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The Backbone Pro is almost the perfect controller for all your gaming

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 82, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you’re caught up on Andor, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about AI prophets and ChatGPT cheaters and the […]

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Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 82, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you’re caught up on Andor, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)

This week, I’ve been reading about AI prophets and ChatGPT cheaters and the lives of NFL prospects, watching the new season of Taskmaster and a whole bunch of Mulan, playing PGA Tour Pro Golf on my iPhone and the original Mario Golf on my Switch, finally getting into Barbarians at the Gate, and doing a lot of eBay shopping for vintage gadgets. For work, I swear.

I also have for you a great new gaming controller, a podcast about emojis, a new super-high-end fitness tracker, a whole bunch of GTA VI content, and much more. Fun, gadgety week this week! Let’s get into it.

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / learning on the harpsichord this week? What should everyone else be into right now, too? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)

  • The Backbone Pro. I’ve had and loved a Backbone controller for a while — it’s a terrific gaming accessory for your phone. The new model is even more ambitious; in addition to your phone, it can also connect wirelessly to iPads, Steam Decks, smart TVs, and more. No Switch or Xbox or PS5, for annoying reasons, but still a great cross-device idea.
  • “Emoji Law.” An instant classic of a 99 Percent Invisible episode, about how a thumbs-up emoji in response to a contract proposal turned into a huge lawsuit over what a thumbs-up emoji actually means. A wonky story in the absolute best way, and a great listen.
  • The Microsoft Surface Pro 12. I remain slightly skeptical that any Windows on ARM device can be truly great, but it looks like Microsoft got the spec sheet right with this one. The Pro is thin and light, powerful enough, with good battery life, and starts at $800… I have high hopes for this one.
  • Poker Face season two. This show never quite got its due, I assume mostly because it’s on Peacock and nobody really cares about Peacock. (Disclosure: Comcast, which owns Peacock, is a minority investor in Vox Media.) But it’s a terrific mystery show, and the second season is just as surprising and bizarre as the first.
  • Amazon Kindle for iOS. This is mostly a PSA: thanks to the recent ruling against Apple, developers like Amazon can now include links to buy stuff on the web. Amazon’s one of the first I’ve seen to take advantage — you can just click to buy a book! What a world! Delta and other apps are also already changing how you pay for stuff, and there’s surely more to come soon.
  • “Handhelds (and Games) I’m Playing Right Now.” A fun Retro Games Corp tour of a bunch of interesting and fun handheld consoles — including a couple I didn’t know about before — and some fun games to play on them. I have trouble keeping all the retro handheld stuff straight, and this video was super helpful.
  • Whoop 5.0. Whoop has always been a little too much for me. It’s a great fitness tracker for, like, pro athletes, but it’s more than most people need. The new one, though, is smaller and longer-lasting and more focused on overall health tracking. It’s still a lot of metrics, though, and you’ll pay up to $359 a year to get all of them.
  • “GTA 6 TRAILER 2 REACTION & BREAKDOWN.” Two full hours of frame-by-frame review of a two-minute trailer for a game that’s not coming out for a year, from a big name in GTA streaming, who spends half the stream just being blown away by the graphics? Yes, please. I watched the whole thing without even meaning to.

I’ve mentioned this before here, but I have a real weakness for notebooks. On some level this makes no sense: I type all day, I write by hand hardly ever, and my handwriting is horrific. And yet there’s nothing I love more than the look and feel of a really nice notebook. I’ve been a fan of the Sidekick Notepad from Cortex for a while, and was very excited to see the launch of the Sidekick Pocket this week. There are three flavors of the new mini notebook: one with lined paper, one with a dot grid, and one just for writing checklists. The correct answer is all three.

One half of the Cortex team is Myke Hurley, who you might also know as the cofounder of the Relay podcast network and the host of tech-focused shows like Connected and Upgrade. I’ve been a fan of Myke for a long time, and wanted to see how a guy who makes lovely notebooks thinks about his phone.

Here’s Myke’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:

Three screenshots of an iOS homescreen.

The phone: iPhone 16 Pro in Desert Titanium. I am in the No Case Club with my iPhone (although I love my MagSafe Popsocket to help with grip), so I like to have a phone with as much color as Apple will give me.

The wallpaper: This is a photo of the wallpaper in The Beverly Hills Hotel, which I took while on holiday in LA last year. This wallpaper gives me joy, even though my friends REPEATEDLY tell me that it makes my homescreen too busy. But it’s my phone!

The apps: Apple Notes, ChatGPT, Citymapper, Mango Baby, Photos, Instagram, Messages, Readwise Reader, Todoist, Notion, Safari, Overcast, GameTrack, Owlet Dream, Kindle.

As you can see, I love widgets on my homescreen, and I use stacks quite a bit. So you see Carrot and Due there, for instance, but they are hiding widgets for Fantastical and Reminders, respectively.

I find myself using ChatGPT more and more to replace Google Search. Being able to ask follow-up questions about what I’m searching for is very powerful, and often helps me find what I want.

My wife and I recently had our first child, and we have been using Mango Baby to track all the important things you need to track for baby health. It’s made by a single developer, it looks great, and it supports all the new Apple technologies like interactive widgets and live activities.

I have recently taken all text-based social media off my phone, and am trying to do these things on work devices only, in an effort to be less distracted. So I have started saving articles to Readwise Reader. I really like the way the app looks and works — but I especially like its highlighting features.

I really love Widgetsmith’s photo widgets. The built-in widget from Apple is good, but you never know what it’s going to show you.

I also asked Myke to share a few things he’s into right now. Here’s what he sent back:

  • The Studio on Apple TV Plus is my absolute favorite show right now. It’s an incredibly fun and entertaining show that’s also a technical masterpiece. Everything I see about how this show is made just makes me love and respect it more.
  • Kinda Funny Games is a gaming-focused YouTube channel / podcast network that brings me so much joy. It’s an 11-person company based in San Francisco, and they produce multiple shows every day. The gang has such great camaraderie I feel like I am hanging out with friends when I tune in.
  • If you’re not listening to The Rest is History, you should change that. It’s an incredible history podcast hosted by Tom Holland (not that one) and Dominic Sandbrook. They have a way of bringing history to life that I find so compelling. There are so many amazing series of episodes to go through, but I recommend the episodes on the Assassination of JFK as a good place to start.

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 started playing another daily word game called Raddle. It’s a word ladder where you have to get from one word (or phrase) to another, but instead of just changing one letter like in a traditional word ladder there are a series of clues like ‘replace the middle letter with a double letter to get a time of day.’ The catch is that the clues are in a random order so you need to figure out which clue applies right now.” — Kyle

“The Seat on Netflix, despite the very cringe WhatsApp sponsoring, is a fascinating watch of a prodigy kid still living with his parents who’s about to join one of the top F1 teams. What Drive to Survive could have been.” — Greg

“Just got done with Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, and enjoyed it.” — Hobie

“Pocket Casts launched transcripts finally! Only for Plus and Patron members, it looks like, but if I wasn’t already a Plus member, this would’ve instantly made me one. This will help my constant struggle of wanting to switch to Apple Podcasts significantly.” — Omesh

“After Omnivore shut down, I got stressed and started looking into self hosting. Struggled until I set up YunoHost to self host Wallabag and Miniflux on a Raspberry Pi.” — Ronin

“I’ve been playing Kero Kero Cowboy for Game Boy, which just got released after a successful Kickstarter. It has strong Kirby vibes and has been a blast so far.” — Justin

“I’m looking at the Alfred Field Guide from MacSparky, and trying to see if I can fit it into my budget this month. Been a Powerpack user for years, but I’ve never learned the ins and outs.” — Ben

“The Pitt on Max is the best new show I’ve seen this year.” — Yury

“I’ve basically sunk my week into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but I think it’s the biggest jump in mature video game storytelling since The Witcher 3. Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3 improved on The Witcher, but CO feels like something entirely new.” — Laszlo

I’ve gotten a couple of emails in the last few weeks that all say basically the same thing: dude, you need to jailbreak your Kindle. The pitch makes a lot of sense! The Kindle is a lovely piece of hardware that is annoyingly tied to all of Amazon’s weird ideas about software and books.

I’ve spent some time this week on YouTube watching people jailbreak their e-readers — Dammit Jeff has a great explainer, as does Simon Feilder — and they all show that the Kindle can be a much more interesting and versatile device. Also, people really like KOReader. Amazon, of course, does not want you to do any of this; it already patched some of the jailbreak exploits, and I assume this cat-and-mouse game will continue forever. But I will be jailbreaking my Paperwhite as soon as I can, and I will report back.



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Meta becomes the latest big tech company turning to nuclear power for AI needs

WASHINGTON — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company. The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant. The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string […]

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June 5, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company.

The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant.

The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center was actually slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by legislation in Illinois establishing a zero-emission credit program to support the plant into 2027. The agreement deal takes effect in June of 2027, when the state’s taxpayer funded zero-emission credit program expires.

With the arrival of Meta, Clinton’s clean energy output will expand by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and bring in $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the companies. The plant currently powers the equivalent of about 800,000 U.S. homes.

“Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions,” said Urvi Parekh, Meta’s head of global energy.

Surging investments in small nuclear reactors comes at a time when large tech companies are facing two major demands: a need to increase their energy supply for AI and data centers, among other needs, while also trying to meet their long-term goals to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Constellation, the owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, said in September that it planned to restart the reactor so tech giant Microsoft could secure power to supply its data centers. Three Mile Island, located on the Susquehanna River just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was the site of the nation’s worst commercial nuclear power accident in 1979.

Also last fall, Amazon said it was investing in small nuclear reactors, two days after a similar announcement by Google.
Additionally, Google announced last month that it was investing in three advanced nuclear energy projects with Elementl Power.
U.S. states have been positioning themselves to meet the tech industry’s power needs as policymakers consider expanding subsidies and gutting regulatory obstacles.

Last year, 25 states passed legislation to support advanced nuclear energy, and lawmakers this year have introduced over 200 bills supportive of nuclear energy, according to the trade association Nuclear Energy Institute.

Advanced reactor designs from competing firms are filling up the federal government’s regulatory pipeline as the industry touts them as a reliable, climate-friendly way to meet electricity demands from tech giants desperate to power their fast-growing artificial intelligence platforms.

Still, it’s unlikely the U.S. could quadruple its nuclear production within the next 25 years, like the White House wants. The United States lacks any next-generation reactors operating commercially and only two new large reactors have been built from scratch in nearly 50 years. Those two reactors, at a nuclear plant in Georgia, were completed years late and at least $17 billion over budget.

Amazon, Google and Microsoft also have been investing in solar and wind technologies, which make electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Shares of Constellation Energy Corp., based in Baltimore, were flat Tuesday.

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.



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CertiCon, an HTEC Company, Honored With Supplier Award 2024 by Frequentis for Outstanding Performance and Sustainability – NORTHEAST

HTEC Group Inc. is a global AI-first provider of strategic, software and hardware embedded design and engineering services, specializing in Advanced Technologies, Financial Services, MedTech, Automotive, Telco, and Enterprise Software & Platforms. HTEC has a proven track record of helping Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies solve complex engineering challenges, drive efficiency, reduce risks, and accelerate […]

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HTEC Group Inc. is a global AI-first provider of strategic, software and hardware embedded design and engineering services, specializing in Advanced Technologies, Financial Services, MedTech, Automotive, Telco, and Enterprise Software & Platforms. HTEC has a proven track record of helping Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies solve complex engineering challenges, drive efficiency, reduce risks, and accelerate time to market. HTEC prides itself on attracting top talent and has strategically chosen the locations of its 20+ excellence centers to enable this.



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Study examines how well wearable tech tracks fitness metrics

image:  Many people use wearable devices, such as Apple Watches, to track their fitness goals, but a UM study finds that the devices are better at tracking some types of data than others. The researchers advise that the devices provide helpful information to help track goals, but users should not rely on the data as […]

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Apple Watch Graphic

image: 

Many people use wearable devices, such as Apple Watches, to track their fitness goals, but a UM study finds that the devices are better at tracking some types of data than others. The researchers advise that the devices provide helpful information to help track goals, but users should not rely on the data as totally accurate.


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Credit: Graphic by Jordan Thweatt/University Marketing and Communications

OXFORD, Miss. – Many Americans rely on their Apple Watches or similar devices each day to count their steps, track workouts, and measure how many calories they burn. But are those wearable devices accurate?

University of Mississippi professor Minsoo Kang and doctoral student Ju-Pil Choe are working to answer that question.

Kang, a professor of sport analytics, and Choe reviewed 56 studies that compared the Apple Watch to trusted reference tools in measuring energy burned, heart rate and step counts.

Data from the National Institutes of Health shows that wearable technology has become increasingly popular across all types of users, from elite athletes to the general population, whether active or sedentary. As early as 2015, about 1 in 8 Americans reported using a wearable activity monitor. By 2019, wearable tech had become the top fitness trend, and the market continues to expand.

“If people are using them to make decisions about their workouts or even medical conditions, the data should be accurate,” Choe said. “If the numbers are off, it could lead to confusion, overtraining or even miss health warnings.”

The Ole Miss researchers conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate how the device’s accuracy varied by age, health status, Apple Watch version and type of physical activity.

The findings showed that Apple Watches are generally accurate when measuring heart rate and step counts. The researchers reported mean absolute percent errors, a standard measure of accuracy, of 4.43% for heart rate and 8.17% for step counts, while the error for energy expenditure rose to 27.96%.

This inaccuracy was observed across all types of users and activities tested, including walking, running, cycling and mixed-intensity workouts.

This inaccuracy was observed across all types of users and activities tested, including walking, running, cycling and mixed-intensity workouts.

The results indicated that Apple Watches can be a good support tool, such as for tracking basic activity after surgery, but they should not replace clinical tools or medical judgment, Kang said.

“These devices are great for keeping track of habits and staying motivated,” he said. “But do not take every number as 100% truth, especially the calories.

“Think of it as a helpful guide, not a diagnostic tool. It is useful but not perfect.”

The researchers noted that newer models seem to be more accurate.

“While we cannot say every update is a big leap forward, there is a noticeable trend of gradual improvements over time,” Choe said. “It shows that Apple is refining the technology over time.”

Kang said he hopes this study will help consumers make informed choices about buying and using wearable devices and help manufacturers improve the technology people rely on daily.

“By showing where the weaknesses are, we can help developers get real feedback,” he said. “If they know what needs to be fixed, they can design better sensors or algorithms.

“Our findings can guide improvements and help make these devices more useful for both everyday users and health care providers.”

Journal

Physiological Measurement

Article Title

Apple watch accuracy in monitoring health metrics: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.



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Meta turns to nuclear power for AI needs | News, Sports, Jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company. The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant. The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a […]

Published

8 hours ago

on

June 5, 2025

By


WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company.

The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant.

The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center was actually slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by legislation in Illinois establishing a zero-emission credit program to support the plant into 2027. The agreement deal takes effect in June of 2027, when the state’s taxpayer funded zero-emission credit program expires.

With the arrival of Meta, Clinton’s clean energy output will expand by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and bring in $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the companies. The plant currently powers the equivalent of about 800,000 U.S. homes. George Gross, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois. estimates that 30 additional megawatts would be enough to power a city with about 30,00 residents for one year.

“Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions,” said Urvi Parekh, Meta’s head of global energy.

Surging investments in small nuclear reactors comes at a time when large tech companies are facing two major demands: a need to increase their energy supply for AI and data centers, among other needs, while also trying to meet their long-term goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions.



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Future of ESPN’s MLB Rights

Morning Edition June 5, 2025 Rob Manfred told reporters, including FOS, that MLB hopes to decide on a new rights partner for rights currently held by ESPN before the All-Star Game. Here’s what we know. —Eric Fisher, David Rumsey, and Colin Salao Mark J. Rebilas-Imgan Images MLB is approaching an endgame on reselling national media […]

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June 5, 2025

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Front Office Sports - The Memo

Morning Edition

 June 5, 2025

Rob Manfred told reporters, including FOS, that MLB hopes to decide on a new rights partner for rights currently held by ESPN before the All-Star Game. Here’s what we know.

—Eric Fisher, David Rumsey, and Colin Salao



Mark J. Rebilas-Imgan Images

MLB is approaching an endgame on reselling national media rights being abandoned by ESPN after this season, with a decision anticipated before next month’s All-Star Game. 

As team owners meet this week in New York, league commissioner Rob Manfred said discussions are ongoing with three bidders to cover the 2026–28 seasons. Two are known, with NBC potentially returning to baseball to expand its sports hold on Sunday nights, Apple TV+ looking to expand its presence beyond its current Friday night package, and a third suitor that Manfred declined to name. MLB could potentially break the ESPN rights into multiple parts.

“I’m hopeful that in the next few weeks, prior to the All-Star Game, we get something done,” Manfred said. “But when you’re having three different sets of conversations, it’s a lot. Each set of conversations involves a different group of content. We’re talking to three people about different packages.”

The rights deals would be interim ones to bridge to 2028, when MLB’s other national rights deals expire, and when Manfred is looking to repackage the sport’s national and local rights in a more centralized strategy. Because of that shorter time frame, the commissioner said he will look to prioritize reach over gaining maximum dollars. But he also acknowledged that the mutual opt-out with ESPN exercised earlier this year has created something of an awkward situation. 

“We agreed to the opt-out as a set of compromises that got us to the deal we had. We liked the deal we had,” Manfred said of ESPN. “Looking backwards, do I wish I wasn’t in a position to sell three years so we can line our rights up in 2028? The answer to that is yes.”

Next Steps in Tampa?

Manfred said progress is continuing on repairing hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field so the Rays can return there at or near Opening Day in 2026. The team’s long-term future, however, remains decidedly uncertain.

His comments follow the team’s decision in March to walk away from a deal with St. Petersburg, Fla., and Pinellas County to build a $1.3 billion stadium. The Rays are currently playing to sharply decreased and league-low attendance in the Yankees’ spring training facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field.

“The big contingency [for next year] is what happens with the [2025] hurricane season. There’s not much you can do about that besides keep your fingers crossed,” Manfred said. “Long-term, they’re going to honor their lease [at Tropicana Field] through 2028, but I don’t really have anything to add beyond that.”

More Business

In other matters that Manfred addressed:

  • Manfred said there is a “really positive” mood among owners as the league enjoys solid increases in both attendance and national TV viewership so far in the 2025 season. Other factors, such as the continued success of the pitch clock and popular stars such as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge are having significant impacts, too. “The product we’re putting on the field is better than it was five years ago,” Manfred said.
  • There is still no deal for MLB to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But as negotiating progresses with LA28 organizers, parallel talks are also happening with other league business partners. “We have some other partners that we need to talk to about changes that would need to be made to accommodate the Olympics,” Manfred said.
  • The commissioner cited strong buzz among owners about the league’s recent investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. “They think we found a good organization and are excited to get going with that,” he said.
  • Manfred said the sentiments of U.S. President Donald Trump were among many inputs in his recent decision to reinstate the late Pete Rose. 

“I have respect for the office and paid attention to the advice that he gave,” he said. “But I had a lot of other people that we were weighing in on the topic as well.”


Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) walks off before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.

Almost a month removed from announcing his surprise retirement from the NFL, former Saints and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is content with his decision to end his playing career—and walk away from another huge paycheck.

“That part was tough because I didn’t want to have surgery and just sit there and—it sounds crazy but—just take the Saints money,” Carr told Front Office Sports.

Carr, 34, retired with roughly $195.7 million in career earnings. With two seasons remaining on the four-year, $150 million contract he signed in 2023, Carr gave up the $30 million salary he was set to earn in 2025, but he kept a $10 million roster bonus that hit in March. 

The four-time Pro Bowler sustained a severe shoulder injury last season that jeopardized his future. “I wouldn’t have been able to play if I had the surgery,” Carr said. “And then if I tried to play with it, I wasn’t near 100%, and so that doesn’t help them, either. I just felt like it was the right thing to do for myself and for the team.”

Carr said the Saints wanted him to try to keep playing, but he couldn’t commit to another season, despite the financial benefit. 

“I never played just for the money,” he said. “I had a whole bunch of people tell me how crazy I was, and ‘Man, I would never have done that.’ That’s all cool, but I’ve gained all these things that the world has to offer, and it doesn’t really do anything for your heart. I knew my heart was at peace, and that’s really all that mattered.”

For more on Derek Carr’s post-retirement ventures and future in media, you can read David Rumsey’s full interview with the former NFL star here.


Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Finals series between the Thunder and Pacers is one of the most lopsided in history—at least based on the odds.

Oklahoma City is favored somewhere from -650 to -750, depending on the sportsbook, making the matchup one of the 10 most-lopsided NBA Finals, according to Sports Odds History.

Despite the gap—or perhaps because of it—bettors are putting their money on Indiana. 

According to data from DraftKings, 79% of the betting handle, which is the total amount of money wagered, is on the Pacers to upset the Thunder. DraftKings has the Pacers at +500 odds to win the series. The remaining 79% of the handle placed on the series winner belongs to the Thunder at -700, meaning that a bettor would have to place $7 to win $1 back.

DraftKings director of sports operations Johnny Avello tells Front Office Sports that betting trends were similar for previous playoff series, including when the Cavaliers were -425 favorites to beat the Pacers in the second round.

“It’s not that unusual because the bettors are reluctant to lay $7 to win $1,” says Avello.

The same trend can be seen on FanDuel, DraftKings’ biggest competitor, where the Thunder are -750 favorites. The Pacers have 95% of total series bets and 77% of the betting handle.

Most bettors, however, are putting money on OKC to cover the spread in Game 1 (-9), with 57% of the betting handle for Game 1 on OKC to cover. However, 66% of the handle is on the Pacers moneyline (+320), according to DraftKings.

Oklahoma City is also getting a lion’s share of the bets when it comes to the exact outcome of the series.

For bets on “Correct Score,” 64% of the betting handle and 41% of bets placed are on the Thunder to win in five games (+250), the most likely outcome based on the odds. An Oklahoma City sweep (+260) has 18% of the handle and 25% of bets placed. Pacers in six (+1400) has the most bets of any that have Indiana winning the series (5% handle, 9% bets placed).

While the odds show that the Pacers are a long shot to win the title, they have been underdogs throughout the playoffs. They have not been favored to win a series since the first round, and DraftKings gave Indiana 85-to-1 odds to win the title before the playoffs, the longest odds in the sportsbook’s history for any team that has made the Finals.

“No quote, unquote expert or analyst is going to pick us, and that’s O.K. We like it better that way,” Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton said Tuesday.

Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

An American has not won a French Open singles title in more than a decade. Coco Gauff is the country’s last hope of ending the drought this year.

Gauff defeated fellow American Madison Keys in the quarterfinals Wednesday to advance to her second consecutive semifinals at Roland-Garros. She is the last remaining American in the tournament, man or woman, after Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe were knocked out in the men’s quarterfinals Tuesday.

The last American to win the French Open was Serena Williams in 2015, the longest gap among the four Grand Slams. The last American man was Andre Agassi in 1999.

Gauff was the last U.S. player to reach the finals of the lone Grand Slam played on clay back in 2022, the first Grand Slam final of her career. She was 18 years old at the time, and she has since won one Grand Slam (2023 US Open), hit her career-high ranking (No. 2), and amassed more than $24.3 million in career earnings. 

Now 21, Gauff will face France’s own Lois Boisson, the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament, who entered the French Open ranked No. 361. Gauff, however, will likely be up against the Paris crowd Thursday—something she said she’s had to deal with before. 

“I think there are two ways I have done it in the past. Either, A: just pretend they’re cheering for you, and B: just using it and not letting that get to you,” Gauff told reporters Wednesday.

While Gauff (-500) is the odds-on favorite to beat Boisson, she may not be favored regardless of whoever comes out of the other side of the bracket. Gauff will either face four-time French Open champion Iga Świątek, who has eliminated her from the Grand Slam in three consecutive years, or world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Trending Up

Even if Gauff is unable to secure a title at Roland-Garros, the tournament was still a massive step in the right direction for U.S. tennis. Eight Americans made the round of 16 this year, the most in the last 40 years.

Five women made it (Amanda Anisimova, Gauff, Keys, Jessica Pegula, Hailey Baptiste), and three men (Paul, Tiafoe, Ben Shelton). Four advanced to the quarterfinals, including Paul and Tiafoe—the first time multiple men have made the final eight at Roland-Garros since 1995.

Clay is historically one of the weaker courts for U.S. players, as hard courts are more common locally while clay courts are common in Europe.

  • Saquon Barkley had a harness to help replicate his reverse hurdle for the Madden 26 cover shoot. Take a look.
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Wednesday’s result: 40% of respondents watched more baseball this year than last season.






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Catapult buys MIT spinout Perch for $28m — Capital Brief

The news: Sports technology company Catapult Group International has acquired athlete monitoring platform and Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinout Perch. The numbers: The US$18 million ($28 million) acquisition was completed on Wednesday, with US$3 million cash to be paid out of Catapult’s existing cash reserves at close. The remainder will be paid out in Catapult […]

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June 5, 2025

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The news: Sports technology company Catapult Group International has acquired athlete monitoring platform and Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinout Perch.

The numbers: The US$18 million ($28 million) acquisition was completed on Wednesday, with US$3 million cash to be paid out of Catapult’s existing cash reserves at close.

The remainder will be paid out in Catapult shares across four tranches.

Perch shareholders are also eligible for an earn-out of up to US$10 million in additional shares over the period June 2027 to May 2028 if growth milestones for annual contract value (ACV) are met.

Shares will be valued at the 30-day volume-weighted average price ending prior to the release of Catapult’s financial year 2025 results.

Perch, founded in 2016, has an annual contract value of about US$2.5 million and has trained its computer vision algorithm across 40,000 unique users.

The context: Perch’s uses 3D cameras combined with computer vision and AI to automate tracking of athlete strength training, aiming to deliver real-time feedback and saving time compared to manual data collection.

What they said: “By bringing our solutions together, we’re building a smarter, more connected athlete monitoring system — on the field, in the gym and beyond,” Catapult CEO and managing director Will Lopes said.

“The acquisition strengthens our Performance & Health vertical and accelerates our mission to deliver intuitive, end-to-end solutions for professional sports.



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