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Tech News
Sony's Japan store is limiting PS5 Pro purchase lottery entries to buyers with a Japan-registered PSN account who have logged at least 60 hours of play on PS4 or PS5 in the past two years. Applications open October 7, with sales to lottery winners starting October 26 and a purchase deadline of November 2 at MSRP.
Samsung has released version 6.6.18.22 of the Galaxy Store, relocating the Menu option from the top-left hamburger icon to the floating bottom bar. The bottom bar now holds four items: Apps, Games, My Galaxy, and Menu. The update is rolling out globally to Galaxy devices, including those running One UI 8.5 and One UI 9.
A developer working with a batch of old Android 6.0.1 devices describes turning to lightweight, de-googled software after finding the experience surprisingly enjoyable. When attempting to publish a text editor called Tabby on the Play Store, the app was rejected and Google attached a screenshot from an unrelated app containing explicit content as justification; an appeal was denied without explanation. The developer suspects the issue may stem from Google's automatic listing translations linking to a dubious site, and plans to distribute apps via F-Droid and itch.io instead.
Researchers at Bay Area Labs say the Chrome extension Poper Blocker, which has over 2 million users and Google's 'Featured' and 'Established Publisher' badges, secretly collects browsing histories, screenshots and AI chatbot interactions. The extension uses code obfuscation and sandbox detection to avoid discovery, and the researchers say two other apps from the same developer, flagged as spyware nearly a decade ago, remain featured on the store. Bay Area Labs reported Poper Blocker to Google in May 2026 but says no action has been taken.
Starbucks confirmed last week it is closing about 250 stores across North America, roughly 1% of its 18,000 locations in the region. As of Monday, the affected locations are showing as closed on Google and in the company's own store locator tool.
An online microtrend dubbed 'whimsymaxxing' — decorating everyday objects and surroundings with playful, decorative flourishes like stick-on jewels — has gained traction, and craft retailer Michaels is positioned to supply materials for it. The trend encompasses activities from collecting colorful trinkets to bedazzling household items.
Kvaesitso is an open-source, search-first Android launcher that is distributed only through GitHub and F-Droid rather than the Play Store. Installing it requires downloading an APK from the project's GitHub releases page and enabling installation from unknown sources, and on some Samsung Galaxy phones users must also disable the Auto Blocker security feature.
A large Wendy's franchisee that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month has disclosed in new court filings that it could close as many as 30 restaurants in the coming weeks. Five specific locations slated for closure have already been identified as part of a cash collateral agreement tied to the bankruptcy proceedings.
Motorola is bringing its Signature 27 flagship phone to the US market, reportedly powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset with an upgraded camera system and audio. Unlike some rivals, the phone will be sold through AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile stores along with several MVNOs, alongside trade-in and financing offers.
A demo video from Instagram user Tom Hitchins (@bytereview) shows the upcoming iPhone Duo being operated left-handed, despite the foldable's hinge and curved-edge design appearing to favor right-handed grip. Hitchins, who is himself right-handed, says the device 'works well enough' when reaching across to the dock positioned on the right side of the screen.
Cato Fashions, a women's apparel chain competing with TJ Maxx and Ross, announced it will close 120 stores this year, more than it had previously planned. The company said it does not expect these underperforming locations to improve.
F-Droid, the open-source Android app repository, released version 2.0 with automatic update installation and a unified installer that leverages a new pre-approval API enabled by EU Digital Markets Act rulings against Google. The release comes as F-Droid displays a banner warning users about Google's upcoming developer verification requirements, which could restrict distribution of unverified apps on Android devices.