Earth-shattering explosions, the clang of swords clashing, and the sounds of enemy footsteps creeping in the darkness are the stuff immersion in gaming is made of, and even a great pair of iPhone earbuds aren’t going to let you experience them in all their glory. The best gaming headsets out there are designed to deliver maximum immersion with pristine audio, an accurate stereo or spatial audio image, and a clear, detailed mic, while also delivering low latency, a good battery life, and a comfortable fit. Regardless of whether you’re a PC player on a budget, a PS5 purest, or an audiophile with a gaming itch, we’ve collected them all here for your perusal.

Your Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro isn't just a smartphone; it's an extension of your life. To protect and enhance your device, you need a case that goes beyond basic protection. Caseborne introduces its V Series cases and Clear Case ranges tailored specifically for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Sending a text message isn’t exactly rocket science, but attempting to decipher the various acronyms associated with text messaging standards can get a bit tricky. For years, smartphones have utilized SMS and MMS protocols for sending and receiving messages, but tech is always moving forward. Now, there's RCS for firing off messages and sharing photos. RCS has actually been around for a long time; it's only now that the protocol is being introduced to Android's Messages app.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge When Google announced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro today, it added a feature no other phone can compete with: both devices will get Android OS updates, security updates, and new feature updates for the next seven years. That’s a very big deal! Ongoing support is the difference between a phone that works and a phone with gaping security holes that needs to be thrown out. There’s a very real argument to be made that this is the biggest thing Google announced today.The promise is particularly notable for an Android phone, where OS support can often drop off after just a few years. By way of comparison, the Pixel 7A and Pixel Fold, both phones Google announced this year, will lose software support in 2026 and security updates in 2028 —... Continue reading…

Even Adobe is sick of using the lasso tool to manually separate objects from photographs. | Image: Adobe Adobe is set to announce a new AI-powered photo editing tool at the Adobe Max event next week that makes it much easier to alter images without prior editing experience. According to a promotional video (seen via Techspot), the new “object-aware editing engine” — dubbed Project Stardust — automatically identifies individual objects in regular photographs, allowing them to be easily moved around and changed. It’s similar to Google’s Magic Editor announced yesterday for its new Pixel phones, but presumably more powerful.A quick demonstration of the new software shows how objects in a photograph — such as the yellow suitcase and its shadow in the example image — are automatically identified and selected as if they had been separated using... Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge The clouds are gathering over Microsoft’s Azure operations in the EU and now the UK, with the launch of a new investigation into major cloud service providers that also includes Amazon. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is just about to wrap up its concerns over cloud gaming with Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition, but it will soon turn its attention to Microsoft’s Azure cloud offerings and Amazon Web Services (AWS).It’s part of a fresh investigation into public cloud providers in the UK, after telecoms regulator Ofcom “identified a number of features in the supply of cloud services that make it more difficult for customers to switch and use multiple cloud suppliers.”Ofcom found issues with charges that... Continue reading…

Did they just tape it on there? | Image: Hyundai Another major automaker is jumping on the Tesla bandwagon. Hyundai announced today its plans to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS), aka the “Tesla plug,” for its future electric vehicles. Hyundai models compatible with Tesla’s NACS plug will start arriving in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, the automaker will also provide adapters to its current customers so they can access Tesla Supercharger stations. Hyundai’s current EV lineup, which includes the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, both have charging ports that are compatible with the Combined Charging Standard, or CCS, for DC fast charging. So let’s just look at the scoreboard really quickNACS adoptees include Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Nissan, M... Continue reading…

Google's new Pixel 8 Pro has already made quite a splash before release. As the latest in the Pixel Pro line, it has quite a legacy to rely on. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 Pro put up an impressive showing in our review. Does the new model offer enough of an upgrade to make the switch worth it?

Apple is rolling out iOS 17.0.3 with a fix for the iPhone 15 overheating issue. The incoming update also patches a couple of critical security vulnerabilities, including a new zero-day security flaw that was being actively exploited against iPhone and iPad users. The update also fixes a WebRTC flaw that could result in arbitrary code execution.

The Google Pixel 8 is one of the newest of the best smartphones out there, so you might be wondering what its compatibility is with some of the best smartwatches. That's why it is quite natural to have on your mind if Samsung Galaxy watches work with Google Pixel. Well, we're happy to say you don't need a Samsung phone to use a Samsung Galaxy Watch. You can indeed use any modern model with a Google Pixel just fine.

The most important piece of gear in your life is probably your laptop. So, you might want to protect it when out and about with a laptop backpack. These come in all shapes and sizes and different types of materials. So when it comes to finding a great laptop backpack, there are a number of things to consider.

Image: The Verge While Google’s search engine has for years been the default on Apple’s devices, newly unsealed court testimonies reveal that Apple held talks with both Microsoft and DuckDuckGo to use their search engines across Apple devices, and in Microsoft’s case even potentially buying Bing, The Washington Post and Bloomberg report. The potential of a Microsoft deal also served as a useful bargaining chip for Apple when negotiating its lucrative search deal with Google.The details came to light as part of the Department of Justice’s landmark antitrust case against Google which accuses the search giant of abusing its dominance of the search market. A key element of this trial is an agreement that sees Google pay Apple billions of dollars a year in a... Continue reading…