Latest news with #MGK
The Verge
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
A new movie taking on the tech bros
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 85, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, sorry in advance that this week is a tiny bit politics-y, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about Sean Evans and music fraud and ayahuasca, playing with the new Obsidian Bases feature, obsessing over every behind-the-scenes Final Reckoning video I can find, listening to MGK's ' Cliche ' more times than I'm proud of, installing some Elgato Key Lights to improve my WFH camera look, digging the latest beta of Artifacts, and downloading every podcast I can find because I have 20 hours of driving to do this weekend. I also have for you a very funny new movie about tech CEOs, a new place to WhatsApp, a great new accessory for your phone, a helpful crypto politics explainer, and much more. Short week this week, but still lots going on. Let's do it. (As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you reading / playing / watching / listening to / shopping for / doing with a Raspberry Pi this week? Tell me everything: installer@ And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, tell them to subscribe here. And if you haven't subscribed, you should! You'll get every issue for free, a day early, in your inbox.) The Drop Mountainhead. I mean, is there a more me-coded pitch than ' Succession vibes, but about tech bros?' It's about a bunch of (pretty recognizable) billionaires who more or less run the world and are also more or less ruining it. You'll either find this hilarious, way too close to home, or both. WhatsApp for iPad. I will never, ever understand why Meta hates building iPad apps. But it finally launched the most important one! The app itself is extremely fine and exactly what you'd think it would be, but whatever. It exists! DO INSTAGRAM NEXT. Post Games. A new podcast from Chris Plante, the former editor-in-chief over at Polygon, all about video games. It's only a couple episodes deep, but so far I love the format: it's really smart and extremely thoughtful, but it's also very silly in spots. Big fan. The Popsockets Kick-Out Grip. I am a longtime, die-hard Popsockets user and evangelist, and the new model fixes my one gripe with the thing by working as both a landscape and portrait kickstand. $40 is highway robbery for a phone holder, but this is exactly the thing I wanted. ' Dance with Sabrina.' A new, real-time competitive rhythm game inside of Fortnite, in which you try to do well enough to earn the right to actually help create the show itself. Super fun concept, though all these games are better with pads, guitars, or really anything but a normal controller. Lazy 2.0. Lazy is a stealthy but fascinating note-taking tool, and it does an unusually good job of integrating with files and apps. The new version is very AI-forward, basically bringing a personalized chatbot and all your notes to your whole computer. Neat! Elden Ring Nightreign. A multiplayer-heavy spinoff of the game that I cannot get my gamer friends to shut up about, even years after it came out. I've seen a few people call the game a bit small and repetitive, but next to Elden Ring I suppose most things are. The Tapo DL100 Smart Deadbolt Door Lock. A $70 door lock with, as far as I can tell, every feature I want in a smart lock: a keypad, physical keys, super long battery life, and lots of assistant integrations. It does look… huge? But it's pretty bland-looking, which is a good thing. Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster. One of a few Titan-related documentaries coming this summer, meant to try and explain what led to the awful events of a couple years ago. I haven't seen this one yet, but the reviews are solid — and the story seems even sadder and more infuriating than we thought. ' The growing scandal of $TRUMP.' I love a good Zeke Faux take on crypto, whether it's a book or a Search Engine episode. This interview with Ezra Klein is a great explainer of how the Trump family got so into crypto and how it's being used to move money in deeply confusing and clearly corrupt ways. Screen share Cameron Faulkner isn't technically new to The Verge, he's just newly back at The Verge. In addition to being a commerce editor on our team, he also wrote one of the deepest dives into webcams you'll ever find, plays a lot of games, has more thoughts about monitors than any reasonable person should, and is extremely my kind of person. Since he's now so very back, I asked Cam to share his homescreen with us, as I always try to do with new people here. Here it is, plus some info on the apps he uses and why: The phone: Pixel 9 Pro. The wallpaper: It's an 'Emoji Workshop' creation, which is a feature that's built into Android 14 and more recent updates. It mashes together emoji into the patterns and colors of your choosing. I picked this one because I like sushi, and I love melon / coral color tones. The apps: Google Keep, Settings, Clock, Phone, Chrome, Pocket Casts, Messages, Spotify. I haven't downloaded a new app in ages. What's shown on my homescreen has been there, unmoved, for longer than I can remember. I have digital light switches, a to-do list with the great (but paid) Stuff widget, a simple Google Fit widget to show me how much I moved today, and a couple Google Photos widgets of my lovely wife and son. I could probably function just fine if every app shuffled its location on my homescreen, except for the bottom row. That's set in stone, never to be fiddled with. I also asked Cameron to share a few things he's into right now. Here's what he sent back: Righteous Gemstones on HBO Max. It's a much smarter comedy than I had assumed (but it's still dumb in the best ways), and I'm delighted to have four seasons to catch up on. I'm really digging Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which achieves the feat of breakneck pacing (the game equivalent of a page-turner) and a style that rivals Persona 5, which is high praise. I have accrued well over a dozen Switch 2 accessories, and I'm excited to put them to the test once I get a console on launch day. Crowdsourced Here's what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you're into right now, as well! Email installer@ or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we'll feature some of our favorites here every week. For even more great recommendations, check out the replies to this post on Threads and this post on Bluesky. ' The Devil's Plan. This Netflix original South Korean reality show locks 14 contestants in a windowless living space that's part mansion, part prison, part room escape, and challenges them to eliminate each other in a series of complicated tabletop games. (If this sounds familiar, it's a spiritual successor to the beloved series The Genius from the mid-2010s.)' — Travis 'If you're a fan of Drive to Survive, I'm happy to report that the latest season of Netflix's series on NASCAR is finally good, and a reasonable substitute for that show once you've finished it.' — Christopher 'I switched to a Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel Watch 3 from an iPhone and Apple Watch about 6 months ago and found Open Bubbles, an open source alternative to BlueBubbles that does need a Mac but doesn't need that Mac to remain on, You just need a one-time hardware identifier from it, then it gives you full iMessage, Find My, FaceTime, and iCloud shared albums on Android and Windows using an email address. So long as you can get your contacts to iMessage your email instead of your number, it works great.' — Tim 'Playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the last time before Mario Kart World arrives next week and takes over my life!' — Ravi 'With Pocket being killed off I've started using my RSS reader — which is Inoreader — instead as a suitable replacement. I only switched over to Pocket after Omnivore shut down.' — James 'I just got a Boox Go 10.3 for my birthday and love it. The lack of front lighting is the biggest downfall. It is also only on Android 12 so I cannot load a corporate profile. It feels good to write on just, almost as good as my cheaper fountain pen and paper. It is helping me organize multiple notebooks and scraps of paper.' — Sean 'Giving Tweek a bit of a go, and for a lightweight weekly planner it's beautiful. I also currently use Motion for project management of personal tasks and when I was doing my Master's. I really like the Gantt view to map out long term personal and study projects. (I also got a student discount for Motion, but it's still expensive.)' — Astrid 'Might I suggest Elle Griffin's work at The Elysian? How she's thinking through speculative futures and a cooperative media system is fascinating.' — Zach ' GeForce Now on Steam Deck!' — Steve Signing off One of the reasons I like making this newsletter with all of you is that it's a weekly reminder that, hey, actually, there's a lot of awesome people doing awesome stuff out there on the internet. I spend a lot of my time talking to people who say AI is going to change everything, and we're all going to just AI ourselves into oblivion and be thrilled about it — a theory I increasingly think is both wrong and horrifying. And then this week I read a blog post from the great Dan Sinker, who called this moment 'the Who Cares Era, where completely disposable things are shoddily produced for people to mostly ignore.' You should read the whole thing, but here's a bit I really loved: 'Using extraordinary amounts of resources, it has the ability to create something good enough, a squint-and-it-looks-right simulacrum of normality. If you don't care, it's miraculous. If you do, the illusion falls apart pretty quickly. The fact that the userbase for AI chatbots has exploded exponentially demonstrates that good enough is, in fact, good enough for most people. Because most people don't care.' I don't think this describes everything and everyone, and neither does Sinker, but I do think it's more true than it should be. And I increasingly think our job, maybe our method of rebellion, is to be people who care, who have taste, who like and share and look for good things, who read and watch and look at those things on purpose instead of just staring slackjawed at whatever slop is placed between the ads they hope we won't really notice. I think there are a lot of fascinating ways that AI can be useful, but we can't let it train us to accept slop just because it's there. Sorry, this got more existential than I anticipated. But I've been thinking about it a lot, and I'm going to try and point Installer even more at the stuff that matters, made by people who care. I hope you'll hold me to that.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sydney Sweeney Under Fire For Selling Bar Soap Made With Her Bath Water: 'This Is Down Bad'
Sydney Sweeney has set tongues wagging after launching a limited-edition Dr. Squatch soap made with suds from her viral bath ad. The new collaboration has been met with mixed reactions, with some fans criticizing the move as "OnlyFans-esque." Meanwhile, the newly single Sydney Sweeney has been sparking romance buzz after being spotted sharing cozy moments with rapper MGK in Vegas and actor Brandon Sklenar at Stagecoach. Following the viral success of her steamy Dr. Squatch bubble bath ad, Sweeney has partnered with the natural soap brand to launch a limited-edition bar soap, Bathwater Bliss, crafted with repurposed suds from the bubble bath ad. According to the brand, Bathwater Bliss blends exfoliating sand and pine bark with a splash of the actual suds from Sweeney's original bath shoot. It "channels two of the best places on Earth: the great outdoors and Sydney Sweeney's bathtub," the press release read. In the press release announcing the limited-edition bar soap, Sweeney joked: "When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap." "It's weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that's not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love," she added, per The Blast. Beyond the playful concept, Sweeney hopes the collaboration encourages fans to rethink their grooming habits/ "Hopefully, this helps guys wake up to the realities of conventional personal care products and pushes them towards natural," Sweeney stated. Only 5000 bars of Sweeney's limited-edition Bathwater Bliss will be available when they drop on Friday, June 6, at noon EST, and fans are already buzzing. Reactions online have been mixed, with many fans calling out the actress for seemingly jeopardizing her career. A fan wrote on X, "This is what happens when you are admired by mostly men. They reduce you to a mere object of desire." A second person commented, "It is heartbreaking that a woman behaves this way after crying and saying, 'don't objectify me.'" Another said, "Girl… I mean, get that bag, but also, why does she constantly objectify/sexualize herself in all of these commercials she does? Stand up, girl… you're more than just a pretty face and body, you're a promising A-list actress! "No shade that sounds like something an onlyfans girl would do… you're one of the most promising young actresses of your generation, act like it," a third individual noted. One disgruntled fan said, "No offense, but this is something an OF girl would sell. This is down bad, and you call yourself a woman. Mind you, you're an actor and you'll never be taken seriously." Other critics slammed the potential consumers of the product, with a person asking, "Are straight men okay?" Fresh off her split from fiancé Jonathan Davino, Sweeney was spotted earlier this month sharing a cozy moment with Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) in Las Vegas. In footage obtained by Page Six, the 27-year-old was seen getting close to the musician, 35, during the grand opening of the Palm Tree Beach Club at the MGM Grand Hotel, hosted by Tao Hospitality Group. Sweeney turned heads in a white tank and denim mini skirt, while MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, kept it casual in baggy jeans and a red tank. The two shared smiles, exchanged hugs, and leaned in often for private chats, sparking whispers about their undeniable chemistry. However, despite the flirty energy between them, sources pointed out that the pair have a friendly history, having co-starred in the 2021 musical film "Downfalls High." Sweeney and her "The Housemaid" co-star Brandon Sklenar also sparked romance rumors at Stagecoach, although insiders confirmed it was all just friendly fun. "They are just really good friends, and Sydney is living her best life right now," a source told Us Weekly. The source added that their chemistry may come off as romantic due to Sweeney's naturally "flirtatious personality." Still, some onlookers at the Indio, California music festival couldn't help but notice Sklenar's attentive behavior. "He was very attentive toward Sydney. It seemed like he was just there to have fun with her," said one attendee, adding, "There is flirtatious chemistry with her and Brandon. People around them noticed." Another observer said, "It seemed like they were on a date together the whole night on Saturday. They obviously had become friends from working together. Sydney is having a lot of fun in her single era right now." People Magazine confirmed that Sweeney called off her wedding to Jonathan Davino after weeks of speculation about the state of their relationship. A source close to the situation told the news outlet that the actress did not feel "right" about marrying Davino. The source also noted that, unlike some people, Sweeney was not being "overwhelmed" by her busy work schedule, but was instead stressed out about a potential wedding to her then-fiancé. "She's exactly where she wants to be. Most people would feel overwhelmed by her working schedule this year, but not Syd. She's all about working right now and very excited about all her projects," the source said. "What did make her overwhelmed, though, was her relationship and her wedding. She didn't feel right about it," they added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rocker Bails On AMAs After Walking The Red Carpet (But For A Good Reason)
Machine Gun Kelly was at the 2025 American Music Awards—and then, he was gone! The musician, who has one foot in the rock world and another in hip-hop, attended the event on May 26. At least, the "Emo Girl" singer walked the red carpet outside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort and casino. But after that, MGK wasn't seen again. Like Taylor Swift, he skipped out on the awards show. However, it turns out he had a valid reason for not staying for the fun: his baby with ex was ill. MGK told E! News that his newborn daughter (whose name he and Megan haven't revealed yet) had "a little bit of a fever," so he was going to "just walk the carpet and go back [home]." Kelly (born Colson Baker) said he was going to "handle my business" by taking care of his sick infant. "Give her my pheromones and let her heal up." He also said he was "born to be a dad. It's my purpose." MGK and his ex-fiancée announced on March 27 that she'd given birth to her fourth child, and their first together. "She's finally here!" wrote MGK on Instagram. "Our little celestial seed." The former couple first reported her pregnancy in November 2024, just weeks after Fox and MGK had called off their engagement. Initially, fans believed the child's name was "Celestial Seed." However, MGK later cleared up the confusion. "Wait, guys. Her name isn't [that]. Her mom is gonna tell you the name when we're ready." This baby is MGK's second. He has a teenage daughter, Casie, with ex Emma Cannon. The little girl is Megan's fourth child. She shares three sons, Noah, 12, Bodhi, 11, and Journey, 8, with ex-husband, .Rocker Bails On AMAs After Walking The Red Carpet (But For A Good Reason) first appeared on Parade on May 27, 2025
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Julia Wolf coming to Glasgow as part of first UK tour
Julia Wolf, who has nearly three million monthly listeners on Spotify, is best known for tunes like In My Room and Iris, which features Machine Gun Kelly (MGK). The star, who hails from Queens, New York, released her first album back in 2021 and released her Sophomore album, Pressure, in 2025. READ NEXT: Popular band formed in 1990s to play show in Glasgow's West End The upcoming Glasgow show will take place at the Cathouse nightclub in the city centre on Friday, December 5. Announcing the news on Instagram, the singer wrote: "My first ever EU/UK headline tour!" Those planning on attending the Glasgow date were buzzing. One person said: "Yay amazing, see you in Glasgow." Another said: "Glasgow! I'm screaming." A third added: "See you in Glasgow." READ NEXT: Scottish star who collaborated with iconic singer announces Glasgow gig Tickets for the Glasgow show will go on sale on May 30 at 10am. Pre-sale will be available from 10am on May 29. To purchase tickets, visit
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Machine Gun Kelly leaves American Music Awards early to be with new baby
Machine Gun Kelly left the American Music Awards after the red carpet on Monday so he could be reunited with his two-month-old daughter. The Cliche hitmaker, who shares the baby with actress Megan Fox, was expected to present during the music awards show but he revealed to E! News that he was leaving after the red carpet to take care of his unwell daughter. "She has a little bit of a fever," he told the publication at the Las Vegas event. "So I'm gonna just walk the carpet and go back, you know what I mean, and handle my business. Give her my pheromones, and let her heal up." MGK, real name Colson Baker, noted that their daughter is doing "great" otherwise and added, "I was born to be a dad. Yeah, it's my purpose." The musician, who has a 15-year-old daughter named Casie from a previous relationship, also gushed over the baby in an interview with Access Hollywood. "I'm just so elated, It's just awesome," he said about being a father again. "They smell so good... I was just meant to be a dad." MGK announced the arrival of his and Megan's first child together on 27 March. The former couple, who called off their engagement last year, haven't clarified their relationship status but it has been reported that they're no longer together. His red carpet appearance comes shortly after the Transformers actress called the pregnancy "unplanned but a happy surprise" on her Instagram Stories. The Jennifer's Body star also shares sons Noah, 12, Bodhi, 11, and Journey, eight, with her ex-husband Brian Austin Green.
