Microsoft pushes monthly updates to its PowerToys tool every month, adding many new features that help users be more productive on Windows. Not only that, but the software giant also teases what's coming next in future PowerToys updates, just as it did before rolling out features like the ability to transcode audio and video files, and many more in the past.

If you use a lot of applications that insert themselves into your Menu Bar on your Mac, then you've probably run into the problem of having them clutter it up and even force icons off of the screen. There are a lot of applications I've installed that have a Menu Bar item that I never interact with, like ChatGPT, Alfred, and LM Studio. Plus, when using tools like Stats, you'll realize just how little space there actually is. That's why I use Ice to manage my Menu Bar, and it's been an absolute game-changer.

Microsoft Store is underrated when it comes to app installation. Most veteran Windows users still prefer downloading software directly from the official website or third-party platforms. However, if you dig deeper into the Microsoft Store, you'll find many hidden gems that can transform your experience on Windows.

Next week, Waymo’s driverless vehicles will begin testing on public roads in Japan for the Alphabet company’s first international trip. Waymo has yet to confirm whether it will eventually launch a commercial robotaxi service in the country, but the company is still celebrating the excursion as a “significant milestone.”Waymo describes it as a simple “road trip” for collecting data about the nuances of Japanese driving, including left-hand traffic and navigating a dense urban environment. The vehicles will be driven manually for the purposes of gathering mapping data and will be managed by a local taxi fleet operator, Nihon Kotsu. About 25 vehicles are being sent, with the first already having been spotted in a parking lot in Tokyo. As noted by the LinkedIn user who posted the pictures, Waymo’s engineers will have their work cut out for them. Tokyo has its share of idiosyncratic environments, including “tight, winding roads” and thousands of pedestrians and cyclists seamlessly merging with vehicle traffic. The vehicles will be driven manually for the purposes of gathering mapping dataWaymo says trained drivers employed by Nihon Kotsu will manually navigate the vehicles across seven central Tokyo wards, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. Waymo operates manually when first arriving in a new city so its engineers can collect data on local traffic patterns and road features. Even though the company’s vehicles have only just arrived, Waymo says it’s already been laying the groundwork, training drivers and fleet managers from GO, a popular taxi app in Japan. The company has also been coordinating with local officials, government agencies, and first responders for the test. “In Tokyo, we are abiding by the same steadfast principles that guide us in the U.S. — commitment to safety, dedication to earning trust in communities where we operate, and collaboration with local officials and community groups here in Tokyo,” said Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo, in a statement.Waymo currently operates a commercial robotaxi service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with imminent plans to expand to Silicon Valley, Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC. The company has also said it will conduct road trip tests in San Diego and Las Vegas. As Waymo tests its vehicles in Japan, the country directly to the west of the island nation is ramping up its own driverless operations. China’s Apollo Go robotaxi service says it completed 1.1 million paid driverless rides in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is expanding to Hong Kong soon. Like Waymo, Apollo Go says it is performing an average of 200,000 paid trips each week. 

There's no shortage of PC gaming handhelds out there today from all kinds of brands. Most of those handhelds run Windows 11, so you might think that's the platform of the future for these kinds of devices, but I would argue the opposite. Despite only being carried by the Steam Deck (so far), SteamOS has already won the war against Windows, and I don't know if I really see that changing.

OpenAI filed a countersuit against Elon Musk on Wednesday, saying on X that “Elon’s nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit.”In the lawsuit, OpenAI’s lawyers argue that “Musk’s continued attacks on OpenAI, culminating most recently in the fake takeover bid designed to disrupt OpenAI’s future, must cease. Musk should be enjoined from further unlawful and unfair action, and held responsible for the damage he has already caused.”Musk, who was part of the initial founding team at OpenAI, initially sued last spring,  saying he wanted to force the company to “return to its mission to develop AGI for the benefit of humanity” instead of pursuing profits. (The Verge’s editor-in-chief, Nilay Patel, found Musk’s legal case against OpenAI “hilariously bad.”)Musk dropped that lawsuit in June but sued OpenAI again in August. In December, OpenAI published a blog post with the headline “Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for-profit,” with receipts. The case is scheduled to go to trial in the spring of 2026.Earlier this year, Musk also offered $97.4 billion to buy OpenAI, saying in a statement that “it’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.” OpenAI’s board of directors unanimously rejected the offer, which today’s filing called a “sham bid.” Disclosure: The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, partners with OpenAI.

Keeping your technology secure is essential. We have phones, computers, tablets, smart TVs, and more. But threats lurk everywhere, and you don't want to be hacked or have data stolen. You are the IT department at home, and you might think your devices are private and secure. However, there are some things you are overlooking, and you will want to change. There are several security settings and features I wish I had implemented sooner. If you aren’t utilizing these practices at home, you might regret not using them sooner.

ChargePoint is ready to speed things up. On Thursday, the EV charging company revealed new AC Level 2 EV chargers that it says effectively double the speed of typical Level 2 chargers. The new architecture also supports bidirectional charging, so owners can use their EVs to power their home or business if the need arises. The first new models are expected to arrive in the US later this year. ChargePoint says its next-gen Level 2 chargers are rated for 90 amps and can deliver 19.2kW of power, allowing EV owners to charge their batteries from zero to 100 percent in “about four hours.” This is a noticeable increase based on today’s market.Level 2 chargers are commonly used as home chargers for EV owners, plugged into 220-volt outlets and delivering 15 to 80 amps. The charging rate for most Level 2 chargers can vary dramatically, with a typical 240-volt, 24-amp unit putting out about 6kW of continuous power and faster, 80-amp chargers delivering speeds up to 19.2kW. ChargePoint’s popular Home Flex chargers, for example, are rated for 50 amps and 12kW of power. Today’s announcement represents a “generational leap” in the technology that powers its chargers, the company says.  The company envisions its new architecture being used for a variety of purposes, from residential home chargers, to chargers with multiple plugs for apartment buildings, to public chargers and chargers for commercial fleet owners. ChargePoint didn’t release a price list, but the company said that prices will start below $1,000 and move up from there depending on the model. The company supports both CCS and NACS ports.Bidirectional charging is frequently considered the next big thing for EV owners. Several EVs sold today have bidirectional capabilities, and now, ChargePoint is producing chargers with the same abilities. Bidirectional charging works exactly like it sounds: with unidirectional (one-way) EV chargers, electricity flows from the electric grid into the electric vehicle; with bidirectional (two-way) EV chargers, electricity can flow both ways. In essence, it treats high-capacity lithium-ion batteries not only as tools to power EVs but also as backup storage cells to charge other electric devices, an entire home, or even to send power to the electrical grid for possible energy savings.Several automakers are selling their own vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging equipment so that people who own EVs with bidirectional charging capabilities can use their vehicles to power their homes during blackouts. ChargePoint says its new Level 2 chargers can do the same job, allowing EV owners to power homes or commercial buildings or transfer energy back to the grid. The new chargers also feature dynamic load balancing, automatically accelerating charging speeds when power is not needed elsewhere in the residence. And they will be able to integrate with smart home systems, like solar charging, home batteries, and smart management systems. In addition, the hardware has been significantly upgraded, ChargePoint says. The new Level 2 chargers will feature series wiring capabilities, enabling a fleet depot, a multifamily housing garage, or even a single-family home with two EVs to maximize charging without costly service upgrades. According to the company, ChargePoint possesses 61 percent of the public Level 2 charging market, making it a dominant player in the EV charging space. The company says the new architecture complies with applicable regulations, including the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) and Eichrecht in Europe and Energy Star in the US.  ChargePoint plans to roll out its new Level 2 chargers starting with Europe this summer, followed by North America at the end of the year.

It's not uncommon for video game franchises to have a ton of sequels, with franchises like Final FantasyFinal Fantasy and Assassin's CreedAssassin's Creed well into the double digits. But for every game that becomes a franchise, there are many more that have never seen a single sequel. For some games, they didn't due to poor sales and/or critical reception, but other well-liked--and in some cases profitable--games don't get sequels for one reason or another.

Selling a computer should be a straightforward process, but my experience was anything but smooth. Although it happened long ago, I learned the hard way that preparation is everything. Here are the mistakes I made, and how you can avoid repeating them.

The long-anticipated Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally here and has changed how stealth works. The stealth mechanics of this franchise are tried and true and, honestly, in need of a fresh coat of paint. Shadows does just that by providing the players with more options to tailor the gameplay and stealth experience to their tastes.

Did you have a stressful day today? Well, here's some solace: there's a chance that it wasn't as stressful as what the good folk over at Framework felt today. With the tariffs going crazy, the company has had to keep up with its plans on how much its laptops cost, and things are looking a little dicey.