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Some Verge-favorite gadgets are cheaper during Prime Day 2025

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Some Verge-favorite gadgets are cheaper during Prime Day 2025

Every month, we like to ask our staff about their favorite stuff — whether it’s tech, kitchen tools, or camping gear. What they answer gives us some interesting insights into what the folks here like to use when they’re at the job or enjoying some time off.

Now that Amazon’s Prime Day sales have come again, we’ve looked through some of our recent “favorites” articles and found deals on a lot of the devices we like. So, we thought we’d list a few in case you have read about them in the past and thought, well, that sort of sounds good, but it’s a bit pricey. (Or — that’s pretty cheap, but maybe I’ll wait until the price goes down even more…)

Here some of our staff’s most-liked gear that is now on sale during Prime Day.

Biker rider wearing backpack with river and bike in background

If you’re itching to get out on a bike ride even when it’s 85-plus degrees, you don’t want to be stuck without an adequate supply of water. I only have room for one drink holder on my bike, so I’ve found that it’s just far more convenient to carry water on my back with the aptly named CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack. It’s a lightweight backpack that holds up to 1.5 liters of water, which it says is enough for a two-hour bike ride.

The backpack also comes with a handy straw that you just lift up and drink from, preventing you from having to stop and drink from your water bottle (unless you’re coordinated enough to take a sip while riding, which I am not). It also keeps your water relatively cool even when the sun is beating down your back.

Aside from storing water, there’s a zipper pocket where you can store car keys, your ID, and other small items. It’s not just ideal for biking, either. Many people use the CamelBak Hydrobak on long hikes, runs, and even for music festivals. — Emma Roth, news writer

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Two people holding UE WonderBoom 4 speakers, one blue and one pink.Two people holding UE WonderBoom 4 speakers, one blue and one pink.

I try to bring a Bluetooth speaker everywhere with me when the weather’s good. A pool party, a park day, a golf outing, a hang on the back patio — it’s all better with music! There are obviously lots of good speakers out there, but for me the UE Wonderboom 4 is the perfect one. It’s only $100, it’s small but loud enough to work just about anywhere, its battery lasts all day and then some, it’s waterproof, and it floats. (All the colors look nice, by the way, but… get the blue one.) There are fancier speakers with more features, and the $200 Megaboom does sound a lot better, but I keep a Wonderboom in my trunk, and it has made me the party hero more times than I can count. — David Pierce, editor-at-large

Thermacell mosquito repeller, a small black semi-circular unit, sitting on a picnic table.Thermacell mosquito repeller, a small black semi-circular unit, sitting on a picnic table.

My biggest deterrent to spending some time outside are bugs, mosquitos specifically. I wish they’d bug off. They have me looking like I’m doing interpretive dancing to avoid being poked. Thankfully, a gadget that I got last year has made it so that I don’t need to be (as) protective of my exposed skin.

Thermacell makes rechargeable and refillable mosquito repellers. I got the E-Series model, which creates a safe zone where you likely won’t be bitten. It lasts a little over five hours per charge, meaning I get more than one use out of it before needing to charge it again. Just be sure not to use it in an environment where there isn’t proper ventilation; Thermacell notes that its ingredients shouldn’t be a concern for people or pets, but I don’t want too much insecticide around my loved ones — or my food. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor

$24

Small, convenient 5,000mAh charger with foldable USB-C connector; marketed for later iPhones but usable for Android phones as well.

I have a tendency to hold on to my phones as long as they work reasonably well, and although I must admit I’ve been tempted by the Pixel 9A, I will probably still be using my Pixel 6 for a bit longer. The only issue that I’m starting to hit is battery life — after over three years of use, it’s not unexpected that I will sometimes hit the 20 percent mark toward the end of the day. So I recently realized that I’m going to have to start carrying around a portable charger. At first, I was going to go with the 20,000mAh Anker Zolo Power Bank, which had gotten a good number of recommendations. But it weighs over 11 ounces and when I dropped it into my bag, it felt like I had added a small brick. That’s why I traded it in for the less powerful but much lighter Anker Nano Power Bank, which plugs into my phone’s USB-C slot like a small add-on peripheral. The Nano weighs only 3.5 ounces and supplies 5,000mAh of battery power — enough to keep me going to the end of the day. And it comes in several pale colors (I chose Ice Lake Blue), which means I can see it more easily in the dark reaches of my bag. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor

Egg cooker with see-through top and seven eggs inside.Egg cooker with see-through top and seven eggs inside.

$20

Cooks up to seven eggs three different ways; comes with an omelet bowl that also steams vegetables.

My body composition has become about 70 percent egg in the blissful month since I bought this cooker. I never want to buy new countertop kitchen appliances, because almost every time I do, they end up dusty in the back of the cabinet, but I’m amazed by how useful this simple Hamilton Beach Egg Cooker is. I can prepare hard- or soft-boiled eggs to perfect consistency in minutes (with no cleanup!), and having it on hand has dramatically cut back on my bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich habit. So it’s good for my cholesterol and my bank account. — Kristen Radtke, creative director

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$23

Stainless steel 18-ounce water bottle with double-wall vacuum insulation.

This is a sturdy stainless steel water bottle that keeps water cold as I sip it throughout my workday. What more could you ask for? I take it on trips, too, and while it’s got a few dents from some drops onto concrete, I don’t really care. If anything, the dents add some character and make it mine.— Jay Peters, news editor

$90

An 8-quart 11-in-1 air fryer and electric pressure cooker that air fries, steams, slow cooks, sautés, dehydrates, and — in other words — gives you a world of cooking features on your counter.

For the past few years, the Instant Pot has been a staple in my kitchen. From making rice to slow-cooking stews and even frying up chicken, it can do just about anything. The best part is that the Instant Pot can cook most recipes in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven or on the stove. Rice, for example, takes just six minutes to cook (not counting the amount of time it takes to build pressure), and there’s no fussing with covering the pot or adjusting the heat. Sometimes, it’s just easier — and much less stressful — to let the Instant Pot take the wheel. — Emma Roth, news writer

Overhead shot of hands holding a hand blender and stirring a bowl of a tomato-y broth.Overhead shot of hands holding a hand blender and stirring a bowl of a tomato-y broth.

$50

Lightweight, 21-speed hand blender that’s easy to use and put away.

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How often do you blend things? Is it never? Maybe the reason is that taking out, assembling, and cleaning up after a normal blender is just way too much work. Do you know how many sauces I’ve thickened since getting an immersion blender? This thing is small, quick to set up, and you can mostly clean it with just a blast under the faucet. You’re going to blend so many things. — Jacob Kastrenakes, executive editor

Four bags sealed at the top with long plastic strips.Four bags sealed at the top with long plastic strips.

$19

This reusable sealing rod locks air and moisture out to prevent your snacks from going stale, prevents freezer burn, and keeps food fresh longer.

It’s kind of weird how much I like our Gripstics. Bag of chips open? Quick, grab a Gripstic. Kids vibing between two different cereals this week? A well-placed Gripstic will ensure they don’t get all squishy. Tiny package of chocolate chips you used for a recipe that is now kind of open in your cupboard for who knows how long? Just fold the top over, slide a Gripstic on it — the small blue one, thank you — and stop worrying so much.

I don’t know about you or your family’s shopping and eating habits, but try as we might to shop on the outside walls of the grocery store, we inevitably come home with many products packaged in single-use plastic bags. That in and of itself is a frustration, only compounded by those same products going bad if they’re not stored properly. The Gripstics are a simple solution to this universal problem, and one that I’m certain has paid for itself many times over. — Christopher Grant, group publisher

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Here’s the Trump executive order that would ban state AI laws

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Here’s the Trump executive order that would ban state AI laws

President Donald Trump is considering signing an executive order as soon as Friday that would give the federal government unilateral power over regulating artificial intelligence, including the creation of an “AI Litigation Task Force” overseen by the attorney general, “whose sole responsibility shall be to challenge State AI laws.”

According to a draft of the order obtained by The Verge, the Task Force would be able to sue states whose laws are deemed to obstruct the growth of the AI industry, citing California’s recent laws on AI safety and “catastrophic risk” and a Colorado law that prevents “algorithmic discrimination.” The task force will occasionally consult with a group of White House special advisers, including David Sacks, billionaire venture capitalist and the special adviser for AI and crypto.

In recent days, Trump has repeatedly posted his desire to have a state AI law moratorium, and reiterated it on Wednesday during his appearance at the US-Saudi Investment Forum, couching it as a way to fight “woke” ideology. “You can’t go through 50 states. You have to get one approval. Fifty is a disaster. Because you’ll have one woke state and you’ll have to do all woke. You’ll be back in the woke business. We don’t have woke anymore in this country. It’s virtually illegal. You’ll have a couple of wokesters.”

As part of the AI Action Plan released earlier this year, Trump had directed several federal agencies, including the FCC, to explore ways that they could circumvent “onerous” state and local regulations in order to promote the industry’s growth and innovation. The full executive order lays out a 90-day roadmap for several key agencies to implement that plan along with the Department of Justice: the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Communications Commission.

Within 90 days of the order being signed, the secretary of commerce will be directed to publish a report identifying which states are in violation of Trump’s AI policy directives, as well as research which states may become ineligible for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which funds rural broadband access for several states. The FTC, meanwhile, will be directed to issue a statement on whether states that require AI companies to change their algorithms would be in violation of laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices.

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During an appearance at Politico’s AI & Tech Summit in September, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr floated one potential interpretation of the Communications Act that would allow them to override state law. “Effectively, if a state or local law is effectively prohibiting the deployment of this ‘modern infrastructure,’ then the FCC has authorities to step in there,” he told Politico’s Alex Burns.

Carr also brought up the possibility that the FCC’s regulatory powers could override a potential new law in California that would have required AI companies to disclose their safety testing models, saying that it would fulfill Trump’s goal of blocking “woke AI” that contained ideological biases.

He cited the European Union’s Digital Safety Act and raised his concern “their AI models are not going to be truth-seeking AI models, but they’re going to be woke AI models, going to be AI models that are promoting DEI. 
And so again, President Trump has, as part of his action plan, steps to make sure that we don’t have that type of woke DEI embedded AI models developing here. When it comes to California, again, not familiar exactly with all the intricacy of that, but to the extent that they’re moving in that direction and away from truth seeking, it could be a problem.”

The notion that the FCC should have veto power over state AI laws — as well as other parts of Trump’s order — could easily be challenged in court. But moves like the litigation task force could still throw up roadblocks to states regulating AI.

Punchbowl News reported on Wednesday that the executive order is the White House’s backup plan should Congress fail to pass a state AI law moratorium, this time via the upcoming reauthorization of the National Defense Authorization Act — a bill that absolutely must pass in order for the government to fund its national security apparatus.

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Earlier this year, Congress attempted to slip a moratorium into a draft of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” that laid out the spending for his second-term agenda, but it failed after a bipartisan group of senators voiced opposition to the act. Earlier this week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told Punchbowl News that Congress was considering a second run at a moratorium by attaching it to the NDAA.

But just like the Big Beautiful Bill fight, a moratorium buried inside the NDAA’s passage might run into opposition particularly if the punishment is the same: the withholding of rural broadband funding. “The real question is, how big of a grant does it take to put pressure on state lawmakers to change their AI regulations?” Adam Thierer, a senior fellow at the R Street Institute who had initiated the concept of an AI moratorium, told The Verge. “This came up in the previous moratorium fight and some people worried that California would just ignore BEAD-related budget threats, for example. It might take multiple budget revocations or limitations to really put pressure on a state as big as California.”

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Perseverance rover spots mysterious ‘visitor from outer space’ rock on Mars surface after 4 years

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Perseverance rover spots mysterious ‘visitor from outer space’ rock on Mars surface after 4 years

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NASA’s Perseverance rover may have stumbled on a visitor from outer space – a strange, shiny rock on Mars that scientists think could be a meteorite forged in the heart of an ancient asteroid.

According to a new blog post on the rover’s mission page, the rock – nicknamed “Phippsaksla” – stood out from the flat, broken terrain around it, prompting NASA scientists to take a closer look.

Tests revealed high levels of iron and nickel, the same elements found in meteorites that have crashed onto both Mars and Earth.

While this isn’t the first time a rover has spotted a metallic rock on Mars, it could be the first for Perseverance. Earlier missions – including Curiosity, Opportunity, and Spirit – discovered iron-nickel meteorites scattered across the Martian surface, making it all the more surprising that Perseverance hadn’t seen one until now, NASA said.

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MASSIVE ASTEROID BIGGER THAN A SKYSCRAPER HEADING TOWARD EARTH AT 24,000 MPH

NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered a shiny metallic rock that scientists believe could be a meteorite forged in the heart of an ancient asteroid. (NASA via Getty Images)

Now, just beyond the crater’s rim, the rover may have finally found one – a metallic rock perched on ancient impact-formed bedrock. If confirmed, the discovery would place Perseverance alongside the other Mars rovers that have examined fragments of cosmic visitors to the red planet.

To learn more about the rock, the team aimed Perseverance’s SuperCam – an instrument that fires a laser to analyze a target’s chemical makeup – at Phippsaksla. The readings showed unusually high levels of iron and nickel, a combination NASA said strongly suggests a meteorite origin.

Mounted atop the rover’s mast, SuperCam uses its laser to vaporize tiny bits of material, so sensors can detect the elements inside from several meters away.

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SCIENTISTS SPOT SKYSCRAPER-SIZED ASTEROID RACING THROUGH SOLAR SYSTEM

The shiny rock nicknamed “Phippsaksla,” discovered by NASA’s Perseverance rover, showed high levels of iron and nickel consistent with meteorites found on Mars and Earth. (NASA)

The finding is significant, NASA noted, because iron and nickel are typically found together only in meteorites formed deep within ancient asteroids – not in native Martian rocks.

If confirmed, Phippsaksla would join a long list of meteorites identified by earlier missions, including Curiosity’s “Lebanon” and “Cacao” finds, as well as metallic fragments spotted by Opportunity and Spirit. NASA said each discovery has helped scientists better understand how meteorites interact with the Martian surface over time.

Because Phippsaksla sits atop impact-formed bedrock outside Jezero crater, NASA scientists said its location could offer clues about how the rock formed and how it ended up there.

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MASSIVE COMET ZOOMING THROUGH SOLAR SYSTEM COULD BE ALIEN TECHNOLOGY, HARVARD ASTROPHYSICIST SAYS

NASA scientists say the metallic rock spotted by Perseverance may be a meteorite formed deep within an ancient asteroid before crashing onto Mars. (NASA)

For now, the agency said its team is continuing to study Phippsaksla’s unusual makeup to confirm whether it truly came from beyond Mars.

If proven to be a meteorite, the find would mark a long-awaited milestone for Perseverance – and another reminder that even on a planet 140 million miles away, there are still surprises waiting in the dust.

Perseverance, NASA’s most advanced robot to date, traveled 293 million miles to reach Mars after launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida on July 30, 2020. It touched down in Jezero crater on Feb. 18, 2021, where it has spent nearly four years searching for signs of ancient microbial life and exploring the planet’s surface.

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Built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the $2.7 billion rover is about 10 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 7 feet tall – roughly 278 pounds heavier than its predecessor, Curiosity. 

Powered by a plutonium generator, Perseverance carries seven scientific instruments, a seven-foot robotic arm, and a rock drill that allows it to collect samples that could one day return to Earth.

 The mission will also help NASA prepare for future human exploration of Mars in the 2030s.

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Porsche crowns Cayenne Electric ‘most powerful production Porsche of all time’

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Porsche crowns Cayenne Electric ‘most powerful production Porsche of all time’

It’s no surprise that the Porsche Cayenne EV is a beast. Of course the famed German automaker would tout its all-electric SUV as “the most powerful,” the quickest — both off the line and in a charging stall — and record-setting in so many ways. The question remains: how beastly are we talking?

Now, thankfully, the Cayenne Electric is coming more into focus. Today, the new Cayenne is officially joining the existing lineup of gas and hybrid Caynne powertrains to round out what the automaker is calling “a new era for Porsche.”

It makes sense that Porsche would be trying to turn a new page. After all, this is an automaker long touted as the epitome of German engineering prowess that presently finds itself mired in a crisis. US tariffs, plus an unrelenting price war in China, has fueled steep losses at Porsche, including a $1.1 billion operating loss in the third quarter alone. And EV sales, especially in the luxury segment, are looking increasingly fraught in the current environment.

Can the Cayenne Electric help turn things around? The specs alone certainly suggest a paradigm shift may be under way: up to 850kW (1,139hp) of power, 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds, a top speed of 162mph and, under ideal conditions, up to 400kW charging power, for a 10-80 percent state of charge in just 18 minutes. The Cayenne Electric will be the first electric Porsche to support inductive charging. When parked above a floor plate, the EV can charge at speeds of up to 11kW.

At launch, the electric SUV will come in two variants: Cayenne Electric, starting at $111,350 (including destination charge); and the $165,350 Cayenne Turbo Electric. Clearly, these are not the affordable EVs that we were promised, nor do they pretend to be. After all, it’s Porsche.

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As such, there’s a lot of go-fast ingenuity built into the Cayenne Electric. In addition to an output of 1,139hp, the dual-motor SUV is capable of 1,106lb-ft of torque when Launch Control is activated. In normal driving mode, up to 630kW (844hp) is available. And with a Push-to-Pass function, an additional 130kW (173hp) can be activated for 10 seconds at the push of a button. The standard model has 300kW (402hp) in normal operation and 325kW (435hp) and 615lb-ft of torque in Launch Control. This version can gallop from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds with a top track speed of 143mph.

But the Cayenne Electric won’t just be a beast on the track. Porsche is also claiming that the new SUV will be able to tow up to 3.5 tons, or 7,716lbs — when properly equipped. The automaker has been teasing this insane capability for a while now, but it still bears repeating: 3.5 tons. That’s more than a Toyota Tacoma.

The automaker is making a lot of hay of its traction control and suspension system. The Cayenne Electric will be the first SUV to get Active Ride, the hydraulic suspension system found on the Taycan and Panamera. And the adaptive air suspension is fitted as standard on both models. And the Turbo trim features Porsche’s torque vectoring limited-slip rear differential.

Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, the Cayenne Electric’s 113kWh battery pack can be replenished at speeds up to 400kW (if you can find a charger that meets that specification). The Cayenne Electric will come equipped with a Tesla Supercharger/NACS fast-charging port on the driver-side rear fender, and a CCS/AC-only charging port on the passenger-side rear fender.

Most Cayenne owners will likely charge at home, and for that, Porsche has a new inductive charging pad for those that prefer to do their charging wirelessly. The charging pad made its debut at IAA Mobility in Munich earlier this year, though Porsche has yet to announce a price. Once the electric Cayenne is parked in the correct position over a plate on the ground, it can accept a charge from another plate underneath its body.

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We’ve already covered the Cayenne Electric’s unique interior design. Yes, I’m talking about the bending screen. Porsche calls it the Flow Display, a vertically installed screen that curves toward the bottom. It’s the largest screen ever to be featured in a Porsche and it will run on Porsche’s all new operating system, which the automaker claims will “flow” harmoniously throughout the vehicle’s interior.

Porsche didn’t provide measurements for the Flow Display, but it said that it would be bookended by a 14.25-inch OLED instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch optional passenger display. Considering Porsche is on tap to receive Apple’s newly immersive CarPlay Ultra, one wonders how phone mirroring will work with this massive curved display.

There will also be a heads-up display that simulates an “87-inch display area 10 meters in front of the vehicle.” But before you go complaining about an overreliance on digital controls, Porsche says that frequently used functions, such as HVAC and volume control, are analog. And a hand rest called the “Ferry pad” has been developed to help the driver operate digital and analog controls ergonomically.

Porsche claims the new Cayenne prioritizes driver engagement with a new AI-powered voice assistant, which can “reliably” understand complex instructions and spontaneous follow-up questions without repeating the activation word. The voice assistant controls climate, seat heating, and ambient lighting, while also recognizing addresses, points of interest, and traffic information.

The Cayenne Electric and Turbo Electric are available to order now, with customer deliveries expected in summer 2026.

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