Software

Google is rolling out updates to the Google Home app (including version 4.8) that aim to improve Nest camera “close-to-live” playback reliability and reduce “Video not available” errors when opening recent clips from notifications.

The latest round of Mini Apps for Amazfit smartwatches has been announced. The line-up includes a mini golf game, a speedometer and a tactical radar app. Plus, the most popular new release according to Zepp Health’s weekly downloads chart is the HZ-Engine Launcher.

The Home Assistant 2026.2 release is now available. It comes with a new default Home Dashboard, a power distribution card and a Quick search function. Plus, there are a series of new integrations, including Cloudflare R2, and a tweak to make the separation between add-ons and integrations clearer.

Garmin has started offering a new update to some of its recent Pro smartwatches. Available as an OTA download, the update is said to resolve a major GPS issue that has affected recent builds.

Google’s February 2026 Pixel update is a security-only release with one high-severity Pixel-specific fix. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series appear to be excluded again, prompting fresh questions about update cadence.

Nvidia’s beta GeForce NOW app is now available for Linux (Ubuntu 24.04+). Here’s what you can expect from the first release.

Four Amazfit wearables are set to get more software updates than expected. Zepp Health, the company behind the brand, has quietly confirmed that some smartwatch models from the T-Rex, Balance and Active series now have a later security update end-of-life date.

Microsoft is pivoting engineering teams to a new "swarming" model to fix Windows 11 performance and reliability issues after a wave of buggy 2026 updates.

Microsoft has expanded a confirmed Windows restart-on-shutdown bug to include some Windows 10 systems with Virtual Secure Mode enabled. Here’s what’s affected and what’s fixed so far.

A smart ring with blood glucose monitoring? One manufacturer at least indirectly promises this feature, even though there are several limitations. The blood sugar won’t be displayed as an exact value, but rather as a range. This also means that certain groups of users shouldn’t rely on this wearable.

Xiaomi is wrapping up its HyperOS 3 rollout in China, pushing the stable update to 20 additional phones, tablets, and smart TVs, including several older flagships. The global rollout, however, is expected to run through March, with several popular devices still waiting for the latest update.

Moltbook, a Reddit-style forum for AI agents, is going viral as researchers report exposed emails, DMs, and agent tokens... raising authenticity concerns.

Garmin has released a new update to many of its high-end smartwatches. While a new stable update is ready just yet, the new beta is said to improve the workout experience for multiple smartwatches while also resolving a bug that prevented alarms from functioning correctly.

Microsoft has officially confirmed a critical regression in the January 13, 2026, security update (KB5073455) that prevents affected Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems from shutting down or entering hibernation.

Back in September 2025, Xiaomi shared a list of devices that are eligible to receive the new HyperOS 3 update. As XiaomiTime's tracker shows, 95% of the planned phones and tablets have already received the update, and only a few are left.

Home Assistant has released a new update for its Android companion app. Version 2026.1.6 brings notable improvements for Assist voice controls. Plus, there is an enhanced entity picker and a redesigned user onboarding experience, as seen in earlier updates for the iOS version of the company’s app.

Garmin has released a fresh update to many of its high-end smartwatches. Rolling out globally, the new update introduces improvements ahead of an impending stable software rollout.

Windows 11’s January 2026 KB5074105 preview update for 24H2 and 25H2 adds new features like Android cross-device Resume and MIDI upgrades while fixing Start menu, black screen, and graphics issues from earlier patches.

The launch of TikTok's new US joint venture is proving bumpy, with the first week marked by a massive increase in uninstalls and technical failures. Although the company insists that it will not censor topics such as Epstein or ICE, users remain skeptical.

OnePlus is expanding its new system-wide bypass charging feature to more phones and tablets with the latest OxygenOS update. Previously limited to gaming, the feature now works across apps, helping reduce heat and battery wear during plugged-in use.

Halide Mark III, the next generation of the popular camera app for iPhones, is set to launch soon. Lux Camera has now previewed the significant difference in image quality between Apple's camera app and Halide Mark III, even when capturing RAW files.

Garmin has launched a new update for multiple smartwatches. Rolling out now, the update brings more than a dozen new features and improvements to compatible smartwatches, including multiple changes relating to Garmin's heart-rate variability chart.

Microsoft has released an out-of-band security update to fix an actively exploited Microsoft Office vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-21509. The flaw allows attackers to bypass Office security protections via malicious documents and has been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

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.

Blizzard Entertainment is kicking off 2026 with a large wave of announcements. To mark the company's 35th anniversary, the games developer and publisher, which is part of the Microsoft division, is organizing a series of "showcase" events in the coming weeks. Starting at the end of January, the teams from World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone and Diablo will provide a detailed overview of plans and updates for the current year in various live streams.

Windows 11’s KB5074109 January 2026 update is causing FPS drops and instability on some Nvidia GeForce gaming PCs, forcing players to choose between performance and security.

Valve is facing a major legal battle in the UK after a £656 million class-action lawsuit against Steam was cleared to move forward. The case claims Steam’s pricing and commission rules may have caused UK gamers to pay more than they should.

Meta has officially confirmed that the company is testing new subscriptions for Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook that will grant access to a range of exclusive features. These subscriptions are primarily intended to promote productivity and creativity through AI features.

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.

After initial tests with selected users in channels, status images, and status videos, even more users could soon encounter ads in WhatsApp. Now, a beta version has revealed that these ads might be avoidable for users who are willing to pay for a subscription.

Microsoft’s troubled Windows 11 KB5074109 January 2026 update is now under investigation for causing UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME boot failures on some systems. Affected PCs refuse to start and must be recovered via WinRE, adding a serious new symptom to an already messy Patch Tuesday.

The free Beyerdynamic Headphone Lab plugin for DAWs turns DT‑series headphones into studio-monitor substitutes with adjustable virtual room settings and speaker placement. The virtual environment enables accurate stereo mixing on the go.

A new app for Garmin smartwatches not only tracks your caffeine intake but also estimates your current blood-caffeine level. This feature could help you determine the optimal time for your last cup of coffee.

Microsoft releases emergency Windows 11 update KB5078127 to fix major bugs from January patch KB5074109 that caused crashes, Outlook hangs, and more.

Windows 11 KB5074109 uninstall is failing with error 0x800f0905, leaving users stuck between rollback issues and ongoing black screens, app errors, and Outlook hangs.

Google has revealed that Chrome 150 will be the last version of the browser to support Macs running macOS 12 Monterey. Most Intel Macs launched prior to 2018 will be affected by this update, forcing users to either purchase a new Mac, or switch to a different browser to keep up with security updates.

The Windows 11 KB5074109 update is causing crashes, black screens, and app failures, prompting Microsoft to advise affected users to uninstall it.

Following a recent software update, many users have reported severe issues with their Garmin smartwatches. In some cases, devices appear to have lost a significant portion of their functionality, effectively rendering them unusable as smartwatches.

Garmin has just launched a new chronograph globally. To mark its arrival, the company has issued a new update for many of its recent smartwatches that adds support for the Xero C2 in the process.

Garmin has launched a new update for many of its upper mid-range smartwatches. Rolling out now, the update should arrive as an over-the-air (OTA) download within the next few days.

Garmin has released a new update for many of its older high-end smartwatches. Rolling out globally now, the new update introduces 20 changes and improvements that should improve compatible smartwatches in numerous areas.

A new Shelly Solar Platform for photovoltaic systems has been announced. So far, the company has shared a couple of screenshots of the upcoming subscription software. In a recent forum post, Shelly announced that it was looking for a group of community members to beta test its new solution.

A range of TP-Link security cameras are affected by a security vulnerability, according to a recent statement from the brand. A list of over 60 Vigi models has appeared on a support page, which details the issue. Impacted users are advised to download the relevant software update as soon as possible.

Amazon has launched a web-based interface for its new Alexa+ AI assistant at Alexa.com, letting Early Access users chat with Alexa in a browser much like other AI chatbots.

Oppo is expanding the rollout of its Android 16–based ColorOS 16 to six more smartphones, bringing the update to several popular Reno and F-series models. The release delivers a refreshed design, smoother system animations, and new personalization and AI features as Oppo continues updating older devices.

The recent ColorOS updates reportedly introduce a hardware-level Anti-Rollback Protection (ARB). It's like what Samsung implemented with Knox and can brick the OnePlus 15 and 13 if you attempt to downgrade or install a custom ROM.

The latest security update for Windows 11 is causing significant issues on numerous systems. Reports indicate that the KB5074109 package is resulting in a black screen immediately after system startup on certain hardware configurations. Affected users have several options for restoring functionality.