This is it Low pass by Janko Roettgersnewsletter about the ever-evolving intersection of technology and entertainment, published just for The Verge subscribers once a week. The VR industry has been on edge since Meta’s massive layoffs earlier this year: One executive called the layoff announcement “one of VR’s darkest weeks.” There’s talk of winter in … Read more
On Wednesday, Apple released its latest iOS 26 update, which includes a new process for switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, as previously reported 9 to 5 Mac. The updated transfer tool can move data such as apps, photos, messages and even a user’s phone number by placing two phones side by side. … Read more
Valentine’s Day is often thought of as the quintessential Hallmark holiday—and why wouldn’t it be? Most of the time, we’re sold on massive flower arrangements and heart-shaped chocolates, both of which can come across as borderline twee. But no one says you have to play by the rules during the holidays, especially if your spouse … Read more
In June 2024, in a dusty TV shop where there weren’t many customers, me, my wife and my kids, I was staring deep into the LG C3 and the Samsung S90C. I went back and forth between the two OLED screens for easily 20 minutes, happily paralyzed by the choice before me. Video Only retailer … Read more
Samsung’s next Unpacked event is on February 25, and we expect the company to announce the Galaxy S26 range of phones. Some new wearables and headphones may also be announced. In addition to showing off the new hardware, the Galaxy AI software is likely to be a big part of the show, as that’s what … Read more
Microsoft has fixed a critical vulnerability affecting Markdown files in Notepad. In Tuesday’s patch notes, Microsoft says a bad actor could perform a remote code execution attack by tricking users into “clicking on a malicious link inside a Markdown file opened in Notepad,” as it previously reported. Registry. Clicking on the link “launches unauthenticated protocols,” … Read more
OpenAI has officially launched its advertising pilot in ChatGPT, giving us a better idea of the kinds of products we might see stuffed under our AI chatbot conversations. Several companies have announced plans to run ads in ChatGPT — placements that will reportedly cost them a pretty penny — from major retailers like Target to … Read more
Ring’s new Search Party feature has once again drawn backlash from the company. The 30-second ad, which aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl, showed Ringo cameras “watching” neighborhoods to find a lost dog. In the current political climate, a prime-time ad celebrating neighborhood watch has struck a chord. People have expressed concern on social media that … Read more
Google announced on Tuesday that a public demo of Fitbit’s AI personal health coach is available to iOS users in the US, as well as iOS and Android users in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. It was originally launched in October when it was only available in the US on Android devices. … Read more
More than a week after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, the FBI released footage from a Nest camera at Guthrie’s front door. FBI Director Kash Patel says on X that law enforcement worked with “private sector partners” and that the video was “recovered from residual data located in backend systems.” Google spokesperson Patrick Seybold said The Verge … Read more