Emma Roth is a news writer at The Verge, where she covers just about everything in the world of tech. Some of her favorite topics to follow include the ever-evolving streaming industry, the latest in artificial intelligence, and changes to the way our government interacts with Big Tech. Previously, Emma wrote and edited technology news and how-to articles for MUO.
The MTA stopped selling its iconic blue and yellow MetroCards as of January 1st, 2026, replacing them with the tap-to-pay OMNY system. The New York Times took the MetroCard for one final spin.
[The New York Times]
On December 31st, MTV shuttered its 24-hour music channels across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Australia, and Brazil. It signed off with one last music video: “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
In June, Aflac disclosed a data breach involving a “sophisticated cybercrime group” that stole names, social security numbers, contact information, health data, and more from its systems. The insurance provider has now revealed just how many people are affected, adding that it is currently “not aware of any fraudulent use of personal information.”
[SecurityWeek]
The budget-friendly smartphone is “slimmer and lighter” than its predecessor, and will be available on January 7th. It features a 6.7-inch display with an up to 90Hz refresh rate, along with 4GB of RAM and up to 2TB of expandable storage.
Samsung is also launching the Galaxy Tab A11+ in the US on January 8th, starting at $249.99.
On Thursday, Trust Wallet announced a “security incident” affecting version 2.68 of its Chrome extension. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao confirmed that Trust Wallet “will cover” the losses and that the team is investigating the hack.
