PS5 Will Now Tell You Exactly How Many People Are Playing GTA 5 As Sony Debuts A New Ranking
Sony has begun beta testing a new PS5 home‑screen widget that displays exact weekly player counts for the platform's most popular titles. In the United States, Fortnite leads with 14.6 million players, followed by Grand Theft Auto 5 at 5.13 million. The widget also includes a trending list that flags games with the biggest week‑over‑week playtime spikes. This marks the first time PlayStation users can gauge how many players are needed to break into the top‑10, hinting at a shift toward greater transparency on console storefronts.
Gemini Intelligence Has High Android Spec Requirements, Likely Won’t Support Pixel 9 or Galaxy Z Fold 7
Google unveiled Gemini Intelligence, a suite of advanced AI features for Android, but set steep hardware thresholds. Devices must have a flagship processor, at least 12 GB of RAM, AI Core and Gemini Nano v3 support, plus five OS upgrades and six...
Google’s Nest App Is Down for Many in Widespread Outage
Google’s legacy Nest app experienced a widespread outage on May 15, 2026, affecting both iOS and Android users with a generic connection error. The problem persisted for several hours despite the Nest status dashboard showing no alerts, and Google has...
Pixelated 100: The Googlebook Question
The 100th episode of 9to5Google’s Pixelated podcast celebrates a milestone while unpacking Google’s newest Android Show announcements. Hosts Abner, Damien, and Will discuss Android Intelligence, a suite of AI‑driven predictive features, the rollout of user‑generated widgets, and the teased Googlebook...
Apple Just Expanded This Privacy Feature to More iPhones
Apple has broadened its Limit Precise Location privacy setting with the iOS 26.5 update, adding support for the iPhone 17e and a handful of new carriers across Europe, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and Boost Mobile in the United States. The...
The Nest App Is Down for Many Users
Google’s Nest app experienced a widespread outage on May 15, 2026, affecting thousands of users across the United States. Reports surfaced around 3:30 AM ET on platforms like Downdetector and Reddit, with a Reddit thread gathering over 400 comments. Google acknowledged the...
OnePlus Removed From Best Buy Stores as US Shutdown Looms, Replaced by Nothing
OnePlus devices have been pulled from Best Buy store displays and replaced by Nothing phones, marking the latest sign of the brand’s retreat from the U.S. market. The removal follows the end of OnePlus’s carrier partnerships and a public statement that...
Fitbit 4.69 Rolls Out with Redesign of Focus Stats and Logging
Google has released Fitbit app version 4.69 for Android, marking the last update before the platform is rebranded as Google Health. The rollout introduces a redesigned focus‑stats screen with a customizable 2 × 3 grid, multi‑page support, and new “Log” button that replaces...
Apple vs Samsung: Which Smartphone Is Best for You?
Apple and Samsung dominate the premium smartphone market, each offering distinct strengths. Apple’s iPhone delivers a tightly integrated iOS experience, premium build quality, and long‑term software support, while Samsung’s Galaxy lineup provides diverse designs, customizable Android UI, larger batteries and...
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Vs. Sonos Era 100: I Compared Both Models, and Here's the Winner
The ZDNet review pits Bose’s new Lifestyle Ultra Speaker against Sonos’s Era 100. Bose commands a $349 price tag, $130 more than Sonos’s $219 model, and differentiates itself with native Google Cast, wired aux and USB‑C inputs, and a cross‑platform app....
I Will Be Skipping a Gaming Laptop for a Thin and Light Laptop in 2026 and You Should Too
The article argues that in 2026 most users should favor thin‑and‑light laptops over traditional gaming machines because modern ultrabooks now deliver enough graphics power for casual AAA titles while offering superior portability and battery life. It contrasts weight, thermals, and...
ASUS Unveils ROG NUC 16 Compact Gaming PC With RTX 5080
ASUS Republic of Gamers unveiled the ROG NUC 16, a 3‑liter mini‑PC built around Intel’s Core Ultra 9 290HX processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU. The system supports up to 128 GB DDR5‑6400 RAM, 16 GB of GDDR7 graphics memory, and delivers 1,334 AI TOPS for...
Best Google Pixel Phone to Buy in 2026
Google unveiled the Pixel 10 series in May 2026, covering the budget‑friendly Pixel 10 A at $499, the mid‑range Pixel 10 at $799, the high‑end Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL with advanced camera systems, and the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold. All models run Android 16, feature the Tensor G5 processor and...
Asus Launches ROG Xreal R1 Gaming AR Glasses
ASUS and Xreal have launched the ROG Xreal R1, a gaming‑focused augmented reality headset that ships globally today. The glasses feature a world‑first 240 Hz micro‑OLED panel with a 0.01 ms response time, delivering a virtual display equivalent to a 171‑inch screen...
5 Smart Home Routines that Actually Make My Life Easier (Not Just Party Tricks)
Tech writer Chris Hachey outlines five practical smart‑home routines that go beyond novelty. He shows how a smart plug can automate tea brewing, motion sensors can trigger lights and video feeds, a timed smart lock prevents accidental unlocks, and vacation‑mode...
OpenAI Says Codex Is Coming to Your Phone
OpenAI has integrated its Codex AI coding assistant into the ChatGPT mobile app for iOS and Android, letting users monitor and control live development environments from their phones. The preview feature is available to all subscription tiers, expanding remote workflow...
Martha Stewart’s New AI Startup: A Good Thing?
Martha Stewart has launched Hint, an AI‑native home‑management platform slated for a summer debut. The service pulls publicly available property data and lets users upload inspection reports and insurance policies to monitor repairs, expenses, and maintenance. Hint raised $10 million in...
The Retro Fighters Hunter Is a Fierce Wireless OG Xbox Controller, but I'm Torn on Whether Its Too Much Like...
The Retro Fighters Hunter is a wireless controller that revives the original Xbox’s look while borrowing modern ergonomics from the Series X/S gamepad. It adds hall‑effect thumbsticks, extra shoulder buttons, and a 2.4 GHz receiver, making it compatible with both the OG...
![Sony’s Awful ‘AI Camera Assistant’ for Xperia Is the Final Boss of the Worst Camera Trend [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/sony-xperia-ai-camera-4.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Sony’s Awful ‘AI Camera Assistant’ for Xperia Is the Final Boss of the Worst Camera Trend [Gallery]
Sony has rolled out an AI Camera Assistant on its new Xperia 1 VIII, touting "Xperia Intelligence" and a telephoto sensor that is roughly four times larger than previous models. Early demos show the AI dramatically brightening scenes, flattening contrast, and oversharpening...
![Snapseed 4.0 Update Adds Camera Shortcut on Android [Changelog]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/9to5google.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/05/Snapseed-4-cover.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Snapseed 4.0 Update Adds Camera Shortcut on Android [Changelog]
Snapseed 4.0.1 for Android is now rolling out with a new long‑press shortcut that instantly opens the app’s built‑in Camera, plus volume‑button capture. The patch (4.0.1.91 5151253) also stabilizes the suite, fixing crashes in tools such as Color, Portrait, and Frames,...
AI to Infest Eight in Ten Premium Phones Within Two Years
Counterpoint Research predicts that over 80% of premium smartphones will embed agentic AI capabilities by 2027, while a similar share of wearables will be AI‑enabled by 2032. The shift is driven by new chipsets such as MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 and...
Samsung Could Get Google's Impressive Android Upgrades First – Even Before Pixel
Samsung is set to be the first manufacturer to ship Google’s new Gemini Intelligence AI on its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 devices this summer. The rollout will coincide with the launch of One UI 9, allowing Samsung users to...
Microsoft Nearly Solved One of Folding Phones’ Worst Problems: New Patent Reveals Spring-Loaded Hinge Design for Canceled Surface Duo 3
Microsoft’s newly uncovered patent reveals a spring‑loaded hinge that would have equipped a third‑generation Surface Duo, codenamed "Neon," with one‑hand opening capability. The design proposes two implementations: a button on the device spine or integrated into the power button. Filed...
"I'm Confident Alienware Can Deliver" — A New Budget Gaming Laptop Is Here, but How Does It Compare to the...
Dell’s Alienware brand has entered the budget gaming laptop segment with the new 15‑inch Alienware 15, priced from $1,299. The model offers AMD or Intel CPUs paired with RTX 4050‑5060 GPUs, matching the core hardware of the higher‑priced 16 Aurora. The Aurora starts...
Garmin-Rival Coros Just Gave Its Popular Running Watch a Gold Medal Makeover
Coros has launched a limited‑edition Pace 4 watch honoring Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The new model keeps the standard Pace 4’s hardware—1.2‑inch AMOLED screen, dual‑frequency GPS and optical heart‑rate sensor—but adds a black‑and‑gold aesthetic, a transparent dial, and a custom strap. Premium...
The Razr Fold Is Stuck in the Middle
Motorola’s first book‑style Razr Fold launches in the U.S. at $1,900, touting a 6,000 mAh silicon‑carbon battery that outperforms rivals in endurance. The phone’s premium design and a flexible multitasking UI receive praise, while its camera shows occasional color shifts and...
Motorola Razr (2026) and Razr Fold Pre-Orders Open, but You Should Wait
Motorola opened pre‑orders for its 2026 Razr lineup, including three clamshell models and the first book‑style Razr Fold. The Razr+ and Razr Ultra are essentially refreshed 2024 devices, offering only a new hinge and modest battery gains at $1,099 and $1,499 respectively....
I've Tested the Motorola Razr Fold for Two Weeks, and Samsung Has a New Reason to Be Nervous
Motorola’s Razr Fold marks the company’s first book‑style foldable, debuting at $1,900 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. The device boasts an 8.1‑inch 2K inner display, a 6,000 mAh battery that clears a day of use, and a...
Alienware's Budget Gaming Laptop Starts at $1,299 — Last-Gen Parts and a Plastic Shell Bring the Premium Brand Into the...
Dell’s Alienware brand has launched a budget‑focused 15‑inch gaming laptop starting at $1,299, a stark price drop from its usual premium tier. The entry model pairs an AMD Ryzen 5 220 or Intel Core i5 210H CPU with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, 16 GB DDR5...
James Bond Swaps Spy Gadgets for AI Smart Glasses in Surprising New Partnership
Even Realities announced that its AI-powered G2 smart glasses will be integrated into IO Interactive's upcoming 007 First Light video game, a collaboration that also involves Amazon MGM Studios. The G2 distinguishes itself with a low‑profile heads‑up display that delivers...
Galaxy S24 User Endures a Nightmare, Phone Goes up in Flames During Use
A South Korean Reddit user reported that their Galaxy S24 swelled and burst into flames while in normal use, causing burns and smoke inhalation. Samsung has reached out and is cooperating with the user’s investigation. The incident mirrors a similar fire...
5 Of The Cheapest Amazon Alexa Devices You Can Buy In 2026
Amazon’s lineup of budget‑friendly Alexa devices spans smart displays, speakers, car companions, alarm clocks, and a home hub, all priced under $180. The Echo Show 5 ($89.99) adds a 5.5‑inch screen for video and home‑control tasks, while the Echo Pop ($39.99)...
Android Rolling Out AI-Powered ‘Contextual Suggestions’ that Learn From Your Habits
Google is rolling out an on‑device AI feature called Contextual suggestions on the Pixel 10 series running Android 16. The system analyzes app usage, location and routine activities to predict helpful actions, such as offering a workout playlist or prompting a TV...
Meta's Muse Spark Arrives on AI Glasses Gen 1, Ray-Ban Display Waits for Now
Meta announced that its new Muse Spark large language model will begin rolling out to its AI Glasses Gen 1 and Gen 2 in the United States and Canada this week, while the Ray‑Ban Display glasses will not receive the update until summer 2026. The...
Best Sim Racing Wheels for Real-World Driving Action
The guide ranks the top sim‑racing wheels, from high‑end direct‑drive units like Logitech PRO and Fanatec GT DD Pro to entry‑level gear‑driven options such as Logitech G29/G923. It details torque output, platform compatibility, pedal inclusion, and unique features like OLED displays or modular...
Apple Watch Series 11 5G Teardown
TechInsights’ teardown of the Apple Watch Series 11 5G uncovers a 64‑bit dual‑core Apple S10 system‑in‑package and Apple’s first use of a MediaTek baseband for 5G connectivity. The 15.9 × 9.12 × 0.56 mm SiP houses 1,758 pins, while the MT6815W and MT6695P chips signal a shift...
WhatsApp Launches Totally Private 'Incognito' Conversations with Its AI Chatbot
WhatsApp unveiled an "incognito" mode for its Meta‑AI chatbot, promising that neither the company nor the user can access conversation logs once the feature is active. The mode deletes chats from the user’s device and stores no data on Meta’s...
We Hear You Loud and Clear. CNET Selects People's Picks Headphone Winners
CNET’s People’s Picks survey, conducted April 6‑30, 2026 with 1,071 U.S. adults, crowned Sony as the overall best headphone brand, highlighting its WH‑1000XM6 for noise cancellation and battery life. Apple secured top spots for brand loyalty, call quality and connectivity, especially with...
The Steam Controller Is Actually a Scream Controller, because Valve Couldn't Resist Making It Cry Out in Memey Pain when...
Valve slipped a playful easter egg into its latest Steam Controller: when the device is dropped from a specific height it emits the iconic Wilhelm scream. The sound only triggers after a brief cooldown, preventing constant repeats. The quirk was...
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 5 Review: Basic Bar, Big Sound
Sony’s Bravia Theater Bar 5 is a $350 two‑piece sound system that trades premium features for a streamlined, budget‑friendly design. It pairs a compact three‑foot bar with a powerful wireless subwoofer and supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X via virtual surround processing....
WHOOP Named Official Health and Fitness Wearable of the Boston Red Sox
WHOOP announced a multi‑year deal making it the Official Health and Fitness Wearable of the Boston Red Sox for the 2026‑2028 seasons. The agreement grants WHOOP exclusive rights as the club’s wearable‑technology partner and places its branding on first‑ and...
Bought a Premium Android Phone? Here Are 5 Reasons Your Next Upgrade Should Be a Samsung Galaxy Watch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is positioned as a premium smartwatch that lets users handle notifications, reply to messages, and manage calls without pulling out their phone. It adds advanced health sensors such as ECG, blood‑oxygen, and blood‑pressure monitoring, extending beyond...
Google DeepMind Introduces an AI-Enabled Mouse Pointer Powered by Gemini That Captures Visual and Semantic Context Around the Cursor
Google DeepMind unveiled an experimental AI‑enabled mouse pointer powered by Gemini that captures visual and semantic context around the cursor, letting users interact with AI through pointing and speech. Live demos in Google AI Studio showcase image editing and map...
Iiyama Launches 800g OLED Copilot+ Notebooks With Intel Core Ultra CPUs
iiyama PC unveiled two 14‑inch OLED ultraportable notebooks built around Intel Core Ultra 5 and Ultra 7 processors, weighing roughly 800 g. Both models feature a 100 % DCI‑P3 OLED panel, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and a 500 GB NVMe SSD, with the higher‑end version offering 32 GB...
Sony’s New Xperia Phone Gets an Overdue Redesign
Sony has unveiled the Xperia 1 VIII, the first major redesign of its flagship line since 2020. The new model features a chunky square camera island housing a revamped telephoto lens and an AI‑driven camera assistant, while retaining hallmark traits like...
IOS 27 Could Give Your iPhone a Custom Camera App and a ChatGPT-Like Siri, Finally
Apple is set to unveil iOS 27 at WWDC 26, featuring a revamp of the iPhone Camera app that lets users arrange and customize on‑screen controls as widgets. The update also introduces a new Siri mode that leverages Visual Intelligence, turning the...
SwitchBot's New AI Pets Respond to Your Behavior, Won't Pee on the Carpet
SwitchBot unveiled Kata Friends, two AI‑enabled robot pets named Noa and Niko, priced at $700 each. The devices embed an on‑device large language model, cameras, lidar‑type sensors and 12 touch zones, allowing offline interaction, facial recognition and emotion‑aware responses. Users...
Lenovo’s New ThinkPad and ThinkStation PCs Look Better than Ever
Lenovo unveiled refreshed ThinkPad X13 Gen 7, L14 Gen 7 and L16 Gen 3 laptops, all featuring AI‑enabled Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI PRO processors and a strong emphasis on sustainability and repairability. The ultra‑light X13 weighs just 2.05 lb and starts at $1,499,...
Google Launches Line of Android Laptops Festooned with Gemini AI
Google unveiled "Googlebooks," a new line of premium laptops that run Android instead of ChromeOS and embed Gemini AI throughout the user experience. Features like Magic Pointer deliver context‑aware suggestions when users hover over UI elements, while drag‑and‑drop image merging...
Google Races to Put Gemini at the Center of Android Before Apple’s AI Reboot
Google is embedding its Gemini AI model into Android as a foundational layer, rolling out new context‑aware features ahead of its I/O developer conference. Gemini can read screen content, automate multi‑step tasks such as building shopping carts or booking reservations,...