An NPR editor accuses the network of institutional bias Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty ImagesThis is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Hi, everyone — I’m starting off today with some big news to share: next week will be my last at Hot Pod and The Verge. Before coming here, all I wanted was to cover the podcasting industry, and I still can’t believe I managed…

Civil War is an arresting journalism film lacking a real thesis Image: A24Director Alex Garland’s new dystopian thriller seems like it has something to say about American society, but it doesn’t have the guts to articulate a cohesive, thoughtful point. Continue reading…

Apple renews Monarch for season 2 and has plans for more Godzilla spinoffs Image: AppleApple announced some Godzilla-sized updates for its streaming service. First up, the spinoff series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which premiered on Apple TV Plus last year, has been renewed for a second season. There aren’t any details on what the new season will entail or when it’ll start streaming, but showrunners and co-creators C…

Showtime’s streaming service will finally shutter later this month Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeFollowing Paramount’s move to add Showtime programming to certain Paramount Plus streaming plans, the Showtime standalone streaming platform is coming to an end. Variety reports that Showtime streaming subscribers have begun receiving notices that they will no longer be able to access the platform after Apr…

Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok Photo by Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for The Recording AcademyTaylor Swift’s catalog of music has returned to TikTok, just a few months after it was purged alongside other popular artists represented by Universal Music Group (UMG). In January, UMG and TikTok’s licensing deal expired, and the companies took turns blaming each other for why fa…

PSA: Don’t let your kids use Yoto’s recalled Mini speaker Image: YotoIf your kid uses this Yoto Mini speaker, take it away immediately. Yoto has recalled the popular speaker due to a charging cable issue that causes the lithium-ion battery to overheat and catch fire, posing a burn and fire risk. The recall affects the Yoto Mini speakers sold nationwide from November 2021 through April 2024. It includes…

Sony’s new headphones and speakers are all about skull-rattling bass Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeSony is changing up the strategy around its mainstream wireless headphones and speakers. Today, the company is announcing several new products and introducing a new brand, ULT Power Sound, to go with them. Any kind of actual “name” is an improvement from years past, when Sony would typically just refer to devices …

Fallout Pip-Boy review: a wearable fit for the wasteland Image: AmazonIt’s hard to say what, precisely, makes a design timeless. Some classic gadgets are simply beautiful, while others remain functional years after they come out. The list of truly timeless products in tech is small, but there’s one name that looms large: RobCo Industries’ Pip-Boy. Sure, it’s relatively simple, and some of its features…

In Chechnya, the rhythm does indeed stop The tempo restrictions effectively ban most popular Western music in the region of Chechnya, if it wasn’t already restricted. | Image: Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP via Getty ImagesPeople partial to a shindig in the Russian republic of Chechnya are about to find their music options will be rather limited. The region is introducing a ban on tunes that…

Official: here’s the DJI Avata 2, possibly one of the best sequels in years The DJI Avata 2 drone. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeThe DJI Avata is my favorite drone for people who want to fly, not just film. The starter kit comes with a wand and goggles that let you skim and soar to your heart’s delight with a first-person view from the sky. But you might not want to buy an original Avata anymore — because the just-…

Yale’s inexpensive new retrofit lock will work with Matter-over-Thread The Yale Approach with Wi-Fi is a retrofit smart door lock that works with a wireless keypad. | Image: YaleThis week, Yale launched its first retrofit smart door lock, the $129.99 Yale Approach with Wi-Fi. The lock attaches only to the back of your door, so you don’t have to replace your entire deadbolt to get access to smart features like auto-…

The Weather Channel’s parent company has a new AI tool to make hyperlocal weather videos Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty ImagesGenerative AI could be coming to your local TV station as The Weather Company, aka the people that run The Weather Channel, is bringing AI tools to make weather videos. The Weather Company announced ReelSphere on Thursday, a video creation tool for broadcasters and other customer…

You can snag Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and all 48 DLC tracks for $20 off right now Waluigi is still a scumbag, but his racecourse is pretty great. | Image: NintendoDespite essentially being a rehash of the bestselling Wii U game of all time, I’d argue Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the quintessential multiplayer game for the Nintendo Switch (sorry, Smash Bros. stans). The 2017 title only got better with the additional 48 tracks Ninten…

Apple’s latest sci-fi series is the trippy Dark Matter Image: AppleApple is continuing its run of streaming sci-fi with the upcoming Dark Matter, a thriller about a man who… kidnaps himself. The first trailer looks appropriately trippy and follows a physicist played by Joel Edgerton who is “abducted into an alternate version of his life.” The show involves him trying to get home while navigating t…

Apple will open the iPhone to repair with used parts Photo by Dan Seifert / The VergeApple is finally making it easier for users to repair their iPhones with used parts. In an update on Thursday, the company announced that this fall, owners of “select” iPhone models will be able to repair their devices with used, genuine parts while retaining full functionality. When repairing a phone, Apple requi…

DuckDuckGo launches $9.99 per month privacy bundle with VPN DuckDuckGoDuckDuckGo is announcing a new bundled subscription service, Privacy Pro, that offers an additional layer of privacy beyond its existing offerings. Users who pay $9.99 per month will get access to a VPN that uses the open-source WireGuard protocol, on-device personal information removal, and 24/7 identity theft restoration. While users…

Humane AI Pin review: not even close For $699 and $24 a month, this wearable computer promises to free you from your smartphone. There’s only one problem: it just doesn’t work. Continue reading…

Instagram will blur nudes in messages sent to minors The new protections for blurring nude images will start rolling out globally in the coming weeks. | Image: MetaInstagram is preparing to roll out a new safety feature that blurs nude images in messages, as part of efforts to protect minors on the platform from abuse and sexually exploitative scams. Announced by Meta on Thursday, the new feature…

VanMoof S5 e-bike review: too much, too late A long list of features, but how many do you really need? Continue reading…

Testing VanMoof’s refreshed e-bikes, which are again available to buy The new 2024 VanMoof S5 in Amsterdam where the majority of this UK-owned company still works. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeBig question: can you trust the new company to build a better S5 and A5 electric bike? Continue reading…