Microsoft is making it easier for Windows 11 users to log in to their various services and websites without having to remember a plethora of passwords, instead using passkeys, for which the software giant has just broadened its support.
Specifically, Microsoft has just introduced support in Windows 11 for third-party passkeys (in other words, passkeys made by companies other than Microsoft).
Passkeys are a more secure method of signing into devices, apps, or websites which can leverage biometric authentication such as facial recognition, a fingerprint ID, or PIN via Windows Hello. For the uninitiated, Windows Hello is a security feature in Windows 11 that offers biometric authentication (facial or fingerprint), or indeed a PIN.
Passkeys utilize two unique keys – one stored with the service you’re logging into, and the other is on your Windows 11 device, protected by those biometrics (or a PIN) – and they offer far stronger security than traditional username and password combos.
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(Image credit: Future)
Another step towards a password-free world
Microsoft is constantly working to bolster the security of Windows 11 devices, and part of that is a push towards a world that no longer relies on passwords – but more secure logins such as passkeys.
As part of this, Microsoft brought in the ability to use passkeys with Microsoft consumer accounts (rather than just commercial users) earlier this year (back in May 2024).
So now, this capability is being extended to allow the use of passkeys made by third-party developers in Windows 11. That includes the likes of apps such as 1Password and Bitwarden, as Microsoft informs us it’s collaborating with the developers of those applications – and others – in a post on its Windows Developer Blog, aiming for more seamless integration of such third-party offerings in Windows 11.
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Microsoft has also updated Windows 11 to make it easier to use Windows Hello and passkeys. The idea is when you open a website or app that supports logging in with a passkey, you’ll be prompted to select how you’d like to save the passkey – whether you want to use it with your Microsoft account, or another service.
It’s good to see passkey support being widened, and Microsoft getting behind this security measure, and I’m happy enough to give them a go as while I’m alright at living with traditional passwords, I run into a lot of the same frustrations with them as many of you probably do.
I’m also glad that Microsoft is taking a collaborative approach to working with third-party developers here in implementing something that hopefully works well for Windows 11 users.
In September of 2023, Danny and Steven Sanicki played a round of minigolf. The Sanickis are twins, are both competitive golfers, and were budding content creators at the time, so of course they filmed the whole round. Danny edited the footage on his phone, recorded a quick commentary track, slapped a scoreboard over top of the video, and posted the tournament as a six-part series on his TikTok channel. Neither brother really expected anything to happen.
The videos went viral. And since then, the Sanicki twins have been posting tournaments every day, bringing new friends into the fold, and building out a Putt-Putt empire all around the web. They built a complex system of tournaments and points, started awarding money to winners, and began planning for how to make things even bigger.
On this episode of The Vergecast, the first in a two-part series we’re calling How to Make It in the Future, we chart the rise of Twin Tour Golf (as they’d prefer to be known) and talk with Danny and Steven about their experience as creators. We talk about the process of deciding to go all in on minigolf, the way they’ve tried to expand their offering without compromising what people like about it, how they split up workflow, how they monetize on various channels, and much more. The Sanickis’ story is a classic creator journey, and they’ve hit so many of the milestones and forks in the road that come for everyone who wants to make it on the internet.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started:
Dolby Atmos is a phrase you’ll come across when you’re shopping for a new TV, soundbar or home theater speakers. An extension of the more traditional 5.1-channel surround sound, Dolby Atmos aims to create a more immersive experience by adding height channels to mixes, creating a ‘dome’ effect that envelops you.
Dolby Atmos has now become a staple feature of home theater tech through clever virtual processing by some of the best soundbars, such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2, and in physical form by some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, such as the excellent Samsung HW-Q990D, which uses up-firing drivers on the soundbar itself and the system’s wireless surround speakers.
When I’m reviewing a soundbar, connected to one of the best TVs that support Dolby Atmos, the Dolby Atmos sound adds a new layer to the viewing experience, with the added height effects in scenes such as the Batmobile chase in The Batman and the final Death Star attack inStar Wars: A New Hope getting an even more immersive quality.
It’s no surprise then that Dolby Atmos has extended beyond movies into music and also podcasts and audiobooks. Classic tracks are even now being given the Atmos treatment on streaming sites such as Tidal and Apple Music (you may see it referred to as Spatial Audio in some instances).
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As widespread as it’s become, Atmos music has never convinced me. It’s fair to say I’ve always been more of a traditionalist, preferring listening to a set of the best stereo speakers hooked up to an amp while I crank out Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen for the hundredth time. For me, Dolby Atmos never added much to that experience, and in fact, I’ve thought it’s over complicated things at times. Call me old-fashioned!
But then, I had a chance to see what goes into the Dolby Atmos production process for music, podcasts and audiobooks at Dolby Europe’s HQ in Soho, London, and everything changed.
Where the magic happens
The mixing board for Dolby Atmos production at Dolby’s London HQ, including a screen that shows what speakers are in action (Image credit: Future)
My experience started, of all things, with a Dolby Atmos audiobook clip of a character time-traveling. As the time machine activated, a swirl of sound encapsulated the room, with pulsing noises and the calm voice of the time traveler creating a Doctor Who-esque atmosphere. Another character’s voice chimed in from behind, giving a real sense of space and involving me in the action. It really felt like a movie.
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Shortly after, I heard a clip from another podcast/audiobook, this one a military drama where the thoughts inside a character’s head roamed around the room. I heard footsteps actually moving the length of the room as whispering, humming voices dotted all around.
It was amazing to hear these audiobooks take on a life of their own, giving me that same sense of immersion I’d felt watching movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.
Hit the music
Apple Music is one streaming service that offers Dolby Atmos compatibility (Image credit: Apple)
Next came music. The first track that was played was Believer by Imagine Dragons. It’s a track with big production and a stadium-sized atmosphere and every element sounded balanced. The drums thumped the floor, hand claps were accurately placed at the side of the room and the layered vocals came at me from all around, engulfing the room and sounding incredibly clean.
It didn’t surprise me that a modern track like Believer sounded great in Atmos, but when the next track, Elton John’s Rocket Man,was queued up, I was curious to hear how an older track remixed for Atmos would fare. This was where my opinion of Dolby Atmos music really changed.
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Rocket Man in Atmos conveyed the atmosphere of space and expanded it on a grand scale. The slide guitars used to create the sound of stars and ships panned from the back to the front of the room, passing overhead through the height channels. The bass and pianos sounded well-balanced and when a choir of voices subtly appeared in the mix, it was something I had never noticed before when listening to the track.
The space opera feel of Rocket Man being given the sense of scale that Elton John had intended when he first wrote it was, for me, the best demonstration of what Dolby Atmos can do for music. Crucially, the buttery smooth, warm quality of the original recording was still present – as if the original vinyl was playing on a Linn turntable through some Wharfedale speakers in a 1970s UK living room.
As this all happened, a visual display above the production room’s mixing board followed the movement of the sound elements across the speakers, showing just how much detail went into a Dolby Atmos mix.
Final thoughts
Dolby Atmos is compatible in a wide range of scenarios – headphones, soundbars and more – but I feel it’s best enjoyed with a full system (Image credit: Dolby labs)
My time in Dolby’s Atmos production room finally opened my mind to Dolby Atmos music. To get its true benefits, however, you need a system that can adequately play it to its full capabilities, with full surround sound and overhead height speakers, and that admittedly won’t be cheap.
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Does this mean I’m done with stereo? No, not by a long shot. But it does mean I want to listen to more Dolby Atmos music – someone get me some Bowie. When it comes to Atmos music, as the Monkees once sang, “now I’m a believer”.
Although it wasn’t a massive success at the box office, Ready or Not has continued to accumulate fans since the movie first debuted in 2019. Now, Deadlineis reporting that the film is getting a sequel with star Samara Weaving set to return alongside directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are also known as RadioSilence. The news that a sequel was in the works was first announced at a 2019 screening of the original film. An exact release date, casting announcements and other details about the project have yet to be unveiled.
The original film follows Weaving as a woman marrying into a wealthy family who discovers that this family participates in a bizarre ritual that turns into a battle for their own survival. It cost only $6 million to produce and made more than $28 million in the U.S. alone.
READY OR NOT | Red Band Trailer [HD] | FOX Searchlight
“I’m all in. I think we’re all in, I don’t know. I think we’re all in…I don’t know if we’ve had our blood handshake, but pretty much. We’ve done the spit handshake, but we haven’t cut each other’s hands and rubbed our blood together,” Weaving said of doing a sequel in a recent interview with Comicbook.com.
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Since the movie’s release, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have gone on to direct both Scream V and Scream VI and also directed the vampire horror comedy Abigail. While we don’t yet know exactly what this new Ready or Not sequel will be about, the return of the directing duo and the film’s original star will likely have many eagerly anticipating it.
Apple is set to introduce a new electrically-induced battery removal technology in the upcoming iPhone 17 series. The innovation promises easier battery detachment with minimal effort.
New battery technology in the iPhone 17 series
According to a recent post by Majin Bu, the entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will feature a new adhesive technology. This adhesive allows the battery to detach smoothly by applying a small electrical voltage. The change builds on the existing technology seen in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which also use a similar adhesive mechanism.
This battery removal process lets users detach the battery from the frame with ease. A low-voltage electrical current applied to the adhesive helps the battery come loose quickly. This innovation makes battery maintenance and replacement simpler for users.
Apple first added this technology to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models. It’s a significant upgrade over traditional adhesive methods. The adhesive in these models loosens with a low-voltage current from a 9V battery, USB-C charger, or other power sources.
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The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models don’t have this battery removal feature yet. But, according to Majin Bu’s report, Apple plans to add this technology to all four iPhone 17 models next year.
This removal enhances usability
The introduction of this new adhesive peel technology in the iPhone 17 series marks a significant shift in how Apple handles battery maintenance in its devices. Majin Bu shared an image of the adhesive in different sizes, hinting that it might cater to the varying models within the iPhone 17 lineup.
While other sources have not yet confirmed this news, the expansion of the iPhone 17 battery removal feature seems like a logical progression in Apple’s product development. The shift could lead to easier repairs and replacements, enhancing the user experience.
Majin Bu, who shared the information about the iPhone 17 battery removal feature, has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple leaks. However, not all his predictions have been accurate, such as the rumored iPad 11 release that never materialized.
SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the pad after liftoff to be caught by the launch tower’s mechanical arms in an incredible feat Sunday morning. The milestone came during the fifth flight of the company’s Starship, and is a huge step for the rocket’s planned reusability. Starship launched at about 8:25AM ET from SpaceX’s Texas Starbase.
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GREENPORT, N.Y. – Roughly 35 miles off the east coast of Montauk, New York, 12 turbines gently spin in the wind at Orsted’s newly developed South Fork Wind farm. The project, which connected to the grid earlier this year, is the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S., providing enough power for 70,000 homes annually.
It’s a needed bright spot for the U.S. offshore wind industry, which has faced a number of challenges getting off the ground. Rising interest rates and supply chain snags have changed project economics, forcing some developers to return to the market in search of higher contracted prices. Other projects have been canceled entirely.
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Soren Lassen, head of offshore wind research at Wood Mackenzie, said the U.S. offshore wind industry is going through a needed readjustment, and that while the long-term outlook remains intact, progress has been pushed out. South Fork Wind offers tangible evidence that wind projects can work.
Traveling by way of a high-speed ferry from Greenport, New York, it takes about two hours to get to South Fork Wind. It’s hard to get a sense of just how large these turbines are until you’re right under one: they tower 460 feet above the water, with blades that are each longer than a football field. And that’s just what the eye can see. Underwater, each tower sits atop a custom foundation drilled into the seabed. Apart from the gentle “swoosh” of the blades – only audible when right next to the turbine – the wind farm is otherwise quiet in the middle of the ocean.
South Fork Wind’s substation, which is connected to the power grid in East Hampton via a subsea and then underground cable.
Pippa Stevens | CNBC
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Each turbine is connected to an offshore substation – the first of its kind built in the U.S. – which is connected to the local power grid in East Hampton, New York, via a 65-mile subsea and underground cable.
South Fork Wind was not without opposition. The waters off the Long Island coast have long been a place for recreational and commercial fisherman alike, some of whom opposed the project. Residents in Wainscott – the summer community where the cable comes ashore – also fought it. This led to Orsted adding extra space between each turbine so that the area remains open both to transit by pleasure and fishing boats, and the company buried the onshore cable beneath the beach and local roads.
Denmark-based Orsted is not new to the area. The company developed the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm, which is northwest of South Fork Wind, in 2016. And northeast of South Fork Wind sits Revolution Wind – a 65-turbine project that Orsted broke ground on in 2023. In July, Orsted began construction on Sunrise Wind, which is also in federal waters off the New York coast.
Offshore wind projects are long-term investments, with work starting years before a single foundation is even drilled into the seabed. Securing the necessary permits is a lengthy process.
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management first awarded the leases for South Fork Wind in 2013, which where acquired by Deepwater Wind. Orsted acquired the company in 2018 and partnered with Eversource Energy to start building the project. Onshore construction began in February 2022, with offshore construction following in 2023. In September, Skyborn Renewables, a Global Infrastructure Partners portfolio company, acquired Eversource’s 50% stake in both South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind.
South Fork Wind, which is 35 miles East of Montauk, New York.
Pippa Stevens | CNBC
Offshore wind developers typically use power purchase agreements, which are signed ahead of construction. Put simply, it’s a long-term agreement between the owner and a third party who agrees to pay a specific price for the power – oftentimes for 20 years or more. At South Fork Wind, the power is being sold to Long Island Power Authority.
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While this model provides long-term certainty, it can also be a huge obstacle if project costs balloon. Orsted is developing Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, but last year it walked away from Ocean Wind 1 and 2, which were slated to be built off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Macroeconomic factors have changed dramatically over a short period of time, with high inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain bottlenecks impacting our long-term capital investments,” David Hardy, CEO Americas at Ørsted, said in October 2023. “As a result, we have no choice but to cease development of Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2.”
In May, Orsted agreed to pay New Jersey a $125 million settlement.
The financial problems are not unique to Orsted. Equinor and BP ended a joint venture to develop a project in waters off the coast of New York in January. Equinor took sole ownership of the project and re-entered the market in search of better prices – securing a deal for Empire Wind 1, but not for Empire Wind 2, which remains on pause.
The two main obstacles around building offshore wind farms are interest rates and the supply chain. Offshore wind is capital intensive: it takes a lot of money to build one of these projects in the middle of the sea, and as interest rates rose companies’ cost of capital surged. At the same time, raw material and labor costs accelerated out of the pandemic. It’s hard to begin construction without a PPA locked in, but if costs rise significantly above initial estimates, the PPA might not be high enough for the project to be feasible.
Each turbine at South Fork Wind rises 460 feet above the water.
Pippa Stevens | CNBC
Much of the supply chain is also highly specialized. There are only a few vessels in the world, for example, that can lay the underwater cables. Turbine installation vessels are also industry-specific. The offshore wind industry is not new globally, but it is in the U.S., meaning just a few years ago a domestic supply chain was virtually nonexistent.
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But some of those supply chain constraints are beginning to ease as more and more projects get off the ground. Dominion Energy is building the first Jones Act-compliant turbine installation ship in Brownsville, Texas, which will be used to transport supplies to its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Once the project is completed, the ship will be contracted out to other companies.
Offshore wind port hubs are also popping up, including the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, the Port of Virginia and Connecticut’s Port of New London. Orsted’s domestic supply chain now spans more than 40 states, and work for South Fork Wind took place in New York, South Carolina, Texas, Rhode Island and Connecticut, among other states.
The U.S. Department of the Interior recently approved its tenth offshore wind project – this one in Maryland – in what it called a “major milestone.” But the Biden administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of this decade remains far off.
South Fork Wind’s offshore substation is the first-of-its-kind built in the U.S.
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Pippa Stevens | CNBC
Vineyard Wind, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts, is the only other commercial-scale offshore wind project currently powering homes. Developer Avangrid had to pause construction over the summer after a blade broke off and fell into the ocean, with parts ultimately washing ashore on Nantucket beaches. GE Vernova, which made the blade, called it a “manufacturing deviation” related to “insufficient bonding” in the blade.
Two other projects – Block Island Wind Farm and Dominion’s two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Pilot Project – are operational, although they are much smaller, powering 17,000 and 3,000 homes, respectively.
The U.S. does have 58 gigawatts of capacity under development, according to American Clean Power, but some of those projects won’t come online for years, and there is no guarantee all of them will be built. The industry group estimates that $65 billion will be invested in offshore wind by 2030, supporting 56,000 jobs – up from 1,000 today.
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“There are cycles in everything, and now we’re going through a negative cycle,” said Wood Mackenzie’s Lassen, in an interview. “That means that what is now driving the adjustments to price are, instead of success, failures.”
But Lassen is encouraged projects are pushing forward.
“The positive thing is that then there is some readjustment,” he said. “That means the sector is not disappearing. It’s bouncing back, but it is different.”
Orsted’s Block Island Wind Farm. The turbines are supported by jacket foundations, rather than the monopiles used at South Fork Wind.
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