Latest by V. Mirchandani

Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra may finally get a serious face-unlock upgrade. A new rumor suggests the phone will use 3D facial scanning, similar to Apple’s Face ID, making it more secure for payments and logins. It’s still early days, but if true, it could fix one of Samsung’s longest-standing biometric weaknesses.

Halo Infinite is officially winding down. With Operation: Infinite arriving November 18, players get one last major update, complete with a 100-tier pass, XP boosts, and fresh cosmetics. All this, before the game shifts into long-term maintenance. No more new maps, no more big seasonal drops; Halo Studios is now focusing on the franchise’s future. If you’ve been waiting to jump back in, this is the moment.

YouTube users panicking over blank screens and broken playback can relax, the platform isn’t down. Google is reportedly stepping up its long-running battle against ad-blockers, causing videos to stall, error, or refuse to play unless extensions are disabled. With Chrome’s tighter web extension rules on the horizon, controlling ads might get even trickier. If you rely on an ad-blocker, this is a problem you’ll want to keep an eye on.

Apple has quietly cut trade-in values for iPhones and Macs, meaning older devices will now fetch noticeably less credit toward upgrades. While discounted trade-ins have become routine, this round brings sharper drops across recent models. As such, that next iPhone or Mac upgrade a bit tougher on the wallet. If you’ve been holding onto a device hoping for a solid payout, now might be the time to revisit expectations.

GTA 6 has been pushed back once again — this time to November 19, 2026. Rockstar says it needs extra time to deliver the level of polish fans expect, meaning players will have to wait nearly six more months beyond the previous May date. It’s a frustrating delay for one of the most anticipated games ever, but if history tells us anything, more time in the oven could mean a smoother, better launch when it finally lands.

BMW has tapped Amazon’s upgraded voice-AI platform, Alexa+, to power its next-generation in-car assistant, promising richer, more conversational voice control in future models. Integration begins soon, and when it lands it could shift how you interact with your car, turning commands into true conversations.

Finally, the lyrics don’t disappear when you go offline. Apple Music users on iOS 26.2 beta can now view synced lyrics even without a data connection, which is great for flights, trains, or signal-dead zones. It’s a small but welcome upgrade that makes sing-alongs and lyric-loving moments more seamless than ever.

Cloud gaming just became way more real on Sony’s handheld. The PlayStation Portal now supports streaming your digitally owned PS5 games through the cloud, meaning you no longer need your console powered on at home to play. With wider game access, smoother streaming, and smarter connectivity, this update transforms the Portal from a niche remote-play gadget into a genuinely useful travel-friendly PS5 companion.

Microsoft just rolled out its new in-house image model, MAI-Image-1, inside Copilot — and early testers say it’s a big upgrade. The model is already earning praise for producing more realistic textures, cleaner hands, and better lighting than previous Copilot image tools. You don’t need a subscription to try it — just open Copilot and start generating.

Anew Windows 11 update finally fixes a long-standing shutdown glitch that caused PCs to reboot instead of powering off — a problem that was quietly draining laptop batteries overnight. The fix is part of an optional update now rolling out, and it’s especially welcome news for gaming handhelds and ultrabooks that rely on every drop of battery.

Motorola is refreshing its budget lineup with the new Moto G and Moto G Play, two affordable phones built for everyday streaming, snapping, and scrolling.

AI is creeping deeper into game development — not just helping fix bugs or generate voice lines, but inching toward creating full games. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan believes AI-built hits could arrive in as little as two years, sparking excitement and worry in equal measure. It’s a future full of promise, but one that has many wondering what happens to creativity, game quality, and the people who make the worlds we love.

AYANEO, known for its high-end gaming handhelds, has teased its first smartphone. Early reveals show built-in shoulder buttons and a design tailored for gamers. With physical controls, possible sliding mechanisms, and game-first instincts, this phone may re-imagine what a mobile gaming device can be.

Apple Watch sleep tracking may soon get a serious upgrade. Thanks to a new UMass Amherst system called BIDSleep, which brings AI smarts to wrist-based data, researchers say the wearable can now get surprisingly close to medical-grade EEG sleep readings. If accuracy keeps improving, the Apple Watch could become a powerful tool for identifying sleep issues long before a hospital visit is needed.

TP-Link, which holds a dominant share of the U.S. home-router market, may soon face a total sales ban after a Commerce Department review found its products could pose "unacceptable risk" due to lingering links with China. The proposal is supported by multiple government agencies but remains under internal review.

Google’s Gemini for Home system, recently integrated with Nest Cams and other devices, is already drawing attention. Though, not for its slick smart-home control but for mis-identifications like mistaking a dog for a deer and detecting fake people. The mishaps underscore both the promise and early teething problems of AI in home security.

AMD’s latest Adrenalin 25.10.2 driver confirms new game support and Vulkan extension features are restricted to RX 7000 and RX 9000 families, signalling the end of full feature updates for the RX 6000 series. While security patches still arrive, gamers are now buying into a version of the card that won’t keep pace with future titles.

In the latest round of cost-cuts at Amazon, its long-in-development Lord of the Rings MMO, which was a revival of a project first cancelled in 2021, appears to have been axed again. Former developers at Amazon Games say the title, in collaboration with Embracer Group, has been cancelled as the studio shifts away from large-scale MMOs.

Disney+ now supports HDR10+ on Samsung TV models from 2018 onward, starting with over 1,000 Hulu titles and expanding to more content later. For Samsung, this is a natural move; for other TV owners, it highlights a growing format divide.

Microsoft has started rolling out Windows 11’s revamped Start menu, featuring grid and category views, a bigger "All apps" list, and a slimmer taskbar with animated thumbnails and battery percentage. The KB5067036 update is optional now and will reach more users soon.

After selling more than 7 million copies in its first three days, Battlefield 6 is doubling down with Redsec, its first standalone free-to-play battle-royale mode. Featuring massive maps, full squad play, destructible environments and tournament-style "Gauntlet" mode, it brings Battlefield’s DNA into the free-to-play arena.

OpenAI and PayPal announced a partnership to embed PayPal’s wallet in ChatGPT, enabling "chat to checkout" payments starting in 2026. The move leverages OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol and opens thousands of merchants to the chatbot.

Grokipedia launched with roughly 885,000 AI-generated entries on October 27, 2025. Created by xAI and backed by Musk’s mission to correct "editorial bias", the new platform is now live in version 0.1 — but it still faces early errors, scaling hurdles and credibility questions.

OpenAI is quietly building an AI-music generator to rival start-ups like Suno. Interestingly, it’s doing so while still grappling with deepfake video turmoil in its Sora platform. The next tune it drops could change how we compose, listen and litigate.

In its latest teardown the repair experts at iFixit found the MacBook Pro M5 finally lets you access battery pull-tabs without removing the trackpad — a subtle yet meaningful win for repairability. Apple still sells only a “top-case with battery and keyboard” kit, but this shift signals change. Just don’t ignore reports of thermal throttling under heavy loads.

When Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on PlayStation 5 in 2026 alongside Xbox and PC, it will mark one of gaming’s most symbolically seismic moments: a flagship Xbox-exclusive franchise going multi-platform. Beyond the visuals and gameplay enhancements, this move signals a broader shift that the console wars are over, and the new battleground is ecosystem reach.

AMD’s next-gen Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 might just redefine what a gaming CPU can do. With 16 cores, 192MB of stacked L3 cache, and a power-hungry 200W design, it’s shaping up to be an enthusiast’s dream. And with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in the mix, AMD seems set to dominate both the high-end and mid-range gamer markets.

Apple is reportedly planning to skip the iPhone 19 altogether and go straight to the iPhone 20 in 2027, aligning with the 20-year anniversary of the original iPhone. Alongside the bold name change, the company is rumored to be preparing a major redesign featuring curved-glass edges, hidden sensors, and a refreshed launch timeline that signals a brand-new era for the iPhone.

OpenAI has officially launched ChatGPT Atlas, its first-ever AI-powered web browser that blends search, summarization, and automation into a single interface. It’s an ambitious move that pushes ChatGPT beyond chat and into the core of how people interact with the internet. It joins the growing race against new AI-first browsers like Perplexity’s Comet and The Browser Company’s Dia.

The ROG Xbox Ally has officially launched worldwide, but Xbox’s plans for its handheld ecosystem are just getting started. Microsoft’s new roadmap outlines upgrades like AI-powered super resolution, game-specific profiles, and smarter docking, hinting that this isn’t just a one-off experiment, but instead, it’s the start of a portable Xbox platform that will keep evolving long after launch.

A University of Otago study has demonstrated centimetre-level positioning using smartwatches, hitting around 8 cm accuracy under test conditions. The finding marks a major step forward in consumer-grade GNSS performance and hints at a future where wearables offer professional-grade tracking and health insights without the premium hardware.

Tesla has quietly reinstated a controversial "Mad Max" driving profile in its FSD v14.1.2 release, allowing the car to exceed speed limits and perform aggressive lane changes.

Battlefield 6 just delivered one of the biggest launches in franchise history, with over 7 million copies sold in three days and record-breaking player engagement. Even with backlash over grindy challenges and unlock gates, the title is widely being praised as one of EA’s most optimized shooters in years.

Apple is finally making a touch-screen MacBook Pro. According to Bloomberg, the company is developing a high-end MacBook Pro with a slimmer, lighter body, OLED display, and a hole-punch camera cutout and dropping the infamous notch. Slated for late 2026 or early 2027, the new lineup could mark Apple’s biggest laptop redesign since 2021, though it may come with a higher price tag.

Pinterest is pushing back on the flood of AI-generated content by giving users more say over what they see. New features include "AI-modified" labels and filter options so you can reduce how much generative AI content shows up in your feed. It’s a welcome antidote to the endless AI slop most platforms now push by default.

Spotify just slid into Netflix’s DMs, and the result is video podcasts on your TV. The two streaming giants are teaming up to bring shows like The Rewatchables and The Bill Simmons Podcast to Netflix in early 2026. Who knew your couch would become the next big podcast destination?

OpenAI is bringing back ChatGPT’s old charm, and adding an adult mode while it’s at it. CEO Sam Altman confirmed the chatbot will soon sound warmer and more natural again, with a verified adult option for mature themes. But it also raises new questions about privacy, identity checks, and how AI draws the line between safe and personal.

Nvidia’s DGX Spark packs data-center power into a desktop-sized box. Powered by the Grace Blackwell GB10 Superchip, it delivers up to one petaFLOP of AI performance and 128GB unified memory for $3,999. Designed for developers and researchers, this "personal supercomputer" brings large-model training out of the cloud and onto the desk.