind of way. It also lets me shoot bullets from finger guns, wield laser skulls, and wear cool sunglasses while I'm falling through the air. So maybe it's better than the real thing.
Playing as a character named Smoke Wallace, who was bitten by a dragon that gave him the finger gun that can actually shoot bullets, you plummet toward the ground and try to pick off bad guys with that finger gun or by punching them up close. It's a first-person game, and the perspective really helps sell th …
Stellantis is in a crisis of its own making
Demand for EVs has gone glacial, and one automaker after another is running aground: General Motors threw $7.6 billion overboard. Ford washed $19.5 billion off its books. Leave it to Stellantis to face the most titanic charge yet, a $26.5 billion bill for its own misplaced bet on EVs.
The Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler parent company hasn't said how much of that unfathomable sum is explicitly due to EV losses, as the write-down wiped away about 25 percent of the company's stock value overnight. Every automaker faces the same cooling EV demand and whipsawing political climate, yet Stellantis appears the most exposed, due in part to longstanding …