Author: alex

AT&T to Acquire $23B in Spectrum Licenses from EchoStar AT&T has agreed to acquire approximately $23 billion worth of low-band and mid-band spectrum licenses from EchoStar — the parent company of Dish Network, Sling TV and Boost Mobile. The deal gives AT&T control of roughly 50MHz of spectrum across more than 400 U.S. markets. Key points Purchase price: ~ $23 billion. Spectrum: ~50MHz of low- and mid-band frequencies (used for 5G and LTE). Coverage: Licenses cover 400+ U.S. markets. Boost Mobile: Will operate primarily on AT&T’s network under an expanded long-term wholesale agreement; customers will maintain access to T-Mobile’s network during the transition. Regulatory context: The FCC has pressured EchoStar to use or divest spectrum to prevent warehousing; the transaction remains subject to regulatory approval. Timeline: Expected to close in…

Apple reportedly eyed acquisitions of Mistral AI and PerplexityAccording to a report in The Information (summarized by MacRumors), Apple internally discussed acquiring French AI startup Mistral AI and US company Perplexity to bolster its artificial intelligence capabilities. The discussions were internal and no acquisition has been announced.Key pointsApple explored buying Mistral AI and Perplexity as a way to accelerate its AI development.The talks appear to have been exploratory; Apple is reportedly cautious about large deals and favors smaller acquisitions.No concrete steps or deals have been confirmed publicly.Why it mattersAn acquisition of Mistral, a leading French AI startup, would be a major European tech exit and could significantly advance Apple's AI roadmap. Perplexity, known for its AI search and chat capabilities, could also enhance Apple's services.Sources & further readingMacRumors summary of…

Baby Steps delayed to September 23 after Hollow Knight: Silksong surprise release date Publisher Devolver Digital and developers Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo and Maxi Boch have delayed the walking simulator Baby Steps from September 8 to September 23. The move was made after Team Cherry announced Hollow Knight: Silksong would release on September 4 — a date that many indie teams wanted to avoid competing with. The delay was announced with a short humorous clip showing Baby Steps protagonist Nate attempting to climb a replica of Silksong's Hornet and falling into the dirt. In a press release, Devolver described Nate as "the wary, onesie-donned failson" who "stumbled" when trying to launch the week after Silksong's surprise release. Why the delay? Indie teams often shift release dates to avoid launching at…

Labor Day Tech Deals — Best Picks & Where to Buy Labor Day is a great time to grab back-to-school and end-of-summer tech discounts. Below are curated highlights and where to find them. (Affiliate Amazon search links include tag f1rede-20.) Top highlighted deals Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) — $799 (approx). Thin, light, long battery life and the updated M4 chipset. Shop on Amazon: MacBook Air (M4) on Amazon Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $169 (approx). Strong ANC, Apple-centric features and comfy fit. Shop on Amazon: AirPods Pro 2 on Amazon Apple iPad (11-inch, A16) — $299 (approx). Solid performance and 128GB base storage. Shop on Amazon: iPad 11" (A16) on Amazon More notable deals Robot vacuums: Eufy 11S Max, Shark AI Ultra, Dyson 360 Vis Nav — big discounts…

Emulsio 5 for iOS — AI slow motion & video upscaling Belgian developer Creaceed has released Emulsio 5, a major update to its long-standing video enhancement app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Known previously for stabilization, Emulsio 5 introduces generative‑AI features aimed at creators: artificial slow motion, video upscaling and faster frame‑rate conversion, plus improved stabilization and HDR support. Key features AI-powered artificial slow motion — create smooth slow‑motion up to around 10× using frame interpolation. Video upscaling — upscale footage (HD→4K+) with on‑device AI models. Frame-rate boosting — increase frame rates (example: 30 → 120 fps) for smoother motion. Advanced stabilization — multiframe inpainting and refined stabilization pipeline. HDR & Dolby Vision — full 10‑bit HDR and Dolby Vision support where available. Privacy-focused — AI processing runs on Apple…

Framework Laptop 16 (2025 Refresh) — RTX 5070 & AMD Ryzen AI 300 Framework has opened pre-orders for the refreshed Laptop 16. This model brings major internal upgrades while keeping the modular, repairable ethos Framework is known for. Highlights NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 graphics module (now fully backward-compatible with 2024 Laptop 16 models) AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series CPUs: 8-core Ryzen 7 and 12-core Ryzen 9 options (45W sustained TDP) Updated thermal system with redesigned fan blades for reduced noise Upgradeable memory up to 96GB and storage up to 10TB Mainboard supports four simultaneous display outputs New 240W USB-C power adapter as the standard option (designed to allow sustained full-load operation) Other upgrades: new webcam, CNC aluminum top cover redesign, and new keyboard options Performance & Compatibility Framework claims the…

Swinsian 3.0 — Renaissance of MP3 players on the Mac Local playback of stored music files once seemed to be eclipsed by streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Lately, that classic use case has seen a comeback. Apps such as Petrichor, Quicktunes and Monoplayer target users who prefer to manage and play their own MP3 libraries on macOS. Swinsian 3.0 was released on August 20, 2025 and brings several notable improvements: Native Apple Silicon support Dark mode and interface refinements ReplayGain tag support and volume normalization Enhanced tag and batch-tag management Advanced audio device controls iTunes XML export and improved library handling Swinsian is distributed via the developer’s website (not the Mac App Store). For downloads and the full changelog, see the official links below. Links Swinsian official site…

Local playback of stored music files once looked to be replaced by streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Recently, that classic use case has been making a comeback. Projects and apps such as Petrichor, Quicktunes and Monoplayer aim at users who want to manage and play their own MP3 libraries on the Mac. Leading the pack is Swinsian 3.0, released on August 20, 2025. Key highlights include: Native Apple Silicon support Dark mode and UI improvements ReplayGain tag support and volume normalization Enhanced tag/batch tag management Advanced audio device controls iTunes XML export Swinsian remains available from the developer’s website (it is not distributed through the Mac App Store). For downloads and the full changelog, see the official site and support pages below. Note: I couldn’t find authoritative product…

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) — $30 Off Ahead of Labor DayAmazon's Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) is currently on sale for $220 — $30 off its usual price. If you're shopping for a color e-reader for reading digital comics or upgrading ahead of Labor Day, this model is a compelling option.Key SpecsDisplay: 7-inch color E InkPixel density: ~300 ppi (black-and-white content), ~150 ppi (color content)Storage: 16 GBBattery: Up to 8 weeks on a single charge (Amazon claim)Waterproof rating: IPX8 (immersion up to 2 meters for 60 minutes)Audiobook support: YesHow this model differs from the Signature EditionThe 16GB model lacks the Signature Edition's auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging.The Signature Edition typically includes 32GB storage and costs more (around $280).What reviewers sayReviewers praised the Kindle Colorsoft for quick load times, responsive page turns,…

Google Gemini adds DeepMind-powered image-editing tools — and watermarks all AI images Google has rolled out new image-editing features in the Gemini app powered by DeepMind models. The update—available starting May 2025—adds more advanced, consistent editing tools for both uploaded and AI-generated images. Key features Consistent human appearance across edits: Keep human subjects looking the same as backgrounds, clothing, or settings change. Advanced multi-stage editing: Apply sequential edits to different components without losing accumulated changes. Image merging and trait-based prompts: Combine two existing images into a new scene, or use a visual trait from one image as a prompt element for another. Conversational text prompts: Edit images using natural language within the Gemini app. Watermarking & ethics Google noted that all images generated or edited in Gemini include embedded digital…