Xbox is about to get better apps and web games Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeIf you’ve ever used an Xbox media app and wondered why it was a little slow, clunky, or didn’t have the latest features you find on the equivalent web-based version, then hopefully that will be a thing of the past soon. Microsoft is finally allowing Xbox app developers to use the Chromium-powered version of…

You can now order the USB-C Apple Pencil Image: AppleApple’s new entry-level Apple Pencil with a USB-C port for charging is now available to order, the company announced on Wednesday. At $79, the new Apple Pencil is the company’s most affordable, and it comes with features like tilt sensitivity and the ability to attach magnetically to the side of an iPad. To charge the new Apple Penci…

The best early Black Friday tech deals you can already get Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The VergeIt’s official: Halloween is over, and the 2023 holiday season has arrived. And if you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping, retailers like Target and Best Buy have already launched their early Black Friday promos, dropping prices on tablets, wireless earbuds, laptops, and even OLED TVs. W…

Microsoft’s new AI-powered Office assistant is here — if you’ve got $9,000 and 300 friends Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft’s 365 Copilot AI assistant is now available for certain enterprise customers. Microsoft is quietly launching its Microsoft 365 Copilot system for a $30-per-month premium per user, but enterprise customers will need to commit to at least 300 users and pick up the phone to Microsoft to get on the list to access this new A…

The Verge’s Guide to Black Friday 2023 Illustration by Aaron Fernandez for The VergeLet’s face it — Black Friday is no longer reserved for the day following Thanksgiving. What was often considered the single busiest shopping day of the year has evolved into something more expansive post-pandemic, with numerous retailers kicking off their holiday promos as early as October. Despite t…

How to set up profiles in Safari on macOS Sonoma The VergeWith macOS Sonoma, Apple’s Safari browser is catching up with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other competitors by introducing profiles: separate spaces that you can set up in the app to better organize your browsing. Each profile has its own browsing history, cookies, website data, extensions, Tab Groups, bookmarks, and favorites. The idea …

Apple Arcade is getting some great new games for the holidays Image: SegaIf the recent price hike hasn’t soured you on Apple’s subscription gaming service, there’s some good stuff coming to Apple Arcade in the coming weeks. The company announced eight titles that will be launching through the end of the year, kicking off this week with Knotwords, an excellent Wordle-meets-crossword game that launches on No…

Here’s a rare look at Google’s most lucrative search queries Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeNot all Google searches make Google money. Google often says that it only shows ads on about 20 percent of queries, the ones it calls “commercial queries.” You can probably guess what qualifies. “US president in 1836” is not something you type when you’re about to buy something; neither is “facebook” becaus…

A few hidden gems to play after Super Mario and Spider-Man Cocoon. | Image: Annapurna InteractiveOctober was an absolutely stacked month for gaming. There’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Alan Wake 2, just to name a few. But amid all that hype, it’s easy for smaller but equally phenomenal games to get lost in all that sauce. So we gathered up a collection o…

OneNote on Windows now has improved pen and ink gestures for drawing and writing Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is adding new gestures to the OneNote Windows app to improve the text and inking experience. If you have a device with a stylus, like Microsoft’s Surface tablets, you can now use more gestures to manipulate your digital handwriting. Microsoft has added the ability to strike-through text, delete it by scribbling over it,…

Google is making it easier to buy from small businesses Product Studio, Google’s AI-powered image editing tool for merchants, is rolling out in the US starting today. | Illustration: The VergeGoogle is introducing new Shopping features that allow merchants to quickly update product imagery using generative AI and make it easier to display important shop information to attract new customers. Starting…

Apple can’t block iPhone ‘throttling’ lawsuit, London court rules Image: The VergeApple must face a UK class action lawsuit that accuses the company of knowingly using defective batteries in certain iPhone models, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a ruling on Wednesday, London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal denied Apple’s request to block the lawsuit. Last year, Justin Gutmann filed a lawsuit against Apple tha…

TP-Link’s teeny-tiny security camera offers a lot for very little The new indoor / outdoor security camera from TP-Link’s Tapo packs a lot into a small package. | Image: TP-LinkTapo, one of TP-Link’s two smart home brands, is continuing to expand its footprint in the home security camera space with the launch of the $39.99 Tapo C120. This pint-size smart home camera fits in the palm of your hand and can be us…

UE Epicboom review: an epic price for an ordinary speaker It’s 2023. If Ultimate Ears is going to charge this much, there needs to be more to its speaker than just Bluetooth. Continue reading…

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s sixth and final wave of DLC tracks arrives next week Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s last wave of DLC will be available for download on November 9th, Nintendo has announced. Like its five previous waves, the release will add eight additional tracks to the 2017 game and also include new playable characters Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, and Peachette. The release concludes an ambitious program of extra con…

I went to paradise to see the future of AI, and I’m more confused than ever After four days in the tropics and lots of AI talk, I’m still unclear about the future.I left Qualcomm’s annual tech summit in Maui lightly sunburnt, cautiously optimistic, and confused as hell. Continue reading…

This giant Duracell battery is an absolutely packed portable charging station The Duracell M150. | Image: DuracellI don’t think I’ve used one of Duracell’s famous coppertop batteries since I was a kid — but recently, I’ve had a compelling reason to try one again. The new Duracell M150, on sale today for $199, is one of the most packed portable battery banks I’ve ever seen. The 1.8-pound, 3.1-inch-wide canister not only s…

The people who ruined the internet As the public begins to believe Google isn’t as useful anymore, what happens to the cottage industry of search engine optimization experts who struck content oil and smeared it all over the web? Well, they find a new way to get rich and keep the party going. Continue reading…

A new top 5 smartphone manufacturer is challenging Apple and Samsung The Phantom V Fold, from Transsion brand Tecno. | Image: Tecno / TranssionTranssion, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer whose brands include Tecno, Itel, and Infinix, has quietly grown to become the world’s fifth largest smartphone manufacturer, according to recent market reports from Canalys (via Android Central), IDC, and Omdia. Despite being …

The EV transition trips over its own cord Image: Hugo Herrera / The VergeEV sales are skyrocketing, more than 100 models are on sale, and charging infrastructure is getting better. So why does everything seem so precarious all of a sudden? Continue reading…