Nokia phone maker HMD is launching its own smartphone brand After releasing devices like the Nokia C32 (pictured) this year, HMD now plans to launch its own smartphone brand. | Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesHMD Global, the Finnish company best known for producing Nokia-branded smartphones, has revealed plans to launch its own line of mobile devices. On Monday, HMD Global CEO Jean-Francois B…

Fujifilm’s new GFX100 II medium format camera is smaller, faster, and $2,500 cheaper The new GFX takes some cues from the GFX100S, including a pretty aggressive price (for medium format, that is). | Image: FujifilmCamera and lens prices keep going up, but somehow, Fujifilm’s latest medium format mirrorless flagship includes a bunch of new features but costs significantly less than its predecessor. Fujifilm has announced its new …

The scooter wars might be over, as Lime claims victory Photo by Omar Havana / Getty ImagesThe shared electric scooter business has gone through a series of ups and downs over the last few years — mostly downs, if we’re being honest — but now, one company is ready to claim the mantle of victor. Lime released a new set of financial figures that it says proves that last year’s slim profits were no flu…

Epic Games taps former MCU character designer as new creative executive Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeEpic Games has a new chief creative officer. Days after the role’s previous owner, Donald Mustard, announced his retirement, Epic Games has revealed his replacement: Charlie Wen. Wen is a former concept artist and designer who’s worked at Riot, Disney, Marvel, Sony, and more, and he’s got some pretty sweet …

Lithium-ion batteries with recycled metals nearing production in the US Photo by Wan Shanchao / VCG via Getty ImagesWe could soon see more lithium-ion batteries made with recycled materials thanks to a new partnership. BASF, a battery materials producer, has announced that it’s teaming up with Nanotech Energy, a maker of graphene-based energy products, to produce lithium-ion batteries with recycled materials for cus…

Internet Archive appeals loss in library ebook lawsuit Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThe Internet Archive announced today that it has appealed its loss in a major ebook copyright case. A notice indicates that it’s filed with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Hachette v. Internet Archive, a publishing industry lawsuit over the nonprofit group’s Open Library program. The appeal follows…

All the big conferences and events in tech, entertainment, and automotive coming this fall Illustration: The VergeSeptember and October are some of the most exciting months of the year if you’ve been waiting all year to see the latest and greatest tech, even if that just means meeting the annual new iPhone. Of course, events are also planned for entertainment, cars, and more, and you’ll be able to catch all the latest news on major ev…

TikTok accidentally blocked Hollywood writers strike videos while casting a QAnon net Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeTikTok videos about the Hollywood writers strike were temporarily blocked as the platform attempted to moderate QAnon conspiracy theories. Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media research group, reported today that TikTok users were unable to search for content related to the Writers Guild of America …

Another group of writers is suing OpenAI over copyright claims Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeA group of writers is suing OpenAI over claims the company illegally used their works to train its AI ChatGPT chatbot, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Rachel Louise Snyder, and Ayelet Waldman allege OpenAI benefits and profits from the “unauth…

MGM ‘cybersecurity issue’ shuts down slot machines and ATMs in Las Vegas casinos Illustration by Carlo Cadenas / The VergeA “cybersecurity issue” at MGM Resorts has forced the famous hotel and casino company to shut down many of its systems, according to a statement the company posted just before noon ET on X (formerly Twitter). MGM replaced its homepage with a message apologizing for the site’s outage and providing a list o…

Mario Kart Tour has crossed the finish line Image: NintendoNintendo and game publisher DeNA will discontinue creating new content for the mobile game Mario Kart Tour starting October 4th, Video Games Chronicle reports. The move indicates Nintendo may be pivoting its focus away from mobile games. The companies will release new Mario Kart Tour content as a part of its Anniversary Tour start…

AI voices are taking over the internet Illustration by Samar Haddad / The VergeYou may not think of it this way, but you probably hear AI voices all the time. When you’re talking to Alexa or Siri, that’s a model trained on human speech to be able to say almost anything. Did you ever have a celebrity give you directions on Waze? AI. And every time you watch TikTok and you hear that sl…

Who is the Apple Watch Ultra really for? Maybe, the Ultra is just for anyone who wants it.When I first saw the Apple Watch Ultra, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Apple’s sizzle reel had weatherbeaten explorers trekking up snow-capped mountains, running across deserts, and diving into the depths of the ocean. This was an Apple Watch for the intrepid explorer, which arguably few tech j…

Starfield is a ‘bizarrely worse experience’ on Nvidia and Intel, says Digital Foundry Image: BethesdaStarfield is one of the most demanding games on PC that we’ve seen recently, with even the RTX 4090 paired with AMD’s latest Ryzen 7800X3D just about hitting 60fps on average at 4K with all the settings maxed out. As reviewers and testers scramble to figure out why Starfield is so heavy, the experts over at Digital Foundry have di…

Our favorite Anker wireless power bank for MagSafe iPhones is now $30 off The handy power bank charges your phone wirelessly, and its unfolding kickstand can even hold a larger iPhone. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeTomorrow is iPhone 15 announcement day, but even though all signs are pointing to Apple switching from Lightning ports to USB-C, you can get a great deal today on the best wireless charging …

Microsoft’s new Xbox Mastercard includes points you can redeem on games The Xbox Mastercard. | Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is launching an Xbox credit card later this month that will be available exclusively to Xbox testers in the US. The Xbox Mastercard is a no annual fee credit card issued by Barclays, and purchases made using the card will generate points that can be redeemed on Xbox games and add-ons. “With the Xb…

The Logitech Reach is an articulating webcam you can point at what you want Logitech has announced the Logitech Reach, an articulating webcam intended to make for better, more interactive remote meetings, online tutoring, and livestreams. Logitech will crowdfund the camera through Indiegogo Enterprise at first, which it told The Verge in a briefing is how it will refine the design and decide on pricing. The company hasn…

ESPN’s standalone streaming channel is included in Charter and Disney’s new deal Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeDisney and Charter have resolved the carriage dispute that blocked millions of viewers from watching ESPN, ABC, FX, and other Disney-owned networks. The two companies reached a deal on Monday, which includes bundling the upcoming ESPN streaming channel with Spectrum’s TV Select Plan. As part of the deal, D…

How to move Fitbit to your Google account By 2025, it’ll be mandatory to use a Google account with Fitbit. | Illustration: Samar Haddad / The VergeThe Fitbit to Google account migration has started. This isn’t a big deal if you’re new to Fitbit or are about to buy a new Fitbit / Google Pixel device. You’ll be prompted at setup to log in with your Google account. But what does this mean…

Apple’s Lightning connector was the first great port — and USB-C might be the last RIP Lightning. You were proprietary, which was annoying, but you were so easy to plug in. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThe Lightning connector really only had two jobs: be tiny and be foolproof. Apple developed the new port for the iPhone 5, which at the time was simultaneously the largest, thinnest, and lightest iPhone the compa…