Author: alex

Best midrange smartphones in 2025 — Top picks under $600 A great mobile phone doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In 2025 many features once reserved for flagships — big batteries, multi-camera arrays, high-refresh OLED screens — have filtered down to solid midrange devices. If you have under $600, you can get excellent battery life, good cameras and smooth displays without paying flagship prices. Below are our top picks and what to consider when buying. Top midrange picks (2025) Xiaomi 14T Pro — Flagship-grade specs for near-$600 value: fast chipset, 144Hz display and strong camera. Shop: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Xiaomi+14T+Pro+smartphone&tag=f1rede-20 Samsung Galaxy A56 — Premium build and bright 6.7" AMOLED 120Hz screen with reliable Samsung support. Shop: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Samsung+Galaxy+A56+smartphone&tag=f1rede-20 Google Pixel 9a — Best-in-class cameras and a clean Android experience with timely updates. Shop:…

Bartender 6 has been released and is rebuilt to support macOS 26 Tahoe’s new "Liquid Glass" design. The update adapts the app to the refreshed, more translucent menu bar and brings performance, responsiveness and UI improvements for organising menu-bar items. Compatibility: Requires macOS 26 Tahoe (or Sequoia where noted). Design: Updated visuals to match Apple’s Liquid Glass menu bar. Performance: Smoother, faster, more responsive menu-bar handling with an improved movement system for items. Privacy & UX: Fewer screen-record permission prompts; a locked-down mode available without those permissions. Availability: Free 4-week trial from the developer site; purchase or Setapp subscription options available. Official download and more info: macbartender.com Background on macOS 26 Tahoe & Liquid Glass UI: CNET article If you use Bartender, how will the updated look and performance affect…

Amazon reportedly discounts Apple’s iPhone 17 cases by €10 — what we found Summary: Several reports claim Amazon is selling Apple’s official cases for the new iPhone 17 models with a €10 discount compared with Apple’s own prices. For example, Apple’s silicone case for the iPhone 17 Pro is commonly listed at around €49. However, our checks did not find consistent confirmation that Amazon is universally offering a €10 discount on all official Apple cases. What we checked Apple silicone case for iPhone 17 Pro — typical Apple price ~€49 (market data). Apple polycarbonate case for iPhone 17 — less evidence of an official Apple-branded polycarbonate option; many polycarbonate-style cases on Amazon are third-party. Amazon listings — prices vary by seller and region; we could not reliably verify a blanket…

iPad Pro with M5 chip expected next month — Apple stayed silent at the iPhone launch Apple began selling its new iPhone models on Friday, but the long-rumored iPad Pro with the next-generation M5 Apple Silicon wasn’t mentioned at the event. Multiple industry reports now point to an October 2025 announcement and release window, following Apple’s typical fall product cadence. What to expect Chip: M5 Apple Silicon — faster CPU/GPU performance, better AI/spatial computing workloads. Timing: Rumored for an October launch, with mass production reportedly in the second half of 2025. Availability: Likely to appear on Apple.com and major retailers (Apple Store, Amazon) shortly after announcement. Will you wait? If you need an iPad now, current M4/M4X models remain excellent. But if you rely on heavy pro workflows, creative apps,…

Roly‑Pony — Cute Suika-style Horse Puzzle (Free, Web & Mobile) Roly‑Pony is a free, indie Suika-style puzzle game where you drop and stack round items (starting with horse treats) to match and combine them into larger objects — eventually unlocking a variety of adorable horses. It’s simple, relaxing, and surprisingly addictive, with peaceful background music and small horse-themed details that fans will love. Quick facts Platforms: Web (HTML5) — playable on desktop and mobile browsers. Developer: Jessi (Miaumi Games). Art & characters: Maskeovo. Features: Online leaderboard, single-button/tap controls, unlockable horses, optional donations via itch.io. Price: Free to play. Optional tip/donation on itch.io. Why it’s worth trying Roly‑Pony combines the relaxing loop of matching/combining puzzles with charming horse art and short sessions that make it perfect for quick breaks. If you…

iOS 26 & iPadOS 26 arrive Sept 15 — compatibility, features & what’s dropped Apple confirmed at its iPhone 17 event that iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will be released to eligible devices on Monday, September 15, 2025. The update brings a major visual overhaul called "Liquid Glass," new Apple Intelligence features and refinements across Phone, Messages, Camera and more. Key new features Liquid Glass UI: refreshed app icons, floating buttons, darker modes and cohesive cross-platform visuals. Phone app redesign: scroll contacts, recents, voicemail on one screen + Hold Assist. Live Translate: real-time translation for calls and messages. Polls in group Messages. New lock screen options, adjustable alarm snooze times, simplified Camera UI, screenshot search/ChatGPT integration. Compatibility — who’s left out Apple has dropped support for three 2018 iPhones. The…

Stop Killing Games campaign nears 1.45M signatures — what's next? The Stop Killing Games European Citizens' Initiative has reportedly gathered around 1.45 million signatures, with organizers stating that approximately 97% of those signatures appear valid. The campaign aims to force EU consideration of legislation that would preserve players' access to video games when developers or publishers remove support or delist titles—an issue highlighted by cases such as Ubisoft delisting The Crew and revoking access for purchasers. Timeline & next steps Organizers submitted the initiative after the July 31 deadline. The European Commission has three months to verify submitted signatures. If the verification threshold (1 million valid signatures across member states) is met, organizers will deliver the petition in person and seek meetings with the European Commission and the European Parliament.…

The Witcher Season 4 — Release Date, New Geralt & Cast Netflix has announced that The Witcher Season 4 will premiere on October 30. The official teaser, released on Netflix's channel, gives us our first extended look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia — a casting change that has stirred strong reactions from fans after Henry Cavill’s run as the character across the first three seasons. Official Teaser Cast Highlights Liam Hemsworth — Geralt of Rivia (new) Laurence Fishburne — Regis Sharlto Copley — Leo Bonhart James Purefoy — Skellen Season 4 is the second-to-last season of Netflix’s adaptation. The final two seasons are intended to cover the last three books in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher saga: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake.…

Powerbeats Pro 2: iOS 26 adds heart-rate tracking and Fitness+ live metrics Apple’s iOS 26 brings several meaningful updates to the Powerbeats Pro 2, turning the earbuds into a more complete fitness device. The upgrade enhances heart-rate monitoring, Fitness+ integration and on-device workout features that make tracking workouts easier without an Apple Watch. What’s new Built-in heart-rate tracking with faster readings and improved algorithms. Fitness+ live metrics support: heart rate, calories burned and Burn Bar display on-screen during workouts. Option to monitor heart rate using a single earbud. Improved step counting even when your iPhone isn’t on you. Fit notifications to prompt a better seal for accurate HR measurement. Gestural detection (nod/shake) for Siri call/text responses. Compatibility & limits These features arrive with iOS 26 (releasing Sept 15). Many Apple-branded…

Summary Penske Media Corporation (PMC), owner of Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard and others, has filed a federal lawsuit against Google alleging the company illegally uses PMC content to power its "AI Overviews" in Search. PMC says the feature is "siphoning and discouraging user traffic" to publisher sites and that roughly 20% of Google searches linking to PMC content now include AI Overviews. Key claims PMC alleges Google repurposes publisher content to generate AI summaries without permission or compensation, harming referral traffic and affiliate revenue. PMC says affiliate revenue through 2024 has fallen more than a third from its peak and expects the problem to worsen as AI Overviews expand. Jay Penske (PMC CEO) said the company must "protect PMC’s best-in-class journalists and award-winning journalism... threatened by Google’s current actions." Google's…