Collins spacesuit during the test | Collins Aerospace Collins Aerospace, a private company hired to create spacesuits for use outside the International Space Station (ISS), has tested its suit aboard a commercial microgravity flight, passing a milestone that lets engineers move forward toward critical design review. NASA outsourced the design of new spacesuits in 2022 after spending 15 years trying to develop new suits on its own. Collins Aerospace said the suit is lighter and has less volume than the “enhanced” Extravehicular Mobility Units that current NASA astronauts use. It can be modified when missions change and fit a much wider range of body types far more easily than the older suits that are based on designs that are decades old.During the test, the plane executed... Continue reading…

It's now confirmed that there'll be no Windows 12 this year. Instead, the company's "next version of Windows" will officially be called Windows 11 24H2. It's also an open secret that Microsoft will introduce a lot of AI features in the update, which might include Microsoft's own version of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) to make games sharper.

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge The US government has committed $42 million to further the development of the 5G Open RAN (O-RAN) standard that would allow wireless providers to mix and match cellular hardware and software, opening up a bigger market for third-party equipment that’s cheaper and interoperable. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grant would establish a Dallas O-RAN testing center to prove the standard’s viability as a way to head off Huawei’s steady cruise toward a global cellular network hardware monopoly. Verizon global network and technology president Joe Russo promoted the funding as a way to achieve “faster innovation in an open environment.” To achieve the standard’s goals, AT&T vice president of RAN technology R... Continue reading…

Building a PC has its ups and downs. There's the excitement of ordering new parts and assembling your new rig, but you also have to deal with perfect cable management and, often, some starting troubles. But, the actual hardware we use to build our PCs has mostly stayed the same over the years — until now.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to investigate Apple’s response to Beeper Mini — the app that briefly brought iMessage to Android. During the State of the Net Conference on Monday, Carr said the FCC should look into whether Apple’s move “complies with the FCC’s Part 14 rules” about accommodating users with disabilities.Beeper Mini launched last year, allowing Android users to gain access to iMessage features, including blue message bubbles and the ability to send high-quality photos and videos. However, Apple quickly blocked Beeper Mini users and continued to shut down attempts to make the app work, leading its developers to eventually just give up.Today, I called for the @FCC... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft With rumors of some Xbox games coming to PS5 and Switch, Microsoft gets ready to lay out its vision for the future of Xbox. Continue reading…

Image: The Verge Threads is rolling out a new test in the US that shows a list of popular topics that other users are discussing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post on Threads. The list will appear on the search page and in the For You feed, allowing you to browse through posts about a particular topic.In addition to testing a way to save posts, Meta recently said it will add controls to limit political content recommendations on Threads.Instagram head Adam Mosseri says Threads uses machine learning AI systems to determine what goes on the list. It takes into account how many people are talking about a certain topic, as well as how many people have interacted with posts about it. Image: Meta Top topics should hopefully... Continue reading…

Working with multiple apps simultaneously can be time-consuming and inconvenient at times. Thankfully, Microsoft offers several ways to organize apps on the desktop. The software giant has already delivered a robust multitasking experience on Windows 10, and with Snap assist on Windows 11, Microsoft took it to the next level. Whether you work on a laptop, or monitor or have a multi-screen setup, here’s how to use split screen on Windows.

Image: The Verge Were you aware that the “.af” domain extension is administered by Afghanistan’s government? That’s a truth that the “queer.af” Mastodon instance is now reckoning with as the Taliban, which has controlled the country since 2021, has shut down the domain, according to 404 Media. And it may not be alone, given reports that other .af domains have abruptly gone dark, too.Erin Shepherd, the administrator of the instance and key ActivityPub developer, told the outlet they were already planning “to shut things down” instead of renewing in April, but that the early termination was a surprise. An email from the Afghanistan Ministry of Communications and IT that Shepherd posted said that the queer.af domain had been suspended and that websites or... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge After weeks of rumors of Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Microsoft is now planning to discuss its vision for the future of Xbox at an event later this week. Microsoft’s Xbox business update event will take place on Thursday, February 15th at 12PM PT / 3PM ET.Weeks of rumors suggest that Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and even Bethesda titles like Starfield and Indiana Jones could appear on non-Xbox platforms. Microsoft hasn’t addressed these rumors directly, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer didn’t dismiss them last week. “We’re listening and we hear you,” said Spencer, before announcing the Xbox business update event. Please join us for a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast.Hear from Phil Spencer, Sarah... Continue reading…

Google’s first foldable is intriguing, but it was hard to recommend before today’s discount. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge When it first launched, we felt the Google Pixel Fold was a little too expensive ($1,800, whew) compared to other foldables at the time, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and its sequel, which had the same starting cost. If you’ve been waiting for a price drop to experience Google’s infantile take on the form factor, however, today is the day to unfold your wallet. Right now, you can buy an unlocked Pixel Fold with 256GB of storage for $1,399 ($400 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen.We love the Fold’s potential and we’re elated to know Google now has a firm stake in building fold-friendly features into Android’s core. We’re hoping that will eventually convince third-party developers... Continue reading…

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures From Dune 2 in February to Sonic 3 in December, and everything else in between. Continue reading…