Today's Consumer Tech Pulse
Apple integrates distilled Gemini AI into Siri, boosting on-device processing
Apple is embedding a distilled version of Google’s Gemini model into Siri, enabling the iPhone’s Neural Engine and custom silicon to handle simpler queries locally while offloading heavier AI workloads to the cloud. The initiative also brings Nvidia’s Confidential Computing platform to encrypt user data during cloud processing.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Airbnb leads $58M Series C in travel startup WeRoad
Microsoft Mulls Cheaper Xbox Game Pass Tier as Sony Raises PS5 Prices
Microsoft is exploring a lower‑cost Xbox Game Pass tier, possibly with ads or limited perks, to attract budget‑conscious gamers. The move comes as Sony lifts PS5 prices to $649.99 for the standard model, $599.99 for the Digital Edition, and $899.99 for the PS5 Pro, giving Xbox a potential pricing advantage.
New ‘Android Developer Verifier’ App Coming to Phones as Google Shares Verification Timeline
Google announced the Android Developer Verifier, a system‑level service that will check whether an app is registered to a verified developer. The verifier will appear in device settings starting April 2026, with early‑access accounts for students and hobbyists opening in June...
Would You Share Your Phone Calls With a Company to Make Money? This Startup Is Banking on It
Neon, a new app, pays users to record and sell their phone calls for AI training, quickly rising to the top of the App Store. An early security flaw exposed call metadata and transcripts, prompting a public backlash. After securing...
Ultimea Skywave X100 Dual Review: A 9.2.6 Wireless Surround System with THX Tuning
Ultimea’s Skywave X100 Dual brings a 9.2.6 wireless surround system to market, featuring a 43‑inch soundbar, four satellite speakers, two 10‑inch subwoofers and six up‑firing drivers. The package is THX‑tuned, supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and connects via the low‑latency...
The MacBook Neo Takes on Retro Gaming
The MacBook Neo, Apple’s latest M‑series laptop, proves surprisingly adept at retro game emulation, handling titles from the NES through the Saturn with ease and even upscaling recent Nintendo Switch games. It also runs lightweight Steam titles and streams via...
Today’s Android App Deals and Freebies: DREDGE, Vohenn, Death Road to Canada, More
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale entered Day 6, featuring deep discounts on a slate of Android games and apps such as DREDGE, Death Road to Canada, and Fairy Knights. The promotion also includes an all‑time‑low price on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ and...
Headphones; Wired, Wireless Or Banana?
Hackaday examined whether wireless headphones truly rival wired models, focusing on Bluetooth’s advances such as LDAC’s 990 kbps transmission. The analysis notes that when both source and earphones support high‑resolution codecs, most listeners can’t detect a sound‑quality gap. It also highlights...
AirPods Pro 3 Vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2: I Listened to Both, and There's a Sonic Difference
Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra 2nd‑Gen earbuds launched within weeks of each other, prompting a side‑by‑side review. The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249, offer Apple‑centric features like heart‑rate monitoring, Spatial Audio and automatic device switching, and provide eight hours of...
GamePal App Helps You Finally Finish Games
Much like with books, I start way too many video games and never finish them. This week's ⚡ Hiro Report features an app that finally solves that (@gamepalapp)... plus: → Akai's new portable beat maker that rivals the TE K.O. II → A...
Wave Browser Brings Gaming Tools and Ocean Cleanup Into the Same Tab
Wave Browser launches as a gaming‑focused web browser that bundles multitasking tools such as a sidebar, picture‑in‑picture streaming, and a Memory Saver mode to keep RAM usage low during heavy gaming sessions. The browser embeds utilities like ad blocking, translation,...
Beats Made My Favorite Workout Earbuds Even Better with an Electric Nike Collab
Beats has launched a limited‑edition Powerbeats Pro 2 in partnership with Nike, featuring a matte‑black and neon Volt colorway and the iconic Nike swoosh on the right earbud. The earbuds retain the standard $250 price, wireless‑charging case, and built‑in heart‑rate sensor,...
Augmented Reality Glasses Can Aid Dementia Patients — and Their Caregivers
UK‑based health‑tech startup has been awarded the Longitude Prize, a £1 million (≈ $1.27 million) challenge prize, for developing augmented‑reality glasses designed to assist people living with dementia and ease caregiver burden. The glasses overlay contextual cues, navigation prompts and medication reminders directly...
If You Live in Your Browser All Day, This Browser Might Just Be the One for You
Arc, the Browser Company’s free Chromium‑based browser, targets users who spend most of their day inside a web browser. It replaces traditional top‑bar navigation with a left‑hand sidebar, vertical tabs, and “spaces” that act as dedicated workspaces. Features like pinned...
A Microsoft VP Just Revealed He's Working to Remove Windows 11's Most Hated Requirement
Microsoft VP Scott Hanselman announced he is working to eliminate the mandatory Microsoft online account for Windows 11 setup, a feature that has drawn widespread criticism. The requirement ties users to cloud services like the Store, OneDrive, and BitLocker, limiting the...
Xerendipity Vapor Pad – The Hype that Isn’t Really Hype, and a Pad that Belongs Inside—But Not on Top Of—The...
Xerendipity’s new vapor pad has been touted as a “paste‑killer” that can replace traditional thermal interface material (TIM) between a CPU’s integrated heat spreader (IHS) and the cooler. In reality, the product is an anisotropic heat spreader intended for placement...
Self-Flushing Litter Box Keeps an AI Eye on Kitties' Urinary Health
Petalas, a Hong‑Kong startup, unveiled a self‑flushing litter box that automatically cleans waste and monitors feline urinary health via AI. The device uses reusable pellets, a 45‑minute rinse‑and‑flush cycle, and requires connection to water and a drain. It reads RFID...
Time for Your Meds, Mr. Fleishman
Glenn Fleishman highlights a critical flaw in Apple’s Health app Medications feature: it failed to alert him of a time‑zone change when traveling east across three zones, causing a missed dose. The app does provide a “Time Zone Changed” notification,...
Dyson’s Ultra-Thin PencilVac Fluffycones Is Tougher to Resist at $150 Off
Dyson’s PencilVac Fluffycones stick vacuum is now priced at $449.99, a $150 discount from its regular $599.99 list price. The ultra‑thin, sub‑four‑pound device targets quick clean‑ups, offering 55 air watts of suction and a 20‑30 minute battery life. It features...
Apple Launches Built‑In Mental‑Health Tracking in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10
Apple has embedded mental‑health tracking into iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10, letting users log emotions, stress and sleep directly in the Health app. The rollout includes a new Journal app and clinical‑grade assessments, marking the tech giant’s biggest push into consumer...
Samsung Built a Motion Sickness App for Galaxy Buds, but You Can Try It on Any Earbuds
Samsung has launched Hearapy, a free Android app that emits 100 Hz bass sine waves for 60‑second sessions to alleviate motion sickness. The app stimulates the inner‑ear balance system and, according to Samsung, can keep users comfortable for up to two...
Flexible Gel Can Turn Body Heat Into Power for Next-Generation Wearables
Queensland University of Technology researchers have engineered a soft hydrogel that converts body heat into electricity, achieving a record n‑type thermoelectric efficiency for flexible materials. A 10 mm square prototype produced about 0.46 volts, demonstrating practical power generation from modest temperature differences....
Google Pixel Rolls Out ‘Transit Mode’ and Real-Time At a Glance Commute
Google has begun rolling out a new Transit mode for Pixel phones, automatically activating during train rides and delivering real‑time commute updates via the At a Glance widget. Users can customize notification filters, volume, and Bluetooth behavior, while the feature...
This Windows Laptop May Have a Moderate Battery Life, but It Burns Bright with an OLED Display, 16GB of RAM,...
ASUS’s Zenbook 14 pairs a 14‑inch OLED screen with 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512 GB SSD, delivering vivid visuals and solid everyday performance. The RAM is soldered, limiting upgrades, while the SSD is user‑replaceable up to 2 TB. Intel Arc...
Google Maps Simplifies Battery Predictions and Trip Planning for 350+ Android Auto EV Models.
Google Maps is extending its AI‑powered electric‑vehicle charging features to Android Auto users of more than 350 models across over 15 U.S. brands. Drivers can add their EV details, see projected battery usage, receive optimal charging‑stop suggestions and an updated...
Chrome's Hidden DNS Checks Spam Traffic, Users Demand Switch
Is @Google @Chrome using the web sites you are already visiting to make DNS requests as a connectivity check? Not a fan if that is the case. I thought of that related to all the weird DNS traffic I was...
Lenovo Promises It Hasn't Abandoned Updating Your Legion Go 2 Drivers, Yet
Lenovo has reaffirmed that it will support the Legion Go 2 handheld through October 2029, but it has not provided a release date for the next graphics driver. The most recent major driver update arrived in December 2023 for the 32.0.21030 branch that...
Apple at 50: Apple II Forever
The Verge marks Apple’s 50‑year anniversary by crediting the Apple II as the company’s first breakout hit. Launched in 1977, the Apple II was one of the first mass‑market personal computers and generated substantial revenue for the fledgling firm. Its success created...
Phones Fuel Anxiety and Polarization Primarily in America
New newsletter: THERE'S SOMETHING VERY WEIRD ABOUT PHONES AND AMERICA The most interesting thing about the Smartphone Theory of Everything is that it's really a Smartphone Theory of Everything in America and the English-Speaking World. While phones are everywhere, the problems that...
Continuous Monitoring Saved Mia Beam’s Life
Wow. Another powerful story of the value of continuous health monitoring. Grateful that @whoop could help 🙏 “Doctors drained 871 milliliters of fluid off Mia Beam's heart in surgery and said she would have died within 24 to 48 hours....
IPhone Fold Delayed? Why Apple’s First Foldable Might Miss September
Apple announced its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Fold, at the September 2023 event but postponed the market debut to December 2023. The delay lets Apple fine‑tune durability, leverage the holiday shopping season, and keep the September launch focused on...
Apple's Sleep App Auto‑starts, Silences Alarm—Its Worst Feature
Apple's new Sleep program (via Health app), which somehow turns on by itself and fades your alarm so low that you're at risk of sleeping through it, is the worst feature Apple has ever launched.
BLUETTI Launches Fridge Storage; EV Battery Advances
New BLUETTI Fridge Storage System, EV Battery Innovation Updates — Top Stories of the Week - https://t.co/S6atDwZBC3
Top Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories After Testing 20+
After testing more than 20 Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, these are some of my true favorites. https://t.co/oqOzS9cXqU
Top USB Flash Drive Deals for World Backup Day
These are the best USB flash drive deals we found for World Backup Day, with savings on our favorite models. https://t.co/IEOH0OHYFf
Apple Metal Direct Inference Threatens NVIDIA's Software Moat
1/ It's amazing to see consumer hardware do inference on gigantic models, but that's not the big deal. @danveloper went straight to the Apple metal with Claude help, circumventing all the frameworks. NVIDIA's software moat may be now easily breakable, via ......
AI Recreates Real Conversations Using Your Past Recordings
This AI lets you have a real conversation with anyone. Upload her voicemails, old videos, phone recordings. Pantio builds a persona that sounds, talks and gives advice like a real person
MOKiN 8‑in‑1 USB‑C Hub Streamlines All Connections
Running out of ports or want to simplify plugging your notebook into your accessories, from keyboard to monitor? Then you'll really appreciate the MOKiN 8-In-1 USB-C Hub. It even has some secret functions that are pretty slick, as I demonstrate:...
Electric Air Duster Clears PC Dust, Now On Sale
The Wolfbox MF50 Electric Air Duster has been an excellent buy to keep dust from clogging my gaming PC, and this cheap gadget is now on sale once again. https://t.co/zt8f6Lswjy
Verify SSD Authenticity Before Paying Premium Prices
You may not realize the expensive SSD you've bought is a fake — so make sure you check your purchases carefully. https://t.co/EuM7TE9fWX
IPhone 17 Pro Max Camera Fails Daily for Users
My $2000+ iPhone 17 Pro Max when I try to take a photo just about every day now Then I realized most of my friends have the same problem Tim Cook should resign 🤡 https://t.co/kqnADNMwRi
Pixel 10a Outperforms iPhone 17 for Typing
It's crazy how much better I type on my Pixel 10a test device vs my daily driver iPhone 17.
Series 10 Matches Series 11—Save by Buying Older Model
The Apple Watch Series 10 is just as good as the Series 11 — here's why you should save on the previous gen model instead. https://t.co/PZbRt8jSB3
NearHub Frames 10: Smart Photo Frame with Environmental Monitoring
Another digital picture frame? Yep, but the NearHub Frames 10 Smart Photo Frame actually has some slick features, including environmental monitoring. Here's my detailed demo and review: https://t.co/TRCOvBe2Tc #nearhub #pictureframe #photography @nearhub_global https://t.co/VHgLAq2ZI0
Top NAS Deals for Secure, Organized Data Backup
World Backup Day: The best NAS deals to keep your personal data safe, organized and accessible. https://t.co/UKfTr94bER
Kingston 1TB SSD Delivers Lightning‑Fast, Adaptive Mac Transfer
The Kingston Dual USB-A/USB-C Portable 1TB SSD is one of the most fascinating demos I've recorded: A capacious storage device, it's super fast, but you can also see it negotiate optimal transfer speed with MacOS. Check it out: https://t.co/EUsSw8DAE7 #ssd...
Google Wallet Pass UI Might Get Vibrant Redesign
Google Wallet's pass UI may soon get a fresh, colorful coat of paint Google is toying with the idea of a more colorful interface for passes ✅ Details and more screenshots - https://t.co/jChZx4fQ6o https://t.co/ArjNUOg4oI
US Smartphone Sales Rise 3% YoY, Subsidies Fuel Growth
"The U.S. smartphone market maintained its upward momentum in February, posting a 3% yoy increase in new smartphone sales ...the overall trajectory underscores sustained consumer engagement as aggressive carrier subsidies continue into early 2026." https://t.co/RxRQGADdi0
Gemini Pro Lacks Memories; Enterprise Upgrade Required
It's odd that @GeminiApp Personal has memories, but Pro through @GoogleWorkspace doesn't have it. You need to upgrade to Enterprise to get it for a large, extra fee, or maybe I just can't find it. I've tried, trust me. Very...
Avoid Perplexity AI’s Enterprise Button—It Traps Users
Whatever you do in the @perplexity_ai app, DON'T click on the enterprise button that pops up in the lower left hand corner. There's no escape loop, no back button, you're stuck. https://t.co/p5aZMs7MzN
Pixel's Transit Mode and Commute Alerts Launch Widely
📍🚆 One of March's best Pixel features - Transit mode and commute notifications are finally rolling out widely ✅ Details and screenshots - https://t.co/xSgUle3ncM https://t.co/gqWvOHqfCZ