Smart homes get messy for one simple reason: we keep adding more software as the setup grows. But in my case, I don’t need dozens of containers running just to feel organized. Instead, I rely on three that cover what I actually care about: controlling the house, documenting how everything works, and tracking every device I own.

The XM4C (in white) have the exact same visual design as the XM4 (in black) from 2020. | Photo: John Higgins / The Verge Six years ago Sony and Bose were in the middle of a noise-canceling battle, with each new model of headphones better than the last. In the fall of 2020, Sony released the WH-1000XM4 headphones to wide acclaim. They sat atop best headphones lists for years, thanks to their great sound, competitive ANC, and compact size, until they went out of stock. Now Sony has brought them back, with minor improvements, as the WH-1000XM4C.The XM4C look identical to the original XM4 (although they now have a lavender option), with the same hinge design and ability to fold up. It's a compact design that Sony moved away from when it released the XM5 in 2022, …Read the full story at The Verge.

My family enjoys watching content on TV or their phones. None of them care about resolution, bitrates, or which codec is quietly doing the work behind the scenes. That’s fair. All they care about is whether the movie or show loads. Since last year, my HP ProDesk 600 G6 mini PC has been running Jellyfin just fine for one person at a time.

Thanks to their ability to provide a smooth ride and quiet powertrain with ease, electric vehicles are a true shoo-in for the high-end luxury automotive segment. Rolls-Royce has the Spectre, Cadillac's Celestiq is taking bespoke to a whole new level, and Mercedes has given the EQS the full Maybach treatment. From Volkswagen Auto Group, Bentley is just about to debut its 2027 Torcal, a spacious SUV that shares a platform with the electrified Porsche Cayenne.I recently got a quick ride in a heavily camouflaged preproduction Torcal as a way to experience it before its official debut toward the end of this month. Between this brute's spacious …Read the full story at The Verge.

It's no secret that DLSS has come a long way in recent years. Not too long ago, enabling DLSS, even in Quality mode, could make the image look like someone smeared Vaseline across my screen. Ever since Nvidia released DLSS 4 last year, though, I have become way more comfortable using it because the upscaled image looks almost as good as native 4K. And earlier this year, Nvidia took things further with DLSS 4.5 by introducing two new presets for Performance and Ultra Performance modes.

Ever since Nvidia released DLSS 4.5 in early 2026, it has occupied the throne by being the most stable and impressive upscaler on the market. I've tested DLSS 4.5 on every RTX series card from the 20 series to the 40 series, with nothing but splendid results. However, DLSS 4.5 remained incomplete due to its lack of Ray Reconstruction implementation.

The River 260 Gen4 (on the table) powering a portable fridge, Starlink Mini, and charging a phone. | Image: EcoFlow If you're in the market for a tiny power station that punches well above its size and weight then have a look at EcoFlow's new fourth-generation River series. The River 260 Gen4 features a 256Wh capacity battery while the 520 Gen4 packs in 512Wh - storing about 2.5x and 5x the energy of the largest airline-approved power banks, respectively. Better yet, the batteries are built using longer-lasting LFP chemistry that's far less volatile. The River 260 Gen4 features four USB ports, and 300W of max continuous output delivered out its lone AC jack. The River 500 Gen4 features the same USB port selection but offers a pair of AC jacks good for 5 …Read the full story at The Verge.

Huawei has released its third trifold phone in China, and the company has clearly had half an eye on Samsung during development. Not only does the Mate XT 2 adopt the inward-folding form factor used on Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold, it's also the first foldable to include a privacy-enhancing display, much like the one Samsung added to the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year.The first Mate XT, which launched in China in late 2024 and internationally a few months later, used an accordion-esque folding design. It removed the need to include an additional cover screen on the phone, but left parts of the delicate folding display permanently exposed. The fo …Read the full story at The Verge.

Once you start making your own gadgets, it's quite hard to get back into store-bought stuff. Sure, it's far easier to buy a device than to make one, but if you really want something that fits your style, then DIY is the way to go. Such is the case of this unique ESP32 animated pixel clock, which delivers a special retro-gaming flair that regular products can't replicate.

I used to have a simple rule: if I needed a tool, I downloaded an app for it. My PC slowly filled up with software that I barely used, and I never really questioned the habit. I assumed desktop apps were always the better choice.

When Apple debuts the next generation of iPhones this week, they're likely to come with an unwanted change: a higher price tag. A price hike from the supply-chain powerhouse would be the clearest sign yet that soaring memory costs have become unavoidable - with no end to the memory crunch in sight.Call it "chipflation" or "RAMageddon." The shortage is reversing a decades-long decline in memory costs that helped make consumer electronics more powerful without making them dramatically more expensive. The terms "memory prices" and "memory shortage" appeared in 473 company transcripts last quarter, according to data provided by AlphaSense. The …Read the full story at The Verge.

As far as PC PlayStation 3 emulation goes, RPCS3 has quickly emerged as the best platform out there — sometimes, it feels like RPCS3 is announcing new features and updates almost daily. The latest in a string of new features is the ability to play PS3 games directly from physical discs through new "plug-and-play" functionality.