Look at all those blobby bunnies. Coca-Cola is once again using generative AI to reimagine its classic Coke caravan holiday commercials, and in doing so, killing some of the festive joy you have for the brand. After receiving backlash for airing three AI-generated holiday commercials last year that featured gliding wheels and uncanny-looking faces, the…
For Big Tech, a penny invested in AI is a penny earned… Maybe. After an indeterminate amount of time. Investors hope. On earnings calls last week, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta reported more than $350 billion this year on capital expenditures, or longer-tail investments in a company’s future. All four told investors to expect the…
Lake Mungo is haunting and heartbreaking. Found footage movies are tough to pull off. For every classic like The Blair Witch Project or Rec, there are 100 movies like Slender and Megan Is Missing that are, at best, forgettable, and at worst, an affront to the very concept of cinema. My personal favorite, though, is…
The Microsoft Zune is mostly just a footnote in tech history. Microsoft spent years – and vast sums of money – trying to create a true competitor to Apple’s iPod, without ever coming close to actually pulling it off. The Zune was simply too little, too late. You know what’s surprising about the Zune, though?…
There is no more chaotic activity than willfully entering a grocery store without a list. I know. Some people thrive on vibes-based grocery shopping. They can come up with meals on the fly, buy what’s on sale and work around that, or follow some bizarre “3-3-2-2-1” rule or whatever I’m always seeing on Instagram. I…
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the real-world effects of Trump’s tariffs, follow Mia Sato. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started The economists tried to warn us. From the…
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 104, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy belated Halloween, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about lotteries and Jennifer Lawrence and religious AI, shame-watching Finding Mr….
Google’s last-gen Pixel Watch 3 is on sale for $199.99 ($100 off) for a limited time. There are plenty of good smartwatches out there, and Google’s last-gen Pixel Watch 3 is one of them. Right now, the 45mm / Wi-Fi model is available at Amazon, Walmart, and Target for $199.99 ($100 off), which is a…
Ayaneo is best known for its retro gaming handhelds, but the company has now confirmed its first phone will be coming soon. Ayaneo briefly teased that it was working on a phone back in August during the event where it unveiled the dual-screen Pocket DS. Of course, many of the company’s gaming handhelds run a…
Best Buy’s latest doorbuster deal nets you a cool $770 off the regular price. | Image: The Verge Best Buy’s early Black Friday deals are already live, with discounts to be had on everything from smartphones and gaming PCs to wireless headphones. If you’re in the market for a new 4K TV, Best Buy is…
