The Verge

Image: Atlus Metaphor: ReFantanzio is one of 2024's best games racking up a stack of Game Awards including best RPG, best art direction, and best narrative. But one category in which Metaphor particularly stood out was its music. The soundtrack, produced by Shoji Meguro - the long-time music director of the Persona series, is one of the outstanding achievements in video game music this year, particularly its battle theme which became a viral hit. In an interview with The Verge, Meguro talked about his work on the Metaphor soundtrack including what went into what is perhaps the coolest piece of video game battle music ever made.Meguro, known for his work producing the pop-y, jazzy vibes of the Persona soundtracks, acknowledged that Metaphor's heavy orchestral / choral sound is not something Persona fans would expect from him and definitely outside his own wheelhouse. He said in order to effectively change gears from Persona to Metaphor, he had to relearn classical music theory.But that's what makes creating this score so exciting," he said. When I was first told about Metaphor: ReFantazio, I was told it would be an epic, high-fantasy RPG. And immediately I heard the sound of great... Read the full story at The Verge.

Kobo's Elipsa 2E is a good e-reader that offers an intuitive note-taking experience. | Image: Kobo Amazon might have released a new Kindle Scribe earlier this month for $399.99, but after testing it, I still don't think it can compete with its rivals. If you're looking for a good e-reader with more useful note-taking capabilities, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is still one of my favorites, and it's down to an all-time low of $349.99 ($50 off) at Amazon or Target. Rakuten Kobo will also throw in $10 in credit when you buy a $50 gift card, which you can use toward buying books or styli.If you're the type of person who likes to scribble in margins while reading ebooks, you'll likely prefer the Kobo Elipsa 2E. The Elipsa 2E lets you directly write on ebook pages, taking notes in margins or anywhere else you'd like, just as you would on paper. The new Kindle Scribe lets you directly write on pages, too, but it's a lot more complicated and you can't even circle phrases or words.The Elipsa 2E also offers other helpful features beyond just a more natural note-taking experience. It boasts double the storage (32GB) as the entry-level Kindle Scribe, for example, and accurately converts handwriting into typed text faster than the Scribe. The biggest drawback, of course, is that it doesn't natively support Kindle ebooks, so you'll have to convert your library if you want to read them from your Kobo device.Just a few more deals

Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images American Airlines temporarily grounded all of its flights in the US this morning due to unspecified technical issues, disrupting travel at the start of a busy Christmas Eve. Service has now resumed as of 8AM ET according to a statement American Airlines spokesperson Sarah Jantz provided to CNN.The airline suffered a massive system outage according to multiple travelers on X who are facing delays, which prevented boarding passes from being scanned and flights from departing. A notice published on the Federal Aviation Administration website at 6.50AM ET said that the airline grounded all flights nationwide. An FAA update posted at 7.50AM ET has since announced that the nationwide groundstop has been canceled.The airline hasn't given any details on what caused the technical issues.We're currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights," American Airlines said in a statement on X before flights resumed. Your safety is our utmost priority, once this is rectified, we'll have you safely on your way to your destination."Update, December 24th: American Airlines flights have now resumed nationwide.

Image: Serene Industries If statement keyboards are your thing and you have some serious cash to burn, you should check out this brutalist flagship offering from Serene Industries. The Icebreaker is a wedge-shaped mechanical keyboard constructed from a single block of CNC-machined aluminum, featuring hot-swappable aluminum keycaps with configurable RGB backlighting.Preorders are available now, with pricing starting at $1,500 for the wired version. A Bluetooth wireless and a wired version with magnetic hall effect switches are also available for $1,600 - the same price as a new 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro. The keyboard base comes in two colors - clear or black - with the latter option costing an additional $500. Serene Industries hasn't provided an ETA on delivery, but says production will begin when pre-orders close on January 28th. Image: Serene Industries The design is very striking if you like a Cybertruck kinda vibe. Image: Serene Industries The keycaps appear lightly textured, alongside being ergonomically shaped for fingertips. The Icebreaker comes in a 65 percent layout and measures 450 x 44 x 24mm (around 17.7 x 1.7 x 0.9 inches). It sports a configurable integrated EC11 rotatory dial, dual silicone dampeners to help reduce noise and vibrations, and a 4,000 mAh battery that supports a battery life of around three months according to Serene Industries. The specifications don't mention how much the keyboard weighs or what full height" switches it comes with. We've asked Serene Industries to clarify and will update this piece if we hear back. Image: Serene Industries Here's a look at the Icebreaker's rear and side profiles, showing its aggressive wedge-shaped. There's also premium features like micro-perforations" on each keycap to allow the LED backlight to shine through, and 1/4-20 inch mounting points - three on the USB-C port face, and four at the base - for users to attach accessories like tripod mounts, monitor arms, or...axe handles.The design was partly inspired by the Flatiron Building in New York City, according to Serene Industries founder Denis Agarkov. When the Icebreaker was first announced in January 2024, Agarkov told Null Society that he aimed to create a keyboard that goes against the prevailing trends, adopting a more distinctive and challenging design." It's certainly an expensive conversation starter for any keyboard collectors who want something more niche than your typical DIY kits.

A Marriott Hotel in Germany. | Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday it finalized an order (pdf) requiring Marriott International and subsidiary Starwood Hotels to improve their digital security, reports BleepingComputer. The FTC charged the companies with lax security practices that resulted in three big breaches detected in 2015, 2018, and 2020, affecting more than 344 million customers worldwide," leaking passport details, payment cards, and other info.The shortest breach lasted 14 months before it was detected, while the longest one saw attackers maintain access for four years, starting in 2018. The beefed-up security programs they've agreed to establish include creating policies to only keep information for as long as it's needed and publishing a link allowing US customers to request the deletion of information tied to their email address or loyalty account.Hotels have been one of many key targets for hackers, with one breach last year catching FTC Chair Lina Khan among the many people left waiting to check in when a ransomware attack forced MGM Resorts to fall back on using pen and paper.The FTC announced its charges in October, accusing the companies of having deceived consumers" with false claims of reasonable and appropriate data security." Their alleged failures included having bad password and firewall practices and not patching outdated software and systems. The same day the FTC revealed the charges, the Connecticut Attorney General's office announced Marriott had agreed to a $52 million settlement.Beyond improving their security, the companies are now forbidden from misrepresenting how they collect, maintain, use, delete or disclose consumers' personal information; and the extent to which the companies protect the privacy, security, availability, confidentiality, or integrity of personal information." Other requirements include that they keep compliance records and submit to FTC inspections. The order will stay in effect for 20 years.

The PayPal Honey browser extension is, in theory, a handy way to find better deals on products while you're shopping online. But in a video published this weekend, YouTuber MegaLag claims the extension is a scam" and that Honey has been stealing money from influencers, including the very ones they paid to promote their product."Honey works by popping up an offer to find coupon codes for you while you're checking out in an online shop. But as MegaLag notes, it frequently fails to find a code, or offers a Honey-branded one, even if a simple internet search will cover something better. The Honey website's pitch is that it will find every working promo code on the internet." But according to MegaLag's video, ignoring better deals is a feature of Honey's partnerships with its retail clients.MegaLag also says Honey will hijack affiliate revenue from influencers. According to MegaLag, if you click on an affiliate link from an influencer, Honey will then swap in its own tracking link when you interact with its deal pop-up at check-out. That's regardless of whether Honey found you a coupon or not, and it results in Honey getting the credit for the sale, rather than the YouTuber or website whose link led you there.Paypal VP of corporate communications Josh Criscoe said in an email to The Verge that Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution."MegaLag isn't the first to make such claims. A 2021 Twitter post advises using Honey's discount codes in a different browser to avoid it taking the affiliate credit. A Linus Media Group employee also explained in a 2022 forum reply that Linus Tech Tips dropped Honey as a sponsor over its affiliate link practices.Honey's convenience has resulted in the extension being recommended widely, including in almost 5,000 Honey-sponsored videos across about 1,000 YouTube channels, according to MegaLag. We've even recommended it here at The Verge; now we do not.Here is Criscoe's full statement:

Image: Lux Optics Lux Optics has released a loose product roadmap for its next big iPhone photo app, Halide 3.0 (which it's calling Halide Mark III). After being more forthright than usual in the development of its Kino video app, which was recently awarded iPhone app of the year for 2024 by Apple, Lux is giving the next version of its popular photo app a touch of the Steam indie dev treatment.Not only is Lux already hyping key upcoming features in a blog post by cofounder Ben Sandofsky, but it also plans to open up the development process via a Discord server, where users can give feedback once they start trying Halide Mark III.So far, Lux has detailed three upcoming features for Halide Mark III that subscribers will be able to try early: Color Grades, HDR photos, and an app redesign. Color grades will operate a lot like they do in Kino, with users able to quickly load an aesthetic look / color palette based on Lux's own creations, film stocks, and imported recipes cooked by other users. In addition to what sounds like Lux's take on Fujifilm's film emulations, Halide Mark III will also include the developer's take on HDR photos - now that iOS 18's Adaptive HDR feature is making it easier to view HDR images on more platforms.

Xbox Game Pass, Spotify subscriptions, retail store gift cards, and other digital products make for great last-minute gifts. | Image: Meta Yes, Christmas is a couple of days away - and yes, we know you have yet to buy a gift. We understand that life gets busy, though, and sometimes it feels like the holidays creep up on you out of nowhere. But before you spiral into a full-blown panic attack, take a deep breath. Luckily for you, the internet is filled with a treasure trove of gift cards, subscriptions, and other great digital gifts you can buy as late as Christmas Day itself.To help make your life a little easier, we've curated a list of some of the best digital gifts we've either used ourselves or gifted to our friends and family. We've organized the list by interests, too, so you can find the perfect present whether your loved one is into the arts, exercise, or something else entirely. That way, you'll at least be able to gift something more thoughtful than a generic Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart gift card - even if those are still totally viable options in our book.Gifts for film and TV buffsRegardless of whether you're shopping for a movie buff or an avid sports fan, there are a number of subscriptions on the market that'll grant your giftee access to a wide range of content. Below are some of the most popular, as well as a few catered toward anime diehards, horror lovers, and those looking for something more niche.

Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge Google, Salesforce, H&M and other brands have turned to unlikely allies to help them clean up their carbon pollution: sewage treatment plants and paper mills. The companies joined an $80 million plan to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, though the strategies they're using have yet to show whether they can have a meaningful impact on climate change.They're paying $32.1 million to a startup called CREW that aims to trap carbon dioxide emissions produced at wastewater treatment facilities. And $48 million will go to another startup called CO280 that retrofits pulp and paper mills with controversial carbon capture technologies. The two agreements were facilitated by a carbon removal initiative called Frontier that's led by led by Stripe, Google, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability on behalf of those founding companies and other brands trying to meet their own sustainability goals.Companies are increasingly looking for ways to try to cancel out the damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissionsCompanies are increasingly looking for ways to try to cancel out the damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissions. They've funneled millions into startups building new-fangled industrial... Read the full story at The Verge.

Image: Asus Asus is planning to launch a new Rog Strix laptop at CES on January 6th, 2025, the company confirmed in a post spotted by VideoCardz. The short teaser shared by Asus shows a laptop with RGB lighting that wraps all the way around the bottom of the device, likely making for an even more colorful underglow when compared to previous generations.Though Asus doesn't say which Rog Strix models it will introduce, leaked retail listings suggest Asus could reveal new Rog Strix 18 Scar and Rog Strix G16 laptops.

The XM4 are over four years old, but they still sound great for the money. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge A couple of months ago, we saw the Sony WH-1000XM4 drop to $129.99, which was an absolute steal for the last-gen noise-canceling headphones. That deal predictably sold out in a heartbeat, and there's no telling whether we'll see it that low again, but Amazon is selling them in black for $178.20 (about $170 off), which would be an all-time low if not for said outlier. You can also pick them up in blue and white for $198 right now, though that price is frequently available these days.The newer Sony WH-1000XM5 have leapfrogged the heap as the best noise-canceling headphones for most people in our book, but the XM4 remain a great pair of headphones if you're looking to save some money. They feature phenomenal audio quality and noise cancellation, which keeps them in the big leagues occupied by newer sets. They also have nice quality-of-life features, including a foldable design and multipoint Bluetooth support, the latter of which allows you to connect them to two devices simultaneously. The XM5's improved microphones make them the better buy if you frequently take calls while using your headphones, but not so much that we would dissuade you from saving more than $100 by going for the older pair.Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.More Monday deals and discounts

Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is suing Walmart and payroll service provider Branch Messenger for alleged illegal payment practices for gig workers.The bureau says Walmart was opening direct deposit accounts using Spark delivery drivers' social security numbers without their consent. The accounts also can come with intense fees that, according to the complaint, would add either 2 percent or $2.99 per transaction, whichever is higher. It also says Walmart repeatedly promised to provide drivers with same-day payments through the platform starting in July 2021 but never delivered on that.

Patrick Mahomes is playing on Christmas. Netflix better not screw it up. | Photo by Jason Miller / Getty Images It hasn't always gone well for Netflix. Remember the Love Is Blind reunion or the laggy Paul / Tyson fight? But Netflix is betting big that live still matters, even in the on-demand world it helped create. Read the full story at The Verge.

Michael Kratsios appearing at the Web Summit in 2019. | Photo by Rita Franca/NurPhoto via Getty Images In a pair of Truth Social posts on Sunday, Donald Trump announced a set of picks for his administration's tech policy team that will report to David Sacks, Trump's AI and crypto czar." The picks include Michael Kratsios, who will lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) if confirmed by the Senate.Kratsios, who served in Trump's first term as the White House chief technology officer, also briefly held an acting undersecretary role at the Department of Defense near the end of the term. He later became a managing director at Scale AI and has been helping lead Trump's tech policy transition team.The President-elect also picked his former deputy CTO, Dr. Lynne Parker, as Executive Director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. Directing the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets (AKA the Crypto Council") will be former college football player and unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate Bo Hines. Advising Trump on AI policy as part of the OSTP will be Sriram Krishnan, who has extensive Silicon Valley experience, with roles at Andreessen Horowitz, X, Meta, and Snap.Sacks is close with Elon Musk, who Trump has charged with gutting the US government as part of the not-yet-established Department of Government Efficiency - and who recently helped send Congress into chaos by posting relentlessly to stop a US spending bill.

A hybrid supercar that can run on electricity alone, while still delivering that twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 experience Read the full story at The Verge.

Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge as the Japanese automakers struggle with competition from rival brands in the electric vehicle market. The two companies confirmed on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding that would create the third largest car maker by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen.Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors is also in talks with Honda and Nissan to join the integration, with a decision expected by the end of January. Based on the market capital of all three companies, a finalized merger could result in an entity worth more than 50 billion dollars. Honda will initially lead the management of the merged company according to Honda president, Toshihiro Mibe, with the aim to complete a formal merger agreement by June and finalize the deal by August 2026.Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing," Mibe said in a statement.The proposed merger was initially teased last week, and aims to establish a joint holding company to tackle growing global competition from brands like Tesla and China's BYD in the EV market. The deal would also help to rescue the struggling Nissan, which saw its net earnings in mid-2024 fall by more than 90 percent year over year, and announced plans in November to lay off thousands of workers.If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone."Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn told Bloomberg on Friday that the merger is a desperate move" by Nissan, and that it's not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find." The company has been in turmoil since Ghosn was arrested by Japanese authorities in 2018 over charges of financial misconduct.

The Verge X has substantially raised the price of its top-tier user subscription in multiple regions to help bolster the platform's creator payouts. The increase for Premium Plus came into effect on December 21st according to X, raising prices in the US from $16 per month to $22, or from $168 to $229 for annual subscriptions.Many European countries like France, Germany, and Spain are impacted by a similar increase, taking monthly prices from 16 to 21. Monthly subscribers in Canada (currently paying $20), Australia ($26) and the UK (16) will also see pricing increased to $26, $35, and 17 respectively. The higher pricing is immediately applicable to new subscribers, with existing users grandfathered into their current rates until January 20th. X's basic subscription tier remains unaffected.The pricing changes for US subscribers are the highest increase introduced since Elon Musk purchased the social media platform in 2022. X gave several reasons to justify the price hike, citing that Premium Plus is now completely ad-free - which it described as a significant enhancement" to the current user experience.X also references changes made to the X revenue sharing program in October, saying that subscriptions now more directly fuels" creator payouts to reward content quality and engagement rather than ad views alone." Premium Plus subscribers will additionally receive priority user support, access to additional features like X's Radar trend monitoring tool, and higher limits on the platform's Grok AI models.

Image: Canoo Days after furloughing dozens of its employees without pay, EV startup Canoo told the remainder of its staff they will be on a mandatory unpaid break" through at least the end of the year, TechCrunch reported Friday. A company email seen by the outlet said employees would be locked out of Canoo's systems by the end of Friday, with their benefits continuing through the end of this month.The report follows Canoo's announcement last week that it was idling its Oklahoma factories and furloughing employees while it worked to finalize securing the capital necessary to move forward with its operations." As TechCrunch notes, the company reported that it had only about $700,000 left in the bank last month.Also on Friday, the company announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split, effective December 24th. Canoo says the consolidation aims to keep its stock listed on the Nasdaq exchange and attract a broader group of institutional and retail investors."Canoo was founded in 2017 to sell electric vans and trucks to adventure-seeking customers but has mostly only ever made vehicles for the US government. As The Verge's Andrew Hawkins wrote last year, analysts have warned of its risk of insolvency as it's teetered on the edge of running out of cash since 2022. Canoo has lost a steady stream of executives since then, including all of its founders and, more recently, its CFO and general counsel.

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 65, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, get ready to take up all your phone's storage space, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This is the last Installer of the year! I'm taking a couple of weeks off for the holidays, and I hope you're getting some relaxation in too. Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to this newsletter, emailed me your recommendations, told me I'm a lunatic about to-do lists, and generally been part of the Installerverse this year. Making this newsletter is so much fun, and I'm so thrilled to get to do it with you. Bigger and better next year!This week, I've been reading about Spotify's ghost artists and Formula 1 and Mufasa and the deeply silly New York Jets, watching Hot Frosty (you can judge me, it's fine) and re-watching 30 Rock, beating Balatro for the very first time, and trying to convince my toddler that it's actually not fun and cool and great to wake up at 4am every day.I also have for you a nifty new smart home controller, a new app for the future of social networks, the next Sonic movie, and much more. Plus,... Read the full story at The Verge.

Illustration: The Verge In the latest version of the Files by Google app, summoning Gemini while looking at a PDF gives you the option to ask about the file, writes Android Police. You'll need to be a Gemini Advanced subscriber to use the feature though, according to Mishaal Rahman, who reported on Friday that it had started rolling out.If you have the feature, when you summon Gemini while looking at a PDF in the Files app, you'll see an Ask about this PDF" button appear. Tapping that lets you ask questions about the file, the same way you might ask ChatGPT about a PDF. Google first announced this screen-aware feature during its I/O developer conference in May.Rahman posted a screenshot of what it looks like in action:Other context-aware Gemini features include the ability to ask about web pages and YouTube videos. For apps or file types without Gemini's context-aware support, the assistant instead offers to answer questions about your screen, using a screenshot it takes when you tap Ask about this screen."

A screenshot from TCL's The Audition. | Screenshot: TCLtv Plus Earlier this year, TCL released a trailer for Next Stop Paris - an AI-animated short film that seems like a Lifetime movie on steroids. The trailer had all the hallmarks of AI: characters that don't move their mouths when they talk, lifeless expressions, and weird animation that makes it look like scenes are constantly vibrating.I thought this might be the extent of TCL's experimentation with AI films, given the healthy dose of criticism it received online. But boy, was I wrong. TCL debuted five new AI-generated short films that are also destined for its TCLtv Plus free streaming platform, and after the Next Stop Paris debacle, I just had to see what else it cooked up.Though the new films do look a little better than Next Stop Paris, they serve as yet another reminder that AI-generated videos aren't quite there yet, something we've seen with many of the video generation tools cropping up, like OpenAI's Sora. But in TCL's case, it's not just the AI that makes these films bad.Here are all five of them, ranked from tolerable (5) to I wish I could unsee this" (1).5. Sun DayThis futuristic short film basically has the same concept as Ray Bradbury's short story All Summer in... Read the full story at The Verge.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge NSO Group, the organization behind the Pegasus spyware, has been found liable in a lawsuit brought by Meta's WhatsApp over attacks on about 1,400 devices, as reported by The Record.WhatsApp originally filed the suit in 2019, and investigations have found that Pegasus has been used to hack phones belonging to groups like activists, journalists, and government officials.NSO Group is liable for charges of violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violation of the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and breach of contract, according to today's ruling. A trial will now move forward only on the issue of damages." The spyware maker has argued that it isn't liable because Pegasus was operated by clients investigating crimes and cases of national security but the judge rejected those arguments, which could establish a precedent for other companies in the same business.This ruling is a huge win for privacy," Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, says in a Threads post. We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions. Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated."NSO Group didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge A federal jury in Delaware determined on Friday that Qualcomm didn't breach its agreement with Arm through its 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, a startup founded by three former Apple engineers. As reported earlier by Bloomberg and Reuters, the decision stems from a two-year-long legal battle that accused Qualcomm of misusing the chip designs Arm licensed to Nuvia before its acquisition.Despite delivering a win for Qualcomm, the jury couldn't determine whether Nuvia breached its agreement with Arm, meaning the case can be tried again. I don't think either side had a clear victory or would have had a clear victory if this case is tried again," US District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika said, according to Reuters.Qualcomm bought Nuvia for $1.4 billion to bolster the company's lineup of next-generation chips, like the Snapdragon X chips inside current Copilot Plus laptops. Still, testimony during the trial revealed that Qualcomm's internal documents also showed the company projected it could save as much as $1.4 billion every year on payments to Arm. Split decision In 2022, Arm ignited a legal battle after Qualcomm continued to pay its existing royalty fees to Arm, which were allegedly much lower than what Nuvia was paying. After the two failed to come to an agreement, Arm argued the designs licensed to Nuvia were no longer valid, and that Qualcomm should destroy the technology created with them.During an interview on Decoder this week, Arm CEO Rene Haas couldn't share much about the trial, but said, The principles as to why we filed the claim are unchanged."The jury ultimately sided with Qualcomm after viewing Arm's internal documents that estimate Arm could've lost $50 million in revenue as a result of Nuvia's acquisition, according to Reuters. This week, Nuvia co-founder Gerard Williams also testified that the startup only used one percent or less" of Arm technology in its finished technology, Reuters reported.The jury has vindicated Qualcomm's right to innovate and affirmed that all the Qualcomm products at issue in the case are protected by Qualcomm's contract with ARM," Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm's general counsel and corporate secretary, said in an emailed statement to The Verge. We will continue to develop performance-leading, world class products that benefit consumers worldwide, with our incredible Oryon ARM-compliant custom CPUs."The Verge reached out to Arm with a request for comment but didn't immediately hear back.

Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images As people scramble for last-minute gifts and late-year bargains, everyone is double-checking their lists and figuring out the fastest way to get their purchases. Thankfully, many retailers are offering generous shipping policies for their products, with some offering free two-day shipping or even same-day delivery if you pay extra. And just in case the gift you choose isn't quite right, many retailers are also offering extended return policies so your giftee can get something more to their liking.For your convenience, we've collected the current holiday shipping cutoff windows for items that can still arrive by Christmas. We've also checked the latest return policies for several major retailers below, highlighting which will give you a little more time to place that order or start a return. Hopefully, knowing more about how much leeway you have will help lessen that inevitable holiday angst (fingers crossed).AmazonShipping: Same-day delivery is not available on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. However, Prime members can get free same-day delivery on select products in qualifying ZIP codes through December 24th, provided they meet the minimum threshold" (which varies by location) of eligible items in their cart. One-Day Delivery with no minimum purchase amount required is also available to Prime members for qualifying products through December 23rd, while Two-Day Delivery is available through December 22nd. Non-Prime buyers will find shipping options on the order page of each specific product.Returns: During the holidays, most items purchased between November 1st and December 31st can be returned until January 31st, 2025. Apple products, however, must be returned by January 15th, 2025. Note that this policy applies to both Prime and non-Prime buyers. Apple Store Beijing Apple Shipping: Apple offers free delivery of in-stock items by Christmas Eve if you order by 9PM ET on December 21st, though engraved items won't ship in time by Christmas. Apple also offers two-hour delivery for an added fee from local stores in most metro areas, or you can opt to pick up purchases yourself by visiting your local Apple Store.Returns: Except for T-Mobile- and Verizon-financed iPhones, all products purchased online between November 8th and December 25th can be returned through January 8th, 2025. Purchases made after December 25th are subject to the usual terms and conditions, and must be returned within 14 calendar days of your initial purchase date. Target Shipping: Target offers free two-day shipping on many orders if you spend $35 or more or use your Target RedCard. Select purchases made by December 23rd at 1PM ET will arrive before Christmas. You may also be able to take advantage of same-day shipping or in-store pickup on December 24th. Same-day delivery costs $9.99 per order, but it's included with a Target Circle 360 membership ($10.99 a month or $99 a year). Your mileage may vary for same-day delivery availability based on the item and your location.Returns: Target allows electronics and entertainment items (excluding Apple products) purchased from November 7th through December 24th to be returned as late as January 24th, 2025, for a full refund. Mobile phones and Apple products (including Beats products) purchased during the same window must be returned by January 8th, 2025. Target's standard return policy applies for most other items, with a generous 90-day window for third-party products and up to a year for Target-branded products with a receipt. Walmart Shipping: For eligible orders of $35 or more, Walmart provides free next-day delivery in eligible ZIP codes, free two-day delivery, or free standard shipping. However, be aware you must order your gifts by 12:30PM local time on December 23rd to get them in time for Christmas. Walmart Plus subscribers also get free next-day and two-day shipping with no order minimum.Same-day delivery and pickup is available on December 24th for orders made by 12PM local time. If you're willing to pay a $10 Express Delivery fee and order by 4PM local time, Walmart will also deliver your packages in less than two hours on Christmas Eve. Walmart Plus subscribers may be exempt from paying this fee, however, as members get one Express Delivery for free during the month of December.Returns: Most items purchased between October 1st and December 31st may be returned until January 31st, 2025. Some exceptions, like phones, may apply.B&HShipping: During the holidays, B&H offers free two-day and next-day shipping on select items, including discounted products. Most other products are eligible for free standard shipping (that's one to seven business days), and free expedited shipping (one to three business days) is generally available for items over $49.Returns: B&H allows purchases bought after November 3rd through December 31st to be returned or exchanged through January 30th, 2025 (with the usual exceptions of non-returnable items such as computers or TVs whose packaging has been opened). Photo by Umar Shakir Best Buy Shipping: Best Buy is offering free next-day and two-day shipping on qualifying orders for My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. Non-members, meanwhile, can get free next-day shipping on qualifying orders totaling $35 or more.If you're ordering a gift for Christmas, Best Buy's extended holiday shipping window gives you until 11:30AM ET on December 23rd if you want your gift to ship for free and arrive before December 25th. You can also get free same-day delivery by 7PM on December 24th if you place an order by 12PM local time. The cutoff for placing curbside or in-store pickup orders is 5PM local time through December 24th. Stores will close at 7PM that day.Returns: Purchases made November 1st through December 31st can be returned through January 14th, 2025. This doesn't include items that come with a third-party contract, such as phones, cellular tablets, and wearables (which have a 14-day return period), or holiday products, such as tree decorations and major appliances, which have a 15-day return window. My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members also have until January 14th, 2025, to return any purchases made between October 24th and November 16th; otherwise, there's a 60-day return window for purchases made on November 17th or later.Costco Shipping: At Costco, shipping fees depend on the product and the shipping method, though in many cases, shipping is free. The wholesale retailer also offers a variety of delivery options, including white glove" service for larger appliances. You can get your gift in time for Christmas without paying for shipping when you place a qualifying order by 5:59PM ET on December 20th. Same-day delivery is also available on some items via Costco's partnership with Instacart.Returns: Costco generally has an open return policy, except for electronics such as TVs and computers, which have a 90-day return window. There are other exceptions, though, which are listed on its return page. Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge GameStop Shipping: GameStop currently offers free shipping on orders over $35. It also offers same-day delivery in certain locations if you order from your local store at least three hours before closing.Returns: Products purchased between November 17th and December 24th can be returned until January 18th, 2025. The package must be unopened, however, and certain items like trading cards, clearance items, and seasonal products can't be returned.Dell Shipping: Most of Dell's products come with free standard shipping (no minimum purchase necessary), and some gifts may ship for free in time for Christmas if you place your order by December 21st. The delivery window can vary based on your order, but Dell does offer expedited shipping options as well as a delivery date estimate based on the zip code you provide at checkout. Orders placed by December 23rd with qualifying express delivery windows should arrive before December 25th.Returns: Dell offers a 30-day return policy with some exceptions; a restocking fee of up to 15 percent may be charged.DJI Shipping: DJI offers free shipping on purchases of $149 or more. Otherwise, shipping fees are specified on the order form. Shipment times can vary for each product depending on availability.Returns: DJI offers returns within 14 days of receiving the purchase, provided it remains in like-new condition or suffers from some type of manufacturing defect.Google Shipping: All standard orders qualify for free shipping with no minimum. Just note that this applies to the lowest-cost shipping available, which may not be the fastest.Returns: Google will accept returns through January 15th, 2025, for all purchases made between November 21st and December 31st. Standard return dates for products purchased within that window that extend beyond January 15th will be eligible for the later return date. All purchases made after January 1st, 2025, are subject to the standard return policy, which allows you to return most items up to 15 days after receipt (or 14 days for AT&T phones). However, Nest Thermostats and Verizon contract phones have an extended, 30-day return window.HPShipping: For many items, standard (three- to six-day) shipping is free. You can get ready-to-ship gifts in time for Christmas with free express shipping if you place an order by 3AM ET on December 21st. Orders placed by December 23rd can still arrive by Christmas, though you'll have to pay extra for priority shipping. HP will not ship or deliver items on Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Year's Day.Returns: Items purchased between December 1st and December 25th can be returned until January 15th, 2025, or 30 days after delivery, whichever is later. There are exceptions, however, and select items may be subject to a restocking fee of up to 15 percent. Returns totaling more than $250 may also require additional review before your return request is approved.Microsoft Shipping: Most products sold through the online Microsoft Store include free two- to three-day shipping with express shipping available for an additional fee. To receive your gifts by Christmas Eve, however, you'll have to place your order by 2PM ET on December 23rd.Returns: You can return most physical products purchased online from the Microsoft Store within 60 days of receiving the product, provided they're in like-new condition. The item must also be in its original packaging with all parts, manuals, and anything else that was originally sent with the product included. Items exempt from this policy include digital gift cards and gift cards for services and subscriptions, as well as select hardware (including the HoloLens 2). Newegg Shipping: Many of Newegg's items come with free shipping and are delivered within one to five business days; for details, check the individual product page. If you want your gifts to arrive in time for Christmas, you'll have to place your order by 12PM local time on December 23rd and opt for next-day delivery.Returns: Qualifying items purchased between October 7th and December 31st can be returned or replaced until January 31st, 2025.Sam's Club Shipping: According to the Sam's Club FAQ, the shipping cost for most items varies based on the item's size, weight, shipping method, and delivery address. Plus Members get free shipping on many online items, and same-day delivery or curbside pickup is available for free if you're a Plus member ($110 a year) and place a qualifying order totaling $50 or more by 1PM local time. Club members ($50 a year) can pay $12 for same-day or next-day shipping, or get free curbside pickup on orders of $50 or more.Returns: Sam's Club has no specified return period; some return periods may be stated for specific products. For example, electronics and major appliances have a 90-day return window, while phones are subject to a 14-day return policy.Sonos Shipping: Sonos offers free shipping on all of its products, with in-stock items typically shipping the same day if they're purchased by 11AM local time. If you want to receive your items by Christmas, though, you'll likely have to pay extra for two-day or express shipping.Returns: Sonos gives you 30 days to return a purchase and even offers free return shipping. However, you must have bought the product directly from Sonos and the return must be initiated within 30 days of receiving your purchase. The product must also include the original packaging and be in new or as-new condition to be eligible.Update, December 20th: Updated the shipping deadlines and return policies as they pertain to the 2024 holiday season.

Naveen Rao, VP of AI at Databricks. | Naveen Rao / The Verge For my last issue of the year, I'm focusing on the AI talent war, which is a theme I've been covering since this newsletter launched almost two years ago. And keep reading for the latest from inside Google and Meta this week.But first, I need your questions for a mailbag issue I'm planning for my first issue of 2025. You can submit questions via this form or leave them in the comments.It's like looking for LeBron James"This week, Databricks announced the largest known funding round for any private tech company in history. The AI enterprise firm is in the final stretch of raising $10 billion, almost all of which is going to go to buying back vested employee stock.How companies approach compensation is often undercovered in the tech industry, even though the strategies play a crucial role in determining which company gets ahead faster. Nowhere is this dynamic as intense as the war for AI talent, as I've covered before.To better understand what's driving the state of play going into 2025, this week I spoke with Naveen Rao, VP of AI at Databricks. Rao is one of my favorite people to talk to about the AI industry. He's deeply technical but also business-minded, having... Read the full story at The Verge.

Sanwa Supply's new USB-C cable's design solves a common point of cable failure. | Image: Sanwa Supply Japanese accessory maker Sanwa Supply has released a new 240W USB-C cable with a flexible design that could help prevent damage, as spotted by Tom's Hardware. The USB-C connectors on either end of the cable can rotate 360 degrees and bend from side-to-side up to 180 degrees, reducing strain on ports and minimizing bending that could eventually cause wires inside to break.The company sells a lot of its peripherals through Amazon in the US and Japan, but the new flexible USB-C cable doesn't appear to be available there yet. For the time being you'll need to try to import it from Sanwa Supply's own online store where it's available in two lengths: one meter for 2,580 (around $16.53) or 1.8 meters for 2,780 (around $17.80). Image: Sanwa Supply The flexible cable can potentially be used in places where other USB-C cable won't fit. Although there are still very few devices that can actually charge at 240W speeds, Sanwa's new cable could help future-proof your charging kit. However, data transfers with the cable are limited to USB 2.0 speeds and will max out at 480mbps. That's much slower than the 40Gbps transfer speeds offered by other 240W USB-C cables.It's not an ideal solution for those frequently copying mountains of data, but if you've got USB ports located in tight spots, or want more freedom of movement when using your smartphone while it's plugged in, this could be a solution.