Latest News from TheVerge
A news aggregator from various RSS feeds, like technology, gaming, development and general news sites.
Steam now warns you if an ‘early access’ PC game might be abandoned
Steam’s early access program helps small to medium-sized developers get an idea off the ground, but not every game actually does. Now, Valve has a notice designed to warn Steam users when they visit an early access game’s store page if it’s been a minute since the last update. If the dev’s lofty goals for […]
Qwertykeys halts keyboard shipments to US over tariff costs and confusion
The keyboard company Qwertykeys has temporaily halted all shipments to the United States in response to President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods going into effect. The company says it’s working on ways to mitigate shipping costs and that the tariffs have made it so that “all keyboards from China to the U.S. are now subject […]
Google tells employees why it’s ending DEI hiring goals
Google is joining Meta, Amazon, and other big tech companies in winding down its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. In a Wednesday memo to employees that I obtained (and you can read below), Google’s head of HR, Fiona Cicconi, said there will no longer be DEI hiring targets due to the company’s status as […]
Ford lost $5 billion on EVs in 2024
Ford’s electric vehicle and software business lost $5.1 billion in 2024, up from $4.7 billion lost in 2024. And the automaker doesn’t anticipate any relief this year, when it predicts it will lose as much as $5.5 billion on its EV business. Ford reported its fourth quarter and full-year earnings on Wednesday, beating Wall Street […]
There’s a hidden message in Amazon’s event invites
Amazon sent out five different invites to its upcoming product event, and when pieced together, they spell out a familiar word: Alexa, the name of the company’s digital voice assistant. We assumed the event would be about Alexa’s long-heralded renaissance, and given this message, plus Amazon telling Reuters that the event will be Alexa-focused, it seems certain the new Alexa […]
Sonos lays off 200 employees as its struggles continue
Things at Sonos are getting worse before they get better — if they’re going to get better. Today the company laid off approximately 200 employees, The Verge has learned. The news was announced at around 4PM ET, and a letter to employees from interim CEO Tom Conrad was posted on Sonos’ website shortly thereafter. “One […]
All the news on Qi2 wireless charging
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has (finally) released the new Qi2 standard that will help new devices and chargers line up perfectly, thanks to the magic of magnets. Version 2.0 of the Qi wireless charging standard supports up to 15W charging so that iPhone owners don’t have to get expensive MagSafe-certified accessories to enjoy optimal […]
What’s on your desk?
Many of us work from home, and so one of the most important places in those homes is our workspaces — in other words, our desks. Everyone’s workspace is different. What kind of desk — and desk chair — do you use? Is your workspace neat and organized or filled with tchotchkes and toys? Do […]
ChatGPT drops its sign-in requirement for search
ChatGPT no longer requires you to log in to use the AI chatbot’s search engine, OpenAI announced on Wednesday. With the feature, ChatGPT will surface responses based on information from the web while presenting a list of sources it used to inform its answer. OpenAI first launched its search engine to paid ChatGPT subscribers last […]
Newer Sony cameras can now upload images to Google Drive and Lightroom
Sony has updated its Creators’ Cloud platform so that images uploaded to a user’s cloud storage from select Sony cameras can be automatically transferred to Google Drive or Adobe Lightroom. With Google Drive, you can save photos for backup and sharing, and with Adobe Lightroom, images can be processed almost immediately, even by a remote […]
Reddit tells communities threatening Elon Musk and DOGE workers to cool down
Reddit has seen an increase in rule-breaking posts across “several communities,” and it has issued a temporary ban on one that featured users calling for violence against people who work for the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That community, r/WhitePeopleTwitter, was given a 72-hour ban on Tuesday, as reported by Engadget. Screenshots shared […]
Look at this keyboard
Hey, real quick: look at this keyboard. There’s something cool about it. It’s a mechanical keyboard. It’s a laser keyboard. It’s a magnetic induction keyboard. It has the new switches. It has the old switches. It’s very thin. It’s got a weird layout. It has a trackpoint. Or a screen. It has cool keycaps. It […]
Nintendo says it’s ‘taking risks’ to meet Switch 2 demand
Nintendo is gearing up for the Switch 2’s launch sometime in 2025, and president Shuntaro Furukawa says that the company is “taking risks and proceeding with production so that we can meet as much demand as possible,” according to a machine translation of an earnings Q&A. The company had some trouble keeping the original Switch […]
Longer-lasting laptops: the modular hardware you can upgrade and repair yourself
When it comes to improving the sustainability of consumer electronics, there’s a growing movement to design devices with a focus on upgradability and repairability that can extend their longevity, instead of just making them easier to recycle after a few years of use. At one time, nearly every laptop maker was caught up in a […]
iOS App Store apps with screenshot-reading malware found for the first time
Apps distributed through both Apple and Google’s app stores are hiding malicious screenshot-reading code that’s being used to steal cryptocurrency, the cybersecurity software firm Kaspersky reported today. It’s the “first known case” of apps infected with malware that uses OCR tech to extract text from images making it into Apple’s App Store, according to a […]
Herman Miller made a convertible standing desk that actually looks great
Herman Miller has announced a new height-adjustable desk that doesn’t look like one. Instead of relying on just two columns to raise and lower its work surface, the Spout Sit-to-Stand Table uses four cylindrical legs, each containing their own motor. The design makes the Spout table easier to move around (it even includes optional wheels), […]
‘The biggest heist in American history’: DC is just waking up to Elon Musk’s takeover
The long block outside of the US Treasury Department on Tuesday was lined with protesters. They flooded across the street with signs bearing slogans: “Nobody elected Muskâ€; “This is illegal”; “Stop the coup.†It was one of multiple DC protests targeting billionaire Elon Musk’s reported access to core government payment systems, attended by Democratic members […]
VW and Audi dealers are suing Scout over its no-dealers plan
A coterie of Florida car dealers filed a lawsuit this week against Scout Motors over its direct-to-consumer sales model. The complaint alleges that Scout, which operates under the Volkswagen Group, is in violation of Florida law which blocks automakers from trying to bypass dealers by selling directly to consumers. The suit, which was filed by […]
A reviews site embroiled in AI scandal is back from the dead
Last summer, the staff at Gannett’s consumer reviews site Reviewed received terrible news: the media giant was shuttering the entire vertical and would be laying off dozens of employees. Effective November 1st, Reviewed would cease operations. Gannett blamed Google’s changing search algorithm, which had “degraded [its] business model.” The shuttering was a blow to the […]
Google pulls incorrect Gouda stat from its AI Super Bowl ad
Google has edited Gemini’s AI response in a Super Bowl commercial to remove an incorrect statistic about cheese. The ad, which shows a small business owner using Gemini to write a website description about Gouda, no longer says the variety makes up “50 to 60 percent of the world’s cheese consumption.” In the edited YouTube […]
Amazon announces February product event
Amazon sent out invites today for a February event in New York City. The invite gives few clues as to what will be announced at the event, which will be hosted by Panos Panay and the Amazon Devices & Services team on February 26th. However, a blue swirly logo behind the words “You’re invited” does […]
The Gemini AI app can now show its thinking
Google is bringing its experimental “reasoning” artificial intelligence model capable of explaining how it answers complex questions to the Gemini app. The Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking update is part of a slew of Gemini 2.0 AI rollouts announced by Google today, including its latest Gemini 2.0 Pro flagship model. This comes as the search giant […]
Bandai’s live-action Gundam movie is getting a theatrical release
For a while, it looked like the first live-action Gundam movie was going to make its debut on Netflix, but Bandai now plans to put the movie in theaters. Though details about the film are still very slim, Bandai and Legendary announced today that their live-action Gundam feature will now be written and directed by […]
Beats Studio Buds Plus are matching their record low with $50 off
We’re still awaiting a new pair of Powerbeats Pro to drop sometime this year, but if you’re a Beats fan in need of a solid pair of wireless earbuds to bridge the gap, you’re in luck. The Beats Studio Buds Plus are on sale for their all-time low of price of $119.99 (about $50 off) […]
The end of Squid Game and Stranger Things solidifies Netflix’s new era
Netflix has a busy year of premieres ahead, but it might be most notable for what’s ending. As the streaming service continues to push into a new era full of live events, reality TV, and ad sales, it’s also saying goodbye to arguably its two biggest franchises, with both Stranger Things and Squid Game wrapping […]
Disney is doubling down on its plan to make ESPN the future of sports streaming
Disney wants to win the sports streaming war by making ESPN available “however the consumer wants it, wherever the consumer wants it,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call on Wednesday. The entertainment giant aims to give viewers multiple ways to watch ESPN, whether it’s through a standalone app slated to launch this […]
Comcast is adding Dolby Atmos to its ‘4K’ Super Bowl broadcast this year
From a presentation standpoint, Super Bowl LIX will largely be sticking to the status quo on Sunday. Fox Sports is capturing the game in 1080p HDR and upscaling that to 4K for its own networks and the free Tubi live stream. Comcast just announced that it’ll be airing the game in Dolby Vision, which it […]
Jurassic World Rebirth’s new trailer makes it sound like a video game
The larger Jurassic Park franchise feels like it should be telling stories about dinosaurs having taken over the entire planet at this point, but the new trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth makes it seem like the movie is going to retread old territory with a bit of a video game-inspired twist. Set five years after […]
Nintendo shares more info on its Switch 2 direct
As we settle in for the long, excruciating wait for more tangible news on the Switch 2, Nintendo has thrown us a little extra nugget of information. While we knew the company was planning to share more about the Switch 2 on April 2nd, now we have a time: 9 AM ET / 6 AM […]
Kagi search engine won’t bill you next month if you forget to use it
Kagi, a paid alternative to Google Search, now says it will credit your account if you subscribe and forget to use it. The company introduced what it calls “Fair Pricing” in a blog post yesterday, writing that any time you don’t use any of your searches during a full billing cycle, it will apply a […]
USPS backtracks, will accept parcels from China after all
The US Postal Service has reversed yesterday’s surprise decision to stop accepting inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong. It will continue to accept international shipments from the two countries, though it warns of “disruption” to deliveries. USPS previously announced that it was temporarily halting all packages shipped from China and Hong Kong. The decision […]
Rift of the NecroDancer’s story is an intro to some incredible music
Rift of the NecroDancer, a new music game from the creators of the music roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer, solves the problem of exploring a big library of tracks with a simple idea: a story mode. In Rift, you have to press buttons in time with notes that appear on lanes in front of you, […]
Six ways to send a message to your representatives
We are living through what can charitably be called interesting times, and one of the questions that many people are asking is: “What can I do?†One answer to that question — no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on — is to contact your federal or local representatives and let them […]
DJI explains why it won’t stop drones from flying over the White House — and what happens in a US ban
Time is not on DJI’s side. The world’s largest drone maker has less than a year to convince the Trump administration to save its products from an automatic US ban — at a time when drone fears have been stoked more than ever. Some of those fears were exacerbated by DJI’s own bad timing: days […]
Google scraps promise not to develop AI weapons
Google updated its artificial intelligence principles on Tuesday to remove commitments around not using the technology in ways “that cause or are likely to cause overall harm.” A scrubbed section of the revised AI ethics guidelines previously committed Google to not designing or deploying AI for use in surveillance, weapons, and technology intended to injure […]
Uber to Austin: get ready for Waymo
Uber is getting ready for the launch of Waymo’s public robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, prompting customers to join a list of people interested in riding in the Alphabet-owned company’s AVs when they finally go live. It also revealed photos of the new co-branded robotaxis that will operate across a swath of the Texas capital […]
Your packages are about to get slower and more expensive
The United States Postal Service announced Tuesday that it’s temporarily suspending inbound packages from China and Hong Kong, a move that’s likely to create delays and problems for packages from other destinations too. The suspension comes after President Trump used an executive order imposing a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods to also close a […]
Microsoft’s Build developer conference starts on May 19th
Microsoft Build is once again being held in Seattle this year, just over the lake from Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The developer conference will start on May 19th and run through May 22nd at the Seattle Convention Center. Microsoft hasn’t provided any hints about what the company plans to launch at Build, but it’s […]
Apex Legends: everything you need to know about the Titanfall battle royale
Instead of making Titanfall 3, developer Respawn took the franchise in a completely different direction with Apex Legends. A free-to-play battle royale game that mashes together elements of Overwatch and Fortnite, Apex Legends was a complete surprise when it launched, but it has turned out to be a big hit early on, luring tens of […]
Elgato’s Wave Link 2.0 promises clear vocals in any environment
Elgato is releasing a new version of its audio stream control software Wave Link that includes new AI-powered voice enhancements for your mic. It also has a new OS-level management system to redirect audio streams to certain apps, split audio to yourself and your audience, add audio effects, and quickly mute channels. The latest version […]
Google has ‘very good ideas’ for native ads in Gemini
Google’s Gemini AI assistant doesn’t have ads today, but the company has “very good ideas” for ways they could show up down the road, CEO Sundar Pichai said on an investor call this afternoon. Right now, you can access Gemini for free or pay for a subscription to use advanced features, but it sounds like […]
Apple Invites is at its best for people already in Apple’s world
Apple launched a new app today, called Apple Invites, which lets you create, share, and manage invitations for events. With it, you can generate a quick digital invitation that, when shared with your friends, lets them gather all the info about the event, RSVP, and add it to their calendar. That includes your Android friends, […]
Here’s OpenAI’s new logo
OpenAI just gave itself a full rebrand, complete with a new typeface, logo, and color palette, as explained to Wallpaper in an interview about the process behind the changes. You’ll have to look closely to spot the difference between the redrawn logo and its old one, but a side-by-side comparison shows the updated “blossom” with […]
Turmoil at OpenAI: what’s next for the creator of ChatGPT?
The world’s hottest AI company went through three CEOs in under a week and ended up with the same one it had at the start — so what happened, and what’s next? On November 17th, 2023, OpenAI’s nonprofit board abruptly announced that co-founder and CEO Sam Altman was out. The shake-up came just shy of […]
Google expects to spend $75 billion this year on the AI race
Google parent company Alphabet expects to invest “approximately $75 billion” in capital expenditures in 2025, according to a statement from CEO Sundar Pichai in Alphabet’s Q4 2024 earnings release. Capital expenditures have become a hot topic as of late as big tech companies race to build infrastructure to support their growing AI ambitions, and today’s […]
Age of Empires is the latest Microsoft franchise coming to PS5
Microsoft is bringing its storied real-time strategy series Age of Empires to the PlayStation 5, starting with Age of Mythology: Retold and its Immortal Pillars expansion pack, both launching on March 4th. Microsoft is continuing to evolve the Xbox platform with cloud gaming that works on almost any device, and bringing more of its biggest […]
You can grab a year of Peacock Premium for just $30
If you’d like to catch up on Oscar-nominated films like The Wild Robot ahead of the awards show next month, you might want to check out Peacock’s latest promotion. Through February 18th, new and lapsed subscribers can get one year of ad-supported Peacock Premium for $29.99 if you sign up now. That’s over half off […]
I plugged an Nvidia RTX 5090 into a gaming handheld
Two weeks ago, I showed you how the world’s fastest graphics card works in a small form factor PC. To my surprise, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 Founders Edition delivered the vast majority of its performance even in a 12.7-liter desktop with a five-year-old CPU. It made me wonder: what if I plugged this card into a […]
AppleCare Plus is getting more expensive
Apple raised the cost of its monthly AppleCare subscription prices for iPhones by 50 cents, MacRumors reports. The 50 cent price hike applies to both standard AppleCare Plus and AppleCare Plus with Theft and Loss monthly plans for Apple’s current iPhone lineup. So, for example, the standard AppleCare Plus for the iPhone 16 will cost […]
Threads now lets you share your custom feeds
Threads will now let you share the custom feeds you’ve created, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday. This means other users can pin your custom feed to their homepage, giving them access to the same stream of curated content. Threads first rolled out custom feeds in November, which you can use to track your […]
Instagram’s Threads: all the updates on the new Twitter competitor
As Twitter continues to flail about under Elon Musk, all eyes are on the newly launched Instagram Threads as a potential replacement. Meta launched Threads on iOS, Android, and the web on July 5th — a little bit ahead of schedule. Two days in, Mark Zuckerberg said Threads has registered over 70 million accounts, and […]
After a bruising year, Sonos readies its next big thing: a streaming box
After the most tumultuous nine months in Sonos’ history, the brand is trying to find its footing again. Even as work continues to rehabilitate the company’s beleaguered mobile app, Sonos is planning to take a big swing in a new product category: it’s getting into video for the first time. In the coming months, Sonos […]
Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolution
In July 2021, Valve revealed the Steam Deck, a Switch-like handheld device packed with features including a huge variety of control options, a 7-inch touchscreen, the ability to connect to external displays, and a quick suspend / resume feature. The device began shipping in February 2022, starting at $399. With an unprecedented degree of support […]
Nomad’s new USB-C cable can charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time
Nomad has announced a new USB-C cable designed to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Instead of copying Anker’s homework and releasing a charging cable with dual USB-C connectors on one end, Nomad’s new Universal Cable for Apple Watch features an inline charging puck for Apple’s smartwatch on one end. It seems ideal for travelers wanting to […]
Cruise announces layoffs as GM acquires defunct robotaxi company
Defunct robotaxi company Cruise has begun to lay off employees today, sources tell The Verge. The layoffs come two months after General Motors said it would no longer fund Cruise, and would instead shift its spending toward advanced driver assist and personally owned autonomous vehicles. Cruise held an all-hands meeting today, in which it announced […]
Fox plans to launch a streaming service by the end of 2025
Fox is getting ready to launch a standalone streaming service by the end of 2025. During an earnings call on Tuesday, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said the streaming service would offer a “holistic” streaming package featuring sports and news from the network’s existing brands, according to a transcript. Murdoch positioned the streaming service as a […]
The Nintendo Switch closes in on a major milestone
The Switch is on track to complete a major milestone for Nintendo this year. As of the end of 2024, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 150 million units in the eight years since its release. That’s an impressive number, and yet…that’s still not enough to make it the company’s best selling piece of hardware […]
Verizon bundles Google AI into its wireless plans for an extra $10
Verizon is adding a new option to bundle Google One AI Premium into its wireless myPlan and myHome internet plans, the company announced today. The add-on will be available for an extra $10 per month, or about half of the $19.99 Google charges for the subscription on its own, starting on February 6th. Google One […]
This 4K projector’s periscope arm lets you install it almost anywhere
Fujifilm has announced a new ultra-short throw projector with its lens attached to an articulated arm that can pivot and rotate. Unlike most UST projectors that require moving the entire unit to reposition where an image is being projected, the FP-ZUH6000 can switch between projecting on walls, ceilings, and even floors while remaining mounted in […]
Infinity Nikki taught me a painful lesson
I’ve been having a great time with Infinity Nikki. I do my dailies, grind for materials, and desperately search for an outfit that works with the single ugliest piece of clothing in the game: a red vest. But as I’ve progressed, the game has given me — a gacha newbie — an unfortunate crash-course education […]
Apple leaks event-planning ‘Invites’ feature
Apple seems to have accidentally confirmed its rumored events planning feature ahead of an official announcement. An update to its iCloud page lists “Invites” as one of the key features of its iCloud Plus subscription, even though the feature is not yet available. The branding was spotted earlier by MacRumors. “Upgrade to iCloud+ to get […]
Meta says this is the make or break year for the metaverse
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth is giving the metaverse a year to become a hit, according to an internal forum post reported by Business Insider. That time period will determine whether Reality Labs’ mixed reality efforts are “the work of visionaries or a legendary misadventure,” he writes. Bosworth details his expectations early in the post: We […]
Accidental wildfire alerts prompt probe from Congress
House of Representative members from California want to know what led to accidental evacuation alerts that fomented confusion during devastating Los Angeles fires in January. The Palisades and Eaton wildfires broke out in early January, killing at least 29 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures. In the midst of the chaos, some 10 million […]
The timeline apps are here, and they’re awesome
The folks at Iconfactory, which once made a wonderful Twitter client called Twitterrific, launched a new app on Tuesday. It’s called Tapestry, and it’s a cross between a social app and a news reader. The app can ingest feeds of all kinds: someone’s Bluesky posts, your favorite YouTube creator’s videos, a blog’s new posts, all […]
California bill would make AI companies remind kids that chatbots aren’t people
A new bill proposed in California (SB 243) would require AI companies to periodically remind kids that a chatbot is an AI and not human. The bill, proposed by California Senator Steve Padilla, is meant to protect children from the “addictive, isolating, and influential aspects” of AI. In addition to limiting companies from using “addictive […]
Adobe Acrobat’s AI chatbot can now summarize contract jargon
Adobe is adding features to Acrobat’s AI Assistant that should help users to better understand contracts. The new “contract intelligence capabilities” allow the PDF management software’s chatbot to automatically recognize when files and scanned documents are contracts and summarize complicated language to make it easier for users to understand. The Acrobat AI Assistant is available […]
Space is the next frontier in Fantastic Four: First Steps’ new trailer
Thankfully, the new teaser for Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t spoil all that much of the film, but it does give you a sense of just how big a problem Galactus is going to be for the MCU. Rather than rehashing the details of how Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Sue’s […]
Samsung’s S25 Ultra and the end of the flagship phone
After almost exactly 18 years, you could make the argument that the tech industry has finally finished what the iPhone started. It’s not that there’s no innovation left in phones, or that there aren’t other big ideas to be had about the devices we carry around, but the specific thing the first iPhone was — […]
Grubhub security breach compromises customer and driver data
Food delivery company Grubhub has confirmed that it suffered a security breach, with user, driver, and merchant data compromised, including hashed passwords and partial credit card details. Grubhub says that it noticed “unusual activity” that it traced back to an account used by a third-party service provider for its customer support team. The account’s access […]
‘Scared and betrayed’ — workers are reeling from chaos at federal agencies
As the third week of Donald Trump’s presidency begins, workers across federal agencies are scrambling to find their footing among the chaos. From the US Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture, to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor, federal workers are facing an onslaught of changes that threaten to […]
Spotify finally turned a profit for a full year
Spotify raked in enough cash and new subscribers in 2024 to celebrate its first full year of profitability since the service was launched in 2008. The announcement comes as part of Spotify’s fourth-quarter earnings release, with net profits at €1.14 billion (around $1.17 billion) for the whole of 2024, compared to the €532 million (around […]
Opera’s new browser might save you from doomscrolling
Norway-based Opera has announced a new browser, Opera Air, with a focus on mindfulness and mental wellbeing. It includes break reminders, breathing exercises, and a suite of relaxing soundscapes to help users both focus and de-stress. “The web is beautiful but it can be chaotic and overwhelming,” says Mohamed Salah, Opera’s senior director of product. […]
China opens Google antitrust probe in retaliation to tariffs
China has launched an antitrust investigation into Google as part of a salvo of responses to US tariff increases, including its own retaliatory tariffs and export controls. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced the Google probe on Tuesday over suspicions the US search giant had violated Chinese antimonopoly laws, according to a machine translation […]
WWE Raw runs into its first streaming problems on Netflix
Netflix and WWE nearly made it a whole month of streaming Raw without any major technical hiccups, but that streak was broken on Monday night. Throughout the February 3rd episode, some viewers were annoyed by the feed intermittently cutting out to a black screen. Audio would also drop whenever these glitches occurred. The problems never […]
Can anyone stop President Musk?
Elon Musk has an uncanny ability to sort out which of America’s rules are real. It turns out punishment from the National Labor Relations Board isn’t real, punishment from NASA isn’t real, and punishment from the FAA isn’t real. The Delaware Chancery Court is extremely real. Based on the past two weeks, the Delaware Chancery […]
Treasury Department sued over DOGE takeover
President Donald Trump’s administration is being sued over Elon Musk’s alleged “massive and unprecedented†intrusion into the American government’s payment systems. The suit, filed in a Washington, DC federal court Monday evening by the advocacy group Public Citizen, calls for the court to stop the “unlawful, ongoing, systematic, and continuous disclosure of personal and financial […]
The best indie games we’re playing right now
Splashy blockbuster games are great, but there are there are a huge number of indie and smaller video games worth playing, too. Whether they’re pushing the boundaries of the medium and or offering a creative spin on classic ideas, indie games can be just as interesting as big-budget epics. Sometimes, though, indie games can fly […]
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son says AGI will arrive ‘much earlier’ than he thought
SoftBank isn’t just part of the group investing $500 billion into Project Stargate to build American AI infrastructure capacity for OpenAI. It’s also making a Japanese joint venture with OpenAI, will spend $3 billion deploying OpenAI tech across SoftBank companies, and claims it will revolutionize business with AI agents through a new AI system called […]
Sony and CBS are in a Jeopardy! distribution feud
Sony Pictures Television says it’s taking over the distribution rights for top game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from Paramount-owned CBS starting the week of February 10th, reports Bloomberg, while CBS is fighting back by seeking a temporary restraining order. In October, Sony sued CBS for allegedly not putting in enough effort to grow […]
Shein and Temu depend on a 100-year-old tariff loophole that Trump wants to close
President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff threats have been touch and go. As it stands currently, the 25 percent tax on goods from Mexico and Canada is on ice for a month, but a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods is set to take effect on Tuesday, via an executive order of questionable legality. Nestled within […]
The best TV deals to upgrade your setup ahead of the Super Bowl
Missed out on all the terrific TV deals we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday? That’s okay, because the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl have historically been one of the better times of the year to snag a discounted set. In fact, Amazon, Best Buy, Woot, and a number of retailers are […]
Apple’s attempt to intervene in the Google Search antitrust trial is denied
US District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied Apple’s emergency request to halt the Google Search monopoly trial that could dismantle their lucrative search that’s reportedly worth as much as $18 billion a year. The order came in late Sunday, with Judge Mehta saying Apple hasn’t demonstrated satisfactory reasons for its emergency motion to stay that […]
Hulu might be rebooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer
It looks like Buffy the Vampire Slayer is coming back from the dead (again) as part of a new Hulu series. Deadline reports that Hulu is close to finalizing a pilot order for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer follow-up set to be directed by Chloé Zhao and written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face). […]
Meta spends big to make its Ray-Ban glasses a true mainstream hit
Meta isn’t shy about its ambitions to make its Ray-Ban smart glasses a mainstream gadget. So much so, it’s made not one but two Super Bowl ads featuring not one, but two Marvel actors. (And Kris Jenner.) And as a little cherry on top, Meta announced it’s creating a limited edition Super Bowl version of […]
EA wants the community to help shape the next Battlefield
EA has announced a new “Battlefield Labs” community testing program to give people the opportunity to test the next Battlefield game. You can sign up for the program now, and EA says that the “first phase” of testing will go live in “the coming weeks” for invited players in Europe and North America. As I […]
Audi will try to make its model names make more sense
Audi is launching a new global nomenclature system for its vehicles to more clearly represent a vehicle’s type, size, shape, and powertrain. The updated system will still begin with letters like A for “low-floor” vehicles or Q for “high-floor” ones. That will be followed by numbers 1 through 8 that help represent the size or […]
Elon Musk is staging a takeover of the federal budget
In the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have reportedly gained access to core parts of the American government’s payment systems, including systems that affect Social Security and Medicare benefits — as federal workers and government officials struggle to respond. DOGE, an unofficial “department†which Trump […]
Apple’s latest AirPods have dropped below $100 for the first time
If you missed out on the steep AirPods discounts we saw during Black Friday, now is your chance. Right now, the second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C are on sale at Walmart, Best Buy, and Target starting at $169 ($81 off), which is just $16 shy of their all-time low. Meanwhile, the AirPods 4 have dropped to a record […]
Big Tech has been silent on Trump’s tariffs
President Trump announced tariffs as high as 25 percent on goods imported from Canada, China, and Mexico over the weekend. But some of the biggest names in tech and gaming – who could be significantly impacted by the tariffs – have stayed quiet about them. Shortly after the tariffs were announced, The Verge reached out […]
EcoFlow says subscriptions aren’t required for advanced features… yet
EcoFlow has confirmed that it’s currently testing new advanced features for its PowerStream Balcony Solar System that were made available to a small group of testers “on a paid basis.” After other EcoFlow users raised concerns last week about the possibility of having to pay subscription fees for features on devices they already own, the […]
Data brokers can keep selling your social security number, says new CFPB chief
Treasure Secretary Scott Bessent has been named the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the bureau announced today. Bessent quickly instructed the agency to “to stop all rulemaking, communications, litigation, and other activities,” reports Bloomberg Law. A source inside the CFPB told Bloomberg Law that his order “appeared to shut down the […]
All the news about Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs
Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs are just around the corner, with the first releases — the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 — dropping on January 30th. The RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 will follow that with their own releases in February, but some are already getting a sneak peek at the software benefits of the […]
Adaptive Charging could soon extend the lifespan of your Pixel Watch
Google could soon bring its Adaptive Charging battery protection feature from its Pixel phones to the Pixel Watch line. The feature is designed to preserve battery health by preventing overcharging, and hinges on its ability to predict your charging schedule. Android Authority spotted code strings that reference Adaptive Charging in the latest version of the […]
Uber wants to make riding with a service animal easier
Uber introduced a new feature designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to ride with service animals. For years, Uber’s policies toward service animals have been in accordance with state and federal law: they are allowed to ride at all times at no extra cost. But now the company is allowing customers to […]
NetChoice sues to block Maryland’s Kids Code, saying it violates the First Amendment
NetChoice has filed its 10th lawsuit in an ongoing fight against a broad slate of state internet regulations — this time against a Maryland law billed as protecting kids from inappropriate material online. It’s the latest effort to oppose what NetChoice calls an unconstitutional speech code in disguise. NetChoice has become one of the fiercest — […]
Trump agrees to a one-month pause on Mexico tariffs
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and US President Donald Trump announced the US is pausing tariffs against Mexico for one month, as previously reported by Bloomberg. Sheinbaum Pardo said the sides “had a good conversation” that resulted in agreements about border security and weapons trafficking. “Mexico will immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members […]
All the news about EV charging in the US
The state of electric vehicle charging in North America is shaping up like the smartphone charging wars — but focused on much more expensive hardware. Right now, like USB-C and Android phones, the Combined Charging System (CCS, Type 1) plug is on a greater variety of cars. Meanwhile, Tesla’s plug was long compared to Apple […]
Cloudflare is making it easier to track authentic images online
Cloudflare has launched a new feature to help people quickly verify the authenticity of online images. The web security and hosting provider has adopted the Adobe-led Content Credentials system, which applies a digital metadata tag to images and video that tracks who owns it, where it’s been posted, and if it’s been manipulated — including […]
Bookshop CEO Andy Hunter’s crusade to save books from Amazon
Today, I’m talking with Andy Hunter, the CEO of Bookshop.org. Bookshop, at its core, is a website that lets local bookshops all over the country — and in a few other countries — sell their books online. If you want a book, you go to Bookshop and click buy — it’s just as easy as […]
Kobo’s e-readers are now $10 more expensive
Kobo has increased the price of three of its e-readers following a similar price increase by the company in January 2023. The seven-inch Kobo Libra Colour, as well as the six-inch Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Clara BW, are all now $10 more expensive, as spotted by TheeBookReader. The prices of the larger (and aging) […]
Ontario is ‘ripping up’ Starlink contract in response to US tariffs
The Canadian province of Ontario is canceling a $100 million CA (about $68 million USD) contract with Starlink in response to tariffs US President Donald Trump issued on Canada over the weekend, reports The Associated Press. Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote on X today that the region is also “banning American companies from provincial contracts” […]
The first ‘approved’ iPhone porn app is coming to Europe
The first “Apple approved” porn app for iPhone is rolling out in Europe, via AltStore PAL’s alternative iOS app marketplace. AltStore PAL developer Riley Testut says that Hot Tub, which describes itself as an ad-free “adult content browser,” has made it through Apple’s notarization review for fraud, security threats, and functionality, and will be available […]
Civilization VII is all about establishing your unique legacy
Sid Meier developed the first Civilization game in 1991 and has contributed to every iteration since. When I visited Firaxis Games last year, I saw that the company maintains the very computer Meier used to develop the game, which can still be booted up and played. Walking through the halls of the studio, I saw […]
That AI-restored Beatles song won Grammy for Best Rock Performance
The Beatles have won their eighth competitive Grammy award thanks to a little help from artificial intelligence. The 2023 track “Now and Then” — which Billboard reports is the first song knowingly created with AI assistance to earn a Grammy nomination — was awarded Best Rock Performance on Sunday, beating out competition from Green Day, […]
Microsoft 365 is losing its free VPN feature
Microsoft is getting ready to remove the VPN feature from its Microsoft 365 subscription later this month. Originally designed as a privacy feature, the VPN in Microsoft 365 utilizes the Microsoft Defender app to encrypt internet traffic and hide IP addresses. Microsoft is now removing this privacy protection feature from Microsoft 365 on February 28th. […]
From ChatGPT to Gemini: how AI is rewriting the internet
Big players, including Microsoft, with Copilot, Google, with Gemini, and OpenAI, with GPT-4o, are making AI chatbot technology previously restricted to test labs more accessible to the general public. How do these large language model (LLM) programs work? OpenAI’s GPT-3 told us that AI uses “a series of autocomplete-like programs to learn language” and that […]
ChatGPT’s agent can now do deep research for you
OpenAI has revealed another new agentic feature for ChatGPT called deep research, which it says can operate autonomously to “plan and execute a multi-step trajectory to find the data it needs, backtracking and reacting to real-time information where necessary.” Instead of simply generating text, it shows a summary of its process in a sidebar, with […]
Automakers brace for ‘massive’ impact of Trump’s tariffs
Your next car purchase is probably going to be more expensive, thanks to President Donald Trump. Around 5.3 million vehicles are built in Canada and Mexico, 70 percent of which are destined for the United States. Those vehicles will soon be subject to 25 percent tariffs, which were just announced by the Trump administration. And […]
PDP’s Riffmaster guitar controller is receiving a rare $20 discount
Last month, Fortnite Festival, the game’s Rock Band-like music mode, rolled out local multiplayer on PlayStation and Xbox. It’s a great addition if you and up to three buddies want to relive the halcyon days of ‘07 on a single TV, particularly if you’re using a nostalgia-inducing peripheral like the PDP Riffmaster — which is now […]
The tech industry’s layoffs and hiring freezes: all of the news
Over the last couple years, it feels like we’ve heard news of mass layoffs and hiring freezes from tech companies nearly every week, and since the beginning of 2024, there’s been a new wave of layoffs and firings. In the first few days of January 2024 alone: And all that adds to the tens of […]
Amazfit Helio Smart Ring review: bargain bin bust
Smart rings are in the middle of a renaissance. That’s great because we finally have way more options than just an Oura Ring. The downside is most of Oura’s would-be rivals are launching their first, maybe second-gen smart rings. Meaning, if you want an Oura Ring alternative, there’s a good chance you’ll have to put […]
All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about
The smart home holds so much promise. It can make life more convenient with lights that turn on as you walk in a room, doors that unlock as you approach, and robots that clean your floors. It can also make your home safer, more energy efficient, and even a little more fun. (Have you tried […]
I tried the tech that makes hands-free smart locks actually work
Imagine walking up to your front door and it unlocks — even opens — automatically as you approach. It may sound like the stuff of smart home dreams, but it could soon be a reality, thanks to ultra-wideband (UWB) technology arriving on smart locks. With its precise, real-time location capabilities, UWB enables a smart lock […]
A better way to buy and read books
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 69, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready for some web-slingin’, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about Elon Musk’s gamer habits and spy satellites and […]
Canada will retaliate against Trump with tariffs on US goods
Canada will set its own tariffs against US goods in retaliation to broad 25 percent tariffs President Donald Trump announced Saturday on Canadian imports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a 25 percent tariff on a total of $155 billion worth of American goods — $30 billion of that on Tuesday when Trump’s tariffs go into […]
The NTSB chooses Elon Musk’s X to update the press on plane crashes
The National Transportation and Safety Board will only update the press about the plane crashes in Washington, DC and Philadelphia on X — not over email, as reported earlier by The Desk. The agency announced on Saturday that it will use its @NTSB_Newsroom account to share ”news conferences or other investigative information.“ The NTSB later […]
US tariffs: how Trump’s tax is impacting big tech and beyond
President Donald Trump has announced that he’s imposing a tariff on goods from some of the US’s biggest trade partners: Canada, Mexico, and China. Under the executive orders signed on February 1st, Canada and Mexico will face a 25 percent tariff, while goods from China will be subject to a 10 percent tax. Energy resources […]
Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
The US is officially imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. President Donald Trump announced that goods imported from Mexico and Canada will face a 25 percent tariff, while goods from China will face a 10 percent tariff. There will also be a lower 10 percent tariff on energy resources from Canada. In a series […]
Google’s AI Super Bowl ad is wrong about cheese
Google just debuted a series of Super Bowl ads showing how small businesses use Gemini AI across all 50 states, but the cheese lovers out there might notice something a little off about its Wisconsin one. As spotted by @natejhake on X, the ad shows Gemini AI generating text that says Gouda accounts for “50 […]
Trump fires CFPB head Rohit Chopra
President Donald Trump has fired Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In a letter posted to X, Chopra confirmed his “term as CFPB Director has concluded.” Chopra was notified of his removal via an email from the White House, according to a report from the Associated Press. During Chopra’s tenure, […]
It took more than a decade for a surreal RPG to get its final translation
In 2008, Mortis Ghost made a game with his friend, composer Alias Conrad Coldwood. It was a surreal roleplaying game about a baseball player fighting ghosts called Off. He shared it for free on a French-speaking forum, where it garnered a small audience. One player was a French artist who was inspired to make a […]
How to hide files and folders on Windows
While your Windows computer should be pretty well locked down with a password or maybe even some kind of biometric protection, it’s impossible to guarantee that no one else is ever going to get access to it, whether it’s a thief swiping your unlocked laptop from a coffee shop or one of your kids wanting […]
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t so ‘ultra’ anymore
When you yell “Can you just Google it?†at your AI assistant, it’s fair to say that the AI assistant is not doing its job. I was browning some beef on the stove and trying to determine when my husband’s flight was landing. I didn’t have the flight number, but there are only so many […]
The drone pilot who took out an LA firefighting plane pleads guilty to escape jail
On January 9th, 56-year-old Peter Akemann flew his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone far beyond the legal limit of his ability to see — and into a Super Scooper water dumping plane fighting the Los Angeles Palisades wildfires, grounding it for repairs after punching a hole in its left wing. Now that authorities have traced […]
YouTube’s new Discord-like Communities are rolling out to more creators
YouTube is expanding the availability of its dedicated community space feature to more creators on the site, giving them more opportunities to connect with their fans without needing to lean on another platform like Discord. Only available for access via mobile devices, Communities first launched during the Made for YouTube event last fall, letting the […]
Microsoft Paint is getting a Copilot button, too
Windows Insiders will soon see a Copilot icon in one more place: Paint. Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels will see the new button thanks to an update rolling out now, putting AI tools in one location. Clicking the Copilot button in the task bar will reveal a dropdown menu with generative features like […]
Netflix has cancelled The Sandman
Though Netflix is planning to bring back a number of its ongoing series in the coming months, the streamer has decided to cancel its adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Netflix announced today that The Sandman will conclude with its upcoming second season. In a statement about the show coming to an end, Sandman showrunner […]
BioWare hit with layoffs as it shifts to next Mass Effect
BioWare now has fewer than 100 employees after laying off “around two dozen” staffers and shifting others to different projects at EA, Bloomberg reports. The changes follow BioWare’s own “Studio Update” published this week where GM Gary McKay said the studio had “worked diligently over the past few months to match many of our colleagues […]
Donald Trump’s data purge has begun
Key resources for environmental data and public health have already been taken down from federal websites, and more could soon vanish as the Trump administration works to scrap anything that has to do with climate change, racial equity, or gender identity. Warnings floated on social media today about an impending purge at the Centers for […]
How to stop your MacBook from turning on when you open the lid
In 2016, Apple started including an auto power-on feature for its new MacBook models that activated when you opened the notebook lid or plugged in USB-C power when the lid was open. This is a cool little convenience if you don’t want the added step of pressing the power button — plus it could get […]
Apple reportedly gives up on its AR video glasses project
While Mark Zuckerberg and Meta press forward with augmented glasses projects buoyed by its million-selling set of smart Ray-Bans, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says that Apple just pulled the plug on an AR glasses project. Codenamed N107, they’re described as something that would’ve looked similar to regular glasses but with added displays in the lenses […]
Common Side Effects’ creators see the US healthcare system as the show’s villain
In Adult Swim’s Common Side Effects from Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (American Dad!), the discovery of a strange mushroom that can heal any sickness or injury is either a miracle or a doomsday scenario, depending on who you ask. The plant is a godsend to people suffering from debilitating illnesses, but its […]
Sony just axed the 60fps Bloodborne mod with a DMCA takedown
A popular Bloodborne framerate mod is no longer available thanks to a DMCA takedown request from Sony. Australia-based Twitch streamer Lance McDonald first developed the mod back in 2020 before making it available to download in 2021. Lance announced today in a post on X that Sony Interactive Entertainment asked them to remove download links […]
Nvidia says its new GPUs are the fastest for DeepSeek AI, which kind of misses the point
Nvidia is touting the performance of DeepSeek’s open source AI models on its just-launched RTX 50-series GPUs, claiming that they can “run the DeepSeek family of distilled models faster than anything on the PC market.” But this announcement from Nvidia might be somewhat missing the point. This week, Nvidia’s market cap suffered the single biggest […]
Sonos soundbars and speakers are up to $250 off for the Super Bowl
I would have preferred any other Super Bowl matchup than another showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, but the world doesn’t revolve around me. Regardless, I love a good championship football game, especially one enhanced by an immersive sound system. If you’re in need of a home theater audio upgrade yourself, […]
OpenAI launches new o3-mini reasoning model with a free ChatGPT version
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman teased exactly two weeks ago that o3-mini would ship in “a couple of weeks,” and it’s arriving on time today. OpenAI is launching its latest o3-mini reasoning model inside ChatGPT and its API services and making a version with rate limits available to free users of ChatGPT for the first time. […]
MultiVersus’ next season will be its last
MultiVersus will go offline at the end of its next season, Warner Bros. Games announced on Friday. The free-to-play brawler’s fifth and final season starts on February 4th and runs through May 30th, 2025, after which you’ll only be able to play against AI opponents or through local co-op. It will also no longer be […]
Ugreen’s new wallet tracker is thinner and cheaper than the rest
Ugreen has announced another Apple AirTag alternative with its new Finder Slim wallet tracker. It’s not only much thinner than an Apple AirTag, at just 1.7mm thick, the Finder Slim is also thinner than the 2.4mm Chipolo Card Spot, the 2.8mm Pebblebee Card Universal, the 2.5mm Tile Slim, and the 2.6mm Eufy SmartTrack Card E30. […]
WhatsApp disrupts spyware campaign targeting journalists
WhatsApp says it disrupted a spyware campaign last month that targeted journalists and civil society members, according to reports from The Guardian and Reuters. The campaign originated from an Israeli spyware company called Paragon Solutions and impacted around 90 users. WhatsApp told The Guardian that it has reached out to affected users, saying it had […]
Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat is down to one of its best prices to date
If you’re tired of watching your heating bill soar every month, now is a good time to invest in Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat. Normally $279.99, right now Amazon, Best Buy, and Google are selling the smart thermostat in all three color options for $239.99 ($40 off), which is just $10 shy of its lowest […]
Apple will pay $20 million to settle Apple Watch battery swelling lawsuit
Apple has agreed to a $20 million settlement in a class action lawsuit over battery swelling in early Apple Watch models. If you experienced the issue and owned an Apple Watch Series 0, 1, 2, or 3, you may be eligible for a small payout. The lawsuit, Smith et al. v. Apple Inc, was filed […]
Apple asks court to halt Google search monopoly case
Apple wants to ensure it has a voice in the remedies trial for the Justice Department’s search monopolization case against Google, and filed an emergency motion to stay the proceedings while it appeals the district court’s denial of its request to be more directly heard in the case. The remedies phase of the trial is […]
AI is ‘an energy hog,’ but DeepSeek could change that
DeepSeek startled everyone last month with the claim that its AI model uses roughly one-tenth the amount of computing power as Meta’s Llama 3.1 model, upending an entire worldview of how much energy and resources it’ll take to develop artificial intelligence. Taken at face value, that claim could have tremendous implications for the environmental impact […]
DeepSeek: all the news about the startup that’s shaking up AI stocks
DeepSeek is shaking up the AI industry with cost-efficient large language models it claims can perform just as well as rivals from giants like OpenAI and Meta. The Chinese startup says its flagship R1 reasoning model is capable of achieving “performance comparable” to OpenAI’s o1 equivalent, while the newly released Janus Pro multimodal AI model […]
Blackmagic’s free camera app brings remote control and tablet support to Android
Blackmagic Design has announced that it’s finally bringing several advanced features already available for the iOS version of its free camera app to Android. The Blackmagic Camera for Android 2.0 update released this week allows several smartphones running the app to be monitored and controlled from a single device, including, for the first time, a […]
How to file and pay your 2024 taxes online
The holidays are over, a new year is here, and along with all the various upheavals that we are facing (including some possible changes in tax law), most of us have to deal with our annual income taxes. Sorry about that. Tax day this year falls, for most of us, on the traditional April 15th. […]
Sundance 2025: all the latest movie reviews and updates from the festival
A new year means a new Sundance Film Festival, and a fresh crop of promising original features that could go on to become awards season darlings in a few months. It might be hard to top last year’s festival where Dìdi, A Different Man, and I Saw the TV Glow all made strong showings. But […]
TikTok traffic is recovering, but it’s still not back in app stores
TikTok’s traffic is almost back to normal despite its delayed return to US app stores, according to Cloudflare Radar data seen by CNBC. The “DNS traffic for TikTok-related domains” is around 10 percent lower than the levels before its abrupt shutdown, David Belson, Cloudflare’s head of data insight, told CNBC. To compare, TikTok’s traffic dipped […]