Seven major automakers are teaming up on a North American EV charging network Image: Umar Shakir / The VergeA new group of automotive super friends is banding together, promising to build the next big North American electric vehicle charging network. These worldwide automakers — BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis — announced a planned joint venture today to erect easy-to-activate DC fa…

Peacock’s Twisted Metal is trying really, really hard Image: Skip Bolen / PeacockIt’s pretty safe to say that 2023 has been a breakout year for video game adaptations in film and TV. From the weekly drama of The Last of Us on HBO to the family-friendly blockbuster success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, these adaptations are no longer the maligned flops they once were, which is what makes Twisted M…

Microsoft’s new Xbox Home UI is now available The new Xbox Home UI. | Screenshot by Tom Warren / The VergeMicrosoft first started testing a new Xbox Home UI nearly a year ago, and the company is now ready to deliver it to all Xbox owners. Starting today, an overhaul to the Xbox Home interface is rolling out to all Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles, with more space for backgrounds and …

A new, way cheaper laser cutter is here to win over crafters Image: GlowforgeGlowforge, the company that makes desktop laser cutters for a whole range of crafting projects, has revealed a new entry-level machine that’s a little less pricey than its premium counterparts. Priced at $1,195, the Glowforge Aura lets you cut and engrave various materials across a compact 12-inch workspace. The Glowforge Aura co…

Google will start pushing Android developers hard for large screen support Image: GoogleGoogle will start highlighting apps in Google Play that offer good full-screen support on Android tablets and foldables — and shaming the ones that don’t. The company announced the changes in a blog post yesterday in a clear bid to get developers on board with supporting larger screens for the OS. “To promote high-quality apps that …

Twitter tried to goad businesses into buying more ads so they can stay verified That’s certainly one way to try and draw in more advertising revenue. | Illustration: The VergeAccording to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Twitter (now called X) started offering some advertisers in the US and UK a 50 percent discount on video ads running beside trending topics under the platform’s “Explore” tab earlier this week, “among o…

How to preorder Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 tablets Each tablet comes with the S Pen stylus included. | Image: SamsungDuring Samsung’s Unpacked event today, the company announced the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 phones, but that wasn’t all — it also presented a new Galaxy Tab S9 tablet lineup. The Galaxy Tab S9 starts at $799.99, while the S9 Plus and S9 Ultra start at $999.99 and $1,199.99, resp…

Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon have launched their open-source mapping project Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeMeta, Microsoft, Amazon, and the mapping company TomTom have launched an initiative to take on Google Maps and Apple Maps. The four companies formed the Overture Maps Foundation last year with the goal of creating interoperable map products — and now, the group has released its first open map dataset. W…

War is breaking out in Invasion season 2’s first trailer Image: AppleThe first season of Invasion was a prelude to war with an alien species, and now, the battle is really breaking out. At least, that’s sure how it looks in the new season 2 trailer for the Apple TV Plus series. While the show initially detailed the early days of an alien invasion, showcasing how events unfolded from multiple perspect…

You can now Venmo new Xbox games Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is allowing Xbox owners in the US to use Venmo as a payment option for games, movies, TV shows, and apps from the Xbox store. The new Venmo option can even be used for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, with the ability to split payments. PayPal has long been supported on the Xbox store, but the new Venmo payment option is p…

Everything announced at Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 event The new Galaxy Z Flip 5. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The VergeSamsung has just finished up its second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, where it revealed a whole bunch of updates across its line of folding phones, Galaxy smartwatches, and tablets. If you couldn’t watch the event live, we’ve rounded up all the most exciting announcements here. Th…

How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 lineup offers a larger display. | Photo by Owen Grove / The VergeAlongside Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 phones, Samsung introduced its newest wearables to the world: the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. Both smartwatches are available to preorder today starting at $299.99 and $399.99, respectively, ahe…

USB-C iPhone modder makes AirPods case battery easier to replace For his latest project, Ken Pillonel — the modder best known for creating an iPhone with a USB-C port — is attempting to improve the design of the charging case of Apple’s AirPods Pro. The true wireless earbuds have been criticized by right-to-repair advocates for a construction that relies heavily on glue, which makes it difficult to replace co…

Why it’s impossible to compete with Google Search Illustration by Vincent Kilbride / The VergeA couple of ex-Googlers set out to create the search engine of the future. They built something faster, simpler, and ad-free. So how come you’ve never heard of Neeva? Continue reading…

Citi Bike is for sale Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesLyft is exploring a sale of its bike and scooter business, which includes New York City’s popular Citi Bike. The news comes several months after the struggling ridehail company laid off a third of its workforce in an effort to reduce costs. Lyft has “received strong inbo…

Good Omens season 2 is a lovey-dovey shipper’s delight Michael Sheen as Aziraphale and David Tennant as Crowley. | Image: AmazonThe second season of Amazon and the BBC’s Good Omens adaptation joyously marches into familiar yet unexplored territory with a love story that feels like it was crafted with Neil Gaiman fans in mind. Continue reading…

NFL Sunday Ticket now free for some Verizon customers — beware the fine print New and upgraded customer deals start from tomorrow, with discounts for existing Verizon Mobile customers available from August 11th. | Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesAttention football fans — Verizon is running a limited-time promotion that’ll hand out free (or discounted) NFL Sunday Ticket subscriptions to new mobile and h…

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is last year’s phone with a new hinge The Z Fold 5 is a little slimmer and lighter this time around. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The VergeSamsung saved this year’s biggest advancements for the flip phone. As for the bigger Z Fold 5, it gets a new hinge, a brighter inner screen, and not a whole lot else. For better or worse, that includes the price: still $1,799. There’s an updated pr…

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 gets a big little screen upgrade Samsung’s Z Flip 5 has arrived with a much bigger — and probably much more useful — cover screen. | Image: SamsungThe Motorola Razr Plus’ reign as the best flip phone might be short-lived. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is officially here, complete with a 3.4-inch cover screen — still small by modern smartphone standards but much bigger than the Z …

Samsung goes OLED all the way with the Galaxy Tab S9 tablets The Tab S9 family is Samsung’s latest version of its high-end productivity tablets. | Image: SamsungSamsung has announced its latest high-end Android tablets: the new Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra. The new models follow the Tab S8 series from 2022, with similar designs and features. As before, the smallest Tab S9 starts at $799.99, while …