At the end of April 2026, the domain max.ru was flagged by Cloudflare as potentially associated with spyware. Such a label indicates that the service may pose a risk to user data or engage in hidden activity that is not obvious to users.
By itself, this designation is not definitive proof of malicious behavior, but for the industry it represents a serious reputational blow — especially given that MAX is positioned as a “national messenger” aimed at a массовая audience.
Interestingly, the situation almost mirrors the fate of the alternative client Telega. Shortly before being removed from the App Store, it received a similar label, after which user trust dropped sharply.
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Why This Matters
A spyware flag is more than just a technical label — it has consequences across several levels:
User trust: most users won’t investigate the details and will simply avoid the app
Distribution: app stores are highly sensitive to such signals
International reputation: skepticism toward products tied to state initiatives increases
Against the backdrop of competition with platforms like Telegram, incidents like this can cost a project its audience.
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An Alternative with the Opposite Logic
Amid such cases, some users turn their attention to solutions built on a противоположной philosophy — maximum privacy by default.
Verum Messenger is often mentioned in this context. The service positions itself around отказ from telemetry and server logs, offers registration without a phone number, uses an open protocol, and even includes built-in tools to bypass restrictions (including VPN functionality).
As of May 2026, Cloudflare has no public labels linking Verum to malicious activity — at least at the level of infrastructure warnings, it appears “clean.”
However, this model also has its downside.
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The Other Side of Anonymity
A high level of privacy often conflicts with regulation. In the case of Verum, this has manifested quite directly: since September 2024, the service has been blocked in Russia by a decision of the Moscow City Court.
The reason is described as “excessive anonymity” and the inability to control user activity. This creates a paradoxical situation:
Inside the country: the service effectively operates outside the legal framework
Outside it: it is perceived as one of the “cleaner” tools in terms of privacy
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Conclusion
The story of MAX and similar cases shows that the messenger market is increasingly divided not only by functionality, but also by ideology.
On one side are platforms integrated into state or corporate ecosystems. On the other are tools that prioritize anonymity and data minimization.
To challenge Linux’s increasing presence in handheld gaming devices, Microsoft demonstrated Xbox mode, a streamlined, gaming-centric iteration of Windows. Last month, Microsoft delighted Windows users by revealing that Xbox mode would also expand to Windows PCs and laptops.
That moment has now arrived. Xbox mode is currently being deployed to Windows 11 PCs, covering laptops, desktops, and tablets. If you have long desired a PC that operates more like a gaming console, this is the update you have been anticipating.
Why is Xbox mode generating so much excitement?
Xbox mode offers a full-screen, controller-friendly interface designed specifically for gaming. Imagine a console-style hub layered over Windows 11. It highlights your game library, minimizes background clutter, and allows you to launch titles instantly without navigating the standard Windows environment.
Users can navigate and launch titles using a controller, return to the Windows desktop whenever necessary, and access their entire game collection in one location, including the complete Xbox Game Pass library and titles from other PC platforms.
Xbox mode aims to provide a cohesive gaming experience across all your devices. It does not replace Windows but rather offers an alternative way to utilize your PC. If you value the flexibility of PC gaming but desire the ease of a console interface, Xbox mode delivers both.
How can you install Xbox mode on your PC?
The deployment is rolling out gradually, meaning availability will vary by device. To receive the update as soon as it becomes available on your system, open Settings, navigate to Windows Update, and enable “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available.”
Once the update is installed, you can launch Xbox mode directly from your PC. Microsoft states it will continue refining Xbox mode based on user feedback, ensuring the experience will only improve moving forward.
Google Meet’s “Take notes for me,” introduced in 2024, already helps those balancing note-taking and meeting participation. Techgeeks reports that the AI meeting notetaker service has seen several improvements since its launch.
Recent updates include support for in-person meeting notes, extended note lengths, and other enhancements. Techgeeks notes that Google is now introducing new customization options to give users precise control over their meeting notes.
What’s New?
The main update allows toggling specific sections on or off during a meeting. Users can now select which of the four sections to include: Summary, Decisions, Next steps, and Details. These changes apply only to the current meeting, leaving default settings for future calls intact.
The Decisions section stands out as a key feature. It explicitly captures outcomes and tracks their status, eliminating the need to search through large text blocks. Note that this section is currently available in English only.
Google
Google has also enhanced the Summary section to be more concise and scannable, helping users quickly grasp key points without reading through the entire text.
How to Access It?
If you already have access to “Take notes for me,” this update will add these features automatically. Simply enable the feature in your next meeting to explore the new capabilities.
The feature is rolling out gradually, starting April 30, 2026, and is available on Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Frontline Plus, Google AI Pro for Education, and Google AI Pro and Ultra plans.
Apple is facing a delightful dilemma: it is struggling to produce enough Mac computers to meet consumer demand. During its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook revealed that interest in the Mac range has surpassed the company’s production capacity — a scenario that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago when Mac expansion was lagging behind the iPhone’s success.
If there’s one major hurdle preventing foldable phones from becoming mainstream, it’s their battery endurance, and Motorola is stepping up to address this issue. Nearly every major smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. has released a book-style foldable, justifying the high price with complex hinges, flexible screens, and other technical achievements. However, battery performance often falls short of expectations.
Unfolding a foldable doubles the screen size, which is its main selling point. But does the battery life also double? Unfortunately, no. Among the two most popular book-style foldables available in the U.S. — Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold — the average battery life still lags behind that of traditional smartphones.
Motorola
Yet, smartphones have already achieved over 10 hours of screen-on time using silicon-carbon battery technology. This is precisely the gap Motorola aims to close with its inaugural book-style foldable, the Razr Fold. For the first time, a foldable is entering the U.S. market boasting a 6,000 mAh battery with 80W wired charging support.
If successful, the Razr Fold could close this battery life gap before Samsung or Google even attempt to match it.
The Persistent Battery Challenge for Foldables
Consider what the battery in the Fold 7 or Pixel 10 Pro Fold must power: two displays (the outer cover screen and the inner foldable screen), a flagship-grade processor taken directly from standard slab phones, and at least two or three rear cameras, plus constant Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.
This compounded power demand means foldables need larger batteries to match the endurance of regular phones. A few years ago, when foldable technology was less advanced, using a 4,000 or 4,400 mAh battery was standard practice.
Motorola
To me, it seems like OEMs, particularly in the U.S., are intentionally limiting battery capacity in foldables, while Chinese brands like Honor and Oppo continue to push boundaries.
This is the core issue the Motorola Razr Fold could resolve.
PhoneBatteryWired ChargingWireless ChargingStatusSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 74,400 mAh25W15W (Qi2 Ready*)AvailableGoogle Pixel 10 Pro Fold5,015 mAh39W15W (Qi2)AvailableSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold5,600 mAh45W15W (Qi)DiscontinuedMotorola Razr Fold6,000 mAh80W50WLaunching May 21
Who is the Razr Fold Up Against?
I’ve briefly used the Fold 7, and by many metrics, it’s an impressive piece of technology. The thinnest book-style foldable in the U.S. measures just 4.2 mm when unfolded. However, with a 4,400 mAh battery providing around six hours of screen-on time on average, it didn’t last a full day for me.
PhoneBatteryWired ChargingWireless ChargingStatusSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 74,400 mAh25W15W (Qi2 Ready*)AvailableGoogle Pixel 10 Pro Fold5,015 mAh39W15W (Qi2)AvailableSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold5,600 mAh45W15W (Qi)DiscontinuedMotorola Razr Fold6,000 mAh80W50WLaunching May 21
The phone also takes roughly 90 minutes to fully charge, thanks to support for only 25W wired charging. You can’t just plug it in for 20 minutes before heading out; you’d have to plan around it.
Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsNirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold made a significant jump with a 5,015 mAh cell and up to 39W charging, delivering between seven and eight hours of screen-on time, genuinely lasting a full day of usage.
But is that enough? Not really. Now that we’re in the era of phones with batteries exceeding 7,000 mAh (I’m referring to the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 15R) that offer nearly two days of battery life between charges, plugging in a foldable at around 8 or 9 PM feels like getting shortchanged on a $2,000 purchase.
If foldable phones are to compete with mainstream handsets, manufacturers must improve battery life, which is exactly why the Razr Fold has caught my attention.
What to Expect from the Razr Fold?
The Razr Fold’s 6,000 mAh battery is roughly 36% larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s and about 20% larger than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s. Motorola achieved this using the same technology found in modern Chinese flagships: silicon-carbon battery chemistry, which packs more energy into less physical space without adding bulk. The result is a book-style foldable that unfolds to just 4.7 mm, slightly thicker than the Fold 7, but not by a margin that should concern anyone.
Now, this is where I’m using years of experience to speculate without trying to sound overly optimistic. The Razr Fold, with its 6,000 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip that’s actually less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Fold 7, should provide a screen-on time of around eight to nine hours under mixed usage.
Motorola
If Motorola has optimized the software well for a large-screen foldable, and that’s a big if, given that this is the company’s first foldable, the screen-on time might even exceed nine hours.
This way, the foldable could actually match the battery life of modern flagships. If that doesn’t happen, however, I’d be disappointed, and seven to eight hours is where the phone would sit, with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, despite featuring a significantly bigger battery.
Please Don’t Miss the Mark, Motorola
Charging speed is equally crucial here. The Razr Fold’s 80W wired charging speed is more than three times what Samsung offers on the Fold 7 and double what Google offers on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The caveat, here, is that none of this has been proven yet, and we’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out the truth.
Motorola
It’s worth noting that the company also promises over 12 hours of use from under 10 minutes of being plugged in. For added convenience, and to leave the competition baffled, the Razr Fold also supports 50W wireless charging. While achieving those speeds requires Motorola’s proprietary hardware, I’d definitely pay for that kind of speedy convenience.
Moreover, the Razr Fold’s 6,000 mAh battery, paired with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, is the spec combination that U.S. buyers deserve. If it delivers, it will bridge the gap between the battery life we get from regular smartphones and foldables, making the Razr a compelling buy and forcing Samsung and Google to go back to the drawing board.
Microsoft has just released a significant update for the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. The Ally X will also receive Auto SR, Microsoft’s AI-driven upscaling feature, as a preview for Xbox Insiders, available starting today.
For those unfamiliar, Auto SR, which stands for Automatic Super Resolution, functions at the Windows OS level instead of requiring developers to implement it in specific games. Consequently, any DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 game may gain from this technology without needing an extra patch.
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Understanding Auto SR and Its Significance
When connected to a dock, Auto SR leverages the Ally X’s dedicated NPU, located exclusively in its Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, not the base Ally, to enhance games to a resolution akin to 1440p while operating at a lower native resolution.
Based on early demonstrations at GDC 2026, this feature may boost frame rates by up to 30% in compatible games. While some latency is added, Microsoft deems it acceptable. Additionally, support for portable mode is currently under consideration.
The latest update also enhances docking functionality for both devices, as they automatically turn off the handheld screen when linked to a TV. Compatible smart TVs will automatically switch to low-latency gaming modes.
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Additional Features Coming to the Handheld Consoles
While the ROG 100 Charger Dock now supports HDR10, the ROG Bulwark Dock adds both HDR10 and VRR (which aligns the TV’s refresh rate with the game’s frame rate in real-time). Bluetooth LE Audio is also introduced, offering lower-latency wireless audio and high-fidelity voice chat for both modes.
The update further improves haptic feedback across the board. Finally, a Collective Library update allows games installed from any PC store, such as Steam, Epic, and others, to be added directly to the Xbox library via a ‘+’ button. This enables users to launch all games from a single interface without switching between applications.
The ongoing memory and NAND shortage has already driven up costs for laptops, smartphones, consumer RAM, and other devices that require frequent upgrades. Samsung’s recent financial results indicate this strain might soon affect a broader range of electronics dependent on sophisticated chips and internal storage.
Samsung S26 Plus Moinak Pal/Digital TrendsSergei Starostin / Pexels
While electric vehicles have become a familiar sight on our roads, the time spent charging remains a major hurdle for many drivers. Even with access to a rapid charger, a stop often extends a journey by 30 minutes or longer, making long-distance trips feel less seamless than filling up a traditional gasoline vehicle.
At a BYD charging station in Beijing, the automaker is showcasing a solution designed to eliminate that waiting time. Cars are actively pulling in, connecting, and charging via BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery paired with a flash charging system, offering a real-world look at how this technology functions beyond a controlled lab setting.
Charging rates are being pushed far beyond current standards
BYD’s focus is on how rapidly usable range can be added, rather than the speed of a full charge. The company frames the experience as a brief pause, implying that drivers could gain substantial range in the time it takes to grab a coffee.
The charging infrastructure reflects this philosophy. The cable hangs from an overhead rail rather than lying on the ground, making it easier to maneuver and allowing it to move freely with the vehicle. It also supports connections from both sides, reducing the need to reposition the car in a crowded charging lot.
The battery is where most of the change is happening
Techgeeks
While the charger itself draws attention, BYD is positioning the second-generation Blade Battery as the core of the system. The company says the battery has been redesigned to handle higher charging speeds while addressing common bottlenecks such as heat buildup and performance in low temperatures.
Digital Trends
According to BYD, the system can charge from 10 percent to 97 percent in around 12 minutes even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. The company also states that the battery passes simultaneous nail penetration and charging tests, which are intended to simulate severe failure conditions.
How it compares to current fast charging
Most widely available fast chargers today operate at around 350 kilowatts, while some newer vehicles can reach closer to 500 kilowatts under peak conditions. Even in those cases, charging from 10 percent to 80 percent typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
BYD says its flash charging system can deliver up to 1,500 kilowatts through a single connector, which would place it well beyond current charging infrastructure. Under those conditions, the company claims the system can move from 10 percent to 70 percent in about five minutes and up to 97 percent in roughly nine minutes.
This is already in use, with plans to scale quickly
The system at BYD’s Beijing site is not being presented as a prototype, as vehicles are already using the charging stations on site, which provides a more practical indication of how the technology performs outside a controlled demonstration environment.
BYD positions this as an early stage of deployment and says it plans to build up to 20,000 of these charging stations by the end of 2026, with the network expected to expand beyond China as part of a broader global rollout, a scale that will ultimately determine whether the system remains limited to specific locations or becomes part of everyday charging infrastructure
If you’ve been interacting with ChatGPT recently and observed it making peculiar mentions of goblins, gremlins, ogres, or trolls, you aren’t imagining it. OpenAI has clarified the reasons behind this unusual ChatGPT behavior and the steps being taken to resolve it.
How a ‘nerdy’ quirk became everyone’s problem
OpenAI
The issue quietly began with GPT-5.1, released in November. Following that update, the frequency of the word “goblin” in ChatGPT outputs surged by 175%, while “gremlin” usage climbed by 52%. The root cause was traced to one of ChatGPT’s optional personality settings labeled “Nerdy,” which was intended to give the AI a more playful and intellectually inquisitive tone.
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During the training phase, OpenAI inadvertently assigned unusually high rewards to responses containing creature-based metaphors, causing the habit to develop rapidly.
How did a single personality setting cause so much goblin talk?
OpenAI
Here’s where it gets interesting. Even users who never switched on the Nerdy personality started seeing goblin references pop up in their chats. That’s because AI training isn’t contained to one setting. Once the ChatGPT model was rewarded for that style, the behavior bled into general responses across the board.
OpenAI
OpenAI says the Nerdy personality made up just 2.5% of all ChatGPT responses, yet accounted for 66.7% of all goblin mentions.
So how is OpenAI actually fixing this?
OpenAI
OpenAI retired the Nerdy personality in March with ChatGPT-5.4, which caused goblin references to drop sharply. The company also stripped out the reward signal driving the behavior and filtered training data to reduce references to other magical creatures.
OpenAI
Its coding tool, Codex, however, needed a separate override instruction since it had already begun training before the root cause was identified. Fantasy fans can still unlock goblin mode in Codex manually, if that’s your thing.
OpenAI is also dealing with other personality-related decisions, including putting its previously teased adult mode for verified users on hold indefinitely.
Motorola’s Edge 70 Pro has officially launched globally, following its initial release in India last week. While the device boasts impressive hardware, its most noticeable feature is likely its distinctive design.
The phone features a sleek quad-curved chassis with textured surfaces and Pantone-curated color options that deliver a refined aesthetic. Motorola has complemented this stylish look with a highly luminous 6.8-inch AMOLED display capable of reaching 5200 nits, ensuring excellent visibility in outdoor environments.
Motorola
What distinguishes the Edge 70 Pro’s design?
The aesthetic is the primary focus, with Motorola presenting four unique variations for the Edge 70 Pro. Options include a natural wood finish in Pantone Chicory Coffee with Cocoa Cream accents, a wool-like Pantone Titan finish featuring Orient Blue highlights, an acetate Pantone Lily White model with Whisper Pink details, and a silk-inspired Pantone Zinfandel version with Sangria accents. Each variant offers its own distinct texture.
What additional features does it include?
Beyond its stylish exterior, the Edge 70 Pro impressively houses a substantial 6500mAh battery within its slim form factor. It supports 90W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, Android 16 with five years of software updates, and a MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme processor. The 6.8-inch AMOLED display boasts a 144Hz refresh rate and Pantone Validated color calibration.
Motorola
Regarding cameras, the device features a 50MP Sony LYTIA 710 main sensor, complemented by a periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, an ultrawide camera, and a 50MP front-facing camera.
In the UK, the Edge 70 Pro is priced at £749.99, while European customers will pay €799. France sees a higher price of €899, making it a premium option for a mid-range smartphone. The device will also be available in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific in the coming weeks. This launch follows Motorola’s update to its foldable range, which includes a new book-style Razr Fold.
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