Samsung’s first beta for One UI 8, based on Android 16, is right around the corner, and it really seems like it could live at any moment as the company is detailing a new sign-up process.
more…I don’t usually watch trailers, but Apple TV+ makes it nearly impossible to avoid them with how aggressively it peddles its own content.
After the umpteenth time that sharp trumpet note from The Studio’s trailer blared through my TV while I was just trying to watch something else, I gave in. My first thought? Yeah, no. Looks way too over the top. Eleven episodes later, I can confirm: it absolutely is. And it’s glorious. Give it a shot and you’ll thank Sal Saperstein later
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Is it weird to have nostalgia for an operating system? I don't mean missing a particular feature that's been removed from modern versions or a specific productivity setting that's no longer supported. I mean a sense of longing for the vibes of the computer interface you grew up with, an ache for the aesthetics of user interfaces past.
I would have thought I was immune to this particular brand of nostalgia. Then I happened upon Desktop Survivors 98, a new Vampire Survivors-style "bullet heaven" autoshooter that leans hard into the aesthetics of the late '90s Windows machines I grew up with. And while that low-res, 256-color presentation is what drew me in, it was the intriguing mouse-controlled gameplay underneath that has kept me coming back for more retro-styled action all week.
When it comes to capturing the feel of the '90s computer environment, Desktop Survivors 98 gets everything just right. This is in large part due to rampant theft of familiar old-school icons; items like My Computer, Calculator, Minesweeper, Search, and more look like they were taken directly from a classic Microsoft tile set. The game's low-res desktop backgrounds and Windows also look like they came out of a years-old Microsoft style book.
A Microsoft employee has managed to circumvent a block instituted earlier this week that limited mentions of "Palestine," "Gaza," and "Genocide" in email subject lines or in the body of a message. Nisreen Jaradat, a senior tech support engineer at Microsoft, emailed thousands of employees on May 23rd with the subject line: "You can't get rid of us."
"As a Palestinian worker, I am fed up with the way our people have been treated by this company," the note, a copy of which was obtained by The Verge, reads. "I am sending this email as a message to Microsoft leaders: the cost of trying to silence all voices that dare to humanize Palestinians is far higher than simply listening to the concerns of your employees."
It's not immediately clear how Jaradat got around the block. The email calls on Microsoft employees to sign a petition by the No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) group, which urges Microsoft to end its contracts with the Israeli government. NOAA is behind several high-profile protest actions in recent weeks, and Jaradat, a member, also encourages colleagues to join the group in different capacities. Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw directed The Verge to a previous statement it s …
Last years base model is in a strange place. Yes, the Pixel 8 is still a great buy, but it might not be easy to recommend as Android and, in particular AI, plays a more integral role in the OS over the coming years – here’s why.
more…The long-term promise of Apple Intelligence and next-gen Siri is that it will be able to access all our apps, and the data stored in those apps, to become massively more helpful.
ChatGPT has effectively given us a preview of this type of capability through its integration with a handful of Mac apps, and I’ve been putting it to the test …
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Amid the brutal cuts across the federal government under the Trump administration, perhaps one of the most gutting is the loss of experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who respond to lead poisoning in children.
On April 1, the staff of the CDC's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program was terminated as part of the agency's reduction in force, according to NPR. The staff included epidemiologists, statisticians, and advisors who specialized in lead exposures and responses.
The cuts were immediately consequential to health officials in Milwaukee, who are currently dealing with a lead exposure crisis in public schools. Six schools have had to close, displacing 1,800 students. In April, the city requested help from the CDC's lead experts, but the request was denied—there was no one left to help.
© FDA
The original Vestaboard revived and modernized the split-flap mechanical displays that were once a mainstay of airports and train stations around the world, but at $3,499 it put a steep price on nostalgia. Its creators are back with a new version called the Vestaboard Note that’s much smaller and more affordable. It’s available for preorder now, starting at $899 – discounted from $1,299 – with deliveries expected to begin in December 2025.
The company had spent over a year developing a new version of the Vestaboard called the Smart Bits that was “a completely new way to experience Vestaboard’s patented character units” that also “pushed the limits of design, engineering, and manufacturing,” according to the company’s founder and CEO, Dorrian Porter. But, when faced with economic uncertainty as a result of President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese-made goods, the company pivoted and instead created the Note.
Functionally, the Note is nearly identical to the original Vestaboard. But instead of using 132 split-flap mechanisms, which the company calls Bits, the Note only features 45. Each can display 64 alphanumeric characters plus other symbols like punctuation, solid colors, and a newly added red heart. The display measures 24.5 inches wide, or 28.4 inches with an optional bezel frame that adds $169 to the full retail pricing.
Messages, patterns, and images can be created using a web interface or a free accompanying mobile app for iOS and Android. They’re sent to the Note over Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. In addition to a library of existing designs and inspirational quotes, the app allows messages to be scheduled, sent to other Vestaboard users you’re friends with, or even silenced during certain hours of the day. As hypnotic as the sound of over 2,800 spinning flaps may be, you probably don’t want the Vestaboard Note waking you up in the middle of the night.
Alongside the and Bose’s latest SoundLink Max Portable Speaker at $100 off. Everything else awaits below.
more…In addition to Gemini Live announcements at I/O 2025, Google looks to be widely rolling out camera and screen sharing for free Android users. This free availability was first announced over a month ago in a gradual rollout.
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While and Best Buy’s Memorial Day sales before we even kick off the holiday weekend, there are some additional deals to add to the list today. Amazon has now dropped a sizable $300 off the 2TB M4 iPad Pro, while more affordable models start from $809. That deals joins some notable offers on Apple’s Magic Keyboard as well as a giant price drop on the originally $1,049 iPad Air down at $699 shipped. Apple Watch Series 10 deals continue from $299 while upgraded models are up to $160 off alongside discounts on Twelve South’s TimePorter Apple Watch band organizer. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
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