Author: alex

Google Calling Cards for Android — What you need to know Google has started rolling out "Calling Cards" for the Android Phone and Contacts apps (Phone app v188, Contacts beta). The feature lets you set full-screen photos and stylized names for contacts that appear on incoming and outgoing calls — but only on your device. Unlike Apple's Contact Posters, you can’t control how others see you; you can only customize how contacts appear on your phone. How it works Open the Contacts app (beta may be required) and view a contact's details. Tap "Try adding a calling card" to pick a photo from your gallery or take a new picture. Customize the font type and color for the contact's displayed name. When that contact calls, the calling card takes over…

NordVPN 2-Year Plans: Up to 77% Off — Plus & Prime Details NordVPN is running a promotion on long-term plans, with discounts up to 77% and an extra 3 months added to two-year subscriptions. If you’ve been considering a VPN upgrade, now’s a good time to check the offers. Deals at a glance NordVPN Plus — 2 years + 3 months for $108 (about 73% off). Includes Threat Protection Pro, password manager, and an ad & tracker blocker. NordVPN Prime — 2 years + 3 months for $189 (about 77% off). Adds encrypted cloud storage and identity-theft monitoring (NordProtect) on top of the Plus features. What you get The Plus plan bundles the VPN service with Threat Protection Pro (anti-malware), a password manager, and ad/tracker blocking. Prime adds encrypted cloud…

Google expands NotebookLM — Audio Overviews, Video Overviews & more Google is continuing to develop NotebookLM, the free learning app first introduced in May. Recent updates add mobile-friendly Audio Overviews (podcast-style summaries), Video Overviews, interactive mind maps, improved Q&A with citations and deeper source integration — all designed to make studying and research faster and more engaging. Key features in the update Audio Overviews: Convert notes and sources into podcast-style audio for mobile listening. Video Overviews & narrated slides: Visual summaries to supplement study sessions. Interactive mind maps: Visualize relationships between concepts and sources. Improved Q&A with citations: Get sourced answers for research-backed study. Discover & import sources: Easier integration of external materials. Although NotebookLM is powerful and free, some users say the name "NotebookLM" is not very intuitive and…

Microsoft makes cloud the default save location — Word on Windows leads the change Microsoft is shifting the default save behavior in Microsoft 365: new documents in Word for Windows (starting with version 2509) will be created and saved to OneDrive or SharePoint by default, with AutoSave enabled. Microsoft plans to apply similar changes to other Office apps such as Excel and PowerPoint in the future. What this means for users New Word documents will default to cloud storage (OneDrive/SharePoint) and AutoSave will be on. Users who prefer storing files locally may notice the Save dialog defaulting to OneDrive rather than local folders. Concerns include privacy, offline access and user control — but local saving remains possible. How to revert to local saving by default Open Word > File >…

Labor Day AirTag 4‑Pack Deal: $70 — Is It Worth It? Right now you can grab a 4‑pack of Apple AirTags for $70 — one of the best prices we've seen this year. If you're deep in Apple's ecosystem, this is a solid buy: AirTags offer precise locating with ultra-wideband (UWB) on recent iPhones, a massive Find My network for longer-range recovery, and a loud chime to help find lost items nearby. Why buy an AirTag? Ultra-wideband (UWB) precision with iPhones less than ~5 years old for close-range locating. Find My network leverages millions of Apple devices to help locate lost items over distance. Simple, coin-sized design and seamless integration with the Find My app. Can make a loud chime to help pinpoint your item. Drawbacks No built-in keyring or…

YouTube TV and Fox reach carriage deal — no Fox blackout YouTube TV and Fox have reached a new carriage agreement that keeps Fox’s full portfolio on YouTube TV, avoiding any blackout for live sports and news. What was renewed Fox network and all local Fox broadcast stations Fox News Channel Fox Business Network Fox Weather Fox Sports channels (FS1, FS2) Fox Deportes Big Ten Network Why this matters The deal prevents disruption to live NFL and key college football games that air on Fox. YouTube TV subscribers retain access to those games — and YouTube TVs NFL Sunday Ticket (an add-on) was never affected by the dispute. Context Carriage disputes frequently occur ahead of major sporting events as networks negotiate higher fees. Fox recently launched Fox One, a separate…

Honkai: Nexus Anima — Nexus Bond Test Registration Open HoYoverse has announced Honkai: Nexus Anima, a creature‑collecting strategy adventure set in the Honkai universe. The game blends companion collection (called Anima) with strategic combat and is slated for tests on Windows (PC) and iOS. Key details Playtest name: Nexus Bond Test (closed beta) Registration period: Aug 29, 2025 (12:00 UTC+8) — Sept 12, 2025 (11:59 PM UTC+8) Test platforms: Windows (PC) and iOS How to register: Visit HoYoverse's official site, sign in with a HoYoverse account, complete pre-registration and the questionnaire. Test slots will be randomly assigned. Developer notes: Players may share gameplay footage from the test. The test will not be monetized and participant data may be removed after the test concludes. For official sign-up and the latest updates,…

Germany plans national "Bildungs‑ID" — central student register in coalition agreement The German federal government plans to introduce a nationwide "Bildungs‑ID" (education ID) and a federal register to document pupils' educational pathways, as set out in the coalition agreement. The register is intended to simplify administrative processes across schools and government services, support policy-making and educational research, and improve tracking of educational progress. Officials say the system will include privacy and data-protection measures, using an internal identifier to avoid direct personal identification in statistical and research outputs. Critics and privacy advocates, however, warn about risks related to centralising sensitive education data and call for strict safeguards, transparency and independent oversight. Reputable reporting and further reading: Süddeutsche Zeitung: Bildungs‑ID & federal register Note: original coverage also appeared on technology/news sites; this…

IPT filings suggest UK iCloud backdoor demand was broader than thought Recent filings at the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) indicate that the Home Office’s secret order for Apple to create an iCloud backdoor may have sought broader access to user data than previously reported — potentially including passwords, messages and other cloud-stored information, and on a global scale rather than being limited to UK users. Key points The IPT has published filings suggesting the Home Office asked Apple to "provide and maintain a capability to disclose categories of data stored within a cloud-based service," language that could cover passwords and messages. Apple disabled iCloud Advanced Data Protection in the UK and has legally challenged the order at the IPT, saying it has never and will never build a backdoor…

Best Apple Deals Right Now Here’s a quick roundup of the best current Apple deals mentioned in the source. Note: the original roundup is from Engadget — per your instruction I removed any RSS/news links to that source. iPad Air 13-inch (M3) — $649 (claimed $150 off). Search on Amazon: Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) on Amazon (availability: no exact match for M3 on Amazon at time of check). iPad mini (A17 Pro) — $399 (claimed $100 off). Search on Amazon: Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) on Amazon (availability: no confirmed listings). iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) — $895 (claimed $105 off). Search on Amazon: iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) on Amazon (availability: no M4 listings found). iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) — $1,099 (claimed $200 off). Search on Amazon: iPad Pro 13-inch…