The Verge

Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge When the Playdate first launched, one of the hooks was that the little yellow handheld came with a season" of 24 games from notable developers like Keita Takahashi and Zach Gage. And now Panic has confirmed that a second season is coming at some point in 2025.As for what will be included, we don't have a lot to go on right now. Panic says that details on price, the exact number of games, and the developers behind the games of season 2 will come in 2025." But during a livestream today, the company said it would probably feature about a dozen games" and will also include a really cool surprise."Last year Panic launched a Playdate store called Catalog where developers could release games outside of the season structure, and during... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge For the last decade or so, Google has released major Android updates in the fall after an extended developer and beta preview process, but for 2025, at least, that's changing. Now, Google is planning its next major release for Q2 instead of Q3, confirming a recent report from Android Authority about Android 16, which will carry the dessert-themed codename Baklava."The announcement says this will better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can get the major release of Android sooner." Other changes Google is talking about today include improvements to the Play Store, where users can share preferences for better recommendations on new apps the way they already could for games, and in... Continue reading...

Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge Despite Amazon and other retailers having filled the summer and fall months with more sales than ever before, Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain the biggest shopping days of the year. Thankfully, like in previous years, we'll be working to highlight the best prices on phones, TVs, headphones, gaming gear, and other tech throughout the deal-packed week, whether you plan to shop in person or online.You can always count on us to publish the best deals that you need to know about, no matter the season; however, if you want to be among the first people to discover price drops on the products you're interested in, you'll want to get a head start on your Black Friday game plan. Your checklist should include scoping out early sales at your... Continue reading...

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apex Legends is one of the only battle royale games that lets you play on a Steam Deck gaming handheld - Fortnite, Valorant, PUBG and more never supported it in the first place, citing concerns about anti-cheat. But today, Electronic Arts and Respawn are taking the game away for that very same reason.In our efforts to combat cheating in Apex, we've identified Linux OS as being a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats. As a result, we've decided to block Linux OS access to the game," writes EA, in a blog post explaining the decision.Apex Legends did have anti-cheat software that did run on the Steam Deck - specifically, the game uses Epic Games' Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), which has been compatible with the Linux gaming... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge ChatGPT is officially an AI-powered web search engine. The company is enabling real-time information in conversations for paid subscribers today (along with SearchGPT waitlist users), with free, enterprise, and education users gaining access in the coming weeks.Rather than launching as a separate product, web search will be integrated into ChatGPT's existing interface. The feature determines when to tap into web results based on queries, though users can also manually trigger web searches. ChatGPT's web search integration finally closes a key competitive gap with rivals like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, which have long offered real-time internet access in their AI conversations.This launch comes as AI-powered search heats up... Continue reading...

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Microsoft is finally revealing that it will charge consumers $30 for a year of extra security updates to Windows 10. Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14th, 2025, but consumers will be able to purchase a single year of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for $30 for the first time ever.While businesses will be charged $61 for a single year of ESU, they also have the option to pay $122 for a second year and then $244 for a third year of updates. Microsoft will only offer consumers a single year if they're willing to pay the $30 fee. Enrolled PCs will continue to receive Critical and Important security updates for Windows 10; however, new features, bug fixes, and technical support will no longer be available from Microsoft," e... Continue reading...

Ring's latest Battery Doorbell has a wider field-of-view to see packages and people head-to-toe. | Ring It's a little too late to spook trick-or-treaters with ghastly remote greetings, but there are plenty of other reasons to consider installing a video doorbell. For starters, it's incredibly affordable and easy to do so when you have devices like the new Ring Battery Doorbell sharply discounted. It's down to $59.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now, matching its all-time low.We haven't tested the 2024 Ring Battery Doorbell yet, but it borrows a couple of nice features from the Battery Doorbell Plus, which is also on sale for a record low $99.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and our top pick for battery-powered doorbells. The not-so-plus model still features a 1080p camera, but now with a 1:1 aspect ratio and a 150-degree... Continue reading...

The OnePlus 13 will go on sale in China starting on November 1st, with a global release expected later. | Image: OnePlus OnePlus has officially announced its next flagship smartphone, the new OnePlus 13. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with an upgraded vapor cooling system, the OnePlus 13 will be available in China starting on November 1st in configurations ranging from 4,499 (around $632) for 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, up to 5,999 (around $843) for 24GB RAM and a full terabyte.The biggest upgrades on the OnePlus 13 is a new 6,000mAh battery, which OnePlus says offers up to 11 hours of video playback, according to Notebookcheck. While it offers more capacity than the 5,400mAh battery used in the previous OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13's battery uses silicon carbon technology which offers more power density than traditional lithium... Continue reading...

This adapter has a Ford logo, so it will probably work well. | Image: Ford Ford is making its own branded specialty adapter to enable Tesla Supercharger access for its EV customers. The automaker will offer its new adapter alongside the current Tesla-produced one for customers still awaiting a complementary adapter and will start shipping it today.The adapters are being manufactured by EV equipment supply company Lectron, which has already made its own Vortex" NACS to CCS adapters. Lectron had to recall its adapters previously due to a design flaw where it could unlatch while charging.Lectron's CEO Christopher Maiwald said in a State of Charge interview that the problem had been fixed. In an email to The Verge, PR representative for Ford Eddie Fernandez wrote that the new adapters are not connected to the... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge / Getty Images Don't worry - Elon Musk is somehow also involved. Continue reading...

The Verge Google Maps is getting new navigation features that should make inner-city driving a little easier. When enhanced navigation rolls out in November, the blue line on Google Maps will provide a visual of which lane you need to drive in to make your next turn, while the map itself might display crosswalks, signs, and lane restrictions.This feature is coming to 30 US metros and will show up on Android and iOS. It should hopefully make driving through unfamiliar areas a bit less stressful, as it will add to some of the other helpful navigation features Maps has, such as lane guidance and the ability to see your routes in 3D. Image: Google Starting this week, Google Maps is also rolling out an update to its destination... Continue reading...

Image: Waze Waze is testing a handy-sounding update that will let you report traffic incidents while speaking naturally. With the new feature, you can tap the app's reporting button and then say what you see, such as, Looks like there's a traffic jam up ahead."The Google-owned driving app will then use the Gemini AI model to understand" what you've said and create a report. If you make a vague report, like There's something on the road," Waze might ask follow-up questions, like Can you describe what you see?" Depending on your reply, the app will then use that information to categorize your report. Image: Waze You can currently only report incidents on Waze by tapping through options within the app, which isn't always... Continue reading...

Image: Google Google Maps is getting a big update that's supposed to help you find new places to visit with AI. Starting this week, you'll be able to explore more locations with Immersive View and search for specific spots based on a descriptive query like things to do with friends at night."Google will then use its Gemini AI model to come up with inspirational collections" matching that description. For late-night options, Google Maps might pull up locations categorized as speakeasies" or places with live music." Meanwhile, regular search results remain below these collections. GIF: Google Google Maps will let you type in a question or choose from ones it generated with AI. But that's not the extent of the AI features... Continue reading...

Image: AMD After bizarrely teasing a 9000-series X3D announcement last week, AMD is making it official today that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will be available on November 7th. Priced at $479, the 9800X3D is a direct successor to the best gaming CPU on the market right now, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. There's a lot to be excited about with this next-generation X3D chip, too.AMD is increasing the base clock speed up to 4.7GHz on the 9800X3D, with a max boost of 5.2GHz. Combined with an increase to a 120-watt TDP, this may well help improve productivity workloads - something the X3D chips have always fallen behind their non-X3D counterparts on. Image: AMD AMD claims its 9800X3D is on average 8 percent faster than the 7800X3D. The 9800X3D... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Peloton's got a new head honcho. The company announced that Ford executive Peter Stern will take over as CEO and President starting January 1st. Stern previously worked at Apple and Time Warner Cable.As a cofounder and driving force behind Apple Fitness Plus, Peter led his growth to millions of members, and is responsible for successfully scaling over a dozen other subscription services ranging from Ford BlueCruise to Apple iCloud to Time Warner Cable Home Security," said Karen Boone, Peloton's interim CEO, on today's Q1 2025 earnings call. Importantly, Peter has also been a passionate member of the Peloton community since 2016."In a Q&A with investors, Boone also emphasized that Stern was known for execution" and that the ability... Continue reading...

Miniot's Klapklok wall clock uses paper-like flaps to flip pixels to show the time. The sound and motion is soothing to experience. | Image: Miniot If you've ever experienced the sight and sound of a split-flap display then you'll immediately understand the nostalgic appeal of Miniot's pixelated wall clock. Klapklok uses mechanical flaps to convey information, just like the departure boards commonly found in transportation terminals before the arrival of LEDs.As its name suggests, Klapklok primarily functions as a low resolution clock, showing the hour and minute hands using 69 (nice) paper-like" flaps that act like black and white pixels. But Klapklok also features a Bluetooth app to create pixel drawings if that's your thing. GIF: Miniot A closer look at the lightweight flaps. As a clock, a selection of the flaps are redrawn every 2.5 minutes with a... Continue reading...

We wouldn't recommend the latest Air for most people at full price, but the current discount makes it more appealing. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge The new iPad Mini has arrived, bringing with it a faster A17 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and a taste of Apple Intelligence. However, unless you're dead set on the tablet's 8.3-inch form factor, the latest iPad Air is a better buy - especially since the 11-inch configuration is on sale at Amazon and Target with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage starting at $498 ($101 off), an all-time low.If you're having trouble choosing between Apple's entry-level iPad and an M4-powered iPad Pro, the 2024 iPad Air represents the middle ground. It's a good-step option from the base iPad with USB-C charging, support for both the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and newer Apple Pencil Pro, and a laminated Liquid Retina display. The latter isn't... Continue reading...

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Are we about to see what's up Google's sleeve after its mysterious AR / VR deals with companies like Qualcomm and Samsung? Or might it finally bring its Google Play Store to Meta's Quest like Meta once asked? Either way, Google seems to be prepping its Play Store for headsets, according to details discovered in app store code by Android Authority.Screenshots published by the outlet show a small graphic representing a headset in the Play Store's Install on more devices menu," while a bit of text appearing on an app listing elsewhere references an XR headset" too: Screenshot: Android Authority That glyph either represents a headset or a Flintstones-style hunk of meat. Screenshot: Android... Continue reading...

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images The World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees is in full swing, and millions of people in the US and abroad are tuning in nightly watch the showdown. Some fans are also being forced to watch graphic and hateful political ads - and though some ads are preceded by a broadcaster's warning, there's not much anyone can do about it.An anti-abortion ad that ran last night during the World Series shows graphic imagery of fetuses alongside a message that Abortion is murder. Don't vote for Kamala." The ad was paid for Randall Terry, a longtime anti-abortion activist who founded Operation Rescue, a group that stands outside of healthcare clinics and harasses patients. Terry is also a no-shot presidential candidate... Continue reading...

Image: The Verge Microsoft's Q1 2025 earnings are in, and the results show that Microsoft's software gaming revenues are way up even as Xbox hardware revenue is declining.The company says that its Xbox content and services revenue grew 61 percent year over year from the previous quarter - a figure driven by 53 points of net impact from the Activision acquisition," according to the company's press release. But hardware revenues again declined, down 29 percent this quarter, which may be influenced by Microsoft's continued strategy to make its games available more widely than just Xbox consoles.During the quarter, Microsoft introduced its new Xbox Game Pass Standard" tier and a price hike for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Q1 also saw the arrival of Call of... Continue reading...

Agatha All Along. | Image: Disney As Disney Plus has grown, finding things to watch has become increasingly challenging. So the streaming service is rolling out a top 10 list featured on the home screen in hopes of improving discoverability.It's not the most novel addition; really, it looks just like similar lists you'd find in competitive services like Netflix and Apple TV Plus. But it's become a necessary feature as the lineup on Disney Plus has expanded quite a bit over the years, with original shows and movies, along with the integration of Hulu.According to Disney, the ranking takes several factors into account, including total views at the episode and movie level within a day and the growing popularity of new titles released during that time frame." The company... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Kids will soon be able to download the Google Wallet app on their Android phone, allowing them to buy things in store via Google's tap-to-pay feature, reports 9to5Google. The news comes after Google first added the feature to its kid-focused Fitbit Ace LTE fitness tracker in August.In a statement given to 9to5Google, the company said there will be ways for parents to supervise usage, with control over approving new cards, removing cards, and viewing transaction history. Parents can supervise children's accounts via the Google Family Link app that lets parents set restrictions for content and screen time, and added the ability to see when kids leave school and arrive home in 2022.Kids will be able to make tap-to-pay purchases using... Continue reading...

Image: Ubisoft Ubisoft has quietly released its own NFT game to join the ranks of other vaunted, widely-played blockchain enabled titles like Axie Infinity and...uh, Ember Sword. Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles launched earlier this month with relatively little fanfare or marketing. The game comes two years after Ubisoft's failed bid to make NFTs work in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, a solid three years after NFT prices and purchases fell off a cliff, and barely a week after it announced it would disband the team behind the critically acclaimed Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.Surface level, Champions Tactics is a PC strategy game where players assemble teams of champions to fight their way up the rankings. Teams are composed of three champions,... Continue reading...

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge I usually have at least half a dozen or more projects going at once: I can be writing or updating several short pieces, editing one or two others, getting ready for Apple or Google or some other company to announce their latest and greatest tech, or dealing with some other project. Each of these projects usually involves several tabs on my Chrome browser so my tab bar can get really crowded.Once upon a time, I would have had to create bookmarks, and bookmark folders, for all of those tabs in order to make sure I didn't lose them when I stopped work at the end of the day. But these days, tab grouping is what keeps me sane. It lets me keep together the tabs that belong together, remove them if I don't need them for a while, and save them... Continue reading...

Now that Apple has finished announcing its slate of new M4-equipped Mac computers, we've finally been able to see them in person. The Verge's Vjeran Pavic got some hands-on time with the new products and took some gorgeous photos that you can peruse below.I'm blown away by how small the new Mac Mini is; the old Mac Mini, which was already small, seems giant in comparison. Vjeran tells me that, in person, the smaller Mac Mini is cute but that it's more like a mini Mac Studio than a mini Mac Mini." He also says there's no way to reach the power button, which is on the underside of the computer, without lifting it up.As for the other computers, the new colors of the iMac really pop when they're lined up together in these photos, if you... Continue reading...

Image: Activision Comcast is boasting about what it's calling its biggest week in internet history," which it pegs on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 downloads and Thursday Night Football streams. The company says the Call of Duty game, which it released on October 25th, was responsible for a whopping 19 percent of its overall traffic last week.It's not really possible to quantify that further, given Comcast didn't provide any specific numbers - either about how many customers were downloading the game or how big their downloads were. Ranging between 84.4GB for the PlayStation version and 102GB for the PC edition Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is, in the grand tradition of Call of Duty games, a hefty download. It can be as much as 300GB if players choose to go... Continue reading...

Image: OnLeaks via Android Headlines Google appears to be planning to put a bigger display on its entry-level Pixel 9A, according to a report from Android Headlines. The forthcoming phone will reportedly get a 6.3-inch display to match the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro.The 6.3-inch size would make it larger than the past few generations of A-series Pixel phones, including the 8A, 7A, and 6A - all of which came with a 6.1-inch display. Along with a screen size increase, the Pixel 9A is also rumored to come with a top refresh rate of 120Hz, Google's Tensor G4 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage.Renders of what appears to be the Pixel 9A suggest that Google is making some big design changes to the phone as well. The Pixel's prominent camera bar is absent from the rear of the... Continue reading...

Image: Dropbox Dropbox is cutting its workforce by 20 percent today - laying off 528 people - amid slowing growth for its core cloud storage business. The latest round of cuts comes after Dropbox laid off around 500 people in early 2023 to redirect efforts to its AI division.We're making more significant cuts in areas where we're over-invested or underperforming while designing a flatter, more efficient team structure overall," writes Dropbox CEO Drew Houston in a blog post titled An update from Drew. At the same time, Houston mentions that the market is moving towards where the company placed its biggest bets," which includes Dropbox's Dash AI search product.For its second-quarter earnings this year in August, Dropbox reported an increase of... Continue reading...

Impossibly small, incredibly convenient. Continue reading...

The latest video shared by Boston Dynamics demonstrates the new Atlas robot's autonomous navigation and handling capabilities. | Screenshot: YouTube Boston Dynamics has shared another look at the latest version of its humanoid robot, Atlas. Earlier videos of the all-electric robot demonstrated its unique range of motions, but this time Atlas is shown using machine learning and its upgraded sensors to perform sorting tasks in a simulated factory environment.The task of moving engine covers between supplier containers and a mobile sequencing dolly" isn't especially exciting, but it demonstrates several of the new robot's capabilities working together. After being provided with only a list of bin locations to move parts between," Atlas uses various sensors and machine learning models to determine the location of bins and how it needs to manipulate its body, arms, and three-fingered... Continue reading...

Image: CD Projekt Red Cyberpunk 2077 is making the jump to Macs. According to Apple's announcement video for the new M4-equipped MacBook Pros, CD Projekt Red's sci-fi RPG will be available on Macs early next year."Taking full advantage of Apple silicon and advanced technologies of Metal, the world of the dark future is available to Mac gamers for the very first time," CD Projekt Red says in an announcement. Players can enjoy advanced features like path tracing, frame generation, and built-in Spatial Audio for even more immersive gameplay and stunning visuals.The game will be available on the Mac App Store and Steam when it launches next year. The version launching on Mac is the Ultimate Edition, which includes the very good Phantom Liberty expansion,... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge This week's new Macs all have one thing in common: a minimum of 16GB of RAM. That's true of the new Mac Mini, MacBook Pros, and iMac, which were all refreshed with M4 processors this week. The MacBook Air was updated to start at 16GB of RAM, too, even though it didn't get a bump up to the M4 chip. The change brings an end to the long-running era of 8GB of RAM as the default on consumer-grade Macs.Apple had transitioned most of its Macs to 8GB of RAM by 2016. But now, after eight years, that quantity feels increasingly insufficient. Reviewers have criticized the entry-level RAM as limited since at least 2022. Local AI features like Apple Intelligence, which need constant RAM to work, have only accentuated the need to change things.That... Continue reading...

Screenshot: Apple Apple appears to have wrapped up its week of Mac announcements - and it had a lot to share. Along with updating several devices across its Mac lineup with a more powerful M4 chip, Apple showed off some revamped accessories, too.If you want to catch up on all the news, here's a quick rundown.The M4 iMac adds new colors and 16GB of RAM Image: Apple The new iMac comes with an upgraded M4 chip, offering up to a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. It comes with a 24-inch display with an optional nano-texture glass" to help reduce glare, along with a base 16GB of RAM.The entry-level iMac starts at $1,299 and has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. There's also a more expensive $1,499 model with four Thunderbolt 4 ports. The new iMac... Continue reading...

Jay Maidment For folks who have been waiting to stream Deadpool & Wolverine from the comfort of their couches, the time is nigh.Today, Disney announced that Deadpool & Wolverine is finally making its way to Disney Plus on November 12th along with a commentary track from writer / director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds. In... celebration of the film's streaming debut, Disney is also rolling out a series of Deadpool & Wolverine bathroom makeovers" at a handful of sports venues in Philadelphia, Memphis, and Columbus beginning today. Marvel / Disney Plus A mockup of Disney's new Deadpool & Wolverine bathroom ad campaign. Only Disney knows why it's leaning so hard into potty humor for one of its most successful successful films yet.... Continue reading...

Avride, the robotics company that spun out of Russian search giant Yandex, has a new sidewalk delivery robot to show off.The company currently has plans to operate a fleet of six-wheeled delivery robots in Austin, Texas, delivering Uber Eats orders to customers, as well as South Korea. Now Avride's next generation model is shedding a couple of wheels - and showing big gains in efficiency.The new robot only has four wheels, which Avride says is more energy efficient than its six-wheeled model. The six-wheeled versions were simple to build, and could turn confidently on a variety of surfaces. But they also created a lot of friction, which ate up a lot of energy from the robot's internal battery.The new four-wheeled designs are much... Continue reading...