Victoria Song
Wearables/health-tech reporter and Optimizer columnist; evaluates smart rings, smart glasses, fitness trackers, and AI features.
Wellness Wild West: Autonomy, Biohacking, and Information Gaps
This week on Optimizer — some extra tidbits from my Enhanced Games coverage. Specifically some conversation about bodily autonomy, what you put in your body, and how hard it is to find reliable information in the wellness Wild West. https://www.theverge.com/column/939462/enhanced-games-biohacking-fda-health-wellness
Peptides: Separating Social Media Hype From Real Science
Sat down with the Science Quickly podcast to chat peptides — what's the internet hype and what's the science? A fun conversation about an increasingly cursed topic. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-science-behind-social-medias-peptide-obsession/
New Buying Guide Walks You Through Choosing a Fitness Tracker
We're trying out new stuff with our buying guides. Here's how I actually guide people through picking a fitness tracker in person....but in written form. https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/924338/best-fitness-trackers-2026
Verge Writers Test New AI-Powered Robot Pet
By the end of this, every Verge writer is going to end up having tested a robot 'pet.' This one I gladly leave to @smarthomemama. https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/922947/roomba-creator-new-robot-familiar-machines-magic-ai-launch
One Comprehensive Smart Glasses Review with Stunning Photos
Instead of doing 12 separate smart glasses reviews, I wrote about my experience with the category overall. With some great photos to go along with it. Gift link: https://tinyurl.com/3tdpps8s
New GLP‑5 Study Is Only Mouse
A friendly reminder, just because that new Nature study on a quintuple agonist (LOL GET READY FOR "GLP-5" discourse) is out today: It's a study on MICE. MICE TESTING IS NOT HUMAN TESTING. IT'S JUST MICE.
Apple Watch Set Wearable Blueprint, Health as Apple’s Legacy
I'm biased, but the Apple Watch was the first new Apple gizmo in the post-Jobs era and as I argued in Optimizer a few weeks ago, it's set the blueprint for modern wearables... Also, Cook himself said health will be Apple's...
Peloton's Sexy Ad Exposes Tension in Wellness Pivot
This week on Optimizer, I finally manage to talk about Heated Rivalry… in the context of a horny Peloton ad and the company’s attempt to pivot as a wellness brand. https://www.theverge.com/column/913766/optimizer-peloton-fitness-business-column
Testing AI Companions: Burt Reynolds, Fantasy Lore, Cat Chaos
Me and my deer friend, we are doing better. Aka I continue testing AI robot companions. This one involves an AI Burt Reynolds, extensive fantasy lore, and my cat going on a murderous rampage. https://tinyurl.com/ysjut4jn
Whoop Vs
This week on Optimizer… This is a thing that happened. To whom? You just have to read. https://www.theverge.com/column/909736/optimizer-whoop-oura-wearable-hype-cycle
DIY Glucose Monitoring Revealed Hidden Liver Disease and Tech Limits
I spent over a year testing over-the-counter CGMS (also known as glucose biosensors) as a non-diabetic. The process helped me get an official MAFLD diagnosis. It also highlighted the shortcomings of wearable tech, data overload, and how mental health remains...
Apple Watch Pioneered Health Tech, Yet Defies Wellness Trends
As part of this week’s Apple 50 package, today’s Optimizer is all about how the Apple Watch shaped so much of modern health tech — and in some ways, stands in opposition to where wellness trends are headed. https://www.theverge.com/column/906391/apple-watch-optimizer-apple-50-health-tech-wearables
Protein Stays; Wellness Fads Come and Go
Wellness crazes are temporary but protein is forever. This week on Optimizer: a look at how proteinmaxxing and protein washing lead to trends like boy kibble and something I call… protein paranoia. The wellness Wild West is at it again. https://tinyurl.com/3dwx7xap
FTC’s Missed Block on Meta Reveals Bigger Risks
After my Supernatural report last month, I chatted with former FTC Chair Lina Khan to talk about why her agency’s failed attempt to block Meta’s acquisition mattered. Critics mocked the case at the time but hindsight is 20/20. https://tinyurl.com/5ae6xhjd
From Furby History to a Skinned Connect Tale
Come for the Furby history, stay for the unhinged story of how my Furby Connect ended up getting skinned.