Google is not expected to release Android 16 to the public for a few months, but there has already been significant buzz around the update. The most recent news about the update comes from Android Authority, and it’s particularly exciting for tablet users. The report indicates that Android 16 will significantly enhance the split-screen mode. Inspired by OnePlus’ Open Canvas feature for the OnePlus Open—and later adapted for the OnePlus Pad 2—this update will enable users to run up to three apps simultaneously. Two apps will occupy 90% of the display in this setup, while the third will take up…
Author: Olsi
In an apparent response to the Concord disaster, Sony has cancelled two live-service games, including one potential God of War title. However, in a bit of good news in light of the layoffs rocking the game industry, Sony says neither of its two studios are at risk of closure. Jason Schreier of Bloomberg reports that Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, both PlayStation studios, were working on two separate live service games — a venture Sony has been heavily invested in. Last year, Sony saw one of its worst failures in the launch of Concord, alongside a massive success with Helldivers II. Live service…
Many tech brands are developing next-generation innovations for upcoming products, giving the industry just a taste of what can be expected in the future. Samsung is one brand leading the charge, as its Samsung Display sector is a primary supplier for display panels throughout the industry. It recently showcased several upcoming technologies, including a 27-inch 5K QD-OLED display. FlatPanelsHD spoke with Samsung Display at CES 2025, where the publication received a private demo of the next generation QD-OLED monitors with a 220 PPI (pixels per inch) pixel density. It describes the 5K (5,120 x 2,880) resolution display as noticeably brighter…
The Samsung Galaxy S26 — yes, you read that correctly — might get a big battery life boost. Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is just five days away, poised and ready to reveal all the details about the Galaxy S25 lineup, so the last thing we expected was to hear whispers about the Galaxy S26 this early on, but after Samsung’s reveal that it plans to use high-density battery tech in its wearables, the obvious question became: when will phones get it. The Galaxy S26 might come with a silicon-carbon battery, according to tipster Jukanlosreve. They cite Ice Universe, another trusted…
Google says it has begun requiring users to turn on JavaScript, the widely used programming language to make web pages interactive, in order to use Google Search. In an email to The Tech Spot, a company spokesperson claimed that the change is intended to “better protect” Google Search against malicious activity, such as bots and spam, and to improve the overall Google Search experience for users. The spokesperson noted that, without JavaScript, many Google Search features won’t work properly and that the quality of search results tends to be degraded. Enabling JavaScript allows us to better protect our services and…
Amazon bought renewable power at a rapid clip last year, adding around 100 new projects and bumping its portfolio to over 33 gigawatts of generating capacity. That’s over 10 gigawatts more than its nearest competitor, Apple. The additions made Amazon the largest corporate purchaser of renewable power, according to BloombergNEF. The company’s total portfolio is split roughly evenly between utility-scale wind and solar farms and on-site solar power projects. In total, it’s enough to power 8.3 million homes, Amazon said. Amazon’s renewable and storage contracts have allowed it to reduce emissions from purchased electricity, so-called Scope 2 emissions, even as…
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on Friday, effectively banning the social network in the country starting Sunday, January 19. The New York Times reported that this decision was unanimous, 9-0. The decision means that U.S. operations for the popular app must shut down this weekend to comply with a 2024 law that President Biden signed that forced the Chinese-based network from operating in the States. The Court notes: “Congress has determined that divestiture (of TikTok) is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. Last year, the…
A cyberattack and data breach at U.S. edtech giant PowerSchool that was discovered December 28 threatens to expose the private data of tens of millions of schoolchildren and teachers. PowerSchool told customers the breach was linked to the compromise of a subcontractor’s account. Tech Tech Spot learned this week of a separate security incident, involving a PowerSchool software engineer, whose computer was infected with malware that stole their company credentials prior to the cyberattack. It’s unlikely the subcontractor mentioned by PowerSchool and the engineer identified by Tech Tech Spot are the same person. The theft of the engineer’s credentials raises…
In a bid to make its Gemini chatbot app more of one-stop shop, Google says it’s working with The Associated Press to build “a feed of real-time information” in Gemini. Jaffer Zaidi, Google’s VP of global news partnerships, said that the goal is to “further enhance the usefulness of results” in the Gemini experience. “As we develop new AI offerings and product[s], we’re identifying specific types of information and data that can help improve our products and services for people everywhere,” Zaidi wrote in a blog post. “This [new feed] will be particularly helpful to our users looking for up-to-date…
An uproar with a popular Kindle competitor e-reader has showcased how the use of Chinese AI models in US products could unwittingly spread Chinese propaganda. An LLM made by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance was used by an e-reader called Boox, according to screenshots about the AI shared on Reddit. When asked questions about China and its allies, this LLM spouted Chinese government propaganda, sparking an outcry from users, according to the post and TechCrunch’s interactions with this LLM. The LLM in question was ByteDance’s Doubao, which is offered as an API under ByteDance’s cloud services division Volcano Engine. But the…
