The latest tech news about the world’s best (and sometimes worst) hardware, apps, and much more. From top companies like Google and Apple to tiny startups vying for your attention, Verge Tech has the latest in what matters in technology daily.
During its The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct today, Nintendo briefly shared a teaser for its next collaboration with Lego. The new set features Link brandishing the Master Sword while riding Epona as the horse rears up. Pricing and piece count aren’t known, but the set could arrive alongside Nintendo’s Ocarina of Time remake.
The two companies are also partnering to develop “high-performance optical connectivity solutions,” potentially amping up competition with Nvidia. As part of the deal, Qualcomm will use Amazon’s AI servers to speed up its chip design process.
With the BrickStation Kit, Lego’s 1,911-piece replica of the original Sony PlayStation will be able to connect to a TV and play original PS1 games, as reported by Retro Dodo. When it eventually launches through Kickstarter, the upgrade will rely on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W for emulating games but you’ll have to supply your own functional controllers.
The new $79 Xteink X4 Classic is an updated version of the company’s original tiny e-reader with a larger 920mAh battery that comes at the cost of a USB-C port. Like the Xteink X3 and X4 Pro, the revamped X4 Classic now has a magnetic pogo pin connector on the back for charging and syncing.
Searches related to hotels and flights will now more prominently display results linking to price comparison sites, after the EU found Google was breaking antitrust rules by prioritizing its own Shopping, Flights, and Hotels tools, fining it €460 million. Google told Reuters it’s the largest reduction in search quality for 29 years.
The launch of its first foldable iPhone proves Apple still calls the shots.
Logitech is launching a standalone version of its MX Keypad for developers. Previously bundled in the MX Creative Console, the miniature keypad has customizable keys that can be configured to control apps. Logitech has worked with GitHub to launch the MX Keypad with native integration for VS Code and GitHub’s Copilot app. Logitech’s keypad is available today, priced at $99.99.
Alex Gibney’s three-hour-plus documentary on Elon Musk is closer than the Moon. It’ll premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 8th. Here’s the first teaser:
The Roomba Duo is a new concept from iRobot. Two vacuums in one: the larger robot is a vacuum and steam mop (I watched it suck up pasta from carpet) and the smaller one sits on top. When the Duo finds areas it can’t reach, it uses a mechanical arm to lower the second bot to the floor.
It feels like an overly complex solution to the traditional limitations of robot vacuums, but it’s nice to see some ambition from iRobot.
$LAPTOP plays on the infamous device that dragged him into the political spotlight. It also takes aim at Donald Trump’s similar crypto currency by distributing tokens to wallets that have lost money on $TRUMP, and pledging more if the Democrats win in 2028 or Biden’s crypto market cap overtakes the Trump coin’s.
[Wall Street Journal]
Most Windows 11 widgets haven’t been all that useful so far, but a new battery option is reportedly coming soon that looks like something I’d use daily. Much like Apple and Google’s batteries widgets, it tracks battery levels for any devices connected to a PC. Once it’s officially rolled out, you should be able to use it on the lock screen or widgets board.
Released today in China after last week’s IFA appearance, it pushes the new wide fold form factor just a touch further than Samsung did. It’s both shorter and wider, with a roughly 1.4:1 aspect ratio on both screens — about the same proportions as international paper standards or a 1.43:1 IMAX screen. Finally, a phone designed for The Odyssey.
The new flick about the disgraced Theranos founder, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, got a surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival ahead of its October release. Here’s how A24 describes it:
“Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.”
Soaring RAM costs are driving up prices across the tech industry. It may take years to settle down.
The Kata Mini is one of those weird AI companions that have little purpose other than to be cute and creepy — speaker and microphone on your keychain plushie, anyone?
But the Mini, a portable, camera-less version of a Kata Friend companion, can also control SwitchBot smart home products. That’s a new way to turn on the lights. It’s coming later this year.
Self-reporting isn’t working, based upon an investigation by Right to Repair Europe. For the last year, tablet and phone manufacturers (and importers) have been required to provide repair instructions and prices for spare parts on a website, but over 80 percent fail to do so. Some leave the field blank, or worse: provide a generic link to temu.com or Aliexpress.com.
We’re expecting the reveal of an all-new iPhone form factor on Wednesday. It will undoubtedly be an expensive beast. So what will it take to make you consider spending your hard-earned money? What features are you hoping to see? What would be a deal-breaker if it were missing?
Lenovo’s Project Swan has a screen that literally unrolls. The prototype could use better speakers and some weight balancing, but I love watching it in motion!
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Fairphone’s proper US debut feels like a triumph in the middle of RAMageddon.
The US is finally reclassifying plug-in solar as a household appliance to offset high energy costs.
TikTok user CatJacks created an app for Apple’s headset that allows him to see through walls. When he’s running cable in a house, he’ll peek in the attic, mark where the studs are, then come around the other side and be able to see them and the cavity in 3D.
