Author: Geek Planet

If you use Signal, there’s something important you should know. The encrypted messaging app has rolled out a set of new in-app safety measures designed to protect you from phishing and social engineering attacks. This isn’t out of nowhere either. Back in March, Signal confirmed that its platform had been targeted by phishing attacks aimed specifically at government officials and journalists. It seems that these new changes are a direct response to that. What are the new safety changes in Signal app? The most notable addition is a “name not verified” notice that now appears on profiles. This is important…

Many analysts have been saying for years that generative AI usage can prevent young people from developing critical thinking skills. Recently, however, attention has turned to older workers. One study surveyed 200 various owners, founders, CEOs, and other titans of industry and found that 62% of the respondents are using AI to make “most decisions.” Furthermore, “140 of the titans reported second-guessing their own ideas when they conflicted with AI’s recommendations, while 46% said they now rely on advice from AI more than that of their own business colleagues.” Those are big numbers and reports of AI’s success are still…

Subtlety is overrated, and MSI just proved that. The Taiwanese laptop maker has rolled out a sweeping refresh, unveiling more than a dozen new gaming laptops spread across its Cyborg, Crosshair, Raider, Stealth, and Titan lineups.  The models cover 15-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch form factors, ensuring there’s something for every gamer or professional user, making it hard for buyers to run out of excuses for not upgrading this year.  So, what’s actually new inside these machines? It is Intel’s newly announced Arrow Lake-HX Plus chips, specifically the Core Ultra 9 290HZ Plus, that acts as a catalyst for MSI’s new…

This short story first appeared in Dr Bill Dembski’s Substack: Requiem for an artificial superintelligence When Elliot Pryce was twenty-five, people already spoke of him in the past tense, as though his greatness had preceded him. At Caltech he had double majored in electrical and mechanical engineering, finishing with the sort of effortless distinction that caused professors to say things like once in a generation and mean it. Beginning graduate studies at the age of eighteen at the University of Texas at Austin, he moved into battery research and found the seam that others had missed: dry electrode processing joined to a…

Artificial intelligence is getting faster at clearing the small digital chores that eat into a normal week, and new research suggests Americans are already feeling that at home. In a study that tracked internet browsing across more than 200,000 US households, researchers found ChatGPT users handled practical online tasks much more efficiently, then often used the extra room in their schedules for leisure. That finding stands out because most AI productivity talk still revolves around work. This research points somewhere more familiar. Your evenings, your errands, and the pile of routine tasks that usually gets pushed to the side. The…

WhatsApp has fiercely defended its status as a free, no-nonsense online messaging app for over a decade, but a new subscription tier is muddying the waters.  Meta is rolling out WhatsApp Plus, a paid subscription model, to a limited number of iPhone users using the latest version of the App Store.  So, what does WhatsApp Plus actually offer? The list of benefits included as part of the WhatsApp Plus subscription sounds more like a cosmetic buffet than something useful. First, subscribers get 18 accent colors to replace the app’s signature green theme.  Then, there are 14 alternative home-screen icons to…

Microsoft’s next generation of Surface Laptops could finally be getting a solid display upgrade. New reports reveal that OLED options may soon become a possibility. In a vacuum, it sounds like something that the Surface lineup needs, but I’m already wincing at what that might do to the price. What’s coming on the new Surface Laptops? According to a Windows Central report, the company is preparing a refresh for its Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models later this year. These are expected to bring new chips, upgraded displays, and a two-stage rollout for Intel and Snapdragon variants this summer. While…

Microsoft is rolling out a new Microsoft College Offer for US college students buying a Windows 11 laptop, and it’s clearly built to make the purchase feel bigger than the hardware alone. Starting April 15, eligible buyers can get more than $500 in added perks at no extra cost when they pick up a qualifying PC. The offer includes a year of Microsoft 365 Premium, a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox Wireless Controller through Xbox Design Lab. Microsoft is also pairing those extras with limited-time discounts on select models, including a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x…

Some confuse the occupation of an electrical engineer with an electronics engineer or an electrician. I’m an electrical and computer engineer. I have been asked more than once to help a friend wire their houses. I suspect I could fake it, but am not licensed and would probably electrocute myself.  But I do know Switching Theory and how a two-way switch works. To show off my electrician skills, this week’s Micro Softy is about the light switch on your stairs; If the stair light is on, flip the downstairs switch and the light goes on/off. A flip of the upstairs switch does the same thing. If the light is off, flipping either switch…

For years, texting between an iPhone and an Android device felt less like a private conversation and more like shouting across a crowded street. Well, that changes on May 11, 2026, as Apple and Google jointly launched end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messaging.  The long-awaited feature is rolling out first in beta with iOS 26.5 (also announced today) and the latest version of Google Messages.  How did the companies achieve this? It’s quite rare that Apple and Google work together on something, as they’re often busy creating advertisements to make fun of each other.  However, for enabling end-to-end encryption for…