Your AI agents can now control your Google Home devices

Google is launching early access to a new MCP server for Google Home, allowing AI agents like Claude, ChatGPT and others to control connected devices, review camera summaries and access smart home activity using natural language.

Your ‘health age’ is fake
Your ‘health age’ is fake

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. During last week’s Apple Watch announcement, I let out a distinct “Noooo!” in the Steve Jobs Theater. Along with a […]

How Fortell is using AI (and $163M) to crack a hearing aid monopoly 

“Why do I have to beg my grandparents to put on their hearing aids, but no one has ever needed to ask me to put on my glasses?”  That’s the question that drove Matthew de Jonge to spend six years building Fortell, an AI hearing…

Xreal’s well-rounded 1S glasses are back down to their lowest price
Xreal’s well-rounded 1S glasses are back down to their lowest price

USB-C-connected video glasses are a lot of fun if you want to see your games, movies (or just your computer screen) on a large, immersive virtual screen. One of the most well-rounded pairs out there, Xreal’s 1S, has returned to their lowest price yet, costing $399 at Amazon and via Xreal itself ($50 off). The […]

Next wave of VCs judging Startup Battlefield 200 contenders at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 revealed

Meet the next five top-tier investors judging the Startup Battlefield 200 contenders live at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Register before September 25 to save up to $200 and don’t miss a moment of the ultimate startup pitch competition.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains
The iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gains

Last week, Apple announced an iPhone unlike any it has made in the past. An iPhone that has seemingly already led several other phone manufacturers to pursue entirely different designs for their flagship products. A remarkably distinct device with the kind of “I can’t believe they did that” software touches that Apple sometimes pulls off […]

Meta is reportedly ready to launch less pervy smart glasses
Meta is reportedly ready to launch less pervy smart glasses

Meta may be ready to reveal a new pair of smart glasses with no camera at all, amid a PR crisis for the company caused by the video recording capabilities of its flagship smart glasses. A new report from The Information claims the camera-free glasses, codenamed Luna, could be revealed as soon as the Meta […]

The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign
The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign

Nearly two years after the last update to Boox’s smartphone-sized black-and-white e-reader, the company announced the Palma 3 with a sleek redesign, new functionality, and a handful of other small updates that may justify its significant price bump depending on how you plan to use it. While the Palma 2 launched in 2024 for $279.99, […]

The EOS R8 Mark II is Canon’s lightest full-frame camera with stabilization
The EOS R8 Mark II is Canon’s lightest full-frame camera with stabilization

Canon announced the second-generation of its EOS R8 with a new retro-inspired redesign and the addition of in-body stabilization. That feature was one of the most notable omissions from the original R8 that launched in 2023 as a smaller, cheaper, and more accessible alternative to the Canon R6 Mark II for photographers wanting a larger […]

One of the best 3D printers for beginners is almost $100 off
One of the best 3D printers for beginners is almost $100 off

If the high price tag of premium 3D printers have kept you from exploring the hobby, this deal is a great entry point. Elegoo has its Centauri Carbon 2 Combo on sale for $369, almost $100 off its usual price of $449. This capable 3D printer can handle four filament rolls at once, with a […]