Author: Geek Planet

There’s a certain comfort in downloading an app that millions of others already use. If it’s trending, topping charts, and splashed across your feed, it must be safe… right? Not quite. A new warning from the FBI suggests that some of the most popular apps on your smartphone — yes, the ones you casually installed during a late-night scroll — could be quietly collecting far more data than you ever intended to share. And the concern isn’t limited to one country. It’s global, messy, and a lot closer to home than it sounds. The problem isn’t the app — it’s…

This republished article first appeared in New English Review Before Jesus Christ was sentenced to death, Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat when his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” (Matthew 27:19) The Bible has many references to dreams. But what are these mysterious thoughts that occupy our minds as we sleep? Throughout human history, dreams have been the subject in numerous writings and works of art, from poetry to music lyrics, cinema, theatre, and literature. However, humans…

If you have ever been mid-conversation with Copilot, clicked a link, and then spent the next few minutes trying to find your way back, you know exactly how disruptive that experience is. Every time you open a link, your browser fires up, your workflow breaks, and suddenly you are juggling tabs across two separate apps.  It’s a small inconvenience that adds up fast, and I am happy that Microsoft is fixing this issue with a new update to the Copilot app on Windows. No more browser hopping Links you click inside Copilot will now open in a side pane right…

Samsung Galaxy S26 MSRP $899.00 “A polished design, smooth software, and strong everyday performance make the Galaxy S26 easy to like, but its dated cameras, slow charging, and safe upgrades dull the appeal.” Pros Compact and comfortable flagship design Bright, smooth AMOLED display with uniform bezels Exynos 2600 performs well in real-world use One UI 8.5 remains one of Android’s richest software experiences Cons Camera hardware feels dated for the price 25W charging is hard to defend in 2026 Battery life is respectable, not reliable No magnet for Qi2 wireless charging Over the years, I’ve shifted my daily driver across…

Samsung has been quietly cooking up smart glasses since 2023, and at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, executive vice president Jay Kim finally let some details slip to CNBC. Not everything — Samsung isn’t that generous — but enough to understand what the company is actually building. Here’s the confirmed bit: the glasses will have a camera positioned at eye level. That camera feeds what you’re looking at directly to a connected Galaxy smartphone, which handles all the processing and sends useful information back to you. The glasses are the eyes; your phone is the brain. Glasses as the eyes, phone…

Most of the iPhone 18 buzz has been around the Pro models, and for good reason. Upgraded cameras, a punch hole selfie camera, and the long-awaited iPhone Fold are all competing for attention. But what about the standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2? A leaker answered both questions, and the answers are surprisingly uneventful. Over the weekend, Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital shared two posts covering Apple’s less-talked-about upcoming iPhones. The first one is pretty straightforward: the standard iPhone 18 will look almost identical to the iPhone 17. The leaker says the design will remain largely unchanged, with…

Apple says its newly launched MacBook Neo is the company’s most environmentally sustainable product so far, incorporating more recycled materials than any previous Apple device. The claim was highlighted by Molly Anderson, Apple’s vice president of industrial design, in a recent interview discussing how the company approached designing its newest entry-level laptop. Apple’s Sustainability Push With MacBook Neo Apple introduced the MacBook Neo earlier in March as its most affordable laptop yet, starting at $599, with a discounted $499 price for students. The device targets first-time Mac buyers, students, and everyday users who need a capable laptop for tasks such…

The next big thing from OnePlus may still be a couple of months away, but the leaks have already started doing what they do best: spilling just enough tea to keep things interesting. And this time, it’s all about the camera. If the latest whispers are anything to go by, the OnePlus 16 could be gearing up for a rather ambitious upgrade, one that leans heavily into zoom photography and, of course, about the megapixels, too. A 200MP camera? According to well-known tipster Digital Chat Station, the OnePlus 16 is expected to feature a 200MP sensor. That alone is enough…

At ID the Future, Andrew McDiarmid has been interviewing psychologist Alexander Batthyány and neurosurgeon Michael Egnor on terminal lucidity (TL) — the sudden lucidity often experienced by people who will shortly die — even people with dementia. Here’s the video at YouTube.Batthyány wrote a book on TL, Threshold (2023), based on a study he had conducted. Egnor’s recent book The Immortal Mind: (2025) also looks at the mind’s mysterious au revoir. But how to understand it? Batthyány and Egnor agreed that terminal lucidity is a similar phenomenon to near-death experiences, where a patient is clinically dead but can be revived…

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund has raised concerns about the growing use of artificial intelligence chatbots in children’s toys, warning that some of these systems may not be suitable for young users. According to the report, several AI-powered toys integrate chatbot technology that can generate responses similar to those used in adult-focused AI services, potentially exposing children to inappropriate or misleading content. The study examined a range of toys that incorporate conversational AI features, including interactive dolls, robots, and educational gadgets. Many of these products allow children to speak with a toy…