9 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Gadgets

  • RELATED /
Sheena Vasani
Sheena Vasani
Tired of killing your plants? The Gardyn Studio 2 is $109 off.

Designed for small spaces, the smart indoor hydroponic garden is available from Gardyn for $439.20 with code SPRINGFRESH. It can grow up to 16 herbs, vegetables, and greens, and it uses AI to help manage watering and plant care. The latter features require a $25 monthly fee, but our reviewer said the system paid for itself, cutting her family’s produce spending in half.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
I’m testing the MacBook Neo’s competition. What do you want to know?

I said PC makers are ill-prepared to compete with the MacBook Neo, and I’m putting it to the test. I’ve started calling in $600-700ish Windows laptops from Lenovo, Asus, Acer and more to pit against the Neo.

What do you want to know about them? What tests would you like to see? And what other laptops should I call in?

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

A lifesize prop skeleton sits at a table in front of a stack of laptops with the top one opened towards it.
Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
TTArtisan’s first instant camera features a retro folding bellows lens.

The company is best known for lenses and lighting accessories, but it recently shared a video of its first camera, the TTArtisan 203T that shoots on Fujifilm Instax mini film with a folding lens and manual focus. It’s not available just yet, but you can sign up to be a beta tester for $400, as spotted by PetaPixel.

The TTArtisan 203T camera with an instant print sticking out of the side.
Like the antique cameras that inspired it, the TTArtisan 203T is an entirely mechanical camera that doesn’t feature any batteries.
Image: TTArtisan
Cameron Faulkner
Cameron Faulkner
Apple’s four-pack of first-gen AirTags is $60 for the first time.

The cost of a four-pack of first-gen AirTags has been dropping since Apple launched a second-gen model with more precise location tracking. The best-ever price of $59.99 (originally $99.99) is happening now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, which is equivalent to $15 (originally $29) for each tracker.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
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>
1/2
The prototype Segway stands 52-inches tall and includes an early version of its tilting steering mechanism.
Image: RR Auction
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
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.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

<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>
1/3
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
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Oppo goes Ultra next month.

The company has confirmed its Find X9 Ultra is getting its global launch in April, though the exact date remains unknown. The teaser poster shows what appears to be the returning haptic camera button from the Find X8 Ultra, only now more eye-catching in Hasselblad / iPhone orange.

Promotional posted for Oppo Find X9 Ultra showing April release date and orange camera button
Image: Oppo
The secret story of the vocoder, the military tech that changed music forever

On Version History: how to play your voice like an instrument, with a little help from Chromeo.

David Pierce
The new MacBook Pro is still fast as hell

8

Verge Score

And we re-tested the M1 Pro and M1 Max models to see how far the M5 Max has come.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Sheena Vasani
Sheena Vasani
The M5 MacBook Air just got its first cash discount.

If you’re after a laptop that hits the sweet spot, the new 13-inch MacBook Air’s on sale starting at $1,049.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo. It builds on what was already a well-rounded machine, with faster performance, double the base storage (512GB), and read and write speeds that rival the M5 MacBook Pro. Read our review.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Amazon is making an Alexa phoneAmazon is making an Alexa phone
Stevie Bonifield
Brandon Widder
Brandon Widder
Sharge’s quirky throwback charger is $30 off.

Sharge’s retro-inspired GaN charger from last year is on sale for $69.90 at Amazon and Sharge’s online storefront, matching its best price to date. There are a lot of cheaper 140W offerings out there, but few of them pack three USB-C ports and an adjustable dot matrix display for viewing real-time wattage. It even rotates!

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Strava hates to see Le Monde coming.

This time, the French newspaper found the location of an aircraft carrier because a sailor jogging on deck was recording their run on Strava. This isn’t even the first time. In 2024, Le Monde also found President Emmanuel Macron’s bodyguards also leaked his location by tracking workouts on the platform.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
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.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Ikea’s Varmblixt donut table lamp being adjusted by someone pressing a wireless remote.
Image: Ikea
Nothing Phone 4A Pro review: That flagship feeling

6

Verge Score

All style, some substance.

Dominic Preston