Introducing Windows on arm. And by arm, we mean wrist

Pixel Watch 3 boots Microsoft's OS in latest feat of delightful pointlessness

Windows on Arm has been around since the Surface RT – but this is another kind of arm altogether.…

NASA doubles odds of Moon hitting near-Earth asteroid

Heads up to those living on lunar base in 2032: DUCK!!

The likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon, during Christmas 2032, has more than doubled.…

Trump’s tariffs killed his TikTok deal
Earlier this week, when it seemed as though TikTok’s fate in the US would actually be decided by April 5th, everyone — from Amazon to the founder of OnlyFans — was coming out of the woodwork to buy it. As it turns out, none of them had a chance. And now, thanks to President Donald […]
DOGE staffers are listed in the FCC directory
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has infiltrated the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an agency that has a say over resources Musk needs or could benefit from for some of his private sector business, The Verge has learned.  Three people who have been identified as DOGE staffers are listed in a public directory called […]
Ring’s founder is back at Amazon
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff returned to Amazon this week, coming back to the company just about two years after he left, Bloomberg reports. He’s now a vice president at the company, and he will be heading up the Ring, Blink, Amazon Key, and Sidewalk teams.  Siminoff is replacing Liz Hamren, who had taken over following […]
We just declared a trade war with the world
Nice economy you have there, said President Donald Trump’s administration. It would be a shame if something happened to it. The something, announced earlier this week, is a set of globally applied tariffs that make no sense on their face. No sane economist would endorse this. Through a combination of stupidity, incompetence and sheer gangsterism, […]
Trump’s TikTok delay is ‘against the law’ top Senate Intelligence Democrat says
President Donald Trump’s additional 75 day delay to TikTok’s sale-or-ban deadline leaves service providers like Apple, Google, and Oracle on shaky ground, and, according to one influential Democrat, is straight-up “against the law.” After Trump announced the extension on Friday, 12 Republican members of the House Select Committee on China, including Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI), […]
Windows Hotpatch comes to client version of Windows
Good news for Windows users, and for once there’s not a hint of sarcasm here: Microsoft has started rolling out Windows Hotpatch to the client versions of Windows. This feature, which comes from the server versions of Windows, allows the operating system to install patches to in-memory processes, removing the need for a number of restarts.
China hits back at Trump with retaliatory tariffs, export controls on rare earth minerals

Beijing delivers its own shock and ore

Beijing has responded to the Trump administration's latest round of import taxes with retaliatory tariffs and new restrictions on rare earth minerals.…

How big is VMS?
This question was asked during my Boot Camp presentation last fall in Boston, and over the past 35 years dozens of times people have asked, how big is VMS? That translates into “how many lines of code are in VMS”? I thought it was time to at least make a stab at pursuing some insight into the answer.
Price hikes, idled factories, layoffs: how car companies are responding to Trump’s tariffs
President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on all auto-related imports have been called “a debacle of epic proportions” and a sure-fire way to tank the auto market by crushing demand. Analysts have been predicting everything from $12,000 per vehicle price hikes to the possible “Cubanization” of the US car fleet. Now that they’ve had a […]
The best robot vacuums
Robot vacuums are impressive devices that will clean your floors well and — thanks to bigger batteries and better robot brains — rarely get tired of doing their job. Over the last few years, they have gone from being utilitarian devices that sweep your floor to full-fledged home robots that can vacuum and mop your […]
Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebrations tainted by the company’s role in the genocide in Gaza
Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and in honour of this milestone, Bill Gates has published a blog post about the first code the company ever wrote. In 1975, Paul Allen and I created Microsoft because we believed in our vision of a computer on every desk and in every home.
Microsoft brings Copilot Vision to Windows and mobile for AI help in the real world
Microsoft is bringing its Copilot Vision feature to Windows and mobile, moving it beyond the web. Copilot Vision was a big part of Microsoft’s Copilot redesign last year, but so far, it has been limited to Edge webpages to help guide you through what you’re seeing. Copilot Vision will now be able to analyze real-time […]
Trump fires NSA boss, deputy

Intelligence chief booted after less than two years on the job

President Trump today fired the head of the NSA and US Cyber Command and his deputy.…

DOGE staffer ‘Big Balls’ has access to immigration agency’s data
Four Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers have access to the government’s data on an untold number of immigrants, FedScoop reports.  US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that handles legal immigration, recently granted access to Kyle Shutt, Aram Moghaddassi, Payton Rehling, and Edward Coristine — the 19-year-old DOGE employee who also goes by […]
Meta’s fact-checking program in the US officially ends soon
Meta’s US fact-checking program will come to an end by Monday afternoon. In a post on X, Meta’s global policy head Joel Kaplan said there will be “no new fact checks and no fact checkers” across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads by that time as the company replaces it with Community Notes. Meta first announced its […]
Microsoft CEOs interrupted by another employee protestor: ‘shame on all of you’
In the second major disruption of today’s 50th anniversary event at Microsoft’s headquarters, another employee stood up and began yelling at Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates — the company’s current and past CEOs — in protest of Microsoft’s dealings with the government of Israel. “Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites,” said Microsoft […]
The AI industry doesn’t know if Trump just killed its GPU supply
AI companies can’t figure out if the Trump tariffs are about to decimate them – and the fact that no one has a clear answer is sending them, and the tech industry overall, into a confusion spiral.  The markets are in disarray. Nvidia is down 7.59%, TSMC is down 7.22%. In San Francisco, sources tell […]
Starlink competition is ramping up in Ukraine
French satellite network company Eutelsat has been providing Ukraine with much-needed internet access for almost a year with the help of the German government, Reuters reports. Eutelsat’s OneWeb division operates low-orbiting satellites that communicate with terrestrial terminals for internet connectivity — similarly to rival SpaceX’s Starlink network, which has been the primary supplier of satellite […]
Trump delays TikTok ban again
Donald Trump’s initial 75-day delay against enforcement of the TikTok ban law would’ve expired this weekend, but on Friday, he announced on Truth Social that “I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.” This week, Trump announced new taxes on products coming into the US, including […]
An AlphaStation’s SROM
The AlphaStation 500 is a workstation from Digital, circa 1996. Mine is a 500 MHz model and has an Alpha 21164A processor (aka EV56). And the way it boots is weird. On your common-or-garden PC, there has always been some kind of ROM chip.
Appeals court revives lawsuit alleging IBM bilked pensioners

Panel finds plaintiffs should get a chance to prove docs not submitted too late

IBM may have seen off a lawsuit accusing it of using outdated mortality data to underfund retiree pensions, but an appeals court has now reopened the matter to further litigation.…

The best deals on MacBooks right now
Apple currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. It discontinued the M1 MacBook Air to make room for last year’s models, but some retailers are still selling the last-gen laptop starting at $649 — a far cry from the $2,499 starting price of the […]
US tariffs: how Trump’s tax is hitting Big Tech and beyond
On April 2nd, President Donald Trump announced staggering new tariffs on imports from dozens of countries that could raise the price of almost everything you buy. It hasn’t taken long for the impact on tech to start to take shape, with Nintendo delaying preorders of the Nintendo Switch 2 and experts telling The Verge that […]
Microsoft employee disrupts 50th anniversary and calls AI boss ‘war profiteer’
A Microsoft employee disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI. “Shame on you,” said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. […]
DOGE has arrived at the FTC
Two members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were spotted at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week, sources tell The Verge. Gavin Kliger and Emily Bryant were seen in the building and are now listed in the FTC’s internal directory under the Office of the Chairman with their own agency emails, according […]
An immersive version of The Wizard of Oz is coming to the Las Vegas Sphere
Sphere Entertainment has announced two new immersive experiences coming to its 516-foot wide spherical venue in Las Vegas. An enhanced version of The Wizard of Oz will premiere on the Sphere’s 160,000 square foot screen on August 28th, 2025, while a new film by Academy Award-winning directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) […]
‘Careless People’ author to testify during a Senate hearing about Facebook
Sarah Wynn-Williams, the ex-Meta employee who authored Careless People, will testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee next week. On Wednesday, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Wynn-Williams will address Facebook’s “cooperation with the Communist regime in China, including FB’s plan to build censorship tools.” Despite Meta’s attempts to silence Wynn-Williams with a gag order preventing her […]
Here’s how Nintendo Switch 2 preorders will work
After years of rumors, Nintendo has finally announced a release date for the Switch 2. The long-awaited successor to the Switch will be available on June 5th for $449.99, bringing a handful of games and accessories along with it. Nintendo initially announced the Switch 2 will be available for preorder in the US as both […]
Ukraine's techies a 'pillar of support' for national economy after Russian invasion

Experts in IT services held up while other sectors fell over the last 5 years, says report

Ukraine's technology industry has held up during Russia's invasion, with activity falling markedly less than other industries and increasing as a proportion of national exports since 2019.…

Microsoft updates Copilot with the greatest hits from other AIs
As it marks its 50th anniversary, Microsoft is updating Copilot with a host of new features all at once that bring it more in line with alternatives like ChatGPT or Claude. The AI assistant, which uses many OpenAI models, now supports memory, personalization, web-based actions, podcast creation, camera and screen analysis, deep research, and even […]
Microsoft Copilot can now use the web on your behalf
Microsoft is making changes to Copilot that will allow the artificial intelligence assistant to complete online tasks for you. Using “simple chat prompts,” these “Actions” can be performed in the background while you work on other tasks, according to Microsoft, and can do things like book restaurant reservations, event tickets, and purchase items to ship […]
FromSoftware’s Miyazaki assures fans the studio will still make single-player games
In a multi-part interview with Nintendo about newly-announced Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods, director Hidetaka Miyazaki tried to dispel worries that developer FromSoftware is shifting focus away from single-player games. The studio known for single-player dark fantasy epics like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series is now working on two multiplayer games. As a […]
All of the news from Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Copilot event
Microsoft is holding a 50th Anniversary Copilot livestream today at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT on April 4th, the same day Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen started the company in 1975. Dubbed “Introducing your AI companion,” it’s set up for Microsoft to show off some significant updates to its Windows AI assistant. You […]
UK convicts five romance fraudsters who stole millions from duped singles

Prosecutors said individuals were scammed repeatedly until they had nothing left

Five romance scammers-turned-money launderers were convicted in the UK today after police shuttered a multimillion-pound fraud operation.…

Everything we know so far about the Nintendo Switch 2
After an agonizing wait, Nintendo finally revealed more details on the Switch 2 during a Direct presentation on the morning of April 2nd. While Nintendo told us very little in the official reveal of the console in January, the company announced during the Direct that the Switch 2 would launch on June 5th and cost […]
Z-Wave is remaking itself to find a new place in your smart home
The invention of Matter was a grand kumbaya moment for the smart home. Built on the foundations of almost every concept smart home companies had dreamed up — from Apple’s HomeKit to Google’s Thread — the idea was to create a new technology on top of existing ones. One common standard to make it easier […]
US DoE wants developers to fast-track AI datacenters on its land

But Bernstein analysts say tariffs could disrupt equipment supply chains

The US Department of Energy (DoE) is looking to co-locate datacenters with energy generation facilities to further America's AI ambitions, and is putting up its own land for this purpose.…

Nintendo delays Switch 2 preorders over tariff concerns
Nintendo is pushing back preorders for the Switch 2 due to concerns about Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs. According to a statement sent to The Verge by Eddie Garcia on behalf of Nintendo, it says preorders will no longer begin on April 9th: Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April […]
Nintendo delays Switch 2 preorders over tariff concerns
Nintendo is pushing back preorders for the Switch 2 due to concerns about Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs. According to a statement sent to The Verge by Eddie Garcia on behalf of Nintendo, it says preorders will no longer begin on April 9th: Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April […]
Philips Hue bulbs and lighting kits are deeply discounted today only
I’m always on the lookout for deals on Philips Hue gear, in part because that stuff’s expensive and I’m not keen on paying full price. Still, it’s worth the money to get the lighting exactly how I want it in each room — down to the precise color temperature that fits the mood or time […]
Why I’ve covered Microsoft for 25 years
I’ve always been fascinated by Microsoft, and it’s led me on a somewhat surreal path to covering the company for most of my life. It all started in my teenage years, when my curiosity over the inner workings of Windows led to brief moments of fame and lots of moments of trouble with Microsoft’s lawyers. […]
Here’s the original source code for Microsoft’s very first product
Bill Gates celebrated Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary by sharing the source code that created the company’s foundation. The 157-page PDF available to download on Gates’ blog contains the origins of Altair Basic — a programming language interpreter for the MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer — and “remains the coolest code I’ve ever written to this day,” according […]
NSA director fired after Trump’s meeting with right-wing influencer Laura Loomer
General Timothy Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, was fired on Thursday, according to a report from The Washington Post. His removal reportedly occurred just one day after right-wing activist Laura Loomer pushed for his firing during a meeting with President Donald Trump. Wendy Noble, the Deputy Director and […]
How Microsoft made it through 50 years
In 2005, Microsoft’s leaders were starting to get worried. Windows and Office were doing well, but the company’s lead software architect, Ray Ozzie, warned them that an emerging trend threatened Microsoft’s very existence. “A new business model has emerged in the form of advertising-supported services and software,” warned Ozzie in his famous memo. “This model […]
Windows 11 poised to beat 10, mostly because it has to

Market share increase accelerating, but Microsoft's flagship OS not yet at the 50% mark

The gap between Windows 10 and Windows 11 continues to narrow, and Microsoft's flagship operating system is on track to finally surpass its predecessor by summer.…

Microsoft is now 50 years old
Fifty years ago today, Micro-Soft was founded by friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen. As the name implies, Microsoft was originally focused on microprocessors and software, and Gates and Allen created the company to develop software for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. Founded on April 4th, 1975, Microsoft went on to strike a […]
Microsoft turns 50
Microsoft was originally founded on April 4th, 1975, and the tech giant is now celebrating its 50-year anniversary. Microsoft started with a focus on personal computers, building the very software that helped it achieve an early goal of a PC on every desk and in every home. The success of Windows and Office has allowed […]
How tariffs will change your gadgets
First things first, some exciting news: The Vergecast has been nominated for a Webby Award! This one means a lot to us, especially because it’s an award you get to vote on. We’d be so grateful if you’d go vote for us once, or 40 times, or however many times the site will allow. (Also, […]
Ubuntu 25.04 beta takes flight – but this Plucky Puffin is still molting

'Pudgy' might be more apt given the download size

The beta version of Ubuntu 25.04, the next interim release of this Linux OS, has arrived.…

Honda is sending its hydrogen tech to space
Honda is looking to the stars for its next hydrogen breakthrough. The automaker is teaming up with space tech companies Sierra Space and Tec-Masters to test its high-differential pressure water electrolysis system on the International Space Station. The test is part of Honda’s vision to support life on the Moon and elsewhere in space using […]
30 minutes to pwn town: Are speedy responses more important than backups for recovery?

The industry’s approach to keeping quality backups may be masking the importance of other recovery mainstays

Maintaining good-quality backups is often seen as the spine of any organization's ability to recover from cyberattacks quickly. Naturally, given the emphasis placed on them by experts of all stripes, you'd be forgiven for thinking that prioritizing them over anything else would be the way to go.…

China retaliates with tariff that matches Trump’s
China has responded to Donald Trump’s new trade tariffs with its own charges on US goods. After Trump announced the imposition of an additional 34 percent charge on Chinese imports into the US, China has announced a levy at the same rate for US goods shipped to China. It has also barred 11 US companies […]
We asked camera companies why their RAW formats are all different and confusing
When you set up a new camera, or even go to take a picture on some smartphones, you’re presented with a key choice: JPG or RAW? JPGs are ready to post just about anywhere, while RAWs yield an unfinished file filled with extra data that allows for much richer post-processing. That option for a RAW […]
Governments cling to private cloud despite inexorable public cloud adoption

The need to scale still battling security worries ... on both sides

Governments continue to adopt cloud services, for better or worse, hoping to modernize their IT services, leading big cloud operators to aggressively court public sector bodies for lucrative contracts.…

Home Office haunted by 25-year-old asylum system

'Full benefit' of replacement will not be realized until old one is shut down, projects watchdog warns

The effectiveness of new IT systems designed to speed up asylum claim processing in the UK continues to be held back by the Home Office's failure to decommission its 25-year-old case management database, five years after it promised to retire it.…

Alan Turing Institute: UK can't handle a fight against AI-enabled crims

Law enforcement facing huge gap in 'AI adoption'

The National Crime Agency (NCA) will "closely examine" the recommendations made by the Alan Turing Institute after it claimed the UK was ill-equipped to tackle AI-enabled crime.…

How do you explain what magnetic fields do to monitors to people wearing bowling shoes?

Techie demoed the effect in about 3 seconds, as On Call again tries to break tech-support world records

On Call  The working week sometimes speeds by, sometimes crawls, and often ends with a crash. Each Friday, we try to avert the latter by delivering a new edition of On Call, The Register's reader-contributed tales of handling ridiculous, ribald, and remarkable tech support requests.…

Ex-ASML, NXP staffer accused of stealing chip secrets, peddling them to Moscow

We're not Putin up with this alleged industrial espionage, say the Dutch

A Russian national appeared in a Netherlands court on Thursday accused of industrial espionage against ASML, the world’s leading manufacturer of chip factory equipment and a key supplier that helps the likes of TSMC pump out top-drawer processors.…

Retirement funds reportedly raided after unexplained portal probes and data theft

Australians checking their pensions are melting down call centres and websites

Australian retirement fund operators are scrambling after reports emerged of unauthorized access to customer accounts leading to theft of cash.…

China’s chip champ Loongson teases trio of new processors for lappies, factories, maybe servers too

Probably still behind western rivals, but improved GPU and higher core count can’t hurt

Chinese chip designer Loongson, whose products have been promoted by China’s government, has teased two new designs that will make it more of a contender for mobile and industrial applications. It may also have a new server up its sleeve.…

Superman’s latest trailer introduces his team of robot assistants
Though Superman is clearly going to get the living daylights beat out of him at some point in James Gunn’s upcoming DC Studios feature, the movie’s latest trailer puts a spotlight on how the Man of Steel gets put back together again. During its presentation at this year’s CinemaCon, Warner Bros. shared an extended sneak […]
Signalgate: Pentagon watchdog probes Defense Sec Hegseth

Classification compliance? Records retention requirements? How quaint

A US Department of Defense watchdog has opened an investigation into its own Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, over his use of instant-messaging app Signal to discuss government business.…

FOSS tools for infrastructure testing

Running even a single server connected to the internet can be a challenge these days. There are many technologies involved - some are arcane (DNS), some are constantly evolving (TLS), and some look simple but are amazingly hard to get right (DNSSEC).

A Firefox addon for putting prices into perspective

I had a fun idea for a small project this weekend, and so I quickly put it together over the couple of days. The result is Price Perspective.

Humor me: have you ever bought something, considered the price, and wondered how that price would look to someone else? Someone in the developing world, or a billionaire, or just your friend in Australia? In other words, can we develop an intuition for purchasing power?

The Price Perspective add-on answers these questions.

Steve Jackson Games says tariffs are a ‘seismic shift’ for board games
The CEO of Steve Jackson Games, which makes board games and card games, says that the 54 percent tariff on goods imported from China that will go into effect on April 5th is a “seismic shift” for the board game industry and that “prices are going up.” “At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing […]
Flux off: CISA, annexable allies warn of hot DNS threat

Shape shifting technique described as menace to national security

The US govt's Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency, aka CISA, on Thursday urged organizations, internet service providers, and security firms to strengthen defenses against so-called fast flux attacks.…

Trump’s tariffs mean you’ll pay more for all gadgets
If you were wondering how President Trump’s tariffs may impact gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches, there’s some bad, and perhaps slightly less-bad news. Unless something changes, Trump’s sweeping tariffs will lead to increased prices for consumers. But it will likely take some time before that actually happens. Modern gadgets generally aren’t made or assembled […]
The best fitness trackers to buy right now
Fitness trackers have come a long way from the simple bands that tracked steps and little else. Modern trackers can monitor everything from your heart health to how well you’ve recovered from a hard bout of training. Even flagship smartwatches, which used to be lackluster trackers, have become pretty adept workout companions. Whatever your fitness […]
Google’s regular Pixel 10 will reportedly get worse (but more) cameras
Google’s upcoming base Pixel 10 might come with primary and ultrawide cameras that match the hardware recently introduced in the budget Pixel 9A, which aren’t as good as the cameras on the Pixel 9, Android Authority reports. However, the new phone may get a telephoto camera, which the Pixel 9 and other base Pixels haven’t […]
PSA pauses card grading submissions from outside the US
The card grading service PSA will no longer take direct submissions from outside the US in response to the Trump administration’s new far-reaching tariffs. In an update on Wednesday, PSA says it’s “reluctantly taking these measures to protect our international customers from significant tariff expenses.” As noted by PSA, the tariffs are “against the value […]
Debugging Lotus 1-2-3 by fax
There isn’t a lot to this story beyond the fact that in around 1990 I helped debug someone’s Lotus 1-2-3 set up via fax. But it’s a good reminder of how important the Zeroth Law of Debugging is (see below).
Trump’s tariffs put the iPhone in a tough spot
The US smartphone market is weird. Most of us buy our phones through some combination of installment plans, trade-in offers, and carrier deals, so answering the question “How much does this phone cost?” can sometimes require a little galaxy-brain math. President Trump’s 34 percent tariff increase on Chinese goods is set to take effect on […]
Windows 9x QuickInstall simplifies installing Windows 98
If you’re elbow-deep in ’90s retrocomputing and maintain a fleet of your own personal seemingly identical but definitely completely different Windows 98 machines, Windows 9x QuickInstall is tailor-made just for you.
Windows intros 365 Link, a black box that does nothing but connect to Microsoft's cloud

And it can be yours for a rather steep $349

Microsoft's Windows 365 Link has reached general availability, although some may question its value.…

Here are the best iPad deals you can get
While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad […]
TikTok is shutting down its Instagram-like Notes app
TikTok is shutting down Notes, its photos-sharing app that rivaled Instagram. In a notification to users, the TikTok Notes team says the app will stop working starting May 8th, and “all related features will no longer be available.” TikTok first rolled out Notes in April of last year, which lets users share photos alongside a […]
Windows 11 tests taskbar icons that scale up and down like on a Mac
Microsoft is testing out resizable taskbar icons in Windows 11 that can shrink as you open more apps or stay at a smaller size for good. The new options are included in the latest Insider Preview Beta. If you’re on the beta, under Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors, you can now select options under Show […]
How the Nintendo Switch 2 stacks up to the Steam Deck
The biggest threat to the Steam Deck in 2025 won’t be the arrival of other Windows-based handheld gaming PCs. Instead, it’ll likely be the Nintendo Switch 2, which arrives on June 5 for $449.99 — smack dab between the cost of the $399 Steam Deck LCD and the $549 Steam Deck OLED.  Ironically, the Steam […]
The Kindle’s new Recaps feature will catch you up on a book series
Amazon is comparing a new feature for the Kindle to the “Previously on…” segments that TV shows frequently use. But the Kindle’s Recaps feature is instead focused on book series and provides a “quick refresher on storylines and character arcs” before readers start the next book, Amazon says. The short Recaps, which do include spoilers, […]
Amazon can now buy products from other websites for you
Amazon is testing a new “Buy for Me” button that will let you purchase products from third-party websites without leaving the e-commerce giant’s mobile app. The feature is powered by agentic AI, allowing the company to purchase items on your behalf. Last month, Amazon rolled out a test that directs you to other brands’ websites […]
Sonos says it’s ‘assessing potential implications’ of Trump tariffs for customers
Even with all the self-induced turmoil that Sonos has been through over the last year, if you’ve been eyeing any of the company’s products, it might be wise to buy sooner than later. In an email, spokesperson Erin Pategas tells me that Sonos is “closely monitoring developments related to the proposed tariffs and actively assessing […]
Suspected Chinese spies right now hijacking buggy Ivanti gear – for third time in 3 years

Simple denial-of-service blunder turned out to be remote unauth code exec disaster

Suspected Chinese government spies have been exploiting a newly disclosed critical bug in Ivanti VPN appliances since mid-March. This is now at least the third time in three years these snoops have been pwning these products.…

Here are the best Kindle deals right now
When it comes to finding a device to read ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on X. If you are looking for […]
Genki has a magnetic battery for the Switch 2 and a better Joy-Con charging dock
With every new portable console comes a mountain of new third-party accessories. We’ve already seen Hori’s Piranha Plant alternative to the Switch 2’s USB-C camera, but Genki has announced a larger lineup of accessories designed to help protect the portable console while you’re playing away from home, plus some clever ways to keep it and […]
Nintendo’s Switch 2 era comes at a price
Just about everything with the Nintendo Switch 2 is more expensive than the original Switch.  It’s perhaps not unexpected that the console itself costs more money than the first Switch. That device launched more than eight years ago, after all. But following yesterday’s big Switch 2 Direct, there has been a lot of sticker shock […]
Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites now boarding the rocket to relevance

Jeff Bezos' other space business finally shows signs of life with launch scheduled for next week

The first batch of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites is due to be lofted into orbit next week.…

Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 redesign is a little sportier and a bit weirder
Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 electric sedan already had a polarizing “streamliner” design that only owners seem to love. Now the automaker has massaged the front a bit more for a new look for 2026. The latest Ioniq 6 has squintier daytime running lights and headlights that are lower down into the bumper, something that we’re seeing […]
OpenAI and Anthropic are fighting over college students with free AI
Two leading AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic, just announced major initiatives in higher education. It’s the constant one-upping we’ve all become familiar with: this week, Anthropic dropped their announcement at 8 AM Wednesday, while OpenAI followed with nearly identical news at 8 AM Thursday. For Anthropic, this week’s announcement was its first major academic push. […]
Trump’s tariff plan includes a potential death blow to cheap Chinese e-commerce
With President Donald Trump’s new tariff plan, your online shopping packages coming directly from China are about to get much more expensive. In February, the Trump administration moved to get rid of a little-known rule that allows US consumers to avoid tariffs on low-value packages. The de minimis exemption meant that packages valued under $800 […]
Rural fiber internet expansion is at risk as Trump administration holds funds
Fiber internet providers are worried they won’t see the funds promised under a Biden-era initiative that would bring reliable internet service to rural areas. Louisiana fiber internet provider Cajun Broadband was granted $33 million as part of the plan, but the “money isn’t flowing” and concerns are growing over whether the new administration will prioritize […]
Nvidia confirms the Nintendo Switch 2 has DLSS and real-time ray tracing
Nintendo’s Switch 2 tech specs yesterday vaguely said that the console is powered by a “custom processor made by Nvidia,” but in a new blog post, Nvidia has shared a little more detail about how it’s powering the device. Nvidia says that its chip enables DLSS support on the Nintendo Switch 2, allowing the console […]
M3gan 2.0 gives the doll some upgrades in new trailer
Though Blumhouse’s first M3gan feature was a near-perfect blend of techno-horror and ridiculous comedy, the sequel looks like it’s going to blow its predecessor out of the water. Set a couple of years after the first film, M3gan 2.0 once again centers roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) — two of […]
Trump’s tariffs are ‘a debacle of epic proportions’ for the auto industry
“Liberation Day” has arrived. Get ready to be liberated from affordable vehicle prices.  As promised, President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs for imported vehicles went into effect Thursday, sending the auto industry into full panic mode. Some analysts are predicting a $5,000 to $10,000 price hike on new cars out of the gate, while others […]
This ’90s-esque social media site only works for three hours a day
For the past few weeks, every day at 7:38 PM ET, I get an email titled “seven39 is open again.” From 7:39PM, I have exactly three hours to check out an experimental new social media site before it completely shuts down. It’s not an empty threat, either. If you visit seven39.com outside of that three-hour […]
YouTube is updating Shorts with TikTok-like editing features
YouTube is adding new features to Shorts that aim to make it easier for creators to edit short-form videos. There are five new tools “coming this spring” according to YouTube’s announcement, including a revamped video editor that provides similar editing features to those already found on competing platforms like TikTok and Reels. The new video […]
Democrats demand probe into DOGE’s alleged mishandling of personal data
Democrats are calling on Treasury Department and General Services Administration watchdogs to investigate a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee’s access to sensitive data. In a letter to Deputy Inspectors General Loren Sciurba and Robert Erickson, Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Shontel Brown (D-OH) say the probe should address DOGE staffer Marko […]
Donkey Kong Bananza was best in show at the Switch 2 hands-on
One of the games I had on my personal Nintendo Switch 2 bingo card was a new 3D Mario. We didn’t get one at the Switch 2 hands-on, and at first I thought it was odd that Nintendo would be launching their next big thing without a dedicated title for their number one guy. But […]
What AI anime memes tell us about the future of art and humanity
On today’s episode of Decoder, we’re talking about AI, art, and the controversial collision between the two — a debate that, to be honest, is an absolute mess. If you’ve been on the internet this past week, you undoubtedly know that controversy was just kicked up a notch by the Studio Ghibli memes — pictures […]
More...