The Verge

Thomas Ricker9 seconds ago

Meta’s also got an AI shopping tool.

It’s being rolled out to testers in the US to rival similar offerings found in ChatGPT and Gemini, according to Bloomberg.

Dominic Preston26 minutes ago

Oppo is going Ultra in Europe too.

Not to be outdone by yesterday’s news that the Vivo X300 Ultra will launch in Europe, Oppo has confirmed its Find X9 Ultra will also get the series’ first release outside China. And… that’s all we know, except that it’s coming “later this year.” Will it beat the Find X9 Pro’s excellent 7,500mAh battery?

Hayden Field1:45 AM UTC

Sam Altman said he planned to add two sentences to OpenAI’s agreement with the Pentagon.

The OpenAI CEO laid out some updated wording he hoped would address people’s concerns about mass domestic surveillance, though the new language still included the phrase “consistent with applicable laws.” Altman also said he reiterated over the weekend that Anthropic should not be designated a supply chain risk.

Jay Peters1:04 AM UTC

Wondering what was popular during Steam Next Fest?

LIVE

Jay PetersMar 2

Beat Saber is joining Meta’s Horizon Plus VR subscription.

If you don’t already own the game, which is still arguably one of the best VR games ever, you’ll be able to play it as part of the $7.99 per month subscription starting this month, Meta says.

Elizabeth LopattoMar 2

Chilling effect go brrr…

Jason Lee had this profile killed from an unnamed magazine because he didn’t like being asked a question about Scientology. Defector is publishing it anyway. Are there any cool Gen Xers? Starting to feel like the answer is no.

Mia SatoMar 2

The AP is partnering with Kalshi.

The outlet will provide Kalshi with elections-related data — namely, vote counts and race calls — that will be available on the predictions market platform. The AP licenses its elections data to many sources (including other news outlets). What’s notable is that Kalshi and other predictions markets are increasingly blurring the line between actual news and a thing a guy online decided to put money on.

I suspect a bunch of Kalshi users are about to learn about the percentage of votes counted the hard way.

Stevie BonifieldMar 2

GrapheneOS and Motorola collaboration could lead to more secure smartphone options.

The privacy and security-focused Android fork currently only has official support for Pixel devices, but that could be changing. Motorola announced on Monday at MWC that it has struck a long-term partnership with the GrapheneOS Foundation to “strengthen smartphone security and collaborate on future devices engineered with GrapheneOS compatibility.”

Jay PetersMar 2

X posts can now be tagged as a paid partnership.

Instead of relying on hashtags to disclose a promotion, creators can now use a toggle to have “Paid partnership” text appear at the bottom of their post, as shown by X head of product Nikita Bier.

Charles Pulliam-MooreMar 2

Marina GalperinaMar 2

Students say a $17,800 cybersecurity bootcamp left them confused and broke.

People seeking a mid-life career changes and work from home options flocked to a third-party, online cybersecurity course offered through NC State University. They say they were ghosted by instructors, taught “outdated information,” and laughed at by experts. The university claims the demand for non-traditional programs is “strong and growing.” Maarja Raudsepp told The News & Observer:

Sean HollisterMar 2

Today I’m toying with… WALL-E’s ancestor?

It’s the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor, and it’s not exactly adorable. But it’s fun to feed unrecyclable plastic into the machine and have it spit out bricks! Justine and I teamed up for a hybrid report and review of the somewhat flawed creation. You can even see and hear what happens to the bricks.

Sean HollisterMar 2

The Xbox Ally X now lets you let AI record your screen and cut together highlight reels.

Any Xbox Insider PC can opt into Microsoft’s new “postgame recaps,” but the Xbox Ally X handheld’s integrated NPU takes it further with Copilot-generated “highlight reels.”

To start, it’ll only work with Among Us, Elden Ring, Fortnite, Forza Horizon 5, Lies of P, Overwatch, and Palworld. Let me know if it’s better than a normal recap?

Allison JohnsonMar 2

Justine CalmaMar 2

Prolonged conflict with Iran raises oil prices and could mean more drilling in the US.

Reserves can offset short-term disruptions to the global market. Beyond that, higher prices could encourage American companies to ramp up production in coming months.

David PierceMar 2

Crossbody Strap, but make it pink.

If you check out tomorrow’s Vergecast, you’ll get to hear The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed convince me that gadget straps are a clever phone accessory — and have a lot to say about the future, too. Apple’s version is expensive, but clever, and now comes in “Soft Pink” and “Bright Guava.” I think I’m still buying black, though.

Dominic PrestonMar 2

Four shades of Nothing.

We already knew what the Nothing Phone 4A would look like, including its pretty perfect pink option and new Glyph Bar lighting, but now we’ve seen it in a sharp blue and the inevitable black. We’ll see more, including its Pro sibling, at Nothing’s full launch on Thursday.

Andrew WebsterMar 2

Another video game event.

The first two months of the year have been bust with showcases from Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company. And now Nintendo is back with its latest Indie World event. It’s streaming on March 3rd at 9AM ET, and Nintendo says it’ll be around 15 minutes long.

Jess WeatherbedMar 2

Charter-Cox megamerger gets FCC approval.

Sean Hollister and Justine CalmaMar 2

Allison JohnsonMar 2

Hang on, my cat is calling.

I got a look at a device called PetPhone, which promises two-way connectivity to your pet no matter where you are. The device clips to a collar and includes speakers so your pet can hear your voice when you’re away. The kicker? GlocalMe, the company behind PetPhone, says your pet can call you.

You just have to train them to jump in the air three times in six seconds. Which means your dog could… butt dial you by jumping around too much? I have questions.

Allison JohnsonMar 2

Just watch those pixels flex.

Samsung Display has a helpful visual on its MWC booth showing how the Flex Magic Pixel technology in the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display works. The technology itself isn’t new — it debuted at MWC 2024 — but its application in a real, shipping product is.

Thomas RickerMar 2

Qualcomm joins the Wi-Fi 8 silliness era.

The company just revealed its “AI-native” Wi-Fi 8 portfolio at MWC, led by the FastConnect 8800 mobile chip. It promises 10+ Gbps speeds while packing Bluetooth 7.0, UWB, and Thread onto a single chip.

Alongside it, five new Dragonwing platforms will power your next ultra-fast router. The company expects commercial products by late 2026, before most of us have switched to Wi-Fi 7, and two years before the Wi-Fi 8 standard is officially ratified.

Mia SatoMar 1