Technology news

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by STR / NurPhoto, Getty Images Cards Against Humanity sued SpaceX for allegedly trespassing on and damaging its property in Texas. The company behind the card game is asking for $15 million in damages, according to its complaint against SpaceX, filed in Texas state court on Thursday, but has also said it will “accept Twitter.com in compensation.”SpaceX has been using the “pristine vacant property” in Cameron County, Texas without

Waymo, the driverless car company run by Google parent company Alphabet, already operates autonomous vehicles in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and will soon be available in Atlanta and Austin. The Georgia and Texas Waymo experiences, set to launch early next year, will be a bit different than what California and Arizona riders encounter. Thanks to a partnership between former enemies Waymo and Uber, riders in Atlanta and Austin will be required to use the Uber app to hail a robo-

It's a big week for Apple. The new iPhone 16 line hits store shelves today alongside the new AirPods 4. Just a few days earlier, Apple released the new iOS 18 and macOS 15, also known as macOS Sequoia, too.However, Mac users are reporting some issues as it pertains to the latter release and the cybersecurity tools that they use.As noticed by TechCrunch, Mac users who upgraded to macOS Sequoia are experiencing issues with their cybersecurity software and its compatibility with Apple's new operati

The Bio Bidet BB-1200 can be controlled using a wireless remote or through the Bemis Living app. | Image: Bemis Bemis has announced its Bio Bidet BB-1200 toilet seat is now available, allowing luxuries like unlimited warm water, a heated seat, and an air dryer to be activated using a smartphone app.
The company claims the BB-1200, which first debuted at CES 2024 last January, is “the first North American bidet toilet seat that is controlled by an app and affordably priced.” Kohler an

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge On Friday afternoon, The Wall Street Journal reported Intel had been approached by fellow chip giant Qualcomm about a possible takeover. While any deal is described as “far from certain,” according to the paper’s unnamed sources, it would represent a tremendous fall for a company that had been the most valuable chip company in the world, based largely on its x86 processor technology that for years had triumphed over Qualcomm’s Arm c

Meta Connect 2024 is so close, you can almost taste it.Launching during the week of Sept. 23, the social media giant is expected to rollout hardware and software goodies that will intrigue VR gamer enthusiasts, AI aficionados, and smart glasses devotees. But what, specifically, does Meta have up its sleeves? We have a few guesses based on credible reports.What to expect at Meta Connect 2024Last year, the Meta Quest 3 was announced in early June, but it got its full reveal at Meta Connect 2023.Th

The Echo Hub offers an easy way for the whole household to control smart home gadgets, including the tech-averse. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge In case you missed the news, Amazon recently announced a second Prime Day event for the fall. The two-day deal blitz, dubbed Prime Big Deal Days once again, will run from October 8th through the 9th, offering Prime subscribers a chance to save on all sorts of tech ahead of Black Friday. It’s still a few weeks away, but in typical f

You're probably reading this on a phone in your hand, or perhaps a laptop on your coffee table, and you have no idea — none — the blood, sweat, and tears that engineers endure to deliver the smooth-as-butter product you're using as we speak.Before it got into your hands, it’s highly likely that engineers were hard at work, pulling their hair out and yelling obscenities, fixing hardware challenges that drove them up a wall. But there’s always a “Eureka!” moment

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Twitch is changing the way it enforces its community guidelines. In an announcement posted on its website, Twitch said that it will introduce a new enforcement strategy in which strikes for certain offenses will depreciate over time, users will receive more information regarding their strikes, and users will be able to take educational courses to reduce the severity of enforcement actions. In an interview with The Verge, Rob Lewington, Twitch’s VP o

Masimo is keen to offer its expertise to Wear OS smartwatch makers for biosensing tech. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Last week, medical device maker Masimo announced new deals with Google and Qualcomm to bring its biosensing tech to Wear OS smartwatches. That’s pretty inside baseball for the wearable industry, but it takes an interesting turn when you realize Masimo is also the reason why the new Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t have blood oxygen features in the US.From

Best early Apple deals ahead of October Prime DayBest MacBook dealApple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)$929 at Amazon(save $170)Get DealBest iPad dealApple iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi + Cellular)$1,119 at Amazon(save $80)Get DealBest AirPods dealApple AirPods Max$449 at Amazon(save $100)Get DealBest Apple Watch dealApple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular)$689 at Amazon(save $110)Get DealAmazon's next big event — Prime Big Deal Days — is just around the corner. Prime Day Par

8BitDo’s Retro Keycaps include options for both ANSI and ISO layouts. | Image: 8BitDo 8BitDo is now selling a set of keycaps featuring the same Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) inspired design as those used on the Retro Mechanical Keyboard it debuted last July. While the keyboard is now available in four styles including Commodore 64 and Famicom designs, only the NES style keycaps are currently available on their own.
The $49.99 8BitDo Retro Keycaps set includes 165 PBT keys with legend

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is planning to allow Windows 11 users to customize the Copilot key that has started shipping on new laptops and keyboards. The Copilot key is configured as default to launch Microsoft’s Copilot app on Windows 11, but the company is now testing the ability to use it to launch other apps instead.
A new beta build of Windows 11 includes the customization changes, available for testers today. “You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX pa

The best smart home deals at Target at a glance:BEST SMART SECURITY DEALUltraloq U-Bolt Pro 6-in-1 (WiFi)$144.49 at Target(save $35.50 with Target Circle)Get DealBEST SMART SPEAKER DEALAmazon Echo Dot (5th gen)$34.99 at Target(save $15)Get DealBEST SMART AIR PURIFIER DEALBlueair Pure 211i Max 100$297.99 at Target(save $52)Get Deal
We're only a few weeks away from Target Circle Week, but the bullseye retailer is already dishing out plenty of deals. If you're looking to finally automate your home

Sadly, Theory 1 isn’t going into production. | Image: Lotus Lotus revealed its new Theory 1 electric sports car, a concept that the automaker says “embodies the future of intelligent performance vehicles.”It’s a visual aid for Lotus’ new Digital, Natural, and Analogue (DNA — get it?) design principles on which it plans to base its performance vehicles for the modern era.
Theory 1 features Lotus’ new “Lotuswear” interior that promises an immer

Owners of three particular Anker products need to stop using them right away.The portable battery maker issued a recall notice this week due to potential battery fire hazards in a few of its products. While Anker's recall notice noted that this problem should only affect a relatively small batch of batteries (i.e., those that were manufactured between Jan. 3 and Sept. 17 of this year), it's still recalling every unit it has sold. The three Anker products that are being recalled are as follows:An

SAVE $34.99: As of Sept. 20, get the Amazon Echo Pop with Sengled Smart Color Bulb bundle for just $24.99. That's a discount of 58%. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonAmazon Echo Pop with Sengled Smart Color Bulb$24.99 at Amazon $59.98 Save $34.99Get DealHalloween's right around the corner. If you're planning a party, or just a hangout with friends where you touch grapes and pretend they're eyeballs or demand your visitors believe that spaghetti is a bunch of monster brains, you need ambiance.

A tablet is the perfect middle ground between a smartphone and a laptop. If your current tablet is slowing down, doesn't keep a charge, or lacks in display quality, today is a great day to look into a new Amazon Fire tablet. Here are some early Prime Big Deal Days deals that'll take up to 54% off the list price.Fire tablet deals to shop todayBest overall dealAmazon Fire HD 10 tablet (64GB)$99.99 at Amazon(save $80)Get DealBest budget-friendly Fire tabletAmazon Fire HD 8 tablet (64GB)$59.99 at Am

Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge A security researcher revealed a “catastrophic” vulnerability in the Arc browser that would have allowed attackers to insert arbitrary code into other users’ browser sessions with little than an easily findable user ID. The vulnerability was patched on August 26th and disclosed today in a blog post by security researcher xyz3va, as well as a statement from The Browser Company. The company says that its logs indicate no users were affected

A worker demonstrates how lithium is recovered from brine at a Standard Lithium facility in El Dorado, Arkansas, US, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. | Photo: Getty Images The US Department of Energy announced today plans to dole out more than $3 billion to over two dozen battery projects across 14 states. The money will go toward processing critical minerals, building batteries and their components, and recycling batteries. It’s part of the Biden administration’s push for more domestic m

Sony might make PS6 — PlayStation's next-gen console — very expensive at launch. In a chat with GamesBeat, multiple prominent games industry analysts, including Circana's Mat Piscatella and Midia Research's Rhys Elliott, expect a theoretical PlayStation 6 to cost around $600, whenever it comes out, though that likely won't be anytime soon.Sony is about to release the $700 PS5 Pro in November, and these analysts believe the huge price tag on that mid-generation update console is a sor

Best October Prime Day Kindle DealsBest Kindle DealKindle Scribe Essentials Bundle with Basic Pen (16 GB)$379.97 at Amazon(Save $60)Get DealBest Kindle Paperwhite DealKindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle (32 GB)$237.97 at Amazon(Save $20)Get DealBest Budget Kindle DealKindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle (16 GB)$184.97 at Amazon(Save $20)Get Deal
It's officially cozy season. If you're thinking about settling down on the couch or cuddling up in bed with a good book, now's the time

Image: Square Enix On Friday morning, Sony released a system update for the PlayStation 5 that may help with graphical bugs and crashes reported by Final Fantasy XVI players after the last PS5 firmware update.
Sony says today’s update (version 24.06-10.01.00) simply improves “system software performance and stability” and doesn’t mention any specific fixes for the game. But a post shared on the official Final Fantasy XVI X account earlier today says it’s been releas

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Sept. 20:OUR TOP PICKSamsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, Bluetooth)$196.06 at Amazon(save $103.93)Get DealBEST HOME DEALRoborock Q7 Max robot vacuum and mop$219.99(save $380)Get DealRUNNER-UP SMARTWATCH DEALGarmin vívoactive 5 $249.99 at Amazon(save $50)Get DealBEST POWER BANK DEALAnker 633 Magnetic Battery$39.99 at Amazon(save $40)Get DealBEST KITCHEN DEALNinja Air Fryer XL (5.5-quart)$109.99 at Amazon(save $50)Get Deal
Before you kick off your

Best early deals from Target Circle WeekBest robot vacuum dealRoborock S7 Max Ultra robot vacuum$949.99 at Target(save $350)Get DealBest tablet dealApple iPad 9th Generation (256GB, WiFi)$349.99 at Target(save $130)Get DealBest TV dealTCL 55-inch Class S5-Series 4K Google TV$269.99 at Target(save $80)Get DealBest kitchen dealSodaStream Terra sparkling water maker$59.99 at Target(save $40)Get DealBest air purifier dealShark Air Purifier Max$179.99 at Target(save $100)Get Deal
With the announcemen

These can be all yours. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge We’ve got a new pair of our favorite noise-canceling headphones, and we’re giving them away to celebrate the recent relaunch — err, refresh? — of our weekly deals newsletter. All you have to do is sign up for the new and improved Verge Deals, which continues to serve as a free weekly summary of some of the best tech deals on the web.The headphones we’re gifting are none other than the Sony WH-1000XM5 (a $399

With Piece By Piece, American multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams brings his life story to the big screen — but with a Lego movie twist. Directed by heralded documentarian Morgan Neville, Piece By Piece is a musical biopic that translates American music icons like Williams, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, and Gwen Stefani into Lego's signature minifigures. Now, ahead of the film's theatrical release, you can get in on the fun by building a virtual mini Lego of your own! SEE ALSO:'Piece By Pi

We're still a few weeks away from the official kickoff of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event, but that doesn't mean you need to wait around. We're already spotting some nice discounts on Amazon Echo devices. Here are some of the best deal to shop today:Early October Prime Day sales on Echo devicesBest overall dealEcho Show 8$104.99 at Amazon(save $45)Get DealBest deal for kidsEcho Dot Kids$39.99 at Amazon(save $20)Get DealBest home organization dealEcho Hub$144.99 at Amazon(save $35)Get Deal
Ama

Look, I know you can be underwhelmed and you can be overwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed? Reader, you absolutely can (and not just in Europe) — it's the feeling of not knowing what the hell to watch.With avalanches of TV shows and movies consistently careening into cinemas and streaming services, and not all of it good, there's a chance you've just about had it with choosing what to spend your hard-earrned money and time on. There's just SO MUCH. SEE ALSO:The 13 best TV shows of 2

Future Tech Ventures (FTV), a new venture capital firm focusing on startups in the Northern Netherlands, officially launched yesterday in Groningen. FTV debuted with a €20mn fund that will support at least 50 high-tech startups in the proof-of-concept phase. The investment period is set between 2024 and 2029. “Startups are often in a very early phase where funding is difficult to secure, and there are significant risks related to technology, market, and team,” Niek Huizeng

There’s three motors inside this one. | Image: Rivian Rivian is now shipping its electric trucks and SUVs with a tri-motor configuration, adding an extra power boost over the dual-motor version. The new 850 horsepower powertrain uses Rivian’s new in-house Enduro motors, with one in the front axle and two in the rear axle.
The new tri-motor setup underpins Rivian’s newly redesigned Gen 2 models, which launched earlier this year in just a dual-motor configuration.As reported by I

Anker is recalling three additional power banks, citing a manufacturing defect in their lithium-ion batteries. | Image: Anker Anker has issued a recall notice for its Anker 334 MagGo Battery (PowerCore 10K, model number A1642), Anker Power Bank (model number A1647), and Anker MagGo Power Bank (model number A1652). The company says a manufacturing defect can cause the power banks’ lithium-ion batteries to overheat and potentially cause a fire risk.
It’s the same issue that triggered a

The fifth-generation Snap Spectacles were described as “a disaster” by a developer who helped create them. | Photo by Nalani Hernandez-Melo for The Verge Snap’s latest generation of augmented reality Spectacles have been lambasted by one of the engineers that helped to create them. The glasses, revealed earlier this week, were described as “a disaster” by Sterling Crispin, a former design engineer for Snap.
“I worked on these for about a year at Snap, and I ha

Image: Maira Erlich / Bloomberg via Getty Images For more than two weeks, Brazilians have been without access to X. Brazil’s Supreme Court blocked the platform after Elon Musk failed to comply with court rulings. As X evades the ban and Musk’s companies work slowly toward a resolution, the real concern for many isn’t just the absence of social media. It’s Musk’s power play over the government as he backs Brazil’s far right.
X was banned on August 30th after mo

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Hey, folks! Every week for the past four years, the team behind Verge Deals has combed the web, looking for the best deals and discounts on the tech we love most at The Verge. We pride ourselves in having tried and tested every product we recommend — well, almost every product — and we continue to share those deals with our readers via our daily deal coverage and Verge Deals newsletter. That being said, everyone could use a little change every now and

Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge The iPhone 16 is great. But it’s great in pretty much exactly the ways you’d expect it to be great — gone, it seems, are the days of big new ideas about these slabs of glass we all use all day. And that’s basically okay! But it does make you wonder: could you just train an AI to tell you everything you need to know about the new iPhone?
On this episode of The Vergecast, we find out. Joanna Stern, a columnist at The Wall Street Journal and a

Apple's iPhone 16 is launching without Apple Intelligence, but there's still a pretty simple way for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Pro owners to try it out — all you have to do is install the latest public iOS beta. That's right, Apple's iOS 18.1 beta is here, and it brings — for the first time in a non-developer beta — a number of Apple Intelligence features. SEE ALSO:Is Apple Intelligence only on iPhone 16? We have the answers
So how do you get the AI goods? First,