Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images On the heels of the Labor Day weekend, United Airlines briefly issued a nationwide ground stop order, citing a “systemwide technology issue.” The order was lifted around 10 minutes later. “We are experiencing a systemwide technology issue and are holding all aircraft at their departure airports. Flights that are already airborne are continuing to their destination as planned. We will share more information as it becomes available,” the airlines said in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank you for your patience as we work on a resolution to get you on your way as soon as possible.”United did not immediately provide any details about why it issued a ground stop and how it was able to lift it so quickly. We are experiencing a... Continue reading…

Larian Studios The companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 have redefined the term “player-sexual,” or the idea that a character’s romantic and sexual orientation are firmly and solely fixed on the player. Usually, in a game that allows you to romance other characters, it takes a moment for the sparks to really start flying. There’s a general buildup of flirtations before you get to have a romantic interlude with your chosen somewhere around a game’s climax. (See what I did there?) In Baldur’s Gate 3, there is so little time between the initial “I like you” and visiting Boning’s Gate that a whole speedrun category has been developed around getting to a sex scene as quickly as possible, with the world record currently sitting at two minutes and four seconds.... Continue reading…

Photo illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge From simple fitness bands to rugged sports watches to rings, these are the best trackers you can get. Continue reading…

Samsung's foldable phone lineup has come a long way from the original ones that were released a few years ago. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 both represent the best of what the company has to offer right now in the foldable phone space, and they are — in many ways — superior to their peers in the same segment. They have drastically different designs, but their differences go beyond just their folding mechanisms.

A lot of smartphone users don't typically give much thought to the many software releases rolled out to their devices. Some prefer to set their iPhones to automatically update, so they don't have to worry about doing it manually, while others prefer to just keep the same software version their device shipped with. A select few pick and choose when to update. Regardless of how you prefer to update your device, you may have noticed a new type of software release called a Rapid Security Response. But what does this really mean, and how does it compare to the other types of software releases seeded out to great iPhones?

That’s Android with a capital A, sir. | Image: Google Google is releasing a grab bag of updates to its mobile apps and services, including an At a Glance Google Assistant widget, enhancements to its Lookout visual accessibility app, and Zoom calls in Android Auto. This comes with a side of branding updates designed to remind us that Android is fun but also a serious Google product. It all arrives as we anticipate Android 14’s imminent release, which is a slightly less exciting milestone when you realize that most new Android features come throughout the year in updates like this rather than in one big OS platform upgrade. Image: Google At a Glance surfaces useful things like current weather updates and travel info. The new At a Glance widget takes a useful Pixel... Continue reading…

Image by Alex Castro / The Verge Reddit’s moderator purge could have real impacts on reliability and information safety as it rushes to replace mods with inexperienced, poorly vetted volunteers, according to Ars Technica. With testimony by both expelled former moderators and some of those who replaced them, Ars Technica’s report shows the trouble with the company’s push to quickly replace the mods who sent their subreddits dark, marked them NSFW, or turned them into jokey John Oliver fan forums earlier this year.Reddit began removing protesting moderators in June and said it would continue doing so until morale improves unless subreddits opened back up. Since then, Reddit has been trying to replace those it’s expelled. The Ars Technica piece lists several examples... Continue reading…

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The best from Apple, Bose, Samsung, Sony, Beats, Google, and more Continue reading…

Android 14 is just on the horizon, but Android's own Quarterly Feature Drops are still chugging along. This quarter's feature drop brings plenty of useful new features to all Android users and should come to all supported devices in the coming weeks and months. Note that an Android Feature Drop is not the same as a Pixel Feature Drop, where Pixel-related drops are only for Google's own Pixel phones.

Clive, much like this deal, is on fire. | Image: Square Enix With so many major game releases happening this year — and even this week — you could almost forget that a new mainline Final Fantasy dropped just a couple of months back. Well now, it’s already on a sizable sale. Final Fantasy XVI is selling for $49.99 ($20 off) at both Amazon and Best Buy, its lowest price yet.Final Fantasy XVI is the most gritty and blood-soaked installment of the series to date, taking a chapter or three from George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones when it comes to sex and political intrigue. It may be rote to describe it as “this ain’t your daddy’s Final Fantasy,” but once you hear main protagonist Clive drop some f-bombs, it will be clear. The game also brings some interesting new twists on series mainstays, like... Continue reading…

Headphones offer a unique experience that gives you the power to immerse yourself in music, movies, or games, while blocking out the rest of the world. This experience is amplified with headphones that offer robust sound and powerful ANC capabilities like the Philips Fidelio L3 headphones.

Bluetooth trackers come in all shapes and sizes. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge For those of us who can’t ever seem to know where our keys, wallets, and remote controls have disappeared to. Continue reading…