Apple is banking on privacy to set its smart glasses apart
Apple is banking on privacy to set its smart glasses apart

According to Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to reveal its first smart glasses at WWDC next June, with an expectation that they’ll launch by the end of 2027. Part of the hold-up may be around the company’s efforts to get its privacy features and messaging in order. Smart glasses in general, and Meta’s in particular, […]

The US is charging an American citizen for wiping his phone at the border
The US is charging an American citizen for wiping his phone at the border

The government is prosecuting US citizen Sam Tunick for allegedly providing authorities with a “duress password” that wiped his phone when they tried to seize it at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport on January 24th, 2025. Federal agents detained Tunick at the airport, allegedly questioning him about child exploitation images. However, a motion filed by Tunick’s lawyers […]

The vertical video takeover is here
The vertical video takeover is here

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things vertical video, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started For a while, every social and media platform […]

Google basically confirms the Pixel 11 is getting a price hike
Google basically confirms the Pixel 11 is getting a price hike

Google’s vice president of devices and services, Shakil Barkat, all but confirmed in an interview with 9to5 Google that its next Pixel phone would cost more than the Pixel 10. Considering the ongoing RAM supply issues due to the explosion of AI data centers, the rumored price hike is not a complete surprise. Companies from […]

Is this e-reader case a gun?
Is this e-reader case a gun?

Is an e-reader case as dangerous as a Glock 19? Last month, Louisville, Kentucky-based creator Luke The Maker showed off a bizarre, 3D-printed, pistol-shaped case design for the popular minimalist Xteink X4 e-reader. The X4 lies vertically atop the plastic gun’s slide, with a cutout on the side to access its buttons. Though the frame […]

Folding and flipping phones are getting seriously good
Folding and flipping phones are getting seriously good

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 137, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy phone season, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about Google Zero and armored cars for rich people, watching a […]

ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 to the Garmin Cirqa
ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 to the Garmin Cirqa

There was a lot of top-tier tech content published on TechRadar this week, and these are the highlights.

Forget expensive sleepbuds. Buy this pillow instead
Forget expensive sleepbuds. Buy this pillow instead

Tech companies love to sell us expensive gadgets to solve all of life’s little problems. Sleepbuds sold by the likes of Anker and Ozlo are a good example. These miniature marvels of engineering sit flush in the ear, and allow side-sleepers to doze off listening to podcasts, audiobooks, music, or white noise without annoying their […]

After backlash, Meta pauses plan to ‘rate limit’ its smart glasses
After backlash, Meta pauses plan to ‘rate limit’ its smart glasses

Remember when Meta was planning to charge a $20 monthly subscription fee for the smart glasses feature that lets people hear each other more clearly – even though that feature runs locally on your glasses and doesn’t require the cloud? Meta has paused those plans, spokesperson Tyler Yee confirms to The Verge. The company is […]

Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses
Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses

Meta’s smart glasses have been a PR headache for the company. Public backlash has been swift, and fierce; people are concerned about the erosion of privacy and expansion of surveillance. Some especially bad actors are using the glasses to film themselves “pranking” random strangers. Women have become unsuspecting social media content for men filming themselves […]