Global power shifts, tech innovation, AI's mixed impact from smart homes to health, and diverse entertainment shape 2025, alongside a gaming legend's passing.

The Dollar Is Facing an End to Its Dominance Wired reported on December 28, 2025, that the US dollar's global dominance is facing an accelerating decline, with 2026 expected to see significant momentum in countries adopting alternative currencies and payment systems. America's decreasing share of global trade, coupled with Washington's use of the dollar as a political weapon, is driving nations like India, Russia, and China to settle trade in local currencies or through systems like CIPS, bypassing SWIFT. Central banks are also diversifying reserves, with the dollar's share falling to 58 percent. Rising US fiscal deficits and a weakening Treasury market further erode confidence, while new alternatives like mBridge and BRICS pay aim to create faster, cheaper, and dollar-independent trade. Source

2025’s Best Phones Were Also Its Wackiest Wired reported on December 25, 2025, that 2025 was a surprisingly innovative year for smartphone design, moving away from previous years' staleness. Companies like Nothing, with its Phone (3a) series, and CMF, with its Phone 2 Pro featuring swappable backplates, introduced whimsical and customizable aesthetics. Fairphone's Gen. 6 achieved a perfect repairability score while offering similar modularity. Motorola's Razr 2025 series leaned into diverse materials and remained affordable, boosting the appeal of foldable phones, which have become significantly more durable. The year also saw the emergence of anti-smartphones like Light Phone III and ultrathin designs, proving that engaging aesthetics and improved functionality can coexist. Source

Sleep Number P6 Smart Bed Review: Advanced and Adaptive Wired reported on December 26, 2025, reviewing the Sleep Number P6 Smart Bed and FlexFit 3 adjustable base. The bed uses AI models to track health data like heart rate via ballistocardiograph, though the nightly Sleep Score showed some variance. Sleep Number gathers customer data for research, with 550,000 users opting to share, assuring privacy and no third-party sales. The FlexFit 3 base offers advanced features such as timed foot warming, a zero-gravity setting, and a "partner snore" function to alleviate snoring, along with motion-detect underbed lighting, enhancing comfort and sleep quality, though the foot warming is a $400 upcharge over the FlexFit 2. Source

The best shows and movies to stream on Netflix in 2025 The Verge reported on December 23, 2025, compiling a list of Netflix's best shows and movies from the year. Highlights include "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," a documentary examining the hip-hop business, and the critically acclaimed "KPop Demon Hunters." Rian Johnson's "Wake Up Dead Man" continued the Knives Out series with a focus on faith. Guillermo del Toro's visually stunning "Frankenstein" offered powerful performances and a timely allegory. Other notable mentions include the beloved "Great British Baking Show," the concluding seasons of "Stranger Things" and "Squid Game," and "Death By Lightning," a historical drama with prescient political commentary. Source

The US Must Stop Underestimating Drone Warfare Wired reported on December 27, 2025, that drone warfare poses a significant and underestimated threat, with 2026 likely to see drone attacks on US soil. Drones have become central to modern conflict, demonstrated by Ukraine's successful use against Russian bombers and Israel's clandestine strikes within Iran. Despite the US military's early recognition of commercial drone capabilities in 2017, bureaucratic inertia and accelerating foreign advancements leave the US vulnerable. The article highlights the stark contrast between the low US defense budget for tactical drone systems and the high-volume, low-cost drone production by adversaries, leaving both military and civilian infrastructure inadequately protected against sophisticated drone swarms. Source

How AI broke the smart home in 2025 The Verge reported on December 23, 2025, that AI fundamentally "broke" the smart home in 2025, as upgraded generative AI-powered assistants like Alexa Plus struggle to reliably perform basic tasks despite improved conversational abilities. While promising a seamless, proactive smart home experience, these new systems are inconsistent with simple commands like turning on lights or running routines. Experts attribute this to Large Language Models (LLMs) introducing randomness and increased complexity when integrating with smart home APIs, making them less predictable than older, template-matching assistants. Tech companies are deploying these imperfect systems, essentially turning users into beta testers, hoping for future improvements, but the current reliability trade-offs are significant. Source

Call of Duty, Titanfall developer Vince Zampella has died at age 55 The Verge reported on December 22, 2025, the tragic passing of Vince Zampella at 55, a visionary leader who profoundly shaped the gaming industry. Zampella played a foundational role in creating iconic franchises like Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series. During his time guiding the Battlefield franchise, he was known for his commitment to the community and the long-term vision of the games. His colleagues remember him for his trust in teams, encouragement of bold ideas, and unwavering belief in the games he helped create and the people behind them. Source

007 First Light’s release date gets shaken up The Verge reported on December 23, 2025, that the release date for "007 First Light" has been pushed back by two months. The developers confirmed the delay aims to ensure the game delivers an "unforgettable James Bond experience" of the highest quality. Described as their most ambitious project to date, the game promises breathtaking action, globe-trotting spycraft, gadgets, and car chases. The game is already fully playable from start to finish, and the additional time will be dedicated to polishing and refining the experience, with further updates anticipated in early 2026. Source

Anker’s beefy Laptop Power Bank has returned to its Black Friday low The Verge reported on December 24, 2025, that Anker’s popular A1695 "InstaCord" Laptop Power Bank has returned to its Black Friday low price of $87.99, a $47 discount, available at Amazon and Walmart. This portable charger features a 25,000mAh/90Wh capacity and includes a retractable USB-C cable, a second USB-C cable that doubles as a handle, and an additional USB-A port, allowing it to charge up to four devices simultaneously with a total output of up to 165W. The power bank is carry-on compliant and equipped with an LCD display for monitoring charge and output. Source

These great digital gifts will arrive just in time for Christmas The Verge reported on December 23, 2025, highlighting that digital gifts are an ideal last-minute solution for Christmas, offering convenience and versatility. The article provides curated suggestions across various interests. For film and TV enthusiasts, streaming service gift cards like Netflix or Disney+ are recommended. Gamers can benefit from Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo subscriptions. Other categories include health and wellness (e.g., Peloton, Headspace), foodies (meal prep services), music lovers (Apple Music, Tidal), and bookworms (Kindle Unlimited, Audible). The article also suggests digital subscriptions for creatives (Skillshare, MasterClass, Adobe Creative Cloud) and general gift cards from major retailers for broad appeal. Source

AlphaFold Changed Science. After 5 Years, It’s Still Evolving Wired reported on December 24, 2025, celebrating the fifth anniversary of AlphaFold, Google DeepMind’s AI system that won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year. Initially famed for mastering Go, AlphaFold2 revolutionized biology by accurately predicting protein 3D structures, leading to a 200-million-structure database. AlphaFold3 further expanded its capabilities to DNA, RNA, and drugs. Pushmeet Kohli, DeepMind's VP of Research, explains that AI’s ability to tackle complex scientific problems like protein folding fulfills DeepMind's founding mission, promising continued transformative impact on biology and medicine, despite ongoing challenges in its evolution. Source

Data Holds the Key in Slowing Age-Related Illnesses Wired reported on December 23, 2025, predicting that 2026 will usher in precision medical forecasting, leveraging AI and large language models to predict individual risks for major age-related diseases. By combining advances in aging science, like body-wide clocks and protein biomarkers, with AI's ability to interpret medical images and vast personal health data (EMRs, wearables, genetics), doctors can forecast a person's vulnerability and projected timeline for conditions like cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. This unprecedented level of insight will enable individualized, aggressive preventive programs, integrating lifestyle changes and new medications designed to promote immune health and reduce inflammation, marking a new frontier in primary disease prevention. Source