Technology News (Page 4)
Mobile, hardware, software, security, and startups; a summary of the most important news from the tech world.
Seabirds racing home over the ocean can get jet-lagged
Flying across several time zones often causes jet lag, a feeling when the body insists it's the middle of the night while the clock says it's lunchtime. Now it turns out this nuisance is not exclusive to humans. A new Science study on Manx shearwaters, seabirds that can fly hundreds of kilometers a day over the North Atlantic, shows they jet-lag themselves during their excursions. And because these birds navigate by…
The FDA wants to pull its approval of a drug. It’s not so easy.
In May 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration released a lengthy briefing document on an experimental medication for a rare autoimmune form of vasculitis that often damages the kidneys and lungs. The agency was on the fence about whether to approve the treatment, and it wanted an independent advisory committee to weigh in. Among the questions at hand: Was the drug meaningfully better than existing therapies?…
This Niagara-inspired launcher could (eventually) be better than the original
Niagara Launcher is undoubtedly one of the best Android home screens you can run on a modern Android phone. It’s nippy, loaded with features, and rewards both minimalists and maximalists with its thoughtful feature set. Through its obvious and lesser-known features, I’ve used it to build a brilliant productivity setup that piloted my phone for years . There’s not too much criticism I could level against Niagara, but…
3D-printed ghost guns may now have a way to be traced to their source — Australian researchers correctly identify 26 out of 28 printed PLA samples to their filament product
A study published on October 22 in the journal Forensic Science International reports that researchers from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, have developed a forensic method to analyze 3D-printed PLA parts and match them to their respective filament, correctly matching 26 out of 28 samples of PLA. This potentially provides a way to link seized 3D-printed “ghost-guns” with other seized filament, allowing police…
The 10 best custom chat themes I made in Google Messages
2026 is one of the biggest years in recent memory for Google Messages. In addition to the massive redesign that’s likely coming any day now, 2026 also gave us a long-awaited customization feature: chat themes. Chat themes rolled out to Google Messages in late August, letting you add custom colors and wallpapers to all your conversations. It’s a feature most other messaging apps have had for a while, and finally…
Skipped upgrading this year? 5 upcoming Android phones worth saving for
This year’s smartphone crop wasn’t the most exciting. Iterative releases, paired with steep price increases, made it much easier to keep your money in your wallet. As an enthusiast (and someone with column inches to fill), it’s been difficult to watch. Foldables provided a breath of fresh air, but I can’t help wondering whether better devices are on the horizon. Thankfully, the roadmap for the next few months gives…
Tech sleuth claims to have found the oldest GUI application that still works with Windows 11 — CDPLAYER.EXE from Windows NT in November 1992 wins the prize
A technology enthusiast claims that the oldest GUI application that still runs on Windows 11 is CDPLAYER.EXE from November 1992. The app had to run on Microsoft’s newest consumer OS without modifications or emulation involved to be chosen as the ‘winner’ of their experiment. Blogger Enlyth expected something from the early NT era, as Windows 11 doesn’t support 16-bit apps , despite its strong backwards…
I’d choose these earbuds over the Pixel Buds Pro 2 every time, for one simple reason
I have a love/hate relationship with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 . The design, sound quality, and functionality are excellent. However, the fit has never been quite right for me. I’ve worked to overcome this, but they always feel compromised. Then I tried the OPPO Enco X4 true wireless earbuds and found what I’ve been looking for all this time.
I hate Samsung’s default camera app — here’s what I use instead
You really have to give it to Samsung. Its camera hardware is stellar and consistently tops the charts alongside Pixels and iPhones. Even Samsung’s midrange phones have class-leading shooters . As long as you pick one of Samsung’s top-rated Galaxy phones, you’re assured a good shooting time. The story is a little different for the software. I’m not a fan of Samsung’s default camera app. Its current interface feels…
Download all 20 Apple HomeView wallpapers in light and dark mode here
Apple tonight rolled out the HomeView 27.2 system update, ahead of the device’s official launch on November 13. The update includes the device’s default wallpapers, each available in light and dark variations, which you can download below. more…
Think you can save the Hubble Space Telescope? NASA wants to know.
The Hubble Space Telescope still shines in the eyes of astronomers after 36 years in orbit, but it is not as nimble as it once was. Left alone, the observatory will plunge back into the atmosphere in the early-to-mid-2030s, closing the book on one of the most famous scientific instruments of the century. NASA last raised the orbit of Hubble in 2002, when the Space Shuttle Columbia visited the observatory for a…
WhatsApp announces four new features to make group chats easier to manage
In a blog post this week, WhatsApp confirmed that it is rolling out four new features designed to make it easier to manage group chats and keep track of what’s going on in each one. Here are the details. more…
9to5Mac Daily: October 30, 2026 – New HomePod features, more
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac . 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app , Stitcher , TuneIn , Google Play , or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Backblaze : Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily . more…
Flesh-eating screwworms are feasting on pets; 4 dogs and cat attacked this week
For a genuine fright this Halloween, you can turn your gaze to the southern border, where ravenous, flesh-eating maggots are festering and have taken to eating people's pets. This week, the country's New World Screwworm (NWS) infestation spread to a third state, Arizona, which joins New Mexico and Texas in being plagued by the horrifying parasites. To date, 74 animal cases have been identified in the US since the…
Oh captain, our captain: Ars staff remembers Patrick Stewart
Along with the rest of the world, we at Ars are mourning Sir Patrick Stewart —the beloved award-winning actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise—who died yesterday at the age of 86. A statement released by Stewart's representatives said: We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in…
Applebee’s exposed customers’ personal data after leaving database password in app
EXCLUSIVE: A security researcher discovered the hardcoded credential in Applebee's app, allowing unrestricted access to customers' personal data.
‘Pluribus’ season 2 reportedly begins filming tomorrow
According to a report published earlier this month, the second season of Apple TV’s acclaimed sci-fi drama ‘ Pluribus ’ is scheduled to begin filming tomorrow, October 31, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here’s what we know. more…
Apple Watch Ultra 4 falls to $699.99 in first major price cut
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 just got its first big price cut since launch, and it’s a strong one. On Amazon, you can grab it for $699.99 instead of its $799 RRP, which is a 12% discount and a savings of $99. See the deal at Amazon
Bose SoundLink Plus drops back to its all-time low on Amazon
The Bose SoundLink Plus is a mid-size portable Bluetooth speaker built for people who want bigger sound without jumping to a huge speaker. It sits between the smaller Flex and larger Max in Bose’s lineup, and there’s a strong deal on Amazon right now that makes it a lot more tempting. See the deal at Amazon
Exclusive details about Akai’s MPC Sample Key
Akai teased its new MPC Sample Key on Instagram earlier this week, and said it plans to open-source its software so the modding community can hack it to their hearts' delight. While there's no word yet on when the device will launch or how much it will cost, The Verge has received exclusive images of the upcoming instrument that offer some details about its feature set. While the Sample Key shares many of the same…
‘Knives Out’ director launches iPhone camera app that shoots like his movies
Hollywood director Rian Johnson ( Star Wars: The Last Jedi ) announced a new iPhone camera app that uses the same image processing techniques as his ‘ Knives Out ‘ films. Here are the details. more…
Meta settles another social media addiction case just before trial
Snap is now the only defendant in the case.
Over 25% of people lie to get antibiotics—and their lies aren't even good
A significant number of patients in the US lie to their doctors to get antibiotics they likely don't need, according to two new studies. While that may not be a startling revelation, the studies drills down on the phenomenon, finding that the lies patients tell are generally bad ones—and yet, they work almost all the time. In the two linked studies published Friday in JAMA Network Open, a team of researchers led by…
Nvidia store quietly pulls the RTX 5080 following RTX 5090 removal — street prices climb to 2.2X over MSRP
First, it was the GeForce RTX 5090 , and now the GeForce RTX 5080 – two of the best graphics cards have gone dark. After the Blackwell flagship left Nvidia's marketplace, the GeForce RTX 5080 followed suit. Prices for the sub-flagship have exploded to more than 2.2X its original $999 MSRP, and the Blackwell-powered graphics card is slowly going out of stock at various U.S. retailers. As with the recent disappearance…