The Verge

Apple only just announced on Tuesday that its first smart display, the HomeView, will arrive on November 13th, but you can already save a couple bucks on it. Right now, you can buy the display for $289.99 ($10 off) in gray and the creamy white starlight" colorway at Amazon. Sure, it's a small discount, but [...]

There's an entire cottage industry of iPod mods out there, but Sprout Pi and Sprout Pico are two of the few full motherboard replacements that combine many of the most popular mods into a single upgrade. Both versions add Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C, a microSD card slot, FLAC playback, and more. And while cracking open an [...]

Anbernic shared a new video of its upcoming dual-screen handheld it announced last week showing the device playing 3DS, Xbox, and PS3 games through emulation. While competitors like Ayaneo have been making dual-screen handhelds for a few years, Anbernic only recently introduced its own dual-screen devices including the RG DS and RG DS Plus. Those [...]

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. For the past 100 days or so, my mornings have had a new rhythm. When I wake up, the first [...]

OpenAI claims a former employee took more than 100 files related to its product plans before joining Apple. In a document filed on Wednesday, OpenAI accuses the unnamed employee of sending this information to a personal account and then presenting it to Apple leadership, including the vice president of the company's operations in Asia. The [...]

If you don't get AppleCare Plus for the iPhone Duo, any repairs are going to be pretty expensive. Apple published the estimated repair costs for the iPhone Duo without AppleCare Plus today, as reported by MacRumors, and they can be high: Battery service, for example, will cost $229, inner display damage will cost $999, and [...]

Microsoft is officially announcing its Xbox Nano controller today, a smaller and cheaper controller that's designed to fit into your pocket. The more compact controller is also designed for "younger players, smaller hands, or anyone seeking something portable for play on the go." The $49.99 Xbox Nano is Microsoft's smallest controller, and it's shorter than [...]

Old-school physics-based weather forecasting and even new AI models typically become less reliable beyond two weeks, a problem Microsoft claims to have solved using machine learning. Researchers with the company say they've found a new, cost-effective way to make more accurate weather forecasts two to six weeks in advance - allowing farmers and emergency responders [...]

Square is launching new hardware: a big kiosk for ordering things that has a touchscreen and lets you talk to an AI. It's called the Square Kiosk. Square says the Kiosk, which has a large pill shape, has an "agentic, conversational voice layer" that "fully understands a seller's menu and listens and responds in real [...]

Android is introducing new scam defense features that aim to make it easier for users to evade mobile fraud, including bolstered protection in Google Messages and additional safeguarding tools. Building on the Scam Detection feature in Google Messages, a new "enhanced protection" setting will be rolling out in the coming weeks that taps into cloud-based [...]

Are legions of smart devices - fridges, ovens, vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, security cameras, and TVs - conspiring to take over the internet? No. But they could soon be unwitting hosts to self-replicating AI models that spread from device to device and prove remarkably difficult to contain. Welcome to the unsettling world of AI worms, where, [...]

Following a report last week that Netflix was planning to lay off five percent of the company, today the streamer's co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters announced in an email that it would actually be laying off six percent of its workforce, or around 1,000 employees, according to Variety, which obtained a copy of the [...]

There are several deals happening right now on video games and gaming-related tech that are worth sharing. To start, this month's Humble Choice drop of Steam PC games is really good. The $14.99 per month service is offering subscribers Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Price of Persia: The Lost Crown, Psychonauts 2, Deep [...]

You don't need to buy the new Apple TV 4K just to get the updated Siri Remote with Find My and a built-in speaker, as it works with every model released going back to the Apple TV HD and is available to buy standalone for $59. Previous Siri Remotes had a basic iOS feature to [...]

Back in 2019, author Margaret Stohl was handed a manuscript written by Jason Jones, who's best known as the co-creator of sci-fi gaming series Halo and Destiny. The two had worked together at Bungie, and Jones wanted Stohl's opinion on a book he was writing about AI taking over the world. It was an oral [...]

Epic Games is announcing a big refresh of its PC games launcher today in preview, saying that the new version is "way faster" and now supports Linux. But the company, which has been publicly making a big push into AI-assisted development, also notes that the refresh was "vibe coded." "Programming is hard," Epic says in [...]

Epic is working on bringing Fortnite to Linux through its Epic Games Launcher. The new launcher is releasing in preview today, and for the first time on Linux, and while Fortnite isn't available there just yet, Epic wants to make that a reality. So far, part of the reason Fortnite hasn't been available on Linux [...]

Continuing the analog approach of the Instax Square SQ6 that launched in 2018 and follow-ups like the Square SQ1 and SQ40, the new Fujifilm Instax Square 2 skips digital functionality while still introducing the ability to customize the look and feel of instant photos. A new mood filter switch slides one of two colored filters [...]

Rockstar Games might not keep fans waiting as long for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto. As part of Bloomberg's expansive report on the making of GTA VI, Rockstar technical lead Phil Hooker said that the "engine, the tools and the team we've built during this project will allow us to do things more [...]

With its upcoming remake for the Switch 2, Nintendo might have nailed the best thing about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: its timelessness. The 1998 3D action adventure game for the Nintendo 64 that pioneered so much - 3D graphics, movement, exploration, openness - has been reengineered with changes that make it feel [...]

We have to talk about this screen. It's the first thing you notice, and maybe the only thing that matters, about the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. It's a 12-inch, 2800 x 1840 panel with a new technology Amazon calls "Nanomatte" that is meant to decrease glare and increase the feeling that you can reach out [...]

For a car that's supposed to be one of the fastest ever made, the new Tesla Roadster certainly took its sweet-ass time getting here. It's been nearly a decade since Elon Musk made the surprise announcement about plans to build a next-gen Roadster. Now, the Tesla Roadster is finally expected to make its production-ready debut [...]

Repairable, ethical phone brand Fairphone has released its second pair of earbuds. The Fairbuds 2 are just as repairable as the first generation, but deliver improved audio and almost twice the battery life. The Fairbuds 2 are out now in the UK and Europe from 99 / 119, and a US launch at $119 will [...]

Apple's ad introducing its new HomeView smart display is a little unusual. It's fast-paced and unruly, depicting a family of five as they rush through the morning routine. There's yelling and mess, misplaced keys and discarded eggshells. Apple's typical vibe is clean, simple, orderly; this commercial is chaos. But the spot has parents - those [...]

An OpenAI engineer was arrested after the company said it discovered a "sophisticated recording device" hidden in one of its offices. The employee was identified as Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national. Alfozan is charged with using or endeavoring to use a device to intercept oral communications, according to a press release from the Department [...]

Apple Music's iconic red app icon has reportedly been replaced with a black-and-white version in the latest iOS 27.2 beta, 9to5Mac reports. The eighth note on the icon also appears to have a slightly sharper angle than the original. A new Apple Music logo was also spotted last month on the Apple Music Hall website, [...]

More AI agents will soon be able to browse and purchase from Shopify listings, marking an expansion of the company's agentic commerce ambitions. Shopify announced Tuesday it will let shoppers configure their AI agents to purchase products on their behalf, giving more agents access to over a billion listings in Shopify's catalog. (The catalog consists [...]

Retro gaming is going through a wild time at the moment, thanks to decompilations and recompilations that are letting gamers port classic titles to new devices, or merge code from two different games into a single new experience. Microsoft has witnessed skateboarding being modded into Call of Duty and Halo being played in a web [...]

One of the best deals we've seen today bundles together a great pair of headphones with a solid album. When you add the Nothing Headphone A in black or white and the CD version of the Charli XCX album Music, Fashion, Film to your Amazon cart, you'll save 33 percent on your order, bringing the [...]

Days after Ukrainian military drones took down several Russian data centers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that the campaign had hurt Russia's disinformation efforts. "It suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social platforms," Zelenskyy said Monday. "There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations." Zelenskyy isn't the first to assert that the [...]

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe's startup Mind Robotics announced the appointment of Doug Field as president in a major coup for the CEO's secretive robotics project. Field was a VP of special projects at Apple, where he was the de facto head of the company's ultimately unsuccessful Project Titan effort to make an autonomous electric car. [...]

The other day I whizzed past several people while running in the park, my playlist blasting at full volume. The next morning, I smiled at a barista while ordering a caramel apple-flavored matcha latte. Afterward, I sat on a park bench reading a book, called up a pal to chat about her recent trip to [...]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's evaluating allegations that Tesla's 1,000 or so robotaxis using its automated driving system are exceeding "posted speed limits in active school zones." Waymo's robotaxis have also faced similar inquiries, including for illegally passing school buses and hitting a child near a California elementary school. NHTSA: The Office [...]

If you're looking for an e-reader that can easily fit in your pocket (or snap onto your magnet-equipped phone), the tiny Xteink X4 Pro might be worth a look. It features a 4.26-inch, 800 x 480 E Ink display, making it significantly smaller and thinner than Amazon's smallest six-inch Kindle. It's also quite a bit [...]

Facebook's new "Your Algorithm" feature will let you directly add and manage topics you want to see in your feed and Facebook Reels. Meta says your recommendations "respond right away" after you make updates using the new feature by hitting "interested" or "not interested" for different topics. Your Algorithm previously launched on Instagram earlier this [...]

The next time you vibe-code a custom app with Google's AI Studio, you won't have to connect your phone to a computer to install it. On Tuesday, Google announced a new feature in the US that will allow you to launch personal apps directly through the Play Store. Google first launched the ability to vibe-code [...]

The Google Play Store is getting a big update for cars with Google built-in. On Tuesday, the company announced that the Play Store's layout will now automatically adapt to the size and layout of your car's screen while making it easier to find and download new apps. The update, which is rolling out in the [...]

Apple has just announced the HomeView, its first smart home display - and I just got hands-on with the device, which features a gorgeous 7-inch square touchscreen and built-in Siri AI. It's designed as a smart home controller, personal assistant, and home hub for your household, so there was a lot to check out. The [...]

Earlier this month, news broke that actress Mia Goth had filed for divorce from actor and filmmaker Shia LaBeouf. An Instagram post from the account miagoth_ - marked with a blue verified checkmark - quickly spread. The post shows Goth in a T-shirt that reads "MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN" in bold black letters. [...]

We've just gotten a closer look at Apple's new video doorbell, security cameras, a door lock, and thermostats following the company's "Welcome Home" event on Tuesday. The six new devices are part of a new Apple Home Collection, which the company co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The LG smart lock costs $349 and [...]

After months sitting on the sidelines of the frontier AI race, Google has finally launched its long-awaited Gemini 4 Argon model, claiming it can compete with the best the industry has to offer. Google says Argon delivers "frontier reasoning and improved performance across complex workflows," while cutting down on hedging, repetition, and the cliches that [...]

The HomeView smart home display announced by Apple today comes in two models that both cost $299: one with a speaker base, and the other being a self explanatory "Wall Mounted" version. If you want the latter, however, you'll actually have to pay at least $59 more - the mounts required to actually affix the [...]

Apple is getting into smart displays with its new HomeView. It has a seven-inch squircle design, looking similar to a gargantuan Apple Watch mounted to a speaker base. The $299 HomeView is meant to be the centerpiece for Apple's big push into the home, as it's capable of controlling a host of smart home tech. [...]

Apple's HomePod Mini 2 is here, and we've gotten a close-up look at the second-gen smart speaker. The HomePod Mini 2 comes with an upgraded S10 chip capable of powering Siri AI, though Apple says support for new AI features will roll out as part of a future update. It also offers a sound glow [...]

Epic Games plans to use AI to generate code and art for an unannounced Disney game, which is now delayed from its original March release window, according to a report from Bloomberg. The project's developers have been given an "AI-first" mandate directing them to use tools like Anthropic's Claude more to finish the game. According [...]

After nearly six years, Apple debuted a new, improved HomePod Mini. The $149 HomePod Mini 2 will launch on Friday, October 30th, and you can place a preorder now through Apple. The speaker includes the S10 chip, which debuted in the Apple Watch Series 10, and it can power a host of features. It will [...]

When Nvidia originally showed off DLSS 5 earlier this year, the technology immediately got branded as gen AI for video games. To gamers, Nvidia had lost the plot. I personally couldn't get over how faces were transformed using DLSS 5. The 15-year-old student from Hogwarts Legacy suddenly looked much older, and Grace from Resident Evil [...]

Discovery Plus is raising prices across its ad-free and ad-supported plans. Starting Tuesday, the ad-supported plan will go from $5.99 to $6.99 / month, while the ad-free tier will jump from $9.99 to $11.99 / month. The price hike comes just one week after Paramount closed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which owned Discovery [...]

Apple debuted its latest Apple TV 4K - its first in four years - and it'll be available starting Friday, November 13th. It's powerful, with the A19 chip (the now-discontinued 2022 model has the A15 Bionic), and it features better wireless connectivity than its predecessor, too. Siri AI is a big part of this rollout, [...]