❌

Reading view

Fox wants to take over your TV β€” and the tech inside it

Fox logo on Roku remotes

Fox is about to take over the TVs in more than 100 million homes worldwide. On Monday, Fox announced that it's acquiring Roku, the streaming middleman that serves as a portal for viewers to hop into services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, and more. The $22 billion deal may not change Roku's familiar purple interface, but it could put Fox in control of your data behind the screen.

During a call with investors, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said the plan is to keep the two companies separate. Fox aims to grow its business by adding Fox Sports, news content, and local stations to Roku - one of the most popular streaming device and smart TV platfor …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Xbox turmoil continues with a studio closure and executive departures

Vector collage of the Xbox logo.

Last week, Xbox boss Asha Sharma sent a memo warning of an Xbox "reset" ahead of expected layoffs, and today, Kotaku reported that Xbox plans to shut down Compulsion Games, the studio behind South of Midnight.

Since taking over in February, Sharma has made some big decisions, including cutting the price of Xbox Game Pass and making Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution Xbox console exclusives. But in their "reset" memo, Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty discussed many challenges facing the Xbox business, including that it has "over extended" with its studio system:

We are the fortunate stewards of industry-defining franch …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Fox is buying Roku

Roku logo on a pink and purple background.

Fox has announced that it's acquiring Roku outright, in a deal that values the streaming company at $22 billion. Once the deal is complete, Fox content will be promoted more heavily than before on Roku streamers and smart TVs.

The deal will see Fox's TV networks and Tubi streamer combine with Roku's network of streaming devices, smart TV software, and The Roku Channel. The companies say in a press release that by combining they'll become the third-largest player in the US TV industry by viewing share.

"This is a defining moment for Fox, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decad …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Conclave is the sound of a NYC summer block party

The cover of Conclave’s self-titled debut record featuring a water color painting of flowers, mushrooms and congas surrounding a key hole.
Unlock a party. | Image: Conclave

I have this vivid memory of walking to pick up my oldest from school in June of 2022. For a variety of reasons, I was in a very bad place mentally. And to make matters worse, it was brutally hot. I was depressed, angry with the world, sunburned, and soaked through with sweat. But as the second track on Conclave, "Habla," settled into its groove, I found myself unconsciously strutting. Not walking, but moving through the streets in lockstep with the music, just as a much-needed cool breeze kicked up, and some scaffolding afforded me a full block's worth of shade. For a brief moment, I found myself smiling for the first time in what felt like …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - JUNE 11: In-Beom Hwang #6 of Korea Republic scores his team's first goal past Matej Kovar #1 of Czechia during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Korea Republic and Czechia at Guadalajara Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hoping to catch some World Cup matches while spending as little money as possible? You have a few options for finding a few days of free streaming, although you may choose to eventually pony up some money. That, or get creative by combining multiple offers to make it through the whole tournament.

We found a handful of streaming services that are showing all of the World Cup matches. Most of these free trials require you to be a new subscriber, though you might just be able to use a different email address than before.

FuboTV

All FuboTV plans can stream every World Cup match, and each includes a five-day free trial for new members. The least expensive plan is $9.99 for the first month after the trial period, then $19.99 per month after that. Paying for one month after the trial should cover you through all (or most) of the finals, and is likely the least expensive way to watch every match.

My Best Buy Plus and Total members can claim an extended 30-day free trial, as long as they’re new to FuboTV.

Peacock

There’s a Peacock Premium Plus trial offer if you sign up using your Amazon account that will grant you seven days of free access before you’re charged $15.99 per month. I was able to access the offer on an Amazon account without Prime, but your mileage may vary.

We also found multiple ways to potentially claim free Peacock through other paid subscriptions. Some Xfinity Internet plans include Peacock Premium, which you can learn more about on the company’s support page. Walmart Plus members can claim either Peacock Premium or Paramount Plus Essential, but only one at a time, with a 90-day cooldown between switching.

Peacock Premium Plus

A playful illustration of the Peacock logo surrounded by colored circles.

Where to Buy:

YouTube TV

New YouTube TV subscribers can access a 10-day trial for the Sports plan, which includes Fox and 35 other networks. After the trial, the membership will renew for $54.99 per month for the first year, a $10 per month discount from the normal membership.

Fox One

The Fox One streaming service includes World Cup matches, and new subscribers can access a three-day free trial when signing up. After that, the plan costs $19.99 per month to continue watching, and includes both live and on-demand content from Fox.

  •  

X-Men ’97 has what Masters of the Universe is missing

A group shot of the X-Men Beast, Bishop, Rogue, Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Nightcrawler.

In 2026, Marvel and Mattel are both releasing projects designed to capitalize on people's love for iconic animated heroes from their childhoods. Masters of the Universe has put a live-action He-Man on the big screen, and the second season of X-Men '97 is about to fling some of Charles Xavier's mutants into an apocalyptic future. Both projects were clearly made by people who love the source material, and they are similarly filled with nerdy Easter eggs meant to get hardcore fans hyped up. X-Men '97 and Masters of the Universe are both nostalgia plays, but the biggest difference between the two - and arguably the reason one of them hasn't been …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Never Post’s Mike Rugnetta on the creative process and the value of reliable power

Headshot of Mike Rugnetta against a plain gray background.

Mike Rugnetta is a writer, podcast host, producer, audio engineer, educator, musician, sound designer, and father. In short, the man wears a lot of hats. He's the cocreator and host of the award-winning Never Post, an absolutely must-listen podcast about the internet, as well as Fun City, a TTRPG podcast where he's the GM. He's also hosted two different Crash Course series and PBS's Idea Channel.

If you're thinking that sounds like a lot, you're not wrong. It made us want to know how Mike stays focused with so much on his plate, and what tools are most indispensable to him with his hectic schedule. But, what we got was so much more than th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Echo Isle is a pint-sized adventure inspired by classic Zelda

Echo Isle is heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda, and it's not afraid to show it: The retro graphics bear a striking resemblance to Link's Awakening, the main character wears a blue tunic and wields a sword, and he navigates dungeons to collect items and keys to fight bosses and gather magical MacGuffins. But where Echo Isle shines is how it takes the best parts of a Zelda adventure and shrinks them down to their essence - I finished the game in a little more than an hour.

The game starts with the main character falling from the sky onto Echo Isle, an island protected by a magical lighthouse that has mysteriously gone dark. While you d …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

The future of Hollywood isn’t feeding prompts into vanilla gen AI modelsΒ 

An illustration of a young woman standing on a bed. The woman is grimacing and engulfed in a flaming aura.
Concept art from Dear Upstairs Neighbors that used to train custom builds of Google’s Veo and Imagen models. | Image: Google DeepMind

For all the noise that's been made about how generative AI is poised to revolutionize the filmmaking industry, there haven't really been any projects created with the technology that felt like the sort of entertainment people would pay to see. Most AI firms' video models are still only capable of churning out short bursts of visually inconsistent footage. And some of Hollywood's biggest AI partnerships have suddenly evaporated in ways that make it seem like studios might not be able to rely on the new technology coming out of Silicon Valley. For the most part, short-form video slop appears to be the only thing that major production houses ar …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  
❌