Samsung unveiled the SmartTag 3, its latest Bluetooth tracker, which for the first time works with iPhones through the SmartThings app, though features like Compass View, Ring Phone, and Left Behind Alerts remain Android-exclusive. The device is 35% smaller and 33% lighter than earlier models, offers battery life up to 550 days, extends directional finding to about 200 feet, and adds Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding and geofenced Place Notifications. It starts at $29.99 and is expected in the US by early November.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
Lux Optics updated its Halide Mark III camera app to support the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture main camera, letting users select any f-stop from f/1.48 to f/4.0 rather than fixed presets. The update also adds two new photo looks, Dawn and Quicksilver, which apply distinct color and contrast treatments to images.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Android Authority writer Megan Ellis describes using Google's Results About You feature, which scans search results for a user's phone number, email, home address, and in some regions ID or Social Security numbers. When it finds a match, Google sends a notification and lets the user request removal of the listing, which Google says it will delete for all users if the request meets its criteria. The tool is accessed through the Google app's profile menu or a dedicated website.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
Instagram announced Wednesday that its standalone Edits app will include an AI 'creative assistant' that analyzes a creator's account data, including likes, views, retention and shares, to answer questions about content performance. The tool can suggest video hooks, captions, trending audio and scripts, and identify patterns behind why some posts succeed and others don't.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
A newly released Android app called Pixel Clock, roughly two weeks old, provides alarm, timer, stopwatch and world clock functions with a Material 3 Expressive design that adapts to the user's chosen system color. Android Authority's Andy Walker reports it replaced several other timing apps on his device after he had also tried an app called Chrono as an alternative to Google Clock.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
Singapore has piloted FirstDate, a government-run dating app for public servants aged 21-35, built on the Gale-Shapley stable matching algorithm that won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics. The app ranks users' preferences, produces one mutually-stable match per cycle with a 72-hour decision window, verifies identity via Singpass, and only reveals contact details when both parties agree.
twitter.com
· 2026-09-30
Sonos has released the Ace Ultra headphones at $449, replacing the original $349 Ace as its flagship model. The new headphones retain the Ace's comfortable build and tactile controls while adding the ability to send audio from a broader Sonos speaker system to the headphones and back, a feature currently offered in "early access." Both ear cups and the battery are user-replaceable via separate accessory kits.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Google confirmed it has resolved a bug that caused the Google Photos app to freeze after users interacted with its editing tools. The company says the fix is included in the latest app update, version 7.94.0.988717361, available now on the Play Store.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple sent Rep. Jamie Raskin a letter last July explaining its decision to pull ICEBlock and similar ICE-tracking apps from the App Store, citing agent-safety concerns raised partly by the Trump administration after a fatal shooting at a Dallas ICE facility. Raskin has now sent a follow-up letter questioning Apple's justification, according to CNN.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-29
At its Dev Day event, OpenAI unveiled a plugin/extension architecture that lets developers build interactive apps inside ChatGPT's chat interface, alongside new agentic assistants called Dots and updated AI models. The company also introduced ways for users to carry their ChatGPT identity into third-party apps and use existing AI usage allowances there. OpenAI says ChatGPT now has 1.2 billion weekly users and will begin surfacing app suggestions mid-conversation.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple confirmed shoppers can begin its 'Get ready' process for the iPhone Duo on Monday, October 12, letting buyers pre-select color, storage, carrier, and payment method ahead of time. Actual pre-orders open Friday, October 16 at 8:00 a.m. ET / 5:00 a.m. PT, and completing the setup early is meant to speed up checkout that morning.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-29
Google has integrated Gemini with Find Hub so users can verbally log where they've stored important belongings, such as saying a passport is kept in a vault. The assistant confirms the entry and links back to Find Hub, where users can attach photos, addresses, and notes, or add items manually through the app's Remembered tab.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-29
GoKawiil