Natural Cycles launches wristband to replace thermometers for its FDA-cleared birth control app
Natural Cycles launches wristband to replace thermometers for its FDA-cleared birth control app Natural Cycles, the company behind a controversial FDA-cleared birth control app, is replacing its thermometer with a wristband that measures skin temperature, heart rate, and movement during sleep. The newly-launched wristband costs $129.99 and syncs with the Natural Cycles app, which uses […]
Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches
Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches Earlier this month, The Guardian published an investigation that showed Google was serving up misleading and outright false information via its AI overviews in response to certain medical inquiries. Now those results appear to have been removed. According to the original report: In one case that experts […]
CES 2026 was awash in bodily fluids
CES 2026 was awash in bodily fluids Mira is a hormone testing kit that I tried out ahead of CES 2026. I had to pee in that cup. This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos […]
The weirdest tech we’ve seen at CES 2026
The weirdest tech we've seen at CES 2026 You’re not ready for this level of weirdness. There’s never a shortage of exciting and innovative tech at CES. A superthin TV and tri-folding phone are cool and all, but sometimes the weirdest gadgets are the ones that make us go “huh.” Luckily, there was plenty of […]
The Vivoo FlowPad turns menstrual pads into an at-home hormone test
The Vivoo FlowPad turns menstrual pads into an at-home hormone test The FlowPad will measure follicle-stimulating hormone. | Image: Vivoo Wellness tech companies are increasingly interested in bodily fluids like blood, urine, sweat, and saliva. At CES 2026, it’s time to add menstrual blood to that list, too. Health tech startup Vivoo just announced the […]
The taint bandaid has evolved into the taint zapper
The taint bandaid has evolved into the taint zapper Alternatively, you could call it a gooch taser. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge Six years ago, I first laid eyes upon the taint bandaid. It was the first night of CES 2020. In a corner of the inaugural CES Unveiled showcase, there was […]
This egg-shaped gadget aims to demystify hormones… with pee
This egg-shaped gadget aims to demystify hormones… with pee Your urine can tell you a lot about your reproductive health hormones. Unfortunately, at-home testing can be cumbersome, involving collecting samples that are then mailed out to labs. That’s what health startup Mira is trying to simplify with its $249 Ultra4 Hormone Monitor. The pitch is […]
Withings thinks of its latest smart scale as a ‘longevity station’
Withings thinks of its latest smart scale as a 'longevity station' The Body Scan 2 will be available in Q2 2026, pending FDA clearance on some metrics. | Image: Withings Withings is back at CES 2026 with another smart scale: the $599.95 Body Scan 2. This time, it’s got an even tighter focus on cardiovascular […]
Welcome to the wellness surveillance state
Welcome to the wellness surveillance state A big part of my job is spending several hours per week staring at charts of my data. This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going […]
Data centers in Oregon might be helping to drive an increase in cancer and miscarriages
Data centers in Oregon might be helping to drive an increase in cancer and miscarriages Morrow County, Oregon is home to mega farms and food processing plants. But it’s also home to several Amazon data centers. And now, some experts believe, that combination is leading to an alarmingly high concentration of nitrates in the drinking […]