This digest compiles the latest from The Verge.
Today’s The Verge Roundup
This sleek alarm clock uses lights and sounds to help you sleep, focus, and wake up
20 Mar 2026, 2:32 pm by Andrew Liszewski
Dieter Rams already showed the world that something as mundane as an alarm clock can be beautiful. Balmuda, a Japanese company best known for its steam-infused toasters, has released a travel-friendly alarm clock simply called The Clock. Its minimalist dial is reminiscent of Braun’s iconic alarm clocks but goes one step further by replacing traditional moving hands with subtle illuminated accents.
Machined from a single block of aluminum, the Clock stands about four inches tall including a carrying loop and control dial and weighs around 260 grams. Its illumination system, which the company calls Light Hour, features glowing numbers represe …
Google Search is now using AI to replace headlines
20 Mar 2026, 2:30 pm by Sean Hollister
Since roughly the turn of the millennium, Google Search has been the bedrock of the web. People loved Google’s trustworthy “10 blue links” search experience and its unspoken promise: The website you click is the website you get.
Now, Google is beginning to replace news headlines in its search results with ones that are AI-generated. After doing something similar in its Google Discover news feed, it’s starting to mess with headlines in the traditional “10 blue links,” too. We’ve found multiple examples where Google replaced headlines we wrote with ones we did not, sometimes changing their meaning in the process.
For example, Google reduced …
Much ado about protein
20 Mar 2026, 2:00 pm by Victoria Song
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 life. Opt in for Optimizer here.
Wellness crazes come and go, but protein is forever. At least that’s how it feels as the algorithm subjects me to the latest protein-related wellness trend: a video of a gym bro whipping up a piping hot plate of boy kibble.
Boy kibble is not complicated. According to influencers and trend pieces alike, it’s a humble meal of ground beef and white rice. Yes, that’s it. The beef provides fat and protein, while the wh …
Amazon is making an Alexa phone
20 Mar 2026, 1:42 pm by Stevie Bonifield
Over 10 years after shelving the Fire Phone, Amazon is reportedly planning to launch another smartphone, this time focused on Alexa. According to Reuters, the phone, which is code-named “Transformer,” will center around Amazon’s AI assistant, but Alexa won’t “necessarily be the primary operating system of the phone.”
“Transformer” is currently in development in Amazon’s ZeroOne group, led by J Allard, who previously worked on the Zune and Xbox at Microsoft. Allard’s team has reportedly explored both smartphone and “dumbphone” designs, taking inspiration from the $700 minimalist Light Phone, which features a black-and-white display and lack …
Why people really hate AI
20 Mar 2026, 1:27 pm by David Pierce
There’s a big, and increasing, disconnect in culture right now when it comes to artificial intelligence. Companies of all shapes and sizes are hunting for places to deploy AI and can’t stop talking about how this new technology will change everything. But when you ask people about AI, the consistent response is: no thanks. Study after study shows people are worried about the effects of AI and simply don’t find the technology worth all the downsides.
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On this episode of The Verge …
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale 2026: all of the latest deals
20 Mar 2026, 1:00 pm by Cameron Faulkner
If you’re looking for the best time to get a deal this spring, it might very well be during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, which kicks off at 3:01AM ET on March 25th and runs through 2:59AM ET on April 1st. Some early deals have already begun (we’re compiling them here), but we’ll also be highlighting newer, more notable sales and the many so-called “doorbuster” deals that will appear throughout the seasonal shopping event.
If the early deals are any indication of what’s to come, you can expect deals on all sorts of consumer tech, from personal audio and home theater upgrades to steep discounts on video games, mobile accessories, and various doo-dads for tinkerers. Given that the sale coincides with the arrival of spring, we can also expect deals on plenty of outdoor-friendly gear, including portable Bluetooth speakers, open-style earbuds, and more.
Amazon’s annual spring sale doesn’t require a Prime membership to participate in, either. Most of the deals are available to everyone, with big-name retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target matching Amazon’s pricing in many instances. There’s also sure to be some Prime-exclusive sales in the mix, so regardless of where you plan to shop, we’ve got you covered.
- Microsoft’s go-to Xbox controller is selling at its best price of the year
- Hoto’s powerful PixelDrive electric screwdriver is 25 percent off
- Kasa’s Matter-compatible smart plugs are on sale for $11 a pop
- The best early Amazon Big Spring Sale deals you can get right now
- The Beats Studio Pro are nearly $200 off ahead of Amazon’s big spring sale
- Antigravity’s 360-degree drone is 20 percent off ahead of its next feature drop
- Several Sonos audio products got their first 2026 discounts
- Ecovacs’ Deebot X8 and X9 Pro Omni robovacs are nearly 50 percent off
- Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max and 4K Plus sticks are up to 50 percent off
- Amazon’s welcoming spring with a deal event starting March 25th.
- The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are some of the best wireless earbuds $170 can buy
- Google’s TV Streamer 4K doubles as a smart home hub and it’s on sale
‘Work from home,’ encourages the world’s energy watchdog
20 Mar 2026, 12:14 pm by Jess Weatherbed
Many organizations have called employees back to offices following covid-related lockdowns, but the Iran war and ensuing energy crisis may quickly see workers returning to work from home.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) – an energy watchdog established to help safeguard global power supplies following the 1970s oil crisis – is pushing for governments, businesses, and households to adopt recommendations that aim to curb energy demands amid supply disruptions triggered by the conflict. The list of 10 suggested actions identified in the IEA’s report includes encouraging people to work from home and/or drive slower to reduce fuel usage, a …
Valve’s huge SteamOS 3.8 update adds long-awaited features — and supports Steam Machine
20 Mar 2026, 12:34 am by Sean Hollister
Valve has just released SteamOS 3.8.0 in preview, and it’s a doozy.
Not only is it the first release to support the upcoming Steam Machine living room gaming PC, it comes with long-awaited features for Valve’s handhelds and more support for other companies’ handhelds than we’ve seen to date – including Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox Ally series, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, the OneXPlayer X1, and additional support for MSI, GPD, Anbernic, OrangePi, and Zotac.
The one that excites me most: Valve is adding genuine hibernation and “memory power down” modes to the Steam Deck – though just the LCD model to start – which should help extend battery life w …
OpenAI is planning a desktop ‘superapp’
20 Mar 2026, 12:09 am by Jay Peters
OpenAI is working on a desktop “superapp” that merges its ChatGPT app, the Codex AI coding app, and its AI-powered Atlas browser into one app, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company is making the change as part of an effort to simplify its various product efforts, according to a memo cited by the WSJ from Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications. Fragmentation “has been slowing us down and making it harder to hit the quality bar we want,” Simo said.
OpenAI made waves last year with splashy announcements like the Sora video app and buying Jony Ive’s AI hardware company. But it has been facing increased competition from Anthropic as of …
End of today’s The Verge roundup.
