Illustration: The Verge Microsoft is revealing today that it has discovered a nation-state attack on its corporate systems from the same Russian state-sponsored group of hackers that were responsible for the sophisticated SolarWinds attack. Microsoft says the hackers, known as Nobelium, were able to access email accounts of some members of its senior leadership team late last year. “Beginning in late November 2023, the threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise a legacy non-production test tenant account and gain a foothold, and then used the account’s permissions to access a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of our senior leadership team and employees in our cybersecurity, legal, and other functions,... Continue reading…

The Surface Pro 9 is one of the best Windows tablets on the market right now. The tablet is lightweight, compact, and powerful — making it one of the best options if you're looking for productivity on the go. Of course, that lethal combination normally comes at a price, with even the most basic Surface Pro 9 model starting at $1000.

Pssh. Who needs an SpO2 sensor, anyway? | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Lately, it seems like all the talk regarding the Apple Watch seems to revolve around Apple’s ongoing patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo — a legal battle that has resulted in Apple recently removing the blood oxygen features found on the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Sales have continued uninterrupted for the latest Apple Watch SE given it lacks the SpO2 sensor, however, and now the second-gen smartwatch can be had for as little as $179 ($50 off) at Walmart.To be honest, most healthy individuals are not missing out on the SpO2 sensor, nor are first-time smartwatch buyers likely to complain about the SE’s lack of an always-on display or some of the fancier health tracking features found on the Series 9. Apple’s latest entry-level... Continue reading…

Safari can make the Vision Pro sing... if Apple lets it. | Image: Apple In the days ahead of the Vision Pro’s launch, Apple has heavily promoted some of the apps destined for its spatial computing headset. Download Disney Plus and watch movies from Tatooine! Slack and Fantastical and Microsoft Office on your face! FaceTime with your friends as a floating hologram! But it’s increasingly clear that the early success of the Vision Pro, and much of the answer to the question of what this headset is actually for, will come from a single app: Safari. That’s right, friends. Web browsers are back. And Apple needs them more than ever if it wants this $3,500 face computer to be a hit. Embracing the web will mean threatening the very things that have made Apple so powerful and so rich in the mobile era, but at least... Continue reading…

One of the underrated features available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and other models is Personal Hotspot. Through this tool, you can turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi router of sorts, enabling other nearby devices to use the internet through it. Whether you need to connect to your kid's tablet while on the go, or your internet just cut out during a Zoom call, linking to your hotspot can be very useful. While the feature requires an active mobile data plan, you can easily learn how to set it up in this guide.

A view of the US Supreme Court on Thursday, January 4th, 2024, in Washington, DC.  | Photo by Drew Angerer / Getty Images The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on a couple of cases that could completely upend the way federal agencies regulate just about anything in the US. At question is a legal doctrine called Chevron deference that allows federal agencies to interpret laws meant to protect consumers, public health, and the environment. Now, a conservative supermajority in the Supreme Court appears on the precipice of either overturning or limiting the scope of Chevron deference. The Verge spoke with legal experts about what’s going on and what the Supreme Court’s decisions on Chevron deference could ultimately mean for Americans. “The real question is how far they will go?” says Jody Freeman, director of the Environmental and Energy Law... Continue reading…

The Asus Zephyrus G14 and G16 are chunky and funky no more. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge [Editor’s note: Monica Chin is The Verge’s former senior laptop reviewer, currently taking a break from tech journalism. But some things are hard to quit.]Once upon a time, in the olden days of March 2020, a little company called Asus released a spritely whippersnapper of a gaming laptop called the ROG Zephyrus G14. It weighed just over 3.5 pounds, and it was powered by a truly monstrous AMD processor, the likes of which had never been seen in a 14-inch form factor. I still remember reviewing that laptop, almost four years ago, like it was yesterday. I remember running the Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmark — the ultimate test at that time — over and over again, poring over the game settings, trying desperately to figure out what I’d... Continue reading…

Apple’s Vision Pro headset. | Image: Apple The Apple Vision Pro headset’s sticker price of $3,499 is nothing to sneeze at. But if you choose not to pay the additional $24.99 per month or $499 for two years of AppleCare Plus coverage, be sure to handle your new headset with kid gloves. For users without a coverage plan, repairing a cracked cover glass will cost $799, according to Apple’s updated support page for the Vision Pro. If you are covered under AppleCare Plus, repairing either a cracked cover glass or other accidental damage will cost $299. At these rates, paying for two years of AppleCare Plus and the reduced cover glass repair fee costs a combined $798 — an entire $1 less than the repair costs without the service plan. The terms and conditions (pdf) explain the... Continue reading…

It’s a big thing for a tech heavyweight like Samsung to invest in a more niche wearable device. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge Smartwatches have long reigned supreme in the wearable world. Smart rings have hovered around the periphery, but earlier this week, Samsung ended its Unpacked event with a tease of the Galaxy Ring. To me, that reads like the company is itching to shake up the wearable world order.That might sound hyperbolic given that all Samsung did was play a flashy reel of a sparkly ring with a few visible sensors on the inside of the band. Few details were given onstage. But in an email, Samsung spokesperson Amber Reaver told me that the ring is meant to “empower more people to manage their health with a comprehensive yet simplified approach to everyday wellness at home.” Part of that is having consistent and accurate tracking data over a lengthy... Continue reading…

One of the key features that separates macOS Sonoma from other computer operating systems is the menu bar. It's a helpful — or pervasive — collection of commands, settings, and apps permanently fixed to the top of your desktop. Instead of each app having its own collection of menus, like on Windows, they're all centrally stored in the macOS menu bar. You can also add apps and quick settings toggles to the menu bar or click the Control Center. Essentially, there is a lot that you can do with the macOS menu bar, but you need to make it your own to get the most utility out of it.

Image: Netflix Co-directors Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares’ new action drama is a masterclass in using near-futuristic, sci-fi storytelling to illustrate harsh realities about our present. Continue reading…

In the dynamic landscape of portable power stations, the Ampace Andes 600 Pro emerges as a powerhouse, redefining the boundaries of performance, reliability, and versatility.