I Tested Three Windows Laptops in the MacBook Neo’s Price Range — There’s No Contest
Apple’s MacBook Neo launches at $599, offering an all‑aluminum 13‑inch chassis, an A18 Pro iPhone‑class processor, and 8 GB RAM, positioning it as a premium‑feel laptop at a budget price. In a head‑to‑head test, three Windows ultrabooks—Asus Vivobook 16, Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x, and Acer Aspire 14 AI—were priced similarly but used plastic or mixed materials and delivered mixed performance. While the Windows models provide solid specs, the Neo’s tighter hardware‑software integration yields snappier everyday use and longer battery life. The review concludes the Neo remains the clear winner in the sub‑$600 segment.
Amflow’s Latest E-Bikes with Avinox Motors Raise the Bar Again
Amflow, DJI’s e‑bike spin‑off, unveiled two new electric mountain‑bike models, the PX and PR, built around its high‑density Avinox M2S and M2 drive systems. The bikes deliver up to 1,500 W of peak power and 150 Nm of torque while weighing only...
The Neo Effect: How Apple’s Cheapest Mac Is Changing the PC Game
Apple introduced the MacBook Neo, a $599 (or $499 for educators) laptop that brings the company’s premium design language to a budget segment. Powered by the A18 Pro chip borrowed from recent iPads and iPhones, the Neo delivers smooth performance...
Spotify’s Prompted Playlists Can Help You Find New Podcasts to Listen To
Spotify has expanded its beta Prompted Playlists feature to include podcasts, allowing Premium subscribers to generate AI‑curated episode collections using text prompts. The rollout is limited to English‑speaking markets—U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden—and remains in beta. Users...
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra Is $200 Off for the First Time
Samsung has slashed the price of its flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra by $200, bringing the unlocked 256GB model to $1,099 across major retailers. The device remains the only S26 series phone with a Privacy Display that obscures the screen from...
The Rugged Bose Soundlink Flex Is 25 Percent Off Right Now
Bose has slashed the price of its second‑generation Soundlink Flex portable speaker to $119, a $40 discount from the regular $159 list price. The new Flex retains the original’s rugged IP67‑rated, silicone‑wrapped design and 12‑hour battery life while adding a...
Really, You Made This without AI? Prove It
As generative AI blurs the line between machine‑made and human‑made content, creators are pushing for a recognizable “human‑made” label. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri suggested fingerprinting real media, while standards like C2PA have struggled to gain traction. Over a dozen certification schemes—ranging...
PSA: Anyone with a Link Can View Your Granola Notes by Default
Granola, an AI‑powered note‑taking app, shares notes publicly by default to anyone with a link, contradicting its claim of private‑by‑default. Users can change the setting to “Only my company” or “Private,” but the default exposes potentially sensitive meeting content. The...
I Tested a Living Room Full of Cheap Ikea Speakers Against Sonos and Bose
IKEA introduced the $10 Kallsup Bluetooth speaker, a tiny plastic cube available in bright colors. Despite its minimal design, a single unit delivers decent midrange performance, and up to 100 can be linked, with 20 units boosting sound pressure level...
You Can Order Grubhub and Uber Eats ‘Conversationally’ with Alexa Plus
Amazon has upgraded its Alexa Plus assistant to support conversational food ordering through Grubhub and Uber Eats. Users can add, remove, or change items on the fly, with the Echo Show 8 and larger devices displaying the order in real time. The feature...
Bluetti’s Sora 500 Solar Panel Is Incredibly Powerful for Its Size
Bluetti’s new Sora 500 portable solar panel uses N‑Type TOPCon cells to deliver 509 W in real‑world testing, exceeding its 500 W rating. The panel can add a full day’s 1.6 kWh energy to a van’s power system in just two hours, dramatically shortening...
Brendan Carr Says His Broadcast License Threat Wasn’t Really About Iran War Coverage
FCC Chair Brendan Carr told reporters his earlier warning about broadcasters losing licenses was not a direct threat over Iran war coverage, but a broader admonition against "fake news" and public‑interest violations. He cited a Trump tweet, emphasized he has...
David Sacks Is No Longer the White House AI and Crypto Czar
David Sacks, the venture‑capitalist who served as the White House’s special advisor on AI and crypto, announced he has stepped down after exceeding the 130‑day limit for a special government employee. He will now co‑chair the President’s Council of Advisors...
Apple’s AI Playlist Playground Is Bad at Music
Apple launched the Playlist Playground beta, an AI‑driven tool that creates Apple Music playlists from text prompts. Early testing shows the system repeatedly misinterprets genre cues, delivering tracks with vocals when instrumental black metal was requested. It also struggles with...
Life Is Strange: Reunion Is a Full-Circle Moment for Its Stars
Square Enix’s new installment, *Life is Strange: Reunion*, revives Chloe Price, reuniting the iconic Max‑Chloe duo after the surprise return of Max in 2024’s *Double Exposure*. Voice actors Rhianna DeVries and Hannah Telle revealed they were blindsided by the audition...
Google’s Android Automotive Is Moving From the Dashboard to the ‘Brain’ of the Car
Google unveiled an expanded Android Automotive OS that moves beyond infotainment to manage non‑safety vehicle functions, effectively turning the platform into the car’s central computer. The open‑architecture system will handle climate control, lighting, seat adjustments, digital keys and driver profiles...
Microsoft Is Ending the Windows Update Nightmare — and Letting You Pause Them Indefinitely
Microsoft announced that Windows 11 users will soon be able to pause updates indefinitely, ending the long‑standing forced‑update model. The company also pledged that, when not paused, devices will require only one reboot per month and will deliver performance, stability...
Congress Considers Blowing up Internet Law
The Senate Commerce Committee held a heated hearing on Section 230, the internet liability shield that turned 30, as Democrats and Republicans introduced a bill to sunset the law entirely. Lawmakers highlighted a surge of product‑liability lawsuits, such as the...
AI Companies Want to Harvest Improv Actors’ Skills to Train AI on Human Emotion
AI data‑labeling firms are recruiting improv actors to teach large language models how to recognize and express authentic human emotions. Handshake AI, a contractor for OpenAI and other labs, posted a $74‑per‑hour part‑time role that asks performers to improvise unscripted...
Trump Mobile Is Just One in the Crowd of Conservative Carriers
Trump Mobile joins a growing list of conservative‑leaning MVNOs that lease network capacity from the big carriers. The article compares its $26‑per‑month Freedom of Speech plan to rivals such as Liberty Mobile, Patriot Mobile, Radiant Mobile, PureTalk and Charity Mobile,...
Samsung’s Mario-Themed microSD Card for Switch 2 Is 35 Percent Off
Samsung’s 256GB microSD Express card for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been slashed from $59.99 to $39.99, a roughly 35 percent discount available at major retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and GameStop. The card is the only microSD Express model that...