Technology news

No matter the gifting occasion, you want to wow your mom. She sacrificed a lot for you, and now you're in a place where you can show her how grateful you are. Part of our larger series dedicated to the Best Gifts for Everyone, this list of gifts for mom attempts to dismantle the played-out tropes that have plagued moms at major holidays for dedicates. When gifting to your mom (or any mom, for that matter) consider hyper-specific things that speak to her unique hobbies or interests. Your mom (or

Zurich-based startup Poncho has officially launched its weather insurance platform — and bagged some fresh funding to boot.   Founded in 2023, the company aims to transform how the travel and hospitality industries handle unpredictable weather.  Poncho’s tech integrates with booking systems, allowing customers to opt for weather protection at checkout. If bad weather, such as heavy rain or wind, occurs during their scheduled event or trip, a refund is processed automa

Illustration: The Verge The Google App for iOS can automatically convert some website text into links to Google Search results, as announced in a community post that SERoundtable spotted.Google calls the feature “Page Annotations” and says it “extracts interesting entities from the webpage and highlights them in line,” which can then take you out to Search results when you tap them — inserting links without explicitly asking the user or the site owner first. It seem

Photo: Dennis Troper (Facebook) YouTube has shared a final blog post from Susan Wojcicki, the company’s former CEO and one of Google’s earliest employees, detailing her unexpected diagnosis and two-year battle with lung cancer. Wojcicki wrote the message in the last weeks of her life and had planned to publish it this fall, according to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Wojcicki died unexpectedly in August.
In the blog post, Wojcicki discusses life with the disease, along with her efforts to s

A gadget with no subscription fee and no terms of service. Nilay’s main love language is trolling, and so he sent me this video of Sam Altman talking about note-taking, because he knew it would annoy me.View this post on InstagramA post shared by FORTUNE (@fortunemag)Now I recognize there is a school of thought which will say something like “Whatever it is that will get you to successfully take notes is correct.” This is true if you are some kind of loser who doesn’t care

UPDATE: Nov. 25, 2024, 4:30 p.m. EST This post has been updated with the latest headphones and earbuds deals in the days leading up to Black Friday.Best headphone and speaker deals ahead of Black FridayBest headphone dealSony WH-1000XM4$199.99 at Best Buy(Save $148.01)Get DealBest earbuds dealApple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)$154 at Amazon(Save $95)Get DealBest Bluetooth speaker dealUltimate Ears Wonderboom 4$78.96 at Amazon(Save $21.03)Get Deal
Black Friday is just around the corner, but retailers a

Home Sports remembers that bowling was the best part of Wii Sports. | Image: Meta A new game called Home Sports is coming to the Meta Quest 3 and 3S on December 11th, and from its aesthetic to its music, this $19.99 title is clearly trying to be the Wii Sports (or Nintendo Switch Sports if you like) for mixed reality.Images: Meta / NintendoThat logo looks very familiar.Like Nintendo’s simplistic motion control-based sports series, Home Sports offers several games: hockey, badminton, pickle

Image: The Verge Anthropic has released a new open-source tool to connect AI assistants directly to the information they need to inform their responses or carry out tasks. The new Model Context Protocol (MCP) provides a universal connection to all sorts of data sources, which Anthropic says will improve performance.
Earlier this month, OpenAI started testing a new “Work with Apps” feature that lets the Mac version of ChatGPT directly connect to certain coding apps. Anthropic’s

A Microsoft outage on Monday has affected Outlook and Teams users. Microsoft is aware of the issue and working on a fix, but said it's "facing delays in our recovery efforts."Reports of issues began around 8 a.m. ET and spiked around 12:30 p.m. ET, according to DownDetector (which shares a parent company with Mashable). Reported outages have since tapered off, suggesting the issue might be resolved soon. The Microsoft 365 account on X said, "We’ve identified a recent change which we believ

Mercury is a little-known, still mysterious world.But one thing is certain. Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, can't actually travel backward in retrograde, and doesn't impact us on Earth. The notion of Mercury retrograde, a common reference in astrology wherein communication and travel are temporarily impaired, can, of course, be a fun musing. The event occurs when Mercury appears to start traveling the opposite direction in the sky. But this is perceptive trickery. Mercury retrograde is a

Amazon employees around the world are preparing for protests and strikes on Black Friday.The global effort has been organized by UNI Global Union, which represents service industry workers, and activist group Progressive International. Amazon workers in more than 20 countries plan to strike and take part in protests starting on Black Friday, one of the biggest annual shopping days for retailers. The protest efforts will go on into Cyber Monday, one of the biggest online shopping days of the

Console deals like one that takes $75 off a Switch OLED are in rare abundance, and there’s even more to shop. | Image: Nintendo Black Friday is brimming with great deals on new games, including older titles you can purchase for pennies on the dollar and recent hits that might be hard to justify at full price. You can usually find great deals on gaming accessories, too, from controllers and headsets to expanded storage for consoles like the Xbox Series X / S.
We’ve combed through all

GM design rendering of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team concept. | Image: GM General Motors has a deal to join Formula 1 under the Cadillac brand and participate in the FIA Formula One World Championship for the 2026 season, the automaker announced on Monday. Formula 1 says it has accepted in principle and will move GM and Cadillac's application forward to become the 11th team on the grid — making it the first new team to join since 2016.
Formula 1 says it’s been in talks with GM and its

Activists protest against fossil fuels and for climate finance on day 11 at the UNFCCC COP29 climate conference on November 22nd, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.  | Photo by Sean Gallup / Getty Images Maybe it was the host of the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan this month calling oil and gas a “gift of God.” Or the US, the world’s biggest oil and gas producer, reelecting a president who says “we don’t have a global warming problem” just before the conference.

Ria Cheruvu has been ahead of the curve for most of her life. After graduating from her Arizona high school at just 11, the student deemed prodigy became one of the youngest people to ever graduate from Harvard. Her collegiate record is a marvel to many. Following a period studying neurobiology and during the completion of her first computer science degree, Cheruvu was hired for Intel's ethics team — preceding the AI boom that would soon hit mass markets, and years before the phrase b

It's time to trust your instincts, close your eyes...and try holding space for "Defying Gravity." Or at least that's what Wicked fans will have you believe after an interview with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo went viral late last week.SEE ALSO:'Wicked' review: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo aspire for movie musical magic
In the video, Tracy E. Gilchrist, an interviewer from Out Magazine who was apparently through with playing by the rules of someone else's game, told Grande and Erivo,

The best Black Friday streaming deals at a glance:BEST OVERALLPeacock Premium$1.99/month for six months of $19.99/year with codes REALDEALMONTHLY or REALDEAL(save up to $60)Get DealBEST MAX DEALMax With Ads$2.99/month for six months (save $42)Get DealBEST PRIME VIDEO ADD-ONParamount+ with Showtime (Prime Video add-on)$2.99 per month for two months(save $20)Get DealBEST FOR HORROR FANSAMC+ Ad-Free (Prime Video add-on)$2.25 per month for two months(save $13.48)Get DealBEST FOR NEW THEATRICAL RELEA

SAVE $42: Through Dec. 2, get six months of Max with ads for only $2.99 per month instead of $9.99 per month. That's a total of $42 in savings or 70%.Opens in a new windowCredit: MaxMax with ads$2.99 per month for six months (save $42)Get DealMax's Black Friday 2024 deal is officially live and it's essentially just a copy-paste from last year. That doesn't mean we're disappointed, though; it is a pretty damn good deal.From Nov. 25 through Dec. 2, new and returning subscribers can get six months

The HP Omen 17 is designed with minimalists in mind — and I’m here for it. It’s nice to sometimes go crazy with per-key RGB lighting and designs that scream "gaming laptop," but the HP Omen 17 elicits sleek simplicity with just enough customization to keep things fun.Granted, I wish the chassis was aluminum, not plastic, but that would’ve made this big boy even heavier. Plus, thermal management would be trickier. Its hefty weight is a fair trade for all the delicious inte

It’s no iPhone 13 Mini (pictured above), but maybe the 17 “Slim” will capture a bit of the small phone magic anyway. | Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple engineers are wrestling with where to put the SIM card, battery, and thermal materials in the rumored iPhone 17 “Slim,” according to The Information. Although US iPhones haven’t had SIM cards for a couple of years now, they’re required to in China, making it a tricky, but necessary hurdle to get over

Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images Rumble, the video streaming platform that’s become the home for right-wing personalities like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Tim Pool as well as full-throated racists like Nick Fuentes, has a new member joining its ranks: Dr Disrespect. The streamer announced the news via social media and Rumble confirmed it in a press release, stating that the streamer will provide a mix of free and paid content for the platform as well as “actin

If you feel like you're not seeing many news stories while scrolling X, there might be a simple explanation: The site actively keeps them off your feed. Elon Musk seemingly suggested that on Nov. 24, when he replied to another user on his social platform X — the website formerly known as Twitter — who claimed the site throttled the performance of posts with links. This would mean you'd likely see fewer articles from actual news sites.Paul Graham, a popular poster with some 2 million

Illustration: The Verge Threads will now let users decide what feed they want as their default when opening the app. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the news in a post, saying that you’ll be able to choose between For You, Following, or any custom feed that you’ve set up. Zuckerberg’s post notes that Threads is “testing” this option and will make the choice “more visible” in the app.
It took over a year to get here, but Threads is finally doing the ob

Illustration: The Verge Threads will now let users decide what feed they want as their default when opening the app. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the news in a post, saying that you’ll be able to choose between For You, Following, or any custom feed that you’ve set up. Zuckerberg’s post notes that Threads is “testing” this option and will make the choice “more visible” in the app.It took over a year to get here, but Threads is finally doing the obv

Photo by Kevin Carter / Getty Images Cars are getting more efficient and less polluting, resulting in better air quality for everyone, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency. But with a new administration coming in that has made climate change and air pollution less of a priority — and drilling for more fossil fuels more of one — it’s unclear how sustainable this trend will be.In the US, new model cars are traveling further on less gas, the EPA repor

Sonic x Shadow Generations is a remaster of the original 2011 game, Sonic Generations, and includes new content focusing on Shadow the Hedgehog. The Shadow tie-in contains roughly the same amount of content as the base game, which makes Sonic x Shadow Generations a compelling package. The remaster also fixes the performance issues of the original Sonic Generations.'Sonic x Shadow Generations' plotOn the Sonic Generations side, Sonic’s birthday celebration is interrupted by the Time Eater &

I tested the Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE 2 for nearly two weeks. This comparative analysis will answer all the questions you have about Apple's two popular smartwatches.I've always been a smartwatch skeptic. Whether it's the Google Pixel Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch, or the Apple Watch, they all seemed redundant for anyone who has a phone. When people tried to persuade me to join the smartwatch squad, they always brought up fitness as a use case, which has never been a priority fo

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images Nvidia says its new AI music editor can create “sounds never heard before” — like a trumpet that meows. The tool, called Fugatto, is capable of generating music, sounds, and speech using text and audio inputs it’s never been trained on.
As shown in this video embedded below, this allows Fugatto to put together songs based on wild prompts, like “Create a saxophone howling, barking then electronic music with dogs bar

SAVE $250: As of Nov. 25, you can get the Hisense 85-inch Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV for $548 at Walmart. Opens in a new windowCredit: HisenseHisense 85-inch Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV (85R6030N, 2024 Model) $548.00 at Walmart$798.00 Save $250.00Get DealWe’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Walmart’s early Black Friday deals are insanely good. We’ve seen huge price cuts on everything from headphones to speakers to smart TVs. Speaking of, as of

Instagram added new stickers and is letting you give friends nicknames and your location. | Image: Instagram Instagram is adding the ability to share your live location with friends in your DMs for up to one hour at a time so you can find each other when arriving at concerts, outings, and other gatherings. The feature works within Instagram’s direct messages, which also gets a few other new features, including sticker packs and nicknames.
Instagram says you can share your location privatel

GET $39.99 OFF: As of Nov. 25, you can get Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for just $30.00. That's 57% off the original price.Opens in a new windowCredit: NintendoZelda: Tears of the Kingdom$30.00 at Walmart $69.99 Save $39.99Get DealThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been out for about a year and a half, and it’s currently on sale for its best price yet by far ahead of Black Friday. The Great Sky Island is yours. The successor to the console-defining Legend of Zelda: Breath of

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge The European Union says Twitter alternative Bluesky violates the EU Digital Services Act rules around information disclosure, reports Reuters. But since Bluesky isn’t yet big enough to be considered a “very large online platform” under the DSA, the regulator says it can’t regulate Bluesky the way it does X or Threads.The Financial Times quotes European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, who told reporters about the violation during a

Best Dyson Supersonic dupe deals ahead of Black FridayBest overall dealLaifen Swift$97.99(Save $42 at Laifen)Get DealBest under $70Dreame Gleam hair dryer$69.99(Save $30 at Amazon)Get DealBest for minimizing heat damageZuvi Halo$209(Save $140 at Zuvi)Get DealBest for smoothing and attachmentsShark SpeedStyle Pro Flex$179(Save $50.99 at Amazon)Get DealBest if you also want an AirwrapDreame Pocket hair dryer$99.99(Save $60 at Amazon)Get Deal
Black Friday may be a great time of year to pick up the

SAVE $50: As of Nov. 25, you can score a pair of JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for just $29 at Walmart. That's a savings of $50 and a crazy good deal.Opens in a new windowCredit: JLabJLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones$29.00 at Walmart$79.99 Save $50.99Get DealLooking to score a wicked deal on noise-cancelling headphones? Walmart’s early Black Friday sale has tons of deals on headphones, including the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones. As of Nov. 25, you can snag these babies for just $29 — th

GET $50 OFF: As of Nov. 25 at 12PM EST, Lego Ideas The Office US TV Show Series Dunder Mifflin Scranton Model Building Set is on sale for $70, save $50 at Walmart. Opens in a new windowCredit: LegoLego Ideas The Office US TV Show Series Dunder Mifflin Scranton Model Building Set, 21336$70.00 at Walmart $120.00 Save $50.00Get DealResurrected from the Schrute Farms compost bin, The Office Dunder Mifflin Scranton Model Building Set brings the classic Scranton comedy to life. The set was recently re

GET $20 OFF: As of Nov. 25, you can get a set of Nintendo Joy-Cons (L/R) - Left Neon Red/ Right Neon Blue Controllers for just $59.00. That's 25% off the original price or $20 off.Opens in a new windowCredit: NintendoNintendo Switch Joy-Con (L/R) - Left Neon Red/ Right Neon Blue Controllers$59.00 at Walmart $79.00 Save $20.00Get DealIt’s the time of year for huge discounts, but even so, our eyebrows shot up when we saw that Nintendo Joy-Cons are on sale today for $20 off. The Switch system

SAVE $45.95: As of Nov. 25, you can snag an OtterBox Defender Series Pro case for your iPhone 16 Pro for just $19 at Walmart. That's a savings of $45.95. Opens in a new windowCredit: OtterBoxOtterBox Defender Series Pro iPhone 16 Pro case $19.00 at Walmart$54.00 Save $35.00Get DealWe’re just a few days from Black Friday, but Walmart’s website is overflowing with deals you can take advantage of right now. From headphones to mobile accessories, Walmart’s impressing us with its pr

SAVE $150: As of Nov. 25, you can snag the JBL Partybox 110 at Walmart for $199. That's a 43% discount or $150.95 off the list price. Note: The Walmart MSRP price is slightly inflated, so we're basing this off the actual MSRP.Opens in a new windowCredit: JBLJBL Partybox 110$199.00 at Walmart$399.95 Save $200.95Get DealIf you’ve been looking for a speaker that doubles as a karaoke machine, we’ve found just the product — and it’s on sale. As of Nov. 25, you can get the JBL

JUST $178: As of Nov. 25, Walmart shoppers can get a 55-inch Hisense 4K TV for just $178 ahead of Black Friday. Note that this deal goes live at 12PM ET on Nov. 25 for Walmart+ members exclusively, and then will be open to everyone starting at 5PM ET.Opens in a new windowCredit: HisenseHisense 55-inch Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV$178.00 at Walmart Get DealBlack Friday is hands-down one of the best times to get a new TV — tons of can't-miss deals tend to go live before the main even

Dictionary.com's word of the year is demure, a nod to the "very mindful, very demure" social media trend started by TikTokker Jools Lebron. Demure beat out brainrot, brat (inspired by the Charli XCX album of the same name), extreme weather, midwest nice, and weird. Dictionary.com defines demure as "characterized by shyness or modesty; reserved," but its announcement acknowledged that the use popularized by Jools changes the word's meaning.SEE ALSO:'Pookie' is more than a pet name. TikTok's new f

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Google must face a £7 billion (around $8.8 billion) class action lawsuit in the UK that accuses the company of harming consumers by abusing its dominance in search. On Friday, the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that the case can move forward, adding to the growing number of legal conflicts Google has to confront worldwide.
The class action case was initially filed in September 2023 by consumer rights advocate Nikki Stopford

SAVE 75%: Through Dec. 2, new and returning Peacock subscribers can score a year of ad-supported Peacock Premium for either $1.99/month for six months (reg. $7.99/month) or $19.99 an entire year (reg. $79.99/year) using the codes REALDEALMONTHLY or REALDEAL, respectively.Opens in a new windowCredit: PeacockPeacock Premium$1.99/month for six months or $19.99/year (save 75%)Get DealPeacock has consistently dropped one of the most impressive Black Friday deals for multiple years in a row. Thankfull

The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 now comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. | Image: Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi has announced an updated version of the Pico 2 microcontroller board with an onboard Wi-Fi chip. Called the Pico 2 W, it’s powered by RP2350 microcontroller, which you can find in all manner of nerdy DIY gadgets and fun devices like the minuscule Thumby Color GBA clone. Best of all, it costs $7, up just two bucks from the $5 Pico 2.The Pico 2 W’s Wi-Fi chip adds a 2.4GHz signal using the Wi