Fortnite Festival is turning into Rock Band with local multiplayer Image: Epic GamesFortnite Festival, the game’s Rock Band-like music mode where you play along with real songs, is getting local multiplayer for up to four people on PlayStation and Xbox on January 14th. Currently, you can only play Fortnite Festival multiplayer online, but with this change, you’ll be able to get your former Rock Band back togeth…

How Elon Musk’s xAI is quietly taking over X Illustration by Laura Normand / The VergeWhen Elon Musk launched his own AI startup, xAI, he touted a key advantage over his competitors: access to the vast trove of data from his newly acquired social media platform Twitter. By implementing new API fees on the network he quickly renamed X, Musk locked out other AI companies, maintaining exclusi…

Automattic cuts WordPress contribution hours, blames WP Engine Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeAutomattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, is scaling back its contributions to the WordPress open-source project, according to an announcement on Thursday. The company says it’s decreasing contributions to “match” the amount of time companies like WP Engine spend on the ecosystem, further escalating the ten…

Meta disbands diversity team and says DEI has become ‘charged’ Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeMeta is eliminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs because of the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts” in the US, according to a memo to employees seen by Axios. Meta will also roll back representation goals and end its “diverse slate approac…

Amazon’s latest Blu-ray promo nets you three movies for just $33 The Blu-ray version of the second Dune film normally runs $33.99, but it’s currently available for a third of that price. | Warner Bros.If you’re looking for indoor activities to keep you entertained this winter, you might want to check out Amazon’s ongoing Blu-ray sale. Now through January 20th, you can pick up three 4K Blu-ray titles for $33 w…

TikTok still seems headed for a ban after its Supreme Court arguments Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesAfter the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over a law that could ban TikTok, it looks like one of its last possible lifelines is unlikely to save it from the impending ouster. TikTok will be banned from the US unless either the Supreme Court blocks the law from taking effect before the January 19th…

The smart glasses era is here — I got a first look Smart glasses were everywhere on the show floor this year. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeAt CES, the next generation of eyewear was everywhere. It’s just no one seems to agree on why we want it or what’s the best approach. It’s the second day of CES, and I’m waiting in a line to see my tenth pair of smart glasses. I honestly don’…

The Verge Awards at CES 2025 Image: Samar Haddad for The VergeFluffy robots, portable TVs, and vacuums with arms and legs. This is what we come to CES for. Read the full story at The Verge.

Tesla’s redesigned Model Y is here — but not in the US or Europe Image: TeslaTesla has officially revealed the latest version of its Model Y crossover following images leaking online that teased the EV’s redesign. Codenamed “Juniper,” the Model Y 2025 refresh is now live on Tesla’s website in China and other Asia-Pacific markets with deliveries expected to begin in March. It’s the most significant update to t…

Panasonic came back for TV glory at CES 2025 The company hasn’t been back in the US TV market for long, but the Z95B OLED proves that Panasonic can hang with Sony, LG, and Samsung at the very high end. Panasonic returned to the US TV market last year, and only a matter of months later, I’ve convinced myself that its latest flagship OLED is the best TV of CES 2025. It’s an impressive resurg…

Redmi is first to bring the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to Europe The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G launches in lavender purple, frost blue, and midnight black. | Image: RedmiToday Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi brings its affordable Note 14 series to Europe, along with the Western debut of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. After launching in August 2024, the Qualcomm chip had to sit and watch while the flagship Snapdragon 8 El…

You can finally buy a Thunderbolt 5 SSD LaCie’s new Rugged SSD Pro5 will be available in 2TB and 4TB capacities. | Image: SeagateFollowing the arrival of the first Thunderbolt 5 cables last July and the first Thunderbolt 5 dock last September, it might finally be time to start upgrading your external storage to take advantage of the increased performance. It’s been a slow rollout for …

X launches Grok’s iPhone app in the US Image: The VergexAI has released an iOS app in the US for its Grok chatbot, as spotted earlier by TechCrunch. The standalone app version of the chatbot, which xAI calls a beta, can perform the same functions as the one built into X, as it can field real-time information, answer questions, and generate images. xAI started testing Grok’s standalon…

The Honda Zero EVs look even more compelling up close Image: Vjeran Pavic / The VergeI’m not saying I want to buy one. I’m just very curious to see where this is going. Honda released one of the more interesting concepts at last year’s CES with two Honda Zero prototypes: the Saloon and the Space-Hub. It promised to come back in a year with something a little closer to production. But rather than t…

Google launches a ‘neutral’ Chromium development fund Illustration: The VergeGoogle is partnering with The Linux Foundation to launch an initiative meant to “fund open development and enhance projects” in the Chromium ecosystem, according to an announcement on Thursday. The fund, called Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers, is billed as a “neutral” space to support Chromium projects. Google launch…

Microlino’s ‘anti-pickup truck’ is designed for Americans Hot dog and eagle, sold separately. | Image: MicroMicro — maker of those electric bubble cars found in some European cities — has a new Microlino especially for Americans. The all-electric Microlino Spider is dubbed the “anti-pickup truck” and is meant to be a golf cart replacement. No, not for use on fairways, but at expansive resorts and so-ca…

Apple’s weird iPhone alarm problems are still happening Image: SatechiApple acknowledged issues with the reliability of the iPhone’s built-in alarm feature last April after a report by NBC’s Today morning show and said it was working on a fix, but some people are still having trouble. Android Authority points out this Reddit post by bryanlolwut in the r/iPhone subreddit from Wednesday with a picture …

This wildfire evacuation alert accidentally went out to everyone in LA This is the alert that inadvertently went out to everyone in LA County. | Image: The VergeAfter two days of dealing with wildfires that have burned thousands of acres, residents across Los Angeles County received a wildfire evacuation alert on Thursday afternoon that was a mistake. Shortly after, officials sent a follow-up alert saying that the …

The Switch 2 leaks keep coming Image: OnLeaks on XNew day, new Nintendo Switch 2 leaks. Nintendo is getting ever-closer to its April 2025 deadline to reveal its Switch successor, but thanks new renders from OnLeaks and 91Mobiles, we may now have an even better idea of what the new console might look like. If you’ve been following our coverage of other Switch 2 leaks, these re…

Spy pics appear to show Tesla’s refreshed Model Y in testing Oh hey, another full-frontal light bar design. | Image: Cochespias1Pictures posted on social media give us a look at a facelifted Tesla Model Y “Juniper” refresh that lets go of the original Model 3 headlight style in favor of a new front lightbar setup that reminds me of the Chevy Equinox EV. As reported by InsideEVs, Instagram car spy account …