Author: Geek Planet

By now, the contours of the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google’s ad tech business are well covered – and deeply complex. Rather than rehash what’s already been parsed to death, here’s a definite (if not exhaustive) rundown of what’s actually in play as the case moves into its next chapter.  InPublishers suing platforms Out Platforms strong-arming publishers In Proposing to buy Google’s ad exchangeOutProposing to buy Google’s browser In Publisher CEOs publicly rebuking Google Out Publisher CEOs privately rebuking Google  In Cloudflare OutAppNexus In Big tech breakup remediesOut Big tech behavioral remedies  In Saying the open web is dyingOut Saying the open web is evolving InPublishers hiring AI negotiators OutPublishers…

If you’re a fan of rocket launches, then you’ll absolutely love these charts created by Flight Atlas. The site launched earlier this year but a recent post on X by Rocket Lab chief Peter Beck has brought it wider exposure. Flight Atlas lets you filter rocket launches in a myriad of ways, including rocket type, date, country, and company. Hover the mouse over each rocket image to pull up the vehicle information and launch details.  Even better, it presents the data using stunning visuals that depict each and every rocket ever used, and presents them in size proportion based on…

Generative AI is taking over the discovery phase, thanks to shoppers starting their online search with AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or AI Mode. But as is with all things AI, changes are moving faster than marketers and their tech stacks can keep up with. No doubt, generative AI has become a permanent fixture in marketers’ tool kit. The question is if said tools have advanced enough to close the gap between shopper behavior and marketing infrastructure.  Research and data points paint a picture of marketers struggling with measurement, fragmented ad tech stacks and operational readiness amidst shoppers’ rising expectations…

Engineers at MIT and Stanford University have developed a vine-like robotic gripper that wraps around objects before gently lifting them. The innovative robot consists of a pressurized box that releases inflatable tubes capable of expanding around objects before retracting to lift them. The engineers have designed it to safely handle fragile objects like a glass vase, as well as heavier and awkwardly shaped ones like watermelons. In what could turn out to be groundbreaking development for the care industry, it can even lift a human. Compared to some of the other care-focused robots like the abandoned Robear, this new design…

Last week, Digiday noted how 2025’s mergers and acquisitions were characterized more by a whimper than a bang, and the following day, that rang true with Integral Ad Science confirming its public market exit. The question is, just how many more deflated exits can we expect?  IAS will be acquired by Novacap in a $1.9 billion all-cash deal, ending months of speculation over the ad verification company’s future ownership, with the private equity firm set to pay a 22% premium for IAS.  The deal is expected to close before the end of 2025, with Vista Equity Partners, IAS’ largest shareholder, will…

The Carl Pei-led smartphone manufacturer Nothing is gearing up to launch two new smartphones: the Phone 4a and the Phone 4a Pro. How do we know that? Well, the handsets have been appearing in various regulatory databases, with the most recent listings from authorities in the UAE and the EU. First, let’s talk about the cheaper model of the two, the Nothing Phone 4a. It has recently appeared on the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) certification database in the UAE. With the model number “A069” (via Gadgets360). Early clues from global certifications It could cost around $475 for…

Ad creatives are becoming more forgiving about the use of generative AI outside the office walls. Creative agencies used to maintain red lines over AI usage — limiting tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion for repetitive, time-consuming tasks like storyboarding that wouldn’t make it to the TV screen — reserving actual production to people with cameras and clackerboards. That’s changed in the last year. Hundreds of brands have now released AI ads made from whole cloth for TV and social. “We have seen a shift in client openness to fully AI developed campaigns,” said Christian Pierre, global chief intelligence officer, Gut. “Generative…

Samsung has finally confirmed one of the most interesting and useful Galaxy S26’s new “Privacy Display” feature. We’ve been hearing about it for quite some time, as the initial rumors surfaced in the third quarter of 2025, but the company announced it earlier today with a newsroom post and a couple of videos. “Samsung will soon unveil a new layer of privacy to shield your phone from shoulder surfing wherever you go,” writes the company. The “new layer of privacy” refers to a screen with variable visibility from different viewing angles. What exactly is Samsung’s “Privacy Display” Have you ever…

The shift to macOS Tahoe introduced a whole bunch of upgrades to core Mac systems. Spotlight, in particular, got some noteworthy tweaks such as support for custom shortcuts and an improved AI-powered search system. The disappearance of LaunchPad, however, proved to be a controversial change. Apple also didn’t pay attention to deeper cross-app integrations that have made apps such as RayCast a hot favorite in the user community. The new Spotlight wants to be the hub of your core Mac activities, but not without its fair share of clutter and a few big omissions. And let’s not forget the Dock has remained…

We tend to associate heavy smartphone and internet use with negative mental health outcomes, as we should, but what about the spiritual side effects of the technology? What is social media, pornography, and the litanies of short-form content doing to the souls of kids? To everyone? Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist at New York University, offered us a frightening proposition to the question in a new essay at The Free Press, later published at his Substack, After Babel. Haidt references a trend to ask ChatGPT that, if the bot were the devil, how it would “ruin the next generation.” Essentially,…