Andru Marino is an audio and video producer at The Verge. “I make videos on our YouTube / TikTok / Instagram channels, and have produced our podcasts like Vergecast, Decoder, and Why’d You Push That Button?” He also keeps a lot of notes, and his latest favorite places to keep them are the Triangle and Sidekick notebooks. I asked him about them.
Technology
Jim Jordan subpoena pushes YouTube to restore ‘free speech’ like Meta
Meta may have caved on their content moderation policies for the sake of “free speech”, but there’s a world of other Big Tech companies out there – and more social media platforms for conservatives to de-censor. On Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan subpoenaed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, demanding documents that show whether YouTube removed content at the request of the Biden-Harris administration – acting, in his words, as “a direct participant in the federal government’s censorship regime.”
Although Republican party hardliners have long argued that Big Tech tilts algorithms and content moderation policies against their social media content, the overall right-wing momentum against Big Tech has further accelerated since 2021 after Donald Trump was removed from Twitter (now X) after January 6th. Jordan, who became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in 2023, has wielded his platform and subpoena powers to dig into the databanks of Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple among others, believing that they singled out conservative social media accounts on the behest of the Biden administration’s Department of Justice and engaged in unlawful suppression of free speech.
So far, their attempts have notched one notable success: last May, the committee published a report claiming that Biden had repeatedly coerced Meta into removing content from their platforms. “Following this oversight, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, admitted that it was wrong to bow to the Biden-Harris Administration’s demands, publicly committed to restoring free speech on its platforms, and reformed its policies,” Jordan wrote in the letter accompanying the Alphabet subpoena. “Alphabet, to our knowledge, has not similarly disavowed the Biden-Harris Administration’s attempts to censor speech.”
”We’ll continue to show the committee how we enforce our policies independently, rooted in our commitment to free expression,” Google spokesperson Jose Castañeda told The Verge in response to a request for comment.
Where did you first hear about these notebooks?
I don’t really remember when I first saw the Triangle Notebook. It was probably an Instagram ad. I had kept a link to the notebook’s website in a browser tab on my phone for a few months and kept thinking about it.
When did you buy it, and what went into the decision?
I bought it in April, and what really attracted me was how weird it was. Why does the notebook need to be a triangle? Oh, it opens up into a square! Wow, I love that! The main reason I use paper is to doodle, and I thought this shape would inspire me to doodle differently.
And then I saw this company also made another notebook called the Sidekick that basically looks like an L when opened, so it is angled alongside your computer keyboard. That was so wacky to me. So I bought that one too.
What do you like about them?
This seems more like an art experiment than anything. I love objects that make you rethink how they are used. I typically have Post-it notes or a spiral notebook on my desk so I can write something down or doodle during a meeting. The Sidekick doesn’t take up a ton of space on my desk either opened or closed.
The Triangle Notebook is actually great for using on your lap or other unconventional surfaces, as it is pretty sturdy and lays flat on its spine.
Both notebooks also encourage me to use my handwriting more, which was a New Year’s resolution I had.
Is there anything about them that you dislike, or that you think could be improved?
I am not entirely sure if it makes sense to take notes on an L-shaped piece of paper, but that is just what makes the Sidekick different.
The Triangle Notebook could have a few more pages in it. It is nicely bound and sort of expensive ($33), so I would like to get more use out of it. Also it is so long! I don’t know where to store it.
And the pages don’t tear out very easily. I’d love to give someone a note on a weird-shaped piece of paper.
Who would you recommend it to?
I’d recommend the Sidekick to an artist who wants to doodle during meetings — which is why I bought this. But I can also see it working for someone who draws on a tablet and wants to briefly write down some notes about what they are working on.
I don’t know who I would recommend the Triangle Notebook to besides someone who likes weird objects. I’d love to know if someone feels like they do their best work on a triangle-shaped notebook.
You started this by saying you hoped these notebooks would inspire you to doodle differently. Have they?
So far, no. My notes look the same mess as ever, but it has encouraged me to doodle more and write more, so that makes me happy.
$33
Triangle-shaped notebook that opens into a square.
$24
Notebook shaped like an “L” to wrap around your keyboard.
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It’s not every day aviation history is made, but June 2025 marked a real milestone for New York and the world of electric flight.
For the first time, a passenger-carrying electric airplane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and it wasn’t just a test. There were actual people on board.
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FLYING CAR WITH 620-MILE RANGE SCHEDULED FOR UPCOMING LAUNCH
Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
The flight that made headlines
Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta Technologies, was at the controls as the company’s electric aircraft flew from East Hampton to JFK. With four passengers on board, the trip covered about 70 nautical miles in just over half an hour. That’s right, a fully electric plane, carrying people, quietly and efficiently making its way through the skies above New York.
Clark put it simply, “This is a 100% electric airplane that just flew from East Hampton to JFK with passengers on it, which was a first for the New York Port Authority and the New York area. We covered 70 odd nautical miles in 35 minutes.”
The message this sent was clear that electric air travel is here, and it’s practical.
Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
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Why this matters for everyday travel
The real takeaway isn’t just the novelty of the flight, but what it means for the future of getting around. Electric aircraft like this one are quiet, which means happier communities near airports. They’re also much cheaper to operate.
As Clark noted, “Charging this thing up and flying out here cost us about $8 in fuel. Of course, you have to pay for the pilot and the airplane, but, fundamentally, it’s way less expensive.”
Passengers on the flight could talk to each other the whole time, thanks to the lack of noisy engines and propellers. That kind of comfort and accessibility is exactly what could make electric air travel a hit with commuters and travelers looking for a better way to get from one point to another.
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Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
FLYING CAR WITH 620-MILE RANGE SCHEDULED FOR UPCOMING LAUNCH
The bigger picture: Electric air travel is getting closer
Transportation companies are already eyeing electric battery-powered aircraft for short city trips, especially those that can take off and land vertically. The idea is to help travelers beat traffic and reduce emissions, all while offering a smoother, quieter ride.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also stepped in, finalizing new rules in October for pilot training and certification for air taxis. This move was described as “the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term.” With regulations in place and companies like Beta Technologies pushing forward, the dream of electric air taxis is closer than ever.
Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
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Beta Technologies: Leading the charge
Beta Technologies, based in Vermont and founded in 2017, is at the forefront of this movement. The company recently raised $318 million to fund production, certification and commercialization of its electric aircraft, bringing its total funding to over $1 billion. It’s not just building planes. It’s building the infrastructure needed to support electric flight across the country.
Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
What’s next for electric air travel?
The success of this flight is a strong signal that electric air travel is becoming a practical option, not just a futuristic idea. Beta’s aircraft can fly up to 250 nautical miles on a single charge, making it ideal for short hops between cities and suburbs. As more companies join the effort and more charging stations are built, it’s easy to see how electric air travel could become a regular part of how we get around, especially in busy urban areas.
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Passenger-carrying electric airplane (Beta Technologies)
Kurt’s key takeaways
So, what’s the real story here? The first passenger-carrying electric airplane touching down at JFK is way more than a cool headline. It’s proof that electric air travel isn’t just some futuristic thing. It’s actually here, it works and it’s ready to shake up how we get around. With rules that make sense, plenty of investment and people getting more curious and excited, the future of clean, quiet and easy-to-access air travel is looking pretty promising.
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I jumped on the smartwatch bandwagon a bit late, but now I can’t go a day without mine. Beyond delivering helpful notifications, it’s perfect for setting timers, tracking workouts, and monitoring my sleeping habits (which are terrible). If you haven’t yet joined the smartwatch party or you’re looking to upgrade, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is down to $199.99 ($100 off) in the 40mm / Bluetooth configuration at Amazon and Walmart. If you prefer a larger display, the 44mm model is on sale at Amazon starting at $229.99 ($100 off).
While the Galaxy Watch 7 isn’t as flashy as other Samsung wearables, its more simplistic approach is part of its charm. It retains the signature circular design and slim profile of prior models, which remains a stark contrast to the adventure-ready Galaxy Watch Ultra. It’s comfortable to wear while sleeping and working out — as our own Victoria Song noted in her review last year — and it comes with a selection of welcome features, including heart rate tracking, an Energy Score for gauging recovery, and FDA-approved sleep apnea detection.
One of the new marquee tools of the Watch 7 is its AI-powered wellness insights, which provide personalized suggestions to help you hit your health and fitness goals. There’s also a 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor that can measure metabolic health thanks to an experimental advanced glycation end products (AGEs) metric, though both features were rather hit or miss in our testing. Of course, the wearable also offers a range of basic smartwatch features, such as the ability to stream music, send texts, and take calls when your phone is nearby.
Despite its slimmer design, the Watch 7 offers around 24 hours of battery life with the always-on display enabled, though if you upgrade to the 44mm Watch 7, you can eke out a few additional hours. Samsung’s wearable also runs Wear OS 5, as of now, though we’re expecting the Gemini-powered Wear OS 6 to arrive via an update later this year. All that being said, the timing of these deals could indicate that a Galaxy Watch 8 is on the horizon. Samsung typically holds an Unpacked event in mid-July, and this year it may introduce a refreshed lineup of foldable and wearable devices.
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