Author: News Room
If you missed out on the limited edition Astro Bot DualSense wireless controller for PlayStation 5 last year, we have good news: Sony is launching a new “Joyful” version of the gamepad for $84.99 on October 30th, and preorders have just begun at the PlayStation store, as well as at Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop.Last year, Sony and Team Asobi — the developer behind Astro Bot — released a limited-edition DualSense controller to commemorate the game’s launch. It featured several charming design elements that mimicked the look of Astro, including shiny blue accents on the handles and buttons and big…
Discord denies that the suspect accused of killing Charlie Kirk used the messaging platform to discuss his crime, following the service getting mentioned by law enforcement in a press conference — and after accusations that it helped radicalize the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson. In a statement to The Verge, Jud Hoffman, Discord’s vice president of trust and safety, said the company has “found no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”During a press briefing on Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said investigators spoke with Robinson’s roommate, and that the roommate “stated that his roommate, referring…
Mastodon is officially rolling out quote posts. Starting next week, you’ll see an option to quote another user by selecting the repost — or “boost” — button, allowing you to add your thoughts to someone else’s post.The decentralized platform initially planned not to launch quote posts over concerns that they could be used for harassment or to take someone out of context. Mastodon reversed this decision in February, saying a lack of quote posts might discourage people from joining the fediverse.Mastodon is bringing quote posts to mastodon.online and mastodon.social first, but will roll out the feature more broadly with the…
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here.About a month ago, I was walking in Williamsburg and a stylish Brooklyn hipster stopped me to ask about the Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses I was testing. A few weeks later, I went to dinner with a friend that I hadn’t seen in years. It wasn’t until we were walking to…
Even when this 2022 version of the 4K Apple TV was newly released, it was clear that a lot had changed for Apple’s television strategy over the last few years. The advent of Apple’s TV+ streaming service has finally brought some kudos, but TV+ apps are available for (almost) everything these days.I can What’s more, it’s likely your telly doesn’t require you to spend $129/£149 (or $149/£169 if you want more storage plus Ethernet and Thread support) to get it. Even AirPlay 2, once effectively an Apple TV exclusive, is now integrated with smart TVs at all price points. Essentially,…
The AI web search company Perplexity is being hit by another lawsuit alleging copyright and trademark infringement, this time from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster. Britannica, the centuries-old publisher that owns Merriam-Webster, sued Perplexity in New York federal court on September 10th.In the lawsuit, the companies allege that Perplexity’s “answer engine” scrapes their websites, steals their internet traffic, and plagiarizes their copyrighted material. Britannica also alleges trademark infringement when Perplexity attaches the two companies’ names to hallucinated or incomplete content.The word “plagiarize” illustrates the point of the lawsuit. The court document includes back-to-back screenshots that show Perplexity’s result is identical to…
The flippy laptop is a curious hybrid of PC and tablet, and the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 is a superb example of this particular chimera. Being able to fold back on itself, and being equipped with a touchscreen, means you get (most of) the best of both worlds, a PC that you can sit and type on, and a tablet you can carry around and make notes or doodles on with the help of a stylus. The OmniBook X Flip is the evolved version of the older HP Spectre line of convertible laptops, but in order to be one…
You’ll now be able to monitor your heart rate in real time through the Apple Fitness app during 50 different workout types while wearing the Powerbeats Pro 2 – a feature only supported through partner apps like Nike Run Club at launch. The earbuds will also work with Apple Fitness Plus, showing metrics like heart rate and calories burned on screen.Other upgrades coming to the Powerbeats Pro 2 with iOS 26 include a new algorithm for faster readings, step counting, notifications that include suggestions on how to improve the earbuds’ fit for improved accuracy, and heart rate monitoring while wearing…
Apple’s new smartwatches have the spotlight this week, but Android users have a reason to celebrate, too. That’s because Samsung’s gorgeous, Bluetooth-enabled Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is cheaper than ever at Woot through September 19th. It’s down to $359.99 ($140 off), nearly matching the price of the $349.99 Galaxy Watch 8. Not a bad discount for a watch that came out fewer than two months ago.The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is our top pick for Samsung phone owners, particularly if you’re upgrading from a Galaxy Watch 5 or earlier. The Classic model builds on the Galaxy Watch 8’s improvements with…
There’s a lot happening in the world of artificial intelligence. There is always a lot happening in the world of artificial intelligence. The money is enormous; the stakes are high; the products are, well, all over the place. Sit on your couch and read about it all long enough, and you’re bound to feel some strong feelings.After that, The Verge’s Hayden Field joins the show to hear out some of David’s hottest takes and biggest feelings on all things AI. (Shoutout to the great Subway Takes for the inspiration.) The gang debates the merits of AI friends, the phrase “ChatGPT…
The Ultraloq Bolt NFC smart lock is receiving a free upgrade that enables near-field communication (NFC) tap-to-unlock with compatible Android phones. The model currently supports Apple’s Home Key, which lets you tap-to-unlock with an iPhone. The update makes it one of the first locks to offer the functionality across both iOS and Android, without requiring the phone to be unlocked or specific apps to be running.The ability comes via a free software upgrade to the U Home app, available now in the Google Play Store. Xthings, Ultraloq’s parent company, says its NFC unlock experience is an app-managed credential system, relying…
Apple has postponed preorders of the iPhone Air in mainland China, which were due to open today, with regulatory issues around eSIM almost certainly to blame.The Chinese store page for the super-slim iPhone says that “release information will be updated later” (translated from Chinese). Apple had originally announced that the Air would go on preorder in China at the same time as in the US, 8AM ET today, with full availability from September 19th. Its other three new iPhones — the 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max — are all available to preorder now, and ship from next week.The…