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.

As far as business laptops go, the HP EliteBook 840 Aero is one of the best you can buy today. Starting at just 2.5lbs, it's very lightweight, but the configuration options it offers also make it very powerful. But even the best laptop can be expanded upon or improved. Accessories can go a long way in making the HP EliteBook 840 Aero work better for you, or just keeping it protected.

Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The attorneys general from all 50 US states want lawmakers to establish a commission dedicated to investigating the impact of AI on child exploitation, as reported earlier by The Associated Press. In a letter to Congress, the attorneys general say that the proposed commission should come up with solutions to prevent the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).As outlined in the letter, the attorneys general point out that bad actors can train an AI using images of abused and non-abused children to create deepfakes while also animating “new and realistic sexualized images of children who do not exist, but who may resemble actual children.” The letter adds that readily available AI tools make this process “easier than... Continue reading…

Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple’s upcoming App Store for its Vision Pro headset will include all compatible iPhone and iPad apps “by default.” In an update on Tuesday, Apple said it will release the new App Store with the developer beta of visionOS this fall.Both iPad and iPhone apps will appear alongside visionOS apps in the new App Store. As Apple has said previously, it will automatically import iOS and iPadOS apps to its new mixed reality operating system “with no additional work required.” Developers can still optimize their apps if needed.“By default, your iPad and/or iPhone apps will be published automatically on the App Store on Apple Vision Pro,” Apple notes. “Most frameworks available in iPadOS and iOS are also included in visionOS, which means... Continue reading…

There might come a time when you have to share your laptop, or your Windows 11 PC with someone. In the old days of Windows, there was a dedicated guest mode for these situations, but Windows 11 and Windows 10 have since removed this. It doesn't mean you can't manually add a guest account, though.

Samsung's Galaxy S21 is a few years old now, but it still holds up quite well against all the modern flagships, including the Galaxy S23 series. It arguably looks better than even the Galaxy S23 with its contour-cut design, and it's easily one of the best-looking phones in 2023. It's still qualified to receive Android OS and security updates directly from Samsung, so there's no reason to upgrade unless you really want to upgrade to a new phone.

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: 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…

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…

Say what? | Illustration: Laura Normand / The Verge I see Elon Musk has pivoted from pretending he’s going to physically fight Mark Zuckerberg to pretending he is going to sue the Anti-Defamation League. Okay. There are people who still take Musk seriously, and I wish them well on their journey. This blog is for the rest of us.Obviously, there’s a level of attention-seeking behavior at play. Some of this is financially motivated: Musk is perhaps the most important influencer in the world. His tweets move markets. And he faces the same problem as other influencers. The danger of being too famous is overexposure — people get sick of you.Why make this threat in the first place?Musk’s public persona is an important marketing tool. Consider his appearance on Saturday Night Live: Tesla... Continue reading…

GIF by DeckButtons Would you spend $40–$60 on artisan buttons for your Steam Deck? What if they were cast by hand from custom resin molds, made by just one guy in the USA? I imagine it would depend on how they look — but thankfully, they look amazing. GIF by DeckButtons Such shimmer. Today, Greg Leddy is following up his TouchProtect touchpad and button skins and custom-painted ColoredControllers with the new DeckButtons.com, a shop where he exclusively sells buttons and D-pads for your Steam Deck. Each one is cast in a custom two-part silicone mold of his own design, itself created from a master button he 3D prints from resin, hand-sands, and finishes to emulate the Steam Deck’s own slightly sandy shell texture.Leddy sent me... Continue reading…

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…