The Verge

Microsoft is cracking down on bypass methods that let Windows 11 installs use a local account, and avoid an internet requirement during the setup process. In a new Windows 11 test build released today, Microsoft says it's removing known workarounds for creating local accounts as they can apparently cause issues during the setup process. We [...]

In a Q&A with reporters Monday at OpenAI's DevDay event in San Francisco, CEO Sam Altman said the recently-launched ChatGPT Pulse was his favorite feature we've launched in a long time," and he didn't rule out including ads in the future. Pulse is OpenAI's latest personalization play for ChatGPT. Itallows the chatbot to learn about [...]

OpenAI has launched new integrations that plug controls for other apps directly inside ChatGPT, letting you call them up to make a playlist in Spotify or search for local real estate listings on Zillow without leaving the chatbot. It's a bit like the mini" apps that messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord have embedded inside [...]

As the second phase of the Google ad tech trial was winding down, Judge Leonie Brinkema was still hoping that Google and the Justice Department would take the decision out of her hands. "My favorite phrase is 'Let's settle this case,'" she told attorneys for both sides shortly before adjourning the courtroom after more than [...]

The Ring is a fantastic horror film that still gives me the chills. I can easily recall the movie's iconic poster, which features a white ring on a black background and a creepy title font - I didn't see the movie until years after it first released, but even the thought of it frightened me. [...]

On Monday, Google launched a new reward program dedicated specifically to finding bugs in AI products. Google's list of qualifying bugs includes examples of the kind of rogue actions it's looking for, like indirectly injecting an AI prompt that causes Google Home to unlock a door, or a data exfiltration prompt injection that summarizes all [...]

Following an April Fools' Day prank in 2021 that had a delayed reveal as a result of the pandemic, Google Japan has been cooking up weird and wonderful keyboard concepts year after year. Its latest creation seems straight out of an alternate dimension where touch-tone technology never replaced rotary phones, and that functionality eventually found [...]

On April 17th, 2025, Judge Brinkema ruled that Google did act illegally to acquire and maintain monopoly power in online advertising. Now, DOJ and Google lawyers are returning to the courtroom to argue over whether this should lead to a Google breakup by forcing the company to sell its AdX exchange. In the initial trial, [...]

OpenAI is introducing a way to work with apps right inside ChatGPT. The idea is that, from within a conversation with the chatbot, you can essentially tag in apps to help you complete a task while ChatGPT offers context and advice. The company showed off a few different ways this can work. In a live [...]

First announced in July, Lexar's ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD is now available in a 1TB capacity for $119.99 or 2TB for $199.99. A 4TB version is also planned, but availability isn't expected until Q1 of 2026. The ES5 is compatible with any USB-equipped device and delivers read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s. It's [...]

If the past is any indication, Prime Big Deal Days - Amazon's upcoming fall Prime Day event - should deliver a wave of deals on Apple devices, letting you save on everything from AirPods and AirTags to the latest iPad. However, if you can't wait until the sale kicks off tomorrow, October 7th, to land [...]

Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, controversies have swirled over everything: whether Sam Altman should be CEO, chatbot safety, the environmental and power grid impact of AI data centers, an ongoing feud with Elon Musk, and even how much glaze is too much, or too little, for new products like GPT-5. Now, at its DevDay [...]

The tech industry has championed the development of new technologies that filter carbon dioxide out of the air as a way to try to undo the damage caused by planet-heating emissions. Over the past several years, they've made a slew of splashy announcements to fund these kinds of projects, called direct air capture (DAC). That [...]

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, and it officially kicks off tomorrow, October 7th. The two-day shopping affair will grant Prime members access to some of the best prices of the year on Amazon devices, as well as products from Sony, Sonos, Bose, Anker, Apple, and [...]

Funcom, the Tencent-owned company behind the survival MMO Dune: Awakening, is making some major changes, including laying off staff and shutting down Metal: Hellsinger developer The Outsiders. Dune: Awakening had a promising launch, selling a million copies and becoming the company's fastest selling game ever" less than two weeks after its June release. And in [...]

Verizon has picked former PayPal head Dan Schulman to serve as its new CEO as the company enters its next phase" of growth, Verizon board chair Mark Bertolini says in the Monday announcement. Starting today, Schulman will replace outgoing CEO Hans Vestberg, who will now serve as a special advisor through October 4th, 2026. Vestberg [...]

SwitchBot is expanding its already diverse line of smart home offerings with a new tracking fob that doubles as both a personal safety device and a quick way to gain entry to your home. SwitchBot's Safety Alarm looks like a keychain flashlight and even has LEDs when you need some extra illumination and don't want [...]

Paramount is acquiring The Free Press, an independent media publication started on Substack. As part of the deal, Paramount is installing The Free Press' founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, according to an announcement on Monday. Before starting The Free Press, Weiss worked as an op-ed and book review editor at The [...]

Dbrand's latest skins allow a wide range of non-Apple devices to don a flawlessly colormatched knock-off" of the Cosmic Orange" sported by iPhone 17 Pro models. The new gadget skins are available across every device covered by Dbrand's portfolio starting today, including Apple and Android smartphones, laptops, tablets, earpods, and gaming hardware. For Apple customers [...]

Hello, and welcome to Decoder! My guest today is Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, and I'm very excited to be talking to him on my show today. And when I say my show... I mean Nilay Patel's show. This is my final episode filling in for Nilay while he's out on parental leave. I'm Joanna Stern, [...]

It's not often that a four-pack of Apple AirTags trackers drops below $70. Originally $99, the set is just $64.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. It's nearly matching the best deal yet (missing the mark by a mere 50 cents), and the four-pack hasn't been this affordable since [...]

Collabs with fictional characters are on the horizon for Sora. Officially, that is, as OpenAI moves to restrict the flow of unauthorized horrors like meth-cooking and Nazi SpongeBobs and criminal Pokemon that have plagued the platform from day one. Bill Peebles, leader of the Sora team at OpenAI, said fictional character appearances in videos, known [...]

AMD is partnering with OpenAI to provide six gigawatts worth of processors for AI data centers, a move that challenges Nvidia's AI chip market dominance. The five-year agreement aims to help OpenAI bolster its infrastructure to meet growing computational demands for AI applications like ChatGPT, starting with a gigawatt deployment of AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs [...]

Sora now lets you rein in your AI doubles, giving you more say on how and where deepfake versions of you make an appearance on the app. The update lands as OpenAI hurries to show it actually cares about its users' concerns as an all-too-predictable tsunami of AI slop threatens to take over the internet. [...]

Handheld makers are throwing paint at the wall to see what sticks. They apparently can't compete with the Steam Deck on price, so they're trying giant handhelds, 3D handhelds, more familiar and comfortable handhelds, and premium handhelds with Switch-like detachable controllers that double as mice. Many now cost $1,000 or more. But boutique brand GPD [...]

OpenAI and designer Jony Ive are trying to solve a number of technical challenges before releasing their mysterious AI gadget, according to a Financial Times report. Two of the challenges include figuring out the palm-sized device's personality" and how often it should talk. The concept is that you should have a friend who's a computer [...]

Rebrands rarely get much love. That backlash can be especially strong if you're giving a facelift to a decades-old piece of software beloved by nerds around the globe. So, it was no surprise that when Audacity revealed its new logo people on the internet got a little worked up. And look, there's no two ways [...]

If the only thing Roland ever released was the TR-808, the company would still deserve a place in the music gear hall of fame. The 808 is arguably the most important instrument since the creation of the electric guitar. It's been a cornerstone of hip-hop, electronic, and pop music for 45 years now, used by [...]

Life is a series of battles, and I just lost my last one against four gyoza on a skewer. It was an unexpected blow, because honestly, who could have expected me - a springy, respectably proportioned hot dog - to lose against a seemingly inflexible spear of small, unassuming dumplings? This is my struggle in [...]

We've been working on a new show for the last few months, called Version History, and the first episode is now live! It's called "Hoverboards: so hot right now," and it's an hour-long tour of the biggest rideable gadget of the 2010s. Hidden inside the history of this weird two-wheeled scooter is a crucial inflection [...]

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the intersection of transportation and technology, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started I vividly remember the first time I [...]

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 100, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, get ready for a big gadget week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about Tim Berners-Lee and stain removers and [...]

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days may bring some great Kindle deals, but if you can't wait, you don't have to. Right now, the Kindle Kids (Amazon, Best Buy, and Target) and Kindle Colorsoft Kids (Amazon, Best Buy, and Target) are down to their lowest prices ever, but my favorite deal is on the Kindle Paperwhite [...]

Spotify has found itself the target of artists' ire for many reasons over the years: poor audio quality, terrible payouts, giving Joe Rogan millions of dollars... the list goes on. But recently it's been CEO and founder Daniel Ek's extracurricular activities that have been cause for consternation. Over the past few months his funding of [...]

Robot vacuums that mop well rarely come cheap, but thankfully, some of our favorite models are receiving a significant discount ahead ofAmazon's next Prime Day eventnext week. Right now, the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni and the newer Deebot X9 Pro Omni are on sale at Amazon for Prime members for $799.99 ($300 off) and [...]

Have you tried simply uploading a photo to Instagram lately? It's a minefield. Is that a Story, a Post, or a Reel? Do you want to add music? A caption? A prompt, which is... different than a caption, somehow? How about a poll? A fundraiser? More text, but this time on top of the image? [...]

Last week at the Zurich Film Festival, Eline Van der Velden - founder and CEO of AI production house Particle6 and its subsidiary talent studio Xicoia - said that a number of talent agents had expressed interest in working with Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated "actress" created by the companies. Van der Velden has not gone [...]

There's a lot of math in diet culture. It's all numbers - calories in, calories burned - and a constant tally running in one's head. In some ways, disordered eating can be considered a disturbed sort of strategy game, which is precisely why Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson's Consume Me works so well. The [...]

Breaking up Google's ad tech monopoly is, apparently, like going to Mars or trying to replace Michael Jordan - dubiously possible and a huge amount of work. Those were some of the analogies witnesses testifying in Google's defense told a federal judge this week as the company mounts its second attempt to stave off a [...]

I was cautiously optimistic about Acer's Chromebook Plus Spin 514 when I tested a preproduction model last month, but the final unit is here now and it sticks the landing. Well, mostly. Acer's latest convertible Chromebook has zippy performance and oodles of battery life, along with a good touchscreen with stylus support. But crappy speakers [...]

After getting off the phone with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek on Saturday, the president mused over something that had baffled him about the call. Kotek had been "very nice," said Trump in an interview the next day. But she was trying hard to convince him not to send in the National Guard, and that just [...]

One of Discord's third-party customer service providers was compromised by an unauthorized party," the company says. The unauthorized party gained access to information from a limited number of users who had contacted Discord through our Customer Support and/or Trust & Safety teams" and aimed to extort a financial ransom from Discord." The unauthorized party did [...]

This is an excerpt of Sources by Alex Heath, a newsletter about AI and the tech industry, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. The billboard didn't say "Listen Labs." It didn't say anything about hiring. It consisted of just a plain white background with "https://" and a single line of grouped numbers [...]

Unity is urging developers to take immediate action" after it disclosed a major security vulnerability affecting games built using versions of its popular development tool dating back to 2017. While there is no evidence of any exploitation of the vulnerability, nor has there been any impact on users or customers," Unity already has fixes available [...]

Just one day after Apple took down the iOS App Store listing for ICEBlock, Google has confirmed to 404 Media that it has removed a similar app, Red Dot, from the Google Play Store. The company also reportedly said it removed apps that share the location of what it describes as a vulnerable group after [...]

Amazon's list of 4K-capable streaming sticks got bigger - and more confusing - after its hardware event this week. The $39.99 4K Select will be released on October 15th, joining the 4K and the 4K Max. You're not alone if you find it tough to tell which is best just by going off names, and [...]

Hori has announced another addition to the ever-growing list of cheaper alternatives to Nintendo's $90 Switch 2 Pro Controller. The Wireless Horipad Turbo is around $35 cheaper than Nintendo's, and while it lacks a lot of premium features such as Amiibo support and the ability to remotely wake the Switch 2, it adds a lock [...]

Tesla's long-rumored more affordable electric vehicle won't be out until next year, but it was recently spotted uncamouflaged on a highway in Texas. And no, your eyes are not fooling you; it's just a cheaper version of the Model Y. The rumor that the affordable EV would just be a bare-bones Model Y has been [...]

An anime version of Jesus Christ flipping tables. OpenAI employees performing in Hamilton costumes. News anchors discussing a story on television. A man doing a thirst-trap TikTok dance. Sam Altman - stealing GPUs on CCTV, listening to a business pitch, crying. Such were the contents of my feed on Sora, OpenAI's new social media app [...]