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The US smartphone market is weird. Most of us buy our phones through some combination of installment plans, trade-in offers, and carrier deals, so answering the question “How much does this phone cost?” can sometimes require a little galaxy-brain math. President Trump’s 34 percent tariff increase on Chinese goods is set to take effect on […]

TikTok is shutting down Notes, its photos-sharing app that rivaled Instagram. In a notification to users, the TikTok Notes team says the app will stop working starting May 8th, and “all related features will no longer be available.” TikTok first rolled out Notes in April of last year, which lets users share photos alongside a […]

Microsoft is testing out resizable taskbar icons in Windows 11 that can shrink as you open more apps or stay at a smaller size for good. The new options are included in the latest Insider Preview Beta. If you’re on the beta, under Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors, you can now select options under Show […]

The biggest threat to the Steam Deck in 2025 won’t be the arrival of other Windows-based handheld gaming PCs. Instead, it’ll likely be the Nintendo Switch 2, which arrives on June 5 for $449.99 — smack dab between the cost of the $399 Steam Deck LCD and the $549 Steam Deck OLED.  Ironically, the Steam […]

Amazon is comparing a new feature for the Kindle to the “Previously on…” segments that TV shows frequently use. But the Kindle’s Recaps feature is instead focused on book series and provides a “quick refresher on storylines and character arcs” before readers start the next book, Amazon says. The short Recaps, which do include spoilers, […]

Amazon is testing a new “Buy for Me” button that will let you purchase products from third-party websites without leaving the e-commerce giant’s mobile app. The feature is powered by agentic AI, allowing the company to purchase items on your behalf. Last month, Amazon rolled out a test that directs you to other brands’ websites […]

Even with all the self-induced turmoil that Sonos has been through over the last year, if you’ve been eyeing any of the company’s products, it might be wise to buy sooner than later. In an email, spokesperson Erin Pategas tells me that Sonos is “closely monitoring developments related to the proposed tariffs and actively assessing […]

When it comes to finding a device to read ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on X. If you are looking for […]

With every new portable console comes a mountain of new third-party accessories. We’ve already seen Hori’s Piranha Plant alternative to the Switch 2’s USB-C camera, but Genki has announced a larger lineup of accessories designed to help protect the portable console while you’re playing away from home, plus some clever ways to keep it and […]

T-Mobile has officially closed its joint venture deal with the fiber provider Lumos,  after taking down its webpage dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the process, as reported by Fierce Network. The now-blank page outlined T-Mobile’s “culture of fairness, respect, and inclusion” and was online until at least March 26th, the Internet Archive […]

Drastic “reductions in force” are upending agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thousands of people who work at the CDC were notified by email today that they were subject to the Trump administration’s efforts to […]

What was once a humble research lab has transformed into one of the biggest consumer technology companies of all time. OpenAI, founded in 2015 to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) — AI systems with human-level intelligence — has transformed dramatically since launching ChatGPT, which was once considered to be “the fastest-growing consumer application in history.” […]

Starting with this year’s football season, the NFL will use Sony’s Hawk-Eye cameras to measure the line to gain — a process the chain crew has done manually for decades. The 8K cameras will use virtual measurement technology to quickly and accurately determine whether the ball traveled 10 yards for a first down. The Hawk-Eye […]

The Xbox Series X and Series S are excellent machines directly out of the box, but there’s always room for improvement. Add-on accessories like the Elite Series 2 Controller and the Xbox Wireless Headset can help you get the most out of your new gaming console, while others, like Seagate and Western Digital’s expansion cards, […]

Though John Wick definitely seemed dead by the end of his last high stakes adventure, that no longer appears to be the case. During its presentation at this year’s CinemaCon, Lionsgate announced that it has greenlit production on yet another John Wick feature that will see Keanu Reeves return to reprise his role as the […]

Hyundai has revealed a gaming-inspired “Insteroid” concept EV in Seoul that takes its tiny all-electric Inster and gives it an over-the-top street racing makeover. The automaker’s cutesy compact SUV was handed off to Hyundai’s European design team with the goal of merging “gaming influences with extensive customization,” according to a press release. The Insteroid gives […]

AI startup Runway says its latest AI video model can generate consistent scenes and people across multiple shots, according to an announcement. AI-generated videos can struggle with maintaining consistent storytelling, but Runway claims on X that the new model, Gen-4, should allow users more “continuity and control” while telling stories.  Currently rolling out to paid […]

More than 1,900 scientists and engineers have signed a letter saying they “see real danger in this moment” as the Trump administration slashes federal support for scientific research. “Wise investments by the US government have built up the nation’s research enterprise, making it the envy of the world,” says the open letter published on Monday. […]

From the Apple Watch Series 10 and Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 to the top-of-the-line Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has brought steep discounts on some of our favorite gadgets. There’s just one problem: a large chunk of them will set you back at least several hundred dollars, if not more. That can be […]

Billy Tolley swings a Microsoft Kinect around an abandoned room in sudden, jittery movements. “Whoa!” he says. “Dude, it was so creepy.” On the display, we see an anomaly of arrows, spheres, and red lines that disappears almost as soon as it arrives. For Tolley and Zak Bagans, two members of the Ghost Adventures YouTube […]

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 77, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, don’t forget to make your Venmo private, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about RISC and Ben Affleck and Google’s […]

Thousands of anti-Tesla protesters took to the streets Saturday March 29th in opposition to Elon Musk and his efforts with DOGE to eliminate humanitarian aid, close federal agencies, and fire government workers. It was the culmination of nearly two months of steady, almost daily demonstrations aimed at hurting Tesla’s sales — and ultimately Musk himself. […]

In our notification-heavy world, there is still one activity where you might just miss that buzz on your phone or ping on your smartwatch – while you’re vacuuming. Thankfully, Samsung has a solution.  Its newest cordless stick vac, the new Bespoke AI Jet Ultra ($1,099), now has an LCD display control panel that, along with […]

Whenever Verge staffers are asked to describe their smart tech, office tools, kitchen gadgets, or whatever else, they talk about things they recently bought, things they picked up 10 years ago, or things they’ve had sitting around their house for decades. We’ve gathered a few of the items that our staffers have enthused about in the past […]