Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: fe Clear Filter

Android malware Konfety uses malformed APKs to evade detection

A new variant of the Konfety Android malware emerged with a malformed ZIP structure along with other obfuscation methods that allow it to evade analysis and detection. Konfety poses as a legitimate app, mimicking innocuous products available on Google Play, but features none of the promised functionality. The capabilities of the malware include redirecting users to malicious sites, pushing unwanted app installs, and fake browser notifications. Instead, it fetches and renders hidden ads using

Praise and Addiction Fears: Musk’s AI Girlfriend Sparks Fierce Debate

How do you bury a controversy? If you’re Elon Musk, you drop an anime waifu into the middle of a scandal and watch the internet do the rest. Just days after xAI’s chatbot Grok sparked outrage for spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric and praising Adolf Hitler, the billionaire shifted the narrative by unveiling a new feature called Companions, which lets users interact with flirty, customizable AI avatars like Ani, a goth anime girl, and Rudy, a red panda. The feature went instantly viral. While xAI ha

What Tariffs? Smartphone Market Grows 1% as More Devices Incorporate AI

Looks like curiosity about AI may be boosting smartphone sales. Shipments of smartphones increased 1% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, despite tariff volatility and worldwide economic instability, according to new data released from the International Data Corporation. Much of the increase in sales is attributed to midrange devices like Samsung's Galaxy A36 and other smartphones that have started incorporating AI. The report blamed a drop in demand for lower-end devices, including

WeTransfer says files not used to train AI after backlash

WeTransfer says files not used to train AI after backlash The firm has now updated its terms, saying it has "made the language easier to understand" to avoid confusion. A WeTransfer spokeswoman told BBC News: "We don't use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer, nor do we sell content or data to any third parties." The file sharing company had received lots of criticism from customers on social media after changing its terms of service, which some interpre

T-mobile is offering a 6-month trial of Apple TV Plus for new and existing users

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR For a limited time, most T-Mobile plans that don’t include Apple TV Plus are already eligible for a six-month Apple TV Plus trial, even if you have used a trial before. The offer ends July 28th, but T-Mobile notes there are limited quantities and so you’ll need to act sooner rather than later. You can sign up today from the T-Life app, but be aware that a few plans won’t receive this offer, like Simple Choice and the “4 for $100”. While Apple TV Plus is a

Google’s Discover feed may be getting an AI feature no one asked for

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Google is testing AI summaries for articles in the Discover feed. Like AI overviews in Google Search, Discover feed summaries combine information from multiple sources instead of just referencing one. Google is also testing a new button to bookmark articles that can be revisited later. Of late, Google has been experimenting with multiple ways to make its AI applications more visible, especially to users who have steered clear of Gemini so far. After rolli

This Guy Attached 21 Chef’s Knives to a Slicing Robot Arm to Determine Which One Is Best

After the fifth tomato, I had to know how my knife did. Without judgment, Heimendinger announced that it placed "second to last in the cohort." I felt responsibility for this knife, and a little embarrassment, until I remembered his knives came straight out of the box and into the testing process with an unblemished factory edge. My knife, on the other hand, had been in regular use in my test kitchen for more than six months receiving only the occasional honing. Plus, I noted protectively that t

Google Keep could finally add the search option you’ve wanted for years (APK teardown)

TL;DR Google Keep might finally let users search within a single note. The app currently allows finding content across all notes. With the new “Find in note” feature, users will be able to locate something specific within one particularly long or detailed note. For years, Google Keep users have been asking for a simple but much-needed feature, and it looks like their pleas are finally being answered. We’ve found strong evidence suggesting that Google’s note-taking app will soon give users the

The Galaxy S25 FE might outpace the base S25 in one key area

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR A regulatory filing has apparently listed the Galaxy S25 FE with 45W wired charging speeds. This would be a major upgrade over previous FE phones and the standard Galaxy S25. Previous leaks also point to the same chipset and rear camera system as last year’s phone. Samsung’s next big Android phone release is tipped to be the Galaxy S25 FE, and we’re not expecting many upgrades this year. However, a regulatory filing has apparently revealed one long-overd

Topics: camera fe galaxy s25 year

Walt Disney Returns as a Surreal Animatronic for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary

As of this week, Walt Disney returns to his original Magic Kingdom, with a little help from the magic-makers at Imagineering. Through the audio-animatronics technology Walt Disney introduced when he opened Disneyland 70 years ago, the evolution of the show robots has gone from static positioning with some movements, as first seen on the singing birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room, to a roaming animatronic of Uncle Walt. Stationed in the Main Street Opera House, the (m)animatronic is the crown jewe

Which Foldable Will You Flip For? Comparing Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and while the phone is still expensive -- it'll set you back $1,100 to start -- it's matching the price of its predecessor. That's admirable considering this newest iteration of the Flip phone series features several upgrades, including bigger screens and more powerful hardware. But the Z Flip 7 isn't the only clamshell foldable Samsung is debuting this summer. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is slightly smaller and bridges the gap between the two generatio

Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and XAI Granted Up to $200M from Defense Department

A view of the Pentagon on December 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. Home to the US Defense Department, the Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings. The U.S. Department of Defense on Monday said it's granting contract awards of up to $200 million for artificial intelligence development at Anthropic, Google , OpenAI and xAI. The DoD's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office said the awards will help the agency accelerate its adoption of "advanced AI capabilities to address c

Anthropic signs a $200mm deal with the Department of Defense

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), through its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), has awarded Anthropic a two-year prototype other transaction agreement with a $200 million ceiling. As part of the agreement, Anthropic will prototype frontier AI capabilities that advance U.S. national security. "This award opens a new chapter in Anthropic’s commitment to supporting U.S. national security, which is where our earliest federal deployments began more than a year ago,” said T

MagSafe Monday: Heading off to college in the fall? Here’s your best MagSafe gear

I went off to college with a giant desktop computer, so I’m a little envious of the gear students have today. I still remember the flex of buying a 64MB USB flash drive just so I could move papers between computers (this was all pre-Google Docs). If you’re heading to campus this fall, here’s the best MagSafe gear to make your dorm setup cleaner, smarter, and less tangled. Some of my favorite gear Abode Home Security System Abode is the best home security system and includes compatibility with H

Google adds featured notebooks on selected topics to NotebookLM

Google is adding what it calls "featured notebooks" to NotebookLM as a way to demo its AI-powered software and offer interactive, high-quality resources on everything from personal advice to William Shakespeare. The company tried something similar after its developer conference in May, when it created a NotebookLM notebook trained on everything that was announced at Google I/O 2025. The new featured notebooks have their own dedicated tab on the NotebookLM homepage and were created in partnershi

Here's why these simple midrange Bose headphones remain my daily drivers

ZDNET's key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are available in seven colors for $349, and are often up to $100 off. They are true to the QuietComfort namesake, providing excellent noise cancellation and all-day comfort. However, like all of Bose's over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort have a short, 24-hour battery life. View now at Bose I have an arsenal of premium consumer headphones. The Sony XM6, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Beats Studio Pro, Sonos Ace, and more all

Google’s curated AI ‘notebooks’ talk you through topics from parenting to Shakespeare

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Google is partnering with authors, researchers, and publications to launch “featured” notebooks within its AI notetaking app, NotebookLM. These notebooks come pre-filled with research, and let you interact with the app’s tools, including its AI podcast maker, to learn more about each topic. Google has released eight featured notebooks to start, inc

Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and xAI granted up to $200 million for AI work from Defense Department

A view of the Pentagon on December 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. Home to the US Defense Department, the Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings. The U.S. Department of Defense on Monday said it's granting contract awards of up to $200 million for artificial intelligence development at Anthropic, Google , OpenAI and xAI. The DoD's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office said the awards will help the agency accelerate its adoption of "advanced AI capabilities to address c

Google’s underrated AI tool just got a major upgrade with featured notebooks

Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google is adding expert-curated featured notebooks to NotebookLM, expanding its role beyond personal research and note-taking. Topics include the complete works of Shakespeare, Yellowstone travel tips, and predictions from The Economist. The new feature is desktop-only for now and follows the recent rollout of public notebook sharing. NotebookLM was already doing a good job as anything from a personal research assistant to an advisor on your car maintena

My cat Norbert gives this automatic wet food feeder two paws up

Allison Murray/ZDNET ZDNET's key takeaways The Petlibro Polar Wet Food Automatic Feeder normally retails for $130 and is available in black and white. The Polar feeder can keep wet food fresh for up to three days and connects to an app to customize feeding schedules. It is a relatively large device and needs power and Wi-Fi to function. After getting our orange tabby cat, Norbert, in 2018, my husband and I quickly realized we needed to invest in an automatic dry food feeder if we ever wante

The 41 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (July 2025)

Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you should move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all surefire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us. Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already comple

I found an E Ink tablet worthy of replacing my Remarkable

ZDNET's key takeaways The Boox Note Max comes bundled with the pen and case for $649. It's thin and light, has a high-contrast display, and has a long list of features that make it a very versatile device. Theres no backlight, it's monochromatic, and there's a bit of a learning curve to use it to its fullest. View now at Amazon View now at B&H Photo and Video more buying choices I went hands-on with the Remarkable Paper Pro last year and thought that was a big tablet. The latest Boox Note Max

Pebblebee’s AirTag alternative now doubles as a panic alarm

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Pebblebee has announced a new personal safety feature for its Clip location tracker that’s compatible with both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub network. Alert is being introduced as a free update to the Pebblebee app today, and the company says it will work with current and future versions of the Clip without requiring a subscription fee. P

Apple Maps is hiding iOS 26’s most useful new feature

Apple Maps is full of updates as part of iOS 26, including a new Liquid Glass design and Preferred Routes proactive feature. Another notable new feature is Visited Places. Here’s how it works… Apple Maps Visited Places in iOS 26 Apple describes Visited Places as a way to “help users remember the places they’ve been.” The feature is completely opt-in. When you open Apple Maps for the first time after installing iOS 26, you can choose to enable Visited Places. All data collected as part of the

Big upgrades are coming to your Apple Watch - 8 features I can't wait to use on WatchOS 26

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Your iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple-owned devices are getting a big overhaul soon. The best part? You won't have to pay a dime for them. The tech giant recently announced all of the newest apps and updates coming to its devices over the next few months. Several new features are coming to WatchOS 26, and the beta software is now available for developers, with a public beta rollout likely coming soon. Reddit users in the r/Apple Watch subreddit are already getting into th

The Oura Ring 3 is still discounted to a great price

Nina Raemont/ZDNETLink Text: Oura Ring 3URL: https://www.amazon.com/Oura-Ring-Gen3-Horizon-Tracking/dp/B0CSRF3Y2F/Merchant: Offer Type: MONETIZATION PENDING please save and reload Edit UnlinkOura Ring 3 Wanna know a secret? Besides one more day of battery life and a slimmer build, there really isn't much of a difference between the Oura Ring 3 and the Oura Ring 4. That's because they both have nearly the exact same software and app user experience. So if you've been eyeing an Oura Ring but are

The votes are in: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Audience Choice winners revealed for roundtables and breakouts

You voted — they made it onto the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 agenda! After reviewing hundreds of standout Call for Content submissions and opening the vote to the TechCrunch audience, we’ve locked in the top five roundtables and top five breakout sessions. Without further ado, meet the exceptional tech voices — and the sessions they’ll lead — that will shape the conversation at Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Visit the agenda page for full session and spe

First look at Gemini Space: Google’s Now Bar-like upgrade to Pixel’s At a Glance (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Gemini Space is an upcoming upgrade to the Pixel’s At a Glance experience. It’s seemingly inspired by Samsung’s Now bar and Now Brief, which show contextual cards on the lock screen and other places. In its current state, Gemini Space displays sports and birthday cards, but finance and Daily Hub features are expected in the future. We’ve previously spotted Google working on a feature called Gemini Space for Pixel devices. Based on the handful of clues

OnePlus earbuds could soon make Spotify access seamless (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Code within the HeyMelody app suggests OnePlus and OPPO earbuds could soon get Spotify Tap functionality. Spotify Tap allows instant music playback with a double or triple tap on compatible earbuds. It’s unknown if the feature will be coming to existing earbuds from the companies, or if they will be exclusive to products slated for the near future. OnePlus makes some great earbuds, with recent options like the OnePlus Buds 4 slotting in nicely at $130

Windows 10 KB5062554 update breaks emoji panel search feature

The search feature for the Windows 10 emoji panel is broken after installing the KB5062554 cumulative update released Tuesday, making it not possible to look up emojis by name or keyword. Windows includes an emoji panel that allows you to select emojis to insert into text or search for an emoji using keywords. On Tuesday, Microsoft released Windows updates to fix bugs and security vulnerabilities as part of the July 2025 Patch Tuesday. Since installing the Windows 10 KB5062554 update, numerou