Image: Microsoft Microsoft launched its range of Copilot Plus PCs earlier this week, and they all come equipped with the new dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard. It’s the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years, but all the key does now is launch a Progressive Web App (PWA) version of Copilot.The web app doesn’t even integrate into Windows anymore like the previous Copilot experience did since last year, so you can’t use Copilot to control Windows 11 settings or have it docked as a sidebar anymore. It’s literally just a PWA. Microsoft has even removed the keyboard shortcut to Copilot on these new Copilot Plus PCs, so WINKEY + C does nothing.I was hoping Microsoft would evolve the Copilot key into something that could be used much like the... Continue reading…

Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images Redbox’s financial situation continues to spiral out of its control. On Thursday, a Los Angeles court entered a $16.7 million judgment against the company in favor of NBCUniversal, after Redbox failed to pay a scheduled installment of a settlement the parties reached earlier in May.The missed payment bodes ill for the DVD kiosk company, which now owes the remaining balance in full. More importantly, the missed payment suggests the company simply did not have the requisite money on hand, and the prospect of bankruptcy may be looming for Redbox and its deeply indebted corporate parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. NBCUniversal sued Redbox over unpaid DVD and online rental royalties in February. The studio alleged in its... Continue reading…

Image: Tesla A 20-month-old child was rescued after being trapped in a Tesla Model Y in Scottsdale, Arizona — where temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees this week — after its 12-volt battery died, according to a report from Arizona’s Family.The child was safely removed from the car after firefighters used an ax to smash through a window. But the issue raises concerns about why there isn’t an easy way to open the car from the outside when its 12-volt battery — the one that powers things like its door locks and windows — loses power.The car’s owner, Renee Sanchez, was taking her granddaughter to the zoo, but after loading the child in the Model Y, she closed the door and wasn’t able to open it again. “My phone key wouldn’t open it,” Sanchez said in... Continue reading…

Starlink’s new Mini dish next to an Earth puppy. | Image: Michael Nicolls via X SpaceX’s Starlink internet-from-space service is already available for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and rural homes in over 75 countries — now it’s coming to backpackers.The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps.“This product will change the world,” claimed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X, saying it took less than five minutes to setup.I just set it up right now and am writing this post through space. Took less than 5 mins. Easily carried in a backpack.This product will change the world.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 17, 2024N... Continue reading…

If you're looking to improve your productivity, there are a lot of ways to go about doing that. You can obviously look through the myriad of productivity applications that are available for Windows machines, and you can even make tweaks to your Windows system in aid of productivity as well. However, there are some AI tools specifically that can help you be your most productive self, and here are some of the ones that I use the most.

There's no shortage of great keyboards out there, but if you're looking for something that looks completely different from the rest, then the Machenike KT84 is going to be right up your alley. One of the first things you're probably going to notice about the keyboard is just how colorful it is.

Image: The Verge AT&T can’t pull the plug on landline service for customers across California. In a ruling on Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rejected AT&T’s request to release it from its obligations as a Carrier of Last Resort (COLR), as reported earlier by Ars Technica and CBS News.AT&T has had a COLR designation in California since 1996, which ensures everyone in the state has access to affordable and reliable telephone service. Some people in California — especially those who live in remote areas — have come to rely on their landline service, as it allows them to make emergency calls even when the power is out or cellular service isn’t available.Earlier this year, AT&T asked CPUC to be released from its duties as a... Continue reading…

The superior way to ask Siri to set a timer when you’re not at home or in the car. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge There’s a time and place for everything. In the privacy of my own home, I’ve got no problem saying “hey” to Google, Alexa, Siri, Meta, and on occasion, Bixby. But out in public? Where other people can perceive me? I’d rather crawl under a rock.This has been one of my biggest problems with AI gadgets these past few months. All of them seem convinced that the best way to interact with AI assistants is to actually talk to them, not unlike the movie Her. In reality, I’ve rarely seen my friends and family use their phone’s assistants when we’re hanging out privately and never out in public. So it felt like a tiny “Aha!” moment when, during last week’s WWDC keynote, Apple mentioned that iOS 18 will let you type to Siri instead.Technically,... Continue reading…

AMD has revealed its new "Zen 5" architecture, which includes the powerful Ryzen 9 9900X. This 12-core, 24-thread CPU is built on a 4nm process and is likely to be a favorite among high-end PC builders, gamers, and overclockers. That means the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X needs (and deserves) the best thermal paste money can buy. Here are our top recommendations for your build.

When looking for a great new CPU, you're inevitably going to be deciding between the top Ryzen chips and the best Intel processors. To that end, AMD's new 9000 series CPUs are definitely worth some consideration, like the 9900X. However, you'll need a great motherboard to pair it with.

Image: The Verge, Netflix How cutting-edge codecs and obsessive tweaks have helped Netflix to stay ahead of the curve — until now. Continue reading…

Windows 11 comes with plenty of features out of the box that may not be useful to everyone, and we've written in the past about how you can disable some of them, including the Game Bar. The Game Bar is an overlay aimed at gamers that provides social features on the Xbox platform, but also some additional tools that can actually be very useful.