Wi-Fi is pretty much an essential technology these days, with everything from our PCs to our smartphones constantly connected to the wider web. With how ubiquitous it is, it can also be the source of eternal frustration, as any connectivity issues quickly get annoying. Whether it's a slow connection or dead zones around your home, most Wi-Fi issues can be fixed by improving the signal strength. Sometimes, this can be done without any associated cost, but it's also possible that you might consider upgrading your equipment, depending on your home's layout.

Pinning your most-used apps on the taskbar makes it much more convenient to boot them up when needed. Fortunately, Microsoft is making it even easier to add your favorite programs to the taskbar for easy access. The newest Windows 11 Canary branch now lets you pin menus from the Windows Search results directly to the taskbar, and it seems really handy.

What would you do if you got your hands on a cheap electronic kid's toy? If you're a tinkerer like most of the Raspberry Pi community is, there are probably a thousand and one different ways you could turn a cheap plastic device into something grander with a few extra boards, a bit of soldering, and some programming. As it turns out, someone has discovered that a $5 toy makes for an excellent video game controller if you tweak it correctly. But here's the best bit: the process is so noninvasive that you can revert it back to its original toy state if you want.

Illustration: The Verge Tomorrow’s iPhone 16 launch won’t be the final Apple event of the year, as the company plans to debut some M4 Macs and new iPads with another showing in October, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter.Apple could be announcing a new iPad Mini for the first time since 2021 in October, as well as a Mac Mini with an M4 chip, packed into a box about the size of an Apple TV, making that the first real redesign of the diminutive desktop in over a decade. So it’s about time for both! The event will include new versions of the iMac and MacBook Pro, both with M4 chips, as well, Gurman writes.Between that and updated iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods expected at tomorrow’s “Glowtime” event, only a handful of Apple... Continue reading…

I've been a convert to E Ink displays ever since I got one of the early Kindle models, and have amassed an extensive collection of the best e-readers that I rotate between for my nightly reading. Lately, I've been alternating between the Kobo Clara Color and Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C, which are very different devices. Still, both use color E Ink screens, bringing joy to my withered heart while I use them to read.

Illustration by Carlo Cadenas / The Verge A pair of security researchers say they discovered a vulnerability in login systems for records that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses to verify airline crew members at airport security checkpoints. The bug let anyone with a “basic knowledge of SQL injection” add themselves to airline rosters, potentially letting them breeze through security and into the cockpit of a commercial airplane, researcher Ian Carroll wrote in a blog post in August.Carroll and his partner, Sam Curry, apparently discovered the vulnerability while probing the third-party website of a vendor called FlyCASS that provides smaller airlines access to the TSA’s Known Crewmember (KCM) system and Cockpit Access Security System (CASS). They found that... Continue reading…

The first Apple Watch was announced on September 9th, 2014. A decade later, it’s the most popular smartwatch in the world. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge It’s been ten years since the Apple Watch was announced. Where does it go from here? Continue reading…

Phew - IFA has really taken all of us at XDA for a spin. Everyone on the team has either been writing news about it, pitching features about it, or even walking among its hallowed halls and seeing all of the next-gen hardware up close and personal. I think I've seen more press releases in the last few days than I have in months.

Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 51, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, I hope you love spy shows as much as I do, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about cobalt miners and religious AI and the history of the Moleskine, listening to pop-punk Disney songs on repeat, finally starting The Sopranos (I know, I know), soundtracking my workday with the Earth.fm app, giving Tweek another whirl for simple task and calendar stuff, and spending too much time debating whether NFL Sunday Ticket is worth the money. It’s definitely not, but it also, like, kind of is.I also have for you everybody’s favorite new PlayStation game,... Continue reading…

The primary way I protect our home is by not publishing the fact we're away on vacation. Social media is the worst place to share your holiday plans. By all means, publish all your holiday snaps after you're home, but to do so while you're hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away can have unforeseen consequences. If you've wondered how you can use technology to protect your home, here are some handy tips to make your fortress less attractive for those seeking opportunity.

Image: Apple The iPhone 16 is nigh as Apple prepares to debut its next smartphone lineup on Monday, September 9th, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. The company is expected to officially announce four phones as usual, with two standard iPhone 16s and two iPhone 16 Pro models, all likely packed with Apple Intelligence AI features.You can catch the livestream at Apple’s own website, on its YouTube channel, and even on an Apple TV. (Apple usually makes sure you see this when you scroll from the home screen of the Apple TV app, but you can search for “Apple Event” to find it, too.)The Vergecast talks iPhone 16.Besides new iPhones, Apple will probably declare the release dates for its next major software updates, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia,... Continue reading…

When you think of essential PC apps, PowerToys, HWiNFO, and Equalizer APO might be the ones that cross your mind. However, the world of PC software is a vast and interesting place, filled to the brim with obscure applications that you may or may not be familiar with. If you've already outfitted your system with all the popular utilities and tools out there, here are ten highly useful yet underrated apps that you might want to check out.