The Wheel of Time spins up its third season in March

Rand (Joshua Stradowski) and Moiraine (Rosamund Pike). | Screenshot: YouTube

Amazon announced at CCXP in Brazil yesterday that season three of Prime Video fantasy series The Wheel of Time will start streaming on March 13th, 2025, writes Deadline. The company also released a new teaser trailer, setting stakes that include the life of at least one main character.

The trailer opens with Rand al’Thor (Joshua Stradowski) and others standing on a hill overlooking a fog-shrouded city. Rand and Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) are headed to the Aiel Waste “to uncover the true fate of the Dragon Reborn” in this season, according to the trailer’s description. If you haven’t watched the show or read Robert Jordan’s book series by the same name, Rand is the Dragon Reborn, a prophecied being who could save the world — or destroy it if he succumbs to the Dark.

We’ve seen a thousand, thousand futures, and in every one of them, The Wheel of Time returns March 13. Behold the official Season 3 teaser trailer. pic.twitter.com/ULZiKjWEHy

— THE WHEEL OF TIME (@TheWheelOfTime) December 7, 2024

“I have seen a thousand thousand futures. In every future where I lived, Rand dies,” says Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike). “And the only way he lives is if I don’t,” she adds before she’s seen being carried, unconscious, by Rand at the end of the trailer.

Besides Stradowski and Pike, season 3 will see the return of several characters, including Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robbins), Mat Cauthon (Dónal Finn), and al-Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney).

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NZXT’s Flex PC rentals are still ‘misleading’ and ‘predatory,’ claims Gamers Nexus

Image: NZXT

Gamers Nexus has released a video deconstructing NZXT’s defense of its Flex gaming PC purchase and rental program. In it, host Steve Burke says the company is still misleading customers, despite adjustments made in response to his previous video in which he called the program “a scam.”

NZXT said in its response this week that it would clarify details about its Flex program, which Gamers Nexus had criticized for having specs that would change sometimes “day-to-day.” The company has appeared to update specs and performance numbers for its purchase builds. But Gamers Nexus reports it still spotted issues like inconsistent FPS numbers and a FAQ that implied NZXT’s for-sale Player: Three Prime build uses an RTX 4090 graphics card, despite its specs saying otherwise.

The FAQ entry Burke mentions seems to be gone now, but as of this writing, there’s still an entry titled “What GPU is right for me?” that lists the RTX 4090 and its benefits. Such inconsistencies are a problem for potential customers, Burke says.

The fact that NZXT misrepresented its product, even after its statement, as having a 4090 when it still had a 4080 Super ... seemingly indicates that even NZXT can’t keep up with its own specs changes. If NZXT can’t keep up with it ... how are they expecting the customer to keep up with it?

Gamers Nexus offers other criticisms of the company’s rental program, from “improper packaging” damage fees with upper bounds that exceed the cost of equivalent non-rental versions of the PCs to the creator-based ad videos that continue to exist, despite the company saying it had “pulled all influencer-led Flex advertising.” NZXT did not immediately respond to our request for comment on the new video.

Gamers Nexus said Thursday that it’s working on a deeper investigation, and its video today ends with Burke saying he’s received “a number of very concerning tips” from former employees and customers.

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Michelle Yeoh’s spy team assembles in Star Trek: Section 31’s official trailer

Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. | Screenshot: YouTube

There’s a lot of Star Trek: Discovery in the official trailer for the Star Trek: Section 31 movie that Paramount Plus just released — big drama, explosions, and some looming threat that’s “unlike anything that Starfleet’s ever seen.”

The trailer shows off a little more of the film, with moody corridors, some sort of electrified space ball, and brief looks at the spaceships that the show will feature. It also devotes more time to characters besides Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou — namely Omari Hardwick’s Alok Sahar and Kacey Rohl’s future Enterprise C captain, Rachel Garrett. It’s still a mystery what trouble Emperor Philippa is leading her team into, though.

Philippa will work with a team that also includes a pointy-eared alien named Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), an empath named Melle (Humberly Gonzalez), the exoskeleton-wearing Zeph (Rob Kazinsky), and a Chameloid shapeshifter named Quasi (Sam Richardson). Star Trek: Section 31 starts streaming January 24th on Paramount Plus.

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X gives Grok a new photorealistic AI image generator

Image: The Verge

X has given Grok a new AI image generator model called “Aurora” that seems to create far more photorealistic imagery than Grok’s other image generator, with similarly few apparent restrictions on what it will produce, TechCrunch reports. Like Grok, anyone can use Aurora. It lives in a new “Grok 2 + Aurora beta” option in the Grok model selector, though you’ll only get a few queries before you hit the X Premium subscription paywall and have to wait.

TechCrunch found that the model, which X employee Chris Park posted is available this morning, was willing to create copyrighted characters and public figures, including Mickey Mouse and “a bloodied Donald Trump,” but that it “stopped short of nudes.” Its lack of restrictions isn’t surprising, given our experience with Grok’s other model.

In another example highlighted by TechCrunch, an X user showed off AI-generated images of Ray Romano and Adam Sandler in the X post below — both realistic, but with some very obvious weirdness when it comes to human anatomy and continuity.

Behold my images using the new Grok @grok image generator Aurora:

1. Ray Romano and @AdamSandler on a sitcom set pic.twitter.com/2V491RdjMF

— Matt (@EnsoMatt) December 7, 2024

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X helps update Kids Online Safety Act in final push for passage in the Republican-led House

Photo illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Jerod Harris, Chesnot, Getty Images

With just weeks left to pass legislation before Congress adjourns, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she worked with the authors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to update the bill in what seems like a play to win over the Republican House leaders standing in the way of it becoming law.

The striking announcement is the latest example of how Elon Musk and his companies are taking on significant roles in influencing government output. While it’s not unusual for outside stakeholders, including companies, to weigh in on pending legislation, the fact that the bill’s sponsors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), announced X’s input indicates they view it as helpful to the bill’s chances of passing.

“Led by X, the new changes made to the Kids Online Safety Act strengthen the bill while safeguarding free speech online and ensuring it is not used to stifle expression,” Blumenthal and Blackburn said in a joint statement. “These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans. We thank Elon and Linda for their bold leadership and commitment to protecting children online and for helping us get this bill across the finish line this Congress.”

KOSA aims to make the internet safer for kids by imposing a duty of care on tech platforms to prevent and mitigate certain harms when they implement certain design features, including photo filters and infinite scroll. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate over the summer but has stalled in the House, with the bill’s critics fearing it could be weaponized against disliked speech or lead to a more restricted internet due to platforms’ fears of legal risk.

The changes include a clarification that the bill can’t be used to enforce the platforms’ duty of care “based upon the viewpoint of users expressed by or through any speech, expression, or information protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” It also narrows the duty of care with respect to anxiety and depressive disorders to make it enforceable only when those conditions are “objectively verifiable” and linked to “compulsive usage.”

Yaccarino previously endorsed the bill on behalf of X earlier this year, while CEOs of companies like Meta and Google have not gone so far, and KOSA supporters point to tech lobbying as a key obstacle.

But Republican leadership in the House has also become a hurdle for the bill’s passage. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Punchbowl News in October, “I love the principle, but the details of that are very problematic.” He worried about “unintended consequences.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is viewed as potentially even harder to win over, Punchbowl reports, and is concerned about the scope of the duty of care in the bill.

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Severance’s season 2 trailer teases answers and raises strange new questions

Image: Apple

We already knew that the tensions and scares were going to ramp up in season 2 of Severance, and the latest trailer provides a deeper glimpse into what to expect — along with teasing answers to some important (and weird) questions.

The show follows a megacorporation called Lumon Industries, which utilizes a new procedure called severance that allows workers to spatially split their brains, creating two selves: one who works for Lumon, and another who lives life on the outside. The new clip shows the return of four Lumon employees — Mark (Adam Scott), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) — who are back in the office after managing to bridge those two different worlds. However, it’s unclear if they’re actually in trouble for their actions; instead, they’ve turned into celebrities of sorts.

That doesn’t mean that the vibes are any less unsettling, though, with the always-intense supervisor Milchick (Tramell Tillman) saying things like, “I’m tightening the leash.” More than anything, the new trailer promises answers to some of Severance’s strangest questions. There’s the mystery of what actually goes down in Lumon’s basement, which we’re told “will be remembered as one of the greatest moments on this planet” as well as just what the hell is going on with all of the goats. The trailer also introduces an unexpected new question: how could a child be an office manager?

Clearly, there’s a lot going on in season 2, and it’s not too far off now. The new season of Severance starts streaming on January 17th. In the meantime, here are some excellent new posters.

Image: Apple

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Google sues to stop the US from monitoring it like a bank

Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced on Friday it had placed Google Payment Corp. under federal supervision, reports Reuters. Google reportedly filed a lawsuit to block the CFPB’s order, which could result in routine inspections and monitoring like those imposed on banks.

The agency found that Google’s error resolution and fraud prevention processes pose risks to consumers, citing consumer complaints about Google Pay Balance and Google’s peer-to-peer payments. Those complaints, which Google’s lawsuit claims are “unsubstantiated,” according to The Washington Post, include that the company didn’t seem to fully investigate fraudulent charges and didn’t “adequately explain” the results of those investigations.

The CFPB says its finding that Google should be supervised doesn’t mean the company is “guilty of wrongdoing.” It also notes in its order that Google Pay and the P2P platform were discontinued earlier this year.

Google spokesperson José Castañeda provided a statement to The Verge:

This is a clear case of government overreach involving Google Pay peer-to-peer payments, which never raised risks and is no longer provided in the U.S., and we are challenging it in court.

Update December 7th: Added statement from Google spokesperson José Castañeda.

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Fortnite’s new mode is an FPS that’s a lot like Counter-Strike

Image: Epic Games

Epic Games is about to let Fortnite creators publish experiences with first-person modes, and to help show what’s possible, Epic itself is introducing a tactical FPS shooter that seems like it will play a lot like Counter-Strike or Valorant.

The new mode, called “Ballistic,” is “an adrenaline-filled, round-based 5v5 competitive game mode where strategy, tactical teamwork, and individual prowess are essential for victory,” according to an Epic blog post. Players will be split into two teams, with one that has to plant the bomb — sorry, I mean the “Rift Point Device” — and another that has to defend against that. Between rounds, you’ll be able to buy gear for the next one. Teams will switch sides after six rounds, and the first to win seven rounds will be crowned the victor.

This isn’t the first time Epic has cribbed a game idea for Fortnite: its racing and festival modes both borrow a lot from Psyonix’s Rocket League and Harmonix’s Rock Band (Epic owns both studios), the Lego survival mode has a lot of similarities to Minecraft, and Epic even admitted that the (now-gone) Impostors mode was inspired by Among Us. Heck, the game’s main battle royale mode was actually a spinoff that followed the success of PUBG.

But now that Epic is trying to make Fortnite into something more akin to Roblox (another inspiration!), where players are encouraged to sample lots of experiences instead of just one, modes like Ballistic and Reloadlet Epic experiment with different ideas without changing the core battle royale experience. And since your purchased Fortnite outfits and gear generally work across all of the modes, there’s a financial incentive for Epic to add more experiences, too.

Ballistic launches in early access on December 11th. Fortnite creators will be able to publish their own experiences with first-person modes that same day.

Ballistic is arriving during an already busy time for Fortnite. The game’s Japanese-themed season kicked off at the beginning of the week, and on Friday, Epic launched the permanent version of its throwback OG mode.

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How to stop the AI you’re using from training with your data

Image: The Verge

There’s plenty to consider when it comes to deciding whether you want to engage with the many generative AI bots now available inside our apps. These include the ethics of copyright use, soaring energy demands, and the diminishing of human creativity, to begin with.

Something else to bear in mind when engaging with these tools is they’re often going to use your flesh-and-blood human inputs to further train their underlying models. While some AI companies make efforts to anonymize this data, it’s something you may not feel comfortable with. The good news is, in most cases, you can find a setting to turn the training off.

Disabling AI training isn’t quite the same as wiping your AI chatbot history, though they are linked. Your chats can still be used for training purposes before they’re wiped, and you may well want to keep your chat history in place — but at the same time stop AI companies from using your data for model refinement.

Here are instructions on how to turn off AI training on several AI or AI-supporting apps.

ChatGPT

Screenshot: ChatGPT

On ChatGPT, you can refuse to “improve the model for everyone.”

On the web

Click your profile picture (top...

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Google’s AI weather prediction model is pretty darn good

People shelter under umbrellas from the wind and rain as they cross a road near Shinjuku train station on October 12, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan ahead of Typhoon Hagibis’ expected landfal later in the evening. | Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images

GenCast, a new AI model from Google DeepMind, is accurate enough to compete with traditional weather forecasting. It managed to outperform a leading forecast model when tested on data from 2019, according to recently published research.

AI isn’t going to replace traditional forecasting anytime soon, but it could add to the arsenal of tools used to predict the weather and warn the public about severe storms. GenCast is one of several AI weather forecasting models being developed that might lead to more accurate forecasts.

GenCast is one of several AI weather forecasting models that might lead to more accurate forecasts

“Weather basically touches every aspect of our lives ... it’s also one of the big scientific challenges, predicting the weather,” says Ilan Price, a senior research scientist at DeepMind. “Google DeepMind has a mission to advance AI for the benefit of humanity. And I think this is one important way, one important contribution on that front.”

Price and his colleagues tested GenCast against the ENS system, one of the world’s top-tier models for forecasting that’s run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). GenCast outperformed ENS 97.2...

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The end of the ISS will usher in a more commercialized future in space

Image: NASA

Can privately owned space stations replace the ISS? And what becomes of the research?

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Verge’s 2024 holiday gift guide for dads

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

If you’re unsure what to gift the father figure in your life this year, we have more than a few suggestions.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Valve’s master plan for Steam Machines is finally coming into focus

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

If I told you that Valve could make a play to dethrone the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox in your living room this next year while simultaneously challenging the Meta Quest as the gamer’s VR headset of choice, would you believe me? Because Valve may have a lot of SteamOS hardware on the way.

If there’s fire where we currently see smoke, Valve is currently preparing a wireless VR headset codename Deckard, a pair of trackable wands codename Roy, a Steam Controller 2 gamepad codename Ibex, and a codename Fremont living room console too. (That last one now looks likelier than it did yesterday.) And Valve has also now seemingly revealed plans for partners to create third-party SteamOS hardware too.

It won’t be easy to take on Sony, Microsoft, or Meta. Those companies have a lot to lose, and they’re deeply entrenched. But the Steam Deck has revealed a massive weakness in each of their businesses that may take them years to correct — the desire to play a huge library of games anytime, anywhere.

And while they figure that out, Valve may be building an entire new ecosystem of SteamOS hardware, one that could finally let PC and peripheral makers tap into the huge and growing...

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Microsoft Surface rumors point to a big Copilot Plus refresh next year

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Microsoft’s first Copilot AI-ready Surface laptop arrived earlier this year, and now Windows Central reports that the rest of the lineup is due for a refresh in 2025.

According to the report, we can expect new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop computers — and we’ve already seen a possible prototype pop up in October — with Intel Lunar Lake chips, that will be Copilot Plus PCs with AI features, just like the current Snapdragon versions.

That would make them the first Intel-powered Surfaces with the label after Microsoft didn’t extend the label and those features to the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Those machines had Intel Metor Lake chips with NPUs that didn’t meet the necessary mark. The new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are also expected to get anti-reflective screen coating, and the Laptop version might get a card reader and 5G options.

It also says the Surface Laptop Studio is due for an upgrade from the current model’s 13th-gen Intel chips that could use Intel or AMD. Whatever the case, I hope it will have better battery life than we saw in our review of the current model. Meanwhile, Microsoft confirmed to Windows Central that the Surface Studio 2 Plus all-in-one is g...

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What Arm’s CEO makes of the Intel debacle

Arm CEO Rene Haas. | Getty Images / The Verge

Arm CEO Rene Haas has a unique, bird’s eye view of the tech industry. His company’s chip designs are in the majority of devices you use on a daily basis, from your smartphone to your car. The SoftBank-backed company he leads is worth almost $150 billion, which is now considerably more than Intel.

With the news earlier this week that Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger “retired” and Intel is evaluating its options for a possible spinoff or outright sale, I wanted to hear what Haas thought should happen to his longtime frenemy. There were reports that he approached Intel about buying a big chunk of the company before Gelsinger was ousted. At the same time, Arm is also rumored to be eyeing an expansion into building its own chips and not just licensing its designs.

Haas and I touched on all that and more in an exclusive interview earlier today, which will air in full on a future episode of Decoder. (You can listen to my episode about AI spending in the enterprise that just came out as well.) In the meantime, I wanted to give subscribers the first peek at the highlights from my conversation with Haas.

The following interview has been edited and condensed:

On what he makes of the Intel...

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T-Mobile is introducing ‘revamped’ 5G Home Internet plans

T-Mobile would just love to sign you up on one of its new plans. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile is once again shuffling its 5G internet options, adding a streaming bundle to its priciest plan and introducing a new mid-tier option. The new plans start at $50 per month (including an autopay discount) and become available starting December 11th.

Importantly, it seems that prices are staying consistent with T-Mobile’s previous 5G Home Internet options — if you’re new to T-Mobile. Discounts for existing customers with a T-Mobile voice line aren’t quite as generous with the new plans.

The new T-Mobile Rely Internet plan costs $50 per month for new customers, which is what T-Mobile charges now for its Home Internet Unlimited plan. Current T-Mobile customers will pay $35 per month, which is $5 more than the $30 a month promo the company is offering now. Unlike the pricier plans, Rely includes a previous-gen 5G router.

The next step up is a new T-Mobile Amplified Internet plan that costs new customers $60 a month with autopay or $45 with a T-Mobile voice line. It comes with T-Mobile’s newest 5G gateway; the small business version of the plan includes a mesh access point, too.

Image: T-Mobile

I love a comparison chart.

The new top tier plan, All-In, includes the latest router and a streaming bundle with ad-supported Hulu and Paramount Plus Essential. It’s still $70 per month to new T-Mobile customers, but current customers will pay $55 per month — again, not quite as good as the $50 per month promotional price on the outgoing Internet Plus plan.

T-Mobile spokesperson Katie Brinton tells The Verge “There are no changes for existing customers” on the outgoing plans. The Home Internet Backup plan is also sticking around for anyone who just wants an option when their primary Wi-Fi goes down.

Wireless carriers in the US are leaning into fixed wireless internet as a way to make the most of the 5G spectrum these companies have acquired at great cost. T-Mobile has been at the front of the pack with 6 million wireless internet customers, according to its October 2024 earnings release. But its net internet customer additions were down year-over-year, something T-Mobile’s earnings factbook attributes partially to “Increased deactivations from a growing customer base.” A fresh batch of internet offers with extra streaming services included look like they’re a key part of T-Mobile’s strategy to keep pushing forward in the category.

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Apple’s custom modems could put 5G in Macs and Vision Pro

Image: The Verge

Apple has big plans for its rumored custom modems. Along with using them in iPhones and iPads, Apple also plans on putting the chip inside Macs and maybe even future versions of the Vision Pro, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Macs with cellular connectivity reportedly won’t arrive before 2026, which is when Bloomberg expects Apple to launch its more advanced, second-generation custom modem. Apple may also add the 5G chip to a pair of augmented reality glasses that Bloomberg says is “years away.” In addition to the iPhone, the company already sells iPads and Apple Watches with cellular connectivity.

Rumors suggest that Apple will debut its custom modem in the iPhone SE next year, followed by entry-level iPads and an iPhone that’s 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro, Bloomberg reports. Apple is also expected to bring its second-generation modem to high-end iPhones and iPads over three years as it phases out the use of Qualcomm’s modems.

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Google Wallet can now be your passport at many airports

Illustration: The Verge

Google is now rolling out the ability to make a digital ID from your passport that you can store in Google Wallet and use at select TSA checkpoints.

Here’s how to make the ID, per Google’s September blog post where it initially announced the feature:

Select the prompt in the Google Wallet app to “create an ID pass with your U.S. passport” and follow the instructions to scan the security chip in the back of your passport. You’ll be asked to take a selfie video to verify your identity, and Google Wallet will notify you when your ID pass is ready (typically within a few minutes).

However, in that blog post, Google also cautions that a digital ID in Google Wallet is “not a replacement for your physical ID” and that you should still carry a physical ID when traveling “for now.”

The digital ID feature will be available to “all eligible users in the coming weeks,” according to Jenny Cheng, VP and GM of Google Wallet. You can see a map of which airports accept digital IDs on the TSA’s website.

Cheng also shared that New Mexico driver’s licenses and state IDs can be saved in Google Wallet. New Mexico is the sixth state to support the feature, 9to5Google reports.

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The Verge’s favorite holiday gifts under $50

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The holidays are expensive, but they don’t have to be. From fitness trackers to smart speakers, here are the best gifts under $50.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Large drones are flying over New Jersey at night and no one knows why

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

For over a week, New Jersey residents have spotted unidentified aircraft in the northern part of the state, including Morris County and near Newark — and now the authorities are urging people to remain calm.

The FBI’s Newark office, along with Morris County officials, recently issued a statement asking the public to share any information they might have on the mysterious drones, while reiterating that there is “no known threat” to the public. And NJ Governor Phil Murphy said that his office is actively monitoring the situation.

Image: Julie Shavalier via NBC News

One of the drones looks like an airplane.

The drones were captured on camera by residents in multiple boroughs in the state, mostly at night. Some images and videos shared in news broadcasts and social media depict strange winged aircraft that look like small planes (or “car-sized drones”). Others seem like groups of consumer-level drone copters.

The drones would fly back and forth for “hours,” some witnesses said. Following the reports, the FAA has banned drones from flying over President-elect Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf course, NJ.com reports.

@krisandersen7

finally got a video of my own. the mystery "drones" that have been circling nj and puzzling its residents. even the FBI has requested these sightings be reported as they are allegedly investigating them further. the best I could do given my shite phone and the fact that I was freezing my fingies off #newjersey #drones #mysterydrones

♬ original sound - Jenny Talia

This drone mystery has taken over the New Jersey subreddit and is spawning a bunch of citizen investigations. It even has the attention of UFO enthusiasts. Some are speculating that the aircraft could be foreign spy drones like the Chinese spy balloon last year, or US military tests, or surveillance drones from the local authorities. Even the FBI is being targeted as a potential culprit.

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Google’s Pixel 9A looks destined to ditch the camera bar

Illustration: The Verge

There’ve already been renders of Google’s yet-to-be-announced Pixel 9A and one real-world sneak peek. Now we’re getting yet another look at an early prototype of Google’s next mid-range phone. X user fenibook has posted two shots of the phone, and it’s got the company’s usual markings that designate this as a still-under-development device.

These latest images offer yet more proof that Google plans to ditch the camera bar — a visual hallmark of recent Pixels — on the 9A in favor of making the camera flush with the back of the phone. That’s a bit surprising to see, but Google’s Claude Zellweger told us back in August that designers were likely to reevaluate the ratio of camera hardware to phone hardware thanks to advancements in computational photography.

Google Pixel 9a leaked. pic.twitter.com/XxP67PsY0D

— fenibook (@feni_book) December 5, 2024

The Pixel A-series might be the ideal phone for Google to test whether it can get away with a smaller sensor and camera housing without sacrificing too much in the way of image quality. It’s logical to expect the company’s very best photo capabilities from the flagship models, but as my colleague Allison Johnson can attest, “pretty good” is often enough for the mid-tier Pixel. That said, this phone looks rather bland as is, so hopefully Google will give us a good selection of colors to pick from.

Rumors indicate the 9A will have a larger 6.3-inch display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and the same Tensor G4 used in the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro Fold. But there have also been reports that Google will saddle it with an older modem, which would be a shame since the Pixel 9 lineup really made strides in cellular performance this year.

Google could announce the Pixel 9A as early as March, so the rumors claim. The series has traditionally stuck to a spring release timeframe, but after Google changed up the schedule this year, anything’s possible. Android 16 will be rolling out earlier than usual, so the two might line up nicely.

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This Game Boy Advance clone could satisfy your purple taco nostalgia

The Anbernic RG34XX looks inspired by Nintendo’s GBA but with a larger screen and more buttons. | Screenshot: YouTube

Anbernic announced its next retro handheld today and it’s easy to see where the design of the RG34XX draws its inspiration. It appears to be a faithful clone of Nintendo’s original Game Boy Advance, although updated with additional action and shoulder buttons allowing games from more recent systems to be played. Pricing and availability hasn’t been revealed yet, but the RG34XX will come in transparent red and green colors, as well as the GBA’s purple and black.

One feature Anbernic didn’t carry forward is the Game Boy Advance’s LCD screen which lacked a backlight and was notoriously difficult to see unless you were playing outside on a sunny day or cozied up next to a bright lamp. The RG34XX will instead feature a larger 3.4-inch display with a 720x480 resolution. The display will also use the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the Game Boy Advance, so GBA titles should look great, and older games developed for 4:3 TV screens will fit without extensive stretching or pillarboxing.

Image: Keep Retro

The RG34XX will be available in purple or black colors, and transparent red or green.

As with previous Anbernic handhelds, the RG34XX doesn’t have a cartridge slot like the Analogue Pocket or the ModRetro Chromatic. It’s instead designed to play games through software emulation. Details on the RG34XX’s processor aren’t known yet, but Retro Handhelds speculates it will be based on the Allwinner H700 chipset the company has used in its other XX series handhelds. If that’s the case, you can expect it to play games from older consoles up to the original Sony PlayStation, and even some N64 and Sega Dreamcast titles.

Image: Keep Retro

The RG34XX will include two sets of shoulder buttons, a mini HDMI port, USB-C for charging, and dual microSD slots.

The RG34XX will include Wi-Fi connectivity facilitating online play as well as streaming PC titles through Moonlight, and Bluetooth for connecting multiple wireless controllers for shared screen multiplayer. If that 3.4-inch screen still seems too small, the RG34XX also includes a mini HDMI port for connecting it to a TV, alongside a USB-C port for charging, and a pair of microSD card slots for storing ROMs and its operating system.

This isn’t the first time that Anbernic has copied Nintendo’s homework. Earlier this year the company released its RG35XXSP with a design inspired by the clamshell Game Boy Advance SP but with an improved screen, a more capable processor, and a concerning number of pre-installed pirated ROMs.

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Apple’s in-house 5G modem plans are just getting started with next year’s iPhone SE

The new modem is rumored to appear in next year’s iPhone SE. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Apple’s betting that its upcoming in-house 5G modem could help it beat Qualcomm's performance eventually, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple has worked on developing its own modem for years, but the initiative reportedly experienced technical issues and other setbacks despite purchasing Intel’s modem unit in 2019.

The first Apple modem is rumored to come to the iPhone SE before appearing in the rumored iPhone “Slim” and entry-level iPads. Down the line, Apple is reportedly planning to roll out a second-generation modem with mmWave in 2026, putting it in the iPhone 18 line and higher-end iPads. In 2027, Bloomberg reports that Apple “hopes to top Qualcomm” with its “Prometheus” modem, which could support AI features and “next-generation satellite networks.”

However, its first chip may fall short of Qualcomm’s in terms of the absolute highest possible speed for a couple of reasons: lacking support for the mmWave technology available in some cities from carriers like Verizon and supporting four-carrier aggregation instead of six.

Those features boost the maximum bandwidth available to multiple gigabits per second, but speeds are typically much slower in the real world, and the current iPhone SE also lacks mmWave support. The new modem will, however, support dual SIM standby, allowing people to have two active SIM cards at the same time.

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You can now try Microsoft’s Recall AI feature on Intel and AMD Copilot Plus PCs

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is expanding the testing of its new Recall AI feature to Intel- and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PCs. The software giant first released a preview of Recall on Qualcomm-powered laptops last month, allowing Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel to test the new AI-powered feature. Now Intel and AMD Copilot Plus PCs are getting access in a new build today.

Recall takes screenshots of almost everything you do on a Copilot Plus PC to make it searchable and easy to recall a memory or retrace your steps. Microsoft has made the AI experience entirely optional, so you can enable snapshots to find what you were working on previously through natural language search or a scrollable timeline.

Image: Microsoft

The Recall timeline feature.

Much like the experience on Qualcomm Copilot Plus PCs, Windows 11 will download the models for Recall and Click to Do in the background once you install the Dev Channel build. You’ll then need to enable snapshots yourself. You can control what snapshots are saved and delete them based on apps or much like you’d delete browsing history by date. Microsoft also provides a way to exclude apps and websites from Recall, and the feature also automatically detects sensitive information like credit card details, passwords, and personal ID numbers to ensure snapshots are not saved.

Microsoft has made a variety of security upgrades to Recall after researchers raised the alarm over the controversial feature. You now need to use Windows Hello to confirm your presence and access snapshots, and it also requires BitLocker and Secure Boot — both of which should be enabled already on a Copilot Plus PC.

Click to Do is also part of this Recall testing. Click to Do can recognize text and images in Recall snapshots so you can use AI-powered actions on them like copying text or saving images out of old snapshots. Microsoft is also expanding Click to Do outside of Recall so you can use it to take actions on images and text by summoning it through Windows key + mouse click.

Lastly, Microsoft is also introducing its Image Creator and Restyle Image features to the Photos app for Intel- and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PCs. These devices will also get access to Cocreator in Paint today to let you create AI-powered images directly in Paint.

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X’s Grok AI chatbot is now available to all users

The Verge

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is now available to free users on X. Several users noticed the change on Friday, which gives non-Premium subscribers the ability to send up to 10 messages to Grok every two hours.

xAI launched Grok last year as a “humorous AI assistant,” but it was only available to Premium subscribers. In August, xAI added a text-to-image generation feature to Grok, which turned out to be capable of producing some questionable images.

TechCrunch reported last month that Musk’s xAI started testing a free version of Grok in certain regions. Making Grok more widely available might help it compete with the already-free chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Anthropic’s Claude.

xAI, which raised $6 billion in its latest funding round, is also considering launching a standalone app for Grok — something ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude already have, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

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AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation hit new all-time low with $40 off

You should definitely skip the base AirPods 4, which are only $9 cheaper right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The AirPods Pro stole the spotlight recently with an incredible discount that made them even cheaper than the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. But now the script is flipped and the AirPods 4 are currently discounted to $139 ($40 off) at Amazon. That’s a new record low for Apple’s newest pair of wireless earbuds and just $9 more than the version without ANC.

The AirPods 4 are a substantial upgrade over the previous generation, with better overall sound quality and a stronger bass profile. They also borrow a couple more features from the AirPods Pro, like the Voice Isolation feature that analyzes your voice to separate it and cancel out the environment, resulting in clearer voice calls. Other features include a wireless charging case with a speaker that lets you trigger a sound from Apple’s Find My app, spatial audio with head-tracking, and adaptive audio.

Active noise cancellation is solid in the upgraded pair, but since there are no canal-sealing ear tips, they won’t offer the same dampening. That’s where you’d opt instead for the AirPods Pro, which ultimately sound better and offer a few extra capabilities, like more intuitive volume controls and the ability to use them as hearing aids. But if you don’t mind making some tradeoffs, the entry-level AirPods 4 offer a lot for the money.

Read our Apple AirPods 4 review.

A few more deals to kick the weekend off

• If you need a solid pair of earbuds but you can’t justify spending close to $100 or more, the JLab Go Air Pop should have your attention right now. They’re just $9.88 ($15 off) at Walmart, which is their lowest price to date. They don’t do much but play music, but they sound decent, they’re reasonably comfortable, and you can get them in a variety of fun colors. You’ll get eight hours of runtime per charge, with an extra 24 hours available in the charging case.
• Today only, you can get a two-pack of black Xbox Core Wireless Controllers with a USB-C cable from Woot for $73.59 (about $46 off) with code 20PERCENT. The controllers are often on sale for $40 on their own, so you’re getting a better deal compared to buying them separately. Although Microsoft created the controllers specifically for the Xbox Series X/S launch, you can use them with older Xbox One consoles and on Windows PCs.
• The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, which we think is the best battery-powered video doorbell, is matching its all-time low of $99.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The doorbell boasts an impressive 1536p video resolution as well as a head-to-toe view that offers better visibility for packages and visitors. While there are cheaper wireless options from Ring and competitors, they’re not quite as responsive as the Doorbell Plus. Other handy features include color night vision, live view, and two-way audio, though you’ll need to pay $4.99 a month for others like recorded video and package alerts.

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