Author: Geek Planet

Ad spend is under more scrutiny than ever as economic headwinds pressure marketers to stretch budgets, making every dollar count. Marketers are scrutinizing their ad spend more closely than ever and pressuring retail media partners for incrementality, a metric beyond return on ad spend (ROAS) to determine if the RMN media buys are paying off. That includes RMN partners like Lowe’s Media Network. To better compete and take in more ad dollars, Lowe’s Media Network has incrementality on the roadmap. Digiday recently caught up with John Storms, general manager and head of Lowe’s Media Network, to get details on the measurement…

OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s io last year fueled speculation that the company could be gearing up to launch its own ChatGPT-powered hardware. Late last year, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman added fuel to those rumors, confirming in an interview that the company’s first device, described as a sleek, pocket-sized gadget that filters out noise and offers context-aware AI assistance, was in the prototype phase. Earlier this year, a leak revealed details about a portable audio device codenamed Sweetpea, designed to sit behind the user’s ear. The leak suggested this would be the first OpenAI device to hit the market, likely…

The future of smartphones just took a dramatic leap as Honor officially confirmed that its long-teased Robot Phone – a device that blends mobile hardware with robot-grade motion and embodied AI – is heading into commercial release. Demonstrated recently after capturing global attention at major tech showcases, the Robot Phone is unlike any handset on the market, redefining how users interact with devices by giving the smartphone its own physical “expressiveness” and cinematic camera movement. A smartphone that behaves more like a robot than a slab of glass Honor describes the Robot Phone as a “new species of smartphone”, and…

Google’s traditional search business is transforming for the AI era. Last week’s roll-out of AI Mode in the U.S. enables people to replace the traditional search engine results page with one that more closely resembles an AI chatbot. It’s a far cry from the days of 10 blue links. “We are certainly far beyond those days,” said Dan Taylor, vp of global ads at Google, on the latest Digiday Podcast episode. “I’ve been at Google for 19 years, and as the ways that people search has evolved, Google has evolved search along with it. And we think that AI Overviews…

Lithium-sulfur batteries can pack a lot of energy for their weight. But a Science X Dialog post on Tech Xplore says they usually need more space than todays lithium-ion batteries, about 1.5 to 2 times as much. That extra bulk makes it harder to use them in gadgets where space is tight. The new design could help make thinner lithium sulfur batteries by changing the binder. The binder is basically the glue that holds the battery’s electrode together. The team whipped that glue into a foam using a protein-based material. When the foam dries, it leaves behind lots of tiny…

When programmatic media buying first started heating up in the early 2000s, it promised scale, efficiency and more precise ad placements. But some of that promise has worn off. Programmatic marketers are weary, wading through an opaque web of ad tech middlemen, questionable inventory quality and murky measurement. Marketers are now looking at retail media networks with a similar sense of caution and a renewed feeling of déjà vu.“We’re going to have the same challenges as you’re seeing [with DSPs]. We’re going to have the same desires as the brands and agencies want,” George Musi, chief business officer at Night…

After reviewing phones over the last few years, very little surprises me anymore. Bigger sensors, faster chips, and brighter displays, I’ve seen it all. Most of the time, the new “IT” factor revolves around hardware upgrades in these areas. So when a phone genuinely makes me think, “Okay, that’s pretty clever”, it feels like a breath of fresh air. The Galaxy S26 Ultra does just that. Apart from the flagship specs and the typical annual hardware updates, Samsung’s latest and greatest offers a host of thoughtful features that quietly improve everyday use, and that’s what I love about it. Now…

Samsung has posted Korean list pricing for the new Galaxy Book6 Pro, and the Galaxy Book6 Pro price is noticeably higher than what recent Pro models opened at. The 14-inch model is listed at 3,410,000 KRW, and the 16-inch version is listed at 3,510,000 KRW. That’s roughly a 20% hike versus the prior generation’s Pro launch pricing. If you’ve been waiting for the next Book refresh, those numbers reset expectations fast. Samsung’s Korean launch page also points to a sale start on January 27, so this isn’t a distant teaser. Buyers can size up real configurations soon. Samsung isn’t teasing…

A new challenger to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has quietly arrived – and it’s not from Samsung, Xiaomi, or Google. It’s the latest Leitz Phone, an ultra-premium, photography-obsessed flagship sold in extremely limited markets and produced under the Leica branding. For anyone who follows mobile imaging, this phone isn’t just another competitor. It’s a bonkers, camera-first superphone that out-muscles nearly every mainstream flagship in one specific arena: pure photographic capability. The twist? It’s only available in Japan, and stock sells out almost instantly. Yes – you can buy it, but only if you’re lucky. A camera system that pushes…

Ad spending held steady in Q1, but the rest of the year is shaping up to be a far murkier story.With companies adjusting earnings forecasts and the upfront market losing steam, the signs are clear: Advertisers are easing off the gas. Blame the tariff effect, or more precisely, the anxiety they’ll get steeper and hit harder than expected. In an already fragile economy, even the boldest marketers are treading carefully. “Normally, we get visibility on ad spending six to nine months ahead for CMOs whereas now that’s three months,” said Tal Jacobson, CEO of ad tech vendor Perion. “They’re not…