GoKawiil
Tech News
An old, otherwise unused Android phone can be repurposed to extend home Wi-Fi coverage into dead zones without buying new hardware like extenders or mesh nodes. Users can rely on the phone's built-in hotspot feature, which lets it connect to an existing Wi-Fi network and rebroadcast the signal as a repeater, requiring no extra apps or technical skill.
A unanimous three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that Nevada can enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi's sports-related event contracts, rejecting the company's claim that federal commodities law shields it from state oversight. The decision upholds a lower court order allowing Nevada's Gaming Control Board to act against Kalshi, Crypto.com and Robinhood over sports-event contracts offered on their platforms.
Google has pushed out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 to Pixel testers, two weeks after Beta 3, as builds CP41.260814.003.A2 or CP41.260814.003.B1 depending on device. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro remain excluded from this release, while the newly launched Pixel 11 is also not yet covered under QPR2 testing.
Code strings found in Spotify Android version 9.1.82.19 suggest Free-tier users could soon be allowed to host Jam sessions, a feature currently restricted to Premium subscribers. Jams hosted by Free users would reportedly force shuffle play, cap skips, and limit queue size for all participants, even Premium ones. Spotify has not confirmed the rollout, and the evidence comes solely from unreleased app strings.
The developer credited with building the original Windows Task Manager has released TMOG, a new system monitoring app for macOS. The tool offers a detailed summary view covering CPU, clock speed, thermals, GPU, memory, storage, network, and energy usage, alongside deeper inspection features like per-core stats, process trees, service controls, and a native expandable version of the Mac's System Report.
Researchers in Germany tested over 120 metal fans and found that attending several days of live metal performances appeared to increase their ability to withstand pain, based on cold-pain tolerance tests. The findings suggest a link between the concert experience and heightened physical resilience among attendees.
The Talix retractable USB-C to USB-C cable, normally $22, is discounted to $14 on Amazon with a coupon. It supports up to 240W and PD 3.2 charging, packing a 4- to 5-foot cord into a compact, magnet-equipped case about the size of a compact mirror.
Brave has rolled out a new privacy tool letting users generate disposable email aliases when signing up for websites, avoiding exposure of their real address. Emails sent to an alias are automatically forwarded to the user's primary inbox and then deleted from Brave's servers, with account data encrypted at rest.
Linkind has released a Smart Light Stick, an E26 screw-in bulb designed around dynamic flame simulation rather than standard color lighting. Users can adjust flame size, brightness, flicker speed, and motion type, and the bulb also includes over 120 presets like sunset and lava effects. It connects to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home through Matter.
Garmin's CIRQA fitness tracker is experiencing Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting failures following the August 20 firmware 2.50 update, according to user reports on a Gadgets and Wearables forum thread. Affected users say Bluetooth connections cycle between connected and disconnected on Garmin Edge devices, while broadcasting fails outright on apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, Rouvy and Strava, plus Bluetooth-enabled gym equipment. ANT+ connections remain unaffected, and a Garmin representative confirmed the issue has been escalated internally with no fix timeline given yet.
Ahead of a September 9 unveiling, reports suggest Apple Watch Ultra 4 will feature substantially upgraded health sensors, with Digitimes claiming the number of sensor components could double, alongside a new blood pressure-related feature reportedly under FDA review. Analyst Mark Gurman also points to fitness-tracking upgrades and a new, faster S-class chip replacing the S10 used since 2024, though reports conflict on whether the watch will get a major design overhaul.
Jernej Barbič, a computer science professor at the University of Southern California, has received a 2025 technical achievement Academy Award for creating Ziva VFX, software that simulates realistic muscle, fat and skin for digital humans and creatures. The technology, launched in 2016 through his startup Ziva Dynamics and later acquired by Unity Technologies in 2021, has appeared in more than 60 films including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.