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by Allison Johnson on (#67FH7)
The A13 5G comes with a big 6.6-inch 1080p display, an upgraded selfie camera, and a 50-megapixel rear camera. | Image: Samsung Samsung is starting off 2023 with a budget phone refresh, making some smart upgrades with the Galaxy A14 5G — at least on paper. The A14 will cost $199, which is $50 lower than the A13 5G’s list price. Compared to its predecessor, it comes with a higher-res display and selfie cam while leaving many other core specs alone. Samsung will also offer up to four years of security updates and two OS version upgrades, which is a significant step up from the two or three years of security updates that are much more common at this price.The A14 5G has a MediaTek 700 chipset and 4GB of RAM, just like the A13. That’s fine — the A13 delivered good performance with that combination, so Samsung isn’t trying to fix something that wasn’t broken. There’s... Continue reading…
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The Verge
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
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| Updated | 2025-07-08 10:48 |
by Mitchell Clark on (#67FH6)
The kit includes mounting brackets, covers, and adapters to ensure a proper fit with your blinds. | Image: Eve The purpose of Eve’s MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit for Roller Blinds is apparent right from the name: it’s a device meant to make your regular old shades smart by adding a motor and a way to talk to your existing smart home setup. That means you’ll be able to add automations that close or open your blinds when doing so can save you energy or just ask your phone or voice assistant to let some light in without having to shell out for an entirely new window covering.The company says that the device can be “easily installed without any wiring or technical know-how,” though you’ll have to charge it via its built-in USB-C port. The battery should last “up to a year with regular use,” according to Daniel Turk, a publicist working with Eve, and the... Continue reading…
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#67FH5)
It’s a black camera, but trust me when I say it could be blacker. And thankfully Panasonic will soon do something about that. | Image: Panasonic Panasonic’s new cameras are finally making the leap to a new autofocus system, potentially putting them in line with the latest offerings from Sony, Canon, and Nikon. At CES, the company is announcing the Lumix S5II and its stealthy, blacked-out cousin, the S5IIx — a duo of 24-megapixel full-frame mirrorless hybrid cameras for both stills and video, due out in January for $1,999 and May for $2,199, respectively. Also announced alongside them is a $799 14-28mm f/4-5.6 S Macro lens, arriving in February.Unsurprisingly for Panasonic cameras, the S5II pair have a lot of video features, like 6K recording with real-time LUTs. This year, they ditch the dated and clunky contrast-detect autofocus for a new hybrid phase-detect system Panasonic... Continue reading…
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by Casey Newton on (#67FH8)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge As 2023 begins, open up the most-downloaded charts for free apps on iOS and Google and you’ll find TikTok where it usually is: on top. The video-centric social app currently ranks No. 3 overall in both stores, trailing only a shopping app and mood diary (on Android) and a to-do app and video editor (on iOS). That video editing app is CapCut, by the way, and it is also developed by ByteDance; CapCut is an app for making TikTok videos.Downloads are a crude metric for capturing an app’s cultural impact, but there’s no doubt that TikTok has retained its dominant position among social apps as the year begins. It’s the place where new trends are born, pop stars are minted, and young people spend a staggering share of their time.But while... Continue reading…
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by Sheena Vasani on (#67FH9)
You can save $40 on the noise-canceling Beats Fit Pro right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The new year has arrived, which means many of us are looking to shed a few holiday pounds and embark on our annual — though often short-lived — fitness resolutions. Thankfully, if you need a good pair of wireless earbuds to keep you motivated at the gym, the Beats Fit Pro have returned to their all-time low of around $159.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.The Beats Fit Pro are a great set of earbuds for working out (especially if you’re a runner) and can help you stay focused while at the gym thanks to their built-in wing tips, excellent noise cancellation, and useful transparency mode that allows ambient sounds in when needed. The fitness-focused buds offer a host of Apple-centric features, too, making them our go-to earbuds... Continue reading…
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#67FBS)
The new Roborock S8 vacuums now come with two roller brushes. | Image: Roborock Roborock, arguably Roomba’s biggest competitor in the world of robot vacuum cleaners, launched a new line of flagship robot vacuums at CES this week. The S8 Series starts at $750, and its big new feature is straight out of Roomba’s playbook: dual roller brushes.While brushes may not sound as impressive as lidar mapping, AI-obstacle avoidance, or automatic emptying docks, a big problem with most robot vacuums is they have one small brush trying to pick up all the dirt. Often, this is a bristle brush that quickly gets tangled up with hair.In my experience testing robot vacuums, Roomba’s superior cleaning power is largely down to its dual rubber roller brush system that rotates in opposite directions to get up more grime and is less... Continue reading…
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#67FBT)
The Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors are apparently inspired by the mechanical keyboard community, allowing for customization and flexibility. | Image: Drop Drop has announced the new Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors today at CES 2023, the company’s first desktop speakers that promise to provide “high-quality” and “big sound” from an affordable and compact package. They support Bluetooth 5.0, include a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and aux-in line, and can be connected to an external subwoofer for additional bass and fuller audio. They’re also designed for both horizontal and vertical orientation for greater flexibility with placement.Drop has previously collaborated with reputable brands like EPOS and Sennheiser to release other audio products like headphones and gaming headsets, but the community-driven gadget manufacturer is probably best known for its range of mechanical keyboards. “We... Continue reading…
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by Cameron Faulkner on (#67FBX)
The JBL Quantum 910P (left) and 910X (right) are identical, but the 910X offers broader platform compatibility. | Image: JBL JBL has launched a range of new Quantum gaming headsets for PS5 and the latest Xbox consoles. The most interesting duo includes the 910P and 910X (two different colors but the same model), its flagship wireless models that will cost $299.95 when they launch in March. They offer active noise cancellation and the ability to pair with a phone to take calls while you game, but head-tracking spatial audio is their standout feature.Spatial audio is a topic that we’ve covered a lot because it’s cool, and it’s not difficult or expensive to find headphones to experience it for yourself. Heck, just pair a relatively new set of AirPods with an iPhone or an Apple TV and there should be some content for you to check out, complete with head tracking.... Continue reading…
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by Mitchell Clark on (#67FBW)
An OLED screen gives you several controls. | Image: HP HP has joined the list of companies making wireless earbuds and then sticking a screen on the charging case, with its announcement of the Voyager Free 60 Plus. Oddly, the company’s marketing the earbuds directly toward enterprise users rather than gadget heads, but we’ll get back to that in a bit. Let’s talk about that screen first.It’s actually optional — the regular Voyager Free 60s come with a plain old charging case, which HP says will add 10 hours of talk time. The case for the Plus model, however, has an OLED touchscreen that lets you control music playback, volume, and settings, see your battery status, and accept or reject calls. Image: HP The touchscreen lets you accept or deny incoming calls as well as... Continue reading…
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by Jay Peters on (#67FBV)
JBL’s Tour Pro 2. | Product images: JBL JBL recently announced a set of wireless earbuds with a touchscreen on the charging case that let you control your music — but at the time, they were only headed to Europe. Now, at CES, JBL has announced plans to bring the earbuds to the US. JBL’s Tour Pro 2 headphones will launch stateside sometime this spring, and you’ll be able to pick them up for $249.95, or about the same price as Apple’s AirPods Pro.At 1.45 inches, the LED touchscreen on the Tour Pro 2 case won’t be able to show you much. For comparison, it’s even tinier than the 1.9-inch cover screen on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4. But the screen could be a useful way to do simple tasks like skipping a song, flipping on ANC, or glancing at your notifications if your phone isn’t... Continue reading…
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by Jon Porter on (#67FBZ)
Image: Nvidia Nvidia has turned its AI upscaling technology on a new target: blurry web video. Announced this week during its CES 2023 presentation, RTX Video Super Resolution is designed to upscale video watched through the Chrome or Edge browsers on a PC to the equivalent of 4K. The catch is that you’ll need a relatively modern Nvidia GPU to benefit from the feature, with only its most recent 30 and 40-series GPUs listed as getting support when it releases next month.In practice, a video demonstration of the tech at work on Apex Legends footage shows edges being sharpened, and video artifacts reduced. Nvidia’s demo shows RTX Video Super Resolution at work on a YouTube video, but its blog post notes that should work on “any video watched in a... Continue reading…
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by Mitchell Clark on (#67FC0)
The birds get nectar — you get a picture of them. It’s a win-win. | Image: Bird Buddy Internet of Things devices and CES go hand in hand, but the Bird Buddy Smart Hummingbird Feeder is in a category that’s entirely new to me. Sure, I’ve been aware of devices that are meant to feed and monitor the animals that live inside your house, but I’m still somehow surprised (and delighted) to discover that there are companies doing the same for the animals outside your house as well.As its name implies, this device is meant to hang outside your house and provide delicious nectar to the local birds, and Bird Buddy says it’s designed specifically to prevent leakages and mold. But unlike the standard $20 or $30 hummingbird feeders, the Bird Buddy includes a motion sensor-activated camera that will take pictures and video when a bird... Continue reading…
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by Tom Warren on (#67F5B)
Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a version of Bing that uses ChatGPT to answer search queries. The Information reports that Microsoft hopes to launch the new feature before the end of March in a bid to make Bing more competitive with Google.By using the technology behind ChatGPT — which is built by AI company OpenAI — Bing could provide more humanlike answers to questions instead of just links to information. Both Google and Bing already surface relevant information from links at the top of many search queries, but Google’s knowledge panels are particularly widespread when it comes to searching for information about people, places, organizations, and things.Microsoft’s use of ChatGPT-like functionality could help Bing rival... Continue reading…
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by Jon Porter on (#67F33)
The OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Buds Pro 2. | Image: OnePlus The OnePlus 11, the latest flagship smartphone from the Oppo sub-brand, has been announced for the Chinese market ahead of its global launch next month. Its feature set doesn’t hint at any major departures from OnePlus’ previous flagships, but the company has opted for a bold new circular design for the phone’s rear camera bump, which its press release says is “inspired by black holes.” Alongside it, OnePlus has announced a new pair of true wireless earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.For the most part, the OnePlus 11’s specs tally with what we’ve come to expect from flagship smartphones in recent years. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s latest high-end processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, comes with up to 16GB of RAM, and has a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED... Continue reading…
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#67EYZ)
Image: Chrysler By 2028, iconic American automotive brand Chrysler says it will be an electric-only company. As such, it needs an interior that compliments and accentuates this shift to an emission-free future. Today, Chrysler unveiled a “demonstrator” cockpit designed to showcase a host of new technologies that the automaker’s future EV owners can expect to have at their fingertips.Hopefully those future owners hate physical buttons because, if these images are any indication, there won’t be any. There will be plenty of screens, though.The demonstrator is meant to bring together a host of Stellantis-branded softwareThe demonstrator is meant to bring together a host of Stellantis-branded software, including the STLA Brain operating system, the STLA... Continue reading…
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#67EZ0)
The Matter-enabled SwitchBot Hub 2 is also a temperature and humidity sensor. | Image: SwitchBot The smart home company SwitchBot, which makes tiny robots that can do things for you like press switches, turn locks, and open curtains, is introducing a new Matter-enabled hub. The $69 SwitchBot Hub 2 arrives in March and will work with all existing and new SwitchBot Bluetooth devices and enable those devices that are supported by the new smart home standard to work with Matter.A major upgrade to the existing Switch Bot Hub Mini, the new hub looks like a combination of the Mini and Switchbot’s Meter Plus temperature sensor. It has the same built-in thermo-hygrometer to measure temperature and humidity, plus a large LED display. It’s powered by AC and connects to Wi-Fi. Image: SwitchBot A rendering of the new... Continue reading…
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by Chris Welch on (#67DYV)
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images The world’s biggest tech show is here once again, which means there are gadgets in the air. Continue reading…
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by Chris Welch on (#67EX5)
The S95C will be released later this year in three screen sizes. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Last year’s S95B QD-OLED (quantum dot) TVs from Samsung were an exciting shakeup for the consumer market and gave LG and Sony some long overdue competition. But the S95B series was limited to just 55-inch and 65-inch models — because those are the only TV sizes that Samsung Display manufactured QD-OLED panels for. It’s brand new technology, after all.But only a year later, we’re going bigger. Samsung’s just-announced S95C QD-OLED TV will add a larger 77-inch model in addition to the previous sizes. Every TV maker claims that consumers are increasingly opting for larger and larger sets, so this was the obvious thing to do as Samsung builds out its OLED reputation.The S95B was a superb TV, and the QD-OLED panel marked a legitimate... Continue reading…
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by Chris Welch on (#67EX4)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Last year, Samsung radically shook up the TV market with the introduction of its first OLED model in many years. And it used a new QD-OLED (quantum dot) panel that produces superior color brightness compared to popular OLED sets from LG.2023 is going to be decidedly low key by comparison. Instead of introducing yet another flashy new TV to its portfolio, Samsung is focused on improving everything down the line. And most of the refinements in this year’s Neo QLED (Mini LED in Samsung parlance), QLED (standard LCD sets), and OLED TVs are centered around AI and enhanced picture processing. Things like a greater, more three-dimensional sense of depth, improved upscaling, and more. The hardware features you’d expect on premium models,... Continue reading…
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by Sean Hollister on (#67EX6)
Apple’s MagSafe puck, wirelessly charging an iPhone 12 Pro | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge It’s safe to say that Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging pucks for iPhone have not created the amazing snap-on accessory ecosystem we’d hoped. Instead of freely allowing manufacturers to create gadgets that power and/or communicate with an iPhone, the company chose its traditional tight licensing stranglehold. But this time, manufacturers realized they didn’t need to play Apple’s game, because the two main components of MagSafe — a Qi wireless charging coil and an array of magnets — were freely available. The result: a wide array of “MagSafe-compatible” accessories of varying quality.But now, Apple’s trying something different. With the blessing of competitors, Apple is about to change the Qi wireless standard itself. It’s contributing... Continue reading…
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by Mitchell Clark on (#67EX7)
Put it in the museum of unique dongles. | Image: Samsung As companies have announced smart appliance after smart appliance, some people (myself included) have questioned why on earth you’d want to connect something like a washing machine or refrigerator to the internet. Samsung, however, has come up with a very compelling, if admittedly niche, use case: the company announced in December that it's issuing an over-the-air software patch as part of the recall for some top-load washing machines that “can short-circuit and overheat, posing a fire hazard.”It’ll even send some customers a dongle in case their washers can’t connect to Wi-Fi.Welcome to the “first-ever over-the-air software recall remedy in the home appliances industry.”According to Samsung, your washing machine should... Continue reading…
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by Victoria Song on (#67ETH)
The Brow Magic is a type of “brow printer” with an AR component. | Image: L’Oreal L’Oréal is no slouch when it comes to gadgets. Like Dyson, L’Oréal has been pushing the game in beauty tech for the past few years, announcing neat gizmos like wearable UV and pH sensors. This year is no different. For CES 2023, the company is announcing two makeup gadgets: Brow Magic, which uses AR to create and draw your perfect brow, and HAPTA, an accessible lipstick applicator prototype.Brow Magic was developed with Prinker, which makes a temporary tattoo printer. Brow Magic works similarly. It’s got 2,400 tiny nozzles that can print up to 1,200 dots per inch. And when you think about it as a tattoo printer, it makes sense given popular brow procedures like microblading and microshading are also semipermanent tattoos. The ultimate... Continue reading…
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by Victoria Song on (#67ETM)
The U-Scan is a noninvasive urinalysis test that you stick in your toilet. | Image: Withings Withings is generally known for its sleek smartwatches, but it also shows up at CES each year with ambitious health gadgets. Last year, it was a smart scale that could also take EKGs and segmented body composition readings. This year, it’s the U-Scan, an at-home, hands-free “urine lab” that you stick in your toilet.Yes, you read that correctly.The U-Scan consists of two parts: a reader and a replaceable cartridge. The reader itself is the part you pee on, while the cartridge is inside. It has a thermal sensor to differentiate between pee and toilet water as well as low-energy radars to detect who is urinating by identifying the movement and distance of your individual urine stream. In other words, the U-Scan only works with one person... Continue reading…
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#67ETK)
Nanoleaf Skylight will light up your ceiling. | Image: Nanoleaf Nanoleaf launches smarter than average smart switches and a stunning new skylight ceiling fixture and confirms its lighting panels will be upgraded to support Matter. Continue reading…
by Alice Newcome-Beill on (#67ETJ)
The 4D TV Smarter Kit can be linked with other Nanoleaf products for a truly immersive experience. | Image: Nanoleaf Nanoleaf is expanding its lineup of addressable smart lighting along with some new tech aimed at providing a more immersive viewing experience for your TV. The Nanoleaf 4D TV Smarter Kit is a series of RGB light strips designed to reflect the colors on your TV with the aid of a small camera that remains pointed at the screen.The TV lighting kit is just one of the new products Nanoleaf is showing off at CES 2023, expanding its lineup of intelligent lighting and Matter-compatible products. The 4D Kit will be available in two sizes, one for TVs 55 to 65 inches and another for TVs 70 to 80 inches. What separates the 4D Kit from other light strips offered by Nanoleaf is the small camera that’s included. Image: Nanoleaf ... Continue reading…
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by Umar Shakir on (#67EQS)
An assembly line of Model Y vehicles being built at the Texas Gigafactory. | Photo by Loren Grush / The Verge If you were waiting until after New Year to pick up a Tesla Model Y in hopes it’d qualify you for the new federal tax credit, you might be in for a disappointment. The IRS released a 2023 list of vehicles that qualify for the new $7,500 incentive, and while Tesla’s popular hatchback is on it, the most common five-seater versions won’t be eligible.According to federal specifications, the five-seater Model Y Long Range isn’t considered a “non-passenger automobile,” the category under which SUVs officially fall. They also don’t fall under the IRS’s main SUV qualifier, which is that the gross vehicle weight must be between 6,000 and 14,000 pounds. The dual-motor Model Y has a curb mass of about 4,403 pounds.Without SUV status, the Model... Continue reading…
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by Mitchell Clark on (#67EQT)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Three federal financial agencies put out a joint statement on Tuesday warning banks about the “key risks for banks associated with crypto-assets and the crypto-asset sector.” The statement explains that while banks aren’t wholesale banned or discouraged from providing services to crypto firms, the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency believe that issuing or holding cryptocurrency is “highly likely to be inconsistent with safe and sound banking practices.”The regulators say they’re still figuring out how to deal with banks and crypto, working on a case-by-case basis, and that they’re being “careful and cautious.”
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by Emma Roth on (#67EQV)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft’s cutting off Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 from security updates and technical support on January 10th. That’s just one week from today and also marks the launch of Microsoft Edge 109 — the last version to support the aged operating systems.But Edge isn’t the only major browser ditching Windows 7 and 8.1. In October, Google announced that Chrome will end support for Windows 7 and 8.1 on February 7th. Although both browsers will continue to work on these devices, they won’t receive any critical security updates or new features. Support for WebView2, the tool that allows developers to embed web-based content into their apps, is going away on January 10th, too.Next week’s deadline leaves little time for the owners of machines still... Continue reading…
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by Makena Kelly on (#67EQW)
Photo by Pete Marovich-Pool / Getty Images President Joe Biden renominated Gigi Sohn Tuesday to serve on the Federal Communications Commission, once again throwing his support behind the embattled pick whose confirmation has stalled for more than a year.Sohn, a public interest advocate and former FCC counselor, was first nominated to the post in October 2021. Since then, she’s struggled to gain the necessary support of moderate Democrats and has faced an intense opposition campaign staged by Republicans and telecom industry groups. But last November’s Democratic Senate midterm wins could be a boon for Sohn’s nomination, adding an additional Democratic senator into the mix and possibly securing her confirmation.Before the midterms, Democrats held a slim 50-50 majority in the... Continue reading…
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by Jay Peters on (#67EMH)
Yes, Game Freak has made non-Pokémon games. | Image: Game Freak Game Freak may be best known as the developers of Pokémon, but in an early 2023 surprise, one of the studio’s few non-Pokémon games is getting a refreshed new release for Apple devices. Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, a remake of the 3DS title Pocket Card Jockey, is coming to iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV via Apple Arcade on January 20th.Pocket Card Jockey is a “solitaire and horse-racing hybrid,” Game Freak writes on the game’s App Store listing. “Focus your mind and clear cards with subsequent numbers in quick succession. The more cards you clear, the better your horse’s mood will be—which helps them charge energy during races!”I’ll admit that I’ve never played the original, and I don’t completely get it even after watching a video... Continue reading…
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by Chris Welch on (#67EMJ)
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge If there’s one brand that’s inherently linked to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it’s Sony. Every year, the company unveils its latest and greatest 4K TVs and shows off other home theater hardware at the Las Vegas gathering. If anything is a safe bet at CES, it’s seeing a bunch of fancy new TVs.But not this time. At least not from Sony — yet.Sony Electronics won’t be introducing a new TV lineup at CES, the company confirmed to The Verge ahead of the trade show. Instead, it appears likely to use the event as yet another showcase for the upcoming PlayStation VR2 virtual reality device. It’s right there in the image for Sony’s CES YouTube stream. Sony has also teased automotive news for the press conference.In a statement... Continue reading…
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by Cameron Faulkner on (#67EMK)
Welcome to the 27-inch club, Asus. | Image: Asus Asus is one of many brands jumping into making smaller OLED gaming monitors for 2023. Acer and LG took their shots. Now, the model Asus had been teasing is real, and it’s got a clunky name: the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM. Screen-wise, what it’s offering matches the others; it’s a 27-inch, 1440p, matte-coated OLED that runs at a fast 240Hz refresh rate with a .03-millisecond response time. But it does have one big difference: a heatsink to keep it cooler and prolong its lifespan.I haven’t seen this one in person yet, but its display seems like a delight to look at. It covers 99 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so digital artists and other creators might be able to use it — when they aren’t gaming, that is. Like other OLEDs, this one... Continue reading…
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by Patrick George on (#67EMM)
Henrik Fisker is facing a make-or-break year for his startup. | Image: Henrik Fisker In a wide-ranging interview, the Fisker Inc. CEO talks about avoiding production hell, making an actually affordable electric car, and why 2023 will be a pivotal year for EVs. Continue reading…
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by Tom Warren on (#67EMN)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Twitch is recovering from its first major outage of 2023. During the incident, the streaming site showed blank pages for accounts or “an error has occurred,” which made it appear to some like a streamer deleted their account.The Twitch outage affected both desktop and mobile users, with iOS and Android users seeing an “error loading followed channels” when opening the app. The search feature didn’t let Twitch mobile users navigate to streamers, either.
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by Richard Lawler on (#67EJS)
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at Manhattan federal court on January 1st, 2023, in New York City. | Photo by Gotham / GC Images CNBC reports that Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to the eight criminal charges he’s facing, accusing the former crypto billionaire of committing fraud and money laundering. Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF, appeared in a New York City courtroom nearly two months after his crypto exchange FTX declared bankruptcy.Now, billions of dollars from investors and customers are missing, and the Department of Justice, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have all accused his empire of operating as a fraud practically from the very start.Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas last month before being extradited to the US to face these charges and is currently living with his parents... Continue reading…
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by Adi Robertson on (#67EGM)
Graphic by James Bareham / The Verge A Louisiana law requiring age verification for adult websites has kicked in, renewing long-standing concerns about online privacy. The policy, Louisiana HB 142, requires sites composed of “thirty-three and one-third percent” or more of pornographic content to verify that people accessing them are 18 or older. That includes services like Pornhub, which has started requiring a government-issued ID for access.Pornhub didn’t confirm the new policy, but video posted to Twitter apparently demonstrates what users see in Louisiana. It asks users to verify their age with AllpassTrust, which works with the Louisiana digital ID service LA Wallet. Vice confirmed the report using a VPN service, adding that other adult sites like XVideos didn’t... Continue reading…
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by Emma Roth on (#67EGN)
Dell’s 32-inch 6K display comes with a 4K webcam and other handy features. | Image: Dell With Dell’s new 32-inch 6K UltraSharp monitor, the Apple Pro Display XDR is no longer in a category of its own. Dell’s new monitor does things a little differently, though, blending elements from Apple’s $4,999 monitor and the $1,599 Studio Display, providing a possible best of both worlds when it comes to productivity and performance.Though the UltraSharp 32 matches the Pro Display XDR for size and resolution, it doesn’t quite have the same specs and construction. Dell’s 6144 x 3456 pixel monitor uses the LG Display-developed IPS Black technology, which allows for better contrast and deeper blacks, and provides up to “1.2 times better color accuracy” when compared to conventional IPS monitors. It supports 1.07 billion colors and 99... Continue reading…
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by Monica Chin on (#67EGR)
Here are a bunch of Zephyri. | Image: Asus Asus’ ROG Zephyrus G14 is one of the hottest mainstream gaming laptops around, and its 2023 iteration is sure to be one of the most anticipated releases of this upcoming year. Not only is it one of a few gaming laptops that can provide all-day battery life but also it’s one of very few 14-inch gaming rigs that can achieve competitive frame rates on many modern games.It’s hard to imagine how Asus could improve on what was already such a successful package. But the company has found perhaps the one thing the G14 was really missing — and frankly, it’s been a long time coming. This year, the 14-inch Zephyrus will have a Mini LED display option.Mini LED should really be in more laptops by now. Unlike typical LCD screens, which use the same... Continue reading…
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by Alice Newcome-Beill on (#67EGP)
The Strix G18 (right), and Strix Scar 18 (left) are both equipped with 18-inch displays. | Image: Asus Asus is announcing a pair of new ROG gaming laptops equipped with 18-inch displays at CES 2023 today: the Asus ROG Strix G 18 and ROG Strix Scar 18. While it’s not uncommon to see gaming laptops with displays up to 17.3 inches, these new additions are taking portable displays to a new level.The 18-inch models of both laptops will have configurations available that use Asus’ new Nebula HDR technology that’s capable of up to 1,100 nits of brightness and is Dolby Vision compatible. You’ll also have the option to pick between either 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rates for both models. Image: Asus The Strix G 18 will also have configurations with transparent WASD keys. Beyond the impressive new displays, there are... Continue reading…
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by Mia Sato on (#67EGS)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge TikTok creators who make content more suitable for adults will soon get more tools for limiting their audience.Creators will have the option to restrict under-18 users from viewing shortform videos on the platform if they think the content is only appropriate for older viewers, including things like sexually suggestive content that doesn’t break TikTok’s rules but is “borderline.”The company announced in October that creators would be getting new age restriction features for livestreams so they could block teens from joining streams with more mature content. The expanded age gating now includes regular TikTok videos, which the company says will roll out globally over the coming weeks.“To be clear: our policies still fully apply to... Continue reading…
by Emma Roth on (#67EBW)
Acer’s Aspire 5 lineup comes only with a 13 Gen Intel Core processor. | Image: Acer Acer’s ditching AMD in its latest lineup of Aspire 3 and Aspire 5 laptops. The company’s new Aspire 5 devices come only with options for Intel and Nvidia products, ranging up to a 10-core Intel 13th Gen Core i7 1355U, along with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card.That’s a sizeable bump from the (up to) four-core Intel i7-1165G7 processor (or the up-to-eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 5700U) offered in the Aspire 5 lineup released last year, although a newer model now comes with a 10-core Intel 12th Gen Core i7-1255U. Just like the previous generation, Acer’s newly released lineup also features three display sizes: 14 inches, 15.6 inches, and 17.3 inches.The Aspire 5 comes with storage options that max out at 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a... Continue reading…
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by Sean Hollister on (#67EBV)
The Alienware AW2524H is a 24.5-inch, 500Hz, 1080p monitor. | Image: Dell If you’re having a strong sense of déjà vu, you’re not alone — last January, I brought you word of the first prototype 500Hz gaming monitor, and Asus announced what should have been the first actual 500Hz gaming monitor nearly seven months ago. But today, I’m here to tell you about the Alienware AW2524H, which could well be the first 500Hz gaming monitor you can actually buy.See, we hadn’t heard a word about the Asus monitor between its original announcement and this very morning — when Nvidia namedropped a “ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP 540Hz 24” 1080p G-SYNC display with Reflex” whose website isn’t yet live as I write these words. But I digress. Image: Dell The Alienware AW2524H. Why would you want to buy a... Continue reading…
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by Cameron Faulkner on (#67EBT)
The screens on the Blade 16 (left) and the Blade 18 (right) appear to have taller aspect ratios than what I’ve seen on Razer’s previous gaming laptops. | Image: Razer Razer has announced the Blade 16 and Blade 18 gaming laptops at CES 2023, two new sizes that will stock the latest Intel and Nvidia chips. Specifically, they’ll get Intel’s high-end 13th Generation Core i9 HX-class CPUs, with support for up to Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 mobile graphics.Several other companies have gone live with similar announcements today. Alienware debuted its new 16-inch X16 and 18-inch M18, and Acer has the Helios 16 and Helios 18, to name some examples.2023’s gaming laptops may have some big changes internally, but it seems like the industry’s major players are dancing to the same beat when it comes to sizing. 16- and 18-inch laptops are in, and companies are moving away from the 15- and 17-inch sizes that were... Continue reading…
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by Justine Calma on (#67EBS)
The eKinekt BD 3 in “working” mode, allowing the rider to sit upright while typing. | Image credit: Acer In case your New Year’s resolutions include more multitasking, Acer has a new bike desk for that. Called the eKinekt BD 3, the bike desk is meant to allow you to work, exercise, and generate your own clean electricity all at once. Pedaling the bike produces a small amount of kinetic energy that you can use to charge devices from the desk.Cycling at a somewhat leisurely pace of 60 RPM (revolutions per minute) for an hour can generate up to 75 watts of power, according to Acer. Converting that to kilowatt-hours (assuming you use those 75 watts in an hour) and plugging it into the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, you might prevent emissions equivalent to walking rather than driving 0.132 miles in a gas-fired car.In a... Continue reading…
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by Mitchell Clark on (#67EBR)
Image: Shutterstock / Rawpixel.com Acer’s latest Aspire S all-in-one PC packs a desktop computer into an aluminum chassis that could almost blend in as a standard monitor. The display, which has an extremely slim bezel around a 1440p panel, comes in either 27- or 32-inch sizes and is on a stand that handles power, ports, and ergonomic adjustments — and which includes a few surprises, too.The 27-inch model, which starts at $1,199.99, can be equipped with 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240p or i7-1260p processors, according to Erin Davern, an Acer spokesperson. Davern also said that the larger version, which will cost at least $1,699.99, uses a 13th Gen Core i7-1360p. It’s worth keeping in mind that those are mobile chips, rather than desktop ones, which isn’t exactly a surprise... Continue reading…
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by Cameron Faulkner on (#67EBQ)
The Helios 16 and 18 look similar in pictures due to each having a tall 16:10 aspect ratio display. | Image: Acer The Predator Helios is at the top end of Acer’s lineup of gaming laptops, and it has some special updates in store for 2023. The Helios comes in two new sizes, including 16- and 18-inch models, just like the latest releases from Alienware and Razer. These new Helios laptops have impressive specs that I’ll dig into below, but I’m most looking forward to trying out one thing in particular: their top-of-the-line 250Hz Mini LED display option.This is big news because Mini LED-backlit displays are still rare, usually reserved for high-end TVs, pricey tablets like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and now some beastly laptops. OLED still delivers better picture quality, but Mini LED is brighter, and it narrows the gap in quality by squeezing more... Continue reading…
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by Sheena Vasani on (#67EBP)
Image: Acer Acer is introducing the Halo Swing, a portable smart speaker with glowing lights and a simple display that can show you weather, alerts, and more. The Halo Swing is compatible with Google Assistant, so you can use it to set alarms and control other smart devices with just your voice.Like the older Acer Halo, the Halo Swing stands out because of its unique appearance. The Halo Swing shares the Halo’s RGB-lit base, which emanates colorful lights and thus makes the speaker double as a light source. These lights also respond to the beat of your music, making this a speaker clearly well-suited for parties. Plus, they even change colors while interacting with Google Assistant. Image: Acer The other highlight here is the... Continue reading…
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by Cameron Faulkner on (#67EBN)
The 27-inch X27U is wall-mountable, while Acer still doesn’t seem to know whether its curved 45-inch OLED will be yet. | Image: Acer PC and console gamers who want brilliant picture quality and contrast will have two more OLED monitor options to consider in 2023, thanks to Acer. Today, the company is announcing a 27-inch flat panel called the Predator X27U and a 45-inch 800R curved ultrawide model called the Predator X45. Both will release in the US and Europe sometime in the second quarter.These OLED 1440p (QHD) gaming monitors are pretty similar to the ones that LG showed off a few weeks ago. Both have a 240Hz refresh rate and an incredibly fast .03-millisecond response time, but the spec similarities aren’t a one-to-one match. Getting the price out of the way first, the X27U is $100 pricier than LG’s similarly sized option, costing $1,099. The X45 will be $1,699 —... Continue reading…
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by Tom Warren on (#67E69)
Image: Intel Intel’s 13th Gen desktop CPUs have already delivered impressive performance to beat their AMD counterparts, and now Intel is bringing Raptor Lake to its mobile processor lineup. The flagship Core i9-13980HX is built for upcoming gaming laptops, and there are also the regular H-, P-, and U-series chips for a variety of more mainstream laptops.Intel’s Core i9-13980HX is the star of the show with a 5.6GHz turbo frequency and 24 cores. It’s the first time a laptop CPU has supported a 24-core configuration, and Intel claims it’s the “world’s fastest mobile processor.” Image: Intel Intel’s top 13th Gen HX mobile processors. Image: Intel Intel’s 13th Gen H-series lineup. Intel has... Continue reading…
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#67E68)
Cync’s new Dynamic Effects Neon Rope lights can be configured into any shape you want. | Image: Cync GE Lighting announced a big expansion of its smart lighting brand Cync’s Dynamic Effects line this week. The new entertainment-themed products position Cync even more squarely as a cheaper Philips Hue and Nanoleaf competitor.New hexagon wall panels, neon-style rope lights that can be shaped how you like, and A19 and BR30 bulbs join the full-color gradient indoor and outdoor light strips Cync launched late last year, which are around $40 cheaper than comparable Hue versions.All Dynamic Effects products can display 16 million colors, tunable white light, and preset and custom lighting effects similar to Hue and Nanoleaf products. The LEDs are addressable and can display multiple colors simultaneously — even the A19 and BR30 bulbs,... Continue reading…
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