News and Updates from Gadget Hacks: Page 7

macOS 27 "Golden Gate" started rolling out Sept. 14, bringing what Apple calls "an entirely new version of Siri" to the Mac, according to Apple Newsroom.

An Apple-commissioned Omdia study, based on 1,500 conversations with enterprise tech leaders and practitioners, found that 57% of enterprise AI models run under 10 billion parameters, small enough for a MacBook Air or entry-level MacBook Pro to handle. That number describes model size, not proof that most enterprise workloads are ready to leave the cloud. Concurrency, uptime, and integration requirements never entered the measurement. Still, it's the kind of stat fueling a real question for...

Samsung is boosting compensation as engineers weigh offers from rival SK hynix, but the gap between its memory and foundry businesses remains wide.

Google closed its Pixel 11 launch event in New York on August 12 the way it opened: with Trevor Noah on stage. Near the end, Rick Osterloh, Google's hardware chief, joined him, apparently to wrap things up, after a lineup expected to include Alex Cooper, Steph Curry, PinkPantheress and Ayami Nakajo, according to Engadget's live coverage of the show. It made for solid television. It made for a thinner night of proof.

TikTok videos on Disney Plus are becoming real, and Disney+ subscribers will start seeing that content inside the app within the next few months. The rollout stems from a global Disney Plus TikTok partnership the two companies announced yesterday, according to The Walt Disney Company's announcement and USA Today. Opt-in creators will have their short-form videos appear on both TikTok and Verts, the vertical-video feed built into the Disney+ mobile app.

iPadOS 27 became available as a free update Sept. 14, and the headline addition is Siri AI, Apple's rebuilt assistant. Installing the update is one decision; getting Siri AI to work is another.

Samsung Electronics' phone business lost money in the same quarter its chip division posted the most profitable quarter in company history. The MX and Networks unit, which sells Galaxy phones, tablets, wearables and networking gear, reported an operating loss of KRW 0.7 trillion for the second quarter of 2026, even as the company's chip division posted KRW 89.2 trillion in operating profit and companywide operating profit hit an all-time high of KRW 89.5 trillion, according to Samsung's...

Pay TV has been losing subscribers for years, but analysts at MoffettNathanson now see a possible floor. The firm projects the US pay-TV market could stabilize at more than 50 million subscribers by 2030, down from roughly 62 million today.

Apple released watchOS 27.0.1 five days ago, a patch built specifically for Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. The release notes describe bug fixes "including an issue that could cause the Apple Watch to restart unexpectedly," according to MacRumors. No other Apple Watch model is listed as eligible for this release.

Apple says a new Apple Wallet bill splitting feature will let iPhone users photograph a receipt or bill and turn it into itemized Apple Cash payment requests, using Apple Intelligence to identify what each person ordered and calculate their share of tax and tip, according to 9to5Mac. A separate tool built on Visual Intelligence is designed to scan physical loyalty, membership, and ticket cards into Wallet passes, per Apple Newsroom. Apple describes both as reachable through Visual Intelligence...

Google is testing a way to bring Gemini's Daily Brief to the Pixel lock screen, according to a teardown of the latest Android System Intelligence app.

Google TV Freeplay now has 10,000 free movies and shows available to stream on demand, the first time the service has offered on-demand video since it launched. Google made the announcement on its blog yesterday, describing the addition as giving users "instant access to free entertainment." No subscription is required to watch.

The most interesting evidence for Apple's rumored home hub isn't a spec sheet. It's a home-screen system borrowed straight from the Apple Watch, and it does more to justify buying several units than any display resolution or chip upgrade could. That's the real story buried in this month's Apple HomePad rumors: not a bigger screen, but a smarter one.

The OnePlus 13R and Google Pixel 11 are no longer a comparison between a phone you can buy and one that exists only in leaks. Google unveiled the Pixel 11 on August 12 and released it on August 20, giving buyers confirmed prices, battery specifications, cameras, and software support to weigh against the older OnePlus.

Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra was the best-selling Android phone of Q2 2026, finishing fourth among all smartphones sold worldwide, according to Counterpoint Research. It marks the first time an ultra-premium Android device has led Android sales in a June quarter.

Google Messages beta code contains a hidden "Select chats to pin" screen that caps selections at six conversations, displaying a "Limit reached" message if a user tries to add another after six have been selected, according to Nerds Chalk's APK teardown, reported August 3.

The Google Pixel 11 price increase lands the phone at $899 to start, essentially the same as Samsung's $899.99 Galaxy S26 and $100 above the iPhone 17's $799 starting price, according to Android Authority. For a phone line that built its reputation on undercutting Apple and Samsung, that's not a minor pricing update. It's the end of an era.

Apple released iOS 27 Public Beta 4 on Aug. 17, one week after Public Beta 3 and just hours after iOS 27 developer beta 6. Anyone with a compatible iPhone can get the update by enrolling in the Apple Beta Software Program.

Installing iOS 27 next month may not hand you Siri AI on the spot. Beta evidence points to a four-step sequence: update, enable Apple Intelligence, join the iOS 27 Siri AI waitlist, then wait for a notification, according to 9to5Mac on August 25 and MacRumors on August 24.

Samsung's One UI 9 Beta 6 update adds a toggle that lets Galaxy S26 owners disable AI Select's long-press trigger on the Edge Panel handle, according to Android Authority. Here's how to disable AI Select in One UI 9 Beta 6 without switching off Edge Panels altogether. It's a fix for a recurring annoyance reported by users: lingering slightly too long while swiping out an Edge Panel would freeze the screen and launch the AI Select overlay, whether they meant to trigger it or not.

Chrome for Android is testing a redesign that finally puts core browsing controls within thumb's reach on today's tall phones, and in the same stroke adds a second persistent toolbar that crowds the screen with more interface than the browser has carried in years. That's the tension at the center of the Chrome Android bottom navigation bar redesign: a legitimate ergonomic fix wrapped around a feature nobody asked to have permanently on screen.

Google has told suppliers it plans to produce every Pixel smartphone, watch, and wireless earbud outside China starting in 2027, according to Nikkei Asia's report, which ties the move to ongoing tension between Washington and Beijing.

RugOne unveiled the Xsnap 7 Pro at IFA 2026 in Berlin this week, a rugged Android phone with a rear camera module that physically detaches and works as a standalone action camera. The RugOne Xsnap 7 Pro detachable action camera phone isn't shipping yet. Its Kickstarter campaign opens September 7 with a €799 super early-bird tier, roughly $930.

Archival note: this article reflects reporting available through August 10, 2026, two days before Google's Made by Google keynote. It does not cover what was announced at that event. Readers looking for the outcome should consult post-event coverage.

Roku entered the OLED television market for the first time on September 1, 2026, with two new sets priced well below what LG and Samsung charge for comparable screens. The Roku Pro Series OLED TV starts at $999 for a 55-inch model and is available now, while the higher-end Roku Pro Series LX OLED TV starts at $1,299 and ships in October.

Google released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 on July 20, and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro weren't included. The release notes were direct: "Pixel 6 and 6Pro users will not be getting this OTA since the device will reach End of Life and Android 17 QPR1 beta series will be the last for these devices," Android Police reported at the time.

A supply-chain report claims Google is working with Samsung Display on a Pixel 12 Pro Fold crease-less display upgrade: a dual-UTG (ultra-thin glass) panel structure reportedly aimed at making the inner-screen crease far less visible than it is on the current Pixel 11 Pro Fold, according to 9to5Google, citing The Elec on September 2.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been in customers' hands for weeks. Apple's foldable iPhone is still a rumor until next week's keynote. That gap is the whole story behind any iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison you'll read right now: one phone has a price, a shipping unit, and an independent teardown behind it, and the other exists only in leaks, analyst notes, and a supply chain rumor mill.

Microsoft is turning predictive text off by default in Word and Outlook, changing the default for a feature it began rolling out across its productivity apps in 2020.

Digital Wellbeing might soon notify you with a personalized usage recap instead of waiting for you to open the app and check a chart.

Microsoft formally introduced Project Zenith today, building on the developer-optimized Windows 11 experience it previewed at Build 2026. Zenith is a preconfigured "ready-to-code" setup that ships with coding tools and developer-tuned settings built in. It launches first on AMD's Ryzen AI Halo platform, and AMD showed the first Project Zenith device, a mini PC, on stage at IFA earlier today.

Starting in October 2026, Windows 11 quality updates will begin automatically enabling Memory Integrity, a kernel-level security feature, on eligible PCs where it isn't already active.

Apple is testing a new iOS 27 feature called iPhone Handoff that would let one phone number switch between two iPhones through a "companion eSIM" setup, rather than forcing users to manually transfer an eSIM every time they change devices. Apple briefly previewed the capability at WWDC 2026 with the description "Switch between two iPhone devices with the same phone number," but didn't explain how it would work.

Code buried in audioOS 27 beta 8 points to a four-HomePod surround sound system and a new listening mode Apple calls "Party Mode."

Apple is reportedly weighing App Store revenue changes, and the one detail with a name attached to it is a possible increase to the $99 annual developer membership fee. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, relayed by 9to5Mac this week, reports that Apple leadership, described as new CEO John Ternus and services SVP Eddy Cue, wants to "raise margins and squeeze additional recurring revenue from the platform." That's the only specific change identified in the reporting. Apple hasn't announced it.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is getting a cap for the first time since it launched. Starting in November, Game Pass Essential, Premium, and Ultimate subscribers will each get a fixed number of cloud streaming hours per month, ending unlimited access across all three Game Pass tiers. Ultimate has offered uncapped cloud gaming since 2020, while Premium and Essential gained it less than a year ago.

Google's own product page for the Pixel 11 shows a short video of a color-shifting orb glowing on the side of the camera bar, The Verge reported last month. That single detail is confirmed, straight from Google's store, not a leak. The rest of the Google Pixel 11 Pro teaser story, including the feature's name, whether it's limited to the Pro model, and whether it replaces an existing sensor, comes from one outlet's reading of leaked information rather than any spec sheet Google has published,...

No iOS 27 developer beta 5 or iPadOS 27 beta 5 turns up in the reporting compiled for this piece. The newest confirmed build documented is developer beta 4, released July 20, which iClarified describes as continuing to refine both operating systems ahead of their fall launch.

Google unveiled the Pixel 11 Pro today, and the detail that stands out first has nothing to do with cameras or chips. It costs exactly $1,099 in the U.S., the same starting price as Apple's iPhone 17 Pro. Comparing iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro means comparing two phones that match dollar for dollar, which pushes the real argument toward what each company actually means by "pro" (Trusted Reviews, today).

Galaxy Watch owners are flooding Reddit with the same complaint for the third time this year: their watches are hemorrhaging battery life for no obvious reason. The latest wave of Galaxy Watch battery drain reports surfaced today, according to Android Authority, hitting Galaxy Watch 6, 7, and 8 owners just as Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung has not publicly acknowledged the problem at any point during this cycle.