Technology

While a largely iterative upgrade, the new Rotom Phone gets a couple new features. | Image: The Pokémon Company The Rotom Phone is getting a big upgrade. Following its introduction in the Galar region three years ago, the updated version of the smartphone-that’s-inhabited-by-a-Pokémon is finally making the jump from one back camera to two. The handset will soon be available in the new Paldea region as well. It’s difficult to tell exactly what kind the second lens is for — all I can really...

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Valve is expanding Steam Deck shipments to some regions that could take the handheld PC-meets-console to new heights. The company just announced that reservations are now open in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan through Komodo, a site that also sells Valve’s Index VR headset for PC among other games and gaming merchandise. If you visit steamdeck.com in one of those regions, you should be rerouted to Komodo’s site soon, or you can click here and...

Ever heard of the Streisand effect? It’s when someone tries to suppress information, only to wind up spreading it even further than it might have otherwise traveled. For example: Last week, I might have been skeptical if you told me a podcaster got their hands on a casting script for the next Tomb Raider game — one which reveals that a older, lonely Lara Croft may dodge lasers in a “gravity tomb” and engage in a romance with another female character. But if you also told me that the head...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge NBC’s long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives will be leaving broadcast television after 57 years on to stream exclusively on Peacock, the network announced on Wednesday. The change means that fans who previously have been able to watch the show for free on broadcast will now have to pay for a streaming service to learn what happens next in the show’s fictional town of Salem. New episodes of Days of Our Lives will debut beginning September 12th...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook is shutting down live shopping, its QVC-like livestream feature that lets creators broadcast and sell products to an audience (via TechCrunch). The feature will officially shut down on October 1st, and Facebook says it’s part of the company’s initiative to shift focus to Reels. “As consumers’ viewing behaviors are shifting to short-form video, we are shifting our focus to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s short-form video product,”...

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge The best Chromebook for anyone who wants Chrome OS on their laptop Continue reading… Continue reading from Source - The Verge...

Lenovo’s budget-friendly Chromebook Duet is $50 off. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge If you’re looking for an affordable laptop alternative, Chromebooks are a great option to consider. Yet there are several kinds on the market these days, and it can be overwhelming to pick the right for you and your needs. Some are better suited for basic work tasks, for example, while some of the higher-end models can even rival some of the best laptops you can buy. Moreover, just because one Chromebook...

Photo by Andrew Hawkins / The Verge Luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors is slashing its production forecast for 2022 for the second time this year. The Newark, California-based company announced it was revising its production expectations to between 6,000 and 7,000 vehicles. Lucid originally said it would make 20,000 vehicles in 2022, but that number was revised in February to 12,000–14,000 vehicles. It was another disappointing turn for the EV maker, which is strongly angling to...

At a press conference last week, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged the country to conserve energy in every way possible, including taking off ties to stay cool. | Photo By Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via Getty Images As Europe grapples with a scorching summer and skyrocketing energy prices, Spain has become the latest government to tell its citizens to turn down the AC. A decree published on Tuesday morning in the official state gazette and scheduled to go into effect next week...

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Here’s how a research study to test for antibodies might normally go: participants who sign up go to a medical office and get their blood drawn. Depending on the type of study, they might have to go back and forth multiple times over a few months. It takes logistics, scheduling, and too much time in probably too cold waiting rooms. But a new COVID-19 vaccine booster study tried a new — and more badass and / or gross, depending on how...