Technology

/ The designation could make it harder for the owner of Riot Games and the world’s largest EV battery maker to do business in the US. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Getty The US Department of Defense has added tech giant Tencent and lithium-ion battery maker CATL to its list of Chinese military companies, as reported earlier by Bloomberg. The designation doesn’t impose sanctions or a ban, but it could make it more difficult for the companies to do business in the US. Along with owning the popular messaging app WeChat, Tencent is a major name in the gaming industry, as it o...

/ The Sense Pro automatically unlocks as you approach and is the company’s first lock to support Matter. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Sense Pro is Schlage’s first lock to support Matter; it will also work with a new UWB-powered auto-unlocking feature.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Schlage Sense Pro is a new design for Schlage locks and comes in two finishes: satin nickel (pictured) and matte black (abo...

/ 2025 is the ‘year of the Windows 11 PC refresh,’ according to Microsoft. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge It’s 2025, and Microsoft is kicking off the year by reminding everyone that support for Windows 10 ends in October. While the company has been trying to entice Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 with full-screen prompts throughout 2024, it’s now calling 2025 “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” Last year, Microsoft kicked off 2024 by declaring it was “the year of the AI PC,” before launching a range of Copilot Plus PCs several month...

/ The company’s ‘glare-free display’ is now expanding to Mini LED models — and the remote has a dedicated AI button. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Even Samsung’s First Look show floor, with bright lights everywhere, poses no issue for the glare-free screen. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The company’s 115-inch 4K Neo QLED TV uses a “Supersize Picture Enhancer” to boost clarity at this enormous size. For 2025, Samsun...

The company created a sensation by making TVs that look more like art and less like tech. With The Frame Pro, Samsung is trying to deliver the best of both worlds. By Chris Welch, a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos. Samsung’s The Frame has been enormously popular ever since its release. There’s no shortage of imitators at this point, with other manufacturers trying their hand at creating a TV that seamlessly blends in with home decor and can also convincingly look like wall art when idle. But none have captured lightning in a bottle quite like Samsung. And in 2025, Samsung is looking to fend off copycats by introducing The Frame Pro. With the artwork side of things ...

/ With brightness gains and even faster VRR, there’s a lot to like. But do home theater enthusiasts really want chatbots and Microsoft Copilot on their TV? a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Goodbye inputs button, hello endless AI features This year’s Magic Remote no longer has a dedicated inputs button. In what might prove to be a controversial decision, LG is making the Home Hub button pull double duty: you can press it to reach the Home Hub dashboard of webOS or hold down the button to pull up your list of inputs. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s still another thing to remember for a fundamental TV interaction. And then comes the avalanche of AI features....

/ The company’s new AI-powered Home Energy Management System uses a chatbot to make it easier to manage your energy. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: EcoFlow Smart energy solutions company EcoFlow is debuting Oasis, its new AI-powered Home Energy Management System, at CES in Las Vegas this week. Designed to automate and simplify energy management, Oasis features an AI assistant that can answer and even act on complicated questions about your home’s e...

Deals/ Tech / You can also score a pair of Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones for under $250 this weekend. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Twelve South The Twelve South AirFly SE is one of those gadgets that can make long flights go by just a little faster, allowing you to eschew the shoddy pair of complimentary earbuds you get with most airlines in favor of your own set of Bluetooth cans. And right now, it’s on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $29.99 ($5 off),...

/ Cloud storage for a single Arlo security camera is now $9.99 per month. a]:text-gray-13″>If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Arlo Arlo has once again increased the monthly subscription pricing for its smart home cameras’ Arlo Secure cloud storage plan. The company now charges $9.99 per month (up from $7.99) to store a single camera’s recordings and $19.99 a month (up from $17.99) for unlimited cameras. And instead of calling the cheaper plan Arlo Secure, both are now named...

The tech world always begins the new year with a sprint, making a fast-paced series of announcements at the industry’s biggest trade show: CES. CES 2025 will have plenty of laptops, some incredible TVs, and more wearables and smart home gadgets than you can count. These are the areas the show has traditionally excelled in, but this year’s show is likely to have a focus on some trendier emerging categories, too. Expect to see AI everywhere and a lot of experimental ideas about how to make AR more accessible. CES officially runs from Tuesday, January 7th, through Friday, January 10th. But the show really begins much sooner. Here’s a quick guide as to what to expect: Sunday, January 5th: Companies will begin making announcements ahead of the show and some early access events will be held for ...

/ Expect plenty of laptops, TVs, and smart home gadgets — and a lot of new places to stuff AI. Share this story a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Smart home CES 2025 will be the year of the smart home gadget. I’m anticipating an avalanche of new product announcements from companies like Aqara, Nanoleaf, Tapo, Reolink, SwitchBot, Shelly, Lutron, Lifx, Flic, and Cync, all of whom are exhibiting this year. I hope to see some real innovation — products that take the smart home to the next level — especially now that there’s the foundation of Matter, a unified connectivity standard they can leverage. One area I expect to see a lot of new products with exciting featu...