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Stop by the merch table on your way out

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Andrew Liszewski
Ugreen’s crossbody phone strap doubles as a 4-foot long USB-C charging cable.

Crossbody phone straps may become even more popular now that they’re more functional. Ugreen’s alternative to Apple’s iPhone strap doubles as a 47-inch long USB-C charging cable with connectors that use a locking mechanism to securely connect to your phone. It’s currently available from Amazon in Germany for €19.99, or around $23, according to Appgefahren.de.

<em>There are Amazon listings for the lanyard in Italy and France, but </em>The Verge<em> has reached out to Ugreen to confirm US availability.</em>
<em>The cable’s USB-C connectors attach to the lanyard using a twist to lock mechanism to ensure your phone doesn’t fall.</em>
<em>The lanyard includes an adapter to securely connect to smartphones inside protective cases that include a cutout for their charging port.</em>
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There are Amazon listings for the lanyard in Italy and France, but The Verge has reached out to Ugreen to confirm US availability.
Image: Ugreen
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Sean Hollister
‘The era of bargain-priced PCs and tablets is behind us’: PC shipments expected to drop 11 percent.

IDC, Omdia, and Gartner agree: the PC market will shrink because of RAMaggedon. Respectively, they’re forecasting 11 percent, 12 percent, and 10 percent declines in 2026, far bigger than previously predicted.

“The sub-$500 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028,” Gartner said in late February. Phones will drop similarly. And these forecasts don’t include the impacts of Trump’s war on Iran.

What it was like to watch grieving parents stare down Mark Zuckerberg in court

Parent advocates were determined to make their presence known to Meta’s CEO.

Lauren Feiner
Lego Smart Brick review: My kids are not impressed

Lego’s tiny toy computer can fly higher than these first Star Wars sets.

Sean Hollister
MacBook Neo review: the Mac for the masses

9

Verge Score

iPhone chip, no problem.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
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Andrew J. Hawkins
Lucid’s next EVs will be named…

Cosmos and Earth. Paging Carl Sagan! The EV company announced the names at its Investor Day in New York City today. Both are expected to be mid-sized crossover SUVs, with an estimated starting price of $50,000. That makes the Lucid Earth and Cosmos incredibly important to the company’s long-term future — sort of similar to the Rivian R2. If Lucid wants to break into the mainstream, it needs to sell more affordable vehicles.

1/2Image: Lucid
Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus review: This again

Samsung’s latest Galaxy S phones are going through the motions.

Dominic Preston
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Emma Roth
Tim Cook celebrates Apple’s 50th anniversary.

We’ve spent five decades rethinking what’s possible and putting powerful tools into people’s hands. Through every breakthrough, one idea has guided us — that the world is moved forward by people who think different.

Apple has also launched a new @helloapple Instagram account, which will offer a behind-the-scenes look at its devices and demonstrate how they “continue to inspire creativity around the world,” according to social media consultant Matt Navarra.

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Andrew Webster
How’s this for a string of words:

YouTube performance artist-turned-metal singer Poppy is narrating the English version of an audio-only adaptation of a short story from horror manga master Junji Ito. Oh, and it’ll only be available on vinyl. You can check out the Kickstarter campaign here, and stay tuned for more on this project from me very soon.

A photo of the vinyl record Old Records.
Image: Zero Zero Enterprises
The iPhone 17E is good, but you probably shouldn’t buy it

7

Verge Score

If you have the means, then another $200 for an iPhone 17 is well worth it.

Allison Johnson
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Andrew Liszewski
Dyson’s new floor scrubber comes with a drying dock that helps control odors.

The company’s skinny PencilVacs come with charging stands, but Dyson’s new Clean+Wash Hygiene includes a dock that uses hot air to dry the cleaner’s microfiber roller after a self-cleaning cycle to help reduce bacteria growth and odors. It’s available now for $499 from Amazon and Dyson’s retail locations and online store.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

<em>The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene has a 45-minute runtime and a water tank large enough to clean 3,767 square feet of floor.</em>
<em>The cleaner’s included charging dock also features a hot-air mechanism to dry the microfiber roller in about 30 minutes.</em>
<em>The cleaner’s microfiber roller picks up dust, debris, and wet messes and deposits them in a holding tank that can be removed and emptied.</em>
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The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene has a 45-minute runtime and a water tank large enough to clean 3,767 square feet of floor.
Image: Dyson
Apple Studio Display XDR review: pro at a premium

8

Verge Score

Professionals will love the accurate and plentiful reference modes, but far better options exist for the rest of us.

John Higgins
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External Link
Jess Weatherbed
UK banking glitch exposed customer transactions.

Some Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland app users reported they were briefly able to view charges and payments made by other people on their accounts. Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three banks, says the issue was “quickly identified and resolved,” and that it’s “reviewing what happened to ensure this cannot occur again.”

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Youtube
Andrew Liszewski
More details and video of DJI’s first 360-degree drone leak.

If you can’t wait until March 26th for the official reveal, New Camera has shared a leaked video of the DJI Avata 360 showing off its tilting camera module that works in 360-degree and FPV modes. Reliable leaker Igor Bogdanov has also shared some of the drone’s specs, including a 23-minute flight time and a 20km range.

Bespoke AI models are the next big thing in filmmaking

Ben Affleck’s AI startup, recently purchased by Netflix for around $600 million, has a different approach to gen AI.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
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Youtube
Andrew Liszewski
The MacBook Neo is surprisingly easy to disassemble and repair.

If you needed another reason to consider Apple’s new entry-level laptop, YouTube’s Tech Re-Nu shared a teardown of the MacBook Neo. Inside they found most components secured with just screws, including modular USB-C ports that are easy to replace. The only part that uses glue is the cable connecting the trackpad to the mainboard.

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Andrew J. Hawkins
Uber goes elite.

The ridehail service is launching a new premium offering for anyone who thinks Uber Black is too pedestrian. Uber Elite will be invite-only and feature commercially licensed professional chauffeurs driving new-model luxury vehicles – less than three years old – such as the Cadillac Escalade, Lucid Air and Lincoln Navigator. Each ride includes complimentary ammenities such as chargers, bottled water, mints, and hand-sanitizing towelettes. It’s currently only available in LA and San Francisco, and soon in New York City – with more US and international cities to follow.

Image: Uber
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David Pierce
This is immediately my new favorite way to watch YouTube.

It’s called Channel Surfer, and it presents YouTube as an old-school grid of TV channels, which you can flip though to see what’s on. All the simplicity of watching cable in a hotel room; all the videos you actually want to watch. It’s fun on its own, but it feels like magic as soon as you import your own subscriptions to create personalized channels.

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Jess Weatherbed
Tesla approved to become a UK energy supplier.

The EV maker has been granted a license to supply electricity to British households and businesses, mirroring its similar business in Texas. The approval doesn’t include dual gas/electric fuel contracts, however, and local supplier Octopus Energy already allows Powerwall battery owners to sell energy back to the grid.

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Dominic Preston
Right idea, wrong company.

Microsoft’s big GDC announcement turned out to be bringing Xbox mode to every Windows 11 PC, starting next month. It’s the latest encouraging sign after Xbox’s big leadership shakeup, but Microsoft has work to do to earn back users’ trust.

Brick_wall_56:

On the surface, this seems great. I’m a moron who has my PC hooked up to my living room TV with Steam Big Picture mode booting at launch. I yearn for something like this.

But I have absolutely zero faith in Microsoft pulling this off in any way that makes me want to turn it on. There’s not a single MS product I enjoy using at this point, and I have no idea why this would be any different.

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

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Jess Weatherbed
Uber, Wayve, and Nissan have robotaxi plans in Japan.

The companies aim to launch a pilot program in Tokyo by late 2026, allowing Uber riders to book robotaxis based on the Nissan Leaf EV, powered by Wayve’s autonomous driving tech. In its press release, Uber said:

“The announcement reinforces a shared ambition to scale safe, intelligent autonomous mobility globally, by combining Wayve’s AI technology, Nissan’s cutting-edge vehicles and Uber’s network, the partners aim to bring autonomous mobility to more cities.”

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Sean Hollister
Epic judge wants experts to weigh in on Google settlement.

Epic and Google are settling, but the US version of the plan still rests in Judge Donato’s hands. He’s asking for “friend of the court” briefs in early April, meaning it’ll be longer before he makes a decision.

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Jay Peters
Google will let developers sell both mobile and PC versions of a game for one price.

The feature, announced as part of various updates alongside the GDC Festival of Gaming, is rolling out to select games to start, including Brotato: Premium. Also: free 60-minute game demos, ones that let gamers pick up where they left off after they pay.

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