Author: Brett Venter

Right from the outset, Samsung let us know that the Galaxy S26 and its Plus and Ultra variants would be all about artificial intelligence. If you guessed that this means there’s not too much changing on the hardware front, congratulations. You were right. That isn’t to say there are no changes at all. They’re there, but they are just as iterative as they’ve been the past few outings for the Galaxy S range. Speedier processor, somewhat better cameras, and so on. The Galaxy S26 and 26 Plus may even represent a step back for buyers, since Samsung’s stacking them with…

Microsoft Windows used to be one of the most versatile operating systems on the planet. If you were creative or just obstinate, you could make Bill Gates’ OS do all sorts of things it was never designed to do. That’s still possible, of course, because the bones of the system are the same. But Microsoft really, really doesn’t want you to do that. So the company has installed layers between you and its most critical functions. It makes sense, in a consumer-focused way. As Windows gathered more users, the average level of expertise dropped. Guardrails designed to keep users from…

Depending on how on the ball Huawei is this week, you should still be able to catch the official store pages for the Band 11 and Band 11 Pro live in the Philippines. The company has a product reveal coming up in Madrid later this week, so it might not be paying super-close attention to its international websites. Even if the info disappears online before you read this, we’ve still been rummaging around. Everything official on the company’s newest fitness bands has been collected below. You know, just in case. Band 11, you’re up next It’s not like this is…

Uber has announced its intent to acquire another service, SpotHero. If you’re thinking in terms of vehicles, the name makes the service’s function obvious. If you’re not… that’s what we’re here for. SpotHero is an app for reserving parking spaces. Uber is a way to summon a car without needing a parking space. You can see why Uber might want to combine the two functions. Uber: Fetch SpotHero The new agreement, the financial details of which haven’t been revealed, will see “native, in-app parking reservation experience, powered by SpotHero, with a focus on parking for commuters, as well as at…

Chinese robotics companies are everywhere, some doing well, others… less so. It makes sense that other Chinese companies, like Honor, might want in on the mechanical action. That’s exactly what’s happening at Mobile World Congress this year, claims a report from Bloomberg. A brief teaser from Honor itself makes the reveal more obvious. The Chinese mobile specialists will unveil their first humanoid robot at MWC 2026. Detail is obviously close under wraps, though if you’re paying close attention to the video below, you’ll see hints of what’s coming. Robotic Honor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8POu8iwTOc One of those hints is the ‘bot’s faceplate and…

We can’t say we saw this one coming. Nikon has announced that it’s bringing its Z Series photographic lens glass tech to single-vision glasses. The move promises better contrast and resolution for single-vision prescription glasses wearers. It’s been some time since folks with glasses got any sort of advancement in the field. That’s an almost criminal situation for people who are, technically, basic cyborgs. Still, if it means they can have Nikon glass resting on their noses at all times, the new Nikon-Essilor Corporation Z Series Single Vision single-focus lenses are very welcome. Look at that, Nikon The company’s Z…

You can buy a stuffed, likely off-brand Pikachu pretty much anywhere. The R2,000 (£90) Pikachu Puppetronic is a much harder pokémon to capture. The puppet version of the Pokémon series mascot was announced by a company called Wow! Stuff some time back. It’s finally gone on pre-order at the UK-based Pokémon Centre website. And it’s also… well, gone. The world will have another shot at the cute yellow animatronic buddy when sales open in other regions, but it’s likely that the little Pikachu will disappear just as fast in other locations. The UK stock sold out in minutes, so it’s…

Samsung’s Galaxy AI ecosystem promises to be a major focus when the Galaxy S26 launches. One of those announcements has emerged early. Perplexity is coming to Samsung’s software offering, starting right after the company’s new slate of devices hits global markets. Samsung describes it as expanding its “multi-agent ecosystem to give users more choice and flexibility.” That’s just the verbosity we’ve come to expect from AI-related copy, but we’re also fairly certain that the South Korean company still uses humans for its PR. More Perplexity for you Google’s Gemini is already a solid part of Samsung’s interface, driving (wholly or…

Last month, Huawei revealed that it has a new running watch waiting in the wings. It’s expected to detail it this week, but a teaser for the Watch GT Runner 2 — the name is now confirmed — shows off a bit of what the Chinese company plans to unveil on 26 February. The company has yet to show the actual hardware itself, instead releasing a short video with marathon runner and device consultant Eliud Kipchoge. It’s a proper teaser, promising detailed running expertise in the upcoming smartwatch while giving almost nothing away. Watch the Watch GT Runner 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD031R-4J5s…

If you weren’t aware, Apple TV is an official broadcast partner for Formula One in the States. Now, those lucky Yanks will get to watch F1 on IMAX. No, not the whole season, but enough of it to make the rest of the world exceedingly jealous. The iPhone company is partnering with the folks with the very large screens to bring five races to said screens, live. You’ll need to live near one of the American locations showing these races to attend. Oh, and you’ll need to be quick enough to snag tickets, too. What, you didn’t think it was…