The Verge·Thursday, December 18, 2025

The Verge - Thursday, December 18, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

The Verge’s favorite holiday gifts under $100

Between all the new phones, smartwatches, and laptops we see throughout the year, it often feels like we're constantly being nudged toward shinier, more expensive gadgets. And I get it. As a self-professed gadget nerd, few things are more exciting than unboxing and setting up a new device. But the truth is, you can still find plenty of great gifts for under $100. I use the Leatherman Free T4 every day, while Donkey Kong Bananza has provided me (and other Verge staffers) with hours of entertainme

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30 great gift ideas that should arrive in time for Christmas

You can save $50 on the latest AirPods Pro and still have it arrive in time for Christmas. You don’t need to deal with long mall lines or crowded parking lots just to wrap up your holiday shopping, but you probably already knew this. Some of the best deals are online, and even though Christmas is now just a few days away, a lot of Verge-approved gifts should still arrive on time if you order them online. We know that everyone’s wishlist looks different from the next, so we’ve got you covered w

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Riot Games found a motherboard security flaw that helps PC cheaters

Riot Games says a security flaw in many recent motherboards could be exploited by cheaters undetected, and now companies including Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI have released BIOS updates to address the issue. According to Riot, "had this issue gone unnoticed, it would have completely nullified all existing DMA detection and prevention tech currently on the market - including that of other gaming companies - due to the nature of this class of cheats running in a privileged area that anti-cheat

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26 practical smart home gifts that make everyday life a little easier

Smart home products are all about making everyday life a little easier, which is why they're some of the best and most thoughtful gifts you can give. Some people go all out building a multi-gadget IoT kingdom (like our resident smart home expert, Jen Pattison Tuohy), but a smart home is whatever your recipient wants it to be. It can be as simple as wanting a cheap switch-flipping bot to brew you a pot of coffee before you exit the shower in the morning. Having tested many smart home gadgets over

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Netflix snags Elle Duncan from ESPN to host live events

Netflix is bringing ESPN host Elle Duncan onboard to become the voice of its growing roster of live events. Duncan, who has appeared on SportsCenter, College GameDay, and WNBA Countdown, will make her debut on Netflix with next year's Skyscraper Live broadcast. During the livestream, free solo climber Alex Honnold will attempt to ascend the 11th-tallest building in the world, Taiwan's Taipei 101. Netflix doesn't mention any other live events that Duncan might host as part of its "multiyear" deal

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Kia and Hyundai will spend millions fixing old cars to stop ‘Kia Boyz’ thefts

Kia and Hyundai will offer free repairs for millions of cars that lack anti-theft technology as part of a settlement with dozens of US states. The automakers agreed to outfit the roughly nine million eligible cars sold between 2011 and 2022 with a zinc sleeve installed around the ignition cylinder to prevent the viral "Kia Boyz" thefts that required only a USB cable. The repairs could cost up to $500 million, in addition to several million in restitution to Hyundai and Kia owners whose cars were

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iRobot’s bankruptcy isn’t the end — it’s a reboot, says CEO

The Roomba maker will continue to operate but will be owned by Picea Robotics. The news that the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, iRobot, filed for bankruptcy this week came as no surprise. Its CEO, Gary Cohen, had been warning investors all year that the company could run out of cash unless a buyer was found. When its last potential deal fell through, bankruptcy became inevitable. But Cohen says this is not the end for iRobot; instead, he sees it as the beginning of a new chapter for the co

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How Atlas Obscura plans to embrace the 3D web

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Atlas Obscura has been crowdsourcing strange and wonderful places from all around the world since its founding in 2009. To date, the site's users and editorial staff have collected and curated articles and photos for over 32,000 such places, ranging from abandoned theme parks to hidden beaches to Japan's Cat Island. Atlas Obscura's c

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Microsoft made another Copilot ad where nothing actually works

Microsoft is at it again with another round of ads showing people talking to Copilot AI on their computers. This time it's holiday-themed, including a cameo from the big man in red. The 30-second TV spot asks if you're "ready for the holidays" and features actors in various festive home settings asking Copilot for some ho-ho-ho-help with everything from holiday lighting and cooking to oversized outdoor decorations. Just like the last time I tested Copilot Vision and Voice Mode, I made a list of

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Micron says memory shortage will ‘persist’ beyond 2026

Micron, one of the three biggest memory suppliers in the world, forecasts rough months ahead for the global RAM supply. As part of its earnings report released on Wednesday, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said "tight industry conditions" across DRAM and NAND flash memory are expected to "persist through and beyond" 2026 as AI drives up demand. With the AI boom in full swing, Micron is making more money than ever as companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and Google fill their data centers with power

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