Microsoft is getting ready to launch its Xbox full-screen experience on the new Xbox Ally devices next month, but it looks like you won’t need new hardware to get it. Windows enthusiasts have discovered a way to enable this new Xbox mode early in Windows 11, thanks to the latest 25H2 update to the operating … Read more
Microsoft has been steadily improving its Paint app for Windows 11 in recent years with a dark mode, transparency and layers, and even AI-powered image creation. Now, Microsoft is adding two new Photoshop-like features to Paint. You’ll soon be able to save your Paint creations as a project file, much like a Photoshop Document (.PSD). … Read more
Ask Gemini in Meet can make it seem like you’ve been paying close attention during a call, even if you haven’t. | Image: Google Google is starting the rollout of its Ask Gemini AI assistant in Google Meet, but it will initially only be available to “select Google Workspace customers.” The assistant can answer participant’s … Read more
I may show up for the Superstrike, not for the rapid trigger, but for this panda color scheme. | Image: Logitech Logitech’s next flagship wireless gaming mouse is ditching mechanical switches for an analog system equipped with haptics actuators to simulate the feeling of a click. The mouse is called the Pro X2 Superstrike, and … Read more
A new study from Pew suggests that Americans aren’t particularly optimistic about AI. A full 50 percent of respondents said they were more concerned than excited about the use of AI in their daily lives. That’s down ever so slightly from 52 percent in 2023, but it’s up significantly from 37 percent in 2021. Americans … Read more
Logitech has announced the Astro A20 X wireless gaming headset, which has a feature that console players might appreciate having: it lets you swap between audio from two platforms, be it an Xbox, Switch, PC, or PS5. It launches October 8th for $179.99. The A20 X ships with a transmitter called the Playsync Base that … Read more
Garmin’s Venu 4 has up to 12 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. | Image: Garmin Garmin is launching its Venu 4 smartwatch today, expanding on the accessibility and sleep tracking features introduced with the Venu 3 two years ago. It’s available now in 41mm and 45mm models and starts at $549.99 which is … Read more
Zoom’s vision of filling meetings with AI clones has nearly arrived. On Wednesday, the video conferencing app announced that you’ll soon be able to create a “photorealistic” avatar of yourself in case you aren’t “camera-ready.” That means your AI avatar can appear polished if you’ve just crawled out of bed. Zoom plans on launching this … Read more
The makers of the Starling Home Hub say they have discontinued the popular device. | Image: Starling I have bad news for ecosystem straddlers who use Google Nest products in their smart homes but rely on iPhones and Apple Home for control: the much-loved Starling Home Hub has been discontinued. In a message on its … Read more
AI-generated ads could appear across Amazon’s website and within its other services. Amazon is opening the door to even more AI ads by offering sellers access to a new chatbot that can generate promos with a simple text prompt. With the new tool, Amazon sellers can describe the type of ad they’d like to see, … Read more
It’s been almost a decade since former Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo launched a new studio called Bonfire Games — and now it’s finally showing off its very first game. It’s called Arkheron, and looks a bit like a multiplayer take on Diablo. In each match, 15 teams made up of three players compete … Read more
In American Sweatshop, German director Uta Briesewitz’s new psychological drama, every character working at a content moderation firm understands that ingesting horrific images is part of the job. They have all seen the disturbing footage uploaded to social media, and they know how important it is that someone is always there to determine whether those … Read more
Google’s Discover feed will soon include more than just articles from around the web. In the coming weeks, Google plans on incorporating YouTube Shorts alongside posts from platforms like Instagram and X. The Discover feed lives on your homescreen in the Google app, serving up personalized content — and some AI-generated summaries — based on … Read more
You can secure doors inside your home with TCL’s smart door knob. | Image: TCL TCL has launched a new budget-friendly smart lock that incorporates all of the electronics into a door knob, making it easy to install on interior home doors that don’t have a dedicated dead bolt. The K1 is available now for … Read more
Look, delays happen. The Analogue 3D, a console made to display N64 games in 4K, has had its release window pushed multiple times. That frustrated me for a while because I wanted to get my hands on 8BitDo’s slick 64 Bluetooth controller that was made to go along with the console. Its release was likely … Read more
OpenAI released a report breaking down how people use ChatGPT and who they are. OpenAI this week released what it says is the largest study yet of how people are using ChatGPT, revealing fresh insights on who is using the technology and what they are using it for. The big surprise was finding out that … Read more
Alibaba, ByteDance, and other Chinese technology companies are barred from purchasing Nvidia’s latest AI chips custom-made for China, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The Cyberspace Administration of China banned buying and testing the RTX Pro 6000D chips, despite companies having ordered thousands of the chips in the months since their introduction in July, according … Read more
Tesla has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a fatal crash in 2019. It’s the latest case to involve Autopilot, Tesla’s advanced driver assist system that the company claims will serve as the foundation for its future in self-driving cars and robotics. The case centers around the death of 15-year-old Jovani Maldonado, … Read more
The X40 Turbo wirelessly charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge Kuxiu already made my favorite 3-in-1 Qi2 charger, and now it’s back with an even smaller yet more powerful version. The MagSafe-compatible Qi2.2 charger folds up super compact for travel and unfurls into a “Z” … Read more
Moflin uses touch sensors hidden beneath its fur to detect physical interactions like it being pet. | Image: Casio First announced nearly a year ago, Casio’s robotic pet Moflin has been selling so well in Japan, according to the Wall Street Journal, the company is now expanding its availability to other markets including the UK … Read more
What we carry says a lot about what’s important to us, who we are, and who we aspire to be. This fall, it’s worth examining what you bring with you every day and thinking about how you could refine it. Perhaps you carry too much, and a utility pouch that’s just a bit bigger than … Read more
PS5 users can now run select games in “Power Saving” mode and pair DualSense controllers with multiple devices. Sony started beta testing these features in July, but they’re now rolling out to everyone today in the version 25.06-12.00.00 console software update. The new Power Saver mode will reduce the power consumption of PS5 consoles in … Read more
Meta is about to kick off its annual Connect conference, beginning with a keynote address from CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday night. Zuckerberg plans to discuss “the latest on AI glasses” and will lay out “Meta’s vision for artificial intelligence and the metaverse,” according to the Connect website. As my colleague Victoria Song writes, Meta’s … Read more
The Ting app includes a new power outage map for the US. There’s a new, free tool to help Americans monitor power outages in real time. Compiling data from its vast network of home sensors, startup Whisker Labs is launching the feature today in its Ting app. You don’t actually need to have one of … Read more
Waymo is bringing its robotaxis to Music City, USA. The Alphabet-owned company plans on launching its robotaxi service in Nashville in 2026. Customers will be able to hail a ride initially through the Waymo One app, and then later through the Lyft app. Lyft will also handle fleet services, such as cleaning, maintenance, and EV … Read more
Holding a principled commitment to the First Amendment is a challenge. Even so, it’s been bemusing to watch the Republican Party – which has spent years demanding legal cover for sending spam emails, sabotaging public health, and avoiding social media moderation – launch a full-scale broadside against it over the past week. Authorities are just … Read more
As first noted by Games Fray last week, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company were granted a US patent earlier this month involving summoning characters and making them battle. Headlines popped up with similarly vague language as concern spread on social media: That’s a thing in tons of games! Can they do that? Is that even … Read more
It’s very thin. And very light. And quite nice to look at. It also only has one camera, the battery life isn’t amazing, and it’s not like Apple saved some special new software feature for its fanciest phone. The new iPhone Air is just… the nice one. So where does that leave the Air? And … Read more
Apple’s new iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro. It’s a tricky year to review the iPhone Pro. It’s long been the go-to choice for anyone who wants an iPhone with the nicest screen, longest battery, and great cameras. But the display is no longer unique to the Pro, cameras have largely gotten “good … Read more
In 2023, DJI created a massive hit with the Osmo Pocket 3, a tiny steadicam with a far bigger one-inch-type sensor that dramatically improved the quality of video you could get with so tiny a gadget. Today, the company may be doing the same with its most popular portable line of drones — and with … Read more