25
All of The Verge news from their Twitter Feed If you have a suggestion contact @gilalexandel
A professional’s guide to the iPhone 16 Pro camera
https://www.theverge.com/24261280/iphone-16-pro-camera-guide-features-camera-control-button
Why Persona’s longtime director made an epic fantasy RPG
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262346/metaphor-refantazio-katsura-hashino-interview-persona
Instacart’s smart cart helps you navigate to the sauce that’s on sale
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262249/instacart-smart-caper-cart-live-location-map-game-treasure-hunt
How to tint your app icons in iOS 18
https://www.theverge.com/24260660/ios-18-iphone-icons-color-how-to
Phoenix Springs reimagines the point-and-click adventure as weird noir
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262101/phoenix-springs-review-point-and-click-adventure
The future of Halo is being built with Unreal Engine 5
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24264129/halo-unreal-engine-5-halo-studios-announcement
Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service approved for areas hit by Hurricane Helene
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263801/starlink-t-mobile-fcc-satellite-hurricane-helene
Trailers of the week: Nosferatu, The Franchise, and Squid Game 2
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263075/trailers-of-the-week-nosferatu-the-franchise-squid-game-2-companion-movie-tv
Shrunken Mac Minis and a new iPad Mini might come in November
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263414/apple-m4-macs-november-rumor-small-mac-mini-macbook-pro-imac-ipad-mini
Your iPhone 16 may get its first Apple Intelligence features later this month
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263398/ios-18-iphone-16-apple-intelligence-coming-october-update-ai-notification-summaries
The much simpler way to keep track of everything
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24262260/pebblebee-airtag-google-arc-search-copilot-chatgpt-installer
You can slap a Pixel Watch 2 on your wrist for just $224 right now
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24260725/google-pixel-watch-2-amazon-fire-hd-8-tablet-deal-sale
An Android feature now rolling out locks your screen if your phone is swiped
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24262810/google-theft-detection-lock-rolling-out-android
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to launch a new crew capsule on Monday
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24262730/blue-origin-rss-karman-line-capsule-first-launch
Arc’s ‘better mobile browser’ is now available on Android
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/4/24262056/arc-search-android-beta-mobile-web-browser
Metaphor: ReFantazio. | Image: Atlus
Persona 5 helped the roleplaying franchise break out with mainstream audiences (https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15098458/persona-5-review-ps4-ps3), and it’s also a game that was in the works for a long time. Early work began in 2008, just after Persona 4 came out, with full development kicking off three years later. So, just ahead of the game’s launch in 2016, director Katsura Hashino — steward of the franchise since Persona 3 — asked the team what they wanted to do next. “Everyone said fantasy,” he tells The Verge.
That game would turn out to be Metaphor: ReFantazio, an epic RPG that launches on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on October 11th. In a lot of ways, it’s reminiscent of Persona, with slick menus, turn-based combat, and gameplay systems forged through making meaningful connections with characters....
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262346/metaphor-refantazio-katsura-hashino-interview-persona)
The Caper Cart. | Image: Instacart
If you always have trouble finding that specific pasta sauce like I do, there’s a smart grocery shopping cart that can map it out for you. Instacart’s Caper Cart (https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/19/23354775/instacart-caper-cart-grocery-shopping-delivery-ai), which has a touchscreen and payment terminal up front where you’d normally seat your toddler or play Jenga with your produce, now has a new store map system that can help navigate you to products you’re looking for, on-sale items, and even send you on fetch quests that can land you savings. And there’s ads on them, too.
The Caper Carts have been in limited operation in select grocery stores for several years; when you drop in products, the cart automatically tallies them up on the screen (except for specific types of produce) thanks to several cameras, sensors, and a scale...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262249/instacart-smart-caper-cart-live-location-map-game-treasure-hunt)
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge
For several years now, it’s been possible to personalize your iPhone screen by creating your own icons, mostly by using Apple’s built-in Shortcuts app (and we have instructions for doing just that (https://www.theverge.com/22529978/apple-iphone-ios-apps-icon-change)). But if you want to do a little customization in a short amount of time, a new feature in iOS 18 lets you tweak the color of your app icons in a matter of moments. Here’s how.
On your iPhone homescreen:
Long-press somewhere on the background so that the icons start to do their little jiggle dance.
You’ll see an Edit button in the top-left corner; tap it, and then select Customize.
Screenshot: Apple
A pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen lets you change the look of your app icons.
Screenshot:...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/24260660/ios-18-iphone-icons-color-how-to)
Image: Calligram Studio
In Phoenix Springs, it’s not so much the ravishing hand-drawn visuals that first grab the attention, but the voice of narrator and protagonist Iris. Befitting her name, she behaves like a roving eye, investigating and describing her surroundings with a clinical, almost robotic detachment. Yet Iris is no blank slate: you quickly come to learn that she is a snob with little regard for the homeless. She even appears to have short shrift for the player, delivering a withering putdown when you make a connection she deems just a little too obvious.
Iris, a tech journalist by trade, is the perfect protagonist for a point-and-click adventure, a genre whose mechanics often begin with the simple act of looking. Eventually, in classics like Grim...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24262101/phoenix-springs-review-point-and-click-adventure)
Master Chief in Unreal Engine 5. | Image: Halo Studios
Microsoft is moving its Halo development to Unreal Engine 5, after more than a year of rumors of an engine switch following a leadership overhaul (https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/12/23349309/halo-infinite-343-industries-bonnie-ross-xbox) at 343 Industries, layoffs (https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/31/23579819/microsoft-layoffs-halo-343-industries-tatanka-unreal-engine), and other changes. 343 Industries is now becoming Halo Studios (https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/a-new-dawn) as part of this engine change announcement, hoping to mark a new chapter in the history of Halo.
Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5 is being positioned as the first step of a transformation for Halo Studios to change its technology, structure, processes, and even culture. “We’re not just going to try improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games,” says Pierre Hintze (https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/10/06/halo-studios-unreal-engine-interview/), studio head at Halo Studios.
Image: Halo Studios
Master Chief in Unreal Engine 5.
...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/7/24264129/halo-unreal-engine-5-halo-studios-announcement)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX and T-Mobile (https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1842988427777605683) temporary approval for direct-to-cell service using Starlink satellites in areas affected by Hurricane Helene,
SpaceX:
The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.
SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, so all services will be delivered on a best-effort basis.
The massive flooding from Hurricane Helene created swaths (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/30/24258502/blackout-zones-disconnected-by-hurricane-helene-connect-via-temporary-cell-towers-starlink) of “blackout zones,” particularly in North Carolina, and communications continue to be heavily impacted throughout the...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263801/starlink-t-mobile-fcc-satellite-hurricane-helene)
Willem Dafoe in Nosferatu. | Screenshot: YouTube
Can you feel it? There’s a slight chill in the air, the Sun is retiring earlier, and the leaves are beginning to change (at least in my Midwestern city). We’re wading right into the time of year when everyone starts posting the vampire Kermit the Frog meme (https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/comments/16wl97j/im_ready/?rdt=62773) to show how ready they are for Halloween. I’m even starting to eye that Shudder re-subscribe button.
October has its own vibe at the cinema, and theatrical releases this month include Operation Blood Hunt, a movie about 1944 special forces fighting werewolves in the Pacific theater, and Seven Cemeteries, a Danny Trejo-starring film about a guy who hires a witch to resurrect his posse to save a woman’s ranch. And let’s not forget Rumours, which I’m very excited for.
So I’ve got a...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263075/trailers-of-the-week-nosferatu-the-franchise-squid-game-2-companion-movie-tv)
The old Mac Mini design may finally be on its way out after more than a decade. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Apple is planning to announce in late October that new Macs, including a rumored Mac Mini that’s about the size of an Apple TV (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/8/24216106/apple-mac-mini-smaller-redesign-m4-rumor), will be available to buy starting on November 1st. That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who also writes in his Power On newsletter today that the iPad Mini is getting an overdue refresh — its first since 2021 (https://www.theverge.com/22696652/ipad-mini-2021-6th-gen-review).
The Mac Mini may be the most exciting of the updates, given the rumored significant physical revamp coming along with a new M4 chip. Despite its shrunken size, the M4 Pro version might have a healthy connectivity spread (albeit without any USB-A ports (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/1/24233471/apple-m4-mac-mini-redesign-no-usb-a-ports)).
Gurman writes that Apple will also announce M4 versions of the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro (https://www.theverge.com/23944344/apple-macbook-pro-14-2023-review-m3-specs-battery-ports), as well as the high-end 14- and- 16-inch MacBook... (https://www.theverge.com/23949207/apple-macbook-pro-16-m3-max-review-price-specs)
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263414/apple-m4-macs-november-rumor-small-mac-mini-macbook-pro-imac-ipad-mini)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
The iPhone 16, despite its marketing so far, still doesn’t have (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/10/24241043/apple-iphone-16-pro-intelligence-ai-missing) Apple Intelligence. That’s set to change on October 28th with the release of iOS 18.1, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter.
The update will bring with it AI-powered notification summaries, Gurman writes. Though he only lists that example, the iOS 18.1 beta has also included (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249206/apple-intelligence-ios-18-1-public-beta) some Siri improvements (like understanding you better when you stumble over your words (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/10/24171936/apple-siri-ai-update-ios18-features-wwdc)), along with writing tools and a new rainbow-colored glowing edge graphic when you summon Siri on a phone or iPad.
Apple Intelligence only runs on the iPhone 15 Pro and up, but it’s also been available in beta (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249206/apple-intelligence-ios-18-1-public-beta) for Macs and iPads with Apple silicon chips (M1 and and up), so even if you...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263398/ios-18-iphone-16-apple-intelligence-coming-october-update-ai-notification-summaries)
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 55, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready to ruin your phone’s storage, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been reading about AI girlfriends and Bobbi Althoff and baseball pitchers, watching Nobody Wants This (my favorite new show in forever) and the new noodle-focused Chef’s Table (a long-standing fave), falling in love with Coldplay all over again, listening to John Oliver talk journalism, playing a lot of Alphaguess, and painstakingly moving all my junk to my new blue iPhone 16. It’s so pretty.
I also have for you a handy new way to track your stuff, a great app for posting to social...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24262260/pebblebee-airtag-google-arc-search-copilot-chatgpt-installer)
The Pixel Watch 2 can still serve you well in 2024 if you don’t need a bigger or brighter screen. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The Pixel Watch 3 (https://www.theverge.com/24239115/google-pixel-watch-3-review-smartwatch-wear-os-wearable) may be the shining refinement Google’s wearable lineup needed, but the last-gen Pixel Watch 2 is still a great buy. That’s especially true when you can get it for as low as $224 ($26 off) — which is the watch’s current starting price at both Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCQ7DNQL/?tag=theverge02-20) and Best Buy (https://howl.me/cneLA3Eazah).
Although the Pixel Watch 3 introduces a host of solid improvements (https://www.theverge.com/24218577/google-pixel-watch-3-vs-2-comparison-specs-price) — including a bigger and brighter display, a new 44mm size, AI-generated workout suggestions, and offline Google Maps — the second-gen Pixel Watch is still a looker. It only comes in one size (41mm), and the usable display area is only about 10 percent smaller than the third-gen model. It also uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear W5 Gen 1 chip, though it lacks the ultra wideband chip that lets...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24260725/google-pixel-watch-2-amazon-fire-hd-8-tablet-deal-sale)
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Google is rolling out a new set of features aimed at making it less easy for thieves to access your data. That’s according to Mishaal Rahman, who posted on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1fwg6oc/google_is_starting_to_roll_out_theft_detection/) that the features are showing up in a new update after seeing that his Xiaomi 14T Pro phone now has Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock, two of three features Google announced in May (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/15/24157068/android-15-ai-theft-detection-lock-privacy-security). Others say they only see the third one, called Remote Lock.
The flashiest of the new features (https://blog.google/products/android/android-theft-protection/) is Theft Detection Lock, which uses AI to lock your screen when it detects “common motion associated with theft,” like someone snatching your phone out of your hand. Meanwhile, Offline Device Lock locks a device’s screen when it’s offline for a while, and Remote Lock lets users lock their phone...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24262810/google-theft-detection-lock-rolling-out-android)
New Shepard in 2022. | Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Blue Origin is preparing to launch its NS-27 mission with the RSS Kármán Line, its new crew capsule, on Monday at 9AM ET. It will be the first launch for the capsule, which the company says in its announcement (https://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-debuts-second-human-rated-new-shepard-rocket) will have improved performance and reusability, along with “an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster.”
The flight will carry two LIDAR sensors into space that will be used for Blue Origin’s Lunar Permanence program to develop Moon landers (https://spacecrew.com/space-jobs/lq3fec1u-blue-origin-lunar-permanence-integration-and-test-plans-and-standards-lead-r38162). Those are among 12 payloads that also include ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors, a reproduction of the black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and student postcards submitted to its Club for the Future (https://www.clubforfuture.org/) nonprofit. Blue Origin will stream the launch on its... (https://www.blueorigin.com/)
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/5/24262730/blue-origin-rss-karman-line-capsule-first-launch)
Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge
After months of waiting, now Android users can take the Arc Search app for a spin. It’s now available as an open beta (https://play.google.com/apps/testing/company.thebrowser.arc) on the Google Play Store after developers teased an Android version (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/23/24226870/arc-is-coming-to-android-soon) of the app in August.
Arc is The Browser Company’s take on web browsing (https://www.theverge.com/23462235/arc-web-browser-review), billing itself as offering better customization options than competitors. The Arc Search app also comes with an AI feature, called “Browse for me,” that searches the web for your query and comes up with a summary based on its sources.
The app also automatically archives old tabs, blocks ads by default, and gets rid of data-tracking popups, which has me tempted to switch away from Edge. While Arc initially launched as a Mac-only desktop browser, the Arc Search app (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/28/24053882/arc-search-browser-web-app-ios) launched widely...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/4/24262056/arc-search-android-beta-mobile-web-browser)
The 6.1-inch Boox Palma looks a lot like a smartphone, but it’s designed to be an e-reader. | Image: Boox
Kindles (https://www.theverge.com/22745670/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-2021-review-usb-c-signature-edition-display-e-reader-books) are great and all, but if you want a pocketable e-reader that doesn’t require you to lock yourself into Amazon’s ecosystem, the Boox Palma might be worth a look. The 6.1-inch ebook reader normally runs for $279.99, but now through October 9th, readers of The Verge can score a rare $30 discount and a free cover case (valued at $16) when they buy it from Wellbots (https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1514734&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellbots.com%2Fproducts%2Fonyx-boox-palma-e-reader&referrer=theverge.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2024%2F10%2F4%2F24262072%2Fboox-palma-e-reader-deal-sale) using code BOOXVERGE30.
My colleague David Pierce waxed poetic (https://www.theverge.com/24184777/boox-palma-e-ink-smartphone-reader) about the Palma after spending time with it. I’ve only started testing the e-reader, but so far, I can understand the appeal. It’s slick and stylish in a way the Kindle isn’t, but more notably, it’s smartphone-sized, so you really can slip it into your pocket and comfortably hold it in one hand.
Aside from...
Continue reading… (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/4/24262072/boox-palma-e-reader-deal-sale)