Creating a functional and inspiring home office is crucial for effective remote work or focused personal projects. When I set out to build mine, I had a general idea of what I wanted, but of course, the journey wasn't without its missteps. Looking back at my own home office build, there are definitely things I'd approach differently next time.

If you're looking for an easy way to expand the ports on your laptop, desktop, PC gaming handheld, or other USB-C devices, then this Anker 11-in-1 hub is going to be the way to go. Not only are you getting some of the most critical expansion ports, but it also comes in at a fairly solid price, with a discount that knocks over half off, falling to just $35 for a limited time.

For years, running virtual machines inside Type-2 hypervisors was the least exhausting solution for Windows users who wanted to tinker with Linux tools and services. But with the arrival of the original Windows Subsystem for Linux, it became a lot easier to integrate the FOSS operating system’s app suite into Microsoft’s flagship OS. Building on its predecessor, WSL2 leverages the Virtual Machine Platform component of the bare-metal Hyper-V platform to run a VM that’s ultra-light as well as deeply integrated into your Windows setup.

Star Wars is a franchise that has connected with people across multiple generations. And because of that, there have been many different video games that take place in a galaxy far, far away. But over the past 50 years that Star Wars has entertained fans around the world, there was a period of time that was considered a golden age of Star Wars game releases, which showcased an immense level of passion and creativity.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is huge, jam-packed with regions to explore and targets to assassinate. It’s a great entry in the long-running franchise and appeals well to gamers who love the series’ RPG turn as well as those who preferred its stealth-first roots. Shadows has proven to be a hit with critics and audiences, enjoying an 81 metascore on Metacritic and a 90 player rating on OpenCritic.

Robin Zeng, founder and chairman of CATL, on stage during the company’s Tech Day event in Shanghai, China, on Monday, April 21, 2025.CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, previewed several breakthroughs in electric vehicle battery tech that is sure to wow EV makers across the world — even if the tech never makes it to the US. The company teased the innovations at an event in Shanghai timed to precede the city’s auto show. According to local reports, CATL presented three new announcements designed to shake-up the battery world. The first was an upgraded version of its Shenxing battery designed to add more range when fast charging. CATL said the battery can now offer 520 kilometers (323 miles) of range from just five minutes of charging time — a marked improvement over BYD’s promise to add 400km (249 miles) of range in the same amount of time. CATL said its system could provide a maximum charging speed of 1.3 megawatts. Even at -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), when charging speeds tend to slow to a crawl, CATL’s Shenxing battery can go from 5 percent to 80 percent in just 15 minutes.Another major announcement was the reveal of a new sodium-ion battery called Naxtra. According to Bloomberg, the new cells are already ready for commercialization and have been tested in a number of extreme settings, including very cold and hot temperatures. The new batteries are promised to delivery around 200km of range for hybrid vehicles, and 500km for an EV. Sodium is seen by some as an improvement over lithium, both in terms of availability and stability. The material is more cost effective to obtain and isn’t subject to the same safety hazards as lithium, which can catch fire under certain circumstances. CATL believes that sodium-ion batteries could potentially replace up to half the market for lithium iron phosphate batteries that now dominates the field. CATL also unveiled a new dual-power battery that can offer a maximum range of 1,500km (932 miles) on a single charge. The company likened the super-powered battery to a dual engine aircraft, with a regular fast-charging cell combined with a separate auxiliary pack for enhanced performance and range. But thanks to President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, US residents are unlikely to see any of these benefits anytime soon. CATL’s batteries are found in a wide range of EVs, including Tesla and Ford. And while the company could license its tech to American automakers, rising tensions are likely to make it difficult in the near term. China has recently halted export of rare earth minerals and magnets, and seems likely to want to keep all the best innovations to itself as the US walls itself off from the rest of the world. And the US Department of Defense has recently added CATL to its list of Chinese military companies, which could make it more difficult for the company to do business in the US.

How much will Trump’s threatened 245 percent tariffs truly impact Chinese goods and the prices we pay in the US? Some Chinese companies aren’t waiting to see. Anbernic, which makes excellent and controversial Nintendo Game Boy clones, is already suspending US shipments indefinitely.“Due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, we will be suspending all orders shipping from China to the United States starting today,” writes Anbernic. “We strongly recommend prioritizing products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence.”No, Anbernic didn’t set up a brand-new US warehouse in response to tariffs — it’s been an option on its storefront for some time. Generally, Anbernic begins by drop-shipping each new handheld from China directly to buyers’ homes after they’re introduced, then stockpiles additional units in US warehouses for faster ship times. Anbernic lets buyers pick which warehouse they prefer on its checkout page. @verge This amazing knockoff GBA SP comes stuffed with software piracy. #gameboy #gaming #nostolgia #techtok ♬ original sound – The Verge As of last week, Anbernic had already begun suggesting that US buyers pick its US warehouse because “orders shipped to the United States may be subject to high customs duties,” asking customers to “take this potential risk into account when making your purchase decisions.” But now, the company is suspending those shipments entirely — similarly to how acclaimed retro game scaler maker RetroTINK suspended shipments not just because of tariffs, but “due to lack of guidance on how tariffs will be collected.” I checked: while you can still add a Anbernic handheld to your US cart from a Chinese warehouse, the company offers plenty of warnings and won’t let you purchase it from there.One reason for Anbernic’s popularity is that its retro handhelds are cheap, typically around $70 for the newest models. (Some also do an excellent job emulating the look and feel of classic Nintendo handhelds, as you can see in my videos above and below.) But those low prices are now completely under threat by Trump’s tariffs and the removal of the de minimis exemption for cheap Chinese goods. It’s not clear if or how companies like Anbernic could afford to resume shipments, should those tariffs actually take hold.For the time being, Anbernic handhelds are also still available in the US via third-party sellers like Amazon — which I’ve always found surprising given that those ones typically come with Nintendo, Sega and Sony ROMs.Retro Handhelds has a handy regularly updated page keeping track of handheld tariffs; so far, Anbernic is the only one to suspend US shipments entirely. @verge A Game Boy for pirates? The $70 Anbernic RG 34XX is my new favorite way to play Game Boy — but the new RixelHK app lets people use the handheld’s built-in Wi-Fi to browse a huge catalog of games for free. It encourages you to download Nintendo, Sony, and Sega titles, and they appear to be the real deal but also, unauthorized. Typically, would-be pirates would need to buy an SD card filled with pirated games or fill that SD card on a PC, but these Anbernics make downloading games as easy as downloading songs used to be. #gaming #gameboy #nostalgia #tech #techtok #todayimtoyingwith ♬ original sound – The Verge

Nintendo said that Switch 2 preorders in the US will begin on April 24th ahead of the console’s June 5th launch day, and now GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy have shared exactly when you can try to snag a preorder.GameStop said on X that in-store Nintendo Switch preorders will start when “doors open” on April 24th. Online preorders will kick off that day at 11AM ET. The company also says that “all stores” will open on June 5th at 12AM ET / June 4th at 9PM PT for console launch.Target’s Switch 2 preorders will kick off on April 24th at 12AM ET, according to Target’s website. The preorder time applies to consoles, games, and accessories.Walmart’s Switch 2 preorders begin on April 24th at 12AM ET, company spokesperson Leigh Stidham tells The Verge. Walmart’s website also says that you’ll get your console before 9AM on June 5th if you preorder by June 4th at 8AM ET “while supplies last.”Best Buy has announced that preorders for the “console, games and accessories” will start on April 24th at 12AM ET via the Best Buy Mobile App and BestBuy.com. Best Buy also says that “most stores” will open for preorder pickup on June 5th at 12AM ET / June 4th at 9PM PT.We’ve also asked Amazon if it will offer Switch 2 preorders and when they may start.Nintendo originally planned to have preorders start on April 9th, but it delayed them “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”As part of this morning’s announcement, Nintendo said that the Switch 2’s starting price would remain $449.99, and the bundle that includes Mario Kart World would also stay at $499.99. But accessories got price bumps, including $5 increases for the Switch 2 Joy-Con and Pro Controller.Prices could also change down the line; Nintendo said today that “other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.”Updates, April 18th: Added details from GameStop, Walmart, and Best Buy.Update, April 21st: Added preorder time from Best Buy.

It's hard to ignore how large tech companies have become over the years. We've seen Google rise from a strangely-named search engine with a policy to "do no evil" to a giant corporation with a finger in every tech-based pie imaginable. However, it seems the company has overstepped its mark and has drawn the ire of the US court. At the start of the hearing of an antitrust case against Google, a judge has put forward the idea of Google breaking up and selling parts of its business, including the Chrome browser.

For a long time, Mac and Windows have had a clear divide between them. Mac tends to be thought of as more aesthetic and minimalist, with a greater focus on design and looks, while Windows is thought of as the more accessible but messier alternative. Here's the good news: you can have your cake and eat it, too. By changing a few key settings on Windows, you can give it a more aesthetic, more minimalist experience that will put even Mac users to shame.

Luke, Jamie, and Kimberly will join the rest of Nintendo’s Street Fighter amiibo lineup. | Image: Nintendo <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9am3smYMP6A">via YouTube</a>Nintendo’s soon-to-be-released amiibo just went up in price at Walmart, GameStop, and Best Buy in the US. The three retailers have increased the price of Street Fighter 6 amiibo from $29.99 to $39.99, while the new Legend of Zelda amiibo have gone from $19.99 to $29.99, as reported earlier by Nintendo Life.Nintendo’s upcoming amiibo, which include Street Fighter’s Luke, Jamie, and Kimberly, along with The Legend of Zelda’s Riju, Sidon, Yunobo, and Tulin, are set to arrive with the Switch 2 on June 5th.Though Nintendo announced last week that it isn’t increasing the price of the $449.99 console, that isn’t the case for its accessories. The Switch 2 Joy-Con, Pro Controller, and the Switch 2 camera all went up in price last week, around the same time some users started noticing the amiibo price hike at GameStop. Walmart and Best Buy only seem to have adjusted the prices on Monday.The Verge reached out to Nintendo with a request for more information, but didn’t immediately hear back. The Switch 2 and its amiibo will be available for preorder on April 24th.

TariffsInternational shipping company DHL is temporarily suspending packages bound for consumers in the US that are valued at over $800 “until further notice.” The BBC reports that DHL was hit with a surge in formal customs clearances due to the Trump Administration’s new tariff changes, which added the need for additional paperwork for more packages.This isn’t just a problem for ecommerce giants like Shein and Temu, as it introduces a new hurdle for many companies that ship goods directly from China to customers in the United States. It’s also kicking in with only days left before the de minimis exception is set to expire on May 2nd, ending the rule that allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the US duty free, and for recipients in the US to receive up to $800 worth of stuff per day without paying import taxes.DHL explains the change in a statement posted to its site: Effective April 5, 2025, all shipments to the U.S. with a declared customs value over USD 800 require formal entry processing – down from the previous USD 2,500 threshold due to new U.S. Customs regulations.This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock.While we are working diligently to scale up and manage this increase, shipments over USD 800—regardless of origin—may experience multi-day delays.To manage this, starting Monday, April 21, 2025, and until further notice, we will temporarily suspend B2C shipments to private individuals in the U.S. where the declared value exceeds USD 800.