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
Google Messages for Android Rolls Out Trash Folder
Google has begun rolling out a new Trash folder in its Messages app for Android, giving users a safety net for deleted conversations. The feature holds deleted chats for 30 days before permanent removal, though Android Go devices retain them for only seven days to conserve space. Users can restore individual or all threads from the Trash, and any new message to a trashed conversation creates a fresh thread in the main inbox while the old messages stay in Trash. The update is available via stable version 20260327_00_RC00.
Find Some Awesome Savings on These Popular Sony Mirrorless Cameras
No Film School’s latest “Deals of the Week” highlights three Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras at reduced prices: the a7 III for $1,698, the a7 IV for $1,998, and the a7R V for $3,298. All three models are praised for their reliability and hybrid...
I Used This EcoFlow Battery to Run My 3,000-Sq-Ft Home in a Blackout - Here's How It Kept My AC...
EcoFlow’s Delta Pro Ultra X (DPUX) paired with the Smart Home Panel 3 delivers a modular, whole‑home battery backup capable of 12‑36 kW output and up to 180 kWh storage. In real‑world tests during two hot‑weather outages, the system kept a 3,000‑sq‑ft house—including two air...
Wi-Fi 7 Sounds Like the Obvious Upgrade Until You Learn What Wi-Fi 6E Already Does
Wi‑Fi 6E opened the 6 GHz band, giving homes a cleaner, less congested spectrum while keeping the same 9.6 Gbps theoretical ceiling as Wi‑Fi 6. Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) raises the peak to 46 Gbps, doubles channel width to 320 MHz, adds 4096‑QAM and Multi‑Link Operation, but real‑world...
Uniden R7 Radar Detector: Why Our Favorite Model Delivers the Best Protection for the Price
The Uniden R7 radar detector earned the Best Overall title in a recent review, positioning it as the top mid‑priced option for everyday drivers. It delivers 360‑degree coverage with dual antennas, a rear‑balance feature, and a GPS‑based red‑light and speed‑camera...
Keychron Shares 3D Keyboard Blueprints on GitHub, Opening Hardware to Modders
Keychron has released the 3D design files for its popular mechanical keyboards on GitHub, making cases, plates and keycaps publicly editable. The source‑available files are provided in detailed .STEP format, enabling hobbyists to modify dimensions, materials or 3D‑print accessories. While...
Microsoft Is Removing Copilot Buttons From These Windows 11 Apps
Microsoft announced it will strip the prominent Copilot buttons from several Windows 11 apps, starting with Notepad and the Snipping Tool. The change, visible in the latest Insider build, replaces the large Copilot icon with a more discreet "writing tools"...
Microsoft Finally Lets Windows 11 Testers Unlock Experimental Features without ViVeTool
Microsoft announced that Windows 11 Insiders can now enable experimental features directly via a new Feature Flags page in Settings, eliminating the need for the third‑party ViVeTool. The Insider program channels are being streamlined into an Experimental Channel and a refreshed...
Microsoft Finally Fixes the Windows 11 Insider Mess with a Preview Program that Makes Sense (and Actually Lets You Test...
Microsoft is overhauling the Windows 11 Insider Program, reducing preview channels to two core options—Experimental and Beta—and eliminating Controlled Feature Rollouts. The new Experimental channel merges the former Canary and Dev tracks, adds "Future Platform" builds, and grants users direct control...
IPhone 18 Pro Gets Samsung Isocell Camera Sensors
iPhone, made by Samsung iPhone 18 Pro series will apparently have Samsung Isocell camera sensors for the first time. Another component alongside the display and memory that will be made by Samsung
My Go-To Electric Screwdriver Is on Sale for over 50 Percent Off Today
Fanttik’s S1 Pro cordless electric screwdriver is on a flash sale, dropping from $89.99 to $39.99 on Amazon with promo code YBRS9843. The lightweight tool offers a 220 RPM motor, three torque settings, a LED light, and a 2,000 mAh battery claimed...
T-Mobile Will Give You a Free iPhone 17e Right Now, No Trade-In Necessary
T‑Mobile is rolling out a promotion that gives new customers a free iPhone 17e when they sign up for most of its standard plans, without needing to trade in an old device. Customers who choose the regular iPhone 17 can also get...
These $33 In-Ear Monitors Sound Way Better Than Apple’s Wired Earbuds
Jordan McMahon of The Strategist tested Linsoul’s Kiwi Ears Cadenza, a $33 pair of in‑ear monitors, and found them to sound noticeably better than Apple’s $250 wired EarPods. The IEMs deliver bright highs, lush mids, and controlled lows while providing...
French Government Says Au Revoir Windows, Bienvenue Linux
France announced it will replace Microsoft Windows with open‑source Linux on all government workstations, a shift that begins in 2026. The plan follows earlier moves to adopt the French‑made Visio for video conferencing and to migrate health‑data systems to a...
Dramatic Trailer Launches Tech EDC Swap Series with MKBHD
Nobody asked for a dramatic trailer for a Tech EDC swap series but we made one anyway. First up: @mkbhd.
Google Pixel Is Growing in 2026 as Almost Everyone Else Struggles in the Chaos
Google Pixel posted a 14% year‑over‑year shipment increase in Q1 2026, while the overall smartphone market fell 6% YoY. Apple maintained a 21% market share and grew 5% thanks to strong iPhone 17 demand. Competitors such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo...
What Leaked "SteamGPT" Files Could Mean for the PC Gaming Platform's Use of AI
Files labeled “SteamGPT” appeared in the April 7 Steam client update, revealing that Valve is experimenting with generative‑AI tools for internal moderation. Variable names such as “multi‑category inference,” “labeler,” and “evaluation_evidence_log” point to an AI system that could automatically label and...
I Walked 3,000 Steps with My Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring - This Tracker Was Most Accurate
A quick experiment in Brooklyn compared step counts from the Apple Watch Series 11, Google Pixel Watch 4, and Oura Ring across three 1,000‑step intervals. The Pixel Watch 4 recorded the smallest mean absolute error—just 18 steps—outperforming the Apple Watch (53‑step error) and...
NSA and FBI Urge Router Reboot After Russian GRU Hijacks Thousands of Devices
The National Security Agency and the FBI are urging U.S. residents to reboot and harden their home internet routers after a Russian military‑intelligence unit hijacked thousands of devices nationwide. The advisory follows a court‑authorized operation that removed malicious DNS settings...
Apple Unveils Its Most Affordable Laptop Ever. What the MacBook Neo Means for Investors
Apple launched the MacBook Neo, its cheapest laptop at a $599 starting price, aiming to attract budget‑conscious consumers and students. The device sits below the $1,099 entry‑level MacBook Air and far under the $3,899 16‑inch MacBook Pro, positioning Apple against low‑cost Chromebooks...
(Sponsor) Clic for Sonos
Clic for Sonos, the fastest native Sonos client for Apple devices, is sponsoring Six Colors this week. The app runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and visionOS, offering deep integration with widgets, Live Activities, Shortcuts, a menu‑bar...
Dell’s Commercial PC Surge Drives CSG Revenue to $13.5 B, Up 14% YoY
Dell Technologies reported $13.5 billion in Client Solutions Group revenue for Q4 fiscal 2026, a 14% year‑over‑year increase driven by robust commercial PC sales. The growth marks the sixth straight quarter of expansion and underpins a bullish outlook for fiscal 2027...
Apple Unveiled a New High-End Market Opportunity This Week
Apple’s Studio Display XDR earned FDA clearance for its Medical Imaging Calibration feature, opening a new niche in the medical‑device market. The $2,899 calibrated display can replace traditional radiology workstations that cost $15,000 or more, offering a lower‑cost, Apple‑integrated solution....
Galaxy Z Flip 8 Is Mostly Unchanged, but at Least It’s Not Getting Thicker Like the Razr
Official‑looking renders of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 reveal a design that is virtually identical to the Z Flip 7, with the only visible change being a 0.5 mm reduction in folded thickness. The outer display, hinge profile, camera layout and overall...
I Was Using V-Sync Wrong for Too Long — Then I Made This One Game-Changing Switch
The author discovered that enabling Nvidia's V‑Sync was throttling game performance and switched to Fast Sync, which preserves tear‑free visuals while cutting input lag. Fast Sync renders frames as fast as possible but only displays the most recent one, eliminating...
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
Framework's Take on Cloud, AI Amid New Launch
As Framework prepares for its next big product launch, the repair-and-augment-friendly PC maker has some thoughts about the Cloud and AI revolution. https://t.co/p6PtnIYn08
How I Check, Test, and Charge My AA and AAA Batteries - and Sift Out Defective Ones
Olight’s new Ostation 2 Pro is a premium AA/AAA rechargeable battery charger featuring a 2.8‑inch touchscreen, USB‑C PD 12 V/1.5 A input, and an accompanying iOS/Android app. It tests, charges, and automatically sorts up to four batteries at a time, diverting defective or alkaline...
Alamo Drafthouse's Phone-Driven Experience Disappoints Me
finally had a chance to experience Alamo Drafthouse’s new phone-driven moviegoing experience and it’s safe to say I was not a fan.
Switch From Edge to Your Preferred Browser Easily
Tired of using Microsoft Edge for your Web browsing adventures? There are lots of cool and specialized alternative Web browsers nowadays, and it's easy to switch your default. Here's how, step-by-step... https://t.co/j2OsbpQ2oZ #chrome #edge #opera #browsers #win11 https://t.co/K6yE50QXwt
FBI Recovers "Deleted" Signal Messages Through iPhone Notifications
The FBI recovered deleted Signal messages from an iPhone by extracting push‑notification data stored by iOS. In a Texas terrorism case, agents accessed incoming messages that the defendant had set to expire and removed from the app. Apple’s operating system...
Asus Offers Fix for RTX 5090 Connector Melting
Reports are still coming through about high-powered GPUs like the RTX 5090 having connector melting issues, but Asus has a solution. https://t.co/qi7HPVgpeu
Apple May Launch iPhone Air 2 Despite Poor Sales
Apple will reportedly release the iPhone Air 2 ‘no matter how badly it sells,' and while I don't necessarily believe it, I hope it's true. https://t.co/jOi8bUEzcZ
Rich On Tech Episode 169 - April 11, 2026
In episode 169 of Rich on Tech, Doug Sutties, co‑creator of Speedtest, introduces Orb, a new tool that goes beyond raw bandwidth to pinpoint latency, jitter and congestion that slow internet connections. Ross Barbour of Sonos showcases the latest Play...
![Android’s Upcoming ‘Tap to Share’ Can Send Contacts, Files, Etc – Here’s What It Looks Like [Gallery]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/9to5google.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/04/android-tap-to-share-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Android’s Upcoming ‘Tap to Share’ Can Send Contacts, Files, Etc – Here’s What It Looks Like [Gallery]
Google is testing a new “Tap to Share” feature that lets Android users exchange contacts, photos, videos, links, and locations by tapping phones together. The preview appears as a pop‑up guide that walks users through aligning screens, waiting for a...
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The 5 Best Rechargeable Hand Warmers of 2026, Tested and Reviewed
Travel + Leisure’s Maggie Slepian spent three years testing 19 rechargeable hand warmers and identified the five models that best serve travelers, hikers and skiers. The top picks—Ocoopa UT3 Lite, HotHands, Zippo HeatBank 6 Pro, Celestron Elements FireCel+ and Day Wolf heated gloves—excel...
AdGuard VPN iOS Update Adds 7-Day Free Trial
AdGuard VPN's latest iOS update (v2.10) is here, bringing a brand-new 7-day free trial to iPhone users. Here’s what you need to know about the latest stability fixes and how you can test out its premium features without spending a...
Best CarPlay Screens, Tested
The review tests three leading portable wireless CarPlay screens—W903, Ottoscreen AI, and Intellidash Pro X10—highlighting each unit’s installation, display quality, and extra features. The W903 stands out with an integrated dash cam and a sturdy suction‑cup mount, while the Ottoscreen...
189: The Latest iPhone Fold/Ultra Rumors
In this episode of the Mac Rumor Show, Dan and Hartley dissect the newly leaked dummy models of Apple's anticipated foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra." They evaluate its unconventional short‑wide, passport‑size design, the shift back to Touch ID, the...
Currys Refuses to End Its Easter Sale — I've Found the 21 Best Tech Deals that Are Still Available
Currys is extending its Easter sale for a few more days, offering 21 tech deals with discounts up to 40%. Highlighted offers include the Shark Stratos cordless vacuum now £199 (≈$255), Bose QuietComfort headphones at £189 (≈$242), and the Amazon...
Project Hail Mary Goes to Mixed Reality with a New Andy Weir Story
Andy Weir’s sci‑fi bestseller Project Hail Mary is expanding beyond the novel and upcoming Ryan Gosling film with a mixed‑reality experience. The new title, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars, blends augmented and virtual reality to place players inside...
PC Market Posts Modest Growth in Early 2026 Despite Memory Shortages and Economic Strain
The global PC market posted modest growth in Q1 2026, with shipments reaching 65.6 million units – a 2.5% increase over the same period last year. The uptick was driven by pre‑emptive buying ahead of anticipated memory price hikes and continued...
Amazon to End Support for Pre‑2013 Kindle E‑Readers, Affecting 8 Models
Amazon announced that on May 20, 2026 it will discontinue Kindle Store access for all devices released before 2013, covering eight legacy models. The move bars users from buying, borrowing or downloading new titles, prompting criticism over device longevity, ecosystem...
Google Adds Direct PC Backup, Bypassing Cloud
Google is working on an Automatic backup feature that can copy your phone’s photos, videos, and audio to your PC without using cloud storage The feature seems to be a part of Quick Share ✅ Details - https://t.co/ZWdKTkSgft https://t.co/n8fQzGwatU
Bitland WMI Laptop Driver Slated For Linux 7.1
Bitland, the Chinese OEM once on the U.S. Entity List, will see its MIFS WMI driver merged into the upcoming Linux 7.1 kernel. The open‑source driver, built by reverse‑engineering the Windows Management Instrumentation interface, adds platform‑profile switching, sensor monitoring, keyboard backlight...
This Number on a USB Thumb Drive that Actually Tells You How Fast It Is (and It's Not USB 3.0)
The article explains that USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 all share the same 5 Gbps bus spec, so the label alone does not guarantee performance. Actual speed depends on the drive’s internal flash, controller and cache, resulting in read/write rates that can...
New Apple Rumor: IPhone Air 2 Leak Suggests Major Upgrades After First-Gen Criticism
Apple is reportedly forging ahead with a second‑generation iPhone Air despite the first model’s lackluster sales. A Weibo leaker, Fixed Focus Digital, says the Air 2 will follow the normal product cycle, even if demand remains weak. The upcoming device is...
Test This MacOS Prompt Expander for AI Workflows
My friend isn't on social media and built this MacOS text expander app for storing AI prompts. Can we get some people to test it out? https://t.co/nTtMMsxKJQ
Samsung Starts Selling Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G in Poland with Launch Promotion
Samsung has begun selling its mid‑range Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G smartphones across Poland’s physical stores, online shop, and mobile app. Buyers receive a launch‑time discount of up to PLN 250 (about $65) on the handsets and up to PLN 100 (about...
Cradlewise Brings Its Award-Winning Smart Crib to Amazon in Time for Mother's Day
Cradlewise, the AI‑powered smart crib, launched on Amazon on April 10 with a $90 discount through May 15, timed for Mother’s Day. The $1,799 system promises up to four times the lifespan of traditional bassinets and includes a two‑year Nurture Core app...