Photo Illustration by William Joel / The Verge Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money. Continue reading…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Intel has teased a “Windows refresh” for 2024 which it hopes will boost its revenues. During Citi’s analyst conference last month Intel CFO David Zinsner discussed a Windows refresh next year, suggesting that consumers might upgrade their PCs because of a new release of Windows.“We actually think 2024 is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular because of the Windows refresh,” said Zinsner at the Citi analyst conference on September 6th. “We still think that the install base is pretty old, and does require a refresh. We think next year may be the start of that given the Windows catalyst.”Zinsner’s comments from a month ago were spotted by PC Gamer, and come months after references to Windows 12 were leaked from internal... Continue reading…

Image: Ubisoft Amazon now offers the ability to buy games on its Luna cloud gaming service, but the new feature comes with a big catch: at least for now, you’ll only be able to buy select Ubisoft titles. For me, Amazon was advertising games you can buy right on the main Luna homepage, including the just-released Assassin’s Creed Mirage. However, if you end up buying an Ubisoft game on Luna, you’ll need an Amazon Prime or a Luna Plus subscription to be able to stream that purchased game, according to an Amazon blog post about the feature. The ability to buy games is all well and good on its own; previously, you could only play games on Luna by subscribing to specific channels of content, accessing a rotating set of games available to... Continue reading…

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images The pain is not over yet for the podcast industry, with layoffs and cancellations continuing to pile up. Amrita covered the WNYC layoffs yesterday, which, thanks to negotiations between management and the union, were not as steep as initially expected (6 percent laid off versus 12 percent previously announced). Last week, Pushkin laid off another 30 percent of staff in its third round of cuts this year, with shakeups even targeting its C-suite. And live audio took another hit on Wednesday, with Amazon shutting down Amp. I have been talking to people from the business side of podcasting about how the ad market has changed and why it is hitting podcasts so hard, especially when the economy seems to actually be doing… fine? As I wrote... Continue reading…

Cleaning a mechanical keyboard can be quite the task as it sits there on your desk, constantly collecting dust particles, lint, and hair, among other things, over time. Not to mention, the keycaps on your keyboard also start to shine or get greasy over time as you continue to type with greasy or sweaty fingers. Seriously, take it from someone who builds mechanical keyboards for a hobby and spends a lot of time clearing tortilla chips and bread crumbs from them quite often. I can't stress how important it is to clean and maintain your keyboard to ensure it works as intended for a long time.

If you recently switched to a Chromebook from a Mac or PC, you might be wondering how you can print on a Chromebook. Perhaps you're even looking to use a popular docking station to turn your Chromebook into a productivity device. Printing is an incredibly important task, whether for school, work, or personal reasons, and it's incredibly simple to set up a printer and print a document in ChromeOS.

The AirPods Max swept the nation when they were released at Christmastime in 2020; bringing to our ears a sturdy over-ear headphone with great sound, and a colorful, unique design. They also introduced really excellent active noise cancelation (ANC) alongside spatialized audio and Dolby Atmos capabilities. On the downside, the AirPods Max had limited capabilities when it came to Android devices plus, they came with a hefty price tag - hitting the market at $549.

What did Gary Wang commit? | Photo Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge Gary Wang supervised the code that gave Alameda special privileges at FTX. But it’s hard to conclude anyone but Sam Bankman-Fried gave the orders. Continue reading…

Image: BBC The BBC, the UK’s largest news organization, laid out principles it plans to follow as it evaluates the use of generative AI — including for research and production of journalism, archival, and “personalized experiences.”In a blog post, BBC director of nations Rhodri Talfan Davies said the broadcaster believes the technology provides opportunities to deliver “more value to our audiences and society.” The three guiding principles are that the BBC will always act in the public’s best interests, prioritize talent and creativity by respecting the rights of artists, and be open and transparent about AI-made output.The BBC said it will work with tech companies, other media organizations and regulators to safely develop generative AI and... Continue reading…

Sharge’s transparent batteries and retro Mac charger. | Image: Sharge Ever heard of Sharge? The company is arguably just as responsible as Nothing for bringing transparent gadgets back — its see-through batteries swarmed social media and have inspired a wave of copycats. Less famously, it sells a kickass charger shaped like a classic Mac that offers 67 watts of USB-C PD charging across three ports despite its tiny frame.They all tend to be pricey, but through October 11th, almost all of its chargers and power banks are on sale for their best prices ever — after you clip the Amazon coupon codes, anyhow.I do want to caution you: while the transparent batteries are very cool, they run a little hot — I’ve sometimes found they stopped charging my most demanding devices due to overheating. That and an... Continue reading…

Apple's iPhone SE 3 isn't be the best iPhone available, as it packs plenty of dated technology. These include the classic chassis with thick bezels, inferior cameras, and more. Despite that, it's still safe to buy an iPhone SE 3 if you're on a budget, as it supports the latest iOS 17 and could last you for years to come. Though, you may want to know that its box does not include a charger. This means that you will have to invest in a charging brick separately. To help you make a smart purchase, we've compiled a list of the best iPhone SE 3 chargers and cables currently available.

Image: Bethesda Softworks Remember Redfall? The blood-sucking shooter with soul-crushing problems? The game that released in May without a 60fps performance mode on Xbox? The game that, according to a Eurogamer article from earlier on Friday, hardly anyone has been playing on Steam? Well, it got a big new update on Friday — including that long-awaited performance mode.Arkane Studios detailed everything new in Redfall’s Game Update 2 in a blog post on its website. In addition to the performance mode, the update adds things stealth takedowns, more enemies in the open world, some changes to controller settings, improvements to screen narration, and a lot more. It seems like a pretty substantial patch.Will it be enough for a Cyberpunk 2077-style turnaround, though?... Continue reading…