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At Xiaomi's invitation, we were able to take a look at the highly automated smartphone production in Beijing. The Hyper Intelligent Manufacturing System connects machines, data, and quality assurance—with 81 percent automation and completely self-developed manufacturing technology as the key to the next industrial generation.

Windows 11 KB5077181 (OS Builds 26100.7840/26200.7840) shipped on Feb. 10, 2026. On a Lenovo LOQ test system, KB5077181 installed Feb. 11 (Build 26200.7840) and was followed by Wi-Fi instability, Bluetooth disconnects, stutter, and slow shutdowns.

The word "smartphone" is the central focus of each of the three new teaser videos released by Samsung a week before the Galaxy Unpacked launch event on February 25, 2026. While the videos highlight new camera features and the "brightest Galaxy camera system ever," they cleverly disguise the fact that Samsung's camera hardware itself will likely remain largely unchanged.

While smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi or Apple usually share impressive sample photos and videos recorded with their own smartphones, Samsung is advertising the capabilities of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera with AI slop and apparently without any quality control.

After deciding against using the ISP router in part one, it’s time to focus on hardware: what actually works best for an OpenWRT router? A mini PC, Raspberry Pi, or a traditional router? And what about the switch and access point? In this part, I’ll walk through my hardware choices, including considerations around power consumption, architecture, and cost.

The Galaxy Book 6, Galaxy Book6 Pro, and Galaxy Book6 Ultra are launching with two different display sizes, optional Nvidia RTX GPU, AMOLED or LTPS display, and state-of-the-art Intel Panther Lake processors. We have all the variants and prices, as well as our first impressions of the notebooks.
Update: Connection specifications expanded

Provider routers are convenient—but that’s exactly their biggest problem. Poor Wi-Fi coverage, limited control, questionable privacy, and technical limitations are everyday issues for many users. In this new series, I’ll gradually replace my provider’s all-in-one device (the Vodafone Station) with a modular setup using an OpenWRT router, access point, and switch. In part 1, I’ll explain why I’m taking this approach and how the project is structured.

While researching alternatives to Acer’s NitroSense and PredatorSense software, we came across two tools: NotebookFanControl and Fan Control. Both are open-source applications, primarily distributed via GitHub. Unfortunately, neither of them meets our requirements.

We had the opportunity to try out the Galaxy Z TriFold at Samsung and would like to share our first impressions of Samsung's double-folding smartphone with you here. We also compare it with the Huawei Mate XT, which has a different folding concept, and take a look at the availability of the TriFold.

CheckMag Robotic lawnmowers and pool cleaners may not be the flashiest of gadgets, but they are hallmarks of the world of practical robotics. With their advancements, these devices are gradually strengthening the backbone of an industry poised to save users from even the most menial of tasks.

In this second part of the series, we take a closer look at Asus gaming laptops. The open-source alternative this time is called G-Helper. While Asus Armoury Crate weighs in at a staggering 4 GB, G-Helper comes in at a ridiculous 5 MB — yet remains extremely powerful.

Control center apps from major laptop manufacturers such as Asus Armoury Crate or Lenovo Vantage have grown into bloated, resource-hungry packages packed with ads and tracking. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Slim open-source tools, often just a few megabytes in size, can offer a very similar feature set—without the bloatware. In this new article series, we take a close look at the best open-source alternatives for gaming laptops and explain who actually benefits from switching.

What might be the world's most popular forum appears to have rather hostile policies towards new users, with support basically unreachable and rules on what exactly newly created accounts can or can't do unclear at best.

Shindash's upcoming Shadow Generations level pack has been showcased in full, featuring "Skyward Castle", "Ark Rush", "White Citadel", "Steampunk Canyon", "Digital Circuit", and "Fog Forest". These levels feature new assets, high difficulty, and epic length with several branching paths.

Two things can be true: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a largely solitary masterpiece, and you’ve always wanted to bump into your friends in Novigrad. The new Witcher Online mod aims to do exactly that, adding multiplayer to CDPR’s RPG while still letting you run your own saves and story progress.

CheckMag Jailbreaking your Kindle with WinterBreak or AdBreak is easier than you might think, and when combined with KOReader and KindleForge, Amazon's e-reader can be made far better than Amazon would want.

Many generative AI detection programs have failed to recognize whether an image of a woman holding a banana is indeed AI generated. But if you look closely at the image, you will see enough clues that suggest it is not a real photo. We show you what to look for when you suspect an AI photo.

Digital Foundry, Hardware Unboxed, and other reputable sources are singing the praises of Nvidia's latest & greatest gaming monitor advancement and its elimination of sample-and-hold blur. It's not perfect, but motion has reportedly never been clearer on a flat panel.

CheckMag After years of owning Google's latest flagships and getting bored with the minor iterations, I decided to make the jump to my first foldable. While on paper, the extra screen real estate was its biggest selling point, the reality of owning a foldable is to compromise in almost every way.

CheckMag Lenovo used to have a design feature called the roll cage in ThinkPads, a Magnesium frame that strengthened the chassis stability and protected the internals. This feature is back in a new iteration called "Space Frame" on the new ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 G11 and X1 Carbon G14. We were able to take a look at both at CES 2026.

CheckMag With multiple new Macs expected to arrive in 2026, questions around when to buy have become increasingly relevant. This article outlines upcoming Mac and MacBook models and explains what expected updates mean for buyers considering a new Apple computer in the near term.

After Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro caused serious ear infections in numerous customers, a Galaxy Ring with a swollen battery has crushed a user's finger. Samsung's response is the same as it was back then: the health and safety of customers is clearly not a priority.

CheckMag With the growing number of users jumping from Windows to Linux, I decided to fully take the plunge and dive deep into the Open Source ocean. A few months and several headaches later, it has proved to be the best computer-related decision I've made in over a decade (and perhaps in my entire life).

There's always a color that manufacturers veer towards in a year, launching several of their products in the same or similar hue. For 2025, Blue seems to have been that color as several brands including Google, OnePlus, Motorola, Samsung, and Xiaomi launched at least one blue phone.

Modder Kongmeng brings Yami Yugi, main character of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, to Dragon Ball FighterZ via PC game modding. But this is no common cosmetic mod—a fully-custom moveset, including monster summons, spell cards, and even the ability to lose by running out of cards, are all present.

YouTuber The Greatest Developer has made a strong debut onto the platform. In his video released on Nov 27, 2025, The Greatest Developer unveils Real War (Not Fake), a take on one of the many fake ad games that's surprisingly fun and addictive. The content creator has 2 videos listed as of Dec 18.

CheckMag When a bored student discovered a mysterious device on the school's Wi-Fi network, questions arose about the hidden IoT infrastructure in public service buildings. Unsurprisingly, the true nature of these devices raises privacy concerns and, ironically, questions their safety.

CheckMag Android adaptive icons theme every icon on your device for that consistent look. However, unlike iOS, there is always at least one stubborn icon that doesn't support it. This icon pack supports dynamic colours and does a way better job than Google's tinted, or adaptive icons.

CheckMag Apple’s iOS 26.2 is positioned as a refinement update following the uneven rollout of earlier versions. In testing, the update focuses on improving overall system responsiveness and day-to-day stability rather than introducing new features. While some inconsistencies remain, iOS 26.2 delivers a more polished experience than its immediate predecessors, making it a notable step forward for the iOS 26 cycle.

Not sure which portable power station is right for you? We’ve curated a list of the best portable power stations, which helps you to pick the best power station for any budget.

I put my Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Aura Edition's touchscreen to the ultimate test: using it exclusively for a week. Can it really replace your traditional mouse? Find out the pros, cons, and surprising results.

I find the idea of self-hosting fascinating. I read about it regularly, and as someone who reviews PC hardware, I’m practically surrounded by ideal conditions—and gear—to finally get started. I’ve even tested devices that would be perfect for it. Yet despite thinking about it constantly, I still haven’t fully committed. Why?

No, I’m not talking about the social consequences. Our electric sonic toothbrush simply died after about 18 months. The replacement quit even sooner. Both units ended up with the exact same issue, which likely has to do with the fact that my partner and I share one toothbrush body—though of course not the brush heads.

CheckMag Early leaks point to notable design and hardware changes for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17e, including a more modern front layout and upgrades borrowed from the latest flagship models. With Apple expected to keep the starting price the same, the 17e is positioned as a more ambitious entry in the company’s budget line. A launch is rumoured for early 2026.

Need to create a Windows rescue boot stick? Or a USB for Linux Mint, another for Kali Linux, or Tails? Finding the right boot sticks used to be a hassle for me—but now I can handle Windows, Linux, and more with a single USB stick, thanks to Ventoy.

When you look at modern graphics cards, there is always the question about VRAM. Is 8 GB of mainstream GPUs like the GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 really sufficient, or are you going to have problems? We tested it with a couple of modern games.

Chatbots come with built-in safeguards designed to prevent them from producing harmful, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate content. But researchers and hackers have shown that, even with multiple patches, AIs can still be vulnerable to certain inputs that bypass those guardrails. One way to explore the basics is through an online game called Gandalf.

CheckMag GrapheneOS, the privacy and security focused aftermarket operating system, has received an experimental build for the Pixel 10 series, marking the first custom ROM available for the range.

As a laptop reviewer, I take countless screenshots during every test—benchmark results, control-center settings, and more. I need a tool that’s lightweight, captures screenshots quickly, and automatically saves them to a predefined folder in the format I want so I don’t have to convert anything afterward. This tool checks all those boxes and runs on every PC I use.

Copying text from a Word document is easy. But how many times have I watched a YouTube video and wished for a tool that could extract the text shown on screen? Well, the open source app Text Grab can do exactly that — and more.

Google’s Project Suncatcher aims to build AI data centers in space. The company's pitch is near-limitless solar energy. But experts say cooling in a vacuum is difficult, and the plan could worsen space debris and light pollution already troubling scientists.

What kind of storage is faster than any SSD? Your system memory. With an open-source tool, you can spin up a virtual drive directly in RAM — and it’s ridiculously fast. It’s not just useful for testing, either. With a bit of experimentation, it can be handy in everyday work, too.

In my hunt for an affordable but reliable smartwatch (around €50) with basic features and long battery life, I came across the Amazfit Active 2—listed as “Like New” for €51.70 through Amazon Warehouse Deals. Is this finally the one?

CheckMag November saw a heavy wave of watch releases from Casio, Seiko and Citizen, including new full-metal models, compact automatics, collaborative drops and several limited editions. Many pieces launched in regional batches and are already seeing fast sell-through.

I wanted a round smartwatch with long battery life and a vibration alarm that I can set directly on the watch — without annoying smartphone pairing. It basically didn’t need to do much at all, but it should be inexpensive. So I ordered one of those €20 models from Aliexpress. Here’s what I got.

CheckMag Moon phase watches are gaining ground for their charm and appeal. Given this is the 100th anniversary of the first moonphase complication, this list rounds up 5 of the best moonphase watches under $200, including picks from Casio, Timex, Fossil, and Citizen.