Technology news

Zurich-based venture capital firm Founderful has raised $140mn in its second fund — $20mn more than its target and a strong sign of investor confidence in Switzerland’s flourishing tech ecosystem.   First announced back in February, the fund has already invested in 15 early-stage startups. These include Chiral Nano, which develops nanomaterials for silicon chips, and 8inks, which is rejigging the lithium-ion battery. Founderful — formerly Wingman Ventures — was

Bluesky appeared to crash on Thursday amid a surge in users as they apparently fled Elon Musk's X / Twitter. A status page for the Twitter alternative said some systems were down as of about 5:15 p.m. ET. Down Detector saw a bit of a spike in reports at the same time. It's not yet clear how widespread the issue is, but the app was not loading for me on both desktop and the app on my phone. When I went to the site or app all I got was a spinning circle, as if it were trying to load. Down Detector

Image: NASA NASA is teaming up with Microsoft to create an AI chatbot designed to make it easier to access and understand scientific data about the Earth. The tool, called Earth Copilot, will be able to answer questions about our planet by condensing NASA’s wide swath of geospatial information into easy-to-digest responses.
To create the tool, NASA is integrating AI into its data repository, allowing Earth Copilot to refer to this information when answering questions, such as “What w

The Pokemon Company Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has been a big hit since its worldwide launch last month, and the team behind it has shared a brief roadmap of a couple updates to come — including the ability to trade cards with other people.
“We are aiming to add a feature that allows certain cards to be traded starting in January, 2025,” according to an update from the team on the official Pokémon forums. “We are planning to gradually expand the select

A day after putting rumors of his X ban to bed, author Stephen King has announced his official exit from the app formerly known as Twitter. "I'm leaving Twitter," he posted on Nov. 14. "Tried to stay, but the atmosphere has just become too toxic. Follow me on Threads, if you like." Tweet may have been deletedThe move doesn't come as too much of a surprise if you've been paying attention to the App Store charts. In recent days, X competitors Bluesky and Threads have skyrocketed in popularity, lea

The Teenage Engineering OP-XY feels like an upgraded version of the company’s six-year-old OP-Z. | Image: Teenage Engineering Teenage Engineering’s new OP-XY is a portable synthesizer and sequencer that looks similar to the company’s OP–1 Field. But functionally it’s instead a more capable upgrade to the company’s six-year-old OP-Z, with a stronger focus on layering sounds with various effects and a steeper $2,299 price tag.
With an “anodized, all-black

Shopping for gifts for gamers is a double-edged Master Sword. On the one hand, there are so many cool games, consoles, and accessories to choose from. But there's also just so much to choose from, to the point where you might feel under-leveled for the "simple" task of picking that just-right gift. That's where we come in. To help you on your side quest to find the perfect present for a gamer friend or loved one, we've compiled a massive list of more than 50 gamer gift ideas for the 2024 holiday

Image: The Verge TikTok will let advertisers pull in content from Getty Images when using the platform’s AI ad creation tool. With the integration, advertisers can use Getty’s licensed images and videos to make ads containing AI-generated content, including AI avatars that look like real people.
The integration will be available through TikTok’s Symphony Creative Studio — an AI-powered video generation tool that rolled out today for all advertisers. This tool can generate

It’s hard to find a fitness watch that tracks as many workouts and metrics as the Fenix 7 Pro series. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Garmin makes some of the best traditional multisport fitness watches, and one of its top models still commands a spot on our list of the best fitness trackers: the Garmin Fenix 7S Pro. Now through Cyber Monday, you can get that watch for just $529.99 ($270 off) at Wellbots when using the Verge-exclusive code VERGEBF270. That code will also work

Twinkly’s colorful string lights are more than half off at Amazon. Believe it or not, but it’s almost time to put up the holiday lights. If you’re looking for string lights that’ll really make your house stand out this year, Twinkly’s Strings deliver some of the most dazzling effects available. They typically run $199.99, but right now, you can buy the 105-foot string with 400 LED lights at Amazon for a new low of $79 thanks to an on-page coupon.Each of Twinkly&rsqu

Image: Epic Games Fortnite’s next big partnership with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is here. Epic Games already lets players dress up as the Turtles, and now, creators can publish experiences built with TMNT assets and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
As a demonstration of what’s possible, Paramount teamed up with Spiral House (which has made other Fortnite experiences), to make a TMNT-themed beat-em-up / roguelike, TMNT Dimensions [Rougelike], that you can play inside Fortnite right

Members of New Zealand's parliament have rallied the international community in support of the island country's indigenous groups, as contentious legislation moves forward that could threaten Maori support systems. In a now viral video taken during the legislative session, Te Pati Maori member Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke — the country's youngest member of parliament — rises amid commencement of the first vote and begins a ringing haka, soon joined by other members of the Maor

UPDATE: Nov. 14, 2024, 1:36 p.m. EST This story has been updated with a comment from an Amazon rep.Amazon is launching a Shein competitor, according to a new press release.With Shein's skyrocketing sales, it's easy to see why the Bezos-owned big-box retailer aims to compete head-on in the world of low-cost, trend-driven e-commerce.Fast-fashion retailer Shein, despite ethical scrutiny regarding its labor practices, environmental impact, and product safety, is a fierce rival in the e-commerce spa

Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is seeking to put Google under federal supervision, a move that could impose the same kinds of monitoring and inspections used on banks, The Washington Post reports.
The CFPB’s concerns are not totally clear and the order may still change, according to the Post, citing two unnamed sources. Both the agency and Google declined to comment on the report. But, plenty could change once President-elect Donald

There may be an Xbox-branded answer to the Steam Deck on the horizon.Xbox executive Phil Spencer hinted at this possibility in an interview with Bloomberg that was published on Wednesday. As he put it, the "expectation is that [Xbox] would do something" in the handheld gaming market and the company is working on prototypes right now. According to Spencer, you shouldn't expect to see the fruits of that labor for at least a few years. SEE ALSO:'Death Stranding' just dropped on Xbox — here&rs

Best early Black Friday gaming dealsBest Xbox dealXbox Series X (1TB)$449.99(save $50)Get DealBest PlayStation dealPlayStation DualSense Edge controller$189.99(save $10)Get DealBest Nintendo deal'Nintendo Switch Sports'$34.99(save $15)Get Deal
Black Friday is a wonderful time to be a gamer. That's because gaming deals always show up in a big way from consoles, to games, to accessories, and much more. Turns out, those sweet discounts are already trickling in ahead of the holiday shopping season,

The 2020 Ford Explorer is one of the vehicles affected by the recall. | Image: Ford Ford has agreed to pay a fine that could go up to $165 million after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found the automaker took too long to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras and failed to “provide accurate and complete recall information.”. This penalty is the second largest, only behind the $200 million Takata was ordered to pay.
Originally issued in 2020, the recall impac

Amazon's best early Black Friday laptop deals at a glance:Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)$749(save $250)Get DealApple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)$1,474(save $125)Get Deal
Amazon is holding out on us — kind of.The retail giant isn't offering a ton of great deals on Windows laptops, gaming laptops, or Chromebooks ahead of its Black Friday Week sale, which is set to run for nine days from Thursday, Nov. 21 through Friday, Nov. 29 (aka Black Friday

The fabric interior of Nike’s Elite EasyOn backpack is printed with instructions on how to use and customize it. | Image: Nike Nike’s new Elite EasyOn backpack was designed with innovative features making it accessible for as many athletes as possible, including those with low dexterity or motor skills. Originally developed for athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the backpack is now available to everyone through the company’s online store for $150.
The bag&rs

OpenAI is working on an AI agent that's expected to launch in January. According to Bloomberg, the agent, codenamed "Operator" will be able to take over a person's computer and perform tasks for the the user like booking flights and writing code. CEO Sam Altman hinted that this was coming in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) with other OpenAI executives, saying "the next giant breakthrough will be agents." Regarding future plans for more autonomous AI, CPO Kevin Weil addedthat the ability for ChatG

SAVE 33%: The Eufy Omni C20 hybrid robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for just $399.99 with the on-page coupon, down from the typical price of $599.99. That's a savings of $200 and the lowest price we've ever spotted.Opens in a new windowCredit: EufyEufy Omni C20 hybrid robot vacuum and mop$399.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $200.00with on-page couponGet DealThe holidays are right around the corner which means busy calendars are about to take over. Between normal work tasks, keeping the kids e

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Bluesky is growing quickly in popularity, but if you’re trying to use it today, the site might be acting up. As I was writing this article, my feeds and notifications were very slow to load on the web and mobile while logged in, and that has similarly been the case for a few of my Verge colleagues.Things seem to be working now, but Bluesky developers have already warned that things might not work as expected today. Earlier this morning, developer Samuel New

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Bluesky is growing quickly in popularity, but earlier today, an outage meant that my feeds and notifications were very slow to load on the web and mobile while logged in. That was similarly the case for a few of my Verge colleagues.The outage, which didn’t affect all users, was apparently because one of Bluesky’s internet providers, Cogent Communications, had some downtime because a fiber cable was cut, spokesperson Emily Liu tells The Verge. A Cogent

SAVE $89.01: As of Nov. 14, get the DJI Osmo Action 4 for $209.99 at Amazon, down from its normal price of $299. That's a 30% discount and the lowest price we've seen. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonDJI Osmo Action 4$209.99 at Amazon $299.00 Save $89.01Get DealIf winter means you're ready to get out and go on some sporting adventures or hit the slopes, an action camera is the perfect way to share your adventures with the world. They have the rugged frames, battery life, and features you need

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Once known only for its self-destructing pics, Snapchat has steadily evolved its location-oriented social media features. It’s leaned further into that identity with real-time location sharing features in recent years, and now it’s tweaking the experience to give parents new control and insight directly from the Family Center.Parents will soon see an option in the Family Center to request their teen’s locations and vice versa. They’

Illustration: The Verge Google has announced it will stop showing political ads to users in the European Union next year due to uncertainties around the bloc’s new transparency regulations. In a new blog post, Google says the upcoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) rules that aim to prevent election interference and help voters make informed choices will introduce significant “operational challenges and legal uncertainties.”
Google says the definitio

The Onion has purchased Infowars, the infamous rightwing conspiracy theory hub helmed by Alex Jones. And not, this is not a joke — well, for the most part. Yes, the satirical publication has actually purchased Infowars. From there, its plan involves turning the rightwing site into one big joke. The Onion bid on InfoWars in a bankruptcy auction after Jones lost a lawsuit brought forth by parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. The Onion said the purchase was supported by those pa

Apple TV Plus Mythic Quest’s upcoming fourth season finally has a release date, but Apple’s future plans for the series aren’t stopping there.
Today, Apple announced that Mythic Quest will return on January 29th with a two-episode premiere picking up Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney,) Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao,) David Brittlesbee (David Hornsby,) Brad Bakshi (Danny Pudi,) Rachel Ashly Burch, Dana Bryant (Imani Hakim,) Jo (Jessie Ennis) and Carol (Naomi Ekperigin) adjust to a new stat