Win cool gadgets we can’t keep because The Verge has ethics | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Win cool gadgets we can’t keep because The Verge has ethicsNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...GadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsVerge ShoppingCloseVerge ShoppingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Verge ShoppingDealsCloseDealsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All DealsWin cool gadgets we can’t keep because The Verge has ethicsWin robot toys, gaming gear, and more in our Today I’m Toying With giveaway.Win robot toys, gaming gear, and more in our Today I’m Toying With giveaway.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterMay 27, 2026, 1:00 PM UTCLinkSharePhoto by Sean Hollister / The VergePart OfToday I’m toying withsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.When people learn I work for The Verge, they inevitably ask: “Do you get to keep the gadgets?” Now that I film Today I’m Toying With, a video series where I share the joy of tech, I get that question more than ever.The answer is no, we don’t keep them! Our ethics policy is clear: “We don’t accept things of value from companies or from their PR firms, period.” We don’t keep them, we don’t sell them, we don’t pass them to family or friends. We try to return them, and if a company doesn’t want them back, we give them away.But I’ll let you in on a little secret — for over a year, I’ve been quietly asking those companies permission to give those unwanted gadgets to you. I originally came up with Today I’m Toying With so you can live vicariously through me, playing with more cool stuff than you can necessarily afford yourself. (I certainly can’t afford a tenth of what I get to try this way!)But what if you could actually reach out and touch these gadgets? What if I shipped you actual items you’ve seen in my videos on YouTube and Instagram and TikTok? What if I did it every month or maybe every week?So many gadgets.Even more gadgets.That’s what we’re going to do. I have dozens of awesome packages of gadgets to give away — Robot toys! USB-C chargers! Gaming gear! — and I’m going to keep giving them away as long as I can. Each prize box will be picked randomly from my big list, so neither you nor I will know exactly what each winner’s going to get.We do have a few limitations. You’ll have to enter each new giveaway. Our legal team tells me I can’t send prizes outside the 50 US states and DC because paperwork gets complicated fast. If you’re a Verge subscriber, thank you for supporting our work, but sweepstakes like these can’t be subscriber-exclusive — they have to be “no purchase necessary.”But if you’re eligible, there’s a chance you could get a package from me in the mail! Just fill out the entry form here or at Gleam with your name and email address, subscribe to The Verge on Instagram and TikTok, and keep an eye out for my next giveaway next month! (Follow me on The Verge or Bluesky to be extra sure you won’t miss an announcement!) You can find the official rules here.

'Today I’m Toying with' Giveaway #1

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes begins at 9:00AM ET on May 27th, 2026 and ends at 9:00AM ET on June 10th, 2026. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C., of legal age of majority and have access to the internet, and a valid email address. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Governed by and subject to the Official Rules, additional eligibility restrictions apply. Vox Media Privacy PolicySponsor: Vox Media, LLC, 1701 Rhode Island Ave., Washington DC 20036Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterDealsCloseDealsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All DealsGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsGiveawayCloseGiveawayPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GiveawayVerge ShoppingCloseVerge ShoppingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Verge ShoppingMore in: Today I’m toying withExpedition: Handheld.Sean HollisterMar 21I met Olaf — the Frozen robot who might be the future of Disney ParksSean HollisterMar 16Today I’m toying with… WALL-E’s ancestor?Sean HollisterMar 2Most PopularMost PopularJony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a FerrariUber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’Google Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadNvidia has retired its GeForce Control Panel app after 20 yearsYou’re about to feel the AI money squeezeVerge ShoppingSign up to get the best deals on products we’ve found and tested sent to your inbox.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in GadgetsRedmagic’s liquid-cooled gaming phone arrives with overclocked Snapdragon chipThe new Razr Ultra isn’t your average phone — for better and worseGoogle Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadGE’s nugget ice maker is nearly half off if you buy it refurbishedThe best Memorial Day sales you can still shopSaving for a Switch 2 is easier with Newegg’s gift card dealRedmagic’s liquid-cooled gaming phone arrives with overclocked Snapdragon chipDominic PrestonAn hour agoThe new Razr Ultra isn’t your average phone — for better and worseAllison JohnsonAn hour agoGoogle Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadStevie BonifieldMay 26GE’s nugget ice maker is nearly half off if you buy it refurbishedSheena VasaniMay 26The best Memorial Day sales you can still shopSheena VasaniMay 26Saving for a Switch 2 is easier with Newegg’s gift card dealCameron FaulknerMay 26Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop StoriesMay 26Jony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a FerrariAn hour agoThe new Razr Ultra isn’t your average phone — for better and worseAn hour agoThe AI fight brewing inside The New York TimesMay 26Sony’s sloppy Spider-Man universe gets even messier with Spider-NoirAn hour agoThe Pope isn’t AGI-pilled27 minutes agoYouTube is putting AI labels where you’ll actually see themThe VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform Status© 2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights ReservedNotifications DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.Sign in

The author, Sean Hollister, who serves as a senior editor and founding member of The Verge, addresses the ethical considerations surrounding the possession of technology, particularly gadgets, by outlining The Verge's policy and a proposed approach to sharing technology with the public. The core ethical stance is explicitly stated: The organization does not accept items of value from companies or their public relations firms, and consequently, they do not keep, sell, or pass on these items to family or friends. Instead, the preferred method is to attempt to return the items, and if a company refuses the return, the items are given away.

Hollister explains that for over a year, he has been seeking permission from companies to provide these unwanted gadgets to readers. This initiative led to the creation of the video series Today I’m Toying With, which allows viewers to experience technology vicariously. However, Hollister proposes an expansion of this concept, suggesting a more direct method of sharing. He proposes shipping actual items that readers have seen in his video content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, potentially on a monthly or weekly basis.

This new plan involves distributing numerous packages of gadgets, such as robot toys, USB-C chargers, and gaming gear, drawn randomly from a large selection. To manage this outreach, strict limitations are established. Legally, the author notes that due to complexities in paperwork, prizes cannot be shipped outside the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Furthermore, while acknowledging support from subscribers, sweepstakes of this nature cannot be subscriber-exclusive and must adhere to no purchase necessary principles. Eligibility requires filling out an entry form, subscribing to The Verge on Instagram and TikTok, and adhering to the official rules for the contest, which runs from May 27th, 2026, to June 10th, 2026. This framework seeks to balance the desire to share technological enthusiasm with the responsibility of ethical handling of valuable goods.