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My defense of a $40 cable paperweight – I’m sorry

Nobody needs Native Union’s Weighter, but you might want it anyway.

Tim Sweeney on the future of Fortnite after another win over Apple

In an interview, Epic Games’ CEO says that an appeals court ruling in its case against Apple is ‘really awesome for all developers.’

Jay Peters
A first look at Google’s Project Aura glasses built with Xreal

It’s kinda like a pair of chunky sunglasses that runs Android apps.

Victoria Song
My defense of a $40 cable paperweight – I’m sorry

Nobody needs Native Union’s Weighter, but you might want it anyway.

Tim Sweeney on the future of Fortnite after another win over Apple

In an interview, Epic Games’ CEO says that an appeals court ruling in its case against Apple is ‘really awesome for all developers.’

Jay Peters
A first look at Google’s Project Aura glasses built with Xreal

It’s kinda like a pair of chunky sunglasses that runs Android apps.

Victoria Song

Today’s Storystream

Feed refreshed Two hours ago

Doing a wellness check on Xbox.

Absynth is back and weirder than ever after 16 yearsAbsynth is back and weirder than ever after 16 years
Entertainment
Entertainment
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Russians finally stand up to Moscow after... Roblox ban?

It takes a lot to convince the Russian people that something is worth openly criticizing their government and staging a show of opposition. Apparently, one of the few things that can convince them to risk the repercussions is the recent Roblox ban. According to Reuters:

In Tomsk, 2,900 km (1,800 miles) east of Moscow, several dozen people braved the snow to hold up hand-drawn placards reading “Hands off Roblox” and “Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain” in Vladimir Vysotsky Park, according to photographs provided by an organiser of the protest.

“Bans and blocks are all you are able to do,” read one placard. The photographs showed about 25 people standing in a circle in the snow, holding up placards.

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Youtube
Terrence O'Brien
ROG claims it made the first 5K dual mode gaming monitor.

The ROG Strix XG27 JCG (such a catchy name) can switch between 5K (5,120 x 2,880) at 180Hz for detailed AAA games, or QHD at 330Hz for e-sports speed. It’s an IPS display, not OLED, but it does support DisplayHDR 600 and Dynamic Shadow Boost. With CES just around the corner, we’re sure this won’t be the only 5K dual-mode gaming monitor for long.

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Slab is the first MIDI controller built exclusively for Serato Studio

The sample-focused DAW gets an MPC-like hands-on interface.

Terrence O'Brien
This $1,500 robot cooks dinner while I work

6

Verge Score

Posha uses AI and a motorized arm to cook your dinner autonomously. It’s impressive but expensive, and raises all the usual concerns about connected kitchen appliances.

Jennifer Pattison TuohyCommentsComment Icon Bubble68
Wake Up Dead Man digs deep for a darker, more powerful Knives OutWake Up Dead Man digs deep for a darker, more powerful Knives Out
Entertainment
Here are the shipping deadlines to get your holiday gifts on timeHere are the shipping deadlines to get your holiday gifts on time
Gadgets
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Twitter
Jay Peters
Apple: “Pluribus is the most watched show in Apple TV history.”

The company didn’t share specific numbers, but it still seems like a meaningful milestone. Guess I should watch it.

The Verge subscription turns oneThe Verge subscription turns one
Bulletin
Bulletin
Nilay Patel
The Verge’s 2025 holiday gift guide

A curated mix of tech-y standouts, everyday favorites, and other delights for everyone on your list.

Verge Staff
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Sean Hollister
You can now 3D-print anything in Noctua beige and brown.

I love my Noctua fans as much as the next PC nerd, but I’ve never quite understood the obsession with their colors. Nonetheless! If you want matching shrouds, cases, and more, Prusa now sells exact color-matched filament in Noctua Brown and Noctua Beige for the same price as its other colors.

Image: Prusa
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Stevie Bonifield
iFixit’s teardown of the RedMagic 11 Pro reveals the inner workings of its liquid-cooling tubes.

This China-only Android phone is the first to include the feature, along with just about every other type of cooling tech, including fans, a heatsink, and a vapor chamber, all topped by the blue liquid cooling system.

According to iFixit, however, all that cooling didn’t make up for the RedMagic 11 Pro’s limited repair options.

RAM is ruining everything

Price hikes related to the memory shortage aren’t just coming for PC gamers; smartphones, laptops, and storage drives could soon get increases, too.

Emma Roth
The most technically impressive movie scene of the year

Bi Gan, the director of Resurrection, talks about the purpose and power of the long, unbroken tracking shot.

Kevin Nguyen
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The Verge
Emma Roth
The Creative Commons says pay-to-crawl shouldn’t be a website’s default setting.

In a blog post, the nonprofit says it has “significant reservations” about systems that require AI companies to pay to train on their content, stating that they “could become new concentrations of power, with the ability to dictate how we experience the web.”

Despite its concerns, the Creative Commons recently partnered with the RSL Collective to allow creators to collect “contributions” from AI companies, as it aims to “infuse concepts of reciprocity in standards that are ready for adoption.”

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External Link
Stevie Bonifield
Amazon’s Matter Casting is supported by a second streaming app.

Free, ad-supported streamer Tubi is now compatible with Matter Casting, making it the first app other than Prime Video to adopt the standard, which is currently only available on Amazon Fire TV devices.

Will you use it? Maybe not, but at least it’s an option, unlike Netflix.

A first look at Google’s Project Aura glasses built with Xreal

It’s kinda like a pair of chunky sunglasses that runs Android apps.

Victoria Song
M
Mia Sato
Ringo Starr accidentally crashed a gambler’s livestream.

The Beatles drummer pops into the corner of a livestream titled “Airport Gamble Sesh” and asks the streamer if he’s “on the radio.” At one point, Starr gets right up to the camera, apparently trying to make sense of whatever is happening on the stream. The streamer seems to have zero idea who Ringo is while viewers try to tell him in the chat. Starr pretty quickly leaves the area because the streamer keeps coughing and seems to be sick.

“Beatle Ringo?” the streamer asks while reading a comment. “Who is that?”

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Youtube
Jay Peters
An update to Google’s Live with Search feature.

The tool, which lets you have voice conversations in AI Mode in the Google app, now uses Google’s newest Gemini model for native audio, which means that responses are “more fluid and expressive than ever before,” the company says. You can hear an example in this video.

Mmm, Qi donutsMmm, Qi donuts
News
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Andrew Liszewski
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Jay Peters
A look at Apple TV’s early 2026 lineup.

New seasons of Hijack, The Last Thing He Told Me, Shrinking, and Monarch are all on the docket as well as the debut of the film Eternity. Personally, I’m anticipating Hijack the most; the first season was so dumb but also was way more gripping than I expected.

The AI boom is based on a fundamental mistake

Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. AI companies are ignoring it.

Benjamin Riley
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Emma Roth
The Washington Post’s AI podcasts face backlash from staffers.

The outlet’s standards editor called errors within the personalized AI podcasts “frustrating” as staffers report that the feature is “misattributing or inventing quotes” and “inserting commentary,” according to Semafor. The Washington Post launched AI podcasts earlier this week, offering users two AI hosts that discuss top stories tailored to reading habits.

The 40 best gift ideas for mom this holiday seasonThe 40 best gift ideas for mom this holiday season
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Jay Peters
The best part of The Game Awards? The orchestra.

Gaming’s biggest awards show might be losing its luster, but last night’s annual Game of the Year medley was as good as ever. The transition from Hades II to Pauline’s song from Donkey Kong Bananza? Chills. And of course, there was a lot of Flute Guy, who even brought a custom PVC pipe flute.

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Andrew Liszewski
GameSir’s new wireless controller clamps half a Game Boy to your smartphone.

The Pocket 1 is a compact Bluetooth controller that gives Android smartphones and “other compatible devices” Game Boy-style controls in a vertical orientation. It’s got a 600mAh battery, shoulder buttons, and will be available starting on December 25th for $34.99 through GameSir’s website, but discounted to $29.99 for early birds.

The GameSir Pocket 1 wireless controller on its own and clamped to the bottom of an Android smartphone.
The Pocket 1 won’t drain your smartphone’s battery and it includes a hole so you can connect a charging cable directly to your phone.
Image: GameSir
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