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Received — 12 August 2026 The Verge - All Posts

This 8BitDo mechanical keyboard has an extra keypad and is 30 percent off

12 August 2026 at 23:21
The 8BitDo mechanical keyboard and dual super buttons. | Image: The Verge

If you’re looking for a mechanical keyboard that can give your desk a touch of retro flair, Amazon has 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard with Dual Super Buttons on sale for $69.99, one of the lowest prices we’ve seen for the bundle. The styling on this keyboard is thorough, with blocky retro legends on the rounded keycaps, and supplementary buttons and detailing to help match the theme.

8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard

This mechanical keyboard is designed to look like Nintendo’s original NES controller, with features like two red customizable buttons. Along with Bluetooth support, it also offers a standard tenkeyless layout with clicky, hot-swappable switches.
8BitDo retro keyboard with mouse next to it.

Where to Buy:

Despite how it looks on the outside, the internals on this keyboard are modern, with support for Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, and a USB wired connection, and compatibility with both Windows and Android. The 87-key setup is mounted on white Kailh Box switches for that vintage clicky sound, with a volume knob and function keys for quick controls.

The included dual super buttons connect to the keyboard, and can be programmed to a variety of key combinations and functions without the need for any additional software. These sizable buttons are great for easy access to shortcuts like copy and paste or media shortcuts, and the bundle includes one, but you can connect up to four to a single keyboard.


Other deals to consider

  • Best Buy has the Aukey 2-in-1 MagSafe Qi2 wireless charging stand discounted to $27.99 (usually $49.99). The stand can charge your iPhone and AirPods at the same time with up to 15W of power, and folds away neatly for travel or to clear desk space.
  • You can grab a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge with 512GB of storage at Woot for $669.99, almost half off the retail price of $1,299.99. The phone stands out with its remarkably thin and light design, and still has recent generation smartphone features, like a SnapDragon 8 Elite chipset, 200MP camera, and 6.7-inch 1440p display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Read our review.
  • The Lego Icons Transformers Soundwave set is on sale at Amazon for $168.96, almost matching its all-time low price. This 1,505-piece set can transform between the character’s robot and cassette player modes without any disassembly, and the included sound effects block helps give this kit a fun twist.

Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down

12 August 2026 at 23:07
An image of Petlibro’s Granary 2 feeder
Petlibro’s Granary 2 feeder. | Image: Petlibro

A Petlibro outage is preventing its smart pet feeders and other devices from performing scheduled tasks, like dispensing food. The outage began on Tuesday, with users across Reddit reporting that their smart feeders, litter boxes, and water fountains have gone offline.

Though Petlibro maintains that "existing settings and schedules stored locally on your device will continue to operate as programmed," many users say that's not the case. Instead, some users report that Petlibro's RFID and Granary food dispensers are missing scheduled feedings due to the outage - a major problem for pet owners currently away from home. Some users say they've …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The next big indie game publisher is taking some exciting swings

12 August 2026 at 21:30
Promotional artwork for Sam Barlow’s Precognition. Looks trippy.

Kinetic Publishing, a new indie publisher from the development team behind the co-op horror game Phasmophobia, just hosted its first games showcase, and it includes five ambitious new titles set to release in 2027 and 2028.

Perhaps the most significant announcement from Kinetic's show is that it's publishing the next game from Telling Lies and Immortality creator Sam Barlow, titled Precognition. (Barlow previously revealed the game as "Project C.") Like other Barlow titles, Precognition will feature FMV-sequences and nonlinear storytelling. Here's the setup:

Players take on the role of Diana, a woman who discovers she can receive vision …

Read the full story at The Verge.

It looks like Apple’s iPhone 18 really will skip the fall launch this year

12 August 2026 at 21:27
A photo of a person holding the iPhone 17.
The iPhone 17’s successor might not arrive until 2027. | Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge

According to an Economic Daily News report spotted by MacRumors, executives for Apple supplier Pegatron confirmed during an earnings call that the iPhone 18 Pro series phones will launch this fall, but the base iPhone 18 won't arrive until the first quarter of next year. The more affordable iPhone 18e and a new iPhone Air are also rumored to launch around the same time, in line with rumors that have been circulating for more than a year.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and The Information both reported last year that Apple was planning to only launch its premium iPhones in fall 2026, and earlier this year another Apple supplier said one of its custom …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google’s Pixel 11 phone preorders come with up to $350 in gift cards

12 August 2026 at 19:47
The Pixel 11 Pro in matte obsidian. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Looking to get your hands on the latest Pixel devices? After weeks of leaks and rumors, Google has officially announced its next generation of Pixel phones and watches.

The base Pixel 11 starts at $899, the Pro and Pro XL are $1,099 and $1,299 respectively, and the Pro Fold starts at $1,899. The watch comes in two sizes, with the smaller 41mm model starting at $399, and the larger 45mm model starting at $429. The phones are available for preorder now, and will ship on August 20th, 2026.

If you're looking to preorder an unlocked phone on its own, your main options are Best Buy, Amazon, and directly from the Google Store. All three are runni …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Twitch streamers can now opt out from training Amazon’s AI

12 August 2026 at 19:29
The Twitch logo against a pink and purple background.

Twitch users can now opt out of allowing their content to be used to train Amazon's generative AI models. Opting out means that "your streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel" won't be used in "future training" of an Amazon AI model "whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video," according to a Twitch support page.

Other "AI-supported" features like captions and safety tools will still function if you opt out of generative AI training. However, if you participate in a chat on another person's stream, "their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training," Twitch …

Read the full story at The Verge.

How Google’s new Pixel 11 phones compare to last year’s models

12 August 2026 at 19:00
The Pixel 11 Pro. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Google just added four new phones to the Pixel family: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. They're slightly more expensive than their predecessors, but they come with some notable upgrades, including improved cameras and a new Tensor G6 chip that should deliver faster performance. The phones also have new photography tools, like Magic Capture, along with improvements to Gemini Intelligence, expanded Live Translate capabilities, and the ability to use Circle to Search directly through the camera.

To make deciding whether you'll upgrade or hold onto your last-gen phone a little simpler, we're focusing on co …

Read the full story at The Verge.

ICE wants to give agents electrified gloves that shock people into compliance

12 August 2026 at 18:58
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk outside the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aiming to spend up to $20 million on equipping officers and agents with specialized gloves that deliver painful electric shocks. These plans were outlined in a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, with an unspecified quantity of the devices set to be delivered by March 2027.

The electrified handwear outlined in the contract is the CTG 5 GLOVE (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), which manufacturer Compliant Technologies refers to as a CD3 (Conductive Distraction and De-escalation) device. Compliant Technologies describes it as "a great, humane, low-optics, de-esc …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon gets out of the MMO game

12 August 2026 at 18:46

Amazon is fully stepping back from MMOs. After saying last year that it would be halting "a significant amount" of its work on first-party AAA games, "specifically around MMOs," Amazon will be handing over live operations of Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark in the West to other companies, according to announcements on Wednesday. Throne and Liberty will be taken over by FirstSpark Games and NC in Q4 2026. Lost Ark will be run by Smilegate starting in early 2027.

When Amazon announced the broader strategy shift in October, the developers of a third MMO, New World: Aeternum, announced plans to stop offering new content updates. As of January, y …

Read the full story at The Verge.

How the Pixel 11 Pro Fold compares to the Galaxy Z Fold 8

12 August 2026 at 18:00
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Google wasn't first to make a foldable Android phone, but the company's Pixel Fold series is now an established player with unique traits compared to its competitors. For one, it popularized the passport-style design years ago, being more wide than tall - something that Samsung tried for the first time this year with its Z Fold 8, and that Apple is rumored to do with its foldable iPhone that may or may not arrive in 2026. It also delivered the first IP68-rated foldable in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, soothing concerns that all foldables are super fragile.

Now that the new Pixel 11 Pro Fold (along with the rest of the Pixel 11 lineup) has been unv …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Guitar company D’Addario admits that AI music was used in a promotional video

12 August 2026 at 17:52
D’Addario logo imposed over image of a person playing guitar.
Maybe don’t let the AI shred next time. | Image: D’Addario

After weeks of controversy and speculation, music company D'Addario has admitted that AI, specifically Suno, was used as part of a recent promotional video. For nearly two weeks, the company has denied the allegations, even as evidence piled up against it. It offered various explanations, from low-quality exports, to combinations of plug-ins like Autotune introducing digital noise, and the use of AI-assisted mastering tools from LANDR and Logic. But now the company has edited its original Instagram post denying the use of generative AI to say it was wrong.

In a lengthy update to its post from July 29th (embedded at the bottom), it said:

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google aims for influencers with the Pixel 11 Creator Suite

12 August 2026 at 16:30
The settings page for the Pixel 11 series’ “Creator Suite.”

Google knows creators are a big audience. The occupation is growing fast, and landing some influential names could be a major turning point for the Pixel's market share. This year, Google is building features directly into its new Pixel lineup that it says can help creators record, organize, edit, and publish content faster and more efficiently than they could on other devices.

Creator Suite is a new mode built into the Pixel 11's camera app. The suite comes with features like a teleprompter, vocal enhancer, external microphone levels, and social media frame guides, which Google thinks will entice users who want to start building channels a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The 7 biggest announcements of Google’s Pixel 11 launch

12 August 2026 at 16:15

Google is hosting a Pixel launch event on Wednesday night where it will show off its latest lineup of devices. But you don't have to wait until then for all the news; we were able to check out the devices ahead of the event and take a look at everything Google's unveiling, including the latest Pixel phones, new health features on the Pixel Watch 5, and more.

Google will be livestreaming the event on Wednesday at 6PM ET / 3PM PT. But if you aren't able to watch along yourself, you can catch up on all of the highlights from Wednesday's Pixel launch below.

Pixel 11 launches with new colors and a price bump

Google refreshed its line of Pixel …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google’s Pixel 11 series pairs a little new hardware with a lot of new software

12 August 2026 at 16:00

When I first picked up the Pixel 11 Pro this week, it was clear to me that this was one of those refinement years - at least when it comes to hardware. Aesthetically, the phones are as beautiful as ever, with Google's signature camera bar and bright, colorful backing glass. There are small updates, like a single piece of glass covering the camera bar and the all-new HiLight ambient LED on the Pros. But this year, the Pixel is all about quality of life and software improvements.

After weeks of teasers, Google has finally formally announced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The phones are all shipping next we …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Brendan Carr is one firing away from an unchecked FCC

12 August 2026 at 15:31
The FCC seal surrounded by icons of satellites.

President Donald Trump already holds a Republican majority in the agency tasked with regulating America's communications systems. But with a new nomination to the Federal Communications Commission, he could move to shut out opposing voices altogether - albeit at a legal risk.

The FCC is currently composed of two Republicans and one Democrat - Republican Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, and Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez. This mixed group gives the agency a three-member quorum that allows it to vote on major actions, though it still falls short of the five members (no more than three from a single party) the FCC is mean …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Insta360’s next 360-degree action cam puts bigger sensors in a smaller design

12 August 2026 at 15:00
The Insta360 X6 360-degree action camera pictured from the front and back.

Insta360 announced the next iteration of its popular 360-degree action cameras that have helped the company expand its offerings. The new X6 introduces a design that's smaller than last year's X5 and X4 Air but with improved video capabilities thanks to an even larger pair of custom 1/1.1-inch square sensors from Sony. While last year's models offered 8K recording at up to 30fps, the new X6 can capture 8K at up to 50fps. It also carries forward the X5's replaceable lenses, which are now five times more scratch-resistant and 60 percent cheaper, according to the company.

The Insta360 X6 is available today in black or white through the company …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Honor’s Robot Phone is better than a gimbal in a phone has any right to be

12 August 2026 at 14:30
The Robot Phone takes pop-up cameras to a whole new level.

The Robot Phone, which launches today in China, doesn't sound like a good idea - and not only because it's not actually a robot. Instead it's a regular Android smartphone with its main camera installed on a compact gimbal arm that unfolds from the phone's rear. Cramming the equivalent of a DJI Osmo Pocket inside a smartphone sounds like a great way to get the worst of both worlds, but after an hour of testing, I'm cautiously optimistic that Honor has made this Frankenphone work.

This is a smaller gimbal than you'll find on DJI's compact Osmo Pocket line - Honor claims it's the smallest in the world. It still makes the phone bulkier than no …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Of course the ChatGPT dog cancer vaccine spawned a startup

12 August 2026 at 14:09

Remember that much-hyped story about an Australian tech entrepreneur using ChatGPT, Grok, and other AI tools to craft a personalized cancer vaccine for his dog? Well, surprise: he's launched a startup.

That entrepreneur is Paul Conyngham, who says he is launching Gamgee to offer "personalised mRNA cancer vaccines for dogs." But his ambitions go well beyond dogs - and pets - with Gamgee's website promising the company will harness AI and genetics to develop personalized treatments for a range of diseases and species, including humans.

At the center of Gamgee's origin story is Rosie, Conyngham's Staffordshire bull terrier-Shar Pei mix, who …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Grok is now an AI ‘teammate’ you can assign work

12 August 2026 at 13:58
Screenshots showing Grok Bot running on desktop and iOS.
You’ll have to be fine with letting Grok sign into your online accounts, however. | Image: SpaceXAI

SpaceXAI has introduced Grok Bot, an always-on AI agent service designed to behave like independent "AI teammates" that can do your work for you. The bots share their own cloud-based computer environment, and can sign into apps, tools, and websites you already use to complete multi-step workplace tasks, only coming back when their assigned work is completed or if something requires approval.

Grok Bot (or Bots, as SpaceXAI inconsistently pluralizes it) is the latest push from Elon Musk's AI company to keep up with business services launched by rival AI providers, including OpenAI's ChatGPT Work, Anthropic's Claude Cowork, and Microsoft's Cop …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Saber denies replacing Rideshare Stimulator’s writers with ChatGPT

12 August 2026 at 02:39

After a former lead writer claimed Saber "replaced me with ChatGPT," CEO Matthew Karch now claims, "Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI," for the Rideshare "Stimulator" game announced last month, developed by Unigine.

The writer, Stella Sacco, says differently, however, posting on Bluesky that "I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they're not disclosing it on Steam."

Saber describes Rideshare "Stimulator" as an "immersive driving simulation game that puts you behind the wheel …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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