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Highguard’s developer reportedly lays off ‘most’ of its staff just over two weeks after launch

Highguard, a new multiplayer shooter from developers who worked on games like Apex Legends and Call of Duty, launched just over two weeks ago, but developer Wildlight Entertainment is already cutting jobs at the company, according to posts from affected staffers on LinkedIn. Former Wildlight level designer Alex Graner says that "most of the team at Wildlight" was laid off today, which was backed up by former lead tech artist Josh Sobel.

"Today we made an incredibly difficult decision to part ways with a number of our team members while keeping a core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game," Wildlight says in a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Two more xAI co-founders are among those leaving after the SpaceX merger

Since the xAI-SpaceX merger announced last week, which combined the two companies (as well as social media platform X) for a reported $1.25 trillion valuation - the biggest merger of all time - a handful of xAI employees and two of its co-founders have abruptly exited the company, penning long departure announcements online. Some also announced that they were starting their own AI companies.

Co-founder Yuhai (Tony) Wu announced his departure on X, writing that it was "time for [his] next chapter." Jimmy Ba, another co-founder, posted something similar later that day, saying it was "time to recalibrate [his] gradient on the big picture." Th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

iOS 26.3 makes it easier to switch to Android

An iPhone 17 held up showing a lock screen with notifications
iPhone users have a new option for switching to Android on iOS 26.3. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

On Wednesday, Apple released its latest iOS 26 update, which includes a new process for switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, as previously reported by 9to5Mac. The updated transferring tool can move over data like apps, photos, messages, and even a user's phone number by sitting the two phones side by side. Previously, users typically needed to either download Apple and Google's data transfer apps on each device or manually copy all their apps and data over.

iPhone users in the EU also now have an option for "notification forwarding" with third-party wearables in iOS 26.3. This update allows users to view the full contents of noti …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Verge’s 2026 Valentine’s Day gift guide (for him)

Valentine's Day is often thought of as the quintessential Hallmark holiday - and why wouldn't it be? Most of the time, it's marketed to us with massive floral arrangements and heart-shaped chocolates, both of which can come off as borderline twee. But no one says you have to play by the rulebook when it comes to holidays, especially if your husband or boyfriend couldn't care less about the classics.

If you're hoping to express your affection for the man in your life with something a little different this year, we have some thoughts. Quince's cashmere crewneck is quickly becoming a staple in our closet, while past favorites like Glocusent's …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Anthropic says it’ll try to keep its data centers from raising electricity costs

Anthropic logo on an orange and grey background.

Anthropic is the latest AI company promising to limit the impact its data centers have on nearby residents' electricity bills.

The company said it would pay higher monthly electricity charges in order to cover 100 percent of the upgrades needed to connect its data centers to power grids. "This includes the shares of these costs that would otherwise be passed onto consumers," the announcement says.

Anthropic didn't provide details today about any agreements it has inked with energy companies in order to accomplish these goals. In November, it shared a $50 billion plan to build data centers in New York and Texas "with more sites to come."

Read the full story at The Verge.

Why I wish I hadn’t bought my Samsung OLED TV

In a dark room, against a backdrop of wood panel slats, a brilliant TV screen with almost no bezel displays sun streaming through red and yellow fall color leaves.
A Samsung OLED TV of the same vintage as my S90C. | Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge

In June 2024, in a dusty TV shop empty of customers save myself, my wife, and my kids, I stared deep into the LG C3 and Samsung S90C. I went back and forth between the two OLED screens for easily 20 minutes, happily paralyzed by the choice in front of me. The Video Only salesperson attempted to explain that there was no wrong decision.

A year and a half later, I disagree: I regret picking the Samsung over the LG. I regret it every time I adjust the volume on my TV, every time I plug in a new device, and especially ever since the Logitech Harmony Amazon Alexa integration shit the bed and I have to fumble a Samsung remote to switch inputs.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Aurora says it will ‘triple’ its driverless truck network

image of Aurora truck

Aurora, the driverless truck firm founded by former members of Google's pioneering self-driving car team, is branching out. In advance of its quarterly earnings report today, the company announced that a new software update would enable it to triple its driverless network to a total of 10 routes across the Southern US.

Currently, Aurora has 10 autonomous trucks without safety monitors driving routes between Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, and El Paso. The company has issued three previous software updates: the first to authorize driverless trips between Dallas and Houston; the second to authorize driving at night; and the third to expand its …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple keeps hitting bumps with its overhauled Siri

iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max | Image: The Verge

Apple had been reportedly pushing to introduce some big changes to Siri with iOS 26.4, but now the company is planning to introduce them in later versions of iOS, including iOS 26.5 and iOS 27, Bloomberg reports.

Nearly a year ago, Apple delayed planned features for Siri that would let it understand your personal context and take action for you based on what's on your screen. Apple had planned to launch those features with iOS 26.4, which is set to launch in March, but "​​testing uncovered fresh problems with the software," according to Bloomberg. Apple has apparently told engineers to use iOS 26.5, scheduled for May, to test new Siri featu …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung’s offering up to $900 of trade-in credit toward its new phones

An image of Samsung’s Galaxy AI logo in a semi-transparent cube.

Samsung’s next Unpacked event is happening on February 25th, and we anticipate the company will announce the Galaxy S26 lineup of phones. There may be some new wearables and earbuds announced, too. In addition to the showing off the new hardware, Galaxy AI software is likely to be a big part of the show, since that’s the focus of the Unpacked sizzle reel.

If you’re hyped for the new devices — enough to consider trading in your phone — Samsung is hosting some special trade-in perks, but only if you register interest in a preorder ahead of the event and follow through with a purchase after the unveiling later this month. Registering through Samsung’s site or its Shop Samsung app now will unlock a $30 use-it-or-lose-it credit that can be applied toward accessories at preorder. However, it can’t be used to reduce the cost of the new device.

The company is also offering up to $900 in trade-in value for your phone if you preorder one of its new phones in the same transaction. This amount is higher than its current values, which go up to $700 if you have an S24 Ultra to trade. Regardless of the make or model, your old phone needs to meet some eligibility requirements, including (but not limited to) that it can’t have damage beyond normal wear-and-tear. The anticipated trade-in value will be applied at checkout. Whether you’re set on trading your phone in or not, it might be worth checking out Samsung’s site once preorders launch just to entertain the company’s trade-in offer.

Microsoft fixes Notepad flaw that could trick users into clicking malicious Markdown links

The Microsoft Windows logo on an illustrated background.

Microsoft has fixed a serious security vulnerability affecting Markdown files in Notepad. In the company's Tuesday patch notes, Microsoft says a bad actor could carry out a remote code execution attack by tricking users "into clicking a malicious link inside a Markdown file opened in Notepad," as reported earlier by The Register.

Clicking the link would "launch unverified protocols," allowing attackers to remotely load and execute malicious files on a victim's computer, according to the patch notes. Microsoft says there isn't any evidence of attackers exploiting the Notepad vulnerability (CVE-2026-20841) in the wild, but it issued a fix for …

Read the full story at The Verge.