Skip to main content

Today’s Storystream

Feed refreshed

A
The Verge
A bold and crisp renewal.

Yeah, sure, Apple TV Plus is the go-to place for sci-fi. But it also has a very fun wine tasting drama. The good news is that more is on the way, as Apple just renewed Drops of God for a second season. The goal this time? “To uncover the origin of the world’s most wonderful wine.”


R
External Link
Microsoft’s opening up access to its collaborative app tech.

Fluid Framework 2.0 lets multiple people work together in Microsoft’s Notion-like Loop workspaces and turns Office document items like charts, tables, and lists into “Lego pieces” that can be edited in real time from any app.

Starting today, outside developers are getting preview access to the technology that gave Microsoft 365 apps a Google Workspace-like boost, stretching those abilities for collaboration even further.


Hands-on with the Surface Laptop on Arm

A sleek Copilot Plus PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite and loaded with AI features.

M
External Link
Eventbrite is recommending illicit “events” that violate its own rules.

Wired found thousands of event listings that violated the platform’s policies, including pages claiming to sell drugs, escort services, and social media engagement.

Sometimes, the recommended events were offensive or potentially harmful: pages promoting illegal drug sales were displayed next to addiction recovery events, for example.


U
External Link
Max is finally launching in Europe.

It’s live in 20 countries now and will reach 25 by July 1st. Warner Bros. Discovery also has bundle deals in place with providers like Telefonica and Vodafone.

In these European countries, Max will be the only way to stream every 2024 Olympic Games event live, it offers “double the amount of content” versus HBO Max, and House of Dragons season two will premiere on June 17th.


The new, faster Surface Pro is Microsoft’s all-purpose AI PC

The newest generation in the tablet / laptop hybrid line comes with some big upgrades — and, with the new Copilot Plus PC branding, some big performance promises.

K
External Link
Happy Cool Sword Day, to all who celebrate.

I am assured by our friends at Polygon that this is, indeed, a real holiday.


Election officials are role-playing AI threats to protect democracy

The job has never been harder, and the threats have never been stranger.

A24 to its fans: “read a book.”

A24 has been selling physical copies of its films’ screenplays through its online store for a few years now, but the studio has just struck a deal with publisher Mack that will put its books in brick-and-mortar stores in in the U.S., Europe and Asia beginning this September.


A24
A
Twitter
The Shadow of the Erdtree looms.

Bandai Namco has announced that it will debut the story trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree today at 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT. There’s exactly one month until the highly anticipated DLC to 2022’s Game of the Year finally launches and there are a whole lot of messed up lil’ dudes FromSoftware has to show off between then and now.


The best entertainment of 2024

Our guide to the most interesting games, movies, and TV shows of the year.

3

Verge Score

The MSI Claw is an embarrassment

Every competitor is better, and most of them are cheaper.

J
External Link
Apple is challenging its $2 billion EU antitrust fine.

The iPhone maker has filed a suit at the EU’s General Court, according to Bloomberg, after arguing that the investigation into the App Store’s music-streaming app distribution had failed “to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm.”

The probe, sparked by an antitrust complaint Spotify raised in 2019, also ordered Apple to stop preventing music-streaming apps from advertising cheaper deals available outside the App Store.


J
External Link
The EU’s AI rulebook passes its final hurdle.

European ministers have unanimously adopted the bloc’s AI Act, which is now set to be published in the EU’s Official Journal in the coming days.

The law will take effect 20 days after publication, where compliance deadlines will be staggered — starting at six months for AI systems that pose “unacceptable risk,” up to the end of 2030 for AI components of large-scale IT systems.


The Verge’s 2024 graduation gift guide

We found all sorts of gadgets and goodies to celebrate the class of 2024, from the practical to the poignant.

J
External Link
Nintendo buys studio to expand its library of third-party games.

In its purchase of Shiver Entertainment — which previously ported Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1 to the Switch — from troubled gaming conglomerate Embracer Group, Nintendo says:

By welcoming Shiver’s experienced and accomplished development team, Nintendo aims to secure high-level resources for porting and developing software titles. Going forward, even after it becomes a part of the Nintendo group, Shiver’s focus will remain the same, continuing commissions that port and develop software for multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch.


T
Quote
A solar powered cargo e-bike is coming.

Inga from Norway’s Infinite Mobility is fitted with 160W of semi-flexible solar panels, a 594Wh battery, stepless Enviolo shifter, and 250W motor with 25km/h top speed. It can carry up 250kg (about 551 pounds).

Founder and CEO Moez Jomâa to PV Magazine:

A full day in the sun is enough to fill the battery from zero to full charge. An hour is sufficient for at least 8 km of driving... In our target markets of Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria, the battery can go many months throughout Spring and Summer without recharging from the grid.

Prototypes are being tested right now and it’s expected to go into production starting next month.


<em>A working prototype.</em>

1/3

A working prototype.
Image: Infinite Mobility
The US is already preparing for 6G.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking comment on how the US can support the development of the next generation wireless network. Although it’s a super early procedural step and it feels like we just got 5G, we could be at the halfway mark to a new generation — they tend to launch every decade, and it’s been about five years since 5G began rolling out.


Sugar’s big twist was more than a gimmick

The Apple TV Plus show’s finale was classic noir with a subtle dash of sci-fi.