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
Our AI Wearables Are “Changing the Game” For Disabled People
Meta unveiled a suite of new AI‑powered features for its Ray‑Ban and Oakley smart glasses, aimed at expanding independence for people with disabilities. The rollout adds hands‑free group calling with Be My Eyes, voice‑only call controls, one‑touch shortcuts, and real‑time captioned calls. Meta highlighted user stories—from a blind veteran reading menus to a quadriplegic capturing photos by voice—and showcased third‑party apps and EMG‑based neural band research that translate muscle signals into digital actions. An accessibility event is planned for Global Accessibility Awareness Day in New York.
3 Smart Home Upgrades You Can Make with a $24 Arduino Board
DIY enthusiasts can add three smart‑home upgrades using the Arduino Nano 33 IoT, a $24 microcontroller with built‑in Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth. The guide walks through an automated irrigation system that leverages a solid‑state relay and UDP commands, a programmable LED coaster...
Google Updates Find Hub App with Location Notifications
Google has released version 3.1.608‑5 of its Find Hub Android app, adding location‑sharing notifications. Users can now set alerts to be notified when a contact arrives at or leaves a chosen place such as home or work. The new feature...
Google Phone Adds Instant Hang‑up Button to Block Spoofed Calls
Someone pretending to be your contact during calls? Google Phone could soon fight back. Users will be provided with a direct, prominent option to "Hang up" the call immediately from the alert screen ✅ Details - https://t.co/LXBGAuI68K https://t.co/Wv91QDRa87
Samsung Delay Boosts Apple iPhone 17 Sales as Galaxy S26 Launch Slides
Samsung postponed its Galaxy S26 flagship to March 11, handing Apple a clear runway for the iPhone 17. In the first quarter, iPhone sales in the U.S. rose 1.3% year‑over‑year while the overall smartphone market slipped 5.7%, underscoring the competitive...
One UI 8.5 vs One UI 9: The Biggest Upgrades You Might Miss
Samsung’s One UI 9, built on Android 17, refreshes the interface with a cleaner Quick Panel, animated lock‑screen media controls, smoother transitions, and new accessibility tools like Text Spotlight. Thicker sliders, separate dark‑mode toggles, and refined animations reduce lag and...
Amazon Prime Streams 2026 ACM Awards for Free, Expanding Country Music’s Digital Reach
The Academy of Country Music Awards 2026 aired live on Amazon Prime Video, allowing viewers to watch the ceremony for free. Hosted by Shania Twain and featuring over a dozen performances, the event highlighted the growing role of streaming platforms...
Nex Launches $340 Playground Console in UK to Meet Online Safety Act
Nex unveiled its Playground console in the United Kingdom, pricing it at £269 (≈ $340) and touting a fully offline, AI‑driven camera system designed for children aged three to 12. The launch is timed to satisfy the UK Online Safety Act...
Campfire Audio Chimera Earbuds Boast Nine Drivers
Campfire Audio's new Chimera earbuds have nine drivers, as well as plenty of other fine tuning twists. https://t.co/FDS83M1Yqv
The Best Editor-Approved Memorial Day Deals on Garmin, Coros, and Shokz: Get Hundreds Off Popular Gear for Runners
Runner’s World highlights Memorial Day discounts on top running tech, slashing prices on Garmin, Coros and Shokz gear ahead of the summer race season. The Garmin Forerunner 265 drops below $350, offering music storage, GPS navigation and advanced training metrics....
The Geekom Air12 2026 Edition Is a Solid Entry-Level Mini PC – if You Can Bag a Good Bargain on...
Geekom’s Air12 2026 Edition is an ultra‑compact mini PC targeting budget‑conscious users, featuring a 117 × 112 × 34.2 mm chassis and a five‑year‑old Intel Pentium Gold 7505 processor paired with 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB PCIe SSD. At roughly $380 (£299) it competes with...
IPhone 18 Pro Launch in 2026, iPhone 18 Standard in 2027: Report
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro line in September 2026 while postponing the standard iPhone 18 until sometime in 2027, marking the first staggered rollout of a flagship series. Analyst Jeff Pu predicts the Pro models will retain the iPhone 17 Pro price point...
Is Your iPhone Battery Draining After iOS 26.5 Update? Here’s Why You Don't Need to Panic Just Yet
Apple’s iOS 26.5 update has sparked a wave of complaints about rapid battery drain and noticeable heating on iPhones, with users reporting up to a 50% drop in charge by midday. The issue surfaced on Reddit and other tech forums, where...
Laptop Issue with Video
A Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 user reports intermittent video freezes when using Media Player Classic, sometimes locking the entire system and requiring a hard reset. The videos reside on a Samsung M.2 SSD housed in a USB‑C Sabrent enclosure. Community members...
ASUS‑Xreal ROG Xreal R1 AR Glasses Set Summer Release in Europe, North America
ASUS and Xreal opened pre‑orders on May 17 for the ROG Xreal R1 AR glasses, slated for a summer launch across Europe and North America. The device boasts a 240 Hz Micro‑OLED panel, 0.01 ms response time and a virtual screen that can...
Kindle’s New Default Tap‑to‑turn Feature Can Be Turned Off
Noticed that when you accidentally tap anywhere on your Amazon Kindle, it now changes pages? Turns out that it's a new setting that defaults to "enabled". Fortunately, it's easy to disable: https://t.co/WGas8NxOoZ #kindle #kindleos @AmazonKindle https://t.co/v1hW0kjQbD
OnePlus Launches Ace 6 Ultra in China with Record 8,600 mAh Silicon‑carbon Battery
OnePlus introduced the Ace 6 Ultra in China on April 28, 2026, branding it as a gaming‑focused flagship powered by an 8,600 mAh silicon‑carbon battery and a clip‑on mechanical trigger. The launch coincided with Oppo’s merger of OnePlus and Realme into...
![More of Google Pixel’s New 3D Emoji for Android 17 Have Leaked, Here’s a Quick Look [Gallery]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/9to5google.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/05/android-17-emoji-leak-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
More of Google Pixel’s New 3D Emoji for Android 17 Have Leaked, Here’s a Quick Look [Gallery]
Google has previewed a new Noto 3D emoji library that will ship with Android 17, initially rolling out on Pixel devices later this year. The leak shared by RKBDI reveals roughly 250 of the over 4,000 redesigned icons, including faces, animals, objects...
Google Unveils $99 Fitbit Air Screenless Wearable Powered by Gemini AI
Google introduced the Fitbit Air, a $99 screenless wearable that leverages Gemini AI to deliver personalized health coaching via the Google Health app. The device offers a week of battery life and aims to shift the wearables market away from...
AI Framework CONSET Finds 7 Critical 5G Flaws in 542 Smartphone Models
University researchers deployed an AI‑driven testing system called CONSET to uncover seven new 5G vulnerabilities—three high‑severity—in 542 smartphone models. The findings, affecting 64 modem chipsets, triggered patches from MediaTek and a review by Qualcomm, highlighting a new AI‑enabled attack surface...
Moto Razr Fold Review, Googlebooks Are Coming, Google Fitbit Air, What to Expect at Google I/O 2026, Sony Xperia 1...
In this episode, host Miriam Joir and PCMag editor Florence Ion dissect the Moto Razr Fold, comparing it to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Chinese competitors, and praise its thin design, silicon‑carbon battery, and surprisingly strong camera system despite...
Clicks Communicator: Fresh Design, Not a BlackBerry Clone
For those waiting for the Clicks Communicator who think Q4 can't come soon enough (I know, same here) ... @clickskeys just shared a wonderful video that describes the design process, and why we're not just re-building the BlackBerry for 2026. https://youtu.be/fLwi43Tcaj8
I Turned an Old Phone Into an Offline GPS, and It Works Too Well
A tech writer shows how to convert an old Android phone into a dedicated offline GPS using the free OsmAnd app. After a factory reset and app sideload, the device is stripped of unnecessary services, set to low brightness, and...
Apple's New Siri App Will Reportedly Offer Auto-Deleting Chat Options
Apple is planning a dedicated Siri app and an “Ask Siri” button for iOS 27, slated for debut at WWDC 2026. The update will include an auto‑delete feature letting users keep chat logs for 30 days, a year, or indefinitely, and an option...
Lambertus Makes the $400 Royal POP Wearable for $95
Lambertus has launched Chapter I, a $95 strap that converts the Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal POP pocket watch into a wrist‑wearable piece. The strap uses a machined octagonal clip to snap the watch head in place without tools, and comes in two versions matching...
Google Gemini AI Limited to Flagship Android Phones by Steep Hardware Bar
Google unveiled Gemini Intelligence, its most advanced on‑device AI suite, but said it will only run on Android phones that meet a 12 GB RAM threshold and the new Gemini Nano v3 architecture. The rollout excludes popular recent flagships such as the...
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2 Takes Everything Great About the Original and Almost Perfects It
Turtle Beach unveiled the Stealth Pro 2, a premium wireless gaming headset that builds on the original’s strengths while fixing its shortcomings. Battery life jumps to 80 hours thanks to two hot‑swappable 40‑hour packs, and the wireless range extends to roughly 85 feet...
IOS 27 to Auto‑suggest Genmojis From Photos, Phrases
Also in Power On: Apple is preparing an enhancement to Genmoji in iOS 27: Suggested Genmojis created from your photos and your commonly typed phrases. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-05-17/ios-27-siri-app-to-have-auto-deleting-chats-siri-may-be-a-beta-genmoji-mp9udydr?srnd=undefined
JLab JBuds Open: Most Interesting Yet Not Best
The JLab JBuds Open Wireless headphones are hands-down the most interesting headphones I've tested this year, but not the best https://t.co/DDZBd9SRqi
Apple’s New ChatGPT-Like Siri App Will Have Auto-Deleting Chats
Apple is adding a new Siri app to iOS 27 that functions like a ChatGPT‑style chatbot while introducing auto‑deleting chat histories to protect user privacy. The feature, delayed for two years, is expected to launch as part of a limited beta...
Never Lose Your Everyday Gear — AirTag Alternative Tracker 4-Pack for Under $30
The aowoka Tracker Air Tag 4‑Pack offers an Apple‑compatible Bluetooth tracker for $29.99, targeting iOS users who need a low‑cost alternative to AirTag. Each unit fits within a 200‑foot Bluetooth range and taps into Apple’s Find My network for anonymous,...
Deep Care Launches Isa Desk Gadget to Boost Posture and Wellness for Remote Workers
German startup Deep Care introduced Isa, a desk‑mounted health‑tech gadget that tracks posture, hydration, light, sound and air quality without a camera. The device uses a Time‑of‑Flight sensor and a 5.5‑inch IPS screen to nudge remote workers toward better ergonomics,...
I Turned a $80 RK3562 Android Tablet Into a Debian Linux Workstation
A community‑driven project called rkdebian now lets the $80 Doogee U10 Android tablet run a full Debian 12 Bookworm system from an SD card, without unlocking the bootloader or altering the internal eMMC. The pre‑release image, built on May 14 2026, supports most hardware features—including...
Walmart Introduces Two New High-End ONN Android Tablets Blending Premium Features with Affordable Pricing
Walmart has added two high‑end Android tablets to its ONN line‑up: an 8.1‑inch Core model priced around $138 and a 13‑inch Pro model at roughly $288. Both devices feature modern processors, 6 GB of RAM, bright IPS displays with up to...
10 Phones From The 2010s That Define Smartphone History (But Aren't iPhone Or Android)
The article surveys ten influential smartphones from the 2010s that were neither iPhone nor Android, highlighting how each introduced notable technology or market shifts. It details innovations such as Nokia’s 41 MP PureView camera, Samsung’s early Super‑AMOLED Wave, and large‑screen Windows...
Waterproof Autonomous Drone Camera Thrives Anywhere
A Waterproof #Autonomous Flying Camera for Any Environment via @ZappyZappy7 #Innovation #TechForGood #EmergingTech #Tech https://t.co/tNvpDVjuPH
AI Wearables Are Coming. But They’ll Need to Pass This Crucial Coffee Shop Test to Survive
AI wearables face a social‑acceptance hurdle that rivals technical performance. At CES, Sandbar CEO Mina Fahmi let the author test the Stream ring, a discreet AI‑enabled device that operates via subtle hand gestures, drawing no attention in a busy coffee...
Phone Batteries Get Better, Yet 58% of Users Still Tether to Outlets
CNET’s latest consumer survey reveals that 58% of smartphone owners are dissatisfied with battery life, even as manufacturers roll out silicon‑carbon batteries that boost energy density. Industry executives say the technology is ready, but user habits keep phones plugged in.
Panther Lake Powered Framework Laptop 13 Pro Sees Linux Microphone Fix
A microphone boost fix for the upcoming Framework Laptop 13 Pro, powered by Intel Panther Lake, was merged into the mainline Linux kernel this weekend. The patch eliminates clipping when the internal mic exceeds 50 % input volume and is slated for inclusion in...
Why Samsung Is Finally Changing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Design
Samsung is unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, a foldable that trades flagship camera hardware for a lower price and broader appeal. The device features a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a 5.4‑inch "Passport" cover display, and a dual 50 MP...
Windows 11 Xbox Game Mode Is Slowly Rolling Out to Users.
Microsoft started rolling out the new Xbox Game Mode to Windows 11 PCs through the April 2026 Preview Update (KB5083631). The feature promises a console‑like interface and performance tweaks, but activation is inconsistent, prompting users to resort to ViVeTool to force‑enable...
OnePlus Suddenly Pauses Latest OxygenOS 16 Update: Here's What Happened
OnePlus has halted the rollout of OxygenOS 16.0.7.xxx and 16.0.5.xxx after a subset of users reported spontaneous reboots and failed boots. The company posted an apology on its community forum, stating that engineering teams are investigating the root cause and...
Xiaomi 17 Max Launching Soon: 200MP LEICA Camera, 8,000mAh Battery and LTPO AMOLED Display Confirmed
Xiaomi is set to unveil its flagship Xiaomi 17 Max in China this month, featuring an unprecedented 8,000 mAh battery, 100 W wired and 50 W wireless fast charging, and a 6.9‑inch 2K LTPO OLED display. The device packs a Leica‑tuned triple‑camera system...
MelGeek Centauri80 Hall Effect Gaming Keyboard Review: It's (Inter)Stellar
MelGeek’s flagship Centauri80 Hall‑effect gaming keyboard launches at $359, positioning itself as a premium alternative to mainstream mechanical boards. The keyboard combines an aluminum alloy chassis, an OLED touchscreen, and a highly customizable Hive app for lighting and key mapping....
Apple Unveils MacBook Air with M5 Chip and On‑Device AI, Starting at $1,099
Apple introduced a redesigned 13‑inch MacBook Air powered by the new M5 system‑on‑chip, a 10‑core CPU and up to a 10‑core GPU, and bundled it with 512 GB of base storage at a $1,099 entry price. The laptop emphasizes on‑device AI,...
Google Previews Android 17’s New Pause Point Feature
Google has previewed the Pause Point feature coming our way with Android 17, and I like the look of it. https://t.co/1MmdREhxID
Your Old Galaxy Watch Has One Job Left — and It's the Most Useful Thing It's Ever Done
Samsung advises owners of older Galaxy Watch models to repurpose them as dedicated sleep trackers. By charging the watch for about 30 minutes each morning and wearing it at night, users can leverage the built‑in heart‑rate, SpO₂ and accelerometer sensors...
Bose Unveils $1,099 Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, Sparking Bass‑Heavy Debate
Bose released the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar on May 5, 2026 at a price of $1,099, positioning it against Sonos and Sony premium models. Early hands‑on tests praise its mid‑range clarity but criticize the bass response and lack of rear channels,...
This Tiny ESP32 Board Became My Cheapest Home Network Upgrade
A DIY project called ESP32_AdBlocker turns a low‑cost ESP32 board into a network‑wide DNS sinkhole, mirroring Pi‑hole functionality. By flashing an Arduino sketch, users can point their router at the device and block ads and trackers for the entire home...
IPhone Share of US Big 3 Carriers Reaches 75%, 77% with Verizon
Apple’s iPhone captured 75% of sales on the three major US carriers in Q1 2026, rising to 77% on Verizon. The company’s U.S. volume grew 1.3% year‑over‑year while the broader smartphone market fell 5.7%, and Android shipments plunged 14.4% YoY....