Amazon has enough satellites to launch its Starlink competitor
Amazon says it now has enough satellites operating in low-Earth orbit to light up its Starlink internet competitor. With last night's launch, Amazon Leo has 396 satellites deployed, which is "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes," according to Chris Weber, VP heading up business and product for Amazon Leo. That puts the company on track to meet its "mid-2026" target for commercial availability. Just don't expect miracles on day one.
SpaceX went live with its "Better than nothing beta" back in 2020 when it had almost 900 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit. It initially served a narrow band of users in the upper …
Apple’s entry-level MacBook Pro could be up for a redesign
Apple is working on a "revamped" version of its entry-level MacBook Pro that it could launch as soon as the first half of 2027, Bloomberg reports. The company is also testing four new iPad Pros that are set to launch in the spring with a focus on "internal improvements."
The updated MacBook Pro, which will keep the 14-inch screen size, will have a design that's "in line" with what Apple is planning for the touchscreen MacBooks it also has in the works, Bloomberg says. Those new touchscreen laptops are set to be released between "the end of this year and early next year," and Bloomberg has previously reported that they will get a Dynamic Isl …
The funeral for PlayStation discs has begun
Cody Spencer, the co-owner of the small games retail chain Pink Gorilla Games, put it well when I asked about the impact of Sony's recent announcement that it will stop making discs for new games starting January 2028. "It's sad to see. This decision is only a negative for gamers. We're losing the ability to sell games, to share games, and to own games."
Sony's announcement has been devastating news for many in the games industry. Not just players, but also groups like independent retail stores and preservationists that try and make gaming more accessible.
"This is unfortunate news for those who still prefer buying games on physical media, …
Xbox’s ‘reset’: all the news about Microsoft’s looming layoffs and studio closures
Xbox is making some big changes — again. On June 10th, a few months after Asha Sharma took over as CEO, she and newly promoted chief content officer Matt Booty sent a memo to staff warning of an “Xbox reset.” The business, they said, is facing significant challenges, including a 3 percent “accountability margin,” massively higher component prices for consoles due to the memory and storage shortage, and an “over extended” studio system.
That same day, The Verge and Bloomberg reported that the Xbox division was planning layoffs in July. The cuts, expected to be announced on July 6th, could include studio closures or spinoffs. The Verge‘s Tom Warren reported on June 30th that Microsoft is looking at closing at least five studios and potentially canceling games like Blade.
Under Sharma’s leadership, Xbox has already made some other major changes, including upcoming price hikes for Xbox consoles, lowering Game Pass prices but cutting out new Call of Duty games, rebranding Xbox to XBOX, and making both Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution Xbox console exclusives.
Read on for all of our coverage of the shifts at Xbox.
- Xbox will reportedly still publish Hideo Kojima’s OD.
- 007 First Light’s developer lays off staff but claims its next franchise will continue
- Xbox weighs canceling Blade game and shuttering Arkane
- Xbox prices spike another $100 or more
- Xbox is closing down Hellblade creator Ninja Theory
- Xbox turmoil continues with a studio closure and executive departures
- Microsoft hasn’t ruled out spinning off Xbox
- Xbox warns of a ‘reset’ as it prepares for layoffs
- Xbox exploring ‘radically different’ console business models
- RAMaggedon’s making Xbox “rethink” its Helix console.
- Xbox exclusives are back and more complicated than ever
- Xbox hires game industry analyst Matthew Ball to lead strategy
- Xbox fans want exclusives, more backward compatibility, and free online multiplayer
- Xbox is now XBOX
- Inside the return of Xbox
Elon Musk denies a report about SpaceX’s AI phone prototype
Elon Musk says a report about a SpaceX AI phone prototype is "utterly false." The report, published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, says SpaceX showed off a "handset-like prototype" to some investors before launching its record-breaking initial public offering in June.
The device was "slimmer than an iPhone," and they were told it would run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, according to the WSJ. It would also reportedly use its own AI-enabled operating system with features powered by the SpaceX-owned xAI.
Last week, the Financial Times reported that SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell told investors that the company is con …
Krafton settles with Subnautica 2 developer after drawn-out dispute over $250 million
After a lengthy legal dispute, Krafton has settled with its subsidiary Unknown Worlds Entertainment, which is developing Subnautica 2, and will pay bonuses to the studio's staff, Bloomberg reports.
The dispute began last year after Krafton pushed out Unknown Worlds' cofounders, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, and its CEO, Ted Gill, ahead of a potential $250 million bonus for hitting certain financial goals that would have been shared with the studio. After the executives sued, a judge reinstated Gill as CEO in March, and Subnautica 2 finally launched in early access in May. The game passed four million copies sold in five days.
Details …
Xbox testing disc-to-digital feature that digitizes a physical game collection
Microsoft will likely soon follow Sony and stop the production of physical discs for Xbox games. But instead of leaving physical discs behind entirely, sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell me the company has quietly been working on a disc-to-digital feature that will allow Xbox owners to digitize their existing physical game collections.
Xbox employees recently started testing this new feature, after references to "enable Disc2Digital" appeared in the Xbox PC app code in May. I'm told that Microsoft's disc-to-digital feature will work on Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs only, and not those for the Xbox 360 or original Xbox console.
…My favorite Kindle alternative is $30 off after a recent price increase
Kobo recently raised the price of its Libra Colour e-reader to $259.99, but today’s deal effectively erases that hike. The company, Best Buy, and Target, are all selling it for its old $229.99 price as part of broader sales, making now one of the best times to grab my favorite alternative to Amazon’s Kindle.
Kobo Libra Colour
Where to Buy:
If you’re not heavily invested in Amazon’s ecosystem, I think the Kobo Libra Colour is a better buy than its closest Amazon rival, the $249.99 Kindle Colorsoft. It offers many of the same core features, including a sharp seven-inch color display that makes book covers, comics, and highlights pop with only slightly less vibrancy than the color Kindle. It’s also waterproof so you can rest easy at the beach, and features adjustable warm lighting for more comfortable nighttime reading.
The Kobo also has a few advantages over Amazon’s e-reader. It supports EPUB and a broader range of file formats, making it easier to read books from a variety of sources, while offering twice as much storage (32GB). Unlike the Colorsoft, the Libra Colour includes physical page-turning buttons, which I find make for a more intuitive reading experience. It also supports Kobo’s optional Stylus 2, letting you annotate ebooks, jot down handwritten notes, use built-in notebook templates, and even convert your handwriting into typed text. Due to its size, I wouldn’t recommend it as a dedicated digital notebook over something bigger like the Kobo Elipsa 2E or Kindle Scribe, but it’s far more practical for quick notes than using your phone. It also works with Instapaper, making it easy to save web articles for offline reading.
Read our Kobo Libra Colour review.
Comcast’s split could make or break Peacock
NBCUniversal executives are about to find out whether Peacock will sink or swim in the streaming industry. Now that Comcast is planning to split NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Sky from its broadband and wireless businesses, Peacock will be forced to stand on its own - without the backing of a combined company that pulled in more than $123 billion last year.
In the years following its launch in 2020, Peacock was treated as an accessory to an Xfinity subscription. But once Comcast stopped offering it as a free perk to Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers and axed its free membership tier in 2023, it was a sign that Comcast believed Peacock had somethi …
The best Switch 2 case I’ve tried is cheaper than usual
Dbrand apparently knows how to really whiff a product launch, as we recently saw with the Steam Machine Companion Cube shell. But it also makes the best case out there for the Nintendo Switch 2, which happens to be discounted right now. The Killswitch 2 is versatile, with better build quality than other similar models, snapping around the back and the edges of the console, with Joy-Con slip covers that add a bulkier, more ergonomically-friendly feel to the controllers. The “Travel” bundle that also includes a hard bungee strap-secured cover to protect the screen (that can hold 10 cartridges) plus stick grips is $69.99 at Dbrand, or $71.99 at Best Buy (usually $80).
Dbrand Killswitch – Switch 2
Where to Buy:
The Killswitch 2 is a great pick if you want to retain the console’s hybrid use cases, swapping with ease between handheld to docked mode. The case includes a USB-C dock adapter to let you beam the console’s video feed to a TV; it’s a slightly cumbersome solution if you’re aiming to have a tidy entertainment center, but I haven’t seen other brands achieve a more elegant adapter solution yet.
Read my review of the Killswitch 2.
Other good deals to consider
- Walmart is offering a fantastic deal on Acer’s 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED gaming monitor. Originally $549.99, it’s down to $314.99 online, which was the same price we saw during Amazon Prime Day last week. It’s tough to beat the value here. For one, OLEDs offer unparalleled contrast compared to other panel types, not to mention the fastest response time around. The Predator X27U here has a 240Hz refresh rate, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, and two HDMI 2.1 ports. It includes a heigh-adjustable stand that supports swiveling and pivoting, and the monitor has built-in speakers, though they likely aren’t all that good. Importantly, the monitor is covered by Acer’s three-year warranty that protects against burn-in under normal circumstances. Acer’s monitor has similar specs to the $349.99 Alienware AW2726DM I bought, though I prefer the Alienware’s slimmer design.
- Movies that are part of the Criterion Collection are half off at Barnes and Noble as well as Amazon, ending July 26th according to Barnes and Noble. That means 4K Blu-rays are down to $24.99, excluding box sets and some releases (like Seven Samurai, which is still a phenomenal deal at $29.99). Several preorders are eligible for half off discounts, too, but not the upcoming K-Pop Demon Hunters that’s releasing in December. Blu-rays are down to $19.98, though some similar exclusions apply there, too. Big discounts like these come just a handful of times each year, and you don’t need me to tell you they’re a great opportunity to load up your shelves.
- If you’re like me and occasionally order groceries for delivery with same-day service, you might appreciate Best Buy’s small, but welcome discount on Instacart gift cards. It’s offering $50 gift cards for $45, putting some money back in your pocket for tipping your delivery person. Regardless of which local retailer you plan to order deliveries from (Costco is a personal favorite), make sure to add the gift card credit through the Instacart site, then do your shopping from there. It seems like Best Buy limits customers to a single gift card per account at this price.