Google Blocked over 1.75 Million Play Store App Submissions in 2025
Google reported that in 2025 it blocked more than 1.75 million app submissions and denied 255,000 apps access to sensitive user data on the Play Store. The company also banned over 80,000 developer accounts and added 10,000 new safety checks powered by generative AI. Play Protect now scans 350 billion apps daily, while the Play Integrity API handles over 20 billion checks each day. These measures aim to keep the Android ecosystem secure and trustworthy for users and developers alike.
Japan: Nintendo Switch 2 Sells 57K Units and Switch Family Sells 26K Units
Nintendo’s second‑generation console, the Switch 2, topped Japan’s hardware sales for the week of 9‑15 February, moving 57,779 units. The broader Switch family—including OLED, Lite and the original model—added another 26,481 units, bringing total weekly hardware shipments to over 84,000. PlayStation 5 titles...
MedStar Health, Withings Bring Connected Devices to Concierge Medicine Program
MedStar Health is scaling its Signature concierge primary‑care program by partnering with Withings Health Solutions to supply patients with cellular blood‑pressure cuffs and scales. The collaboration leverages MedStar’s existing telehealth and remote‑patient‑monitoring infrastructure to collect real‑world physiologic data outside the...
YouTube Tests ‘Conversational AI’ on TV Apps
Google is piloting a conversational AI feature on YouTube TV apps, letting users ask questions about videos through a remote‑mic or dedicated button. The tool, branded “Ask,” leverages the Gemini model to generate real‑time answers and mirrors functionality already on...
Strava Expands Activity Tracking Beyond Endurance with Five New Sport Modes
Strava has rolled out five new sport modes—padel, basketball, volleyball, cricket and dance—expanding its activity catalog to over 50 categories. The update follows the recent Instant Workouts feature and targets users who log non‑endurance activities via Mobile Record. By offering...
Samsung Nearing One UI 8.5, New Bixby Release with Its Latest Beta Update
Samsung has begun rolling out One UI 8.5 Beta 5 to Galaxy S25 owners in the United States, following earlier releases in the UK and India. The beta introduces a single change: an upgraded Bixby version that leverages Perplexity’s large‑language‑model capabilities. While the...
Connected and Compromised: When IoT Devices Turn Into Threats
The proliferation of consumer and enterprise IoT devices continues unchecked, yet most lack basic security controls such as passwords and encryption. Research presented by Mattia Epifani at RSAC 2026 shows that devices—from Amazon Echo to smart refrigerators—store unprotected audio, credentials, and personal...
UGREEN Expands Its NAS Lineup with New AI-Powered Flagship Series, Signaling the Era of the Smart Private Cloud
UGREEN unveiled its AI‑powered NAS flagship iDX series, positioning the devices as smart private‑cloud hubs that process data locally with on‑device large language models. The top‑end iDX6011 Pro packs an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 96 TOPS of AI compute, 64 GB LPDDR5X memory...
Dell Launches New Budget 1080p Gaming Monitor with an Ultra-Fast 240Hz Refresh Rate for Less than $130 — New 27-Inch...
Dell introduced the SE2726HG, a 27‑inch 1080p IPS gaming monitor priced at $129.99. It delivers an ultra‑fast 240 Hz refresh rate and claims a 0.5 ms response time in extreme mode, paired with AMD FreeSync Premium. The unit includes two HDMI 2.1 ports...
Just when I Thought Android Handhelds Couldn't Get Any Weirder, Here Comes the Pocket Super Knob 5000
GameMT unveiled the Pocket Super Knob 5000, an Android gaming handheld distinguished by a physical knob replacing the traditional second thumbstick. It runs on a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, features a 5‑inch 1080p display, and includes a Hall‑effect thumbstick for...
This Little-Known Camera Trick Makes Using an Android Flip Phone Worth It
Android Central highlights the Camcorder mode built into Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola's Razr Ultra 2025. The feature activates when the device is folded halfway and rotated to landscape, splitting the screen between a live viewfinder and thumb‑controlled video tools....
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Now Available, $5 Upgrade
Nintendo launched Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, offering a $4.99 upgrade for current owners and a full-price digital version at $64.99. The Switch 2 version runs at up to 60 fps and supports 4K resolution when docked, delivering smoother...
Nothing Is the only Brand Taking the Counterfeit Tech Problem Seriously
Nothing has publicly tackled the surge of counterfeit tech in India, revealing a joint effort with CMF and local authorities that recently seized more than 1,100 fake items. The company showcased counterfeit earbuds, phones and accessories that closely mimic official...
The only Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Upgrade You Need Is at Its Lowest-Ever Price on Amazon
The Oral‑B iO2 electric toothbrush, praised for its three brushing modes, pressure sensor, and long battery life, is now available at a record low price on Amazon. After an initial four‑star review, the device is discounted 60% to £39.99, down...
Fans Uncover Strongest Evidence yet that Monster Hunter Wilds Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Datamined files from Monster Hunter Wilds reveal a tutorial image that displays local multiplayer support for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Earlier this year a PC update contained text strings referencing Switch 2 wireless features, which were later removed, adding weight to the...
Game Pass Adds 5 New Retro Classics for Subscribers on All Tiers
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics update for February 2026 adds five vintage titles – two Infocom Zork adventures and three Atari 2600 games – to the subscription catalog. The new releases are instantly available to all Game Pass tiers in regions...
Mozilla Firefox Issues Emergency Patch for Heap Buffer Overflow in Firefox V147
Mozilla released an out‑of‑band update, Firefox v147.0.4, to fix a high‑severity heap buffer overflow in the libvpx video codec (CVE‑2026‑2447). The flaw, discovered by researcher jayjayjazz, could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code by delivering crafted VP8/VP9 video streams. Parallel patches...
TV Set Is Most Popular Way to Watch YouTube in UK, Study Finds
A Barb Audiences review shows that TV sets now capture more than half of all YouTube viewing on UK home Wi‑Fi networks, overtaking laptops, tablets and smartphones across every age cohort. The transition unfolded gradually, with over‑55s leading in October 2023,...
Roy Morgan Survey Reveals 2.5M Young Aussies Watch YouTube
Roy Morgan’s Young Australian Survey finds that 2.5 million children aged 6‑13 – roughly 89 percent of the cohort – regularly watch YouTube. Gaming and animation dominate the platform, with 1.33 million viewers for gaming and 930,000 for animation. Boys drive gaming and sports...
JioHotstar, OpenAI Launch ChatGPT Content Search
JioHotstar announced a partnership with OpenAI to embed ChatGPT‑powered voice discovery into its streaming app. The new multilingual cognitive search lets users speak natural language queries to receive context‑aware recommendations for both on‑demand and live sports content. The assistant also...
Tech Firms Must Remove ‘Revenge Porn’ in 48 Hours or Risk Being Blocked, Says Starmer
The UK government will amend the Crime and Policing Bill to require tech platforms to delete non‑consensual intimate images, including AI‑generated deepfakes, within 48 hours of notification. Enforcement will be handed to Ofcom, which can levy fines up to 10%...
When Electronics Become Flexible: Atom-Thin Materials for Future Devices
IISER Pune researchers have demonstrated large‑area bismuth oxyselenide (Bi₂O₂Se) nanosheets only a few atomic layers thick, grown by fine‑tuning temperature, gas flow and precursor ratios. The nanosheets were integrated onto a Kapton substrate to create microscopic flexible electronic devices. Even after...
Is It Smarter to Have a Dumb Home? ‘We’ve Seen Clients Unable to Flush Toilets’
Smart‑home devices are increasingly causing reliability headaches, from doorbells that only ping phones to locks that fail during power cuts. Australian electricians report that 15‑20% of their service calls now involve smart‑tech malfunctions, and consumers face subscription fees, discontinued products,...
Amazon Fends Off Blowback for Ring’s Search Party Tool
Amazon’s Ring introduced the “Search Party” feature, allowing users to share video clips from their doorbell cameras with friends, family, or law‑enforcement agencies to help locate missing persons. The rollout triggered immediate privacy backlash from civil‑rights groups who argue the...
Wearable Devices Announces the Mudra Experience Studio: Universal Single Codebase Neural Input Platform for XR and AI Developers
Wearable Devices unveiled the Mudra Experience Studio, a developer platform that unifies neural‑input gestures into a single codebase for XR, mobile and desktop applications. The studio supplies production‑ready SDKs, a standardized gesture taxonomy and AI‑powered IDE integration, eliminating the fragmentation...
GoBoult Posts Rs 763 Cr Revenue, Profit Shoots up 10X
GoBoult Audio reported FY25 revenue of Rs 763 crore, a 10% increase over the prior year, while its net profit exploded to Rs 24 crore, a ten‑fold jump. The company achieved this by tightening cost controls, cutting material expenses by 2.7% and managing overhead...
WOLED Vs. QD-OLED TVs: What's The Difference?
OLED TVs dominate premium home entertainment, but two distinct panel types—WOLED and QD‑OLED—compete on color accuracy and brightness. WOLED panels generate white light and filter it into RGB, while QD‑OLED starts with blue emitters and uses quantum‑dot layers to produce...
15 Multi-Tool Brands Ranked From Worst To Best
The article ranks 15 multi‑tool brands from worst to best, evaluating material quality, product range, price‑to‑quality ratio, and warranty policies. Leatherman and Victorinox sit at the top, offering extensive lineups and robust lifetime or 25‑year warranties, while generic power‑tool brands...
Samsung Teases New AI Image Editor For Upcoming Galaxy S26 Phones
Samsung unveiled a teaser for a new AI‑driven image editor that will debut on its forthcoming Galaxy S26 lineup, consolidating photo capture and editing into a single app. The tool leverages Google Gemini, regarded as a leading generative‑AI photo engine,...
Texas AG Sues Wi-Fi Company over Links to China
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP‑Link Systems Inc., alleging the Wi‑Fi maker deceived consumers by marketing its routers as "Made in Vietnam" while sourcing most components in China. The complaint cites longstanding firmware vulnerabilities that Chinese state‑backed hackers have...
Some Users Report Windows 11’s February Update, KB5077181, Is Failing to Install and Causing a Range of System Issues
Microsoft’s February 2026 cumulative update for Windows 11 (KB5077181) is generating widespread installation failures and post‑install instability. Users report error codes such as 0x800F0991, 0x800F0922, and 0x80073712, along with DHCP‑related Wi‑Fi outages, Bluetooth loss, audio glitches, and graphics problems on Nvidia GPUs...
16 Useful Apps You Didn't Know Existed
The article spotlights 16 lesser‑known apps that solve specific workflow, media, and gaming challenges across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. From Poolsuite’s vaporwave music player to WinDiskWriter’s macOS‑only Windows installer creator, each tool fills a niche often ignored by...
Your Mac Has a Powerful Automation Tool Most People Never Open
Apple’s Shortcuts app, pre‑installed on macOS, offers a powerful, visual automation platform that supersedes the older Automator tool. Users can create workflows by dragging actions, set triggers, and leverage a built‑in Gallery of ready‑made shortcuts without writing code. The app...
Samsung's Certified Re-Newed Program Will Now Give You a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for Just $349 — Here's the Deal
Samsung’s Certified Re‑Newed program is offering a refurbished Galaxy Z Flip 5 for as low as $349 when paired with a qualified trade‑in, delivering up to $300 in credit. The device comes with a new battery, a one‑year warranty, and retains the...
Accelerated Access, Superior Choice: Noland Speaks
ATSC President Madeleine Noland told RBR+TVBR that ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) is now live in the United States, South Korea, parts of the Caribbean and Brazil, where a hybrid broadcast model is used. While adoption has been uneven—some markets lagging and...
Today’s Android App Deals and Freebies: Undead Slayer, Alien Food Invasion, Muse Dash, More
9to5Toys released its February 17 2026 Android deals roundup, highlighting steep price cuts on popular games such as Undead Slayer, Alien Food Invasion, and Muse Dash, many now free or under $1. The list also bundles hardware discounts, including a pre‑order deal on...
Google Home Fails at Things It Once Could Do, and Google Admits It
Google Home smart speakers are experiencing a noticeable decline in performance, with users reporting failures on tasks the devices previously handled reliably. A Reddit thread revealed that a user submitted at least ten feedback messages daily, prompting Google to publicly...
Apple Is Secretly Working On Smart Glasses, AI Pendant, And AI AirPods, Report Says
Apple is reportedly developing three AI‑focused wearables—a pair of smart glasses, a pendant‑style device, and AI‑enabled AirPods—centered around Siri and linked to the iPhone. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says production could begin this year, with a possible market launch as early...
How I Transformed a House Into a Smart Home for My Older Parents
A caregiver retrofitted his parents' house with a smart‑home ecosystem, selecting Apple HomeKit to align with existing iOS devices. By installing smart plugs, voice‑controlled switches, cameras, and a doorbell, everyday tasks like turning on lamps or checking on health became...
I'm Not Convinced Open Earbuds Work for Gaming, Despite Asus' Best Efforts
Asus has launched the ROG Cetra Open earbuds, an open‑ear design that connects via a 2.4 GHz low‑latency link for gaming while retaining Bluetooth for everyday use. The reviewer finds the build solid and comfortable, but notes a bulky charging case...
The Front Door Takes Center Stage at CES
CES 2026 placed the front door at the center of the smart‑home conversation, unveiling a wave of new lock technologies that blend biometrics, power‑generation and protocol upgrades. The Z‑Wave Alliance introduced the User Credential Command Class, enabling fingerprint‑based unlocking and...
Google Photos Is Getting Messy, so I Switched to This Private Alternative
Long‑time Google Photos users are growing frustrated with its crowded interface and limited privacy controls, prompting a shift toward self‑hosted alternatives. PhotoPrism, an open‑source, AI‑driven photo manager, lets users store images on their own servers while offering advanced tagging, RAW...
Avowed's Anniversary Update Is a Great Excuse to Return to Eora, but the PS5 Version Should Have Been Better
Obsidian released Avowed on PS5 bundled with the 2.00 Anniversary Update, introducing New Game Plus, photo mode, additional races, character presets, and extensive difficulty sliders. The console version mirrors Xbox's three display modes—performance, quality, and balanced—with frame‑rate unlocks, but still exhibits...
Opinion: I Can’t Wait for Gaming Consoles to Die (but Not How You Think)
Daniel Rubino argues that the real problem isn’t Xbox or PlayStation hardware but the artificial technical split between consoles and PCs. Developers must maintain separate codebases, certification processes, and patch pipelines, which inflates costs and delays releases, especially for indie...
Google Expands Quick Share’s AirDrop Support to Pixel 9
Google is extending its Quick Share cross‑platform file‑sharing feature to include AirDrop compatibility on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices. Users must install the Quick Share Extension update through System services to enable direct peer‑to‑peer transfers with iPhone, iPad or...
VIDAA Takes on Nielsen, Comscore with V Index Measurement Solution
VIDAA, now rebranded as V, is set to launch its V Index measurement platform in Q2, blending traditional linear TV data with streaming‑app viewership. The solution will initially roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, leveraging the company’s...
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim 1.2 Update Out Now on Nintendo Switch 2, Patch Notes – 60 Hz Mode, Frame...
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim received a 1.2 patch for Nintendo Switch 2, introducing a new 60 Hz mode that lets players toggle between visual fidelity and performance. A 30 Hz visual mode locks frame rate for smoother gameplay, while performance tweaks reduce FPS...
Roku Shares Climb. Is It Too Late to Buy the Stock?
Roku reported a robust Q4, with revenue rising 16% to $1.39 billion and EPS flipping to a profit of $0.53, beating expectations. Platform revenue surged 18% to $1.22 billion, driven by video ads and premium subscriptions, while device revenue barely grew. Adjusted...
Microsoft Is Fixing Windows' Oldest Audio Problem and You Probably Didn't Notice
Microsoft has begun rolling out Windows MIDI Services, a new MIDI stack for Windows 11 that modernizes the legacy MIDI 1.0 architecture. The service introduces native MIDI 2.0 support, multi‑client endpoints, and dramatically lower latency, while preserving compatibility with existing APIs and devices....
Google Pixel ‘Project Toscana’ Reportedly Upgrades Face Unlock Hardware, Compares to iPhone Face ID
Google is developing "Project Toscana," a hardware‑based face‑unlock system for upcoming Pixel phones and Chromebooks. The solution reportedly uses an infrared sensor hidden behind a single hole‑punch camera and aims to match iPhone Face ID’s speed. Early reports claim it...