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Tuesday’s top tech news: Elon squares off against Apple

Oh Elon. It was pretty obvious something was up when Twitter’s new CEO tweeted out of the blue that “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter,” and asked whether “they hate free speech in America?” Following a question from my colleague Jake Kastrenakes, Musk confirmed that the iPhone maker was threatening Twitter’s presence in the App Store and/or making moderation demands. Welcome to hell, Elon.

Away from the chaos at Twitter there was more bad news in the crypto sector with the news that finance firm BlockFi has filed for bankruptcy amidst the continued FTX fallout, while crypto exchange Kraken has agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fines over possible Iran sanction violations. Thank god we’ve got another trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to look forward to later today.

For now, here’s a silly tweet:

Stay tuned, as we continue to update this list with the most important news of today: Tuesday, November 29th, 2022.
  • Ariel Shapiro

    Nov 30, 2022

    Ariel Shapiro

    The year of 1 trillion streams

    A pattern of play and pause buttons
    Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

    Hello there! I hope you all had a nice break. Thanksgiving food is not my thing, but I did enjoy watching the last third of Saturday Night Fever with my parents and in-laws (shockingly depressing!). 

    Back to the grind. Today, Spotify Wrapped copycats make their debut and Google and iHeartMedia get a slap on the wrist for a misleading ad campaign.

    Read Article >
  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 30, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    What’s your oldest piece of tech?

    We asked folks here at The Verge about what old electronics they have lying around, and some (or all) of the answers might surprise you.

    When was the last time you saw a Moviola?


  • Ash Parrish

    Nov 29, 2022

    Ash Parrish

    The new Super Mario Bros. trailer is a peach

    Today, Nintendo gave fans a second look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie with a new trailer, giving us another opportunity to hear Chris Pratt as the preeminent pixelated plumber. We also got the first official glimpse of Donkey Kong and Princess Peach and heard Anya Taylor-Joy’s rendition of the Mushroom Monarch.

    It’s interesting that we’re getting a second trailer a little more than a month after the first one captivated the internet. The constricted release schedule might have to do with the fact that promotional materials for the film leaked after the first trailer. Ironically, shortly before today’s presentation, posters for the movie were also apparently leaked, giving us more looks at Toad, Luigi, and perhaps most distressingly, Princess Peach.

    Read Article >
  • Jay Peters

    Nov 29, 2022

    Jay Peters

    Amazon built the most realistic version of SimCity we’ve ever seen

    Amazon has a new AWS service, AWS SimSpace Weaver, that lets users build massive simulations that look like real-world SimCity maps. The idea of this new service is that users can take advantage of Amazon’s massive AWS resources to run simulations that scale across multiple servers without running into computing or memory limitations, which could be useful for things like modeling the foot traffic surrounding a new sports stadium.

    You can see AWS SimSpace Weaver in action in this impressive video demo from uCrowds, which simulates 1 million people walking around Las Vegas. By layering in geospatial data with the hordes of simulated people, it can give you an idea of how people might move around the computerized streets of the city if they were all let loose at once. With 1 million people, there are “simply not enough walkways” to fit them, according to the video, and even reducing that number to 50,000 shows where people start to bunch together.

    Read Article >
  • Umar Shakir

    Nov 29, 2022

    Umar Shakir

    It feels like incredible customer service might be bad for the environment

    Close-up of the hole where the right joystick cover should be, but now there’s an analog mechanism with a skinny metal rod protruding out. Visible face buttons are the B, Y, home, and plus buttons along with a silver directional pad on a matte black controller.
    My controller’s joystick broke off. Sure, I’ll take the free brand-new controller, but I really just wanted a replacement plastic part.
    Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge

    It’s a good day when you get a free replacement for something broken. For me, it was a new controller. My old controller had its right joystick snap off in my bag. Despite the protruding nub snapping off, the analog mechanism still worked — so I reached out to the manufacturer for a replacement stick, and instead, they sent me a very nice and very new replacement. The thing is, like Carrie from Sex and the City, I didn’t want a replacement Blueberry iBook, Aiden! I just want my PowerBook fixed.

    Don’t get me wrong. Of course, I am just as grateful for the replacement as I was for the Thanksgiving turkey I’m still digesting. But my request to customer service wasn’t for a replacement — it was for a part. I inquired again about the part, but they said to just dispose of the broken controller. Not a fan of wasting a good controller, I headed over to eBay and found a broken one I could source parts from. Once I got that in, all it took was 11 screws and I was able to harvest my joystick.

    Read Article >
  • Sean Hollister

    Nov 29, 2022

    Sean Hollister

    LG and MSI are taking on Samsung’s Odyssey G9 with giant curved OLED gaming monitors

    The $1,699 LG-45GR95QE has 800R curvature — you can sit just 0.8 meters away and still get the full effect.
    The $1,699 LG-45GR95QE has 800R curvature — you can sit just 0.8 meters away and still get the full effect.
    Image: LG

    My request has been granted: Samsung’s jaw-dropping lineup of ultra-wide, ultra-curved, ultra-fast gaming monitors is about to have much-needed competition. LG and MSI are both angling for your dollars, and unlike Samsung, they’re doing it with OLED panels.

    On December 12th, LG will introduce the first 240Hz OLED gaming monitors we’ve ever seen, and it won’t just be the $999.99 27-inch flatscreen we told you about last week. The company will also open preorders for the $1,699.99 LG-45GR95QE, a 45-inch curved OLED beast. It’s a 21:9 monitor at 3440 x 1440 resolution, so not quite as wide or high-res as the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9, but it could make up for that in other ways.

    Read Article >
  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 29, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    This might be a preview of the Pixel 7A.

    Now that the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Plus are freely available, and we’ve already seen hints about the Pixel 8, it’s time to get rumors going for the next budget Pixel smartphone.

    Amazingly, this hardware hasn’t been found in a bar or on Facebook Marketplace yet, but typically reliable source @OnLeaks (you can see his previous Pixel 7 leak here) has produced rendered still images and videos of what the Pixel 7A might look like,


  • The best Cyber Monday deals you can still get

    An illustration of a person falling into tech deals, accompanied by electronic devices.
    The Noc Design / The Verge

    Cyber Monday is behind us — but is it really, though? Many of the deals that started on Black Friday continued through the weekend, remained with us on Cyber Monday, and now, we’re here. It’s Tuesday, and there are still many great tech deals available on gadgets like earbuds, smart speakers, smartwatches, and even some smartphones.

    Sure, some hot deals cropped up during that time and have since sputtered out, but if you didn’t get your chance to shop already or were indecisive, you may still be in luck. Check out all the deals we’ve compiled and rounded up for you, ranging from all types of handy products across a variety of price points. The holiday shopping season may continue to bring a smattering of great deals, though not all will be this good, so save what you can on those gifts. Or, if you’ve already been checking people off your list, maybe it’s time to treat yourself to a little self-care with something new.

    Read Article >
  • Ash Parrish

    Nov 29, 2022

    Ash Parrish

    Overwatch 2’s Season 2 is a battle for Olympus

    Graphic from Overwatch 2 highlighting three heroes Ramattra, Junker Queen, and Pharah in their new Olympian gods themed cosmetic skins
    Once again Overwatch 2 is the best in show with its skin design.
    Blizzard

    The inaugural season of Overwatch 2’s battle pass is almost done, with season 2 starting on December 6th. With the new season come a fresh set of skins, a new hero, new map, and a new game mode, all with a Greek mythology flavor that might make you forget about that other god of war. (Unlikely.)

    The biggest development coming with season 2 is the release of the sexy sentient robot Ramattra. Over the weekend, Blizzard revealed more about his design, abilities, and play style, creating what Blizzard’s calling a “tempo tank,” reflecting his unique ability to change his form and thereby his abilities to fit the flow of battle.

    Read Article >
  • Emma Roth

    Nov 29, 2022

    Emma Roth

    This is why streaming Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max keeps getting more expensive

    An illustration of the Netflix logo.
    Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

    Streaming services just keep creeping up in price. Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Apple TV Plus all announced price hikes this year, which means we’re forced to have to pay more money to keep up with the shows that are actually relevant, like Andor or Stranger Things.

    The truth is, this trend isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Streaming services need to raise their prices or embrace advertising if they want to meet investors’ expectations. They’re just going to have to risk losing subscribers who don’t want to pay these jacked-up prices along the way.

    Read Article >
  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 29, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    Grab a seat for the Mario movie’s second trailer debut at 5PM ET.

    We’ve all heard The Voice (it’s just Chris Pratt, sounding like he usually does), but now we’ll see a little more of The Super Mario Bros. Movie when its second trailer debuts at 2PM PT / 5PM ET.


  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 29, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    Are Gmail and Gcal next up for Wear OS?

    9to5Google reports that Google is testing a “full” experience for using Gmail and Google Calendar on WearOS, which could work more like Outlook for Wear OS or the Apple Watch Mail app.

    Given recent developments, the apps seem to be a likely bet for a company suddenly refocused on competing both in the office software suite and wearable device categories.


  • Nov 29, 2022

    Georgina Torbet

    At its halfway point, NASA’s Artemis I mission breaks a record

    The exterior of the Orion capsule, with the Moon and Earth in the distance.
    “Orion reached its maximum distance from Earth during the Artemis I mission when it was 268,563 miles away from our home planet.” — NASA
    Image: NASA

    On Monday, NASA’s Orion spacecraft reached its farthest distance from Earth, clocking in at 268,563 miles away from our planet. This marks the halfway point of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission, and the spacecraft will now continue its orbit around the Moon before heading back toward Earth.

    “Artemis I has had extraordinary success and has completed a series of history-making events,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a press conference, pointing out that Orion was the first spacecraft designed to carry humans to enter a distant retrograde lunar orbit and that it has surpassed the record for the furthest distance traveled away from Earth by a human-rated spacecraft. 

    Read Article >
  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 29, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    The “Zeus” skin for Junker Queen is the star of the Overwatch 2, season two trailer.

    Polygon has a breakdown of Overwatch 2 changes coming December 6th along with the shapeshifting new tank Ramattra.

    tl;dr — Sojourn’s getting a sniper nerf, Blizzard World is back in the rotation, and logging in before the end of S1 unlocks either all three new characters for Overwatch 1 players, or two of the three new heroes new players.

    But if you’re waiting for Zeus Junker Queen, that’s coming as part of an Olympus LTM available from January 5th until January 19th.


  • That ‘90s Show’s first trailer is a reminder of time’s relentless march forward

    It’s been 20 years since That ‘80s Show spectacularly failed to recreate That ‘70s Show’s monster success and wound up being canceled just weeks into its first season. The way That ‘70s Show went out with a lackluster bang a few years later could easily have been the end of the franchise, but Netflix is gearing up to bring the Point Place crew back with the very imaginatively named That ‘90s Show.

    Similar to That ‘70s Show, That ‘90s Show revolves around a group of young Wisconsinites whose budding friendships are destined to become lifelong relationships as they all grow up and get to know one another. As much as Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) loves her mom and dad, she knows that if she ever wants to really get out there and explore the world for herself, she’s probably going to need more friends her own age. Other young people are the last thing Leia expects to find while visiting her grandparents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) at their place back in Point Place, where her parents first met all of their best friends. But when new faces like punk rocker Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide), unathletic jock Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan), and nerdy MMA fighter Nikki (Sam Morelos) start to come into Leia’s life, she realizes that staying with her grandparents might be the key to having an unforgettable summer.

    Read Article >
  • Richard Lawler

    Nov 29, 2022

    Richard Lawler

    FTX-backed decentralized crypto exchange Serum declares itself “defunct.”

    As The Block points out, the fall of FTX has also caused a collapse in the now-defunct Serum DeFi exchange, a project backed by FTX, Alameda Research, and the Solana Foundation.

    Update authority for its code was held by insiders at FTX, which has left developers unable to address known security risks.

    Now the project is promoting a community fork called OpenBook, and says the future of its SRM token — which once had a market cap of over $1 billion but is now down to around $60 million — is “uncertain.”


  • Jay Peters

    Nov 29, 2022

    Jay Peters

    Kensington made a new wireless version of its SlimBlade trackball mouse

    The new SlimBlade Pro trackball mouse.
    The new SlimBlade Pro.
    Image: Kensington

    Kensington’s new version of its SlimBlade trackball mouse has a big improvement over the original model: wireless connectivity. With the SlimBlade Pro, which Kensington announced on Tuesday, you’ll be able to connect the trackball to your PC or Mac via Bluetooth or with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle (via 9to5Mac).

    Kensington claims the SlimBlade Pro will be able to get up to four months of battery life on a single charge, so you should be able to use the trackball for quite a while before needing to plug it in. The dongle has a handy storage spot on the bottom of the trackball if you want to keep it out of sight. And if you prefer keeping your mouse or trackball hooked up to your computer all the time, the SlimBlade Pro works with a wired connection, too, thanks to a built-in USB-C port.

    Read Article >
  • Monica Chin

    Nov 29, 2022

    Monica Chin

    Fellow Apple Music users, it’s finally our time.

    The Spotify-using masses are gearing up for the release of Spotify Wrapped, and Apple Music finally has a (not very good, but still existent, which is something) answer. You can get your Apple Music Replay stats right now — here’s how to do it.


  • Justine Calma

    Nov 29, 2022

    Justine Calma

    World’s first test run of a hydrogen jet engine a success

    A converted aircraft engine seen at night
    A Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine converted to perform a hydrogen test at Boscombe Down in the UK.
    Image: Rolls-Royce

    Rolls-Royce and European airline easyJet announced that they’ve successfully tested a hydrogen jet engine — technology the companies hope might eventually help erase aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions. The ground test marks “the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen,” Rolls-Royce said in a press release yesterday.

    Aviation is considered one of the most difficult industries to clean up because it’s much harder to make electric planes than electric vehicles. Batteries charged with renewable solar and wind energy are still too bulky for long flights. So airlines and plane manufacturers are working to develop planes that can run on cleaner fuels like hydrogen, which produces water vapor instead of carbon dioxide when burned.

    Read Article >
  • Nilay Patel

    Nov 29, 2022

    Nilay Patel

    How Bose competes with AirPods — and why it’s in more cars than ever, with CEO Lila Snyder

    Bose CEO Lila Snyder smiles at the camera.
    Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge

    Bose is one of the most recognizable audio brands in the world: it was famous for the Wave radio in the ’80s, it invented noise cancellation, you can see its logo on NFL sidelines every Sunday, and of course, there are the popular consumer products like the QuietComfort headphones that reviewers like Chris Welch here at The Verge rate as some of the best in the game. Bose is in tons of cars as well: audio systems in GM, Honda, Hyundai, Porsche, and more are developed and tuned by Bose.

    Bose was founded in 1964 by Amar Bose, who donated a majority of the shares of the company to MIT, where he was a professor. That means that, to this day, Bose is a private company with no pressure to go public. However, Bose still has to compete against Big Tech in talent, products, and compatibility.

    Read Article >
  • Jon Porter

    Nov 29, 2022

    Jon Porter

    YouTube Music gets in on year-in-review season with 2022 Recap

    Three phones showing screenshots of 2022 Recap.
    YouTube Music’s 2022 recap will highlight your top tracks and artists.
    Image; Google

    The end of the year is fast approaching, which means it’s time for the world’s biggest music streaming services to summarize your listening habits in the most shareable ways possible. First out of the gate this year is YouTube Music’s 2022 Recap feature, launching today. 

    Like last year, the main attraction is the personalized music stats it pulls together, highlighting the artists, songs, music videos, and playlists you’ve most listened to and watched throughout the course of the year. But there are also some new inclusions, including highlights of artists you might have discovered before they blew up and a new “music personality” feature that attempts to analyze your listening habits to deliver a verdict on your “music vibe.” 

    Read Article >
  • Emma Roth

    Nov 29, 2022

    Emma Roth

    Twitter has stopped enforcing its covid misinformation policies

    The Twitter logo on a red and black background.
    Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

    Twitter will no longer take action against tweets that contain covid misinformation or the accounts that post them. Instead of announcing the change, the platform added a note to the pages that outline its covid misinformation policies, saying, “Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy.”

    Twitter first introduced these policies in 2020 and began applying labels to tweets that contained disputed information about covid and its vaccines. The platform also removed tweets that contained “demonstrably false or potentially misleading content” and permanently suspended accounts if they continuously broke the rules. According to data posted by Twitter, the company suspended a total of 11,230 accounts and removed nearly 100,000 pieces of content since January 2020.

    Read Article >
  • Jon Porter

    Nov 29, 2022

    Jon Porter

    Portal’s free ray-tracing DLC will release on December 8th

    Portal, the first-person puzzle game that spawned a thousand memes, is getting a glow-up on December 8th, courtesy of a free piece of DLC. Portal with RTX was originally announced alongside Nvidia’s new RTX 4080 and 4090 graphics cards and adds ray-tracing support along with remade hi-res textures and models to the game. The result is much more realistic lighting and reflections, making the 15-year-old title look almost brand new.

    Nvidia says the DLC was created with RTX Remix, its new modding platform that’s designed to make it easier to add support for modern technologies like ray tracing, enhanced materials, and DLSS to classic titles. Portal with RTX supports DLSS 3, the latest version of Nvidia’s AI upscaling technology, which is designed to boost resolution and frame rate when used with the latest generation of Nvidia’s graphics cards.

    Read Article >
  • Andrew J. Hawkins

    Nov 29, 2022

    Andrew J. Hawkins

    Ronaldo said it was his goal, but the ball says different.

    FIFA’s decision to use connected ball technology during this year’s World Cup is making it difficult for Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo to claim a goal during yesterday’s match with Uruguay. He says his head touched the ball before it went in, but Adidas says the ball showed no contact.


  • Andrew Webster

    Nov 29, 2022

    Andrew Webster

    A hole in... fun?

    Today Nintendo Switch Sports — basically a spiritual successor to Wii Sports — is getting a big update, which includes the long-awaited addition of golf. Just be sure to hold on to those Joy-Con controllers firmly before swinging. For more on the game, check out our original review.