Author: Geek Planet

It looks like the digital infatuation with artificial intelligence has cooled off, as people are either quitting AI chatbots entirely or have stopped sharing their personal information with them.  According to a new report from Malwarebytes, the so-called fascination with chatbots is slowly but steadily being replaced by a more aware and proactive public that isn’t just concerned about privacy, but is also taking action to address these concerns.  Is the AI spark gone in 2026? In a survey conducted by Malwarebytes, 90% of respondents said they’re worried about AI (in any form) using their data without their consent, and…

Gemini avatar features could soon let you place a digital version of yourself into AI-generated images and videos without picking up your camera. A recent Google app build points to tools that scan your face and turn it into a reusable 3D model inside Gemini, as seen in Android Authority’s APK breakdown. The concept builds on Android XR’s earlier Likeness system, which created a realistic stand-in for video calls. Now it’s moving beyond headsets. The same approach is showing up inside Gemini, with signs it could work on phones and desktop browsers. Instead of taking a new selfie every time,…

When consultant Matt Ryan emerged from last month’s meeting with the CEOs of Omnicom and IPG, one thought stuck with him. Between their fanfare over the proposed union and the swift clap backs from rivals, it’s clear the holding company era is finished. The future belongs to operating companies, where agencies function as a cohesive whole rather than a collection of loosely connected firms.“I came away from it [the meeting] thinking they’re really pitching this new company as a unified one — they’re really going to operate it like, like, one big company as opposed to lots of smaller ones,”…

Apple quietly distinguished the iPhones by making everyday use smooth and frictionless. For years, AirDrop was one of the clearest examples of that. Sending files between Apple devices felt effortless, while Android users were dealing with links, apps, cable transfers, or the classic “just send it on WhatsApp.” Samsung rolling out native support for AirDrop to Quick Share on the Galaxy S26 was genuinely a great move. It makes cross-platform sharing feel less stupid and more open. This follows Google’s Pixel 10 lineup, which was the first Android family to introduce native AirDrop compatibility. So, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 is making…

It’s hard to ignore the sweeping changes to corporate and federal diversity, equity and inclusion policies, as brands like Target, Walmart and now Paramount, for example, continue to retool or walk back their DEI policies. Hyundai, meanwhile, says its multicultural marketing efforts and budget commitments will remain in place. Erik Thomas, director of experiential and multicultural marketing at Hyundai Motor America, told Digiday that multicultural audiences represent an estimated 30% of the automotive brand sales. (Thomas did not disclose exact revenue figures.) According to Hyundai’s 2024 annual and Q4 business results, the automotive brand’s global annual revenue increased 7.7% to 175.2…

With the launch of its new Core Ultra 200HX Plus series today, Intel is cashing in on 40 years of workload-optimization experience in a single revolutionary feature — the Intel Binary Optimization Tool (IBOT). The premise is quite interesting. Whether an app was built for an AMD chip or an older Intel architecture, or a game was built for a PlayStation, IBOT helps squeeze out more instructions per cycle to deliver better performance without requiring any developer patches.  How does Intel’s Binary Optimization Tool work? IBOT works behind the scenes at runtime, re-optimizing apps and games (basically the code that…

A powerful hacking toolkit capable of compromising millions of iPhones has reportedly been leaked online, raising fresh concerns about mobile security and the growing accessibility of advanced cyber weapons. Security researchers warn that the publicly available exploit kit could allow even low-skilled hackers to target vulnerable Apple devices at scale. A Dangerous Tool Now In The Open According to a Techcrunch report, a version of the “DarkSword” exploit kit – previously used in targeted cyberattacks – has now been published online, including on platforms like GitHub. The leaked files are relatively simple, consisting of basic web technologies like HTML and…

If you ask today’s marketers what’s important to them, you’ll hear a common refrain: They want their brands to truly be part of culture. But what does that actually mean and how are marketers going about making that happen?There’s a necessary recalibration of control and planning. Culture is ever changing, ephemeral and impossible to predict — and yet, today’s marketers are more beholden to the cultural zeitgeist than ever, intent on finding ways for their brands to be part of whatever the obsession of the moment may be and capitalizing on that. To be part of the cultural zeitgeist requires…

The long-rumored Google platform that merges Android and ChromeOS into one might be closer to being announced than previously anticipated. Aluminium OS has been seemingly confirmed, with an official release possibly being around fall 2026. In a recent interview at MWC 2026, Sameer Samat, President of Google’s Android Ecosystem, revealed that the new OS could begin rolling out later this year. But this isn’t just any new OS; it’s a sign of big changes to come. Wait, what’s Aluminium OS? In short, Aluminium OS might be Google’s next big bet as a Windows rival. Early reports and leaks have suggested…

Amazon just raised the walls of its walled garden. Last week, the company finally pulled back the curtain on its long-awaited Alexa overhaul, a chattier, more personalized and supposedly more useful version of its voice assistant. Generative AI powers this new version, called Alexa+, which is available beyond just Echo devices, spreading across car infotainment systems, connected TVs and anything else running Alexa. This is Amazon’s latest attempt to deliver on the grand vision it pitched a decade ago: making voice as intuitive for controlling devices as touch. So far it’s been more gimmick than game-changer, but early reactions to…