We knew October would be busy. We had the invitations, the embargoes, and a stockpile of coffee and seltzer. But this past month turned out to be more insane and more exciting than almost any month in the past year.There was rarely a moment to rest, and it seems like the internet was always reacting to something, somewhere. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google responded with equal parts panic and determination to the onslaught of Apple’s hype machine. People around the world watched with reverence as Felix Baumgartner successfully completely a historic free-fall from the edge of space. Live, on the internet. Reddit’s insular community reacted when one of its most unsavory characters was outed by the media. Apple attempted to avoid a reaction by announcing a major executive shake up in the middle of a catastrophic hurricane. New York City reacted to hurricane Sandy, and the rest of the internet reacted to our reactions via social media. And then Disney bought Lucasfilm, and the internet almost exploded.Beyond the massive, non-stop wave of news, The Verge also explored the culture of Philip K. Dick, got to know the cosplayers of New York Comic Con, broke down the K-Pop phenomenon, spoke with the Singularity's true believers, and got the inside scoop on what's next for Android — straight from Google. In hindsight, it seems like all of this more or less happened at once, making the past 31 days one of the most intense and exciting months since The Verge began. And that’s fitting because tomorrow is our first birthday.We're only scratching the surface here, so dig into the stories below to get the best of the month's news, features, reviews, and original reporting from The Verge.
During Hurricane Sandy, misinformation and fact-checking clash on Twitter
Social media gives storm watchers constant news and stunning pictures — but how much of it is real?
Oct 29, 2012Dieter Bohn and Chris Ziegler
Windows Phone 8 review
Microsoft's mobile platform gets hardware muscle and another lease on life
Slow lane: why Google's new Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE
Sometimes the only winning move is not to play
Inside Android's next wave: Building the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Android 4.2
An exclusive look at the team crafting Google's most ambitious brand, and the inside story of its latest work
Google Now: behind the predictive future of search
How Google learned to un-fragment itself and create the next big thing
'Dudebro II': the incredible journey from internet joke to very real game
It's straight-up dawg time
In 2012 election, the meme factory hones its assembly line
From binders full of women to horses and bayonets, candidates find themselves navigating the first 'Meme Election'
Microsoft Surface review
Microsoft takes its first, bold step into the tablet market with a unique new device — but can it compete?
Making a game, traveling the world: the story of 'Incredipede'
Real-life adventure leads to an adventurous game
Rapture of the nerds: will the Singularity turn us into gods or end the human race?
A gathering of experts on artificial intelligence becomes a search for deeper meaning
Reddit's road rules: trolling America's heartland, one startup at a time
The internet's 'front page' looks for links the old-fashioned way
Why Apple acquiring Color makes sense in Silicon Valley: the strange logic of the acqui-hire
It's the circle of life in the startup capital of the world
K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world
The internet brought K-Pop to the US, but can it go mainstream?
Newsweek turns to digital-only publication
Final US print edition coming December 31st
Behind the mask: being yourself as someone else at New York Comic Con
Thousands of people spent their weekend in costume; we asked a few of them to step out of character
Obama and Romney clash over Apple, Made in China
Two candidates, two very different takes on outsourcing
Banned Reddit moderator fears 'cloak and dagger' handling of criticism
As mods and admins balance anonymity and openness after a Gawker exposé, some dissenters are caught in the middle
Why can't you vote online?
Making internet voting secure is a big challenge, but American elections have bigger demons
Terrorism as art: Mark Pauline's dangerous machines
Robots, rebellion, and the post-apocalyptic performance art of Survival Research Labs
3D printing for fun and profit: a serious hobby grows up
But is it the next industrial revolution?
More human than human: how Philip K. Dick can change your life
'Dickheads' gather in San Francisco to celebrate the sci-fi visionary