Tech & Mobile 24-Hour Briefing
×Tech & Hardware
Last updated: October 24, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
Gaming Hardware & Software
Sony has filed a patent application techpowerup.com describing a system that converts game audio into visual cues for deaf and hard-of-hearing players. Meanwhile, jailbroken PS5 consoles can now run Windows Steam games techpowerup.com locally, a sign that the homebrew scene continues to advance. Hitscan has launched the Hyperlight X techpowerup.com, a wireless gaming mouse weighing 35 to 37 grams with SPDT switches and updated internals.
Xbox & Microsoft Gaming
Xbox has lost its first chief operating officer, Helen Chiang, who departed Microsoft techpowerup.com after only three months in the role during the division's ongoing reset. Separately, details of a canceled Mass Effect project have surfaced techpowerup.com following the leak of its trailer shortly after Bio Ware's shutdown.
Processors & Graphics
AMD's upcoming Zen 6 architecture received one of its first rough per-clock comparisons techpowerup.com against Zen 5 via a Geekbench listing for the EPYC 9996. On the graphics side, community developers have modded AMD's FSR 4.1.2 techpowerup.com to run on Intel Arc GPUs by leveraging their XMX cores.
Streaming & Networking
The Alliance for Open Media has set an early 2027 target techpowerup.com for bringing AV2 streams to the web, with YouTube among the platforms planning support. In security, ASUS rushed out a firmware update techpowerup.com for its Wi-Fi 7 router lineup to patch a critical vulnerability.
Coming Up
The Zen 6 EPYC chips' performance gains techpowerup.com remain to be validated beyond early benchmark listings.
Mobile News
Last updated: October 24, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
Phones & Launches
The Oppo Find X10 series has gone global gsmarena.com, and the iPhone Duo has begun shipping this Friday gsmarena.com, competing directly with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 and Motorola's Razr Fold. A roundup of alternatives to those launches is also available, covering deals on rival devices gsmarena.com this week. One Plus is preparing its Ace 7 and Ace 7 Pro gsmarena.com for a China launch on October 29, while vivo's S70 has been tipped gsmarena.com to arrive soon with teleconverter support.
Software & Updates
Some Galaxy S24 owners are reporting severe battery drain androidcentral.com after installing One UI. Red Magic has revealed its update schedule gsmarena.com for Red Magic OS, which is based on Android. Separately, Google is linking phone numbers engadget.com to Android accounts, so adding a new SIM can connect it to every Google account on the device.
Privacy & Security
Capcom has confirmed a data breach engadget.com affecting 11.7 million users, though Capcom ID remains usable and affected players may see more phishing emails. Meta has delayed new business terms engadget.com that drew criticism over scraping concerns.
Gaming
Microsoft is reportedly planning to let subscribers build custom bundles engadget.com for Xbox Game Pass. Steam has rolled out a Personal Calendar engadget.com that updates game recommendations. Sony's plan to stop making physical PS5 discs has drawn a response from Ken Kutaragi engadget.com, who backs the decision.
Hardware & Accessories
Apple's MacBook Neo engadget.com uses an iPhone chip and makes compromises to hit its $700 price point. Apple will launch its first touchscreen OLED MacBook on October 28 gsmarena.com. CMF's Speaker S gsmarena.com has been reviewed in unboxing and hands-on coverage.
Coming Up
The One Plus Ace 7 series launches in China gsmarena.com on October 29. Apple's OLED MacBook arrives on October 28 gsmarena.com.
Apple News
Last updated: October 24, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
iPhone Duo Launch and Reception
Apple's iPhone Duo macrumors.com has drawn a mix of praise and scrutiny in its first days on sale, with one owner highlighting a Touch ID shortcut that some users find preferable to Face ID. Early teardown videos, meanwhile, revealed two batteries macrumors.com and a modular port design inside the device.
Durability testing has been less kind. Jerry Rig Everything's dust test caught the phone out macrumors.com, though a separate report noted that retail stores are not yet seeing a rise in broken displays. A 9to5Mac reviewer argued 9to5mac.com that the device's quirks do not diminish its overall appeal after a day of use.
Supply and Sales Issues
Verizon has apologized macrumors.com to customers whose pre-orders were delayed, offering a $100 gift card as compensation. Apple's in-store pickup option for the device has resumed macrumors.com in the U.S. and Canada.
Accessories and Batteries
Belkin has launched lightweight semi solid state batteries 9to5mac.com for iPhone, with a hands-on review describing a noticeably lighter carry. Developers are also targeting the Duo's form factor 9to5mac.com, with a retro camcorder app designed to exploit its screen.
Software Tips
Owners seeking more convenient controls can make the volume buttons macrumors.com follow screen rotation, a useful fix given the foldable design. Users who want faster unlocking can also bypass the Touch ID scan macrumors.com by pairing with an Apple Watch.
Broader Apple News
Apple has closed seven stores in France ahead of further protests macrumors.com. Discounts on the M5 MacBook Air have dropped the laptop to $1,399 at Amazon macrumors.com, while the week's top stories macrumors.com included a teaser for another product event.
Coming Up
Apple has teased further product announcements macrumors.com following its busy week.