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Sam Altman onstage at OpenAI’s DevDay 2026. | Photo: Hayden Field / The Verge While AI has made plenty of inroads on people's phones and computers, it's largely failed in dedicated devices. But over the next year, two major AI companies, Meta and OpenAI, will attempt to change that. And they're apparently betting on a similar path: testing appetites for physical hardware with their cutesy software agents. "Hardware is hard" is a tech industry mantra. Dedicated AI devices like the Friend and Humane AI Pin have inspired mainly frustration and backlash, which may only worsen as public anger toward AI grows. Meta and OpenAI, however, are both pushing ahead. OpenAI is working with famed ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and pla … Read the full story at The Verge.

This is Optimizer , a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here . "I will explode your butthole with this poopmaxxer pesto," a calm Gen Z voice announced from my phone's speakers. "And don't worry, it doesn't taste like poop, unless that's what you're into … I don't know if Italians will approve of this, but it's for my … a-butt-a-hole-a!" What followed in that video was actually a pretty good recipe. Two cups of blanched peas mixed into a fairly standard pesto recipe for a yield of 18 grams … Read the full story at The Verge.

Artist’s rendition | Image:The Verge, Getty Images The Wing Hummingbird 7000W-B delivery drone weighs less than 15 pounds. It has 16 propellers - four for horizontal movement and 12 for vertical - a top speed of 60 miles per hour, a carrying capacity of up to 2.7 pounds, and a delivery radius of about six miles. It is authorized by the FAA for beyond-line-of-sight piloting. As a feat of engineering, it is impressive. So far I've mostly used it to send people potatoes. It all started a few Sunday mornings ago when my neighbor Will added me and a half dozen other local dads to a group chat. I only recognized a few of the numbers. "Anyone looking for dumb stuff to entertain the kids?" he … Read the full story at The Verge.

Suno’s AI vocalists could learn a thing or two from this glitchy image. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Sony and Universal Music Group filed yet another suit against Suno. The labels claim its new v6 model still infringes on their copyrights because it's trained on user outputs from previous models, which were themselves trained on unlicensed music ripped from YouTube and other sources. Sony and UMG are notable holdouts who did not sign a licensing agreement with Suno. In its complaint shared with The Verge , Sony and UMG accuse Suno of "model laundering," saying: "Training a 'new' model on the outputs of an infringing model does not eliminate the infringement; it launders it, passing the value of Plaintiffs' expression from the copied reco … Read the full story at The Verge.

Nintendo’s “Customer Appreciation” sale continues through September 26th. It includes discounts on Switch games and accessories, and I thought I’d call out one of my favorite games that’s cheaper than ever. Metroid Prime Remastered is down to $27.99 in digital format for the Switch and Switch 2, and it’s among the best remasters I’ve played because it makes smart improvements to an already-great game. You can get it for this price at Amazon , Best Buy , and Walmart . The physical version costs around $42 at those retailers. Metroid Prime Remastered Where to Buy: $39.99 $27.99 at Amazon (digital) $39.99 $27.99 at Walmart (digital) $39.99 $27.99 at Best Buy (digital) Most Metroid fans have already played this one — maybe multiple times, even — but if you’ve somehow missed out, here’s your sign to pick it up. It applies a modern coat of updated textures and improved lighting to the 2002 GameCube title, and it runs at a smooth frame rate. Notably, the control scheme doesn’t require motion controls like the Wii re-release did. For about the same price as this digital title, true fans can also buy the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective hardcover book. Normally $49.99, it’s $28.50 at Amazon and Walmart for the 208-page art book covering the original trilogy, peppered with some fantastic quotes from people who worked on the games. It’s an unusually candid look into Nintendo’s first-person shooter series and the company’s game design philosophy. It’d make for a great holiday gift. Read our coverage of the book . Other great Verge-approved deals Flow is one of the best animated movies of the past few years, and now it’s cheaper than ever to own a digital copy. Unless you have HBO Max to watch it on demand, snag the 4K version from Apple TV or Amazon for $4.99. The voiceless tale follows a cat who survives a huge flood that leaves civilizations in ruin. The perilous (yet adorable) adventure sees the cat relying on other animals to survive. It’s just a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes. It’s never a bad time to recommend a cable as useful as Anker’s 2-in-1 USB-C cable . The two-headed cable can charge two devices from a single charging port (up to 140W for a single device), and the six-foot version is down to $15.99 at Amazon . This is only $4 off, and it’s far from the first time we’ve seen this deal. But it’s never been cheaper, and it’s practical cable that will likely improve your charging setup. My wife and I use it to cycle between charging our MacBooks and an iPad, occasionally throwing a phone or Kindle into the mix. Best Buy is trolling us a bit with today’s price on the white Magic Keyboard with Touch ID . We focused yesterday on the $30 discount for the black version of the wireless keyboard that brought it down to $169.99. That deal is gone, but the model with white key caps is down to $149.99 at Best Buy . It’s compatible with all Macs that have Apple silicon, dating back to the M1 models (so long as you have macOS 15.1 or later). It recharges via USB-C, and has a full numerical pad, plus other keys for easier navigation on your computer.

A rare discount on Apple’s dark color keyboard. | Image: The Verge Until the end of the day on September 22nd, 2026, Best Buy and Amazon have the black Apple Magic Keyboard on sale for $169.99, a $30 discount from the usual price. This is the souped-up version of Apple’s full-size, wireless keyboard, with a Touch ID button, numerical pad, arrow keys, plus additional function keys. The Touch ID functionality is compatible with macOS computers running version 15.1 or newer on Apple-made silicon. Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad Where to Buy: $199.99 $169.99 at Amazon $199.99 $169.99 at Best Buy The keyboard includes a woven USB-C cable that handles both charging and data, or you can use Bluetooth for a wireless connection. Black-colored Apple accessories tend to carry a higher price premium than their equivalent white models, and go on sale less frequently. Best Buy’s price is only good through 10PM PT on September 22nd, 2026, and the Amazon page is currently shipping one or two days out. Other deals to consider The refurbished 160W Anker Prime Charger is on sale for $75 on eBay via the Anker Outlet Store , $41 lower than the current Prime-exclusive price at Amazon, and half off the list price for a new model. This compact charger sports three USB-C ports, with a maximum output of 140W from a single port. It even has a little display for power monitoring or changing charging modes with the push of a button. For a limited time, you can grab a 512GB microSD Express card for $99.99 or less. The Samsung P9 is $99.99 at B&H Photo and Amazon (discounted automatically applied at checkout), and the SanDisk GamePlay is $98 at Walmart . The Switch 2 is the only mainstream device that requires a microSD Express for add-ons torage, and first-party Nintendo games run between 10 and 30 GB (the upcoming Ocarina of time remake is 27GB, for example) so a 512GB card can store upwards of 15 games. The 4K Blu-ray version of Interstellar is discounted to $14.96 at Amazon . That’s the lowest we’ve seen the price since Prime Day in June, and a five dollar break from the usual price. This classic Christopher Nolan film is an excellent addition to any film buff’s home collection, and benefits massively from the sharper visuals provided by the 4K Blu-ray. Read our review .

The TV in your living room knows more about you than you realize. | Photo by John Higgins / The Verge The TV world has been a pot of controversy thanks to a two-hour-and-15-minute video from Gamers Nexus claiming LG TVs are nefariously spying on everything you do. They can record and store audio even when they seem to be off, track everything you watch, and could even be hacked remotely and turned into covert surveillance devices. LG TV owners, and tech enthusiasts in general, are furious, and a hurried response from LG has done little to calm the situation. Some of the claims in the video may be based on speculation and assumptions, but many of the core concerns are real and pervasive. While LG was the focus of the video, every TV company … Read the full story at The Verge.