Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd / picture alliance via Getty Images Microsoft’s giant Activision Blizzard deal is complete, and it means Ubisoft has now obtained cloud streaming rights for Call of Duty, all other current Activision Blizzard games, and any coming over the next 15 years. It was a key concession from Microsoft that helped get the deal over the line with UK regulators. But what does it all mean?Ubisoft will now control where Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games show up on cloud gaming services, with the exception of EU countries and the various cloud gaming deals Microsoft signed previously. If you live in a country that’s part of the European Economic Area (EEA) — which includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway — then you’ll get a free license to stream... Continue reading…

The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro were recently announced, and buyers are already excited to buy their next smartphone. But whether this is the right decision depends on how you compare it with other devices in the range like the S23. We know that Samsung S23 comes with stunning displays, state-of-the-art camera setup, and powerful performance. Meanwhile, Google's Pixel 8 brings its signature AI magic, alongside impressive photography features and a user-friendly interface. For this guide, we’ll compare Samsung’s flagship S23 with the Pixel 8 to see which one is the worthy choice.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder. | Image: Nintendo After months of speculation, conspiracy theories, and false alarms, we finally know the name of Mario’s new voice actor: Kevin Afghani. On Friday, Afghani announced the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!”Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) October 13, 2023Nintendo confirmed the news in an email, saying simply, “The voice actor’s name is Kevin Afghani.” The news comes after iconic voice actor Charles Martinet stepped away from the role in August to become a Mario... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge European Commissioner Thierry Breton sent a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai reminding him of the company’s obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) as a large online platform to keep illegal content and disinformation from being shared on YouTube surrounding Israel’s war with Hamas.“Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we are seeing a surge of illegal content and disinformation being disseminated in the EU via certain platforms,” Breton wrote. He added that YouTube has an obligation to protect children and teens in the EU from violent content on the platform, must promptly take action in response to notices from the EU, and have “proportionate and effective mitigation measures in place”... Continue reading…

The Windows product key is a 25-character alphanumeric code that’s needed to activate and validate Windows. It ensures that you are using a licensed copy of Windows and not a pirated one. This is important because some of the critical Windows updates are available only for licensed Windows users. If you are already using a licensed copy of Windows, then you need to know where to find it in case you are planning to do a clean installation of Windows on your machine or want to transfer your copy of Windows to a new machine altogether.

Image: Netflix Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix’s reality show based on Squid Game that will pit 456 people against each other for $4.56 million, will debut on November 22nd, the company announced on Friday. For people based in the US, I’m guessing that means a lot of families will be watching this show over Thanksgiving vacations.Netflix announced the series in June 2022, surprising no one after the humongous success of Squid Game following its 2021 debut. However, the lead-up to release has been a little bit bumpy, as the company had to defend itself following reports of some medical issues on set. The Challenge isn’t the only opportunity for people to try Squid Game-like events. Netflix just opened up ticket sales for Squid Game: The Trials, an... Continue reading…

Image: CD Projekt Red Cyberpunk 2077’s recently released DLC Phantom Liberty uses an AI-edited voice to emulate the performance of a deceased actor, the studio has confirmed. The actor in question is Miłogost “Miłek” Reczek, who provided the Polish-language voice of doctor Viktor Vektor in a localized version of the original game. He passed away in 2021 before reprising his role for the DLC. News that AI would be used to approximate Reczek’s performance first emerged around a month ago prior to the release of Phantom Liberty. But it gained widespread attention this month after developer CD Projekt Red issued a statement explaining its decision. Localization director Mikołaj Szwed says that the company considered re-recording the entire role (both the... Continue reading…

US President Joe Biden arrives for a ceremony at the groundbreaking of the new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility near New Albany, Ohio, on Friday, September 9th, 2022.  | Image: Gaelen Morse / Bloomberg via Getty Images Lawmakers’ push to revive US chip manufacturing has triggered new concerns about pollution regulation, inadvertently subjecting semiconductor factories to federal environmental review for the first time. But while a bipartisan bill would exempt the factories to support a still-struggling American industry, some environmental advocates worry it could weaken the nation’s bedrock environmental law.Since the 1990s, semiconductor manufacturing has shifted from the US to Asia. Around that time, it was becoming cheaper to build fabs and hire workers in Asia. Studies into hazardous chemicals at fabs and lawsuits over worker exposure to them in the US were also emerging.Now, a global chip shortage — and a desire to counter China’s manufacturing... Continue reading…

Image: iFixit David called the Meta Quest 3 “better than its predecessors in almost every way” in our full Verge review — but what’s it like on the inside? iFixit now has the answer in a brilliant teardown video that gets right up close to the gadget’s delightfully shiny guts. You won’t find a curved battery in here like the “largely unfixable” Quest Pro, but you do get a curved heatsink above the fan — and, of course, the Time of Flight depth sensor that the Quest Pro apparently decided to scrap. iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari says it can even attach to a Quest Pro’s board, though it’s not clear whether you could get it to work there. Image: iFixit It took some prying to get here. Image: iFixit Curved... Continue reading…

Image: Nvidia Enjoying Starfield on GeForce Now, where the cloud gaming service is one of the best ways to play? Starting November 1st, it’ll cost you $6 more in Canada, £2 more in the UK, or an additional €2 in Europe per month for the must-have Ultimate plan. Six-month plans are going up by $20 CAD, £10, and €10, respectively.Nvidia spokesperson Jordan Dodge tells me the United States is currently exempt from the price changes. “No price change happening in the US,” he says. The company says the hikes “account for increased operational costs” in the specific countries where they’re rolling out, according to a customer help page, and that GeForce Now founders can still pay grandfathered pricing as originally promised. GeForce Now... Continue reading…

Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images Comcast is about to roll out gigabit-plus internet speeds for both upload and download without needing fiber upgrades that run all the way to the house. The company will offer a new “X-Class” service upgrade that supports up to 2 Gbps downloads and uploads starting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, next week. The city was one of the first places that Comcast launched its 2 Gbps internet service last year, although at that time, it still only supported 200Mbps uploads.Comcast started testing symmetrical multi-gigabit DOCSIS 4.0 technology in 2022 using multiple cable modems and a 10-gig node (which is used for the Xfinity 10G brand name to highlight what’s theoretically possible, even if it’s not happening any time soon). Comcast says... Continue reading…

Image: Nintendo We take a break from the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard news cycle to bring you this important announcement: 11 years after its arrival, six years after Nintendo ceased its production, and just a few months after it also shut down its online store, someone just bought a brand-new Wii U.The news comes to us via Mat Piscatella, video game industry analyst at Circana (formerly NPD), a company that regularly publishes video game retail data.1 new Wii U was sold in the US in September. First time a new Wii U sold since May 2022. Last time a new Vita unit sold was in November 2021, when 3 (!!) were purchased.Is any of this at all meaningful? No. Sales fun facts that do not matter.— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) October 13, 2023That... Continue reading…