Judge rules Trump administration violated the First Amendment in fight against ICE-tracking
Jorge L. Alonso, a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Illinois, said that the Trump Administration violated the First Amendment when it pressured Facebook and Apple to remove ICE-tracking groups and apps. Judge Alonso granted the plaintiffs, Kassandra Rosado, who runs the ICE Sightings - Chicagoland Facebook group, and Kreisau Group, the developers of Eyes Up, a preliminary injunction.
Judge Alonso cited a unanimous Supreme Court decision from a 2024 case that pitted the NRA against the former superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, Maria Vullo. In that case, the court ruled that "[g]overnment …
Cheap stuff that doesn’t suck, take 3
From fancy OLED TVs to robot vacuums with arms, we tend to cover a lot of cool stuff here at The Verge that, unfortunately, often costs as much as a month’s rent (or more). But with the ongoing tariff situation in the US and a global memory shortage pushing up the cost of, well, everything, we’re well aware that not everyone can spend that kind of money right now.
So, as we did last year, we asked The Verge staff to share some of their favorite gadgets under $50. These are the gizmos that don’t fall apart after a few weeks, as cheap stuff often does, and quietly improve our lives. Some are practical purchases, like portable power banks and backup bulbs, while the rest are useful in other ways. After all, who doesn’t want a dirt-cheap Bluetooth speaker, a feature-packed pair of earbuds, or a fitness tracker that punches well above its weight?
If you’re curious, you can check out our favorites below.
Nite Ize DoohicKey Plus Key Tool
Nite Ize DoohicKey Plus Key Tool
Where to Buy:
This keychain thingy costs less than seven bucks, is about the size of an actual key, and clips onto your keyring with a built-in carabiner latch. It’s perfectly suited for opening boxes, popping bottlecaps, or tightening a screw or a bolt in a pinch. While it’s not as good as a dedicated tool — or even a larger multitool like a Leatherman — at any of those things, I’m also way more likely to have it on me when I need it. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor
CMF Buds 2A
CMF Buds 2A
Where to Buy:
When it comes to earbuds, my daily drivers are a pair of AirPods Pro 3. However, given how often I find myself sitting in my car due to my extracurriculars (I volunteer with search and rescue), I decided to pick up a pair of Nothing’s CMF Buds 2A as a backup for my bag. The budget earbuds are often on sale for a tenth of what the Pro 3 cost, and while they certainly can’t compete with Apple’s high-end earbuds, their pack-in features and overall performance make them a terrific value.
For $49, you get decent sound and customizable touch controls, along with up to eight hours of playback on a single charge (or up to 35.5 hours with the included USB-C charging case). They also support Google’s Fast Pair feature, carry an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, and offer a touch of active noise cancellation. They’re not going to drown out sharper sounds or all subway chatter — you only get about 42 decibels of noise reduction — but it’s a hell of a lot better than going it alone. — Brandon Widder, senior commerce editor
Syncwire Magnetic AirGrip
Want a more secure grip on your phone? You can find countless rings that magnetically snap onto your phone, then physically slip onto your finger. But the Syncwire AirGrip is better than that — it’s got magnets on both sides of the ring, so it can snap your device to any ferrous metal surface: your car mount, your fridge, your filing cabinet, you name it. Depending on which design you buy, I’ve found it has the right amount of magnet strength for these tasks, and while you can’t wirelessly charge through it like its OhSnap competition, it also costs much less. The best part might be the built-in ratchet, though: you can securely spin the inner ring 360 degrees while it makes an incredibly satisfying clicking sound. — Sean Hollister, senior editor
Watch our video about the Syncwire AirGrip.
Vornado 133 Compact Air Circulator
Vornado 133 Compact Air Circulator
Where to Buy:
Before I moved closer to the coast, I relied on Vornado fans to survive inland Southern Californian summers, where temperatures regularly push past 100 degrees for much of the summer and early fall. I’ve used them through intense heat waves, buying multiple when my AC stopped working entirely for a week, and they’ve never let me down. The Vornado 133 is one of the smaller models I own, but it’s still impressively powerful. It’s ideal for placing on a desk or a nightstand when you need a strong, focused blast of cool air during those ridiculously hot days when a fan across the room just isn’t enough. — Sheena Vasani, commerce writer
Iniu P781 Qi2.2 Wireless Power Bank
If you’re searching for a thin, magnetic wireless power bank that’s among the fastest out there (both in terms of wireless and wired output), Iniu’s P781 Magnetic Portable Charger is worth $49.99. It can deliver up to 25W wireless charging to iPhone 16 and newer phones, as well as the Pixel 10 Pro XL. What’s more, its braided USB-C cable — which doubles as a lanyard — supports up to 45W, and it can simultaneously charge devices both wired and wirelessly with the press of a button. There are a number of similar wireless power banks out there, but this one delivers good specs at a more digestible price point. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
Ikea Kallsup Bluetooth speaker
Ikea Kallsup Bluetooth speaker
Where to Buy:
There are many better-sounding Bluetooth speakers on the market that also offer upgraded features, from dedicated woofers and tweeters to waterproofing, stereo pairing, and even solar-powered charging. What Ikea’s wireless Kallsup speaker has going for it is a simple design, bright colors, and a $10 price tag. The Verge‘s John Higgins preferred the sound from the Kallsup over the “thin-sounding built-in speakers” in his MacBook Air, and if you need to crank the volume, you can pair up to 100 of them together to better fill a room with sound. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Workpro EDC Folding Utility Knife
Workpro EDC Folding Utility Knife
Where to Buy:
The beauty of a cheap knife is that I never fear using it for dirty jobs — like cutting through the endless strips of box tape and cardboard boxes that wind their way to my door. But my favorite knives are lightweight and effortless to open and close one-handed, and cheap utility knives usually aren’t!
That’s why I love my dirt-cheap Workpro EDC: one push of the side-mounted button, and I can flick it into or out of action. It takes standard utility knife blades, and one pull of a spring-loaded plate lets you swap for a new razor-sharp blade after the old one gums up. (I don’t want to dull my SOG Ultra C-Ti or A.G. Russell FeatherLite’s Japanese steel on all that cardboard!) You can make the Workpro even easier to open if you replace the money clip with a small washer or two: just push the button and let gravity do the rest.
Just know the push button isn’t easily reversible for left-handers, since its spring is held in by a rivet. I also haven’t tried the newer version with a thicker comfort handle; let me know if that one’s even better? — Sean Hollister, senior editor
Zepath rechargeable AAs
Given that our own Sean Hollister recently did a deep dive into Zepath’s rechargeable lithium-ion AAs, I won’t wax poetic here. What I will say is that I actually prefer Zepath’s option over more traditional integrated USB-C batteries, which I’ve always found to become somewhat finicky to charge over time. When you need to top them off, Zepath’s 1.5V batteries easily slot into the included clamshell charger, a la a pair of wireless earbuds, letting you charge up to eight batteries at once with a single connection. I wouldn’t necessarily want to take the case with me on the go — it’s bulkier than a multi-headed USB-C cable — but I’m perfectly content with it sitting on my laundry room shelf alongside the rest of my tools. — Brandon Widder, senior commerce editor
Lamicall magnetic cord organizer clips
Lamicall magnetic cord organizer clips (eight-pack)
Where to Buy:
For several years, I kept losing the power cable for our baby monitor behind a shelf whenever I unplugged it, which meant I had to fish for it before plugging it back in. The same thing happened every day. I knew that cord wrangling devices existed, but I was wary about sticking an adhesive-backed gizmo to my furniture. I eventually got a couple of eight-packs of Lamicall’s magnetic-clasping cord catchers, which were under $10 a pop, and I haven’t looked back. Now, my cords don’t fall, and I don’t have to bend over as much. I’m extremely late to the party here, but you don’t have to be. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
Wuben G5 rechargeable keychain flashlight
Wuben G5 rechargeable keychain flashlight
Where to Buy:
I’ll be the first to admit I buy more flashlights than I’ll ever need, and the problem has only gotten worse as flashlight makers pack more features into smaller designs. The most recent addition to my stockpile, the Wuben G5, squeezes a lot of functionality into a Zippo-sized flashlight that’s just $25. It’s got a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 65 hours at the lowest setting, or the G5 can be maxed out at up to 400 lumens using a wheel to dial in an exact brightness. Its lamp rotates 180-degrees, there’s an adjustable clip and a magnetic base for hands-free use, and a second LED that cycles through or flashes multiple colors. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Amazfit Band 7
I picked up the Amazfit Band 7 after my colleague Victoria Song recommended it as a budget fitness tracker back in 2023, and it has lasted me far longer than I expected. I’ve mostly used it for basics like tracking steps, heart rate, and sleep quality, but it offers far more than that. It can alert you to abnormal heart rates, integrates with Amazon Alexa, tracks your menstrual cycles, includes a random Pomodoro timer, and features a colorful OLED display with some genuinely cute watch faces.
The only real downside is the strap, which started to feel flimsy after a few months and eventually fell off after a year and a half of use. The good news is that it’s easy and relatively cheap to replace. Still, for something that held up for a couple of years and still works to this day, it’s hard to complain. I eventually upgraded to a Fitbit Charge 6 after getting one as a birthday gift last year, but I still have the Amazfit Band 7 lying around as a backup. — Sheena Vasani, commerce writer
Epilogue GB Operator
Do you have Game Boy cartridges (and savegames) from childhood like me? Either way, the GB Operator has become one of my favorite gadgets for connecting those carts to a Windows PC, a Mac, or even a Linux machine like my Steam Deck. You can play carts “directly” on those computers (it’ll technically dump the ROMs first), back up old battery-backed Pokémon save games before the battery dies (except most Gold, Silver, and Crystal carts whose batteries infamously died too soon), and rip games so you can use them in emulators on your PC or other handhelds. You can even transfer savegames back to your genuine cartridges and pick up where you left off on original hardware.
It supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts, up to and including things like the Game Boy Camera, which you can even turn into a PC webcam using an OBS screen capture trick. — Sean Hollister, senior editor
Read our hands-on impressions.
Globe Battery Backup LED Bulbs
Power outages have started happening frequently enough in my neighborhood for me to start seriously looking into a whole home backup power solution. Until I choose one and sign a big check, Globe’s 800-lumen LED light bulbs have at least been a useful way to avoid stubbing my toe when the power goes out. They’re slightly more expensive than a basic LED bulb at $35 for six, but they feature built-in backup batteries that recharge whenever a lamp or light socket is turned on. When the power goes bye-bye, the bulbs automatically turn on and will glow for up to 10 hours straight. They also work without being screwed into a socket and can be attached to the included handles so you can carry them around like a flashlight. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Anker 2-in-1 USB-C Cable
Anker 140W 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C Cable
Where to Buy:
We’ve got this power outlet near our fridge that has just one spare outlet for a USB-C wall adapter to charge our laptops and iPad. Now, I could get a speedy, new adapter that has multiple USB-C ports so I can charge them all at once. Or you could do as I did: buy Anker’s affordable 2-in-1 USB-C cable that can charge two devices at once. The six-foot cable costs $19.99 (sometimes less) and is capped at 140W of peak passthrough charging speeds with the right wall adapter. It can automatically divvy up the power from your adapter or battery to deliver the optimal amount of juice to your devices, too, making it the perfect cable for overnight charging. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
Marusan Mnemosyne A5 Notebook
Maruman Mnemosyne N888 A5 Notebook
Where to Buy:
I keep thinking a new notebook would fix me. It hasn’t worked yet, but I still really like this one. Like other Mnemosyne notebooks, it has really nice paper that’s great for my intermittent fountain pen experimentation because there’s very little feathering and less bleedthrough than, say, a Leichtturm or Moleskine. It’s meant as a bullet journal, and it has all the features you’d want there: a four-page index at the front, page numbers, multiple bookmarks, and dot grid markings with guide marks so you can easily divide pages by thirds or quarters, horizontally or vertically. It also just looks good. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor
Ugreen USB-C to ethernet adapter
Ugreen USB-C to ethernet adapter
Where to Buy:
If you play a lot of games on the Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck, you’re likely all too aware of how long it can take to download titles over Wi-Fi. Like “I need to find another activity to keep myself busy” long. Luckily, there’s another way if you don’t mind welcoming another dongle into your life. Ugreen’s ethernet to USB-C adapters (which usually retail for less than $15) connect to an ethernet cable, then plug it directly into your handheld to get the fastest-possible download speeds. I’ve had what would have been 30-minute wireless downloads take around two minutes when wired up with this dongle. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light
Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light
Where to Buy:
I originally bought the Glocusent Rechargeable LED Neck Reading Light for my mom, whose eyesight isn’t great and lives with me in a very dim apartment. She only used it a couple of times while reading and attempting to knit before abandoning it, so I picked it up, and now it’s like my go-to hands-free flashlight. I like that it offers both warm and cool lighting, and while it’s great for nighttime reading, I’ve also found it useful during power outages, walking down the dark hallway to the bathroom at night, while traveling, or really just anytime I need a little extra light. — Sheena Vasani, commerce writer
GameSir Pocket Taco mobile controller
For $35, you can turn your smartphone into a Game Boy-like handheld so you can play retro titles without the frustrations of finicky touchscreen controls. GameSir’s Pocket Taco is a wireless Bluetooth controller, but instead of functioning as a standalone gamepad, it clamps onto the bottom of your phone, adding a physical D-pad and action buttons to the bottom half of the screen. The lack of thumbsticks makes it better suited for playing games on older consoles predating the PS1. It also has its own battery, so while it is another accessory you’ll need to remember to charge, it won’t drain your phone’s battery while you play. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Dyson’s handheld fan is more powerful and louder than I expected
Two years ago I attended a picturesque outdoor wedding in August where the hot and humid weather had guests occasionally ducking into their cars to enjoy a blast of AC. Dyson’s new $99.99 handheld fan would have provided some much-needed relief then, although I’m not sure I would have been comfortable powering it up during the service or reception. The HushJet Mini Cool is as slim and sleek as Dyson’s recent thin vacuum and hair dryer, but it’s not quiet enough to earn the name “Hush.”
That’s unfortunate because the HushJet Mini Cool is yet another product Dyson has redesigned to look and perform better than what’s already on the market. All of its components — including the motor, 5,000mAh rechargeable battery, and spinning blades — are safely contained inside a cylindrical body 38mm in diameter that’s easy to slip into a pocket. Many handheld fans use flexible or folding blades that are left exposed and not ideal for kids, or they stuff the moving parts into a bulbous section on top that limits pocketability.
At 208 grams the HushJet Mini Cool is about the same weight as an iPhone 17 Pro, so it’s not a terrible burden to schlep around when temperatures soar, and it’s incredibly easy to use. A toggle switch turns the fan on and off, while a rocker button lets you step up and down through five different fan speeds indicated by a strip of five small white LEDs. There’s also an even stronger Boost Mode that’s only activated while you’re holding down the “plus” side of that rocker button.
The only learning curve was remembering to grip the fan above the vent that wraps around its base so as not to block the airflow. Some added texture on the outside of the HushJet Mini Cool to naturally guide where your hand should grip it would be welcome.
Dyson claims up to six hours of battery life at the fan’s lowest setting, but at its highest speed (not Boost Mode) it died after 62 minutes. I was still impressed, because I didn’t expect the fan to last that long at full power. The remaining battery life is displayed using the fan’s five white LEDs, but only when it’s turned off. Being able to track how fast the battery level drops with the fan running would be a useful way to estimate how much cooling time you have left.
The HushJet Mini Cool is bottom-heavy and can be used as a self-standing fan, and Dyson includes an accessory to widen the base and improve its stability. It helps, but it’s also an accessory that’s easy to lose. And while you can power the fan indefinitely by connecting it to a power source over USB-C, you’re limited to the lowest speed setting. At that setting you’ll need to stay within about 5 feet of the fan to feel anything.
Dyson’s marketing for the fan, including the HushJet branding, emphasizes how it’s engineered to be quiet. “Dyson’s obsession with acoustics means tonal comfort: with the HushJet nozzle, we’ve lowered frequencies, eliminated high-pitched whirring, and silenced the sound of whining motors,” the company said in a press release. But it was definitely not as quiet as I expected it to be.
It doesn’t get anywhere near as loud as Dyson’s cordless vacuums or hair dryers, but the HushJet Mini Cool isn’t whisper-quiet, even at its lowest setting. The handheld fan also has a similar high-pitched whine as those other Dyson devices, despite its tiny electric motor spinning at less than half the speed of theirs.
For the past year my family has been using Nitecore’s izzCool 10 Pro fan to beat the heat whenever AC isn’t available. Its design makes it harder to slip into a pocket, and at full power its blast is nowhere near as strong as Dyson’s — even at half power. While both fans were similarly loud at their lowest settings (measured using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app on my iPhone), Dyson’s was well over 10 decibels louder at full power. That’s not surprising given Dyson’s fan far outperforms Nitecore’s, but the sound of the HushJet Mini Cool was generally far more noticeable, since it produced noise at higher frequencies.
At a noisy outdoor music festival, crowded carnival, or bustling state fair I can see myself comfortably pushing the fan’s speed to its third or fourth speed setting without worrying about getting too many annoyed looks. But in quieter settings, like that stifling-hot outdoor wedding I attended, I would be hesitant to fire up the HushJet Mini Cool. At least until the wedding DJ took over.
Compact electric air dusters like the Wolfbox MF100 are stronger and cheaper than the HushJet Mini Cool, but they’re typically much louder because they’re designed to be pointed at keyboards covered in Doritos crumbs, while fans are designed to be pointed at your head. Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool is better at balancing size, performance, and battery life. If used nonstop it can last half a day at an amusement park. You can definitely find a quieter alternative, but I doubt you’ll find a more powerful one this size.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
There’s nothing like an RPG over vacation
With a vacation comes a big choice: What game should I focus on during the trip? I thought about grinding out the harder levels of Super Meat Boy 3D, but I was looking for something more chill. I could have dabbled more with Slay the Spire II, but I already know that's a game I'll be playing for a long time. I wanted something that I could really get lost in and finish in a little over a week. People of Note, a new music-focused RPG from Annapurna Interactive and Iridium Studios, turned out to be exactly what I needed.
In the game, you play as aspiring pop singer Cadence. What starts as a journey to outperform a popular boy band turns into …
The AI apps are coming for your PC
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 124, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, send me your Coachella fits, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I've been reading about restaurant bread and GLP-1s and Lenny Rachitsky and Artemis II fashion, watching the new boy band doc because I will always watch a boy band doc, also watching every clip I can find from Justin Bieber's Coachella set, filling the Schitt's Creek-shaped hole in my heart with Big Mistakes, getting increasingly excited about The Mandalorian and Grogu, and watering my new lawn so it …
OpenAI’s former Sora boss is leaving
Last month, OpenAI gave up on its Sora video generation tool, and on Friday, the Sora team's leader, Bill Peebles, announced that he is leaving the company. OpenAI has been shifting its priorities as part of an effort to avoid "side quests," and Peebles' departure is just one of many recent changes as the company moves to focus more on coding and enterprise use.
As part of a note Peebles posted on X, he said:
I am immensely grateful to Sam, Mark, Aditya and Jakub for fostering a research environment that allowed us to pursue ideas off-the-beaten path from the company's mainline roadmap. It's tempting in life to mode collapse to the most i …
Should you stare into Sam Altman’s orb before your next date?
Tinder users who prove they're a real person by visiting an identity-verifying orb will soon be able to get five free boosts in the app - and it's just the latest service to embrace the orb. World, which was co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, initially tested Tinder verification using its facial scanning orbs through a pilot program in Japan last year. It's now expanding the service to "select markets, including Japan and the United States."
To verify that they're not a bot or an AI agent, users have to physically visit one of World's orbs in person. According to World, the orb "takes pictures of your face and eyes, then encrypts and sto …
Anthropic’s new cybersecurity model could get it back in the government’s good graces
The Trump administration has spent nearly two months fighting with AI company Anthropic. It's dubbed the company a "RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY" full of "Leftwing nut jobs" and a menace to national security. But some of the ice may reportedly be melting between the two, thanks to Anthropic's buzzy new cybersecurity-focused model: Claude Mythos Preview.
Anthropic's relationship with the Pentagon soured quickly in late February after the company refused to budge on two red lines: using its technology for domestic mass surveillance or lethal fully autonomous weapons with no human in the loop. Anthropic's tech has in the past been used heavily b …
Betting on the news raises ethical questions for journalists
Prediction market exchanges have created an environment where just about any piece of information is potentially monetizable: How well will BTS's new song perform this week? How hot will Los Angeles get? Will Donald Trump be impeached? Users can wager on all of that and, on some platforms, more gruesome and violent outcomes in the real world.
The rapid rise and expansion of Polymarket and Kalshi have put newsrooms in a strange position. Prediction market evangelists often claim that their odds are more trustworthy and accurate than polls and traditional media - effectively positioning the industry as a replacement for news. At the same time …
This charming gadget writes bad AI poetry
I've never been as charmed and frustrated by one gadget as I have with the Poetry Camera.
It's a delightful object. White and cherry red with a color-matched woven strap, it looks playful and adorably lo-fi. If I saw it on a store shelf, I'd absolutely pick it up.
But aside from obviously appealing, I'm not exactly sure what it is. I mean, I know what it is. It's a camera that makes AI poems instead of photos. You take a picture, and instead of printing a photo, you get an AI-generated poem inspired by the scene, printed on thermal receipt paper. But after printing dozens of poems, I can only report feeling frustrated instead of inspired.
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