Walmart will soon let AI agents shop on its website for you. Next month, the retail giant will allow you to connect your own AI agent to the site, with systems in place to let you approve and review purchases and set spending limits.
The embrace of AI agents stands in stark contrast to Amazon, which blocked Perplexity's shopping agent and Meta's Muse AI assistant. But Walmart is opening its doors to AI shoppers - as long as they follow the retailer's rules. It has outlined a set of terms for agents, saying that "agents must not take actions beyond what the shopper intends" and cannot change a customer's payment method. Agents also can only …
Mark Zuckerberg. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
The Cambridge Analytica scandal has come back to haunt Meta after a New Mexico judge ordered it to pay $25 billion in penalties for more than 43 million violations of the state's unfair practices law. The ruling marks the biggest legal hit Meta has taken this year, even as it's faced several other losses or settlements.
A New Mexico jury ruled in September that Meta misled consumers over how it protected their data and prevented misinformation and hate speech on its platforms. The case stemmed from a 2021 complaint in the wake of the revelations a few years earlier that UK political consultancy Cambridge Analytica harvested data from millio …
Cyberpunk 2077 is getting a big new 2.5 update that, among other features, brings cross-platform mod support to consoles and content inspired by the new season of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime on Netflix. There's a lot to unpack in the full patch notes.
The Edgerunners-specific content includes a new side quest, a gear set based on the character Weak Kingsley, and a new radio station that plays Cyberpunk: Edgerunners music.
Even if you haven't seen the show, the update also adds a Double Trouble perk option that allows dual-wielding of pistols and revolvers, plus a Richard Night-guided tour of the city side quest, and access to a …
Microsoft asked its employees to return to the office three days per week last year, and it's now upping this requirement to four days a week for most Xbox employees. An internal memo, seen by The Verge, describes the change as a "need to create more opportunities for people to work together" after feedback from Xbox employees.
"Starting February 1st, 2027, Xbox employees in Puget Sound who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D are required to work from the office a minimum of four days a week," says Jacinda Chislum Pearson, Xbox chief people officer, in the internal memo. "We have thousands of Xbox employees within commuting distance …
Zero Company will have you teaming up with some unlikely new allies. | Image: EA and Disney
If you’ve been curious about Star Wars Zero Company, the XCOM-like strategy game set in the Star Wars universe, Amazon has both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X physical editions on sale for $47.99 and $49.99, respectively. The game usually sells for $59.99. While I’m not usually enthused by turn-based strategy games, I’ve been impressed enough with the story and characters to keep playing, and any fan who’s familiar with the world surrounding the battles should make the experience more immersive.
There’s a surprising depth here, as well, with branching story missions that have consequences, and higher difficulty modes that punish you more severely for mistakes. The character creator is impressive, too, with a huge number of unlockable outfits and accessories, as well as classic alien races from the movies and cartoons. Plus, isn’t it every Star Wars fan’s dream to lead a crew of rag-tag heroes into battle against Droidekas and outlaws?
But TP-Link is willing to do something those companies weren't - to invest nearly $1 billion to make routers in the United States, creating "hundreds of high-paying re …
A vehicle is welded by robot arms as it goes through the assembly line at the General Motors Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant March 10, 2010 in Lansing, Michigan. | Photo: Getty Images
General Motors is still very much in the business of selling gas-guzzling trucks and massive SUVs. But if you listen to its leadership, the Detroit giant is rapidly transforming into a nimble, software-defined tech player with a tightened grip on AI.
That was the pitch today, when GM hosted its tech-focused Onward event to unveil a wide-ranging slate of EV, autonomous vehicle, and AI initiatives - all aimed at fending off the rising threat of tech-heavy Chinese automakers.
The promises are big: GM claims it will use AI to cut vehicle development times in half, introduce compute units up to 40 times more powerful than its current hardware, …
Microsoft announced last month that it will let anyone access Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, without the need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. The new pay-as-you-go model will require players to purchase bundles of cloud hours, and now Microsoft is revealing today that bundles will start at $3.99 for 10 hours of cloud playtime.
Xbox Insiders who don't have a Game Pass subscription will be able to start purchasing cloud playtime today, ahead of a broader rollout next month. Insiders can access "introductory" launch pricing bundles:
Samsung’s latest version of The Frame TV is $400 off. | Image: Samsung
If you want a TV but prefer something that won’t clash with your room’s decor, Samsung’s The Frame is a standout option that’s designed to look like a piece of framed art instead of a black, monolithic rectangle mounted to your wall. You can buy the latest version of the 55-inch Samsung Frame TV on sale for around $897.99 ($402 off) at Amazon, which marks a new low price. Larger sizes are on sale, too, including the new 98-inch model, which is down to $3,749.99 ($1,252 off).
The 2026 model is largely the same as its predecessor; The biggest hardware change is that this size of the TV features built-in ports instead of using Samsung’s One Connect Box. Like previous models, it has a matte, canvas-like display that more closely resembles an actual painting better than a glossy TV screen. Its built-in motion sensor detects when someone enters the room and can automatically display artwork, even adjusting its brightness and colors based on ambient lighting. It supports Samsung’s Art Store, which offers access to more than 5,000 works ranging from world-famous galleries to lesser known, independent artists. A full subscription costs $49.99 annually, though you can also enjoy 30 new free, rotating artworks every month. Samsung includes a wall mount and a black bezel in the box, with additional magnetic frame styles available separately to better match your space or taste.
In terms of performance, the Frame prioritizes style over image quality, so it’s not necessarily the best choice for cinephiles who may be willing to pay more for a brighter picture, deeper blacks, and more lifelike colors. Still it offers a refresh rate of up to 144Hz with variable refresh rate support for smoother gaming, along with HDR10 Plus and Dolby Atmos support for a more immersive audio/visual experience.
The company is also laying off around 400 staffers, Bloomberg reports, including around 50 at BioWare. The changes follow EA being taken private by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in a $55 billion deal that closed in August. Other m …
Despite Meta saying it would stop creating new content for Supernatural, the beloved fitness VR game is back after spinning off to go its own way and is relaunching with an Early Access preview in the Meta Horizon Store. Thousands of "remastered" workouts and some new ones are available in the new app starting today, but more are on the way. As previously announced, the newly independent app also costs more, going from $9.99 per month to $20 per month or $200 per year.
Starting next week, Supernatural will get new workouts every week. The game's developers also write, "More back-catalog favorites will return in the weeks and months ahead, w …
In a video, Apple says that for the rebrand, the company "wanted sound to create the visuals," showing the music note logo and the wordmark underwater and how that water responded to sound. It's a pretty cool video, honestly, and I like seeing how the water morphs the logo and wordmark. The video is also one …
After introducing its Gemini AI assistant to Android Auto last year, Google is now bringing it to Apple CarPlay users. The conversational Gemini in navigation is available today for US drivers, with "rollout happening globally too," according to Google (we've asked for specific regional availability details).
It's taken almost 12 months for Google to bring this to CarPlay users, but now they can talk to the voice assistant in Google Maps to get some hands-free help while driving. That includes asking it multi-step questions, such as recommendations on places to visit and then prompting it to direct you there while avoiding toll roads. Users …
There are quite a few 5K monitors out there. Many of them are designed to appeal to Mac users who are looking for cheaper Studio Display alternatives without giving up the pixel-dense 218ppi screen. However, if you’re interested in hearing about one with gaming chops, Samsung’s 27-inch Odyssey G80HF seems like one of the best monitors out there to satisfy your niche, but respectable desires. Currently, you can grab this model for $599.99 at Amazon and B&H Photo, which beats its best price by $100.
The G80HF supports two display modes with its Fast IPS panel: 5K at up to 180Hz refresh rate, or 1440p with up to a 360Hz refresh rate. Samsung touts Nvidia G-Sync compatibility as well as AMD FreeSync Premium to ensure the monitor’s refresh rate remains in lockstep with your GPU’s frame rate output. The monitor features a DisplayPort 2.1 port (just one, and Samsung doesn’t advertise its bandwidth), two HDMI 2.1 ports, and a USB hub for charging or connecting two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 accessories.
As a gamer, one of my favorite features here is the one-millisecond response time. That’s a very common spec among gaming monitors — even in ones that cost hundreds less — but it’s a bit of a rare spec in a 5K monitor at this price. I tested KTC’s sub-$500 model last year, and gaming on it was a pretty atrocious experience despite having what it claimed to be gaming-ready capabilities.
For $200 more ($799.99), LG’s 27-inch UltraGear evo 5K Mini LED monitor delivers slightly better specs. It has more dimming zones for a more accurate picture, it can get brighter, and it supports USB-C video input with 90W power delivery output to charge your device as you use it. Its dual mode refresh rates aren’t as high as Samsung’s (165Hz / 330Hz), but I don’t really see that as much of a downside.
Other great deals happening now
For those who haven’t yet placed a preorder for Grand Theft Auto VI, which comes out in less than a month, you can do so while saving $10 on a gaming gift card at Best Buy. The retailer is letting customers build a bundle of select games and gift cards. You can, for example, add GTA VI and a gift card will be $10 off its advertised price at checkout. It’s a small, but welcome way to save a little cash. The bundle includes other current and upcoming blockbusters, like Gears of War: E-Day, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and more.
The excellent remake of Demon’s Souls by the shuttered PlayStation studio, Bluepoint Games, is down to just $13.49 in digital format on the PlayStation Store. What’s more, it’s for the digital deluxe edition (originally $89.99), which includes in-game cosmetics, a consumable that grants you a bunch of souls for in-game upgrades, and the soundtrack. The sale lasts through November 4th on the West Coast, or until 2:59AM ET on November 5th on the East Coast. The remake doesn’t mess with the formula of FromSoftware’s PS3 cult classic (it has stages instead of being an open-world like its spiritual successor, Dark Souls), but gives it some brilliant visuals and fast loading times. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re into other Soulslike games that reward (and test) your patience. Read our review of the game.
If you need a multi-port wall charger to quickly charge a bunch of USB-C devices, Ugreen’s Nexode Pro is down to $59.99 at Amazon and Ugreen, a $30 discount off the usual cost. The price was $10 lower during June’s Prime Day, but this is still a nice value. Despite the charger advertising 160W charging passthrough, its USB-C ports labeled C1 and C2 each top out at 140W when just one device is plugged into the charger. The power of each port (four USB-C, one USB-A) varies depending on how many gadgets are plugged in, up to 160W total. The charger has folding prongs and a display that can rotate depending on how it’s plugged in.
Apple says it will have "limited" iPhone Duo models for sale in stores, according to a report from Reuters. The iPhone Duo launches on Friday, October 23rd, but online preorders quickly sold out, with some delivery estimates extending into next year.
"On Friday morning, our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores to experience iPhone Duo and the incredible iPhone line-up for themselves," Apple said in a statement to Reuters. "Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers' hands as quickly as possible."
From left to right, here are the Outdoor 2K XR Plus and Mini Pant-Tilt 2K Plus (top), and the Spotlight Cam 2K Plus, Mini 4K Plus, and Frontier XR Plus (bottom). | Image: Amazon / Blink
Amazon is launching a new lineup of Blink security cameras, including its first 4K, pan-tilt models, and battery-powered spotlight models. These new additions provide better resolution and extended range for monitoring your property compared to Blink's current Mini 2K, Mini 2K Plus, and Outdoor 2K Plus offerings, with a variety of different specializations to best suit your security requirements.
One of the standouts is the $199.99 Blink Frontier XR Plus, a trail camera that's designed for expansive properties that would typically require multiple cameras or specialized monitoring equipment. It can cover up to 7,000 feet with a clear line …
OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks. In one incident, OpenAI says its GPT-6 Astra agent disabled its safety monitor when copying reference code - and then lied about it.
"The reference didn't configure a monitor, and Astra decided that was reason to remove the monitoring integration from the user's code," Marcus Williams, an AI safety researcher at OpenAI, writes on X. "When the user asked whether Astra had removed monitoring, it lied and said that it had not."
A separate incident occurred after a GPT-6.1 Sol agent suppressed automatic se …
Serato DJ for iOS is finally bringing the company's pro-level DJ suite to the iPhone and iPad. Until now, the company had only dipped its toes into mobile software, with apps like Pyro that basically just added some autofades between songs in a playlist. This is the first time most of the features of its flagship DJ app are available on a mobile device, even though competitors like Rekordbox and Algoriddim have had proper mobile DJ apps for some time.
If you're a DJ used to Serato on a laptop, the workflow should feel instantly familiar. You can even transfer your library directly from Serato DJ 5.0 on your laptop to your iOS device either …
Nvidia is rolling out a new GPU driver today (621.01) that enables Microsoft's new Advanced Shader Delivery technology to speed up game launches. The technology also removes mid-game "just-in-time" shader compilation, reducing stuttering and CPU spikes.
Microsoft's Advanced Shader Delivery works by offloading shader compilation for different hardware combinations to the cloud. "Using DirectX 12, Windows 11, and the Microsoft Agility SDK, developers capture shaders into a State Object Database (SODB), allowing Microsoft's cloud network to precompile shaders for hundreds of thousands of hardware and driver combinations," explains Nvidia's And …
I'm The Verge's senior smartphone reviewer and I've been using the iPhone Duo for the past week. I've unfolded it, flipped it, and folded it more times than I could count as I've been working on the review alongside our editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, and I'm ready to answer your questions about it. The Duo represents the first time the iPhone has gone through a major form factor shift, and in true Apple fashion, it has some very specific ideas about how you should use it. We covered a lot of how the Duo works in our review, but there's a ton more to talk about and I am here for it.
Verge subscribers can submit questions starting right now in …
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