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Tech News
Some Samsung Galaxy Watch users, including owners of the Watch Ultra, Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 6 Classic, report their smartwatches fail to boot after a routine time zone update asks them to restart. Placing the watch on its charging puck has proven to revive it, according to reports from affected users and SamMobile's own testing.
IDC's August 2026 forecast predicts worldwide smartphone shipments will drop 16.7% this year, a steeper decline than the 13.9% estimate from May. The cause is a severe shortage of NAND and DRAM chips, with component costs up over 300% year-over-year as manufacturers redirect capacity to AI data centers. As a result, average smartphone selling prices have jumped 27.6% to $581, effectively pushing sub-$100 Android phones out of the market.
Ring is rolling out a new default encryption system called TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption) across its video doorbell and camera lineup worldwide. Footage is encrypted with keys that rotate every five minutes, and Ring can only temporarily access those keys via an isolated AWS Nitro Enclave to power features like Smart Alerts before permanently deleting its copies within 24 hours. Users can still opt for full end-to-end encryption instead, though that disables cloud-based processing features.
Google confirmed via its Nest Community account that it has resolved a bug causing Google Home devices to play unrelated songs, albums, or playlists instead of the ones users requested. The issue had been reported by multiple users on Reddit's r/googlehome, with some saying it persisted for months across services like Spotify. Google has not detailed the cause of the bug or what specifically was changed to fix it.
Counterpoint Research says Apple placed five models in the world's top 10 best-selling smartphones for Q2 2026, with the base iPhone 17 taking the top spot at 6% of global unit sales. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17e, and iPhone 16 also made the list, while Samsung was the only other brand represented with five models including the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Amazon's Ring is introducing a new encryption system called TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption) that protects video with rotating keys stored temporarily in a secure cloud enclave, only for activating smart home features before being deleted. Users retain access through enrolled devices and can share clips with trusted contacts, but Ring itself won't retain long-term access to the keys. The feature begins rolling out in September, alongside Ring's existing option for full end-to-end encryption.
Leaks ahead of Apple's confirmed September 9 event point to a foldable iPhone Ultra launching seven years after Samsung's first foldable phone. Reports describe a nearly crease-free inner display, an ultra-thin body powered by the A20 Pro chip and a vapor chamber for cooling, and a liquid-metal hinge built on technology Apple licensed more than 15 years ago.
Amazon has discounted Linkind's SL6C outdoor smart solar spotlights to $97.99, a 25% cut from their $129.99 list price. The lights feature a dual-ring design with adjustable inner and outer beams, support 16 million colors and tunable white tones, and can be controlled via app or voice commands. They charge via solar or USB and carry an IP66 waterproof rating for outdoor use.
An Entrepreneur contributor recounts learning a growth strategy not from business school but from observing an advertising creative director, who sat silently with a blank page before generating ideas. The author argues that unconventional questions and unexpected connections, not conventional market research or AI-generated summaries, produce genuine innovation. The piece frames this quiet, unstructured thinking as a discipline entrepreneurs should adopt.
Amazon has opened pre-orders for Apple's new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini models across several configurations, ranging from $899 to $1,699. Best Buy is separately offering up to $500 off the M6 Mac mini when trading in an older M4 unit, while other current discounts include AirTag 2 at $20, renewed iPhone 17 Pro units up to $220 off, and Apple's official iPhone Air Bumper case down to under $13.
Amazon has cut the price of the Garmin Vivoactive 5 to $173, down from its $299.99 list price, marking the lowest price the smartwatch has ever hit. The device offers a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, built-in GPS, extensive health tracking features, onboard music storage, and up to 11 days of battery life.
Ring is switching its default video encryption to a new scheme called TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption), which temporarily decrypts footage in the cloud to power AI features like Smart Alerts before deleting the keys within 24 hours. The standard, built on the IETF's Messaging Layer Security protocol, will roll out globally starting in September, though users can still opt for full end-to-end encryption instead.