Technology

Kevin Mayer is out as TikTok’s CEO less than four months after taking the job. While his resignation comes in the middle of ongoing political turmoil brought on by the Trump administration, his decision to leave likely has less to do with politics and more to do with his own autonomy as an acquisition looms. “I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” Mayer said in an email to staff, posted in full on Pandaily. “Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company.” Mayer became TikTok’s CEO on June 1st, tasked with helping the company navigate choppy political waters in...

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 2 on August 5th, but didn’t give a release date or price at the time, only promising to share more about the foldable on September 1st. But if you check Samsung’s UK retail website right now, it seems you can already pre-order the Z Fold 2 for £1,799, and it’s set to ship by September 17th (via Max Weinbach). While that price might be eye-popping, it’s actually less expensive than the original Fold’s £1,900 starting price in the UK — a difference of £101. Assuming, of course, that the price listed there isn’t a mistake. Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. We don’t know yet if a lower price would carry over to the US. The first Fold launched at $1,980, so perhaps the Z Fold 2 will cost less than that. It’s also unclear if pre-orde...

Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Like previous entries, there will be a beta, which will be open to the public, but you can receive early access if you pre-order specific versions of the game. However, there’s another way to get early access without spending any money: Activision is giving away 10,000 beta keys this weekend. This weekend, the Call of Duty League will be holding its first championship. On Sunday, August 30th at 4PM ET, the publisher will give away early access beta keys to viewers watching the stream on the league’s official website. Activision has not said when it will hold the beta If you want to be eligible for the giveaway, you’ll need to sign up or log into your Activision account and link it with the official Call of Duty League we...

Facebook is blocking searches for “Kyle Rittenhouse,” the gunman allegedly responsible for the killing of two protestors in Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday night. The behavior was first reported by Rolling Stone, but The Verge was able to confirm the block through direct testing. A search for the name returns no results, while a more general search returns a number of results with the shooter’s name included. After Rittenhouse was identified and charged on Wednesday, Facebook removed his profile and blocked users from creating new profiles under the name, out of concern that copycat profiles might be used to spread disinformation. But blocking searches for the name is a more drastic measure, particularly at a time when interest in the details of the attack are at their peak. The platform does n...

Gamescom 2020 may not be the in-person spectacle we’ve come to know, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a big deal. The virtual version of the trade show kicked off with Gamescom Opening Night Live, a two-hour-long event that featured plentiful announcements and trailers, covering everything from the Fall Guys phenomenon to upcoming blockbusters like Star Wars: Squadrons and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. If you missed the show, here are all the biggest reveals. [embedded content] Dragon Age is still alive It’s been a long time since we heard about the next Dragon Age. And while BioWare didn’t reveal a new trailer for the game, the studio at least proved it’s still in the works with a behind-the-scenes video full of concept art, early game renders, and lots of staff excited about the fantas...

Sony debuted new gameplay footage for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the first PlayStation 5 entry in the long-running hit series from Insomniac Games, at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020. Sony shared an initial look at Rift Apart at Sony’s big PS5 games reveal in June, including some gameplay, and today’s extended video built upon what has already been shown. Today’s demo featured a lot of classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay — strafe shooting, jumping, platforming, and more — and it all looks great. But as the title suggests, rifts are also a major part of the new game, letting the two protagonists travel from point to point and between entirely new worlds, all with nearly instantaneous load times. It was an impressive display of what the PS5 might be able to do with its custom SSD, wh...

Annapurna Interactive debuted a new trailer for Twelve Minutes, which the studio describes as “an interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop,” at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020. The trailer features an ominous voiceover from Willem Dafoe, and the game will also include the voice talents of James McAvoy and Daisy Ridley. Twelve Minutes seems to take place entirely from a top-down perspective of a small apartment — much of the trailer shows a main living room, and there’s a brief shot of the two main characters in a bedroom — and you’ll be reliving a twelve-minute time loop over and over again. A tidbit on the game’s Steam page makes the game sound extremely intriguing: “Twelve Minutes blends the dream-like tension of The Shining with the claustrophobia of Rear Window and the ...

Walmart says it’s partnering with Microsoft on a potential TikTok deal. The retailer is pitching the partnership as a way for it to expand its advertising business and grow its third-party marketplace. It comes as reports suggest Microsoft is close to finalizing a deal with TikTok, that could be announced in the coming days. “The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets,” says a Walmart spokesperson in a statement to CNBC. “We believe a potential relationship with TikTok US in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising business...

If you want a comfortable chair with a low-profile design that won’t break the bank, Secretlab’s gaming chairs are generally agreed upon (even by a few Verge writers who have owned one) as being a worthy purchase. And now, its 2020 lineup of chairs, consisting of the Omega, Titan, and Titan XL, can be outfitted in a minimalist black colorway called SoftWeave black. While these chairs already look more subtle than most other options on the market, they do still look a bit like something yanked out of a race car, so the new color option helps. According to Secretlab, this new color is “upholstered in a custom tri-color weave featuring three different shades of black.” It’s worth noting that the fabric looks quite similar to the existing charcoal variant, though it’s definitely a bit darker. ...

Google is expanding its “Snapshot” feature in Assistant, adding new reminders and more proactive suggestions for new activities you may want to try. The initial version of Snapshot showed information like your daily commute time, upcoming schedule, reminders, upcoming flights, recent online orders, and stock market updates. Google is adding to that list with additional reminders for things like upcoming birthdays or holidays, too. The updated Snapshot view will also expand its recommendations — where the app would previously suggest YouTube videos or Spotify songs, the updated version will use your existing user data to offer new recipe ideas, podcasts, or restaurants to order from. Those suggestions will update over the course of your day, too, just like the rest of the Snapshot mode (so ...

Valve is adding a customizable profanity and slur filter to Steam’s chat system. The feature is now available through the Steam Lab beta program, with plans to make it a universal option soon. It filters a default list of commonly used “strong profanity” and slurs for “racial, religious, ethnic, and other identifying groups,” but users can choose to add or remove specific words or upload full block lists of terms. Steam already censors offensive language across its public platform, including in forum posts and reviews. It’s also implemented an optional profanity filter for specific games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Destiny 2. The new feature works across Steam’s chat service as well as supported games, and its block lists offer more options than simply enabling or disab...