Welcome to The Verge: Weekender edition. Every Saturday, we'll bring you some of the best and most important reads of the past seven days, from original reports, to in-depth features, to reviews and interviews. Think of it as a collection of some of our favorite pieces that you may have missed — or that you may just want to read again.
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The new Moto X could be the best Android phone ever made
The original Moto X was a huge critical success, and its successor may fare even better. We headed out to Motorola's Chicago headquarters to see how it built its latest smartphone — and then try it out ourselves.
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Doctor turns to 3D printers in a race to save a toddler's mind
Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital had to operate on an infant's brain after he began having potentially catastrophic seizures. But rather than going right in, the hospital's surgeon scanned and 3D printed the brain to get some practice first. We spoke with him and the hospital about how 3D printing could change the face of complicated surgeries.
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Moto 360 review
It's finally here. We've known all along the Motorola's Moto 360 smartwatch was going to be the most stylish Android Wear watch out there around launch, and it doesn't disappoint. But can the rest of it hold up just as well?
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The best note-taking app for iPhone and Android
Everyone needs to write something or other down on their phone eventually, but some apps are a lot better for writing than others. We tried them all, and we figured out which you should use. Find the best note-taking app for the iPhone here and for Android here.
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Inside the strange and seedy world where hackers trade celebrity nudes
How on earth did a hacker steal nude photos from dozens of huge celebrities? It turns out, it may not be one hacker, but a ring of thieves who steal passwords and trade photos — a ring that remained secret until someone slipped up.
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How damaging is it, in 2014, to have nude photos leak online?
Nude photo leaks hurt in all kinds of ways. Or at least they're supposed to. There's no denying that having your photos stolen is deeply violating and traumatic, but the world's impression of people whose photos have been taken is starting to change for the better.
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James Dyson puts his futuristic robot to the test in Tokyo
After a decade and a half of research, Dyson has unveiled its first robotic vacuum cleaner. It's an impressive-looking creation that, at least based on Dyson's demoes, appears to work pretty well. We attended its unveiling and took photos of James Dyson himself and the new robot in action.
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How to make a ‘Lord of the Rings’ game that doesn’t suck
Just as movies based on video games never turn out well, video games based on movies usually aren't that good either. But Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor might be different. We got a chance to preview the game, and we've put together five reasons why it could turn out to be pretty great.
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Acer Chromebook 13 review
The Chromebook 13 is Acer's best-looking Chromebook to date, but its looks don't quite extend across the entire package. Here's what we liked — and what we didn't — about its new $299 laptop.
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Unfiltered America: one Instagram account is documenting the Everyday USA
You usually think of photojournalists telling stories about social conflicts and life abroad in areas that you'll never visit. But a group of photographers are now turning their gaze back home. We caught up with the photographer behind Instagram's @everydayusa group to find out how they're documenting a more familiar world.