When you're looking for the best laptop for you, whether you're looking for the best gaming laptop, the best laptop to replace a desktop, or anything else, storage capacity can take the backseat as a concern over more important characteristics like CPU, GPU, RAM, and display. However, you might still want to upgrade your laptop's storage solution, be it for speed, capacity, or reliability.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google might finally start telling you when your Android phone has a degraded battery, Android expert Mishaal Rahman wrote in an article for Android Authority. Unlike iPhone users, who have been able to see their phone’s battery health stats from their settings for a long time, Android owners currently need a third-party app or must enter special command codes in order to check out their battery health. This month’s Pixel Feature Drop already added new battery information; currently, it shows the manufacture date of your battery and its cycle count. But the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 adds a hidden “battery health” page, Rahman says, and although it doesn’t yet include an actual battery health meter, code suggests that it could show... Continue reading…

Before the hardcore PC fans chop my head off and toss it out for the crows to feed, hear me out. I know it's controversial to prefer a controller over a mechanical gaming keyboard and mouse when playing PC games, but both input devices have their own merits. However, for my needs, a gaming controller setup always tops a mouse and keyboard.

Following years of hype and persistent rumors, Apple announced the Vision Pro mixed reality headset earlier this year to frenzied reactions from fans and the media alike. It was always expected to be launched sometime next year, but a new report now claims that it could hit the market by February 2024.

Illustration by The Verge More than 200 Substack authors asked the platform to explain why it’s “platforming and monetizing Nazis,” and now they have an answer straight from co-founder Hamish McKenzie:I just want to make it clear that we don’t like Nazis either—we wish no-one held those views. But some people do hold those and other extreme views. Given that, we don’t think that censorship (including through demonetizing publications) makes the problem go away—in fact, it makes it worse.While McKenzie offers no evidence to back these ideas, this tracks with the company’s previous stance on taking a hands-off approach to moderation. In April, Substack CEO Chris Best appeared on the Decoder podcast and refused to answer moderation questions. “We’re not going to... Continue reading…

Although the sky is the limit when it comes to the prices of gaming laptops, you don't always need to spend a lot to get something that's going to fit your needs. So, if you've been thinking about investing in a new gaming laptop, but you wanted to save some money, you've come to the right place.

The new Google Pixel 8 Pro debuted in October 2023, bringing a few great improvements over the previous generation. Although the top-tier model of the Pixel 8 lineup got a price hike, it's still a great value Pixel phone and one of the best smartphones out there. However, what Google isn't giving you is a case, and you'll want to pick up one for your Pixel 8 Pro as soon as you get it.

Microsoft is deprecating Windows Mixed Reality, a feature that allows users to use dedicated headsets to navigate a special environment designed to provide a more immersive experience. It's yet another major aspect of Windows 10 that Microsoft finds itself giving up on.

Membrane keyboards? Never heard of them. Mechanical keyboards are all the rage these days, and they come in various shapes and sizes, from small 60% keyboards (or 40% if you want to go there) all the way to full-sized options. There's something for everyone. While I love how compact and useful small keyboards are, I just can’t seem to convince myself to let go of my old 104-key keyboard, and there are three good reasons for that.

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge It’s no longer possible to buy Apple’s latest flagship smartwatches, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, from the company’s online store. Apple has removed the devices from sale due to a forthcoming import ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that’s due to take full effect on December 26th. Both watches will disappear from Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores after December 24th.The ban is the result of a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo. The ITC has ruled that the SpO2 sensor in Apple’s smartwatches infringes upon Masimo’s patents. On Wednesday, the ITC denied Apple’s motion to stay the ban while awaiting an appeal.Because the patent dispute relates to the SpO2 sensor specifically, Apple... Continue reading…

Vim is one of the most popular text editors developers, coders, or system administrators use on Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions. Vim is short for Vi IMproved and is based on the original Vi editor that was popular back in the 1990s. If you want to get started with it, then we're happy to say that vim-tiny comes pre-installed with Ubuntu, but is pretty basic. A more advanced version, just regular Vim, is easy to install on Ubuntu. All that's required is to fire up a terminal and then enter a few commands to install it using the package manager.

If you have opted for an Apple Watch with both Wi-Fi and cellular connection, you can enjoy so many things on the Apple Watch without needing your phone. This ranges from simple tasks like making and answering calls to replying to messages, navigating to a destination, seeing social updates, and more. But first, you need to set up this connection to get started.