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Tech News
Wireless congestion from accumulated smart devices is often blamed on Bluetooth interference with Wi-Fi networks. In reality, most modern routers and devices use frequency management techniques that keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals from significantly interfering with each other, except in specific overlapping scenarios.
Microsoft does not send Xbox users a birthday gift directly, but it does award extra Microsoft Rewards points during a user's birthday week. Those points can be redeemed in the Xbox Rewards hub for items like gift cards, in-game currency for titles such as Sea of Thieves and Minecraft, or small charity donations, rather than for full games.
Most smart TVs ship with limited internal storage that quickly fills up due to app caches, temporary files, and manufacturer-installed bloatware that can be difficult or impossible to remove. Users can clear app cache through settings for temporary relief or uninstall unused apps, though bloatware removal is often restricted by manufacturers. An alternative workaround is attaching an external streaming device like a Fire TV Stick, Roku, or Google TV Streamer, which brings its own storage and app ecosystem independent of the TV's built-in memory.
Android 17 introduced Pause Point, a Digital Wellbeing tool that makes users pause before opening distracting apps, but Google restricted it to the new Pixel 11 series. A reviewer found a free third-party app called Stroll that offers a similar function on any Android phone, requiring users to walk in order to earn time on time-wasting apps.
Amazon has quietly equipped every Kindle released since 2016 with Bluetooth, even though the devices lack built-in speakers or headphone jacks. The wireless connection lets users pair headphones or speakers to listen to audiobooks or have text read aloud, rather than for downloading books, which still relies on Wi-Fi or USB.
Wireless CarPlay initially relies on Bluetooth to pair the iPhone with the car, which then hands the phone Wi-Fi network credentials so CarPlay can run over that faster connection. Once Wi-Fi takes over, the car drops the Bluetooth link, though it keeps the paired connection on file to speed up future launches or reconnect a dropped session. Setup can happen either via a one-time USB connection or fully wirelessly through the iPhone's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi settings.
A hands-on comparison of Google's new autonomous AI assistant Gemini Spark against Perplexity Computer finds that Spark's main advantage is deep native integration with Google Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive, letting it execute multi-step tasks without external connectors. However, the reviewer identifies at least one area where Perplexity's approach outperforms Spark, based on extended use of both tools.
A quantitative analysis tested whether the eight antediluvian reign lengths in the Sumerian King List, which sum to 241,200 years, correspond to actual Quaternary climate or geological events when rescaled and anchored near 11,600 years ago. Comparing the sequence against a catalog of paleoclimate events using a defined null model, the researcher found the alignment was not statistically significant.
Bordeaux-based developer Vincent, known as @VynseDev, launched a site called Brand My Mac to auction off ten sticker spots on a 14-inch MacBook Pro he hasn't yet purchased. Bidders pay a 20% deposit for spots priced €125 to €400, with winning logos vinyl-cut and stuck to the laptop lid alongside a link on the project page. The auction has already drawn over €7,000 across roughly 118 bids, well above the machine's €2,529 price tag.
New leaks attributed to leaker OnLeaks reveal that Samsung's standard Galaxy S27 will carry over the same flat display, rounded corners, and raised rear camera island seen on the Galaxy S26, with dimensions differing by only fractions of a millimeter. This comes shortly after separate renders suggested the Galaxy S27 Ultra may adopt a horizontal, iPhone-style camera plateau instead of Samsung's traditional vertical layout.
Meta has agreed in the US to add safety features for children on Facebook and Instagram, including overnight access restrictions, usage time limits, and prompts for young users spending long periods on the apps. This falls short of the UK's own approach, which includes an outright social media ban for under-16s starting in 2027 and additional curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds.
Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy manifesto on Meta's website outlining his vision for AI, framing it as 'personal superintelligence' meant to be widely accessible rather than concentrated among elites. The statement follows Meta's costly retreat from its metaverse ambitions and mirrors similar declarations from rivals like OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei, though Zuckerberg emphasizes broad accessibility for everyday users, from entrepreneurs to children.