This digest compiles the latest from The Verge.
Today’s The Verge Roundup
The vibes are off at OpenAI
8 Apr 2026, 1:47 pm by Hayden Field
OpenAI is in a relatively precarious position. The company is and has been a funding behemoth – just over a week ago, it closed $122 billion in funding at a post-money valuation of $852 billion. It’s potentially planning for an IPO later this year. ChatGPT’s longtime lead in consumer-facing AI led it to name-brand status akin to “Kleenex” for tissues. But in recent months, a slew of executive reshufflings, discontinued projects, and other news has raised questions about how stable the company really is – and how long it may be able to stay on top.
OpenAI’s current batch of public controversies started early in the year. At the end of Febru …
Xbox’s new era needs games like Forza Horizon 6
8 Apr 2026, 1:00 pm by Andrew Webster
It’s a weird time at Xbox. Microsoft’s gaming division is under new management, with its current leadership intent on what it describes as “a renewed commitment to Xbox.” But given that no one really knows what an Xbox is at this point, that could mean many things. What Xbox needs is a game to signal to players what the brand is really about, and what it is actually committing to. What Xbox needs is more games like Forza Horizon 6, which is coming at exactly the right time.
The open-world racing game launches next month, but I recently had the chance to play a preview version to get a sense of what to expect. Even with just a brief taste of …
Tractive’s new dog and cat trackers provide more health insights for your pets
8 Apr 2026, 1:00 pm by Andrew Liszewski
After acquiring its competitor Whistle from Mars Petcare nearly a year ago, Tractive is introducing two new pet trackers today. The Cat 6 Mini features a sleeker design than Tractive’s current smart cat tracker and monitors additional vital signs. The Dog 6 XL, specifically designed for larger breeds, is now lighter and more durable with improved battery life.
Both the $79 Cat 6 Mini and $89 Dog 6 XL trackers are available starting today through the company’s online store and other retailers in multiple colors – beige, black, and purple for the cat’s and beige and black for the dog’s. Each also requires a subscription. The Basic Plan, which …
The only USB-C AA battery I’d buy for myself is the Zepath 3600
8 Apr 2026, 12:30 pm by Sean Hollister
Last September, a company named Lumafield scanned 1,000 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries to shine a light on the hidden risks of cheaping out. At roughly the same time, I found myself testing two awesome new kinds of AA battery that recharge using USB-C cables.
It gave me an idea. Could we find the very best USB-C AA batteries by combining my own anecdotal testing with Lumafield’s scanning tech?
The answer seems to be yes! Knowing what I now know, the Zepath 3600mWh is the only rechargeable lithium-ion AA I’d buy for myself – even though USB-C is in the charger, rather than each individual cell.
Zepath 3600mWh USB-C Li-ion AA (8-pack)
Wh …
Insta360’s Snap is a tiny magnetic phone screen for taking rear-camera selfies
8 Apr 2026, 12:00 pm by Andrew Liszewski
Insta360 just announced the Snap, a new smartphone accessory designed to improve the quality of your selfies. It works like a digital mirror magnetically attached to the back of your Android or iOS smartphone so you can preview and properly frame shots using its more capable rear cameras, while touchscreen functionality lets you control camera apps without having to constantly flip your phone around. After testing the Snap with my iPhone 16 Pro for a week I found it to be an effective way to use my phone’s multiple rear cameras for selfies, but the accessory is not without some frustrating quirks.
The Insta360 Snap Selfie Screen is availabl …
Unionized ProPublica staff are on strike over AI, layoffs, and wages
8 Apr 2026, 11:53 am by Mia Sato
Unionized staff at ProPublica, one of the country’s leading nonprofit newsrooms, are walking off the job for 24 hours beginning Wednesday and asking the public to honor a digital picket line.
The roughly 150 members of the ProPublica Guild are in the midst of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement after unionizing in 2023. The union says key issues are still in contention, including protections around the use of AI, “just cause” provisions around disciplining or firing an employee, layoff protections, and wages.
“We’ve been working to resolve this quietly for over two years,” says Katie Campbell, a ProPublica Guild member. “This is …
GoPro is cutting 23 percent of its workforce
8 Apr 2026, 11:14 am by Dominic Preston
GoPro has announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce in an effort to return to profitability, after struggling with increased competition and declining revenue.
The cuts, announced in a Form 8-K filing, are expected to amount to 145 jobs, roughly 23 percent of GoPro’s 631 employees, and could cost GoPro as much as $15 million in severance payments and healthcare benefits. The company says the cuts will be implemented during the second quarter of 2026, and most of the layoffs will be completed by the end of the year. The company previously laid off workers in two separate rounds in 2024.
GoPro had expected to return to profita …
Continuous glucose monitoring made me continuously crazy
8 Apr 2026, 11:00 am by Victoria Song
Daily life is different when you’re tracking glucose. A little over a year ago, I was on my way to a conference. My bags were packed, the Uber was on its way, but there was one last thing to do before I could head to the airport. Tearing open a small isopropyl alcohol wipe, I cleaned the skin on the back of my arm. After that, I applied a small applicator to the clean skin, doing my best to ignore the visible needle inside. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed a button. It made a ka-thunk. I repeated the process on the other arm.
In my right arm, I now had a Dexcom Stelo. In the left, an Abbott Lingo. Both were over-the-counter continuous g …
Why Microsoft’s war on Windows’ Control Panel is taking so long
8 Apr 2026, 9:23 am by Tom Warren
Microsoft first started trying to get rid of the Control Panel in 2012, with the launch of Windows 8. More than a decade later, it’s still working on migrating all the old Control Panel items into the modern Settings app in Windows 11. While there have been hints that the Control Panel might finally go away, the reality is a lot more complicated for Microsoft.
“We’re doing it carefully because there are a lot of different network and printer devices & drivers we need to make sure we don’t break in the process,” explains March Rogers, partner director of design at Microsoft. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first full explanation we …
End of today’s The Verge roundup.
