Plex’s Security Breach, New iPhones, Visual Studio Updates, and More: News Roundup
This was another busy week in tech news, with Apple’s September event, IFA wrapping up, Plex reporting a security breach, and a lot more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
The Big News
The iPhone 17 Series Is Here, Including the iPhone Air
After months of rumors and speculation, Apple has finally revealed the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. ProMotion and always-on display are finally coming to the base iPhone, and all models are getting an improved front-facing camera and other improvements. Continue reading…
Plex Just Had a Security Breach
The past few weeks haven’t been the best for Plex. After the company disclosed a catastrophic vulnerability in its client, it has now suffered a breach. Surprisingly, the two things are not related. Continue reading…
Apple’s New AirPods Pro 3 Will Fit More Ears
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 were still some of the best ANC earbuds on the market, but they were getting old. Now, Apple has finally unveiled the AirPods Pro 3, and they pack a few years’ worth of improvements. Continue reading…
VS Code Gets Smarter With New Chat and Productivity Features
Visual Studio Code is releasing a major update this month, version 1.104. This update, also known by its code name “Eclipse,” is bringing some great new features, especially for its AI-powered chat and a bunch of quality-of-life improvements. Continue reading…
The Outlook Lite App Is Shutting Down
Microsoft is shutting down its Outlook Lite app for Android, a lightweight version of its email client that was designed for low-end phones and slower networks. The app will be retired starting on October 6, 2025, and after that date, new installations will be blocked. Continue reading…
Google is Pulling Its Weather App on Wear OS Smartwatches
Google has a weird history with weather apps. Pretty much every phone comes pre-installed with a weather app, but for a long time, Google simply didn’t have one. However, it did have a weather app that any Wear OS smartwatch could install. That app is going away, and the replacement is not straightforward. Continue reading…
Apple Watch Will Tell You if You Have Hypertension
Apple has officially received FDA approval for a new hypertension notification feature on its Apple Watch that’s rolling out next week. The best part is that you won’t need to buy a new watch to get it. The feature is coming with the watchOS 26 update. Continue reading…
Linux Mint’s Debian 13 Upgrade Is on the Way
The Linux Mint team has explained the roadmap for their next major release, the Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 (LMDE 7), codenamed “Gigi.” The regular edition of Linux Mint will stay on an Ubuntu base, but LMDE 7 will soon use the latest Debian 13 release as its foundation. Continue reading…
Google Home Just Got Two Huge Automation Features
If you have smart home hardware compatible with Google Home, it’s a tremendously useful tool to have. And now, it’s about to get a huge automation update that will make your life a lot easier. Continue reading…
HBO Max Lead Thinks You’re Paying Too Little
Our streaming services have gotten a lot more expensive over the past two years—what used to be $10 at most is now easily up to $20 a month. HBO Max’s lead thinks you’re paying too little, despite the frequent price hikes. Continue reading…
Google Explains How It Pulled Off Meet’s Live Translation
Google has pulled back the curtain on how it developed the live translation feature for Google Meet. The company’s audio engineering and product management teams, along with Google DeepMind, were able to achieve what was apparently a five-year goal in just two years. Continue reading…
Gmail Is Making It Easier to Track Packages and Find Deals
Navigating an email inbox isn’t fun, and Google is constantly trying to improve how that works in Gmail. The latest updates will make it easier to find and track all your purchases, as well as find good deals among the piles of clutter. Continue reading…
The AirPods Pro 3 Are Missing Something In The Box
The AirPods Pro 3 are here, and they’re a huge jump from the AirPods Pro 2 in almost every way. But I hope you have a cable lying around, because Apple is not shipping one with its newest earbuds. Continue reading…
Bluesky Is Starting Age Verification in More States
Bluesky is rolling out age verification in the states of South Dakota and Wyoming for users to access features like messaging and adult content. This is in response to new laws passed in both states that require platforms hosting “harmful” content to verify the ages of their users. Continue reading…
Apple Just Made the iPhone 16 a Worse Deal
The iPhone 17 range was announced yesterday, and it’s a pretty different lineup to anything we’ve seen before. And Apple really wants you to buy it. So much so that it has not only discontinued the iPhone 16 Pro range, but it has also nerfed the regular iPhone 16 phones, too. Continue reading…
Steam’s Latest Update Has More Library and Design Settings
A new Steam app update has just been released that brings custom sorting for games, CPU temperature monitoring, and a bunch of new accessibility settings for desktop mode. It’s rolling out now to Windows, Mac, and Linux. Continue reading…
Visual Studio 2026 Just Got Its First Preview Release
The first preview release of Visual Studio 2026 has arrived. As you might expect from a new Microsoft product, the big selling point is more AI integration, but there are some great performance improvements and visual tweaks as well for developers to enjoy. Continue reading…
Spotify’s Lossless Audio Streaming Has Finally Arrived
After years of rumors and waiting, it’s finally here. Spotify has a lossless audio option for those who want a better streaming experience. We’ve been hearing about it since 2021, and today Spotify Premium users can finally take advantage of lossless streaming. Continue reading…
Apple’s New Watch Ultra 3 Has a Big Battery Upgrade
Apple’s Watch Ultra range is weird, but if you have the dough and you need a watch that can withstand a lifestyle even more active than yours, it’s probably well worth the investment. Apple has just launched the latest Apple Watch Ultra 3 in addition to a new Apple Watch SE, and both are pretty decent upgrades. Continue reading…
Paramount+ Is Finally Getting Sports Multiview
Paramount+ is finally launching a new multiview feature that will let you watch up to four live matches at the same time. That means all the action is happening on your screen at once. This is great if you like soccer, but it should end up on more sports channels soon. Continue reading…
Google Disputes Claims That AI Mode Will Be Default Search
It turns out Google isn’t planning on making AI Mode the default for Google search anytime soon, but it came with news of more AI slop coming. This all came from rumors that started swirling after a comment from one of the company’s own product leads, who works with Google AI. Continue reading…
Firefox Wants You to Shake Your iPhone
Firefox, the popular third-party web browser for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, has a fancy new feature for iPhone users. The company knows that most people browse the web on their small phone screen, so it’s now rolling out a new “shake to summarize” feature powered by Apple Intelligence. Continue reading…
Google’s NotebookLM Just Got More Features
NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered research and learning assistant, has added a bunch of new features. The platform can act like a tutor now, with Flashcards, Quizzes, a redesigned Reports function, and a “Learning Guide” conversational style. Continue reading…
The New Pebble Smartwatch Is Shipping This Month, But With Some Changes
Back in March, the founder of Pebble announced the much-loved e-paper smartwatch would return. After all these months, it’s finally happening. Pebble 2 Duo is officially in mass production, and you might get to have one on your wrist this month—with a catch. Continue reading…
LineageOS Now Supports the OnePlus 12, Moto G Stylus 5G, and 8 More Phones
LineageOS is (probably) the most popular Android custom ROM, bringing a stock-like experience and longer support to many phones and tablets. The project has recently added official support for 10 more phones, including the OnePlus 12 and original Moto G Stylus 5G. Continue reading…
Google Quickly Removes a Big Pixel 10 Feature, for Now
Google’s fancy new Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro are finally available, and users are taking advantage of its many new features, from a powerful Pro Res Zoom and Magic Cue to Google’s new Daily Hub. Unfortunately, the latter feature isn’t all that great, and Google’s removed it from phones until further notice. Continue reading…
Signal Finally Gets A Long-Awaited Feature
Signal has managed to position itself as a strong competitor to WhatsApp and similar apps, but it lacks one very important thing—cloud backups. Now, we have them, though they work a bit differently from how backups work in other apps. Continue reading…
Google Gemini Can Now Take Your Audio Files
Google’s Gemini has finally added the ability to upload and analyze audio files. This new feature takes your audio files, including common formats like MP3, M4A, and WAV, and can transcribe, summarize, and extract key details from the content. Continue reading…
uBlock Origin’s New Update Changes Built-in Blocklists
uBlock Origin, the popular browser extension for blocking ads and trackers, just received another update. uBlock Origin version 1.66 adds new blocking options, removes some built-in lists, and makes a few other changes. Continue reading…
Your Samsung Galaxy Should Get One UI 8 (Android 16) Soon
Waiting for the next big Android update can be somewhat frustrating, even for Samsung fans who have some of the latest models from the last few years. Thankfully, Samsung is one of the best in terms of updates. It has released several Android 16 betas, and the official One UI 8 release could be right around the corner. Continue reading…
Jellyfin for Android TV Is Stealing Another Plex Feature
The Jellyfin client for Amazon Fire TV and other Android TV devices had a beta release for version 0.19 this weekend, and it involves the debut of a new “Are you still watching” prompt that’ll stop unnecessary TV show playback. It’s a beta feature, but it and other new features should be rolling out to folks watching Jellyfin on their Android TV devices in the coming weeks. Continue reading…
It’s Time to Uninstall Nova Launcher
I’ve been using Android phones since 2010, and one app that’s been around for nearly that long is Nova Launcher. It’s been the king of home screen customization for years, but it’s officially on its way out. Nova’s founder has announced that he’s stepping away, and the app is being abandoned. Continue reading…
Boost Mobile’s Leftover Wireless Spectrum Is Going to Starlink
EchoStar just announced that it reached an agreement with SpaceX. SpaceX will buy EchoStar’s full portfolio of AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses for approximately $17 billion, which will help SpaceX develop and deploy its Starlink Direct-To-Cell constellation. Continue reading…
Bluetti’s Sodium-Ion Power Station Might Be Just What I Need
Bluetti, a growing name in portable power, just announced what it’s calling the world’s first sodium-ion power station at IFA in Berlin, Germany. It might be exactly what I need this winter. It’s a power bank that doesn’t use a traditional lithium-ion battery, and it’s designed to keep going during the harsh winter cold. Continue reading…
TCL Is Launching a Google TV That Knows When You’re in the Room
Isn’t it cool how your TV turns on when you enter the room? Okay, you probably don’t have that, but TCL is hoping you will one day. The company is releasing the first Google TV to ship with Gemini, and it also has some crazy presence-sensing abilities. Continue reading…
