You don't really ever have to explain why a universal remote is a good idea. You have a bunch of stuff that needs controlling; this thing controls them all. Many companies have set out to build a product worthy of this idea, and one product came much closer than most. It was called the Harmony, and for many years it was the best universal remote on the market. Maybe the only one that mattered. And still, even the Harmony couldn't make it work.On this episode of Version History, we tell the story of the Harmony. The Verge's David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and John Higgins are joined by Matt Rogers, the CEO of Mill and former co-founder of Nest, …Read the full story at The Verge.

Of all the things on my 2026 bingo card, a random rabbit hole about Blu-rays and DVDs changing how I think about long-term data storage was not one of them. Like many people, I had mentally filed optical discs away as relics of a different era — right up there with MP3 players and dial-up internet. After all, I just figured they were old, fragile, and, of course, obsolete.

As I sit and inventory my tech and other electronic equipment around my home, I'm surprised by how many of my devices still require batteries to run. I'm not talking about devices with internal batteries like phones, modern remotes, or flashlights that you can plug in and charge. I am looking at products that need AA, AAA, or 9V batteries. Those types of devices are less common but still around enough that having a decent supply is important, even though the cost adds up. Luckily, Amazon has a solution with its Basics brand.

A NAS starts out as a big project, but once your storage pools are configured and all services are running smoothly, it's just a box that sits quietly in the corner doing its job. Mine had begun to blend in with the furniture, and the only time I thought about it was when I wanted to host a new service or a hard drive failed.

If you've ever invested hours, days, or weeks into a video game or two, chances are that you've fleetingly thought of your own idea for a game, too. That "dream" game has either never been made, or made already, and you perhaps never thought of it again. I've myself held a couple of ideas to build a video game, but they've always been plans F or G for when I run out of things to do. And yet, I've spent the better part of a week engrossed in an extremely rudimentary draft, or proof-of-concept of my dream game, and it's all thanks to my own local LLM, a quantized version of Google's Gemma4 that I've managed to fit onto my GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - JUNE 11: In-Beom Hwang #6 of Korea Republic scores his team's first goal past Matej Kovar #1 of Czechia during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Korea Republic and Czechia at Guadalajara Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) | Getty Images Hoping to catch some World Cup matches while spending as little money as possible? You have a few options for finding a few days of free streaming, although you may choose to eventually pony up some money. That, or get creative by combining multiple offers to make it through the whole tournament. We found a handful of streaming services that are showing all of the World Cup matches. Most of these free trials require you to be a new subscriber, though you might just be able to use a different email address than before.FuboTVAll FuboTV plans can stream every World Cup match, and each includes a five-day free trial for new members. The least expensive plan is $9.99 for the first month after the trial period, then $19.99 per month after that. Paying for one month after the trial should cover you through all (or most) of the finals, and is likely the least expensive way to watch every match.My Best Buy Plus and Total members can claim an extended 30-day free trial, as long as they’re new to FuboTV.FuboTVWhere to Buy: $19.99 at FuboTV (five-day free trial)PeacockThere’s a Peacock Premium Plus trial offer if you sign up using your Amazon account that will grant you seven days of free access before you’re charged $15.99 per month. I was able to access the offer on an Amazon account without Prime, but your mileage may vary.We also found multiple ways to potentially claim free Peacock through other paid subscriptions. Some Xfinity Internet plans include Peacock Premium, which you can learn more about on the company’s support page. Walmart Plus members can claim either Peacock Premium or Paramount Plus Essential, but only one at a time, with a 90-day cooldown between switching.Peacock Premium PlusWhere to Buy: $16.99 at Amazon (seven-day free trial)YouTube TVNew YouTube TV subscribers can access a 10-day trial for the Sports plan, which includes Fox and 35 other networks. After the trial, the membership will renew for $54.99 per month for the first year, a $10 per month discount from the normal membership.YouTube TVWhere to Buy: $64.99 at YouTube (10-day free trial)Fox OneThe Fox One streaming service includes World Cup matches, and new subscribers can access a three-day free trial when signing up. After that, the plan costs $19.99 per month to continue watching, and includes both live and on-demand content from Fox.Fox OneWhere to Buy: $19.99 at Fox One (three-day free trial)

When CarPlay is running on your infotainment system in your car, there's a small, unassuming box in the lower-left corner.

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on e-bikes, power stations, and how to work anywhere, follow Thomas Ricker. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it startedLithium-ion batteries are everywhere as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, and that's a problem. From exploding e-bikes in stairwells to lithium-ion power banks combusting midflight, the volatile nature of traditional liquid electrolytes has become an undeniable public safety hazard. In 2025, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) i …Read the full story at The Verge.

Whenever someone starts dabbling in vibe-coding and vibe-designing, they'll most likely come across big names like Replit, Lovable, Figma Make, and probably also Claude Design lately. These tools are more than fine, this is not about dragging them, but when you end up settling for something just because it's popular, you might be missing out on a world of options. Naturally, I went digging for some underrated tools in the vibe-designing space, and actually found a bunch that probably never would have crossed my radar otherwise. And a couple of them are actually on the same level as the big players, if not better.

According to a new report from Semafor, the White House's decision to impose export restrictions on Anthropic's Mythos was driven in part by fears that it had been accessed by a group linked to China. If the Chinese government actually had access to Mythos 5 or Fable 5, it would present a serious national security risk. The government could also attempt to reverse engineer the model through distillation, a method in which a "student" AI is trained on a more advanced model to replicate its behavior.The White House has not confirmed this report, and a post on X by Trump advisor David Sacks did not mention China. Instead, Sacks focused on a r …Read the full story at The Verge.

Unlock a party. | Image: Conclave I have this vivid memory of walking to pick up my oldest from school in June of 2022. For a variety of reasons, I was in a very bad place mentally. And to make matters worse, it was brutally hot. I was depressed, angry with the world, sunburned, and soaked through with sweat. But as the second track on Conclave, "Habla," settled into its groove, I found myself unconsciously strutting. Not walking, but moving through the streets in lockstep with the music, just as a much-needed cool breeze kicked up, and some scaffolding afforded me a full block's worth of shade. For a brief moment, I found myself smiling for the first time in what felt like …Read the full story at The Verge.

Home Assistant has a way of making you feel organized right up until you look closely. The dashboard can look tidy, the automations can keep running, and the lights can still turn on at the right time. That doesn’t mean the system is actually clean. It just means nothing has broken loudly enough to demand attention yet.