The sold-out Nex Playground made my kids laugh and cry
If you told me last year the Nex Playground would outsell Microsoft’s Xbox, even for two weeks, I would have laughed my way out of the room. It’s a three-inch…
Want to link from Google’s app store to your app? That’ll be $2–4 per install
Today was the deadline for Google to reveal how it’s complying with Judge James Donato’s order to crack open Android for third-party app stores, stop illegally tying its Google Play…
Google is part of Movies Anywhere again
Google is once again part of Movies Anywhere, meaning that movies you’ve purchased from Google Play and YouTube will now show up as part of your Movies Anywhere collection. Films…
Did a publisher’s slip-up reveal smaller Switch 2 cartridges?
On Friday, retro and arcade game publisher ININ Games surprisingly announced it’s been able to “recalculate production” on offering a physical version of R-Type Dimensions III for the Switch 2…
Gemini isn’t replacing Google Assistant on Android just yet
Gemini on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Google isn’t quite ready to replace Assistant with Gemini on Android devices. The company said on Friday that it will “continue our work…
A Starlink satellite seems to have exploded
A Falcon 9 launched 29 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit on December 1st, 2025. | Image: SpaceX SpaceX says it has lost control of a Starlink satellite that’s now…
TikTok ban: all the news on the app’s shutdown and return in the US
After briefly going dark in the US to comply with the divest-or-ban law targeting ByteDance that went into effect on January 19th, TikTok quickly came back online. It eventually reappeared…
The TikTok US sale is finally happening
TikTok has finalized a deal to sell enough of its US business satisfy the divest-or-ban law, as initially reported by Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, and CNBC. According to a memo…
Threads wants to be the app you can’t wait to open in the morning
This is an excerpt of Sources by Alex Heath, a newsletter about AI and the tech industry, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. By all measures, Meta’s…
Oh snap, I have a new favorite phone grip
The OhSnap Snap Grip 5 next to a Syncwire magnetic ring. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge In 2022, we called a simple magnetic ring from Anker the…
Kuxiu’s S3 MagSafe power bank is bigger and better and probably won’t explode
The Kuxiu S3 simultaneously charging an iPhone wirelessly and an older Android phone via the integrated USB-C cable. Kuxiu is back with a new S3 portable battery that addresses most…
Cowboy saddles up with a new owner
Another independent rides off into the sunset. | Image: Cowboy The Brussels-based electric bike company has officially closed its deal to be acquired by ReBirth Group Holding, which also owns…
The ChatGPT app store is here
On Wednesday evening, OpenAI launched an App Directory to browse all the tools currently available and opened its SDK for developers to build new interactive experiences that operate within the…
Sony’s legal battle against Tencent’s Horizon ‘clone’ is already over
In July, Sony sued Tencent to prevent the release of Light of Motiram, a game Sony alleged was a “slavish clone” of its popular Horizon series. But the legal battle…
LG and Dolby partner to release the first FlexConnect soundbar
Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology debuted this year with the TCL Z100 speakers, and now we’re getting our first FlexConnect soundbar thanks to LG. The new H7 soundbar – which runs…
Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts
Elon Musk, a billionaire who decimated the United States federal workforce using the Department of Government Efficiency, is not remembered fondly by the most powerful woman in Washington: Susie Wiles,…
Arcade1Up isn’t dead, maybe
Days after a rumor circulated that home arcade machine maker Arcade1Up would be shutting down, the company has finally shared a statement about its future. “Select assets” from Arcade1Up have…
How Silicon Valley turned Trump into a fellow broligarch
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as (L-4th L) White House “AI and Crypto Czar” David Sacks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and first lady Melania Trump listen during a dinner at…
Alexa Plus’ website is live for some users
The Alexa.com website appears to be live for some users. The browser-based home for Alexa Plus, the company’s revamped digital voice assistant, was first announced at the Alexa Plus launch…
Samsung’s 2026 Micro RGB LED TVs can actually fit in your living room
Following the release of the 115-inch Micro RGB TV back in August, Samsung has revealed today that its Micro RGB technology will extend into smaller sizes ranging from that 115-inch…
Silksong is getting a free expansion next year
It’s still hard to believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong actually came out this year, but now, we all have a new thing to wait for: the game is getting a…
LG enters the RGB LED fray in 2026 with the Micro RGB evo TV
In what is sure to be the beginning of a slew of announcements, LG has confirmed it is releasing its first flagship RGB TV in 2026. It wasn’t a huge…
21 states and DC join the FTC’s lawsuit against Uber
On Monday, nearly two dozen states, plus the District of Columbia, filed an amended complaint in the FTC’s lawsuit against Uber. According to the lawsuit, Uber charged consumers for the…
Starlink and Chinese satellites nearly collided last week
Starlink satellites with solar arrays deployed. | Image: SpaceX A collision in space was narrowly avoided last week when a newly deployed Chinese satellite came within a few hundred meters…
Who is Picea Robotics, Roomba’s new owner?
The 3i S10 Ultra is the flagship robot vacuum from Picea, the company that will own iRobot. iRobot, the owner of the Roomba robot vacuum, has filed for Chapter 11…
iRobot files for bankruptcy
After 35 years, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum filed for bankruptcy protection late Sunday night. Following warnings issued earlier this year that it was fast running out of…
You need to listen to Sudan Archives’ violin opus for the club
My introduction to Sudan Archives was the song “Nont for Sale” from her first EP Sink in 2018. I’ve been a die-hard fan ever since. With each album, she finds…
Grok is spreading misinformation about the Bondi Beach shooting
Grok’s track record is spotty at best. But even by the very low standards of xAI, its failure in the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting at Bondi Beach in…
A Kinect for kids is outselling Xbox to become the hot console this holiday
It’s a small sample size, likely driven by Black Friday discounts and temporary virality, but the Nex Playground has gone from little-known console curiosity to best-seller. It’s now on track…
Slab is the first MIDI controller built exclusively for Serato Studio
Music making is always better with hardware. Native Instruments and Ableton have had incredible success with their custom MIDI controllers that integrate with their DAWs (digital audio workstations), Maschine and…