Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Of all the allegations that the Department of Justice has laid at Apple’s door, the most contentious is perhaps its salvo over security and privacy. Apple has warned that if the DOJ gets its way, Apple products — especially the iPhone — will be less secure for users. Meanwhile, the DOJ claims that Apple’s much-touted privacy features are pretextual.The complaint in the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple says that the company “wraps itself in a cloak of privacy, security, and consumer preferences to justify its anti-competitive behavior.” In the press conference announcing the lawsuit, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said Apple’s choices have actually made its system “less private and less secure.” “Apple selectively... Continue reading…

A mockup of what Microsoft’s Xbox chatbot looks like. | Cath Virginia / The Verge Microsoft is currently testing a new AI-powered Xbox chatbot that can be used to automate support tasks. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the software giant has been testing an “embodied AI character” that animates when responding to Xbox support queries. I understand this Xbox AI chatbot is part of a larger effort inside Microsoft to apply AI to its Xbox platform and services.The Xbox AI chatbot is connected to Microsoft’s support documents for the Xbox network and ecosystem, and can respond to questions and even process game refunds from Microsoft’s support website. “This agent can help you with your Xbox support questions,” reads a description of the Xbox chatbot internally at Microsoft.Microsoft expanded... Continue reading…

March was an exciting month for new product releases, as we got a closer look at a few devices that were announced and previewed at CES 2024 earlier this year. In total, XDA reviewed over 40 products this month, from niche networking equipment to mainstream laptops and midrange phones. There were products we knew about, such as Asus' Zenbook Duo, and surprises like Apple's M3 MacBook Air. We won't blame you if you missed anything, so we've compiled a list of the 10 best products we had on our reviews desk in March 2024. These are the best of the best, so you can buy them knowing you're getting your money's worth and excellent performance in the products' respective categories.

There are a lot of different charging solutions out there, but if you're looking for one that can really simplify your life, then this Anker 521 Power Bank is going to be a great option. This compact charger can output up to 45W, which is great if you're looking to power a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. But its best feature is that it can also act as a power bank, holding up to 5,000mAh of juice — making it one of the best 2-in-1 devices on the market. Furthermore, while convenient, it also doesn't cost a lot, with an impressive discount that brings it down to its lowest price yet.

From the creepy-looking Clippy to the adorable little Rover, Microsoft has incorporated virtual assistants in its apps for decades. However, it wasn’t until the release of Cortana that Microsoft went above and beyond to make digital assistants mainstream. Sadly, the result was a complete trainwreck that made the Xbox Kinect look like a successful device.

A few days ago, we learned that the Python Package Index (PyPI) has temporarily restricted the creation of new accounts and package submissions to its portal following the emergence of a malware campaign through which attackers were uploading malicious packages to the directory in a coordinated manner. Now, Microsoft has detailed a new vulnerability in Linux distributions after it was discovered recently by a company employee.

Microsoft recently unveiled the new Surface Laptop 6 for Business, which updates one of the brand's best laptops with some nice upgrades for 2024. Noteworthy upgrades include the latest Intel Core Ultra chips, promising double the performance of the last-gen models. Thankfully, these new Core Ultra chips are very energy efficient, but you still want a good charger to go with one of the best Surface PCs, which this one promises to be. That's why we've rounded up all the best chargers for the Surface Laptop 6 for Business. Our picks range from pocket-friendly wall chargers to full-fledged docks that let you turn your laptop into a desktop workstation so you can find the perfect match for your digital lifestyle.

If you're looking for a great laptop to get some work done with, ThinkPad machines are excellent choices but so are Surface computers. These reputable brands are popular picks in the laptop world for good reason, especially the new Surface Laptop 6 for Business as well as Lenovo's impressive ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. So, how do you decide?

Building a new PC and setting everything up just how you like is satisfying. You've installed your favorite apps and games and are ready to let it rip. But you might still be using the same old default Windows wallpapers and calling it a day. Wallpaper Engine is one of the best wallpaper apps on Windows that can give your desktop a full makeover with its limitless collection of high-quality live wallpapers.

Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge “The ability to know somebody’s age and try to protect privacy at the same time can be challenging,” says Meta’s Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis. Meta has been advocating for app store operators like Apple and Google to be in charge of verifying users’ ages and soliciting parental consent for app downloads. Now, it’s using its own virtual reality Quest store as a model for how it thinks that should work.Meta is prompting Quest 2 and 3 users to reenter their birthdays so that it can place accounts in the appropriate age experience as it tries to centralize age verification through its Quest store. Teens aged 13 to 17 will have more privacy settings turned on by default and can be monitored through parental supervision tools.... Continue reading…

The record was broken during a 15-hour stream on April 1st. | Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Game developer Jason Thor Hall, better known by the moniker Pirate Software, has set a new Twitch Hype Train world record, with his channel reaching level 106 on April 1st. Once the Hype Train was initiated, it took Hall roughly three hours to beat his previous level 55 world record from December, with viewers contributing 54,380 gifted subs (alongside regular subscriptions) and 8,225,386 Bits — likely earning Hall a healthy six-figure sum in the process.Hype Trains, a feature that Twitched launched in 2020, are a limited-time event triggered when a channel receives an uptick in Bits or subscriptions, pushing past a streamer-designated threshold. While we won’t know the official figure paid by Hall’s community, it’s sure to be... Continue reading…

Thanks to a capable AMD processor, HD haptics, 120Hz full-HD display, replaceable SSD, and a decent battery life, Asus ROG Ally is one of the best PC gaming handhelds out there. Asus is offering three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with your purchase to explore Microsoft's gaming service and dive into new games. Whether you want to play Forza Motorsport, Starfield, Elden Ring or Gears 5, your favorite game is just a few clicks away on ROG Ally.