Google Street View helped police solve a missing persons case The VergeA Google Street View image played in role in solving a missing person investigation in Spain, according to reports from the BBC and The New York Times. The image, which can still be seen on Street View, shows what appears to be a person loading a large object into the trunk of a car, as Gizmodo points out. Another image showed someone “…

Xbox Elite Series 2 controller drops to record low $124 You can get the full Elite Series 2 experience for a price that’s only $15 more than the Core package. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeWith the holiday season in full effect, you can expect a fresh stream of Christmas noobs entering your multiplayer lobbies. If you’re on an Xbox or PC and looking to keep the pressure on during ruth…

The best laptops you can buy Illustration by William Joel / The VergeThe best laptops for you, from ultraportables to gaming machines, MacBooks to Chromebooks. Read the full story at The Verge.

Valve will be Lenovo’s ‘special guest’ at just-announced gaming handheld event Image: Evan Blass (X)“The future of gaming handhelds is coming to CES ‘25 and you have a front row seat!” the email in my inbox exclaims. Let me translate: it looks like Lenovo just tacitly confirmed it will announce its first SteamOS handheld in Las Vegas on or before January 7th, 2025. We’re expecting it to be the Steam button equipped Legion …

Sonic 4 is speeding into theaters in 2027 Image: ParamountVariety is reporting that Paramount Pictures is planning to extend the Sonic The Hedgehog trilogy by yet another movie. Sonic The Hedgehog 4 has been greenlit with a target release window of spring 2027. The news comes mere hours before Sonic The Hedgehog 3 releases in theaters on Friday December 19th. The movie once again stars …

8BitDo’s new mini Xbox controller fits gamers with smaller hands 8BitDo’s new Mini Wired Xbox controller is smaller and lighter than its Ultimate C gamepad. | Image: 8BitDo8BitDo has announced an alternate version of its Ultimate C wired Xbox controller that’s 20 percent smaller and 10 percent lighter while still featuring full-sized triggers, joysticks, and buttons. Although the new 8BitDo Ultimate Mini is …

Google reveals AI ‘reasoning’ model that ‘explicitly shows its thoughts’ Illustration: The VergeGoogle has introduced a new AI “reasoning” model capable of answering complex questions while also providing a rundown of its “thoughts,” as reported earlier by TechCrunch. The model, called Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, is still experimental and will likely compete with OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model. In a post on X, Google Dee…

How to reshare Threads posts without quote posting Image: The VergeIn what seems to be a battle between Threads and Bluesky for the hearts and minds of ex-Twitterers, Threads has been adding some interesting new features. The latest is the ability to share photos and videos without including the original post — in other words, without quote posting. (There’s a similar feature in X for videos.) T…

Thousands of Amazon delivery drivers at seven hubs are on strike Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesThousands of delivery drivers who work for Amazon third-party contractors are now on strike, The New York Times reports. The workers are striking after “Amazon’s repeated refusal to follow the law and bargain with the thousands of Amazon workers who organized with the Teamsters,” according to a Teams…

The first Superman trailer is full of hope The first trailer for the next theatrical take on Superman is finally here. After some teasing, DC Studios released the debut look at the new film, which is simply called Superman. It opens with Superman crashing in a frozen landscape, clearly injured, before flashing back to his life as Clark Kent. A handful of villains make an appearance — inc…

2024 in wearables: the year of the smart ring Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesSmart rings had a resurgence this year. The question is whether the renaissance will continue. Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft is testing live translation on Intel and AMD Copilot Plus PCs Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is previewing live translation on Intel and AMD-based Copilot Plus PCs. The feature is rolling out now to Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel, allowing users to translate audio from over 44 languages into English subtitles. Live translation, which initially launched on Qualcomm-powered Copilot Plus PCs, works with an…

The delusion of Amazon Haul Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeBrowsing Amazon Haul, the online shopping giant’s new $20-and-under bargain bin section, I immediately recognize not just a product, but a specific image. The photo is on a listing for “Timeless Black Dress for Both Casual and Formal Gatherings,” and it is stolen. The image actually belongs to a New Yor…

Sony now owns a much bigger piece of FromSoftware’s parent company Image: FromSoftwareSony has announced that it has increased its holdings in Japanese media giant and FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Corporation. Sony acquired the shares for 50 billion yen or roughly $300 million, bringing its total ownership to 10 percent and making it the Kadokawa’s largest shareholder. The news comes after earlier rumor…

8 great Apple Arcade games for your iPhone or iPad Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesThere weren’t many exclusives this year, but Apple’s subscription service still had some notable new releases. Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung Galaxy Ring could soon come in larger sizes Two new sizes of the Samsung Galaxy Ring could accommodate more users. | Photo by Victoria Song / The VergeSamsung might be introducing two larger size options for its Galaxy Ring wearable as early as January, according to leaker Max Jambor and new details spotted by 91mobiles in a Galaxy Ring manual. The Galaxy Ring is currently available in si…

How to screen calls on an Android phone Image: The VergeI’m guessing I’m not alone in getting more scam and spam calls than ever before. As a result, Google and the other Android phone makers have gradually added a range of built-in features to detect and deal with unwanted callers. These include having suspicious numbers flagged before you answer, being able to block nuisance callers…

Biden administration passes the torch to local leaders to keep climate action alive National climate adviser Ali Zaidi speaks at the daily press briefing at the White House on January 26th, 2024, in Washington, DC. | Photo by Kevin Dietsch / Getty ImagesThe Biden administration set ambitious new goals to slash US greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate accord, urging states and local governments to stay on course regar…

Samsung starts making refrigerators for thermoelectric nerds Some Samsung fridges are getting hybrid cooling tech in 2025. | Image: SamsungSamsung just announced new hybrid cooling tech coming to its refrigerators in 2025. They’ll use a traditional compressor alongside a new Peltier module — a semiconductor device that transfers heat from one side to the other when current passes through it. This approach…

Balatro’s creator isn’t happy about the game’s 18-plus rating in Europe Image: PlaystackThe creator of the poker roguelike Balatro, who goes by the alias LocalThunk, has been sharing some frustrations over the game’s 18-plus rating in Europe. “Since PEGI gave us an 18-plus rating for having evil playing cards maybe I should add microtransactions / loot boxes / real gambling to lower that rating to 3-plus like EA Spo…