Khamosh Pathak

Gboard offers numerous features beyond swipe typing and themes, including a pinnable clipboard, personal text shortcuts, cursor and deletion gestures, flick-based symbol entry, a dedicated number row, one-handed and floating modes, adjustable height, text-editing controls, Emoji Kitchen, and customizable undo and redo buttons. Exploring Gboard’s menus and settings can improve typing speed, text management, and usability on large or crowded screens without installing another keyboard.

Switchly is a free, open-source Android app that blocks distracting features within apps rather than blocking the entire apps. It can disable Instagram Reels, Explore, comments, and Stories; YouTube Shorts, recommendations, and other sections; and selected features in X and Snapchat. Users can enable blocks manually, schedule them, or configure stricter controls requiring an NFC tag and QR code to restore access. The app requires accessibility and screen-access permissions, while its publicly hosted code allows third parties to inspect its security.

Two open-source Android keyboards offer privacy-focused alternatives to Gboard, which has faced concerns over Google’s data collection practices. FUTO Keyboard provides a Gboard-like experience with on-device AI for text prediction and voice typing, strong customization options, and a smooth typing experience. HeliBoard, derived from earlier open-source Android keyboards, emphasizes maximum privacy by requiring no network permissions and offering essential features without AI. HeliBoard must be downloaded from F-Droid, which also hosts other private, open-source apps such as NewPipe.

Microsoft is testing a redesigned Windows Search that prioritizes local files and apps, offers a cleaner layout with file previews, improves reliability, and reduces web clutter. Web results now place useful answers above promoted content, and users can disable web and Microsoft Store suggestions entirely through settings.

A range of tools and apps can remove or bypass YouTube ads across devices, including YouTube Premium, privacy browsers with integrated blockers, open‑source Android clients, browser extensions, and smart TV apps. Options like DuckDuckGo, NewPipe, SkyTube, LibreTube, Firefox with uBlock Origin, Brave, AdGuard for iPhone, SmartTube, and SponsorBlock offer ad‑free or sponsor‑free viewing through built‑in blockers or community-driven filters, providing alternatives to YouTube’s rising subscription costs.

iOS 27 introduces significant improvements to AirPods, including a redesigned settings menu, a customizable EQ for models with the H2 chip, and an easier-to-use slider to adjust Adaptive Audio. Additional updates include global Name Recognition support, precision finding through Apple Watch, and the ability to interact with Siri AI through newer iPhones.

Meta’s new Muse Image model allows anyone to generate AI images using the likeness of any public Instagram profile, automatically opting all users into the feature without explicit consent. The system enables easy creation of composite or personalized images based on recent profile photos, raising significant privacy concerns. Private accounts are excluded, and users with public profiles can disable the setting by turning off content reuse permissions within Instagram’s Sharing and Reuse menu. Testing shows the opt‑out works, though critics argue that it should have been the default.

Siri AI gains speed and strong integration across Apple apps, offering concise responses and reliable access to system data, but falls short in deeper research, shopping comparisons, and detailed guidance. Gemini delivers more comprehensive results, better global and region-specific recommendations, and advanced capabilities such as notebooks and video generation. While Siri AI excels in interface design and system-level tasks, Gemini remains the more capable and flexible AI option on the iPhone.

Meta introduced three new Threads features: private feed‑tuning with the new Your Algo tool, a full release of Communities with a dedicated hub and expanded tagging, and a wider rollout of Live Chats for real‑time discussion during major events. Threads now reports 500 million monthly users, and the updates aim to strengthen personalization and community engagement on the platform.

Apple’s updated Photos tools introduce stronger AI-powered editing features, with the Clean Up tool showing major improvements through a hybrid on‑device and cloud model system. High Quality mode produces the best object removal results, especially for complex edits and facial reconstruction. Extend uses generative AI to expand scenes convincingly despite occasional overexposure or repetitive patterns. Reframe adjusts image angles but struggles with faces and remains unreliable for major corrections. All features are still in beta, with further refinements expected before the iOS 27 release.

Apple’s WWDC 2026 preview pages reveal numerous unannounced features across iOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS, and watchOS. Enhancements include independent volume controls, a dismissible Now Playing widget, QR-code pass creation in Wallet, video podcast support on Mac and Apple TV, extra‑large iPhone widgets, video frame saving, expanded landscape support, improved timers, redesigned location sharing, minimized lock‑screen clock options, and clipboard paste suggestions. Connectivity Assist strengthens network transitions, while future updates will allow sharing a phone number across two iPhones. CarPlay gains scrubbing and video app support, and macOS upgrades include ultrawide display improvements, Wi‑Fi type detection, menu‑bar notch management, touch support in Sidecar, resizable iPhone mirroring windows, and pull‑to‑refresh in Safari and Mail.

Apple’s 2026 software updates introduce extensive AI features across its devices, including intelligent tab management in Safari, Visual Intelligence integration in the Camera and screenshot tools, and new AI‑based photo editing capabilities. Siri gains expanded contextual and natural language functions across core apps, while the Passwords and Shortcuts apps automate tasks such as password resets and workflow creation. The Home app adds improved notification grouping and AI‑powered camera summaries, and Vision Pro receives a new interactive Siri orb for hands‑free interaction.

Apple’s watchOS 27 introduces Siri AI integration, a dynamic app grid, expanded Workout Buddy insights, and a new single‑tap gesture for Smart Stack widgets. Additional updates include a redesigned Find My app, enhanced Smart Stack suggestions, faster music playback, improved step‑count syncing, and the ability to create custom QR‑code passes in Wallet.

Explains how to enhance security and improve workflow when using Bitwarden, covering stronger authentication methods, safer autofill practices, biometric unlocking, passkey syncing, integrated 2FA, secure sharing, emergency access, keyboard shortcuts, and master password prompts for sensitive items.

Apple’s watchOS 27 introduces new Siri AI features, a dynamic apps screen, and a new gesture, but support is limited to newer models including the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, 11, Ultra 2 and 3, and SE 3. Models from Series 6 through Series 8, as well as the first‐generation Ultra and SE 2, will no longer receive updates, a move highlighted as particularly harsh for owners of the premium Ultra 1. The decision contrasts with Apple’s extended support for older iPhones under iOS 27.

Apple Intelligence will add automated tab organization, website change notifications, and prompt‑based extension creation to Safari in macOS 27. The browser will sort tabs by topic, monitor pages for updates, and integrate with the Passwords app to reset compromised credentials automatically, performing these tasks in the background while maintaining user privacy.

Apple is adding a transparency slider in iOS 27 to let users customize or disable the Liquid Glass interface introduced in iOS 26, following widespread complaints about readability and contrast. The update makes the default interface less transparent and brings design adjustments such as colored sidebar icons and uniform rounded corners across apps. Changes to app icon rendering will add layered depth, with support extended to third‑party developers.

Google's Gemini Omni now allows paid adult users to create hyperrealistic self-deepfake videos after a face verification process. The tool produces short, watermarked clips using only a few selfies and supports English audio generation. While results are impressively realistic, they still show limitations in accuracy, liveliness, and voice cadence. Access is restricted by region, subscription tier, and age. The feature raises concerns about the growing accessibility of deepfake technology as Google tests broader editing capabilities for potential future releases.

Explains practical ways to enhance productivity in Perplexity, including using Model Council for cross‑checking results, setting Perplexity as the default search engine, disabling data use for training, automating updates with scheduled tasks, organizing research with Spaces, applying search operators, integrating third‑party accounts through connectors, using Comet for multi‑tab research, creating shortcut commands, and analyzing financial data through visual tools.

Meta introduced optional paid subscriptions for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, offering story enhancements, customization tools, and analytics mainly aimed at creators and power users. Instagram Plus adds expanded story controls and profile customization, WhatsApp Plus allows more chat pins and themes, and Facebook Plus focuses on extended story features. Meta is also testing new AI‑driven Meta One plans with varying compute and content‑generation capabilities. For typical users, the added features offer limited value relative to cost, with the strongest use case applying to creators seeking additional data and visibility tools.

Apple’s new M5 MacBook Air is discounted by $200 on Amazon, lowering the 13‑inch model to $899 and the 15‑inch to $1,099. The deal makes the performance and feature upgrades of the M5 chip—improved CPU and GPU power, enhanced Neural Engine, better camera, more RAM and storage, and expanded ports—significantly more attractive compared to the MacBook Neo. PCMag rates the M5 model highly for its speed and efficiency, while the article also highlights other notable tech deals currently available.

Android 17 introduces a redesigned Now Playing switcher that displays recent audio sources as tiles, enabling quick playback switching directly from the notification shade or lock screen. The update improves on the unreliable swipe-based system in Android 16 and supports up to four recent sources, though the interface becomes slightly cramped with multiple tiles. As part of broader Android 17 enhancements, the feature is expected to improve everyday media multitasking once the OS reaches stable release.

Grinding coffee to match brewing method, storing beans in airtight containers, and choosing burr grinders over blade grinders improve flavor and consistency. Hand grinders provide an inexpensive entry point, while electric burr grinders offer convenience and reliable results.