Technology
The Verge’s 2024 back-to-school gift guide
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25523895/247164_Back_To_School_GG_PGuest_LEDE_2040x1360.jpg?ssl=1 "The Verge’s 2024 back-to-school gift guide")
Maruman Mnemosyne N196 B6 Notepad
A simple, compact notepad is like a trusted companion, one that can help you get your thoughts and tasks in order. The real, functional beauty of this Maruman Mnemosyne notebook is its top-oriented spiral binding, which makes it lay flat and offers corner-to-corner writability, even for southpaws.
Price: $5.40+
Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 5K + Stand
If you own a MagSafe-compatible iPhone, you’re doing yourself a disservice by pairing it with an old-fashioned power bank that relies solely on cables. All you need to do with Belkin’s portable charger is slap it onto the back of your phone, providing you with enough juice to recharge even a Max-sized iPhone while on the go. The kickstand and fun color options are just a bonus.
Price: $30.71+
Timbuk2 Custom Prospect Backpack
Choosing a bag you will carry with you all day, every day, for years to come can be tough. Timbuk2 offers deep customization options for its 22-liter Prospect Backpack, however, allowing you to pick the colors for up to six exterior panels. Needless to say, you can go full peacock with vivid hues or as subdued and sleek as you’d like.
Price: $112.59+
Beats Studio Pro
Noise-canceling headphones can help you focus by suppressing distracting sounds, and the Beats Studio Pro are a good choice for anyone who doesn’t want to be locked into a single ecosystem. They offer good sound, a helpful transparency mode designed to let the outside world in, and most importantly, native support for both iOS and Android features.
Price: $179.95+
Steam Deck OLED
The Steam Deck OLED is the perfect way to relieve stress between classes. Valve’s handheld PC plays all sorts of games, ranging from a vast array of indies to even some open-world 3D titles like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. It certainly beats trying to play games on a school-assigned Mac or Chromebook, so long as you can keep the procrastination to a minimum.
Price: $549+
Majohn A1 “Moonman” retractable fountain pen
The real OG of retractable fountain pens is Pilot’s Vanishing Point (which you should get if you can afford its very high price), but this imitator is a fine substitute for us normies. The Majohn A1 writes great and makes note-taking or journaling with a traditional pen speedier and more casual, namely because its steel nib appears with a satisfyingly quick click.
Price: $36.79
Logitech MX Vertical wireless mouse
Hand and wrist pain, often a result of marathon computer sessions, can really put a hamper on your work. The Logitech MX Vertical may not pull double duty for gaming like most wireless mice, but its tilted, upright positioning can help prevent those long days doing research at the library from coming back to haunt you.
Price: $81.99+
Owala FreeSip water bottle (40-ounce)
Owala’s insulated bottles keep drinks chilled all day, and their swing-top lid keeps dirt off the spout while concealing a hidden internal straw for easy sipping. It’s kind of like you’re getting the best parts of a conventional water bottle and those uber-popular Stanley cups, all without feeling like you’re succumbing to another trend that may one day age like milk.
Price: $32.94+
Apple AirTag
If you’re an iPhone user, Apple’s AirTags are a great way to help find your keys, backpack, or handbag should you ever misplace them. Those textbooks cost enough money as it is — you don’t want to have to buy them twice.
Price: $22.99+
Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is an easy choice among e-readers for just about anyone. It has a massive ecosystem of books, an easy-to-read 6.8-inch display with adjustable warmth for nighttime reading, and a battery that can easily last a month. It’s even waterproof, allowing for a bit of poolside reading or, at the very least, some “oops” protection.
Price: $149.99
Glocusent Book Light
Late-night cram sessions can be a huge strain on your eyes, especially if you don’t want to turn on the lights and disturb your jerk of a roommate who had the audacity to get their studying done on time. Thankfully, Glocusent’s ultra-nerdy Book Light is a subtle, low-light alternative that’s not nearly as limiting as a clip-on book light.
Price: $17.99+
2024 MacBook Air (13-inch)
Regardless of what Google might tell you, Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the quintessential student laptop. The M3 machine offers a great display and enough battery life to get through a full day of classes, along with enough performance headroom to tackle everyday tasks and light creative work for years to come.
Price: $849.98+
Keychron V1 Max mechanical keyboard
If you’re a student, chances are you’re going to spend countless hours tap-tap-tapping away at a keyboard. So, why not make the experience as enjoyable as possible with a touch of nerdy fun? The Keychron V1 Max may be the best gateway into mechanical keyboards we’ve seen, with satisfying typing feel and sound, hot-swappable switches, and loads of customizability.
Price: $94+
Apple EarPods (USB-C)
Wireless earbuds are great, but sometimes, dealing with a small wire feels easier than dealing with another rechargeable battery. Apple’s basic USB-C EarPods work with just about any current phone, tablet, or laptop — even those without a 3.5mm audio jack. What’s more, the mic on these cheap-o buds sounds better than what you might get with a premium pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Price: $17+
League of Lexicon
Fool the kids into learning with League of Lexicon, which is kind of like if Trivial Pursuit was all about words, languages, and their origins. It’s also a beautifully designed quiz game, with terrific art and an easy learning curve for kids as young as 10 years old.
Price: $39.99
Samsung Portable SSD T7 (1TB)
Storing precious files and documents between classes is not something to be taken lightly, as data loss can be a nightmare. Samsung’s portable T7 drive is a good balance of speed, reliability, and price. The aluminum-clad SSD offers plug-and-play functionality for both Windows and macOS machines, as well as iPads.
Price: $99.99+
Philips Hue Solo Lightstrip (10-foot)
In terms of design, dorm rooms range from the mundane to giving off borderline-prison vibes. Luckily, a simple LED strip is an easy way to make things feel cozier and more dramatic. The Philips Hue Solo Lightstrip tucks behind or around furniture and can mimic the warmth of the sun (or any hue) throughout the day, making it easy to add a splash of light to any space.
Price: $54.34+
8BitDo Retro 18 Mechanical Numpad
When you account for laptops, most keyboards have done away with the classic number pad. But what if it returned as a wireless, ambidextrous numpad that also happened to function as a standalone calculator? That’s what 8BitDo has built with this lovely bit of retro-styled tech, which flaunts classic IBM colors and clicky mechanical switches.
Price: $44.99
Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag
Nobody should have to lug their dirty laundry home or to the laundromat in a plastic trash bag, especially when a simple backpack like Azhido’s does the job for so little. The inexpensive, jumbo-sized bag features both backpack straps and tote handles, rendering it a useful tool for the cleaners or your next trip to the beach.
Price: $22.49+
JisuLife Handheld Fan Life8
JisuLife’s portable, folding USB fan has a rechargeable battery that will keep you cool for hours, whether you’re holding it or using its built-in stand to prop it up on a table. Plus, it looks like a cute little bear when packed up to throw in your purse or bag. I don’t think you can ask for much more from such a cool cub.
Price: $14.39+
Ninja Air Fryer (AF101 Series)
Campus life can be rife with food waste from the dining hall, but you don’t have to let those leftovers go unloved. Instead, use a reheating method that best preserves the taste and texture. An air fryer is basically just a small convection oven, which makes it perfect for dorm / apartment living — because nobody wants soggy french fries or mushy pizza.
Price: $89.99+
Nespresso Vertuo Pop Plus
Sometimes, group discussions and late-night cram sessions call for more than the occasional cup of the black stuff. A Nespresso machine may sound like a bit of a luxury, but it will feel well worth it when you’re running on fumes during finals week and have both coffee and espresso at your fingertips.
Price: $99.99+
Fitbit Ace LTE
Google’s new Fitbit Ace LTE gives parents some peace of mind with GPS tracking and a selection of fun, step-activated games that motivate your child to keep moving. The smartwatch requires a $9.99 monthly subscription, but at least it doesn’t require you to go through a carrier or purchase your kid a phone before they’re ready.
Price: $229.95
PlanetBox lunch box
Making sure the kiddos actually eat the lunch you’re sending them to school with is no small feat. That being said, your little learners are sure to take some pride in brown-bagging it if you let them customize their tray and lunch bag with a custom-ordered PlanetBox (and magnet pack).
Price: $25.46+
Votes for Women board game
Help teach a youngin’ how history isn’t boring at all when you interact with it and see how it relates to you today. Votes for Women is an upcoming card game based in the women’s suffrage movement of the US, allowing for some light education that can be played either competitively or cooperatively.
Price: $74.99+
Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port GaN Charger
Rechargeable batteries power much of our lives these days, and this satechi charger can handle just about everything for both work and play. Plug this 200W-capable hub into a wall outlet at your desk and you’ve got six lovely USB-C ports at your disposal to power everything from your laptop to your phone and all the odds and ends.
Price: $149.99
Python Flash Cards
Study up your STEM with these Python programming flash cards. These 101 cards quiz you on syntax, vocabulary, and more in the versatile programming language. The beginner-friendly cards are great for light and quick study sessions to help keep you sharp.
Price: $21.63+
OpenAI announced yet another reorganization Friday, consolidating certain areas and making company president Greg Brockman the official lead of all things product.
In a memo viewed by The Verge, Brockman wrote that since OpenAI’s product strategy for this year is to go all-in on AI agents, the company is combining its products to “invest in a single agentic platform and to merge ChatGPT and Codex into one unified agentic experience for all.”
To do this, the company is making a suite of org chart changes, although it’s still operating under some of the same ones from last month. That’s when AGI boss Fidji Simo went on medical leave and OpenAI announced that Brockman would be in charge of product strategy and CSO Jason Kwon, CFO Sarah Friar, and CRO Denise Dresser would take control of business operations.
It’s all part of OpenAI’s recent strategic shift to focus on key revenue drivers like coding and enterprise and stop pouring resources into “side quests” ahead of its potential IPO later this year and amid investor pressure to turn a profit.
In Simo’s continued absence, Brockman’s role leading product strategy is now official, as well as the company’s “scaling” arm. Under Brockman will be four different pillars. The first is core product and platform, led by Thibault Sottiaux, who has been OpenAI’s engineering lead for Codex, and the second is critical enterprise industries, led by ChatGPT head Nick Turley. Third is the consumer pillar, such as health, commerce, and personal finance, which will be led by Ashley Alexander, who has been its healthcare products VP. The fourth pillar — core infrastructure, ads, data science, and growth — will be led by Vijaye Raji, who has been OpenAI’s CTO of applications.
Brockman wrote in the memo that OpenAI’s goal is now to “bring agents to ChatGPT scale, in order to give individuals and organizations significantly more value and utility from our products.”
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You’re going about your day when your phone buzzes. A text hits your phone. It looks official. It sounds urgent. And suddenly, you are being told you owe money for a traffic violation. That is exactly what Todd from Texas experienced. He emailed us and said:
“I received this text message today. It was so baffling because I haven’t lived in California for nearly a decade. I didn’t click on anything or respond. How can I tell if this is for real or if this is a scam?”
If you’ve gotten a message like this, you are not alone. This type of scam is spreading fast, and it is designed to pressure you into acting before you think. Let’s break down what is really going on.
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FAKE AGENT PHONE SCAMS ARE SPREADING FAST ACROSS THE US
This message may look official, but several red flags show it is likely a scam designed to pressure you into paying quickly. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What the traffic ticket scam text looks like
At first, the message seems convincing. It claims to be a “final reminder” from the California DMV, and it warns of penalties like license suspension and added fees. It even includes a link that appears somewhat official. However, once you slow down and take a closer look, the red flags quickly start to pile up.
The biggest red flags in this message
Here are the key warning signs to watch for in messages like this.
9 WAYS SCAMMERS CAN USE YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO TRY TO TRICK YOU
1) The phone number makes no sense
The message comes from a number with a +63 country code. That is the Philippines, not California. Government agencies in the U.S. do not send official legal notices from international numbers. That alone is a major warning sign.
2) No name, just “Dear Driver”
Legitimate notices from a DMV or court almost always include your full name or at least some identifying information. “Dear Driver” is vague on purpose. It allows scammers to send the same message to thousands of people.
3) The link isn’t a real DMV website
The message includes this link:
ca.mnvtl.life/dmv
That isn’t a government domain. Official DMV websites in California use “.ca.gov” or similar trusted domains. Scammers often create lookalike links to trick you into clicking.
4) Urgency and threats
The message pushes you to act quickly with a deadline. It lists consequences like license suspension and extra charges. Scammers rely on fear. When you feel rushed, you are more likely to click without thinking.
FBI WARNS OF DANGEROUS NEW ‘SMISHING’ SCAM TARGETING YOUR PHONE
5) Asking you to reply to proceed
The text says to reply with “Y” to get instructions. That is another trap. Responding confirms your number is active, which can lead to more scam messages.
6) Generic language and odd phrasing
Parts of the message feel slightly off. The tone is formal but not quite right. That subtle awkwardness is common in scam messages sent to large groups of people.
7) Overloaded threats designed to scare you
The message piles on consequences like license suspension, added fees, court action and even credit damage. In this case, it even mentions a license suspension and a $160 late payment charge. That combination is meant to overwhelm you and push you to act fast. Real agencies usually provide clear, specific notices, not a long list of escalating threats in a single text.
INSIDE A SCAMMER’S DAY AND HOW THEY TARGET YOU
Scam texts like this often arrive out of nowhere and try to create urgency before you have time to question them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What this means for you
Even if you have never driven in California, you could still receive this message. Scammers cast a wide net and hope someone takes the bait. If you click the link, you could be taken to a fake payment page. That page may ask for your credit card details, personal information or login credentials. In some cases, it can also install malware on your device or redirect you to credential-stealing pages. This isn’t about a ticket. It is about getting your data. State DMVs typically do not send final legal notices or payment demands by text message.
Why these scams keep working
These messages work because they tap into something most people fear. Legal trouble, fines and losing driving privileges. They also look just real enough to pass a quick glance. That is all scammers need. As more services move online, these scams will continue to evolve.
Unlike typical DMV scams, this message impersonates a court and escalates the threats to make the situation feel more serious (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Ways to stay safe from traffic ticket text scams
Start with a simple rule. Never trust a payment request that shows up out of nowhere. Here are practical steps you can take:
1) Do not click the link
If you are unsure, do not tap anything in the message. That includes links and reply options.
2) Use strong antivirus software
If you accidentally click a link, strong antivirus software can help detect malware and protect your data. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
3) Verify directly with the DMV
Go to your state’s official DMV website by typing it yourself into your browser. Do not use the link in the text.
4) Check the sender carefully
Look at the phone number. International numbers or random strings are a clear warning sign.
5) Ignore generic greetings
Real notices will usually include your name or case details. Vague language is a red flag.
6) Consider a data removal service
Scammers often get your number from data broker sites. Removing your personal info from those databases with a data removal service can reduce these messages. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
7) Block and report the number
On your phone, block the sender and report it as spam. This helps reduce future attempts.
8) Turn on spam filtering
Enable spam filtering on your phone or through your carrier to catch more of these messages before they reach you.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Todd did the right thing. He paused, questioned the message and did not click. That one decision likely saved him from handing over personal information. When it comes to messages like this, skepticism is your best defense. If something feels off, trust that instinct.
Should phone carriers and tech companies be doing more to block scams like this before you ever see them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda’s first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.
In March, Honda announced it would take a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments. Now Honda says its EV-related losses will be “resolved” by 2029, and that it will reevaluate its EV plans in 2030.
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