Meta Quest 3S with 256GB of storage is $50 off right now The Quest 3S doesn’t look any less alien than the original Quest 3. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The Meta Quest 3S VR headset is a great alternative to the Meta Quest 3. The base 128GB version of the Quest 3S starts at $299.99 at Amazon, which is $200 less than the Quest 3 yet delivers essentially the same mixed reality experience. And n…

Zuckerberg says Meta will lay off more ‘low-performers’ Image: Nick Barclay / The VergeMeta will soon lay off more “low-performers” across the company, according to an internal memo from CEO Mark Zuckerberg that was shared by a source at the company. “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” Zuckerberg says in the memo, which you can read in full be…

US finalizes rule to effectively ban Chinese vehicles, which could include Polestar Image: Daniel GolsonThe Biden administration finalized a new rule that would effectively ban all Chinese vehicles from the US under the auspices of blocking the “sale or import” of connected vehicle software from “countries of concern.” The rule could have wide-ranging effects on big automakers, like Ford and GM, as well as smaller manufacturers…

Luigi was everywhere at AGDQ 2025 Image: NintendoThough there were only a handful of Super Mario games showcased during Awesome Games Done Quick 2025, his brother Luigi was everywhere — and it’s pretty clear why. In the gaming community, Mario’s taller, greener brother is beloved in his own right, celebrated for his goofiness or memed because his genial nature apparently concea…

Wyze cameras will use AI to describe what they see For those moments when you don’t have time to check your camera footage. | Image: WyzeWyze’s latest AI feature aims to reduce how often you need to manually check security footage by instead just describing what the camera has seen. The new Descriptive Alerts will send notifications that “accurately summarize motion events” with more contextual …

Nintendo’s Alarmo will be available for everyone starting in March Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeAnother day, another announcement from Nintendo that isn’t the next Switch. Today the company revealed that its alarm clock, Alarmo, will be available at select retailers starting this March. The announcement includes the US, UK, and Europe. The $99 alarm clock launched late last year, but is currently only avail…

Chinese social media app RedNote tops App Store chart ahead of TikTok ban Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRedNote, the Chinese social media app also known as Xiaohongshu, rose to the number one spot on the Apple App Store as a US ban closes in on TikTok. The app offers a mix of pictures, short-form videos, and text posts across “follow,” “explore,” and “nearby” feeds. A cur…

AGDQ 2025 earns $2.5 million for charity with its best event yet Image: Games Done QuickAwesome Games Done Quick 2025 has concluded, raising just over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Every Games Done Quick event is worth tuning in to either live or later via VODs, but this AGDQ was uniquely fantastic, filled with runs that’ll go down as some of the best GDQ has to offer. Here are some of our f…

Meta is already working on Community Notes for Threads Illustration: The VergeMeta announced last week that it would be ditching fact-checkers in favor of X-like Community Notes, and self-described “leaker” Alessandro Paluzzi shared screenshots on Monday showing what the feature might look like in Threads. Based on the screenshots, it appears you’ll be able to start the process of writing a Communit…

‘Goodbye to my Chinese spy’ might be the last great TikTok trend Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikTokers are coping with the app’s potential ban with an unusual trend: by bidding farewell to their “personal Chinese spy.” The trend, which pokes fun at security concerns surrounding the app, has users thanking their “spy” for surveilling them and filling their For You page with entertaining conte…

Google Messages brings back customizable contacts Illustration: The VergeGoogle is adjusting the “profile sharing” feature in its Google Messages app to allow users to set custom contact names and photos on their own devices for their stored contacts and others they send text messages. As reported by 9to5Google, a change rolled out late last year that overrode your custom names and photos with …

Apple’s latest iPad Mini is down to its lowest price to date The seventh-gen iPad is the cheapest tablet in Apple’s current lineup to support Apple Intelligence. | Photo: David Pierce / The VergeIf you’re in the market for a highly portable tablet, Apple’s smallest tablet has fallen to its lowest price to date at multiple retailers. Right now, the latest iPad Mini is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy with W…

eBay’s new acquisition could make it easy to buy a car from anywhere The VergeeBay has “signed a definitive agreement” to buy online automotive transaction platform provider Caramel to help make buying and selling vehicles on the auction site “more simple than ever.” Caramel has a site and app that helps private parties and independent dealers sell cars by handling the paperwork, ownership transfer, financing, sh…

Adobe’s new AI tool can edit 10,000 images in one click Image: AdobeAdobe is launching new generative AI tools that can automate labor-intensive production tasks like editing large batches of images and translating video presentations. The most notable is “Firefly Bulk Create,” an app that allows users to quickly resize up to 10,000 images or replace all of their backgrounds in a single click instead…

Why CEO Matt Garman is willing to bet AWS on AI Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: AmazonAWS chief Matt Garman says Amazon is already seeing the benefits of its massive AI investments. Read the full story at The Verge.

A major data broker hack may have leaked precise location info for millions Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeLast week, major location data broker Gravy Analytics disclosed a data breach that may have resulted in the theft of precise location data for millions of people, reports TechCrunch. That appears to include data from popular mobile games like Candy Crush, as well as dating apps, pregnancy tracking apps,…

Microsoft creates new AI engineering group led by former Meta executive Image: The VergeMicrosoft is creating a new engineering group that’s focused on artificial intelligence. Led by former Meta engineering chief Jay Parikh, the new CoreAI – Platform and Tools division will combine Microsoft’s Dev Div and AI platform teams together, alongside some employees on the Office of the CTO team, to focus on building an AI …

8BitDo’s drift-free mobile controller is on sale for the first time 8BitDo’s mobile controller offers a little more grip than others we recommend. | Image: 8BitDoWhile the cradle-style Backbone One is a great mobile controller we often recommend, it’s not the right choice for everyone. Thankfully, 8BitDo’s Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller is a cheaper alternative for Android users, one that’s available at Amazo…

Mercedes-Benz’s Virtual Assistant uses Google’s conversational AI agent Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX Virtual Assistant will use Google Gemini on the cloud. | Image: Mercedes-Benz / GoogleGoogle Cloud’s new Automotive AI Agent platform promises to “continue conversations and reference information” throughout users’ drives, and the first car announced with it is the new Mercedes CLA. That car has the next-generation MB.OS ope…

Samsung is adding two new Galaxy Ring sizes Photo by Victoria Song / The VergeSamsung is making the Galaxy Ring available to more people by adding size 14 and 15 rings to its options starting on January 22nd. With the expansion, which was rumored last month, the company says its ring sizes now run from five to 15, though it caveats that both size and color availability will vary by market…