ChatGPT will now let you pick how nice it is
ChatGPT will now let you pick how nice it is OpenAI will now give you the ability to dial up – or down – ChatGPT’s warmth and enthusiasm. An update rolling out on Friday gives you the option to choose whether you want “more” or “less” of these personality traits, or stick with the default. […]
Google sues web scraper for sucking up search results ‘at an astonishing scale’
Google sues web scraper for sucking up search results 'at an astonishing scale' Google has filed a lawsuit against SerpApi, a company that offers tools to scrape content on the web, including Google’s search results. SerpApi is accused of violating the Copyright Act by using “deceptive means” to automatically access and take Google’s search results […]
Bose’s first-gen QC Ultra headphones just hit their lowest price to date
Bose's first-gen QC Ultra headphones just hit their lowest price to date The QC Ultra remain a great noise-canceling option if you plan on traveling during the holidays. | Image: The Verge If you value peace and quiet, particularly when traveling, Bose’s first-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are worth checking out. They’re our favorite noise-canceling headphones […]
Who owns Trump Mobile?
Who owns Trump Mobile? Where’s the Trump Phone? We’re going to keep talking about it every week, except next week, when we take a break until the new year. We’ve reached out, as usual, to ask about the Trump Phone’s whereabouts. As usual, we’re still waiting for a response. In the meantime, we’re wondering who’s […]
Europol imagines robot crime waves in 2035
Europol imagines robot crime waves in 2035 Rapid advances in AI and robotics are set to become both powerful tools for police and potent weapons for criminals, a 48-page report from pan-European police agency Europol argues. Earlier this month, Europol’s Innovation Lab published “The Unmanned Future(s): The impact of robotics and unmanned systems on law […]
Brendan Carr is a dummy
Brendan Carr is a dummy All year on The Vergecast, we’ve been tracking the many bizarre and problematic actions of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. There has been a lot to discuss! Then, this week, ahead of one of our last episodes of the year, Carr appeared in front of the Senate Commerce Committee and spent […]
Phones were fashionable again in 2025
Phones were fashionable again in 2025 Just look at that beaut. A year or two ago, when a phone showed up at my door for review, I could pretty much count on it being black, gray, or maybe (as a treat) white. But in 2025, that hasn’t been the case. Phones I reviewed this year […]
There’s finally a little bit of sunshine in Pluribus
There's finally a little bit of sunshine in Pluribus Things might finally be looking up. In the penultimate episode of Pluribus‘ first season, Carol (Rhea Seehorn) actually seems to be happy. That’s a pretty big deal for someone the show describes as the “most miserable person on Earth,” who also happens to be living through […]
Semi-solid state MagSafe power banks arrive from the founder of Hyper
Semi-solid state MagSafe power banks arrive from the founder of Hyper BMX’s SolidSafe 5K in that Apple orange color. | Image: BMX A new company called BMX, founded by accessory royalty, has emerged from Kickstarter to make its SolidSafe semi-solid state power banks available to the general public. Like the Kuxiu semi-solid state power banks […]
The TikTok US sale is finally happening
The TikTok US sale is finally happening TikTok has finalized the deal to sell its US business, according to reports from Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, and CNBC. They report that a memo from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to employees on Thursday said the deal will close on January 22nd, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and […]