A little over five years ago, I bought a SATA SSD that, for one reason or the other, spent a frankly embarrassing amount of time doing absolutely nothing. It was unboxed and sitting in a drawer for years. Eventually, I found it again, wired it into my PC, and gave it a purpose, which I should've done long ago.

Microsoft is announcing some major changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming today, less than a year after opening up cloud gaming to its Xbox Game Pass Premium and Essential tiers. While all Game Pass plans have included unlimited cloud gaming over the past year, from November this will be limited to just 15 hours on Ultimate, 10 hours for Premium subscribers, and a measly 5 hours for Game Pass Essential."We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud," says the Xbox team in a blog post announcing the changes. "We expect this upcoming change to impact four pe …Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft says it will let anyone access Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, without the need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. The change to a pay-as-you-go model is part of some sweeping changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming today, and is designed for people who don't use cloud access enough to warrant a monthly subscription."Players will be able to purchase cloud playtime hours through the Xbox Store and stream eligible games they own on supported devices," says the Xbox team. "This will provide another option for people who want occasional access to cloud gaming or do not want a recurring Game Pass subscription."This pay-as-you-go model comes alongs …Read the full story at The Verge.

For most people looking beyond ChatGPT, Claude usually feels like the obvious choice. Anthropic has nailed the fundamentals, and it easily gives OpenAI a run for its money.

Circular announced its new Ring 3 Series today as a follow-up to the Ring 2 that debuted at CES 2025 with upgraded sensors and FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation detection. The new Ring 3 collection consists of both a Pro model that carries forward those same health-tracking features, and a smaller Slim option that offers more limited stats tracking. But both versions of the new Ring 3 feature vibrating alerts for alarms, medication reminders, and guided breathing exercises, and an integrated NFC chip for making contactless payments without having to reach for your phone or wallet.The Ring 3 Pro has a slimmer design than its predecessor and …Read the full story at The Verge.

Cast your mind back a decade or so, and smartphone makers were obsessed with shrinking the bezel on phones. Screens got bigger, the black bars around them got smaller, and for a while it looked like truly edge-to-edge displays were imminent. Then, progress just stopped. The bezel shrunk down until it was a millimeter or so on every side, on just about every phone, and phone manufacturers seemed to agree as one that this was probably far enough. Tecno, a budget brand in the same family as Itel and Infinix, has stepped up to see if it could push things just a little further. Its new device, the Bezelless, is strictly a concept phone, never …Read the full story at The Verge.

TikTok backed out of a congressional committee's "public roundtable" set for this month over concerns it would be asked about child safety practices, the chair of the committee said.After negotiating "in good faith" to bring TikTok's chief security officer before the House Select Committee on China to answer questions about Chinese government access to Americans' data and the TikTok algorithm, Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) said in a statement Thursday that the company reversed course. "Now, TikTok is refusing to appear citing its own desire to avoid broader scrutiny of its child safety practices," Moolenaar wrote. TikTok did not immediately …Read the full story at The Verge.

OpenAI's next big model is here: GPT-6 Astra. The company calls it a "generational leap in capability" for areas like cybersecurity, professional work, software engineering, science, and computer use. As OpenAI announced earlier this week, it's also the first model designated as meeting OpenAI's "critical cybersecurity capability threshold" - but the company promises that won't lead to a repeat of its models hacking a rival company's internal systems."If we fast-forward a couple of years, and we look back and say, 'When was it, really, that AGI was created?' I think it's going to be about this time, and I think it might be about this model …Read the full story at The Verge.

Managing dedicated apps for to-do lists, project tracking, quick scribbles, and daily planning sounds great on paper until you spend more time context-switching than actually getting work done. After hitting productivity burnout with single-purpose tools, I simplified my workflow with my preferred app: OneNote.

Mammotion’s Luba 4 AWD can clean up the sides of your driveway and flower beds with its edger attachement. | Image: Mammotion Anker's new robot lawnmower might take over for your weed whacker, too. Announced at IFA 2026, the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower S2 Max comes with an extendable trimming arm to clean up the grass around your driveway and flowerbeds.The dual-blade mower offers vSLAM navigation that uses built-in cameras to build a 3D map of your yard, eliminating the need to set up boundary wires or a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) base station. Anker says the Mower S2 Max can map and mow up to 3.7 acres, while handling yards with up to 80 percent (38-degree) slopes. The robot mower is AWD and will launch in May 2027 for €3,999. There's no word on US pricing or availabi …Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung’s Q990F is a full home audio system in a single box. | Image: The Verge Researching, buying, then finally assembling a sound system for your TV is daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you want one of the best kits you can get at a rare discount, Best Buy and Amazon are selling the Samsung Q990F Soundbar for $999.99. It normally retails between $1,300 and $1,600. This bundle includes a 48.5-inch, 11.1.4-channel soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers with their own power cords. That’s a solid deal on an Atmos-ready soundbar with a rich set of features.Samsung Q990F Soundbar SystemIf you want to bring your home theater to the next level, the Samsung Q990F is the answer. The Q990 series has been at the top of best lists for years, and for good reason. It delivers an excellent Atmos experience with clear dialogue and booming bass to fully immerse you in whatever you’re watching.Where to Buy: $1997.99 $999.99 at Amazon $1999.99 $999.99 at Best BuyYou can also use the Q990F as a speaker system for listening to music, and it communicates with smart home systems like Google Home and Alexa, as well as AirPlay 2 and Google Cast. The system supports Dolby Atmos for spatial audio, with upward- and side-firing drivers in both the soundbar and the rear speakers to elevate the experience. There’s also a clear dialogue mode to help voices stand out, and a game mode for deeper, more immersive audio with your console hooked up.Other deals to considerThe Ring Wired Doorbell 2K is discounted to $49.99 at both Best Buy and Amazon, $30 lower than the usual price. This video doorbell features a wide-angle lens with a 140-degree field of view, up to 6x digital zoom, and two-way communication for chatting with visitors. The doorbell works in any home with wiring for a doorbell, though it works better in homes that use Amazon Alexa for their smart home management.Amazon and Best Buy have the Sonos Sub 4 marked down to $759 for Labor Day, $140 lower than the typical price. This beefy subwoofer connects to Sonos soundbars like the Arc Ultra, Arc, Beam, and the upcoming Beam Ultra to give them an extra punch during heavy action sequences, as well as to speakers like the Sonos Five, Era 300, or Era 100 to add a lot more low-end presence to your favorite content.Switch 2 owners can grab the Dbrand Killswitch 2 Travel Kit for $71.99 at Best Buy, which is $8 lower than the current cost available directly from the brand. The Killswitch 2 is our favorite case for handheld and docked play, and the case I personally use to protect my console. In addition to the grips, shell and dock adapter, this combo includes the front cover, which hooks around the case to protect the screen during travel, with room for up to 10 cartridges.

Strahd returned earlier this year in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. | Image: Wizards of the Coast A Ravenloft series is currently in development from executive producer Alfonso Cuarón, writer and executive producer John August, and Hasbro Entertainment, Deadline reports. It could bring to life one of Dungeons & Dragons' most iconic campaign settings, which got an update earlier this year with Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. Netflix's Ravenloft series will reportedly center on the infamous Strahd, according to Deadline: At its heart, the series follows the making of the vampire Darklord Strahd von Zarovich, whose story of power, love, obsession, and undead transformation charts his origins from tragic antihero to one of Dungeons & Dra …Read the full story at The Verge.