Andrew Liszewski | The Verge

Jackery made its portable power stations even smaller

2026-10-30T16:41:09-04:00

Jackery announced a new portable power station that uses the safer and longer-lasting lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries the company first introduced in 2023. But what makes the new Explorer 100D stand out is that it’s Jackery’s smallest power station to date, measuring only 4.6 by 3.4 by 3.4 inches and weighing just 1.87 pounds. Its size and 96Wh (30,000mAh) of battery capacity means you can squeeze it into your carry-on and power multiple devices during a long flight.

The Jackery Explorer 100D will be available starting November 15th through Walmart for $99. The power station is already available from Costco if you don’t want to wait, but only in a two-pack for $179.99. You can definitely find smaller and cheaper 30,000mAh portable chargers, but the LFP cells in the 100D are “engineered for up to 8 years of regular use,” according to Jackery, with a 3,000 charge cycle lifespan, so it should easily outlast competing products that use more common lithium-ion battery cells.

Although the 100D is considerably smaller and lighter than Jackery’s other portable power stations, the company still includes an integrated handle and offers an optional shoulder strap for carrying it around. On the front, you’ll find a pair of 140W USB-C ports, plus an additional 18W USB-A port, but the 100D maxes out at 158W of total output, so power delivery across the ports will be reduced when all three are in use. If you need to charge it, can’t find an outlet, and managed to find room to also pack a solar panel, the 100D supports up to 100W of direct solar input, which will charge it back up to 80 percent capacity in about an hour and a half.

This electric screwdriver uses a camera and AI to figure out what bit you need

2026-10-30T10:23:26-04:00

Companies like Hoto and Fanttik have elevated the design and functionality of tools like electric screwdrivers, but Arrowmax wants to make them smarter by adding a camera and AI that work together to eliminate the trial and error of finding the exact type and size of bit you need. It’s convenient, but also helpful, as choosing the wrong size could potentially leave you with a stripped screw and a much harder repair.

Arrowmax is making the Arrowspace S1 available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, but the company has already successfully crowdfunded other products. You can preorder the screwdriver by itself for around $79, but its functionality and usefulness is expanded by bundling it with the S1 smart bit case that bumps the preorder price to around $129. Full retail pricing will be higher, and the S1 isn’t expected to ship until April 2027 at the earliest.

On the bottom of the S1 is a small camera with an LED light that’s used to capture an image of a screw head. To ensure the screwdriver’s AI model has the best possible image to work with, next to the camera is a “precision contact probe” that extends and rests on the surface of the screw to ensure the camera is always at the ideal focus distance.

Once the AI processes the photo, the type and size of bit you need will be displayed through a connected mobile app. Based on the identified screw, the screwdriver will also automatically select a safe torque setting to reduce the risk of damaging the fastener. To save you the trouble of having to find the exact bit that’s needed, the optional S1 Smart Case has a collection of 52 steel bits with an LED next to each one that lights up so the one you need is easy to spot.

The Arrowspace S1 features a 600mAh rechargeable battery the company claims delivers enough power to run for up to 90 minutes, or tighten or loosen over 900 screws. That performance will vary if you turn off the automatic torque adjustments and increase it yourself. The remaining charge is displayed on the screwdriver’s OLED screen which also shows the current torque setting and which direction it’s set to rotate.

This open-source project lets you sync Withings data to other apps without a subscription

2026-10-29T15:23:06-04:00

When it was revealed earlier this month that Withings would require new users to subscribe to a Withings Plus subscription to sync heath data from the company’s devices to third-party apps, Tom Anthony, who was already fed up with the Withings mobile app which they describe as a “bloated mess,” became motivated to “free” their scales. Anthony’s solution was to create an open-source project called YourOwnWeigh that reroutes your data away from Withings’ servers so it can be wirelessly synced to other apps and platforms for free.

You can read more about the project on GitHub, where you’ll also find quick-start guides on how to get YourOwnWeigh set up, but it mostly consists of a web app running on a server of your choice. If you don’t already operate your own, Anthony says YourOwnWeigh can run entirely on a free CloudFlare account given how little data it’s moving around.

The YourOwnWeigh web app handles several tasks, including using Bluetooth to update Withings scales with alternate firmware so they upload data to a non-Withings server you’ve configured. Instead of hosting a copy of Withings’ firmware, it’s downloaded and patched as needed. The web app also imports the scale’s current settings and existing user profiles, and downloads the health data generated by regular weigh-ins.

To get that data into Apple Health, Anthony used Apple Shortcuts to create a scheduled automation that pulls the Withings data off the alternate server and imports it into the app, but they’re hoping the community can come up with ways to expand the compatibility to other apps, including Google Health. YourOwnWeigh is also currently limited to just two older models of Withings’ scales. But assuming the firmware on newer models can be patched in a similar manner, expanding the project’s compatibility should be possible.

This $149 digital candle uses AI to accurately simulate a flickering flame

2026-10-29T13:09:21-04:00

After engineering a flexible version of Tetris that could be wrapped around a magazine, Kevin Bates’ latest creation is a digital candle that uses a custom AI model to accurately simulate the appearance of a flickering flame across a grid of LEDs. It’s a far cry from the types of devices Bates is typically known for, including the Arduboy, but paying $79 for a credit card-sized handheld that can play hundreds of games is an easier sell than a $149 digital candle that doesn’t quite provide the same ambiance as the real thing, even if it’s much safer.

At the top of the 10-inch-tall Digital Candle, which is available now with a black or white circuit board, you’ll find 144 amber-colored LEDs arranged in a 9-by-16 grid with adjustable brightness. On the other end is a USB-C port for supplying power (a rechargeable battery isn’t included) and an Espressif ESP32-S3 chip that runs an AI model with a tiny neural network trained on footage of a real flickering candle.

The flame simulation never repeats and is unique to each candle since it’s being generated on the fly at all times. It’s not a pre-programmed animation set to loop so the results look very convincing, or as convincing as they can be on a low-res grid of LEDs. The Digital Candle is also open source so you can repurpose it as a clock, a notification screen, or run other simulations like Conway’s Game of Life. That could make its $149 price a little easier to justify if you like to tinker.

Arduboy Digital Candle

Where to Buy:

$149 at Arduboy

Apple charges $14,549 for a fully specced touchscreen MacBook Pro

2026-10-29T09:18:23-04:00

With an OLED display and touchscreen capabilities, it’s no surprise that the new MacBook Pro Apple announced today is more expensive than the MacBook Pro announced earlier this year. But upgrading the base models — starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch and $3,399 for the 16-inch — with every premium hardware option that Apple offers pushes those prices to an eye-watering $14,249 and $14,549, respectively.

Both of those premium configurations include the M5 Max chip with an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, $150 worth of nano-texture glass, 128GB of memory that adds an extra $2,000, and 16TB of storage which is the real budget breaker here, thanks to the ongoing memory shortage.

Maximizing the configuration of the previous 16-inch version of the MacBook Pro topped out at $10,149, according to MacRumors, but today’s $14,549 price is a result of the 16TB storage option that adds an extra $7,000 to the new MacBook Pro’s price. If you only upgrade the new 16-inch model to 8TB of storage, a $3,000 option, the fully specced price is $10,549, or $400 more expensive than its predecessor.

Microsoft is ending Copilot support on smart TVs

2026-10-28T14:36:26-04:00

Nearly two years after LG and Samsung announced at CES 2025 that their latest smart TVs would include access to Microsoft’s Copilot, the company is ending support for the AI assistant’s functionality on all TVs this year, according to a report by Windows Central.

The news comes not from an official announcement from LG, Samsung, or Microsoft, but from an on-screen notification that appeared on Windows Central’s Zac Bowden’s webOS-powered LG TV earlier today. “Microsoft has recently decided to end support for Copilot functionality on all TVs, including the Copilot-enabled feature available on our LG TVs. As a result, the Copilot-enabled feature on your TV is no longer available and may stop functioning shortly,” the notification explains. It doesn’t specify exactly when Copilot will stop working on smart TVs, but says the feature is “scheduled for discontinuation during 2026” and a specific date is “subject to Microsoft’s timeline.”

Last December, LG faced backlash after an update to webOS added an unremovable Microsoft Copilot shortcut to their TVs that opened the AI assistant’s web app in a browser. LG eventually decided to allow the shortcut to be deleted following many users expressing their frustration online with it being added without their approval.

Microsoft Copilot primarily served as a friendly AI-powered companion on Samsung and LG smart TVs that users could chat with, ask questions about what was currently on screen, or get recommendations for TV shows and movies. But earlier this year, Microsoft introduced a new Copilot “super app” that bundled multiple AI capabilities including chat, agents, and coding into a single interface as part of a push towards positioning Copilot more as a business and productivity tool, and less as a digital companion.

Chrome’s enhanced autofill can now pull info from Gmail to help you fill out forms

2026-10-28T12:32:41-04:00

Following improvements made to Chrome’s enhanced autofill last year that included your name, passport number, email address, and physical addresses sourced from your Google Accounts and services like Google Wallet, the feature is now expanding. Starting today, Chrome’s enhanced autofill will use Gemini with Personal Intelligence to suggest information sourced from your Gmail, potentially saving you from having to search for confirmation emails, receipts, or shipping updates yourself.

The expanded autofill capabilities can retrieve details such as a shipment’s tracking number, travel details like a flight booking number or hotel reservation, or the order number of a recent purchase. Sensitive data presented as a suggestion while completing a form remains encrypted, and users can manage what enhanced autofill has access to in Chrome’s settings, or turn it off completely.

Chrome can suggest details automatically pulled from your Gmail account so you can complete forms without constantly hopping between browser tabs. | Image: Google" data-portal-copyright="Image: Google" />

Google is starting to roll out the enhanced autofill improvements today in the US. They’ll be available through Gemini in Chrome for users with Personal Intelligence turned on in the desktop, Android, and iOS versions of the browser.

Sony has new transparent PS5 controllers launching next year

2026-10-28T11:32:39-04:00

Sony announced a new Prism Collection line of PlayStation 5 accessories today that revisits “the iconic see-through trend of the late ’90s in a fresh, modern way” for its DualSense wireless controllers and matching console covers for the PS5 that reveal some of their internal components.

The Prism Collection is launching with three color options including flare orange, emerald green, and graphite gray. Preorders will start on November 10th through PlayStation’s online store and participating retailers, with availability beginning on February 4th, 2027. The Prism Collection DualSense wireless controllers will be $84.99, while the console covers will be $74.99.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a 25th-anniversary version of the Xbox Series X featuring a design inspired by the original Xbox, with the console and some accessories in a matching translucent green finish.

According to a post Sony shared on the PlayStation blog today, the new collection was “inspired by our design teams’ interest to bring a transparent appearance to PS5, and give players a closer look into the design and craftsmanship behind our DualSense controllers and PlayStation 5 consoles.”

This is how badly X wants you to pay to promote your posts

2026-10-28T09:26:39-04:00

After Elon Musk warned that “advertisers who post ads that are ugly, shrill, strident or overstate claims about their product will be barred from advertising” on X earlier this month, the platform now appears to be using a jarring animated arm that reaches across the screen to draw attention to the “promote” button while users are composing a post.

Many X users have seen and shared images of the unsettling promotional tool, including The Verge’s Tom Warren, but it doesn’t appear for everyone on the platform. The arm seems limited to verified users, or those with a paid subscription to X Premium. Reactions, unsurprisingly, have been less than positive. “I’ve never promoted a post and HATE this screen takeover,” said Sheel Mohnot, while Jesse Middleton likened it to a Halloween prank. “I wish I could explain how jarring this hand and animation was in the @X app. It was truly shocking, almost like a Halloween gag, but I’m pretty sure it was real.”

I just went to write a tweet and a massive hand popped up pointing to the promote button 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/cLPP5pNaNP
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) October 26, 2026

Using the paid promote feature extends the reach of an X post to a larger audience based on their location, interests, or demographics, including those not currently following a user’s account. Posts that have been promoted look like other posts on X but are branded with a “promoted” or “ad” label.

Amazon’s first digital picture frame lets you add voice notes to photos

2026-10-28T12:46:24-04:00

Amazon’s screen-equipped smart speakers have long been able to display your family’s photos, but its new Alexa Photo Frame is purpose-built for that task. It’s designed to compete with other digital picture frames from companies like Aura, and Amazon’s incorporates a smart speaker with access to Alexa Plus’ capabilities through voice commands. However, unlike the Echo Show and Amazon’s other smart home hubs, the Alexa Photo Frame only ever displays your photos, and you’ll never be served an ad.

The Alexa Photo Frame is available starting today; it’s $199.99 for a black frame or $229 if you want to upgrade to a frame made from birch or walnut wood. It pulls images from Amazon Photos, which offers unlimited storage for Prime members, but otherwise the frame doesn’t require a subscription. The Amazon Photos app can back up photos from your Android or Apple devices and pull images from iCloud Photo, but importing from Google Photos isn’t supported yet.

A black frame is included with the $200 option, but for $229 you can opt for a birch or walnut wood frame. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" />

The frame has a 10-inch touchscreen display with a “semi-matte, anti-glare finish” to simulate the look of physical prints. A light sensor adjusts the display’s brightness throughout the day, and it sits on a detachable stand.

The frame includes volume controls tucked behind one edge and a microphone mute button. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" />

You can select specific people or albums through Amazon Photos, or let Alexa Plus curate what’s displayed. Alexa selects the best images based on lighting, when people are smiling, and the current season, so you may get more Halloween costumes this time of year, while intelligently skipping images like receipts or screenshots. Alexa can also display similar photos with unique connections as side-by-side pairs, such as pics of a child 10 years apart with a similar pose. If there’s something specific you want to see, like last summer’s beach trip, you can just ask Alexa to dig those up.

You can use the Amazon Photos app to record voice notes connected to specific photos, and eventually record them using the frame itself. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge" />

You can use the Amazon Photos app to add voice notes to images that will play through the frame. An option to record them on the frame itself is coming later. If you plan to buy the Alexa Photo Frame as a gift and purchase it through Amazon, you can preload photos or albums with voice notes that play once the recipient sets it up.