Software
* Redesigned Phone app: iOS 26 brings a visual overhaul to Apple’s Phone app, simplifying core call experiences. * New call screening option: iOS 26 adds a built-in way to screen incoming calls so users can better manage unknown or unwanted callers. * Several powerful features: The update bundles multiple Phone-app enhancements
AI
* Key Takeaways: * An app prototype was built in two days using agentic AI workflows alongside Xcode 26.3. * AI accelerated scaffolding, UI layout, and routine code, but required active review and debugging. * The experience was exhilarating for speed, and unsettling for correctness, security, and app-store readiness. * Practical wins included rapid
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Analysts say a $700 Steam Machine risks pricing out mainstream buyers and could doom the product's market success. * Soaring RAM and storage costs are the central cost pressures pushing BOMs higher for small, console-like PCs. * Valve faces a choice: reduce specs, accept tight margins, or delay
AI
* Apple is preparing to let voice-controlled AI apps from other companies run inside CarPlay, according to people familiar with the matter. * The change would let drivers and passengers query third-party AI chatbots through Apple’s vehicle interface for the first time. * The move expands CarPlay beyond Apple’s own voice
Gadgets
• Key Takeaways • A Weibo leaker, Digital Chat Station, claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will use a 5,100–5,200 mAh battery. • Combined with an A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process, Apple could deliver significantly improved battery life. • The report cites supply-chain sources; Apple has not
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Macwelt reports Apple will launch the iPhone 17e this month and says it brings four key changes. * The short report snippet available is limited; Apple has not confirmed launch timing or features. * Exact details of the four changes were not included in the provided excerpt — expect official word
How-Tos
* Key Takeaways: * Use AI-powered Copilot for fast system commands, summaries and contextual prompts. * Customize the Taskbar, Start, and File Explorer for faster workflows. * Unlock hidden settings (Registry, PowerToys) and multitasking tools (Snap layouts, virtual desktops). * Tighten security with Defender features, Controlled Folder Access and privacy tweaks. Use Copilot to speed
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Honor, Nothing and Google Pixel were among the fastest-growing phone brands in 2025 as the market closed the year on a high note. * The year-end strength is described as "the calm before the storm," suggesting bigger shifts ahead for competition, distribution and product strategy. * Market momentum
Gadgets
* Google is updating the At a Glance widget to improve readability on the home screen. * The change prioritizes easier scanning of information, making quick checks faster and less distracting. * Improved readability can boost accessibility and reduce friction for everyday tasks that rely on glanceable info. What changed Google’s At
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Nintendo’s latest Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase highlighted a mix of classic titles returning in enhanced or updated forms, new grand-adventure debuts on Nintendo Switch 2, and brand-new games launching for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. * The event emphasized partner (publisher/developer) support, with announcements spanning
Reviews
* Key Takeaways: * CNET’s large-scale 2025 battery comparison ranks the iPhone 17 Pro Max as the longest-lasting phone tested. * Apple devices lead the industry for battery life in this study, and Apple tied as the top overall brand. * The comparison covered 35 smartphones sold in the United States and was
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * New reports say the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will use partially under‑screen Face ID, not fully under‑screen as earlier claimed. * The change would produce a narrower Dynamic Island rather than a seamless, invisible sensor area. * Devices are still months from launch (about seven
