🔮 Dream of taking a phone call from your vacuum cleaner? No? Samsung did it anyway. Their new cordless vacuum, the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, lets you text and call, and so does their new washer/dryer. What’s next, the fridge? “Hey, handsome, you need eggs, and your kid is calling.”
Cheap ways to make your old tech better
Reading this on a 6-year-old iPhone 11? It’s well past the average smartphone lifespan of 2.5 years … and I’m impressed you’ve hung onto it this long. Btw, Apple typically provides iOS updates for five to six years after a model’s release.
Upgrading your laptop or smartphone is inevitable. But wait before you throw out that clunky computer. Even when a piece of tech starts showing its age, you can give it a new lease on life.
Make room for vacation photos
Most modern phones don’t have memory card slots. Expand your cloud storage to offload photos, videos and other files to free up space. Use the option built to work with your phone.
- Android friends, Google One upgrades start at $2 for 100GB.
- For iPhone, iCloud+ pricing starts at $1 for 50GB.
Pro tip: If you and the family all use iPhones, share an iCloud+ account to save some money. I do this with Barry and Ian.
Playing the oldies
Want to get Spotify or Apple Music streaming around the house? You don’t have to invest in a set of pricey wireless speakers if you’re still rocking the older wired kind.
Add a Bluetooth adapter (like this Esinkin model), and those old speakers can play anything right from your phone or computer.
Wi-Fi from anywhere
Blast internet dead zones with a Wi-Fi extender like the Netgear EX6400. Way cheaper than buying a whole new router or mesh system, so if you’re having connectivity issues, it’s a good place to start.
Increase your TV’s IQ
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5 cool tricks for your router
You never hear anyone say, “This router is amazing. It changed my life!” It’s sad because that little guy controls your entire home’s internet. If yours has a USB port (check the back!), you can unlock some surprisingly useful features. You’re gonna love this.
The future of laptops
My job is to keep you ahead of the curve, so you know what’s worth your hard-earned money and what’s just hype. One reader recently asked me: Where are laptops going next? Let’s break it down.
As AI gets better, imagine a bot that automates boring laptop tasks like booking flights, ordering groceries or organizing your files. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs promise to do just that.
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Alexa+ is here … kinda: The gall! Amazon’s new $20/month (Yikes!) AI assistant is rolling out to newer Alexa devices, but a few hyped-up features are MIA. Right now, you can order an Uber, get cooking advice and upload docs for summaries. Storytelling for kids, recognizing who’s in the room and chore reminders are coming. FYI, smarter Alexa is free if you pay for Prime.
I’m scratching my head on this one: People who use a Garmin smartwatch are upset about a monthly fee, and it’s not that they are still using a Garmin. The app’s new AI health and fitness tracking tools cost $6.99 a month ($69.99 per year). Apple Watch, anyone?
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📺 Lost the remote again? If you own a new 2025 Samsung TV and a Galaxy Watch 7 or Watch Ultra, control your TV with a flick of your wrist. Literally. Move the cursor by waving your arm, pinch your fingers to select apps, make a fist to exit or swipe the watch bezel to scroll. Neato!
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🖥️ Windows 11 update: Microsoft dropped an optional update packed with 38 changes. What’s new? Live captions and real-time translation for over 44 languages on Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs, plus a fix for random blue screen crashes. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates > Download and install.
iPad cracks the case: London police just solved a six-year-old case after finding an iPad in the bottom of the Thames River. It led the forensics team to Amazon and eBay purchases used in an attempted murder plot. Three clowns are behind bars, pointing fingers at who threw the iPad in the water thinking it would be gone for good. Meanwhile, a ton of permanent facial recognition cameras just went up in London.
Own a pair of AirPods Max? In April, Apple’s fancy over-the-ear headphones are getting full lossless audio support. They’re also adding ultra-low latency to smooth out audio. It’ll be in the iOS 18.4 update. Btw, Apple announced WWDC 2025 will kick off June 9. That’s when they’ll announce iOS 19 and all its features.
Good news if you have an Aura frame: It’ll keep auto-syncing with Google Photos after all. ICYMI, the feature was supposed to shut off this month, but Aura’s working with Google to keep it going. They make great gifts for grandparents. You can remotely share new pics.
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🚨 Red alert for Androids: Be careful what you download. Hackers are using a tool called .NET MAUI to create what look like legit banking, dating and social media apps. They spread through texts and shady links instead of the Google Play Store. Always stick to the official app store, and keep your OS updated. Mahalo!
📷 Not just for tracking steps: The Apple Watch looks like it will get a camera to “see” the world using AI-enabled visual intelligence (paywall link). That means you could scan a flyer to add an event to your calendar or look up a restaurant on the spot. ETA? 2027.
Apple’s shiny new modem: The iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to feature Apple’s own C1 modem, marking a move away from Qualcomm. So how’s it doing? Depends on your carrier. On AT&T and Verizon, the 16e had better download and upload speeds than the regular iPhone 16. But on T-Mobile, the iPhone 16 still had slightly better upload speeds.
SpellRing can translate sign language: This is something. Researchers developed a ring for your thumb, and as you sign, it sends out sound waves. A microphone picks them up, AI analyzes them and gestures become letters on a screen. It’s already 82% to 92% accurate.
This is Siri-ous: Apple said Siri’s new AI features were just “taking longer than expected.” Turns out, it’s much worse. In a leaked Apple meeting, a senior director admitted they’re only aiming to get some of those features into iOS 19 this year but even that’s not guaranteed. Yikes.
🔒 It’s about time: Apple is finally going to encrypt messages between iPhones and Androids. That means any RCS messages sent between the two will be secure, with only the sender and receiver able to read them. Not Apple, not Google and not your phone carrier. As for how to enable it? Sit tight. It’ll update automatically.
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iRobot is launching eight new vacuums: For the first time, they’re adding lidar tech for smart mapping to entry-level models. That means room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones right from the app. FYI: Amazon almost bought iRobot for over $1 billion, and recently, iRobot said they’re not sure they will survive. Damn, that sucks.
🎸 Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire! Metallica’s new concert just dropped on the Apple TV app. It was filmed with immersive 180-degree video and 3D sound, making you feel like you’re there. Apple’s thinking this is a great way to get you to try their Vision Pro. Book a free demo at the Apple Store to watch a preview.