Tech News

How to find the reading mode built into your browser

Chrome page showing The Verge, with tab groups on top, surrounded by artistic illustrations.
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

I’ve got a stack of bookmarked, favorited, and saved-for-later web articles that I’m going to get around to reading one day… but haven’t. I think that part of what puts me off working through that list is that reading on the internet, especially longer pieces, can be a slog. On most sites, besides the text and pictures that matter, you’ve got a constant flurry of ads, pop-ups, panels, and media to deal with.

You can avoid this problem by using a bookmarking app such as Pocket, which offers an easier way to both save and read longer content, or you can buy a separate reading device such as a Kindle. However, if you don’t want to deal with another app or device, there’s another way. Most popular browsers now come with some kind of reading...

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8BitDo’s first mechanical keyboard is down to its best price to date

Two keyboards in a sea of retro tech and Nintendo paraphernalia.
The Western-style “N Edition,” which is inspired by the original NES controller, is on sale at Woot through July 30th. | Image: 8BitDo

With all the excitement over the 2024 Olympics, it’s easy to forget that this weekend is the last weekend of July. Yet, as August approaches, so does back-to-school season. We’ve pulled together a list of gadgets and goods fit for the occasion, but if you need another suggestion, 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard is down to an all-time low at Woot. Now through July 30th, you can buy the “N Edition” model for $69.99 ($30 off) or the Famicom-inspired “Fami Edition” for $59.99 ($40 off), both of which come with a 90-day Woot warranty.

No matter which you choose, both tenkeyless mechanical keyboards can spruce up any home office or add a bit of fun to long study sessions. The Western-style “N Edition” is inspired by the original NES...

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Here’s your first look at Amazon’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza

Promotional art for the Prime Video series Like a Dragon: Yakuza.
Image: Amazon

Kiryu is getting a live-action makeover very soon. At Comic-Con today, Amazon revealed the first look at its upcoming adaptation of the Yakuza game series, with the show Like a Dragon: Yakuza (not to be confused with the game Yakuza: Like a Dragon). The streaming series will follow original Yakuza hero Kazuma Kiryu.

Amazon says that the show “showcases modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, such as the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, that games in the past have not been able to explore.” Kiryu will be played by Ryoma Takeuchi, while Kento Kaku also starts as Akira Nishikiyama. The series is directed by Masaharu Take.

Of course, Yakuza joins a wave of gaming adaptions for TV, which has included The Last of Us on HBO, P...

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Junji Ito’s terrifying Uzumaki hits Adult Swim in September

A still image from Adult Swim’s Uzumaki.
Image: Adult Swim

Adult Swim’s long-awaited adaptation of Uzumaki finally has a premiere date — and an appropriately creepy trailer. The series, based on the classic horror manga from Junji Ito, will start airing on September 28th. Episodes will hit Adult Swim first, and then stream on Max the following day.

Uzumaki follows a cursed town that is — and I promise it’s scarier than it sounds — plagued by spirals. Here’s the full synopsis:

“Let’s leave this town together,” asks Shuichi Saito, a former classmate of Kirie Goshima, a high school girl who was born and grew up in Kurouzu-cho. Everything from a strange whirlwind, billowing smoke from the crematorium, and the residents is turning into spirals. People’s eyes spin in whirls, a tongue spirals, and the...

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A new Doctor Who spinoff series is coming to Disney Plus

A woman standing with her hands on her hips in the center of a control room.
Disney / BBC

The Doctor Who franchise is about to get even bigger with a new spinoff series that, interestingly, doesn’t seem like it’s going to focus on everyone’s favorite Time Lord.

During the Doctor Who panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Disney and the BBC announced that The War Between The Land And The Sea — a new series written by Russell T. Davies and Pete McTighe — is on the way. Rather than the Doctor, the new show will revolve around a group of humans as they work together to face the Sea Devils, a race of ancient, ocean-dwelling creatures who first appeared in Doctor Who back in 1972.

Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient are set to reprise their roles as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim, respectively, but they will also...

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The best phone to buy right now

Photo collage of various phones from Apple, Google, and Samsung.
Photo Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.

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Sauron returns in The Rings of Power’s season 2 trailer

A still photo from season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Image: Amazon

The first season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power took its sweet time revealing the true identities of its two most mysterious characters. But when the show returns next month, it seems like it’s going to hit the ground running with big reveals about how Sauron and the Stranger will change Middle-earth. A new, lengthy trailer revealed at Comic-Con gives a good sense at what fans can expect in season 2.

According to Amazon, the new season will be focused on Sauron’s return. “Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his...

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SpaceX says it’s fixed the Falcon 9 and will resume launches tomorrow

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in flight.
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, July 27th for its next Falcon 9 launch carrying 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. | Image: SpaceX

SpaceX has completed its investigation into what caused an engine failure during a Falcon 9 launch on July 11th. The company has submitted a “mishap report” to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is ready to return the Falcon 9 rocket to flight as soon as tomorrow.

The company’s investigation team, working with the FAA, was able to determine the July 11th failure was caused by a liquid oxygen leak that developed during the initial burn of the Falcon 9’s second stage engine. It says the leak originated from a crack in a pressure sensor sense line that’s part of the rocket’s oxygen system. A clamp that normally constrains the sense line had come loose, subjecting it to excessive engine vibrations that eventually caused it to...

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The Boys is getting a prequel series

A super soldier holding a shield and standing in a board room.
Amazon

The Boys’ fourth season ended on a nightmarish note that made the show’s upcoming final chapter seem like it’s going to its most deranged. But during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Amazon revealed that while The Boys may be coming to an end, the larger franchise is about to get even bigger with a prequel series set in the distant past.

Though The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke was tightlipped about the show’s series finale, he was all too excited to bring actor Jensen Ackles on stage during a panel to announce the forthcoming arrival of Vought Rising, a new prequel series. Set in the ‘50s, Vought Rising will chronicle the lives of Soldier Boy (Ackles) and Stormfront (Aya Cash) — two of Vought’s earliest and most powerful superhumans.

In a...

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SharkNinja’s new coffee machine takes the hard parts out of making espresso

coffee machine with various drinks and milk
Image: SharkNinja

This Ninja Luxe Café claims to be the only “no guesswork” semiautomatic espresso machine that also comes with the ability to make drip coffee and cold brew. Using “Barista Assist Technology,” it can suggest what grind size to use based on the drink you’re trying to make, ideally saving you a few minutes and some stress in getting your fresh-roasted beans dialed in right for an espresso.

It will also weigh the ground coffee coming out of the machine so you don’t have to rely on inconsistent timed grinds. Afterward, you’ll press the grounds with an assisted tamper, then, like most other espresso machines, manually install the portafilter in the group head.

The Luxe Café is not a fully automatic espresso machine like this $1,999 one from...

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