Author: News Room

I upgraded from the M1 MacBook Air to the M5, and here’s what changed for me

After about four years with the M1 MacBook Air, I finally pulled the trigger on the M5, and I got there just in time to dodge Apple’s recent price hike by eleven days, a story I already told elsewhere, and one that still makes me feel unreasonably smug. Upgrading from the M1 was a multi-generational leap for me, not in the ways mentioned on the spec sheet, but in ways that actually changed how I work every day. Here’s why that matters in 2026, when the memory crisis has hit the consumer electronics market so badly that even giants like…

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EU’s Starlink alternative is finally moving beyond the planning stage

While SpaceX is trying to take on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile with its own mobile network, the European Union is moving in a very different direction. It wants a satellite network it can control itself. The European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium have now signed an implementation agreement for IRIS², the EU’s secure satellite connectivity programme. The deal adds another 66 satellites to the project, taking the planned constellation to 348 spacecraft in total. Of those, 330 will operate in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. First launches are targeted for 2029. Why does Europe need its…

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The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is genuinely cool, but I’d pay up for the Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung did something genuinely interesting at Galaxy Unpacked 2026. For the first time in the history of its Galaxy Z foldable lineup, it split the book-style foldable line into two entirely different devices. Whether it had something to do with Apple’s purported iPhone Ultra is a conversation for another time, but for now, anyone visiting a Samsung experience center has two Fold phones to choose from: the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.  The Fold 8 is wider, lighter in hand, and built specifically for one-hand use on the cover screen and content consumption…

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My next phone has to earn its retirement

My next phone is going to have to give me a reason to replace it. So far, my Pixel 8a is still a champ. It does everything I need, it still feels fast, and nothing about using it day to day makes me think I should be shopping for a replacement. Newer phones have arrived with faster chips, brighter screens, better cameras, and increasingly ambitious AI features, yet none of them has made the phone in my pocket feel particularly old. Maybe support will end, the battery will become impractical to replace, or something genuinely useful will eventually appear that…

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Google’s Stephen Curry Pixel Watch 5 is an expensive affair that ends at the strap

Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch 5 Stephen Curry Special Edition is shaping up to be a fairly straightforward Pixel Watch 5 with a more distinctive strap and a roughly $35 premium. The bigger question is whether the extra cost gets you anything that will actually last. According to leaked Google marketing material obtained by MyMobiles, the special edition will cost €579.99 in Europe. It is based on the 45mm LTE Pixel Watch 5, making it the most expensive standard configuration in the lineup. The regular 45mm LTE model is expected to cost €549, putting the Curry edition about €31 more expensive.…

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Another Googlebook just surfaced online, and this one is from Asus

Google’s upcoming Googlebook lineup is starting to take shape through leaks. Lenovo has already appeared in several renders, while a recent benchmark leak suggests Dell may bring the XPS name to Google’s new laptop platform. Asus is now the latest manufacturer to surface ahead of launch. Digital Citizen has published multiple renders of an unannounced Asus Googlebook, showing its lid, keyboard, chassis, and port selection. The laptop could make its official debut at IFA next month. Googlebooks are expected to bring Android apps, ChromeOS technology, deeper phone integration, and Gemini features to a new generation of laptops. Acer, Asus, Dell,…

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I’m done charging things that never leave my desk

I have two pairs of wireless earbuds that I rotate during long gaming sessions. When one starts complaining about its battery, I swap in the other pair and put the first one on charge. It’s a mildly ridiculous system, but it works. Apparently, my gaming setup now requires something resembling shift work. Then my mouse died in the middle of a game. A few weeks later, my keyboard did the same thing. Neither had gone anywhere. Both spend essentially their entire lives on my desk, within arm’s reach of the computer they’re connected to. Somehow, I’d turned two completely stationary…

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iPhone 17 is going to get pricier, hold on to your wallets

Apple may be preparing to raise the price of the iPhone 17 lineup as early as August 10, just weeks before the company is expected to introduce its next generation of iPhones. The possibility comes from a new rumor reported by 9to5Mac, which cites a Weibo post from leaker Fixed Focus Digital claiming that prices could increase on Monday. There is no official confirmation from Apple, and the report does not identify a direct source for the alleged increase. Still, the timing is notable. Apple is widely expected to adjust iPhone pricing when the iPhone 18 Pro launches next month,…

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EXCLUSIVE: The Last House director talks filming Netflix’s new sci-fi horror movie

After directing blockbusters like Fast X and Now You See Me, director Louis Leterrier has delivered his first sci-fi horror film: The Last House. Starring Oscar nominee Wagner Moura and Golden Globe nominee Greta Lee, the movie follows the Delgado family as a mysterious rain seals them inside their house, forcing them to use what little resources they have to survive. In an interview with Digital Trends, Leterrier discussed what inspired him to make The Last House, the challenges of filming on its practical set, and how audiences can connect to the Delgados’ extraordinary journey. This transcript has been edited…

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3 limited series on Hulu you can binge-watch this weekend (August 7-9)

Wondering what to watch this weekend but too lazy to dig around? No worries, I have rounded up three hidden gems you can binge-watch in a single weekend. There is a technothriller stuffed with cold-case flashbacks, a tense two-hander that unfolds almost entirely inside a basement, carried by sharp dialogue, and a divorce story that turns messier and more human with every episode. I recommend these three limited series on Hulu for their unexpected plot twists and stellar performances. We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu,…

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