Author: Geek Planet

I’ve been using Pixel smartphones for a decade now, and I’ve never seen a muted refresh as the latest Pixel-A midranger. There’s plenty of chatter in the community, and deservedly so. Google’s all-new Pixel 10a doesn’t come with the dramatic spec upgrades we’ve come to expect from annual refreshes. It even makes year-over-year iPhone upgrades feel generous. The phone is strikingly similar to its predecessor, retaining the same overall design and core hardware while introducing only minor tweaks. The bezel around the display is slightly narrower, the camera module sits more flush with the back panel, and under the hood,…

TikTok still faces a ban in the United States. But based on the signals they’re getting from the platforms’ agency reps and their own risk calculations, media buyers and brand marketers are willing to bet it isn’t going anywhere.In fact, despite caveats over the platform’s future, investment is rising. Rather than slow down in anticipation of a shutdown (which would have kicked in June 19, prior to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order), brand spending on TikTok increased from $542 million in April to $588 million in May, according to estimates shared with Digiday by MediaRadar. Last month’s ad spend…

Following last year’s design overhaul and the addition of a retro film-style camera feature, Google is rolling out another update for Snapseed on iOS. The latest release refines the Snapseed camera, making it easier to access and adding new capabilities. When Google first debuted the Snapseed camera last year, users could only access it from a Lock Screen widget, the Control Center, or using the Camera Control button. With version 3.15.0, the company has added a new camera shortcut in the top-right corner of the app’s interface, allowing users to launch the Snapseed camera from within the app. 9to5Google reports…

Microsoft has issued an unusual public advisory telling users to uninstall the Windows 11 January 2026 security update (KB5074109) after widespread reports that it is causing serious system and application issues. The update, which began rolling out automatically on January 13 and advances affected systems to OS Build 26200.7623 or similar releases, has been linked to problems including Outlook Classic freezing, black screens, and app crashes. The hardest hit appear to be users of Outlook Classic who rely on POP email accounts or local PST files, particularly those stored in cloud folders such as OneDrive. For these users, Outlook may…

If you’ve ever paid off your Verizon phone and waited what felt like forever to unlock it, you’re not alone. What’s more, Verizon now appears to agree. Following backlash over a new 35-day waiting period for unlocking fully paid-off devices, the carrier has acknowledged in a statement to Android Authority that the process is frustrating and states that relief is coming soon. Under Verizon’s updated unlocking policy, postpaid customers who settle a device’s balance through common channels like the My Verizon app, online my account payment, or using a Verizon gift card may face a 35-day delay before their phone…

Samsung’s new Bixby beta is a direct push to make the assistant feel more like ChatGPT or Gemini, but with a clearer job, running your Galaxy phone. Instead of barking precise commands, you’re supposed to talk normally and let it translate intent into actions. The update is tied to One UI 8.5 and starts in select markets, including Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK, and the US Samsung says a wider expansion is coming, but it hasn’t shared a timeline or a list of supported devices, so availability will vary by model and region. The headline feature is fewer trips…

WhatsApp is introducing a small but meaningful tweak to group chats, and it addresses a longstanding annoyance for anyone who has ever added a new member to an ongoing conversation. Until now, new group chat members could only see messages sent after they were added, so they were dropped in with zero context. In busy family threads, office groups, or event planning chats, newcomers were often thrown into the middle of a conversation with no clue what had already been discussed. The usual workaround involved copying and pasting key messages or sending a string of screenshots to bring them up…

It turns out that when the smartest AI models “think,” they might actually be hosting a heated internal debate. A fascinating new study co-authored by researchers at Google has thrown a wrench into how we traditionally understand artificial intelligence. It suggests that advanced reasoning models – specifically DeepSeek-R1 and Alibaba’s QwQ-32B – aren’t just crunching numbers in a straight, logical line. Instead, they appear to be behaving surprisingly like a group of humans trying to solve a puzzle together. The paper, published on arXiv with the evocative title Reasoning Models Generate Societies of Thought, posits that these models don’t merely…

It seems the ad networks have finally hit their maturation curve, inking partnerships with ad tech and off-site platforms to prove their value beyond lower-funnel conversions.  Last week, a flurry of product, measurement and partnership announcements came out of this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from the likes of DoorDash Ads, Albertsons Media Collective and Walmart Connect. To media buyers, all signs point to a new, necessary — and more attractive — phase of growth for retail, commerce and ad networks. “We’re seeing more convergence between commerce, media, and technology with new partnerships and capabilities designed to bring better…

With the iPhone 16e, Apple tried to revive the affordable iPhone segment by offering a familiar form factor and capable hardware. But despite that, 2025’s cheapest iPhone release wasn’t as hot and popular as the other ones. Well, that could change with the arrival of the iPhone 17e. With detailed rumors pouring in for over six months now, the iPhone 17e is among the most-anticipated Apple product launches in the first half of the year, and so far, the rumor mill has only been kind to the device. So, without any further ado, here’s everything we know about the iPhone…