I bought DJI’s banned camera — it was cheap and easy
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and Pocket 4P are banned in the United States, but that isn’t stopping smugglers.
Gadgets
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Legendary designer Susan Kare shares more insights about her work on the original Macintosh.
Y Combinator has finally posted a video of Kare’s 50-minute talk at last month’s Startup School 2026 event. The renowned designer shares more stories about the process of creating the original Macintosh’s icons, the command key symbol that’s still in use today, and the Chicago font that Apple revived for the early iPods. [Media: https://youtu.be/YEvLKzsEwMw?si=g9JYLxWGv_6y55AX]
Days since last rebrand: 256.
Microsoft loves renaming products as much as Google loves killing them. Now you can relive those reinventions with The Rebrand Registry, a collection of decades of Microsoft branding history for cloud products, including analysis of which product categories get rebranded most often, and a risk index for future renames. [Link: The Rebrand Registry | https://www.msrebrandregistry.com/ | The Rebrand Registry]
Apple reportedly won’t launch AirPods with cameras until next year.
AirPods with cameras showed up in a video found in a release candidate of the upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.7 update, but Bloomberg reports that the headphones aren’t in the cards for 2026. [Link: Apple’s Camera-Equipped AI AirPods Remain on Track for 2027 Despite Video Leak | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/apple-s-camera-equipped-ai-airpods-remain-on-track-for-2027-despite-video-leak | Bloomberg]
Samsung is hosting a Galaxy event next week.
“Galaxy Event August 2026” will take place on August 27th at 8AM ET, Samsung says. Perhaps it’ll be the launch venue for the rumored Galaxy S26 FE? [Link: [Invitation] Galaxy Event August 2026 | https://news.samsung.com/us/samsung-invitation-galaxy-event-august-2026/ | Samsung Newsroom]
Today’s Vergecast: Our Pixel reviewer roundtable.
Senior reviewer Victoria Song leads a Vergecast roundtable with editors Dominic Preston and Cameron Faulkner to talk about the Pixel 11/Pro/Fold and the Pixel Watch 5. We discuss if HiLight is a LowLight, whether we miss the temperature sensor, and if the Watch 5’s GPS truly beats Garmin and Apple. And stay tuned for more camera discussion on Friday’s Vergecast. Watch | Listen | Get ad-free [Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1EfI0LZrl4]
Drop in your Pixel 11 (or Pixel Watch 5) questions.
Subscribers, head to our AMA page and leave any question that’s on your mind about Google’s new Pixel 11 phones, be it the plain 11, the 11 Pro, or the 11 Pro Fold. Oh yeah, the Pixel Watch 5, too. We’ll be answering them at 3PM ET. [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/google-pixel-11-pro-fold-06.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Google-Pixel-11-Pro-Photos-of-Phone-Using-On-Ear.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/268705_Pixel_11_review_CFAULKNER_P1011489.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Google-Pixel-Watch-5-3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
We reviewed the new Pixel lineup, ask us anything
Verge subscribers can drop questions about the new Pixel 11, the 11 Pro, the 11 Pro Fold, and the Pixel Watch 5. We’ll start answering them at 3PM ET.
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold feels like the end of an era
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a great foldable, with IP68 and a reliable triple camera, trapped in a shape everyone else seems to be moving on from.
Let’s take a look at the retro tech making a comeback | TechCrunch
Boom boxes, instant cameras, and even landlines are making a comeback. Here are the coolest retro-inspired devices available.
Amazon Fire TV devices are getting a free Alexa Plus upgrade
Amazon is bringing its upgraded Alexa Plus AI assistant to all Fire TV device owners in the US for free.
This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling
The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket.
Amazon’s drones will soon deliver to nearly 500 US cities and towns
The Prime Air service has already delivered ‘hundreds of thousands of packages’ this year.
New Googlebook announcements are coming in September.
It’s been a few months since Google revealed its Chromebook successor / sibling, and all’s been quiet since — at least officially, with leaks of laptops from Lenovo and Asus. We’ll know more soon: Google invited outlets including The Verge to a media event in September where we’ll get to “test out the laptops and new features.” [Link: Google makes it official: Googlebook launch event set for September in NYC | https://chromeunboxed.com/google-makes-it-official-googlebook-launch-event-set-for-september-in-nyc/ | Chrome Unboxed - The Latest Chrome OS News]
Bugatti’s Tourbillon-inspired MicroLED TV twists, turns, and unfolds.
While checking out the 1,800-horsepower Destrier that Bugatti unveiled at Monterey Car Week, the folks at Road & Track also got a taste of the carmaker’s C-Seed Bugatti N1 TV. Inspired by another 1,800hp beast, its sculptural design unfurls the 110- or 137-inch TV hiding inside in 45 seconds and can rotate up to 180 degrees. [Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVLE1KbVeAY]
Android’s “advanced” sideloading flow is now live.
Google’s Mishaal Rahman took to r/Android to announce the process, which will eventually be the only way to install apps from unverified Android developers. Verification enforcement kicks in globally in 2027, though in some countries begins next month. Enabling the one-time advanced flow now gets the mandatory 24-hour cooldown out of the way. [Link: We’re rolling out the advanced flow for installing apps from unverified developers | https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1vrx9qt/were_rolling_out_the_advanced_flow_for_installing/ | Reddit]
Gemini in Chrome has landed on Android.
After starting to roll out to “select devices” in June, Google’s AI Chrome assistant is now available to all Android users in the US. It adds a Gemini icon to the top-right of your toolbar that opens the familiar chatbot window, allowing Gemini to summarize web pages, answer questions, generate images, and more. [Image: You can see the Gemini sparkle icon now sitting beside your tab menu on the Chrome toolbar. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-18-114514.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]