Consumer Tech News and Headlines
Consumer Tech News and Headlines
Consumer Tech Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Razer unveiled the Viper V4 Pro wireless gaming mouse, shipping today in black and white at $159.99. Weighing just 49‑g (black) or 50‑g (white), it is 9% lighter than the V3 Pro and features Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Gen‑2 with 0.204 ms latency and 8000 Hz polling. The mouse is powered by a new Focus Pro 50K optical sensor delivering up to 50,000 DPI, 99.8% accuracy, and up to 180 hours of battery life. Razer also launched five Gigantus V2 Pro mouse pads priced at $49.99 each.
In 2026 eSIM technology is reshaping travel connectivity by replacing physical SIM cards with embedded, software‑provisioned modules. By Q1, eSIM‑compatible devices accounted for roughly 60% of premium smartphone sales and are projected to exceed 75% by year‑end. The shift enables...
Duolingo is piloting a "focus" feature that blocks selected distracting apps until users finish a set number of daily language lessons. The tool integrates with a device's screen‑time settings, letting learners choose which apps to lock and how many lessons...
Snapchat has introduced AI Clips in Lens Studio, a new format that turns a single Snap or Camera Roll photo into a five‑second cinematic video based on a text prompt. The AI‑powered tool lets creators place users in settings ranging...
Snapchat has introduced AI Clips, a new Lens format that converts a single user photo into a five‑second video. The feature, built into Lens Studio, is a closed‑prompt AI video tool available only to Lens+ subscribers, who pay $8.99 per...
MTN Group announced the phased retirement of its Ayoba super‑app, giving users a 30‑day window to download and retrieve data before the app disappears from stores after March 20, 2026. Launched in 2019, Ayoba once reached tens of millions of users but...
A new leak suggests OnePlus is developing an Android handheld specifically tuned for first‑person shooter titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Delta Force. The rumor, traced to Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station and reinforced by a concept image shared...
Unilever has introduced Persil and Comfort "Smart Series" laundry consumables designed for auto‑dose washing machines, positioning them as the first detergent optimized for such appliances. Kantar research for Unilever found that 31% of Britons plan to buy a smart device...
Motorola’s 2026 Moto G refresh sticks closely to the 2025 model, offering a $200 mid‑range Android phone with a sleek vegan‑leather back and a bold pink finish. It features a 6.7‑inch HD+ display with 120 Hz refresh, a 50 MP main camera...
Apple introduced Live Translation, an on‑device AI feature that turns supported AirPods into real‑time language interpreters. The system works with AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the 2026 AirPods Pro Max, but requires an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or any iPhone 16/17 running iOS 26. Users must download...
A MakeUseOf author discovered that Windows Search Indexer was consuming over a gigabyte of RAM on a Windows 11 PC with 16 GB of memory. After attempting standard fixes—DISM/SFC scans and rebuilding the index—the service continued to hog memory. Disabling the indexer...
Smartphone makers are revisiting modular accessories as magnetic attachment meets data‑pin connectivity. Jolla’s upcoming phone will ship with swappable back covers called “The Other Half,” enabling functions like audio conversion via pogo pins. Fairphone continues its repair‑first approach with screw‑in...
G.SKILL announced that its DDR5 memory kits are now validated for Intel XMP 3.0 on the Core Ultra 200S Plus processors and Z890 chipset. The certification covers both standard U‑DIMM and CU‑DIMM modules, allowing users to enable predefined overclocking profiles...
OnePlus confirmed the Indian launch of its Nord 6 5G for April 7, 2026 at 7 PM IST, with sales via Amazon. The device is priced between ₹35,000 and ₹40,000 (approximately $420‑$480) and offers a 9000 mAh battery, 80W fast charging, and...
Phonak’s Virto R Infinio and Infinio Ultra Sphere hearing aids have won the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards in the health category, presented by the Business Intelligence Group. The devices use AI to dynamically adjust settings and directly process sound...
Casio has launched a new ProTrek collaboration with Japanese streetwear label White Mountaineering, delivering the PRW‑B1000WM model that blends rugged outdoor functionality with a sleek, all‑black aesthetic. The watch retains core ProTrek sensors—compass, altimeter, barometric pressure, and temperature gauge—while adding...
Walmart and Vizio announced that new Vizio smart‑TVs will require a Walmart account for activation, creating a unified login and identity framework across devices. The integration centralizes streaming data on Vizio’s OS, giving Walmart a foothold in the connected‑TV (CTV)...
Ring’s suite of privacy and notification settings lets users tighten security while reducing nuisance alerts. Features such as Global and Device‑specific snooze, custom motion zones, and Smart Alerts let homeowners filter out irrelevant motion. Additional controls—including disabling Amazon Sidewalk, turning...
Retro CRT televisions are experiencing a resurgence among gamers and nostalgia seekers, driven by social‑media buzz and their unique display qualities. Buyers can find units on thrift stores, eBay, and Craigslist, but must verify compatibility with modern or vintage consoles....
The Sideload podcast’s 27th episode features Rich Woods, content director at XDA Developers, discussing the upcoming MacBook Neo, the ongoing public perception challenges facing Windows 11, and Google’s forthcoming Android‑for‑desktops operating system. The conversation explores how the Neo aims to...
Fitbit’s Ace LTE kids smartwatch is now priced at $99.95, an $80 discount from its regular $179.99 list price, matching offers at Amazon, Best Buy and Target. The device blends step‑activated games, a digital companion named Eejie, and safety‑focused communication tools...
Modern consumer routers bundle convenience features like band steering, automatic channel selection, UPnP, QoS, and router‑level VPNs, but these can degrade performance on low‑end devices. The article explains how each feature consumes CPU cycles, causes interference, or introduces security risks,...
Refresh rate is the most marketed TV spec after panel type, but higher numbers don’t automatically guarantee a better picture. A 60 Hz panel meets the needs of most streaming viewers and casual gamers, while 120 Hz delivers smoother motion for sports...
Walmart’s budget-friendly Onn 4K Plus streaming device, which runs Google TV, has quietly increased its price from $29.88 to $39.88. The hike appears region‑specific, with some shoppers already seeing the new price while others still see the old tag. The change follows recent...
LG Display has begun mass production of Oxide 1Hz LCD panels for laptops, which automatically shift refresh rates from 1 Hz to up to 120 Hz based on on‑screen activity. The technology, derived from low‑temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) concepts, claims a 48 percent battery‑life...
Mozilla rolled out Firefox 149 a day early, introducing a built‑in split‑screen mode that lets users browse two tabs side‑by‑side. The update also adds faster PDF rendering via enhanced hardware acceleration and a new Share button for quick content distribution. Security...
The Podoru MagSafe Battery Pack is a compact 5,000 mAh power bank that magnetically attaches to iPhone 12 and newer models, eliminating cables and delivering 5‑15 watts of charge. Its design lets users charge two devices at once via a single USB‑C...
Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft (16 GB) and Kobo’s Libra Colour have hit their lowest prices ever, with the Kindle now $169.99—a $80 cut—and the Kobo at $199.99, $30 off. Both devices use 7‑inch E Ink panels that switch to color at 150 ppi...
Apple is reportedly preparing to embed paid search ads within its Maps application, with a public announcement expected as early as this month and rollout on iPhones slated for the summer. The ad model would function similarly to existing placements...
DietPi released version 10.2, adding Immich—a self‑hosted Google Photos alternative—as an optional package for 64‑bit x86 and ARMv8 devices. The update also includes a separate machine‑learning server for facial recognition, which can run on a different Raspberry Pi to preserve resources. Additional new...
Apple’s Back Tap, introduced in iOS 14, lets iPhone 8 and newer users trigger actions by double‑ or triple‑tapping the back of the device. The feature is fully customizable, allowing shortcuts, system controls, accessibility tools, or third‑party apps to be launched with...
Nvidia announced that the GTX 1060, 750 Ti, 970, 980 Ti and 1080 Ti have been moved to legacy status, ending regular Game Ready driver updates after October 2025. The cards will receive only quarterly security patches through October 2028, signaling that Nvidia will no longer...
Building a fully offline Home Assistant smart home can be done on a budget by repurposing a used PC for $50‑$60 or opting for the Home Assistant Green hub. A Raspberry Pi 5 offers a plug‑and‑play alternative at about $125,...
Android Auto can become cumbersome on long trips, but five simple settings can eliminate the most common annoyances. Users can mute group‑chat notifications, lock a preferred navigation app such as Waze, force Day mode to stop auto‑brightness and night‑mode flickers,...
Razer is offering its Huntsman Mini 60% mechanical keyboard at $79.99 and the Naga V2 HyperSpeed MMO mouse at $64.99, representing discounts of roughly 38% and 35% respectively. Both products arrive as World of Warcraft: Midnight launches its first season,...
Apple announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference will run June 8‑12, with CEO Tim Cook delivering the keynote at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The event will be streamed for free via the Apple Developer app, website and YouTube, while a limited in‑person...
PDP's Riffmaster wireless guitar controller, originally priced at $129.99 and later $149.99, is now on sale for $99.99 across major retailers. The discount applies to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 versions. The controller features color‑coded fret buttons, a built‑in...
Tech YouTuber onionboots revived a 2012 Lenovo ThinkPad X230 by replacing its original TN display with a $25 IPS panel. The upgrade retains the laptop’s native 1366×768 resolution but delivers markedly better color accuracy and viewing angles. Installation required only...
After five years of heavy use, the author’s Scuf Reflex Pro Pro‑level PS5 controller developed stick drift, forcing a switch back to a standard DualSense. The loss of back‑paddles, which he relied on for competitive FPS titles, feels like a...
Microsoft has updated its built‑in Clipchamp video editor in Windows 11 to require that all projects be saved to OneDrive in order to remain editable. Users who choose to store projects locally will find them read‑only and unable to be opened...
A homeowner split their dual‑band router into separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz SSIDs, then renamed both networks and changed passwords. The change forced every smart‑home device—from Ring cameras to Amazon Echo speakers—to be manually re‑provisioned onto the 2.4 GHz band. While the...
Google is retiring the QR‑code pairing method for Messages for Web, replacing it with a Google Account sign‑in prompt. The change, announced without a firm rollout date, requires users to authenticate via their existing Google credentials. While the new flow...
Apple introduced the iPhone 17e, a budget‑friendly model priced at $599, undercutting the standard iPhone 17’s $799 price tag. The device retains the A19 six‑core CPU from the flagship line but swaps a core‑less GPU for lower cost. It ships...
The ZDNET review evaluates Whoosh’s 3.4‑fl oz screen‑cleaner spray and double‑sided microfiber cloth, noting its streak‑free performance on smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs. The formula is odorless, non‑toxic, and free of alcohol and ammonia, though the exact ingredients remain a trade...
The Beelink ME Pro is a miniature NAS that fits two 3.5‑inch drives in a 6.5‑inch‑tall chassis while offering three M.2 SSD slots, 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM, and an Intel N95 processor running Windows 11 Home. It ships with dual Ethernet ports—5 GbE...
Apple’s budget iPhone 17e is now available through a Visible promotion that effectively makes the device free. New customers who sign up for the Visible+ Pro plan at $45 per month receive a $25 monthly service credit for 24 months, which reimburses...
Roku announced a forthcoming software update to fix a bug that forced Roku TV users to have an active internet connection to access over‑the‑air (OTA) channels via an antenna. Recent OS changes merged OTA broadcasts with streaming listings in the...
Parrot Mobile, a new MVNO, launched with fully customizable, prepaid plans starting at $6 per month. The service offers instant eSIM activation, no‑contract flexibility, and an AI voicemail assistant named Polly. Plans range from basic talk‑only options to a $25...
AMD’s flagship gaming processor, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, has hit a record low of $419.95 on Amazon, according to Camelcamelcamel data. The chip delivers the best performance‑per‑watt among current gaming CPUs, trailing the newer 9850X3D by only about 3% in 1080p FPS...
Xthings unveiled its Ulticam Long‑Range Wireless AI Security Kit, featuring up to eight sub‑GHz Wi‑Fi HaLow bullet cameras designed for commercial properties. The system combines AI‑powered video analytics with the low‑power, long‑range capabilities of Wi‑Fi HaLow, enabling reliable coverage across...
