Image: Ultimate Ears Where do you go next after branding your speakers with names like the Boom, Megaboom, Hyperboom, and Wonderboom? Well, apparently the natural progression has led Ultimate Ears to none other than “Epicboom.” That’s the new speaker that the company just announced today. It’s a chunky device that gives off more of a Sonos Move aura as opposed to UE’s signature cylindrical Bluetooth speakers. Priced at $349.99, the 4.36-pound Epicboom promises 360-degree audio output from its 4.6-inch woofer and two high-frequency 45mm transductors.This speaker is rated IP67 against dust and water — that’s a win over the Move’s IP56 rating and means you can submerge it for up to 30 minutes — and it’ll last for 17 hours of playback on a charge, the company... Continue reading…

A graphic showing the companies and services being designated as gatekeepers. (Click here for higher resolution image.) | Image: European Commission The European Commission has officially confirmed which tech companies, and which of their services, count as “gatekeepers” under its strict new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The companies listed all appeared on a provisional list released in early July, and mostly consist of American tech giants. There’s Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft from the US, plus ByteDance from China. 22 core platform services provided by gatekeepers must now comply with the DMA’s obligations by March 6th, 2024.Broadly, the DMA is the EU’s attempt to rein in the market power of Big Tech by opening up entrenched platforms and curbing ecosystem lock-in and anti-competitive behavior, making them compete on the merits of their products and services alone.... Continue reading…

The central processing unit (CPU) is one of the most important components inside a PC. It's what handles all the calculations for just about everything you do on Linux or Windows and so the better the CPU you have, the more you'll be able to do. This guide showcases the best CPUs available right now from AMD and Intel, taking into account budget, performance, and value.

If you're a new iPhone user seeking some great wireless earbuds, then the AirPods 3 are an excellent option. They sound great and offer different charging technology support at up to 5W. These include wired charging through the included Lightning to USB Type-C cable, MagSafe, and Qi. If you have lost the included Lighting to USB Type-C cable or are simply looking for an alternative, there are plenty of options out there. To help you out, we've compiled a list of the best cables and chargers for the Apple AirPods 3.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Google usually celebrates its birthday on September 27th for no particularly obvious reason, but for its 25th anniversary, the company’s getting out ahead — with CEO Sundar Pichai “kicking off celebrations” with a 2,400-word public memo reflecting on where the company’s been. There’s very little in here that will surprise anyone who’s heard Pichai speak at length, and... it’s mostly brags, which makes sense. But I expect you’ll want to hear what the second-highest paid CEO of the world’s fourth-most valuable company has to say in this moment of transition! Before I present the whole memo, here are a few passages that caught my eye:The questions I’ve asked Google have evolved over time: “How do you fix a dripping faucet?” “Fastest... Continue reading…

A composite of images from Google’s Pixel 8 Pro simulator. | Images: Google If you had any remaining questions about what the Pixel 8 Pro looks like, Google is here to answer them. The company has put online a 360-degree simulator that lets you turn the device over back to front and top to bottom, with helpful indicators pointing out where various sensors and ports are located. The simulator shows the phone in three colors and confirms that the Pixel 8 Pro will be getting a new temperature sensor on the back beside the cameras.The simulator was spotted by José Rubén and highlighted by Mishaal Rahman, who both posted about it on X. Google doesn’t appear to have published a link to the website — but all you have to do is plug the new phone’s name into the URL of Google’s other Pixel simulators, and the new phone... Continue reading…

While most of the best mechanical keyboards come with a hefty price tag, that’s not always the case. The technology has become mainstream, and plenty of budget-conscious keyboards are available these days. For not much money at all, you can find a mechanical keyboard to enjoy, and some even have premium features like hot-swappable switch sockets for modding. Regardless of your preferences, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites for 2023 to make your buying decision easier.

Bone conduction headphones have become increasingly popular over the years due to their comfort, long-term wearability, and general flexibility. Open-ear headphones allow you to stay connected to the outside world, limiting ear fatigue, and occasionally allowing you to listen underwater. So, whether you've just started investigating the benefits of bone conduction or you're a longtime fan looking for a new model; we've got you covered when it comes to the best bone conduction headphones. Despite being a relatively niche audio product, there are tons of models to choose from, and new models are regularly being released, so take the time to consider where and when you’ll be using bone conduction. We're here to help you get started and introduce you to open-ear listening.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Hot on the heels of the EU forcing Microsoft to stop bundling Teams into Office in Europe, Zoom’s CEO is suggesting that the US Federal Trade Commission might want to look into doing the same stateside. Bloomberg reports that Zoom CEO Eric Yuan made the remark at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference in response to a question about Microsoft unbundling Teams in Europe. The unbundling comes after EU regulators opened an investigation in July in response to a complaint by Slack, another Teams competitor that Microsoft more or less crushed by adding Teams to Office 365 for no additional cost. “You should ask this question to the FTC as well,” Bloomberg quotes Yuan as saying. He’s got a point about bundling! Vox Media... Continue reading…

Microsoft has recently posted a video on its Microsoft 365 YouTube channel, revealing a lot of information about what's next for the new Outlook app on Windows. Towards the end of the video, Microsoft also confirmed that it would take at least a couple of years to replace the classic or Win32-based Outlook app with the new Outlook.

GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman confirmed a new 360-degree GoPro Max camera “is in the works and will be worth the wait” at the GoPro 12 launch event. This update was a long time coming – the original GoPro Max was released all the way back in October 2019. We reached out to GoPro to find out more about the upcoming 360-degree camera, including its availability, but have been met with a simple “no comment” from a spokesperson. Personally, I hope this camera gets released before the ski season officially opens. GoPro was one of the first companies to start shipping 360 cameras for consumers. In 2017, GoPro released a $699 Fusion, years after producing a six-camera rig called Omni, which could capture 360 or VR videos as long as you... Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge Apple has struck a deal with the chip design company Arm that goes past 2040, as reported by Reuters. A disclosure noting the arrangement appeared in new documents Arm filed as part of its planned IPO.The statement about the deal doesn’t have much additional detail. “We have entered into a new long-term agreement with Apple that extends beyond 2040, continuing our longstanding relationship of collaboration with Apple and Apple’s access to the Arm architecture,” Arm said in the document. But given how much Apple relies on Arm’s designs for the custom chips powering its most popular and profitable products, like the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch, in addition to the upcoming Vision Pro, it signals that Apple plans to continue... Continue reading…