SpaceX’s fourth Starship test is the first one to reach splashdown The Starship successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean after launching from Texas on Thursday. | Image: SpaceX / The VergeThe fourth Starship Super Heavy flight test has ended with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The vehicle launched from its pad in Texas at 8:50AM ET, before successfully performing a hot-stage separation from its booster…

The next Dragon Age is now called The Veilguard Image: EAThe game formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has a new name — BioWare is calling its next RPG The Veilguard. In a blog post, the studio explained that the change was made in order to “capture what this game is all about,” as the previous name “didn’t show just how strongly we feel about our new heroes, their stories and how you’ll n…

Apple will provide a minimum of five years of iPhone security updates Photo by Dan Seifert / The VergeApple has committed to providing a minimum of five years of iPhone security updates, as reported earlier by Android Authority. The disclosure comes as part of Apple’s plan to comply with the UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, which requires companies selling internet-connected …

Rivian’s R1 vehicles are getting a gut overhaul — here’s what’s new Image: RivianThe exterior design of the R1T and R1S may look the same, but ‘everything beneath the surface has changed,’ CEO says.  Continue reading…

What’s next for Xbox and Halo Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeThe last six months have been turbulent for Xbox. Microsoft started the year by laying off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees, then announced four in-house games would drop their exclusivity and ship on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. More recently, the company shut down three game studios, including Tango Game…

Texting 911 via RCS is coming to Google Messages Enhanced messaging with emergency services is coming to Android phones. | Image: GoogleTexting with emergency services is about to get an upgrade. Starting this winter, Google Messages will support texting 911 through RCS. Using SMS to contact 911 is available at just over half of all emergency dispatch centers in the US, but in those areas, pe…

Twitch announces a program allowing DJs to split revenue with record labels Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeLivestreaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams by paying a fee. Twitch signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music as well as “hundreds” of independent labe…

It’s Nerf darts or nothing for these slick new blasters The first four Nerf N-Series blasters shipped to reviewers.When I was a kid, “It’s Nerf or nothing” meant you couldn’t find a better dart blaster. Starting today, it means you’ll have to buy Hasbro’s own overpriced darts if you buy Hasbro blasters for your kids. The company is revealing its new Nerf N-Series lineup today, and a new “N1” dart it’…

The US doesn’t make bicycles anymore — here’s how to change that Photo by Mu Yu / Xinhua via Getty ImagesGood luck finding a bicycle — an especially an e-bike — made in the US. It only took 30 years for the US to lose its entire bike manufacturing industry. China dominates global bike manufacturing, with imports accounting for 97 percent of bikes purchased in the US, according to one report. Indeed, China ha…

Google makes its note-taking AI NotebookLM more useful Illustration: The VergeGoogle launched its note-taking app NotebookLM last year for researchers, students, and anyone who needs to organize the information they’ve gathered. Now, users can now upload Google Slides and web URLs as sources, not just the Google Docs, PDFs, and text files it accepted previously. The new Notebook Guide also reads so…

Watch SpaceX launch its fourth Starship flight test SpaceX is aiming to perform a controlled reentry for Starship, with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. | Image: SpaceXSpaceX is preparing to send its massive Starship rocket on its fourth flight test on Thursday. The Starship Super Heavy vehicle is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX’s launch site in South Texas, during a 120-minute window that ope…

We tested Aptoide, the first free iPhone app store alternative The Aptoide iOS game store launches in closed beta today in Europe. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeAptoide is the fourth third-party iOS marketplace to launch in Europe. Will its unique model find success where others have struggled? Continue reading…

Lego’s limited-edition Ominous Isle and British train station are imminently going on sale The Brick Cross Train Station. | Image: brickester (Lego Bricklink)Four months ago, a Lego fan earned around half a million dollars when Lego put his limited-edition set on sale. Now, Lego is opening orders for round two of the BrickLink Designer Program at 8am PT / 11am ET on Thursday, June 6th — featuring five more limited-edition sets, each a…

Google Sheets’ new ‘conditional notifications’ easily keep track of small changes Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeGoogle Sheets now offers conditional notifications, a new feature that lets users set up rules to receive an email notification when certain spreadsheet cells change in any document where they have editing access. From now on, users can set rules in Google Sheets to receive notifications when certain criter…

Humane warns AI Pin owners to ‘immediately’ stop using its charging case Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeHumane is telling AI Pin owners today that they should “immediately” stop using the charging case that came with its AI gadget. There are issues with a third-party battery cell that “may pose a fire safety risk,” the company wrote in an email to customers (including The Verge’s David Pierce, who reviewe…

Nvidia is now more valuable than Apple at $3.01 trillion Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeNvidia has become the second most valuable company in the world. On Wednesday afternoon, the chipmaking giant’s market capitalization hit $3.01 trillion, putting it just ahead of Apple at $3 trillion. As Nvidia dominates the AI race with its flagship H100 chip, the company’s market cap has only continued to rise. …

The Last of Us season 2 will be a little bit shorter Image: HBOThe first season of HBO’s The Last of Us covered the first game in the series, but it looks like season 2 will need a little more time to explore the sequel. In an interview with Deadline, co-creator Craig Mazin explained that the story of The Last of Us Part II will take at least two, and possibly three, seasons to fully cover. And as…

Samsung’s new MicroLED TVs cost up to $150K for a 114-inch Samsung’s MicroLED TV has an almost bezel-free design and comes in 89-, 101-, and 114-inch sizes. | Image: SamsungSamsung started on a quest to sell massive and massively expensive MicroLED TVs with its modular The Wall design in 2018, and now we have these three options: 89, 101, and 114 inches. The most “affordable” MicroLED TV offering in the…

Google Maps is making a big privacy change to protect your location history Illustration: The VergeGoogle Maps is changing the way it handles your location data. Instead of backing up your data to the cloud, Google will soon store it locally on your device. In an email sent to users, Google says you have until December 1st to save all your travels to your mobile device before it starts deleting your old data. Timeline —…

T-Mobile is offering its 5G gateway as a backup option for internet outages Internet for when your internet goes down. | Image: T-MobileT-Mobile’s big home internet push continues, now with a new way to sign up for the service: as a backup option. The company is offering a new Home Internet Backup plan starting at $30 per month (including an autopay discount) that’s designed to supplement your cable or fiber internet c…