Elon Musk’s computer coup

Elon Musk and the team at the Department of Government Efficiency figured out one thing really fast: if you control the computers, you control everything. And so Musk and his merry band of engineers have spent the last week or so parading into various US government agencies and taking control of their systems. Thereâ€™s so much about whatâ€™s really happening here â€” who has what access, when anyone will try and stop them, whether this small group really will successfully shut down agencies and convince thousands of federal employees to leave their jobs â€” that we donâ€™t know. But however it shakes out, the X-ification of the US government is not a good thing.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we start by trying to, if not make sense of things, at least try and explain them. Nilay, David, and _The Verge_â€™s Richard Lawler talk about why DOGE is operating the way it is, how it has been able to so quickly assume so much control over the government, and what might come next.

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After that, the hosts pivot to talking about tariffs, which are at least slightly less complicated and confusing. But only slightly! We …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 8:43 PM

Newer Sony cameras can now upload images to Google Drive and Lightroom

A Sony digital camera next to a smartphone with overlaid graphics simulating a file transfer.

Sony has updated its Creators’ Cloud platform with the ability to send images from a camera to Google Drive and Adobe Lightroom. | Image: Sony

Sony has updated its Creators’ Cloud platform so that images uploaded to a user’s cloud storage from select Sony cameras can be automatically transferred to Google Drive or Adobe Lightroom. With Google Drive, you can save photos for backup and sharing, and with Adobe Lightroom, images can be processed almost immediately, even by a remote editor. The feature is only compatible with recent Sony cameras (including the FX3, FX30, A1, ZV-E10 II, and A9 III) that support the ability to upload images to the cloud over Wi-Fi or through Sony’s Creators’ App available for Android, iOS, and iPadOS mobile devices.

Images are first uploaded to Sony’s Creators‘ Cloud storage directly before being sent to either Google Drive or Lightroom. That offers an added level of redundancy, while also allowing photographers to incorporate other cloud storage solutions into their workflows they may already pay for.

All Sony Creators’ Cloud users get 5GB of storage for free, or 25GB if they’re using it with a Sony camera. Sony also offers two premium tiers with 100GB of storage for $4.99 per month and $59.88 annually, or 500GB for $9.99 per month and $119.88 annually.

Sony recently updated Creators’ Cloud to include a differential transfer feature in the Sony’s Creators’ App that limits image transfers between a Sony camera and a mobile device to only new photos or images that haven’t been previously transferred over.

Sony has also added “advanced control options” to its mobile app, allowing users of select Sony cameras to adjust certain camera settings directly from a connected smartphone or tablet.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 7:33 PM

Reddit tells communities threatening Elon Musk and DOGE workers to cool down

Reddit has seen an increase in rule-breaking posts across “several communities,” and it has issued a temporary ban on one that featured users calling for violence against people who work for the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

That community, r/WhitePeopleTwitter, was given a 72-hour ban on Tuesday, as reported by Engadget. Screenshots shared on X show multiple examples of the threatening posts. Musk later reposted the screenshots, claiming that the users have “broken the law.”

In a note on the subreddit, Reddit says it was banned “due to a prevalence of violent content” and that “inciting and glorifying violence or doxing” violate Reddit’s rules. An unnamed Reddit admin said the ban was meant to be a “cooling-off period” for the community.

Reddit also gave a full ban to a subreddit called r/IsElonDeadYet for violating rules “against posting violent content.” The unnamed admin said Reddit is taking steps “to ensure all communities can provide a safe environment for healthy conversation” in a post on r/RedditSafety.

“Reddit communities are places for civil discussion and are one of the few places online where people can exchange ideas and perspectives,” the Reddit admin account wrote. “We want to ensure that they continue to be a place for healthy debate no matter the topic. Debate and dissent are welcome on Reddit—threats and doxing are not.”

When Reddit identifies communities “experiencing an increase in rule-violating content,” the company says it will reach out to moderators, add a popup to the subreddit reminding users of Reddit’s rules, and issue 72-hour bans when needed.

Last month, many subreddits banned posting links to Elon Musk-owned X. In that case, Reddit said communities were free to implement the rules.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 6:59 PM

Look at this keyboard

Hey, real quick: look at this keyboard. There’s something cool about it.

It’s a mechanical keyboard. It’s a laser keyboard. It’s a magnetic induction keyboard.

It has the new switches. It has the old switches. It’s very thin. It’s got a weird layout. It has a trackpoint. Or a screen. It has cool keycaps. It has cool screens on its keycaps. It’s…furry? It folds in half. It’s retractable.

Maybe it’s not a keyboard at all, except spiritually. Sometimes it’s a mouse, or a trackpad, or a trackball.

Sometimes The Verge reviews keyboards. Other times, we just want to show them to you.

Look at this keyboard.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 6:20 PM

Nintendo says it’s ‘taking risks’ to meet Switch 2 demand

Nintendo is gearing up for the Switch 2’s launch sometime in 2025, and president Shuntaro Furukawa says that the company is “taking risks and proceeding with production so that we can meet as much demand as possible,” according to a machine translation of an earnings Q&A.

The company had some trouble keeping the original Switch in stock during its very successful 2017 launch. Nintendo isn’t going to reveal its specific Switch 2 production plans until it releases the business plan for its next fiscal year (which begins in April), Furukawa says, but the company wants to gauge demand following the Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct on April 2nd.

“As with the Nintendo Switch, we believe it will not be easy to rapidly increase production capacity, but based on our past experience, we will make preparations to respond as quickly as possible,” he says.

The Q&A has a few other interesting tidbits:

Furukawa says that “dedicated software” is important with the launch of a console, which could indicate that Nintendo won’t have many new games for both the original Switch and the Switch 2 (though Switch games will be backward compatible with the Switch 2). The only known Switch 2 game is what appears to be a new Mario Kart, but Nintendo hasn’t said if it will be on the first Switch, too.
Nintendo doesn’t plan to change the price of the original Switch “at this time,” but it isn’t ready to share the price of the Switch 2 yet. The price will presumably be announced at the Switch 2 Direct.
Despite generally pulling back on mobile apps, Nintendo is still working on making new game apps and is considering ways to link smartphones to its games.

But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the Switch 2, and it seems like Nintendo is going to keep a pretty tight lid on things ahead of the Switch 2 Direct. I’m just happy that the Switch 2 looks like a bigger, more refined Switch.

As part of its earnings, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Switch has sold more than 150 million units, meaning that it’s closing in on surpassing the Nintendo DS.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 6:13 PM

Longer-lasting laptops: the modular hardware you can upgrade and repair yourself

When it comes to improving the sustainability of consumer electronics, there’s a growing movement to design devices with a focus on upgradability and repairability that can extend their longevity, instead of just making them easier to recycle after a few years of use.

At one time, nearly every laptop maker was caught up in a race to create ultrathin designs, resulting in hardware that was difficult to upgrade and expensive to repair. But in recent years, several companies have demonstrated that laptops can be designed so that users can upgrade and easily swap out parts as needed.

Innovative companies like Framework have been producing laptops that don’t need to be entirely replaced every few years, and with more success than other companies previously following similar pursuits. In 2021, Dell was sued over its Alienware laptop that promised GPU upgrades, while Intel has abandoned a couple of modular hardware products, including its Compute Cards.

For now, it’s primarily Framework leading the charge, but its success has inspired competitors like Lenovo to follow suit. As more companies dedicate R&D to the cause, Framework may one day no longer be the only brand associated with modular devices.

You can stay on top of all the latest upgradable and easily repairable device news and developments right here.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 6:03 PM

iOS App Store apps with screenshot-reading malware found for the first time

Apps distributed through both Apple and Google’s app stores are hiding malicious screenshot-reading code that’s being used to steal cryptocurrency, the cybersecurity software firm Kaspersky reported today. It’s the “first known case” of apps infected with malware that uses OCR tech to extract text from images making it into Apple’s App Store, according to a blog post detailing the company’s findings.

Kaspersky says it discovered the code from this particular malware campaign, which it calls “SparkCat,” in late 2024 and that the frameworks for it appear to have been created in March of the same year.

On iOS and in some Android instances, the malware works by triggering a request to access users’ photo galleries when they attempt to use chat support within the infected app. Once permission is granted, it uses Google OCR tech, which lets it decipher text found in photos, to look for things like screenshots of crypto wallet passwords or recovery phrases. The software then sends any images it finds back to the attackers, who can then use the info to access the wallets and steal crypto.

Kaspersky says it can’t “confirm with certainty the infection was a result of a supply chain attack or deliberate action by the developers.” The company names two AI chat apps that seem to have been created for the campaign and appear to still be available on the App Store, called WeTink and AnyGPT. Additionally, Kaspersky found the malicious code in a legitimate-seeming food delivery app called ComeCome, which you can also still download.

Neither Apple nor Google immediately responded to The Verge’s request for comment.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 5:51 PM

Herman Miller made a convertible standing desk that actually looks great

The smallest version of Herman Miller’s new Spout standing desk line.

The smallest version of Herman Miller’s new Spout sit-to-stand tables starts at $2,300. | Image: Herman Miller

Herman Miller has announced a new height-adjustable desk that doesn’t look like one. Instead of relying on just two columns to raise and lower its work surface, the Spout Sit-to-Stand Table uses four cylindrical legs, each containing their own motor. The design makes the Spout table easier to move around (it even includes optional wheels), allows for more people to use it simultaneously, and boosts its lifting strength to up to 400 pounds.

As with most of Herman Miller’s products, the Spout comes with one major drawback: its price tag. According to a release from the company today, the Spout will be available in sizes ranging from 24×48 inches up to 48×84 inches. However, Herman Miller’s online store currently only lists three sizes available for purchase. A 23×46-inch option which starts at $2,300, a 29×58-inch for $2,600, and a 35×70-inch for $2,700. Upgrading the largest version with a walnut veneer finish and a hidden cable tray boosts its price to $3,400.

Three versions of Herman Miller’s Spout table with different finishes and accessories.

With its unique leg arrangement, the larger versions of the Spout table have enough room for chairs to be used on all four sides. That potentially makes it a more useful piece of furniture for collaborative spaces — assuming everyone using the table can agree when it’s time to raise or lower it.

Although the cable tray, which hangs beneath the table to keep piles of wires out of sight, is an optional accessory, the Spout still features a cable management system on the underside, including clips on one leg to wrangle its power cord.

A laptop on top of the Herman Miller Spout desk connected to a USB-C port.

An integrated storage drawer on one side is large enough to accommodate laptops and other smaller electronics, and they can also be charged while inside. The Spout is one of Herman Miller’s first products to work with its new Ello Power accessories. Integrated into the surface of the table are a pair of USB-C ports that can each deliver up to 100W of power — enough to charge a laptop — although power delivery drops to 65W while both are in use. If that’s not enough, more USB-C ports can be added through additional accessories.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 5:36 PM

‘The biggest heist in American history’: DC is just waking up to Elon Musk’s takeover

A woman stands in front of the US Treasury building holding a handmade banner that reads “Elon bought the United States for $41.277B”

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against Elon Musk outside of the US Department of Treasury building in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, February 4th, 2025.

The long block outside of the US Treasury Department on Tuesday was lined with protesters. They flooded across the street with signs bearing slogans: â€œNobody elected Muskâ€; “This is illegal”; â€œStop the coup.â€ It was one of multiple DC protests targeting billionaire Elon Musk’s reported access to core government payment systems, attended by Democratic members of Congress â€” and citizens who fear too few people are standing in Musk’s way.

â€œWhat weâ€™re witnessing here is the biggest heist in American history,â€ Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told the tightly packed crowd, which was peppered with signs, surgical masks (a common protest security measure), and an orange mylar balloon that resembled a cartoon of President Donald Trump. The vibe was orderly but energetic. Some signs called for Musk’s arrest, and at one point, protesters began an impromptu chant of â€œlock him up.â€

In just the last few days, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) â€” a new temporary organization Trump created out of the United States Digital Service and appointed Musk to lead â€” have consolidated power and targeted a growing list of federal departments. He’s taken it upon h …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 5:17 PM

VW and Audi dealers are suing Scout over its no-dealers plan

A coterie of Florida car dealers filed a lawsuit this week against Scout Motors over its direct-to-consumer sales model. The complaint alleges that Scout, which operates under the Volkswagen Group, is in violation of Florida law which blocks automakers from trying to bypass dealers by selling directly to consumers.

The suit, which was filed by nearly two dozen Audi and VW dealers, asserts that Scout’s plan to sell its vehicles in Florida is “unlawful” since it has yet to secure a license from the state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The dealers are seeking a court injunction blocking Scout from selling directly to Florida residents.

Scout hasn’t sold a single vehicle yet — its first vehicles, an electric truck and SUV, were revealed last October and won’t go into production until 2027 — but the dealers claim the company is violating the law by accepting $100 deposits from interested customers.

Dealers claim Scout is violating the law by accepting $100 deposits

“Florida has a clear definition of the word ‘sell’ and Scout Motors is actively selling in violation of state law,” said John Forehand, an attorney representing the dealers, in an email. “If you take a buyer deposit in Florida, it’s the same as making a sale, and that’s simply not allowed.”

Almost as soon as Scout’s EVs were announced, dealers were grumbling about the possible illegalities of its sales model. Dealers have an iron grip on car sales in most states, having lobbied over the decades to enshrine their business model in law. Some companies like Tesla, Rivian, and Polestar have found workarounds. But dealers have sought to snuff out most direct-to-consumer attempts, filing lawsuits and lobbying heavily through their trade group, the National Automobile Dealers Association.

But Scout wasn’t shy about bucking the norms. And the fact that it was doing so under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group made it all the more ripe for conflict. Tellingly, the Florida dealers who filed the complaint all sell VW and Audi (another VW Group company) vehicles.

A spokesperson for Scout declined to comment on the lawsuit, instead pointing to comments made by Cody Thacker, VP for Growth, last October: “Just as utilizing franchised dealers may be appropriate for some brands and their customers, utilizing a direct sales model best supports our customers and our strategic customer-first vision as we launch a new vehicle platform, a new production center, and a new retail network to bring the Scout Traveler SUV and Terra truck to market.”

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 4:13 PM

The best ebook reader to buy right now

Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.

Comfort

How easy is it to use and read on? A sharp display and relatively fast performance are essential to an enjoyable reading experience, as are size and weight.

Build quality

Some e-readers come with different features, like waterproofing, which means you really can read anywhere. Others offer buttons that make using the e-reader more intuitive to use.

Supported content types

There must be easy, direct access to a wide selection of digital titles, which includes audiobooks as well as various file formats.

Affordability

Is the price justified, given what the e-reader offers?

I’ve been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and I’ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the Pocketbook Era. Whether you want something your kid can throw against the wall or a waterproof, warm-glow Kindle that won’t ruin your spa ambiance, these are the best ebook readers for everyone.

The best Kindle

_Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .3 inches/ Weight: 211 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio support

If you mostly buy ebooks from Amazon, you’ll want a Kindle, and the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the best choice for most people. Starting at $159.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Colour — my top non-Amazon ebook reader, which I’ll dive into later — while offering many of the same features. Those include a spacious 7-inch 300pi display with rich contrast levels and an adjustable warm white frontlight, which make for a clear and enjoyable reading experience. The latter also conveniently improves sleep by cutting down on blue light that interrupts melatonin production.

That warm white frontlighting is an advantage over the cool white of the $109.99 base-model Kindle, and unlike the base Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $ 199.99 Signature Edition Paperwhite also has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen ads. It has wireless charging, which is a rare feature to find in an e-reader.

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world, and it dominates the US ebook market, so Kindle owners have access to advantages owners of other ebook readers don’t. Much of Amazon’s hardware strategy depends on offering cut-rate discounts to pull you into its content ecosystem. If you have Prime and buy a lot of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the best choice because Amazon makes it incredibly easy to buy and read its stuff. Its ebooks and audiobooks are often on sale, and Prime members get more free content through Prime Reading. Rivals like Kobo offer sales, too, but it’s hard for them to offer discounts as steep as Amazon.

There are downsides, though. The Paperwhite has lockscreen ads unless you pay $20 extra to get rid of them. It’s also too big to hold comfortably with one hand. Perhaps the Kindle Paperwhite’s biggest flaw, though — which it shares with all Kindles aside from Fire tablets — is that it’s not easy to read books purchased outside of Amazon’s store. Kindle ebook formats are proprietary and only work on Kindle. Unlike Kobo and other ebook readers, Kindles don’t support EPUB files, an open file format used by pretty much everyone except Amazon. So, for example, if you often shop from Kobo’s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many other ebook stores), you can’t easily read those books on a Kindle without using a workaround. There are ways to convert and transfer file formats so you can read on the Kindle and vice versa, but it’ll take a couple of extra steps.

However, if you don’t buy your books elsewhere or you don’t mind shopping from Amazon, you’ll be more than happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.

Read our Kindle Paperwhite review.

The best non-Amazon ebook reader

_Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (color) / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Physical page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 support, Bluetooth audio support

The Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent alternative to Amazon’s ebook readers, especially for readers outside the US or anyone who doesn’t want to tap into Amazon’s ecosystem. Kobo’s latest slate offers many of the standout features found on the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite — including waterproofing, USB-C support, and a 300ppi display — along with a few perks that make it more helpful and enjoyable to use.

The color display is the most obvious. The Libra Colour uses E Ink’s latest Kaledio color screen technology, which provides soothing, pastel-like hues that still pop in direct sunlight. It’s not as sharp as reading in monochrome — the resolution drops to 150ppi when viewing content in color — but it’s a nice touch that makes viewing a wider range of content more pleasant. Book covers and comics, while still muted, have an added layer of depth, even if the colors are nowhere near as vivid as that of a traditional LED tablet or as vibrant as the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition.

However, unlike the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, the Libra Colour works with a digital pen — the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately) — which lets you highlight text in various colors or take notes using Kobo’s integrated notebooks. You can also take advantage of some of the more advanced capabilities found in the Kobo Elipsa 2E, allowing you to solve math equations, convert handwriting into typed text, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Colour function as a mini notebook of sorts, though I wouldn’t use it as a primary note-taking device since the seven-inch display can feel cramped to write on.

A photo of Kobo’s Libra Colour’s built-in notebooks.

The color display is only part of the appeal, though. The Libra Colour doesn’t have the lockscreen ads on the base Paperwhite — and packs physical page-turning buttons, which feel more intuitive to use than tapping either side of the display as you have to do on Amazon’s modern e-readers. The speedy e-reader also supports more file formats, including EPUB files, and makes it much easier to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Native support for Pocket, meanwhile, means you can read your articles offline if you’re someone who uses the long-standing bookmarking app.

A photo of a page in a book with a sentence highlighted in pink.

However, at $229.99, the Libra Colour costs $70 more than the entry-level Paperwhite — and that’s without Kobo’s $69.99 stylus, which is required for performing certain tasks. That gap widens further when the Paperwhite is on sale. It more often is than the Libra Colour. The Kobo can’t easily tap into Amazon’s vast library of ebooks, which can be frustrating if you’ve amassed a collection of Kindle titles over the years. It can be done, but you have to convert file formats using third-party apps, which is tricky and can take time.

But if those things don’t matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Colour will give you the best digital reading experience of all the e-readers on our list. It’s my personal favorite.

Read our Kobo Libra Colour review.

The best cheap ebook reader

_Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches/ Weight: 158 grams / Screen area and resolution: 6-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: USB-C support, Bluetooth audio support

The base-model Kindle ($109.99 with ads) is the best cheap ebook reader. Its 300ppi resolution makes text clearer and easier to read than the lower-resolution screens on other ebook readers in its price range. Plus, it even has USB-C for relatively fast charging.

A hand holding the 2024 Kindle. The back of the 2024 Kindle.

Reading on its six-inch screen feels a little more cramped than it does on the larger displays of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour. However, the flip side is that its small size makes it pocketable, light, and easy for small hands to hold. Combined with its relatively affordable price, the Kindle is also the best ebook reader for kids — especially the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition which costs $20 more. The kid-friendly version shares the same specs but is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a case. It also comes with six months of Amazon Kids Plus, which grants kids access to thousands of children’s books and audiobooks for free. After that, though, you’ll have to pay $79 per year.

The base Kindle doesn’t have extra conveniences like the waterproofing you’ll find in the entry-level Kobo Clara BW and Paperwhite. You also don’t get the physical page-turning buttons found on Barnes & Noble’s entry-level e-reader, the Nook GlowLight 4e (though the Kindle is a lot snappier than the Nook). And because it’s an Amazon ebook reader, you’re also locked into the Amazon ecosystem and have to pay extra to remove ads. But if you can do without that, the Kindle delivers the essentials for under $110.

The best ebook reader for taking notes

_Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Screen area and resolution: 10.3-inches, 227ppi resolution / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Handwriting to text conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio support

Of all the large ebook readers I tested, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out the most because it’s a good e-reader with solid note-taking abilities. You can write directly on pages just as on a physical book. The Kindle Scribe lets you annotate book pages as well, but it’s complicated involving resizable text boxes that mess up the page formatting and prevent you from doing basic things like circling words. In contrast, taking notes on the Ellipsa 2E feels far more intuitive and natural.

A notebook menu of the Kobo Elipsa 2E opened up displaying options for inserting drawings, diagrams, and more. A doodle on the Kobo Elipsa 2E.

The Elipsa 2E offers other helpful note-taking tools and capabilities. Like the Kobo Libra Colour, it’s capable, for example, of solving math equations for you. You can also insert diagrams and drawings, and it’ll automatically snap them into something that looks cleaner and nicer. You can also sync your notes with Dropbox or view them online and convert handwriting to typed text. The Kindle Scribe offers the latter capability, too, but again, Kobo does it faster and better within the original notebook document as opposed to on a separate page. The only thing missing from the Elipsa 2E is the Scribe’s note-summarization feature, but that’s a trade-off I am okay with given how much easier it is to take notes.

Finally, the Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with twice the storage (32GB) for the same price as the base Kindle Scribe. You can step up to the 32GB Kindle Scribe for $20 more or upgrade to 64GB for $40 extra. Yet given the Scribe’s limitations, I still recommend saving the money and buying the Kobo Elipsa 2E instead.

The Kobo Elipsa 2E stylus. The back of the Kobo Elipsa 2E.

Note-taking capabilities aside, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is also a good e-reader with the same strengths and weaknesses as other Kobo devices. There’s support for a wide range of file formats, but you can’t easily read Kindle books without converting them first. Its 227ppi display is also slightly less sharp than the 300ppi screen found on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Colour. However, the 10.3-inch screen balances things out a bit and makes text easier to read, so it’s not a noticeable drawback. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable warm light for nighttime reading. That’s a feature rivals with more advanced note-taking capabilities — like the $379.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 which lets you do everything the Scribe does and more, like insert links to notes — lacks.

Amazon announces February product event

Amazon has sent out invites to a February Devices & Service event hosted by Panos Panay, | Image: Amazon

Amazon sent out invites today for a February event in New York City. The invite gives few clues as to what will be announced at the event, which will be hosted by Panos Panay and the Amazon Devices & Services team on February 26th.

However, a blue swirly logo behind the words “You’re invited” does give off strong Alexa vibes, and it seems very likely that the company will finally officially launch its new supercharged Alexa digital assistant.

Amazon skipped its traditional Fall hardware event in 2024 amid rumors it was struggling to get its smarter Alexa in suitable shape for launch. The company announced a new, better Alexa powered by LLMs in September 2023 but has yet to ship this promised improved digital assistant. The company has said it plans to charge for the new Alexa.

This will be the first big event hosted by Panos Panay since he joined the company from Microsoft in 2023, replacing Dave Limp as the head of Devices & Services at Amazon. He hosted a small event for media when the new Kindles were launched in October of last year. Devices & Services is the group responsible for Echo smart speakers, Fire TVs, Kindles, and Alexa, among other products.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 4:00 PM

The Gemini AI app can now show its thinking

Gemini 2.0 updates are starting to roll out.

Google is bringing its experimental “reasoning” artificial intelligence model capable of explaining how it answers complex questions to the Gemini app. The Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking update is part of a slew of Gemini 2.0 AI rollouts announced by Google today, including its latest Gemini 2.0 Pro flagship model.

This comes as the search giant is expecting to invest $75 billion on expenditures like growing its monotonously named family of AI models this year. That’s a considerable jump from the $32.3 billion on capital expenditures it spent in 2023, with Google now racing to keep up with AI competitors like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and the Amazon-backed Anthropic.

Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking will be available in the model dropdown options on the desktop and mobile app starting today, alongside another version of the model that can “interact with apps like YouTube, Search, and Google Maps,” according to Google. It was introduced in December 2024 and is expected to compete with other so-called reasoning AI models like OpenAI’s o1 and DeepSeek’s R1.

These models work by breaking problems down into smaller, manageable steps, allowing them to “think” about prompts before offering a solution. The intended outcome is to achieve stronger and more accurate results, but this is often at the expense of taking longer to achieve them.

Google is also releasing an experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Pro. According to leaks of the preview reported by TechCrunch, the successor to Gemini 1.5 Pro should provide “better factuality” and “stronger performance” for coding and mathematics-related tasks. Gemini 2.0 Pro is described as Google’s “most capable model yet,” and will be available to Advanced Gemini app users and people with access to Vertex AI and AI Studio.

Gemini 2.0 Flash — the latest version of Google’s high-efficiency workhorse AI model — is also now generally available to developers in AI Studio and Vertex AI following its rollout to Gemini’s web and mobile apps last week.

Lastly, Google is rounding off these updates with the introduction of a new low-cost model called 2.0 Flash-Lite, which the company says matches 1.5 Flash for speed and price while outperforming it “on the majority of benchmarks.” Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite is launching in public preview today on Google’s AI Studio and Vertex AI.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 3:51 PM

Bandai’s live-action Gundam movie is getting a theatrical release

For a while, it looked like the first live-action Gundam movie was going to make its debut on Netflix, but Bandai now plans to put the movie in theaters.

Though details about the film are still very slim, Bandai and Legendary announced today that their live-action Gundam feature will now be written and directed by Sweet Tooth co-showrunner Jim Mickle. Previously, Jordan Vogt-Robert (Kong: Skull Island) was attached to direct, but according to Deadline, he is no longer involved with the project. We still don’t know whether the Gundam movie will tell an original story or be an adaptation of one of the franchise’s many anime series, but Bandai made clear that it will receive a theatrical release.

Bandai also revealed that it is launching a new North American subsidiary in April that will oversee Gundam’s production and be tasked with growing the larger Gundam brand overseas. It will probably be a while before we start hearing things like a potential production timeline and news about casting, but it sounds like the studios are very serious about getting this thing off the ground.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 3:33 PM

Beats Studio Buds Plus are matching their record low with $50 off

There’s clearly no better design trend right now than this.

We’re still awaiting a new pair of Powerbeats Pro to drop sometime this year, but if you’re a Beats fan in need of a solid pair of wireless earbuds to bridge the gap, you’re in luck. The Beats Studio Buds Plus are on sale for their all-time low of price of $119.99 (about $50 off) right now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The discount applies to all available colors, including the attractive see-through pair we’ve fallen in love with over the last year.

The Beats Studio Buds Plus sound noticeably better than the original pair and we’ve found even rival the AirPods Pro for music. Their noise cancellation is also better than their predecessor, but falls short of the AirPods Pro. Those are minor gripes considering the lower price. They’re lacking some tricks compared to Apple’s top earbuds, such as spatial audio head-tracking and automatic device switching. That said, they’re a solid pair if you use both iOS and Android devices, as the Studio Buds Plus support native Find My and fast pairing options across both ecosystems.

Read our Beats Studio Buds Plus review.

More mid-week deals to consider

Looking for a fun and easy console-like device on which to play all your retro games? RetroRemake’s SuperSation One can emulate nearly everything from the PlayStation One it’s inspired by and older. You can preorder one now for a discounted $179.99 ($450 off) ahead of its expected Q4 2025 arrival. It’s configured to run PS1 games out of the box and even supports the classic console’s original controllers and memory cards. But you can also load up titles from many other retro consoles using a flash drive or the 64GB microSD card it comes with. It also offers a variety of analog video and audio output options — including VGA, composite, and 3.5mm — plus digital audio and HDMI.
Apple’s M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $799.99 ($400 off) at Amazon when clicking an on-page coupon. That price is matching the lowest we’ve seen yet. It’s a couple of years older now and the memory allotment doesn’t quite meet the 16GB standard commanded by Apple Intelligence. That said, the M2 Air still handles modest productivity needs very well for business and school work, and it’s even capable of some light photo and video editing. It’s also much more comfortable to carry around than a MacBook Pro while lasting all day on a full battery. Read our review.
If you’re even remotely interested in the Persona series and haven’t yet played Metaphor: ReFantazio by the same creators, you should. Now’s a good time to add it to your collection, as the Xbox Series X / S physical copy is down to a new low of $44.77 (about $25 off) at Amazon, while the PlayStation 5 version is also matching its all-time low of $49.99 ($20 off) at Amazon. It takes from Persona’s excellent turn-based RPG battle system and storytelling style in a new medieval-era fantasy narrative that smartly navigates much of the oppressive societal challenges we still face today. Read our review.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 3:30 PM

The end of Squid Game and Stranger Things solidifies Netflix’s new era

Stranger Things.

Netflix has a busy year of premieres ahead, but it might be most notable for whatâ€™s ending. As the streaming service continues to push into a new era full of live events, reality TV, and ad sales, itâ€™s also saying goodbye to arguably its two biggest franchises, with both Stranger Things and Squid Game wrapping up in 2025. Once upon a time, tentpole hits like those series were pivotal for Netflix â€” people signed up for them and often unsubscribed when they went away.

But singular blockbusters arenâ€™t as necessary for the companyâ€™s overall success any longer. And itâ€™s possible we might not see anything quite like those two shows again.

Stranger Things wasnâ€™t the first hit Netflix original series (that distinction belongs to House of Cards), but it was the first that pushed into mainstream culture in a big, sustained way. It was a reason to subscribe and something you couldnâ€™t get away from; there are Stranger Things Halloween costumes and pet toys and Broadway shows. Even as the gaps between seasons became increasingly large, viewer interest still held strong: just ask Kate Bush, who was introduced to a whole new generation of fans thanks to season 4.

Squid Game to …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 3:14 PM

Disney is doubling down on its plan to make ESPN the future of sports streaming

Disney wants to win the sports streaming war by making ESPN available “however the consumer wants it, wherever the consumer wants it,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call on Wednesday. The entertainment giant aims to give viewers multiple ways to watch ESPN, whether it’s through a standalone app slated to launch this year, ESPN’s linear channels, or inside rival sports streaming bundles.

Iger says the company plans to take advantage of the “skinny” streaming bundles that emerged after ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announced Venu — the sports streaming venture that shut down before it ever launched. “We plan to take advantage of the emergence of these bundles, because it is a great way to distribute ESPN,” Iger said, adding that the companies abandoned Venu because it looked “redundant.”

DirecTV and Comcast have since launched sports streaming bundles of their own, while Fox plans on bringing news and sports into a service it plans to launch by the end of 2025.

Iger also expanded on plans for a standalone ESPN streaming service, which he said will have “some form of betting and fantasy and a high degree of customization and personalization,” along with a “much bigger offering” than the network’s linear channels.

Once it becomes available in the fall of 2025, Iger said Disney will give viewers the option to bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu. The company will also make it available within the Disney Plus app, like it already does with ESPN Plus and Hulu.

“It’s pretty clear that young viewers, or young consumers, are leaning more and more into streaming experiences, both fixed televisions on walls and mobile devices,” Iger said. “The more ESPN can be present for a new generation of consumers with a product that serves them really well, the better off ESPN businesses. So flagship [the standalone ESPN app] is not really designed to preserve a business. It’s designed to grow a business in a market that’s evolving or changing right before our eyes.”

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 3:00 PM

Comcast is adding Dolby Atmos to its ‘4K’ Super Bowl broadcast this year

From a presentation standpoint, Super Bowl LIX will largely be sticking to the status quo on Sunday. Fox Sports is capturing the game in 1080p HDR and upscaling that to 4K for its own networks and the free Tubi live stream. Comcast just announced that it’ll be airing the game in Dolby Vision, which it has done before, but now with Dolby Atmos for the first time. The latter is certain to be a virtualized surround signal, but it could still lend some extra atmosphere to the game if you’ve got a nice home theater setup.

Comcast says the Dolby Vision / Atmos broadcast of Super Bowl LIX will be available to Xfinity TV customers as part of its Enhanced 4K offerings, which “provides customers with an unmatched viewing experience with the best picture and audio quality, delivered to the home in the fastest way possible so the action customers see in their living room is only seconds behind the game unfolding in New Orleans.” If you’re an Xfinity Stream subscriber, you can also watch it there as well.

A screenshot of Comcast’s planned Super Bowl LIX presentation on Xfinity TV.

The game’s picture quality will be similar to what we’ve seen in recent years, but you might notice some unique shots as the Eagles and Chiefs face off. Fox Sports says it’s using a Super Slowmo / 4K SkyCam, which is a first for the Super Bowl, so I’ll be curious to see when and how that’s used.

I’ve got friends who still insist on the OTA antenna method of watching the Big Game for the “purest” feed, but I definitely prefer the HDR experience over that — wherever you can find it. The wider color gamut makes a real difference, and the upscaled 4K image apparently meets the “good enough” bar for the enormous audience that will be watching on Sunday if we’re still doing it this way. For reference, last year’s game tallied 123.4 million average viewers across all platforms, according to the NFL.

(Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.)

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 2:50 PM

Jurassic World Rebirth’s new trailer makes it sound like a video game

The larger Jurassic Park franchise feels like it should be telling stories about dinosaurs having taken over the entire planet at this point, but the new trailer for Jurassic World Rebirthmakes it seem like the movie is going to retread old territory with a bit of a video game-inspired twist.

Set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, Rebirth introduces a new group of human characters with their hearts set on getting up close and personal with genetically engineered dinosaurs. Because most of the modern worldâ€™s climate has turned out to be inhospitable to the dinosaurs, they donâ€™t seem to be much of an immediate threat to humanity in the new trailer.

The dinos have clustered on a unique island where theyâ€™re fine minding their business in peace. But when a pharmaceutical company discovers that the DNA of certain prehistoric animals can be used to make a new wonder drug, covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), and navigator Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) are tasked with collecting samples and risking their lives in the process.

The way the movieâ€™s story is all about people doubling …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 2:44 PM

Nintendo shares more info on its Switch 2 direct

As we settle in for the long, excruciating wait for more tangible news on the Switch 2, Nintendo has thrown us a little extra nugget of information. While we knew the company was planning to share more about the Switch 2 on April 2nd, now we have a time: 9 AM ET / 6 AM PT / 10 PM JST. If you were taking bets on this time, you would have won handily as this is generally the usual time Nintendo holds its big events. The announcement on Nintendo’s website didn’t contain any extra detail about the duration of the event or the exact breakdown of topics that’ll be covered, other than to say it “will share a closer look” at the new device.

Last month, the company finally confirmed the existence of its new console dubbed, helpfully, the Switch 2. The reveal itself was sparse on detail, only confirming that the console would be larger than its predecessor and that its Joy-Con controllers appear to attach via some kind of magnetic action. Because of the reveal’s relative lack of concrete information, we’re left with so many questions about the new console. Nevertheless, there was still lots of speculation about what the Switch 2 could possibly do. Theories were put forth that the new Joy-Cons contained some kind of mouse functionality and that the extra button on the right Joy-Con was related to some kind of party chat feature. Hopefully, Nintendo will let us know those if theories were correct during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on Wednesday, April 2nd bright and early at 9 AM.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 2:43 PM

Kagi search engine won’t bill you next month if you forget to use it

Kagi, a paid alternative to Google Search, now says it will credit your account if you subscribe and forget to use it. The company introduced what it calls “Fair Pricing” in a blog post yesterday, writing that any time you don’t use any of your searches during a full billing cycle, it will apply a credit for that month to your next one, effectively giving you that month for free.

“We have implemented this for the simple reason of being kind to our users,” Kagi writes, “We understand some months you may forget to use Kagi or do not need it, so when you do, you can rest assured that we haven’t charged you for that.”

Introducing fair pricing 📣 In months where you don't utilize any searches on your plan, we will automatically apply a full credit to your account for that month. This credit will be applied to your next billing cycle, effectively covering your subsequent month's subscription at no additional cost.

— Kagi HQ (@kagi.com) 2025-02-05T00:24:54.309Z

Where many Google Search alternatives, like Perplexity or OpenAI’s SearchGPT, are turning to AI to compete with Google, Kagi takes the company on directly, showing a simple list of links based on search queries. Like fellow Google competitor DuckDuckGo, Kagi says it doesn’t track its users’ activity or sell their data — it calls personal information an “unwelcome liability.” One thing Kagi does differently is offer “lenses” that search specific parts of the web, like forums or academic sites, with the option to create your own custom lenses that only search certain sites.

But Kagi isn’t free once you’ve used up a trial of 100 searches. After that, you have to sign up for one of its monthly plans, which go from $5 per month for its “Starter” plan with a 300-search limit up to a $25-a-month “Ultimate” plan with no search limit and that includes an AI assistant.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 2:14 PM

USPS backtracks, will accept parcels from China after all

A photo of a USPS mailbox

The US Postal Service has reversed yesterday’s surprise decision to stop accepting inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong. It will continue to accept international shipments from the two countries, though it warns of “disruption” to deliveries.

USPS previously announced that it was temporarily halting all packages shipped from China and Hong Kong. The decision came in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order revoking the de minimis exemption for shipments from China. It means that parcels valued below $800 are now eligible for US import duties and import taxes, including the new 10 percent tariff applied to all goods from China.

In a statement, USPS says it will “continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts.” The service also notes that it is working closely with US Customs and Border Protection to “implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery.”

Neither UPS nor FedEx had announced restrictions on shipments from China in the wake of the new executive order, but every courier and shipping company will have to develop new processes to inspect a large volume of Chinese shipments and collect duty and tariffs. Delays are likely, as are increased costs for shipping, but the full impact of the change remains unclear.

There were over 1.3 billion parcels shipped into the US under the de minimis exemption in 2024, though not all from China, so the scale of the problem is enormous. The loophole was popular with e-commerce companies including Temu, Shein, and Amazon, allowing them to ship cheap goods directly to consumers while avoiding import duties.

Today the European Commission renewed calls for the EU to implement its own customs reform that would remove its duty-free exemption for packages valued below €150, and further suggested applying a handling fee for e-commerce shipments imported directly to consumers as a way of recouping the costs of inspecting and processing the parcels.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 2:00 PM

Rift of the NecroDancer’s story is an intro to some incredible music

Rift of the NecroDancer, a new music game from the creators of the music roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer, solves the problem of exploring a big library of tracks with a simple idea: a story mode.

In Rift, you have to press buttons in time with notes that appear on lanes in front of you, similar to games like Guitar Hero. You only have three lanes to worry about, but the tracks get complex because the â€œnotesâ€ are actually enemies with different movement patterns. A green slime just takes one hit to defeat, for example, but a gold bat takes three beats to eliminate, and with each hit, it hops to another lane.

If you want, you can immediately jump into the gameâ€™s library, which features more than 30 tracks. (Though youâ€™ll need to accrue â€œdiamondsâ€ to unlock some of them.) The songs are killer â€” I happily tapped my foot to just about every one I played. But because the songs are originals, there arenâ€™t familiar licensed tunes to jump into like with Guitar Hero, so it can be daunting to know where to start.

Thatâ€™s why I played _Rift_â€™s story mode. The plot doesnâ€™t really matter â€” you play as Cadence, the main character from Crypt, as you try and solve the my …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 1:48 PM

Six ways to send a message to your representatives

A photo of the Capitol building against an orange background within a gray square.

We are living through what can charitably be called interesting times, and one of the questions that many people are asking is: â€œWhat can I do?â€ One answer to that question â€” no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on â€” is to contact your federal or local representatives and let them know how you feel, via social media, texts, emails, or phone calls.

Even if you (like me) can get a little nervous about actually calling your government representatives, that shouldnâ€™t stop you from letting the people you voted for (or against) know what their constituents are thinking. And there are several online sites and mobile apps that can help, by letting us who to contact, helping us know what the issues are, or actually offering a script to follow when we make that call.

Here are some resources that you can use in order to contact your representatives on issues that concern you.

USA.gov

USA.gov home page with main headlines that say Find and contact elected officials, and Find elected officials using a physical address

The best place to start is probably from the source: the USA.gov site. This site (which was still active at the time of this writing) lets you enter your address in order to find out who your federal, state, and local officials are. Once youâ€™ve got the list, you can click on eac …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 1:00 PM

DJI explains why it won’t stop drones from flying over the White House — and what happens in a US ban

Time is not on DJIâ€™s side.

The worldâ€™s largest drone maker has less than a year to convince the Trump administration to save its products from an automatic US ban â€” at a time when drone fears have been stoked more than ever.

Some of those fears were exacerbated by DJIâ€™s own bad timing: days after a small DJI drone took out a plane fighting the LA wildfires, the company chose to announce it would no longer enforce the â€œno-fly zonesâ€ it designed to keep such things from happening. The company will no longer stop its drones from flying over airports, power plants, or even the White House, a move it says it planned months ago and already rolled out in Europe and the UK.

How does getting rid of no-fly zones make drones safer? What can DJI do to escape a US ban? And what might happen if that ban comes into effect?

We sat down with DJI head of global policy Adam Welsh and DJI public safety integration director Wayne Baker, and the answers seem to boil down to:

No-fly zones donâ€™t make drones safer, but they might make lifesaving flights easier;
DJI stands to save some money in staffing costs by eliminating no-fly zones;
DJI has an awful lot of convincing to d …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 12:14 PM

Google scraps promise not to develop AI weapons

Can’t break promises if you riscind them entirely.

Google updated its artificial intelligence principles on Tuesday to remove commitments around not using the technology in ways “that cause or are likely to cause overall harm.” A scrubbed section of the revised AI ethics guidelines previously committed Google to not designing or deploying AI for use in surveillance, weapons, and technology intended to injure people. The change was first spotted by The Washington Post and captured here by the Internet Archive.

Coinciding with these changes, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and Google’s senior exec for technology and society James Manyika published a blog post detailing new “core tenets” that its AI principles would focus on. These include innovation, collaboration, and “responsible” AI development — the latter making no specific commitments.

“There’s a global competition taking place for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape,” reads the blog post. “We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights. And we believe that companies, governments, and organizations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.”

A screenshot of Google’s previous AI principles, pledging to not develop AI for weapons or surveillance.

Hassabis joined Google after it acquired DeepMind in 2014. In an interview with Wired in 2015, he said that the acquisition included terms that prevented DeepMind technology from being used in military or surveillance applications.

While Google had pledged not to develop AI weapons, the company has worked on various military contracts, including Project Maven — a 2018 Pentagon project that saw Google using AI to help analyze drone footage — and its 2021 Project Nimbus military cloud contract with the Israeli government. These agreements, made long before AI developed into what it is today, caused contention among employees within Google who believed the agreements violated the company’s AI principles.

Google’s updated ethical guidelines around AI bring it more in line with competing AI developers. Meta’s Llama and OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech are permitted for some instances of military use, and a deal between Amazon and government software maker Palantir enables Anthropic to sell its Claude AI to US military and intelligence customers.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 11:30 AM

Uber to Austin: get ready for Waymo

Waymo’s robotaxis in Austin will be co-branded with the Uber logo.

Uber is getting ready for the launch of Waymo’s public robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, prompting customers to join a list of people interested in riding in the Alphabet-owned company’s AVs when they finally go live. It also revealed photos of the new co-branded robotaxis that will operate across a swath of the Texas capital as part of the new service.

Currently, Waymo isn’t open to the public in Austin. The company’s driverless vehicles are only available to a small group of people who joined Waymo’s waitlist to become early testers of the service. Waymo has not said when the service will open up to the broader public, but reading between the lines of this Uber announcement, it sounds like it may be soon. (A spokesperson for Waymo didn’t respond to a request for comment.)

When it does launch, Waymo’s vehicles will be available exclusively on Uber’s app in Austin. The two companies first announced their partnership to put Waymo’s robotaxis on Uber’s app back in 2023. They ran a short-lived pilot in Phoenix and now plan on launching the first official version in Austin, with Atlanta to follow.

Waymo’s own ridehail app, Waymo One, will not be operational in Austin. Customers who open Waymo One will be redirected to Uber’s app.

To prepare, Uber is asking customers in Austin to indicate their interest in being passengers in Waymo’s fully driverless (the company calls them “rider only”) vehicles. In the app settings under “Preferences,” customers can choose to join the “interest list” to get updates about Waymo’s launch and increase their chance of being paired with an autonomous vehicle when the service goes live.

The co-branded vehicles will also soon be spotted tooling around Austin without a driver behind the wheel. The vehicles will only operate within a geofenced 37-square-mile swath of the city that includes Hyde Park, Montopolis, and downtown.

Uber customers that get paired with a Waymo will “pay the same rates as UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric,” the company says. (Ride prices for all ridehailing, robo or otherwise, fluctuate based on traffic and the time of day.) Those fares will be provided upfront before customers accept the ride, and once the vehicle arrives, customers can unlock and start the ride from the Uber app. (There’s also a “start ride” button in the vehicle.)

The two companies will share the responsibilities of running and managing a fleet of autonomous vehicles. Uber will use contractors for vehicle cleaning, repair, and other general depot operations, while Waymo will handle roadside assistance (when the robotaxis inevitably get stuck) and customer service. They will obviously share in the costs and the revenue produced by the robotaxi service, though both companies have declined to share the split.

Waymo currently operates its own Waymo One ridehail service in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles; it recently hit the milestone of operating 150,000 rides each week in all three cities. Studies have shown that Waymo has better customer retention than human-powered ridehail services like Uber and Lyft.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 11:19 AM

Your packages are about to get slower and more expensive

A photo of a line of USPS mail trucks.

So far only USPS has announced changes to its services from China. | Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

The United States Postal Service announced Tuesday that it’s temporarily suspending inbound packages from China and Hong Kong, a move that’s likely to create delays and problems for packages from other destinations too.

The suspension comes after President Trump used an executive order imposing a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods to also close a loophole called the de minimis exception, which allowed packages valued below $800 to enter the US duty free. It’s how e-commerce outfits including Shein and Temu have been able to offer goods to US buyers at such low prices. It is also widely exploited by the likes of Amazon and by merchants on Etsy and eBay.

The restriction is temporary, though no end date has been set. Only packages and parcels are affected, with letters and envelopes continuing to ship as usual. The suspension is also specific to the official postal services of the two countries, rather than private courier and shipping services. Neither UPS nor FedEx has announced restrictions, but they are undoubtedly struggling to cope with the new requirements.

The challenge facing USPS and others is managing the task of inspecting the large volume of shipments from China that are suddenly eligible for duty and import taxes, which is almost certain to create delays and problems for packages from other destinations. The suspension may even affect parcels from other couriers, since USPS is frequently used by private shipping companies as the last-mile delivery service.

Over 1.3 billion parcels entered the US using the de minimis exemption in 2024 according to US Customs and Border Protection, a number that’s grown by more than 600 percent over the past decade. De minimis hasn’t been removed entirely, but shipments from China are no longer eligible for it.

In addition to enabling the likes of Shein and Temu, de minimis shipments have posed safety concerns, making it easier for low quality products to reach US buyers. In the extreme case, some e-bike and battery manufacturers have used de minimis to skirt safety regulations and avoid product inspection, contributing to hundreds of fires caused by faulty e-bike batteries in New York City alone.

China has already launched its own response to Trump’s tariffs, with levies on fuel and large vehicles shipped from the US, along with restrictions on exports of certain rare minerals used in some technology manufacturing. The country has also initiated antitrust proceedings against Google and Nvidia, with probes into Intel and Apple rumored to be in the works as well.

The VergeFeb 5, 2025, 9:59 AM

Microsoft’s Build developer conference starts on May 19th

Microsoft Build is once again being held in Seattle this year, just over the lake from Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The developer conference will start on May 19th and run through May 22nd at the Seattle Convention Center.

Microsoft hasn’t provided any hints about what the company plans to launch at Build, but it’s safe to say the conference will be full of AI announcements. Last year’s Build included Microsoft’s AI agents announcement, an AI-powered Windows clipboard PowerToy, and a tiny Snapdragon PC.

We’re building a new path forward. Come join us at #MSBuild, May 19 – 22, 2025. https://t.co/MflbdY5UAh pic.twitter.com/YbRLwmepK1

— Microsoft Events (@events_msft) February 4, 2025

Microsoft Build 2024 also took place just days after the unveiling of new Qualcomm-powered Copilot Plus PCs at a special Windows and Surface AI event. With rumors of a smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop expected in the spring, perhaps we’ll even see new Surface hardware debut around the same time again.

I’m also expecting a lot of announcements for Copilot at Build, whether it’s the consumer version or the Microsoft 365 Copilot that businesses pay for. Microsoft recently relaunched Copilot for businesses with free AI chat and pay-as-you-go agents, and it’s certainly not done trying to convince businesses that AI agents are the future. Microsoft also started bundling Office AI features into Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions recently, and I’m expecting to hear more about Microsoft’s Office and Windows AI ambitions at Build this year.

The VergeFeb 4, 2025, 11:54 PM

Apex Legends: everything you need to know about the Titanfall battle royale

Instead of making Titanfall 3, developer Respawn took the franchise in a completely different direction with Apex Legends. A free-to-play battle royale game that mashes together elements of Overwatch and Fortnite, Apex Legends was a complete surprise when it launched, but it has turned out to be a big hit early on, luring tens of millions of players. Keep up with the game as it continues to develop and grow right here.

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Microsoft’s Build developer conference starts on May 19th

Apex Legends: everything you need to know about the Titanfall battle royale