technology

Gift Guide A selection of great tech and non-tech gifts aimed at the tinkerer, the creative, and the kid in all of us. The holidays can be, without a doubt, one of the most stressful times of the year. People can be picky when it comes to gifts, wishlists can grow long, and time has a way of slipping between our fingers before we even notice the sudden lack of eggnog on store shelves. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. We at The Verge believe that gift-giving shouldn’t be all that tough — that is, so long as you have the right cheat sheet. That’s why our ace team of writers and editors has compiled a treasure trove of clever gift ideas spanning multiple price points and personal tastes, from budget-friendly tabletop games and streaming devices to luxury laptops you can easily upgrade....

/ During The Game Awards, Geoff Keighley failed to acknowledge the prolific and devastating layoffs that have rocked the industry. By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku. Share this story Photo by JC Olivera / Getty Images At this point, you cannot talk about how amazing 2023 has been for the quality of games released this year without also mentioning how it’s been utterly disastrous for the people who made them. But that’s exactly what Geoff Keighley did during this year’s Game Awards. The numbers vary, but estimates say anywhere between six and seven thousand workers have lost their jobs just this year. No level of studio size or success has been spared. And those who have been let...

/ The newly-crowned Game of the Year is finally available for Xbox players. By Jay Peters, a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium. Share this story If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image: Larian Studios Baldur’s Gate 3, which just won Game of the Year at the 2023 Game Awards, is now available to purchase on Xbox Series X and S. You can buy it now for $69.99. The Xbox version of the game has been in the works for a little while. A few weeks after the hugely-successful PC launch of the game in August — and just before the release of the PS5 version — Larian Studios announced that it would be bringing Baldur’s Gate 3 t...

/ A new trial in three cities gives Prime members the option to pay once for unlimited Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods deliveries. By Amrita Khalid, one of the authors of audio industry newsletter Hot Pod. Khalid has covered tech, surveillance policy, consumer gadgets, and online communities for more than a decade. Share this story Amazon has announced it’s testing a subscription model for unlimited grocery delivery for Prime members. For an additional monthly charge of $9.99, Prime members in three cities can get unlimited delivery on Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods orders over $35. Those who opt-in will also receive unlimited 30-minute pick-up on orders of any size.  It’s the latest in a series of changes that Amazon has made to a division that competes with the likes of Walmart, Postmates, In...

/ The company’s demo video, featuring a spoken conversation with Gemini as it identified drawings in real-time, was edited and did not involve an actual spoken prompt. By Emilia David, a reporter who covers AI. Prior to joining The Verge, she covered the intersection between technology, finance, and the economy. Share this story If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image: Google Google just announced Gemini, its most powerful suite of AI models yet, and the company has already been accused of lying about its performance.  An op-ed from Bloomberg claims Google misrepresented the power of Gemini in a recent video. Google aired an impressive “what the quack” hands-on video during its announcement earlier this week, and columnist Pa...

/ With Smart Lists and a For You feed, Mammoth is trying to help you find all the good stuff in the fediverse. By David Pierce, editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. Share this story The new Mammoth app is all about getting into Mastodon quicker.Image: Mammoth One of the best things about Mastodon is the sheer number of apps available for it. The official Mastodon app is fine, but there’s also Ivory, Mona, Fedilab, Ice Cubes, Elk, Mastoot, and many others. This openness is part of the whole appeal of the ActivityPub-powered social networking ecosystem, and it has already led to some solid new ideas. (I’ve personally been a very happy Ivory user for a while now.) Mammoth won...

Buying Guide Garmin may be best known for its hardcore fitness watches, but it’s got an extensive line of lifestyle offerings, too. By Victoria Song, a senior reporter focusing on wearables, health tech, and more with 11 years of experience. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine. Few brands are as synonymous with outdoor sports as Garmin. You’ll find these fitness trackers and smartwatches on dozens of wrists at any 5K, marathon, or Ironman. You’ll also find Garmin devotees among divers, thru-hikers, golfers, kiteboarders — you name it. But these devices aren’t just for athletes. The company’s made significant strides in its lifestyle offerings, so regardless of your fitness level, there’s a Garmin for everyone. If you’re coming from a more traditional smartwat...

/ Years after Mark Zuckerberg said encrypted chats were coming to Messenger, it’s finally being enabled by default. By Jay Peters, a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium. Share this story Illustration: Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats and calls on Messenger, finally fulfilling a promise that’s been in the works for quite awhile. When end-to-end encryption is on, only you and the person you send a message to in Messenger can see its contents, the company claims. Encrypted chats were first introduced as an opt-in feature in Messenger in 2016, but after a long windup, end-to-end encrypted messages and calls for conversations betw...

/ The former global head of security for Twitter claims in a lawsuit that the company fired him for protesting cost-cutting measures that could keep it from complying with the law. By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Share this story Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Alan Rosa, former head of security for Twitter, filed a lawsuit against X, Elon Musk, and company adviser Steve Davis, alleging that he was wrongly fired for protesting Musk-led cost-cutting measures. Lawyers for Rosa wrote in the complaint that the cuts hampered Twitter’s ability to comply with the regulatory demands of the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission. The lawsuit ...

/ In a new teaser, Max confirmed the second chapter of the critically acclaimed show will arrive in 2025 along with the next seasons of Euphoria and The White Lotus. By Sheena Vasani, a writer covering commerce, e-readers, and tech news. She previously wrote about everything from web development to AI at Inside. Share this story If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Image: HBO The second season of HBO’s The Last of Us will debut in 2025. A new teaser dropped by Max confirmed the date and also offered a glimpse into its 2024 lineup. The news comes after showrunner Craig Mazin revealed production will start on February 12th, 2024, which is later than originally planned because of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. ...

/ The fast food company says it will be applying generative AI to its operations starting in 2024. By Allison Johnson, a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. Share this story Big Mac meets machine learning.Illustration: The Verge McDonald’s is partnering with Google to deploy generative AI beginningin 2024, when “thousands” of stores will get hardware and software upgrades. Along with updates to other systems including ordering kiosks and the company’s mobile app, McDonald’s will be able to use generative AI on massive amounts of data to optimize operations. At least one outcomewill be — according to the company — “hotter, fresher food” for customers. Large orders ...

/ Squid Game fans will once again act out the bizarre fictional TV series in the toned-down reality show version’s second season. By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Share this story If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Squid Game: The Challenge gets a second season.Image: Netflix In the least surprising move ever, Netflix has greenlit its popular Squid Game: The Challenge for a second season and is recruiting contestants right now. The company also mentioned it’s making a video game “in the Squid Game universe” — missing an opportunity to coin the term “Squidiverse.” Actually, I’m sorry I just typed that. Netflix ...