The Verge: All Posts by Chris Welchhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2024-03-28T14:11:04-04:00https://www.theverge.com/authors/chris-welch/rss2024-03-28T14:11:04-04:002024-03-28T14:11:04-04:00Hulu with Live TV adds MLB Network just as baseball season gets underway
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on during the MLB Spring Training game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on March 26, 2024 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YXowdcNMAkYFjGLEqyG07l8wCjM=/0x0:2729x1819/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73239500/2110565509.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="tpMriv">Hulu’s subscription TV service has added MLB Network to its core channel lineup in the nick of time for the league’s Opening Day 2024. This will provide customers with access to “over 100 MLB games nationally broadcast over the course of the season,” along with the network’s original programming and studio shows. </p>
<p id="MKzvAE">YouTube TV, one of Hulu with Live TV’s primary competitors, abruptly <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/1/23581317/youtube-tv-drops-mlb-network-baseball">dropped MLB Network</a> early last year after it was unable to reach a new carriage agreement with Major League Baseball. And with no announcement of a return ahead of today’s opening games, it appears that YTTV subscribers will go without it for another year. </p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang"><aside id="lraq6C"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Disney Plus-Hulu merger is way more than a streaming bundle","url":"https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24112747/disney-plus-hulu-tile-app-streaming"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="IxOn7O">Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising after the company <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/23/23523280/youtube-nfl-redzone-channel-sunday-ticket">shelled out $2 billion</a> for the rights to NFL...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114745/mlb-network-hulu-live-tvChris Welch2024-03-27T10:41:12-04:002024-03-27T10:41:12-04:00Google’s Pixel 9 will reportedly come in three sizes this fall
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<img alt="A render of Google’s Pixel 9 smartphone." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ufZ4JJC5LBG9su0Lqtx8li1Lt0A=/0x91:1880x1344/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73236209/pixel9.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: OnLeaks / <a class="ql-link" href="https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/google-pixel-9-renders-design-exclusive/" target="_blank"><em>91Mobiles</em></a></figcaption>
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<p id="Y7Tvrq">Google plans to shake up its smartphone strategy in 2024 by releasing three different models of the upcoming Pixel 9. That’s <a href="https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/google-pixel-9-renders-design-exclusive/">according to <em>91mobiles</em></a>, with the site now claiming that the renders published earlier this year (created by OnLeaks) were in fact of the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/24/24049483/leaked-pictures-show-a-very-blue-pixel-9">Pixel 9 Pro</a> and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/23/24048246/pixel-9-pro-leak-specs-google">Pixel 9 Pro “XL”</a> — and <em>not</em> the regular Pixel 9, which it’s sharing for the first time in new images today. </p>
<p id="gaSu6k">Google used the XL branding for its bigger Pixels <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/21/20923660/google-pixel-4-xl-review-camera-radar-face-unlock-90hz-display-telephoto">until around 2019</a>, but it went away with the one-size Pixel 5 and stayed gone when the company pivoted to the “Pro” name starting in 2021. Now it sounds like Google will follow more of an iPhone strategy and split the Pro tier into two different sizes, and resurrecting the XL moniker makes sense in that case.</p>
<p id="tlO5Dd">T...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113456/google-pixel-9-pro-xl-rumor-leakChris Welch2024-03-22T16:51:07-04:002024-03-22T16:51:07-04:00Joni Mitchell is back on Spotify just like Neil Young — because Joe Rogan isn’t going anywhere
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<img alt="Brandi Carlile and Joni Mitchell perform during the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song presentation to Elton John and Bernie Taupin by the Library of Congress at DAR Constitution Hall on March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CcW0dZ_DiHQgbCwSsoFlqzitZSQ=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73226859/2100838563.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Taylor Hill / WireImage</figcaption>
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<p id="Q48oJj">Two years after several legendary musicians broke with Spotify in protest over controversial remarks made on podcaster Joe Rogan’s show, most have now returned to the music service — with Joni Mitchell as the latest example. As noted <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/arts/music/joni-mitchell-spotify.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share">by <em>The New York Times</em></a>, several of the singer-songwriter’s most pivotal albums, including <em>Blue</em>,<em> </em>are once again available to stream on Spotify. Mitchell’s representatives haven’t offered any comment on her quiet comeback. </p>
<p id="mF9xaS">“Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/29/22907696/joni-mitchell-spotify-joe-rogan-podcast-misinformation-covid-19">Mitchell wrote in 2022</a> amid an uproar directed at Rogan for misinformation that was repeated on his podcast.</p>
<p id="LVrR9E">Neil Young, the musician who was most vocal in <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/25/22900437/neil-young-spotify-joe-rogan-vaccine-misinformation">his criticism of comments on <em>The Joe Rogan Experience...</em></a></p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/22/24109073/joni-mitchell-spotify-music-available-againChris Welch2024-03-21T13:35:10-04:002024-03-21T13:35:10-04:00Five takeaways from the huge US antitrust lawsuit against Apple
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<img alt="Photo illustration of Tim Cook in front of gavels." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9p_hGARViW5ItyUI8m8mr13l3o0=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73223626/STK468_APPLE_ANTITRUST_CVIRGINIA_H.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><em>Apple CEO Tim Cook.</em> | Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Bloomberg, Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="fVxByO">The US Department of Justice is <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/21/24105363/apple-doj-monopoly-lawsuit">suing Apple for “monopolizing smartphone markets”</a> to help guarantee the iPhone’s continued success — to the detriment of consumers and third-party developers. The suit was filed on March 21st and will take a <em>long</em> time to play out. It touches on everything from iMessage lock-in and App Store developer fees to “super apps” and cloud gaming. If the government is successful, we could witness a sea change moment for the iPhone and Apple’s ecosystem at large. </p>
<p id="LHtJ18">Apple, as expected, is deeply critical of the DOJ’s antitrust filing. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets,” said Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz. The company also said the legal...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/21/24107651/apple-us-antitrust-lawsuit-doj-five-takeawaysChris Welch2024-03-21T10:11:32-04:002024-03-21T10:11:32-04:00The best wireless earbuds to buy right now
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<img alt="A photo of Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/e6t1Ea8VCnt9pPlNtEqC2_bCfCc=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67005648/DSCF2232.22.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p>The best from Apple, Bose, Samsung, Sony, Beats, Google, and more.</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/21309820/best-wireless-earbuds">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/21309820/best-wireless-earbudsChris Welch2024-03-20T13:40:07-04:002024-03-20T13:40:07-04:00YouTube TV’s multiview comes to iPhones and iPads in time for March Madness
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<img alt="YouTube’s logo with geometric design in the background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kumtzTCm1-ngq6BHRpMEXIhLPuk=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73221131/acastro_STK092_04.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="JOk0L5">YouTube TV subscribers can now watch several programs at once on smaller devices — not just big TV screens. As noted by <a href="https://9to5google.com/2024/03/20/youtube-tv-multiview-iphone-ipad-android/"><em>9to5Google</em></a>, the service’s multiview feature has rolled out on iOS and iPadOS, although the Android crowd will have to wait for it to arrive “<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/youtubetv/comments/1aw8383/comment/kvlcvos">in the coming months</a>.” So, Google’s leaving its own crowd out of watching several March Madness games while on the go. Ouch. </p>
<p id="qBpIHX">Multiview lets you watch four different things at the same time. The feature started out focused squarely on sports, and... that very much remains the case. YouTube TV has made it <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/30/24055945/youtube-tv-multiview-customization-sports-news-weather">slightly more flexible and customizable</a>, but you still can’t just pick any four cable channels you’d like to have on-screen together, which would be my preference. </p>
<p id="T8T8Q9">If you’re using...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/20/24106859/youtube-tv-multiview-now-available-ios-ipados">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/20/24106859/youtube-tv-multiview-now-available-ios-ipadosChris Welch2024-03-19T12:16:31-04:002024-03-19T12:16:31-04:00Hackintosh enthusiasts worry that the end is near
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<img alt="A photo of PC components used to create a “Hackintosh.”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FoJ1jJ_MdxsVSAI1gCgwr72Rxpg=/0x13:3384x2269/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73218018/hackintosh.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Image: Aleksandar Vacić</figcaption>
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<p id="IqnJim">For years, there’s been a dedicated community of tech tinkerers who’ve built unofficial “Macs” out of PC hardware or successfully <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/1bhl521/sucess/">gotten macOS running on a laptop</a> that ran Windows in a past life. But now, some of those enthusiasts believe the Hackintosh dream is becoming more and more untenable.</p>
<p id="8ZS1FX"><a href="https://aplus.rs/2024/hackintosh-almost-dead/">This blog post</a> by Aleksandar Vacić, <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2024/03/19/the-end-of-the-hackintosh/">highlighted by <em>9to5Mac</em></a>, runs through some of the difficulties that seem to be growing by the day. In a nutshell, macOS Sonoma removed support for many drivers that were found in Intel Macs a decade ago. Vacić says these drivers were “the key ingredient to many fully functional Hackintosh builds.” It’s still possible to cobble together a Hackintosh with the Sonoma OS, but you’ll have to be comfortable with some...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/19/24105829/hackintosh-almost-dead-macos-sonoma-drivers">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/19/24105829/hackintosh-almost-dead-macos-sonoma-driversChris Welch2024-03-13T12:08:37-04:002024-03-13T12:08:37-04:00YouTube is revamping its TV app to make videos feel way more interactive
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<img alt="Illustration of a YouTube logo with geometric background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UlLS92alSIhhd0mblXu4ehOS24c=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73204135/acastro_STK092_01.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="OIzLLs">YouTube is constantly tinkering with its app design across different platforms and screen sizes, and today, the company shared the latest changes coming to its TV-optimized app. There’s a clear focus on making the viewing experience more interactive and giving greater prominence to chapters, comments, and video descriptions — without getting in the way of the video you’re trying to watch.</p>
<p id="xIfRwH">The new view shrinks the video down slightly to make space for the description, comments, and other elements around it. It’s not YouTube’s new default look, since many people will still prefer a full-screen layout. But you can easily click into the more interactive interface from the standard video player screen. </p>
<p id="xr3zFh">“What users will be able to see on...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099533/youtube-tv-app-redesign-comments-shopping">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099533/youtube-tv-app-redesign-comments-shoppingChris Welch2024-03-05T13:44:19-05:002024-03-05T13:44:19-05:00Tidal’s subscription is getting simpler and cheaper — yes, you read that right
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5hGC_x-19fgvxtauDMqdBdT6a6E=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73184249/STK301_Tidal_01.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="lCKo4G">Tidal seems to have decided that there just aren’t enough people willing to pay upward of $20 per month for the highest-possible audio fidelity. So <a href="https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/23008953804945-Upcoming-Changes-to-TIDAL-Subscriptions">starting April 10th</a> in the US, the company will combine its existing HiFi and HiFi Plus plans into a single subscription tier that will simply be called “Tidal.” And it’ll cost the same <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/3/23782820/tidal-price-increase-hifi">$10.99 per month</a> that the less expensive HiFi plan did.</p>
<p id="7Veo6S">At a high level, it sounds like this new, much simpler subscription model will still include all the perks — high-res FLACs, Dolby Atmos mixes, etc. — that were previously only available on the Plus tier. Yes, that means a subscription service is actually getting <em>cheaper</em> for once if you were a HiFi Plus user. Hard to believe in this day and age, right?...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24091308/tidal-subscription-price-cut-high-res-atmos">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24091308/tidal-subscription-price-cut-high-res-atmosChris Welch2024-03-01T17:13:05-05:002024-03-01T17:13:05-05:00Apple TV Plus adds over 50 movies, including some in 4K and 3D
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<img alt="An image showing the Apple TV Plus logo on a black and purple background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UYKJ5muzLEwijvb7wMyBgrYlAMc=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73176832/acastro_STK069_appleTVPlus_01.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="GzbHAD">Apple TV Plus subscribers in the US can now stream over 50 new movies from various studios, including <em>Mad Max: Fury Road</em>, <em>A Star Is Born</em>, <em>Titanic</em>, <em>Con Air</em>, <em>The Bodyguard</em>, <em>Zoolander</em>, and more. If that sounds like a random assortment of films, well, you’re not wrong. But it seems that Apple is experimenting with including some catalog content as part of its video subscription service. Normally, the appeal of Apple TV Plus centers on the company’s original programming (and increasingly, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/27/23616811/mls-soccer-season-pass-apple-tv-opening-weekend-price">live sports</a>).</p>
<p id="oNaecc">Many of the movies can be streamed in 4K, and there are even a few — <em>Jurassic World</em>, <em>Edge of Tomorrow</em>, <em>Gravity</em>, and others — available in 3D for you early Apple Vision Pro adopters out there. Unfortunately, international subscribers won’t be...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/1/24087912/apple-tv-plus-50-movies-now-available-4k-3d">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/1/24087912/apple-tv-plus-50-movies-now-available-4k-3dChris Welch