The Verge

Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, which claimed it tricked millions of customers into subscribing to Prime and made it hard to cancel. Under the agreement, Amazon will pay a $1 billion civil penalty, along with $1.5 billion that it will pay back to an [...]

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Amazon is moving ahead with plans to replace Android with its custom-built Vega operating system on Fire TV devices: The new Linux-based system will launch on TV streaming hardware before [...]

Have you ever thought your favorite mobile games would be improved by awkward ergonomics, a dreadful D-pad, and a couple of camera lenses blocking a third of the screen? Then oh boy, does Xiaomi have the phone for you. Today it announced its flagship 17 series phones in China, led by the 17 Pro and [...]

A new report from Senate Democrats claims members of Elon Musk's DOGE team have access to the Social Security Numbers of all Americans in a cloud server lacking verified security measures, despite an internal assessment of potential catastrophic" risk. The report, released by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), cites numerous disclosures from whistleblowers, including one who [...]

Have you heard? EV sales are expected to dip significantly in the coming weeks as the federal tax credit expires, and automakers are responding by canceling models, delaying factory plans, and boosting hybrids as a short-term solution. The latest model to get the axe is the Acura ZDX, an electric crossover that had both Honda [...]

A critic might accuse Xiaomi of copying Apple a little too closely in its launch event for the Xiaomi 17 phones, while a fan might say the company is trying to beat Apple at its own game. Either way, it's pretty clear that the Chinese giant had Cupertino in mind when announcing its new flagship [...]

Hey there, and welcome to Decoder! I'm Hayden Field, senior AI repoter at The Verge -and your Thursday episode guest host. I have another couple of shows for you while Nilay is out on parental leave, and we're going to be spending more time diving into some of the unforeseen consequences of the generative AI [...]

Following a significant price bump in 2021 from $550 to $695, American Express once again increased the annual fee for its Platinum card to $895 last week, making it one of the most expensive credit cards you can sign up for. To soften the blow when the price increase goes into effect for existing cardholders [...]

Microsoft's Windows ML platform is now generally available for production use, making it easier for developers to add AI to their Windows apps. In its announcement blog, Microsoft says Windows ML is supported on all devices running Windows 11 24H2 or newer, and provides a local AI inference framework that helps to build more responsive, [...]

Things have been weird for PlayStation of late. After years spent cultivating an image akin to the HBO of video games through single-player franchises like The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn, the company shifted focus, jumping on the live-service bandwagon to mostly disastrous effect. Aside from a few standouts and [...]

Things haven't started out so well for FBC: Firebreak, Remedy's multiplayer spinoff of its Control universe. When it launched in June there were complaints about repetitive gameplay and a lack of Remedy-style narrative flourishes. In a launch week update, the studio admitted that Several things have gone well. Clearly, not everything has." Now Remedy has [...]

Proton has launched a major update for its encrypted Mail app, which not only adds a refreshed layout but also includes a new offline mode. That means you'll now have full access to your inbox when you don't have an internet connection, giving you the ability to read, write, and compose emails. Your messages will [...]

As AI music generators like Suno and Udio make it easy to churn out passable music, streamers like Spotify are getting flooded with AI-generated content, leaving audiences and artists alike to wonder what is real" music anymore. On Thursday, Spotify announced new policies that attempt to tamp down on three problems the platform has with [...]

The FCC's efforts to shut down Jimmy Kimmel's platform have seemingly blown up in its face, with the return of Kimmel's talk show breaking viewership records on YouTube. Tuesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! contained Kimmel's most-watched monologue ever on the video platform, a 28-minute segment addressing the censorship which has reached over 19 million [...]

Windows 10 end of support is approaching in less than three weeks, and Microsoft has now been forced to make its extended security updates truly free, without a catch, in certain markets in Europe. When Windows 10 goes end of support on October 14th, some European customers will no longer be required to turn on [...]

OnePlus has revealed a few details about its next flagship phone at a Qualcomm event in China: it'll be called the OnePlus 15, and it will come with Qualcomm's freshly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a 165Hz refresh rate display. You didn't blink and miss the OnePlus 14, if you're wondering about [...]

Uber is launching a new discount program aimed at fighting against rising produce prices. The company is launching a new feature called Fresh Days," in which customers will receive discounts of up to 50 percent on local fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy." The exact day and discount amount will vary from market to market, but [...]

Apple says it's having to delay bringing some product features to Europe because it's struggling to make them compliant with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). In a statement published on Wednesday, Apple said that DMA rules have created more complexity and more risks for our EU users," blaming the obligation to open Apple features [...]

Playground Games is launching the next instalment in the Forza Horizon franchise next year, and this time it's set in Japan. After revealing Forza Horizon 6 a little early on the official Forza Horizon Instagram account this morning, Microsoft unveiled an official teaser trailer during the Xbox Tokyo Game Show stream. The teaser trailer doesn't [...]

Nothing has announced that it plans to spin off its sub-brand CMF, which focuses on cheaper smartphones, earbuds, and wearables, into a standalone subsidiary based in India. Founder and CEO Carl Pei announced the move on X, claiming he plans to build CMF into India's first truly global consumer tech brand." Nothing is partnering with [...]

Honor has revealed the design of its upcoming Magic 8 Pro flagship in a selection of images shared exclusively with The Verge, confirming that the phone will include a dedicated AI button. When the Magic 8 series launches in China next month, the phones will be among the first powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite [...]

The Supreme Court is Google's last hope to avoid an Epic reckoning in October," I wrote last week. Google apparently agrees. Today, it's finally elevated its Epic v. Google case, the one that might fracture its control over the entire Android app ecosystem, to the Supreme Court level. Google has now confirmed it will appeal [...]

Nintendo is releasing a new Fire Emblem mobile game, Fire Emblem Shadows. The company says the game is a spinoff of the series and introduces a new style of battles featuring role-playing and social deduction." The company's description of the game indicates that Shadows will have Among Us-like elements of treachery: One of the three [...]

One of the biggest stories out of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in Maui isn't just about Qualcomm - it's how Google is finally merging Android and ChromeOS to create a new operating system for computers. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed that it's finally happening, and now, a Google exec has revealed when it's happening, too. It's [...]

Lumafield has released the results of a new study of lithium-ion batteries that reveals an enormous gap in quality between brand-name batteries and low-cost cells" that are readily available through online stores including Amazon and Temu. The company used its computed tomography (CT) scanners, capable of peering inside objects in 3D using X-rays, to analyze [...]

Podcaster Theo Von and The Pokemon Company probably don't have a lot in common. But one thing they can apparently agree on is that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should probably stop using them to promote deportation campaigns. The DHS posted a montage of ICE raids to X on Monday accompanied by the original [...]

Qualcomm has formally unveiled its latest flagship SoC, destined for Android flagships in the very near future: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The name was revealed by way of a blog post last week, and if it seems like the company skipped forward a generation or two, that's kind of the point. It features [...]

Sony has announced new Pulse Elevate wireless speakers that you can use with your PS5, PC, Mac, and even a PlayStation Portal or smartphone. The company promises that they offer lifelike desktop audio," a built-in mic for voice chat, and support Sony's PlayStation Link ultra-low latency technology. The speakers have a built-in rechargeable battery, so [...]

It's been a long wait, but we finally got to see Insomniac's take on Wolverine in action. The studio released a new trailer showing some of the surprisingly bloody superhero gameplay at Sony's most-recent State of Play showcase. There's no date yet, but the game - which is called simply Wolverine - is expected to [...]

Saros, the next game from Returnal developer Housemarque, launches for PS5 on March 20th, 2026, Sony announced during its September State of Play presentation on Wednesday. Based on a gameplay trailer shown during the event, it looks like Saros takes a lot of cues from Returnal, with futuristic weapons, lots of bullets and rings filling [...]

Just ahead of the launch of Ghost of Ytei on the PS5 next week, Sony is holding its latest State of Play showcase to detail what's coming next for the platform. One thing that we know will make an appearance for sure is Saros, the latest dark sci-fi game from Returnal studio Housemarque. Aside from [...]

Meta is just about to launch its impressive smart glasses with a display, and to give more people a chance to try them out and see its other smart glasses and VR hardware, the company is going to open new shops starting in October. New Meta Lab pop-up shops will be located in Las Vegas [...]

Waymo is standing on business. The robotaxi operator is launching a new service called Waymo for Business, aimed at companies that may want to set up Waymo accounts for their employees en masse. This new service allows employers to manage corporate accounts, customize promo codes for big events, track their transportation budget, and monitor ride [...]

As it struggles with declining sales and an uncertain regulatory environment, Volvo is hoping to realign its fortunes by overhauling its electric vehicle plans. And a big part of that is a bet on hybrid technology - or more specifically, extended-range electric vehicles (EREV). At a factory tour in Ridgeville, South Carolina, Volvo made a [...]

For the first time since it launched 36 years ago, the iconic Casio F-91W digital watch is getting some smart upgrades - but not from Casio. The Ollee Watch One is a replacement mainboard for the Casio F-91W, A158W, and several other watch models that can be installed without the need for a soldering iron [...]

Just a day after Apple announced that it was pausing the premiere of The Savant, its upcoming show about domestic extremism, star Jessica Chastain says that she disagrees with the decision. In a lengthy statement on Instagram, Chastain said that while the team at Apple TV Plus are incredible collaborators ... we're not aligned on [...]

Instagram now has 3 billion monthly active users, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This milestone comes almost four years after Instagram reportedly hit 2 billion monthly users in December 2021, catching up to other Meta platforms. Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had surpassed 3 billion users in January, followed by WhatsApp in April. We've asked [...]

The UK's National Crime Agency arrested a man in West Sussex in connection with a ransomware attack that caused significant flight delays last week and forced many airlines to check passengers and luggage manually. The cyberattack impacted several airports across Europe, including London's Heathrow and Berlin's Brandenburg. The agency shared little about the arrest in [...]

YouTube will finally let you dismiss the pop-ups that fill your screen with recommendations at the end of a video. Now, when you come across an end screen, you can select a new hide" button in the top-right corner of the video so you can finish what you're watching without distractions. YouTube says it's making [...]

I keep accidentally ruining regular things for myself. I already can't use a standard keyboard layout, and now I think I have to buy a really nice monitor. I've spent the last few months living with the Alienware AW2725Q, a 27-inch gaming monitor with a 240Hz 4K resolution QD-OLED panel. It's one of a spate [...]

Google is bringing Search Live to everyone in the US, letting you search for information by having a conversation with an AI assistant. When you use the feature, Search Live will respond to your questions in real-time, as well as surface relevant links from the web. You can try the feature out by opening the [...]

Despite the best efforts of companies like DJI to shrink wireless wearable mics and make them as unobtrusive as possible, a lot of content creators still prefer a mic they can hold. So as wired headphones continue to make a comeback, Plantronics has released a pair of USB-C earbuds called the Conch One with their [...]

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 FE were released earlier this month for $149.99. The company hasn't yet knocked down the price, but it's including a free Galaxy SmartTag 2 at Amazon. The bundle saves you $30 and is available until September 28th. Samsung says both items may ship separately, so don't worry if you receive one [...]

When Hades II first launched in early access, I had to force myself to stop playing after around 30 hours. I didn't want to burn out on what was already an excellent, jam-packed Hades sequel before it hit 1.0, when the final polish and story would be in place. I made the right choice; the [...]

Microsoft is bringing Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 AI models to its Microsoft 365 Copilot today. It's a big move that expands model choice beyond just OpenAI's range of models in Microsoft 365 Copilot, and it will allow Microsoft's customers to access Anthropic models in Researcher and Microsoft Copilot Studio. Copilot will [...]

Sharge is a brand slowly making a name for itself with eye-catching accessories that solve problems you didn't realize you had. Its latest creation is an external SSD drive that includes a built-in cooling fan to improve its performance and longevity. It also has a bunch of extra ports so you can connect other accessories [...]

Disney is in a tangled web of its own making. In just one week, the entertainment giant managed to anger both sides of the political spectrum, and then topped it all off with a Disney Plus price hike that made just about everyone mad. Now, Disney's facing criticism from all sides, and it may struggle [...]

Apple could soon improve the interoperability between iPhones and third-party smartwatches. The latest iOS 26.1 beta hints at a new notification forwarding" feature that could surface iPhone notifications on a non-Apple device or accessory, as spotted by Macworld. Code seen by Macworld suggests that users would only be able to forward notifications to one device [...]

Genki just launched a new Kickstarter campaign for the Covert Dock 3, its latest compact power adapter with foldable prongs that can double as a TV dock for Switch 2, a Steam Deck, and other handhelds. In terms of what's new, it features an HDMI 2.1 port that's capable of displaying up to 4K at [...]