Seagate has announced a new 4TB version of its storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X and S consoles. It’s the first time the company has introduced a new capacity since launching 2TB and 512GB versions of the expansion card in late 2021.

The 4TB card is available starting today through Seagate’s online store and Best Buy for $499.99, but is discounted to $429.99 as part of a limited-time launch promotion. For comparison, the Xbox Series S starts at $379.99, while the Xbox Series X starts at $599.99. 

But, the added storage may be required by folks with large libraries of games. Depending on the options and expansions you install, games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Microsoft Flight Simulator can easily gobble up hundreds of gigs of storage each. You can increase the Xbox’s storage capacity using an external drive connected over USB, but to play games directly from an SSD, without having to move files around, requires the storage expansion cards.

You may want to wait for a price drop, though. The 2TB version of the card was originally priced at $399.99, but is now listed on Seagate’s online store for $249.99, with a current promotion bringing it down to $219.99. 

For nearly three years, Seagate was the only company offering expandable storage cards for the Xbox Series X and S, but in mid-2023 Western Digital introduced its own. Its current pricing and capacities are comparable to Seagate’s offerings. Western Digital hasn’t yet introduced a 4TB option.

Although the added competition did help bring the price of Seagate’s expansion cards down, they’re still more expensive than storage expansions for the PlayStation 5, which allows you to use any SSD as long as it meets certain performance requirements. Not only does Western Digital already sell a PS5-compatible 4TB SSD for $339.99, it also offers an 8TB option, although that will set you back a steep $699.99.

Anker’s audio-focused Soundcore brand is introducing a new wireless Bluetooth speaker with rugged features designed to help it survive and thrive during a trip to the beach. The Boom 3i has an IP68 water and dustproof rating plus an additional protective coating that will keep it corrosion-free for up to two years if exposed to or even completely dunked in salt water, claims Anker.

The Soundcore Boom 3i is currently available for purchase through the brand’s Canadian online store for $189.99, which is about $139 when converted to US currency. The speaker isn’t yet listed on the US version of the Soundcore website.

The Boom 3i is not only completely waterproof, it also floats, but not just for the sake of making it easier to recover should it fall off a boat or dock. The Boom 3i is engineered so that its speakers are always pointing upwards and are fully functional while floating, so you can use it directly in the pool or while having a swim at the lake. If you’re using it in a river with a fast moving current you may want to consider attaching something heavy to the speaker’s detachable carrying strap to create a makeshift anchor.

Being waterproof makes the speaker easy to clean when you get back from the beach, but for dislodging dust or sand stuck in the speaker grill, the Boom 3i has a Buzz Clean mode that makes it vibrate intensely to shake off dirt. It also includes a mode that leverages its 96db of sound output to play an emergency alarm should you find yourself in need of help, and it can double as a megaphone using Soundcore’s mobile app and your phone as a mic.

Battery life is rated at up to 16 hours with the volume at 50 percent and features like boosted bass and synchronized LED accent lighting turned off. If battery life is your priority in a wireless speaker, there are better options available. But if you want a speaker you won’t have to worry about babying while you’re out on an adventure, the Boom 3i seems tougher than most.

Razer has announced a new mousepad that can wirelessly charge your wireless mouse while you’re using it. It’s not Razer’s first attempt at the idea, but the new HyperFlux V2 doesn’t require you to use a single specific mouse — it works with several models in Razer’s current lineup, charging their batteries continuously using an included adapter puck. It looks and sounds very similar to Logitech’s patented Powerplay Wireless Charging System.

The HyperFlux V2 Wireless Charging System comes in two versions for $119.99. One with a hard surface that’s available now, and one with a softer cloth surface, which is expected to launch later this year. The original Razer HyperFlux was sold as part of a $249.99 bundle that included the Mamba HyperFlux mouse. The V2 model doesn’t come with a mouse, but is compatible with the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, Basilisk V3 Pro, Cobra Pro, and Naga V2 Pro mice, which range in price from $129.99 to $179.99.

The Mamba HyperFlux mouse that worked with the original version of the HyperFlux pad featured a supercapacitor inside that retained power for about 5 to 10 seconds when it was lifted off the pad. That was enough time to allow you to reposition the mouse without it dying, but to use it anywhere else required a USB cable.

The new HyperFlux V2 instead uses a puck inserted into the bottom of the supported mouse models that charges their batteries wirelessly while they’re on the pad, like its Logitech competitor. An LED indicator at the top of the pad indicates the battery’s charge level by changing colors.

Like the original version, the new HyperFlux V2 mouse pad also serves as a receiver, allowing Razer’s mice and keyboards to wirelessly connect to a PC (through the pad, which connects to a computer over USB) using its proprietary HyperSpeed technology that’s faster and more reliable than Bluetooth. The mouse pad is also compatible with Razer’s wireless keyboards, including the BlackWidow V3 Pro and DeathStalker V2 Pro, but it can’t charge them wirelessly.

The Verge has reached out to Logitech for comment and to Razer to clarify if its new wirelessly charging mouse pad is using a different approach than the patented Powerplay system. We will update this story if they respond.

The Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app has been updated ahead of the Switch 2’s release on June 5th. In addition to adding support for the new console, the app includes new options for managing and limiting a child’s access to the Switch 2’s GameChat feature, and provides more details on what games they have been playing.

With parental control limits activated, “It’s only possible for players under 16 to use GameChat with friends who have been approved by their parent or guardian,” according to a support page on Nintendo’s website. Parents or guardians will also be able to add notes in the app for each of their child’s friends if they need a reminder about who those contacts are. The app will also provide a detailed history of who children use GameChat with and for how long.

Nintendo is being especially restrictive when it comes to kids using GameChat’s video capabilities and a camera. “Permission is required from a parent or guardian every time younger players want to use video chat to ensure family rules about use of video sharing are followed.” When a player under 16 starts a video chat, a request will be sent to the parental controls app that needs to be approved before the chat can begin.

Earlier this week, Nintendo also updated its Nintendo Switch App ahead of the new console’s arrival with new features that make it much easier to upload screenshots and videos to a mobile device, as well as expanded functionality for the Switch 2 editions of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Dyson has announced what it’s claiming is the “world’s slimmest vacuum cleaner.” At first glance, its new PencilVac looks like a broom rather than a vacuum because the battery, motor, and electronics are all integrated into a thin handle that’s just 38mm in diameter — the same thickness as Dyson’s Supersonic r hair dryer. It weighs in at just under four pounds and is powered by the company’s smallest and fastest vacuum motor yet.

The PencilVac is designed to be a replacement for the slim Dyson Omni-glide, which launched in 2021 with a cleaning head that used two spinning brushes so it could suck up dust and dirt in multiple directions. The new PencilVac is not only slimmer and lighter than the Omni-glide, it uses four spinning brush bars that Dyson calls Fluffycones.

As the name implies, the Fluffycones each feature a conical design that causes long hairs to slide down to the narrow end of each brush and fall off so they can be sucked up instead of getting tangled up around the brushes. The Fluffycones slightly protrude at the sides for better edge cleaning, and are paired with green LED lights (instead of the lasers that Dyson’s other vacuums use) that illuminate dust and debris so you can see when floors have been properly cleaned.

Other innovations Dyson is introducing with the PencilVac include a motor that’s just 28mm in diameter but spins at 140,000RPM to generate 55AW of suction, and a new two-stage dust filtration system that prevents clogging and performance loss as the vac fills up. Given its size, the PencilVac has a smaller dust bin than Dyson’s other cleaners, but uses a new design that compresses dust as it’s removed from the airflow to help maximize how much dirt the bin can hold.

The PencilVac magnetically connects to a floor dock for charging and storage, and features a small LCD screen that shows the cleaning mode and an estimate of how long before the battery dies. It’s also Dyson’s first vacuum to connect to the MyDyson mobile app, which offers access to additional settings, alerts for when the filter needs to be cleaned, and step-by-step maintenance instructions.

The vacuum’s slim design does come with some trade-offs when compared to the company’s larger models. Its cleaning head is designed for use on hard floors, not carpeting, and while it can be swapped with alternate attachments like a furniture and crevice tool, it doesn’t convert to a shorter handheld vac. Runtime is also limited to just 30 minutes of cleaning at its lowest power setting, but its battery is swappable and Dyson will sell additional ones to extend how long you can clean.

Dyson hasn’t revealed pricing details yet, and while the PencilVac will launch in Japan later this year, it won’t be available in the US until 2026.

Razer has announced three new products today, including an alternative to wireless headphones called the Clio that’s designed to attach to your gaming chair and double as a head cushion.

Powered by a 5,400mAh battery that Razer says is good for up to 14 hours of use, the Clio uses adjustable straps to attach to “most high-back gaming and office chairs” so that it’s positioned directly behind your head. Inside each of the cushion’s angled wings is a near-field speaker that uses a 43-millimeter driver paired with a passive radiator that work together to deliver “crisp, clear trebles and deep, punchy bass you can hear and feel.”

The Clio speaker wirelessly connects to Bluetooth-compatible devices like smartphones, tablets, and handheld consoles, but is also compatible with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless protocol for a low-latency connection to a gaming PC. Support for THX Spatial Audio creates a more immersive listening experience when using the Clio on its own, but it can be paired with additional desktop speakers and used as a dedicated rear channel as part of a larger 7.1 surround sound setup.

The Razer Clio wireless speaker is available for preorder now through Razer’s online store for $229.99 with shipping expected to begin on May 16th, 2025.

Razer also announced a new lightweight Basilisk Mobile mouse and Joro wireless gaming keyboard,  which it says were created to pair with portable gaming gear “without compromising on performance.”

The Razer Basilisk Mobile mouse weighs in at 76 grams and “boasts a compact, ergonomic design” designed to slip into pockets or squeeze into a laptop sleeve along with a computer. It supports wired, Bluetooth, or a low-latency Razer HyperSpeed Wireless connection to PCs with up to 105 hours of battery life with the latter, or up to 150 hours with Bluetooth.

The mouse includes a four-way tilting scroll wheel with two scrolling modes: free-spin for more speed or tactile cycling for more precision. There’s a Razer Focus X optical sensor with up to 18,000dpi of sensitivity on the underside, while the mouse’s primary buttons use Razer’s Gen-3 optical switches boasting a 90 million click lifecycle.

The Razer Joro ultra-portable wireless gaming keyboard uses a compact 75 percent layout and measures in at 16.5-millimeters thick and 374 grams in weight. As with most Razer products, it features RGB lighting that can be animated with various effects while still offering an impressive battery life of up to 1,800 hours when using its power saving mode.

The Joro connects to devices with a USB-C cable or over Bluetooth and is not only compatible with both Windows and Apple devices including iPadOS and iOS, it also features secondary keys with macOS labels and a dedicated Microsoft Copilot Key. Laser-etched ABS keycaps help ensure longevity, and in addition to the keyboard being customizable, it can also store up to five different profiles locally, and switch between them as needed.

The Razer Joro wireless gaming keyboard is also available for purchase now for $139.99 with delivery expected in mid-May 2025, but the $89.99 Razer Basilisk MobilePortable wireless mouse is still listed as “Coming Soon” on the company’s website.

After announcing a new company called Core Devices and a pair of new smartwatches running the now open-source PebbleOS, the Pebble’s creator, Eric Migicovsky, has launched a podcast. In the first episode of Tick Talk w/ Eric Migicovsky, he gives a brief demo of the Core 2 Duo that’s still in development, talks about potential new features, and addresses concerns over how US tariffs will affect the price and delivery of the new smartwatches.

Migicovsky is still confident the Core 2 Duo — the cheaper model with a black-and-white screen lacking touch capabilities — is going to ship some time in July 2025, but his demo of one of the first units from the factory shows a device with software that’s still under development. The familiar PebbleOS UI is there, but basic features like telling time haven’t been enabled yet, and the Core Devices team is still working on drivers for vibrating notifications and the smartwatch’s accelerometer.

The Core 2 Duo will come with a silicone strap reminiscent of the Apple Watch’s with a slot for tucking excess length away while it’s worn, and Migicovsky demonstrated the tiny USB-C magnetic charging dongle they revealed last month.

Although Migicovsky believes the original Pebble team did a lot of things right a decade ago with the original Pebble watches, there are a few new features he wants to eventually introduce for the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2, a follow-up that’s set to ship in December 2025 with a color touchscreen. Watch face widgets would make it easier to see information like the weather or upcoming appointments at a quick glance, while deeper integration with Beeper — the universal chat app Migicovsky developed after selling Pebble to Google — would improve both smartwatches’ communication capabilities.

Better access to AI voice agents is something on Core Devices’ wish list, given that the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2 both have speakers and microphones. And thanks to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) forcing Apple to open up its devices, Migicovsky says he will support expanded operability with iOS should Apple allow it, potentially allowing users to respond by voice to incoming messages when paired to an iPhone, at least in Europe.

The Core Devices team is also doing a lot of work on PebbleOS’ underlying architecture and porting it to two new Bluetooth chipsets with the goal of expanding the types of devices the operating system can be used with — not just wearables. But what those other devices might be hasn’t been revealed yet.

During the podcast, Migicovsky also addresses the effect President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese-made goods will have on the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2, as both smartwatches are manufactured in Shenzhen. With steeper tariffs for these types of devices on pause, Chinese-made smartwatches are currently subjected to 27.5 percent tariffs, he says, which will potentially increase the price of incoming shipments by $10 or $25. But specifics on how that will affect the cost of the $149 Core 2 Duo and $225 Core Time 2 aren’t yet known.

Japan’s YKK, the world’s largest zipper manufacturer (go ahead, grab the nearest zipper, it probably says YKK on the pull), has announced a prototype self-propelled zipper with a built-in motor and gear mechanism it can use to zip itself up at the push of a button on a wired remote.

The days of being embarrassed when you forget to zip up could soon be behind us, if it’s ever miniaturized from its current form, which is several inches long and a lot chunkier than the zipper pulls currently used on clothing.

Although some recent zipper innovations, such as Under Armour’s one-handed MagZip upgrade, are designed to improve accessibility and make zippers easier to use for those with limited mobility, YKK envisions more industrial use cases for its prototype.

As demonstrated in a video recently shared on the company’s YouTube channel, the self-propelled zipper is seen connecting a pair of 16-foot-tall membranes in about 40 seconds. Zipping them together manually would require the use of a ladder or other machinery.

In another video, the prototype is used to quickly connect a pair of 13-foot-wide temporary shelters standing over eight feet tall, taking about 50 seconds to progress from one side to the other.

The prototype uses a spinning worm gear that winds its way through the teeth on either side and pulls the zipper along behind it. In the videos, a power cable is seen attached to the prototype as it self-zips. In addition to miniaturizing the tech and adding a battery, YKK would also need to develop some safety mechanisms before its self-propelled zipper could ever reach consumers’ clothing, ensuring there’s nothing that might get stuck.

Will it run Doom? The question that has challenged tinkerers and hardware hackers for years has now come full circle. Limited Run Games has announced a new collector’s edition of the iconic first-person shooter that ships in a box that itself can play Doom on a built-in screen.

The Doom plus Doom II Will It Run Edition, available in Switch, Xbox, PS5, and PC versions, will be available for preorder starting on Friday, April 18th, 2025 at 10:00AM ET. It’s being limited to just 666 units, naturally, at a price of $666.66. When asked if the steep but fitting price tag would be affected by tariffs, Alex Verrey, an LRG spokesperson, told The Verge in an email that “I do not believe there are any plans at this time to change the pricing due to tariffs.”

Although a $29.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 Big Box Edition will also be available, the Will It Run Edition includes an assortment of extra games, levels, gameplay upgrades, and add-ons that could justify the expensive collection for Doom’s biggest fans. But it’s the other accessories that will be its biggest selling point.

In addition to the Doom-playing box, the Will It Run Edition includes four hours of the game’s soundtrack on four cassette tapes (despite audio CDs existing long before the original Doom launched), a three-inch Cacodemon figurine that floats atop a magnetic base, and a pack of random trading cards. But the pièce de résistance is a Doom-playing handheld shaped like a Cacodemon with several of its teeth doubling as controller buttons. Let’s hope LRG decides to sell that on its own one day.

On the games side of things, the Will It Run Edition includes Doom, Doom II, TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment, Master Levels for Doom II, No Rest for the Living, Sigil and Sigil II, a new Deathmatch pack with 25 maps, and Legacy of Rust which was released just last year. The games also feature enhancements such as alternate soundtracks, upgraded visuals, modern controller support with gyroscopic aiming, new accessibility options, and eight new translations including Korean, simplified and traditional Chinese, Portuguese, and Polish.