Verizon’s updated family-tracking app adds SOS alerts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Verizon has relaunched its family-tracking app with a Safe Walk SOS feature, allowing users to share their real-time location with emergency contacts and send notifications when they arrive safely. Users can also access a silent SOS button that will alert contacts if they need help. The new Verizon … Read more

How the US could sabotage global climate goals

Illustrations by Alex Castro / The Verge Governments face a deadline in early 2025 to update their national climate plans, 10 years after the adoption of the landmark Paris accord. Before that can happen, Americans will face a crucial decision on Election Day that will have consequences for the whole world. If the US misses … Read more

Satechi’s 3-in-1 wireless charging pad is now faster

Satechi’s magnetic charging pad gets a Qi2 upgrade and a small price bump. | Image: Satechi Satechi has announced an updated version of its Trio Wireless Charging Pad that increases the power delivery to smartphones to 15W through an upgraded Qi2 charger. The new Satechi Qi2 Trio Wireless Charging Pad now also supports 5W fast … Read more

Google Calendar gets a redesign and dark mode

Google Calendar on the web’s new dark mode started rolling out to users on October 23rd. | Image: Google Google is finally introducing a dark mode to the web version of Google Calendar and rolling out a “refreshed user interface.” The new UI will include buttons, dialog boxes, and sidebars that are “more modern and … Read more

Minecraft is losing VR support next year

Image: Minecraft Minecraft will officially stop supporting all virtual reality headsets after March 2025, according to an update posted to the Bedrock changelog. The update means Minecraft will no longer support devices like the Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, or the Meta Quest (through Quest Link), as reported earlier by UploadVR. Last month, Minecraft … Read more

Roblox is making changes for pre-teen users after reports that it failed to protect children

Illustration: The Verge Roblox is making some potentially major changes that will limit what pre-teens can access and give parents more control over what their kids do on the platform, according to an email sent by the company and shared with The Verge. The changes follow recent reports highlighting how Roblox has failed to protect … Read more

Guess who’s suing the FTC to stop click to cancel

Illustration by Laura Normand / The Verge Three industry groups are suing to prevent the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from enforcing its new “Click to Cancel” rule that requires companies to make it easy to cancel subscriptions, according to Reuters. And yes, it’s exactly who you’d expect. Click to cancel expands the Negative Option Rule … Read more

This $50 case turns your phone into an e-reader minus the benefits of an e-reader

The Bookcase undoes years of smartphone makers working hard to reduce the size of screen bezels. | Image: Astropad Astropad’s new Bookcase is a smartphone accessory designed to make reading on a smartphone feel more like reading on an e-reader. No, it doesn’t give your phone an easy-on-the-eyes screen, longer battery life, or any other … Read more

Google open-sourced its watermarking tool for AI-generated text

Illustration: The Verge Google’s SynthID text watermarking technology, a tool the company created to make AI-generated text easier to identify, is now available open-source through the Google Responsible Generative AI Toolkit, the company announced on X. “Now, other [generative] AI developers will be able to use this technology to help them detect whether text outputs … Read more

Dodge Chargers with semi-solid-state batteries may hit the road in 2026

2024 Dodge Charger Daytonas. | Image: Stellantis Stellantis says it will put a “demonstration fleet” of Dodge Charger Daytonas on the road by 2026, equipped with solid-state battery technology that’s lighter, more energy-dense, and could eventually make for cheaper EVs. The company calls the demo fleet a “key next step” toward making solid-state EVs that … Read more

Tesla says ‘more affordable’ EVs will launch early 2025

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images On the heels of its highly anticipated but ultimately disappointing robotaxi event, Tesla published its third quarter earnings report, in which it said it would launch a “more affordable” electric vehicle in the first half of 2025. “In order to continue accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable … Read more

Windows 11 updates now install significantly faster and use less CPU

Image: Microsoft Microsoft has made Windows Update significantly faster in its latest big update to Windows 11. Version 24H2 started rolling out earlier this month with lots of useful improvements, but now Microsoft is revealing this big update also reduces install time, restart time, and even CPU usage for monthly Windows updates. Microsoft typically distributes … Read more

Amazon Prime members can now save on gas

Amazon is sweetening the Prime deal. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Amazon Prime members are getting a new perk: extra savings at the pump. By linking your Amazon account with BP’s loyalty program, you’ll be able to save 10 cents a gallon whenever you fuel up at a participating BP or Amoco … Read more

An investigation exposes data brokers using ads to help track almost any phone

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge An investigation conducted by a data privacy group has revealed a vast tracking network that can follow the movements of a person’s phone, according to reports from 404 Media and Krebs on Security. The people-tracking service, called Locate X, reportedly lets users follow a device using the device’s … Read more

Apple’s first iOS 18.2 beta adds more AI features and ChatGPT integration

Image: Apple Apple is now letting developers try more Apple Intelligence features. The company has released the first developer beta of iOS 18.2, and it adds tools like the ability to generate emoji with Genmoji and images with Image Playground, more AI-powered writing features, integration with ChatGPT, Visual Intelligence to search with your camera on … Read more

Apple and Goldman Sachs fined millions for misleading Apple Card holders

Illustration: The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced fines totaling $89 million against Apple and Goldman Sachs because the companies “illegally mishandled transaction disputes and misled iPhone purchasers about interest-free payment options” with the Apple Card. The CFPB says the issues affected “hundreds of thousands of Apple Card users.” Apple didn’t send … Read more