Discord CEO Jason Citron makes the case for a smaller, more private internet Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: DiscordFor teens and gamers, Discord has become their entire online social lives. Co-founder Jason Citron thinks the internet is headed more in that direction. Continue reading…

Want to restore a forest? Give it back to Indigenous peoples who call it home Doris Ríos is a Cabécar leader who has fought to reclaim Indigenous territory in Costa Rica. | Collage by Israel Vargas | Photos by Justine CalmaThese women took back their land in Costa Rica, and now they plan to reforest it. Continue reading…

The great conundrum of campaigning on TikTok Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty ImagesPolitical strategists aren’t throwing away TikTok, even after their election candidates try to force its sale on national security grounds. Continue reading…

Gaming giant Embracer Group is splitting into three companies Embracer Group will house major properties like the Lord of The Rings under its new Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends company. | Image: Warner Bros.Swedish gaming conglomerate Embracer Group announced plans on Monday to split itself into three distinct games and entertainment companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth En…

Microsoft makes it easier to install Windows store apps from the web Photo by Becca Farsace / The VergeMicrosoft is starting to improve the experience of downloading Windows store apps from the web. The software giant has built what it calls an “undocked version of the Store” that works like a typical executable to install apps from the Microsoft Store. It should cut down on the complexity involved in…

Why is Windows 11 so got dang annoying? Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeA couple of weeks ago, I ran out of screen on the one external monitor my work-issued MacBook Air can run. So I switched to my five-year-old Windows desktop and plugged in another monitor. Love it. Productivity through the roof. But it means that I’m finally spending significant time in Windows 11, and gosh…

The game emulator your phone has been missing Image: The VergeHi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 35, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready to open some tabs, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been rewatching Killing Eve now that it’s on Netflix, reading about Maggie Rogers an…

The future of AI gadgets is just phones It’s phones, y’all. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeAt any given time, there are between five and eight phones on my desk. And by “my desk,” I mean any combination of tables and countertops throughout my house. So when I watched the Humane AI Pin reviews start pouring in last week, I did what any logical person would do: grab the closest p…

Gentler Streak quieted my evil brain goblin so I could run in peace Streaks aren’t the only way to be consistent. | Photo by Victoria Song / The VergeSix weeks ago, I was having a tough time sticking to my running routines and goals. Physically, I was mostly fine. Mentally, the thought of running — a sport I usually love — made me roll into a blanket burrito and never leave my bed. I started hating myself, but n…

This is Tesla’s riveting fix for recalled Cybertruck accelerator pedals Tesla’s drilling holes in Cybertruck accelerator pedals. | Image: Tesla (PDF)Tesla temporarily halted deliveries and recalled every single Cybertruck after a viral video showed how the pad on its accelerator pedal could slip off and get stuck in the interior trim, leaving the pedal depressed “down 100 percent, full throttle.” Now, video from a T…

The self-possessed horrors of Late Night with the Devil Courtesy of IFC Films and ShudderHorror films live and die by their conceits. And sometimes, the best way to make a movie scary is to place it in an environment that’s not scary at all. Is there anything further from spooky than a brightly lit TV studio? The surprise box office darling Late Night with the Devil, which hit horror streamer Shudder…

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies are a fandom menace Image: NetflixNetflix’s Rebel Moon films both feel like Zack Snyder trying to celebrate sci-fi classics by gently riffing on them in some of the least inspired ways possible. Continue reading…

TikTok ‘ban’ passes in the House again, moving to the Senate in foreign aid package Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty ImagesThe House once again passed a bill that could ban TikTok from the US unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance divests it — but this time, it’s in a way that will be harder for the Senate to stall. The bill passed 360-58 as part of a larger bill related to sanctions on foreign adversaries li…

The little smart home platform that could With a new ownership structure, Home Assistant is making big plans for the future. | The VergeHow Home Assistant plans to transition from an enthusiast platform to a mainstream consumer product. Continue reading…

DJI’s pint-sized Mini 3 is on sale with a DJI RC controller for its best price yet It may not offer obstacle avoidance and the same specs as the Pro model, but the Mini 3 still easily folds down when it’s time to hit the road. | Image: DJIHappy Saturday, dear readers! The big news on the drone beat this month was the official launch of DJI’s Avata 2, a new FPV drone that’s slicker, more stable, and longer-lasting than the orig…

Is Crossrope’s smart jump rope worth $200? Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeSkip Crossrope unless you really love skipping rope. Continue reading…

How to change or cancel your music streaming services The VergeThere are more digital subscriptions around than ever, and among them, you may well have a music streaming service (or two or three). What with “free” trials and trying to find a service you really like, it’s easy to suddenly realize you’re oversubscribed. Luckily, canceling a music subscription — or switching to a free tier — isn’t too…

Controversial US surveillance program (briefly?) lapses amid congressional dysfunction Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty ImagesThe Senate has passed a bill reauthorizing Section 720 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial program that allows warrantless spying on foreign “targets,” but a long, knock-down, drag-out fight over amendments kept the Senate in session past midnight on Friday, whe…

You can buy a refurbished Steam Deck for almost half off Valve says each unit has received over 100 tests and meets the same performance standards as new Steam Decks. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeIt’s not often we see an excellent portable gaming PC like the Steam Deck on sale for nearly half off, but today’s your lucky day. So long as you don’t mind buying it in certified refurbished condition,…

Target confirms it’s all but completely ditching DVDs in physical stores Image: TargetTarget is scaling back the presence of physical media in its stores. A spokesperson for Target tells IGN that the company is “transitioning the limited assortment of DVDs” it sells in stores to its website. “Moving forward, we’ll offer select DVDs in stores when they are newly released or during key times throughout the year when th…