When it comes to laptops, you may not want to only use a laptop when you're traveling and, instead, find a machine that works well at home as a desktop replacement while also remaining able to come with you when you take a trip. Regardless of whether you're an artist, a pro video editor, a businessperson, a gamer, or just somebody looking for a reliable machine to browse the web and navigate Google Docs, we've got great options for everyone.

Image: The Game Awards Geoff Keighley’s annual celebration of video games is back. Continue reading…

Unlike its Windows counterpart, macOS Sonoma is available to all Mac users for free. So, as long as you have one of the compatible Mac models, you can install the operating system without buying or activating a license. This simplifies matters for users, as anyone could theoretically boot the operating system on supported hardware. Furthermore, it makes it easier to deploy the operating system on multiple Macs consecutively by relying on a bootable USB macOS installer. To create one, follow the steps we've listed in this guide.

Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats and calls on Messenger, finally fulfilling a promise that’s been in the works for quite awhile. When end-to-end encryption is on, only you and the person you send a message to in Messenger can see its contents, the company claims.Encrypted chats were first introduced as an opt-in feature in Messenger in 2016, but after a long windup, end-to-end encrypted messages and calls for conversations between two people will now be the standard going forward. “This has taken years to deliver because we’ve taken our time to get this right,” Loredana Crisan, VP of Messenger, said in a statement shared with The Verge. “Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product... Continue reading…

Image: Google Google just announced Gemini, its most powerful suite of AI models yet, and the company has already been accused of lying about its performance. An op-ed from Bloomberg claims Google misrepresented the power of Gemini in a recent video. Google aired an impressive “what the quack” hands-on video during its announcement earlier this week, and columnist Parmy Olson says it seemed remarkably capable in the video — perhaps too capable.The six-minute video shows off Gemini’s multimodal capabilities (spoken conversational prompts combined with image recognition, for example). Gemini seemingly recognizes images quickly — even for connect-the-dots pictures — responds within seconds, and tracks a wad of paper in a cup and ball game in real-time.... Continue reading…

Image: The Verge Of all the layoffs happening at Spotify this week, this has to be the biggest. Chief financial officer Paul Vogel, who since 2020 has managed the company’s balance sheet as it expanded into podcasting and audiobooks, is leaving the company at the end of March 2024.Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said the decision was made because Vogel didn’t have the experience needed to help the company both expand and meet market expectations. The company is starting the search for a successor.“Spotify has embarked on an evolution over the last two years to bring our spending more in line with market expectations while also funding the significant growth opportunities we continue to identify. I’ve talked a lot with Paul about the need to balance these two... Continue reading…

Although Google is constantly looking for ways to improve its Google Drive cloud storage service, bugs sometimes slip through the cracks, causing issues for its customers. For the past couple of weeks, users of the Drive desktop client have been complaining that some of their files have mysteriously vanished. Google confirmed the existence of the problem a few days ago, and now, it has outlined some steps that affected customers can follow to recover their lost content.

No Rest for the Wicked. | Image: Moon Studios Moon Studios, the team behind the beautiful and incredibly hard Ori games, has announced its next project. It’s called No Rest for the Wicked and is described as “a mature, precision action role-playing game.” The game is launching in early access on PC in early 2024, with a full release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X / S planned for sometime afterward. And, of course, it looks absolutely stunning. Here’s the age-gated trailer.It’ll be Moon’s first title outside of the Ori series, and it sounds like there is a very large focus on combat. In a press release, the studio says that “fights in the game are animation-driven, direct, and tactile, allowing skilled players to combine visceral strikes and deadly moves.” It also features co-op for... Continue reading…

You need a valid Windows license to use Microsoft's operating system on your computer. When your Windows PC license expires or becomes invalid, a dialog box stating "Your Windows license will expire soon" will pop up on your display. However, you might get this error even on top laptops with Windows pre-installed. The reminder also appears for some Windows 10 users upgrading to Windows 11.

Image: Proton Proton Drive, the end-to-end encrypted cloud storage app, is getting more like Google Drive. The Android version of the app now lets you automatically back up and manage the photos on your phone. With the addition of a photo syncing and management feature, it’s becoming more viable as an alternative to mainstream cloud storage options like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Unlike both of these services, files stored within Proton Drive are end-to-end encrypted, which means third parties, including Proton itself, can’t view your uploaded content. Image: Proton While Proton Drive currently lets you store photos and other files from your phone, it doesn’t automatically sync new photos. The update will make it more... Continue reading…

When it comes to devices like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and any of the other best gaming handhelds, they're all fantastic at playing games. No matter the operating system, once you're in a game, it runs, and that's part of what makes them excellent devices. However, they differ in operating systems, with most gaming handhelds running Windows. When it comes to the Steam Deck, though, it runs Linux, bucking the trend of everyone else in the industry.

Image: Kojima Productions It wouldn’t be a Game Awards without Hideo Kojima. This time, however, the director wasn’t on hand to show off Death Stranding 2 — instead he revealed a new Xbox game called OD. We didn’t get to see much of the game, which was teased last year, and the first teaser mostly just showed the cast doing motion capture tests. It ended with the tagline “For all the players and screamers.”That said, the game does have a strong cast, including Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier. Also Jordan Peele is involved somehow. Kojima teased other big names who are working on the project, but wouldn’t say who just yet. OD is billed as something of a cross between a game and a movie, with a press release describing it as an experience that... Continue reading…