The new compact mode in the Xbox app. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge Microsoft has started testing new updates to its Xbox app on Windows 11 that improve the experience on handheld devices and smaller screens. In an Xbox test app released earlier this week, Microsoft has introduced a new compact mode that greatly reduces the sidebar on the left-hand side.Compact mode is designed to improve “the experience on handhelds and small screens,” according to Microsoft — it also works on any size screen. It’s a relatively minor UI change, but very welcome on devices like the ROG Ally where you only have a 7-inch display. Windows 11 is a pretty cramped experience on the ROG Ally, and improvements to the Xbox app are an encouraging first step towards what we hope will be some type of handheld mode for Windows.E... Continue reading…

The Shortcuts app on the latest iPhones is very powerful and handy. It makes it simple to navigate apps and content quickly, with either a single tap or even a summon of Siri. The idea behind Shortcuts is to help you automate different tasks, like directions to a certain destination, based on different factors and inputs. You might want to automate a grouping of tasks. Perhaps you’ll call a Shortcut “Gym Time,” and it plays your Apple Music workout playlist and boots up your Fitness app.

Illustration: The Verge Instagram boss Adam Mosseri has high ambitions for Threads: he wants it to become the “de facto platform for public conversations online,” he said on Friday. Big statement to make on the one-year anniversary of Elon Musk taking over Twitter!Meta’s aspirations came up as part of a question Mosseri answered in an AMA: “What do you think ‘success’ looks like for Threads in one year?”“We’re actually debating this right now internally,” Mosseri said. “I do think the long-term aspiration is to be the de facto platform for public conversations online, which is about cultural relevance as much as it is about the overall size of Threads.”Mosseri noted that Threads is “obviously” not the largest public conversation platform right now, saying... Continue reading…

Image: TED The Ai Pin, the new gadget / wearable device / projector / thing from the secretive startup Humane, might cost as much as $1,000 and may require a monthly subscription for data, according to The Information.The mysterious device has been in development for years, but we got our first good look at it during co-founder Imran Chaudhri’s presentation at TED this year. In the presentation, he used then unnamed device to accept a phone call, get information about where to buy a gift, translate a sentence that is then spoken in an AI-made version of his voice in French, and even get an opinion on whether he can eat a chocolate bar. It was an impressive demo, though we had a lot of questions about how it all worked.As the November 9th launch... Continue reading…

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram is testing a new feature that will let your friends add to your posts. When you’re about to post a carousel, Instagram will give you the option to let followers submit their own photos and videos that they want to include.The submissions won’t get added to your post by default, as you’ll have to approve each photo and video before they’re added. In a screenshot of the feature shared by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, collaborative carousels will have an “add to post” button in the bottom-left corner. Image: Instagram This feature seems like a nice way to invite friends to share memories of recent outings or events you attended together. There are probably a lot of other creative prompts people can come up... Continue reading…

If you plan to buy an iPad, then Apple Pencils may be of interest to you. These excellent styluses from Apple offer iPad users some advanced features, including precise input, replaceable tips, tilt sensitivity, and much more. Though, right now, the Cupertino firm sells three different Apple Pencil models, each catering to a certain category of customers. As a result, finding the right pick may be confusing for many people. Worry not, however, as we will be breaking down all three Apple Pencil variants to help you figure out which one works best for you and your premium tablet.

If you recently switched from a Mac or PC to ChromeOS, you've probably noticed the setup is a bit different. It's natural to want a few tips and tricks when migrating to a new operating system and UI. The good news is that ChromeOS is incredibly user-friendly and very powerful. Whether you're a developer or a casual user, the customization available is truly impressive.

Illustration: The Verge Google’s Bard AI chatbot can now reply to your questions in real time, as spotted earlier by 9to5Google. Bard previously only sent a response when it was complete, but now you can get a glimpse at your answer as it’s getting generated. If you don’t want Bard to respond to your questions in real time, you can still switch between the “Respond in real time” and “Respond when complete” options from the cog icon in the top-right corner of Bard’s window. Bing Chat, Microsoft’s AI chatbot, also responds in real time. Screenshot by Emma Roth / The Verge In case you don’t like the response that’s getting generated, Google now lets you cut off the bot mid-sentence. When Bard starts generating a reply, you’ll see a “Skip... Continue reading…

Snow White (Rachel Zegler) and (alphabetically) Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy, in Disney’s Snow White. | Image: Disney Disney’s delaying its upcoming live-action Snow White remake starring Rachel Zegler, but the studio’s also just released a new photo of the film’s take on the seven dwarfs that’s rather… let’s say “interesting.”According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has decided to push back the release dates for director Marc Webb’s Snow White and Pixar’s new feature Elio, from director Adrian Molina. The delay is in response to SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing labor strike, which reportedly has multiple studios considering the possibility of having to rearrange their 2024 release schedules to make up for the lack of new work. Though Snow White was originally meant to debut on March 22nd, 2024, it’s been pushed back to March 21st, 2025, and Elio, which was... Continue reading…

Intel's 14th-generation CPUs, codenamed "Raptor Lake Refresh," have made quite a splash in the desktop CPU market. Among these high-end entries are the Core i9-14900K and the Core i7-14700K, both promising remarkable performance improvements over their predecessors. Both of these CPUs are pushing the boundaries of modern computing, but which one is better suited for you? Let’s put the two head-to-head and delve into the specifications, features, and ideal use cases for these two processors to help you decide which one suits your needs better.

The Verge All the Matter-compatible devices you can buy now, plus what’s coming soon to the Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung-backed smart home standard. Continue reading…

The royal “we.” | Photo Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Michael M. Santiago, Getty Images He was an introvert! Continue reading…