Image: Microsoft Microsoft is starting to roll out a new update to Windows 11 that includes a whole host of improvements and new built-in features. Copilot in Windows 11 is getting more options to control your PC as part of this update, alongside a new Generative Erase option in Photos, Voice Shortcuts for accessibility, improved Snap layouts, changes to the Widgets system, and more.While the Windows 11 update is available starting today, Microsoft says not all features will be enabled straight away. Copilot’s new options will start rolling out in late March, enabling new skills like being able to ask the AI chatbot to enable the battery saver mode or to launch accessibility features like Narrator or Magnifier. Copilot will also be able to show... Continue reading…

Image: The Verge Just a couple of weeks after the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) surged with enough support to position it to clear the Senate, the path to new child protections on the internet suddenly looks more complex. Seeing the momentum, other lawmakers and outside groups sense it might be time to promote their own favored solutions, which could snarl KOSA’s Senate passage.Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), for example, sees this as an opportune moment for his own Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, which would only allow teens under 18 to use social media with their parents’ consent. “I imagine there’s only going to be one moment for all of the tech bills,” Schatz told The Washington Post in a story published Thursday. “I imagine that all of these efforts... Continue reading…

Sora was recently unveiled by OpenAI as a true text-to-video generation model, and with it came a number of questions regarding the societal impact such a tool may have. The ability to generate authentic-looking videos with ease raises questions regarding the integrity of video as a form of proof, while also raising questions about where OpenAI trained its model in the first place.

Windows 11 is getting a bunch of new features starting today. Microsoft has announced that the latest set of features for Windows 11 — also known as the Moment 5 update — is now rolling out to users as an optional update, with it becoming widely available over the next couple of months.

Image: Square Enix In Rebirth, our heroes get to explore beyond the confines of Midgar. Continue reading…

Image: Square Enix Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an excellent game and an important evolution for the franchise. It mashes together a traditional RPG with a large open world, managing to feel both modern and like it’s sticking to its 32-bit roots. What it is not, however, is a good place to get started with the multipart story that is Final Fantasy VII — despite what its creators might say.Prior to Rebirth’s launch, creative director and zipper aficionado Tetsuya Nomura talked about how the game was designed in part to be welcoming to newcomers (always a commendable goal). “In fact,” he said in 2022, “new players might even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy VII journey with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.” Meanwhile, on launch day, producer Yoshinori Kitase... Continue reading…

Sony’s latest console is still a big boi, even if it is more than 30 percent smaller. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge PlayStation 5 sales have already surpassed 50 million units — a solid figure for a console that has rarely received a substantial price drop since it arrived on the scene more than three years ago. If you have yet to pick up Sony’s latest console, however, Best Buy is now offering the new PS5 “slim” with a digital copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $449.99 ($50 off), which marks the first discount we’ve seen on the bundle.The revised PS5 isn’t all that different from Sony’s standard disc-based offering. The midcycle refresh is slightly smaller and more refined, and it tackles all the same games as the original models at the same 4K graphical fidelity. The biggest change is the detachable disc drive — which you can easily remove and... Continue reading…

Image: Square Enix Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of ‘wonder and excitement’ to embrace as well. Continue reading…

Microsoft has begun rolling out a new update for Windows 11 starting today. Known as the Windows 11 Moment 5 update, it comes with a slew of new features, many of which are things I've been clamoring for. While the rollout is going to be very much gradual, as is typical for Windows 11 updates, I'd recommend most people to get it today.

If you're someone that uses a keyboard all day, and wants a better typing experience, a mechanical keyboard might be right up your alley. Mechanical keyboards are versatile, easily fitting a variety of needs, providing a typing experience that's tailored with customizable switches, keycaps, and more. ​​​​​​Of course, if you're not quite ready to fully dive in with a customized option, you can keep things simple with an off-the-shelf model like the Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless keyboard.

Whether you’re an overclocking enthusiast who laughs in the face of unstable OCs or you’re someone who frequently runs into thermal throttling issues, liquid cooling your PC is one of the best ways to improve its temps. While installing an AIO liquid cooler on your processor is fairly straightforward, setting up custom loops for GPUs is a venture only the most daring PC veterans would undertake.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has outlined a new Windows API designed to offer a seamless way for game developers to integrate super resolution AI-upscaling features from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. In a new blog post, program manager Joshua Tucker describes Microsoft’s new DirectSR API as the “missing link” between games and super resolution technologies, and says it should provide “a smoother, more efficient experience that scales across hardware.”“This API enables multi-vendor SR [super resolution] through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate a variety of solutions including Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS,” the post reads. The pitch seems to be that developers will be able... Continue reading…