Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images The pain is not over yet for the podcast industry, with layoffs and cancellations continuing to pile up. Amrita covered the WNYC layoffs yesterday, which, thanks to negotiations between management and the union, were not as steep as initially expected (6 percent laid off versus 12 percent previously announced). Last week, Pushkin laid off another 30 percent of staff in its third round of cuts this year, with shakeups even targeting its C-suite. And live audio took another hit on Wednesday, with Amazon shutting down Amp. I have been talking to people from the business side of podcasting about how the ad market has changed and why it is hitting podcasts so hard, especially when the economy seems to actually be doing… fine? As I wrote... Continue reading…

Richter Belmont. | Netflix Castlevania: Nocturne’s season 1 finale made it crystal clear that there was even more to Richter Belmont’s story still waiting to be told. But just in case there was any doubt that Netflix planned to bring the show back, the streamer’s already teasing what’s coming next.Along with a brief teaser video featuring production footage from the series, Netflix announced today that Castlevania: Nocturne will return for a second season following the adventures of Richter Belmont, Maria Renard, and Annette as they continue to wage war against demons. Both Sam and Adam Deats will return to direct the second season, and studios Project 51 Productions and Powerhouse Animation will continue to produce.Though Netflix didn’t share a release date for... Continue reading…

Apple's iPhone SE 3 isn't be the best iPhone available, as it packs plenty of dated technology. These include the classic chassis with thick bezels, inferior cameras, and more. Despite that, it's still safe to buy an iPhone SE 3 if you're on a budget, as it supports the latest iOS 17 and could last you for years to come. Though, you may want to know that its box does not include a charger. This means that you will have to invest in a charging brick separately. To help you make a smart purchase, we've compiled a list of the best iPhone SE 3 chargers and cables currently available.

Sharge’s transparent batteries and retro Mac charger. | Image: Sharge Ever heard of Sharge? The company is arguably just as responsible as Nothing for bringing transparent gadgets back — its see-through batteries swarmed social media and have inspired a wave of copycats. Less famously, it sells a kickass charger shaped like a classic Mac that offers 67 watts of USB-C PD charging across three ports despite its tiny frame.They all tend to be pricey, but through October 11th, almost all of its chargers and power banks are on sale for their best prices ever — after you clip the Amazon coupon codes, anyhow.I do want to caution you: while the transparent batteries are very cool, they run a little hot — I’ve sometimes found they stopped charging my most demanding devices due to overheating. That and an... Continue reading…

You can already buy the latest clock-equipped Echo Dot for $44.99 ($15 off). Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon’s next Prime Day-like sales event, doesn’t officially kick off until October 10th, but the tech giant is already giving Prime members and non-members alike a taste of what’s to come. A whole bunch of (mainly Amazon) gadgets are discounted ahead of the two-day shopping event, including Amazon’s latest smart speakers, e-readers, TVs, tablets, and various smart security devices.Below, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best deals so far, many of which we expect to hold throughout the duration of the event. We’ll also be covering the deluge of other notable discounts once the event kicks off in earnest, so make sure to keep an eye on all of our deals coverage in the coming week.The best smart... Continue reading…

What did Gary Wang commit? | Photo Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge Gary Wang supervised the code that gave Alameda special privileges at FTX. But it’s hard to conclude anyone but Sam Bankman-Fried gave the orders. Continue reading…

Lenovo’s rollable laptop concept. | Photo by Jon Porter / The Verge At first, Lenovo only seemed casually jealous of Framework’s modular repairable laptops — first, it sent a cease-and-desist over a Framework power button, then it unveiled its own modular concept laptop dubbed Project Aurora with no promise to actually build such a thing.But it looks like the ThinkPad and Motorola owner might actually be serious about ramping up repairability. “More than 80 percent of our devices will be able to be repaired at the customer,” Lenovo executive Luca Rossi told the Canalys EMEA Forum 2023, according to The Register.“Batteries, SSD, many things will not any longer be sealed into the product but will be available for the customer to be to repaired on site and then save a lot of waste,” he reportedly said. L... Continue reading…

Apple News is a built-in app available on new iPhones running iOS 17 and earlier OS versions. The application is similarly found on recent iPads and Macs, so your preferences will sync across your iCloud devices. And while this app offers a paid Apple subscription service called News+, it actually functions just fine without a membership. To learn more about the Apple News app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, read on.

Magnifier includes some additional accessibility benefits that go beyond simply zooming into distant text. | Image: Google Google has released its Magnifier app for Pixel phones that’s designed to make small, dimly lit, or distant text easier to read. The new accessibility app debuted on the Pixel 8 series introduced at Google’s Pixel event earlier this week, and allows users to “magnify small text, see object details, or zoom in on faraway text like street signs or restaurant menus behind a service counter,” according to the Magnifier app Play Store listing.Magnifier is currently supported on Pixel 5 phones or later, though that doesn’t include the Pixel Fold or Pixel Tablet devices according to 9to5Google. The app itself features a fairly simple user interface. The default screen includes large + and - buttons used to control the zoom function, located on... Continue reading…

Image: BBC The BBC, the UK’s largest news organization, laid out principles it plans to follow as it evaluates the use of generative AI — including for research and production of journalism, archival, and “personalized experiences.”In a blog post, BBC director of nations Rhodri Talfan Davies said the broadcaster believes the technology provides opportunities to deliver “more value to our audiences and society.” The three guiding principles are that the BBC will always act in the public’s best interests, prioritize talent and creativity by respecting the rights of artists, and be open and transparent about AI-made output.The BBC said it will work with tech companies, other media organizations and regulators to safely develop generative AI and... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is planning to finalize its $68.7 billion proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week. A source familiar with Microsoft’s plans tells The Verge that the company is eyeing up Friday October 13th as the closing date where it announces to the world that the 20-month process to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard is over.That date will still depend on the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority though, a regulator that blocked Microsoft’s deal earlier this year. Microsoft recently restructured the deal to transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft, and the Xbox maker secured preliminary approval from the CMA late last month as a result.The CMA has a deadline that expires... Continue reading…

If you recently switched to a Chromebook from a Mac or PC, you might be wondering how you can print on a Chromebook. Perhaps you're even looking to use a popular docking station to turn your Chromebook into a productivity device. Printing is an incredibly important task, whether for school, work, or personal reasons, and it's incredibly simple to set up a printer and print a document in ChromeOS.