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Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Leave the computer, take the hard drive. However sentimental you feel about that old computer (or seven) you’re hanging on to, maybe you’ve decided you can’t take it with you the next time you move. Maybe it doesn’t boot. Maybe it’s so old, it doesn’t connect to the internet. If you want to save whatever is on the hard drive, you don’t need your old PC to work or connect to the internet. All you need is a screwdriver and a compatible plug-and-play storage drive dock or adapter.
The process is simple: remove the drive from your old computer, look at its size and connector type, and then buy the appropriate adapter. You might need to research how to remove the storage drive from your specific device, but the older the device, the easier it should be — and it’s almost certainly a lot easier than a cloud transfer.
I can’t transfer my files to the cloud?!
You can use the cloud, but it’s an unnecessary hassle, and the older your computer, the bigger the hassle. Bandwidth, Wi-Fi, software compatibility, and more all become unavoidable obstacles.
Wi-Fi 5 and up is backward-compatible, but your wireless upload speed will only be as fast as your oldest device. You can use ethernet if your old computer has it, but the same issue applies. Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud storage desktop applications are only compatible with Windows 10 or macOS Catalina 10.15.7 and up. Same deal with web browsers. (Dropbox, surprisingly, supports all the way back to Windows 7.)

Even if those issues didn’t exist, you’ll still spend the equivalent of a good adapter or external drive just on cloud storage in several months or less — and you’ll keep paying or else get locked out of your data. If your computer has a working USB port (USB 2.0 or newer), transferring everything to an external drive might make the most sense. But again, cost is a factor. So use a dock or adapter; they’re the ibuprofen of preventing data transfer headaches.
How do I get the storage out of my old computer?
Desktops usually have a straightforward way to access storage, even across generations and brands. Laptops are where things can be tricky, so I recommend searching iFixit’s repair guide to find specific steps for your computer. However, there are a couple of things to look for that can tell you how easy it will be to access and remove a storage drive.
Drive bays
On a desktop, look for what resemble small metal cubby holes, either stacked vertically on one side or laying side by side on the bottom. You’ll need to remove the entire shell casing, or just a panel or two, to get to your drive. But once you’re there, unscrew the drive from its cubby (if needed), unplug all the attached cables, and pull it out.
For my IBM PS/Valuepoint 433DX/D, I slid the entire shell casing off, removed the center support, and then unplugged the storage drive before I unscrewed it from the bay. The entire process took me less than five minutes.
Access panels
Some older laptops have small removable panels that cover the storage drive, a wonderful DIY feature from the “old days.” If you see one of those screwed into the bottom of your laptop, unscrew it, remove it, disconnect the cable from the storage drive, and pull it out.
There’s one on my Asus UL80J laptop, and it took me half the amount of time to remove the drive from that laptop compared to my old IBM.
What if I have a Mac?
It takes a lot more time to remove a storage drive from a Mac in general, but it can be done. Again, I recommend looking to iFixit for your model’s exact steps. The process isn’t as cut-and-dried as a PC and can vary widely between generations.
What storage is in my old laptop or desktop?
You can tell what type of storage drive you have just by looking at its size, shape, and connector pins. (They are all easy to tell apart.) What follows is a rundown of the type of storage drives your old computer will probably have based on when the computer itself was released.
Note: the date ranges below are based generally on when each standard was introduced and when it fell out of popularity or became obsolete. It’s absolutely possible for someone to have a computer from, say, 2017 that has a SATA HDD. (My old Lenovo Legion Y720 gaming laptop had one.)

This is the 40-pin, 3.5-inch PATA HDD from my 1994 IBM desktop PC.

HDD (PATA): 1986–2003
Originally called AT Attachment, Parallel ATA (PATA) lasted from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. If you have an old IBM, it’s most likely going to have a PATA port and a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) with the same type of connector. While there were plenty of hard drives of all different sizes during those eras, those two were the most commonly used HDD sizes in desktops.
PATA is also known as IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics. It was Western Digital’s name for its HDD connector, and a lot of ’80s and ’90s Compaq computers used its IDE drives, but they were compatible with IBM PCs because their connectors were exactly the same. The two terms are still used interchangeably.

A 2.5-inch SATA HDD from a 2010 laptop (top) and a 3.5-inch SATA HDD from a 2014 desktop (bottom).

HDD (SATA): 2003–2010
This connection standard was introduced in 2003, and five years later, PATA / IDE was obsolete. If your computer came out between 2003 and 2010, it most likely has an HDD with a Serial AT Attachment (SATA) connection. Laptops got the 2.5-inch HDD versions while desktops got the 3.5-inch versions, although the 2.5-inch drives were compatible with both due to their size.
Like PATA, the 3.5-inch SATA HDD will need its own power source. All you need for a 2.5-inch drive is a simple USB adapter, but plenty of hard drive docks are compatible with that smaller form factor.
SSD (SATA): 2010–2014
The 2.5-inch SATA solid-state drives (SSD) were commonly used in laptops and desktops during this time. The more modern ones have sleek case housing, so they look cooler. Some modern desktop cases still come with dedicated bays for these drives, too.
But most important: SSDs use NAND flash, or nonvolatile flash memory, which made them capable of running much faster than HDDs. And until M.2 SSDs became more common (see the next section), SATA SSDs were cheaper. For a short period of time, there was a single type of standardized storage device that worked in most consumer-focused desktops and laptops.
There was also the Mini-SATA (mSATA) drive, introduced in 2009. It was a better choice for laptops based on its size, but by the mid-2010s, it was superseded by M.2 SSDs.

M.2 SSDs have similar flat pins to SATA drives, but their physical size is much smaller.

SSD (M.2): 2014–present
Originally dubbed Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), M.2 SSDs are the current standard for laptops and desktops. They slot into a specific PCI express (PCIe) port on the motherboard, and the most common size is the 2280, which is the size of a stick of gum. M.2 SSDs didn’t start showing up in laptops and desktops until 2014, but the ones we have today are twice as fast.
But I have a Mac…
If you have a Mac that predates 2010, you’ll have the easiest time finding a compatible dock or adapter; Apple used the same storage standards as Windows machines. But starting with the late 2010 MacBook Air, Apple began putting its “blade” SSD drives with proprietary pin connectors in its computers. It also didn’t evenly sync the rollout between all of its Macs.
In all, Apple created four proprietary pin connections that were used across its laptops and desktops. That’s why some Mac-specific storage adapters, like the OWC Envoy Pro, are only compatible with specific Mac devices from specific years. iFixit sells an external enclosure for mid-2013 through mid-2015 Macs, but it’s $100.
If you have a Mac, I recommend researching what specific drive it has — and if an adapter actually exists — before you remove the storage.
Should I get a dock or an adapter?
If you have a 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, you can use a simple USB adapter. Those from Sabrent, StarTech, and Vantec are great affordable options. If you have a 3.5-inch PATA or SATA HDD, you can use either an adapter or dock, but the latter must have a power cable since these types of drives need their own power source to turn on.
Some adapters and docks can accommodate both drive sizes, like these Sabrent, Insignia, and Thermaltake docks. This adapter from Unitek has its own power source and supports both PATA / SATA and HDD / SSD storage types. (Some PATA adapters and docks use the IDE acronym instead of PATA in their online listings, so just be mindful of that when you are looking for one to buy.)
These from Graugear or Mokin are good choices for the M.2s. The USB adapters for mSATA drives are usually bare-bones (they don’t have an enclosure), but they are still a good option.

On top is the 2.5-inch laptop HDD connected to a USB adapter. The 3.5-inch desktop HDD is inside of a USB dock.

What if my HDD or SSD is encrypted?
If you know the age of your computer and its operating system, decrypting your storage drive could either be an easy process or it could make you weep into your keyboard. Start by figuring out which version of Windows or macOS you have, and that will usually tell you if the storage drive is software- or hardware-encrypted.
Software encryption
If you have a computer with or prior to Windows XP (2001) or Mac OS X 10.2 (2002), the encryption is most likely software based. If you know what third-party software was used — and you know the key or password — you can decrypt the drive on the original computer if it still works and has the original software installed. Some popular programs at the time were TrueCrypt, SafeGuard PrivateDisk, and BitLocker To Go. (There is an extensive list on Wikipedia if none of those ring a bell.)
BitLocker To Go Reader came to Windows XP with Service Pack 2, which eliminated the need for third-party software. If you encrypted the drive with BitLocker, the reader software should have been automatically installed on the drive itself. If you forgot your password, you’ll need your BitLocker recovery key.
Hardware encryption
Hardware-based encryption, or TPM (Trusted Platform Module) for Windows and FileVault for macOS, was first introduced in the mid-2000s; if you have Windows Vista or OS X 10.3, or any later version, the storage encryption is most likely hardware based.
For Windows Vista through Windows 8.1 with TPM 1.2, the decryption process should be simple: turn off BitLocker Drive Encryption in the OS settings, and it will automatically start decrypting the storage drive. Then restart your computer and check to see if you can access the files. The process is the same for TPM 2.0-enabled computers with Windows 8.1 and later.
For Macs with FileVault or FileVault 2, the process is the same: turn off FileVault in the security and privacy settings, enter your administrator password (if needed), and the decryption process will begin. Restart your computer and then check to see if the process worked.
What if I don’t have the original computer to decrypt the drive?
You can still plug the drive into your current computer and decrypt from there. The same information and processes I mentioned above still apply: check for the necessary software or hardware and platform compatibility and availability, have your administrator password or recovery key handy, and make sure you have administrator privileges on your computer.
Photography by Joanna Nelius / The Verge

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Leave the computer, take the hard drive.

However sentimental you feel about that old computer (or seven) you’re hanging on to, maybe you’ve decided you can’t take it with you the next time you move. Maybe it doesn’t boot. Maybe it’s so old, it doesn’t connect to the internet. If you want to save whatever is on the hard drive, you don’t need your old PC to work or connect to the internet. All you need is a screwdriver and a compatible plug-and-play storage drive dock or adapter.

The process is simple: remove the drive from your old computer, look at its size and connector type, and then buy the appropriate adapter. You might need to research how to remove the storage drive from your specific device, but the older the device, the easier it should be — and it’s almost certainly a lot easier than a cloud transfer.

I can’t transfer my files to the cloud?!

You can use the cloud, but it’s an unnecessary hassle, and the older your computer, the bigger the hassle. Bandwidth, Wi-Fi, software compatibility, and more all become unavoidable obstacles.

Wi-Fi 5 and up is backward-compatible, but your wireless upload speed will only be as fast as your oldest device. You can use ethernet if your old computer has it, but the same issue applies. Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud storage desktop applications are only compatible with Windows 10 or macOS Catalina 10.15.7 and up. Same deal with web browsers. (Dropbox, surprisingly, supports all the way back to Windows 7.)

Even if those issues didn’t exist, you’ll still spend the equivalent of a good adapter or external drive just on cloud storage in several months or less — and you’ll keep paying or else get locked out of your data. If your computer has a working USB port (USB 2.0 or newer), transferring everything to an external drive might make the most sense. But again, cost is a factor. So use a dock or adapter; they’re the ibuprofen of preventing data transfer headaches.

How do I get the storage out of my old computer?

Desktops usually have a straightforward way to access storage, even across generations and brands. Laptops are where things can be tricky, so I recommend searching iFixit’s repair guide to find specific steps for your computer. However, there are a couple of things to look for that can tell you how easy it will be to access and remove a storage drive.

Drive bays

On a desktop, look for what resemble small metal cubby holes, either stacked vertically on one side or laying side by side on the bottom. You’ll need to remove the entire shell casing, or just a panel or two, to get to your drive. But once you’re there, unscrew the drive from its cubby (if needed), unplug all the attached cables, and pull it out.

For my IBM PS/Valuepoint 433DX/D, I slid the entire shell casing off, removed the center support, and then unplugged the storage drive before I unscrewed it from the bay. The entire process took me less than five minutes.

Access panels

Some older laptops have small removable panels that cover the storage drive, a wonderful DIY feature from the “old days.” If you see one of those screwed into the bottom of your laptop, unscrew it, remove it, disconnect the cable from the storage drive, and pull it out.

There’s one on my Asus UL80J laptop, and it took me half the amount of time to remove the drive from that laptop compared to my old IBM.

What if I have a Mac?

It takes a lot more time to remove a storage drive from a Mac in general, but it can be done. Again, I recommend looking to iFixit for your model’s exact steps. The process isn’t as cut-and-dried as a PC and can vary widely between generations.

What storage is in my old laptop or desktop?

You can tell what type of storage drive you have just by looking at its size, shape, and connector pins. (They are all easy to tell apart.) What follows is a rundown of the type of storage drives your old computer will probably have based on when the computer itself was released.

Note: the date ranges below are based generally on when each standard was introduced and when it fell out of popularity or became obsolete. It’s absolutely possible for someone to have a computer from, say, 2017 that has a SATA HDD. (My old Lenovo Legion Y720 gaming laptop had one.)

This is the 40-pin, 3.5-inch PATA HDD from my 1994 IBM desktop PC.

HDD (PATA): 1986–2003

Originally called AT Attachment, Parallel ATA (PATA) lasted from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. If you have an old IBM, it’s most likely going to have a PATA port and a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) with the same type of connector. While there were plenty of hard drives of all different sizes during those eras, those two were the most commonly used HDD sizes in desktops.

PATA is also known as IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics. It was Western Digital’s name for its HDD connector, and a lot of ’80s and ’90s Compaq computers used its IDE drives, but they were compatible with IBM PCs because their connectors were exactly the same. The two terms are still used interchangeably.

A 2.5-inch SATA HDD from a 2010 laptop (top) and a 3.5-inch SATA HDD from a 2014 desktop (bottom).

HDD (SATA): 2003–2010

This connection standard was introduced in 2003, and five years later, PATA / IDE was obsolete. If your computer came out between 2003 and 2010, it most likely has an HDD with a Serial AT Attachment (SATA) connection. Laptops got the 2.5-inch HDD versions while desktops got the 3.5-inch versions, although the 2.5-inch drives were compatible with both due to their size.

Like PATA, the 3.5-inch SATA HDD will need its own power source. All you need for a 2.5-inch drive is a simple USB adapter, but plenty of hard drive docks are compatible with that smaller form factor.

SSD (SATA): 2010–2014

The 2.5-inch SATA solid-state drives (SSD) were commonly used in laptops and desktops during this time. The more modern ones have sleek case housing, so they look cooler. Some modern desktop cases still come with dedicated bays for these drives, too.

But most important: SSDs use NAND flash, or nonvolatile flash memory, which made them capable of running much faster than HDDs. And until M.2 SSDs became more common (see the next section), SATA SSDs were cheaper. For a short period of time, there was a single type of standardized storage device that worked in most consumer-focused desktops and laptops.

There was also the Mini-SATA (mSATA) drive, introduced in 2009. It was a better choice for laptops based on its size, but by the mid-2010s, it was superseded by M.2 SSDs.

M.2 SSDs have similar flat pins to SATA drives, but their physical size is much smaller.

SSD (M.2): 2014–present

Originally dubbed Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), M.2 SSDs are the current standard for laptops and desktops. They slot into a specific PCI express (PCIe) port on the motherboard, and the most common size is the 2280, which is the size of a stick of gum. M.2 SSDs didn’t start showing up in laptops and desktops until 2014, but the ones we have today are twice as fast.

But I have a Mac…

If you have a Mac that predates 2010, you’ll have the easiest time finding a compatible dock or adapter; Apple used the same storage standards as Windows machines. But starting with the late 2010 MacBook Air, Apple began putting its “blade” SSD drives with proprietary pin connectors in its computers. It also didn’t evenly sync the rollout between all of its Macs.

In all, Apple created four proprietary pin connections that were used across its laptops and desktops. That’s why some Mac-specific storage adapters, like the OWC Envoy Pro, are only compatible with specific Mac devices from specific years. iFixit sells an external enclosure for mid-2013 through mid-2015 Macs, but it’s $100.

If you have a Mac, I recommend researching what specific drive it has — and if an adapter actually exists — before you remove the storage.

Should I get a dock or an adapter?

If you have a 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, you can use a simple USB adapter. Those from Sabrent, StarTech, and Vantec are great affordable options. If you have a 3.5-inch PATA or SATA HDD, you can use either an adapter or dock, but the latter must have a power cable since these types of drives need their own power source to turn on.

Some adapters and docks can accommodate both drive sizes, like these Sabrent, Insignia, and Thermaltake docks. This adapter from Unitek has its own power source and supports both PATA / SATA and HDD / SSD storage types. (Some PATA adapters and docks use the IDE acronym instead of PATA in their online listings, so just be mindful of that when you are looking for one to buy.)

These from Graugear or Mokin are good choices for the M.2s. The USB adapters for mSATA drives are usually bare-bones (they don’t have an enclosure), but they are still a good option.

On top is the 2.5-inch laptop HDD connected to a USB adapter. The 3.5-inch desktop HDD is inside of a USB dock.

What if my HDD or SSD is encrypted?

If you know the age of your computer and its operating system, decrypting your storage drive could either be an easy process or it could make you weep into your keyboard. Start by figuring out which version of Windows or macOS you have, and that will usually tell you if the storage drive is software- or hardware-encrypted.

Software encryption

If you have a computer with or prior to Windows XP (2001) or Mac OS X 10.2 (2002), the encryption is most likely software based. If you know what third-party software was used — and you know the key or password — you can decrypt the drive on the original computer if it still works and has the original software installed. Some popular programs at the time were TrueCrypt, SafeGuard PrivateDisk, and BitLocker To Go. (There is an extensive list on Wikipedia if none of those ring a bell.)

BitLocker To Go Reader came to Windows XP with Service Pack 2, which eliminated the need for third-party software. If you encrypted the drive with BitLocker, the reader software should have been automatically installed on the drive itself. If you forgot your password, you’ll need your BitLocker recovery key.

Hardware encryption

Hardware-based encryption, or TPM (Trusted Platform Module) for Windows and FileVault for macOS, was first introduced in the mid-2000s; if you have Windows Vista or OS X 10.3, or any later version, the storage encryption is most likely hardware based.

For Windows Vista through Windows 8.1 with TPM 1.2, the decryption process should be simple: turn off BitLocker Drive Encryption in the OS settings, and it will automatically start decrypting the storage drive. Then restart your computer and check to see if you can access the files. The process is the same for TPM 2.0-enabled computers with Windows 8.1 and later.

For Macs with FileVault or FileVault 2, the process is the same: turn off FileVault in the security and privacy settings, enter your administrator password (if needed), and the decryption process will begin. Restart your computer and then check to see if the process worked.

What if I don’t have the original computer to decrypt the drive?

You can still plug the drive into your current computer and decrypt from there. The same information and processes I mentioned above still apply: check for the necessary software or hardware and platform compatibility and availability, have your administrator password or recovery key handy, and make sure you have administrator privileges on your computer.

Photography by Joanna Nelius / The Verge

Read More 

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

If you have a large collection of hardcover and paperback books, it can be hard to get rid of them — but not impossible. When my partner and I moved in together, we didn’t just have to combine furniture and posters and clothing but also two very large collections of books. Those collections have grown considerably since then, and should we ever have to make a move again, we’ll have a real problem on our hands. What to do with all those books?
Unfortunately, because so many people are now reading on phones, tablets, or portable reading devices like a Kindle, it can feel more difficult than it used to be to sell or give away physical books. But there are still places out there where you can pass on your used books. Here are some ways you can move your reading material along to someone else.
Sell books online
One solution is to sell your books. The first place you might think of is through a site such as Amazon, but that can get both complicated and frustrating. As an individual (as opposed to a business), you have to set up a seller’s account and pay Amazon 99 cents per book, a referral fee of 15 percent of the selling price, and a closing fee of $1.80 per item.

Screenshot: Powell’s
Selling your books online sounds like a good idea, but it may not be worth the trouble.

Luckily, there are alternatives. For example, at Powell’s, you enter the ISBN and the condition of the book(s), and you get back a quote. You then mail the books to them and reap your reward via PayPal. (Although it may not be worth the trouble — for a like-new hard copy of the 2010 novel All Clear by Connie Willis, I was offered $1.67.) AbeBooks is also a popular place to look for used books, but it deals mainly with professional sellers; fees for selling start at $25 a month.
If you have recent textbooks you don’t need anymore — and we all know how expensive those can get — you can try GoTextbooks. BookScouter will show you the prices offered by a variety of booksellers, along with user ratings, and you can choose which one to sell to.
Try used bookstores
Once upon a time, many cities and towns had bookstores that specialized in collecting and selling used books. Depending on where you live, there may still be shops that will either pay for used books, accept them for store credit, or just take them off your hands.
For example, Don Blyly runs Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis and says, “People are still buying and reading hardcover and softcover books. I estimate that about 3/4 of the books leaving the store are used books.” He adds that people often go to used bookstores not just to save money but to find out-of-print books by authors they have recently discovered.

Photo: Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore
There are still some old-fashioned used bookstores that might accept your books.

Besides Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore, which specialize in genre literature, Minneapolis also has stores such as Paperback Exchange, which offers customers trade credit for discounts on new and used books.
In NYC, you can try the well-known Strand bookstore, where you can get cash or store credit for up to 40 books. The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe accepts used books and clothing to help support people with HIV or AIDS. And at Sweet Pickle Books, if you donate books in person, you can exchange them for a jar of, yes, homemade pickles.
In other areas, you can see if one of the many Half Price Books stores is located near you; bring your books there and see what they’ll offer.
There are even quirky sources such as Connecticut’s The Traveler Restaurant, which offers free books with each meal (and will take your excess books as well).
Libraries
Libraries have traditionally been good places for people to unload books they no longer want. Many still take used books that they then add to their collections, sell for extra cash, or give away. Unfortunately, since the start of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, some have stopped that practice, so it’s a good idea to check with your library’s website or call ahead to make sure they accept donations.
Little Free Library
If you have some time on your hands, you can build your own library. Little Free Library is a program that helps individuals put up their own “take a book, leave a book” box right outside their homes, stores, or wherever they have permission. The Little Free Library site provides all the information necessary to either start a book distributing program or find one in your neighborhood where you can drop off a few of your own. (There’s even a mobile app.)

Photo: Little Free Library
A Little Free Library can be simple or imaginative.

Charities that accept book donations
There are still a number of charities that may take books, such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army or similar thrift stores. Whether they take books and what kind of books they accept can vary based on location, so check with your nearest thrift store or do a search online.
Other possibilities include:

Better World Books has drop boxes for your used books in a variety of locations throughout the US. It donates books and funds via a number of nonprofits and supports literacy projects.

Books Through Bars is based in Philadelphia and sends free books to incarcerated people. Check with the site to see what they are looking for and learn how to donate.

Operation Paperback sends books to US troops overseas as well as to their families and veterans at home. On the site, you can find out which books are being requested and where to send them.
The American Library Association has a page where it lists a number of places to donate books.
Another website that lists local resources for donating books is Local Book Donations.
You can also check with local homeless shelters or nursing homes. People who don’t have ready access to electronics or who are not comfortable reading from a screen may welcome a fresh source of reading material.

And finally, if none of these work for you, some of my neighbors simply put a box of books outside their home for passersby to check out. Just make sure it’s not going to rain.
If nothing else, recycle the paper
If nothing else works, then it’s time to consider recycling. As much as the idea of pulping a book feels, well, wrong, it’s better to recycle the paper than to just send it to the local dump.
Before dropping your books in your paper recycling bin, make sure you understand what’s accepted by your local recycling center. For the most part, paperback books are fine. However, hardcover books are not; the covers are not generally manufactured solely of paper and are therefore not recyclable — you’ll have to pull out the pages.
You can get more information on recycling books at a site called Earth911 or, again, from your local recycling center.
And now that you’ve sold, given away, or recycled your old books — well, you’ve got room for new ones, right?

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

If you have a large collection of hardcover and paperback books, it can be hard to get rid of them — but not impossible.

When my partner and I moved in together, we didn’t just have to combine furniture and posters and clothing but also two very large collections of books. Those collections have grown considerably since then, and should we ever have to make a move again, we’ll have a real problem on our hands. What to do with all those books?

Unfortunately, because so many people are now reading on phones, tablets, or portable reading devices like a Kindle, it can feel more difficult than it used to be to sell or give away physical books. But there are still places out there where you can pass on your used books. Here are some ways you can move your reading material along to someone else.

Sell books online

One solution is to sell your books. The first place you might think of is through a site such as Amazon, but that can get both complicated and frustrating. As an individual (as opposed to a business), you have to set up a seller’s account and pay Amazon 99 cents per book, a referral fee of 15 percent of the selling price, and a closing fee of $1.80 per item.

Screenshot: Powell’s
Selling your books online sounds like a good idea, but it may not be worth the trouble.

Luckily, there are alternatives. For example, at Powell’s, you enter the ISBN and the condition of the book(s), and you get back a quote. You then mail the books to them and reap your reward via PayPal. (Although it may not be worth the trouble — for a like-new hard copy of the 2010 novel All Clear by Connie Willis, I was offered $1.67.) AbeBooks is also a popular place to look for used books, but it deals mainly with professional sellers; fees for selling start at $25 a month.

If you have recent textbooks you don’t need anymore — and we all know how expensive those can get — you can try GoTextbooks. BookScouter will show you the prices offered by a variety of booksellers, along with user ratings, and you can choose which one to sell to.

Try used bookstores

Once upon a time, many cities and towns had bookstores that specialized in collecting and selling used books. Depending on where you live, there may still be shops that will either pay for used books, accept them for store credit, or just take them off your hands.

For example, Don Blyly runs Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis and says, “People are still buying and reading hardcover and softcover books. I estimate that about 3/4 of the books leaving the store are used books.” He adds that people often go to used bookstores not just to save money but to find out-of-print books by authors they have recently discovered.

Photo: Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore
There are still some old-fashioned used bookstores that might accept your books.

Besides Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore, which specialize in genre literature, Minneapolis also has stores such as Paperback Exchange, which offers customers trade credit for discounts on new and used books.

In NYC, you can try the well-known Strand bookstore, where you can get cash or store credit for up to 40 books. The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe accepts used books and clothing to help support people with HIV or AIDS. And at Sweet Pickle Books, if you donate books in person, you can exchange them for a jar of, yes, homemade pickles.

In other areas, you can see if one of the many Half Price Books stores is located near you; bring your books there and see what they’ll offer.

There are even quirky sources such as Connecticut’s The Traveler Restaurant, which offers free books with each meal (and will take your excess books as well).

Libraries

Libraries have traditionally been good places for people to unload books they no longer want. Many still take used books that they then add to their collections, sell for extra cash, or give away. Unfortunately, since the start of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, some have stopped that practice, so it’s a good idea to check with your library’s website or call ahead to make sure they accept donations.

Little Free Library

If you have some time on your hands, you can build your own library. Little Free Library is a program that helps individuals put up their own “take a book, leave a book” box right outside their homes, stores, or wherever they have permission. The Little Free Library site provides all the information necessary to either start a book distributing program or find one in your neighborhood where you can drop off a few of your own. (There’s even a mobile app.)

Photo: Little Free Library
A Little Free Library can be simple or imaginative.

Charities that accept book donations

There are still a number of charities that may take books, such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army or similar thrift stores. Whether they take books and what kind of books they accept can vary based on location, so check with your nearest thrift store or do a search online.

Other possibilities include:

Better World Books has drop boxes for your used books in a variety of locations throughout the US. It donates books and funds via a number of nonprofits and supports literacy projects.

Books Through Bars is based in Philadelphia and sends free books to incarcerated people. Check with the site to see what they are looking for and learn how to donate.

Operation Paperback sends books to US troops overseas as well as to their families and veterans at home. On the site, you can find out which books are being requested and where to send them.
The American Library Association has a page where it lists a number of places to donate books.
Another website that lists local resources for donating books is Local Book Donations.
You can also check with local homeless shelters or nursing homes. People who don’t have ready access to electronics or who are not comfortable reading from a screen may welcome a fresh source of reading material.

And finally, if none of these work for you, some of my neighbors simply put a box of books outside their home for passersby to check out. Just make sure it’s not going to rain.

If nothing else, recycle the paper

If nothing else works, then it’s time to consider recycling. As much as the idea of pulping a book feels, well, wrong, it’s better to recycle the paper than to just send it to the local dump.

Before dropping your books in your paper recycling bin, make sure you understand what’s accepted by your local recycling center. For the most part, paperback books are fine. However, hardcover books are not; the covers are not generally manufactured solely of paper and are therefore not recyclable — you’ll have to pull out the pages.

You can get more information on recycling books at a site called Earth911 or, again, from your local recycling center.

And now that you’ve sold, given away, or recycled your old books — well, you’ve got room for new ones, right?

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The Logitech G309. | Image: Logitech

I haven’t thought about charging my Logitech wireless gaming mouse in two and a half years, because I have a magic mousepad that does it automatically. But Logitech mice that work with the Powerplay mousepad are expensive, heavy, or both, and none of them double as a Bluetooth mouse so I can wirelessly pair them to my laptop, handheld, or phone.

Today, Logitech is changing that with the Logitech G309, an $80 mouse that almost does it all. It’s the first Powerplay mouse this inexpensive, the first with Bluetooth, the first that lets you use a AA battery when you’re on the go — and the first Logitech wireless mouse with a supercapacitor inside so you don’t necessarily need a battery at all.
Even without Powerplay, the G309 is a dual-mode wireless gaming mouse that promises up to 300 hours of battery life using its Lightspeed wireless dongle, or up to 600 hours over Bluetooth, while you’re slinging around its 86-gram frame.
But if you’ve got that $120 Powerplay pad, you can remove the AA battery to reach a total mouse weight of just 68 grams, nearly as light as the 60-gram, $160 Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 that gave me serious mouse envy last year. It’s possible because the supercapacitor acts as a tiny battery constantly being wirelessly charged by the Powerplay mousepad underneath. “It’s never going to die at all; it’s endless battery life,” promises Logitech senior global product manager Nicolas Métral.

Image: Logitech

It’s not the first wireless gaming mouse to test the waters with a supercapacitor — but when Mad Catz and Razer tried that in 2018, those pricey wireless power mice didn’t have any other way to charge. You had to use them on their bundled pad or with a wired cord. Until now, Logitech’s used internal rechargeable lithium cells to let you make its Powerplay mice somewhat portable; here, a AA battery picks up the slack.

Image: Logitech

Despite being on the budget end of Logitech’s gaming mice, the G309 also has the same Hero 25K sensor and hybrid optomechanical switches the company’s been shipping in premium mice for a while, both of which might be welcome upgrades over the $60 G305 mouse it’s based upon.

Image: Logitech

But it’s still missing the one Logitech mouse feature I’d have a hard time doing without — the company’s dual-mode ratcheting/free spinning scroll wheel that I’m constantly using to zip through documents and webpages when I’m using my gaming mouse for work. Among gaming mice, that’s still exclusive to its G502 and G903 from what I can tell.
And, it’s a bit of a shame Logitech still sells its Powerplay mousepad for $120 with only the rarest and smallest of discounts. If the company really wants to fulfill the G309’s promise of “Wireless Play for All” — that’s Logitech’s tagline — I’d recommend making the complete package more affordable.
Logitech says it will keep selling the G305 alongside the G309. The G309 can also share a single Lightspeed wireless dongle with a bunch of Logitech’s wireless keyboards, including the new G515 TKL, G715, G915, G915 TKL, Pro X 60, and Pro X TKL.

The Logitech G309. | Image: Logitech

I haven’t thought about charging my Logitech wireless gaming mouse in two and a half years, because I have a magic mousepad that does it automatically. But Logitech mice that work with the Powerplay mousepad are expensive, heavy, or both, and none of them double as a Bluetooth mouse so I can wirelessly pair them to my laptop, handheld, or phone.

Today, Logitech is changing that with the Logitech G309, an $80 mouse that almost does it all. It’s the first Powerplay mouse this inexpensive, the first with Bluetooth, the first that lets you use a AA battery when you’re on the go — and the first Logitech wireless mouse with a supercapacitor inside so you don’t necessarily need a battery at all.

Even without Powerplay, the G309 is a dual-mode wireless gaming mouse that promises up to 300 hours of battery life using its Lightspeed wireless dongle, or up to 600 hours over Bluetooth, while you’re slinging around its 86-gram frame.

But if you’ve got that $120 Powerplay pad, you can remove the AA battery to reach a total mouse weight of just 68 grams, nearly as light as the 60-gram, $160 Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 that gave me serious mouse envy last year. It’s possible because the supercapacitor acts as a tiny battery constantly being wirelessly charged by the Powerplay mousepad underneath. “It’s never going to die at all; it’s endless battery life,” promises Logitech senior global product manager Nicolas Métral.

Image: Logitech

It’s not the first wireless gaming mouse to test the waters with a supercapacitor — but when Mad Catz and Razer tried that in 2018, those pricey wireless power mice didn’t have any other way to charge. You had to use them on their bundled pad or with a wired cord. Until now, Logitech’s used internal rechargeable lithium cells to let you make its Powerplay mice somewhat portable; here, a AA battery picks up the slack.

Image: Logitech

Despite being on the budget end of Logitech’s gaming mice, the G309 also has the same Hero 25K sensor and hybrid optomechanical switches the company’s been shipping in premium mice for a while, both of which might be welcome upgrades over the $60 G305 mouse it’s based upon.

Image: Logitech

But it’s still missing the one Logitech mouse feature I’d have a hard time doing without — the company’s dual-mode ratcheting/free spinning scroll wheel that I’m constantly using to zip through documents and webpages when I’m using my gaming mouse for work. Among gaming mice, that’s still exclusive to its G502 and G903 from what I can tell.

And, it’s a bit of a shame Logitech still sells its Powerplay mousepad for $120 with only the rarest and smallest of discounts. If the company really wants to fulfill the G309’s promise of “Wireless Play for All” — that’s Logitech’s tagline — I’d recommend making the complete package more affordable.

Logitech says it will keep selling the G305 alongside the G309. The G309 can also share a single Lightspeed wireless dongle with a bunch of Logitech’s wireless keyboards, including the new G515 TKL, G715, G915, G915 TKL, Pro X 60, and Pro X TKL.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Hulu was having an outage, with as many as 50,000 reports noted on Down Detector late on Monday night. There’s no indication of what has caused the outage, but the official Hulu Support account on X acknowledged the issue, following up with posts from customers after about 11:15PM ET, saying, “Our developers were able to put changes in place to mitigate the interruption. Please reboot your device to start streaming, and let us know if you run into any further trouble.”
Not everyone was having trouble accessing Hulu, but for the people who were, posts on social media said they either couldn’t log in or that they didn’t see any content listed on Hulu’s website or apps for streaming. It didn’t seem to exclusively affect people who have or have not linked their Hulu and Disney Plus accounts, and it’s unclear if the problem was linked to certain regions.
Hulu’s support messages didn’t offer any other details about why the service went down for so many people, but if you were hoping to wrap up The Bear season three or something else exclusive to the service, then you should be back online now.

Apologies for the trouble! We’ve got you covered now! Our developers were able to put changes in place to mitigate the interruption. Please reboot your device to start streaming, and let us know if you run into any further trouble.— Hulu Support (@hulu_support) July 9, 2024

Update, July 8th: Noted that the issue appears to be resolved.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Hulu was having an outage, with as many as 50,000 reports noted on Down Detector late on Monday night. There’s no indication of what has caused the outage, but the official Hulu Support account on X acknowledged the issue, following up with posts from customers after about 11:15PM ET, saying, “Our developers were able to put changes in place to mitigate the interruption. Please reboot your device to start streaming, and let us know if you run into any further trouble.”

Not everyone was having trouble accessing Hulu, but for the people who were, posts on social media said they either couldn’t log in or that they didn’t see any content listed on Hulu’s website or apps for streaming. It didn’t seem to exclusively affect people who have or have not linked their Hulu and Disney Plus accounts, and it’s unclear if the problem was linked to certain regions.

Hulu’s support messages didn’t offer any other details about why the service went down for so many people, but if you were hoping to wrap up The Bear season three or something else exclusive to the service, then you should be back online now.

Update, July 8th: Noted that the issue appears to be resolved.

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Philips Hue smart LED light bulb gear. | Image: Philips

Are your Philips Hue smart light bulbs seemingly going rogue, randomly turning themselves up to full brightness even if you’ve set them dimmer? Philips Hue parent company Signify is aware of the issue, has figured out the root cause, and tells The Verge that a fix is coming as soon as next week.
“After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability issue with the Matter smarthome standard, in which random temporary radio traffic disruptions are incorrectly recognized as legacy switch power toggles, turning low brightness lights to full brightness,” Signify third-party spokesperson Kate Helander tells The Verge.

Matter is supposed to be the one smart home standard to rule them all, but it’s been dicier in practice — we had considerable trouble with Philips Hue and Matter in particular late last year.
In this case, it’s not clear which group(s) are at fault — we’ve asked the Connectivity Standards Alliance behind Matter for comment — but at least you won’t have to wait long for a solution. “A permanent fix for the issue is in progress and will be rolled out within the next week,” Signify tells us.
If you can’t wait, the company says you can just disconnect the Hue Bridge from Matter in the meantime. “Please note you may need to do this in your phone settings as well as the Matter controller app you are using,” Signify writes.
According to Signify, the issue only affects “a small percentage of users.”
BTW, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy just recently updated her guide to every smart home device that works with Matter.

Philips Hue smart LED light bulb gear. | Image: Philips

Are your Philips Hue smart light bulbs seemingly going rogue, randomly turning themselves up to full brightness even if you’ve set them dimmer? Philips Hue parent company Signify is aware of the issue, has figured out the root cause, and tells The Verge that a fix is coming as soon as next week.

“After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability issue with the Matter smarthome standard, in which random temporary radio traffic disruptions are incorrectly recognized as legacy switch power toggles, turning low brightness lights to full brightness,” Signify third-party spokesperson Kate Helander tells The Verge.

Matter is supposed to be the one smart home standard to rule them all, but it’s been dicier in practice — we had considerable trouble with Philips Hue and Matter in particular late last year.

In this case, it’s not clear which group(s) are at fault — we’ve asked the Connectivity Standards Alliance behind Matter for comment — but at least you won’t have to wait long for a solution. “A permanent fix for the issue is in progress and will be rolled out within the next week,” Signify tells us.

If you can’t wait, the company says you can just disconnect the Hue Bridge from Matter in the meantime. “Please note you may need to do this in your phone settings as well as the Matter controller app you are using,” Signify writes.

According to Signify, the issue only affects “a small percentage of users.”

BTW, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy just recently updated her guide to every smart home device that works with Matter.

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Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

Meta is now offering an interest-free $24.99 monthly payment plan to get its Quest 3 VR headset, along with two years’ worth of a Meta Quest Plus gaming subscription and its extended warranty. That starting price is for the 128GB model, but 10 bucks more per month will get you the 512GB version. Whichever way you go, you could pay almost $200 less than you otherwise would by buying everything individually.
The loans are supplied by Affirm, one of the more well-known buy now, pay later services that have cropped up in recent years. This “Play Now, Pay Later” package could help Meta get headsets into the hands of people unwilling to pay the entire price upfront, but it’s also a promotion for the Quest Plus service that adds two games to your library each month and leaves them there as long as you maintain the subscription.

Screenshot: Meta
Meta presents the plan as a discount on the headset itself.

Meta’s monthly payment plan mirrors other hardware and service bundles we’ve seen pop up in recent years, like Xbox All Access, which Microsoft has used to push Game Pass. There’s also Apple’s loan-based iPhone Upgrade Program that puts AppleCare Plus into the bundle, as well as the Pixel Pass phone-and-services subscription that Google offered but canceled before potential subscriber upgrades came around.

Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

Meta is now offering an interest-free $24.99 monthly payment plan to get its Quest 3 VR headset, along with two years’ worth of a Meta Quest Plus gaming subscription and its extended warranty. That starting price is for the 128GB model, but 10 bucks more per month will get you the 512GB version. Whichever way you go, you could pay almost $200 less than you otherwise would by buying everything individually.

The loans are supplied by Affirm, one of the more well-known buy now, pay later services that have cropped up in recent years. This “Play Now, Pay Later” package could help Meta get headsets into the hands of people unwilling to pay the entire price upfront, but it’s also a promotion for the Quest Plus service that adds two games to your library each month and leaves them there as long as you maintain the subscription.

Screenshot: Meta
Meta presents the plan as a discount on the headset itself.

Meta’s monthly payment plan mirrors other hardware and service bundles we’ve seen pop up in recent years, like Xbox All Access, which Microsoft has used to push Game Pass. There’s also Apple’s loan-based iPhone Upgrade Program that puts AppleCare Plus into the bundle, as well as the Pixel Pass phone-and-services subscription that Google offered but canceled before potential subscriber upgrades came around.

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Imagine this wallpaper, but then it shifts colors. | Image: Apple

iOS 18’s third developer beta includes a “dynamic” version of the default iOS 18 wallpaper that shifts colors, as reported by 9to5Mac. Previous betas had four color options (and dark mode counterparts) for the wallpaper, but this new dynamic option changes between colors over time.
Check out this video from leaker ShrimpApplePro to see the wallpaper and some of the color shifts. I think it looks pretty good!

The default iOS 18 wallpaper now has a dynamic option Changing according to time of the day ig pic.twitter.com/ejCtVVG4lQ— ShrimpApplePro ずっと真夜中でいいのに (@VNchocoTaco) July 8, 2024

The new dynamic wallpaper is just one of a bunch of new customization features coming to iOS 18: you’ll also be able to tint your homescreen app icons and place them where you want. With this new beta, some third-party apps also get dark mode app icons, 9to5Mac reports. However, these features are currently only available in the iOS 18 developer beta, which you can install right now by following our guide. Apple has promised that a public beta will launch sometime in July, and the full iOS 18 release is set for this fall.
On Monday, the company also released new developer betas for iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18.

Imagine this wallpaper, but then it shifts colors. | Image: Apple

iOS 18’s third developer beta includes a “dynamic” version of the default iOS 18 wallpaper that shifts colors, as reported by 9to5Mac. Previous betas had four color options (and dark mode counterparts) for the wallpaper, but this new dynamic option changes between colors over time.

Check out this video from leaker ShrimpApplePro to see the wallpaper and some of the color shifts. I think it looks pretty good!

The new dynamic wallpaper is just one of a bunch of new customization features coming to iOS 18: you’ll also be able to tint your homescreen app icons and place them where you want. With this new beta, some third-party apps also get dark mode app icons, 9to5Mac reports. However, these features are currently only available in the iOS 18 developer beta, which you can install right now by following our guide. Apple has promised that a public beta will launch sometime in July, and the full iOS 18 release is set for this fall.

On Monday, the company also released new developer betas for iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18.

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Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The best deal in laptops is back again for a limited time, as Walmart is selling the M1 MacBook Air for just $649 ($250 off). Walmart currently requires a Walmart Plus subscription to get the discounted price, but everyone else can get in and buy it from the retailer’s site at 5PM ET / 2PM PT today.

We haven’t seen the price drop this low since March, shortly after the newer M3 Air debuted. Since then, Walmart has become pretty much the exclusive seller of the M1 MacBook Air, usually offering the 13-inch laptop from 2020 for around $700. Even being nearly four years old and only offered in its base configuration with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, the aging MacBook remains a very good machine for everyday productivity and some very light creative work. Its newer peers have outclassed it with MagSafe chargers, newer M chips, and better performance, but it’s hard to beat the M1 Air and its excellent battery life / standby time for just $650.

Despite its age, the M1 MacBook Air is set to receive macOS 15 Sequoia, complete with new Apple Intelligence AI features. It’s hard to say how the first-gen M processor will handle AI tasks, especially since nobody outside of Apple has demoed these features on a Mac or even an iPhone. Either way, the M1 Air remained the top recommendation in our laptop buying guide for years, having only been overthrown by its own direct successors. It still seems worthwhile if you can nab it at such a low price.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The best deal in laptops is back again for a limited time, as Walmart is selling the M1 MacBook Air for just $649 ($250 off). Walmart currently requires a Walmart Plus subscription to get the discounted price, but everyone else can get in and buy it from the retailer’s site at 5PM ET / 2PM PT today.

We haven’t seen the price drop this low since March, shortly after the newer M3 Air debuted. Since then, Walmart has become pretty much the exclusive seller of the M1 MacBook Air, usually offering the 13-inch laptop from 2020 for around $700. Even being nearly four years old and only offered in its base configuration with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, the aging MacBook remains a very good machine for everyday productivity and some very light creative work. Its newer peers have outclassed it with MagSafe chargers, newer M chips, and better performance, but it’s hard to beat the M1 Air and its excellent battery life / standby time for just $650.

Despite its age, the M1 MacBook Air is set to receive macOS 15 Sequoia, complete with new Apple Intelligence AI features. It’s hard to say how the first-gen M processor will handle AI tasks, especially since nobody outside of Apple has demoed these features on a Mac or even an iPhone. Either way, the M1 Air remained the top recommendation in our laptop buying guide for years, having only been overthrown by its own direct successors. It still seems worthwhile if you can nab it at such a low price.

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The QuietComfort Earbuds II are no longer the best from Bose, but they’re still some of the best buds money can buy. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

I’m reeling from a weekend of “guess that pop.” Was it the endless stream of fireworks this time? Or gun-toting Texans spending their ammunition celebratorily in defiance of rules prohibiting such behavior? Thankfully, the guessing game didn’t last long — I decided to give my noise-canceling earbuds of choice a pretty serious workout. If you need an excellent pair to do the same during public or private disturbances, you should check out the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, which are on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo in black for a record-low price of $169.95 ($110 off).

Although Bose now has a more substantial pair sitting on our list of the best wireless earbuds in the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are still excellent. They lack some meaningful quality-of-life features like wireless charging and Bluetooth multipoint that other top options already offered when they launched in 2022. Those oversights made them a tough sell at their original $299.99 price, but Bose’s strong pedigree for great audio quality and impressive noise cancellation are well-represented here, and we can easily recommend them at today’s price.

Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review.

Just a couple more post-Fourth deals

You can snap up a Tile Mate Bluetooth tracker in black for $12.49 each at Amazon and Best Buy, which is a full 50 percent off the usual cost and the lowest it’s been thus far. Today’s deal is on the more basic model, to be clear, which doesn’t have the user-replaceable batteries (it’ll last up to three years) and 400-foot range of the Tile Pro. It also lacks the precision finding you’d get with better Bluetooth trackers like Apple’s AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTag2. Tile’s advantage is that it works with almost any smartphone, and you can still sound an alarm if you’re within 250 feet of the item or view its last known location on a map whenever you’re further away.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is great as an Android-based iPad alternative. The tablet comes with an iPad-like price tag, too, but you can get a 256GB Wi-Fi model for just $749 ($250 off) in beige at Amazon, which is a new all-time low price. It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and has a 12.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, comes with a stowable S Pen that charges by magnetically attaching to the rear, and works great for multimedia with four Dolby Atmos speakers and a 16:9 aspect ratio that’s ideal for entertainment (but maybe a bit odd for portable productivity). Read our review.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II are no longer the best from Bose, but they’re still some of the best buds money can buy. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

I’m reeling from a weekend of “guess that pop.” Was it the endless stream of fireworks this time? Or gun-toting Texans spending their ammunition celebratorily in defiance of rules prohibiting such behavior? Thankfully, the guessing game didn’t last long — I decided to give my noise-canceling earbuds of choice a pretty serious workout. If you need an excellent pair to do the same during public or private disturbances, you should check out the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, which are on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo in black for a record-low price of $169.95 ($110 off).

Although Bose now has a more substantial pair sitting on our list of the best wireless earbuds in the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are still excellent. They lack some meaningful quality-of-life features like wireless charging and Bluetooth multipoint that other top options already offered when they launched in 2022. Those oversights made them a tough sell at their original $299.99 price, but Bose’s strong pedigree for great audio quality and impressive noise cancellation are well-represented here, and we can easily recommend them at today’s price.

Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review.

Just a couple more post-Fourth deals

You can snap up a Tile Mate Bluetooth tracker in black for $12.49 each at Amazon and Best Buy, which is a full 50 percent off the usual cost and the lowest it’s been thus far. Today’s deal is on the more basic model, to be clear, which doesn’t have the user-replaceable batteries (it’ll last up to three years) and 400-foot range of the Tile Pro. It also lacks the precision finding you’d get with better Bluetooth trackers like Apple’s AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTag2. Tile’s advantage is that it works with almost any smartphone, and you can still sound an alarm if you’re within 250 feet of the item or view its last known location on a map whenever you’re further away.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is great as an Android-based iPad alternative. The tablet comes with an iPad-like price tag, too, but you can get a 256GB Wi-Fi model for just $749 ($250 off) in beige at Amazon, which is a new all-time low price. It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and has a 12.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, comes with a stowable S Pen that charges by magnetically attaching to the rear, and works great for multimedia with four Dolby Atmos speakers and a 16:9 aspect ratio that’s ideal for entertainment (but maybe a bit odd for portable productivity). Read our review.

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Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

A running list of all the longreads, shortreads, books, and everything in between that we’re into — and think you might like, too. The internet is filled with awesome stuff to read, and there’s new awesome stuff to read being published every day! That’s the good news. The bad news is that finding the good stuff feels harder than ever. You either find your favorite writers or sources and check them religiously or just hope that the algorithm gods deliver you something you’ll like. It’s all a lot more work than just tapping the TikTok icon, you know?
Allow The Verge to help a little. This is an endless, often-updated stream of the stuff we’re reading and think you should read, too. Whether it’s a great piece of longform journalism, a sharp take on the news, interesting new studies or lawsuits or whitepapers, a new sci-fi book that will inevitably convince a bunch of founders to build new kinds of robots a decade from now, or something else entirely, it’s all here. So scroll through, click on some stuff, let us know what you think in the comments, and get your read-later queue ready to rumble.

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

A running list of all the longreads, shortreads, books, and everything in between that we’re into — and think you might like, too.

The internet is filled with awesome stuff to read, and there’s new awesome stuff to read being published every day! That’s the good news. The bad news is that finding the good stuff feels harder than ever. You either find your favorite writers or sources and check them religiously or just hope that the algorithm gods deliver you something you’ll like. It’s all a lot more work than just tapping the TikTok icon, you know?

Allow The Verge to help a little. This is an endless, often-updated stream of the stuff we’re reading and think you should read, too. Whether it’s a great piece of longform journalism, a sharp take on the news, interesting new studies or lawsuits or whitepapers, a new sci-fi book that will inevitably convince a bunch of founders to build new kinds of robots a decade from now, or something else entirely, it’s all here. So scroll through, click on some stuff, let us know what you think in the comments, and get your read-later queue ready to rumble.

Read More