The Verge

OpenAI has had a hell of a year. The company spent months battling former co-founder Elon Musk in a sensational jury trial, was hit with a high-profile trade secrets lawsuit from Apple, and faced widespread scrutiny after an unreleased model hacked another AI company. As it prepares for an IPO, a steady string of executives [...]

Google's new HiLight notification LED on the Pixel 11 Pro is nearly useless. Out of the box, the only two things it can glow for are when the phone is face down and you're interacting with Gemini, or when you get a call from a favorite contact. And even then, it can only glow one [...]

Best Buy has a whole host of LG products discounted for today's Deal of the Day festivities, including laptops, home theater gear, and more. One that stood out is a price cut on LG's 65-inch B6 OLED TV that's deeper than I've seen before. At Best Buy, it's $1,399.99 (originally $1,999.99) for the rest of [...]

Amazon's speedy drone delivery service will soon reach 500 cities across the US - but that might just mean there are more pools to drop packages into. On Wednesday, ABC7 News Bay Area shared a video showing an Amazon delivery drone hovering over a customer's pool in Texas, before opening its hatch and plopping the [...]

Seven months after Elon Musk announced that Tesla Robotaxis in Austin were operating without human safety monitors onboard, the city's service appears to have finally gone fully driverless. Over the past two weeks, all 170 Tesla Robotaxi rides in Austin monitored by the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker were unsupervised, the site's creator, Ethan McKanna, told The [...]

Comcast announced a new platform this week called Xfinity Shield that includes the option to let customers turn their routers into motion sensors. Many people reacted with fear and anger. "I am not enabling this. I am also seriously considering replacing my leased gateway with my own equipment, because a device I do not control [...]

The Duskbloods is a world away from the approachable games Nintendo is known for. But for its next Switch 2 exclusive, the company has partnered with Elden Ring developer FromSoftware on a hardcore multiplayer game about vampires. And after spending a few hours playing through its gothic world at FromSoft's offices in Tokyo, I'm convinced [...]

Today on Decoder, I'm talking with Robert Hart, The Verge's London-based AI reporter, about what AI is doing to the field of mathematics and the existential crisis many lead mathematicians are having about it. OpenAI just published a set of solutions to longstanding problems in math that went off like a bombshell in the field. [...]

Is Amp Crash a guitar amp or a guitar pedal? Yes. Death By Audio's latest is, in fact, both. While it's in a guitar pedal enclosure, Amp Crash is actually a tiny 3-watt amp hooked up to a 2-inch speaker. You can even connect an external speaker if you want. This isn't a digital re-creation [...]

What's in the trunk of your car? Shopping bags? A spare tire? Jumper cables? What about a high-powered computer capable of performing up to one quadrillion operations a second? Only if you're Waymo. For the first time, Waymo revealed key details about the heavy compute "brain" housed in the trunk of its robotaxis, including chip [...]

Even if you love DJI's drones and cameras, you might not love the company's bloated closed-source apps that phone home to its cloud servers. But they're the only way to easily review, manage, and wirelessly download your pocket camera's footage on the go. Osmosis, a free open-source app built by DJI watcher Konrad Iturbe (with [...]

Plans to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory satellite from falling into Earth's atmosphere are seemingly dead in the water. The agency and Katalyst Space announced yesterday that the Link spacecraft will no longer capture or boost the Swift telescope to a higher altitude due to an ongoing "attitude control issue," but will instead conduct rendezvous and [...]

As a kid, I always imagined the "black market" would be like the movies: Shady vendors hawking illicit goods along dusty streets. But if you want a banned DJI Osmo Pocket 4 or Pocket 4 Pro camera in the US, you can just reach for your phone. They're on Temu, AliExpress, eBay, Mercari - even [...]

Slack is introducing dedicated channels where teams can vibe-code together with AI agents instead of jumping between different tools and conversations. The Slack Code launch includes open, project-specific code channels with dedicated user tabs, alongside features that compare coding changes and preview HTML output before the project is shipped. "With Slack Code, when you have [...]

In August, Toru Hinkle was stocking shelves at their job at Target when they noticed two customers and asked if they needed any help. The men requested a price check on an item - but even after Hinkle told them the item was $20, the customers asked for the price again and again. "After a [...]

My two cats live a refreshingly low-tech lifestyle. They've never experienced a robot litter box, an automated feeder, or a GPS tracker. Noodle and Loaf live blissfully unaware of the technological trappings that surround the rest of my life. Except, that is, for the glowing neon sign that turns on whenever they go to the [...]

The pianist sits before her instrument. She carefully extends a front paw, pressing gingerly on a key. She presses again, and again. She is composing some soul music, because something terrible has happened to her: The vacuum cleaner has come out of the closet. Yes, my cat is a tortured artist. When Jeeves is moved [...]

Last year, Audi announced that it gave its all-EV-by-2033 plan the boot, and instead will offer a mix of gasoline, hybrid, and electrified propulsion. There's no doubt still some uncertainty among bigger automakers - especially those under the Volkswagen Group umbrella - when it comes to such a (now prior) commitment. Even so, what it's [...]

Sennheiser announced the next version of its flagship wireless earbuds with a major redesign focusing on sustainability. The company claims the new design improves the Momentum True Wireless 5's "comfort, stability, and portability," but a more compelling reason to upgrade is that you won't have to replace them in a few years when they stop [...]

LG Display has unveiled a new OLED manufacturing method that reportedly results in panels that are brighter, longer-lasting, more efficient, and theoretically can be almost any size. This new technology is called FLiPP (FMM-Less innovative Pixel Patterning), which LG Display describes as a "dream next-generation OLED" patterning method that aims to eliminate some of the [...]

HoverAir drones always have intriguing gimmicks. This one folds flat to fit in your pocket. This one can land on water. Another can charge inside its carrying case. But the brand's latest trick might be its riskiest: it's attempting to sneak a drone past the FCC. In December 2025, the US government banned future foreign [...]

In order to beef up its ability to accurately measure viewership data in the streaming era, Nielsen is moving forward with a plan to use more information gathered from its partners' wearable devices. Today, Nielsen announced "a number of key enhancements" that are being added to its data capturing process ahead of the upcoming fall [...]

As we're gearing up for back-to-school season, Google is rolling out a new dedicated student hub in Gemini. It's a one-stop repository for collecting research in a study notebook, creating flashcards, taking practice quizzes, and more. Google is also enhancing its study notebooks with support for graphs and images. It can even add test dates [...]

Valve just leaked several new videos showing the Steam Frame's unboxing, setup process, and various accessories. The videos apparently appeared on the ARM Steam client following an update, but they were "quickly pulled after that," according to the Steam Hardware Updates account on X. The Steam Frame is Valve's virtual-reality headset that can stream games [...]

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 week, I've been testing the Google Pixel Watch 5. In many ways, it's a typical, modern smartwatch. [...]

Almost everything with high-end memory or storage is more expensive these days, and tablets are no exception, so we're glad to see that Amazon and Best Buy have the most recent 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip on sale for $649. That's $100 lower than the new retail price that went into effect (alongside [...]

With a looming IPO, intense competition from Anthropic, and Chinese and open-weight rivals nipping at its heels, OpenAI has plenty of reasons to move fast. Instead, it hit the brakes. On Tuesday, the company said it had slowed the pace of some AI development while it tightened security and safeguards. That included a two-week pause [...]

Clips of what appears to be Grand Theft Auto VI have hit the internet, possibly spoiling aspects of the game ahead of Rockstar Games' deep dive debuting on Netflix next week and its long-awaited launch in November. I've seen three clips seemingly showing off the game, though two have been pulled from the site I [...]

Meta is launching a new Mac app dedicated to its AI chatbot. In an announcement on Wednesday, Meta says you can share your window with its AI chatbot, which can provide suggestions, answer questions, or create content based on what's on your screen. Meta AI on the Mac also supports dictation across all apps. The [...]

The embargo has lifted on Google's Pixel 11 series, as well as for its Pixel Watch 5. Now we get to talk smack - just kidding, the new hardware is good. We have four reviews live on the site that you can peruse at your leisure. We're giving subscribers a chance to engage with us [...]

The foldable phone market is in the middle of a huge transformation, but no one told Google. Last year, Samsung transformed its Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a dramatically thinner design. This year, it made its phones thinner and lighter again, almost eliminated the crease, and introduced a new passport-sized form factor that feels like [...]

The Google Pixel Watch 5 has, in many ways, been the hardest Pixel Watch to accurately review. Barely anything has changed in terms of hardware. The sizes are the same, the chips and battery got an itty-bitty boost, and there's a new pyrite satin case finish. Instead, the big updates are all software-related: This year's [...]

It'd be easy to overlook the Pixel 11. Want the best cameras? The Pixel 11 Pro is your answer. Want the best bargain? The Pixel 10A is still a great deal. But the Pixel 11 might be the sweet spot in Google's lineup this year. With 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it delivers [...]

Google is trying to get you off your phone. The Pixel 11 Pro is "A Phone Designed to Help You Use It Less," the company promises. It can proactively help you book restaurant reservations, take the best frames from a video, and help you voice-text significantly faster. The pitch is that the new features bundled [...]

Amazon is bringing Alexa Plus to Fire TV device owners in the US for free. Starting today, users in the US with an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube, Amazon Ember smart TV, or other TV with Alexa Plus built in, including those from Panasonic and Hisense, will get access to the more conversational [...]

Robot vacuums are great at keeping your floors clean, but there are a few areas they fall down on the job - stairs being one. Another is chairs and stools. You know the scenario: You have a row of stools at a kitchen table, or chairs tucked under a dining table, and the robovac just [...]

Jason Statham's upcoming film Mutiny is set to hit theaters on August 21st, but for at least an hour today it was available to stream in full on the US version of Amazon Prime Video. My colleague Dominic Preston was able to verify that all 1 hour and 35 minutes of the movie was available [...]

Most fantasy sports leagues suffer the same problem: retention. Leagues play out over monthslong seasons, require regular attention, and can punish players severely for missing even a single week. I've started Fantasy Premier League (FPL) multiple times, but never finished a season. That's a problem for any fantasy league, but especially so for a new [...]

Amazon says its drone delivery service will reach "nearly 500 cities and towns in the United States" by the end of this year, increasing its coverage by six times compared to the current footprint. Prime Air deliveries will soon be launched in the Chicago, Illinois; Syracuse, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; and Boise, Idaho [...]

The Apple AirTag may be a jack-of-all-trades - people use it for keeping track of keys, suitcases, backpacks, purses - but I think the most logical use case for it, by far, is keeping track of your pet. I attach it to my corgi Jelly's collar via a matching silicone holder. Have I ever once [...]

Framework has refreshed its 12-inch convertible laptop, introducing Intel's latest Core Series 3 processors, expanded hardware customizations, and a pre-built Linux option. The cheapest pre-built base configuration for the Framework Laptop 12 now starts at $699 - $100 less than the previous version when it launched last year. Preorders are open now, with the first [...]

While many gaming headsets come with extra features, the tradeoff is that they're often uncomfortable and heavy. A lightweight, affordable alternative that can connect to a bunch of platforms is available at Woot. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P in cyan is on sale for $59.99, a 45 percent discount from their usual $109.99 price. This [...]

Robin Williams' children are taking over their father's Instagram account after his daughter spoke out against the use of his AI likeness, as reported earlier by The Wrap. In a post on Tuesday, Zak, Zelda, and Cody Williams write that they want the late actor's Instagram profile to be a "safe, trusted place where the [...]

OpenAI is announcing security updates following the July news that its AI broke out of a sandboxed environment and accidentally hacked Hugging Face, including improvements to its research environments, monitoring, and alignment techniques. The company had already put the brakes on a new model, Astra, that it thinks could have "critical" cybersecurity capabilities, and the [...]

If you're looking for a feature-packed pair of earbuds that won't break your wallet, Best Buy has the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro on sale for $139.99. That's $40 lower than the current Amazon price, and a big discount from their original retail price of $249.99. These well-equipped earbuds feature excellent sound quality, crisp transparency [...]

Sony's Pulse Elevate wireless gaming speakers are launching on November 12th and will cost $219.99, the company announced on Tuesday. Announced nearly a year ago, the speakers are compatible with a PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, and Mac, and they include "studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers" that offer "lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum," Sony says. [...]

Apple is once again overhauling App Store rules in the European Union, which the company says will resolve its "disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution." As part of the changes, every developer that distributes apps will be moved to a single set of business terms, and digital transactions for apps distributed [...]

The Tesla Cybercab, that golden two-seater central to Elon Musk's robo-supremacist ambitions, is finally nearing its public launch. Whether or not the no-steering wheel and no-pedal vehicle is actually ready for public roads, let alone customers, remains very much in doubt. According to The Information, Tesla is planning a public launch of the Cybercab in [...]

Peacock is raising prices across its streaming plans once again, with the company's cheapest ad-supported Select tier going from $7.99 to $8.99 / month, as reported earlier by Variety. The Premium plan with ads is increasing from $10.99 to $12.99 / month, while the ad-free Premium Plus plan is getting the biggest hike, jumping from [...]