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The opening notes of "Kravitz", which kicks off Mabe Fratti's 2024 record Sentir Que No Sabes , are lodged in my brain permanently. It's not a showy album, by any means. But there's something about the buzzing of her cello, plucked as you might an upright bass. The way they ring out before coming to an abrupt stop, fuzz still hanging in the air, set against a simple kick and snare sat firmly in the pocket. There's something industrial about the way it all comes together, like a jazzy "Closer." Then come Fratti's paranoid lyrics in Spanish about ears in the ceiling and someone listening through the walls, and the slightly atonal horn blasts. … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/column/890713/mabe-fratti-sentir-que-no-sabes-review

The hottest toy of 1998 was sort of adorable, and sort of annoying. It couldn't do much - couldn't do anything, really - but it could look at you, it could say some nonsense phrases, and it seemed uncannily aware of the world around it. That's all Furby needed to pretty much take over the world. The story of Furby is filled with technical achievement. The fact that the furry little guy worked at all, ever, was a bit of a surprise to a lot of people involved. But Furby also represents a different way of thinking about our relationships with technology, a different idea about human-computer interaction, and maybe even a path worth following f … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/podcast/891124/the-cute-and-cursed-story-of-furby

This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the EV struggle, follow Andrew J. Hawkins . The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started Apologies to the Toyota Prius, but the first hybrid vehicle of note was the Semper Vivus , developed by Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that Porsche) way back in 1900. The Semper Vivus (Latin for "always alive") used two combustion engines to power generators, which then fed electricity to motors inside the wheel hubs. The fact that it took modern engineers over a century to really appreciate th … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/column/890135/truth-hybrid-vehicles

This has been a week to remember here at The Verge . MWC 2026 in Barcelona lead straight into Apple’s week of product announcements. There was truly something for everyone, whether you’ve been wanting a company to make a phone that can start fires , or had your fingers crossed for a brand-new MacBook model that costs just $599.99 . It was also a great week for gaming, with the launch of Slay the Spire 2 on Steam as an early access game, plus Pok é mon Pokopia on Nintendo Switch 2, and Marathon on PC and PS5. It was also a pretty good week when it comes to deals, especially if you’re in the market for new hardware. You can nab a free gift card with a preorder of early 2026’s most anticipated tech launching on March 11th, including Apple’s new MacBooks, plus Samsung’s lineup Galaxy S26 phones. Let’s not forget that Google’s Pixel 10A launched this week, and the gift card promo for that is happening through March 11th. Here are this week’s best deals. March 11th is a big day for ...

Co-director Daniel Roher. | Image: Focus Features We are in the thick of a massive push to incorporate generative AI into almost every aspect of our lives , but it is still easy to be confused about what it is and how it works. It doesn't help that many of gen AI's proponents and detractors both speak about it with a feverish hyperbole that comes across like fantastical ad copy. And the rate at which AI firms release new iterations of their products can make it hard to keep track of what's going on in the industry as a whole. In The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist , codirectors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell attempt to make sense of this moment in gen AI's rise to prominence The f … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/890806/the-ai-doc-or-how-i-became-an-apocaloptimist-review

In case you missed it, Apple announced a host of new devices this week, including both a new phone and a cheaper laptop . It also unveiled the M4-powered iPad Air, which is already receiving a preorder discount ahead of its March 11th debut. Right now, the 128GB / Wi-Fi model is available at Amazon , Best Buy , and Walmart starting at $559 ($40 off), while the LTE config is selling for $709 ($40 off) at Best Buy . If you want more storage space, Amazon and Walmart are also both selling the 11-inch model with 256GB and Wi-Fi for $649 ($50 off). The larger 13-inch variant, meanwhile, can be found at the same retailers, including Amazon and Walmart , in its base configuration with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage starting at $749 ($50 off). 11-inch iPad Air M4 Where to Buy: $599 $559 at Amazon (128GB, Wi-Fi) $599 $559 at Best Buy (128GB, Wi-Fi) $599 $559 at Walmart (128GB, Wi-Fi) 13-inch iPad Air M4  Where to Buy: $799 $749 at Amazon (128GB, Wi-Fi) $799 $749 a...