Signal has released version 8.30, extending its end-to-end encrypted backup feature to iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux after debuting on Android nearly a year ago. Users can choose Signal-hosted backups, capped at 45 days of media for free accounts, or unlimited on-device local backups, both requiring a recovery key to decrypt. The update also unifies Android's backup format with other platforms, separates media storage from backup archives to avoid duplication, and lets paying users purge old media locally while retrieving it from hosted backups.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-09-29
Rep. Jamie Raskin sent a letter to Apple this week arguing the company has no evidence to support claims that apps like ICEBlock endangered ICE officers, following Apple's removal of such apps from the App Store. Apple had earlier told Raskin the apps were pulled after a fatal shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, but Raskin disputes DHS and FBI claims linking that shooter to app usage, calling the justification unsupported.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-29
Google's new Home speaker acts as a Gemini-powered voice assistant that also handles multi-room music playback without requiring any subscription beyond a music streaming service. It works with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Amazon Music, and is set up and controlled through the redesigned Google Home app, which also supports speaker groups and moving audio between rooms. The speaker uses a single 58mm driver, making it noticeably quieter and less clear than pricier alternatives like Sonos' Era 100, though two units can be paired for stereo sound.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-29
Android Authority found new elements activated in version 17.62.9 of the Google app, including a selector to toggle the Gemini overlay between standard Chat mode and a Spark-related Task mode. The update also surfaces a bell icon for quick access to recent conversations and a still-inactive Proactive Assistance icon, alongside a browser-switching option for Gemini Spark tasks.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple detailed a major update to its Shortcuts app coming with iOS 27, introducing more than 35 new actions covering Messages, Reminders, Photos, VPN and shortcut storage. The update also improves existing actions, including expanded logic support for 'If' statements, Markdown support in Notes, group chat messaging, and enhanced AI model capabilities in 'Use Model'.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple's iOS 27 update introduces several changes to the Reminders app, including an upgraded natural-language 'Describe' feature powered by Apple Intelligence that can auto-fill reminder details like due dates. The update also redesigns the metadata editor within lists, consolidating options like date, time, location, and tags into a single interface, and improves grocery list auto-sorting accuracy across multiple languages.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-29
Ember's third-generation smart mug holds 14 ounces, keeps drinks at a set temperature via an app, and charges on an included coaster that doubles as a charging pad rather than a true coaster. In testing, the mug's battery drained within two hours at its highest 145-degree setting when left on the slow-charging coaster, though it performed better on a full charge. The optional lid, despite marketing claims of three extra hours of battery life, simply traps heat rather than adding power.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-29
A malformed payload sent to Google's Analytics for Firebase SDK caused widespread launch crashes across thousands of iOS apps starting the evening of September 28. Google engineer Nick Cooke said a fix was fully rolled out by 7:52pm Pacific that day, with lingering crashes from caching expected to clear within four hours, requiring no action from developers or users.
9to5google.com
· 2026-09-29
Google is bringing the Contacts tab back to the bottom navigation bar of its Phone by Google app, reversing a change made last year that moved it into a sidebar menu. The change is currently visible only to some beta users running version 240.0.98, and it did not appear consistently across all devices tested by Android Authority.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
A bug in Google Analytics for Firebase iOS caused widespread app crashes at launch, affecting thousands of apps that rely on Firebase for backend and analytics services. Google deployed a fix within a couple of hours, but caching meant some apps kept crashing for up to four hours afterward, with some seeing crash rates over 5,000 times normal levels.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Google has begun phasing out Google Assistant on mobile devices, replacing it with Gemini. Users report that the 'Switch to Google Assistant' option has disappeared from the Gemini app's account menu, following a company email last month announcing the rollout would begin September 4.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Nothing has introduced the Headphone 1 Pro, a $399 flagship over-ear headphone with active noise cancellation, a triple-driver design, Auracast support, and multiple sound profiles. A standout feature is a physical switch that disables all EQ and spatial audio processing, developed in partnership with London's Metropolis Studios, giving a flat, uncolored listening reference.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-28
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