We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Immersive home theater audio isn’t something you’ll get from TV speakers, but you don’t need to invest in a massive surround sound system either. Soundbars are a great compromise – in terms of performance and value – and almost every TV manufacturer makes one or more of these audio accessories. Brands like Samsung tend to release new soundbars every year, and Consumer Reports (CR) awarded the top spot to the $1,500 Samsung HW-Q900F. The bar scored a perfect 5 out of 5 for sound…
Author: Amelia Scott
You can now ask another chatbot which restaurant to try. Meta has just announced a suite of AI tools for Facebook users. Nothing here seems particularly new, but the availability on Facebook might be useful to some power users. First, there’s the simply named AI mode. This is a standard chatbot that answers questions, Meta using the example that everyone uses when deploying one of these tools. The company features a person asking the chatbot for nearby summer vacation spots. Meta says AI Mode pulls data from all of its apps, like Groups and Reels, so perhaps the information provided…
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A deep discount on an item is always nice, but getting the item for free can feel like almost literal theft. Although Amazon Prime Day is fast approaching – it starts on June 23, if you need to save the date – that doesn’t mean there aren’t deals to be found between now and then. Right now, the retailer is offering a Google Smart Home device that not only has a deep discount, but customers in certain regions can also take this device home…
Apple today provided second beta builds of the upcoming watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6, and visionOS 26.6 betas to developers for testing. The software comes three weeks after Apple launched the first beta versions. Software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required. We don’t yet know what’s in the software. watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS often get few features in each new beta, with updates primarily focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. Popular storiesApple releases first beta versions of watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6 and visionOS 26.6Apple…
Kevin Paul Davis/Shutterstock Semiconductor company AMD runs a product security bug bounty program that awards up to $30,000 to security researchers who report a vulnerability discovered in AMD products. But when a New Zealand researcher identified a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in AMD’s AutoUpdate software, the company refused to pay the $10,000 bounty that such a bug should have been worth. The researcher in question is a 22-year-old programmer named Paul. He posted about the situation on his MrBruh blog, where he details how he discovered the flaw and…
Keeping your family organized can be a chore, and the old method of pen to paper using a digital organizer just isn’t enough anymore. You can have a shared family calendar that everyone can access on their individual devices, but Costco offers an interesting device called the Skylight Calendar that can serve as a central organization hub for everyone in the house. It comes in a 15-inch size and includes a classic black snap-on frame, stylus, and $20 Instacard e-gift card, providing everything your family needs to get started. There is also a larger…
Freshsplash/Getty Images Sony’s PlayStation 5 is a console loved by many types of gamers, with its vast library filled with deeply engaging titles. Even though some time has passed since the console’s release in 2020, some users are taken aback by its DualSense controller’s lighting system. Similar to the power light on the PlayStation 5 console, the controller has a light bar around the touchpad. These controller LEDs are based on system status, typically switching between blue, white, and amber. Orange typically indicates the battery is low when unplugged, actively…
XanderSt/Shutterstock A new wave of apps is coming to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and while parents may soon despise them, those who need to hide valuable information will certainly appreciate them. There are many tech gadgets that actually protect privacy, and Android and Apple also offer their own security features (although which one is more secure than the other is debatable). However, be aware that there are now apps that hide content while disguising themselves as something innocent. Known as “locker apps” or “vault apps,” these…
Apple has developed more for iOS 27 than it revealed at WWDC last week, with three features already present in internal builds deliberately hidden from the public announcement, Bloomberg» reports Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his “Power On” newsletter, Gurman says that all three missing features are active today in internal versions of Apple’s operating systems on employee devices, and that each is expected to appear publicly at a later date. Modular Watch Face A new modular watch face for Apple Watch was among the items Gurman reported as planned at WWDC but did not appear. Gurman’s previous…
The president returns to the 3% digital tax imposed by France during his first administration. Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock On the eve of the G7 conference in France, Donald Trump is once again threatening to impose massive customs duties on France if it does not remove its 3% digital tax on American technology companies. “I asked (French President Emmanuel Macron) not to charge American companies, and if they do, I have no choice but to impose a 100% customs duty on all champagnes and wines coming from France,” the president said. The New York Post. This news may…