Author: Geek Planet

Sony has a camera legacy that most brands, regardless of whether they make cameras or smartphones, dream of. The company rewrote what full-frame sensors could do with its Alpha series.  That particular rendering of skin tones, that restraint with saturation, the commitment to accurate white balance; the company’s color science is precisely why cinematographers, videographers, and photographers like me, in the consumer tech space, swear by its color science and camera hardware.  So when the official Sony Xperia X account posted “Origin vs. AI Camera Assistant” side-by-side comparisons, particularly to promote the Xperia Intelligence on the company’s new Xperia 1…

Google has quietly altered one of the most reliable promises in consumer tech: 15GB of free cloud storage. For years, signing up for a Google account meant getting 15GB of free storage, shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. However, that’s changed.  New accounts are now defaulting to 5GB (same as iCloud), with the full 15GB available only if you have entered your phone number during setup. The prompt users are seeing reads: “Your account includes 5GB of storage. Now get even more storage space with your phone number.” What exactly changed? The policy change took effect sometime around March 18, 2026…

The MacBook Neo may be Apple’s cheapest laptop, but it is also turning into one of the weirdest fun DIY projects the company has enabled (accidentally) in years. As Macworld points out, Apple has opened up MacBook Neo parts through its Self Service Repair program, and the way the store works seems to leave room for some creative color mixing. The store apparently does not limit replacement part purchases by the original color of your machine. In other words, you can order something like a Citrus bottom case for a silver MacBook Neo, or Indigo keycaps for a blush-colored model.…

Microsoft is the next brand to slap a pretty major price hike on its computing devices, and it’s not subtle at all. The brand’s popular Surface laptops are seeing a rise in price tags across the lineup. And just like before, the memory shortage and component costs are to blame. The updated pricing is already reflected on the Microsoft Store for the current-generation hardware portfolio. How big are the price hikes? The most eye-catching jumps hit Microsoft’s flagship devices. According to Windows Central, the Surface Pro 13-inch, which was originally launched at $999, now starts at $1,499. Meanwhile, the Surface…

Samsung has had a comfortable run with its Fan Edition line. The formula has always been straightforward: take the flagship experience, trim a few corners, drop the price, and watch buyers line up. For years, it worked because nobody was doing it better. The Galaxy S25 FE is proof that Samsung still knows how to execute that formula. It’s also proof that the formula is no longer enough. Enter the Honor 600 Pro. A phone that, on paper and in the hand, makes the Galaxy S25 FE look like Samsung stopped trying. The chip gap The Galaxy S25 FE runs…

Microsoft has apparently decided that its Surface PCs were not expensive enough, and has quietly raised prices across its entire current lineup at the Microsoft Store. The increases are not small adjustments either. We are talking about $200 to $500 jumps, depending on which model you are looking at, and other retailers are expected to follow suit shortly. The flagships have crossed into absurd territory The entry point to Microsoft’s Surface world has shifted dramatically upward. The Surface Pro 12-inch, which was the most accessible modern Surface at $799, now starts at $1,049. The 13-inch Surface Laptop, previously priced at…

Apple is currently facing a Siri problem that has nothing to do with Siri at all. With WWDC 2026 just weeks away, The Information reports the company is actively courting developers to integrate their apps with the new Siri coming in iOS 27.  The mechanism powering the overhauled Siri, App Intents, is an API that lets Siri execute actions inside third-party apps without you actively opening them, which sounds quite useful, I’d say. However, some of the world’s largest developers are dragging their feet on it, not because it’s tough, but because Apple left the door open on charging for…

In a rare move, America’s three biggest wireless carriers – AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon – have agreed in principle to work together on a new joint venture aimed at reducing wireless dead zones across the United States. The initiative focuses heavily on satellite-based connectivity and direct-to-device (D2D) communication technology, which could eventually allow smartphones to stay connected even in areas where traditional cellular towers cannot reach. The companies say the partnership will pool spectrum resources and create a shared platform designed to improve coverage in rural regions, national parks, highways, remote areas, and locations affected by natural disasters. Existing partnerships…

In the latest twist of AI evolution, we have moved past the phase of simple errors and into something much more personal and problematic. New research suggests that AI chatbots are not just processing your prompts. Instead, they are forming psychological profiles and judging you in ways that could influence everything from customer service to financial approvals. A recent study published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (via Tech Xplore) reveals the hidden logic behind how large language models evaluate human users. While we often view these bots as neutral tools, the research indicates they are trained to assign traits…

Great nerds are able to grasp deeper meanings. So here is this week’s Micro Softy about an overheard conversation. Bill walks into Home Depot looking to buy something for his home. He asks the clerk in charge, “How much for one?” “Sixty cents,” the clerk replies. “Okay, how about 11?” “That’d be a dollar twenty.” “Great,” Bill says. “I’ll take 101.” “That’ll be a dollar eighty,” the clerk answers. So, here’s this week’s Micro Softy. What was Bill buying? Solution to Micro Softy 70: The Light Above Your Stairs Last week’s puzzle asks: how does a two-way switch control the…