Recent articles
February 20, 2026
The wellness wild west’s latest skincare fad is salmon sperm
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your l...
www.theverge.com
February 20, 2026
Meta will ruin its smart glasses by being Meta
Whenever I write about Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, I already know the comments I'm going to get. Cool hardware, but hard pass on anything Meta makes; will wait for someone else to come along. It'...
www.theverge.com
February 14, 2026
My uncanny AI valentines
Hopping over a pile of dirty snow, I arrived on a frigid February evening at a wine bar in midtown, a purple neon sign reading "EVA AI cafe." Inside, several people were seated at tables and booths...
www.theverge.com
February 13, 2026
‘Wellness’ feels like it’s losing all meaning in health tech
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your l...
www.theverge.com
February 7, 2026
The second-gen AirTags are a scatterbrain’s best friend
In a somewhat controversial Vergecast episode, I declared that AirTags are a superior product to iPads. The iPad lovers roasted me across social media. I have heard and respect their opinions. But,...
www.theverge.com
February 6, 2026
AG1 is a lot less science-y than it sounds
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your l...
www.theverge.com
February 5, 2026
Peloton’s gamble on expensive new hardware has yet to pay off
Last fall, new Peloton CEO Peter Stern made a bet. The company announced a complete refresh of its entire hardware lineup, complete with swivel screens and AI-powered features. Today, the initial r...
www.theverge.com
January 23, 2026
Influencers are pushing suspicious peptides. How much are you willing to risk?
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your l...
www.theverge.com
January 16, 2026
This 3D-scanned insole is another example of placebo tech
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they...
www.theverge.com
January 15, 2026
Xreal sues Viture over AR glasses patent
You know a gadget category is starting to go mainstream when patent lawsuits start cropping up. Today, Xreal filed a lawsuit in the US against Viture, alleging the firm is infringing on a patent fo...
www.theverge.com
January 9, 2026
CES 2026 was awash in bodily fluids
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they...
www.theverge.com
January 7, 2026
L’Oréal’s latest flat iron uses infrared light to make hair styling much faster
Hair gadgets have become increasingly popular over the last decade. Hair dryers, curlers, steamers - you name it, there's probably a TikTokker shilling for the latest hair gadget that will totally ...
www.theverge.com
January 7, 2026
L’Oréal’s new LED face masks address all my issues with this category
I hate when friends and family ask me which LED face mask to buy. That's because LED face masks are another prime example of the wild wellness west. There's compelling science behind using red and ...
www.theverge.com
January 7, 2026
Lenovo’s joining the bandwagon with concept AI glasses
Lenovo is the latest tech company to get bit by the smart glasses bug. The company just showed off a pair of concept AI glasses at CES 2026. While these weren't a working prototype, we have some id...
www.theverge.com
January 6, 2026
You can now use Abbott’s OTC glucose monitors with Withings
Withings isn't done with CES 2026 announcements just yet. The French health tech company just announced a new partnership with Abbott. In the first quarter of the year, Abbott Lingo users will be a...
www.theverge.com
January 6, 2026
These open-ear buds actually have decent noise reduction
My biggest gripe about open-ear buds is that they're rotten for loud city commutes. Cue a pedantic audiophile pointing out that the whole premise of open-ear buds is to not block out sound. Yes, ye...
www.theverge.com
January 6, 2026
You can now take testosterone tests with a stick, your phone, and some spit
At last year's CES, Eli Health announced the Hormometer - an at-home hormone test for cortisol that utilized saliva and a smartphone. For this year's show, the company is back and expanding into te...
www.theverge.com
January 6, 2026
The Vivoo FlowPad turns menstrual pads into an at-home hormone test
Wellness tech companies are increasingly interested in bodily fluids like blood, urine, sweat, and saliva. At CES 2026, it's time to add menstrual blood to that list, too. Health tech startup Vivoo...
www.theverge.com
January 6, 2026
The taint bandaid has evolved into the taint zapper
Six years ago, I first laid eyes upon the taint bandaid. It was the first night of CES 2020. In a corner of the inaugural CES Unveiled showcase, there was a lonely booth. Upon a sparse table lay a ...
www.theverge.com
January 5, 2026
This smart mirror was a menace at CES 2026
Imagine walking into CES 2026, sitting down in front of a smart mirror, taking a 30-second selfie, and getting a score for how well you're aging. Well, last night, a bunch of other tech journalists...
www.theverge.com
January 5, 2026
This egg-shaped gadget aims to demystify hormones… with pee
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 h...
www.theverge.com
January 5, 2026
Withings thinks of its latest smart scale as a ‘longevity station’
Withings is back at CES 2026 with another smart scale: the $599.95 Body Scan 2. This time, it's got an even tighter focus on cardiovascular and metabolic health. The Body Scan 2 contains eight elec...
www.theverge.com
January 4, 2026
Xreal’s entry-level AR glasses get a spec bump and 3D conversion
At CES 2026, Xreal announced an upgraded, slightly more affordable version of its entry-level AR glasses: the $449 Xreal 1S. And this time, you can also convert 2D videos to 3D without any extra ap...
www.theverge.com
December 19, 2025
The wellness wild west is back on its bullshit with unapproved weight loss drugs
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they...
www.theverge.com
December 17, 2025
In 2025, wearables made a hard pivot to AI
Years from now, I'll look back at 2025 as the year when a fundamental shift happened in wearable technology. Over the last decade, the category has been synonymous with health and fitness. In many ...
www.theverge.com
December 16, 2025
Meta rolls out AI glasses update with conversation boosting feature
Back at Meta Connect, Meta teased that its AI glasses would soon support a conversation boosting feature to help folks hear better in noisy environments. That feature is rolling out starting today ...
www.theverge.com
December 16, 2025
Amazon’s Kindle Scribe Colorsoft won’t replace your notebook — or your Kindle
I wanted to love Amazon's $630 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. It has everything I covet. An E Ink display with front lighting and color. A pressure-sensitive stylus. The ability to take notes and annotat...
www.theverge.com
December 12, 2025
I quit all my AI fitness plans, and I feel free
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they...
www.theverge.com
December 10, 2025
No one knows what to call these things
I asked a simple question at Google's Project Aura demo last week. What do you call these things? To my surprise, multiple people launched into a vigorous discussion on the taxonomy of glasses-shap...
www.theverge.com
December 8, 2025
A first look at Google’s Project Aura glasses built with Xreal
Teased at Google I/O, Project Aura is a collaboration between Xreal and Google. It's the second Android XR device (the first being Samsung's Galaxy XR headset) and is expected to launch in 2026. Pu...
www.theverge.com