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This video bird feeder is the surprise hit of Prime Day

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I can understand why The Verge readers are flocking to the BirdBuddy deal we posted at the beginning of Prime Day. The BirdBuddy Pro with Solar Panels is a wholesome upgrade for your yard, but the full price of $299 is tough to stomach. After all, the BirdBuddy is essentially a video doorbell and solar panels stuck to a bird feeder, something you could assemble yourself in an hour for under $100. Specialized features like bird recognition and naming are locked behind a subscription , so you’re looking at a potentially costly investment for your yard. On the other hand, the discounted Prime Day price of $168 at Amazon is a lot more palatable — and probably why it’s been the most unexpected hit of all the things we posted. Birdbuddy Pro (solar) Birdbuddy’s charming, camera-equipped feeder identifies and snaps shots of each bird that stops by, supplementing its 5-megapixel stills with insightful facts via an app. The solar roof helps keep the ...
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OpenAI unveils GPT-5.6 amid US AI regulatory drama

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Less than 24 hours after news broke that OpenAI would stagger its next model release at the request of the Trump administration, that model, GPT-5.6, is here. On Friday, the company unveiled the limited preview of its new GPT 5.6 model suite: Sol, the flagship; Terra, a medium-tier model for "high-volume work"; and Luna, a "fast and affordable" everyday model. OpenAI says it's especially skilled at coding, cybersecurity, and biology, as well as staying focused during long-horizon agentic AI tasks. Per million tokens, GPT-5.6 Sol is priced at $5 input / $30 output (nearly half the cost of Anthropic's Claude Fable 5, which is $10 input / $5 … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/957845/openai-gpt-5-6-trump-administration-ai-preview
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Smart lock maker Level has been gutted and its founders are out

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Level’s defining innovation was hiding the battery, motor, and electronics that power the smart lock inside the deadbolt itself. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Assa Abloy has laid off the majority of staff at Level Home , the smart lock company known for building smart tech into traditional-looking deadbolts, and is folding the business into Kwikset, according to a source familiar with the decision. The Verge obtained exclusive details from a person familiar with the restructuring who requested anonymity as they were part of the layoffs. They shared an audio recording of a meeting in which Peter Boriskin, CTO for Assa Abloy North America, and Kimberly Cummins, head of North American HR, informed the staff that their positions had been eliminated, effective immediately, as "a part of a larger restru … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/957802/level-lock-layoffs-assa-abloy-kwikset-smart-loc...
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Upgrade your home with Prime Day deals for $40 or less

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The Hoto 3.6V electric screwdriver kit makes even the smallest home project easier. | Image: Hoto Speaking as someone who just had to buy a new garbage disposal on his lunch break, I know firsthand how much home maintenance can cost, so I’m always excited to find inexpensive home tech that feels like an upgrade. Prime Day is a great time to score deals on video doorbells and cameras, novel methods of interacting with your home like buttons and switches, and a variety of smart outlets and plugs. If you have some tasks clogging up your to-do list, or you’re trying to expand your toolbox, we also found some discounts on more analog gadgets like screwdrivers and box-cutters. For even more tech that won’t cut into your budget, make sure to check out our guide to the best deals under $25 . Blink Battery Doorbell 2K Plus Blink’s battery-powered video doorbell has a 2K resolution camera, two-way audio, and color night vision. Make su...
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BYOK is my new go-to distraction-free writing tool

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Proof that I wrote this review on the BYOK. | Photo: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge I have long been on the hunt for the perfect distraction-free writing setup. The latest contender is BYOK , which stands for Bring Your Own Keyboard. It's a simple $199 black plastic rectangle with a low-resolution LCD screen that lets you edit text and does almost nothing else. I've tried dedicated apps. I've even converted an old laptop into a writerdeck . But neither solution really clicked. Last year, I paired a Boox Palma with a NuPhy Air and there was a lot to like. The unique, quick-refreshing E Ink screen provided my favorite typing experience yet, and it synced seamlessly with my other devices thanks to Obsidian . But Boox's OS is a b … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/956473/byok-distraction-free-writing-review
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Oppo’s Bubble selfie screen is crying out for Qi2

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The Bubble needs additional magnets to actually attach to a phone. The Oppo Bubble is a smart second screen for your phone, one that can be attached and detached at will, connects wirelessly, and serves as either a selfie screen or a wireless camera remote. It's the best version of this idea I've used yet, but also a frustrating reminder that it could be even better if only Oppo and other Android OEMs would get on board with Qi2 . The Bubble is a bit like a smaller - much, much smaller - version of Insta360's Snap or the Dockcase Selfix phone case . It's a tiny puck, just 7mm thick and 27.5g, with a 1.73-inch circular OLED touchscreen. It has its own 550mAh battery - though Oppo won't say how long to expect … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/956922/oppo-bubble-selfie-screen-magnetic-qi2
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Slate’s electric truck: all the news about the ultra-minimal EV

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Slate Auto is a new startup that emerged out of a secretive project called “Re:Car” within Re:Build Manufacturing, a domestic manufacturing project backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The company’s first electric vehicle is a barebones electric pickup that’s roughly a third of the size of your typical gas-powered truck. And the proposal is pretty radical: Would you trade all the bells and whistles of a modern car for a more affordable price? The Slate Truck has unquestionably been one of the most talked about new EVs in a long time. Slate says the base version will start at a little under $25,000, but customers can add a bevy of 3D-printed accessories, as well as a galaxy of different colored wraps, to personalize their trucks. The ultra-minimal design also enables a low-cost approach to manufacturing that has caught the eye of major investors. It’s been engineered and will be manufactured in America, but is this extreme simpl...
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