Uber is still trying to chip away at the perception that its ridehailing service is too expensive by launching a new feature aimed at helping customers save money on frequently traveled routes. Today, the company is launching prepaid passes, in which customers can pay a discounted price in advance on frequently taken trips. Passes will be offered in bundles of 5, 10, 15, or 20 rides, with the bigger bundle earning the bigger discount. Discounts range from 5-20 percent off the average cost of the ride, depending on the number of prepaid passes that are being purchased in advance. Uber will market the passes to customers by comparing the single ride fare to a discounted fare when purchased in bulk. For example, a ride from Lower Manhattan to Midtown might cost around $19, but Uber will note that it can be as high as $30 with surge pricing. Customers who purchase passes in bulk won’t have to pay the inflated price, Uber says. When buying prepaid basses, customers select a 1-hour request window in which they typically hail a ride. Uber will then display a countdown so customers know how many passes they have left. Uber is kicking things off by launching the new feature in 75 cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay. Uber is also expanding its new price-lock feature, in which a customer can lock in a certain price for up to 10 routes for a monthly fee of $2.99. If the upfront price is lower than the locked-in price, customers will get that lower price. Kansal says the feature is for customers who use Uber frequently to make the same trip and would like some predictability in what they pay. After offering it in a few select cities, Uber is now making it available in every major US city, as well as in Brazil. Taken together, prepaid passes and price locks are aimed at encouraging loyalty and more frequent trips with certain customers. If you’re the type of person who would consider using Uber more than twice a week for a commute, then Uber wants to draw you further into its ecosystem by throwing discounts and other incentives at you. The company has a few more announcements today, including ride passes for teen accounts, and Meal Deals, in which Uber Eats is offering bulk orders of popular meals from restaurants for $15 or less. The price is kept low by incentivizing restaurants to prepare these meals in batches — but expect longer delivery times when using.

Though a new AI tool seems to launch almost every day, the truth is most of them aren’t all that impressive. I’ve been testing as many as I can, both for work and in my personal life, and only one has really stood out: NotebookLM. I probably open it more often than any other app, and it’s become an essential part of my workflow. It’s packed with genuinely useful features that I could rave about all day.

Microsoft is starting to test experimental AI-powered features through a new Windows AI Labs program. Some Windows testers spotted references to the Windows AI Labs program in pre-release updates to Microsoft Paint last week, and Microsoft has now confirmed to The Verge that the program is designed to provide early access to new AI features across Windows.“The Windows AI Lab is a pilot acceleration program for validating novel AI feature ideas in Windows,” says Mike Harsh, partner director of product management at Microsoft, in a statement to The Verge. “The program focuses on rapid customer feedback on feature usability, customer interest, and market fit.“While the prompt to access Windows AI Labs features has appeared in some versions of Paint, it’s not yet clear what Paint features Microsoft plans to test initially. Microsoft has been adding Photoshop-like features to Paint recently, including transparency, layers, and even .paint project files. I wouldn’t be surprised to see AI tools inside Paint that are similar to some of the work Adobe is doing in Photoshop.Microsoft has also been updating a variety of Windows apps with AI-powered features, including free AI features for Notepad, image generation capabilities in Paint, and AI actions in File Explorer.

Wallpaper Engine is my favorite program when it comes to enhancing the look of my desktop. I have over 1,800 hours of usage on it, according to Steam, and I'm still in awe of how much value I'm getting out of it for a one-time fee of $4. After I got my first OLED monitor this month, I wanted some new wallpapers that would look especially cool on an OLED display. If you're in the same boat, the following wallpapers should be enough to get you started.

Borderlands 4 may have been a highly anticipated game release for 2025, but the launch has been anything but smooth. Many people picked up the game on PC and consoles, hoping to dive into another crazy misadventure, this time taking place on the planet Kairos. But not everybody has been able to play the game without something unusual or buggy happening in it. What was supposed to be a great new release to kick off the fourth quarter of the year ended up becoming a hot debate about new game launches and quality.

A screenshot of Palworld: Palfarm. Palworld won’t hit 1.0 until next year, but developer Pocketpair is already announcing a farming spinoff: Palworld: Palfarm.Basically, it sounds like the Palworld version of farming simulator games like Stardew Valley. “Each Pal will lend a hand in farm work by making use of their unique abilities,” Pocketpair says in a press release. “From sowing seeds and watering to harvesting, Pals make for reliable partners. Deepen your relationships with the island residents and Pals through daily conversation and gift-giving, and you may discover unexpected, special stories unfolding.” You’ll also have to defend your farm from “some nasty Pals that come to wreak havoc.” Palfarm will support multiplayer so you can play with your friends, too. Pocketpair hasn’t provided a release date or saying what platforms the game will come to yet. But Palfarm continues Pocketpair’s efforts to branch out from the main Palworld game, which include a Palworld dating simulator and an indie publishing label.

Hideo Kojima first announced he was teaming up with Xbox for a new game in 2022, before a teaser revealed the OD name and some cast last year. We’re now getting a better look at exactly what OD is, in a new three-minute teaser trailer that holds true to Kojima’s promise that the game will be unique and immersive.The trailer begins with Sophia Lillis’ character opening a red door, and then lighting candles — some of which look like Death Stranding babies. With rain pouring down outside and mysterious knocking sounds, it’s clear OD will very much lean into horror for its gameplay as Lillis’ character shakes in fear.The trailer also shows off some of the early Unreal Engine work that Kojima Productions is undertaking for OD, alongside Microsoft’s assistance. Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed on stage at Kojima Productions’ 10th Anniversary livestream that development of the game is “well underway,” and that Microsoft is helping with the visuals and technical work.“OD is bold, it’s unique, and it’s unmistakably from this studio,“ says Spencer. ”We’re deeply supporting the production, it’s our technical work on Unreal that we’re doing with the team, both with the flashy [elements] you see on the screen, but also a lot of the behind the scenes work.”OD is billed as something of a cross between a game and a movie, with a promise of exploring concepts that test “your fear threshold.” Unreal Engine will drive the experience of OD, instead of the Sony-owned Decima engine that powers both Death Stranding titles. Kojima had high praise for Unreal Engine at the 10th anniversary event, saying “the technology is one step higher than Death Stranding 2.”While we know Jordan Peele is somehow involved in OD, Kojima did note today that the filmmaker is working on another part of the overall OD experience. That might be why the game is subtitled OD Knock, to differentiate it from whatever Peele is working on.We still don’t know exactly when OD will arrive, despite promises that development is well underway. “Kojima is innovating in gameplay, story, and player engagement,” says Spencer. “We’re collaborating closely, and we’re very excited for what’s next.”

Undervolting versus overclocking might sound like two sides of the same coin, but the benefits they bring are very different. While overclocking chases raw speed at the cost of heat and power draw, undervolting prioritizes efficiency and stability. For most users, that trade-off makes undervolting the far more practical choice, and here are six reasons why.

Raspberry Pi Picos are one of the best ways to bring old handheld consoles back to life. Not only are they small enough to fit nicely within a portable enclosure, but they're powerful enough to emulate retro games. As such, it's not uncommon to see a Pico or two pop up in retro projects.

Depending on where you live, power outages can be a serious problem. However, I think we can all agree that when it happens, it's not a pleasant experience. They happen at the worst times, and there's always the possibility that some of your gear can get damaged. Of course, there's no way to know when you're going to have issues with power, which is why having some protection is the best way to go.

Tado’s Auto Assist gets an AI update. Smart thermostat company Tado is launching new AI-powered features that aim to help users heat their homes more efficiently. Tado says the AI Assist update builds on the company’s existing Auto Assist options by introducing “advanced machine-learning” that “learns, predicts, and optimizes” heating in real time.AI Assist is available in Europe and the UK today for all Tado X owners at the same price as the company’s existing subscription (£29.99 a year or £3.99 per month). Existing Auto Assist subscribers will be upgraded automatically, though owners of older Tado hardware won’t get the extra AI. According to Tado’s press release, AI Assist includes:Adaptive Heating: Learns the unique heat-up and cool-down characteristics of each room with Tado AI. It fine-tunes the control of your Smart Radiator Thermostats to optimize comfort and energy efficiency.Preheat Before Arrival: Tado AI uses advanced machine learning to predict when you’ll return home and preheats your home in time for your arrival.Energy IQ : Uses AI-powered insights that reveal exactly where and how you’re using energy, enabling smarter decisions and bigger savings.Holiday Mode: Lets you set your heating to match your time away, so you return to a comfortable home while avoiding unnecessary energy use.Features like Energy IQ and an Away Mode for vacations were already included as part of Tado’s existing Auto Assist service, so this update doesn’t sound like a giant technological leap forward. Other smart home companies like Nest have offered similar features without labelling them as “AI” innovations, so it’s unclear if Tado’s use of AI has substance, or is just a buzzword-heavy rebrand.

With Silksong proving itself to be a tougher cookie than some people took it for, what better way to wind down than by playing an equally difficult (if not harder) game? If you've been on a masochistic gaming spree, you'll likely want to check out FromSoftware's title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It keeps the same raw difficulty as the developer's infamous Dark Souls series, but with a brand new theme, and it's currently 50% off on Steam.