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We found some great October Prime Day deals under $50
Getting in on the Prime Day action doesn’t have to result in an empty wallet. Just as we found a couple handfuls of goodies that are under $25, there are plenty of deals during Amazon’s October sale that are $50 or less, many of which offer a lot of practical value. Everything from chargers to coffee makers are discounted until 3 AM ET on October 8th, 2026, so you only have a few hours to take advantage of some of these deals.
Roku’s OLED TVs are up to $400 off during Prime Day, starting at $700
Just over a week ago, we covered a deal at Amazon that knocked around 30 percent off Roku’s new (and first-ever) OLED TVs. The deal expired, but has returned for the final day of October Prime Day.
ChatGPT’s ‘Intelligent UI’ update fills its responses with pictures, charts, and buttons
OpenAI is launching a new Intelligent UI feature in ChatGPT that allows the chatbot to answer your questions with interactive visuals. The update, which is rolling out to all users alongside GPT-6, gives ChatGPT the ability to combine a text response with diagrams, charts, forms, tappable buttons, and more.
The first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000
The first array of laptops powered by Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip are designed to compete with high-end MacBook Pros - and they've got some high-end prices to match. The flagship Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark laptops from Dell, Lenovo, MSI, HP, and
It appears .agent and .agi are about to be the hot new domains
For the first time in years, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - better known as ICANN - is accepting applications for new top-level domains. These are the suffixes at the end of all URLs, and you may know them as things like .com, .org, and .pizza.
Everything announced at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra event
Microsoft just wrapped up a big Windows and Surface-focused keynote in San Francisco. The biggest announcement was arguably the release details about the Surface Laptop Ultra, its new laptop that’s powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark Arm-based chip. The machine will start at $2,599 for a configuration with an 8-core CPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, and it will be released on October 16th. The laptop also has built-in magnetic USB-C charging instead of the proprietary Surface Connect magnetic charging port.
Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files
At today's Windows and Surface event, Microsoft showed off an upgrade to its Copilot AI system that will give it access to local files on your PC and the ability to take actions across the OS. It's part of an idea Microsoft is calling "Hybrid Intelligence," where apps and tools rely on a mix of local and cloud AI models to accomplish tasks efficiently.
How Microsoft built its MacBook Pro competitor
Before Microsoft releases a laptop to the public, it needs to put the device through its paces. That all happens inside a windowless, warehouse-like lab on the company's Redmond, Washington, campus, where the team developing Surface devices programs robots to press their buttons thousands of times, pelts devices with radio waves from giant antennas, and builds contraptions that drop objects from increasingly daring heights to see whether the products can hold up.
The Meta Quest 3S gets a rare discount during October Prime Day
Until the end of Amazon’s October sale later tonight, you can grab the 128GB Meta Quest 3S for just $297.49 (usually $349.99) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. While the lenses and displays aren’t quite as sharp as the Quest 3, the underlying chipset is the same, and this is a much more reasonable price for casual VR gaming and movies. In other words, it’s a big upgrade over
What The Social Reckoning gets right — and wrong
Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning has its fair share of cinematic flair, but many details in the story hew closely to real life. The movie tells the story of how Frances Haugen, a Facebook civic integrity product manager, came to leak a large trove of internal documents to Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz, in what would later become a 2021 series called "The Facebook Files." In both real life and in the film, Haugen's leaks lead her to testify as a congressional whistleblower.
The Surface Laptop Ultra finally has a release date — and a starting price of $2,599
Months after revealing its Surface Laptop Ultra, Microsoft has announced that the Nvidia RTX Spark-equipped device will launch on October 16th. Pricing starts at $2,599 for the base configuration, featuring an 18-core CPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.
Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder for $5,999
Microsoft's Nvidia-powered Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder now directly, and slated to ship in November for just about $6,000. It's pricier than the DGX Spark mini PC Nvidia launched last year, but PC prices have been climbing due to shortages of RAM and other components.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra has built-in magnetic USB-C charging
Microsoft has created a magnetic charging solution for its Surface Laptop Ultra that uses USB-C. After scrapping its proprietary Surface Connect magnetic charging on its smaller Surface devices last year, the Surface Laptop Ultra has a charging cable that attaches magnetically to the right-side USB-C port.
The scariest thing about gray-market peptides is how little we know
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here.
The Apple Watch Series 12 is a good deal at $50 off
Several configurations of the Apple Watch Series 12 are $50 off for the first time for the remainder of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. This includes both sizes (42mm and 46mm) of the GPS + Wi-Fi watches, as well as their pricier 5G-ready counterparts. Normally $399, the 42mm Series 12 is currently set at $349.99 at Amazon and Target. It costs $100 more for the cellular model. The 46mm model starts at $50 more, costing $399.99 at Amazon and Target, while its 5G version is $499.99 during the sale. Apple Watch Series 12
Windows and Surface live blog: On the ground at Microsoft’s event
We're in San Francisco today to hear what's next for Windows and Surface. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Windows and Surface chief Pavan Davuluri will all be holding a "conversation on how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC."
Disney Plus will stream Super Bowl LXI
Next year's Super Bowl is headed to Disney Plus. On Wednesday, Disney announced that viewers will be able to tune in to Super Bowl LXI on its streaming service when the game kicks off on February 14th, 2027.
A free mod for Titanfall 2 makes it one of the best VR games ever
Titanfall has a special place in my heart. I've never felt such a rush in gaming since - leaping into the air with a jump pack, running on walls, summoning a giant mechanized battle suit that falls like a meteor from the sky, then letting one of its giant hands stuff me into the cockpit for a supersized skirmish.
Doxxing Jane Doe
Who is Jane Doe? Online vigilantes have tried to expose the Cornell University student who filed a lawsuit accusing seven fraternity members of gang rape, and in so doing have invited a torrent of abuse on several other women. Her lawyers say three women have been falsely identified and harassed - and the real Jane Doe is being inundated with threats, too. "She's not doing well," her attorney Thomas Guiffra told CNN on Sunday. "She's under siege on social media, where people are trying to identify her."
Xreal’s most affordable display glasses are $50 off
Xreal launched its xbx A01 Plus display glasses over the summer for $299, and they’re a decent value. The design and fit are more or less on-par with the company’s pricier 1S that are $399, though they don’t have my favorite feature: built-in three degrees of freedom to let you lock the virtual screen in place. Despite the omission, they’re a more tempting gadget at their current $254 price at Amazon and via Xreal during October Prime Day. Xreal xbx A01 Plus Where to Buy: $299.99 $254 at Amazon
ChatGPT is getting college planning tools
OpenAI is bringing new tools to ChatGPT for Teens, a mode for teens introduced in August with safeguards and break reminders, to help users with the college application process.
Muse launches on the iPad
After launching nearly a month ago and spending several weeks as the top free app in Apple's App Store, the latest update to Meta's Muse iOS app introduces native support for the iPad. A Mac version of Meta's agentic AI tool (designed to compete with OpenClaw, ChatGPT's Dots, and Grok Bot) was released about a week after the original mobile version debuted expanding its usefulness to desktop tasks like organizing files.
Google invests millions in Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to create a ‘virtual cell’
Google DeepMind, Meta, and AI drug discovery startup Isomorphic Labs are jointly investing $300 million into Biohub, the nonprofit biomedical research organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, as reported by Reuters. The funding is part of a $1.8 billion initiative to build AI datasets that could allow researchers to "ask, predict, and answer biological questions digitally," helping find new ways to prevent and manage diseases.
New leaks provide our first look at Apple and LG’s smart home devices
Following a report from Bloomberg yesterday that Apple is collaborating with LG for a new collection of smart home devices and accessories, a reliable leaker known as "pdfu" on X has revealed more details about several of the new products, including a thermostat with a "Far Sight Display" that sounds similar to what
Ring’s first smart lock can be charged by turning a dial when the battery unexpectedly dies
Amazon announced its first smart lock that eliminates the need for a physical backup key should its rechargeable battery die while you're away from home. While other smart locks lean on hidden USB ports or metal contacts for connecting a 9-volt battery to replenish a dead battery, the new Ring Smart Lock incorporates a more convenient charger right into its thumb-turn dial.
My cats hate to see this great upright carpet cleaner coming
For a while, I swore by Bissell’s Little Green carpet cleaner. I liked the sub-$100 price, the fact that it was small enough to fit on a closet shelf, and that it does a good job of cleaning up little messes. However, after you clean enough spots around the place, eventually the entire carpet needs a cleaning because the cleaned spots appear in stark contrast. It looks bad!
Amazon uses its tracking data to guess whether shoppers have a flat butt and no friends
Most people know that Amazon collects data about your shopping history to serve up personalized product recommendations. But what some of us didn't realize is that you can check exactly what Amazon knows - or thinks it knows - about you in your settings menu. One user's findings went viral on Threads after she discovered that Amazon assumed she "has flat buttocks" based on her purchases, resulting in a flood of other posts with users sharing the oddly specific information Amazon uses to describe them.
Windows and Surface event: how to watch and what to expect
Microsoft is heading to San Francisco this morning to reveal what's coming next for Windows and Surface and a "conversation on how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC." That conversation will include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Windows and Surface chief Pavan Davuluri.
The Social Reckoning is a tepid thriller that reminds us of how we got here
When David Fincher's The Social Network premiered in 2010, many people still thought of Mark Zuckerberg as a genius who had revolutionized the world by creating Facebook. Writer Aaron Sorkin's script was critical of Zuckerberg's character and his ruthless approach to doing business, but it also helped mythologize the co-founder at a time when the general public was much more enchanted by Silicon Valley. When Zuckerberg said in 2014 that he'd been hurt by the film's depiction of him, Fincher said he was "sorry that it did" and admitted that he "
Google’s Pixel Buds update will put them to sleep along with you
Google has detailed an update bringing a slew of new features to its Pixel Buds 2A and Pro 2, which the company says are rolling out now. The new features were first teased in August.
AI could upend food delivery
DoorDash, the leading food delivery app, processed 970 million orders in its second quarter this year and generated $4.5 billion in revenue. A 10-person startup called Bites is a blip in comparison: It has just around 300 restaurants signed up in the Bay Area, where it's operating as a pre-seed startup. But this summer, Bites caught DoorDash's attention.
The best October Prime Day deals from Apple, Sony, Google, and more
Day two of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event is here, and the sale will end at 3AM ET on Thursday, October 8th. While a few of the best deals from yesterday have already ended, many are still happening, with fresh discounts emerging to make the last day of the sale just as worthy of your attention.
Samsung Wallet now unlocks some GM cars
Users of some Samsung devices in the US and Canada can now lock, unlock, and start select GM vehicles using a digital key stored in their Samsung Wallet.
Jaguar’s first EV looks just like its divisive concept car
The Type 01, Jaguar's most important and divisive car in years, has arrived. The production follow-up to the polarising Type 00 concept, Jaguar says the electric, four-door grand tourer is its most powerful road car ever.
ChatGPT for Teens is an ‘unacceptable risk,’ says Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that offers reviews of apps, services, and entertainment with a focus on youth safety, today said that OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens is an "unacceptable risk."
OpenAI drops another batch of mathematical breakthroughs
OpenAI has revealed solutions to a number of long-standing mathematics problems produced by an unreleased frontier model in a batch of 722 manuscripts, covering 372 result families that group related papers. It extends a run of breakthroughs that have both impressed and unsettled parts of the mathematical community while raising questions about research ethics and academic conduct.
Xbox has secured exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft is getting ready to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that "no other platform holder is doing" during an employee all-hands this morning. According to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, Xbox has managed to land a deal for the exclusive game streaming rights for Grand Theft Auto VI.
The best robot vacuum and mop deals during October Prime Day
Spending too much time constantly sweeping and mopping? If you have the money to delegate those chores to a robot cleaner, you could save a lot of personal time. Thankfully, it’s cheaper than usual to buy a robot vacuum / mop hybrid during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, and some of our favorite models are discounted. The deals aren’t just for Amazon Prime members either, with other retailers like Best Buy and manufacturers getting in on the action, as well.
Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat
Apple is collaborating with LG on a new lineup of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, indoor camera, and more, according to a report from Bloomberg. The products will reportedly feature LG branding but integrate with the company's rumored smart home hub that's expected to launch during an event on October 13th.
Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is facing backlash from fellow comics who claim his takeover of SiriusXM's Raw Comedy channel is harming up-and-coming talent, as reported earlier by Deadline. Many established comics, including Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho, have posted videos online calling on Maniscalco to carry on Raw Comedy's legacy by highlighting newer comedians on his channel, instead of mostly focusing on well-known ones.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y can be a backup battery for your house
Some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners can use their EV battery to keep the lights on longer during a power outage, now that Tesla's expanding the Powershare Home Backup feature. It was previously only available on the Cybertruck, and also requires owning Tesla's Powerwall 3. However, support for the Powerwall 2 and Powerwall Plus is "coming soon." Tesla's EVs aren't the first or only ones with bidirectional charging;
Google’s power-hungry data centers crave nuclear energy
Google announced a new agreement to update six nuclear power plant sites across the US as the tech giant seeks to generate more electricity for its power-hungry data centers.
Amazon’s last-gen Kindle Paperwhite is 30 percent off
Calling something “last-gen” usually means it comes with big compromises compared to the latest version. That’s not as true for the last-gen Kindle Paperwhite as it is with some other tech. The newer version can open books 30 percent faster (not the same as page-turning speed), and its aluminum design is a millimeter thinner — but it costs $50 more.
Save on MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches during October Prime Day
Amazon’s October Big Deal Days are underway (lasting through tomorrow night), and we spotted a ton of Apple products and accessories in the sale, ranging from laptops and headphones to desktops and more. Some of the deals are only for Prime members, but other retailers are often matching or beating Amazon’s prices, and we’ll continue to update our coverage as we spot those deals.
Two mystery PlayStation products have leaked — one might be a PlayStation Portal OLED
Is Sony about to announce a new PlayStation Portal game streaming handheld? The Wi-Fi Alliance recently certified two unannounced PlayStation products of some kind, and the certification documents indicate that they could be updates to the PlayStation Portal, which might mean we're getting the OLED screen rumored earlier this year.
Alexa can’t control the aux input on Amazon Echo speakers anymore
If you've been using an older Amazon Echo device as a speaker through its 3.5mm aux input, Alexa voice commands to play or pause from line in may stop working. Ars Technica points to this Reddit poster claiming they received a message from Amazon and says an unnamed spokesperson confirmed the change. When contacted by The Verge, Amazon did not provide an on-the-record statement.
The Sonos Beam 2 soundbar is $140 off
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for $359 at Amazon and Best Buy during October Prime Day, a healthy $140 discount from its usual price, and $10 lower than the previous Prime Day price. The biggest draw here may be obvious — its native connectivity to other Sonos products — though it’s also a really nice upgrade from your TV’s built-in speakers.
The best deals under $25 during October Prime Day
You could spend a lot on gadgets in our main October Prime Day roundup and get maybe one or two things. That’s all well and good, but you could spend as much (or less) and have a bunch of items arrive at your home instead. If you’re on a tight budget, or you just have an eye for affordable tech, we’ve made this roundup for you. It contains deals we’ve found during October Prime Day that are $25 or less.
Samsung’s Z Fold 8 is hundreds off ahead of iPhone Duo launch
I don’t suppose there are many iPhone users who might be tempted by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 now that the iPhone Duo is both real and coming very soon. But if you’ll entertain a great deal, there are big discounts happening for both the passport-style Z Fold 8 and the slimmer, taller Z Fold 8 Ultra during October Prime Day.
Netflix expands TV game lineup with Conjuring spinoff
Netflix just announced The Conjuring: Unspoken, a new horror game set in The Conjuring universe that you can play with your phone as a controller, and it will launch exclusively on the service on October 13th.
Our first five impressions of Googlebooks — exciting but underbaked
Googlebooks are here. The first models went on sale Sunday, October 4th, and we received review units of all five Googlebooks about 24 hours ago. Since then, we've been in a mad dash to put the devices through their paces and get a check on what it's like to use these Android laptops.
Apple TV’s great year continues with Small Prophets
Apple TV has had a really great run in 2026 - and a cozy new addition is helping expand its lineup even more. As the streaming service has attempted to grow in order to better compete with the likes of Disney and Netflix, it has steadily broadened the range of its series. This year has included everything from a pair of OnlyFans dramedies to the horror-comedy hybrid Widow's Bay, alongside the return of some big names like Ted Lasso and Silo. And now you can add Small Prophets to the growing list of new flavors on Apple TV.
Anker’s 100W universal charger is a great travel gadget for $64
For frequent travelers who like to pack light, the Anker Nano 100W universal travel adapter packs multiple USB ports and is equipped with the ability to adapt to outlets in over 200 countries and regions with its US, UK and EU plugs. During October Prime Day, it’s only $63.99 (usually $79.99) at Amazon.
Our favorite headphones and earbuds are cheaper during October Prime Day
We spotted a variety of discounted headphones and earbuds during October’s Prime Big Deals Days, with some of our favorite options discounted to at (or near) their all-time low prices. While some deals on Amazon require a Prime subscription, there are plenty that are available to anyone, and other retailers have gotten in on the action, too. While you’re shopping, make sure to check out our full roundup of the best deals we’ve found so far from the sale.
We can’t just change the definition of ‘recording’
With AI hardware, tech companies are pushing the definition of what does and doesn't constitute a recording. For most of gadget history, it'd be reasonable to assume that a device with a microphone or camera is either recording you or it isn't; it's either on or off, without much gray area. Microphones capture sound. Cameras capture images. That data is saved onto a device. Sometimes, it's also sent to the cloud - hopefully with end-to-end encryption - for processing. That data is a preserved instant in time and is therefore a recording.
HBO Max and Paramount Plus will merge into a single streamer under Skydance
HBO Max and Paramount Plus will become one streaming service under Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. In a press release announcing the completion of the deal, Skydance - the name of the combined companies - says both streamers will "unify into a single service over time."
The stylish Nothing Headphone 1 are cheaper than ever
There’s no denying that Nothing knows how to make eye-catching headphones. If you’re considering a new pair of over-ear cans, the Nothing Headphone 1 pack style and great sound, and they’re on sale for $189 at Amazon. That’s a big discount considering the usual price drifts between $240 and $299.
The earbuds with the best call quality are cheaper than ever
Normally $169.99, the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are discounted to $135.99 during Amazon’s October sale, beating their previous low price of $149.99, and coming in $14 lower than the AirPods 5. While these earbuds stand out for a number of reasons, like great ANC and a handy screen on the charging case, our favorite aspect is the excellent call quality. Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Where to Buy: $169.99 $135.99 at Amazon $169.99 $135.99 at Anker
New leaks reveal more details about the Fitbit Edge including its price
Following more images of the previously leaked Google Fitbit Edge surfacing a few days ago, new details about the upcoming fitness tracker have been revealed, including potential features and pricing. The Fitbit Edge will reportedly sell for €179 in Europe, and £159 in the UK, according to leaked details shared by Dealabs. Given
A Trump Mobile breach may have exposed data of more than 3,600 people
Trump Mobile appears to have suffered a data breach that may have exposed the data of 3,615 people, according to reports from PCMag and Straight Arrow News. The breach reportedly included names, home addresses, emails, phone numbers, and order information.
The Pixel Watch 5 is a better value at $65 off
The Google Pixel Watch 5 is discounted by $60 during Amazon’s October sale, with the 41mm version on sale for $334.99, and the 45mm version for $364.99. The latest version of Google’s smartwatch rolled out alongside the Pixel 11 phones in August with improved GPS, gesture controls, and offline Gemini, although we had mixed results ahead of its launch with Google’s AI assistant’s proactive notifications. It’s possible that it has gotten better since. Google Pixel Watch 5 Where to Buy: $399.99 $334.99 at Amazon $399.99 $350 at Google
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110 billion media megamerger
Paramount has completed its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, forming a combined company known as Skydance. The merger officially puts Paramount and WBD's film studios, along with major networks and brands like HBO, CBS News, and CNN, under one roof.
Amazon reportedly pays $120 million to stream the Emmys for free
The Emmys have a new home - and it looks like Amazon paid plenty for the rights. The awards show and Amazon announced a six-year deal that will move the Emmys from its traditional broadcast television home to Prime Video. The shift begins with the 2027 ceremony, which will air next September, though you won't actually have to sign up for Prime Video to watch it. The announcement instead says that the stream "will be free to view for audiences worldwide."
Google is about to remove free access to Gemini Flash and Pro
Starting on October 9th, anyone using Google Gemini on a free plan will be limited to the Flash Lite model. Free users can currently choose from Gemini Flash Lite, Flash, and Pro, but now you'll need a $4.99/month Google AI Plus subscription to access the standard Flash model. However, that subscription is also getting a downgrade - it will soon no longer include Gemini Pro. Google says AI Plus subscribers will receive an email letting them know when they'll lose access to it.
I can’t use Apple’s new Screen Time on my daughter’s iPhone because my son won’t update his MacBook
After suffering years of frustration with Apple's parental control features, I've been eagerly anticipating the revamped Screen Time that launched last month with iOS 27. Unfortunately, I can't use it. Technically, this is because my 18-year-old son hasn't got round to updating his MacBook. But mostly, it's because Apple's rollout of the new feature has been confusing and frustrating, with fiddly requirements that might have you digging through drawers for your old devices.
The wireless headphones that roll up into a Bluetooth speaker are now available
Following their debut at CES 2026 and a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign last February, Tomorrow Doesn't Matter's (TDM) Neo headphones are now available in the US. While Sony recently opted to reintroduce a headphone design from six years ago, TDM's Neo delivers some genuinely unique headphone functionality through a flexible headband and extra drivers, allowing them to be rolled up and used as a Bluetooth speaker.
The easiest Apple Watch to recommend is $50 off
The Apple Watch SE 3 is the smartwatch that we recommend for most people because it’s affordable, yet packed with most of the features found in pricier versions. We spotted Amazon October Prime Day discounts across the lineup, including both the 40mm and 44mm sizes, and GPS only or cellular options. The Wi-Fi and GPS model is $199 for the 40mm size (matching the lowest price to date), and $229 for the 44m size. If you also want a cellular connection, the 40mm version is $249, and the 44mm version is $279.
The planetary wave headed for California isn’t what you think it is
A rather strong "planetary wave" recently slammed into South America and is making its way toward California. In case you're worried about headlines warning of the supposedly "freak" phenomenon "bringing trouble," it's worth understanding what this wave really is and isn't.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL phones are $250 off
During Amazon’s October sale, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are discounted by $250 or more. The base model Pixel 11 Pro with 256GB of storage is only $849 (originally $1,099), $50 lower than the usual price for the base Pixel 11, while the 256GB 11 Pro XL is $999, a $300 price break.
The Verge’s guide to the best October Prime Day deals
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days (also known as October Prime Day) is here, serving as a precursor to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are a ton of good deals, and bundling them all into this package is the easiest way to keep the blast of upcoming coverage under control.
The best October Prime Day tech deals we found
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event has begun, and it lasts through 3AM ET on Thursday, October 8th. We’ve spun through the company’s huge list of deals to find products that Verge readers will like (and that we personally like, too). There are plenty of headphone deals, plus some great products in the home entertainment space. Also, the discounts are spectacular on Pixel 11 phones, the A17 Pro-equipped iPad Mini, and the M5 MacBook Air.
Amazon Alexa Plus keeps creepily singing ‘lalala’ for minutes on end
An unsettling Alexa Plus bug has seen some Amazon Echo smart home speakers reduced to saying - and sometimes singing - nothing but "lalala" on repeat for minutes at a time, often in the middle of conversations with users. When quizzed about the behavior, Alexa is apparently entirely unaware of what it's been doing.
This remote-controlled wagon is silly but so very useful
Confession: When BougeRV told me about its remote-controlled wagon with animated lighting, I called it in for a laugh, expecting to eviscerate it in a review. It's ridiculous, to be sure. But the DuneRover also proved very capable, with enough torque to flatten hills even when carrying over 200 pounds of gear. It can also traverse soft sand that defeats conventional wagons.
Gemini Call for Me might tell your mom you’re running late
Google may be expanding its "Call for Me" AI feature beyond business calls so you can use it to send messages to friends and family. Android Authority reports finding a "Gemini Calling" introductory screen in an APK teardown with examples that include "Call Mom and tell her I will be 15 minutes late" and "Call John and ask if he is coming for dinner."
Reverse-engineered games: All the news on video game decomps, recomps, VR and web and 3D ports
It’s a wild time for retro gaming. Thanks to decompilations and recompilations of classic titles, those games are becoming unshackled from their proprietary code and original hardware to be ported to new devices or updated in ways to completely change the original game. Ever imagined skateboarding in Call of Duty? Or playing the original Halo right in your web browser, complete with multiplayer?
The Matic is the first robovac to get an FCC ban waiver, not that it needs it
The Matic is our favorite robot vacuum and robo-mop, and it's also now the first to escape the FCC's Roomba ban.
This startup is issuing AI-generated acne prescriptions
People in Utah can now use AI to get a prescription for acne treatment. On Monday, healthcare startup Nolla Health announced that users in the state can scan their faces using its app, allowing its AI system to analyze acne severity and autonomously write a prescription, as reported earlier by Bloomberg.
All the drama around AI’s takeover of mathematics
This past year, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other labs have announced breakthroughs on numerous long-standing mathematical problems, in some cases pushing well beyond what researchers expected current systems to be capable of — including resolving one of the famous Millennium Prize problems. But in classic Silicon Valley style, AI labs are moving fast and breaking things, barreling through the discipline with all the grace of a runaway bulldozer. Results that might normally have been celebrated have instead sparked backlash.
Wikipedia operator says OpenAI’s ‘rogue’ bots may be linked to a May outage
Following many recent disclosures about AI agents accessing third-party websites and services, the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts Wikipedia, says that it "can confirm that we have discovered some activity" by "rogue" OpenAI agents on Wikimedia platforms.
Hyundai CEO says only a ‘level playing field’ can minimize damage from China
There's been a lot of doom and gloom from the auto industry lately when the subject of China comes up. Automaker CEOs, in particular, warn that allowing low-cost, high-tech Chinese electric vehicles to be sold in the US would effectively spell the end of their businesses.
OpenAI is adding text watermarking in ChatGPT and Codex
An invisible, machine-readable watermark in text output is rolling out to ChatGPT and Codex, but only for users in the European Union at first.
OpenAI PR tells journalist to ‘move on’ while asking Sam Altman about a ChatGPT user’s suicide
An OpenAI publicist tried to change the topic of CEO Sam Altman's interview with Vanity Fair's Mark Guiducci after the editor brought up a ChatGPT user's suicide. When Guiducci confronted Altman about the incident, the publicist warned Guiducci about running out of time, saying she'd like to "move on" to another topic.
Sam Altman says ‘some bad things’ will happen but AI is totally worth it
Sam Altman thinks that the benefits of AI will be so great that "the world should accept some bad things happening" along the way.
Nvidia’s Shield TV Pro just got a $100 price hike
Nvidia's Shield TV streaming boxes are the latest victims of the memory shortage that has seen prices increase dramatically for everything from digital cameras to game consoles. When the Shield TV Pro launched nearly seven years ago with an upgraded Tegra X1+ processor, 3GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage, it sold for $199.99. But starting on October 2nd Nvidia increased its price by $100 to $299.99 as a result of the increased cost of components, according to Ars Technica.
Apple’s new M6 Mac Mini is over $100 off
Really the only negative associated with the new M6-powered Mac Mini is its high price. While the last-gen model debuted at just $599, the faster, but mostly unchanged 2026 edition starts at $899 — except for right now. You can grab the base model that has 256GB of storage, 16GB RAM, and a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU for $779.99 at Amazon. This is one of many October Prime Day deals that recently surfaced.
CNN’s boss will remain as Paramount and WBD merge into Skydance
CNN CEO Mark Thompson will remain at the head of the news network when Paramount's $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition closes this week. Thompson wrote in a memo to employees that he believes the combined company will "fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for," according to a report from The New York Times. The news comes as part of an announcement detailing the combined company's executive leadership.
Sen. Adam Schiff on AI regulation, free speech, and impeaching Trump one more time
Today, I’m talking with Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California. Sen. Schiff sits on a number of committees with oversight into tech and AI: intellectual property, antitrust, privacy and technology — it’s all there. I really wanted to ask him about how we might regulate anything related to the tech industry at this moment in time.
An open-source tool lets you delete 12GB of Apple Intelligence data on macOS
Getting some extra storage space on your Mac could be as easy as deleting Apple's AI features with a new open-source command line tool called RemoveMacAI. There used to be a single Settings toggle for disabling Apple Intelligence, but that was removed in macOS 27. Now, the models stay on your disk, and the features are split up across different settings panes.
OpenAI is sticking more ads in ChatGPT
OpenAI's latest ad format will put images of sponsored products and services on your screen. The ads, which OpenAI will begin testing in the US later this month, will "initially" appear when you generate images with ChatGPT, according to an announcement on Monday.
TCL’s paperlike OLED phone made me more excited for the iPhone Duo
I've spent most of the last couple weeks using an otherwise unexceptional midrange Android phone with one amazing feature: a matte OLED display. That screen is by far the best thing about the TCL P80 Ultra, and weirdly, it's made me more excited for the iPhone Duo and its matte inner display.
Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks
Google has waited until the day its new Googlebook laptops hit the market to admit that Intel-based models may have issues running some Android apps. Before now, Google has emphasized that the Android-based Googlebooks give owners access to the "entire Play Store library" of apps, along with some clever interactions with Android phones and tablets. Today, in a statement to Android Authority, it admitted that while every app is available, some may not offer smooth performance on every Googlebook. The vast majority of Android apps run smooth
Our minds aren’t equipped to handle AI
Norbert Wiener, godfather of cybernetics, once said, "The thought of every age is reflected in its technique." For the past century, our thought has been reflected in our computers, including by those in the AI industry. Google's Demis Hassabis calls the brain "a biological approximation to a Turing machine." Elon Musk puts it more bluntly, declaring that "people should just think of the brain as a biological computer." (Musk's brain often worries me.)
The new Fitbit Edge leaks
We don't know a ton about the Fitbit Edge, but it appears to be a successor to the midrange Charge line. It had leaked previously, but we can clearly see in these images posted by Android Headlines, you can see that Google's rumored fitness tracker sort of splits the difference between the Pixel Watch and the Fitbit Air. It has a small screen that is able to display some widgets, but clearly isn't as expansive as a proper smartwatch.
Prick’s theatrical industrial punk is perfect for spooky season
While deep in the recording process for The Downward Spiral, Trent Reznor lent some of his production talents to old friend Kevin McMahon, from the new wave band Lucky Pierre (which Reznor was briefly a member of). While Reznor is only credited as the producer on four tracks off Prick's self-titled debut record, his fingerprints are all over it. But McMahon also can't suppress his inner theater kid, which also gives the songs the sort of glammy flamboyance found on T. Rex records.
Well, if AI said it, it must be true
New Jersey's lieutenant governor Dale Caldwell was forced to resign on September 25th after an investigation found he had sexually harassed a staffer and repeatedly violated ethics rules. The now-former Lt. governor has been making the media rounds trying to clear his name. But he took a particularly odd tactic during an interview on NJ PBS.
An AI couldn’t beat humans at StarCraft, so it decided to cheat
StarSkirmish pits AI-made StarCraft-playing bots against one another, as well as against human-made bots. OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 were essentially tied as the best-performing AI-made bots, but they couldn't top Stardust, the top-rated human-made bot.
This toolless modular lever-action wallet is the coolest I’ve stuck to my phone
This toolless modular lever-action wallet is the coolest I've stuck to my phone. Remember when I tested the ultra-thin and convenient OhSnap Snap Grip Stand and liked it so much I bought my own? Now, OhSnap has a magnetic lever-action card wallet that can stack with that stand. It's the coolest wallet I've ever stuck to my phone. @verge The sleekest wallet yet? Today we're toying with the OhSnap Snap Wallet 2, a lever-action aluminum wallet you can customize and transform. Yo
The AirPods Pro 3 are a fantastic deal at $179
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good discount on the Apple AirPods Pro 3, but like the latest iPad Mini and the M5 MacBook Airs, a great one is happening now for October Prime Day. You can snag a pair of the noise-canceling earbuds that include five ear tip sizes, live translation, and fantastic sound for $179 at Amazon (originally $249). I expect other retailers to offer a similar price in the coming days.
The MacBook Air M5 is $200 off for the first time in months
Amazon’s October Prime Day has effectively chopped off Apple’s June price increases. Usually $1,299, the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip and 512GB of storage is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That’s a more palatable price for a machine that’s significantly faster than Apple’s $699 MacBook Neo.
The iPad Mini is slightly cheaper again during Prime Day
Apple bumped up prices on several of its devices in June, and we haven’t seen a good discount on the iPad Mini since. Just ahead of Amazon’s October Prime Big Deals Days, however, both Wi-Fi only and cellular-connected models are $100 off. The Wi-Fi version with 128GB of storage is currently $499, the 256GB model is $599, and the cellular model with 128GB of storage is $649.
The forgotten Chromebook that started it all
Google didn't even call the first Chromebook a "Chromebook." The Cr-48 had no interesting design and no bright logos - it wasn't even designed to be a product you could buy. Instead, it was a portal to a big new idea about computers.
Capcom is preparing for a ‘future where we create games together with AI’
Capcom's Pragmata might be all about the horrors of AI, but in practice the studio doesn't seem so down on the tech. During the Capcom Open Conference RE: 2026 programmer Satoshi Ishida gave a presentation with the mouthful of a title: "The Outlook and Future of the REX Project, Further Evolving the RE Engine for the Next Generation." During the talk he laid out the challenges facing studios producing games at the scale of Resident Evil, which can make even simple tasks extremely time consuming.
Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava thinks AI emails are killing conversations
Kakul Srivastava is the CEO of Splice, the sample platform countless producers rely on for one-shots and melodic loops. Samples pulled from the service have found their way into massive hits like Lisa's "Money" and "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter. (The original samples are here and here, for the curious.)
An OpenAI safety employee has quit and is sounding the alarm
David Robinson used to write the safety reports that accompanied every major model release at OpenAI. This week, he resigned from his position and is now speaking out in an editorial in The Atlantic.
3D movies are finally worth watching
Why am I suddenly buying up every 3D Blu-ray I can find after 3D became one of the biggest tech flops of all time?
Meta open sources code to let you make Muse AI gadgets
Meta now lets you make your own Muse gadgets that feature the company's new AI agent with code that the company open sourced. The company suggests projects like loading Muse on a color E Ink display to show reminders, adding it to an HDMI stick so you can display Muse on a big screen, or putting Muse on a small touchscreen device to make what looks kind of like a DIY Muse Charm.
Netflix is pivoting away from prestige
Many of Netflix's biggest critically acclaimed hits have been the products of its multiyear production deals with noted directors like David Fincher and Shawn Levy. In the past few weeks, though, the streamer has brought some of those partnerships to an end in a way that feels indicative of a larger strategic shift. With rival studios Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery on the verge of a megamerger that will reshape the entertainment landscape, Netflix is clearly thinking about how it can continue to hold its own in the ongoing streaming wars.
Apple will limit Mac disk access as AI agents ‘substantially’ increase risk
Apple will add new limits for "full disk access" on Mac in response to risks posed by AI agents, as reported earlier by TechCrunch. In an update on Friday, Apple says it's rolling out new controls to "ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action."
Sling TV drops its one-day cable passes
Dish-owned Sling TV will no longer be offering its Sling Pass feature that allowed people to buy a single day of cable TV programming at a time, as reported by The Desk.
OpenAI’s Dot agent is enterprise software that can also order your dinner
It's a tale as old as last week: OpenAI's new agent platform, called Dots, is full of cute little guys who can do your bidding.
Breaking up (with Elon Musk) is hard to do
In a throwback to MySpace-style internet drama, Shivon Zilis announced that she and the father of four of her children, Elon Musk, had broken up on X.
Rivian’s sales pop as the company’s big R2 bet starts to pay off
Rivian had high hopes for its more affordable R2 vehicle - and so far, those hopes appear to be paying off.
Beehiiv creators are buzzing about a new price increase
Beehiiv, a creator platform that has risen in popularity as an alternative to Substack, is increasing its prices - and many users aren't happy. In a post explaining the increase, Beehiiv co-founder and CEO Tyler Denk says it will allow the company to "continue investing in our core platform experience."
Nacon’s new PS5 controller can mix audio from your phone and console
Nacon announced what the company is claiming is the world's first officially licensed PlayStation 5 controller with a built-in screen for adjusting settings like joystick sensitivity or remapping buttons right on the gamepad. The Revolution 5 Unlimited's screen can also be used to mix audio from multiple sources so while using a pair of headphones connected to the gamepad with a cable you can listen to music from your phone and sounds from the game you're playing at the same time.
Dots get up in Muse’s business
OpenAI's answer to Muse arrived this week, and it looks a whole lot like Muse dressed up in a suit and tie. Dots is a business-first product - for now, at least - costing a minimum of $100 per month. And sure, you can make a cute little Dot character, just like you can make a cute little Muse character. But OpenAI's early marketing is all about how you can use it to do Business Things: launch websites, reschedule calls, build slide decks for board meetings. Muse, on the other hand, keeps reminding me to buy a jacket I looked at.
Tesla will now let you drive off mid-charge if there’s an emergency
Tesla introduced a new feature to enable drivers to escape quickly while charging their vehicles in response to a mass shooting at a Supercharger location in Idaho in August that left seven people wounded and four dead.
Keurig’s new machine uses plastic-free compressed coffee pucks
Keurig's new single-serve coffee machine delivers the same convenience that helped popularize its appliances but without the use of recyclable pods made from plastic and aluminum. The company first showed off its Keurig Alta machine two years ago while introducing the puck-shaped pod replacements called AltaRounds that wrap pressed coffee grounds in a plant-based coating derived from seaweed.
Paramount’s Warner Bros. megamerger will just be called Skydance
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has announced that the company will just be called Skydance when it completes its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery next week. In a post on X, Ellison writes that "we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. - and all our extraordinary brands - to remain in the spotlight."
Tesla’s recovery hits a speed bump
Tesla sold fewer vehicles in the third quarter than it did a year ago, when consumers rushed to cash in on expiring federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases. But the company still beat estimates from Wall Street, suggesting that it's recovery was still on track.
Home Assistant says ‘Big tech ruined the cloud, so we’re out’
The open-source smart home platform Home Assistant is kicking the cloud to the curb - in name at least. "We are renaming Home Assistant Cloud to Home Assistant Link, because we hate clouds," founder Paulus Schoutsen told The Verge in an interview ahead of today's announcement. "Big tech ruined the cloud, so we're out."
The Pocket Advance nearly perfects my favorite Nintendo handheld
Although I count the original Game Boy as one of my first tech obsessions, I still consider Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance to be my favorite console of all time thanks to its more comfortable horizontal design (for my big hands) and its expansive catalog of excellent 32-bit and 16-bit games. Ayaneo isn’t the first company to attempt to modernize the GBA, but its Konkr Pocket Advance does it best.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is my childhood podracing dream come true
The podracing scene in The Phantom Menace is one of my favorite movie sequences ever. It's just so dang cool: The futuristic racers tear over treacherous Tatooine terrain while various Star Wars aliens bark at each other in incomprehensible sci-fi languages. Eventually a young Anakin Skywalker proves his mettle by clawing his way from the back of the pack to win the race, which left an impression on me when I first saw it at 10 years old. I always wished I could pilot a podracer myself.
Amazon writes scary blog warning communities not to block data centers
Amazon is calling for people to support AI data center projects, or risk irreparable harm to the US economy and national security. In a more than 3,000 word blog posted today, Amazon web services CEO Matt Garman pushed back on public concerns around the impact that data centers may have on jobs, power demands, and the environment, saying "our nation can't afford to lose" the race for AI dominance.
AI music maker Suno now generates spoken words
Suno is branching out from the world of AI music, launching a new feature that generates spoken voices based on scripts or prompted descriptions. Speech is now available in public beta across Suno's web and mobile platforms, and allows you to simultaneously generate voiceovers and background music to accompany them.
Apple’s reportedly developing a smart home camera that doesn’t record video
Apple's rumored push into smart home tech could include a smart home security camera that only gives users text event descriptions instead of video footage. Mark Gurman said in the first episode of the Power On podcast that the camera will be part of "a new Apple smart home ecosystem," alongside Apple's rumored smart home hub:
Google’s new Guided Vision feature can help you read the fine print
Guided Vision is launching in Gemini Live on compatible Android devices today to use AI to give real-time audio descriptions of anything you point your phone's camera at. By sharing your camera in Gemini Live, you can have Google's AI help with things like reading small text, describing your surroundings, finding or identifying objects around you, and describing details on specific objects.
Android Central ‘will continue’ despite laying off its staff
Android Central, a blog focused on the Android ecosystem, laid off its staff yesterday, but owner Future confirms to The Verge that the site will continue publishing. Yesterday, four of the six staffers on Android Central's staff page posted publicly about the layoffs, including Shruti Shekar, Derrek Lee, Harish Jonnalagadda, and Nicholas Sutrich, and former senior editor Namerah Saud Fatmi updated her LinkedIn to indicate that her tenure a
Steam Deck 2: Is AMD Gainsborough the chip Valve’s been waiting for?
The Steam Deck is four and a half years old, and handheld gamers are eagerly awaiting a Steam Deck 2 - but Valve has consistently said it needs a new chip with a "generational leap" in performance and efficiency before building the sequel. There's some reason to believe that chip has now broken cover: AMD Gainsborough. But I'm a tad skeptical. As leaker Moore's Law is Dead and IT Home report, the latest AMD drivers have leaked the codename for a previously unknown ch
Judge dismisses antitrust lawsuits over Google’s AI Overviews
A federal judge has dismissed a pair of antitrust lawsuits filed by Chegg and Rolling Stone parent company Penske Media Corporation, which accused Google of driving away web traffic with its AI-powered search features, as reported earlier by Reuters. US District Judge Amit Mehta takes Google's side in a ruling on Wednesday, writing that PMC and Chegg's claims don't stand up to antitrust law.
Sony brings AI graphics upscaling to the regular PS5
Sony is launching a new AI upscaling technology specifically for the regular PS5. The new tech, called Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), is a "new performance tier of AI upscaling" that's a result of Sony's Project Amethyst work with AMD, according to a blog post.
Can VR glasses save VR?
I'm pretty sure I won't be buying the $1,299 Meta VR Glasses. That's too rich for my blood in today's economy, and my feelings about Meta are… conflicted. But I want you to understand that Meta just changed the game. We've had glasses, but we've never had glasses like this.
Microsoft’s Office and Teams chief is leaving
After nearly 18 years at LinkedIn and Microsoft, Ryan Roslansky is leaving the company. Roslansky, who until recently was the CEO of LinkedIn, was promoted to the head of Office last year and then took control of Microsoft Teams earlier this year. Roslansky's departure has triggered another leadership shuffle inside Microsoft.
Inside Microsoft’s big Copilot rethink
Last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella hosted an intimate, invite-only event for leaders from some of its key enterprise customers. Instead of a flashy media event, Nadella outlined the future of Copilot directly to the customers Microsoft really cares about, pitching its latest rethink of the AI assistant as the "OS for work."
NYC is now the first city in America that bans sketchy subscriptions
New York City residents struggling to get out of recurring subscription fees can now submit complaints to the city government. As of Thursday, the city's click-to-cancel rule has taken effect, which requires businesses to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up. That means a gym that lets you join online, for example, can't make you call or go in person to end your subscription.
OpenAI’s new agent is a shot at Meta — but can it compete with free?
At OpenAI's annual DevDay conference, the company pulled out all the stops to compete with its rivals - primarily Meta, whose Muse AI agent platform has seen early runaway success. CEO Sam Altman walked onstage to cheers and announced Dots, a "real-deal AI" agent powered by GPT-6 Astra, "inspired by the cool agents that we all watched in movies growing up." Similar to Muse, Dots aims for disarming cuteness, taking the form of colorful, personalizable blobs with eyes.
Inside our months-long investigation into Kevin O’Leary’s Utah data center debacle
Today I’m talking with Josh Dzieza, a longtime features writer here at The Verge, about Kevin O’Leary’s plans to build a massive data center in Utah.
What even is a ‘microdrama’?
On Monday, Variety reported that RoseBerry Media is recutting episodes of the Australian soap opera Neighbours "into microdramas." These clips will be available on Epis, a short-form vertical video streaming platform. Though Neighbours ran for 41 seasons from 1985 to 2025, at launch, RoseBerry is only recutting two storylines from the late aughts focused on a character played by the now-internationally famous Margot Robbie.
Samsung raised prices on the Galaxy S26 by $100
The base Galaxy S26 with 256GB of storage costs nearly $1,000 after Samsung raised prices in the US by $100 or more, Phone Arena reports. The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus were already $100 more expensive than their S25 predecessors when they launched earlier this year, which Samsung said RAM price hikes were partly to blame for. With both price hikes combined, the base S26 will now set you back $200 more than the base S25 would have. Apple and Google have also raised prices on their phones this year.
Gears of War: E-Day is a great game launching at a terrible time
There are few blockbuster games that are as confident as Gears of War: E-Day. A prequel to one of Xbox's most transformative titles, E-Day knows exactly what it wants to be: a brutal, tense, and self-aware action game, one that is stronger because it doesn't deviate from that premise. Twenty years since the original Gears of War, there's still nothing like its particular brand of up-close cover shooter gameplay, and E-Day shows that it still hits hard two decades later.
Huawei made a whole camera to attach to its latest phone
Over the last few years, Chinese Android manufacturers have followed Vivo's example of launching add-on "teleconverter" lenses for their flagship phones, enabling long-distance photography that the phones on their own could never match. Today, Huawei one-upped everybody with the add-on lens for its Mate 90 Pro Max flagship, which is not only a comically huge zoom lens, but also includes its own image sensor.
Lemmo’s fancy e-bike is one of the first with a semi-solid state battery
The Lemmo 3 is the first cargo bike from the respected German e-bike maker. This premium, step-through longtail is a slightly less insane take on Rivian's Also TM-B, with one major advantage: it's one of the first electric bikes to feature a semi-solid state battery.
The People of Utah vs. Kevin O’Leary
On the morning of May 11th, the celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary appeared on Fox Business and announced that he was under attack by Chinese agents.
Noise from Universal’s latest ride made rich locals furious, fast
Universal Studios Hollywood has pledged to erect another sound barrier around its latest attraction after local residents complained about the bloodcurdling screams from riders. In a meeting attended by at least 350 people yesterday, park execs also promised that Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift won't operate between 8AM and 9AM for the rest of the year, Deadline reports.
Vivo’s X Fold 6 accidentally feels like a throwback
It's a quirk of the release calendar that when Vivo's X Fold 6 launched in China this June, it was just another foldable. Now that it's ready for its global release, the size and aspect ratio feel oddly old-fashioned.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has a ‘newly refreshed’ design
Grokipedia, SpaceXAI's AI-powered competitor to Wikipedia, recently started incorporating edits again, and today, it got some design tweaks as part of a v0.3 update, including a new logo and refreshes to its homepage and live edits page. SpaceXAI head of design Benji Taylor calls it a "newly refreshed Grokipedia."
The new and huger Paramount has a new co-CEO
Paramount is appointing a new co-CEO ahead of the close of its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Ynon Kreiz, previously Mattel's chairman and CEO, will be joining Paramount to lead alongside chairman and CEO David Ellison.
Neon sticks it to A24 by announcing a Creative Commons SCP Foundation movie
A24 pissed off one of the internet's largest horror communities when it announced it was working on an SCP Foundation film, but apparently hadn't bothered to contact the SCP Wiki team, nor did it commit to releasing it under a Creative Commons license as required. Seeing an easy PR win, Neon is cashing in by announcing it's making its own SCP movie. But unlike A24, it proactively reached out to the SCP Foundation Wiki team and has pledged to release it under the Creative Commons ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license.
Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now
Google today revealed its next AI frontier model, which it's calling Gemini 4 Argon. The new model delivers "frontier performance in complex workflows across real-world software engineering, enterprise knowledge work like legal and finance, and cybersecurity defense," according to chief AI architect and Google DeepMind SVP Koray Kavukcuoglu. But the company is limiting access at first to a "set of trusted cyber defenders," and Kavukcuoglu says that Google is "actively engaged in the U.S.
The AI Tamagotchis are coming
While AI has made plenty of inroads on people's phones and computers, it's largely failed in dedicated devices. But over the next year, two major AI companies, Meta and OpenAI, will attempt to change that. And they're apparently betting on a similar path: testing appetite for physical hardware with their cutesy software agents.
Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots
Reddit is further limiting who can use the "Old Reddit" experience as part of its efforts to combat scraping and automated traffic. Reddit recently started forcing users to log in to be able to use Old Reddit, but in the "next few months," the company says that you'll have to be logged in and have used Old Reddit in the six months from when the change rolls out to be able to continue browsing the platform with the classic experience.
Amazon’s delivery driver smart glasses will reportedly take photos ‘almost constantly’
Amazon deliveries could soon come with a new catch: the delivery driver's smart glasses will be snapping photos of anything they see while they're in use, including people and private property. Bloomberg reports that the glasses could take "several thousand captures in a single driver's typical shift," which Amazon plans to upload to its AI Wellspring platform. When asked if customers will be able to opt-out of this, Amazon's Viraj Chatterjee told Bloomberg, "We haven't thought about that."
Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan
After hosting a meal with Big Tech leaders on Tuesday, President Donald Trump responded to journalist questions about his artificial intelligence announcements in typical fashion. He said his previous claims regarding fears around AI safety being a "hoax" cooked up by Democrats no longer apply now that he's renamed the technology to "
This blog could help you poop better
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here.
Asus won’t say how it escaped the US router ban
This spring, the United States banned all future foreign-made consumer routers - effectively all future routers - unless their makers could 1) convince the US government that they weren't a national security threat, and 2) submit "a detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States."
‘Xbox is not for sale’ says Microsoft’s gaming chief
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has denied reports that Microsoft is considering selling off its Xbox business. The Information reported in June that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood had been considering spinning out Xbox, and then reported earlier this month that both execs have "more recently supported Sharma's plans to overhaul the unit."
The Halide camera app now offers full control of the iPhone 18 Pro’s aperture
A new update to Lux Optics' anti-algorithm Halide camera app for the iPhone and iPad adds two new photography looks and support for the variable aperture on the new iPhone 18 Pro's main camera. Halide isn't the first alternative to the native iOS camera app to add support for the new feature, but it offers more finite control over aperture settings than other third-party apps.
All the latest news on Meta’s cute, creepy Muse AI agent
Meta launched a new Muse AI agent it claims can help you with everything from firing off emails to buying stuff online. Muse can be surprisingly effective at delivering on those promises — if you’re willing to trust Meta with your data and hand Muse your credit card. Since the launch, Meta’s also announced plans for a Tamagotchi-like Muse Charm device for its cuddly AI mascot. Follow along here for the latest news and updates. Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger Meta expands Muse tools for small businesses.
Google reportedly tests paying publishers for AI search results
Google has launched a pilot program that pays publishers for their contributions to its AI-powered search features, according to a report from The Information. The pilot program reportedly includes around 100 publishers and comes as Google faces scrutiny over the impact of its AI features on web traffic.
Instagram is adding an AI ‘assistant’ to tell you how to post
Instagram is the latest social media platform to add built-in AI-powered features that will give users feedback on their posts. The company announced Wednesday that its standalone Edits app will now include an AI "creative assistant" that pulls in data from a user's Instagram account and offers suggestions on what to change.
Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K can pull power directly from your TV
The new Fire TV Stick 4K will be a little easier to set up than Amazon's previous 4K streaming sticks since it no longer requires a power adapter. You can power the device directly from your TV's USB port, like the updated entry-level Fire TV Stick Amazon launched earlier this year. The Fire TV Stick 4K, available starting today for $59.99, runs on Amazon's refreshed TV OS and includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and Bluetooth Low Energy.
You’ll soon be able to order DoorDash by text message
DoorDash is launching new ways to use the local delivery platform, including text message ordering, drone deliveries, and retail returns. The new message ordering feature builds on capabilities that the Ask DoorDash AI chatbot introduced to the DoorDash app in June, allowing you to get recommendations and offload your browsing while skipping the app entirely.
Potato by air
The Wing Hummingbird 7000W-B delivery drone weighs less than 15 pounds. It has 16 propellers - four for horizontal movement and 12 for vertical - a top speed of 60 miles per hour, a carrying capacity of up to 2.7 pounds, and a delivery radius of about six miles. It is authorized by the FAA for beyond-line-of-sight piloting. As a feat of engineering, it is impressive.
The Sonos Ace Ultra are the headphones Sonos should have made the first time
The original Sonos Ace headphones should have been a triumphant entry into a new product category. Instead, they were overshadowed by Sonos's disastrous app redesign. And while the original Ace are well built, sound good, and are incredibly comfortable, they weren't good Sonos headphones: Their flagship feature let you reroute audio from a Sonos soundbar to the Ace headphones so you could listen to your TV audio without disturbing anyone.
Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal
We now have the full details of the "morally binding" AI safety deal announced by Pre
Samsung gives its two-year-old Galaxy Tab S Plus an overhaul
Since the Galaxy Tab S10 line, Samsung has updated its flagship Ultra tablet annually, but alternates its regular and Plus variants. It means that this year's Galaxy Tab S12 series includes an Ultra model with few changes from last year's Tab S11 Ultra, and a Plus variant that brings a bigger overhaul to the two-year-old Tab S10 Plus. There's no regular Tab S12, suggesting fans of the smaller size will have to wait until 2027 for the next version of that tablet.
Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will reportedly be revealed on October 13th. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the smart home device will be revealed alongside a new HomePod mini and an upgraded Apple TV device.
OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe
For months, people have wondered when OpenAI will go public. CEO Sam Altman says it won't happen until the company can make better promises about model safety, with no firm timeline in sight. "We intend to continue with AI progress … but as the models have had this surge forward in capability, and we see more of that ahead of us, we have got to be able to make confident safety claims," Altman said Tuesday during a Q&A with reporters after his DevDay keynote. At the same time, he said, waiting too long for an IPO would be "bad for the world."
Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’
The US executive branch is no longer acknowledging the existence of "artificial intelligence." Going forward, official policy websites, policy documents, and press releases will refer only to "Super Intelligence," thanks to a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
BMW’s revamped i3 boasts up to 468 miles of range
When BMW first announced it was reimagining the i3 as an all-electric four-door sedan built on its Neue Klasse platform, it left out a lot of important details, like battery capacity, range, and price. Today, the German automaker is finally starting to fill in the blanks on the i3.
Suspected ShinyHunters leader arrested in the Netherlands
Dutch police say they arrested a 24-year-old Amsterdam man in connection with ShinyHunters, the hacking group that claimed responsibility for high-profile attacks on Ticketmaster, Rockstar Games, and more recently, the FBI. In a press release, Dutch authorities state that they arrested the suspect on September 15th - just days before the hacking group claimed to have breached the FBI's website and stolen employee data, as reported earlier by Reuters. Neither Dutch authorities nor the FBI name the suspect,
Elon Musk’s AI-powered Grokipedia is updating again
Grokipedia, the AI-powered online encyclopedia from SpaceXAI, appears to be updating articles once again after a months-long pause. In August, Lawfare reported that articles on Grokipedia hadn't reviewed edits since April, but the platform's live updates site is now showing various recent changes to pages - though as I write this, many are just a note that says "recheck all references and sources."
AI researchers put out videos saying superintelligence is ‘exactly as dangerous as it sounds’
"The chance of human extinction is about a coin flip, in my view," Geoffrey Irving, a former OpenAI and Google DeepMind employee, said in a new interview. It's one of a dozen interviews with AI researchers, including current and former employees at OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Palisade Research, which says it's a non-profit studying AIs' capabilities and motivations, collected and launched the interviews on frominside.ai.
Razer’s low-latency wireless gaming keyboard is almost half off
Woot has the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro TKL on sale for $130, a significant discount from its usual $219.99 price point. This keyboard is built for competitive gaming, with a low latency 2.4GHz wireless connection, and low-profile linear optical switches for faster activations that require a lighter touch than regular mechanical switches. The TKL layout cuts the numpad, but affords you more desk space for your mouse.
OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor
OpenAI is responding to Meta's buzzy Muse AI with agentic helpers of its own: Dots. During its DevDay keynote on Tuesday, OpenAI announced that Dots will serve as always-on AI assistants that can "do nearly anything" across connected apps in the background while learning your preferences over time.
Protesters gather at OpenAI’s DevDay
On Tuesday, OpenAI's annual DevDay event began with protests, flyers, and chants. "Sam Altman, get off it, put people over profit," said a group of protesters marching in a circle in front of a series of signs that spelled out "PEOPLE OVER PROFIT."
Xbox’s Mythic Achievements are here and they’re just like PlayStation Platinum trophies
Microsoft is officially announcing its new Xbox Mythic Achievements today, and they're already available for Xbox Insiders to test. Mythic Achievements work a lot like Sony's PlayStation Platinum trophies and are unlocked once you've earned every original achievement for a game.
Apple’s new CEO could change when it launches phones and laptops
John Ternus, Apple's new CEO, wants Apple to launch products more often than its usual splashy moments in the fall and the spring, according to a Bloomberg report detailing some of Ternus's initial plans for the company.
OpenAI DevDay 2026: The biggest news and announcements
It’s OpenAI’s turn in the fall tech events calendar. The company is hosting its annual DevDay on September 29th in San Francisco, starting with a live keynote featuring CEO Sam Altman. The company is teasing “20+ launches” with Altman saying that “we have found a new thing,”, and rumors suggest it could launch a consumer AI agent to rival Meta’s Muse. The keynote begins at 1PM ET / 10AM ET, and you can watch it on OpenAI’s website here.
This might be our first look at Google’s Pixel 11A
Google isn't making any significant design changes to its upcoming midrange Pixel update, judging by the leaks shared by Android Headlines. The image renders made by OnLeaks are potentially our first look at the Pixel 11A, which aside from having a slightly rounder oval-shaped rear camera module, looks almost indistinguishable from both the Pixel 10A and Pixel 9A. It seems the chunky display bezels sported by those predecessors will also carry
Leaked images reveal new colors for Amazon’s next entry-level Kindle
Amazon typically introduces new Kindle models a few months ahead of the holiday shopping season and this year it looks like that will include a bigger update to the entry-level Kindle than what debuted in 2024. The last upgrades to the basic Kindle model were limited to a brighter backlight, a new dark mode, and faster page turns, but according to leaked images shared by WinFuture, the next version will come with a minor redesign and expanded color options.
Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger
Tech YouTuber Matt Robb says that Muse gave out his home address to a total stranger this weekend, after authorizing the bot to handle his Facebook Marketplace account. That's despite Meta placing great emphasis on the security features of Muse when it launched the personal AI agent earlier this month as it tries to catch up with competing AI providers like Anthropic and OpenAI.
The best early October Prime Day deals happening now
It’s not even October yet and Amazon is already offering some Prime Big Deal Day discounts on its own hardware, along with plenty of other popular products. It’s all to hype up October Prime Day, which starts October 6th at 3AM ET and lasts through 3AM ET on the 8th if you’re on the East Coast (12AM PT).
Fairphone’s next repairable wireless earbuds will launch on October 14th
Following leaks revealing a major redesign earlier this month and an official teaser posted to X yesterday, Fairphone has shared some exclusive details with The Verge about the first follow-up to its Fairbuds wireless earbuds that debuted over two years ago.
Polaroid’s new instant camera has four creative shooting modes you can experiment with
Polaroid announced a new instant camera that lets photographers get more creative and experimental with their shots than just changing the aperture or shutter speed. In addition to a Brightness dial on the front for adjusting exposure, the new Polaroid Mod has a dial around the lens for switching between four "creative shooting modes" with unique analog effects that are all captured in-camera.
Will Chinese AI companies slow down? A top House Democrat wants answers
As President Donald Trump prepares to meet tech and AI CEOs in Washington, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is calling for a treaty between the US and China to keep AI from wreaking havoc on the world. But wrangling leaders in both countries to take action could be a long shot.
Anthropic warns of ‘catastrophic’ AI risks in its own IPO filing
As Anthropic gears up for its greatly anticipated public debut, a preview of the company's IPO filing reportedly details its mounting losses, leadership proposals to retain power, and how its AI development plans could "further increase the risk that our models cause harm." These disclosures come as Anthropic eyes a $2 trillion valuation, more than double the $965 billion it was valued at four months ago, making it a contender to overtake SpaceX as the largest IPO in history.
Your car’s data privacy problems are worse than you think
You hear it all the time: Modern cars are basically smartphones on wheels. And just like the phone in your pocket, the car in your driveway collects vast amounts of data - tracking where you drive, how fast you accelerate, how hard you brake, how aggressively you turn, and much more.
Nothing’s new flagship Headphone 1 Pro put you in the studio
Nothing has been on a bit of an audio tear this year, releasing the solid Headphone A and the surprisingly good Ear 3A earbuds. The Headphone A released at $199, while the earbuds are under $100, leaving room for something fancier. That something is the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro, the company's new $399 flagship over-ears that surprised me with everything they offer. They include what you'd expect from a pair of flagship headphones, such as active noise cancellation (ANC), multiple sound profiles, and easy-to-use controls.
AMD is acquiring AI company World Labs in a deal worth more than $8 billion
AMD announced today that it's acquiring World Labs, an AI research lab co-founded by the prominent researcher Dr. Fei-Fei Li, in an all-stock deal worth approximately $8.2 billion. World Labs launched in 2024 and was valued at $1 billion in a matter of months. The startup launched its first commercial product, a world generation model called Marble that lets users make interactive 3D worlds from a prompt, in 2025.
Bose starts adding Auracast to its headphones
A new firmware update for the $449 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 adds support for Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast as beta features. The flagship Ultra headphones are the first from Bose to support the audio sharing technology, which the company plans to bring to more devices soon. Only a few major manufacturers include Auracast, and only on select headphones or earbuds - including Sony,
OpenAI’s AI agents need to catch up
OpenAI popularized the modern generative AI chatbot, but as its 2026 DevDay event approaches, it's fallen behind in one of the industry's hottest categories: continuously running, consumer-facing AI agents. On Tuesday, it will likely try to capture the lead in that race. Rumors abound that OpenAI will release its own AI agent, dubbed Aeon - its answer to Meta's Muse, SpaceX's Grok Bot, OpenClaw, and many more.
Trump finalizes rule to make cars less fuel efficient
The US Department of Transportation finalized its plans today to weaken fuel efficiency standards, calling it "among the largest deregulatory actions under the second Trump Administration."
AI is supercharging hacking, and your local hospitals and banks aren’t ready
In March, Janice Malone began getting calls about suspicious activity from her nonprofit organization, Vivian's Door. Vivian's Door, headquartered in Alabama, typically provided training, resources, and community to underserved and minority-owned businesses. The work sometimes put it in close contact with these companies' financial data, which was stored on its systems. But suddenly, concerned callers from all over the world warned they'd been getting emails "begging for money" - which she hadn't sent.
Florida seeks a ban on ChatGPT acting like a person
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is calling for a judge to block OpenAI from "giving ChatGPT false human attributes," a few months after Florida sued the AI company over safety concerns. According to Uthmeier, users are lulled into a false sense of security by the AI bot, as "ChatGPT's use of language, including first-person pronouns and output that mimics emotion, deceptively suggests to users that it is a trustworthy 'friend.'
OpenAI keeps bulldozing mathematicians
In a chaotic few months, OpenAI has demonstrated it can do two things with remarkable consistency: make impressive breakthroughs in mathematics, then colossally screw up announcing them. OpenAI is now trying to do better. Somehow, it has botched that too.
Walmart won’t hike prices based on your shopping history, CEO says
Walmart says it won't change product prices based on your personal information or the time of day, as reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. In a letter to customers, Walmart CEO John Furner writes that the company's switch to digital shelf labels is meant to save store associates time, rather than dynamically change prices.
Volkswagen replaces ID.4 with all-electric Tiguan
In a widely expected move, Volkswagen announced Monday that it will replace the recently retired ID.4 crossover with the upcoming ID.Tiguan. The decision is an acknowledgment by the German automaker that its more recognizable nameplates like Tiguan are likely an easier sell with consumers, especially when it comes to EVs.
Dreame’s step-climbing X50 Ultra mopping vacuum is hundreds off
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a big price cut on a capable robot vacuum and mop hybrid that can scale over short steps and threshold to hunt messes. Dreame’s X50 Ultra is the model that my colleague Jen recommends for hard floors and carpets, and it’s down to $899.99 at Amazon for Prime members (originally $1,599.99, but commonly around $1,100). It’s actually a bit cheaper ($849.99) directly through Dreame’s site if you have a free account there.
Bose’s first wired earbuds in 11 years add noise canceling
Everything old is new again as today Bose announced its first pair of wired earbuds since discontinuing the option in 2015. The new tethered earbuds, which are simply called the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds, do away with battery anxiety and the need to remember to charge them every few days. Their functionality is limited, but they do take advantage of the past 11 years of earbud innovation with the addition of active noise canceling.
The SaaSpocalypse that wasn’t, with Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes
Today, I’m talking with Mike Cannon-Brookes, who is cofounder and CEO of Atlassian. Atlassian is one of those companies that every other company runs on — it makes important platform tools like Jira and Trello that allow people to organize and manage big teams, create shared databases of company information, and generally allow work to happen.
Honor’s Magic 9 Pro Max has a big camera and a bigger battery
Honor launches its new Magic 9 flagship phones in China today, and the 9 Pro Max features a design revamp, a capable camera, and a colossal battery. This is Honor's first flagship launch - Robot Phone aside - since it announced its collaboration with camera company Arri. The initial impact is twofold. The new camera island is Arri-inspired, drawing from the "three-lens turret" design first introduced in 1937's Arriflex 35, complete with a knurled texture around the main lens.
Engram is a sampler that turns broken AI hallucinations into music
Music startup Thoughtful Things has just launched the Kickstarter campaign for its first instrument, Engram. It's a sampler and groovebox that uses AI to mangle incoming audio and even hallucinate completely new sounds. This isn't Suno in a box, though. This isn't a "push-button, get-song" device, aimed at creating something that sounds ready for top-40 radio. It's about creating experimental, uncanny sounds and pushing AI audio models beyond their limits.
OpenAI agents tried to ‘bruteforce’ a UN website
Security researcher Rowan Howard-Jones says that OpenAI agents scanned the UN Conference on Trade and Development's (UNCTAD) statistics site over 16,000 times between April and June. While the incident doesn't quite rise to the level of the Hugging Face hack, or the recent attacks on US government sites, it's yet another concerning example of AI agents going outside the normal bounds to accomplish a task.
Googlebooks might be the real deal
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 145, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, I'm happy to be done traveling for a bit, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
The smart home graveyard is getting crowded
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the fragile state of your connected devices, follow Jennifer Pattison Tuohy. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
Decap is the man behind the drums behind your favorite song
I don't think I'm going to hurt anyone's feelings by pointing out that Decap doesn't have the name recognition of Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, or Charli XCX. But his fingerprints are all over tracks from them, as well as many other artists, including Freddie Gibbs, Bad Bunny, Mac Miller, BTS, and even Ludwig Göransson's score for Oppenheimer.
Kids turned the comment section of an NPR podcast into a group chat
Middle schoolers, likely blocked from other apps and social networks, apparently turned the Spotify comment section under an episode of NPR's Wild Card into an impromptu group chat. In a new episode of This American Life, host Ira Glass digs into how the kids landed there and why. But it mostly boils down to kids getting creative to work around the restrictions placed on them.
OpenAI pauses training of its ‘most capable models’
As reports of OpenAI's models breaking containment, hacking sites, and generally getting out of control pile up, the company has made the decision to pause training of its most powerful models. The decision was made after a model being tested within a sandbox exploited a loophole to gain internet access. The incident happened on September 20th, and "All training, evaluation, and inference with tool-use" remains paused as of Saturday evening, September 25th.
Can Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince save the web from AI?
Today, I’m talking with Matthew Prince, who is CEO of Cloudflare. This episode is part of a two-part series on the future of business.
Control Resonant is a great game — it’s even better when you read everything
In Control Resonant, the entire world is at stake. But that didn't stop the diligent employees of the Federal Bureau of Control from filing reams of paperwork, and it didn't stop me from reading everything I could find, either. Reading is often optional in Resonant, but it's where some of the game's best details - and even love stories! - can be found.
Pokémon card resellers have turned collecting into an online blood sport
Earlier this month, Pokémon card content creator Natalie Roush posted a video to her YouTube and Instagram pages that enraged the larger collection community. In the now-deleted video, Roush shows off two premium boxes of cards that had not yet been officially released, and implores viewers not to be mad. But they were; other creators claimed that cards Roush had purchased were stolen from the manufacturer and mocked her for trying to sell them at exorbitant prices.
Roku’s first OLED TVs are up to $400 off, starting at $699
Roku recently launched its first-ever OLED TVs. The $999 starting price was already impressive for the 55-inch Pro Series model that has a 120Hz refresh rate OLED panel (with four HDMI 2.1 ports and support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10 Plus). The price is even lower right now at Amazon when you enter the code ROKUOLED300 at checkout. It knocks a clean $300 off, as the code indicates, making this the most affordable modern 55-inch OLED you can get right now.
Tesla’s Optimus robot is going through growing pains
Hitting its goal of making 20,000 Optimus robots per week is reportedly proving tricky for Tesla. The Information reports that Tesla produced "several hundred robots a week" last month, after it repurposed its Model S and Model X production lines for Optimus earlier this year.
Sony and UMG are suing Suno again
Sony and Universal Music Group filed yet another suit against Suno. The labels claim its new v6 model still infringes on their copyrights because it's trained on user outputs from previous models, which were themselves trained on unlicensed music ripped from YouTube and other sources. Sony and UMG are notable holdouts who did not sign a licensing agreement with Suno. In its complaint shared with The Verge, Sony and
One company is at the center of a wave of rogue AI attacks
In July, OpenAI revealed that its AI agents had attacked Hugging Face without permission, sparking widespread concerns about AI safety. Since then, a string of similar incidents involving agents from Meta, Anthropic, Google, and other companies has fueled further fears about rogue AI. As disclosures implicating numerous AI models trickled out over the past few months, these seemed like separate incidents. But many share a common source: one specific company tasked with testing the agents.
Gaming’s biggest horror series are more vital than ever
For the third year in a row, I've been scared out of my wits by a new Silent Hill game. First it was the modern remake of Silent Hill 2, then the Japan-set spinoff Silent Hill F. Now I find myself slowly crawling through a quaint Scottish town in Silent Hill: Townfall, trying my best not to get brutally murdered by demonic creatures chasing me through the streets. It's been a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that once seemed like it was on life support.
Can Apple Home’s AI camera features outsmart Amazon’s and Google’s? I put them to the test
A few years back, I was at a beachside Easter egg hunt, watching my kids dash through sand dunes searching for sweet treats. My phone buzzed in my pocket; I ignored it. A moment later, it buzzed again. I pulled it out, glanced down, and saw a "motion detected" notification from my security camera. "Just my dog in the yard," I thought, dismissing it.
Insta360 conquered 360 cameras — now it’s eyeing glasses
It's right there in the name: "Insta360" makes 360-degree cameras, ones that film every angle simultaneously so you can shoot first and frame later. It didn't invent the idea, but Insta360 has become so synonymous with 360 cameras that it dominates the category with 73 percent of worldwide marketshare. It's preparing to ship so many cameras, it just spent $298 million - more than GoPro's entire valuation - on memory chips alone.
Meta employees ordered ‘attorney/client privilege’ hats while fighting child safety disclosures
Meta's lawyers have argued that certain evidence should be withheld from public view on the grounds of attorney-client privilege in the ongoing lawsuits over alleged harm to teens' safety and mental health. Lawyers suing the company said this week that the label has been applied far too broadly, while pointing to a recently unsealed document showing that the team behind launching Instagram's Teen Accounts in 2024 put in an order for baseball caps that simply said "a/c priv." The lawyers suing Meta
Microsoft puts Brad Smith in charge of communications
Microsoft is moving its communications group out of marketing and into its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) organization. The surprise change will see Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith oversee communications, while the company searches for a replacement for Frank Shaw, chief communications officer, who is departing later this year.
Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar gives Google’s AI a face
Google's new Gemini 3.8 Live update lets users have conversations with the model while watching an animated AI persona respond in real time. The "Live Avatar" will lip-sync and show different facial expressions during conversations, but it's currently only available to Gemini Enterprise customers.
Sadly, this $1,549 RTX 5070-equipped gaming PC is a very good deal
While PC component prices remain high, you can save a good bit of money on a system by purchasing a prebuilt desktop. Walmart has a well-equipped CyberPowerPC gaming PC on sale for $1,549, almost $600 off its original price of $2,139. It’s powered by an Intel Core i7-14700KF processor, and paired with 32GB of 6000MHz DDR5 memory and an Nvidia RTX 5070 Founders Edition with 12GB of VRAM. The case is a CyberPowerPC MA-O1, an in-house design with extensive cooling options and three dedicated knobs for adjusting internal RGB lighting colors.
Meta is going to let you build games with AI right on your phone
Meta has a new plan to get people to make games for its Horizon social platform. The company today announced two new development tools that will let you create games with AI prompts: Horizon Create, a mobile app, and Horizon Studio, a browser app that offers more granular controls. The apps will be available in early access, and interested users can sign up for a waitlist.
Muse will apparently let you download its entire filesystem
A pair of developers say that with very little prompting, Meta's Muse will share its entire filesystem with you. Peter James and Jonny L. Saunders have said they both independently coaxed Muse into zipping up and sharing the entire contents of its root filesystem, Ubuntu system files, app templates, and internal documentation. Saunders posted on Mastodon that it was "extremely easy" to replicate James' results and that Muse had "Almost no prompt injection resistance."
Gemini can now call businesses for you so you don’t have to wait on hold
Google's launching an "early experiment" feature on Pixel 11 that lets users delegate local business calls to Gemini, like making a reservation, checking if a product is in stock, or rescheduling an appointment. According to Google, you don't even need to start the call to have Gemini handle it for you:
You might not miss what Nikon removed from its cheaper full-frame Z5 IIC
Nikon waited five years to update its full-frame Z5 camera to the Z5 II, but today it announced a new variant of last year's upgrade that removes features instead of introducing improvements in order to make it more affordable for novice photographers. While the Nikon Z5 II starts at $1,849.95, the new Nikon Z5 IIC is $450 cheaper at $1,399.95 with a refreshed design and all of the original's best core features.
Why can’t we just keep rogue AIs off the internet?
AI agents keep getting loose, escaping supposedly secure tests to attack real-world targets, commandeer obscure wikis, and leave instructions for other agents to follow. Researchers are testing these systems precisely because they might behave in unpredictable, even dangerous, ways. So wouldn't it be safer to just keep the agents off the internet?
Google is sending an AI satellite into space next week
Google is getting ready to launch a satellite with its AI processors to test how well they perform in space, as reported earlier by The New York Times. The move is part of Google's Project Suncatcher, the company's experimental initiative that could eventually put AI data centers into orbit.
The vibes are bad for Flock in Washington
Flock is in the hot seat in Washington, even if its CEO declined to actually face senators at a hearing about its "AI Surveillance Network" on Wednesday.
I have some questions for Mark Zuckerberg
It’s a big week for Meta. The company just kicked off its big Connect conference on Wednesday, and the new Muse AI agent appears to be an early hit. I’ve been using it — it is surprisingly good.
Waymo’s driverless cars continue to crash less often than people
Waymo's latest batch of self-reported data continues to affirm the company's message that its driverless cars are safer than human drivers. As policymakers continue to debate the safety and economic impact of autonomous vehicles, Waymo is hoping that its own data will help bring more supporters to its side - even as some experts say the data fails to capture the non-crash traffic disruptions caused by its robotaxis.
Everything is spying on you and there’s no opting out
Earlier this month, Apple announced that its new Apple Watches will have the ability to continuously listen to every spoken word they detect and create summaries of whatever's going on around you. The privacy blowback was immediate and inevitable: Experts warned of the legal risks of using the features, especially in nonpublic spaces and states where eavesdropping laws require both parties to consent to being recorded. Many others called the tech "creepy." Apple, prepared for the backlash, launched an e
Control Resonant gets tough, but gives you the tools to deal with it
Control Resonant isn't an easy game. At any given moment while exploring vast open areas where you're sometimes leaping from wall to wall to ceiling, you may be surrounded by swarms of otherworldly enemies trying to crush you into the ground. It can be a lot, especially when enemies sometimes take a long time to take down. I died often. But whenever I got to a point where I was starting to feel frustrated, I didn't have to suffer for too long;
OpenAI agents hacked an Australian government website in search for data
OpenAI's artificial intelligence agents hacked an Australian government website and attempted to breach numerous other government and university websites. The attack appears to be the first confirmed instance of a rogue AI agent breaching a government website, adding fuel to rapidly intensifying concerns about the safety of advanced AI systems and the responsibility of the companies building them.
Gemini 4 is almost ready, says new Google DeepMind chief
Google is reportedly nearing the launch of its long awaited Gemini 4 model, after dawdling behind rival developers on flagship AI releases. Speaking with The Information during his first media appearance as the leader of Google's DeepMind division, Koray Kavukcuoglu said that Gemini 4 is currently in its refinement stage, and that the company is aiming to launch the model "much earlier" than the end of the year.
Meta is making a standalone Muse AI gadget
Meta is building a dedicated hardware device for its new Muse AI agent. The product, called Muse Charm, was briefly shown off by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the end of his Meta Connect presentation. It looks almost like a chunky smart watch without the strap - just a big screen, plus a little lanyard for carrying the device around.
Meta is making Muse more powerful and will let you video chat with it, too
Meta is quickly iterating on its new Muse AI agent, announcing a bunch of updates today that make the bot more capable and able to chat with you in more ways.
Meta Connect 2026: The biggest news and announcements
It’s about time for Meta Connect, the company’s annual product launch event. This year, given the company’s major focus on AI and wearables like smart glasses, it seems likely that we’ll see updates from CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team on those categories. The company has been facing significant scrutiny because of how some users have been covertly recording other people using the glasses, meaning that one of the biggest announcements of the show could be its rumored camera-free pair.
Meta Connect 2026 live blog: On the ground at Mark Zuckerberg’s next big product launch
It's time once again for Meta's annual September product launch event, and The Verge is on the ground in Menlo Park to cover the show live. Meta says that today's keynote by Mark Zuckerberg will be about how "Meta is building a future for everyone" - something he wrote at length about in a recent essay about AI, smart glasses, and more. That means we can expect more news from Zuckerberg and his team on those topics; perhaps we'll hear more about Meta's recently launched Muse AI agent and new glasses hardware.
Microsoft refreshes its smaller Surface Pro and Laptop with Qualcomm’s X2 Plus
Microsoft is refreshing its Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch devices with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 Plus chips. The smaller Surface devices retain the same design and hardware features from last year, with faster and more capable chips inside and higher price tags (thanks RAMageddon!).
Anthropic’s biolab made a discovery it’s comparing to Crispr
Anthropic says its AI Claude has "autonomously discovered" a new enzyme system similar to machinery behind the powerful gene-editing tool Crispr. It's the first result from Anthropic's newly-launched wet lab and an early test of Claude's usefulness for science as the company prepares to go public.
Bernie Sanders proposes banning ‘superintelligence’ and putting violators in prison
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) have introduced new legislation that would ban anyone from developing artificial superintelligence - a technology the bill describes as capable of the "destruction or disempowerment of humanity," including by overthrowing the government. Under the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, AI leaders would face up to 20 years in prison for violating the law.
Logitech’s new Blue Yeti 2 mic adjusts itself to where you are
The original Blue Yeti has been one of the most recognizable go-to USB microphones for content creators since it launched in 2009, and now it finally has a successor. Launching today under Logitech G, the Blue Yeti 2 adds some modern upgrades, including an interactive LED display, AI de-noising, and a proximity based voice sensor - which resolves a notable flaw with its predecessor's design while still paying homage to it.
Logitech’s new haptics-based gaming mouse is a little better and $20 more
The G Pro Superstrike mouse is one of Logitech's most interesting products. Unlike other gaming mice, it has haptic actuators beneath its two main buttons instead of mechanical switches, which decreases latency and allows for a custom click feel (the click can be super subtle, more jolty, or turned off entirely). The tech debuted in the G Pro X2 Superstrike in February, and there's already a sequel. Well, it's more like a 1.5 rather than a true successor.
One of the best Metroid games for the Switch is 30 percent off
Nintendo’s “Customer Appreciation” sale continues through September 26th. It includes discounts on Switch games and accessories, and I thought I’d call out one of my favorite games that’s cheaper than ever. Metroid Prime Remastered is down to $27.99 in digital format for the Switch and Switch 2, and it’s among the best remasters I’ve played because it makes smart improvements to an already-great game. You can get it for this price at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The physical version costs around $42 at those retailers.
This $199 GPS sports watch is repairable, modular, and open-source
The Una Watch costs less than most Garmin watches now that its price has been lowered from the Kickstarter offer of $350 to $199, but its modular, repairable design grabbed my attention first. It features a 1.2-inch MIP LCD display and up to 10 days of battery life, similar to the Garmin Forerunner 70 or the Pebble Round 2 I pre-ordered earlier this year.
YouTube is building AI creator tools that do almost everything for them
Part of the job of a content creator is to figure out how to get their work in front of the most people. Cracking - or fighting - the algorithm has historically been a frustration for creators, but YouTube is increasingly simply telling creators what they should do.
Discord will now automatically estimate your age
Discord is rolling out a new global age assurance system, seven months after pausing its previous verification measures following backlash from users. Starting today in every country except Australia and the UK, Discord will automatically assign users to an estimated age group based on "multiple account signals," with account restrictions placed on users believed to be between 13 and 17.
Nobody does it like Remedy
Video games have given us plenty of ways to traverse huge open worlds, but none have felt quite as oddly exhilarating as manipulating gravity in Control Resonant's twisted version of New York City. It's a game that lets you flip, twist, and fly through the air, while exploring settings that look ripped out of Inception. It's as if you mashed up the meta storytelling of House of Leaves with the inventive platforming of Super Mario Galaxy and somehow turned it into a coherent experience.
OpenAI wants to consult elite mathematicians about how to not fumble again
After turning a string of spectacular mathematical results into a reputational crisis, OpenAI is consulting human mathematicians to help it figure out a less disastrous path forward.
Paramount will need to release way more movies to make this merger work
Now that Paramount has reached a settlement with the 12 states that were suing to block its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the studio is even closer to becoming one of the world's biggest production houses. In addition to spending at least $300 million more on film and TV projects produced in the US, Paramount says that it will release a minimum of 30 movies annually after it absorbs WBD.
Rabbit’s new AI agent doesn’t need an R1 to run
Rabbit, the company behind the underwhelming R1 device, is rolling out a standalone AI agent that you don't need its hardware to use, as reported earlier by Wired. The startup says its new OS3 "agentic operating system" runs in the cloud but operates locally across Windows, Mac, and Linux devices.
Saudi Arabia’s new Exobot EVs make the Cybertruck look normal
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is mostly known for its global dominance over petroleum production and oil reserves - not necessarily cars and auto manufacturing, and certainly not electric vehicle production. So it was a little surprising on Monday when a Saudi startup called Ceer unveiled a pair of hyper-angular, spaceship-like EVs, with plans to launch an additional five models by 2030.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 comes in an Extreme version too
Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, this year joined by the 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 too. The company describes both new phone chips as flagships, and the spec differences are relatively minor, mostly limited to improved AI processing, video capture, and gaming performance on the Extreme model.
Score free Pixel Buds 2A when you preorder a Googlebook at Best Buy
The Android-powered Googlebooks are coming soon, with familiar brands and specs that rival Windows Copilot machines. For anyone eager to get their hands on any the new laptops, there’s a preorder perk you may want to know about lasting until October 25th, 2026.
San Francisco sues Trump Media for selling early access to Trump posts
San Francisco is suing the Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company behind Truth Social, for selling early access to President Donald Trump's posts on the social media site. The lawsuit, filed today in California state court, alleges that the Truth API feed is a "corrupt business scheme" that violates both California's Unfair Competition Law and federal ethics and anti-corruption laws that prohibit insider trading.
Andreessen Horowitz is launching an ‘academy’ with no homework and partnerships with Palantir, Google, and Meta
Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is creating an "academy" positioned as a pipeline for young people to build or join a Silicon Valley startup. The "Horowitz Andreessen Academy" will launch with 10 partners, including Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe, along with $42 million in funding led by a16z. While billed as a "highly selective school," it does not grant any degree or accreditation.
Rivian’s R2 beat its own climate goals four years early
Rivian always planned for its all-important R2 vehicle to be less expensive than its pricey R1 predecessors, but also less polluting. The production process for the R2 would rely on more renewable energy, and the vehicle itself would feature more recycled and biodegradable materials than the models that came before it. With this and a few other tricks, Rivian set the target to achieve a 50 percent lifetime carbon reduction for the R2 by 2030.
Xbox is barely Xbox anymore
Xbox has become a shell of its former self - and things are only getting worse. As part of its planned cuts impacting around 3,200 workers, the company announced today more changes that will further dilute the brand. Studios are being consolidated, others are on the brink of being closed altogether, and Xbox's most iconic franchise, Halo, is being moved to a new developer. The future of Xbox looks more uncertain than ever.
Microsoft is laying off 268 Xbox staffers and Ninja Theory may close
Microsoft is laying off around 260 Xbox employees today, as part of an ongoing "reset" of its gaming business. 1,600 Xbox employees were impacted by layoffs in July, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma describing the cuts as "the most significant restructure in Xbox history." Today's layoffs are part of the 3,200 roles that were previously confirmed to be impacted over the course of Microsoft's 2027 financial year (which ends in June 2027).
Activision is taking over Halo as part of a massive Xbox shake-up
Microsoft is announcing a massive restructuring of its Xbox studios today, months after laying off 1,600 Xbox employees and selling off studios. The latest changes will see Activision take on the Halo and Sea of Thieves franchises, as well as Age of Empires. Microsoft is also laying off around 268 Xbox employees as part of this restructuring, and likely closing Ninja Theory.
‘Trump TV’ is just reruns of the president on YouTube
The White House is now airing reruns of President Donald Trump's speeches, bill signings, and other moments on a YouTube livestream that it's calling "Trump TV," as reported earlier by Time. The 24/7 station launched just days after Trump banned CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House.
Waymo is offering transit discounts again, this time with Visa
Waymo has made several attempts over the years at offering transit discounts to its customers in the hopes of getting them to more frequently use the company's robotaxis to connect with a train or a bus. The Alphabet-owned company announced the latest effort today, teaming up with Visa to offer a discount on robotaxi rides when they use Waymo to connect with transit.
Oppo’s new phone is the first with three 200-megapixel cameras
Oppo's new Find X10 Pro Max flagship phone, launched today in China, is the first anywhere to use 200-megapixel sensors on all three of its rear cameras. A 17-stop dynamic range for the main camera, delivered thanks to what Oppo calls "DeepPix sensor technology," suggests megapixel count won't be the only thing this camera has going for it - a good thing, since raw resolution hasn't been the main driver of smartphone image quality for some time.
Meta patches Muse exploit that let attackers control the AI agent
Meta has issued a patch for its Muse macOS app following the discovery of a zero-day vulnerability that could allow someone to take control of the AI agent. The bug found by security researcher Patrick Wardle utilized an undocumented Muse setting that enabled potential attackers running local code to redirect transcription processing from Meta's servers to their own endpoint, Ars Technica reports, giving the attacker access to the Muse account.
Can you forget how you feel about Meta?
In 2021, as a whistleblower emerged with dramatic allegations that Facebook was harming children, CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a rebuttal on Facebook. “We care deeply about issues like safety, well-being and mental health. It’s difficult to see coverage that misrepresents our work and our motives,” he wrote in a note to Meta staff, which he reposted publicly. “At the most basic level, I think most of us just don’t recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted.”
A cut cable disrupted hundreds of flights across the US
Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed on Monday after construction crews in New Jersey accidentally cut a Verizon fiber cable used for air traffic control. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that a circuit failure led to the discovery of the severed fiber cable, ABC News reports. The outage hammered airports across the Northeast, causing ground stops at all three major New York
California tightens rules on AI data center energy and water use
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed seven bills designed to prevent AI data centers from passing utility costs onto residents, as reported earlier by the Los Angeles Times. The package of laws requires the California Public Utilities Commission to introduce a new rate classification for data centers, while forcing them to pay for upgrades to local power grids and water systems.
GM can’t ‘bring back’ Apple CarPlay because it never left
Last week, GM announced a new software experience for its upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, including a new look for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the popular phone mirroring systems that the automaker made a big deal about removing from its electric vehicles in 2023.
Paramount settles lawsuit blocking $110 billion Warner Bros. merger
Paramount has reached a settlement with California and the 11 other states that sued to block its planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The settlement removes a major roadblock standing in the way of the massive media merger.
Bungie says it’s ‘not done with Destiny’ and will bring back vaulted content
Months after seemingly giving up on Destiny 2, Bungie now says it's planning to restore vaulted content in the game like campaigns, destinations, and raids. The decision reverses the Destiny Content Vault that Bungie created six years ago, controversially removing older content from Destiny 2 that players had paid to access.
Grab an Xbox controller and a $50 Xbox gift card together for just $80
Newegg is hosting a bundle that includes Microsoft’s wireless Xbox controller (in black) and a $50 digital Xbox gift card together for $80. Given that this model typically sits around $50 to $60 depending on the color you want, this is a fantastic value since it essentially knocks its price down to $30. Another way of thinking about it is you’re paying full price for the controller, but getting a big discount on the gift card.
Can John Ternus find Apple’s next big thing?
Today, I’m talking with Mark Gurman, who is the world’s best-sourced Apple reporter — both as Bloomberg’s chief Apple correspondent and the host of the upcoming podcast Power On.
IPhone owners can now submit a claim in Apple’s $250 million Siri AI lawsuit
Apple is paying $250 million to settle claims that it failed to deliver an AI-upgraded Siri - and now, eligible iPhone owners can submit a claim for a payout. If you live in the US and purchased an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model between June 10th, 2024, and March 29th, 2025, you can file a claim on the settlement's website, as reported earlier by MacRumors.
Vivo’s X500 Pro Max has 17 stops of dynamic range and 4K240 slo-mo
Vivo's new X500 flagship phones have arrived in China, and as usual the company's focus is firmly on photography. The X500 Pro Max - a new tier in its lineup - is the first phone to use new sensors and silicon from Sony and MediaTek that enable impressive dynamic range and slow-motion video recording.
These are the first five Googlebook laptops
Google and partners are finally announcing the first laptops under the new Googlebook banner. There are five models from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to kick things off. They're available for preorder starting today and arrive in stores on October 4th.
The long dream of the Googlebook
In late 2010, an up-and-coming Google executive named Sundar Pichai took the stage in front of a bunch of reporters and explained that Google had a big new idea about laptops. In the future, he said, the only thing you'd need on your computer was a web browser - that was where all your apps, data, and connections would live going forward. Your computer didn't need much storage, Pichai explained, or any fancy hardware, because the cloud would do the work.
UN says AI safeguards can’t wait for certainty
Governments need to rein in increasingly capable AI agents before their risks are fully understood, a United Nations scientific panel warned in the global organization's first major assessment of OpenAI's hack of Hugging Face earlier this year.
No Dogs in Space is back to feed your need for obsessive music history
In August, I wrote about my love of the music history podcast No Dogs in Space, but mourned the fact that there hadn't been a new episode in over two years. Little did I know that hosts Carolina Hidalgo and Marcus Parks were gearing up to announce the show's return with season four, Punk 2.0. The first episode premiered this week, part one of a series on the New York Dolls, a band near and dear to my heart as a native Staten Islander, home of frontman David Johansen.
No one is surprised that Nvidia’s Jensen Huang thinks AI fears are overblown
The man who may stand to make the most money from the AI boom seems to think he knows better than anyone else, including researchers who have studied and worked on AI for decades. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, he claimed there was a "0% chance" of AI being the end of the world. He also said of people sounding the alarm about the dangers of AI that, "Scaring people is unnecessary. It is irresponsible."
A24’s reputation is on the line with the SCP Foundation movie
After the success of Backrooms, it looks like A24 is trying to cash in on yet another internet horror craze with a new installment in the V/H/S horror anthology series set in the SCP Foundation universe. But as soon as it was announced, the backlash started, and V/H/S: SCP already appears to be on shaky ground.
A great new video game movie
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 144, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, new tech season is here, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
Meta’s Muse is creepy, but maybe not for the reasons you think
Meta's Muse is apparently an effective AI assistant, but one that's a little creepy. Part of that is because of its new Mac app, which can access Messages, Calendar, and Notes. But for all its smarts, Muse doesn't actually know how to describe itself. Jason Aten, a contributing editor at Inc Magazine, posted on Threads screenshots of an interaction he had with Muse in which the assistant asks him some questions about a conversation he was having in Messages.
Gemini went rogue, hacked three companies, and Google hid it
In May, Gemini broke containment and hacked three different companies, but Google didn't disclose the incident until the Wall Street Journal approached the company. The hacks happened during a test of the model's cybersecurity capabilities run by third-party Irregular, which was also involved in similar incidents involving Meta and OpenAI.
Anamanaguchi has ‘too goddamn many’ browser tabs open right now
Anamanaguchi, the band consisting of Peter Berkman, James DeVito, Luke Silas, and Ary Warnaar, are most known for their chiptune music. Like me, you might have first heard them in game soundtracks like 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game or know of their collaboration with Hatsune Miku (which even made its way into Fortnite). They've gone through different eras of breakneck chiptune beats and dance-y pop songs, but their 2025 album Anyway took an indie rock departure - recorded in person at the
Does AI need an antitrust exemption so it doesn’t kill everyone????
Today on Decoder, we’ve got the first of a two-part series on the future of business, and I’m talking with Jonathan Kanter, the former antitrust chief for the US Department of Justice in the Biden administration. These days, he’s both a professor of law at WashU and professor of technology policy at Carnegie Mellon.
The AI regulation smackdown isn’t over
At the start of this week, the who's-who of AI seemed - at least tentatively - on the side of AI regulation. Over the weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had proposed a three-step plan for slowing AI development, including by embedding third-party evaluators in labs, coordinating across the domestic industry, and forging international agreements potentially with government assistance. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, and even SpaceX CEO Elon Musk publicly seemed to agree on aspects of all three things.
It’s not just LG. Every TV company is spying on you
The TV world has been a pot of controversy thanks to a two-hour-and-15-minute video from Gamers Nexus claiming LG TVs are nefariously spying on everything you do. They can record and store audio even when they seem to be off, track everything you watch, and could even be hacked remotely and turned into covert surveillance devices. LG TV owners, and tech enthusiasts in general, are furious, and a hurried response from LG has done little to calm the situation.
Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) ordered the state government to take steps that could empower local communities to have a larger say in data center development and slow down approvals in a state that is already home to the data center capital of the world.
Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO
You would think that a multimedia conglomerate as large as Disney would have a few chief technology officers by now, but the company has just appointed someone to the position for the very first time.
What Hollywood thinks about existential AI warnings
As the tech sector sounds alarms about AI's potential to destroy humanity, entertainment labor groups are urging the public to stay focused on what's already happening. The Verge reached out to Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Lionsgate, and other studios who have started using AI, as well film startups focused on bringing generative AI into the mainstream to ask for their reaction to the recent warnings surrounding the technology. None have responded to our request for comment.
Security researchers used Claude to help them hack into OpenAI
A team of three independent security researchers at Hacktron says it took less than 72 hours for them to hack into OpenAI employee accounts using Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8 and 5, the Wall Street Journal reports. They were able to access OpenAI's GitHub repository, called "Monorepo," which reportedly contains "OpenAI's algorithmic secrets," according to the Wall Street Journal's sources.
Brendan Carr’s FCC is more worried about who The View interviews than foreign governments owning Paramount
The FCC has announced it's waiving its rules limiting foreign equity ownership to 25 percent in the Paramount-Warner Bros. case and will allow three sovereign wealth funds run by the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to own 49.5 percent of the company. During Brendan Carr's tenure, the FCC has repeatedly threatened ABC, tried to block stations from airing interviews with Democrats, censored late-night TV hosts, and tried to bully journalists. However, it seems to h
This cartridge-playing Game Boy clone is smaller and cheaper than Analogue’s Pocket
FunnyPlaying, a Chinese company known for its Game Boy and GBA upgrade kits, has announced a new handheld that plays original Nintendo cartridges and ROMs. The FPGB Mini's cartridge support is limited to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color so it isn't as capable as the Analogue Pocket that's also compatible with the GBA and Sega Game Gear. What still makes the FPGB Mini a tempting alternative is its extremely pocketable design resulting in a handheld only slightly wider than a Game Boy cartridge, and its cheaper price.
Flash floods can strike without warning — this new technology could change that
On the morning of June 9th, Laura Lin was working from her home in Lanesville, a rural southern Indiana town about 15 miles from the Kentucky border. She was on a Zoom call, unaware that the heavy rain outside was beginning to flood her yard.
The AI Superintelligence Slowdown
Remember when tech leaders would tell their employees to “move fast and break things”? It seemed that would be the way of AI too. But after a summer where rogue AI agents became reality, and researchers warned that AI could kill us all, a number of leading US AI companies are publicly suggesting it’s time to pump the brakes and “pace the frontier” of bleeding-edge AI development.
Claude Code relaunches Projects to manage multiple AI agents in the cloud
The revamped projects feature in Claude Code allows users to run multiple agents under the same roof, with a shared memory, goals, and library of files and artifacts. Similar to Grok Bot and other tools that manage groups of AI agents, each project has "threads" running different tasks in parallel, with a "coordinator" directing everything:
Save $30 or more on a refurbished Apple TV 4K
Most hardware prices have soared in 2026, and that includes a variety of Apple laptops, tablets, and smart devices. Thankfully, you can offset some of the increased costs on an Apple TV 4K by buying one refurbished through the company. The 64GB model is selling for $169, $30 lower than the new retail price. The upgraded model, with 128GB of storage and an Ethernet port, is also discounted to $209 at Apple, a $40 discount from the full price.
Xbox’s clever disc-to-digital feature was 15 years in the making
When Xbox announced a new feature last month that lets you digitize existing physical game collections, I immediately thought of the Xbox One. Disc-to-digital seems like a clever new feature for Xbox, perfectly timed as a response to Sony killing PlayStation discs. But the reality is that it has been 15 years in the making and is now a big part of Xbox's ongoing game preservation efforts.
Your robotaxi might be a narc
In early September, two teenagers got into a Waymo, but then ended up in the back of a police car. The robotaxi company said it detected "a violation of our terms of service involving a firearm," pulled the car over, and alerted emergency services, according to the Los Angeles Times. Police arrested the passengers after allegedly finding a loaded AR-style "ghost gun" in the vehicle.
Camp Snap’s 110D gives slim retro film cameras a digital upgrade
Camp Snap is expanding its small collection of screenless digital point-and-shoot cameras with the new pocket-friendly 110D featuring a thin horizontal design first popularized by Kodak film cameras in the 1970s. The Camp Snap 110D is available for preorder starting today for $74.95 in back in black (black and gray) or dreamsicle (white and orange) color options with matching accessories.
Microsoft AI CEO says AI threats are real, and Anthropic is making it worse
Today, I’m talking with Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI. As you’re no doubt aware, the biggest story in tech right now is the spiraling debate about AI safety and regulation.
AI is feared globally as the destroyer of jobs
Pew Research has published a new global survey that sheds light on how people view AI, including its impact on jobs, life in general, and income inequality. The survey questioned 42,151 people across 37 countries from February 8th to May 13th - well ahead of recent apocalyptic warnings.
Bose’s next open earbuds have more bass, more volume, and more battery life
Bose announced a new version of its Ultra Open Earbuds that helped kick off the industry trend of clip-on wireless earbuds nearly two-and-a-half years ago. The new Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) feature a subtle redesign with improved performance in both sound quality and battery life. They're also joined by a new cheaper alternative called the Bose Sport Open Earbuds designed to provide a more secure and stable fit during physical activities.
Grand Theft Auto VI’s soundtrack will feature 34 brand-new tracks
After teasing a music-related reveal a few days ago, Rockstar has officially announced the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto VI. Called Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the soundtrack will feature 34 songs, which Rockstar describes as "brand-new, original tracks." Based on the first six singles, which are available today, it seems that the collection will span a pretty wide range of genres, with everyone from Keith Richards to Travis Scott contributing.
The Apple Watch Series 12 is the start of a new wearable era
You wouldn't know that the Apple Watch Series 12 is a big deal just by looking at it. It has the same design, buttons, sizes, and sensor types as generations of Apple Watches before it. But under the hood, the Series 12 builds in major changes that lay the groundwork for big ideas about the future of health and wearables.
The streamers are fighting over Halloween
The Toronto International Film Festival is a place to go to see the future of film, but this year it also provided a glimpse at what is coming very soon in the realm of streaming. Four different streamers - Peacock, Netflix, Amazon, and AMC - all premiered early looks at upcoming horror-adjacent series that are dropping very soon. And by doing it at TIFF, they showed just how important the month of October has become in the realm of streaming.
Snap is launching a new Specs AI tool, and it’s coming to iOS and Mac
Snap is introducing "Specs Intelligence," a new AI assistant that can connect other digital accounts to help you with things like work tasks and keeping track of travel information. It seems similar to AI assistants like Meta's Muse and Gemini's Spark, though Snap is pitching Specs Intelligence as an "anticipatory AI service" that "helps you manage what needs attention today, so you can make progress toward your longer-term goals." Like with other AI assistants, you can also chat with it.
The 2.5-hour AI-generated Odyssey movie is 2.5 hours too long
Christopher Nolan's engrossing take on The Odyssey dominated at the box office and spurred a newfound interest in classic literature among filmgoers. But a new retelling of the story made entirely with AI is so bad that it might just make viewers hate the original tale altogether.
Resident Evil is a comedy first and a thrilling nightmare second
When Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil hit theaters in 2002, video game movies were largely seen as a niche. Films like Mortal Kombat and Tomb Raider had proven that big-screen game adaptations could be successful, but the commercial and critical failure of projects like the 1993 Super Mario Bros. still cast a long shadow. And while Anderson's vision of Raccoon City might have captivated audiences on the whole, many hardcore fans of Capcom's games were left disappointed by the way the original movies wildly deviated from the source material.
Apple might make servers again to cash in on the AI rush
According to The Information, Apple is planning to get back into the server game and might just pair up with Nvidia to make it happen. Apple retired its Xserve line in 2011 and has largely left enterprise machines to other manufacturers since. But the growing demand for compute power as the AI industry continues to expand has apparently led the company to believe there is an opening for its powerful but efficient ARM-based M processors. Its Mac Mini and Mac Studio have proven popular with AI developers, which has led to shortages.
Your ‘health age’ is fake
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. During last week's Apple Watch announcement, I let out a distinct "Noooo!" in the Steve Jobs Theater. Along with a new readiness metric and a redesigned Health app, Apple had just announced that later this year, it'd be introducing a new longevity feature called Health Age. This is a familia
Claude comes for Gemini with its own take on Docs and Slides
Claude is getting a pair of new tools today: Docs and Slides. They'll let you create documents and presentations through Claude chats, which you can export, edit, and share with other users.
Xreal’s well-rounded 1S glasses are back down to their lowest price
USB-C-connected video glasses are a lot of fun if you want to see your games, movies (or just your computer screen) on a large, immersive virtual screen. One of the most well-rounded pairs out there, Xreal’s 1S, has returned to their lowest price yet, costing $399 at Amazon and via Xreal itself ($50 off). The small, yet welcome discount brings them a little closer in price to the company’s $299 xbx A01 Plus, which lack a handful of nice-to-have features that make the 1S a better choice for some people.
The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign
Nearly two years after the last update to Boox's smartphone-sized black-and-white e-reader, the company announced the Palma 3 with a sleek redesign, new functionality, and a handful of other small updates that may justify its significant price bump depending on how you plan to use it. While the Palma 2 launched in 2024 for $279.99, the Palma 3 will be $339.99 and is expected to be "available soon."
The EOS R8 Mark II is Canon’s lightest full-frame camera with stabilization
Canon announced the second-generation of its EOS R8 with a new retro-inspired redesign and the addition of in-body stabilization. That feature was one of the most notable omissions from the original R8 that launched in 2023 as a smaller, cheaper, and more accessible alternative to the Canon R6 Mark II for photographers wanting a larger full-frame shooter.
Voters mostly don’t like AI and data centers, but neither party seems to have an edge
Poll data released Tuesday by the New York Times and Siena University confirms what we've already been seeing, and what politicians are responding to - AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular. Asked if they support or oppose the construction of data centers to power AI tech, 61 percent of the 1,503 likely voters surveyed in early September (ahead of the recent AI safety slowdown discussion) said they were opposed, with only 14 percent saying they strongly support.
What if social media isn’t hurting kids?
Two years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released his New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation. The book posits that the rise of social media and smartphone use is largely to blame for the prominent decline in teen mental health since 2010. It quickly became a central rallying cry of the social media backlash. Haidt has been credited with helping inspire Australia's nationwide teen social media ban. He has joined forces with bereaved parents who are fighting tech companies in court.
Kia’s electric van lineup is getting more interesting with reveal of PV7
You may not know it, but minivans are making a comeback in the US. Look around, and you'll start to notice an uptick in these breadboxes on wheels. Sales were up 21 percent in 2025, suggesting that the humble minivan is shaking off its "uncool" stigma and finding new fans among an SUV-weary public. I'm here for it.
One of the best 3D printers for beginners is almost $100 off
If the high price tag of premium 3D printers have kept you from exploring the hobby, this deal is a great entry point. Elegoo has its Centauri Carbon 2 Combo on sale for $369, almost $100 off its usual price of $449. This capable 3D printer can handle four filament rolls at once, with a fully enclosed printing area, auto-leveling bed, and big touchscreen for easy project management.
Vintage Violence is an absurdist crime thriller for phone addicts
There are a lot of movies that have tried to seamlessly integrate modern tech - text messages, livestreams, etc. - into their storytelling. Some of the most novel attempts have been in the genre space, like the Twitch-style horror flick Deadstream. But the most chaotic to date might just be Vintage Violence, an absurd crime thriller with lots of blood, jokes, and screentime.
Fujifilm’s Instax Pal 2 is a tiny digital camera that may not disappoint
Fujifilm announced a follow-up to its tiny and quirky Instax Pal camera that debuted three years ago bundled with an instant printer. While the original Pal was a palm-sized camera with a round design that lacked a screen or viewfinder, the new Instax Pal 2 includes both in a design that looks like a miniaturized analog film camera. It's also reminiscent of trendy pocket-friendly cameras like the Kodak Charmera, but with specs that may actually produce decent shots.
Voicemod’s new pocket-friendly device brings real-time voice changing to your phone
Voicemod announced a new mobile device that expands the capabilities of the Voicemod Key dongle it launched in late 2024 as a way to bring the company's real-time voice changing tech to consoles. While the older Voicemod Key only used a smartphone as an interface between the company's mobile app and the Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, the new Key Pocket can be used to change your voice or trigger sound effects while you're playing games, making calls, or streaming on Apple or Android mobile devices.
GM updates its trucks’ native software to coexist with CarPlay
General Motors is polishing up the software experience in its bestselling trucks in an effort to reduce the amount of dangerous tapping and swiping that's required to access the most-used controls. It's also giving Apple CarPlay and Android Auto spiffy new picture-in-picture displays - which is notable given GM's previously stated hostility to phone mirroring in its electric vehicles.
Microsoft issues emergency Windows 11 update to fix its record-breaking patch
Microsoft has started rolling out an emergency out-of-band update to fix problems with its record-breaking September patch Tuesday update. The software giant patched nearly 1,000 flaws in its biggest update ever this month, but it also introduced some bugs that have affected businesses, developers, and gamers.
Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel?
When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google DeepMind cofounder Demis Hassabis, and SpaceX head Elon Musk loosely agreed over the weekend to slow down AI development, skeptics spotted an ulterior motive immediately. The AI titans had declared that their aim was to "pace the frontier," signing on at least partially to a proposal for embedding third-party auditors, regulating domestic labs, and reaching a global slowdown agreement.
What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI development
Dario Amodei kicked off a flood of statements over the past few days about AI safety by publishing a long essay titled "We Must Pace the Frontier" detailing why AI development should be slowed down. Other AI leaders and politicians are speaking out in favor of or opposing his points, and we've compiled some of them here.
Trump throws out power plant climate pollution rules
The Environmental Protection Agency announced its plans today to kill any remaining standards on how much greenhouse gas pollution power plants are allowed to emit in the US. The move will only make electricity dirtier as AI, electric vehicles, and a revival of domestic manufacturing drive up power demand.
Jensen Huang puts Trump on speakerphone onstage to announce robots won’t take over the world
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took a call from President Trump on Monday while onstage at the All-In Podcast's All-In Summit. It's not the first time Huang has taken a call from the president during work, but this time he put Trump on speakerphone before a big crowd.
Valve’s virtual reality plans hit actual reality
The Steam Frame headset is here, and it may not surprise you: it was supposed to cost less than $1,059. "We set out to come out with a device that would have been far more affordable, but the global RAM market, the global storage market have impacted us the same way they've impacted everybody," Valve developer Jeremy Selan told the BBC. "We fought hard to get it even to this price."
The best deals from Nintendo’s ‘customer appreciation’ sale
As promised, Nintendo has marked down a wide variety of Switch games and accessories at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, as well as its own digital storefront. Its “Customer Appreciation” sale is happening because of tariff-related refunds it received from the US government, and it ends on September 26th at 8:59 PM PT. Nintendo games and accessories tend to stick close to their list price, so it’s nice to have some big discounts, especially this far ahead of the holiday season. Some of the company’s best titles for the original Swi
TIFF 2026: the latest movie reviews from Toronto
If you want an idea of what’s next in film, the Toronto International Film Festival is a good place to start. Every year TIFF features a huge range of features from around the world, and often some of them go on to be huge hits or awards contenders; the 2025 edition, for instance, included the likes of both Hamnet and Obsession.
MacOS 27 is available now
Apple released macOS 27 Golden Gate on Monday, which brings the new Siri AI assistant, Liquid Glass improvements, improved performance, and more. The update is compatible with all Macs with Apple Silicon, but not Intel Macs - Apple released its final big update for Intel-based Macs last year with macOS Tahoe.
Apple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI overhaul
Apple is now rolling out its iOS 27 update to compatible devices today, alongside the watchOS 27, iPadOS 27, and visionOS 27 updates. Siri AI is the headline feature across all four updates, the delayed AI-powered overhaul of the Siri assistant. Siri AI is available as a beta today for English-only devices, and Apple says support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish is coming in October.
Netflix is making a Crazy Taxi movie and a Sonic show with ‘edge’
Netflix has announced three new adaptations of Sega games: a Crazy Taxi film, a Sonic animated series "built for kids who want to feel a little edge," and a live-action movie based on the upcoming Stranger Than Heaven from Yakuza developer RGG Studio. The Crazy Taxi movie will be the first project released, though it doesn't have a debut date yet. Netflix also already has three seasons of a Sonic show called Sonic Prime.
Google’s Pixel 11 is cheaper ahead of iPhone 18 Pro launch
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro will release this Friday, September 18th, and it’s tough to see it as just a coincidence that Google’s latest Pixel phones are discounted. The Pixel 11 Pro carries the biggest discount, with its fog, olive, and obsidian color schemes selling for around $1,007 at Amazon, almost negating this year’s $100 price increase for the starter configuration despite having twice the storage (256GB).
Microsoft says ‘people matter more than AI’ following safety concerns
Microsoft is publishing a 37-page "humanist AI code of conduct" today, amid growing safety concerns over AI model progress. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a coordinated slow down of AI development over the weekend, after researchers warned recently that AI model progress could outpace our ability to safely deploy increasingly complex systems and verify and control the actions of AI agents.
What happens after a town de-Flocks
From Florida to Washington state, local governments across the country are canceling their contracts with Flock, the company behind the controversial AI-enabled license plate readers, in response to public outcry. But ending the contracts doesn't necessarily mean the cameras will come down immediately - or that the information they've gathered will be deleted anytime soon. Even as state and local governments decide to rein in their surveillance capabilities, uncertainty remains about what Flock can an
Apple is reportedly working on iPhone game controllers
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is developing two game controllers for the iPhone and will likely sell them under the Beats brand. Rumors that Apple might enter the game controller business have circulated for some time. But last week, MacRumors reported finding two references in macOS 26.7's code to two game controllers identified as first-party devices.
The Units’ Digital Stimulation is synthpunk perfection
The Units are a band I discovered in part thanks to No Dogs in Space. During their miniseries on The Screamers (another incredible band worth checking out), they mention synthpunk.org as one of their sources. And there's no better way to get my attention than to combine two of my favorite things - punk rock and synthesizers. The site was down that day (it appears to be back up now), but I was able to access a version from July through the Wayback Machine. What greeted me was a bare-bones site with links for six bands, including The Screamers.
Waymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gun
Two people were arrested in San Fransico while riding around in a Waymo robotaxi after the cab pulled over and called the cops on them. The riders were juveniles in possession of a loaded AR-style ghost gun and were taken to a juvenile hall. While the police report did not specify who was operating the autonomous car, Waymo later confirmed it was one of its vehicles to the Los Angeles Times.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother will make you forget all about Marvel’s Blade disaster
Marvel's mishandling of its Blade reboot will likely go down as one of the studio's biggest mistakes. There was a great actor in place to play the vampire hunter (Mahershala Ali), and a promising director set to take over the reins (Bassam Tariq). In retrospect, though, the disappointing demise of Blade might not be such a bad thing, because Tariq and Ali have collaborated on something much more interesting than a superhero reboot: the powerful hitman thriller Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.
Your car is selling your data
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on cars, data privacy, and autonomous vehicles, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
Apple’s new phones are here
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 143, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, new tech season is here, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
Sam Altman says OpenAI going public in 2026 would be ‘ill-advised’
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed that there would be no OpenAI IPO in 2026 during an interview with Fortune. Over the course of 45 minutes, Altman discussed a variety of subjects including the Hugging Face hacking incident, recursive self-improvement, and the possibility of building an AI that was beyond human control. On the latter, he said it was "absolutely" possible, but vowed to take actions to prevent that from happening, even if it meant pausing training, adding that "there are risks we should not be able to incur on behalf of humanity."
StarCraft returns in 2030 as an open-world shooter
Blizzard originally tried to bring the StarCraft universe to the world of 3D shooters way back in 2002 with StarCraft: Ghost. It sat in development hell for years until Blizzard president Mike Morhaime confirmed that it had been canceled in 2014. Now Blizzard is giving it another go with the simply titled StarCraft.
Sylvan Esso think you should splurge on good-quality yogurt
Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, better known as Sylvan Esso, have been bringing their low-key electro-pop to the masses since 2014, bursting onto the scene with their self-titled debut album and the single "Hey Mami." Over the years, they've put out a number of excellent records, dabbling in dustier, more fragile textures on Free Love, going dancier and glitchier on No Rules Sandy. The two are constantly pushing at the edges of their sound while retaining the core of what makes a Sylvan Esso record sound like a Sylvan Esso record.
Anthropic CEO says it’s time to pump the brakes on AI
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says the time has come to slow down AI development and will give third-party evaluators like METR access to its models to help ensure its "adherence to safety practices and commitments." In a winding essay, Amodei proposed a three-step plan to "pace the frontier" - jargon that simply means to slow the pace of training and development to give companies time to build safeguards and regulators to evaluate models.
LG responds to TV spying allegations
Earlier this week, Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs, and independent security researchers detailed some alarming findings about how LG's TVs are logging and uploading data on its users. Now the company is pushing back against those allegations, saying that "Some recent media coverage may have contributed to misconceptions about how LG smart TVs work."
Trump is giving data centers a pass to pollute
President Donald Trump is weakening environmental regulations in the name of speeding up the construction of AI data centers, raising health risks for Americans, a cadre of former EPA officials said this week in a briefing and new report. They are urging - perhaps futilely - the president to adopt a "Data Center Health Protection Pledge" to signal that the administration is taking the environmental threat seriously.