Nanoleaf bets its future on robots, red light therapy, and AI
Smart lighting company Nanoleaf has been unusually quiet recently. While competitors such as Govee and Philips Hue have been pumping out new products and innovative features at an impressive pace, Nanoleaf has launched just a handful of smart lighting products in the last two years. There's a reason for this lull - the company has been going through a "brand evolution" focused on wellness, robotics, and, of course, AI.
"The smart home is getting kind of boring," says the ever-candid Gimmy Chu, CEO and cofounder of Nanoleaf, which he now doesn't want me to call a smart lighting company. "Our brand needs to evolve to incorporate some of the …
Apple’s education discount now requires proof that you’re a student
Apple now requires proof of eligibility from US customers who purchase products online at discounted education rates, which also apply to the Apple Watch for the first time. According to a new pop-up message displayed on Apple's education webstore, Apple is directing students, parents, and teachers to verify their status via Unidays' third-party verification service - a system the Cupertino company has already implemented in other countries, including the UK.
Apple Insider reports that the Unidays service is now also being rolled out to Apple customers in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Turkey, and Chile. Eligible customers can use an email a …
Sony’s PS5 sales plummet amid price rises and a memory crisis
Sony sold just 1.5 million PS5 consoles in its most recent fourth fiscal quarter, down 46 percent year over year. The slump in PS5 sales comes after Sony raised the price of its PS5 consoles twice over the past year, pushing the price of the regular PS5 from $499.99 all the way up to $649.99.
Sony blamed "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," for the price hikes in March, amid an ongoing memory crisis and pressure from the war in Iran. Sony now forecasts that annual gaming revenue will drop 6 percent, but these forecasts could be impacted by ongoing memory costs. "We plan to base our PS5 hardware sales in FY26 on the volume …
Nintendo is raising Switch 2 prices
Nintendo is raising the price of its Switch 2 console globally, "in light of changes in market conditions," and is now forecasting a drop in sales over the next year. Starting September 1st, the Switch 2 will cost $499.99 in the US, up from its current $449.99 price.
At the same time, prices will also increase by $50 in Canada ($679.99, up from $629.99) and €40 in Europe, bringing it to €499.99 (about $587). The price increases in Japan go into effect sooner, on May 25th, and impact a greater range of Switch products. The Switch 2 will increase from ¥49,980 (about $318) to ¥59,980 (about $382), with similar increases being applied to the o …
Canvas is online again after ShinyHunters threaten to leak schools’ data
The Instructure-owned learning management platform, Canvas, is now online again after it went down following a massive data breach that impacted student names, email addresses, ID numbers, and messages. Before systems were restored, students who attempted to access the system on Thursday saw a message from the hacking group ShinyHunters, which claimed responsibility for the attack:
ShinyHunters has breached Instructure (again). Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some "security patches." If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber …
Mira Murati’s deposition pulled back the curtain on Sam Altman’s ouster
The week leading up to Thanksgiving 2023 was the AI industry's biggest soap opera moment. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was abruptly ousted from his role at the ChatGPT maker. The explanation? That Altman was "not consistently candid in his communications with the board." Now, via witness testimony and trial exhibits in Musk v. Altman, the public is getting a concrete look behind the scenes of that dramatic weekend for the first time, much of it centered on former CTO Mira Murati.
It was a unique situation in that the roller coaster of a power play - which seemed to change every hour - took place, in many ways, publicly. The board's strikingly vagu …
Apple’s AirPods with cameras for AI are apparently close to production
Apple's rumored AirPods with cameras are nearing a stage where the company will test early mass production, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Currently, Apple testers are "actively using" prototypes that are in the design validation test stage, which is one step before the production validation test stage.
The AirPods' cameras "aren't designed" to snap photos or video but instead can take in "visual information in low resolution" that users can query Siri about, like asking the AI assistant what they should cook with the ingredients they have in front of them, according to Gurman. They may also use the cameras to help with things like turn-b …
SpaceX has a $55 billion plan to build AI chips in Texas
Elon Musk's plans to get into the AI chip manufacturing business are going to be costly. As the The New York Times and CNBC report, SpaceX is planning to invest at least $55 billion into its "Terafab" chip plant in Austin, Texas. That's according to the details of a public hearing notice filed in Grimes County, Texas, for a meeting to request tax breaks for the project.
The company says that if additional phases are constructed, its investment could someday balloon to $119 billion total. When Musk initially announced the project in March, he shared ambitious plans for it to produce enough chips to support up to 200 gigawatts per year of com …
Peak Design is taking up to 50 percent off some of our favorite camera bags
To celebrate founder Peter Dering’s birthday, Peak Design is taking up to 50 percent off a host of bags and accessories through May 8. The sale includes steep discounts on many of the company’s most popular backpacks and bags, as well as a couple of other items, including camera accessories.
Many Verge staffers are fans of Peak Design, in part because the company is known for making durable, weatherproof products that can house a range of gadgets. Most of its bags are built to carry a lot of gear without feeling bulky or disorganized, thanks to thoughtful extras like expandable storage, quick-access openings, and customizable dividers, which make them great for daily commutes and summer travel alike. Plus, most Peak Design gear is backed by a lifetime warranty, so if something breaks or stops working during normal use, the company will repair or replace it.
Below, we’ve highlighted some of our favorite deals from Peak Design’s ongoing sale, including backpacks, carry-on roller bags, camera organizers, and more.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip

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Peak Design Field Pouch V2

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Peak Everyday Sling

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Peak Design Roller Pro

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Peak Design Everyday Backpack

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Peak Design Outdoor Backpack (25-liter)

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Peak Design Motorcycle Mirror Phone Mount

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Peak Design Camera Cube (refurbished)

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Peak Design Leash (refurbished)

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Peak Design Anchor Links (refurbished)

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Valve is fighting Steam Controller scalpers with a new reservations system
Valve's new Steam Controller sold out quickly when it went on sale on Monday, and the company is going to open a "reservations queue" on Friday at 1PM ET for anyone who missed that initial run.
When the controller initially went on sale, many potential buyers experienced difficulties checking out before the controller went out of stock, and some sellers on eBay posted listings for the controllers that were considerably more expensive than Valve's $99 asking price. "While we were happy to see such a high level of interest, the experience for a lot of you trying to buy it was incredibly frustrating," Valve says. It's making changes to "improv …