Expect plenty of laptops, smart home tech, and TVs — and lots of robots.
In 2011, the Tesla CEO didn’t see BYD as a competitor, laughing out loud at the mere suggestion, just like Steve Ballmer did in response to the iPhone. Microsoft no longer makes phones, and the Chinese auto giant is expected to officially surpass Tesla in global annual sales for the first time.
Neowin has the screenshots to prove how much worse Windows 11 is compared to Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista when you’re just trying to get a PC running. We’re not just excited for Linux because Linux is great; it’s because MS keeps shooting itself in the foot.
What if you could charge double-As with the same cord as your phone? That’s a thing, and these 1.5V lithium-ion Zepath batteries are surprisingly good! Don’t throw away your Eneloops yet, as NiMH is likely safer and can last longer in low-current applications. But these last way longer in my modded GBA.
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Personally, I don’t have superhero movie fatigue. The powers aren’t the problem; I just think we need a little more comedy and a little less fate-of-the-world drama! This one is Wonder Man, an 8-episode miniseries coming January 27th to Disney Plus. It’s meta in more ways than one.
Want a sneak peek at HP’s CES 2026 lineup? Windows Latest claims to have the entire list — my eye is on the HP EliteBook X, which will reportedly let Intel’s Panther Lake, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite, and AMD’s reportedly refreshed Ryzen AI 400 compete head-to-head. Wonder which one is best!
Remember when Dell made the baffling decision last January to ditch its awesome XPS brand for the utterly milquetoast “Dell Pro” and “Dell Pro Max” instead? After just one year, VideoCardz’ sources report, XPS laptops are coming back. Dell will reportedly announce them at CES 2026 next week.
When Intuit Dome opened last season, the arena staff assumed only a third of fans would opt-in to scanning, but close to 75 percent of venue attendees enrolled. The Clippers promise they are not using facial recognition — sorry, they call it “facial authentication” — for security purposes.
Early facial ticketing pilots were met with some protests. And energy still exists to create more state or federal oversight. But as the technology’s penetration has expanded, pushback seemingly hasn’t. A demand for security is leading venue operators to test out the newest tech, while a desire for convenience and personalization has seen fans increasingly getting in line.
The MTA stopped selling its iconic blue and yellow MetroCards as of January 1st, 2026, replacing them with the tap-to-pay OMNY system. The New York Times took the MetroCard for one final spin.
[The New York Times]
On December 31st, MTV shuttered its 24-hour music channels across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Australia, and Brazil. It signed off with one last music video: “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
Scientists have had to contend with a spate of misinformation this year about efforts to purportedly resurrect long-lost species like the woolly mammoth.
It’s far more impactful to help endangered species now — especially as the US rolls back protections and climate change makes the world a more inhospitable place for already threatened creatures.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri says, “People stopped sharing personal moments to feed years ago,” in a New Year’s Eve post about the future of the platform as generative AI produces more realistic-looking content.
The Financial Times reporting on the delayed Trump Mobile phone that’s definitely not made in the USA:
Trump Mobile’s customer service team told the Financial Times that the recent US government shutdown had delayed deliveries of the phone.
Sure.
It added there was a “strong possibility” the device would not be shipped this month.
Duh.
After going a year between his first and second videos investigating the PayPal-owned shopping extension, MegaLag didn’t make us wait long for part three.
Here, he says he has evidence of how Honey evaded detection by affiliate networks with “stand-down” rules against referral-fee-stealing behavior, and responses to Honey co-founder Ryan Hudson’s Reddit AMA. PayPal has not responded to requests for comment.
With a CNC-machined metal body, a front glass panel, a 3.5-inch high-res screen, and diamond-shaped shoulder buttons, the Pocket Vert looks and feels like a premium Android handheld. Ayaneo has finally made it available for preorder through Indiegogo starting at $269 for the version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
In June, Aflac disclosed a data breach involving a “sophisticated cybercrime group” that stole names, social security numbers, contact information, health data, and more from its systems. The insurance provider has now revealed just how many people are affected, adding that it is currently “not aware of any fraudulent use of personal information.”
[SecurityWeek]
The main Stranger Things series is coming to an end when the final episode is released tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve at 8PM ET.
Netflix released this new trailer for the finale, which is also going to be shown in theaters, where people can watch together regardless of their familiarity with “shipping” and/or fandom designation.
The event takes place starting at 12PM PT / 3PM ET at Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas on Wednesday, January 7th. Nilay will be taking the stage with Min at 12:30PM to talk AI, the state of gaming, and everything Razer is announcing at the show, followed by a live Vergecast taping at 3:30PM PT.
If you’ll be in Vegas for the show, you can RSVP at the link below for free tickets. Otherwise, stay tuned for the Decoder Live recording to hit our pod feed and YouTube channel later in the month.
[The Verge]
8
Verge Score
Gardyn Studio 2 makes indoor gardening a mostly hands-off experience, thanks to AI, hydroponics, and smart lighting
The budget-friendly smartphone is “slimmer and lighter” than its predecessor, and will be available on January 7th. It features a 6.7-inch display with an up to 90Hz refresh rate, along with 4GB of RAM and up to 2TB of expandable storage.
Samsung is also launching the Galaxy Tab A11+ in the US on January 8th, starting at $249.99.
