Handheld makers are throwing paint at the wall to see what sticks. They apparently can't compete with the Steam Deck on price, so they're trying giant handhelds, 3D handhelds, more familiar and comfortable handhelds, and premium handhelds with Switch-like detachable controllers that double as mice. Many now cost $1,000 or more. But boutique brand GPD […]

OpenAI and designer Jony Ive are trying to solve a number of technical challenges before releasing their mysterious AI gadget, according to a Financial Times report. Two of the challenges include figuring out the palm-sized device’s “personality” and how often it should talk. “The concept is that you should have a friend who’s a computer […]

For the last several years Netflix has been quietly banking episodes of a new show called Famous Last Words, interviews with famous people entering their twilight years. The catch is that episodes will only air after the subject passes away. The full list of interviewees is a closely guarded secret, but last week Netflix quietly […]

Rebrands rarely get much love. That backlash can be especially strong if you’re giving a facelift to a decades-old piece of software beloved by nerds around the globe. So, it was no surprise that when Audacity revealed its new logo people on the internet got a little worked up. And look, there’s no two ways […]

If the only thing Roland ever released was the TR-808, the company would still deserve a place in the music gear hall of fame. The 808 is arguably the most important instrument since the creation of the electric guitar. It's been a cornerstone of hip-hop, electronic, and pop music for 45 years now, used by […]

Editor’s note: Amazon’s fall Prime Day event kicks off on October 7th; however, if you want to shop ahead of the two-day sale, we’ve rounded up the best early Prime Day deals you can already get. If you choose to get an extra controller for your Nintendo Switch 2, you can spend a lot — […]

Life is a series of battles, and I just lost my last one against four gyoza on a skewer. It was an unexpected blow, because honestly, who could have expected me - a springy, respectably proportioned hot dog - to lose against a seemingly inflexible spear of small, unassuming dumplings? This is my struggle in […]

We've been working on a new show for the last few months, called Version History, and the first episode is now live! It's called "Hoverboards: so hot right now," and it's an hour-long tour of the biggest rideable gadget of the 2010s. Hidden inside the history of this weird two-wheeled scooter is a crucial inflection […]

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the intersection of transportation and technology, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started I vividly remember the first time I […]

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 100, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, get ready for a big gadget week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about Tim Berners-Lee and stain removers and […]