GoKawiil
Tech News
Google unveiled its Googlebook laptop standard at a New York event, with five inaugural devices from HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus now available for preorder ahead of an October 4 launch. Prices start at $899, and each purchase includes a year of Google AI Pro service with 5TB of storage. The laptops run on Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Intel Core Ultra 3 chips and must meet strict hardware requirements set by Google.
A developer's Open Headunit app, priced under $4 on Google Play or free via GitHub, lets an aging Android tablet impersonate an Android Auto head unit, giving cars without built-in support a large touchscreen for navigation, calls and media. Testing found the setup imperfect but functional as a way to repurpose tablets that can no longer run modern apps well.
Google introduced a new laptop line called Googlebooks, built by five manufacturers, running a new Googlebook OS that blends Android and ChromeOS design. The devices sync directly with Android phones, letting users share notifications, files, apps, and even reply to texts from the laptop after linking their Google account.
Google has introduced its new Googlebook laptop line, built on an OS blending Chromebook and Android elements with deep Gemini AI integration. Five initial models from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and Asus go on sale October 4th, priced between $899 and $1,299, running Intel Panther Lake or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips.
Apple has built a 'Prepare to Ship' firmware feature into the iPhone 18 Pro Max that temporarily caps its battery below the 20Wh transport limit enforced in the US, EU and other regions. Once the device is activated by a customer, the cap lifts and the phone's full 5,391mAh capacity becomes available. The same toggle can be re-enabled manually when shipping a device for repair, trade-in or resale.
Google is rolling out a new 'Copy code' shortcut in Gmail that appears beneath the subject line of verification emails, letting users copy a 2FA code straight to their clipboard without opening the message. The feature is live on Gmail for Android version 2026.09.07.x and iOS version 6.0.260907, though it hasn't reached the web version yet.
Apple has enabled non-Apple users to participate in FaceTime calls through a web browser, a capability that has existed since 2021 with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey but remains largely unknown. An iPhone or Mac user must generate and share a FaceTime link, which Android and Windows users can open in an updated browser to join the call without installing any app.
Smart TVs still rely on remote controls, and many now support using a smartphone as a substitute via built-in IR blasters or app-based connectivity. Certain Android phones have infrared hardware and pre-installed universal remote apps that let users pair with their TV brand and control power, volume, and navigation. Devices from Apple, Samsung, and Google lack this IR hardware, but alternative software-based remote options exist for those users.
Security firm Zimperium has identified RatHat, a new Android malware strain that tricks users into installing a fake app resembling Google Chrome through a spoofed Play Store page. Once granted accessibility permissions, it silently enables developer-level ADB Shell access, deploys an AI-driven agent to run system commands, and funnels stolen data to remote servers. Researchers have already found 162 infected apps tied to roughly a dozen attacker-controlled servers, with China-linked actors primarily targeting payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay.
A new buying guide breaks down the essential hardware to check before purchasing an Android phone for gaming, starting with the chipset that houses the CPU and GPU. It also flags RAM capacity and thermal management systems like vapor chambers as critical factors that determine sustained performance during long gaming sessions.
Android Authority writer Khamosh Pathak explains how he made his Pixel 9a feel like a distraction-free dumbphone without buying a $500 device like the Light Phone or Wisephone. He disabled most app notifications and used Switchly, a free open-source app blocker that supports QR codes and NFC tags, to block addictive features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. He also paired it with BlockAds, a VPN-based ad blocker, to remove intrusive full-screen ads from free apps.
A tip circulating on Reddit shows that installing Duolingo's website as a web app rather than using the native mobile app brings back the classic hearts-based mistake system and removes advertisements entirely, according to Android Authority. The report says the workaround works for both free and Super Duolingo subscribers, cutting down on gamified prompts and extra taps between lessons.