The lonely promise of cute robots
The lonely promise of cute robots

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here. Unboxing Mirumi is like traveling back in time. It’s […]

Apple’s sci-fi detective show Sugar is coming back in June
Apple’s sci-fi detective show Sugar is coming back in June

Apple TV continues to flesh out its streaming lineup for 2026, this time by announcing that Sugar will be back in the summer. The show’s second season will premiere on June 19th and run for eight episodes. Sugar first premiered in 2024. And while it’s a noir detective story at its core, thanks to a […]

Who’s afraid of the new TikTok?
Who’s afraid of the new TikTok?

The significant problems with the TikTok app last weekend were, according to the company, because of a technical issue stemming from a power outage at a “US data center partner.” Users could not upload new videos and view counts were all out of whack, with few answers or explanations. For TikTok, the timing was unfortunate. […]

I wear lots of technology for a living, ask me anything
I wear lots of technology for a living, ask me anything

Hello, friends. It’s time for another exclusive AMA for Verge subscribers, and this time, I’ll be your host. I cover everything from wearables to dystopian cursed tech like at-home urine labs and belligerent AI companions. At times, my job calls for flirting with Grok’s AI girlfriend for 24 hours or coercing weird AI video apps […]

Microsoft is experimenting with a top menu bar for Windows 11
Microsoft is experimenting with a top menu bar for Windows 11

Microsoft’s PowerToys team is contemplating building a top menu bar for Windows 11, much like Linux, macOS, or older versions of Windows. The menu bar, or Command Palette Dock as Microsoft calls it, would be a new optional UI that provides quick access to tools, monitoring of system resources, and much more. Microsoft has provided […]

One of the biggest manga piracy networks has been shut down
One of the biggest manga piracy networks has been shut down

Japan’s anti-piracy coalition says that one of the world’s largest manga piracy networks has been shut down following a coordinated investigation between Japanese publishers and Chinese authorities. The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) announced the arrest of an individual on suspicion of copyright infringement on November 19th, who “has admitted to operating” Bato.to and approximately […]

Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter
Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter

Apple says the iPhone had its “best-ever” quarter, with revenue hitting more than $85.3 billion over the past few months. The company announced the news as part of its Q1 2026 earnings report, which also revealed record-breaking revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent when compared to the same time last year. “The demand for […]

The weirdest headphones at CES will launch on Kickstarter next month
The weirdest headphones at CES will launch on Kickstarter next month

There’s never a shortage of weird tech debuting at CES every year. A new company called Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter, or TDM, announced a peculiar pair of headphones at the show earlier this month with a feature no one has tried before. The Neo headphones can be rolled up like a hedgehog, which turns them into […]

Elon Musk might merge SpaceX with Tesla or xAI
Elon Musk might merge SpaceX with Tesla or xAI

Elon Musk-led SpaceX may merge with another company helmed by Elon Musk. Reuters initially reported Thursday that SpaceX and xAI are “in discussions to merge” ahead of SpaceX’s IPO that’s planned for later this year. The merger would help with SpaceX’s plans to launch data centers into space, according to the publication. Later on Thursday, […]

Apple’s second biggest acquisition ever is an AI company that listens to ‘silent speech’
Apple’s second biggest acquisition ever is an AI company that listens to ‘silent speech’

Apple’s biggest acquisition ever is still its $3 billion Beats buy in 2014, but now the second biggest deal is bringing in Q.ai, a four-year-old AI audio startup. Apple did not disclose the terms, but Financial Times reports that Apple is spending $2 billion on the company. It also mentioned Q.ai patents for optical sensor […]