The Verge

In less than a week, Spider-Man: Brand New Day raked in $1 billion worldwide and had the biggest box office opening weekend in Hollywood history. The feature has been a reminder of why Sony is probably never going to give up the Spider-Man film rights, and highlighted how Marvel Studios was smart to strike a [...]

You can link more devices with one phone number on Signal now, including an Android phone or iPhone. Signal already supported linking PCs and iPads, but not additional phones. When you link a device on Signal, you can check and respond to new messages across all of your linked devices. You can also choose whether [...]

SpaceX's AI revenue grew more than three times to $2.6 billion from the year before, mostly because of deals that the company made to provide compute to other AI companies, according to SpaceX's quarterly earnings. The AI division, which the company said in its documents to go public was the source of most of its [...]

Electronic Arts has officially become a private company. Last September, EA announced that an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners would be taking the company private in a $55 billion deal, and on Tuesday, EA said the deal successfully closed. The PIF will reportedly own 93.4 [...]

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov blames an extortionist for planting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public chat to get the app temporarily removed from Apple's App Store on Monday night. "Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us," Durov says in a post on X. "This creates a potential systemic risk for [...]

The brand trip is a right of passage for influencers. It's a mark of legitimacy that a sponsor wants to invite them on an all-expenses-paid vacation, often with luxurious freebies and activities. Trips can also spur hard feelings from uninvited influencers, trigger criticism from the public, and project a certain frivolousness. Usually it is fast [...]

Memory and storage prices will be inflated for the foreseeable future, so we're always happy to find a good deal on capable gaming hardware, like this discount on the Lenovo Legion Go S with a Z2 Go processor and SteamOS. Normally $1,137.41 (and selling for close to $1,000 at Best Buy), Lenovo has the handheld [...]

Hank Green, a popular YouTuber and science communicator, said he is stepping back from production amid intense criticism over his use of AI. Green described his AI usage as "not healthy," but stressed that he used it for finding research sources and not to write scripts. Much of the ensuing firestorm in this corner of [...]

When a premium car brand like BMW says it has a "special surprise" in store for drivers, I'd expect something more luxurious than having a movie commercial beamed onto the dashboard. That's exactly what's happening to many BMW owners, however, who are being shown banner ads for Spider-man: Brand New Day on their Control Display [...]

T-Mobile is launching a new financing option that will allow you to pay for a device, taxes, and fees over 36 months. In an update on Tuesday, T-Mobile says its new Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) Flex 36 requires no upfront payment and will come with a 0 percent APR for a limited time. Even if [...]

The start of a new school year can feel hectic, as parents juggle their kids' classes, extracurriculars and sports on top of work, appointments, and other responsibilities. It's easy for things to slip through the cracks, but Skylight's shared smart calendars can help keep everyone on track, and from August 2nd through August 9th they're [...]

After previewing HDR10 Plus Advanced late last year, Samsung's not-Dolby Vision 2 spec will launch globally on Amazon's Prime Video this month. The first TVs announced with support are Samsung's 2026 lineup, which will be able to make use of the extra metadata to deliver more precise HDR that is optimized for what you're watching, [...]

Texas announced new a audit on data centers that could slow approval for new facilities seeking to connect to the state energy grid. Governor Greg Abbott (R) on Monday directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to verify and audit new data center proposals, writing that [...]

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is a dependable laptop that doesn't cost a fortune, despite being nearly three years old. It's cheaper than usual right now, and you have a few options in the sub-$400 range. The option with the most storage is currently on sale for $399.99 (about $100 off recent prices) at Amazon. [...]

Apple is working on a feature that will allow users in the European Union to copy content on their iPhone and paste it onto their Windows PC (or vice versa), as spotted earlier by MacRumors. The move comes in response to an interoperability request from Microsoft that asks Apple to open up its Universal Clipboard [...]

It's time for yet another giveaway. We raided The Verge's closet full of tech in New York City to stuff as much can fit into a Nomatic Messenger Bag. It's overstuffed, to say the least, and if you're chosen as the winner of this sweepstakes on August 18th, the bag and its contents (valued at [...]

It's a great time to go back to theaters! The Odyssey is currently making believers in IMAX. And combined with the power of Spider-Man, it's also breaking box-office records. After Verge senior reviewer David Imel reported back on his latest 70MM IMAX adventure, it got most of the staff talking in Slack about our favorite [...]

Peak Design's new City Line collection includes six lightweight bags designed for everyday carry. There's a 15-liter and 22L City Backpack, 15L City Tote, 6L and 12L City Crescent crossbody bags, and 2L City Sling. All are available starting today and feature a new BagLev hook that can suspend the bags from a table ledge [...]

Open earbuds are having a bit of a moment right now, and Nothing is the latest company jumping on the trend. Its budget sub-brand has introduced the CMF Clip Pro, CMF's first open earbuds that are designed to provide comfort and sound quality for people who don't want to sacrifice their situational awareness. The $99 [...]

Telegram is back on the App Store after Apple briefly removed it on Monday night over concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a statement to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple says a review found that Telegram "violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material," adding that it restored the app "after the developer [...]

Apple's legal battle against OpenAI just got messier now that the ChatGPT-maker has publicly aired receipts to counter Apple's version of events. In a blog post published overnight titled "Apple is getting this wrong," OpenAI said that Apple's lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade secrets is "careless, aggressive, and oddly personal," sharing iMessage and email [...]

The next Xbox, Project Helix, could theoretically have the largest library of any home console. Not only will it play PC games, but we now know, courtesy of a leaked memo obtained by The Verge's Tom Warren, that it will run games from every generation of Xbox: the original 2001 Xbox, the 2005 Xbox 360, [...]

Earlier this year, a Reddit user had asked members of a skincare-focused subreddit if anyone had tried a specific hypochlorous acid spray, a product often used for acne. There were dozens of responses; one from a user named Primary-Taro4254 seemed innocuous enough, at least at first. "I haven't personally tried [that brand] so I can't [...]

You have to imagine that the team at Game Freak is bursting with ideas. The studio puts out new mainline Pokemon adventures with a machinelike precision. But every so often it launches a curious experiment, whether it's an action title about a militarized elephant or turning horse races into a card game, showing that it's [...]

Google is rolling out an update that will finally allow you to connect your Fitbit workouts, steps, vitals, and other data to Apple Health, as reported earlier by 9to5Mac. With Google Health's 5.05 update, you can now tap your profile icon, select "Partner apps," and choose Apple Health to link your data directly. Previously, you [...]

Samsung makes a variety of TVs and computer monitors, but if want both and you're limited on space, you might want to consider the M80F. This capable 32-inch 4K panel combines features commonly found on both types of screens, and Amazon and B&H Photo both have it discounted to $349.99, where it's usually $400 or [...]

The European Union has ushered in some additional rules that aim to make it easier for people to identify chatbots and AI deepfakes online. The new transparency obligations under the bloc's landmark AI Act came into effect on August 2nd, requiring companies to disclose when people are interacting with AI models, and if content has [...]

Building on its recently announced plans to bring original Xbox games to PC, Microsoft is also planning to let developers bring their Xbox 360 games to PC as well, according to a leaked document, seen by The Verge, that was sent to developers recently. Xbox 360 games will be able to run on the next-gen [...]

Lenovo is expected to release some of the first Googlebook models later this year, and leaked images have now given us a good idea of what they might look like. Leaked press images shared by Digital Citizen and Android Headlines include a laptop and a 2-in-1 tablet, all of which feature Googlebook branding on the [...]

Untitled Goose Game is a tough act to follow. It was a silly experience that captured what I imagine it would feel like to be a sentient goose: a lot of waddling, a lot of honking, and a lot of shenanigans. That's why Big Walk, the next game from Goose Game developer House House, feels [...]

Chinese tech giant Alibaba released what it says is its largest and "most capable AI model to date," claiming performance rivaling the best systems from US frontier labs Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as domestic rivals like Moonshot AI's Kimi K3. Alibaba said it was making the model, Qwen3.8-Max, widely available to users in a [...]

Two minutes and thirty seconds into the title track of Rachika Nayar's Heaven Come Crashing, an absolutely massive drum and bass beat drops. As a fan of Nayar's debut record Our Hands Against The Dusk, it caught me off guard. That album has no percussion on it at all. Heaven Come Crashing is almost entirely [...]

Fender CEO Edward "Bud" Cole gave an interview to T3 in May celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster with comments on AI and music that initially flew under the radar. But it has started making the rounds recently, pouring more fuel on an already raging fire of bad PR following the company pissing off [...]

When Microsoft announced its latest round of Xbox price bumps in June, it only gave US pricing. Now we know the pricing increases for the EU and UK, and they're dramatic. Depending on the model, Xbox prices are increasing by up to 200 or 170. The 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive is [...]

Illustrators have spent years sounding the alarm about generative artificial intelligence startups training their models on artists' work without permission. They've pointed out how the practice is tantamount to theft, and in response, many gen AI boosters have argued that it's necessary for the technology's evolution. This has led to contentious legal battles, but it's [...]

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on smartphones and Android, follow Dominic Preston. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Believe it or not, it didn't all start with [...]

Android Headlines claims to have the specs and price for the entire Pixel 11 lineup. What the site shared basically lines up with everything else that we've heard in the lead-up to the August 12th event. The Pixel 11 is expected to get a $100 price hike, starting at $899, but will come with 256GB [...]

Angela Nissel's latest book, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead, is my kind of memoir. Sure, it's a deeply emotional tale about caring for a terminally ill parent. But it's delivered with the sort of gallows humor that I often turn to to get me through tough times. Of course, that sort of [...]

Fenix Flexin is best known as a member of Shoreline Mafia, a rap duo from Los Angeles. But he's recently found solo success with the track "Rubberz," which has climbed to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. Almost immediately, though, questions were raised about the song's origins, with many speculating that it was largely, [...]

The FBI, the EPA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have stopped short of officially blaming Iran for a spate of cyberattacks on Minnesota's water systems, but consensus is that Iran is likely behind them. That, of course, hasn't stopped Donald Trump from sharing his own theory - that Governor Tim Walz is [...]

Knowing exactly what your student needs for the school year ahead is next to impossible. Sure, you'll probably nail the essentials, but there will likely be a few items you forgot to buy, or didn't think they'd need to have. We're pulling our weight during the back-to-school season with a new shopping guide that's a [...]

Your smartphone photos can look way better. If you're willing to put in a little extra work, use third party apps and spend a bit of time editing, it's possible to take photos that - under the right circumstances - can rival dedicated digital cameras. I post a lot of smartphone photos online, and "How [...]

The Mermaid Mask, the next point-and-click game from Tangle Tower developer SFB Games, has everything you could ask for in a great murder mystery. It starts with a compelling setup: The captain of a submarine is found dead in a locked room, his body next to a mysterious cauldron with blood trickling across the floor. [...]

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 138, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, happy August, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about microwave sounds and Meta glasses and Alex vs. Alix, testing the [...]

Sharge, the company that makes delightful retro Mac-shaped chargers and see-inside batteries, is finally impressing me with a portable SSD. I couldn't recommend the Sharge Disk, Disk Plus, or even the Disk Pro, but I'd be happy to own the new Disk Pro 2 Ultra. This isn't just a drive. It's a 4K HDMI dock [...]

We spotted a great deal on Tile trackers earlier this week that's still live, but if you're an iPhone owner, we ultimately recommend Apple's latest AirTag. Right now, you can pick up a four-pack for $89 ($10 off) at Amazon and Target, matching the bundle's all-time low price. If you're a member, Costco also has [...]