AstroHelm is a newly launched app that uses a phone's camera to match visible stars against sky data, pinpointing a telescope or telephoto lens's exact aim with sub-arcminute accuracy. The plate-solving process runs entirely on-device, requiring no internet connection, and the app works with any telescope or lens rather than proprietary hardware. It also suggests observation targets based on location, time, moonlight and twilight conditions, and can be controlled remotely from a second device.
Pairing a phone with a rental car's entertainment system via Bluetooth can prompt a sync of contacts and other data, which may be stored on the vehicle's infotainment system indefinitely unless manually deleted. Using a USB cable with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead offers encrypted connections that don't expose this data. Rental companies like Avis state in their policies that customers are responsible for removing their own data and that the company isn't liable for information left behind.
Samsung's One UI 9 update adds new personalization options accessible through its Good Lock suite and Home Up application. Key additions include a Favorites Background tool for editing blur, shadow, image, and color on the Favorites screen, similar controls for the Edge Panel, and configurable multi-finger gesture shortcuts for actions like screenshots or volume control.
A longtime CNET phone reviewer reflects on more than 15 years of testing devices, recounting how industry leaders like Apple and Samsung endured while BlackBerry, HTC, LG and OnePlus faded out. Among the oddities highlighted is BlackBerry's 2014 Passport, a square-shaped phone with a physical keyboard, which the reviewer still keeps in storage.
Android Authority writer Robert Triggs describes how dust and lint trapped inside USB-C ports caused loose, angled cable connections and failed fast-charging on his phone and tablet. He says cleaning the ports himself restored normal charging on both devices, avoiding a repair.
OhSnap has released a magnetic, lever-action card wallet that attaches to phones and stacks with its existing Snap Grip Stand. The wallet uses a toolless, compliant-mechanism design that lets users swap in 3, 5, or 7-card cores and interchange front and back plates for options like an ID holder, money clip, elastic band, or slim aluminum covers.
An Android Authority reviewer spent two weeks testing the Motorola Edge 70, an ultra-slim smartphone, after initial skepticism about the form factor's trade-offs. The reviewer reports it avoided the compromises seen in Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, which launched with a 3,900mAh battery, 25W charging, only two rear cameras lacking a telephoto lens, and a $1,099 price tag.
Android Authority's Tushar Mehta has used the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 exclusively for about a month and reports that its squatter, wider cover-screen design has made him view taller, conventional-sized flagship phones as unwieldy by comparison. He says he no longer wants to use phones with displays larger than 6.7 inches, a size that has become standard for Android flagships.
A tech guide lists ten practical second uses for retired Android phones, noting that even older devices retain working cameras, GPS, displays, speakers, sensors and Wi-Fi. Suggested uses include turning the phone into a kitchen display, hiking GPS unit, or retro gaming handheld. The guide recommends backing up data and performing a factory reset before repurposing a device.
Realme has released a Harry Potter-themed version of its 16 Pro 5G phone, made in collaboration with Warner Bros. The special edition keeps the standard model's core hardware but adds Hogwarts-inspired exterior styling, a trunk-shaped box, a themed phone case, SIM-ejector tool, postcards, a Hogwarts acceptance letter, bookmarks and other collectible extras.
Apple confirmed a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T have lost cellular service entirely, unable to call, text or use mobile data. The company has pushed a carrier settings update and iOS 27.0.1 to prevent further cases, but affected users must get a device replacement from Apple or AT&T to restore service.
A Good Lock module called Nice Shot lets Samsung Galaxy users add a trash icon to the floating toolbar that appears right after taking a screenshot, allowing immediate deletion. The feature is aimed at users who accidentally trigger screenshots, such as through Back-Tap gestures, or who simply dislike a captured image. Deleting via this button is permanent and bypasses the Trash folder, so removed screenshots cannot be recovered.
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