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Showing posts from May, 2026

If I could only have one laptop for work and gaming, I’d get this one

The ROG Zephyrus G14 has been one of our favorite laptops for years, but high prices slightly tarnish the luster of this new version. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge I've loved the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 since it launched in 2020. I bought one for my wife after reading about how awesome it was on a little site called The Verge dot com. Since then, the G14 has gotten some facelifts , chip bumps , an occasional special edition , a full redesign , and a 16-inch sibling - and it's remained great. Now, in 2026, Asus has new flagship models making the switch from AMD chips to Intel Panther Lake CPUs. And it now has something I have a soft spot for on any laptop: a full-size SD card slot. The Zephyrus G14 already had me back in 2020, when it didn't even have a webcam, but now it feels like a laptop specifically fo … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/QL0mgka

Microsoft’s consumer marketing chief to leave next year

Yusuf Mehdi launching Copilot Plus PCs in 2024. | Image: Getty Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer at Microsoft, is leaving the company after 35 years. Mehdi announced his departure in an internal memo on Thursday, noting that he will leave Microsoft next year. He will remain focused on marketing for Windows, Copilot for consumers and the Microsoft 365 consumer business until 2027. "As I thought about this decision, one thing was crystal clear: I want to ensure I have the time and space to set the team - and our mission - up for continued success," says Mehdi in his memo . "We are in the middle of an incredibly important moment for Microsoft and for our customers." … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/8SwtxAV

Microsoft is letting Office users remove an annoying Copilot button

Microsoft is rolling out Office app updates next week that allow users to disable a floating Copilot button. The button appeared in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in recent weeks, and floats above the bottom right-hand section of spreadsheets or documents. It has angered many Excel users in particular, because it obstructs cells and you can't fully disable it. "While we are seeing increased engagement with Copilot in Office apps with this update, we are also hearing the need for more control over how Copilot appears," admits Katie Kivett , partner group product manager at Microsoft. "While one of our goals is to evolve Copilot to be more adapti … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/U16AfDY

I can’t believe how fast Google vibe coded my first Android app

That’s my own Android app. Bad, yet impressive. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Yesterday, I built my first Android app. Then, I made two more - three in one afternoon. For one, I literally typed 148 words into my web browser and walked away. Ten minutes later, I had an entire new app on my actual Android phone. I did have to prep that phone by enabling a USB debugging mode and plugging it into my PC, but as advertised , Google's AI Studio did literally everything else for me. I typed in words, I hit install, and voilà : an entire working program. I was nearly ready to agree with David, Allison, and Jen: The personal software revolution is here , it's coming to your phone , there's a future where the average person can m … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/w1b2LoM

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is launching a Twitch series

“Hey chat, are billionaires cooked?” | Photo by kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is launching a streaming series on Twitch, in which he'll respond to questions the public have submitted via the chat, Polygon reports. The series is aptly titled "Talk with the People," and kicks off later today at 4PM ET. "With the launch of 'Talk with the People' we're bringing City Hall to the platforms where New Yorkers already are - speaking directly with the people," Mamdani told Polygon in a written statement. "By launching the country's first recurring cross-platform stream hosted by an elected official, where I'll answer New Yorkers' questions live on Twitch, we're opening up a direct line of co … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/JkUKFxC

‘Fuck you, Bambu’: How one private message could change the face of 3D printing

Bambu Lab makes the best, most accessible 3D printers yet, but that reputation is suddenly under siege. It all started when Paweł Jarczak received a private message from the company on Reddit asking him to delete his code. Now the 3D printing community is lining up behind Jarczak to fund a war against Bambu - and the future of 3D printers could be at stake. Jarczak is a developer who shared a way to let people remote control their Bambu printers without using Bambu software. But Bambu wanted to lock down its system, despite relying on open-source code. That provoked a furious coalition of open-source advocates and YouTubers to respond. " I' … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/fX8vmis

The biggest data center ever is becoming a huge problem in Utah

Utah may host one of the world's most colossal data centers, despite stark warnings from experts and fierce public backlash. Earlier this month, commissioners in Box Elder County signed off on the Stratos Project : a 40,000-acre data center stretching across the county's Hansel Valley. It's supposed to establish American AI dominance, but potentially at the expense of environmental damage and a strain on already overtaxed water supplies. The Stratos Project, backed by Shark Tank investor and venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary, is projected to be more than twice the size of Manhattan and consume 9GW of power - almost double the state's peak ele … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/EqGp4TX

‘It’s in the air’: Apple TV’s hottest new shows explore different sides of OnlyFans

Margo’s Got Money Troubles. | Image: Apple Apple TV is best known for its lineup of science fiction shows and feel-good sitcoms , but of late the streaming service has veered in a different direction. A pair of its current buzziest shows explore the world of OnlyFans creators and cam models, and they're timed up near perfectly; just as one ends ( Margo's Got Money Troubles ) another is set to begin ( Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed ). According to Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed creator and showrunner David J. Rosen, the timing is something of a coincidence, but also indicative of the current moment. "I think it's in the air," he says. "There's just more and more acceptance of finding companionsh … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/tYBHu31

Android 17 is getting its own version of Apple’s Handoff

At launch, Continue On will only allow you to move tasks from a phone to a tablet. | Image: Google Google is adding a new Android feature that resembles Apple's Handoff , allowing you to start a task on your Android phone and continue it right where you left off from a compatible tablet. "Continue On" is designed to eventually be bidirectional, but Google says that at launch it will only support tasks moving from a smartphone to a tablet. Android tablet users will see the Continue On icon in the dock suggesting the most recently used app from their phone, assuming it's also installed on the tablet. It should allow Android users to directly open documents they were working on, or jump straight into the email they just had open. In some c … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/X4QGKol

Xbox fans want exclusives, more backward compatibility, and free online multiplayer

Microsoft launched a new Xbox Player Voice portal yesterday, aiming to collect feedback from fans and "make it more visible." It certainly hasn't taken long for Xbox fans to make their feedback very clear. The most upvoted feedback on Xbox Player Voice demands exclusive games for Xbox consoles, more backward compatible games, and free online multiplayer. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has already promised that she's "reevaluating" the approach to Xbox-exclusive games and windowed releases of titles, but there has been no firm commitment to reverse the decision to port games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. "Xbox was built off of great game exclusi … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/xtE9jkO

Google I/O 2026: How to watch and what to expect

Google's annual developer conference has arrived. We're expecting plenty of updates to Gemini, Search, and every other product that Google has stuffed AI inside of. The keynote kicks off later today - here's what to expect. When Google I/O will happen and where you can watch it Google I/O starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET today, May 19th, with a keynote presentation, which will be livestreamed on Google's YouTube channel and on the Google I/O site . Unlike last week's Android Show, the I/O keynote is usually pretty long, around two hours, so plan accordingly if you're hoping to watch the whole thing. The Verge will also be covering the event liv … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/NCSaipc

Gemini is in danger of going full Copilot

I actually use the Gemini app quite a bit on my phone, but let’s not get carried away. Gemini has a creep problem. A few years ago, that little sparkle icon started showing up in all of our Google apps. Gemini in your inbox! Gemini in your Google Drive! It was slow at first, and easy enough to tune out, but something has changed in the past few months. Gemini is creeping. It's showing up in all kinds of places at a relentless pace, and personally, it's starting to really cheese me off. The AI-everywhere fatigue is familiar to anyone who has ever used Windows 11. Microsoft went absolutely bananas putting Copilot shortcuts onto every surface it could find, to the extreme irritation of many users. Likewise, we will doubtlessly … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/196LBaE

Starlink raises prices across satellite internet plans

Starlink is raising prices across its satellite internet plans in the US - including Standby Mode - with the cheapest 100Mbps Residential plan going from $50 to $55 / month, as reported earlier by PCMag . Meanwhile, Starlink's 200Mbps residential plan has jumped from $80 to $85 / month, while the Residential Max plan went from $120 to $130 / month. Standby Mode, which allows subscribers to pause their main Starlink service while using unlimited low-speed data, now costs $10 / month instead of $5. Starlink is raising the prices of its Roam plans as well, with the 100GB plan going from $50 to $55 per month, and its Unlimited plan increasing fr … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/bAyN6mY

Leaked images reveal Sony’s 10th anniversary ‘ColleXion’ headphones

The headband certainly looks more pillowy than any of Sony’s current headphone models. | Images by HotEUDeals / OnLeaks We now have a good idea of what Sony's upcoming 10th anniversary headphones will look like before their expected launch tomorrow. Leaked image renders of what appears to be Sony's 1000X "The ColleXion" Edition have been shared online by OnLeaks and HotEUDeals , showing thicker leatherette padding and "generously sized" earcups compared to Sony's current WH-1000XM6 series . We knew to expect these headphones after the "ColleXion" name briefly appeared on Sony's websites in April with an over-ear headphone model number of "WH-1000XX," but that wasn't accompanied by any images at the time. Now, not only can we see the full headphone design and i … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/lvMGm1T

Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Roommate

The wildfires that would come to engulf Los Angeles had just begun to burn when Frankee Grove finally admitted to herself that she needed a roommate. It was January 2025, and Grove, then 42, had recently broken up with her boyfriend of six years. They had lived together in a two-bedroom Spanish bungalow on a quaint street in Venice. For Grove, this rental — with its vegetable garden and hardwood floors, arched doorways, and terra-cotta roof — had come to feel like a home.  But she couldn’t afford the $5,100 monthly rent by herself. She needed to find a subletter, but her spare time was spoken for: She was volunteering to help those impacted by the wildfires currently ravaging the Pacific Palisades. Grove, a dedicated empath and striving progressive who has two decades of experience in education, always tried to see the good in others, and she wanted to embody those qualities herself.  Still, she was bleeding cash. Grove eventually turned to ...

Disco Elysium’s spiritual successor can’t escape its phantoms

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies wants you to question the price of forgiveness. After leading a crew of spies through a failed operation, protagonist Cascade is willing to pay whatever amount is needed to reestablish contact not just with fellow agents, but with the friends she let down. After being "frozen" for five years and forced to do desk work, Cascade is sent to the city of Portofiro with an assignment and a chance to redeem herself. Zero Parades highly resembles Disco Elysium , the critically acclaimed 2019 RPG featuring a disastrous detective dealing with generational heartbreak and a hangover that split his psyche into dozens of voice … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/njCWIV0

Oddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of Hokum

Kudos to the designer of that horrifying golem. | Image: Shudder Hokum recently hit theaters, and it's already outperforming box office expectations. If this Kubrick-referencing haunted hotel flick starring Adam Scott was your introduction to director Damian McCarthy, do yourself a favor and go watch his previous film, Oddity . If you prefer to go in blind - the ideal way to watch any movie - Oddity is available to stream on Hoopla , Kanopy , Hulu , and Shudder . Warning: Spoilers ahead. Like Hokum , Oddity takes place in a sprawling Irish countryside location. They both traffic in similar kinds of scares - cursed objects, the occult, isolation, dark corners, and sketchy men living outside the norms of socie … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/UZSNIgw

ElliQ is a surprisingly helpful companion robot for older adults

A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist told me we need to rebalance my mom's life. Her Parkinson's disease medication had steadily become less effective over the previous month, and with it, she had slowly stopped doing many of the things crucial to managing the disease - exercising, socializing, and engaging in hobbies. The result was a rapid, noticeable decline. As my mom's primary caregiver, I was open to any help I could get. And surprisingly, ElliQ did help in a way I never expected. Before increasing her medication dosage again - something that can come with serious side effects - her doctor wanted us to see whether life … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/rbQACJy

Chatbots at the drive-thru are just the beginning

This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about how AI is seeping into our daily lives, follow Emma Roth . The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started In 2021, McDonald's became one of the first major fast-food chains to greet customers with an AI chatbot at the drive-thru. It started small, deploying the voice-ordering technology at 10 of its locations in Chicago. McDonald's developed its drive-thru tech after acquiring Apprente , a startup focused on voice-based, conversational technology in 2019, and later wor … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/yE9fa02

Here are 40 of our favorite deals from REI’s massive Anniversary Sale

The last-gen InReach Mini 2 might require a subscription to use, but we guarantee it’s far more durable than your phone. | Image: Garmin REI’s annual Anniversary Sale — the retailer’s biggest of the year — has arrived , bringing with it discounts on all kinds of outdoor essentials. If you’ve got a camping trip coming up, now is a good time to stock up on the basics, whether it be a tent , sleeping pad , or stove . If your summer plans involve hiking or heading into the backcountry, there are also savings to be had on everything from Garmin watches to water filters , some of which are also on discount at retailers like Amazon. The sale runs through May 25th, and to save you time scrolling, we’ve rounded up the best deals below. Additionally, as in previous years, REI members ge t 20 percent off one full-price item or one REI Outlet item with code  ANNIV26 , giving those who pay for a lifetime membership ($30) even more ways to save in the run-up to Mem...