I re-created Google’s cute Gemini ad with my own kid’s stuffie, and I wish I hadn’t
When your kid starts showing a preference for one of their stuffed animals, you're supposed to buy a backup in case it goes missing.
I've heard this advice again and again, but never got around to buying a second plush deer once "Buddy" became my son's obvious favorite. Neither, apparently, did the parents in Google's newest ad for Gemini.
It's the fictional but relatable story of two parents discovering their child's favorite stuffed toy, a lamb named Mr. Fuzzy, was left behind on an airplane. They use Gemini to track down a replacement, but the new toy is on backorder. In the meantime, they stall by using Gemini to create images and vid …
Hollywood cozied up to AI in 2025 and had nothing good to show for it
AI isn't new to Hollywood - but this was the year when it really made its presence felt. For years now, the entertainment industry has used different kinds of generative AI products for a variety of post-production processes ranging from de-aging actors to removing green screen backgrounds. In many instances, the technology has been a useful tool for human artists tasked with tedious and painstaking labor that might have otherwise taken them inordinate amounts of time to complete. But in 2025, Hollywood really began warming to the idea of deploying the kind of gen AI that's really only good for conjuring up text-to-video slop that doesn't ha …
Anker’s beefy Laptop Power Bank has returned to its Black Friday low
As you might expect, things have been relatively quiet on the deals front since Black Friday, particularly when it comes to discounts on charging accessories. Thankfully, Anker’s aptly titled Laptop Power Bank is once again on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $87.99 ($47 off), which matches the record-low price we last saw at the end of November.
Anker Laptop Power Bank
Where to Buy:
Unless you’ve been living under a proverbial rock for the past several years, you’re probably aware that Anker makes an ungodly amount of charging accessories. The portable A1695 “InstaCord” has quickly become a favorite among Verge staffers, however, owing to the fact that it comes with a retractable USB-C cable and a second that doubles as a handle, both of which are bidirectional and allow for passthrough charging. The 25,000mAh / 90Wh power bank also sports a USB-A port and an additional USB-C port, allowing you to charge your phone, a MacBook Pro, and up to two other devices simultaneously.
In terms of output distribution, Anker’s 600-gram Laptop Power Bank can deliver up to 165W when two devices are plugged in, or up to 130W when charging three or four gadgets. It’s carry-on compliant, too, meaning you shouldn’t have any trouble getting it through TSA while traveling, which isn’t the case if your charger is above the agency’s 100 watt-hours threshold for carry-on devices. It even features a built-in LCD display, allowing you to quickly view the remaining charge, overall power output, battery temperature, and other info at a glance.
More ways to save today
- The Bose SoundLink Home has fallen to around $179 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is about $15 more than its all-time low. It’s a bit more limited than other speakers you might get at this price — there’s no water or dust resistance, for example, and the battery tops out at 9 hours — but it still offers great sound for its size, supports USB-C audio in, and features a handsome, mid-modern look that few speakers can match. Read our review.
- If you own an older TV that lacks built-in support for streaming apps, Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $24.99 ($25 off), a mere $1 shy of its best price to date. The small HDMI stick supports 4K resolution and all your major 4K HDR formats, not to mention Roku’s TV interface, which remains the gold standard in terms of simplicity. It also draws power directly from your TV, allowing you to skip the cable.
- Microsoft jacked up the price of the Xbox Series X in mid-September; however, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are now selling the company’s latest gaming console for $599.99 ($50 off). It’s certainly not the cheapest we’ve seen it go for — hell, it once dropped to $340 at Best Buy — but it’s likely the best price we’re going to see until the ongoing tariff situation in the US is resolved and prices begin to come back down. Read our review.
Sony’s souped-up PlayStation 5 Pro is $100 off for the rest of today
Sony’s full suite of PlayStation 5 consoles jumped in price in August due to increased US tariffs, but now through Christmas, you can save $100 on several models. This discount is especially great if you planned to go big with Sony’s PS5 Pro, the company’s priciest, most powerful console yet. Normally $749.99, you can currently grab one at Amazon, Walmart, and Target for around $689.99. Sony’s PlayStation Direct storefront indicates that the PS5 Pro sale ends on December 25th at 3AM ET, although discounts may remain on cheaper models.
The PS5 Pro plays many games at their best resolution, while making far fewer concessions than the standard PS5 when it comes to visual effects (particularly ray tracing and shadow quality). Some games simply look better or run faster on the Pro than the base-model PS5, while others look better and run faster. That said, it’s worth noting that PS5 Pro lacks a disc drive and is thus limited to digital titles, though you can buy an optional drive for $80 if you want to attach one later.
The PlayStation 5 Pro has a bigger GPU than any other PS5 model, with twice as much internal storage as the current slim models (2TB versus 1TB). Another notable feature exclusive to the Pro is PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), which uses AI to upscale graphics in supported games to produce a better-looking image. The difference in performance between the Pro and the base PS5 is easy to notice in several games, although it’s safe to say that there hasn’t yet been a title that makes upgrading to one a no-brainer. But if a lower price is all the encouragement you needed to upgrade, now is a good time to get one.
Read our full PS5 Pro review.
The best shows and movies to stream on Netflix in 2025
Netflix has had an interesting year. Its ad tier, introduced last year, has grown significantly, and its live TV initiative has expanded to include not only weird one-offs like hot-dog-eating grudge matches but also WWE programming. Taking KPop Demon Hunters off Sony's hands for the business equivalent of $200 in a potato chip bag also turned out to be a pretty smart move for Netflix. The animated feature about, well, demon-hunting K-pop stars, became the most watched movie in the platform's history and a global cultural phenomenon in its own right. The sing-along theatrical release sold out, songs from the movie sat comfortably at the top o …
In 2025, AI became a lightning rod for gamers and developers
2025 was the year generative AI made its presence felt in the video game industry. Its use has been discovered in some of the most popular games of the year, and CEOs from some of the largest game studios claim it's being implemented everywhere in the industry including in their own development processes. Meanwhile, rank-and-file developers, especially in the indie games space, are pushing back against its encroachment, coming up with ways to signal their games are gen-AI free.
Generative AI has largely replaced NFTs as the buzzy trend publishers are chasing. Its proponents claim that the technology will be a great democratization force in …
The Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the story
It's a good thing that we already know a second season of Pluribus is on the way. Because the season finale for the show - a sci-fi drama on Apple TV, helmed by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan - made it clear that things are just getting started. The episode brought together a number of significant threads but, more importantly, opened up potentially explosive (literally) new lines of inquiry for what comes next.
Spoiler to follow for the first season of Pluribus.
First, a little reminder of how we got here. The inciting incident of Pluribus was the release of a virus of unknown, but extraterrestrial origins, that turned almost the ent …
Trump administration bars former EU official and anti-disinformation and hate researchers from US
On Tuesday, the Trump Administration followed through on a threat of retaliation targeting foreigners who are involved in content moderation. The State Department announced sanctions barring US access for former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, as well as four researchers, while issuing an intentionally chilling threat to others, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming, "The State Department stands ready and willing to expand today's list if other foreign actors do not reverse course."
One of the researchers the State Department says is banned and now deportable, is Imran Ahmed, who runs the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an …
Apple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, too
Apple is set to allow third-party app stores on iOS in Brazil next year after settling with the country's competition watchdog in a legal battle dating back to 2022, as reported by 9to5Mac.
According to a machine translation of a press release from the Brazilian regulator CADE, it has approved a Term of Commitment to Termination (TCC) made by Apple that obligates the company to allow third-party app stores and let developers use external payment systems. Warnings about third-party app stores and external payment systems must also have neutral wording.
Apple will be able to still charge fees, and the Brazilian publication Tecnoblog says in …
The Pixel 10, our favorite Android phone, is nearly 50 percent off right now
If you’re in the market for a new Android smartphone — or on the hunt for a solid last-minute gift — Google’s Pixel 10 is a great place to look. We consider it the best Android phone you can buy, and right now, you can grab it at Amazon starting at $449 ($350 off) when you use promo code PIXEL10, which drops Google’s entry-level flagship to its lowest price to date. If you prefer a better cameras or a bigger screen, Amazon is also offering the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL for $649 ($350 off) and $799 ($400 off), respectively, using the same code.
Google Pixel 10 (128GB)
Where to Buy:
Google Pixel 10 Pro
Where to Buy:
In her review, Verge senior reviewer Allison Johnson called the Pixel 10 a great, basic Android phone that offers some notable upgrades over its predecessor. It features a 6.3-inch OLED screen and a 120Hz refresh rate, along with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it easy to see in direct sunlight. It also includes an array of helpful AI-powered tools and a dedicated telephoto camera — a first for a non-Pro Pixel phone — which is great for capturing portrait photos.
One of the Pixel 10’s more notable upgrades, though, is the addition of Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets — arguably the coolest part of the device — which means you don’t need a separate case for easy and precise charging alignment. The device also includes Google’s Tensor G5 chip, which is the same one found in the pricier Pro models; however, the Pixel 10 has slightly lower RAM (12GB versus 16GB). Still, you shouldn’t notice any major differences in everyday performance, unless you’re really pushing it with heavy multitasking and serious mobile gaming.
Our main gripe with the Pixel 10 is that its main and ultrawide cameras aren’t quite as good as those on the Pro. That said, the standard Pixel produces pictures that are perfectly fine, while the telephoto camera makes for a nice addition. At its normal $799 price, we think the Pixel 10 is already a great value. At $449, it’s a dang good deal.