This $50 case turns your phone into an e-reader minus the benefits of an e-reader The Bookcase undoes years of smartphone makers working hard to reduce the size of screen bezels. | Image: AstropadAstropad’s new Bookcase is a smartphone accessory designed to make reading on a smartphone feel more like reading on an e-reader. No, it doesn’t give your phone an easy-on-the-eyes screen, longer battery life, or any other features t…

Tesla has been testing a robotaxi service in the Bay Area for most of the year Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, TurbosquidTesla has been testing a robotaxi service in the Bay Area for the past few months, Elon Musk said during the company’s earnings call Wednesday. The company’s employees have been able to summon an autonomously operated Tesla vehicle for trips using the company’s prototype ride-hailing app, Musk said. T…

Guess who’s suing the FTC to stop click to cancel Illustration by Laura Normand / The VergeThree industry groups are suing to prevent the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from enforcing its new “Click to Cancel” rule that requires companies to make it easy to cancel subscriptions, according to Reuters. And yes, it’s exactly who you’d expect. Click to cancel expands the Negative Option Rule to for…

Character.AI and Google sued after chatbot-obsessed teen’s death Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Getty ImagesA lawsuit has been filed against Character.AI, its founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, and Google in the wake of a teenager’s death, alleging wrongful death, negligence, deceptive trade practices, and product liability. Filed by the teen’s mother, Megan Garcia, it claims …

Roblox is making changes for pre-teen users after reports that it failed to protect children Illustration: The VergeRoblox is making some potentially major changes that will limit what pre-teens can access and give parents more control over what their kids do on the platform, according to an email sent by the company and shared with The Verge. The changes follow recent reports highlighting how Roblox has failed to protect children. In J…

Apple is preparing an M4 MacBook Air update for early next year Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeApple plans to release MacBook Airs with M4 chips in early 2025, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. The company just refreshed the lineup with M3 chips this spring, but the M4 update will “likely” launch between January and March 2025, Gurman says. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models will apparently get t…

Apple will let everyone set new default phone and messaging apps with iOS 18.2 The iOS 18 updates keep rolling. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The VergeWhen Apple said that iPhone owners in the EU would be able to set new default apps for things like calling and messaging, it sounded a lot like only people in the EU would get that option. That’s not the case, though: a note on Apple’s developer website states that all users w…

Tesla reiterates plan to launch ‘more affordable’ EVs in early 2025 Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesOn the heels of its highly anticipated but ultimately disappointing robotaxi event, Tesla published its third quarter earnings report, in which it said it would launch a “more affordable” electric vehicle in the first half of 2025. “In order to continue accelerating the world’s transition to sustain…

Humane slashes the price of its AI Pin after weak sales Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeHumane is dropping the price of the AI Pin by $200 in an attempt to reverse the AI gadget’s very poor sales. The product launched earlier this year at $699, but now, you can buy one starting at $499. This $499 version is the “eclipse” model that is a matte black anodized aluminum, and it doesn’t come wi…

Dodge Chargers with semi-solid-state batteries may hit the road in 2026 2024 Dodge Charger Daytonas. | Image: StellantisStellantis says it will put a “demonstration fleet” of Dodge Charger Daytonas on the road by 2026, equipped with solid-state battery technology that’s lighter, more energy-dense, and could eventually make for cheaper EVs. The company calls the demo fleet a “key next step” toward making solid-state …

Google open-sourced its watermarking tool for AI-generated text Illustration: The VergeGoogle’s SynthID text watermarking technology, a tool the company created to make AI-generated text easier to identify, is now available open-source through the Google Responsible Generative AI Toolkit, the company announced on X. “Now, other AI developers will be able to use this technology to help them dete…

Apple’s first iOS 18.2 beta adds more AI features and ChatGPT integration Image: AppleApple is now letting developers try more Apple Intelligence features. The company has released the first developer beta of iOS 18.2, and it adds tools like the ability to generate emoji with Genmoji and images with Image Playground, more AI-powered writing features, integration with ChatGPT, Visual Intelligence to search with your ca…

An investigation exposes data brokers using ads to help track almost any phone Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAn investigation conducted by a data privacy group has revealed a vast tracking network that can follow the movements of a person’s phone, according to reports from 404 Media and Krebs on Security. The people-tracking service, called Locate X, reportedly lets users follow a device using its mobile advertisi…

Amazon Prime members can now save on gas Amazon is sweetening the Prime deal. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAmazon Prime members are getting a new perk: extra savings at the pump. By linking your Amazon account with BP’s loyalty program, you’ll be able to save 10 cents a gallon whenever you fuel up at a participating BP or Amoco station. Incidentally, it’s a discount much li…

Windows 11 updates now install significantly faster and use less CPU Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft has made Windows Update significantly faster in its latest big update to Windows 11. Version 24H2 started rolling out earlier this month with lots of useful improvements, but now Microsoft is revealing this big update also reduces install time, restart time, and even CPU usage for monthly Windows updates. Microsoft typi…

Trying to reverse climate change won’t save us, scientists warn The Climeworks AG Mammoth carbon removal plant in Hellisheidi, Iceland, on May 8th, 2024.  | Photo: Getty ImagesTech companies think they can reverse climate change with fancy new tools to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. But new research throws cold water on the idea that cooling the planet after it has already heated beyond a key tur…

The smartphone-like Boox Palma ebook reader hits a record low price The Boox Palma looks slick in either black or white. | Image: BooxKindles and Kobos are relatively comfortable to use, but if those are too big and restrictive, the smartphone-like Boox Palma is a fantastic alternative that’s grown on us considerably. A new model is on its way, but if you don’t need the smoother performance it promises, you can …

Lomography’s new instant camera uses a glass lens for sharper photos The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass features a 90mm multi-coated glass lens for sharper instant prints. | Image: LomographyLomography has announced an upgraded version of its Lomo’Instant Wide Camera that swaps the original’s 90mm plastic lens for one made with multi-coated glass. The company says its new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is the “sharpest instant…

Samsung’s rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra has fallen to its best price to date Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, one of our favorite fitness trackers, is up to $150 off at Amazon right now. | Photo by Victoria Song / The VergeSamsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is a good Android smartwatch, especially if you’re already embedded in Samsung’s ecosystem, but it’s best suited for casual fitness tracking. If you’re the outdoorsy type or simpl…

Apple and Goldman Sachs fined millions for misleading Apple Card holders Illustration: The VergeThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced fines totaling $89 million against Apple and Goldman Sachs because the companies “illegally mishandled transaction disputes and misled iPhone purchasers about interest-free payment options” with the Apple Card. The CFPB says the issues affected “hundreds of thou…