Mobile News 8 Hours

Last updated: July 8, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Smartphones & Wearables

Google's Pixel Watch 5 is slated for an August 12 launch alongside the Pixel 11 series, with leaks suggesting a potentially higher price point than its predecessors, an "unwelcome surprise" for eager buyers. The Pixel Watch 5 is also expected to launch with Wear OS 7, bringing new features to eligible Pixel Watch models. Meanwhile, Android's upcoming automatic backup to PCs, enabling cloud-free transfers via Wi-Fi, will reportedly exclude Samsung devices. Xiaomi is preparing to unveil the Redmi Note 17 series on July 14, with the Pro model featuring Gorilla Glass Victus.

Automotive & Transportation

Volkswagen is deploying 100 sheep at a solar farm in Poland, utilizing the animals for vegetation management in what is described as a "baa-ter arrangement." In autonomous driving news, Waymo will soon operate fully driverless services in four additional cities: San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa, and Denver, eliminating human supervisors from its operations there. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC reached a settlement with John Deere, bringing the right-to-repair to the company's farm equipment after the agency sued the tractor maker last year.

Tech Industry & Business

Elon Musk announced that X will directly message users about posts that have received a Community Note, aiming to increase the visibility of crowd-sourced corrections on the platform. This comes as a judge approved a $1.5 million settlement between the SEC and Musk over his past statements regarding his investment in Twitter. Microsoft has reportedly canceled an Avowed sequel, with developer Obsidian now focusing on a Fallout game, following Xbox layoffs. Amazon is allegedly working on a more powerful, agentic Alexa assistant under the codename 'Moonraker,' designed to handle complex, multi-step tasks more effectively.

Home Entertainment & Gaming

A 77-inch LG OLED TV is currently available at Best Buy with a 50% discount, representing a $1,500 saving on the premium display. Roku remains the most popular streaming device, but its offerings are reportedly lacking comparable features to competitors in several key areas. Valve's Steam Machine is receiving reviews that suggest it would have been a viable product five years ago, with current pricing deemed not worth the investment. Google Photos is rolling out a new AI-powered feature called Video Remix, which allows users to reimagine their videos into ideal scenarios.

Mobile Deals & Updates

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for $500 off through a new deal, offering a significant discount on last year's foldable device ahead of the expected launch of the Z Fold. Google is also rolling out the first post-Android 17 update for Pixel phones, focusing on security bug fixes.