Author: Geek Planet

Google is working on a priority charging feature designed for moments when you need power quickly. The option, uncovered in Android 17 beta code by Android Authority, focuses on boosting usable battery in a short window without shutting down core phone functions. Instead of pushing higher charging speeds, the system shifts power toward the battery by dialing back background activity. Calls and texts still come through, but less critical processes pause so more energy goes into charging. That signals a practical shift. This feature targets quick top-ups before heading out, not long overnight sessions. It also suggests tighter control over…

Android 17 is shaping up to be quite an important update, especially if you care about camera quality across apps. Google is introducing a new way for phone makers to extend their custom camera features system-wide, which could finally close the gap between stock camera apps and third-party ones. How is Android changing camera access for apps? Up until now, Android has offered a limited set of standard camera extensions like HDR and Night mode to third-party apps. While useful, they barely scratch the surface of what modern smartphone cameras can actually do. With Android 17 Beta 3, Google has…

When ad agencies first began signing up to the B Corp movement, execs hoped the climate-friendly status would appeal to new clients and draw industry recruits (as well as further environmental causes). Last week, Stagwell media agency Assembly certified its European and Asia-Pacific businesses as B Corps. Its U.S., African and Indian businesses are also going through the certification process. At the same time, global full-service agency Dept re-certified its B Corp status — expanding its climate and social commitments beyond its European base and across its global network. Less attention has been given to the companies pulling back from…

Buying a gaming laptop or GPU might soon become significantly more expensive, especially if you’re looking at MSI hardware. According to Economic Daily News, MSI has indicated that it plans to raise prices for gaming laptops, desktops, and graphics cards by roughly 15% to 30% as the company grapples with soaring component costs. The announcement reportedly came during an investor briefing, where executives acknowledged mounting pressure from the ongoing global memory shortage. The update was shared by MSI General Manager Huang Jinqing, who warned investors that the broader PC market could shrink by 10% to 20% in 2026 due to…

Instagram could soon let users continue their Reels binge even when they’re offline. A new leak suggests the app is working on automatic downloads for short-form videos, a move that would bring it closer to YouTube, which already allows offline viewing of Shorts. What is Instagram working on? According to a recent X post from app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is developing a feature that could automatically download Reels for offline viewing. Early screenshots suggest the app may download videos in the background, so you can keep watching even if you lose connectivity. The settings also point to some level…

Publicis on Tuesday said it plans to acquire Brazil-based influencer marketing company BR Media Group, and its network of some 500,000 creators.With another holding company acquiring an influencer marketing shop, it seems the creator mergers and acquisitions market is still hot. WPP bought influencer agencies Village Marketing in 2022 and Goat in 2023; Stagwell purchased Leaders last year and rolled the agency into Stagwell Marketing Cloud’s tech suite. Related Insights Pending regulatory approval, the Publicis deal is expected to close in late March 2025. While financial terms were not made available, this acquisition would build on a growing influencer division…

Adobe has agreed to a $150 million settlement to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit that accused the company of making its subscriptions unnecessarily difficult to cancel. As per their statement, the agreement includes $75 million in civil penalties paid to the U.S. government and another $75 million worth of free services for affected customers. The case stemmed from a 2024 lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission over Adobe’s subscription practices. Regulators alleged that Adobe hid early termination fees and created complicated cancellation processes, violating the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), which requires companies…

For years, the Apple Podcasts app supported video, at least it did technically, but nobody used it. Creators ignored it, while listeners forgot it. Meanwhile, other platforms like YouTube and Spotify quietly built empires on video podcasting. However, that changes with the iOS 26.4 update, or at least that is what Apple hopes for.  Video podcasting exploded in popularity in recent years, with audiences gravitating toward platforms that treated the format well (as already mentioned above). Despite being an iPhone user, I personally consume podcasts on YouTube (I briefly paid for the Premium membership as well).  Why did it take…

Amazon may not be the go-to for programmatic ad buys. But with each passing quarter, that assumption is looking shakier. Just look at its latest earnings: $17.3 billion in ad revenue, a 17% jump from the same period last year. Driving that growth is the Amazon Demand-Side Platform (DSP), which lets advertisers tap into its rich data to buy ads both within its walled garden and beyond.  While that premise isn’t new — it’s been pitched as a full-scale programmatic solution for years. But a steady stream of updates, partnerships and strategic moves has made it more compelling than ever.  Tinuiti’s…

A recently disclosed vulnerability in Google’s Gemini AI panel could have allowed hackers to hijack the feature and access sensitive data on a user’s device. Researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 first discovered the flaw, which is labeled as CVE-2026-0628. According to the report, the issue stemmed from how Chrome handled permissions for the Gemini side panel. This is a browser feature that integrates Google’s AI assistant directly into the browsing experience. The discovered vulnerability could have enabled malicious browser extensions with basic permissions to inject code into the Gemini panel. Since the Gemini panel runs with elevated privileges…