Verizon has had a change of heart after previously declining to issue a software update from Samsung that would render Galaxy Note 7 phones unable to charge. They’ll nuke the volatile phones after all on January 5th.
- Just last week Verizon reasoned that disabling the phones could potentially pose a safety risk to customers who had no alternative devices in case of an emergency. They instead opted, along with all major carriers, to wait until after the holiday travel season. [Verizon via The Verge]
- Super Mario Run for iOS is now available to download. It’s good! Annoyingly, it requires an internet connection to play, which means it won’t necessarily be your go-to game when you’re on an airplane or underground subway. I suspect if I start playing before I go offline it might work—for a few minutes, anyway. [Kotaku]
- Facebook Messenger now has Snapchat-style face filters. There’s a new in-app camera that can apply special effects and filters to your face when you’re messaging with friends. Frankly, goofy augmented-reality filters are one of the only good tech things to happen in recent years, so sure. [Recode]
- Soylent is back with a newly tweaked formula that will hopefully cause fewer people to vomit. [Business Insider]
- T-Mobile is offering to give away 12 months of DirecTV Now if you switch from AT&T to T-Mobile. There’s a little more fine print to it—you have to sign up for T-Mobile One (their unlimited-but-not-really service) and open two additional lines, and then you’ll get a $35 credit on your bill (the cost of DirecTV Now’s cheapest plan). [The Verge]