Amazon makes some of the best smart speakers you can buy. And while some of them can be pretty pricey, you don't always need to spend a lot in order to get something that gets the job done. While Amazon's Echo Pop is perhaps the most affordable smart speaker in the brand's lineup, we think the Echo Spot is going to be a better option thanks to its compact size and small yet informative display. And for a limited time, you can grab one for a great price, as a new promotion knocks 44% off for a limited time, bringing it down to just $44.99.

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is releasing a new version of Office this week, designed for people that don’t want to subscribe to Microsoft 365. The standalone Microsoft Office 2024 release is now available for both consumers and small businesses, and includes locked-in-time versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook across both Mac and PC.Office 2024 includes a lot of the updates that Microsoft has been delivering to Microsoft 365 subscribers over the past few years. Microsoft last released a standalone version of Office in 2021, and this new Office 2024 release includes improvements to the core apps, as well as accessibility and UI changes.Office 2024 has a new default theme, with Microsoft’s latest Fluent Design principles that match the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 console users are now able to play online games again following a massive outage on Sony’s gaming network that started on Monday night. The official PSN Service Status page confirms that “all services are up and running” now, after previously warning users that they “might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features.” “This problem has now been resolved,” said a message posted by the Japanese Ask PlayStation customer support account. “We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”The outage lasted for around eight hours, and impacted effectively every PlayStation system across “Other, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Web.” While the problem seems largely resolved, some gamers on X are... Continue reading…

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images A question about whether Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) would challenge the 2024 election results quickly devolved into a fight about censorship and Big Tech during the debate with Democratic candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN).“You have said you would not have certified the last presidential election, and would have asked the states to submit alternative electors. That has been called unconstitutional and illegal,” moderator Norah O’Donnell asked Vance. “Would you again seek to challenge this year’s election results, even if every governor certifies the results?”Vance said that instead of the threats to democracy decried by Democrats, what’s really worrying is the threat of “big technology companies silencing... Continue reading…

Sometimes it's hard to believe that games can take up so much space, with some modern titles easily crossing the 100GB mark. Of course, not all games are this huge, but simply put, game file sizes are growing out of control. And the only real solution is to be ready with more storage space than you think you'll need, which means at some point, you're going to have to upgrade. With that said, we found this great deal on this 2TB M.2 SSD that's perfect for the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, MSI Claw, and other devices that can handle at M.2 2230 SSD.

The great data reckoning is upon us, and the first signs of it have been trickling out of the tech industry for the last few years, namely Google. A company that once offered unlimited photo backups, accounts that you could keep forever, and 15GB of storage for each of those accounts, it's pretty clear that things aren't the same as they used to be in the 2000s and 2010s. Is this a problem only for Google, or are we running out of cloud storage?

In today's fast-paced world, finding ways to streamline tasks and boost productivity is essential. Whether you're managing a busy home, running a business, or simply looking to cut down on repetitive actions, automation can be a game-changer. One tool that has risen to the top of the automation game is IFTTT (If This Then That). By connecting apps, services, and smart devices, IFTTT allows users to create customized workflows, called applets, that automatically handle tasks in the background. From controlling your smart home to automating your social media, the possibilities are endless. IFTTT can transform your daily routine, offering time-saving solutions for both personal and professional tasks.

Whether for work or gaming, dedicated GPUs in laptops have become better than ever before. They are now truly a viable alternative to desktop computers, with similar performance, and without as much of a price premium as you might imagine. However, for various reasons, picking a laptop with the right GPU is a virtual minefield. This is why you should always check into the factors below before buying any laptop.

Over the years that ThinkPad laptops have been in production, they have earned a reputation for quality with models such as the workhorse Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, and innovation with machines such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1. Less well-known is that their bulletproof build quality, repairability, and after-market mods have led to these decades-old machines being upgraded and used long after their expected lifespan.

eBay was shielded from liability in the civil lawsuit by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. | The Verge A US government lawsuit accusing eBay of selling almost 350,000 polluting and environmentally harmful products — including pesticides and “defeat” devices that let motor vehicles evade emission controls — has been dismissed by a federal judge. On Monday, District Judge Orelia Merchant ruled that eBay isn’t liable for items that users sell on the digital marketplace due to civil protections that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides for online platforms. Under Section 230, online platforms cannot be held responsible for hosted content unless “it assisted in the development of what made the content unlawful.” The lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice last year alleged that eBay had violated the Clean Air Act (CAA)... Continue reading…

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images The racist rumors about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio came up once again at tonight’s vice presidential debate between Governor Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH). “Governor Walz brought up the community of Springfield, and he’s very worried about the things that I’ve said,” Vance said after his opponent criticized him for saying he’s willing to “create stories” about migrants to draw attention to Americans who suffering. Vance then listed problems in Springfield — including overcrowded schools and rising home prices — which he claimed are happening “because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants who are competing with Americans.” When a moderator clarified that members of Springfield’s Haitian community are largely are... Continue reading…

Serve’s robots will bring packages to a Wing drone AutoLoader, which will make the final delivery. | Image: Serve Robotics Serve Robotics has announced a pilot partnership with Wing Aviation to expand the range of its autonomous food delivery without requiring restaurants to install new equipment to accommodate drone pickups.Serve, which was spun out of the app-based delivery company Postmates in 2021, has been making Uber Eats food deliveries in Los Angeles for a few years now, using robots that look like autonomous shopping carts. Serve says its delivery robots can be a safer alternative to cars and help reduce traffic congestion as they operate primarily on sidewalks. Since they have a top speed of around six miles per hour, there should be little to no risk to pedestrians. But that approach also limits the robot’s ability to deliver food in a timely... Continue reading…