Wednesday Morning Minute

The 'Defense World' Freak Out Over Pete Hegseth Is Epic, and It Tells Us Everything We Need to Know

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Subscriptions are the main way creators on Patreon make money, as they must build an audience willing to shell out a few dollars a month to access their writing, podcasts, or videos. The company announced today that creators and their fans can now give away gift memberships, which could be a powerful way for creators to grow their subscriber base. Patreon said earlier this year it was working on a gifting subscription feature similar to what already existed on other subscription-powered platforms like Substack (which, incidentally, has been pushing deeper into the creator space beyond newsletters). Gifting is also a core part of Twitch’s streaming platform, where fans and streamers often give away subscriptions based on specific goals... Continue reading…

Photo: Wes Davis / The Verge The Vision Pro VR headset is such an Apple product — meticulously designed and packed with incredible tech, but designed to be used Apple’s way, whether you like it or not. For many, that means the headset is aggressively uncomfortable to wear due to its weight distribution. For the last several days, though, I’ve been testing a solution Apple now sells that’s so simple, so obvious, that I’m actually miffed at Apple for not including something like it from the very beginning: the Belkin Head Strap. Belkin’s strap works in tandem with Apple’s Solo Knit Band. The Solo Knit Band wraps around your head with an elastic cushion, clamping the headset to your face but putting a lot of strain on your neck. Belkin’s strap gives you more support... Continue reading…

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Short-form posting platform Bluesky crossed the 15 million user mark today amid a recent surge of user signups in the wake of the US presidential election. That’s according to a stat-tracking site put together by Bluesky developer Jaz, using the Bluesky API. The platform, which rests on the decentralized AT Protocol, added about a million new users in the last week. Bluesky COO Rose Wang recently told The Verge that the “majority” of new users flocking to the platform have been from the US. The Bluesky app is currently at number one in the iOS app store, followed by Threads, ChatGPT, and the Google app. Screenshot: iOS App Store Bluesky is the number one free iOS app this morning. Meta’s Threads is still... Continue reading…

Image: Wonder / Grubhub Just Eat is selling off Grubhub to fancy food hall delivery startup Wonder in a deal worth $650 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. Wonder is owned by businessman Marc Lore, the former Walmart e-commerce CEO and part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wonder started as a multi-restaurant food truck service delivering fine dining and evolved into food hall hubs where staff quickly cook pre-prepared foods crafted by big-name chefs like Bobby Flay. Customers can order from “upwards of 30 restaurants” from the Wonder app, combining them into one delivery. With Grubhub coming under Wonder’s belt, the company plans to integrate the delivery app into its platform. In a... Continue reading…

I'm an iPhone 16 Plus user who has been loving the upgrade from my old iPhone 14 Pro. The screen size is just what I needed... but the extra bulk isn't. I've gotten used to it, but I'm still not happy with the size and thickness of the iPhone 16 Plus, especially once you put it in a case. I can't wait to ditch this thing for the size issues alone. It's not just about one-handed use. Carrying the iPhone 16 Plus in pants pockets can be uncomfortable. That's an even more difficult adjustment for someone who has been using 6.1-inch iPhones until now. I made no secret that the iPhone I really want is the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air that Apple is supposedly developing for next year. That handset should feature a screen that's about as large as the iPhone 16 Plus, but with a much thinner body. How thin? Well, that's still a secret. However, a report from Korea said a few days ago that Apple is struggling with certain limitations that are making it impossible for the iPhone 17 Air to be the super slim phone some people might want. Samsung, which wants to make a Galaxy S25 Slim alternative to the iPhone 17 Air, is facing similar problems. But I don't even want the iPhone 17 Air to become the thinnest iPhone in Apple's lineup. I've seen several people complaining on social media sites about how the iPhone 17 Air shouldn't be called "Air" unless it's the thinnest iPhone ever. That would mean it needs to be thinner than the iPhone 6, but I think that's nonsense. I'd be happy with a thickness of around 7.1 mm, which would match the iPhone 6s. Continue reading... The post Stop with the nonsense: iPhone 17 Air doesn’t have to be thinner than an iPhone 6 appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2024: Get $415+ free Today’s deals: $17.50 Apple AirTags, $50 off Madden NFL 25, $30 Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box, more Today’s deals: $100 off iPad mini 7, $60 off Nintendo Switch OLED, $90 Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL, more Today’s deals: $270 Nintendo Switch OLED, $20 waterproof Bluetooth speaker, 20% off Peloton Bike+, more

During the Severan Dynasty, women from the Julian family of Emesa (modern-day Homs) in Syria, who were married to the Severan men, exerted enormous and often crucial influence over Roman government policies and events. Thus, Cassius Dio informs us that Julia Domna, Emperor Septimius Severus' wife, not only wielded immense power during her husband's tenure, but also actively and publicly oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Roman Empire throughout the reign of her slightly unbalanced son, Caracalla. How To Empress: First Imperial Women Of Rome Sex and the Roman Empire: Scandalous Literature about Empresses Euphemia and Theodora Caracalla, an emperor who received mixed evaluations, ruled for only five years. During this time, he murdered his co-ruler, his brother Geta, and his supporters, increased soldier pay, waged campaigns in the East where Macrinius was to be assassinated and enacted the Constitutio Antoniniana (“Antonine Constitution”), which extended Roman citizenship throughout the Roman empire. Read moreSection: Ancient WritingsNewsGeneralHistoryAncient TraditionsFamous PeoplePremiumPreviewRead Later 

In a deeply moving revelation about pre-Hispanic life and beliefs, a recent examination of archaeological data links a mass offering of children to the Mexica rain god Tlaloc to a devastating drought in 1454. Archaeologists believe that, during this environmental crisis, the Mexica sacrificed dozens of young children to appease Tlaloc and bring rains back to the Basin of Mexico. Offering 48 corresponded to the construction stage IVa of the Great Temple, erected during the reign of Moctezuma Ilhuicamina. (Screenshot/INAH) Discovery of Offering 48: Insights from the Templo Mayor According to an INAH press release, the story of these tragic offerings began with an excavation in 1980-1981 by the Templo Mayor Project, where archaeologists uncovered the remains of 42 young children in Offering 48. This ritual deposit was located in the northwest sector of the Templo Mayor, a monumental temple in the heart of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, dedicated to Tlaloc. Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAmericasHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later 

Members of the House Freedom Caucus reportedly are planning to force an internal vote Wednesday regarding the speakership in the next Congress to send a message to current Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.