Acer has relaunched the dormant Packard Bell name after 13 years, introducing a new 'Dot' product lineup at IFA 2026 that includes the DotBook 14 laptop alongside headphones and input peripherals. The 14.5-inch notebook runs on Intel's last-generation Twin Lake N355 processor, offers up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, and targets budget-conscious buyers with colorful, playful designs. For now, these Packard Bell products are only confirmed for sale in the European market.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-03
MapQuest climbed from No. 8 to the top spot on the U.S. App Store this week after declining to comply with an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' a change Google Maps and Apple Maps both adopted. Sensor Tower estimates 632,000 U.S. downloads since the order, while MapQuest claims over 1.5 million installs across the U.S. and Canada combined.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-02
Victor Miller, who wrote the original 'Friday the 13th' screenplay, has died at age 86. Miller created the film's central horror figures, Jason Voorhees and his mother Pamela Voorhees, who became enduring icons of the slasher genre.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-02
A roughly two-and-a-half acre island covered in mature trees suddenly appeared in Williston Lake, a reservoir in northern British Columbia, prompting officials to initially suspect the viral footage was AI-generated before satellite imagery confirmed it was real. BC Hydro spokesman Bob Gammer said record-high water levels, the highest in 14 years, likely broke loose a mass of woody debris and vegetation from the shoreline, which then drifted into open water. The island has since continued to behave unpredictably, further puzzling researchers.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-02
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Book6, a 14-inch Windows laptop starting at $799, built around Intel's new Wildcat Lake chips and aimed at everyday computing rather than premium workloads. The base model ships with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage, with configurations available up to 16GB and 1TB, and Samsung claims up to 25 hours of battery life from its 61.2Wh battery.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-02
Dell is expanding its mainstream 14S laptop series with lower-cost configurations built on Intel's more efficient Wildcat Lake chips instead of Panther Lake. The new models start at 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, come in four bright colors, and pricing won't be confirmed until closer to their fall launch.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-02
Apple has updated Apple Maps to display Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in the United States, following Google's earlier change to its maps. The renaming stems from an executive order President Trump signed after US-Canada trade talks collapsed, with Canadian users still seeing 'Lake Ontario' and the rest of the world seeing both names. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump personally contacted Apple to push through the naming change.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-02
Acer has introduced the Swift Blade 14, a 799-gram, carbon-fiber-bodied laptop measuring as thin as 12.95mm, positioning it as a lighter alternative to Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air. The device will ship with Intel's Wildcat Lake processors ranging from a five-core Core 3 to a six-core Core 7, paired with 12GB of RAM, along with either a basic LCD or optional OLED display. Acer also announced the Swift Air 16, a larger companion to the budget-friendly Swift Air 14, though pricing for both new models won't be revealed until closer to their December launch.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-02
Apple has begun labeling Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' on Apple Maps for users in the United States, following a Trump executive order that already led Google to make a similar change. The lake retains its original name in Canada and shows both names elsewhere, with the rollout still inconsistent between Apple's desktop and mobile versions.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-01
Apple has updated Apple Maps to display Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users located in the United States, following an executive order Trump signed on August 27. Canadian users will still see 'Lake Ontario,' while people outside both countries will see both names listed. Google made the same change last week, citing its policy of following official U.S. government naming databases.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-01
Apple has updated its Maps app to display Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in the United States, following a renaming order from President Trump. The change mirrors a similar update Google made earlier to its own mapping service.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-01
Apple has begun updating Apple Maps to show 'Lake America' instead of 'Lake Ontario' for users in the United States, following a directive from President Trump amid trade tensions with Canada. Canadian users still see 'Lake Ontario,' while users elsewhere see both names. The rollout is gradual, and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump personally contacted Apple about the change.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-01