HDMI first launched in 2002 with one goal in mind: to eliminate the need to rely on multiple separate cables for video and audio.

Nobody is talking. | Image: Metrograph Pictures Researchers at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Arizona say that between 2005 and 2019, the number of words we speak out loud to another human being fell by nearly 28 percent. And that has likely only gotten worse following the pandemic.The researchers actually counted the number of words we were speaking on average (16,632 in 2005). They looked at data from 22 studies in which over 2,000 people recorded audio of their daily lives. Over time, as ordering through apps became the norm, texting increased, and our lives became increasingly online, they found that number had dropped dramatically. By 2019, we were onl …Read the full story at The Verge.

For the longest time, I chased higher FPS like it was the only metric that mattered. If the number in the corner kept climbing, I assumed everything was working as intended. The more I played modern games, however — big, sprawling, shader-heavy worlds — the more I realized that something felt off. I've seen games deliver upwards of 100 FPS on the frame counter, while at the same time feeling jittery and strangely inconsistent in motion.

For a while there, it seemed like Double Fine might be struggling under the Microsoft corporate umbrella. The game studio led by Tim Schafer is beloved for offbeat titles like Brütal Legend and Broken Age, but after being acquired by Microsoft in 2019, its only new release for years was a long-awaited sequel to Psychonauts. Of late, though, Double Fine is on something of a roll. Last year the studio released the wonderfully strange Keeper, a game about a sentient lighthouse. This week, it launched Kiln, a multiplayer brawler with adorable spirits and a whole lot of pottery. It's yet another oddball delight that could only come out of Double …Read the full story at The Verge.

Part of what has held back electric cars has been the cost. But an influx of used vehicles over the next three years could bring prices down dramatically. In 2025, just 123,000 leases on EVs expired. That is expected to more than double to 300,000 in 2026, and double again to 600,000 in 2027 and 660,000 in 2028, according to Cox Automotive. Most leased vehicles end up entering the used market. This means more than a million used EVs could become available over the next few years, making them far more accessible. The vast majority of cars sold in the US are used - some 76 percent as of 2024, according to Consumer Affairs. A large part of th …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Icemag 3’s kickstand allows you to prop up your phone as it recharges. | Image: Cameron Faulkner / The Verge I’ve been testing compact, magnetic Qi2 power banks that can snap onto your phone for an upcoming buying guide. They make recharging much easier than bringing along a huge battery that weighs down your bag. One of my favorites so far is the Sharge Icemag 3, a 10,000mAh model that can wirelessly output 25W to iPhone 16-series phones and newer models. It also offers a built-in kickstand and a 35W USB-C cable that doubles as a lanyard, plus a USB-C port for passthrough charging.For a limited time, Amazon Prime subscribers can get it in either white or black for $69.90 ($10 off), and Sharge will include a basic 60W USB-C cable for free when you add both items to your cart. Alternatively, you can get the Icemag 3 for $2 less (sans the free cable) through Sharge’s own storefront. Using code ICE15 will knock it down to $67.92.Sharge Icemag 3 Power BankWhere to Buy: $79.9 $69.9 at Amazon (black, with Prime) $79.9 $69.9 at Amazon (white, with Prime) $79.9 $67.92 at Sharge (with code ICE15)I’ll save my detailed charging speed test results for a later date, but I’m impressed so far with the Icemag 3. While it’s thicker than some other Qi2 power banks, the build quality is stellar, and it’s speedy when it comes to both wired and wireless charging. I also adore its see-through window, which showcases an LED-packed fan that keeps the battery cool while it recharges my gear. Plus, a free USB-C cable is a nice little gift.

Nostalgia crept up on me unexpectedly the other day. I was minimizing a streaming service to open up my collection of local music, and found myself reminiscing about Winamp hovering on my desktop. Years ago (decades ago, though it doesn't feel like it), I recall customizing my Winamp layout with a downloaded skin that transformed the media player to look just like a physical head unit from a car stereo. At the time, having that level of personalization on Windows XP felt novel and exciting. I wanted that feeling back, so I decided to install Winamp and relive old times.

The developer toolkit has reached a tipping point where even the most basic utilities now demand a login and a subscription. For those of us maintaining high-performance home labs or managing complex workflows across different devices, paid, resource-hungry tools feel like a liability.

Some smart home products definitely feel like a bit more of a party trick. You show your guest your automated curtains or your voice-controlled movie mode, and it's cool for five seconds, but then the novelty dies.

Microsoft has long enjoyed an undisputed home-field advantage, yet its recent attempts to bake Copilot directly into the Windows interface have often felt like an inconsistent work in progress. Instead of a streamlined assistant, Microsoft gives us a fragmented mess of web-wrappers and sidebar clutter that hampers our productivity.

Multiple sources are reporting that the Trump administration has dismissed the entire National Science Board (NSB). The NSB advises the president and Congress on the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has already been funding research at historically low levels and has seen significant delays in doling out that funding. The NSF has been fundamental in helping develop technology used in MRIs, cellphones, and it even helped get Duolingo get off the ground. In a statement, Zoe Lofgren, the ranking Democrat on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, said:"This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to …Read the full story at The Verge.

I knew things were not quite right when I had to throw a towel over a broken Ikea lamp to block out its light. How did I get here? I cover fancy and capable tech for a living, and yet, it took me two years to get rid of a pair of old, broken Ikea lamps in my bedroom. Then I got some floor lamps from Govee that changed everything.Those Ikea lamps were around for two years after I moved from Orange County to Los Angeles. Soon after that move, my mom's Parkinson's disease - a neurodegenerative condition with no cure - progressed quickly, my mental health took a hit, and most of my own to-do list quietly slid to the back burner as she lost mob …Read the full story at The Verge.