Sean Hollister

Senior Editor

Sean HollisterJan 6, 2025

They brought dancing anime girl pods to CES 2025.

“Character Livehouse”: a tube with a 1200p screen inside where your favorite character can live. Import their 3D model, then AI chat with them while a 3D engine makes ‘em move and dance. There’s a camera for gesture control, a tiny touchscreen control panel, and RGB lighting.

The company claims it can “gently wake you up,” “cheer you on” while you game, even softly whisper you to sleep. $400-$500 on Kickstarter soon.

1/5Photos by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Sean HollisterJan 2, 2025

Ayaneo 3: could the “world’s first modular handheld” solve the great joystick debate?

It’s probably going to cost a buttload of money, but I’m seriously intrigued: could this modular design let some of us get symmetrical sticks, others offset Xbox-style sticks, and still others enjoy touchpads or extra buttons instead?

Still, looks like you’ll have to “pick two” at a time — while the Steam Deck offers dual touchpads, dual sticks and D-pad simultaneously.

More in Ayaneo’s video.

Image: Ayaneo

Sean HollisterJan 1, 2025

Here’s the moment the Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump’s hotel.

No one visually gets hurt in this video — you see a big explosion, a bystander running away, and a lot of firework-like secondary bangs. But authorities found one person dead inside the Cybertruck, and seven others reported minor injuries.

Authorities, including the FBI, are currently investigating the incident at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Here’s our story.