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The most fun camera app I’ve used in forever

The most fun camera app I’ve used in forever

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Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 86, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you’ve cleared your schedule for some Karting this weekend, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)

This week, I’ve been reading about privacy experts and spreadsheets and Dropout, watching Stick for fun and Mike and Molly for a wedding toast (long story), learning some sweet new Raycast tricks, talking into my phone with Wispr Flow, replaying Jon Bellion’s new album, holding space for the next Wicked movie, and seeing if maybe the solution to my to-do list chaos is just a piece of paper. So far, it’s working, and I hate it.

I also have for you a delightful new way to take pictures on your iPhone, the big new title for the Switch 2, a long interview with a Microsoft CEO, a fun way to soundtrack your pool parties, and much more. It’s going to be a game-filled next few weeks, friends. Let’s do it.

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What do you want to want to know more about? What are you playing / watching / reading / listening to / plugging into your TV this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, tell them to subscribe here. If you subscribe via email, you’ll get Installer a full day early, and right in your inbox!)

  • !Camera. Andy Allen designs some of the best-looking apps you’ll find for Apple platforms, and he has outdone himself with this very playful, tactile take on a camera app. It takes a minute to learn what all the on-screen buttons and wheels do, but it’s so much more fun than the iPhone’s default app that I’ve been using almost all the time.
  • Mario Kart World. We’ll talk some more about the Switch 2 launch in the next section, but the console’s big launch title is also the latest edition of my favorite racing game of all time. I haven’t played a ton of the open-world online stuff yet, but, if nothing else, this is clearly the biggest Kart ever.
  • Good Night, and Good Luck. First, George Clooney made a terrific movie. Then, he turned it into a record-breaking Broadway show. Now, it’s being filmed, live, on CNN on Saturday night. I love this kind of thing, and I always wondered why we didn’t get more of it after Hamilton was such a smash. I’m excited to see the play but also just how this broadcast gets made.
  • The Steve Ballmer interview. From the Acquired podcast, this is three hours of Microsoft history, business leadership tips, and a whole deep dive into the “developers developers developers” speech. Ballmer’s always a good interview, and there is a ton here.
  • The Razer Phantom Collection. I’m really not an “all of the RGB lights” kind of guy, but there’s something about this translucent, glowing keyboard and mousepad that really does work for me. (Also, I just learned this week that Razer launched Synapse for Mac, meaning you can finally get all its best power-user features on Apple products, too!)
  • Poolsuite. Big update this week to one of the internet’s best sources of chill vibes and great summer music — including, for the first time, an Android app! This is one of the few apps I can just turn on and let play all day. The vibes are immaculate.
  • Ballerina. I try not to get my hopes up about John Wick spinoffs. (Though I think The Continental at least had some potential.) The reviews on this one, and on Ana de Armas, are a bit mixed. But I like the premise a lot, and this feels guaranteed to be a good time in a theater.
  • “Ensh*ttification, Live!” Cory Doctorow has been more right about the state of the internet than anyone these last few years, and this interview from the PBS Ideas Festival is a really smart catch-up about how we got enshittified, what it looks like right now, and where we go from here. I cannot wait for Doctorow’s book this fall.

Did you get a Switch 2 this week? If you tried to, I hope it worked out! I had a shockingly easy time: I debated waiting in line on Wednesday night, but I ended up being able to just walk into a Target on Thursday morning and get one. Lots more to come, but so far I’m a fan. The screen looks great, it’s big without being too big, and mostly it is just so much faster than the original model. Is $450 a steep price for that, though? Oh boy, you betcha.

In case you got a new console and are looking for something to play this weekend, I asked my colleague Andrew Webster to name a few games he thought might be worth your time. Here’s what he came back with:

“Everyone who buys a Switch 2 is going to be playing the same thing: Mario Kart World. And I can’t really blame them, everyone loves Mario Kart, and this looks like a worthy successor to MK8 (which I once called the ‘best Mario Kart ever’). However, there are a couple of other very intriguing releases at launch:

  • Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: yeah, it’s pretty weird you have to pay $10 for this, since it seems like the ideal pack-in game, but it’s also only $10 and looks like the best way to learn about all the new elements of the Switch 2 in a playful, Nintendo way.
  • Survival Kids: a surprising return of a Game Boy cult classic (which just got a rerelease for Switch Online subscribers). The most interesting part of Survival Kids is that it’s a good test case for the new GameChat functionality. You can play the survival game with three other people, and you only need one copy of the game for multiplayer.
  • F-Zero GX: speaking of Switch Online, one of the perks for Switch 2 owners is the addition of some GameCube classics. And I know that as soon as I can I’m dusting off that virtual copy of F-Zero GX and racing those futuristic streets.”

If you fire up a Switch 2 this weekend, let me know what you end up playing and liking! This summer is going to be filled with great game drops, and we’ll cover as many as we can.

Hayden Field started at The Verge this week as our new senior AI reporter. This is the second time I’ve gotten to work with Hayden, and, in short, Hayden rules. Her job here is a very fun and very tough one: she has to figure out what in the world is going on with the AI industry and whether any of it actually matters. In every definition of the word “matters.” Super chill times in Hayden-land!

I asked Hayden to share her homescreen with us while she’s still new here. I was sort of hoping she’d be like, “Sorry, no homescreen, I only use my Rabbit R1,” but alas, she still has a phone. Here it is, plus some info on the apps she uses and why:

The phone: A blue iPhone 13 Pro Max.

The wallpaper: A tree-lined street in Brooklyn at its *PEAK* beauty.

The apps: Google Calendar, Weather, X, Instagram, Camera, Google Photos, Photos, Google Maps, NYT Cooking, Skratch, NYT Games, West, Gmail, Slack, Apple Notes, Signal, Phone, Messages, Safari, Spotify.

First of all, I promise I never have this many unread messages — it’s a lot of congratulatory texts for starting at The Verge!

Otherwise, I’m an iPhone girl with a penchant for Google apps (big Google Maps, Google Photos, and Gmail fan). My two aspirational apps are NYT Cooking and NYT Games: I use and love them, but I’m way less skilled at both things than I wish I were.

Skratch is my way of keeping track of the number of countries I’ve traveled to (my dream is to visit every country in the world). And West is for disposable-camera-looking photos when I don’t have a real camera around.

I also asked Hayden to share a few things that she’s into right now. Here’s what she sent back:

  • I’m catching up on The Witcher right now, and I’m addicted; on the opposite side of things, I’ve been rewatching Gossip Girl and gearing up to catch up on The Rehearsal next.
  • Game-wise, I’ve been really into this board game called Everdell, and I live near one of NYC’s best board game stores (Twenty Sided Store).
  • When it comes to apps, I have to give a shoutout to Furbo; it’s what I use to keep an eye on my corgi pup, Jelly, when I’m not at home.
  • As for weird stuff on the internet that’s been following me around my algorithm: quirky hand-tufted wool rugs (like Hannah Via’s stuff — she makes little rugs that look like shells, oysters, tomatoes, fish, you name it).

Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now, as well! Email installer@theverge.com 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.

“I’ve recently fallen back into Fallout 4. Maybe it’s the yearning for a new Fallout title, or just that this game has INSANE replayability.” — Rob

“Just bought a Philips Hue Light Strip and love how this little light addition lets you set a whole new mood in your rooms — without being visible like a lamp.” — Florian

“Check out the Flesh and Blood trading card game, super competitive and addicting. Way better than Magic the Gathering in my eyes. It’s also the US national championship this weekend.” — Thore

“I switched my browser from Arc to Zen due to Arc no longer being supported by The Browser Company. Zen is turning out to be an almost perfect open-sourced version of Arc, so far I am happy!” — Craig

“Dig Dig Dino! is for me the killer app of the Playdate console. Until I played it, I wasn’t sure buying the gadget was a good choice. Perfect game for short bursts of play time, but also can (and does) suck you in with a fun gameplay loop for longer sessions.” — Rafal

“I have been trying and failing to find another website to visit the way I do The Verge, and I think I’ve found it: Hodinkee. It’s a website about high-end watches, and a good website. I can’t recommend it enough.” — Vishal

“Need a podcast? I like learning how songs are made on One Song.” — Ryan

“I love watching the channel More Perfect Union on YouTube. They recently made a really informative video about driverless semis driving down I-45 here in Texas, and I really think more people should watch it! This is a highly utilized interstate, and I definitely think this will cause a lot of issues down the line if we’re not careful.” — Kerzell

“The game Skin Deep by Blendo Games is phenomenal. It’s like if Hitman had a less punishing game loop and was deeply silly. There are cats to rescue (also the cats are spaceship crew)!” — Hunter

Sorry, one more Switch 2 thing before we go: I went through the whole transfer process from the old Switch to the new one, and it was as annoying as it always is, but it ultimately worked fine. The only thing that didn’t eventually transfer was my 8BitDo controller, which just… didn’t connect. Luckily, on Friday, 8BitDo did update the firmware for some of its controllers and says more are coming.

But in the interim, I made the mistake of looking for an upgrade. I asked my colleagues which controller I should buy, or if I should wait for all the new accessories to come out. They all said the same thing: just buy the Nintendo Pro Controller, it’s the best one, it’s not even close. This is good advice! There’s just one problem: it costs EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS. I assume I will eventually just give in and overpay for this thing, but if you have a controller you like better, I want to know about it! Please, someone who is good at the economy help me budget this.

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For months, rumors have swirled that SpaceX was preparing a historic market debut, with whispers of a $1.75 trillion valuation and a record-shattering $75 billion raise. Now that the paperwork is public, we finally have our first real look at the financials behind the company that normalized reusable rockets, built a space internet monopoly, and absorbed Musk’s xAI and the dredges of Twitter into its orbit.

Several of our anticipated market opportunities, including certain AI, orbital, lunar, and interplanetary transportation and industrial activities, are still emerging and evolving or do not currently exist, and such markets may not develop as we expect, or at all.

It also says its “substantial level of indebtedness could materially adversely affect our financial condition.”

According to the WSJ, Musk’s supervoting shares will give him 85 percent control over the company. In addition to Musk, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, and CFO Bret Johnson, the SEC filing lists several other members of SpaceX’s board of directors, including Google executive Donald Harrison, Tesla board member Ira Ehrenpreis, as well as investors Randy Glein, Antonio Gracias, Steve Jurvetson, and Luke Nosek.

SpaceX describes its mission to investors as:

Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars. To do this, we have formed the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth with unmatched capabilities to rapidly manufacture and launch space-based communications that connect the world, to harness the Sun to power a truth-seeking artificial intelligence that advances scientific discovery, and ultimately to build a base on the Moon and cities on other planets.

SpaceX currently leads the industry in commercial space launches, with its massive Starship V3 rocket scheduled for flight on Thursday following a delay. The document repeatedly brings up establishing “orbital AI compute” by putting servers in space as a massive opportunity for revenue and one that it is uniquely positioned to deliver. In January, SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch one million data center satellites into space to support a growing AI buildout.

It’s telling investors that SpaceX believes it has “identified the largest actionable total addressable market (TAM) in human history,” potentially worth $28.5 trillion, with $370 billion from space, $1.6 trillion in connectivity with Starlink Broadband and Starlink Mobile, and $26.5 trillion in AI, which includes AI infrastructure, subscriptions, advertising, and $22.7 trillion in enterprise applications.

#SpaceX #filed #biggest #IPOBusiness,Elon Musk,News,Science,Space,SpaceX,Tech">SpaceX just filed for what could be the biggest IPO everSpaceX generated .67 billion in revenue in 2025, driven largely by its Starlink satellite internet service, which brought in more than billion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company lost over .9 billion last year, with capital expenditures soaring to .7 billion last year, a leap from .2 billion in 2024, as reported by The New York Times. xAI, which recently merged with SpaceX, lost billions last year, while growing revenue by 22 percent, according to TechCrunch.For months, rumors have swirled that SpaceX was preparing a historic market debut, with whispers of a .75 trillion valuation and a record-shattering billion raise. Now that the paperwork is public, we finally have our first real look at the financials behind the company that normalized reusable rockets, built a space internet monopoly, and absorbed Musk’s xAI and the dredges of Twitter into its orbit.Several of our anticipated market opportunities, including certain AI, orbital, lunar, and interplanetary transportation and industrial activities, are still emerging and evolving or do not currently exist, and such markets may not develop as we expect, or at all.It also says its “substantial level of indebtedness could materially adversely affect our financial condition.”According to the WSJ, Musk’s supervoting shares will give him 85 percent control over the company. In addition to Musk, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, and CFO Bret Johnson, the SEC filing lists several other members of SpaceX’s board of directors, including Google executive Donald Harrison, Tesla board member Ira Ehrenpreis, as well as investors Randy Glein, Antonio Gracias, Steve Jurvetson, and Luke Nosek.SpaceX describes its mission to investors as:Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars. To do this, we have formed the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth with unmatched capabilities to rapidly manufacture and launch space-based communications that connect the world, to harness the Sun to power a truth-seeking artificial intelligence that advances scientific discovery, and ultimately to build a base on the Moon and cities on other planets.SpaceX currently leads the industry in commercial space launches, with its massive Starship V3 rocket scheduled for flight on Thursday following a delay. The document repeatedly brings up establishing “orbital AI compute” by putting servers in space as a massive opportunity for revenue and one that it is uniquely positioned to deliver. In January, SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch one million data center satellites into space to support a growing AI buildout.It’s telling investors that SpaceX believes it has “identified the largest actionable total addressable market (TAM) in human history,” potentially worth .5 trillion, with 0 billion from space, .6 trillion in connectivity with Starlink Broadband and Starlink Mobile, and .5 trillion in AI, which includes AI infrastructure, subscriptions, advertising, and .7 trillion in enterprise applications.#SpaceX #filed #biggest #IPOBusiness,Elon Musk,News,Science,Space,SpaceX,Tech

reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company lost over $4.9 billion last year, with capital expenditures soaring to $20.7 billion last year, a leap from $11.2 billion in 2024, as reported by The New York Times. xAI, which recently merged with SpaceX, lost billions last year, while growing revenue by 22 percent, according to TechCrunch.

For months, rumors have swirled that SpaceX was preparing a historic market debut, with whispers of a $1.75 trillion valuation and a record-shattering $75 billion raise. Now that the paperwork is public, we finally have our first real look at the financials behind the company that normalized reusable rockets, built a space internet monopoly, and absorbed Musk’s xAI and the dredges of Twitter into its orbit.

Several of our anticipated market opportunities, including certain AI, orbital, lunar, and interplanetary transportation and industrial activities, are still emerging and evolving or do not currently exist, and such markets may not develop as we expect, or at all.

It also says its “substantial level of indebtedness could materially adversely affect our financial condition.”

According to the WSJ, Musk’s supervoting shares will give him 85 percent control over the company. In addition to Musk, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, and CFO Bret Johnson, the SEC filing lists several other members of SpaceX’s board of directors, including Google executive Donald Harrison, Tesla board member Ira Ehrenpreis, as well as investors Randy Glein, Antonio Gracias, Steve Jurvetson, and Luke Nosek.

SpaceX describes its mission to investors as:

Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars. To do this, we have formed the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth with unmatched capabilities to rapidly manufacture and launch space-based communications that connect the world, to harness the Sun to power a truth-seeking artificial intelligence that advances scientific discovery, and ultimately to build a base on the Moon and cities on other planets.

SpaceX currently leads the industry in commercial space launches, with its massive Starship V3 rocket scheduled for flight on Thursday following a delay. The document repeatedly brings up establishing “orbital AI compute” by putting servers in space as a massive opportunity for revenue and one that it is uniquely positioned to deliver. In January, SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch one million data center satellites into space to support a growing AI buildout.

It’s telling investors that SpaceX believes it has “identified the largest actionable total addressable market (TAM) in human history,” potentially worth $28.5 trillion, with $370 billion from space, $1.6 trillion in connectivity with Starlink Broadband and Starlink Mobile, and $26.5 trillion in AI, which includes AI infrastructure, subscriptions, advertising, and $22.7 trillion in enterprise applications.

#SpaceX #filed #biggest #IPOBusiness,Elon Musk,News,Science,Space,SpaceX,Tech">SpaceX just filed for what could be the biggest IPO ever

SpaceX generated $18.67 billion in revenue in 2025, driven largely by its Starlink satellite internet service, which brought in more than $11 billion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company lost over $4.9 billion last year, with capital expenditures soaring to $20.7 billion last year, a leap from $11.2 billion in 2024, as reported by The New York Times. xAI, which recently merged with SpaceX, lost billions last year, while growing revenue by 22 percent, according to TechCrunch.

For months, rumors have swirled that SpaceX was preparing a historic market debut, with whispers of a $1.75 trillion valuation and a record-shattering $75 billion raise. Now that the paperwork is public, we finally have our first real look at the financials behind the company that normalized reusable rockets, built a space internet monopoly, and absorbed Musk’s xAI and the dredges of Twitter into its orbit.

Several of our anticipated market opportunities, including certain AI, orbital, lunar, and interplanetary transportation and industrial activities, are still emerging and evolving or do not currently exist, and such markets may not develop as we expect, or at all.

It also says its “substantial level of indebtedness could materially adversely affect our financial condition.”

According to the WSJ, Musk’s supervoting shares will give him 85 percent control over the company. In addition to Musk, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, and CFO Bret Johnson, the SEC filing lists several other members of SpaceX’s board of directors, including Google executive Donald Harrison, Tesla board member Ira Ehrenpreis, as well as investors Randy Glein, Antonio Gracias, Steve Jurvetson, and Luke Nosek.

SpaceX describes its mission to investors as:

Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars. To do this, we have formed the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth with unmatched capabilities to rapidly manufacture and launch space-based communications that connect the world, to harness the Sun to power a truth-seeking artificial intelligence that advances scientific discovery, and ultimately to build a base on the Moon and cities on other planets.

SpaceX currently leads the industry in commercial space launches, with its massive Starship V3 rocket scheduled for flight on Thursday following a delay. The document repeatedly brings up establishing “orbital AI compute” by putting servers in space as a massive opportunity for revenue and one that it is uniquely positioned to deliver. In January, SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch one million data center satellites into space to support a growing AI buildout.

It’s telling investors that SpaceX believes it has “identified the largest actionable total addressable market (TAM) in human history,” potentially worth $28.5 trillion, with $370 billion from space, $1.6 trillion in connectivity with Starlink Broadband and Starlink Mobile, and $26.5 trillion in AI, which includes AI infrastructure, subscriptions, advertising, and $22.7 trillion in enterprise applications.

#SpaceX #filed #biggest #IPOBusiness,Elon Musk,News,Science,Space,SpaceX,Tech
Microsoft is purchasing 650,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from startup BioCirc, the company said today. 

As carbon removal deals go, it’s not a big buy. But this one is notable because last month, two reports said the tech giant was pausing its carbon removal deals. BioCirc confirmed for TechCrunch that the purchase agreement was signed in May, weeks after Microsoft reportedly paused new deals.

For the carbon removal industry — and the startups that depend on it — there’s a big difference between a pause and a recalibration. Microsoft is reportedly responsible for more than 90% of the carbon removal credit market, meaning its purchasing decisions alone can determine whether young companies in the space survive.

Microsoft repeatedly denied that it had paused its carbon removal purchases. “Our carbon removal program has not ended,” Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer at Microsoft, told TechCrunch in a statement. “At times we may adjust the pace or volume of our carbon removal procurement as we continue to refine our approach toward sustainability goals.”

The new deal generates carbon removal credits from five BioCirc biogas projects. The biogas plants take biomass waste — frequently from agriculture — and use industrial bioreactors to turn it into methane and carbon dioxide. BioCirc captures the carbon dioxide and stores it in an underground reservoir offshore. The methane is then burned in a power plant. 

Microsoft’s sustainability goals have been strained by the company’s push into AI. To power its data centers in Texas, Microsoft last month said it was working with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to build a natural gas power plant in the state that could eventually generate 5 gigawatts of electricity. Emissions from that project alone promise to dwarf the deal with BioCirc.

Internally, Microsoft employees have also been debating whether to abandon the company’s goal of matching zero emissions electricity with its energy use on an hourly basis. Today, the company matches on an annual basis. That approach gives the company more flexibility to, say, use more natural gas to power its data centers at night, but it also makes the company’s clean energy claims harder to verify.

If Microsoft continues to pursue fossil fuel power plants, it’ll need to ramp up its carbon removal purchases to meet its 2030 target of becoming a carbon negative company (one that removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it generates). 

Last year, Microsoft signed several deals worth millions of tons of carbon removal credits. The program’s reported pause set off alarm bells throughout the carbon removal industry, which is still in its infancy.

The new deal suggests that Microsoft is, in fact, recalibrating its carbon removal program — not abandoning it. Whether that remains true as AI drives its energy consumption higher is something the industry will be watching.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Microsofts #carbon #removal #plans #arent #dead #TechCrunchMicrosoft,biogas,Exclusive,carbon credits,carbon removal">Microsoft’s carbon removal plans aren’t dead after all | TechCrunch Microsoft is purchasing 650,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from startup BioCirc, the company said today.  As carbon removal deals go, it’s not a big buy. But this one is notable because last month, two reports said the tech giant was pausing its carbon removal deals. BioCirc confirmed for TechCrunch that the purchase agreement was signed in May, weeks after Microsoft reportedly paused new deals. For the carbon removal industry — and the startups that depend on it — there’s a big difference between a pause and a recalibration. Microsoft is reportedly responsible for more than 90% of the carbon removal credit market, meaning its purchasing decisions alone can determine whether young companies in the space survive. Microsoft repeatedly denied that it had paused its carbon removal purchases. “Our carbon removal program has not ended,” Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer at Microsoft, told TechCrunch in a statement. “At times we may adjust the pace or volume of our carbon removal procurement as we continue to refine our approach toward sustainability goals.” The new deal generates carbon removal credits from five BioCirc biogas projects. The biogas plants take biomass waste — frequently from agriculture — and use industrial bioreactors to turn it into methane and carbon dioxide. BioCirc captures the carbon dioxide and stores it in an underground reservoir offshore. The methane is then burned in a power plant.  Microsoft’s sustainability goals have been strained by the company’s push into AI. To power its data centers in Texas, Microsoft last month said it was working with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to build a natural gas power plant in the state that could eventually generate 5 gigawatts of electricity. Emissions from that project alone promise to dwarf the deal with BioCirc. Internally, Microsoft employees have also been debating whether to abandon the company’s goal of matching zero emissions electricity with its energy use on an hourly basis. Today, the company matches on an annual basis. That approach gives the company more flexibility to, say, use more natural gas to power its data centers at night, but it also makes the company’s clean energy claims harder to verify. If Microsoft continues to pursue fossil fuel power plants, it’ll need to ramp up its carbon removal purchases to meet its 2030 target of becoming a carbon negative company (one that removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it generates).  Last year, Microsoft signed several deals worth millions of tons of carbon removal credits. The program’s reported pause set off alarm bells throughout the carbon removal industry, which is still in its infancy. The new deal suggests that Microsoft is, in fact, recalibrating its carbon removal program — not abandoning it. Whether that remains true as AI drives its energy consumption higher is something the industry will be watching. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Microsofts #carbon #removal #plans #arent #dead #TechCrunchMicrosoft,biogas,Exclusive,carbon credits,carbon removal

two reports said the tech giant was pausing its carbon removal deals. BioCirc confirmed for TechCrunch that the purchase agreement was signed in May, weeks after Microsoft reportedly paused new deals.

For the carbon removal industry — and the startups that depend on it — there’s a big difference between a pause and a recalibration. Microsoft is reportedly responsible for more than 90% of the carbon removal credit market, meaning its purchasing decisions alone can determine whether young companies in the space survive.

Microsoft repeatedly denied that it had paused its carbon removal purchases. “Our carbon removal program has not ended,” Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer at Microsoft, told TechCrunch in a statement. “At times we may adjust the pace or volume of our carbon removal procurement as we continue to refine our approach toward sustainability goals.”

The new deal generates carbon removal credits from five BioCirc biogas projects. The biogas plants take biomass waste — frequently from agriculture — and use industrial bioreactors to turn it into methane and carbon dioxide. BioCirc captures the carbon dioxide and stores it in an underground reservoir offshore. The methane is then burned in a power plant. 

Microsoft’s sustainability goals have been strained by the company’s push into AI. To power its data centers in Texas, Microsoft last month said it was working with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to build a natural gas power plant in the state that could eventually generate 5 gigawatts of electricity. Emissions from that project alone promise to dwarf the deal with BioCirc.

Internally, Microsoft employees have also been debating whether to abandon the company’s goal of matching zero emissions electricity with its energy use on an hourly basis. Today, the company matches on an annual basis. That approach gives the company more flexibility to, say, use more natural gas to power its data centers at night, but it also makes the company’s clean energy claims harder to verify.

If Microsoft continues to pursue fossil fuel power plants, it’ll need to ramp up its carbon removal purchases to meet its 2030 target of becoming a carbon negative company (one that removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it generates). 

Last year, Microsoft signed several deals worth millions of tons of carbon removal credits. The program’s reported pause set off alarm bells throughout the carbon removal industry, which is still in its infancy.

The new deal suggests that Microsoft is, in fact, recalibrating its carbon removal program — not abandoning it. Whether that remains true as AI drives its energy consumption higher is something the industry will be watching.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Microsofts #carbon #removal #plans #arent #dead #TechCrunchMicrosoft,biogas,Exclusive,carbon credits,carbon removal">Microsoft’s carbon removal plans aren’t dead after all | TechCrunch

Microsoft is purchasing 650,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from startup BioCirc, the company said today. 

As carbon removal deals go, it’s not a big buy. But this one is notable because last month, two reports said the tech giant was pausing its carbon removal deals. BioCirc confirmed for TechCrunch that the purchase agreement was signed in May, weeks after Microsoft reportedly paused new deals.

For the carbon removal industry — and the startups that depend on it — there’s a big difference between a pause and a recalibration. Microsoft is reportedly responsible for more than 90% of the carbon removal credit market, meaning its purchasing decisions alone can determine whether young companies in the space survive.

Microsoft repeatedly denied that it had paused its carbon removal purchases. “Our carbon removal program has not ended,” Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer at Microsoft, told TechCrunch in a statement. “At times we may adjust the pace or volume of our carbon removal procurement as we continue to refine our approach toward sustainability goals.”

The new deal generates carbon removal credits from five BioCirc biogas projects. The biogas plants take biomass waste — frequently from agriculture — and use industrial bioreactors to turn it into methane and carbon dioxide. BioCirc captures the carbon dioxide and stores it in an underground reservoir offshore. The methane is then burned in a power plant. 

Microsoft’s sustainability goals have been strained by the company’s push into AI. To power its data centers in Texas, Microsoft last month said it was working with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to build a natural gas power plant in the state that could eventually generate 5 gigawatts of electricity. Emissions from that project alone promise to dwarf the deal with BioCirc.

Internally, Microsoft employees have also been debating whether to abandon the company’s goal of matching zero emissions electricity with its energy use on an hourly basis. Today, the company matches on an annual basis. That approach gives the company more flexibility to, say, use more natural gas to power its data centers at night, but it also makes the company’s clean energy claims harder to verify.

If Microsoft continues to pursue fossil fuel power plants, it’ll need to ramp up its carbon removal purchases to meet its 2030 target of becoming a carbon negative company (one that removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it generates). 

Last year, Microsoft signed several deals worth millions of tons of carbon removal credits. The program’s reported pause set off alarm bells throughout the carbon removal industry, which is still in its infancy.

The new deal suggests that Microsoft is, in fact, recalibrating its carbon removal program — not abandoning it. Whether that remains true as AI drives its energy consumption higher is something the industry will be watching.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

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Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights. Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity. According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP: India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency. The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.” #Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin">Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights. Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity. According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP: India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency. The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.” #Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights. Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity. According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP: India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency. The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.” #Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin">Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India

Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights. Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity. According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP: India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency. The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.” #Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

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