Image: Larian Studios Larian Studios isn’t done with big updates for Baldur’s Gate 3 just yet. The studio is planning yet another quality-of-life update for the game with Patch 8.“Arriving next year, this update will introduce some of the most eagerly awaited features to BG3: cross-play, and photo mode, along with 12 new subclasses,” Larian wrote on its Steam Community page.Cross play will introduce multiplayer capabilities between any of the game’s platforms including Steam, PC, Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation. Cross platform multiplayer progression will also be added.Another big community ask that Patch 8 will satisfy is the addition of photo mode. The feature will come with a robust suite of options including poses for party members, picture frames, photo... Continue reading…

The Kobo Libra Colour is $80 cheaper than the Kindle Colorsoft and comes with stylus support. | Image: Rakuten Kobo The Kindle Colorsoft offers an impressive color screen, but it’s not for everybody. Luckily, if you don’t want to lock yourself into Amazon’s ecosystem, the Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent alternative that’s on sale for an all-time low of $199.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Target for Black Friday. You can also buy it for the same price from Rakuten Kobo, and if you purchase it with a $50 gift card, the retailer is throwing in a $10 credit that’s good toward books, styli, and audiobooks.Personally, I am a big fan of the Kobo Libra Colour. The waterproof e-reader features the same color E Ink technology used in the Kindle Colorsoft, along with the same crisp 300ppi resolution, which is halved in color mode. There are some subtle... Continue reading…

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty Images Microsoft says it isn’t using customer data from its Microsoft 365 apps to train its AI models. The clarification addresses reports circulating online in the last few weeks claiming Microsoft required Word and Excel users to opt out of training the company’s AI systems.The confusion arose from a privacy setting in Microsoft Office that toggles “optional connected experiences” — a feature that helps users “search for online pictures” or “find information available online,” according to Microsoft. This toggle is switched on by default, and fails to mention AI training in the disclosure. Similarly, a Microsoft learning document posted on October 21st, 2024 seems to have contributed to the confusion by describing a long list of connected... Continue reading…

Although the CPU arms race between Intel and AMD is still raging on, Intel has been losing some ground lately. Its latest Arrow Lake chips are fast, but they lag behind AMD Zen 5 in terms of efficiency, and users are already running into reliability problems with these new Intel processors. If it's time for an upgrade, we recommend you go with AMD. Here are the best AMD CPU upgrades that will let you enjoy the efficiency and reliability that today's Ryzen chips can deliver.

Adobe Acrobat is one of the most famed productivity tools around. Whether youre using it to open, edit, or create PDFs and other file types, there is no doubt you've used Acrobat once or twice within your lifetime. With Adobes AI features across the suite, Acrobat also gains new AI tools. While Im not a huge AI fan, the AI Assistant and integration with other Adobe AI features are a huge plus for me and a great reason to use Adobe Acrobat Pro.

When you need to set up an appointment or meeting, one of the first things you do is look at your calendar. Sharing your calendar for visibility helps keep everyone in the loop. I’m a big fan of Microsoft products like Windows and Office, so I use Outlook Calendar most of the time. Situations arise where I need to share a calendar either internally at work or with friends and family outside the organization.

No matter how many years Windows stays at the top of the charts in terms of popularity on the desktop, there's always going to be someone who says "this is the year of the Linux desktop" or they they're switching to a Mac. Don't get me wrong, Windows is far from a perfect platform, but no alternative is perfect, either.

Belkin is recalling its BoostCharge Pro due to a manufacturing defect that can cause overheating and the risk of fire. | Image: Belkin Belkin is recalling all of its BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K and asking owners to stop using them immediately. The company says a manufacturing defect can cause the charger’s “lithium cell component to overheat” in some circumstances, potentially causing a risk of fire.The recalled charger can be identified by looking for its model number, BPD005, printed in white text on the back of the charger, behind its Apple Watch charging pad. There have been no injuries reported as a result of the issue, but Belkin says that consumers should immediately stop using the charger, disconnect it from power sources and other devices, and place the BoostCharge Pro in a “safe, dry location away from anything... Continue reading…

Black Friday sales offer incredible prices to help with your holiday shopping, but its not just for the day after Thanksgiving anymore. Amazon and other retailers have stretched the idea of Black Friday to last for much of November.

The Mini 3 won’t cost a fortune to replace if you break it. I’ve been itching to get my hands on an easy-to-use hobbyist drone that I won’t hate myself for eventually breaking. The DJI Mini 3 has been at the top of my list: it hits the mark as a compact drone that you can pilot without having to attend aviation school, and I’ll probably go ahead and bite the bullet now that it’s back down to its record-low price — especially considering I may eventually lose my chance to get one at all. You can get the smallish aircraft right now for $329 ($90 off) at DJI’s online store for Black Friday. The package featured here includes a battery (extras cost $65 each) and DJI’s RC-N1 remote. The latter doesn’t have an integrated display, but you can add one that does for another $100. If you’re just looking... Continue reading…

Numerous televisions are on sale for Black Friday but only a few are worth buying. It's possible to spend very little (or quite a lot) on a new screen for the living room, but if you want a good balance between features, picture quality, and price, then I recommend you check out this eye-watering deal on Hisense's 65-inch U7N Google TV. It can be yours for just $430 for Black Friday.

Big phones, big discounts. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Black Friday, you may have noticed, is no longer a specific date on the calendar. This year especially, with a late Thanksgiving in the US, it’s a vibe. The deals started arriving well before Friday and they’ll last all weekend, just like turkey leftovers. If the new vibes-based Black Friday means shopping for discounted phones and accessories online any day you please rather than standing in line at the mall, well, that’s a vibe I can relate to.The best Black Friday phone accessory dealsMoft is offering between $10 and $60 off your order of phone accessories like its combination phone stand/wallet, which is a favorite of this phone-case-hater.AirTags, which are always a good stocking stuff, are on sale in a four-pack for $24.99... Continue reading…