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Oracle and the founder of OnlyFans are also among names that have cropped up as the president seeks to broker a deal.

The BBC gets hands-on with the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, launching in June.

Despite the increasing number of potential buyers, neither the app nor its Chinese owner have confirmed they will do a deal.

Journalist Ben Black was "shocked" to discover his fake news from five years ago used by AI.

The car maker's sales slide has been attributed to competition and controversy around its boss.

More than a million people watched online as details of the long awaited successor to the hit console were announced.

They are the latest safety measures from the gaming platform, which has faced questions over inappropriate content.

The research found a correlation between looking at a screen in bed and reporting insomnia and sleep loss.

Oracle and the founder of OnlyFans are also among names that have cropped up as the president seeks to broker a deal.

The often-explicit pictures are being stored without password protection, leaving them vulnerable to a hack.

The move could be aimed at protecting investors, who helped him buy purchase X, from losing money.

The site is littered with awful photos, particularly of celebrities - but a volunteer project is trying to fix that.

An IT consultant took charge of the Center Parcs UK's handle after the firm deactivated its account.

The Rocket League Championship Series Birmingham Major brings together the 16 best teams in the world

Shenzhen-based Tencent, which owns the popular messaging app WeChat, will hold about a quarter of a new subsidiary.

Trump also said he is willing to extend a 5 April deadline for a non-Chinese buyer of the platform to be found.

Security failings by the Advanced Computer Software Group led to a cyberattack in 2022 that impacted NHS services.

A new video game has brought the 1957 disaster in Cumbria back into the spotlight.

Some fear the move could mean less work for models, photographers and make-up artists.

The youth parliament says it wants more action from MPs and social media companies on violent online content.

Multiple users said they had problems after the DNA-testing firm filed for bankruptcy protection.

The Shenzhen-based firm says revenue for last year came in at $107bn, boosted by sales of its hybrid vehicles.

Hundreds of people contacted the BBC after Dave Baszucki spoke about safety on the hugely popular gaming platform.

A union says it should instead pay drivers more so they can take time off with their families.

Critics say the AI tool - which made people look overweight - was a form of body-shaming.

The tech giant confirmed it had "reached a resolution" but rejected the allegations made against it.

UN agencies are worried about rising cases of satellite navigation signal interference.

Can we clean up air travel? Adrienne Murray explores developments in electric flight.

Noland Arbaugh has a chip in his brain to translate his thoughts into computer commands.

Lara Lewington explores how technology and AI are transforming what it means to be human.

How the US government’s crackdown on diversity deleted women’s military contributions.

Find out how holoportation 3D telemedicine technology is helping patients in Ghana.

From science-fiction to the real world, flying cars are here - but could the concept actually take off?

Start-up social media firms are looking to capitalise on dissatisfaction with the social media giants.

Noland Arbaugh has a chip in his brain to translate his thoughts into computer commands.

Robo-taxi services and driverless trucks are gaining ground but progress is painstaking.

Services that assess climate change risks are springing up for home buyers, insurers and lenders.

Ireland is investing billions of euros to revamp its healthcare service - will AI help?

EU nations hope that tax benefits might encourage young, skilled workers to stay, but will they work?

Quantum computers will be able to crack existing encryption and threaten critical infrastructure.

India is the world's biggest exporter of human hair but it wants more of the lucrative wig market.

Kindness influencers give away money and gifts but not everyone supports their work.

Many staff are using AI at work without the permission of their employers.

Many companies have left X but it's not always a simple decision.

The founders of important open source software are getting older, who will take over?

Should more AI be used to help GPs with consultations and administrative work?

Pharmaceutical firms are turning to AI to find new molecules that might be able to tackle disease.

Educational website reviews

Sudoku is a logic-based number puzzle that does not involve arithmetic. Although first published in an American puzzle magazine in 1979, Sudoku gained popularity in Japan in 1986 before becoming an international craze in 2005. The goal is to enter […]

Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) was first observed in 1868 to honor the soldiers of the Civil War. Its origins can be traced back to General John A. Logan who proclaimed: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated […]

The history of American Mother’s Day can be traced to 1870 when Julia Ward Howe (author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic) called upon mothers to put an end to war. But it wasn’t until 1912 that West Virginia […]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) is one of the greatest composers in history. His work marked a turning point for composers, who had previously written primarily for religious services, to teach, or to entertain at social functions. But Beethoven’s […]

“April showers bring May flowers.” Perhaps this is why May is National Flower Month. Indulge your green thumb with this week’s website picks about flowers.

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.

Though Superman is clearly going to get the living daylights beat out of him at some point in James Gunn’s upcoming DC Studios feature, the movie’s latest trailer puts a spotlight on how the Man of Steel gets put back together again. During its presentation at this year’s CinemaCon, Warner Bros. shared an extended sneak […]

Though Superman is clearly going to get the living daylights beat out of him at some point in James Gunn’s upcoming DC Studios feature, the movie’s latest trailer puts a spotlight on how the Man of Steel gets put back together again. During its presentation at this year’s CinemaCon, Warner Bros. shared an extended sneak peek from the new Superman, and the studio has just posted the footage online. For the most part, the video focuses on a very badly-wounded Superman (David Corenswet) begging for his dog, Krypto, to drag him home because he’s unable to walk or fly. While it’s played for comedy, it’s a little morbid to see Superman’s body flopping around like most of his bones are broken. But the scene becomes much weirder (in a good way) as Krypto drags Superman to a very inspired take on the Fortress of Solitude, where a team of cape-wearing medical robots are ready to run triage. Along with a very wild shot of the robots concentrating the sun’s light to heal Superman, the trailer also features longer shots of Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion). Gunn is obviously banking on audiences digging a wilder, more whimsical world of superheroes, and it might pay off when Superman hits theaters on July 11th.

The CEO of Steve Jackson Games, which makes board games and card games, says that the 54 percent tariff on goods imported from China that will go into effect on April 5th is a “seismic shift” for the board game industry and that “prices are going up.” “At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing […]

The CEO of Steve Jackson Games, which makes board games and card games, says that the 54 percent tariff on goods imported from China that will go into effect on April 5th is a “seismic shift” for the board game industry and that “prices are going up.” “At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing what this means for our products, our pricing, and our future plans,” CEO Meredith Placko says in a post. “We do know that we can’t absorb this kind of cost increase without raising prices. We’ve done our best over the past few years to shield players and retailers from the full brunt of rising freight costs and other increases, but this new tax changes the equation entirely.” In the post, Placko spells out an example of how the tariff could affect costs. “A product we might have manufactured in China for $3.00 last year could now cost $4.62 before we even ship it across the ocean,” she says. “Add freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution margins, and that once-$25 game quickly becomes a $40 product. That’s not a luxury upcharge; it’s survival math.” Placko adds that the company doesn’t manufacture in the US because the infrastructure “doesn’t meaningfully exist here yet.” She acknowledges that tariffs can be “an effective tool” when they are “part of a long-term strategy to bolster domestic manufacturing.” But she says that “there is no national plan in place to support manufacturing for the types of products we make.” If you’re frustrated with the tariffs, Placko suggests writing to your elected officials. “Ask them how these new policies help American creators and small businesses,” she says. “Because right now, it feels like they don’t.” The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has also issued a grim warning. “The latest imposition of a 54% tariff on products from China by the administration is dire news for the tabletop industry and the broader US economy,” GAMA said, according to Polygon. Card-grading company PSA has released a statement about the new tariffs, too, saying that the company has paused direct card grading submissions from outside the US. In March, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks told Yahoo Finance that “when you’re talking about tariffs in the neighborhood of 20 percent plus, that’s a cost that we can’t fully accommodate. It will have to be passed on.”

If you were wondering how President Trump’s tariffs may impact gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches, there’s some bad, and perhaps slightly less-bad news. Unless something changes, Trump’s sweeping tariffs will lead to increased prices for consumers. But it will likely take some time before that actually happens. Modern gadgets generally aren’t made or assembled […]

Yes, prices will likely go up though not right away. If you were wondering how President Trump’s tariffs may impact gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches, there’s some bad, and perhaps slightly less-bad news. Unless something changes, Trump’s sweeping tariffs will lead to increased prices for consumers. But it will likely take some time before that actually happens. Modern gadgets generally aren’t made or assembled solely in the U.S. anymore. Device makers big and small source components from all over the world, and often have them assembled overseas before importing the final product into the country. Given that Trump has levied tariffs on every single country, it means that the cost to make all our devices will inevitably go up. “The biggest thing right now is going to be the inflationary impact,” says Jason Miller, professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University. “If they stay in place for several months, we’ll start to see those effects by mid-summer and certainly back-to-school season.” Miller notes goods shipped from China to the U.S. will face a whopping 54 percent tariffs, including most gadgets. Vietnam, where Apple has shifted some of its manufacturing, also has a high … Read the full story at The Verge.

Fitness trackers have come a long way from the simple bands that tracked steps and little else. Modern trackers can monitor everything from your heart health to how well you’ve recovered from a hard bout of training. Even flagship smartwatches, which used to be lackluster trackers, have become pretty adept workout companions. Whatever your fitness […]

Fitness trackers have come a long way from the simple bands that tracked steps and little else. Modern trackers can monitor everything from your heart health to how well you’ve recovered from a hard bout of training. Even flagship smartwatches, which used to be lackluster trackers, have become pretty adept workout companions. Whatever your fitness goals are, there’s probably a fitness tracker that can help you achieve them. Compared to some other gadgets, wearables are incredibly personal, which means there are a few extra considerations you’ll have to take into account before reaching for your wallet. It makes it hard to say that any one fitness tracker is the best for everyone. Thankfully, the best thing about fitness trackers in 2025 is that there’s enough variety to fit into every kind of lifestyle. How we test fitness trackers Fitness trackers are meant to help you keep track of your health and activity. We do a mix of benchmark testing and experiential, real-life testing. That means snoozing with them, taking them out on GPS activities like runs and hikes, working up a sweat in several workouts, and comparing how they do against long-term control devices for heart rate, sleep, and GPS accuracy. Some factors we consider in our rankings are durability, performance, accuracy versus consistency in metrics, and of course, battery life. Audience Who is this fitness tracker for? The ideal fitness tracker for hardcore athletes will look different than the best one for casual users looking to get a few more steps in. Battery life A fitness tracker should be able to go at least two to three days between charges. If it’s a flagship smartwatch, it should at least offer quick charging. Form factor Is it a band or a smartwatch? Is it comfortable to wear 24/7? Metrics What metrics does this device track? We prioritize active minutes over steps and calorie burn, but health metrics like resting heart rate, VO2 Max, and sleep quality are plusses. Consistency Accuracy is nice, but it’s more important for measuring progress that your device delivers consistent results for heart rate, distance tracking, and steps. Platform Certain trackers are limited to specific phone ecosystems — others will work regardless of what your phone is. We prioritize the latter wherever possible. In this article Best fitness tracker overall Best fitness watch for casual users Best for serious outdoor athletes Best non-wrist tracker Best fitness band Most stylish fitness watch Best fitness tracker for iPhone users Best fitness smartwatch for Samsung phones Best fitness smartwatch for Android Best for early adopters and elite athletes What’s coming next: Best fitness tracker overall Size: 43mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 29.5g for standard, 31.7g for premium / Battery life: Up to 10 days / Display type: OLED touchscreen / GPS: Five GNSS systems / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A Hear us out: the Amazfit Active 2 is the new all-rounder on the block. Smartwatches are definitely getting more high-tech, but the Active 2 keeps the spirit of a humble fitness tracker — a good price, all the basic health features with a holistic tracking approach, and a comfy yet stylish design. At $99.99 for the standard version, and $129.99 for the premium version, you get an incredible amount of bang for your buck. The hardware and design are surprisingly chic for the price. The standard version has a stainless steel case and tempered glass screen, while the premium version bumps you up to sapphire crystal and gets you an extra leather strap. The screen itself is nice and bright at 2,000 nits and you get an estimated 10 days of regular use on a single charge. (In testing, I got closer to eight to nine days as a power-user.) European users also get NFC payments. As far as health features go, you get all the basics like continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen rate, heart rate variability, stress tracking, alerts for abnormally high and low heart rate, and skin temperature tracking. It’s also got a daily readiness score and detailed sleep tracking if you’re into recovery metrics. (There’s also a Zepp Aura AI chatbot if you ever want to get more in-depth insights into your recovery metrics; It costs an extra $77 yearly but it’s also totally optional.) For workouts, it supports 160 different sport types, including HYROX and a new strength training mode that automatically counts reps. The Active 2 also adds offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, the ability to connect to third-party peripherals, and Zepp Coach — an AI-powered coach that can generate custom training plans for you. Built-in GPS with five satellite systems is also included. I don’t have a lot to complain about. My biggest gripes are the touch screen is hard to use with sweaty fingers and the onboard AI assistant for voice commands sometimes requires you to enunciate. You do lack advanced health features, like EKGs or sleep apnea detection, but that’s not really the point of something like the Active 2. This is meant to be a classic, basic fitness tracker that happens to look like a watch — and it does that with aplomb. Read my full review of the Amazfit Active 2 here. Best fitness watch for casual users Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: Up to 11 days / Display type: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Edition) The $250 Garmin Venu Sq 2 is the watch I recommend for anyone looking to replace their aging Fitbit Versa 2, 3, or 4. It’s got a similar look and vibe, with a much nicer OLED display and longer battery life. Garmin is known for its comprehensive fitness tracking, and that’s not an exception here. Of course, you get the basics, like steps and calories burned, but you get a whole lot more, too. There’s built-in GPS for tracking walks, runs, and bike rides, as well as plenty of other sports profiles like yoga and strength training. For smart features, you get push notifications, timers, contactless payments, and a bunch of safety features like Garmin’s Incident Detection, which is its take on fall detection. (You will need to carry your phone with you, however, as this doesn’t have LTE.) If you want the option of onboard music, you can shell out $50 extra for the Music Edition, which comes with enough storage for about 500 songs. I wouldn’t recommend it, however, as you’ll most likely have your phone on you since this isn’t a true standalone watch. What I like most about this watch, however, is that it’s one that you can grow with. On top of recovery metrics and sleep tracking, it also has Garmin Coach — a built-in, free training program for beginner and intermediate-level runners hoping to tackle a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. For health tracking, you can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, intensity minutes (how many minutes of moderate exercise you get per week), stress, hydration, respiratory rate, and menstrual cycles. None of these existing data features are locked behind a paywall; however, Garmin recently introduced a premium tier that provides personalized AI-powered insights and additional features for $6.99 a month (or $69.99 a year). One note: there is a Venu 3, which adds a newer heart rate sensor and nap detection. I liked it quite a bit, and it ticks off a lot of the right boxes — except for price. It’s $450, which puts it outside what I’d consider ideal for casual users. The other option is Garmin’s Forerunner 165 — it’s a $249 budget training watch that’s quite similar to the Venu Sq 2 feature-wise, albeit with a sportier vibe. Basically, go with what you find on sale. I firmly believe older models are still a good choice if all you want is the fitness-tracking basics. This is especially true since newer software updates often make their way to older Garmins. Garmin users also tend to hang onto their devices for a good while. Strava’s 2023 year-end survey found that the most popular smartwatch among its users was an eight-year-old Garmin! Read my full review of the Garmin Venu Sq 2. Best for serious outdoor athletes Sizes: 7S Pro: 42mm w/ 20mm straps; 7: 47mm w/ 22mm straps; 7X: 51mm w/ 26mm straps / Weight: 7S Pro: 63g (Solar), 58g or 65g (Sapphire Solar, titanium or stainless steel); 7: 79g (Solar), 73g (Sapphire Solar); 7X: 96g (Solar), 89g (Sapphire Solar) / Battery life: 7S: up to 11 days, 14 w/ Solar; 7: up to 18 days, 22 days w/ solar; 7X: up to 28 days, 37 w/ solar / Display type: MIP touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: Up to 32GB Garmin’s flagship Fenix 7 series is no joke, and the Fenix 7 Pro lineup takes it up a notch. It’s got built-in multiband GPS, solar charging on all models, the option of touchscreen or button navigation, topographical maps, and oodles upon oodles of data. Plus, every Fenix 7 Pro model has a hands-free LED flashlight, an upgraded heart rate sensor, and an improved memory-in-pixel display that’s slightly easier to read in low lighting. Garmin wearables are also known for providing extensive in-depth metrics, and the Fenix 7 Pro lineup is no exception. You get excellent recovery metrics as well as helpful training guides and coaching programs. The best part is that Garmin doesn’t charge extra for those features. That’s good news, as these are expensive watches. I appreciate how quickly these Fenix 7 watches can pick up a GPS signal. That’s a must if you’re training in the dead of winter. These watches can also take a beating. All models are built to military-grade standards and feature up to 10ATM of water resistance. That means they’re more than capable of a dunk in the ocean. Although the screen is brighter, MIP displays still aren’t my absolute favorite — the OLED on the Garmin Epix 2 and the Epix Pro are much easier on the eyes. It’s admittedly tough to pick between the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, Epix 2, and Epix Pro lineups — especially now that the Epix Pro also has great battery life, the LED flashlight, and now comes in multiple sizes. What it boils down to is whether you prioritize a brighter display, longer battery life, or price. Personally, I prefer the Epix Pro for better readability, but the Fenix 7 Pro is the better choice if this is your first introduction to Garmin’s platform. You’ll get better battery life, the same LED flashlight, all the same training features, and a lower starting price. (You can also check out our Garmin buying guide if you’d like even more alternatives.) Technically, there’s a new Fenix 8 series on the block. That said, I still think the standard Fenix 7 or 7 Pro lineup is the better overall value. The Fenix 8 adds diving features and voice assistant capabilities, but it also ups the standard Fenix 7’s starting price of $650 by an additional $350. That’s tough to swallow, especially since retailers may offer discounts on older models to get rid of existing inventory. Read my full review of the Garmin Fenix 7S Pro. Best non-wrist tracker Sizes: 12 proprietary sizes, 4–15, sizing kit needed / Weight: 4–6g (depends on size) / Battery life: Up to seven days / Display type: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: Up to 328 feet / Music storage: None The vast majority of fitness trackers are worn on the wrist, but the $349 Oura Ring isn’t. The smart ring is a good option for people who are looking for something a little more discreet. It’s also less distracting than some other wrist-based options, as it lacks a screen and doesn’t mirror push notifications from your phone. The new Oura Ring 4 isn’t functionally that much different from the previous Gen 3. It’s slimmer, features a new all-titanium design, has improved battery life, and has a new sensor algorithm that Oura says is more accurate. None of the new software features are gatekept to the Ring 4, so Gen 3 owners shouldn’t feel the need to upgrade unless their ring no longer lasts more than two days on a single charge. That said, the fourth-gen ring has an expanded size range spanning from 4 to 15. If you felt your Gen 3 was a bit snug or couldn’t find a size that fit right, you may have a better option now. While smaller than your average wearable, the Oura Ring still tracks a ton of metrics, including heart rate variability, body temperature, blood oxygen, all-day heart rate monitoring, and cycle tracking. Since launching, the Oura Ring has also added activity tracking, blood oxygen levels, chronotypes to help visualize your circadian rhythms, a social feature called Circles, improved stress tracking, cardiovascular age and capacity metrics, and even an AI chatbot. It’s also rolled out a new sleep stages algorithm that it claims is more accurate than before. The app has also been entirely revamped to better organize all these new features and metrics. The Oura Ring tracks typical metrics — such as steps and calories burned — but its main focus is sleep and recovery. Each day, you’re given three sets of scores for your readiness, sleep, and activity. It’s a simple, holistic look at your overall wellness and an ideal pick if you want a more hands-off experience with your data. If you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy Watch, you may want to consider the $399.99 Galaxy Ring. It’s a bit more expensive than the base Oura Ring, but it doesn’t come with a subscription, and you get much better battery life when used with the Galaxy Watch. The hardware is also excellent, especially the charging case. That said, this is only an option for Android users, and even then, you don’t unlock its full potential unless you’ve got other Samsung gear. I also recommend the Ultrahuman Ring Air for folks who don’t like the idea of Oura’s monthly subscription. You can read my experiences with a bunch of other smart rings, but right now, the Oura Ring is the most polished with the best overall experience. Read my full review of the Oura Ring 4. Best fitness band Size: 42mm x 24mm x 12.2mm with 16mm straps / Weight: 28g / Battery life: Up to 18 days / Display type: OLED / GPS: Tethered / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: None It’s truly hard to beat the Amazfit Band 7’s $49.99 price — doubly so since you can often find it on sale for even less. Wearing the Band 7 feels like a throwback to 2014, which is great if all you’re looking for is a simple and casual tracker that won’t break the bank. No one is going to compliment you on the Band 7’s design, but it’s got a handful of cute watch faces that make good use of its OLED touchscreen. And despite having an OLED display, you’ll still get roughly 14 days of battery life on a single charge. It’s also incredibly lightweight, making it a good option for sleep tracking as well. You also get an absurd number of features for the price. That includes Amazon Alexa, continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, advanced sleep tracking, training metrics like VO2 max and load, abnormal heart rate alerts, menstrual tracking, push notifications, find my phone, a camera remote, and even a Pomodoro timer. You’re sacrificing contactless payments and will have to settle for tethered GPS, but this is a fair tradeoff considering everything else you’re getting. It’s not the best option for hardcore fitness tracking, but this is a great option if all you’re looking to do is casually track activity and your steps. Amazfit’s been making surprisingly good budget trackers for a while. That said, if you’re a little wary of a lesser-known brand, the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 is a decent alternative. It’s pricier, but you get a lot of what Amazfit is missing. That includes Google services like YouTube Music, Google Wallet, and Google Maps. Plus, it has built-in GPS and the ability to broadcast your heart rate with some Bluetooth-compatible gym equipment. Read my full review of the Amazfit Band 7. Most stylish fitness watch Sizes: 37mm with 18mm straps / Weight: 45g / Battery life: Up to 39 days / Display type: OLED display / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A The $249.95 Withings ScanWatch Light is a fetching hybrid analog smartwatch. Think of it as a dressier fitness band with some Swatch-like design sensibilities. It’s got all your basics like simple push notifications, timers, and alarms. Plus, you can track steps, sleep, menstrual cycles, and GPS activities straight from the wrist. It looks spiffy on the wrist, and if you like a pop of color, Withings offers minty green and pale blue color options. It’s also got excellent battery life, with an estimated 30 days on a single charge. I got a little less in testing at around 25 days, but that’s still much better than the vast majority of flagship smartwatches. This also looks way more stylish than beefier multisport watches with similar battery life. As its name suggests, the Light is a pared-down version of the $349.95 ScanWatch 2. The main things you’re missing are an EKG sensor for atrial fibrillation detection, a temperature sensor, blood oxygen tracking, and an altimeter for tracking elevation. For basic fitness tracking, you don’t really need those sensors. That’s why I think the extra $100 in savings is worth it for the Light, especially since both are lacking in safety features, contactless payments, and some other bells and whistles you can get from other watches in the $350 price range. That said, if you want extras, the ScanWatch 2 also gets you a slightly more elegant look thanks to the second step-counter dial. Another option I like is the $179.99 Garmin Vivomove Sport, which actually dominated this category in the past few years. It’s hard to beat the price, especially since it gets you access to Garmin’s platform. However, Garmin’s “hidden” OLED display can get washed out in bright lighting, and battery life was significantly shorter than other hybrid analog watches at around five days. Still, if you’d prefer a platform with a focus on fitness rather than wellness, the Vivomove Sport may be the better move over a Withings watch. Read my full review of the Withings ScanWatch 2 and Light. Best fitness tracker for iPhone users Sizes: 42mm, 46mm / Weight: 29.3g (42mm), 35.3g (46mm) / Battery life: Up to 18 hours / Display type: Always-on LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music storage: 32GB If you’re looking for a smartwatch that does fitness well, then iPhone owners need to look no further than the $399 Apple Watch Series 10. (The LTE version costs $50 more.) This is another iterative update, but the Series 10 is a much more comfortable watch than previous models. It’s thinner and lighter, plus there’s a larger display. If you’ve got a Series 5 or older, now is a good time to upgrade. With watchOS 11, there’s a new suite of training features. There’s Training Load, which gives you greater insight into how intensely you’ve been working out the past week compared to the last 28 days. There’s also a new Vitals app that flags when key metrics, like sleep duration or heart rate, may be out of whack. Plus, you can finally pause your rings for rest days. The software update also brings some savvy updates to the Smart Stack. For example, if you’re in a noisy cafe wondering what song’s playing, the Smart Stack can now surface the Shazaam widget. It also now supports Live Activities, turning your wrist into a mini Dynamic Island. Health-wise, we also now have FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection. Of course, we also have to address the Apple Watch ban. As of January 18th, 2024, new Apple Watches sold in the US have the blood oxygen feature disabled due to an ongoing patent battle with medical device maker Masimo. This isn’t a huge deal for most people, as this feature isn’t that useful for most people yet, and the new sleep apnea feature exclusively uses the accelerometer rather than the blood oxygen sensor. You might want to consider a refurbished Series 7 or 8 if blood oxygen sensing is important to you, however. If you’re a first-time buyer, you can also opt for the second-gen Apple Watch SE. It’s slightly cheaper at $249, and while you don’t get as many features, it’s a good introduction to the ecosystem. Otherwise, if you’re the type of athlete who covets a Garmin, you may also want to consider splurging on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It’s more expensive at $799, but it does have the brightest screen of any Apple Watch, comes with dual-frequency GPS, has diving and hiking safety features, and is made of more durable materials. There’s also a fetching new black color. Read my full review of the Apple Watch Series 10. Best fitness smartwatch for Samsung phones Sizes: 47mm / Weight: 60.5g / Battery life: Up to 100 hours / Display type: Always-on OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM, IP68 / Music storage: 32GB Truthfully, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra left me a bit disappointed after reviewing it — not because it’s a bad piece of hardware, but because it copies a bit too much from Apple. Even so, this is the most full-featured fitness smartwatch a Samsung phone owner can buy. While I prefer the Galaxy Watch 7 myself, I can’t say it’s the best for fitness tracking. There was too much of a gap between it and the Ultra in my testing as far as accuracy, especially for GPS tracking. But what really sealed the deal for me was the difference in battery life. It’s simply night and day, and the Galaxy Watch 7 really struggled in this arena. (The gaps are much less egregious between the base Apple Watch and Ultra 2.) The caveat is, if all you want is casual fitness tracking, the Galaxy Watch 7 is the better choice for wearability. It’s just more comfortable for sleep tracking and lighter overall. Just keep in mind it lacks the Ultra’s emergency siren and shortcut button, and the screen doesn’t get quite as bright. With both watches, you get a faster processor, a new 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor, some AI health features, and FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection. The newer hardware makes for a more futureproof purchase, but I found the AI health features to be hit-or-miss in practice. As always, some features, like EKGs and sleep apnea detection, are limited to Samsung owners. That makes this hard to wholeheartedly recommend this to non-Samsung Android users. But if the Ultra doesn’t float your boat, now is a good time to find the Galaxy Watch 6 series, particularly the base models, on sale. The base Galaxy Watch 7 may have newer hardware, but as far as actual use goes, it’s not a massive update over the Watch 6. And if you’re into a physical rotating bezel, just go ahead and snag a Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Read my full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. Best fitness smartwatch for Android Sizes: 41mm, 45mm / Weight: 31g / Battery life: Up to 24 hours / Display type: Always-on OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB With the Pixel Watch 3, Google is finally done playing catch-up. There are truly too many updates to call each one out individually, but overall, they fall into two buckets: refinement and expansion. The hardware is mostly the same as the Pixel Watch 2 in terms of design. However, we now have a brighter screen, smaller bezels, and a new 45mm size. The larger size is quite nice, especially if you prefer larger screens without sacrificing wearability. Battery life is also better. There’s a new battery-saver mode that kicks in when you hit 15 percent, and the new displays are also more power efficient. Plus, bedtime mode is automatic now, so that helps the watch last longer overnight for sleep tracking. It’s only a modest improvement over the Pixel Watch 2, but it’s dramatic compared to the original. Software is where the Pixel Watch 3 makes the most updates. There are a ton of new fitness and health features, including a new running dashboard, custom running workouts, and AI-generated workout suggestions. There’s also a revamped Daily Readiness Score and a new Cardio Load metric, which gauges how intensely you’ve been exercising. If you’re located in the US or Europe, you can also take advantage Google’s new Loss of Pulse feature, which calls emergency services on your behalf if it detects you no longer have a pulse. The Pixel Watch 3 also better integrates with Google services and the Pixel ecosystem. You can now view your Nest Doorbell or Camera feed straight from the wrist — and it’s quite handy if you get a lot of packages or guests. If you have Google TV, you can use the watch as a remote. Now that the watch has an ultra wideband chip, it can also now unlock your Pixel phone. You can also use the Recorder app to capture audio and send it straight to your Pixel phone. That said, some of these features now mean the Pixel Watch works best with a Pixel phone. If you’re looking for alternatives to Google and Samsung, the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 is a strong alternative. You’re giving up LTE, but it’s a handsome-looking watch with surprisingly long battery life and Google Assistant from the get-go. Read my full review of the Google Pixel Watch 3. Best for early adopters and elite athletes Sizes: 43mm by 28mm by 10mm / Weight: 18g / Battery life: 4–5 days / Display type: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: Up to 10 meters / Music storage: None The Whoop 4.0 is not for the casual enthusiast. Not only does it come with an expensive monthly subscription, but the information it provides is only useful if you’re actively training for a cardio-intensive sport. If strength training is your main form of exercise, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Like the Oura Ring, this is a distraction-free tracker that specializes in sleep and recovery. The main difference is this has a more athletic bent. For instance, you’ll get way more insight into how much strain you’ve taken on in the past week. Whoop also provides a lot of novel ways to wear its tracker, including in underwear and arm/knee sleeves. This makes it an appealing option if you’re one of those unicorns who needs a secondary tracker to supplement another form of fitness tracking. Again, this is a tracker best appreciated by people who go hard and aren’t afraid to experiment. Plus, Whoop recently lowered its subscription prices in certain tiers, so while it’s still expensive, it’s not quite as pricey as it used to be. Read my full review of the Whoop 4.0. What’s coming next: We’re currently in the process of testing the $329.99 OnePlus Watch 3, which will arrive “sometime in April.” The forthcoming smartwatch — which was recently delayed as a result of a typo on its backplate —offers a proper rotating crown and a larger, brighter display than the OnePlus Watch 2. It also introduces new health features, including a wrist temperature sensor and OnePlus’ 60S Health Check-In, which gives you a quick scan of your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, mental wellness, wrist temperature, sleep quality, and vascular age when you touch a side button. Samsung launched the $59.99 Galaxy Fit 3 in the US on January 9th. The budget-friendly fitness band, which we’re also in the process of testing, doesn’t come with built-in GPS like Samsung’s pricier Galaxy Watch 7, but it can monitor your sleep patterns and heart rate, check blood oxygen levels, detect snoring, and track more than 100 workout types. It also features a 1.6-inch AMOLED display and should last up to 13 days on a single charge. Lastly, we’re also testing the $299 RingConn Gen 2. We weren’t super impressed with the original, but the second-gen model does have a few things going for it over the Oura Ring 4. It provides access to all your standard health-tracking features without a subscription, for one thing, and it features both an IP68 dust and water resistance rating and sleep apnea detection. The company also says it offers longer battery life, which is impressive given its predecessor lasted us up to nine days on a single charge. Update, April 3rd: Updated to flag Garmin’s new subscription tier and the fact that Google’s Loss of Pulse feature is now available in the US.

Google’s upcoming base Pixel 10 might come with primary and ultrawide cameras that match the hardware recently introduced in the budget Pixel 9A, which aren’t as good as the cameras on the Pixel 9, Android Authority reports. However, the new phone may get a telephoto camera, which the Pixel 9 and other base Pixels haven’t […]

The Pixel 9A’s main camera might go to the base Pixel 10. Google’s upcoming base Pixel 10 might come with primary and ultrawide cameras that match the hardware recently introduced in the budget Pixel 9A, which aren’t as good as the cameras on the Pixel 9, Android Authority reports. However, the new phone may get a telephoto camera, which the Pixel 9 and other base Pixels haven’t had. As for the Pixel 10 Pro devices, Android Authority reports that they will have the same camera hardware as the 9 Pro, which could indicate that Google may lean more on the abilities of its expected next-generation Tensor G5 chip to improve photos. Meanwhile, the upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is rumored to have an almost identical design to the previous model, might also get the Pixel 9A’s primary shooter. Last year, Google announced its Pixel 9 lineup in August, and it’s possible that the company could pick that timeframe again to launch the Pixel 10 series. The company will release the Pixel 9A on April 10th.

The card grading service PSA will no longer take direct submissions from outside the US in response to the Trump administration’s new far-reaching tariffs. In an update on Wednesday, PSA says it’s “reluctantly taking these measures to protect our international customers from significant tariff expenses.” As noted by PSA, the tariffs are “against the value […]

The card grading service PSA will no longer take direct submissions from outside the US in response to the Trump administration’s new far-reaching tariffs. In an update on Wednesday, PSA says it’s “reluctantly taking these measures to protect our international customers from significant tariff expenses.” As noted by PSA, the tariffs are “against the value of the items in the order rather than on the PSA service fee.” That means sending high-value Pokémon or sports cards to PSA would result in hefty fees. Under a 10 percent tariff, for example, a card valued at $5,000 would incur a $500 fee. Though PSA is pausing international submissions now, that doesn’t mean cards currently at — or in transit — to its facilities will escape additional charges. PSA notes that orders entering the US after 12:01AM on April 5th may be affected by tariffs, and may also face “not-yet-announced” retaliatory tariffs upon return. “PSA will leverage available means to limit tariff exposure for customers outside of the US,” the company says. PSA has already stopped accepting direct submissions from Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Mexico due to the first round of tariffs imposed earlier this year. However, PSA notes that customers in Canada and Japan can still get their cards graded by sending or bringing them to its physical locations in both countries.

The US smartphone market is weird. Most of us buy our phones through some combination of installment plans, trade-in offers, and carrier deals, so answering the question “How much does this phone cost?” can sometimes require a little galaxy-brain math. President Trump’s 34 percent tariff increase on Chinese goods is set to take effect on […]

Maybe the iPhone 16E’s higher price had tariffs in mind. The US smartphone market is weird. Most of us buy our phones through some combination of installment plans, trade-in offers, and carrier deals, so answering the question “How much does this phone cost?” can sometimes require a little galaxy-brain math. President Trump’s 34 percent tariff increase on Chinese goods is set to take effect on April 9th, making things even more complicated. Will Apple, for instance, pass the extra cost of an iPhone right along to buyers? The market seems to think so. It’s likely why Apple’s shares are down almost 10 percent, the worst drop in about five years. But Gerrit Schneemann, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, doesn’t necessarily believe we’ll see an immediate price increase. “I don’t foresee them… on a short-term basis just raising prices unnecessarily,” Schneemann told The Verge. He points out that Apple’s margins (historically about 38 percent) give it more wiggle room to absorb the costs of the tariffs, at least in the short term. “But I think if this sticks, then probably with the 17 we could see a price hike,” he said, referring to the iPhone 17 expected in the fall. If the goal with these tariffs is … Read the full story at The Verge.

While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad […]

Apple’s latest iPad Mini isn’t nearly as capable as other models, but its diminished form factor remains delightful. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad Mini are also regularly discounted, and you can even save a bit on Apple’s latest iPad Air. The best iPad (2022) deals The best iPad (2025) deals The best iPad Mini (2024) deals The best iPad Air (2024) deals The best iPad Air (2025) deals The best iPad Pro (2024) deals It’s difficult to know where exactly you can find the most notable iPad deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, from the 10th-gen iPad of 2022 to the latest models equipped with Apple’s powerful M3 and M4 chips. The best iPad (2022) deals Apple’s 10th-gen iPad came out in late 2022. It’s still a great tablet overall; however, it’s recently been supplanted by Apple’s latest entry-level model, which features an upgraded A16 chip and twice as much base storage. That said, the last-gen iPad still benefits from a modern design and Apple’s long-in-the-making switch to USB-C. The 10.9-inch tablet is also outfitted with a side power button with a fingerprint sensor and uniform bezels, though, unlike its predecessor, it lacks a home button and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In the past, you could often buy Apple’s latest entry-level iPad for $349 ($100 off its initial launch price) — which is now the MSRP. Right now, however, the base model with 64GB of storage is on sale at Walmart in select colors starting around $269 ($80 off), which is $20 more than its best price to date. Amazon and Walmart are also selling the 256GB model with Wi-Fi for just shy of $400 ($100 off), which essentially matches its all-time low. The best iPad (2025) deals As noted above, Apple’s 11th-gen iPad just recently landed on the scene. The new base-model tablet is a fairly iterative update of the prior model with 128GB of base storage (as opposed to 64GB) and an A16 Bionic chip, which is supposedly nearly 30 percent faster than the A14 chip found in the 10th-gen iPad. The newer chip is not Apple’s proprietary silicon, though, and as such, it doesn’t support the various Apple Intelligence features introduced in iPadOS 18.1. For that, you’ll want to opt for a more recent iPad Air, iPad Mini, or iPad Pro model. Pricing-wise, the new iPad starts at $349 with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage. You can also upgrade to 256GB or 512GB of storage for an additional $100 or $200, respectively, or purchase an LTE model starting at $499. We don’t expect those prices to drop significantly in the coming months, though, if you choose to be an early adopter, the entry-level configuration with 128GB of storage is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart starting at $327 ($22 off). You can also grab the 256GB model at Amazon and B&H Photo starting at $419 ($30 off), or the 512GB variant at Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo starting at $599 ($50 off). The best iPad Mini (2024) deals The new seventh-gen iPad Mini is similar to the outgoing model but comes with faster Wi-Fi and USB-C speeds, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and a newer A17 Pro processor with 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, it boasts nearly identical specs and features as the last-gen model, meaning it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a USB-C port, and options for 5G. It may not be worth upgrading if you already own a sixth-gen Mini, but newcomers to the category will appreciate the upgrades. The 2024 iPad Mini starts at $499 with 128GB of storage, which was the price for the previous generation’s 64GB model. Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $599, and the cellular models start at $649. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want an Apple tablet in the smallest possible form factor, this is where the action is. Right now, you can get the 128GB base model with Wi-Fi at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy starting at $399 ($100 off), which matches its best price to date. You can also get the 256GB variant at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for $499 ($100 off) or the 512GB model at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for $699 (also $100 off), which matches the lowest price we’ve seen on either configuration. The best iPad Air (2024) deals Although the 2024 iPad Air isn’t vastly different from the new M3 model, it was the first Air available in a 13-inch configuration in addition to an 11-inch base model. Apple also introduced Wi-Fi 6E radios and upgraded the chipset to M2, enabling the hover feature when using Apple’s latest styluses. You can use the last-gen Air with the Apple Pencil Pro and latest Magic Keyboard, too, and while it’s no longer officially a part of Apple’s tablet slate, both the 11- and 13-inch Air are still readily available starting at $599 and $799, respectively. In terms of discounts, you can currently pick up the 11-inch base model at Amazon with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi starting at $549 ($50 off) — which is $50 more than its all-time low. As for the 13-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are all selling it in select colors starting at around $698 ($101 off), which is $5 more than its lowest price to date. The best iPad Air (2025) deals The 2025 iPad Air is little more than a spec bump over the previous model, with a few technical upgrades that should allow it to last longer than both the entry-level iPad and the last-gen Air. It features an M3 chip with support for Apple Intelligence and compatibility with Apple’s latest Magic Keyboard, which has a larger trackpad and an extra row of function keys that make the Air a more credible laptop replacement. The 11-inch model starts at $599 and the 13-inch variant $799 — the same price as the previous models — but we’re already starting to see discounts from third-party retailers. Right now, for instance, the 11-inch Air is on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo in its base configuration with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage starting at $549 ($50 off). Amazon also has the 256GB model for $644 ($55 off) and the 512GB model starting at $832 ($67 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen on both configurations. The larger 13-inch model, meanwhile, is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart with 128GB of storage starting at $738.08 (about $61 off). You can also pick up the Wi-Fi / 256GB model at Amazon and B&H Photo for $849 ($100 off), or the 512GB variant at Amazon and Walmart for an all-time low of $1,049. The best iPad Pro (2024) deals Compared to the latest iPad Air, the 2024 iPad Pro is a far more impressive upgrade. The 11- and 13-inch models start at $999 and $1,299, respectively, and they are the first Apple devices to feature the company’s latest M4 chip, which brings moderate performance gains and dedicated hardware for on-device Apple Intelligence processing. The new Pro models can claim other firsts, too, such as being the first iPad models with OLED displays and the lightest Pros yet, which is true of both sizes. They also feature repositioned front-facing cameras that sit along the horizontal edge, which prevent you from looking as though you’re staring off into space on a video call. As for deals, the 11-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi / 256GB of storage is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart starting at around $919 ($90 off) — which is about $10 more than its typical sale price. The sleek and super-thin 13-inch model, meanwhile, is on sale in its 256GB base configuration at Amazon and Walmart starting at $1,192 ($107 off), which isn’t a particularly noteworthy discount.

TikTok is shutting down Notes, its photos-sharing app that rivaled Instagram. In a notification to users, the TikTok Notes team says the app will stop working starting May 8th, and “all related features will no longer be available.” TikTok first rolled out Notes in April of last year, which lets users share photos alongside a […]

TikTok is shutting down Notes, its photos-sharing app that rivaled Instagram. In a notification to users, the TikTok Notes team says the app will stop working starting May 8th, and “all related features will no longer be available.” TikTok first rolled out Notes in April of last year, which lets users share photos alongside a caption, as well as scroll through a “For You” feed with recommended content. The app was initially rolled out in limited testing to Australia and Canada. The decision to close the app “was not made lightly,” according to TikTok’s message. It also suggests that users try out Lemon8, another social platform owned by TikTok parent company ByteDance. Lemon8 lets users share both photos and videos, and has a focus on lifestyle topics, like beauty, food, fashion, travel, and pets. Though TikTok started nudging users toward the app in the days leading up to its brief shutdown in the US, Lemon8 was also taken offline by the ban. “We’re excited to bring the feedback from TikTok Notes to Lemon8 as we continue building a dedicated space for our community to share and experience photo content, designed to complement and enhance the TikTok experience,” a TikTok spokesperson said to TechCrunch.

Microsoft is testing out resizable taskbar icons in Windows 11 that can shrink as you open more apps or stay at a smaller size for good. The new options are included in the latest Insider Preview Beta. If you’re on the beta, under Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors, you can now select options under Show […]

Microsoft is testing out resizable taskbar icons in Windows 11 that can shrink as you open more apps or stay at a smaller size for good. The new options are included in the latest Insider Preview Beta. If you’re on the beta, under Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors, you can now select options under Show smaller taskbar buttons: Always, Never, or When taskbar is full. The third option will scale down icons so that they all can fit and not get hidden away in a second menu. The behavior appears to be similar to macOS where icons on the dock get smaller as more applications or minimized windows are added. X user phantomofearth, who frequently digs through Insider builds, posted that there’s an update to the Start menu as well. Now, it has a larger layout that includes the ability to hide the recommended recent apps and can show all of your apps on the page. Microsoft notes that people who update to this Insider Build might lose those cool new battery charge status icons it introduced in January, but the company plans to bring it back to Insiders soon.