Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Waze, Simple Radio, GasBuddy, SpotHero and Weather on the Way all extend CarPlay with real-world benefits: navigation, radio, fuel prices, parking, and route weather. * Waze’s crowdsourced alerts and Simple Radio’s 90,000+ stations beat many defaults; GasBuddy and SpotHero save money and time; Weather on the
Chips
* Key Takeaways: * Samsung’s Exynos 2600 is built on its 2nm GAA process and initially reported ~50% yields. * Qualcomm supplies ~75% of Galaxy S26 chips (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5); Exynos occupies the remaining 25%. * Analyst Samir Khazaka says Samsung won’t invest heavily in custom CPU/GPU designs unless
Gadgets
* Built a working Apple Watch replica in one week in Shenzhen’s electronics market. * Creator Strange Parts teamed with Nest Works, using 3D printing, off-the-shelf parts and a sourced logic board. * Final assembly and software configuration were completed back in the U.S.; apps including heart-rate monitoring worked. * Project aimed
AI
* Perplexity AI is integrated into Samsung’s Bixby in One UI 8.5, enabling web-search–based replies for complex queries. * The feature is appearing in One UI 8.5 beta builds (Galaxy S25 series) and is expected to ship stable with Galaxy S26 in early 2026. * One UI 8.5
Gadgets
• Key takeaways: * Samsung will integrate Google Photos into its AI TV lineup, starting with the "Memories" experience in early 2026. * Memories will be exclusive to Samsung TVs for six months; Create with AI and Personalized Results follow in the second half of 2026. * Integration works via Google Account
Software
* Key Takeaways: * KDE says the Plasma desktop’s move to Wayland “nears completion” after major 2025 work. * Plasma 6.8 is planned to drop X11 session support (keeping XWayland) as part of a Wayland-only push toward 2027. * 2025 improvements included HDR/color fixes, new Wayland protocols, better tablet support, overlay
Security
* Key Takeaways: * MongoBleed (CVE-2025-14847) is an unauthenticated information-leak in MongoDB’s zlib decompression that can return uninitialized heap memory to attackers. * A public proof-of-concept appeared on Dec 26, 2025, and researchers report active exploitation; Censys and Wiz estimate tens of thousands of vulnerable, Internet-exposed instances. * Fixed releases are available for
Security
• Key Takeaways: * A public PoC called “mongobleed” exploits CVE-2025-14847, a memory-leak in MongoDB’s zlib decompression. * Attackers can extract uninitialized server memory without authentication, exposing logs, /proc data, connection UUIDs and client IPs. * Affected branches include MongoDB 5.0–8.2; fixes are available (see versions 5.0.32, 6.
Gadgets
* LG is bringing Micro RGB evo (MRGB95) to more practical screen sizes (75", 86", 100"). * Samsung will expand Micro RGB into smaller, mainstream sizes and add Eclipsa Audio and an updated AI platform. * Sony plans “True RGB” Bravia models (50"–115") and may use MediaTek’
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Rock Paper Shotgun hardware editor James Archer shared a short list of 2025 "bonus" picks that missed the main Advent Calendar votes. * It Has My Face (NightByte Games/Behaviour Interactive) gets singled out for its tense, player-vs-crowd stealth and oddball assassination hooks. * Other honorable mentions include
Gadgets
Key Takeaways: * LG unveiled the UltraGear evo line of high-end gaming monitors, all featuring 5K resolutions and built-in AI upscaling. * Three flagship models were announced: 39GX950B (39" ultrawide), 27GM950B (27" MiniLED), and 52G930B (52" curved panoramic). * Panels include a 21:9 5K2K dual-mode ultrawide, a new MiniLED
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Ubisoft shut down Rainbow Six Siege servers after a security incident that granted many players billions of R6 credits and ultra-rare skins. * The company is performing a full transaction rollback beginning at 6AM ET on the incident day and running extensive quality-control checks before restoring service. * All platforms
