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When I first got my hands on the Galaxy S26, my expectations were tempered from Samsung’s latest compact flagship. And these were well-founded for many reasons as I editorially trashed it in my review. The camera hardware feels stale, the charging speed is underwhelming, and for a phone that not starts for around $899, “safe” isn’t exactly a compliment.

But still I was genuinely surprised that after spending more time with the Galaxy S26, it still hangs around in my pocket as my secondary phone. And in this time, I even grew quite found of it. Despite the various issues, the annoying part is that it is still very easy to like.

It reminded me how good a truly compact flagship can feel

The biggest reason is also the simplest one. The Galaxy S26 feels like a ‘mobile phone’ again, with an emphasis on the mobile bit. It isn’t a massive slab, nor a mini-tablet (phablet as some call it). Just a flagship that disappears into your pocket, sits comfortably in your hand, and does not make one-handed use feel like a circus act. My daily driver, the Xiaomi 15, is already a compact flagship, but this takes it a step further with an impressively light 167g body and slimmer footprint.

And that matters more than what I’d like to admit. I can complain all day about the charging caps and camera intertia, but the S26 quietly wins in the other everyday parts of phone life. It may not nail the essentials, and yet, it is still easy to pull out, easy to carry, and easy to live with. There is a kind of freedom that which bigger flagship phones keep forgetting.

You still get the Ultra feel where it actually counts

The other reason that the S26 keeps worming its way back into my good graces is with its software. One UI 8.5 is still one of the best Android skins out there, bringing polish, responsive, and feature packed experience along with the same general Galaxy AI functionality that defines the rest of the Galaxy S26 family.

Samsung is also promising seven years of OS and security updates, which means the base model does not feel like the “less important” member of the family in terms of software support.

This is also what makes the S26 so sneaky. You’re not getting the S26 Ultra‘s camera flex or charging muscle, but it still offers a lot of the same flagship atmosphere. You are not buying a stripped-down software experience, which is something you’ll interacting a lot more than the cameras. You are buying the same Samsung software in a form that does not feel ridiculous in your jeans.

Its flaws are real—but so is its charm

I won’t pretend that the problems vanished. The camera setup still feels old next to what rivals are doing, and even friendly reviews keep landing on the same point: it is refined, competent, and far too iterative for the money. The base S26 still uses the familiar camera setup, while the charging story and battery life remain a sore spot in 2026.

And that is what makes liking this phone even more irritable. It is not exciting enough to fully praise, and not bad enough to dismiss. The Galaxy S26 is the kind of phone that makes more sense in your hands than it does on a spec sheet. I still think Samsung played it too safe and that this model deserves a little more love and attention.

I just also thing it is one of the easier flagship phones to actually enjoy carrying around—and that makes it much harder to stay mad at.

Microsoft is lining up two very different Teams updates, and one of them targets a meeting problem almost everyone knows too well. The company is preparing a pre-join mic and speaker test that lets users record a short sample and play it back before entering a call.

That rollout is expected to begin in May 2026 on desktop and Mac, which makes it the more immediate change for most people.

The second update matters for a different reason. Microsoft is also preparing privacy-first Copilot recaps that let organizations generate AI meeting summaries without storing recordings or transcripts. That rollout is set to begin next month, with broader availability expected in June 2026.

Before the call gets awkward

The upcoming mic test sounds simple. From the pre-join screen, users will be able to test microphone and speaker output, record a short clip, and play it back immediately. That should help catch the wrong input, muted hardware, or a bad output route before the meeting gets dragged into an avoidable audio check.

Microsoft also appears to be shipping it broadly. The roadmap entry says the feature is planned across standard worldwide deployments as well as GCC High and DoD, and it is tagged for general availability.

After the meeting, more control

The Copilot recap feature is aimed at organizations with stricter compliance and retention needs. Microsoft says recordings and transcripts will still be on by default, but admins can disable them at the tenant level, while organizers can turn them off during scheduling or in live meetings through AI Mode controls.

There is a real limit here. The feature still requires a commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot license that costs $30 per user per month, so it is clearly aimed at customers already paying into Microsoft’s AI stack.

Who will notice first

For most users, the mic test will be the part that feels instantly useful because it fixes a problem that shows up in nearly every kind of call. For enterprises, the bigger signal is the recap update, especially where storing meeting data creates legal or security headaches.

If both rollouts land on time, Microsoft will have improved the start of the meeting and tightened control over what happens after it ends.

Claude Cowork is moving beyond early testing and into a wider role at work. On April 9, Anthropic said it became generally available on all paid plans for macOS and Windows, alongside a set of enterprise features meant to support larger rollouts.

That pairing matters more than the availability update by itself. Anthropic is tying the release to role-based access controls for Enterprise, group spend limits, usage analytics, expanded OpenTelemetry support, and tighter connector permissions, all aimed at making Cowork easier to manage across an organization.

Anthropic also made clear that Cowork is no longer being framed as a tool mainly for technical teams. It said most usage already comes from operations, marketing, finance, and legal, which helps explain why this release leans so heavily on governance and monitoring.

Why the oversight tools matter

The most important change is the management layer. Enterprise admins can now set access by provider, model, and feature, while group spending limits give companies a way to control usage across departments instead of leaving budgets to individual employees.

Anthropic is also widening the reporting view. Its dashboard metrics and Analytics API can track sessions, active users, connector activity, and adoption by team, while broader OpenTelemetry support is designed to feed Claude usage into existing monitoring systems.

Where Cowork fits at work

Anthropic’s larger message is about where Cowork fits inside a business. It said most use already comes from non-engineering groups handling project updates, research, and internal collaboration, not just code-focused work.

That shifts the product’s identity in a meaningful way. Cowork is being positioned less as a specialist assistant and more as a shared layer for everyday work that can draw from connectors, internal information, and team-specific workflows.

What happens next

The next test is whether companies treat Cowork as a standard workplace tool or keep it in a narrower lane. General availability gives Anthropic a stronger opening, but broader adoption will depend on whether admins see enough structure around access, costs, and integrations to support daily use.

For companies evaluating the launch, the real question is practical. If Cowork can help multiple departments while staying measurable and manageable for the people running the system, it has a stronger chance of becoming part of regular business operations rather than stalling at the pilot stage.

After five years, Apple has updated the AirPods Max with a new H2 chip, improved noise cancellation, and a broader set of features that bring them closer to the rest of its audio lineup. On paper, this is a meaningful upgrade. In practice, it’s more selective.

What Apple has changed this time

The biggest shift is the move from dual H1 chips to dual H2 chips, the same silicon used in the newer AirPods Pro. That upgrade enables a range of features that were previously missing on the Max.

Active noise cancellation is now claimed to be up to 1.5 times more effective, while transparency mode has been tuned to sound more natural. Adaptive Audio blends both modes depending on your surroundings, and Conversation Awareness lowers playback when you start speaking.

Apple has also added personalized volume, which adapts to your listening habits over time, along with loud sound reduction to manage sudden spikes in external noise. Live translation is now supported as well, allowing real-time conversations across languages through the headphones.

Sound improvements are part of that upgrade

Alongside these changes, Apple is introducing a custom high dynamic range amplifier designed to improve bass response, vocal clarity, and instrument separation, while reducing distortion at higher volumes.

The original AirPods Max already offered a warm, balanced sound signature, so this update appears focused on refinement rather than a complete retuning. The combination of improved processing and stronger noise cancellation is likely where the biggest perceptible gains will come from.

Lossless audio arrives, but with a limitation

Lossless audio support has finally been added, with 24-bit, 48kHz playback now available through a wired USB-C connection.

Over Bluetooth, audio remains limited to AAC, with no support for higher-bandwidth wireless codecs. This means lossless listening still requires a cable, which stands out for a premium pair of headphones in 2026.

Additional features and how they translate in use

Apple is also extending functionality beyond audio playback. The digital crown can now act as a remote shutter for an iPhone camera, while voice isolation is positioned as a way to improve call clarity and enable more flexible recording scenarios.

Head gesture controls have been added for interacting with Siri, allowing users to respond by nodding or shaking their head. These features align the AirPods Max with capabilities already available on AirPods Pro, although their practicality varies depending on context, particularly with a larger over-ear design.

What hasn’t changed still stands out

Despite the internal upgrades, the physical design remains largely the same. The AirPods Max 2 retain the metal construction, non-folding structure, and the Smart Case, which continues to offer minimal protection and primarily serves to put the headphones into a low-power state.

There is still no dedicated power button, meaning the case remains necessary for managing battery usage. Battery life is unchanged at around 20 hours, which is increasingly modest compared to competitors offering closer to 30 hours or more.

The headphones are slightly heavier at around 386 grams, do not fold for easier storage, and still lack any official water or dust resistance rating.

What this upgrade really delivers

The AirPods Max 2 are a clear upgrade in areas driven by processing and software. The H2 chip enables a more adaptive listening experience, while improvements to noise cancellation and sound processing should translate into better overall performance.

At the same time, the design, usability limitations, and long-standing hardware concerns remain unchanged.

Is it enough to justify the update?

That depends on what you were waiting for. If better sound refinement, stronger noise cancellation, and deeper integration with Apple’s ecosystem were the priority, this update delivers.

If the expectation was a broader redesign that addressed comfort, portability, and everyday usability, the AirPods Max 2 will feel more familiar than new.

In its latest update, Verum Messenger takes a major step toward integrating communication and financial services. Users can now enjoy a long-awaited feature — topping up their Verum Finance card directly through Apple Pay.

A New Level of Convenience

The integration with Apple Pay significantly simplifies the top-up process. Users no longer need to go through complex transfer steps or rely on third-party services. Just a few taps — and the funds are instantly credited to the card.

This is especially valuable for those who use Verum Messenger not only for communication but also for managing their finances within the ecosystem.

Finance and Messaging in One App

This update reinforces Verum’s strategy to combine in a single product:

• secure communication
• cryptocurrency operations
• everyday financial tools

Verum Messenger is no longer just a messaging app — it is evolving into a полноценную fintech platform.

Security and Speed

Apple Pay is known for its high level of security thanks to:

• biometric authentication
• payment tokenization
• no sharing of card details

By integrating these technologies, Verum Messenger ensures that financial operations are not only convenient but also максимально secure.

What This Means for Users

The update brings several key benefits:

• instant card top-ups
• simplified user experience
• reduced reliance on third-party payment services
• deeper integration of finance into everyday communication

Looking Ahead

The addition of Apple Pay is just one step in the evolution of the Verum ecosystem. It’s clear the team is moving toward creating a unified digital environment where users can handle most of their needs — from communication to capital management — within a single app.

Early in March, X (formerly Twitter) started testing a dedicated app called XChat among thousands of beta testers. It appears that the test phase is over and the app is ready for its public rollout. The Elon Musk-owned company has announced that XChat is now listed on the App Store, with a wide launch lined up in the coming days. 

What’s the big play? 

The chat app’s listing page on the App Store mentions a release date of April 17, and it will be available simultaneously for iPhone and iPad. As far as features go, the XChat app is advertising end-to-end encryption as one of its highlight features. For the unaware, E2E is currently deemed the safest security protocol to ensure that your messages are private, and no middleman or third-party (including the company that built the platform) can read your conversations. 

WhatsApp and Signal, for example, implement it by default. On Instagram and Telegram, there’s a dedicated private chats feature that relies on end-to-end encryption to protect your messages.

Circling back to XChat, it will also enable screenshot blocking, which means no participant in the conversation can take a screengrab of the chats. The app will let users edit or delete sent messages, and will also let them send disappearing messages. Calling and group chats will also be a part of the package.

Your encrypted chats deserve their own app.

Pre-order now: https://t.co/TM8Lk7AMGV pic.twitter.com/ZJ3yROXK1t

— XChat (@chat) April 10, 2026

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Ever since Musk took over X (which eventually merged with xAI, followed by a broad merger with SpaceX), plans for creating a super-app took center stage. Back in December, Musk quipped that he wants to transform X into something like WeChat, the Chinese app that allows everything from messaging and payments to reservations, among a whole bunch of other quirky services. In June last year, it was reported that the X super app would also offer investment and trading services once the super app plans materialize. 

Why is this an interesting shift? 

There’s more to the plans than a straightforward messaging pivot to XChat. Or at least that’s what Musk’s past claims, and the recent turn of events, suggest. On the surface, it would seem that Musk simply wants to serve a messaging app that fills the functional gaps that you can’t quite access on the social media app.

Elon Musk’s X to offer investment and trading in ‘super app’ push https://t.co/KvszMZuMyd

— Financial Times (@FT) June 19, 2025

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Just a day ago, Musk shared on X that WhatsApp can’t be trusted, referring to a lawsuit claiming that Meta allowed third parties access to the encrypted messages on WhatsApp. Even though WhatsApp has denied these claims, Musk’s statement added more fuel to the privacy fire. Separately, Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, claimed that WhatsApp’s encryption claims amount to the “biggest consumer fraud in history.” But that was not all.

Can’t trust WhatsApp https://t.co/Ts55gVXqkD

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2026

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Signal — one of the most widely trusted messaging apps out there, owing to its robust security protocols — also found itself in the line of fire. As per reports, the FBI was able to obtain the contents of Signal messages after accessing the notifications history on a suspect’s iPhone, even though the app allows a lock facility. Pavel also took a potshot at Signal, highlighting how Telegram never shows a message’s contents in the notification banner. 

It seems XChat is making a splashy public debut at a time when trust in the popular privacy-first platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal is coming under scrutiny. Moreover, it would be interesting to see if X offers all the features for free, or whether some of them will be locked behind a premium subscription, just like the sibling social media service. 

The Beats Studio Buds+ are down to $99.95, a $70 saving off their $169.95 list price, and that gets you true wireless noise canceling, spatial audio, and sweat resistance at a price that most competing earbuds with this feature set can’t touch. For anyone using an iPhone or an Android device, these cover the bases better than most things at this price.

What you’re getting

The Studio Buds+ improved on the original Studio Buds in two meaningful ways: better ANC performance and the addition of spatial audio, which delivers a more immersive, three-dimensional listening experience on compatible content. The noise-canceling handles commuting and office environments well, and transparency mode is responsive enough to actually use when you need to stay aware of your surroundings.

What sets the Studio Buds+ apart from most earbuds at this price is the cross-platform compatibility. They pair seamlessly with iPhone through the Apple ecosystem while offering full Android integration through the Beats app, one-touch Google Assistant access, and Find My Device support. Most earbuds at this price favor one platform at the expense of the other; the Studio Buds+ don’t make that compromise.

The built-in microphone handles calls clearly, the IPX4 sweat resistance makes them a practical gym companion, and the compact charging case keeps the overall package travel-friendly.

Why it’s worth it

Spatial audio and ANC together in a wireless earbud typically push the price well above $100. The Beats Studio Buds+ at $99.95 bring both to a price point where the decision becomes considerably easier, particularly for anyone who switches regularly between Apple and Android devices and doesn’t want to sacrifice features to do so.

The bottom line

The Beats Studio Buds+ at $99.95 are a well-rounded wireless earbud at a price that makes the feature set look considerably more expensive than it is. The ANC, spatial audio, and genuine dual-platform compatibility add up to an earbud that’s difficult to beat at this price, and the $70 saving makes it the right time to pick them up.