A sample of a polymetallic nodule at the Viridian Biometals lab in Pasadena, California. | Photo: Getty Images The Trump administration took the next step toward unilaterally jumpstarting deep-sea mining this week, announcing a “consolidated” permitting process for both searching for and commercially extracting minerals that have so far remained relatively untouched. These minerals are … Read more
DJI’s Mic Mini makes vlogging on the go a little easier. If you want better audio than your phone can deliver while creating content on the go but a high-end wireless mic isn’t in the budget, DJI’s Mic Mini is worth a look. It’ll improve your audio without putting much of a dent in your … Read more
Nex Computer runs both Android and this Windows Phone-esque mobile UI that they made in-house. Nex Computer, a company that makes hardware designed to turn your phone into a laptop, is working on something new: the NexPhone. It’s a midrange phone that’s designed to double as your computer and comes with Android and Linux installed, … Read more
The LinkBuds Clip Open’s charging case can be customized with optional colored covers. | Image: Sony Sony is the latest company to announce a pair of open-style wireless earbuds that clip onto the back of your ear instead of resting inside it. The new Sony LinkBuds Clip Open earbuds are similar to the Bose Ultra … Read more
It’s been just one week since Verizon got permission to lift its 60-day phone unlocking period, and the carrier is already making changes to its policy. Now, Verizon says customers who activate a phone on one of its sub-brands, including Visible, TracFone, Straight Talk, and Total Wireless, will have to pay for service for 365 … Read more
What is an authentic photo? A couple of weeks ago, Adam Mosseri posted to his grid. In a series of messages, Instagram’s top exec laid out his concerns for the platform in the coming year, largely around AI. The post was equal parts Working Through It, a sounding of alarms, and a rallying cry to … Read more
YouTube TV is getting ready to launch two major updates that will allow you to watch multiple non-sports channels simultaneously, as well as choose from 10 new paid plans focused on a range of topics, including sports, entertainment, and news. In his annual letter to users, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says both of these changes … Read more
Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot more AI-generated content from your favorite creators – including AI-generated versions of the creators themselves. In his annual letter released today, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says that sometime this year, creators will be able to make Shorts using their “own likeness.” Mohan didn’t share … Read more
Generate Podcasts will let you listen to a summary of any documents you don’t have time to read. Adobe has added new generative AI features to Acrobat that aim to help you quickly edit PDFs and summarize them in audio and visual formats. These updates include chat-based editing and the ability to generate personalized podcasts … Read more
We’re living in a pretty great time for detective games. Over the last few years, developers have been experimenting with all kinds of different ways of turning the act of investigation into a compelling game, which has led to the likes of Her Story, Return of the Obra Dinn, and the Golden Idol series, to … Read more
On a blustery afternoon late last year, on the lawn just outside City Hall in Rowlett, Texas, a strange-looking craft cleared the trees just before me. It hovered overhead for a moment before lowering a second craft on a thin rope all the way to a parched patch of grass. The little, white thing deposited … Read more
I’m not sure anyone saw this news coming, but the TV landscape as we know it could change considerably over the next year or two. Sony, the storied Japanese TV brand, has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Chinese competitor TCL. This potential partnership – with TCL set to hold … Read more
OpenAI says it will minimize water use and pay for energy infrastructure upgrades needed to power its data centers. “We’re being good neighbors,” the company said, directly addressing the growing opposition to AI projects amid rising utility bills. “We commit to paying our own way on energy, so that our operations don’t increase your electricity … Read more
Age prediction is rolling out almost globally, with users in the EU getting it ‘in the coming weeks.’ OpenAI has added age prediction features to ChatGPT, meant to identify and bolster protections for underage users. These age detection plans were announced in December alongside updated guidelines for interacting with teens, and follow a rise in … Read more
Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai attend the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. | Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images. Welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about the technology and the tech bros upending American politics and the Trump administration. … Read more
Netflix’s advertising business more than doubled its advertising revenue to $1.5 billion from 2024 to 2025 – and it’s on track to keep growing. “We expect that [advertising] business to roughly double again in ’26 to about $3 billion,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said during an earnings call on Tuesday, hours ahead of its live … Read more
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers working at the Social Security Administration (SSA) broke protocols, had more access to sensitive data on Americans than previously disclosed, and were in touch with a political advocacy group hunting for election fraud, the Trump administration admitted in a recent court filing. Justice Department officials told a federal court … Read more
Netflix is working on a new mobile UI set to roll out later this year that will “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come,” co-CEO Greg Peters said in an earnings call on Tuesday. The new mobile UI follows last year’s big TV revamp that put a new banner front … Read more
The Federal Trade Commission will appeal its loss in a landmark antitrust case against Meta, the agency announced Tuesday. US District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled in November that the government failed to prove that Meta had an illegal monopoly over a subset of social networking services meant for connecting with friends and family online. … Read more
Last year, Nova Launcher founder and sole developer Kevin Barry announced he had left Branch Metrics, Nova’s parent company at the time – which followed an announcement from 2024 that nearly everyone working on the project had been laid off. But the launcher is getting new life: in a blog post on Tuesday, the Swedish … Read more
Did you save your Google Stadia controller like I told you last month? It’s still not too late. This week, Google has finally removed the tool that converts the now-useless controller into a decent Bluetooth gamepad. But there’s another way. Christopher Klay, who previously developed the Stadia Enhanced browser extension, is one of many who … Read more
Samsung’s P9 microSD Express card is a relatively affordable way to upgrade Switch 2 storage. If you buy digital games for the Nintendo Switch 2, Samsung’s P9 microSD Express card offers an easier way to expand your storage without constantly deleting games to make room. It’s cheaper than other microSD cards, and it’s even better … Read more
A little over a decade ago, Life is Strange burst onto the scene with a unique blend of teen drama and interactive storytelling. That first game told the story of Max Caulfield, who had the supernatural ability to reverse time, and her best friend Chloe Price. Now developer Deck Nine Games is finally bringing their … Read more
Though Netflix’s upcoming Star Search reboot will feature a panel of celebrity judges, viewers are going to have a hand in choosing which contestants win the competition. Ahead of Star Search‘s premiere tonight, Netflix has announced that it is launching a new real-time voting functionality that will give you the ability to tell the streamer … Read more
Doug Bowser is joining Hasbro’s board of directors just weeks after retiring as Nintendo of America’s president, according to an announcement on Tuesday. Though Hasbro’s press release doesn’t provide any specifics about Bowser’s role on the board of directors, the company has big plans for its future in video games. Hasbro already licenses its intellectual … Read more
Hall effect switches are the most customizable and fastest you can currently get in a gaming keyboard. As such, they don’t usually come cheap. However, they’re fairly affordable to upgrade to today thanks to a deal on Corsair’s Vanguard Pro 96, which is cheaper than ever at Amazon and Best Buy, selling for $159.99 (originally … Read more
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says consumers are starting to see the impact of tariffs less than a year after President Donald Trump implemented sweeping fees on a range of imported goods. During an interview with CNBC, Jassy says the inventory Amazon and third-party sellers prebought in early 2025 to keep prices low has “run out,” … Read more
The Model S. The Mach-E. The Ioniq. The… Dolphin Surf? That’s right, friends: There’s a new biggest name in EVs, and it means you might soon be cruising down the highway in the Dolphin Surf. And you might love it. After years of Tesla dominance, a Chinese company called BYD has become the world’s biggest … Read more
Netflix has updated the acquisition terms for its Warner Bros. Discovery offer to an all-cash deal, replacing its initial $82.7 billion cash and stock agreement. The changes are designed to expedite the sale of WBD studios and streaming businesses, following repeated attempts by rival bidder Paramount to pressure shareholders into accepting its own $108 billion … Read more
Spotify wants audiobooks to be on the same page. Spotify appears to be working on a novel feature that will allow audiobook listeners to pick up where they left off in the physical book. Android Authority reports that version 9.1.18.282 of the Spotify app includes code references to a Page Match beta feature that can … Read more