Software

Xiaomi is rolling out its Android 16–based HyperOS 3 update to ten more Xiaomi and Redmi phones in China. The latest batch includes the MIX Fold 3, Xiaomi 13 series, and several Redmi Note models as the company ramps up its upgrade cycle.

Researchers at the University of Vienna have uncovered vulnerabilities within WhatsApp and Signal that allow undetectable user tracking through round-trip time (RTT) measurements. A simple program now available on GitHub demonstrates how easily this weakness can be exploited.

Xiaomi is expanding its Android 16–based HyperOS 3 update to more devices, including the Poco F6 Pro and Redmi Pad 2. The update brings major UI changes, new multitasking features, and a suite of AI tools.

Sony has confirmed details for its mid-December 2025 PlayStation Plus catalogue update. Arriving after a leak detailed that multiple triple-A games would be up for grabs, the full update spans over half a dozen titles including the remastered Soulcalibur III and Assassin's Creed Mirage.

It seems that Google Maps users will finally be able to have their parking location save automatically, even with custom icons. Google is clearly late to the party, considering that competing apps have had this feature for a long time.

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.

Philips Hue’s app for iOS and Android has received another update. This relatively large release brings five new features to users of the brand’s smart home devices. One of these is the hotly anticipated multi-Bridge to Hue Bridge Pro migration process, and the other two are for Hue Secure customers.

Philips Hue users are receiving a new tool, which allows them to migrate multiple instances of the Hue Bridge to the Hue Bridge Pro in a single process. This hotly anticipated functionality is being rolled out in updates for the two versions of the Hue Bridge, as well as in a release for the Philips Hue app.

Garmin is rolling out a new beta update for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches. This version 15.33 release arrives just a few days after its predecessor, and is said to bring various bug fixes to these wearables. A post in the Garmin Forum points to a recent backlight-related issue on one model.

Google’s latest December update adds practical one-handed controls to the Pixel Watch 4, allowing you to manage calls and notifications without ever touching the display. The new Double Pinch and Wrist Turn gestures let you pinch to answer calls or flick your wrist to dismiss alerts when your hands are full.

Xiaomi is preparing Android 15–based HyperOS 3 updates for 15 of its older Xiaomi and Redmi phones. They won’t get the newer Android 16 version, but the core HyperOS 3 features and improvements are still coming.

A student team at xAI’s 24-hour hackathon has developed Halftime, an AI system that inserts context-aware advertisements directly into video scenes. The tool uses Grok to analyse footage and generate ad elements that appear as part of the storyline.

The Anbernic RG DS has received a custom OS that replaces the stock one that ships with it. Available for several other handhelds, GammaOS brings several new features and fixes some of the issues of the stock OS.

Garmin has quietly introduced a new beta update for high-end smartwatches including the Fenix 8 Pro. Available globally as a free update, Beta Version 20.23 resolves a recent issue affecting vibration patterns when charging.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirms the GPU shortage is over. The new AI bottleneck is power: Microsoft has chips sitting in inventory it can't plug in. Why the race for data center grid capacity and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is now the real AI power crunch.

PlugOS has made a formal debut as an Android-based secure operating system that PlugMate runs on. This combination offers the ability to run Android on different devices, including Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

The Anbernic RG DS will begin shipping very soon to those who pre-ordered it. However, when it arrives to the owners, it should run a new software version that has fixed issues that were discovered by early testers.

Microsoft’s Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) is now accessible on standard Windows 11 desktops and laptops through the Insider programme, offering a console-style launcher, streamlined navigation and reduced background overhead. Early testing by a popular YouTuber highlights lower RAM usage and multitasking behaviour similar to Xbox consoles as Microsoft continues refining the feature ahead of wider availability.

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.

Garmin has delivered a new update for many of its older high-end smartwatches. Preceding a future stable update, a catch currently exists that beta testers should be aware of before attempting to install the new firmware.

The next version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) reportedly brings major image quality enhancements without consuming additional resources. In fact, Moore's Law Is Dead claims that PSSR2 aims to reduce resource usage like GPU time and memory.

Amazfit has released another update for the Helio Strap. Software version 3.7.0.1 brings a range of new workout modes to this wearable. Plus, the update is also said to make it faster to start your favourite workouts, and bring increased accuracy for the activity detection functionality.

Garmin has just delivered a major stable update for its Instinct 3 and Instinct Crossover AMOLED smartwatches. Without warning, the company has pushed a fresh beta update to fix outstanding GCM and CIQ bugs.

Garmin has begun rolling out a new update for multiple smartwatches following the successful distribution of a recent stable build. Offered on the company's Beta Program, the new update is said to introduce several bug fixes and improvements ahead of a future stable release.

The Home Assistant 2025.12 release has arrived. This update brings new experimental features, which can be found under the recently added Home Assistant Labs area. Plus, real-time energy monitoring has been added to the energy dashboard, and there is a new Philips Hue integration.

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.

A new beta update, version 15.30, has arrived unexpectedly. The release is said to tackle various bugs and bring improvements to the recently released wearable. It arrives a few weeks after a stable update was rolled out to the Venu 4, which was expected to conclude this cycle. 

Amazfit is rolling out a second version of its recent Zepp OS 5.0 update for the T-Rex 3 smartwatch. Recently reported by users in various countries across North America and Europe, the latest iteration of the software is known as version 4.1.6.9. The release notes are slightly different to those of the earlier version 4.1.5.1 update.

Garmin has pushed a rather strange update to its Beta Program participants. Only available on a single smartwatch for now, the update appears to be available only on a limited basis for now too.

Garmin has released a surprise new update for smartwatches like the Fenix 8, Fenix 8 Pro and the Tactix 8. Rolling out globally, the new update is said to resolve multiple crashes that could occur after updating to last month's System Software 20.19 release.

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.

Amazfit is currently rolling out software version 4.1.6.7 to the T-Rex 3 Pro smartwatch. This update brings two new pages for the BioCharge app, as well as improvements for route navigation. On top of this, there are optimizations for the raise-to-wake gesture and auto-brightness adjustments.

Garmin is now offering a new update for several of its older mid-range smartwatches. Also available across the Instinct Crossover and associated Tactical Edition, System Software 17.08 arrives in the wake of complaints about reduced battery life occurring after updating to a recent stable update.

Xiaomi kicked off the stable HyperOS 3 rollout for the Note lineup with the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G and Note Pro 5 in mid-November. Now, the company is expanding the Android 16 update to the base Redmi Note 14 4G.

Slack is testing a new AI-powered Slackbot that can search, summarize, and plan for users—turning the assistant into a personalized AI companion for workplaces.

Windows 11 users are reporting a curious bug: the password sign-in icon may vanish from the lock screen after recent updates — even though the button is still there, just invisible. Microsoft says a fix is on the way, but for now you’ll have to click on empty space to log in.

A newly discovered variant of the ClickFix malware masquerades as a critical Windows Update, using a fake full-screen update prompt to trick users into pasting a malicious command that grants attackers administrative access. Huntress researchers found that the malware leverages hidden code in PNG pixel data to deploy powerful infostealers like Rhadamanthys and LummaC2, targeting credentials, financial data, and crypto wallets primarily via booby-trapped adult websites.

“GPUs are melting”: OpenAI and Google cut free Sora and Nano Banana Pro access due to overwhelming demand. Find out how the AI limits affect you.

Tim Cook as a Samsung fanboy? A viral clip shows the Apple CEO with a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, mocking "BugOS". While a deepfake, the short video is nevertheless generating widespread laughs and amazement at ever-improving AI technology.

Xiaomi has just released four new Poco-branded devices, including the Poco F8 Pro and Poco F8 Ultra. Alongside this, the company has now revealed an amended global HyperOS 3 Rollout Schedule. Surprisingly, the new Poco Pad M1 and Poco Pad M1 have appeared near the bottom of the list.

A popular YouTuber has showcased the recent performance improvements that Asus and Microsoft have introduced to ROG Ally and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Available even on the base ROG Ally, the ROG Xbox Ally X benefits from around 15-20% FPS gains without an increase in power consumption.

Aqara is rolling out an update for the Panel Hub S1 Plus, a smart home device which launched earlier in 2025. This release brings Apple features to the product, including the Siri voice assistant and support for AirPlay. Plus, the software also includes new intercom and chime-related tools.

The Garmin beta version 17.08 update is now rolling out to some of the brand’s smartwatches. It brings a range of improvements and bug fixes to the Instinct 2, Instinct 2X and Instinct Crossover wearables. However, it is worth noting that there appears to be an error in the associated forum post.

The stable HyperOS 3 rollout is progressing at its usual pace, and almost all the global devices from the first batch have received the Android 16 update. Now, the Xiaomi 13 series, which debuted in 2022, has entered internal testing.

Philips Hue has released a new update for its app, version 5.56. This is a relatively minor release, resolving several issues with the software. Users are still waiting on a couple of features, at least one of which is expected to be added to the app before the end of 2025.

Electronic Arts and Battlefield Studios have launched a free trial of Battlefield 6. From now until December 2, the multiplayer shooter is available to try for free on all current platforms.

OxygenOS 16 is finally rolling out to the OnePlus Nord 5, bringing the midrange phone up to speed with OnePlus’ latest software. The update is live in India, with more regions on the way.

US subscribers should prepare for a Spotify price hike, as reports indicate the streaming giant plans to raise fees in the first quarter of 2026. Pressure from major record labels and a push for sustained profitability appear to be driving this expected increase following similar moves in other markets.

Despite the higher cost of gaming PCs, popular Steam games are becoming less expensive. A new study analyses the successful titles on Valve’s marketplace since February 2023. The Steam Machine will benefit from lower-priced indie games, but its advantage over consoles disappears with AAA titles.