Technology news

Budget airline Spirit will start offering Wi-Fi on its flights sometime later this year, the company announced today. Access will cost an “average price of $6.50” per flight, depending on bandwidth options and what route you’re flying. Spirit will use Ka-band high-speed satellites which should provide a fast enough connection for streaming. The rollout should be complete by summer 2019.Spirit says the Wi-Fi experience will get even faster in the next few years since the commun

A new day, a new glaring hypocrisy from the Trump administration.
Today's scandal comes from White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly. In a new interview with NPR, Kelly complained that immigrants crossing the border weren't good fits because they "don't have skills" and "don't speak English." 
Thanks to the good humans of Twitter, we now know that's apparently true of Kelly's own ancestors, some of whom were unable to read or write English and would be classified as "unskilled."  

Minecraft for the Nintendo Switch is about to get a lot bigger with a new update that brings the universal Minecraft Bedrock Engine to Nintendo’s portable console on June 21st, enabling cross-play between the Switch and the PC, Xbox One, and mobile versions of the game.
The cross-platform update is actually pretty late in coming to the Switch — it was announced back at E3 last year, and hit the other platforms last September. The Switch release was then promised for later in the win

NASA announced that it's sending a helicopter to Mars in a little over two years. 
If successful, this aerial Mars explorer, with a body about the size of a football, would be the first helicopter to fly on another planet. 
NASA hopes to launch the prototype to Mars with the agency's 2020 rover, which is designed to hunt for signs of past life on the red planet.
SEE ALSO: SpaceX launches, then lands, a brand new version of its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket
“After the Wright Brothers

The mayor of Cape Town, South Africa predicted in October 2017 that the city would run out of water by the following March. Since then, the date for what officials are calling “Day Zero” has shifted from April 21st, to April 12th, and April 16th. Today, May 11th, was another potential Day Zero — but the latest from the city is that the threat has been postponed to sometime in 2019. What gives?
In some ways, the shifting estimates are a good thing: they reflect how successful C

Whether you're a queer person aching for representation or a straight human looking for a good time, we are all searching for the same thing in life: quality lesbian sex scenes.
Historically, they've been excruciatingly hard to find. That's why it's delightful to see newly-released indie drama Disobedience get it mostly right. Neither a heteronormative pornographic fantasy nor a dry, anthropological account, Disobedience manages to depict queer sex without exploiting the actors performing it.
Bo

The latest Destiny 2 raid lair, Spire of Stars, launched on Friday, and players are finding it rather difficult to finish.
Spire of Stars sends players back into the Leviathan for a third time to fight against Emporer Calus and the Cabal. Hours after the raid launched, players are still working their way through the challenging encounters — those players that reach the recommended power level, that is.
SEE ALSO: 'Destiny 2: Warmind' reviews are in"This vestige of my power shall be your key

When Android P is released this summer, it will bring with it a new Dashboard designed to clearly show the amount of time we’re spending on our phones. You’ll see a breakdown that includes the number of times you’ve unlocked your device, a tally of notifications, and details on how much time you’re spending in individual apps. This all stems from Google’s focus on digital well-being that the company announced at I/O 2018 this week. But YouTube isn’t waiting f

Boston Dynamics is planning to sell its SpotMini robot to the public in 2019, TechCrunch reports today. The company said at a TechCrunch event today that the SpotMini is in pre-production and is being prepared for commercial availability next year. The company’s founder, Marc Raibert, also said the SpotMini was “motivated by thinking about what could go in an office — in a space more accessible for business applications — and then, the home eventually.” You definit

Google says it will require Android phone manufacturers to roll out security patches on a “regular” basis — though it isn’t clear who that requirement will apply to or how rigorous the mandate will be. On Wednesday, during a talk at Google’s annual developer conference that was caught by 9to5Google, the company announced that many more users would receive regular security patches thanks to new agreements it’s making with partners.
“When you have billion

TV network Fox confirmed Friday that it would be reviving Tim Allen's comedy Last Man Standing. The news – rumored for weeks – was confirmed a day after the network canceled critically acclaimed comedies The Last Man on Earth, The Mick, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
SEE ALSO: 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' was canceled and the internet is losing its mind
"Last Man Standing ended too soon and the outcry from the fans has been deafening,” said Gary Newman and Dana Walden, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox

Eurovision has pulled out of China, ending its contract with the local Chinese channel that airs the show, after that broadcaster censored an Irish music video that featured an LGBTQ love story.
The European Broadcasting Union, which puts together Eurovision and licenses out broadcasts, said in a statement to The New York Times that censoring an LGBTQ love story was “not in line with the EBU’s values of universality and inclusivity and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity th

A so-called robocall “kingpin” has now been fined $120 million by the Federal Communications Commission, in the biggest bust of its kind. How many calls did he make in order to attract their censure? A whopping 96 million. Adrian Abramovich of Miami was caught using spoofed robocalls to sell people timeshares and vacation packages. According to the FCC’s documents, Abramovich impersonated companies like Expedia and TripAdvisor, trying to “trick unsuspecting consumers int

This afternoon, SpaceX landed the most powerful version yet of its Falcon 9 rocket, after launching the vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The so-named Block 5 upgrade took off from the company’s launchpad at Kennedy Space Center, sending a communications satellite into orbit for Bangladesh and then touched down on one of the company’s drone ships in the Atlantic. It was the 25th successful rocket landing for SpaceX, and the 14th on one of the company’s drone ships.It also

Up until January, Ring, a smart doorbell creator now owned by Amazon, didn’t revoke users’ access to its app when their account’s password changed. This allowed exes and other people to continue monitoring recorded video even after their permissions should have been removed, The Information reports today. Ring says it adjusted the app in January so that it now eventually revokes app access when a password changes, but that removal can take hours to set in. It isn’t immed

The United Launch Alliance announced today that it had picked one of the engines it plans to use to power the company’s next generation rocket, called the Vulcan. ULA has decided to go with the RL10, an engine manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne, to propel the Vulcan’s upper stage, the top portion of the vehicle that deploys satellites into their final orbits during launch. It’s a big hardware decision for ULA, but the company has yet to make a much more anticipated choice for

Nokia announced that it would be bringing back the Matrix banana phone at Mobile World Congress this year, and now it appears that the phone will go on sale in Asia at the end of May. The Nokia 8110 will go on sale in Singapore and Vietnam for S$109 (or about $80), according to CNET. It’ll be available in both black and yellow and should be rolling outglobally, as well.The phone features a 2.4-inch QVGA display and a two-megapixel rear-facing camera. Users will also get access to an upgra

Once upon a time, Chromebooks were low-budget options for students without many features or high-end specs. 
But no longer. As Google refines Chrome OS, and manufacturers continue to build and innovate, Chromebooks are becoming great options for users of all ages and occupations. There are hundreds of sellers, makes, and models to choose from, all of which have access to the millions of Android apps Google has to offer. 
SEE ALSO: Nobody needs a Chromebook with a 4K screen
So which one

The Artiphon is back and better than ever.
If you've heard of this smart "everyone" instrument before, you know that it lets you play any song on any instrument you can imagine — all on the same device. 
The creators were aiming to reach an ambitiously wide spectrum of people, so when when they say the "everyone" instrument, they aren't kidding. Getting into music creation and learning to play an instrument may have been an overwhelming (and expensive) process in the past, but this su

In Google’s demonstration of its new AI assistant Duplex this week, the voice assistant calls a hair salon to book an appointment, carrying on a human-seeming conversation, with the receptionist at the other end seemingly unaware that she is speaking to an AI. Robots don’t literally have ears, and in order to “hear” and analyze the audio coming from the other end, the conversation is being recorded. But about a dozen states — including California — require ev

After 26 years, Boston Dynamics is finally getting ready to start selling some robots. Founder Marc Raibert says that the company’s dog-like SpotMini robot is in pre-production and preparing for commercial availability in 2019. The announcement came onstage at TechCrunch’s TC Sessions: Robotics event today at UC Berkeley.
“The SpotMini robot is one that was motivated by thinking about what could go in an office — in a space more accessible for business applications &mdash

The visual data sets of images and videos amassed by the most powerful tech companies have been a competitive advantage, a moat that keeps the advances of machine learning out of reach from many. This advantage will be overturned by the advent of synthetic data.
The world’s most valuable technology companies, such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Baidu, among others, are applying computer vision and artificial intelligence to train their computers. They harvest immense visual data sets of i

The Moto Z3 Play leaked earlier this month in slightly sketchy and grainy images from China, but yesterday, VentureBeat reporter Evan Blass leaked what appears to be a nice-looking press image of the device. The render suggests that the new phone will forego the front fingerprint sensor in favor of one on the side, and will include dual rear-facing cameras. It’ll still be modular, of course, and work with Moto Mods. Blass says the color in the render is “deep indigo.”
Moto Z3

The Social Security Administration has released its list of top baby names for U.S. kids in 2017. Surprise: people are still super into naming their kids after television characters.
The trend of naming a child after a Game of Thrones favorite has always been a little puzzling to me, mostly because you never know when your favorite character is going to die a disturbing death. Nevertheless, two of the names that increased the most in popularity last year were Lyanna and Yara — although Bla

It should go without saying that those who venture on a car safari to view potentially dangerous animals should not leave their vehicles. 
Still, there will always be those who defy reasoning, like this decidedly bold group of tourists seen dodging a few aggressive cheetahs while walking through a Netherlands safari park. 
SEE ALSO: Why scientists think cows could be the largest animals on land in 300 years
Despite the title on this video, via YouTube channel FPE Humor, this is no "bru

There are so many streaming options available these days, and so many conflicting recommendations, that it’s hard to see through all the crap you could be watching. Each Friday, The Verge’s Cut the Crap column simplifies the choice by sorting through the overwhelming multitude of movies and TV shows on subscription services, and recommending a single perfect thing to watch this weekend.
What to watch
The 2013 political thriller The Fifth Estate on Netflix.
Directed by eclectic, Osca

Ever wished there was a way you could track your teenager's every move when they borrow the vehicle? Suspect your spouse might be up to no good?
The STI GL300 Real-Time GPS Tracker is a little bit larger than a matchbox and can report location data straight to you so you can reliably keep track of people, vehicles, and more.
On the face, the device has a set of indicator LEDs that show you GPS strength and battery life. There's also an SOS Button that when pressed sends out an instant notificati

Microsoft is formally launching a replacement program for Surface Pro 4 devices affected by screen flickering. Any Surface Pro 4 units experiencing the problem will be covered for up to three years from the time of original purchase. “We have heard your feedback and after careful examination, have determined that a small percentage of Surface Pro 4 devices are exhibiting a screen flicker that cannot be addressed with a firmware or driver update,” the company said on its support page

We’ve all been there: you try to copy and paste a link or address, only to realize you’ve already overwritten your clipboard with something else. That’ll soon be a thing of the past on Windows. What’s changed: The latest Windows Insider build (17666) is out but despite several other updates – and all the changes announced at Build 2018 – my favorite upcoming feature might be the new clipboard. It keeps a history of things you’ve copied and pasted, inclu

GoogleClips’ AI-powered “smart camera” just got even smarter, Google announced today, revealing improved functionality around Clips’ ability to automatically capture specific moments — like hugs and kisses. Or jumps and dance moves. You know, in case you want to document all your special, private moments in a totally non-creepy way.
I kid, I kid!
Well, not entirely. Let me explain.
Look, Google Clips comes across to me as more of a proof-of-concept device that showc

Lab-grown meat is on its way, and the government is trying to figure out how to regulate it. This week, the US House of Representatives released a draft spending bill that proposes that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulate lab-grown meat and figure out how it should be labeled — which is a contentious topic since Big Cattle doesn’t want it to be called “meat.” Regulation is important, and there’s plenty more to learn, but the USDA shouldn’t be the

After being warned last week their warranty-voiding stickers might be on the wrong side of shady, Nintendo and Sony have changed their warranties. The details: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warnings — which came to light last week — to the like of Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, HTC, and Asus, warning them about their problematic language in stating what would and wouldn’t violate their warranties. Now Nintendo and Sony have reworked their language. USGamer reporte

Tinder appears to be testing a location-tracking feature that’ll presumably help users meet up in person. The company’s director of product revenue, Jeff Morris Jr, tweeted some of the features Tinder is working on this year, including looping videos, women being able to message first, and location tracking.
Proud of our roadmap @Tinder :* Feed, Loops, Places, Message First - we're releasing products at an unbelievable pace.
* New revenue feature in development & on track for se

With so much controversy swirling around the advertising-driven business models typified by Facebookand Google, and the increasing rigors of regulations like GDPR, it’s no wonder the blockchain world is starting to whet its appetite at the prospect of paying users for attention with crypto assets.
Now a company involved in the production of Hollywood blockbusters featuring the likes of James Franco,Selena Gomez, Alec Baldwin, Heidi Klum and Al Pacino is backing a new startup to reward view

Google’sYouTubeis the first streaming app that will actually tell users to stop watching. At its Google I/O conference this week, the company introduced a series of new controls for YouTube that will allow users to set limits on their viewing, and then receive reminders telling them to “take a break.” The feature is rolling out now in the latest version of YouTube’s app, along with others that limit YouTube’s ability to send notifications, and soon, one that gives u

Apple’s iMac turned 20 this week, so there couldn’t have been a better celebration than to revive the retired podcast Ctrl-Walt-Delete for one more episode. Walt Mossberg and Nilay Patel reminisce on the introduction of Apple’s iMac, and how it influenced the open web and computers going forward. In spirit of the show, Nilay pulls up Walt’s original review for the productTake a listen here in The Vergecast podcast feed.If you enjoyed this podcast and want to hear more au

Google is rolling out a small but helpful upgrade to Android Messages: the ability to copy two-factor authentication codes with a single tap, right from a notification.
If you use two-factor authentication to secure your accounts, you’re probably used to this process: type in your password, wait for a text messaged code to arrive, memorize the code, and then type it back into the login prompt. It’s a bit of a pain. But if you use Android Messages and are logging into an app or websi

Rocky and His Friends debuted in the ABC network’s afternoon lineup in the fall of 1959, and it quickly became a sensation. Co-created by innovative animators / entrepreneurs Jay Ward, Alex Anderson, and Bill Scott, the series took the hip, self-aware humor that, at the time, was becoming popular in comedy clubs and TV commercials, and applied it to the crudely animated adventures of a dim-witted moose named Bullwinkle and his resourceful flying squirrel pal, Rocky. One of the earliest te

New press renders of Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S8 Lite shared on Weibo have given us our best look at the phone’s design, which was initially revealed in FCC and TENAA listings shown earlier this week, as reported by Phone Arena.
According to the specs and images from TENAA, the Galaxy S8 Lite looks very similar to the Galaxy S8, with Samsung’s “Infinity Display,” Bixby-dedicated button, and the same fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone, below the camera