Software
• LockStar v8.5.00.8 brings fully customizable unlock animations to One UI 8.5. • Users can choose effects like Slide, Expand, Spread, Wave, Warp, and Ripple and tweak speed, distortion, and physics. • LockStar also adds manual Always On Display (AOD) brightness control, overriding auto-brightness on compatible devices. • This update
Games
* Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition launches on Apple Arcade Feb 5, playable on iPhone, iPad and Mac. * The Arcade Edition brings the franchise’s era-driven empire-building and touch controls to mobile and macOS. * Apple Arcade adds three more titles the same day: Retrocade (including Apple Vision Pro support)
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons update 3.0 early on Jan. 14, 2026; Game Informer and Eurogamer verified the early rollout. * The free 3.0 update adds Kapp'n's hotel, Slumber Islands, and new crossover furniture across all Switch consoles. * The paid Switch 2
Security
• Microsoft released its January 2026 Patch Tuesday fixing 114 Windows vulnerabilities. • One issue, CVE-2026-20805 in Desktop Window Manager (DWM), is confirmed exploited in the wild and added to CISA’s KEV catalog. • The bundle includes eight Critical and 106 Important fixes, with priority items in VBS Enclave and Secure Boot
Software
* Instagram has activated “Your Algorithm” controls for all English-speaking users worldwide, letting people add or remove Reels topics. * Controls are accessible from the Reels feed via the top-right slider icon; users can preview example videos for each interest. * Instagram also lets users set three top interests for 2026 to guide
Gadgets
• Key Takeaways: * Retail listings and leaker Roland Quandt point to a Pixel 10a launch in mid-February 2026. * Confirmed storage options: 128GB and 256GB; colors listed as Obsidian, Berry, Fog, and Lavender. * At least one retailer shows a specific date: February 17, 2026, and matching color cases. * Early listings are common
Security
* Key takeaways: * Microsoft patched CVE-2026-20805, an ALPC info-disclosure zero-day discovered by its threat-intel team. * CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; federal agencies must patch by Feb 3. * The flaw leaks a memory address (undermining ASLR) and has been observed in active attacks; patching is the primary
Software
* Key Takeaways: * Leaked Android 17 build shows an option to split Notifications and Quick Settings into separate panels. * New gestures: swipe from top-left for notifications, top-right for Quick Settings; combined classic view remains optional. * UI tweaks include a large clock on Notifications, a QS top-sheet with a volume slider under
Software
* Single subscription for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage. * Price: $13/month or $129/year; students/educators $3/month or $30/year; Family Sharing for up to six. * Launches January 28 with a one-month free trial and AI features like Beat Detection and Montage Maker.
AI
* Siri will use Google’s Gemini model to deliver more conversational, factual answers. * Reported upgrades include storytelling, emotional support, booking tasks and creating Notes documents. * Apple will fine-tune Gemini without visible Google branding; some features ship in iOS 26.4, others in iOS 27. What Apple and Google announced Apple
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Deadpool is joining NetEase’s Marvel Rivals and can switch between Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist mid-match. * Role swap requires returning to team spawn (by retreat or defeat); each role alters abilities and team impact. * Deadpool has a unique in-match progression and a style-grade ultimate charge that rewards flashy
Research
Key Takeaways: * NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a fission surface power system for the Moon, targeting deployment by 2030. * The reactor is designed to deliver continuous, long-duration electrical power for Artemis and future Mars missions, operating for years without
