/Top Stories/ Last Updated: Tue, Oct 1st, 2024 @ 1:25pm EDT

The Verge

Jay Peters

Epic is trying to sweeten the deal to use Unreal Engine and the Epic Games Store

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Epic is offering better terms for developers who build games with Unreal Engine and list them on the Epic Games Store.

As part of the new “Launch Everywhere with Epic” program, Epic is reducing the royalty rate for games built with Unreal Engine from 5 percent to 3.5 percent — however, those games will have to be available on the Epic Games Store on launch day. The program kicks in on January 1st, 2025 for eligible games published on the...

The Verge

Emma Roth

Port workers along the East and Gulf coasts go on strike

Image: Getty

Dozens of ports along the East and Gulf coasts of the US have shut down as thousands of dock workers strike over wages and technology that could replace jobs, according to CNBC. The strike, which began just past midnight on October 1st, could raise prices and make goods harder to get, depending on how long it lasts.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), a union that represents around 85,000 dock workers, called the strike after its contract with the US...

The Verge

Victoria Song

We tested six smart rings, and there’s a clear winner

I have six ring tans now.

Six smart rings for the wearable reviewer, but only one ring could rule them all.

Continue reading…

The Verge

Andrew Liszewski

Bose’s new SoundLink Home is one of its best-looking wireless speakers

Image: Bose

Bose has announced a new addition to its long-running SoundLink line of wireless speakers. Most of Bose’s speakers have a colorful and durable design that shrugs off sand and water during an afternoon at the beach, but the new $219 SoundLink Home uses materials like anodized aluminum and a fabric speaker cover for a more premium appearance designed to complement the home.

Battery life is rated up to nine hours after a four-hour charge through the speaker’s USB-C port,...

NYT > Home Page

Rory Smith

Can Rugby League and Drag Queens Coexist? A U.K. Mill Town Finds Out.

A gay couple embraced inclusion after buying an English rugby team. To their surprise, the fans bought in, too.

NYT > Home Page

Linda Qiu

Fact-Checking Vance and Walz on the Campaign Trail

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota has acted as attack dog for the Harris campaign, and Senator JD Vance of Ohio has stepped in to explain away former President Donald J. Trump’s incendiary remarks.

NYT > Home Page

Shane Goldmacher, Katie Glueck and Michael C. Bender

What to Watch For in Tuesday’s Vance-Walz Debate

As the two running mates hold their first debate in New York, here is what to be on the lookout for.

NYT > Home Page

Brad Plumer

Why Restoring Power After Helene Is Complicated

Damage went beyond downed power lines. Hundreds of substations went out after the storm. Getting them back online is difficult.

NYT > Home Page

Liam Stack

Four Killed and Several Injured in Tel Aviv Shooting

The shooting took place on a major thoroughfare just as an eerie quiet descended on the city ahead of a widely anticipated Iranian missile attack.

Mashable

What caused the Verizon outage yesterday? What we know.

On Monday, tens of thousands of Americans were hit hard by a widespread Verizon outage, leaving the network offline for several hours. While the issue has since been resolved, the frustration lingers for healthcare workers, students, and countless others who rely on their cell service.

The big question now: what caused it?

According to telecom experts that spoke with CNN, these outages are usually tied to one of three culprits: overloaded networks in urban hubs, botched software updates (like...

Mashable

Welcome to the 'Lover Girl' dating era. It's time to embrace romance.

What's your favourite season? Mine's the 'Lover Girl' era.

Don't worry, this dating trend isn't a catchy buzzword to describe bad behaviour. Rather refreshingly, it describes people who proudly call themselves romantic, those who are embracing their soppy side — something that's historically been regarded as a bit cringe, or something we should hide.

The Lover Girl dating trend is about tossing aside that boring cynicism and disdain. Get in, girlies, we're embracing our love of romance and...

Fast Company

Associated Press

Northern California county to vote on whether to end large farms

The proposal would require the county to phase out what federal authorities call concentrated animal feeding operations.

In a stretch of Northern California known for scenic shorelines and celebrated vineyards, hundreds of brown-bodied hens waddle around a large barn at Weber Family Farms.

Fast Company

Reuters

California governor vetoes controversial AI safety bill

Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and Meta Platforms, all of which are developing generative AI models, had expressed their concerns about the proposal.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed a hotly contested artificial intelligence safety bill after the tech industry raised objections, saying it could drive AI companies from the state and hinder innovation.

Fast Company

Sarah Bregel

CVS layoffs: Pharmacy to cut 2,900 workers amid breakup rumors, AI tech investments

The drugstore chain has struggled in recent years with rising prescription drug costs and dollar store competition.

CVS plans to lay off 2,900 workers, the company announced this week. The move comes as the pharmacy has been struggling with costs in a tough economy, and is considering breaking the company into two separate businesses, as Reuters reported.

Fast Company

The Conversation

Why mountain towns and inland regions need to prepare more for hurricanes

Western North Carolina provides an important case study of a hurricane season risk that might seem rare but can be catastrophic.

The French Broad River winds through the mountains of western North Carolina, fed by dozens of mountain streams, and crosses the city of Asheville. At over 2,000 feet above sea level and more than 250 miles from the coast, it is an unlikely place to prepare for a hurricane.

BuzzFeed - Latest

Find Out Which Festive Drink Captures You Perfectly

Sip your way into the festive season!

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ESPN.com

ESPN

Our predictions from the wild cards to the World Series

Who will be the last team standing? Our MLB experts predict which teams will win each series in October.

ESPN.com

ESPN

MLB playoff preview: World Series odds, keys to success and predicted date of doom for all 12 teams

Have World Series-or-bust hopes for the 2024 postseason? Here's why your squad could be playing into November -- or make an early exit.

SBNation.com

James Dator

NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Commanders rocket up to the Top 10

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It’s a good time to be a Commanders fan. We don’t get to say that often.

Another week in the NFL is in the books and the Power Rankings are largely unchanged at the top. The Chiefs are once again the most dominant team in the league, but we’ll need to see how long they can keep their spot with Rashee Rice now hurt.

Meanwhile the Vikings won’t stop surging and move into the No. 2 spot. At this point the only thing that seems it could...

SBNation.com

James Dator

The NFL rookie WR class is shaping up to be legendary

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

This could be a class we talk about for YEARS.

The hype leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft at wide receiver was based entirely on the generational talent of Marvin Harrison Jr. and the game-breaking potential of Malik Nabers. Sure, there were other guys deeper in the draft who had promise, but outside of those top two players and maybe Rome Odunze there wasn’t a lot of faith this class would be all that special.

Four weeks into the season it’s...

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