The Verge

Pixel 11 specs and price leak with no surprises

2026-08-01T17:31:24-04:00

Android Headlines claims to have the specs and price for the entire Pixel 11 lineup. What the site shared basically lines up with everything else that we've heard in the lead-up to the August 12th event. The Pixel 11 is expected to get a $100 price hike, starting at $899, but will come with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB in the base model. While the entire lineup will sport the new Tensor G6 and Titan M3 chips, the base model Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are both getting that rumored RAM cut to just 12GB, along with price increases to $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

The Pixel 11 will supposedly ditch the telephoto lens and settle fo …

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Angela Nissel faces down grief with a laugh

2026-08-01T16:13:56-04:00

Angela Nissel smiles through the pain. | Image: Angela Nissel

Angela Nissel's latest book, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead, is my kind of memoir. Sure, it's a deeply emotional tale about caring for a terminally ill parent. But it's delivered with the sort of gallows humor that I often turn to to get me through tough times.

Of course, that sort of dark humor should come as no surprise from Nissel. She first made a splash with The Broke Diaries, which grew out of a blog she kept in college detailing her daily struggles and, at times, embarrassment at being a broke student. Eventually she went on to produce and write for hit shows including Scrubs and The Boondocks.

One of her most lasting cont …

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Is this Billboard Hot 100 hit AI slop?

2026-08-01T14:18:49-04:00

That cover art is almost certainly AI, too. | Image: Fenix Flexin

Fenix Flexin is best known as a member of Shoreline Mafia, a rap duo from Los Angeles. But he's recently found solo success with the track "Rubberz," which has climbed to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. Almost immediately, though, questions were raised about the song's origins, with many speculating that it was largely, if not entirely, generated by AI. Fenix has denied those accusations, but done little to dispel them.

Part of the suspicion is certainly due to the fact that the song is a dramatic left turn. Fenix has primarily trafficked in trap-influenced West Coast rap. "Rubberz," on the other hand, is heavily influenced by '80s UK s …

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day leak racks up millions of views

2026-08-01T13:00:12-04:00

A bootleg of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was up on X for over seven hours before eventually being pulled. During that time, it reached over 5.9 million accounts and accumulated over 143,000 likes. Other accounts have reposted the leaked film, but none have lasted particularly long, as Disney now seems to be on top of issuing takedown requests.

The leak is unlikely to slow down the box office juggernaut, which is already shattering records. It raked in $72 million in previews this week. The previous record holder was Avengers: Endgame, which grossed $60 million during its previews way back in 2019. Endgame went on to set staggering records for …

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Trump blames Tim Walz for water hacks even though it’s probably Iran

2026-08-01T11:23:35-04:00

Donald Trump speaks during the House Republican Party member retreat. | Image: Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

The FBI, the EPA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have stopped short of officially blaming Iran for a spate of cyberattacks on Minnesota's water systems, but consensus is that Iran is likely behind them. That, of course, hasn't stopped Donald Trump from sharing his own theory - that Governor Tim Walz is to blame and telling reporters that "I don't think there was an Iranian cyberattack."

Trump's comments come shortly after the FBI issued a warning that the cyberattacks on American infrastructure were spreading to other states. In Minnesota alone, at least 30 community water systems had been targeted in what a …

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The Verge’s 2026 back-to-school shopping guide

2026-07-30T11:28:25-04:00

Knowing exactly what your student needs for the school year ahead is next to impossible. Sure, you'll probably nail the essentials, but there will likely be a few items you forgot to buy, or didn't think they'd need to have. We're pulling our weight during the back-to-school season with a new shopping guide that's a mix of practical and aspirational products for students to use in and out of the classroom.

We're covering items that make writing easier and more satisfying, alarm clocks that can rattle even the most sleep-deprived students from a deep slumber, bags that are just as great for the gym as they are for the weekend away, and more. …

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You could be taking way better photos on your phone

2026-08-01T16:40:31-04:00

Your smartphone photos can look way better. If you're willing to put in a little extra work, use third party apps and spend a bit of time editing, it's possible to take photos that - under the right circumstances - can rival dedicated digital cameras.

I post a lot of smartphone photos online, and "How do I take better photos on my phone?" is a question I get practically every day. It makes sense. As the saying goes, "The best camera is the one you have on you," and we practically always have our phones on us these days.

Over the last few years, smartphone camera sensors have gotten bigger, with better light gathering capabilities and highe …

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The Mermaid Mask is a perfect vacation murder mystery

2026-07-31T17:42:05-04:00

The Mermaid Mask, the next point-and-click game from Tangle Tower developer SFB Games, has everything you could ask for in a great murder mystery.

It starts with a compelling setup: The captain of a submarine is found dead in a locked room, his body next to a mysterious cauldron with blood trickling across the floor. The colorful cast of suspects stationed aboard are delightful to talk to, including a grumpy author trying to draft a sequel to his hit novel, an actor playing the lead in a movie based on that novel, a young woman who puts on elaborate illusion performances, and even a man who studies dreams. The submarine works as an excellen …

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The OG reading app just got a big update

2026-07-31T14:47:21-04:00

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 138, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, happy August, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)

This week, I've been reading about microwave sounds and Meta glasses and Alex vs. Alix, testing the Logitech Alto Keys K98M to see if I'm ready for the mechanical keyboard life, digging into the history of the first chatbot, clearing space on my desk for a Bob Ross deskmat, doing a full Ted Lasso rewatch ahead of the new season next week, finally getting into Cyberpunk 2077 now that it's so cheap, cackling and nodding at this A …

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With Switch 2, iPhone, and laptop tricks, the Sharge Disk Pro 2 is finally a worthy EDC

2026-07-31T19:11:42-04:00

The Sharge Disk Pro 2. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Sharge, the company that makes delightful retro Mac-shaped chargers and see-inside batteries, is finally impressing me with a portable SSD. I couldn't recommend the Sharge Disk, Disk Plus, or even the Disk Pro, but I'd be happy to own the new Disk Pro 2 Ultra.

This isn't just a drive. It's a 4K HDMI dock and a USB-C hub too. It's a veritable USB-C Swiss Army Knife for all your main gadgets: laptop, tablet, phone, Steam Deck, even the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

And this USB multitool has built-in MagSafe pattern magnets to stick it to your iPhone, Pixel, or anything where you're willing to stick a magnetic ring. (One stick-on ring is in …

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