Author: Geek Planet

Zoom video calls just got a new kind of awkward small feature. The platform will now ask you whether you’re human. It has partnered with World, Sam Altman’s iris-scanning identity company (previously known as Worldcoin), to add real-time human verification inside meetings.  The feature, launched on April 17, 2026, is a part of World’s ID 4.0 rollout. It lets hosts confirm that every face on the call belongs to a real person, not an AI-generated imposter.  How does the “verified human” badge actually work? For those wondering how World’s Deep Face technology works, it includes a three-step process. It cross-references…

There’s no shortage of messaging apps out there. The past decade has given us more options than we know what to do with, largely because smartphones demanded something better than plain old SMS. Both the App Store and the Play Store are packed with apps that promise to revolutionize the way we communicate. Most of them didn’t make it. The truth is, a messaging app is only as good as the number of people using it, and most apps never cross that threshold. WhatsApp seem to be one of the few chat apps that have crossed it. What began in…

A new leak has shed light on what Google has planned for its upcoming Pixel 11 lineup, and if accurate, the changes run deeper than a typical year-over-year refresh. What’s the latest on Google’s upcoming flagships Mystic Leaks, who shared a few details about the Tensor G6 last week, is back with a broader breakdown (via 9to5Google) of the upcoming flagship series. The biggest headline is that the Tensor G6 chipset would move to a MediaTek M90 modem, ending Google’s reliance on Samsung’s Exynos modems. The chip is also expected to pack ARM C1 cores in a 1+4+2 configuration, along…

Motorola is not the name I expect to see on a genuinely good laptop. A stylish phone? Sure. A foldable with some personality? Absolutely. But a thin-and-light notebook that actually feels well judged on both design and value was a genuine surprise. And yet, the Moto Book 60 Pro is one of the more quietly impressive laptops in its segment. With the broader laptop market being in a mess, Motorola’s laptops feel refreshing. It is capable, attractive, and still approachable at a time when pricing elsewhere has become increasingly rough. The design still does the “wait, Motorola made this?” thing…

Every time someone hands me a Galaxy Z Flip and asks what I think, the conversation eventually lands in the same place — that crease. You can feel it under your thumb when you’re scrolling. You can see it catch the light at certain angles. For a phone that costs a lot, it’s the sort of detail that quietly eats at you. So when supply chain rumblings suggest the Z Flip 8 is finally getting Samsung’s crease-free display structure — the same technology the company has been refining on the Fold side — it’s worth paying attention, even if the…

Apple has spent the better part of the last year looking like the most composed player in a room full of people setting their own furniture on fire. While Microsoft was hiking Surface prices to genuinely eye-watering levels and Chinese OEMs were watching their flagship ambitions evaporate under the weight of component costs, Apple held the line — a quiet confidence that felt almost theatrical. It was impressive while it lasted. It just didn’t last long enough. Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring is now calling it: the iPhone 18 lineup will likely cost $100 more than the iPhone 17 generation…

A growing wave of online voices warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence—often dubbed “AI doom influencers” – is reshaping how the public and policymakers view the technology. According to a report by The Washington Post, these influencers, including researchers, tech leaders, and content creators, are increasingly highlighting worst-case scenarios, from mass job loss to existential risks posed by advanced AI systems. While critics argue that some of this messaging borders on alarmism, the conversation is no longer confined to speculation. Real-world developments in AI are beginning to mirror some of the concerns being raised, blurring the line between hype…

For years, the smartphone chip conversation has been pretty straightforward. A phone with Snapdragon inside was almost always assumed to be the better option. If it had Exynos or MediaTek, the reaction was usually more doubtful. Qualcomm earned its reputation over time, but by 2026, that hierarchy no longer feels as solid. MediaTek’s last couple of Dimensity 9000-series chips have been going neck and neck with Snapdragon 8-series SoCs, while Exynos has typically trailed behind both. Now, though, the race has become a lot more interesting. My recent time with the Galaxy S26, powered by Exynos 2600, has already surprised…

I have always loved using small phones. The last iPhone I truly loved was the iPhone 13 mini, but since it didn’t sell well enough, Apple cancelled it. Since then, I had to settle for the Pro iPhones, simply because they were the smallest option available. When Apple launched the iPhone Air, I suddenly had another option. Yes, it has a large 6.5-inch screen, but it weighs only 165 grams, which is less than the regular iPhone 17 and significantly lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro. Its slim profile makes it easier to handle than its size would suggest, and…

Great minds can figure the way out of difficult situations. Can you?  Here’s this week’s Micro Softy.  Frenchy is convicted of insensitive language that a coffee shop barista considered a micro aggression. Frenchy was convicted and sent to the Pokey Nook prison in Paris. Before being placed in isolation, he meets the Warden.  “You are our 100th prisoner. Every day, each of the 100 prisoners here must flip a switch. Prisoner #1 goes first, then #2, etc up to prisoner #100 which is you. There are two switches next to each other. You can switch either one but you can only switch one switch. We’re watching.”  The warden took a deep breath and continued.  “We’re overcrowded here. If we get one more prisoner, we have to start doubling up cells which is no good. Your crime is the least serious of all…