Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Verizon will offer a new $90 monthly cellphone plan called Unlimited Ultimate, announced in an update to the May blog post that announced its myPlan lineup. It offers 60GB of mobile hotspot data (double what you get with the $80 Unlimited Plus plan), 10GB of unthrottled international data, and includes access to the company’s 5G Ultra Wideband network that's a mix of the company’s C-band wireless signal and its faster mmWave 5G. T-Mobile similarly just introduced an expensive new "unlimited" data plan to its Go5G line with the $100 per month Go5G Next plan to complement its C-band spectrum. It offers slightly less hotspot data at 50GB but comes with Netflix Basic and Apple TV Plus and the option to upgrade your phone on a yearly... Continue reading…

Image: Edie Leong for The Washington Post via Getty Images Tesla is in trouble with the federal government. Again. A newly discovered version of Autopilot that allows drivers to operate the advanced driver-assist feature without applying any torque to the steering wheel — a long sought-after feature by Tesla drivers and one used by several other automakers as well — has caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In a July 26th letter (first reported by Bloomberg), NHTSA ordered Tesla to respond to a list of questions about the feature or face an escalating series of fines. The company was ordered to respond by August 25th; it’s unclear whether Tesla complied. NHTSA ordered Tesla to respond to a list of questions about the feature or face an escalating series... Continue reading…

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Apple is planning to launch a pair of “updated” AirPods with USB-C during its iPhone 15 event in September, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Rumors have been circulating for months about the possibility of Apple introducing AirPods with a USB-C-compatible charging case, but we haven’t heard anything this definite until now. However, we still don’t know whether the AirPods Pro will get the USB-C charging case, too, and Gurman doesn’t specify.In 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would introduce AirPods with a USB-C charging case sometime this year. It’s also not clear whether Apple will make any significant changes to the AirPods themselves aside from the new case. Kuo said earlier this year that... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The US Copyright Office is opening a public comment period around AI and copyright issues beginning August 30th as the agency figures out how to approach the subject. As announced in the Federal Register, the agency wants to answer three main questions: how AI models should use copyrighted data in training; whether AI-generated material can be copyrighted even without a human involved; and how copyright liability would work with AI. It also wants comments around AI possibly violating publicity rights but noted these are not technically copyright issues. The Copyright Office said if AI does mimic voices, likenesses, or art styles, it may impact state-mandated rules around publicity and unfair competition laws. Written comments are due... Continue reading…

Chromebooks offer much more than just a web browsing experience in 2023. Just like Windows laptops, Chromebooks now come in all shapes and sizes and are solid options even against MacBooks. There are a wide variety of devices to choose from, including ChromeOS clamshell laptops, convertibles, and even desktop Chromeboxes.

There are a lot of critical components when it comes to building a PC, and while the process can be fun, sometimes it can be a little daunting if it's your first time. Luckily, there are now wide range of quality options, making it more affordable than ever to build your own computer.

Samsung's latest flagship foldable is finally on sale, and you can grab it through various retailers or your favorite carriers. While you can no longer utilize the preorder benefits to make the purchase easier on your pocket, there still are a few good deals on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. If you're considering picking one up, check out the Galaxy Z Fold 5 deals below and get a free storage upgrade, enhanced trade-in credit, and other goodies.

Foldable phones are becoming more prevalent as a serious consideration for the average consumer in 2023, but up until now, it has been mostly Samsung leading the charge. There have been a ton of different foldables debuting in Asian and European markets, but the level of competing in the North American market hasn't been up to par. That is, until now. After a slew of early summer releases, Samsung now has serious threats to its big and small foldables coming from Google and Motorola, respectively. The question is, are those challenges enough to dethrone Samsung as the leader in foldable smartphones in North America?

Buying a new laptop is always hard, but it's not for lack of choice. There are lots of fantastic laptops out there, and even a lot of great deals you'll see on Surface devices, so choosing one can be tricky. There are different form factors, sizes, processors, and many other factors to consider. But one factor that tends to be pretty important when choosing a laptop is its weight. Laptops are meant to be portable, and carrying a heavy device in your backpack gets uncomfortable very quickly.

Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The US government just helped dismantle a massive network of computers infected with one of the world’s most notorious pieces of malware. According to the FBI, a multinational effort led by the US took down Qakbot, a malware that made its way into over 700,000 computers around the globe.Hackers typically target victims with Qakbot by sending them spam emails containing malicious attachments or links. As soon as a victim downloads the attachment or clicks the link, Qakbot infects their computer, which then becomes part of a botnet — or a network of infected computers controlled remotely by hackers. From there, bad actors can install additional malware on their victims’ devices, such as ransomware.Today, #FBI Director Christopher Wray... Continue reading…

Smart speakers have become ubiquitous in daily life, enabling voice assistant control of our smart devices and dispensing facts without picking up our phones. While all the smart speakers on the market have differing levels of sound quality, I’ll let you in on a big secret. They all perform great voice assistant duties.

The Team Coco Radio logo. | Image: Team Coco This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.It’s only Tuesday, and it’s already been a packed week for podcast news. Shortly before hitting publish on this issue of Hot Pod, I got the news that just about every late-night talk show host in America is teaming up with Spotify to launch a limited podcast series about the Hollywood strike. The five hosts: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, have all had their shows on pause since May due to the Writers Guild strike. Strike Force Five will launch on Spotify and other platforms on August 30th, and the plan is for the limited series to run for at least 12 episodes. Notably, the proceeds from the... Continue reading…