If you’re considering a gaming laptop, but you understandably don’t want to spend anywhere near $2,000, MSI’s Katana gaming laptop with the midrange RTX 5070 GPU is $1,099 (was $1,499.99) at Walmart. This machine has a lot to offer aside from a solid graphics chip for gaming. It includes a 15.6-inch QHD screen with a … Read more
Honor’s latest foldable phone is launching in Europe, but not the US. Honor’s Magic V5 is the thinnest book-style foldable in the world, but you probably couldn’t tell. It’s just 0.1mm thinner – that’s four-thousandths of an inch – than the Oppo Find N5 or Samsung’s recent Galaxy Z Fold 7. If that’s a difference … Read more
The Magic V5 is a thin phone with a big camera bump. Honor is bringing the Magic V5 — the world’s thinnest foldable phone, though only just — to Europe, where it’s available to order now following its Chinese launch last month. It’s joined by a new MagicPad 3 tablet and MagicBook Art 14 laptop. … Read more
Taco Bell’s plan to outfit hundreds of drive-thrus with an AI voice assistant isn’t going exactly as the chain expected. Dane Mathews, Taco Bell’s chief digital and technology officer, admitted to The Wall Street Journal that the company is re-evaluating where to deploy the tech as customers air their frustrations on social media, and others … Read more
One of the most devastating parts of grief is how it can strike out of nowhere. There you are, doing a perfectly normal, everyday thing, and then that perfectly normal, everyday thing reminds you of something or someone who is no longer there. And when that presence you lost was intimately connected with your life, … Read more
ChargePoint is ramping up the power for its next-generation DC fast charging architecture to 600 kW for passenger vehicles, and up to 3.75 megawatts (3,750 kW) for heavy-duty trucks — enough to power an entire football stadium. Most EVs on the road aren’t able to accept more than 350 kW of power while charging, but … Read more
When this article was originally written in February 2022, the big Spotify controversy was that artists were abandoning the audio service in protest of the company’s contract with podcaster Joe Rogan, and some subscribers were deciding to follow the musicians’ example. More recently, some users have threatened to bail after CEO Daniel Ek invested in … Read more
You can now add swappable magnetic PopSocket grips to Kindle e-readers without undertaking any DIY hacks. PopSocket has launched new PopCase Kindle cases that come with a built-in MagSafe ring, optimally positioned for hand placement and weight management when a MagSafe-compatible PopGrip is attached. The $40 cases are available for 11th and 12th-generation Kindles in … Read more
The DJI Mic 3 has shrinked without scrimping. DJI is making its latest wireless lavalier microphone system even smaller without scrimping on features or battery life. The DJI Mic 3 is half the size and weight of its Mic 2 predecessor and introduces new capabilities, including two adaptive gain control modes, three voice tone presets, … Read more
Microsoft has fired two employees that were involved in a sit-in protest in vice chair and president Brad Smith’s office. Software engineers Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle were both dismissed today, after being part of a group of seven protesters that managed to get inside Smith’s office in Building 34 yesterday. Microsoft was forced to temporarily … Read more
On Wednesday, the FDA approved the new round of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax for use by seniors over the age of 65. But for anyone younger than that, the FDA approval only mentions people who have “at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.” … Read more
Maybe those little AI sparkles are bursting out of a trifold phone? Maybe? Apple isn’t the only tech company to send out launch event invitations this week. If you’re keeping score at home, September is actually next week somehow, and Samsung is sneaking a virtual Unpacked in on September 4th before Apple hosts its annual … Read more
On Wednesday, 4Chan and Kiwi Farms, two of the most controversial social media sites on the internet, filed a federal lawsuit against the British government, arguing that the requirements of the UK’s Online Safety Act infringe on their Constitutional rights as American corporations. In a filing submitted to the U.S. District Court in the District … Read more
Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant is officially coming to TVs, starting with Samsung’s 2025 lineup of TVs and smart monitors. With the integration, you can call upon Copilot and ask for movie suggestions, spoiler-free episode recaps, and other general questions. On TV, Copilot takes on a “friendly, animated presence” that resembles the opalescent Copilot Appearance Microsoft … Read more
FEMA has suspended at least 30 employees after they warned that spending limits, staffing cuts, and gaps in leadership hurt the agency’s ability to respond to disasters. The employees received emails notifying them that they’d been put on administrative leave on Tuesday night, according to The New York Times, which reviewed copies of the email. … Read more
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater seemed to be designed specifically for me, at first. I’ve played and loved nearly every entry of the Metal Gear Solid series, and the original MGS is one of my favorite games of all time. These weird, third-person stealth action games feature bizarre characters and scenarios that have lingered … Read more
The Zelos 450 is currently $121 off. | Image: Brandt Ranj My desire to make authentic-tasing barbecue at home was always tempered by the intimidation of regularly using a smoker. I’ve tried a couple of smart smokers before, but none were as easy to set up, cook with, and maintain as Brisk It’s Zelos-450. An … Read more
A protest at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. | Image: The Verge, No Azure for Apartheid Some Microsoft employees are willing to risk everything to protest their employer. No Azure for Apartheid, a group led by current and former Microsoft employees, started last year as a petition to Microsoft executives. It demanded that Microsoft end … Read more
Not a perfect ten but pretty damn good. Last year, Google proved it could make a phone that looks and feels like a true flagship, despite the software feeling like an AI jumble. This year, the Pixel 10 Pro starts to put AI features together in a way that actually makes sense – and it … Read more
Disney is suing Sling TV over its new streaming passes that give you access to live cable networks for as little as one day. The lawsuit, filed under seal, claims Sling violated the terms of its licensing agreement with Disney and included its networks in the short-term packages without permission, according to a report from … Read more
With Dish Network owner EchoStar selling $23 billion in valuable spectrum to AT&T, any pretense that the TV provider will become a serious wireless competitor is dead. But the project was always doomed to fail, and despite plenty of assurances by the Trump administration and other companies involved, the very obvious writing was always on … Read more
After a 16-year-old took his own life following months of confiding in ChatGPT, OpenAI will be introducing parental controls and is considering additional safeguards, the company said in a Tuesday blog post. OpenAI said it’s exploring features like setting an emergency contact who can be reached with “one-click messages or calls” within ChatGPT, as well as an opt-in … Read more
Kwikset’s latest smart lock, the Halo Select Plus, features NFC-powered tap-to-unlock functionality, allowing you to use your phone as your key. Kwikset is doubling down on open standards and new technologies as it expands its smart lock offerings. In an exclusive interview with The Verge, the company revealed that it will launch its first NFC-powered … Read more
Microsoft is expanding its Xbox Cloud Gaming technology to Xbox Game Pass Core or Standard subscribers, dropping the requirement for the highest tier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for access to cloud games. As part of an Xbox Insider test, Microsoft is also providing access to some PC games for Game Pass Core and Standard subscribers. … Read more
President Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for electric vehicles. On the first day of his presidency, he signed an executive order to eliminate EV incentives that he has often falsely portrayed as an “electric vehicle mandate.” And last month, Republicans in Congress voted to kill the $7,500 tax credit, among other … Read more
Google is rolling out a basic version of Vids to everyone. Until now, the AI-powered video editor has only been available to Google Workspace or AI plan subscribers, but now users can broadly access the app with templates, stock media, and a “subset of AI capabilities,” product director Vishnu Sivaji tells The Verge. Launched last … Read more
As we approach the end of August, early Labor Day deals have begun to appear, offering you a chance to save on speakers, noise-canceling headphones, TVs, and outdoor gear. Now we can add Google’s 128GB Pixel Tablet to the list, which is down to $249 ($150 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store, … Read more
The Chipolo Card (left) and Loop (right) are available to preorder now. Device tracker brand Chipolo announced the Loop and Card, two new Bluetooth-powered item trackers that can be recharged instead of requiring users to replace their batteries. The Loop and Card both support Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device networks, and will … Read more
Jelly loves taking trips in her carrier. | Photo: Hayden Field / The Verge Every once in a while, Slack conversations among The Verge’s staff are interrupted by photos of incredibly cute dogs, cats, and other pets. (We even have an occasional discussion about smart home editor Jennifer Pattison Tuohy’s chickens.) Naturally, anyone who has … Read more
Plaud, the company behind an AI wearable that actually works, is launching an upgraded version of its credit card-sized note-taking device. Just like its Plaud Note predecessor, the Plaud Note Pro uses AI to record, transcribe, and summarize your conversations, but it now comes with two additional microphones that allow it to pick up audio … Read more