Andrew Liszewski

Senior Reporter, News

Andrew LiszewskiMar 23

An early prototype of the Segway is up for auction.

Before the world was left scratching its head when the Segway was finally revealed in December 2001, the self-balancing personal transporter was codenamed “Ginger” and looked a lot less polished. Bidding for this early prototype from the collection of James Norrod, the former Segway President and CEO, ends this week.

<em>The prototype Segway stands 52-inches tall and includes an early version of its tilting steering mechanism.</em>

<em>Other technologies included on the “Ginger” prototype include a “Watson Industries displacement/rate gyro system” and a nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery.</em>

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The prototype Segway stands 52-inches tall and includes an early version of its tilting steering mechanism.

Image: RR Auction

Andrew LiszewskiMar 23

Insta360’s tiny SSD makes it easier to move footage around.

The company partnered with Lexar for its new $199.99 Quick Reader 512GB Portable SSD. At launch the Insta360 X5, X4 Air, and Ace Pro 2 cameras can record directly to the USB-C drive which can then be connected to a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to transfer footage without the need for a microSD card reader.

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<em>The drive connects directly to three of Insta360’s action and 360-degree cameras, but looks like it may struggle to connect to a smartphone in a protective case.</em>

<em>At launch it’s only available in a 512GB capacity and while similarly-sized microSD cards are cheaper, Insta360’s drive is potentially more convenient.</em>

<em>It’s definitely not the fastest external SSD drive on the market with read and write speeds maxing out at 420MB/s.</em>

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The drive connects directly to three of Insta360’s action and 360-degree cameras, but looks like it may struggle to connect to a smartphone in a protective case.

Image: Insta360

Every bulb on Govee’s new outdoor string lights can display multicolor effects

Andrew LiszewskiMar 23

These electronic Polaroids are powered by your phone’s NFC chip

Andrew LiszewskiMar 20

This sleek alarm clock uses lights and sounds to help you sleep, focus, and wake up

Andrew LiszewskiMar 20

Apple’s Family Sharing will soon let each member use their own payment method.

Currently, up to six family members or friends can share access to Apple services, apps, and subscriptions, but all purchases go through the family organizer’s payment method. When iOS 26.4 is released, Apple will let adult members of a Family Sharing group make purchases using their own payment methods, as spotted by MacRumors.

A screenshot of Apple’s Purchase Sharing settings on the iPhone.

Photo by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

Hermès doesn’t include a power adapter with its $5,150 charging case

Andrew LiszewskiMar 19

Ikea’s Matter-compatible glowing donut is now available in the US.

First announced at CES 2026, the Ikea Varmblixt donut lamp is now available from the company’s online store and retail locations across the US. It’s still priced at $99.99 and comes with one of Ikea’s Bilresa remotes for cycling through 12 preset colors. To connect it to your smart home and unlock new colors you’ll need a Matter hub.

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