When you use a wireless router to access the internet, you are basically transferring and receiving data by converting it into radio signals. Unless properly secured, this form of communication leaves devices wide open to be spied upon, and hackers can steal potentially sensitive information whenever you send or view it. The best way to keep your wireless connections safe is with encryption, and currently WPA2 is one of the best options available.

Single-board computers are small circuit boards that have all the basic computing functionality youre used to bundled into a small form factor and made available for a fraction of the cost of traditional laptop or desktop computers. Although SBCs have been around since the 70s, their popularity has soared over the past 20 years, thanks to the introduction of the Arduino (technically a single-board microcontroller) and the Raspberry Pi.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Apple hasn’t talked too much about AI so far — but it’s been working on stuff. A lot of stuff. Continue reading…

Any time Microsoft tells people "You're getting ads," developers around the world unify to tell it, "No we're not." After the Redmond giant began slipping Start menu ads into Windows 11, people from all walks of life have provided ways to turn them off for good. News about the Windows 11 ad blocker with an amazing name is still hot off the press, yet another Windows 11 adblock tool has joined it as part of the newest Winpilot update.

With the current AI and robotics craze sweeping the world, we're seeing people using them for both good and evil. And while there are a lot of moral debates over whether or not an automatic lockpicker should be made or not, someone has already created one. However, don't worry about a Terminator-like figure breaking into your house at night, as it takes this robot 6 days to break into a 5-pin lock.

If you didn't keep up with the news this week, you missed some cool projects. A supercomputer went to auction, plus someone revived a PC from the late '80s with MS-DOS 4. Plus, if you're thinking about getting the Rabbit R1, perhaps you should check out the recent drama surrounding it before you fork over any money.

The tiny Flextail pump inflated this city bike tire in 45 seconds. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge Social media’s algorithms know that I ride a bike almost every day. My quiver includes a city bike, mountain bike, and gravel bike, in addition to one or two e-bikes I’m always in the process of reviewing. I’m also the family mechanic, which makes me responsible for no less than 16 to 18 tires that I must keep inflated. So, you’d better believe I took notice when Instagram served me several ads for the Flextail Tiny Bike Bump.The mini rechargeable pump works with Presta (the thin one) or Schrader (the old fatty) valves and promises ultra-fast inflation that maxes out at 100psi (about 7 bars) — enough for any bike that doesn’t require a stretchy wardrobe coordinated with your shoes and helmet. The origins of the pump are suspect, as I... Continue reading…

Graphics cards can be a touchy subject for PC gamers. Whether it's the best gaming GPUs on the market or the worst GPUs of all time, people will always have conflicting opinions. However, most of us can probably agree on is that some graphics cards are either objectively poor products or simply unnecessary for the vast majority. Companies like Nvidia and AMD aren't helping either by always adding new entries to the worst GPU deals you've ever seen.

Image: Tesla Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on Friday that the Standard Range rear-wheel drive Model Y the company has been building and selling “over the last several months” actually has more range than the 260 miles they were sold with. Pending “regulatory approval,” he wrote that the company will unlock another 40–60 miles of total range, depending on which battery Model Y owners have, “for $1,500 to $2,000.”Tesla replaced the Standard Range Model Y with a 320-mile range version for $2,000 more. The car now starts at $44,990, or about $37,490 if you qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The “260 mile” range Model Y’s built over the past several months actually have more range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000 (gains 40 to 60 miles... Continue reading…

Photo taken during the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka on May 5th. | Photo: Thilina Kaluthotage / NurPhoto via Getty Images If you’ve got clear skies and want an excuse to get away from town, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is roughly at its peak and should be going strong tonight. Made up of remnants of Halley’s Comet that the Earth passes through, this annual shower is active from April 15th to May 27th and can show up at a rate of about 10–30 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.You can see the Aquarids starting around 2AM local time in the Northern Hemisphere, radiating from the Aquarius constellation (though you’ll want to look 40–60 degrees around Aquarius to see them). Weather permitting, conditions are pretty good for watching them since the moon is in its late waning period and won’t be reflecting much light. Try to plan your... Continue reading…

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge A good video game speedrun is a marvel to witness. You watch players fly through your favorite games, hitting impossible jumps and finding shortcuts you never knew existed. It makes you see a familiar game in a whole new light. If you’ve never watched a speedrun, check out this world-record run through the original Super Mario Bros., and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Being, you know, a speedrun, it’ll take all of five minutes of your time.But what you won’t see (unless you follow speedrunners on Twitch) is the hours upon hours of work it took to create that perfect run — the thousands of attempts to navigate a game with perfect precision, shaving off every unnecessary move, exploiting every weird glitch. It’s punishing work for the... Continue reading…

Image: David Pierce / The Verge Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 36, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, hello, I’m thrilled you found us, the Installerverse loves you, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) I missed you all last week! I was at a friend’s bachelor party in South Carolina, playing golf and eating burgers and mostly staying offline. Thanks to everyone who reached out to say you missed the newsletter! But I’m back now, and so is Installer. We are so back. This week, I’ve been writing about AI gadgets and iPads, watching Baby Reindeer and The Fall Guy, reading A Drink Before the War, and listening to the excellent Challengers score. I also have for you a new browser for... Continue reading…