updated = 2025-05-31T20:48:20-04:00
Trump pulls Musk ally’s NASA Administrator nomination
Just one day after Elon Musk’s public departure from his role as a White House employee, the Trump Administration pulled its nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to become the new NASA Administrator. First reported earlier on Saturday by Semafor, citing anonymous sources, the move has been confirmed by White House spokesperson Liz Huston.
The New York Times reports, based on three unnamed sources, that Trump “told associates he intended to yank Mr. Isaacman’s nomination after learning that he had donated to prominent Democrats,” including Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Isaacman, the billionaire founder and CEO of a payments company, Shift4, has purchased several spaceflights from Musk’s SpaceX. He flew on the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, and again last year on Polaris Dawn, completing the first commercial spacewalk.
As noted by Space.com, the White House also released an in-depth version of its NASA budget request for 2026 on Friday, proposing to cut its funding by nearly one-quarter, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, with funding for science programs dropping by 47 percent. In a statement released Friday, The Planetary Society called the budget justification “an extinction-level event for the space agency’s most productive, successful, and broadly supported activity: science,” that “wastes billions in prior taxpayer investment and slams the brakes on future exploration.”
Now, without Isaacman in place, Ars Technica quotes an unnamed former senior NASA leader who said the request is “just a going-out-of-business mode.”
In a statement emailed to media outlets including NBC, Huston wrote, “It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.” Despite being unable to confirm to the Senate whether Musk had been a part of his job interview, he had appeared set for an approval vote to replace former Florida Senator Bill Nelson. According to the NYT, Isaacman was informed of the decision on Friday and declined to comment when reached by phone.
updated = 2025-05-31T14:15:08-04:00
SpaceX rockets keep exploding. Is that normal?
With yet another failed Starship test this week, in which the ambitious heavy rocket exploded once again, you might reasonably suspect that luck has finally run out for SpaceX.
But this degree of failure during a development process isn't actually unusual, according to Wendy Whitman Cobb, a space policy expert with the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, especially when you're testing new space technology as complex as a large rocket. However, the Starship tests are meaningfully different from the slow, steady pace of development that we've come to expect from the space sector.
"The reason a lot of people perceive this to be unusual is that this is not the typical way that we have historically tested rockets," Whitman Cobb says.
Historically speaking, space agencies like NASA or legacy aerospace companies like United Launch Alliance (ULA) have taken their time with rocket development and have not tested until they were confident in a successful outcome. That's still the case today with major NASA projects like the development of the Space Launch System (SLS), which has now dragged on for over a decade. "They will take as long as they need to to make sure that the rocket …
Read the full story at The Verge.
updated = 2025-05-30T20:33:26-04:00
Sony’s DualSense Edge controller is receiving a rare $30 discount
Sony might have just recently introduced a new low price on the PlayStation 5 Pro with its latest Days of Play sale, but that’s not the only deal worth your attention. Sony is also offering a range of accessories at a discount, including the high-end DualSense Edge. Regularly $199.99, the customizable controller is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sony for an all-time low of $169 through June 11th.
If you’re looking for a highly customizable controller, the Edge is a great option that offers excellent software integration with the PS5. The premium gamepad lets you effortlessly switch between up to four personalized profiles, each of which lets you customize things like stick sensitivity and rear button controls. It’s just as easy to swap out stick modules, too, allowing you to quickly replace the stick tops should they ever wear out. What’s more, the rear triggers feature adjustable stops, so you can control how far they can be pressed and fine-tune your response time in shooters and other competitive games.
Additionally, the Edge offers the same haptics and adaptive triggers found on Sony’s standard DualSense controller, along with two styles of rear paddles, each suited to a different grip preference. Its charging cable also features a handy locking mechanism to ensure it won’t get yanked out while gaming; however, the Edge is limited to approximately eight hours of battery life when used wirelessly, meaning it doesn’t last quite as long as the OG DualSense. I guess that’s the price you pay for souped-up components and software, at least with Sony.
Read our full DualSense Edge review.
More ways to save this weekend
- Now through tomorrow, June 1st, you can grab the last-gen Oura Ring Generation 3 at Wellbots in the Heritage configuration for $195 ($104 off) or the Horizon config for $210 ($90 off) when using coupon code OURAVERGE25. They’re functionally the same smart ring even if the design is slightly different, meaning you’ll be able to track your sleeping habits and other health metrics — including your heart rate, SpO2 levels, and menstrual cycle — no matter which size or model you decide to go with. Read our review.
- We might be alone in thinking this, but we’d argue that Govee’s new Gaming Pixel Light was one of the coolest gizmos to come out of CES 2025. And right now, it’s available directly from Govee for an all-time low of $95.99 ($24 off) or at Amazon starting at $101.99 ($18 off). The Alexa-compatible grid can display art, animations, and live data, letting you view pixelated details on everything from the weather to the latest NBA scores. It also has an AI component, like everything else, if you’re not much of an artist yourself.
- Both Amazon and Anker have dropped the price of Anker’s MagGo Wireless Charging Station to $63.99 ($26 off) for the next couple of days, though you’ll need to punch in offer code WS7DV29E602L at the latter retailer. The adjustable 3-in-1 stand is yet another solid option if you want to top off a pair of AirPods and an Apple Watch alongside your phone, especially since the Qi2 dock can supply up to 15W of power to MagSafe-ready iPhone models.
updated = 2025-05-30T15:28:16-04:00
The Switch 2’s promising start hides an uncertain future
With the Switch 2 launch days away, analysts and consumers are watching to see how well Nintendo can follow-up the best selling home console in its history. Judging from the pain of trying to secure a Switch 2 pre-order, it seems like Nintendo has nothing to worry about - at least at launch.
Down the line, however, concerns about tariffs, a steadily rising cost of living, and a saturated market might cast a shadow on the Switch 2. The Verge talked to analysts, journalists, and normal video game playing people to put the Switch 2 launch in perspective. The key takeaway? While the console will assuredly have another blockbuster debut, its future looks much less certain.
The Wii U gets brought up a lot in the conversation surrounding the Switch 2, as it's the most famous example of a Nintendo failure. "The Wii U, with its confusing controller-screen gimmick, sluggish user interface, and lack of a great Custom Robo game, was one of Nintendo's worst flops," GameFile author Stephen Totilo explained in an email to The Verge.
It sold less than 14 million units, a dramatic drop from the Wii, which sold over 100 million. And while Nintendo expects to sell one million more Switch 2 units …
Read the full story at The Verge.
updated = 2025-05-31T16:32:28-04:00
Slate Truck FAQ: answering all your questions about the barebones electric pickup
Alright, we get it. Y'all are excited about Slate. We thought the little Slate Truck was cool, but based on the number of clicks and comments on our Slate Auto articles so far, you'd like to know more. Many of you wrote in with questions and more than a few people raised some doubts.
So, we wanted to address as many of those as we could. Here's your one-stop shop for Slate answers based on your questions - plus a few of our own.
What are the Slate's full specs, and how does it compare to a Ford Maverick or F-150?
The Slate is clearly a vehicle built for everyday utility, and while it'll make for a handy machine for hauling a lot of things, big towing and heavy cargo were clearly not a top priority. Here are the key specs, compared against the four-wheel drive hybrid Ford Maverick with the 2.5-liter engine and a Ford F-150 4×2 with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6.
| Slate Truck | Ford Maverick | Ford F-150 | |
| Horsepower (hp) | 201 | 191 | 325 |
| Curb weight (lbs) | 3,602 | 3,674 | 4,171 |
| Max payload (lbs) | 1,433 | 1,500 | 1,775 |
| Max towing (lbs) | 1,000 | 2,000 | 8,400 |
| Bed length (ft) | 5 | 4.5 | 5.5, 6.5, or 8 |
| Bed width (max / min, in) | 50 / 54.9 | 42.6 / 53.3 | 50.6 / 66.9 |
| Seats | 2 | 5 | 5 |
It's worth noting that these Ford numbers vary widely based on configurati …
Read the full story at The Verge.
updated = 2025-05-30T20:15:06-04:00
Playdate’s second season is off to a great (and very weird) start
A lot of games have been released for the Playdate since it launched in 2022, as a quick browse of itch.io or the Catalog shop will attest. But still, there's something unique about the handheld's seasonal format, which just kicked off its second iteration. When it first launched, the Playdate came with 24 games from notable indie developers that were steadily released on a weekly cadence, making a perfect introduction to the little yellow device and its crank. Now, a few years later, we finally have season 2, and it's off to a solid start - and it even includes a bizarre mystery.
The new season runs for the next six weeks and totals a dozen games, two of which will drop each week. The entire collection will run you $39. To start, we have a pair of very different games. Fulcrum Defender, from FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games, is sort of like a modern take on Asteroids. You control a little ship in the middle and fire guns at little squares flying toward you. The twist is that you use the crank to rotate the ship around and aim your shots. There's also something of a roguelike element, where you steadily unlock random upgrades like new weapons or a larger spread for y …
Read the full story at The Verge.