The "RAMpocalypse" of 2026 needs no introduction. A quick scroll through hardware news reveals the desperate ways consumers are coping. From users salvaging laptop modules to create DIY kits, to the rise of RAM theft—the story of consumer memory is now equal parts ingenuity and equal parts desperation. Upgrade plans have been shattered, data centers have hoarded every available gigabyte, and retail prices have skyrocketed by over 150%.

Moving from one workspace to another can be a massive chore. There are all the new features you need to get accustomed to, the brand new workflow you need to adjust to, and worst of all, a schism between all the information you had stored on the old service versus the new data you're getting in the new one. You have to go back and forth for the first few weeks just to make sure everything has been carried over to its new home.

When I first upgraded to my RX 9070 XT last year, I wasn't necessarily underwhelmed by the performance uplift, but I did want just a little bit more from my card. Coming from an RTX 3080, I saw a pretty significant increase, but once I applied an undervolt to my new card, it finally felt like a true generational leap. Temperatures were lower, frametimes were more consistent, and everything was pretty much just as stable as it was before.

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on dystopian developments in AI, follow Hayden Field. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it started You could say it all started with Elon Musk's AI FOMO - and his crusade against "wokeness." When his AI company, xAI, announced Grok in November 2023, it was described as a chatbot with "a rebellious streak" and the ability to "answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems." The chatbot debuted after a few months of development and just two months of training …Read the full story at The Verge.

I know, I know. You read the title, likely rolled your eyes, and have already formed an opinion. Fair enough. I probably would’ve done the same if I were you. Just know I didn’t see it coming either, and I’m still processing it too. It’s 2026, the economy is clearly struggling right now, and everything already costs more than it should.

As much as I love using Linux over Windows, I will admit that you do have to make a few sacrifices when making the switch over to the world of FOSS. For instance, some apps don't have a Linux version, neither official nor a third-party workaround, and you have to find an alternate app that does something similar, albeit not perfectly.

It's no secret that ESP32 devices, an e-ink display, and a weather API make for a perfect pairing. In fact, we've covered ESP32 weather forecasting setpieces plenty of times in the past. But what if you wanted something more than just a simple temperature measurement and a general weather forecast? What if you want something a lot cuter instead?

I love 3D printing and the possibilities it affords, both for interesting in-place gadgets that would be difficult to manufacture any other way and for practical improvements to my home and workspace. I've got four 3D printers right now, but that's just the ones I kept after passing older models to friends. I've got them set up on a standing desk because that makes it easier to get things to the correct height for maintenance, but it left me with a tricky situation: keeping the chaos of tools and other tech on my desk in check. The problem was also the solution in this case, and after a lot of trial and error with various organizational systems, I've found the ones that work best for me.

Sony’s terrific Bravia 8 II is $900 off for a limited time. Good deals are often hard to come by at the beginning of the year — which is precisely what makes Best Buy’s Winter Sale worth checking out. The ongoing sales event features discounts on everything from big-ticket OLED TVs to smaller electronics, including fitness trackers that can help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. There are also solid deals to be had on laptops, Bose headphones, and other Verge-approved pieces of tech, many of which are matching their best prices to date.The sale ends on January 19th, meaning you have the rest of the weekend to shop. Below, we’ve rounded up the deals — both big and small — that are genuinely worth your attention.LG B5 OLED TVWhere to Buy: $2999.99 $1499.99 at Best Buy (77-inch)If you’re after a big-screen OLED, LG’s entry-level B5 Series TV remains one of the most affordable options available. And right now, it’s an even better value at Best Buy, where it has fallen to a new low of $1,499.99 ($1,500 off) in the larger 77-inch configuration.Although it’s considered one of LG’s budget TVs and doesn’t get as bright as its pricier siblings, the B4 still delivers impressive image quality. You get rich colors, deep blacks, and great viewing angles, along with support for Dolby Vision. It supports Dolby Atmos, too, along with a solid set of gaming specs, including a 120Hz panel with a variable refresh rate, support for AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, and four HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting the latest consoles. It runs on LG’s webOS platform as well, which lets you take advantage of Amazon Alexa and provides easy access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, HBO Max, and more.Sony Bravia 8 II OLED TVWhere to Buy: $3299.99 $2398 at Amazon (65-inch) $3299.99 $2399.99 at Best Buy (65-inch) $3299.99 $2399.99 at Sony (65-inch)Sony’s Bravia 8 II is also worth a look if you’re okay with splurging on a high-end TV. Named “King of TV” at the Value Electronics’ 2025 TV Shootout, Sony’s Bravia 8 II delivers one of the closest theater-level experiences you can get at home. And right now, you can buy the 65-inch panel for around $2,399.99 ($900 off) from Best Buy, Amazon, and directly from Sony, which is one of its better prices to date.John Higgins, The Verge’s new(ish) TV reviewer, said that if he had to buy a TV today, this is the one he’d choose. It delivers deep blacks, excellent shadow detail, and some of the best image processing and upscaling we’ve seen, making lower-quality 1080p content look noticeably cleaner than on rivals. The Bravia 8 II also runs Google TV, which feels more intuitive and less cluttered than LG’s webOS, and features a 120Hz panel with two HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K gaming at 120Hz, plus two HDMI 2.0 ports capped at 4K / 60Hz. It doesn’t support Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync Premium, but for watching movies and TV shows, it’s one of the best OLEDs you can buy.  Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review.Bose QuietComfort Ultra HeadphonesBose’s first-gen flagships are a replacement for the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 that offer a more travel-friendly design, spatial audio, better call quality, excellent comfort, and some of the best noise cancellation around.Where to Buy: $429 $279 at Best Buy $429 $279 at BoseIf you’re looking for an excellent pair of noise-canceling headphones that are easy to take on the go, Bose’s first-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are on sale in select colors for $279 ($150 off) at Best Buy, matching their all-time low. Bose is also offering the over-ear headphones at that price, though, again, only in select colors.The original QC Ultra remain our favorite pair for travel, thanks to a foldable design that makes them easy to pack, a lightweight and comfortable fit, and battery life that lasts up to 24 hours. They also deliver top-tier ANC and pleasing sound, with an Immersive Audio feature that isn’t always consistent but works well when it does. Plus, you get a natural-sounding transparency mode for when you want to let outside sound in. If you’re fine skipping newer upgrades found in the second-gen model, such as support for lossless audio over USB, the first-gen pair are a great value — especially since they’re currently about $100 cheaper.Read our full QC Ultra Headphones review.Amazfit Active 2The Amazfit Active 2 delivers outsized value for the price. It looks spiffy and has a wide array of health tracking features, plus built-in GPS and AI chatbots to provide extra context to your data. Read our review.Where to Buy: $99.99 $84.99 at Amazon $99.99 $84.99 at Best Buy $99.99 $84.99 at TargetIf you’re looking for a great all-around fitness tracker, the Amazfit Active 2 is still available for $84.99 ($15 off) at Best Buy, Amazon, and Target, which is just $5 shy of its lowest price to date. The Active 2, which is currently our favorite fitness tracker, delivers far more than you’d expect at this price. It features a comfortable design with a chic stainless steel case and a bright, tempered-glass OLED display, along with up to nine days of battery life. It covers all the basics and then some, too, allowing you to leverage more premium features like menstrual cycle tracking, abnormal heart rate notifications, continuous heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, and detailed sleep tracking. You also get support for more than 160 sport types, including a strength training mode that counts reps for you, as well as offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation.Read our full Amazfit Active 2 review.Bose SoundLink Micro Portable Speaker (2nd Gen)Where to Buy: $129 $99 at Amazon $129 $99 at Walmart $129 $99 at BoseSpeaking of Bose, Best Buy is also currently selling the latest Bose SoundLink Micro for a new low of $99 ($30 off), with retailers like Amazon and Walmart matching said price.Bose’s pocketable Bluetooth speaker delivers solid sound for its size and even lets you adjust EQ through a companion app, unlike the first-gen model. It also offers up to 12 hours of battery life, recharges quickly via USB-C, and is surprisingly rugged thanks to an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. A built-in strap lets you easily attach it to a bag or bike, too, and if you already own a compatible Bose speaker or soundbar, you can pair the two together — or link a second-gen SoundLink Micro for stereo sound.A few more ways to saveYou can buy Apple’s latest MagSafe Charger for $29.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy, which matches its lowest price to date. The 2-meter, magnetic charging puck can provide up to 25W of power when paired with a 30W USB-C adapter, assuming you have a compatible phone like the iPhone 17 or 17 Pro. It can also deliver the same wireless speeds to non-Apple phones that support the newer Q2.2 standard, like Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL.Best Buy is selling the Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus in blue for $149.95, which is $10 shy of their lowest price to date. The wireless earbuds are nearly identical to the Shokz OpenFit 2 — they feature the same open-ear design, onboard controls, and dedicated bass speakers — only they add wireless charging and support for Dolby Audio.Samsung’s 128GB Galaxy S25 FE is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung for around $448.99 ($200 off), which is a new low price. The budget-friendly Android phone is nearly as slim as the Galaxy S25 Plus and carries the same IP68 rating for water and dust resistance; however, its triple rear camera setup isn’t as impressive as what you’ll find on Samsung’s higher-end models, even if it is decent. That said, you do get support for wireless charging and a large, 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate.Amazon and Best Buy are selling the latest 13-inch MacBook Air for $799.99 ($200 off), which is $50 shy of its best price to date. Apple’s entry-level Air is our top pick for most people, one outfitted with a speedy M4 chip that makes it well-suited for a host of everyday tasks. It’s better for multitasking than prior models, too, as it lets you connect two external displays with the lid open. It also features a 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam with a wider view, while continuing to deliver all-day battery life. Read our review.You can pick up the Polaroid Flip, our favorite retro instant camera, for $199.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy, which is one of its better prices to date. The instant camera delivers a nostalgic, old-school shooting experience, producing dreamy, vintage-style photos that are sharper and more consistently in focus than what you’ll get from other similarly priced Polaroid cameras. It also offers a few modern touches, including Bluetooth, USB-C charging, and a companion app that lets you tweak settings like exposure.

I never thought an AI tool would help me understand my own week better, but this setup felt like having a personal editor. NotebookLM, Google's experimental AI note-taking tool, isn't marketed as a newsletter generator, but that's exactly what I've turned it into.

Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of Coinbase Global Inc., speaks to members of the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. | Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images. January was going to be a landmark month for the crypto industry. The Senate would start negotiating the finer details of the CLARITY Act, a major law that would finally enshrine the fundamental structure of how the crypto market could legally operate in the United States: what digital assets counted as a security versus a commodity, what regulatory responsibilities companies had to abide by, what legal protections consumers could have. The House had already passed their version months ago. The White House was ready to sign it. Democrats and Republicans seemed to agree on the bill's fundamentals. And crypto, which had spent decades navigat …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Kaoss Pad has seen many different iterations, but the mainline effect unit and sampler hasn't received an update since the launch of the KP3+ in 2013. Korg has finally given it the attention it deserves with the release of the Kaoss Pad V. Rather than a dramatic reimagining of what a Kaoss Pad is, the V takes the core idea - an effect unit with an X / Y pad for controlling parameters in a natural, performance-focused way.The big innovation on the Kaoss Pad V is that it can recognize two fingers simultaneously to control two distinct sets of parameters, or even two entirely different effects. It also has a dedicated voice effects engine …Read the full story at The Verge.