is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Alexa Plus was already popping up online for some users earlier this month, and now it’s officially available to everyone through an early access program. Anyone can go sign up at Alexa.com and ...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Alexa Plus was already popping up online for some users earlier this month, and now it’s officially available to everyone through an early access program. Anyone can go sign up at Alexa.com and start playing with the new web interface for Amazon’s new AI chatbot. Alexa Plus was already available on all new Echo devices and recently rolled out as an update to older Echoes as well. But certain tasks are just easier to do with a keyboard and mouse than they are with your voice. Now you can get access to Alexa while sitting at your laptop to update your to-do list or make reservations at that new Puerto Rican spot that recently opened up. One of the big advantages is the ability to upload documents, emails, and even images to Alexa Plus through the website and have it pull out important information. Recipes can become shopping lists, vet bills, a record of rabies vaccinations, and kids’ little league schedules can automatically be added to your calendar. Of course, Amazon is talking up its broader integrations as well, like generating meal plans and automatically filling an Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods cart with your groceries — even abiding by your dietary restrictions. It also puts access to your smart home devices like lights, locks, and doorbell cameras right next to your chat with Alexa. While in theory, Google Gemini should have similar smart home features, I can tell you from experience that they’re not particularly reliable. Our experience with Alexa Plus has been a bit rocky so far. So, while it’s nice to see Amazon giving its latest AI assistant a vote of confidence, maybe double-check its work before trusting that it’s filled your cart with purely vegan options. Additionally, Alexa Plus is gaining entertainment features that should mean you spend less time a...
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine. Your urine can tell you a lot about your reproductive health hormones. Unfortunately, at-home testing can be cumbersome, involving collecting samples that are then mailed out to labs....
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine. Your urine can tell you a lot about your reproductive health hormones. Unfortunately, at-home testing can be cumbersome, involving collecting samples that are then mailed out to labs. That’s what health startup Mira is trying to simplify with its $249 Ultra4 Hormone Monitor. The pitch is to make highly accurate, readily available hormone testing for at-home users. The Ultra4 is technically two separate products. The first is the actual Hormone Monitor, which is a standalone, egg-shaped gadget that analyzes test results. The second is the Ultra4 Wand, which is a little stick you pee on that contains the actual test for four reproductive hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G), and pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PdG). By testing these four hormones simultaneously, Mira CEO and cofounder Sylvia Kang says users can not only track fertility, but also gain insights into conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), perimenopause, menopause, and even metabolic health. The hope is that by regularly testing at home, you can customize treatment for these conditions as well as notice trends based on long-term hormone levels. The collapsible pee cup is reusable. You stick the test in for 15 seconds, and the analyzer spits out results in about 16 minutes. “The goal is to help women to manage their health more proactively,” says Kang, who notes that at-home hormone testing wasn’t really a thing back when she founded Mira in 2018. “I saw so many friends trying to conceive at a late age, and the journey was really challenging. They had no idea what was wrong with them, but the only products they could purchase were ovulation kits or basal body thermometers. Neither has ...
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Joining Samsung’s The Frame, Hisense CanvasTV, TCL Nxtvision, and newly announced LG Gallery TV, is Amazon’s very first art TV. The Amazon Ember Artline is a 4K ed...
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Joining Samsung’s The Frame, Hisense CanvasTV, TCL Nxtvision, and newly announced LG Gallery TV, is Amazon’s very first art TV. The Amazon Ember Artline is a 4K edge-lit LED TV with a matte screen to reduce ambient light glare and is only 1.5 inches thick. At purchase, customers will be able to include their choice from 10 different colored frames — walnut, ash, teak, black oak, matte white, midnight blue, fig, pale gold, graphite, and silver. The Artline supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats and Wi-Fi 6. It uses far-field microphones so you can interact with Alexa+ from anywhere in your room and uses motion sensors (Amazon calls it Omnisense technology) to automatically detect when someone enters or leaves the room for its ambient art mode. The TV integrates with Amazon Photos to display your personal pics and create slideshows, or you can access over 2,000 pieces of art for free to show on the Artline. Amazon includes an interesting feature to allow you to better customize what art to display. By taking up to four photos of the room where you’ve set up your Ember Artline, you can get personalized recommendations based on your decor. The Amazon Ember Artline TV will be available from 55 to 65 inches starting at $899 later this spring and will support the new Fire TV OS redesign at launch.
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Amazon Fire TV has been a bit long in the tooth for a while now. Its design isn’t as intuitive to navigate as Google TV, Roku, or Apple TV, and its responsiveness is frustrating. I’ve found it to be the weak link in Amazon’s portfolio for a while now,...
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Amazon Fire TV has been a bit long in the tooth for a while now. Its design isn’t as intuitive to navigate as Google TV, Roku, or Apple TV, and its responsiveness is frustrating. I’ve found it to be the weak link in Amazon’s portfolio for a while now, and the only major drawback to otherwise excellent TVs like the Panasonic Z95B. But after getting a demo of what Amazon has in store, I dare say I’m excited for a new Fire TV OS redesign. The new layout is better organized and reminiscent of Google TV (which has been my favorite for a few years now). It’s visually more pleasing to look at, with rounded-corner tiles instead of the harsh rectangles of the current version. And its arrangement looks far more easy to navigate. Instead of in the middle of the screen alongside installed apps, there are tabs across the top of the screen for search, home, and pages separated into movies, TV shows, sports, news, and live content. Those different tabs will aggregate content from across all of your active subscriptions, instead of only by app. If you do want to browse through your apps, they now live on their own line. And you’re no longer limited to having only six apps pinned to the homepage. You can now pin up to 20 and change their order to put your most used at the beginning of the list. There’s still sponsored content recommendations that take up a good portion of the screen, but it’s hard to escape that on any streaming OS. The sports tab will display live games you can immediately watch from services you’re subscribed to. Image: Amazon The Amazon team also redid the coding for the OS for a faster experience, saying that they’ve seen improvements in speed responsiveness of up to 30 percent. With the remote you can hit the menu button to quickly get to games, art, and photos, and Amazon’s Ambient Experience. And a long press on ...
is a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. CES 2026: all the news, gadgets, and innovations from the biggest tech show Kwikset announced a price and release date for its Aur...
is a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. CES 2026: all the news, gadgets, and innovations from the biggest tech show Kwikset announced a price and release date for its Aura Reach smart lock at CES 2026 this week. A more affordable Matter-over-Thread option compared to the excellent but expensive Halo Select, the Aura Reach is available now for $189. At just under $100 less than the Halo, you are sacrificing built-in Wi-Fi and an integrated door sensor that lets you know if the door is open or closed. The full-replacement deadbolt lock also has a Grade 2 security rating compared to Grade 1 on the Halo line, and a more utilitarian design. While the Aura does work with Apple Home through Matter, it doesn’t support Apple Home Key’s tap-to-unlock, which is available on the Halo Select Plus. That model costs a whopping $360, thanks to the Apple tax. However, the Aura does feature a touchscreen keypad with a built-in backlight that turns on as you approach, thanks to a proximity sensor — a nice touch. The Aura also works with Kwikset’s hands-free auto-unlock feature. This uses a combination of Bluetooth and geofencing to unlock as you approach. Plus, you can also unlock it via Bluetooth using Kwikset’s app. The lock is powered by four AA batteries that should last up to a year. Image: Kwikset While there’s no Wi-Fi, because the lock works with Matter-over-Thread, you can control it when you’re away from home by connecting it to a Matter platform, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home. However, you will need a Thread Border Router — which could be an Apple TV or an Echo smart speaker. Kwikset says the Aura also has a new optional Signal Range Boost, which “doubles Matter network performance.” This could be useful if your Thread border rou...
is a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Lifx, one of the original smart lighting brands, is launching a Matter-enabled smart mirror, its first US in-wall dimmer, and a ch...
is a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Lifx, one of the original smart lighting brands, is launching a Matter-enabled smart mirror, its first US in-wall dimmer, and a cheaper line of bulbs and light strips starting at around $12. The company, which announced the new products at CES this week, says it plans to upgrade its entire current generation of devices to support Matter-over-Thread in addition to Wi-Fi later this year. The new Lifx SuperColor mirror features front and backlighting with Makeup Check and Anti-Fog modes. It comes with three configurable buttons that let you control other smart home devices directly from the mirror. It supports Matter, so you can connect it to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and other platforms. Previous Next 1 / 2 Image: Lifx The 36-by-22-inch mirror can be mounted horizontally or vertically, supports hardwiring or plug-in installation, and offers individually controllable front and backlighting with full-color effects similar to Lifx’s Lunar lamp and ceiling light. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but Lifx says it will launch in Q2 2026. The $30 Lifx Smart Dimmer is also coming in Q2 and is an in-wall, paddle-style switch with four customizable buttons, a gradient light bar, and Matter support. Each button can be configured with single, double, or long-press gestures to trigger other Lifx lights or smart home scenes via a compatible Matter platform. Previous Next 1 / 2 Image: Lifx In addition to standard LED, incandescent, and halogen lightbulbs, the switch can also control Matter-compatible dimmable smart bulbs — meaning you don’t have to choose between smart switches and smart dimmable color lighting. It requires a neutral wire and is compatible with three-way setups. In the same vein as its main...
US manufacturing activity shrank in December by the most since 2024, capping a rough year for American factories. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index edged down to 47.9 from 48.2, according to data released Monday. The measure has been below 50, which indicates contraction, for 10 straight months. The decline in the measure reflected producers drawing down their raw materials...
US manufacturing activity shrank in December by the most since 2024, capping a rough year for American factories. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index edged down to 47.9 from 48.2, according to data released Monday. The measure has been below 50, which indicates contraction, for 10 straight months. The decline in the measure reflected producers drawing down their raw materials inventories at the fastest rate since October 2024. That indicates many firms are relying on existing stockpiles to satisfy tepid demand. Plus, materials costs remain elevated. The ISM prices-paid index, which held at 58.5 last month, is 6 points higher than it was at the end of 2024. New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data. Headcount shrank for an eleventh straight month, albeit at a slower pace, amid modest production growth. One bright spot in the report was customer inventories shrank at the fastest pace since October 2022, suggesting factory orders and production could firm in coming months. Still, tariffs and the overall economic uncertainty that President Donald Trump's shifting trade policy caused during his first year in office have proved challenging for many companies as they weighed expansion plans. But looking ahead, abating tariff uncertainty and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are anticipated to offer a tailwind to capital expenditures this year. The ISM's gauge of imports shrank to a seven-month low, while supplier delivery times slowed and order backlogs continued to shrink.
Key Points Apple's Vision Pro headset is selling poorly, according to IDC. This has prompted the company to slash production and marketing spending. Apple's search for a post-iPhone blockbuster continues. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › When Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched the first iteration of its Vision Pro headset in early 2024, the tech giant declared that "the era of spatial computing is...
Key Points Apple's Vision Pro headset is selling poorly, according to IDC. This has prompted the company to slash production and marketing spending. Apple's search for a post-iPhone blockbuster continues. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › When Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched the first iteration of its Vision Pro headset in early 2024, the tech giant declared that "the era of spatial computing is here." Nearly two years later, it's become clear that Apple badly misjudged demand for its heavy, expensive headset. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » The Financial Times recently reported that Apple has been cutting Vision Pro production and marketing in response to weak sales. Apple doesnt reportVision Pro sales figures, but IDC expects the company to ship just 45,000 Vision Pro units in the final quarter of 2025. Even with a $3,499 price tag, revenue from the Vision Pro is immaterial for Apple if IDC's estimates are accurate. While it's not clear whether Apple is entirely giving up on the Vision Pro, the company's long search for a product that can achieve the same success as the iPhone continues. The iPhone is still the king Much of Apple's business is tied to the iPhone. In fiscal 2025, a bit more than half of Apple's total revenue came from iPhone sales, which totaled $201 billion. Wearables and other accessories churned up $37 billion in revenue, but the popular Apple Watch requires an iPhone for full functionality. Services is Apple's second-largest segment, with revenue of $96 billion in fiscal 2025. However, much of that revenue is at least somewhat dependent on the iPhone as well. A deal with Alphabet that generates around $20 billion for Apple annually, making Google the default search engine on Apple devices, doesn't exist without the iPhone. Neither does all the revenue Apple generates from the App Store or any other services...
New York, Jan 5, 2026, 09:36 EST — Regular session Microsoft shares fell about 2% in early trading, lagging several megacap tech peers. Investors weighed fresh warnings that the AI data-center buildout could add to inflation and keep rates higher for longer. Traders are watching U.S. ISM data due later Monday and next week’s CPI report for the next rates signal. Microsoft Corp shares fell 2.2% to ...
New York, Jan 5, 2026, 09:36 EST — Regular session Microsoft shares fell about 2% in early trading, lagging several megacap tech peers. Investors weighed fresh warnings that the AI data-center buildout could add to inflation and keep rates higher for longer. Traders are watching U.S. ISM data due later Monday and next week’s CPI report for the next rates signal. Microsoft Corp shares fell 2.2% to $472.94 in early trading on Monday, extending a shaky start to 2026 for the software heavyweight. The stock trades at about 37 times earnings, leaving little room for disappointment if rate expectations shift again. The drop put Microsoft among early drags in big tech as investors re-tested the “AI trade” that powered much of last year’s gains. The concern now is less about demand and more about the price tag. A Reuters report on Monday flagged a growing worry among money managers: the AI boom itself could help keep inflation sticky by driving a surge in data-center construction and power demand. “You need a pin that pricks the bubble and it will probably come through tighter money,” Trevor Greetham, head of multi-asset at Royal London Asset Management, told Reuters. Reuters Mega-cap tech was mixed. Nvidia rose 1.2% and Alphabet gained 0.7%, while Meta Platforms fell 1.4%, Amazon.com slid 1.9% and Apple eased 0.3%, market data showed. Microsoft also drew attention over the weekend after Chief Executive Satya Nadella launched a personal blog and wrote about moving beyond what he called the “AI slop” debate toward proving practical value, The Verge reported. The Verge For equity traders, the near-term transmission mechanism is straightforward: higher inflation can mean higher bond yields, which typically pressures high-multiple stocks by reducing the value investors assign to future profits. That matters for Microsoft because its valuation is closely tied to expectations for cloud growth and AI-related sales. Analysts cited in the Reuters report warned that costs tied to chip...
New York, January 5, 2026, 09:32 (ET) — Regular session Micron shares rose early Monday as investors leaned into an AI-driven memory supply squeeze. A Reuters report cited “unprecedented” tightness as suppliers prioritize high-bandwidth memory for AI servers. Focus this week turns to CES and Friday’s U.S. jobs report for the next direction in tech stocks. Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) shares rose 2...
New York, January 5, 2026, 09:32 (ET) — Regular session Micron shares rose early Monday as investors leaned into an AI-driven memory supply squeeze. A Reuters report cited “unprecedented” tightness as suppliers prioritize high-bandwidth memory for AI servers. Focus this week turns to CES and Friday’s U.S. jobs report for the next direction in tech stocks. Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) shares rose 2.7% to $323.92 in early trade on Monday, keeping the U.S. memory-chip maker near fresh highs. The move matters because memory pricing drives Micron’s profits more directly than most chipmakers. When supply tightens, even small shifts in availability can lift contract prices and margins. This time, the squeeze is tied to artificial intelligence buildouts. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) — premium DRAM stacked for speed in AI servers — is soaking up capacity, leaving less output for PCs, phones and other devices. A Reuters report said a global supply shortage is pushing investors back into memory names, with Samsung co-CEO TM Roh calling the situation “unprecedented.” The report said some chip prices have more than doubled since February 2025 as producers prioritize HBM for AI servers, and it cited Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra as expecting tight conditions beyond 2026. The same report flagged strength across the memory complex, with SK Hynix and Samsung rising in South Korea and U.S.-listed storage names such as Western Digital and Seagate Technology also gaining in premarket trade. Analysts are framing the backdrop as a “supercycle,” shorthand for a longer-than-usual upturn in demand and pricing. Reuters cited Morningstar and J.P. Morgan analysts as expecting the current upcycle to run into 2027 if AI-related demand stays elevated while supply remains constrained. For MU specifically, traders are watching whether the stock can hold above the $322 area, a level some technical models flag as “resistance” — a zone where selling often increases — while support sits near $302, accordin...
New York, January 5, 2026, 09:32 EST — Regular session Amazon shares fell about 2% in early trading, lagging a steady broader market. Investors weighed renewed debate over whether AI infrastructure spending could revive inflation and keep rates higher. Traders are looking ahead to Amazon’s next quarterly results, expected in early February. Amazon.com shares slid in early trading on Monday, fallin...
New York, January 5, 2026, 09:32 EST — Regular session Amazon shares fell about 2% in early trading, lagging a steady broader market. Investors weighed renewed debate over whether AI infrastructure spending could revive inflation and keep rates higher. Traders are looking ahead to Amazon’s next quarterly results, expected in early February. Amazon.com shares slid in early trading on Monday, falling 1.9% to $226.50. The drop comes as investors start 2026 re-testing a market assumption: that aggressive spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure won’t rekindle inflation. “The costs are going up not down in our forecast, because there’s inflation in chip costs and inflation in power costs,” Morgan Stanley strategist Andrew Sheets said in a Reuters report on the risk. Reuters That matters for Amazon because Amazon Web Services is a major buyer of data-center hardware and power, and the stock has tended to track shifts in interest-rate expectations even when the company’s day-to-day operations look unchanged. In the broader tape, the S&P 500 edged higher while the Nasdaq 100 was slightly lower. Microsoft fell about 2.2% and Meta dropped about 1.4%, while Alphabet gained about 0.7%. A recent bull case has centered on Amazon’s shopping tools. Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney reiterated a Buy rating and highlighted Amazon’s “Rufus” shopping assistant, TipRanks reported, pointing to “agentic commerce” — AI systems that can take actions for users, such as selecting items and completing purchases. TipRanks Skeptics have pushed back on valuation. Zacks Research lowered Amazon to “hold” from “strong-buy” in a Jan. 3 research note, MarketBeat reported. MarketBeat The stock is still trading in the shadow of October’s update, when Amazon flagged faster cloud growth and forecast fourth-quarter net sales of $206 billion to $213 billion. CFO Brian Olsavsky said then the company expected full-year capital spending of about $125 billion, with more spending likely the following y...
Ed Yardeni, president at Yardeni Research, explains his decade-end target of 10,000 for the S&P 500 and says it is time to “rebalance a bit” as he’s focusing outside of the “magnificent seven” tech companies. (Source: Bloomberg)
Ed Yardeni, president at Yardeni Research, explains his decade-end target of 10,000 for the S&P 500 and says it is time to “rebalance a bit” as he’s focusing outside of the “magnificent seven” tech companies. (Source: Bloomberg)
Key Points Workers ages 50 and older can make catch-up contributions in a 401(k). Starting this year, higher earners will be barred from making pre-tax catch-ups. It's important to plan for that, since it could impact your taxes. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › If you're going to save for retirement, it generally makes sense to do so in a tax-advantaged accoun...
Key Points Workers ages 50 and older can make catch-up contributions in a 401(k). Starting this year, higher earners will be barred from making pre-tax catch-ups. It's important to plan for that, since it could impact your taxes. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › If you're going to save for retirement, it generally makes sense to do so in a tax-advantaged account. That way, you can shave down your IRS bill in some shape or form in the course of building up a nest egg. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean you should keep all of your retirement savings in a tax-advantaged account. IRAs and 401(k)s impose penalties for taking withdrawals prior to age 59 and 1/2. So if early retirement is on your radar, you may want to turn to a taxable brokerage account for at least a portion of your nest egg. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Otherwise, you might as well enjoy the benefits 401(k)s and IRAs offer. And if you're in a higher tax bracket, you may be inclined to save for retirement in a traditional 401(k) or IRA. With a traditional retirement plan, your money goes in on a pre-tax basis. Investments in these accounts then get to enjoy tax-deferred growth, and withdrawals are subject to taxes. In 2026, the contribution limits for 401(k)s is increasing. And if you're 50 or older, you may want to take advantage of 401(k) catch-ups. But there's a new rule coming to 401(k) catch-up contributions this year that affects higher earners. And it may also have an impact on your taxes. How 401(k) plans are changing in 2026 This year, 401(k) contribution limits are increasing compared to 2025. Savers under age 50 will be able to contribute up to $24,500, while those 50 and over can make an $8,000 catch-up for a total contribution of $32,500. There's also a special super catch-up contribution available to savers sp...