Apple Maps Is Getting Ads, and It Just Lost the One Thing that Made It Worth Using
Apple confirmed that ads will be integrated into the Maps app’s search results and a new Suggested Places feature beginning summer 2026 in the US and Canada. The ads will promote nearby businesses, turning Apple Maps into a paid advertising platform similar to Google Maps. While Apple Maps has closed the functional gap with Google, it loses its historic ad‑free edge that appealed to privacy‑concerned iPhone users. The shift signals Apple’s broader push to monetize services as hardware margins tighten.
Galaxy S27 Could Debut Samsung’s Biggest Battery Upgrade in Years
Samsung’s engineering team is testing silicon‑carbon batteries that could deliver between 12,000 mAh and 20,000 mAh, potentially debuting in the 2027 Galaxy S27. The technology promises higher capacity without enlarging the phone, but current prototypes survive only about 960 charge cycles, below Samsung’s...
Framework’s First eGPUs Turn Its Laptop Into a Desktop PC
Framework unveiled an OCuLink eGPU Dev Kit that lets Laptop 16 users externalize its GPU modules or attach full‑size desktop graphics cards via an eight‑lane PCIe link. The kit includes an add‑in card and two adapters, but users must provide their...
Framework Is Building a Better Couch Keyboard because Everyone Hates the Logitech One
Framework CEO Nirav Patel announced a new couch‑style wireless keyboard that aims to replace the long‑standing Logitech K400, which many users find uncomfortable. The device borrows the mechanical switches from the Framework Laptop 12 and incorporates a power‑efficient Nordic nRF54 radio...
Camera-Equipped AI Earbuds Tell You What You're Looking At
University of Washington researchers unveiled VueBuds, earbuds with built‑in tiny cameras and an on‑device vision‑language model that can answer spoken queries about what the wearer is looking at. In trials with 90 participants across 17 visual Q&A tasks, the prototype...
Apple May Drop iOS 27 Support for Four iPhones, Leaving Millions Behind
Apple is rumored to drop iOS 27 support for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and the 2020 iPhone SE, leaving those devices on iOS 26. The leak comes from Momentary Digital ahead of WWDC 2026, where Apple will unveil the new operating system. Users of...
Xbox Game Pass Is About to Get Less Expensive — Is Microsoft Actually Listening to Us?
Microsoft announced a significant reduction in its Xbox Game Pass subscription fees, cutting Game Pass Ultimate to $22.99 per month and PC Game Pass to $13.99. The price cuts follow a controversial 50% increase in October 2025 that reportedly drove...
Anchor Audio Launches Beacon 3
Anchor Audio unveiled the Beacon 3, the latest portable sound system in its Beacon line, aimed at schools, sports venues, events, and public‑safety applications. The new model offers enhanced sound clarity, a rugged build, Bluetooth streaming and up to four wireless...
The AirPods Are Tim Cook’s Most Underrated Achievement
Apple’s AirPods, launched in 2016, transformed the true‑wireless earbud market and cemented Apple as a leading audio brand. The first‑generation model sold 14‑16 million units in 2017, with sales climbing each year, while later versions added noise‑cancelling, health sensors and spatial...
Huawei Just Beat Apple and Samsung to a New Foldable Format in China
Huawei unveiled the Pura X Max, a book‑style wide‑foldable smartphone now available for preorder in China. The device features a 5.4‑inch outer OLED screen and a 7.7‑inch inner OLED panel, both with adaptive 1‑120 Hz refresh rates, and is powered by...
This Motorola Phone Deal Comes with Free Bluetooth Trackers and Earbuds - How It Works
Motorola is bundling a free Moto Tag 4‑pack and Moto Buds Plus earbuds with its new Moto G 2026 smartphone, priced under $500. The device offers a 6.7‑inch 120 Hz display, 50 MP main camera, and a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor with a RAM‑boost feature....
The Mac Is in Good Hands in Apple’s Post-Cook Era
Apple’s Mac line, once hampered by butterfly keyboards, USB‑C transitions, and underwhelming Intel chips, entered a renaissance with the 2020 shift to Apple Silicon. The new chips delivered dramatic gains in performance, efficiency and battery life, repositioning the Mac as...
Microsoft's Full-Screen Xbox Experience Is Now Available to Windows 11 Insiders
Microsoft has added the long‑awaited Xbox mode to Windows 11 Insider Canary build 29570.1000, delivering a full‑screen, console‑style interface for gamers. Early testing on MSI’s Claw handhelds shows roughly a 10% reduction in RAM usage and 6‑9% higher frame rates in Cyberpunk 2077....
I Tested the OPPO Find X9 Ultra, and It's Undoubtedly the New King of Camera Phones
OPPO’s Find X9 Ultra launches globally as the 2026 flagship camera phone, boasting two 200 MP sensors—including a record‑size 3× telephoto lens—and a dedicated 10× optical zoom module. The device pairs this imaging arsenal with a 7,050 mAh battery, 100 W fast charging,...
Oppo’s New Phone Has One Camera Too Many
Oppo launched the Find X9 Ultra in Europe and the UK at £1,449 (about $1,960). The flagship packs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, a 7,050 mAh battery, 144 Hz OLED display and a five‑camera suite that includes a 10× telephoto lens—the first...
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with Cloud Gaming Gets a Price Cut and Just One Trade-Off
Microsoft announced a steep price reduction for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, cutting the monthly fee from $29.99 to $22.99, with PC Game Pass also dropping to $13.99. The Essential and Premium console tiers stay at $9.99 and $14.99. However, future...
Surface Fans Are Now 3D‑printing the Hardware Microsoft Won’t Build
A community designer has released a 3‑D‑printable dock that lets Surface Pro users attach a Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint II Bluetooth keyboard, improving lap stability and adding a pen holder. The design, posted on Printables, fits most recent Surface Pro models and costs roughly...
Those ‘New’ EU Battery Regulations Probably Won’t Mean Hot-Swap Batteries for Your Android Phone
The European Union’s new battery regulation, set to take effect on February 17, 2027, aims to improve repairability and recyclability of mobile devices. It defines a battery as removable only if it can be taken out without special tools, thermal energy, or...
Gemini for Home Assistant Adding Continued Conversation
Google is rolling out Continued Conversation for its Gemini for Home voice assistant, letting users ask follow‑up questions without repeating the “Hey Google” hotword. The microphone stays active for a few seconds after a response, preserving context so queries like...
Make Chats More Natural and Efficient with Continued Conversation, Now in Gemini for Home
Google has rolled out Continued Conversation for Gemini for Home, letting the microphone stay active after the initial “Hey Google” command. The upgrade remembers conversational context, supports all languages, improves side‑talk detection, and works across the whole home. Users can...
Razer Has Just Announced the World's Thinnest Glass Mouse Pad and It Looks Gorgeous
Razer unveiled the Atlas Pro, billed as the world’s thinnest glass gaming mouse pad at just 1.9 mm thick. The ultra‑slim design trims the wrist‑fatiguing bulk of typical glass pads, which average 3.9‑4 mm. Razer says the tempered glass is rigorously tested...
Amazon Sued over Killing Chromecast-Era Fire TV Sticks, New Update Policy Confirmed
Amazon faces a class‑action lawsuit alleging it "bricked" first‑ and second‑generation Fire TV sticks by ending software updates in 2022 and 2023. Plaintiffs claim the lack of updates rendered remotes unusable and devices inoperable, forcing purchases of newer hardware. Amazon...
Showstopper Build: Greyscale — Building a Custom-Looped ITX PC that Pushes the Form Factor to Its Limits
Tom’s Hardware Premium’s latest “showstopper” build pushes the limits of Mini‑ITX by fitting top‑tier components into the 19‑liter NCase M3. The system packs an Nvidia RTX 5090 Suprim GPU, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU, 48 GB DDR5‑7200 RAM, a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a 1000 W...
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Series Outsold the S25 by 29% over Its First Three Weeks
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 flagship trio outperformed its predecessor, selling 29% more units in the first three weeks after launch. The premium S26 Ultra captured 71% of consumer purchases, buoyed by carrier discounts from AT&T and T‑Mobile on the $1,300 device....
"An Excellent Controller and a Great Value": I Wish More Hall-Effect Xbox Controllers Had This Price Tag — Another GameSir...
GameSir’s Kaleid wired Xbox controller, equipped with Hall‑Effect sticks, triggers and RGB lighting, now sells for $39.99 after a 20% Amazon discount, down from its $49.99 MSRP. The controller offers microswitch inputs, two remappable rear buttons, a hair‑trigger mode and...
AOC Just Dropped a New 32-Inch, 4K OLED Gaming Monitor for an Amazing Price
AOC has launched the Agon Pro AG326UZD2, a 32‑inch 4K OLED gaming monitor featuring 4th‑gen QD‑OLED technology and a $1,080 price tag. The panel upgrades to a 165 Hz refresh rate, 1,000 nits peak brightness and DisplayHDR 500 certification, improving both speed and...
The Makers of Playdate, the Console-with-a-Crank, Will No Longer Accept Games Created with Generative AI
Panic Inc., the maker of the Playdate handheld console, announced that any new games using generative AI for art, audio, music, text, or dialogue will be rejected from its Catalog store. The ban excludes custom‑written functions such as enemy AI,...
Samsung Is Ending Messages in July: 5 Replacements I'd Switch to Now
Samsung announced that its native Messages app will be discontinued in July 2026, affecting U.S. users on Android 12 or newer. The move forces those users to adopt a third‑party messaging solution within a short window. Samsung itself recommends Google Messages,...
Beats Brings Back Its Sold-Out JENNIE Headphones in a Stealthy New Colour
Beats is reviving its popular Beats Solo 4 – JENNIE Special Edition, swapping last year’s sold‑out Ruby Red finish for an understated Onyx Black version. The limited‑edition headphones launch on April 24 with exclusive black bows, UltraPlush cushions featuring JENNIE‑inspired symbols, and a matching...
This Samsung Soundbar With Dolby Atmos Is Now $350 Off
Samsung’s HW‑Q800F 5.1.2‑channel soundbar is now priced at $749.99 on Amazon, a drop of more than 30% from its $1,099.99 list price. The unit delivers wireless Dolby Atmos, a dedicated subwoofer, HDMI 4K 60 Hz passthrough, and Samsung’s Q‑Symphony TV‑soundbar integration. It...
What New Roku TVs and Roku Players Are Coming in 2026? Here Is What We Know
Roku is expected to refresh its streaming hardware in 2026, with the most likely candidates being a new Streaming Stick 4K that could add Dolby Vision support and an updated Roku Ultra box. Both products typically see a fall‑season refresh,...
Chipolo and Secrid Team up for a New Trackable Wallet
Chipolo has partnered with Dutch wallet maker Secrid to launch the Chipolo x Secrid Miniwallet Trackable, a slim RFID‑blocking wallet that houses Chipolo’s Card‑sized Bluetooth tracker. The tracker sits on the wallet’s back with an external Find button, and its speaker is...
'Clicky' Is a macOS Companion That Can Help You With Just About Anything
Clicky is a lightweight AI companion that hovers next to the cursor on macOS, activated with a Ctrl+Option shortcut. Built on Anthropic's Claude model, it accepts voice or typed queries and can capture the screen temporarily to deliver context‑sensitive assistance....
TP-Link Seeks to Secure Conditional Approval From FCC Following Router Import Ban — Company Stresses It Is No Longer Chinese-Owned
TP‑Link is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission for a conditional approval that would let it import new router models despite the FCC’s blanket ban on foreign‑made consumer routers. The company argues it is now a U.S. entity after separating from...
I Really Need Apple to Launch Its Foldable iPhone Flip This Year
Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro dazzles, but the company still hasn’t released a folding iPhone despite persistent rumors. Competitors such as Samsung, Motorola and Oppo have shipped multiple generations of foldables, with Samsung’s Z series now in its seventh iteration. Analysts note...
Less Than 40% of Us Recycle Old Tech. Some Are Even Taking a Risky Route, CNET Finds
A CNET‑YouGov survey of 2,638 U.S. adults reveals that only 39% recycle their old smartphones, tablets or laptops, while 22% still toss them in the trash—a practice illegal in many states. The study shows generational gaps: Boomers recycle at the...
Best Gaming Laptops (2026): Razer, Asus, Dell, and More
The 2026 gaming‑laptop roundup highlights a clear split between ultra‑premium machines like the Razer Blade 16, which can be equipped with Nvidia’s RTX 5090, and more affordable options such as the Acer Nitro V 16 AI priced around $600. Mid‑range contenders—including the Lenovo Legion 7i...
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Squirrel With a Gun and More Are Now on PlayStation Plus
Sony expanded its PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in April, adding titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, the indie platformer Squirrel With a Gun, and the roguelike deck‑builder Monster Train. The additions are available to Extra ($15/month) and Premium ($18/month)...
Kioxia Debuts Fast QLC Slablet SSD for PC Makers
Kioxia has launched the EG7 SSD, a QLC‑based successor to its BG7 drive, offering identical capacity options (256 GB to 2 TB) and near‑identical performance, with a modest boost to 6.2 GB/s sequential writes. The drive uses 218‑layer 3D NAND, is DRAM‑less, and...
H2O Audio Tri Run Workout Headphones Review: A Little Underwhelming
H2O Audio’s new Tri Run bone‑conduction headphones aim to capture the sub‑$100 workout market, but the review finds they fall short on audio performance. The design is lightweight, comfortable, and IPX8‑rated, delivering reliable Bluetooth pairing across devices. However, muddy bass, grainy...
Turn Off Your Sleep Tracker
The essay critiques the wellness boom around sleep trackers, highlighting how they can foster orthosomnia—anxiety over achieving perfect sleep—and often provide inaccurate data. It argues for viewing personality as fluid traits rather than fixed types, which eases self‑criticism and improves...
Beats and Jennie Are Back Together With an Unreleased Song and New Headphones
Beats and K‑pop icon Jennie are releasing a new onyx‑black special‑edition headphone on April 24, paired with an exclusive, unreleased track. The design features attachable black bows, music‑inspired ear‑pad symbols, and a matching carrying case. A Seoul pop‑up will let fans...
They Built a Legendary Privacy Tool. Now They’re Sworn Enemies
GrapheneOS, the open‑source Android hardening platform hailed as the gold standard for mobile privacy, was co‑created by Canadian security researcher Daniel Micay and a second lead developer. Over the past year, a bitter personal and strategic rift has erupted between...
AMOLED Market Outlook 2026: Smartphone Panels Shrink as IT Displays Grow
The AMOLED market will remain flat in 2026 after a 3% growth in 2025, as smartphone panel shipments dip 3% while IT displays surge. OLED monitor shipments are projected to jump 45%, laptop panels 33%, and tablets 13%, offsetting the...
Infinix GT 50 Pro Launches April 24. Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Infinix will launch the GT 50 Pro on April 24, 2026, targeting mobile gamers who demand 144 FPS performance without flagship pricing. The device packs a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultimate SoC, 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 6.78‑inch 144 Hz AMOLED display, plus unique gaming hardware such...
Homeland Security Reportedly Wants to Develop Smart Glasses for ICE
The Department of Homeland Security is developing "ICE Glasses," smart eyewear that captures video and runs facial‑recognition and gait‑analysis algorithms to identify individuals in real time. Budget documents show the prototypes aim for field deployment by September 2027, giving ICE...
A Perfect Ten: Galaxy S25 Users Get a One UI 8.5 Beta 10 That's Hopefully Its Last
Samsung has begun rolling out One UI 8.5 Beta 10 to enrolled Galaxy S25 devices, starting in Korea. The near‑1 GB update introduces AI‑driven Call Screening, Creative Studio, and a suite of bug fixes covering multi‑touch, proximity sensor, and Bluetooth performance. Earlier rumors hinted at...
Save 45% on This Capable Ultralight Turtle Beach Wireless Gaming Mouse in a Limited-Time Amazon Deal
Turtle Beach’s Burst II Pro ultralight gaming mouse has been slashed by 45% on Amazon, dropping the price to roughly $83 (down from about $150). The mouse weighs under 60 g, packs a 30,000 DPI Owl‑Eye sensor, and offers wireless 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth connectivity...
Apple Enters Post-Cook Era Chasing Its Next Hit
Apple announced that longtime CEO Tim Cook will step down, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus while remaining as executive chairman. The transition also elevates chip architect Johny Srouji to chief hardware officer, signaling a focus on retaining...
Xbox VP Quickly Steps In To Silence Third-Party Project Helix Leaks
Microsoft’s Xbox division has confirmed that its upcoming next‑generation console, codenamed Project Helix, will be released as a first‑party device, dispelling recent rumors of an ASUS‑built third‑party version. The clarification came from Xbox Vice President Jason Ronald, who responded to...