These Transformative Jellies Are Far More Than Just Dessert
Lifestyle

These Transformative Jellies Are Far More Than Just Dessert

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For breathtaking jelly desserts, persistence is key. This is a lesson Thu Buser, a chef and culinary artist from Brooklyn, absorbed early on while observing her mother dedicate hours to creating batches of rau câu, a Vietnamese treat composed of delicate, vibrant layers of jelly.

Currently, Buser designs her own exquisitely styled jellied desserts, colorful interpretations of the rau câu she enjoyed in her childhood. She infuses fruit juices into crystal-clear jelly to form bursts of color and flavor: a kaleidoscope of bright green coconut-pandan, a sunset of golden yuzu-lychee, an explosion of fuchsia coconut-ube. “I can make any flavor look beautiful,” Buser expresses.

Her syringe serves as her paintbrush, applying gentle sweeps and accurate staccato jabs to the cooling agar-based gelatin. All of this is executed effectively blind, as the injections occur from the base of the mold.

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Artemis II is going so well that the only thing left to discuss is frozen urine
Tech/AI

Artemis II is going so well that the only thing left to discuss is frozen urine

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At Saturday’s news briefing, John Honeycutt, a NASA engineer who chairs the Mission Management Team, was asked about the public’s interest in Orion’s toilet.

He acknowledged the curiosity. “I think the preoccupation with the toilet is somewhat human,” he said. Honeycutt noted it isn’t a mission risk, but warned that if the crew were essentially camping aboard the spacecraft, the current arrangement makes things a bit harder. “I know we’re in a good state, but I would really like it to be in the best state it can be,” he said.

It’s important to remember that space toilets are hard to design. On Earth, abundant water and gravity make using the bathroom straightforward. In microgravity it becomes far more difficult. Apollo astronauts used bags. The space shuttle’s toilet occasionally failed. The International Space Station has four toilets and, with more space and ample recycled water, the issue is less severe.

Space toilets must work reliably

This is not a small issue.

You can get away with “roughing it” for bathroom needs on trips to the Moon, but a voyage to Mars — months in transit — is a different situation. If a toilet fails en route to Mars, there’s a real chance the crew could face life-threatening consequences. That’s why testing these systems on Orion now is valuable: the test flight exists to confirm life-support systems function for the crew, to find problems, and to allow fixes before future missions.

Overall, the Artemis II mission continues to proceed very well. Debbie Korth, deputy manager of NASA’s Orion program, said Saturday that the spacecraft is performing “remarkably well,” and that the vehicle’s overall behavior has “pleasantly surprised” the engineers on the program.

Things are going so smoothly, in fact, that attention has centered on frozen urine. Given the many serious things that could go wrong on a hazardous deep-space journey, a minor issue like this feels like a victory.

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A traditional musician became a victim of AI imitations and a copyright aggressor.
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A traditional musician became a victim of AI imitations and a copyright aggressor.

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Murphy Campbell performs ballads from the public domain, yet YouTube accepted the copyright infringement claim regardless.

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Murphy Campbell performs ballads from the public domain, yet YouTube accepted the copyright infringement claim regardless.

Terrence O'Brien
serves as the weekend editor for The Verge. With over 18 years in the field, he has spent a decade as managing editor at Engadget.

In January, folk musician Murphy Campbell discovered multiple tracks on her Spotify account that were not hers. These songs, which she had recorded, had never been uploaded by her to Spotify, and the vocals seemed peculiar.

She quickly concluded that someone had taken her performances from YouTube, crafted AI renditions, and posted them on streaming services under her name. I analyzed one of the tracks, “Four Marys,” using two separate AI detection tools, both indicating it was likely AI-generated.

Campbell was astonished, stating, “I was under the impression that we should have more safeguards before someone could do that. But, you know, it’s a lesson learned,” she told The Verge. It took a while for her to have the fraudulent songs taken down, “I became a nuisance,” she remarked. Even after that, it wasn’t a complete success. While the plagiarized tracks seem to have been removed from YouTube Music and Apple Music, at least one remains on Spotify, albeit under a different artist name but with the same title. Now there are several Murphy Campbells — “Naturally, I was excited about that,” remarked the genuine Murphy Campbell.

Spotify is trialing a new feature that would enable artists to manually verify tracks before they show up on their profiles, but Campbell is doubtful after her experience. “I feel like, each time a massive entity makes such commitments to musicians, it tends not to live up to expectations, but I’m curious to see how it works out in the future,” she expressed.

However, this was merely the onset of Campbell’s troubles.

On the day a Rolling Stone article was released detailing Campbell’s encounter with AI impersonators, a collection of videos were uploaded to YouTube via the distributor Vydia. These videos are not publicly viewable, and it remains unclear if anyone aside from the uploader, known as Murphy Rider, has viewed them. YouTube opted not to provide comments for this report.

These were utilized to assert ownership of content from several of Murphy Campbell’s videos. She received a notification from YouTube stating: “You are now sharing revenues with the copyright holders of the music identified in your video, Darling Corey.” The most puzzling aspect is that the tracks at the center of these claims are all in the public domain, including the renowned “In the Pines,” which dates back to at least the 1870s and has been reinterpreted by numerous artists from Lead Belly to Nirvana (as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”).

Vydia has since resolved those claims, and spokesperson Roy LaManna stated that the individual who uploaded the videos has been banned from the platform. Of the more than 6,000,000 claims submitted by Vydia through YouTube’s Content ID system, only 0.02 percent were deemed invalid, which LaManna claims is “remarkable by industry standards.” He added, “We take pride in executing this correctly.”

LaManna also asserted that Vydia has no ties to Timeless IR or the AI videos that were released on streaming services labeled under Campbell’s name. Although the coincidence is dubious, LaManna insisted that the two occurrences are distinct.

Vydia has faced substantial backlash, including, as LaManna noted, “literal death threats” which resulted in office evacuations. Campbell is not letting Vydia off the hook, though she acknowledges that it’s not solely responsible. The intersection of generative AI, music distribution, and copyright is intricate, with numerous points of vulnerability and chances for exploitation. “I believe it runs deeper than we can comprehend,” Campbell stated.

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Purchase two Nintendo Switch games and receive a $30 discount at Target
Tech/AI

Purchase two Nintendo Switch games and receive a $30 discount at Target

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Numerous physical and digital games are accessible for certain Target Circle account users.

Numerous physical and digital games are accessible for certain Target Circle account users.

NS2_DonkeyKongBananza_SCRN_25
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Cameron Faulkner
is an editor focused on deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year period at Polygon, he returned to The Verge in May 2025.

Target is presenting a fantastic offer to select Target Circle members that provides a $30 discount on the purchase of two Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. This promotion is valid for the remainder of the day, ending at 2:59 AM ET on April 5th. By logging in with the free membership, you may be able to select two qualifying games to your cart and see the prices drop at checkout.

A total of 224 games qualify (some in physical form and some digital), featuring many of Nintendo’s premier titles from the past year and ahead, including games exclusive to Switch 2 such as Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Mario Tennis Fever, and more (although Pokémon Pokopia wasn’t included in the list).

This offer is worth taking advantage of, whether you’re planning to gift these games or keep them for yourself. Discounts on Nintendo-published titles are infrequent, and it’s quite a significant benefit that Target Circle members have the option to select the games they want to save on.

While the games mentioned are supplied on cartridges that don’t occupy much of your console’s internal memory (just enough for save data), certain Switch 2 titles are delivered on Game Key Cards. These cartridges, once inserted into the console, simply allow you to download a version from the Nintendo eShop to your console. Game sizes vary, but you might want to acquire a microSD Express card to supplement the Switch 2’s built-in 256GB SSD. This 256GB Samsung model is priced at $59 on Amazon.

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Warsh's nomination progresses, setting Trump's conflicting Fed strategies on a crash trajectory.
Economy

Warsh’s nomination progresses, setting Trump’s conflicting Fed strategies on a crash trajectory.

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Kevin Warsh, ex-governor of the US Federal Reserve, at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring sessions at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, USA, on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Tierney L. Cross | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The Senate Banking Committee is set to conduct a nomination hearing on April 16 for Kevin Warsh to become the next chair of the Federal Reserve, a source acquainted with the matter informed CNBC.

Warsh’s nomination continues to progress despite an ongoing separate criminal investigation into the Fed, potentially leading to a confrontational dynamic between the two concurrent actions initiated by the Trump administration.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R.-N.C., a member of the Banking Committee, has stated he will not endorse Warsh’s confirmation until the investigation is concluded. However, President Donald Trump is keen to see Warsh’s confirmation go through.

Tillis’s opposition suggests Trump faces a dilemma. Nevertheless, by advancing with the hearing, he is attempting to proceed in spite of this.

The committee has not yet added the hearing to its public agenda. Warsh and a representative of the Senate Banking Committee chose not to provide comments.

Politico previously reported that the committee had arranged the hearing.

The criminal investigation is examining claims that Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, provided false statements to Congress regarding costly renovations to the Fed’s facilities. Powell has condemned the investigation as a facade to coerce him into reducing interest rates, as per Trump’s demand.

Congress assigned the Fed the duty of setting interest rates free from political influences. Central banks operating independently generally perform better in combating inflation. The concern of rising prices is increasingly alarming in the U.S. as the conflict in Iran escalates energy expenses.

A federal judge has sided with Powell in this situation. Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday dismissed a government motion to reevaluate his ruling on the subpoenas relating to the Fed. Consequently, the subpoenas will not proceed, and the investigation’s status remains uncertain.

“We will certainly appeal the judicial intercession with our access to the grand jury,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro stated on Saturday.

Tillis’s office did not respond promptly to requests for comments over the weekend.

Tillis has commended Warsh’s qualifications but is firm that he will not lift the blockade until his concerns over the Fed’s autonomy are addressed.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in March dispatched a critical letter to Warsh, forecasting he would act as a “rubber stamp for President Trump’s Wall Street First Agenda,” and accused him of having gained “nothing from your setbacks” during a previous position at the central bank.

Warsh declined to respond to the letter previously. Federal nominees seldom communicate publicly ahead of their hearings.

Meanwhile, personnel shifts are also occurring at the Department of Justice that may enable prosecutors to shift their strategies on the Powell issue. On Thursday, Trump terminated Attorney General Pam Bondi and appointed Todd Blanche temporarily as acting attorney general. Blanche was previously Trump’s defense attorney prior to joining the administration.

The administration asserts that the decision to investigate Powell rests with the Department of Justice. However, Trump has consistently indicated that he backs the investigation.

“There’s criminality” related to the Fed’s renovation costs, Trump stated on March 19.

Nonetheless, the government has not presented sufficient evidence to the judge.

“The Government’s fundamental problem is that it has provided no evidence of fraud whatsoever,” Boasberg noted in his ruling on Friday.

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Senegal prohibits ministers from traveling abroad as the surge in oil prices takes effect.
Global

Senegal prohibits ministers from traveling abroad as the surge in oil prices takes effect.

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During his address to the youth, the prime minister expressed that he aimed not to “scare” his listeners or impose pressure on them. Rather, he sought to provide them with an “understanding of this world, which is a challenging world,” but he emphasized that despite the difficulties, the Senegalese people exhibited great resilience.

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Anker's Nebula P1 projector reigns supreme as the portable audio champion
Tech/AI

Anker’s Nebula P1 projector reigns supreme as the portable audio champion

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It’s unfortunate they overlooked the battery.

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Thomas Ricker
serves as a deputy editor and is one of the founders of Verge, driven by a keen interest in human-friendly cities, e-bikes, and the lifestyle of a digital nomad. His experience as a tech journalist spans two decades.

The Soundcore Nebula P1 from Anker might not be the most travel-friendly Google TV projector I’ve encountered, nor is it the brightest one. Moreover, it lacks an inbuilt battery. However, it stands out as a solid video device with an emphasis on audio.

The Nebula P1’s key highlight is a set of speakers that can be detached to deliver genuine left- and right-channel sound separation. It sounds significantly better than standard all-in-one devices like the exceptionally portable TCL PlayCube, Xgimi MoGo, or Anker’s well-loved Capsule projectors.

I have been using the $799 (currently available for $639) Nebula P1 while traveling through the European countryside in my van. Although it’s not my preferred portable projector, I’ve developed a fondness for the P1 – akin to cameras, sometimes the best projector is the one you have on hand.

7

Verge Score

The Good

  • Detachable speakers deliver impressive audio for a portable
  • Functions as a respectable Bluetooth speaker
  • Adjustable stand for better positioning
  • Includes Google TV with official Netflix support

The Bad

  • No internal battery
  • Struggles with screen detection and obstacle avoidance
  • Tilt mechanism adds significant bulk

Anker has been leading the charge with groundbreaking portable projectors that prioritize superior sound, starting with the $3,000 Nebula X1 and then the monstrously large X1 Pro. The Nebula P1 significantly reduces that excess weight from 72 pounds to 5.3 pounds, resulting in a genuinely portable (and much cheaper and less advanced) projector suitable for van life or spontaneous movie nights wherever there’s a surface to project onto… and a nearby power source or substantial USB-C battery.

In darker environments, the P1 produces a pleasant 1080p image, which remains a benchmark for portable projectors in this category. Its LED light source is rated at 650 ANSI Lumens, not strong enough to compete in brightly lit rooms, but it still performs well inside my van during daylight when finely focused on a nearby surface. Yet, it’s the audio that truly makes the P1 outstanding.

The removable 10W speakers work together to deliver an expansive and enjoyable sound landscape. I’ve grown quite attached to this speaker duo during my several weeks of testing. Additionally, they magnetically attach on either side of my projection screen, allowing for a tidy outdoor movie setup. Positioning the speakers near the display enhances the immersive experience significantly. Typically, you would be seated right next to integrated speakers on portable projectors, which results in audio coming from the side or your knees rather than from where the action unfolds.

In terms of sound quality, it’s satisfactory, matching expectations from speakers comparable to soda can sizes. I also appreciate that I can power down the projector’s LED and utilize the P1 as a Bluetooth speaker. The volume is sufficient to easily fill an RV or living space.

Madeleine Peyroux’s version of La Vie En Rose sounded incredible, with distinct violin plucks emanating from the left speaker, guitar strumming from the right, and her smooth vocals resonating from the center. However, bass-heavy tracks like Kendrick Lamar’s Not like Us felt lacking. Unlike Anker’s larger Nebula X1 and X1 Pro projectors, there’s no built-in subwoofer in the Nebula P1.

As a projector, the Nebula P1 is remarkably quiet, registering just 26dB from one meter away—barely audible over my dog’s snoring. However, I conducted all tests on cool days so the fans never needed to really ramp up. The speakers have an IP54 rating against dust and rain splashes from all angles, whereas the projector has a more limited IP33 rating to safeguard it from light rain.

Anker claims that the P1’s speakers can operate for 20 hours before requiring a charge, which seems accurate based on my experiences thus far. They attach magnetically and mechanically dock to the projector’s top for charging when the Nebula P1 is plugged into a wall outlet or powered by a 100W USB-C capable battery. Additionally, the speakers can be charged directly via USB-C while still in use, which is handy when they indicate low battery mid-movie.

The Nebula P1 takes about 50 seconds to boot into Google TV from a cold start, or around 5 seconds from sleep, consuming approximately 6W at idle. The projector used up 51Wh of battery power in one hour of streaming Netflix at full brightness. Thus, a standard 99Wh power bank won’t suffice for enjoying a two-and-a-half-hour film like Pulp Fiction without a recharge.

Anker states that the Nebula P1 incorporates Intelligent Environment Adaptation (IEA) 4.0, which includes features such as automatic focus, keystone adjustment, obstacle avoidance, and screen fitting. However, my tests revealed it performed poorly in detecting obstacles and my projector screen, likely due to the absence of black borders on my screen complicating the detection process. To “automate” detection, I had to utilize Anker’s cumbersome “VisionFit” technology. You must launch the Nebula Connect app, take a picture of the surface where you wish to project the image, and the P1 will adjust according to that input to avoid obstacles and locate the screen. It’s inconvenient and frustrating.

Fortunately, the autofocus and intelligent keystone correction operated effectively, complemented by manual overrides allowing for adjustment of the image position when necessary. The projector’s ability to swivel also provides additional placement options without needing a pile of books for support. Presets can be saved for specific locations, making it easy to reuse settings.

Generally, I find portable projectors without an integrated battery inconvenient since it requires plugging a cable into an outlet or bringing an extra battery along. This is precisely the case with the Nebula P1.

While I appreciated my time with it, I would prefer TCL’s $799.99 (currently on sale for $649.99) PlayCube when true portability is the foremost concern. The PlayCube is priced similarly, offers slightly more brightness, tilts as well, and operates on the same Google TV OS, but it manages to incorporate a three-hour battery into a more compact projector. However, it falls short compared to the Nebula P1 regarding audio quality.

Specifications: Anker Nebula P1

  • Display Technology: DLP 0.23” DMD
  • Resolution: 1920 × 1080
  • Light Source: LED
  • Brightness: 650 ANSI Lumens
  • Color Gamut: 124% Rec. 709
  • Native Contrast Ratio: 400:1
  • Light Source Lifespan: 25,000 Hours
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Throw Ratio: 1.2:1
  • Offset: 100%
  • 3D Content Compatibility: No
  • Focus Adjustment: Auto / Manual
  • Projection Mode: Front / Rear / Front Ceiling / Rear Ceiling
  • Keystone Correction: Auto (Vertical ±40°), Auto (Horizontal ±30°)
  • Interface: HDMI 2.1 (eARC), AUX-OUT, USB-A, USB-C
  • OS: Google TV (With Official Netflix)
  • Modes: Projector Mode / Bluetooth Speaker Mode
  • Screen Mirroring: Google Cast Built-In
  • CPU: Quad Core ARM Cortex-A55
  • GPU: ARM Mali-G52MC1
  • RAM / ROM: 2 GB / 32 GB
  • Speakers: 10W ×2 (Dolby Audio Supported)

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

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Trump proposes sharp reduction to NASA's budget as astronauts head for the Moon
Tech/AI

Trump proposes sharp reduction to NASA’s budget as astronauts head for the Moon

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This notion isn’t new. Following this week’s successful Artemis II launch, NASA plans to operate the SLS rocket a few more times—possibly through Artemis V—as required by Congress. Friday’s budget proposal backs that approach. Isaacman has said he wants NASA to move away from the expendable SLS in favor of a commercial option, like SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s New Glenn, for crewed flights once those systems are available—but that transition is still several years away.

“To execute missions beyond Artemis V, NASA will initiate a new procurement to obtain commercial transportation services to launch astronauts to rendezvous with the lunar landers,” the agency said in a budget summary published on Friday. NASA said this procurement is expected to begin in fiscal year 2027.

Portions of the vision Isaacman and other NASA officials outlined last week—such as deep-space nuclear propulsion, lunar nuclear reactors, and prospecting for resources on the Moon—will demand substantial investment in new space technologies. Under this budget, one new initiative would fund a commercial effort to produce, store, transfer, and test rocket propellant made from materials on the lunar surface.

But the overall outlook for NASA’s space-technology portfolio is bleak. The White House proposes cutting $297 million from NASA’s space technology directorate compared with this year—and $476 million less than 2025—targeting what the Trump administration describes as “frivolous technology projects with no applications.”

The White House budget office also seeks to cut $1.1 billion from International Space Station funding, keeping the retirement and de-orbit of the ISS scheduled for 2030. That stance conflicts with a congressional bill backed by key lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), that would extend the ISS to 2032.

Last week NASA announced a new strategy to help commercial companies build crewed outposts to replace the ISS in low Earth orbit. Despite delays and concerns about whether a commercial station will be ready when NASA retires the ISS, the White House requested only a modest funding increase for that program in 2027.

The administration’s spending plan would continue the Trump-era effort to eliminate funding for NASA’s education programs.

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