Tech & Hardware
Last updated: August 21, 2026, 12:42 PM ET
Audio: Balanced Tuning and a DJ Flagship
Kiwi Ears has announced the Stardust, an in-ear monitor tuned for a natural balance between musicality and neutrality, with its sub-bass set at a controlled 8dB level for tactile impact and presence. One Odio, meanwhile, launched the Fusion Series A70 Gen 2, an upgraded flagship headphone built for musicians, DJs, and studio listeners, combining Hi-Res audio with wireless convenience.
Input Devices: Razer Goes Low-Profile, Logitech Leak Surfaces
Razer unveiled the world's first low-profile analog optical esports keyboard, the Huntsman V3 Pro Low-profile Tenkeyless 8KHz, designed for competitive precision at high polling rates. On the mouse side, a fresh leak of Logitech's G Pro X3 Superstrike pins down new internals and a user-replaceable battery for the esports-oriented peripheral.
Displays: Two 27-Inch Contenders Land
Philips Monitors introduced the Evnia 27M2N3291PL, a 27-inch gaming monitor built on a Fast IPS panel and engineered for rapid action and competitive precision. AGON by AOC expanded its popular G4 series with the Q27G4ZRAD, a 27-inch QHD display running at 260Hz for esports enthusiasts and mainstream gamers alike.
Power and Cooling: Platinum PSU, Dark Cooler, ARGB Fans
PCCooler, better known for budget-friendly cooling, is entering the enthusiast PSU market with the flagship CPS YS1200, packing 1,200W of 80+ Platinum-rated power and native ATX 3.1 support. Thermalright introduced the Assassin X 120-A Dark, an updated take on its Assassin X 120 V2 tower cooler line. In our review, the Notus M1-1201 ARGB from Gamdias added eight ARGB LEDs to an already impressive value proposition, delivering good performance-to-noise results and a linear RPM range.
Storage: Synology Targets SMB Racks
Synology announced the availability of the RS826RP+ and RS826+, compact 1U 4-bay rackmount NAS systems designed to help small and medium-sized businesses efficiently manage and protect their data.
Silicon Watch: Intel's Entry GPU and AMD's Budget Card
Intel's upcoming Arc G3 family arrives in two configurations, with the standard chip carrying 10 Xe3 GPU cores and a cut-down variant offering just 4 cores aimed squarely at entry-level handhelds. AMD also updated documentation for the late-July launch of the Radeon RX 9050, confirming the 4GB model ships with a smaller Infinity Cache and lower memory bandwidth than its 8GB sibling, though both cards rely on GDDR6 memory.
Handhelds and Linux Gaming
Valve's Steam OS keeps broadening its hardware support, and the Intel Arc B580 reportedly impresses when running it despite missing XeSS driver support. GPD, meanwhile, confirmed the Win Max 3 will launch on Indiegogo on September 2 at $1,750, a price the company called the best it can provide for a machine pairing AMD's Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with a 165Hz AMOLED display and a modular battery.
Utilities and Cloud Gaming
CPUID released CPU-Z 3.01, the first stable release in the 3.0 family of the ubiquitous hardware utility, headlined by a brand-new validator. NVIDIA added Firefox to the list of browsers supported by GeForce NOW on Windows, joining Chrome, Edge, and Opera, even though Firefox holds only around 2.5% global browser market share. Students can also tap the GoDeal24 back-to-school sale, which bundles genuine Windows 11 and Office licenses together at deep discounts.
Gaming Business: A Cancellation, a Blockbuster, and a Leak
Riot Games is stopping development of 2XKO, halting work on the tag-team fighting game after a dwindling player base and developer layoffs undercut what once looked like a bright future. IO Interactive's 007 First Light passed 4 million sales in under three months, building on the more than 1.5 million copies sold in its first 24 hours. Meanwhile, official artwork for Worms Galactic Tactics leaked on X, revealing a surprising new entry from an unlikely indie studio ahead of any formal announcement.
Smart Glasses: New Hardware Meets Growing Backlash
Ray Neo announced two milestone product lines: the consumer-focused RayNeo iO Smart Glasses and the cinema-grade GT Series built for immersive viewing. As demand for Meta AI glasses explodes, avoiding creepy recordings grows harder, prompting the arrival of Zuckoff, a free app that detects the devices nearby amid rising privacy backlash.
Robots and Regulation
An FCC ban on foreign-made robots forced RoboStore, the US distributor of China's most popular humanoid robots, to accelerate its domestic manufacturing plans. Across the Atlantic, Roblox became the first platform to submit to independent safety audits under the Online Safety Act after failing to stop adults from targeting children on the service.
Rockets: Moon Marks and Canceled Upgrades
This week's Rocket Report covers SpaceX making its mark on the Moon, ULA naming a new boss, China's reusable rocket progress, and a setback for Taiwan's effort to develop its own satellite launcher. In Europe, officials canceled planned upgrades for Ariane 6, even as Arianespace still hasn't publicly disclosed what a single launch costs.
Giveaways and Remembrance
Tech Power Up's Back2Kool Giveaway with Mad Catz and Koolatron rolls into its second week, open to readers in the United States and Canada. And marking 25 years since September 11, National Geographic's 9/11: Reunited follows survivors as they reconnect with the people who saved them.
Mobile News
Last updated: August 21, 2026, 2:27 PM ET
Policy & Platforms
The uneasy truce between Apple and its critics is fraying again in Europe. While the European Commission appears satisfied with Apple's revised app store terms, Epic Games argues the changes still violate the Digital Markets Act, teeing up yet another clash over gatekeeper obligations. Across the Atlantic, lawmakers are turning their attention to AI safety: a group of US senators pressed TikTok over a "sinister" internal experiment that reportedly withheld an algorithmic safety feature from some users, including a teenager who later died by suicide. Meanwhile, autonomous driving scored a commercial win, as Nevada's transportation authorities approved permits letting Uber, Tesla and Waymo begin charging passengers for robotaxi rides in the state.
Apple Ecosystem
Apple's hardware roadmap keeps getting stranger. Fresh details on the company's rumored camera-equipped AirPods suggest each earbud will capture its own image, with the shots synchronized for use by Visual Intelligence — an unusual marriage of optics and ear canals that hints at real-time scene awareness. On the software side, OpenAI shipped a new plugin that lets ChatGPT on Mac read and respond to Apple iMessages, giving the assistant direct control of the Messages app and deepening third-party AI integration with mac OS.
Wearables
Google's newest smartwatch impressed reviewers despite an incomplete rollout. Our Pixel Watch 5 review calls it a fantastic watch that's missing features at launch, even if the core experience is polished. Google also simplified upkeep by publishing factory images with one unified build across variants, though owners still cannot flash them without the company's invite-only debug adapter. Buyers should also consider protection, and our guide to the best screen protectors for the Pixel Watch 5 highlights options that deflect everyday scratches and cracks. Elsewhere, Xiaomi made the Redmi Watch 6 Active official in China at CNY 349 (roughly $51), packing a 470mAh battery and 140 sports modes into a budget-friendly tracker.
The Battery Arms Race
Mid-range phones are now competing on endurance above all else. A new leak claims the Poco X8 Power is in the works with a colossal 10,000mAh battery, expanding a series that already includes the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max. vivo matched that figure officially, confirming the vivo V80 Lite will debut on September 3 with the same 10,000mAh cell. Even Samsung's entry-level line is getting a boost, as an Anatel certification in Brazil revealed the upcoming Galaxy A08 will jump to a 6,000mAh battery.
Budget Launches Keep Coming
The affordable segment stayed crowded this week. Poco unveiled the Poco M8x as the newest member of its M8 family, making it India's first phone with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 SoC alongside a 120Hz display and a 7,900mAh battery. Honor quietly confirmed the Honor Turbo 5G through its Eurasia site, validating leaked specs that include the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset and a 6.7-inch panel. Infinix said the Infinix Hot 70 Pro arrives in India during the first week of September, with new color options now revealed. And One Plus, having exited North America and Europe, reaffirmed its India commitment with another budget phone tipped to launch there soon.
Flagships & Foldables
Samsung's foldable lineup is now fully accounted for. Our Galaxy Z Flip8 unboxing completes the set in a very pink-and-purple fashion alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra already in the office. Shoppers eyeing Google's next flagship have alternatives, as we rounded up six phones to buy instead of the Pixel 11 Pro, arguing the underwhelming Pro XL faces stiff competition. OPPO's Reno 16 Pro proves you don't need a flagship to take amazing photos, according to our review, which praises standout cameras, a gorgeous design, and great battery life despite a higher price than its predecessors. Leak season continues apace, too: the Poco F9 Ultra appeared on Geekbench, effectively confirming its 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and RAM configuration ahead of launch.
Tablets & Back-to-School
Students have fresh reasons to upgrade their gear. TCL kicked off a huge Back to School sale on NXTPAPER tablets and smartphones through Amazon, with discounts reaching up to 35% off eye-friendly displays. Samsung's premium tablets are also looming, as leaked pricing for the Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra surfaced ahead of an expected announcement near the Galaxy S26 FE unveiling next week, possibly in early September.
Chips & Shipments
Foundry roadmaps refuse to slow down. Reports indicate TSMC is racing toward 1.6nm mass production as early as Q4, arriving barely a month after Qualcomm's first 2nm chips reach the market. The demand side looks shakier in Europe, however, as Counterpoint Research estimates just 35 million European smartphone shipments for Q2, the region's lowest volume since 2023 and a clear three-year low.
AI & Software
Trust remains the central question for consumer AI. Child safety experts are skeptical of OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens, insisting the company must prove it can be trusted before products aimed at minors get a pass. Nothing, meanwhile, confirmed that Nothing OS 5.0, its interpretation of Android, will be unveiled on August 25. Samsung may answer with generative flair of its own, as a leak suggests One UI 9.5 will use AI to design custom widgets from plain-language descriptions, echoing Google Gemini's "Create My Widget" capability. Meta also expanded its playful AI experiments, launching Pocket in the US as a "platform for making and sharing gizmos," essentially minigames built with generative tools.
Developer & Platform News
Infrastructure strain is becoming a growth story. GitHub says commits have doubled in the last four months, and the resulting traffic peak triggered "capacity failures" behind the platform's recent outage. Chinese video powerhouse Bilibili is going global as well, rolling out a new international app and an English version of its website to carry its anime-and-gaming community beyond China.
Audio & AR Hardware
Peripheral makers are chasing niche enthusiasts. Hyper X entered new territory with the Cloud Alpha Air, its first open-back gaming headset, priced at a reasonable $150 with super-comfy earpads and a bass-forward signature. Ray Neo took a split approach with its latest AR smart glasses, launching the I/O and GT series for radically different buyers: the very discreet and the very nerdy.
Gaming & Entertainment
Casting shake-ups and shutdowns dominated the games beat. Amazon's God of War series recast its lead, with Dave Bautista stepping in as Kratos following Ryan Hurst's injury on set earlier this year. Riot Games is winding down 2XKO, ending active development in December while keeping servers online and content updates flowing through October 2026. On the horizon, Gamescom's Opening Night Live promises a two-hour stream featuring Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Gears of War: E-Day, and The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, and here's how to watch the showcase.
Payments, Antennas & Autos
Everyday tech saw quiet but meaningful shifts. Walmart will finally accept tap-to-pay in stores by the end of 2026, and Sam's Club will follow suit, letting shoppers check out with a phone or smartwatch. Cord-cutters with inherited hardware may salvage value from old gear, because using a satellite dish as a free TV antenna depends heavily on where you live. In the automotive world, Genesis revealed the GV90 NeoLun, a luxury electric SUV loaded with innovations like heated floors and coach doors — though the cleverness lives in the cabin rather than the drivetrain.
Apple News
Last updated: August 21, 2026, 10:23 AM ET
Camera-Toting Air Pods Spring a Detailed Leak
Code tucked inside the mac OS Tahoe release has exposed Apple's camera-equipped AirPods in unusual detail. According to Apple Insider, the upcoming AirPods Pro will use onboard cameras to detect people nearby and will flash a status light to warn others when image capture is underway. Mac Rumors' analysis of the same code confirms an image capture resolution, person detection, and the status-light behavior for the Camera AirPods, building on a demo video of the earbuds discovered earlier this month. The revelations stoked a fresh privacy debate on the AppleInsider Podcast, which also covered Apple accidentally leaking identifiers for much of its upcoming product line and ads heading to Apple Maps. Over at 9to5Mac, the hosts dug into the same AirPods with cameras saga, the tweaks landing in iOS 27 beta, and whether iPhone 18 Pro cases betray the final design. Shoppers weighing a purchase today can consult 9to5Mac's AirPods 4 versus Air Pods Pro 3 breakdown, which notes the camera-equipped models with Visual Intelligence are still a ways off.
Chat GPT Gets the Keys to iMessage
OpenAI shipped a new Apple Messages plugin for Chat GPT on Mac, letting the assistant search conversations, draft replies, and analyze threads. Mac Rumors confirmed the Apple Messages plugin shortly after OpenAI publicized it, detailing support for message search, drafting, and conversation analysis. 9to5Mac noted the integration spans iMessage, SMS, and RCS, turning Apple's Messages app into a data source for the chatbot. Apple Insider sounded the alarm, arguing that surrendering your entire Messages history to ChatGPT amounts to handing OpenAI your house keys.
Vision Products Group Absorbs a 60-Person Layoff
Apple laid off approximately 60 employees from its Vision Products Group this week, in what reports describe as the elimination of an entire team dedicated to VR development. Mac Rumors highlighted the scale of the cuts to the Vision Products Group, echoing Apple Insider's read that they prove slow progress in spatial computing. 9to5Mac tied the restructuring to shifting priorities, reporting that Apple's focus is pivoting toward AI-powered smart glasses rather than headset-first ambitions.
Apple Music to Mandate 'Made With AI' Labels
AI-generated tracks are about to get much easier to spot on Apple Music. Apple emailed music industry partners about a forthcoming label for AI-generated content, which Mac Rumors reported under the Made With AI banner via The Hollywood Reporter. Apple Insider adds that the disclosure labels will soon be mandatory rather than optional, obligating record labels and distributors to tag AI-generated material in 2026.
iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry Hues and September Timing
Launch season is roughly a month away, and color is driving the rumor cycle. Mac Rumors rounded up every shade rumor for the next flagships, led by a dramatic "Dark Cherry" finish for the iPhone 18 Pro alongside chatter about an iPhone Ultra. On logistics, a companion guide expects the familiar rhythm — an early-September keynote, then pre-orders and a late-September rollout — though Apple has yet to confirm official dates.
Beta Beat: iOS, watch OS, and Fresh Air Pods Firmware
iOS 27 is set to break 15 years of muscle memory by changing how users reach Notification Center, a fixture that has sat behind the same gesture since iOS 5 arrived in 2011. 9to5Mac walked through the redesigned path to Notification Center on iPhone and iPad. watch OS 27 is winning fans in testing as well, with three new Apple Watch features that 9to5Mac's writer says he has been loving in daily beta use — an encouraging early look at watchOS 27. Apple also seeded a fifth beta firmware build for Air Pods Pro, Air Pods Pro, and Air Pods, packing features tied to iOS.
Car Play's Pull Shows Up in Sales Charts
GM's decision to drop CarPlay is getting a marketplace referendum. Apple Insider reports that a nearly identical vehicle keeping Apple's infotainment platform is outselling its Chevy counterpart by a widening margin, proof of consumer attachment to CarPlay. Impatience is building elsewhere too: Mac Rumors pressed Apple on why CarPlay Ultra remains exclusive to Aston Martin more than a year after its May 2025 debut.
Apple Defies a Global Smartphone Slump
Four Counterpoint Research reports published this week recorded declines in smartphone sales and shipments across India, Latin America, Europe, and China. Apple bucked the downward trend regardless, according to 9to5Mac's synthesis of the Counterpoint Research data, a testament to the company's grip on premium buyers even as worldwide volumes contract.
Ultra Branding Marches to Macs as OLED Plans Widen
Apple's "Ultra" moniker looks ready to leap from phones and watches to laptops. A rumored MacBook Ultra is expected this fall as part of the expanding Ultra family, and 9to5Mac enumerated six new features said to ship with the MacBook Ultra. Farther out, Digi Times reporting indicates Apple will migrate five products — several iPads and Macs — to OLED displays over the next three years.
Home Pad Smart Hub Reportedly Locked for Fall
Apple's "Home Pad" smart home hub is reportedly on track for a fall launch, and the newest reveal hands buyers yet another reason to station one in every room, per 9to5Mac's coverage of the HomePad. The hub is expected to feature prominently among the eight products Apple plans to unveil at its September event.
Apple Card Turns Seven Ahead of a Chase Transition
The Apple Card reached a milestone today: seven years since it became widely available in the U.S. in August 2019, following a limited preview period. Mac Rumors marked the birthday of the Apple Card just as a major change looms, namely the program's transition to Chase.
Deals Desk: $399 iPads, $1,669 MacBook Pro, $100 Off Series 11
Bargain hunters have a full slate this weekend. Amazon's sale pushes iPads down to as low as $399 — the lowest price across Apple's tablet lineup — with discounts reaching $150 off iPad Air and iPad Pro models, per Apple Insider's roundup of iPad deals. B&H deepened its cut on the M5 MacBook Pro to $1,669, a steeper $350 discount that bundles a 96W USB-C power adapter. 9to5Toys' lunch break lists the M5 MacBook Air at $1,099, an M5 Pro MacBook Pro with 48GB of memory at $400 off, Series 11 watches from $254, Air Tag 2 all-time lows, and Air Pods Max 2 at $120 off in all five colors. Best Buy and Amazon close it out with $100 off numerous Apple Watch Series 11 configurations across 42mm and larger case sizes.
Tested: Amazon's Fast, Free, and Loud Drone Delivery
An Apple Insider staffer spent Thursday inside Amazon's new drone delivery range and returned with a favorable verdict: the service proved fast, free, and effective, if conspicuously loud. The trial convinced the tester that drone delivery merits repeat business.
Matter Finally Reaches the Dehumidifier
Hisense claims an industry first with the TopLift, billed as the inaugural dehumidifier to support Matter. Apple Insider's review found the TopLift slots neatly into Apple Home, with Siri control making it a welcome ally during muggy summer stretches.
WhatsApp Keeps Pouring on Liquid Glass
Having adopted Apple's Liquid Glass aesthetic earlier this year, WhatsApp is now extending the treatment deeper into its app. 9to5Mac spotted work in progress bringing the translucent styling to the drawing editor and video player, the latest step in WhatsApp's Liquid Glass makeover.
Apple TV: UConn Dynasty Arrives, 'Stick' Plots a Return
Documentary fans scored a win as "The Dynasty: UConn Huskies," Apple TV's three-part chronicle of the University of Connecticut women's basketball program, began streaming. Comedy is circling back too: Owen Wilson's golf series Stick returns for season 2 with "Pluribus" star Rhea Seehorn joining the cast.
An ECG Alert Saves a Triathlete
Apple's occasional "true stories" series gained a new installment, spotlighting a triathlon runner who says his Apple Watch flagged a serious heart condition before disaster could strike. The campaign highlights the life-saving potential of the watch's ECG alert capability.
Second Lives for Aging iPhones
Not every retired device belongs in a drawer. Apple Insider mapped out when to reuse, sell, or recycle an old iPhone or iPad, cautioning that the wrong second act can turn outdated software into a security liability. Taking the sunnier view, 9to5Mac's iPhone diary invoked the classic adage that the best camera is the one you have with you, showing how the handset keeps paying dividends for video b-roll and everyday shooting.
Listen Up: The Day in Audio
Prefer the news narrated? The August 21 episode of 9to5Mac Daily recaps the day's headlines, from the Air Pods camera leak onward, and is available on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.