Getting AI to draft emails or debug code is one thing; getting it to persuade people to part with their money is another. A new report cited by The Washington Post describes a study by researchers at the University of Oxford and other institutions that found Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6 beat professional human fundraisers in convincing donors, prompting fresh questions about AI’s expanding sway.
Claude outperformed human fundraisers, but there’s a crucial caveat
The team compared commercial AI models with seasoned fundraisers working for Save the Children. Across more than 1,000 interactions, Claude Opus 4.6 was almost three times as effective at getting participants to donate a portion of their study bonus and secured contributions that were, on average, 13% larger than those obtained by human experts. These results come from a preprint that has not yet been peer‑reviewed.
The study also examined debate performance, where Claude and other cutting‑edge models surpassed elite competitive debaters by 4.6 percentage points. However, the edge largely vanished when researchers limited the AI to roughly the same word count as the humans, suggesting that verbosity and the ability to quickly present large amounts of information drove the AI’s success more than any fundamentally superior reasoning.
Researchers observed that the chatbots often generated messages several times longer than those written by professionals, packed with factual claims and expert references. They warned that persuasiveness did not necessarily align with accuracy, noting that some models produced convincing yet unsupported or fabricated statements.
The worrying part isn’t fundraising. It’s what comes next
The authors caution against overreacting. The experiments relied entirely on written conversations, with participants willing to engage in lengthy 15‑ to 20‑minute exchanges that may not reflect real‑world behavior. They also did not test scenarios where humans and AI collaborate, which is arguably the more probable future workplace model.
Nonetheless, the findings underscore a growing reality: AI models are becoming remarkably adept at persuasion. If they can coax people into donating more than trained professionals today, tomorrow they could be equally effective at shaping purchasing decisions, political opinions, or public discourse. That prospect is exciting for productivity, but it also highlights why transparency and safeguards around AI‑generated communication are more important than ever.
If you’re running iOS 27 beta on an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air, you already have a noticeably better dictation experience on your device. However, Apple leaves it disabled by default, and most users aren’t even aware it exists.
### What is Advanced Dictation Preview?
iOS 27 includes two distinct dictation engines. Which one you receive depends on your hardware. While every iPhone gets a modest upgrade over the standard version, owners of the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air can access a separate offering called **Advanced Dictation Preview**.
The advanced engine runs on Apple’s AFM Core Advanced model—the same model that powers the new expressive Siri voices—and operates entirely on‑device, requiring no internet connection. It even inserts punctuation and capitalization automatically as you speak, so you no longer need to say “comma” or “period”.
### Why isn’t it on every iPhone?
Advanced Dictation delivers a substantial jump in accuracy, but it’s still in beta, so Apple keeps it turned off by default while it gathers opt‑in feedback. If you’re on the iOS 27 beta and rely on voice dictation, you can enable it by going to **Settings > General > Keyboards** and scrolling down to **Advanced Dictation Preview** (listed under *Tech Between the Lines*).
The limitation isn’t a software rollout—it’s hardware. AFM Core Advanced requires at least 12 GB of RAM to run locally. The standard iPhone 17 ships with 8 GB of RAM, as does the iPhone 16 Pro, which is why those models are excluded.
If your device meets the RAM requirement, simply flip the toggle in Settings to enjoy the enhanced dictation experience.
AI has made online scams harder to spot by making deepfakes, voice cloning, and fake messages more realistic. Even so, the old tech support scam is still catching victims. For years, fraudsters often posed as Microsoft support workers. Now, reports suggest many are shifting their attention to Apple users.
Consumers are reporting a rise in fake “Apple High Alert” messages that claim an iPhone, iCloud account, or Apple ID has been compromised. These messages are designed to make people panic and react quickly before they can stop to check whether the warning is real.
The alerts can appear as browser pop‑ups, text messages, emails, or even phone calls from someone pretending to be Apple Support. They often warn of suspicious activity, an account lock, an unauthorized purchase, or a security breach.
**How does the Apple High Alert scam work?**
The fake warnings often urge users to click a link, call a number, or download software to secure their device. Once someone responds, scammers may try to steal Apple ID passwords, verification codes, banking details, or credit card information. In more serious cases, they may convince victims to install remote‑access software, giving criminals control over the device.
The scam works because Apple accounts are tied to a lot of personal data, including photos, contacts, payments, passwords, and device backups. A convincing warning about losing access to that account can make people panic.
Gift cards are often part of these scams because they are difficult to trace once redeemed. Valve recently said it will stop selling physical Steam gift cards after scammers repeatedly used them to extract money from victims. Apple‑themed scams can follow the same pattern, with criminals asking for gift cards or other hard‑to‑reverse payments.
**How can Apple users stay safe?**
Apple says users should be wary of unsolicited messages, calls, or pop‑ups claiming urgent account problems. The company does not ask users to share passwords, verification codes, or gift card numbers to fix security issues.
The safest response is to avoid clicking links or calling numbers in unexpected messages. Instead, users should check their Apple account through Settings on their device or by visiting Apple’s official website directly. Two‑factor authentication can also help protect an Apple ID if a password is exposed.
Robots are already capable of lifting boxes, sorting parcels and tightening bolts with ease, and some even manage to walk or run like people. Hand them a slippery piece of raw salmon, however, and the task quickly becomes chaotic.
A research group at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology tackled this challenge, creating the Sashimi‑Bot – a three‑armed machine that can carve sashimi from a salmon loin completely autonomously.
How does the Sashimi‑Bot achieve this?
It allocates the work among its three limbs: the first arm steadies and positions the fish on a cutting board, the second wields a chef’s knife to make the cuts, and the third uses chopsticks to pick up each slice and place it on a serving tray.
What sets this system apart is the way the robot learned the skill. Lead researcher Sverre Herland and his team employed deep reinforcement learning inside a virtual simulator, allowing the robot to rehearse thousands of motions and improve through trial and error without ever touching a real fish.
During real‑world testing, the knife‑holding arm was equipped with a GelSight tactile sensor – a soft gel surface with an embedded camera that signals the exact moment the blade contacts the board. The robot produced 34 salmon slices, successfully grasping 26 of the 28 pieces that landed on the board with chopsticks, and retrieving an extra six slices that clung to the blade.
Each cutting cycle took an average of 27.9 seconds. The findings, published in *npj Robotics* (via TechXplore), demonstrate that while most robots excel with rigid, predictable objects, the Sashimi‑Bot showcases how machines can handle delicate, irregular materials by making real‑time adjustments.
Pool cleaning robots have made huge strides in recent years. What began as basic devices for clearing debris from pool bottoms has transformed into sophisticated systems that can map entire pools, respond to shifting conditions, and perform several upkeep tasks simultaneously. As the demand for smart‑home solutions climbs, pool owners are seeking the same blend of automation, ease, and dependability from their pool‑care gear.
Few manufacturers have embraced this evolution as aggressively as Beatbot. Sold through the Beatbot website and Amazon store, the company has positioned itself as a premium leader in robotic pool care by merging cutting‑edge robotics, AI‑powered vision, and smart navigation into devices that cut down the time and effort needed to keep a pool spotless. This Prime Day, Beatbot’s catalog showcases just how far automated pool maintenance has come, from top‑tier units with real‑time decision‑making to versatile robots that tackle multiple chores in a single cleaning run.
Instead of concentrating on a single product line, Beatbot has spent recent years constructing a wider pool‑care ecosystem driven by advanced robotics, intelligent navigation, and AI‑based automation. From flagship cleaners capable of on‑the‑fly decisions to surface skimmers and more budget‑friendly options, the mission stays consistent: shrink the time, labor, and guesswork traditionally tied to pool upkeep.
Inside Beatbot’s most advanced pool‑care system
The clearest expression of Beatbot’s AI‑centric vision appears in the AquaSense X. This unit merges an autonomous self‑cleaning dock with HybridSense™ AI Vision, CleverNav™ AI Path Planning, AI debris detection, smart obstacle avoidance, auto‑recovery, and night‑time cleaning, delivering a heightened level of awareness and flexibility during cleaning.
The system constantly scans its environment, spots obstacles and debris, and reshapes its cleaning routes in real time to boost coverage across the whole pool. Rather than depending on static cleaning patterns, it adjusts as conditions evolve, yielding a more thorough and efficient clean while cutting down on user involvement.
The autonomous dock reinforces this hands‑free approach. By limiting routine upkeep after each cycle, it lets owners spend less time tending the robot and more time enjoying the water. For those after the most sophisticated option in Beatbot’s lineup, the AquaSense X fuses intelligent navigation, adaptive cleaning, and automated maintenance into a single platform.
Prime Day price: $3,999 (regularly $4,250).
AquaSense 2 Ultra expands intelligent pool maintenance
While many robotic cleaners concentrate on debris removal, the AquaSense 2 Ultra adopts a broader maintenance perspective. Marketed as the world’s first AI‑powered 5‑in‑1 pool robot, it handles floor scrubbing, wall cleaning, waterline polishing, surface skimming, and water clarification all within one system.
HybridSense™ AI Vision and CleverNav™ AI Path Planning enable the AquaSense 2 Ultra to traverse multiple cleaning zones while adapting to shifting pool conditions. Coupled with AI debris detection and smart obstacle avoidance, the robot embodies Beatbot’s “full‑pool intelligence,” allowing it to address diverse tasks from a single platform.
Water clarification sets the AquaSense 2 Ultra apart from conventional robots. Beyond gathering debris, it actively improves water clarity, reducing reliance on extra maintenance tools. For owners seeking a holistic pool‑care solution, it merges cleaning, water treatment, and intelligent automation in one package.
Prime Day price: $1,999 (regularly $3,150).
AquaSense 2 Pro delivers all‑in‑one care
The AquaSense 2 Pro aims to simplify pool upkeep without compromising performance. It combines floor cleaning, wall scrubbing, waterline polishing, surface skimming, and water clarification into a single unit, ideal for owners who want a comprehensive solution without juggling multiple devices.
Features such as the ClearWater™ Clarification System, Smart Water Surface Parking, and one‑tap app retrieval streamline daily ownership, while Full Coverage Path Optimization powered by 22 sensors ensures efficient navigation and consistent cleaning across the pool. By continuously evaluating its surroundings and tweaking routes as needed, the AquaSense 2 Pro provides thorough coverage with minimal user input.
The outcome is a system that unites smart navigation, water care, and multi‑zone cleaning in a practical, user‑friendly way. For those looking for a balance between high‑tech automation and everyday usability, the AquaSense 2 Pro sits comfortably in the middle of Beatbot’s expanding ecosystem.
Prime Day price: $1,699 (regularly $2,299).
The Sora Series brings smarter cleaning to a wider audience
Not every pool owner needs a flagship‑level device, and that’s where Beatbot’s Sora Series steps in.
The Sora 70 is the top model of the line, offering 4‑in‑1 cleaning of the floor, walls, waterline, and surface. By adding dedicated surface cleaning to traditional robotic functions, it achieves broader coverage than many mid‑range competitors. Features like Smart Surface Parking, shallow‑area reach, SonicSense™ AI Ultrasonic Obstacle Avoidance, and intelligent path planning boost cleaning consistency and make retrieval easier after a cycle.
SonicSense™ AI Ultrasonic Obstacle Avoidance and smart path planning help the Sora 70 move more efficiently while enhancing cleaning uniformity throughout the pool. Combined with its 4‑in‑1 capability, these technologies make it one of the strongest choices in Beatbot’s mid‑range catalog.
Prime Day price: $999 (regularly $1,499).
The Sora 30 focuses on delivering solid everyday performance without the premium price tag of flagship models. Its upgraded 3‑in‑1 cleaning handles floors, walls, and waterlines, offering wider coverage and more versatility than many entry‑level cordless cleaners. For newcomers to Beatbot’s ecosystem, it presents an attractive mix of performance, convenience, and value.
While positioned as a more accessible option, the Sora 30 still benefits from Beatbot’s overarching design philosophy: expanded coverage, smarter operation, and reduced manual effort. For owners seeking reliable day‑to‑day maintenance, it serves as a practical gateway into Beatbot’s intelligent pool‑care world.
Prime Day price: $649 (regularly $999).
Prime Day is the perfect moment to upgrade
Beatbot’s Prime Day discounts extend well beyond the flagship units. In addition to offers on the AquaSense X, AquaSense 2 Ultra, AquaSense 2 Pro, Sora 70, and Sora 30, shoppers can save across the broader ecosystem. The Sora 10 drops from $699 to $449, while the AquaSense 2 is available for $799, down from $1,298. Surface‑cleaning tools also see deep cuts, with the iSkim priced at $299 (normally $499) and the iSkim Ultra reduced from $999 to $549.
Running from July 8 through July 11, these promotions represent one of the year’s best chances to upgrade to Beatbot’s AI‑driven pool‑care suite. Whether you need a top‑tier robotic cleaner, an all‑in‑one maintenance system, or a dedicated surface‑cleaning device, the lineup covers a range of pool sizes, care requirements, and budgets.
For pool owners eager to spend less time scrubbing and more time swimming, Prime Day could be the ideal opportunity to make the switch.
While the tech world was busy obsessing over Liquid Glass, smarter Apple Intelligence features, and all the shiny new additions arriving with macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple quietly slipped in another announcement at WWDC 2026 that didn’t get nearly as much attention. Buried in the compatibility list was a simple but significant detail: Intel Macs are no longer supported. For millions of users, that’s just another software update requirement. For a passionate corner of the internet that has spent nearly two decades bending technology to its will, it’s something far bigger. It’s the end of the traditional Hackintosh era.
If the term sounds unfamiliar, here’s the quick version. A Hackintosh is a regular PC that’s been modified to run macOS instead of Windows or Linux. Using community‑developed bootloaders such as OpenCore and carefully selected hardware, enthusiasts managed to convince Apple’s operating system that it was running on a genuine Mac. The process was anything but straightforward, but for many, that challenge became part of the fun.
At first glance, macOS 27 looks like the software update that finally kills the Hackintosh. But after taking a closer look, another question emerges: did Apple really end the Hackintosh movement, or did it quietly become irrelevant years ago?
From Rebellion to Ritual
To understand why Hackintoshes existed in the first place, it’s worth rewinding the clock by a decade or so. Back then, buying a Mac often meant paying a significant premium. Professional‑grade Macs were expensive, upgrade options were limited, and power users frequently found themselves wishing Apple would simply let them build their own machines. Instead, they built their own anyway.
Developers, video editors, music producers, and hardware enthusiasts began assembling custom PCs using Intel processors and compatible components before installing macOS through carefully configured bootloaders. The result was often a machine that delivered Mac Pro‑level performance for a fraction of the price.
And honestly, it wasn’t just about saving money either. Hackintosh represented freedom. Users could pick their own motherboard, upgrade their storage whenever they wanted, swap graphics cards, overclock CPUs, and build systems tailored to their exact needs while still enjoying macOS, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Xcode, AirDrop, and the rest of Apple’s software ecosystem.
Entire online communities formed around the movement. Compatibility databases, troubleshooting guides, and OpenCore configurations became shared knowledge. Successfully booting into macOS on unsupported hardware felt less like installing an operating system and more like completing a puzzle.
Apple didn’t kill it overnight
It’s tempting to look at macOS 27 and declare that Apple has finally killed the Hackintosh. That isn’t entirely true. The real countdown began in 2020 with the launch of Apple Silicon and the original M1 chip.
At the time, many viewed it as another architectural transition that would take years to settle. Instead, Apple delivered processors that combined impressive performance with exceptional efficiency, setting new benchmarks for battery life and thermals while steadily improving with each generation. As Apple Silicon matured, macOS itself increasingly evolved around Apple’s own hardware.
The end of Hackintosh wasn’t sudden. It was six years in the making.
The end of Hackintosh wasn’t sudden. It was six years in the making.
Meanwhile, Intel‑based Hackintosh projects remained functional but slowly became stranded on older assumptions. The community adapted impressively, but every new release widened the gap between Apple’s vertically integrated ecosystem and the generic PC hardware it once managed to emulate. macOS 26 effectively became the final stop for traditional x86 Hackintoshes. macOS 27 simply makes that reality official. Rather than dramatically shutting the door, Apple has quietly walked into a future where its operating system is designed exclusively around its own silicon.
Remember when the copy was better than the original?
One detail that’s often forgotten is that Hackintoshes weren’t merely cheaper than Macs. In many cases, they were faster. It wasn’t unusual to see creators building massive workstations with desktop Core i9 processors, Xeons, multiple GPUs, and enormous amounts of RAM that comfortably outperformed Apple’s own offerings. For years, building a Hackintosh wasn’t just about avoiding the so‑called Apple Tax. It was about getting better hardware while still enjoying macOS. Fast‑forward to 2026, and the script has completely flipped.
The hackintosh subreddit is filled with goodbye posts and pictures of new M4 Mac minis.5-years-ago, I was building PCs to run macOS because Mac hardware was abysmal.Now, people want Apple’s hardware to run Windows and Linux because it’s so good.How the turntables…
— Quinn Nelson (@SnazzyLabs) January 1, 2025
Apple Silicon has transformed Macs into some of the most efficient computers on the market. Performance‑per‑watt has become a genuine competitive advantage, unified memory has proven remarkably capable for many professional workloads, and battery life on Apple’s notebooks continues to impress. Ironically, one of the biggest reasons people stopped building Hackintoshes is that Apple’s own hardware became genuinely difficult to beat.
Is Apple actually a good value now?
If someone had said this ten years ago, they probably would’ve been laughed out of the room. Yet here we are. One of the biggest reasons Hackintosh existed was simple economics. Many users wanted macOS but couldn’t justify spending thousands on Apple hardware. Today’s landscape looks very different.
The MacBook Neo has opened the ecosystem to students and first‑time buyers. The MacBook Air has become one of the easiest laptops to recommend thanks to its blend of portability, battery life, and performance. Professionals needing more horsepower can turn to the MacBook Pro lineup, which comfortably handles video editing, software development, AI workloads, and demanding creative tasks.
The Mac mini deserves special mention, too. A few years ago, people built Hackintoshes because they wanted Apple’s software but didn’t want Apple’s hardware. Now, many buyers are purchasing Mac minis primarily because they want Apple’s hardware. Its compact size, impressive efficiency, strong CPU performance, and excellent memory architecture have made it increasingly popular for home labs, local AI projects, and OpenClaw‑style deployments.
The problem that slowly disappeared
Here’s the funny thing about Hackintoshes: they were never really about spending hours tweaking bootloaders, hunting down obscure kexts, or praying that the next software update wouldn’t break everything. They existed because they solved a very real problem. People wanted macOS without emptying their wallets, wanted workstation‑class performance without Apple’s price tag, and wanted the freedom to swap GPUs, add RAM, or upgrade storage whenever they pleased. In many ways, Hackintosh wasn’t just a project; it was a rebellion against expensive, locked‑down hardware.
Fast‑forward to 2026, and that rebellion has started running out of things to rebel against. Apple Silicon has narrowed the performance gap, entry‑level Macs have become far more accessible, and the company’s hardware is finally easy to recommend without an awkward disclaimer attached. On the other side, for users simply trying to extend the life of an aging Intel desktop, lightweight Linux distributions have also matured into polished, capable alternatives that often make more sense than trying to force unsupported versions of macOS onto legacy hardware.
Now, that’s not to say existing Hackintoshes suddenly become useless. Systems running macOS 26 will continue serving many owners perfectly well for years. But for anyone thinking of building a brand‑new Hackintosh today just to experience macOS, the obvious question isn’t “Can you?”, but actually, “Why would you?”
The ARM dream that probably stays a dream
Of course, the internet being the internet, someone has already asked the obvious question: “What if Hackintosh just moves to ARM?” After all, Snapdragon laptops have been here for a while, and the new NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops definitely seem quite powerful.
Then again, Apple Silicon isn’t just another ARM chip. It’s a tightly woven cocktail of custom hardware, proprietary technologies, and software optimizations that are designed to work together like a perfectly choreographed dance routine. Recreating all of that would be a monumental engineering headache.
Could someone eventually pull it off? Maybe. But the bigger question is: if you’re already buying a shiny new ARM laptop because you want macOS, wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier to just… buy a Mac?
Out with a Chime
The Hackintosh deserves to be remembered as one of the internet’s greatest engineering side quests. For years, it brought together thousands of enthusiasts who documented hardware compatibility, wrote guides, built tools, and helped strangers run macOS on machines Apple never intended. It wasn’t just about saving money. It was about curiosity, freedom, and proving that with enough determination, almost anything was possible.
Ironically, the Hackintosh wasn’t ultimately defeated by lawsuits or software lockouts. It simply outlived the problem it was created to solve. Apple’s shift to Apple Silicon and increasingly compelling hardware lineup made the need for a Hackintosh steadily fade away, long before macOS 27 officially ended the journey. And honestly? That’s probably the best ending this story could have asked for.
OpenAI is outlining a future where sophisticated AI reaches billions, not just the corporations and governments scrambling to dominate it. Its newest initiative focuses on an AI for all—a personal AGI that would serve as a highly capable aide for everyday tasks, professional work, and exploration.
The firm labels this its third phase. After demonstrating that the technology can function and converting it into products that scale, OpenAI now seeks to make powerful AI widely accessible while also driving systems that can speed up scientific discovery and economic progress.
The challenge lies in converting that ambition into something people can actually use. A personal AGI must be affordable, understandable, and trustworthy, yet OpenAI has provided few details about pricing, rollout timing, geographic coverage, or how access would differ from its existing offerings.
What a personal AGI could accomplish
OpenAI is talking about more than a single app feature. It envisions AI systems that help individuals pursue personal goals, generate new knowledge, and reap benefits that would otherwise remain locked inside research labs or large enterprises.
The most concrete clue is OpenAI’s research timeline. It predicts that AI systems will handle a substantial portion of its own research work alongside human scientists by March 2028, lending weight to the personal AGI concept beyond a mere product tease. The company is tying consumer access to AI that can aid in producing fresh breakthroughs.
Who governs an AI for everyone
The access narrative is compelling because a personal AGI would bring advanced assistance directly to the individual. If successful, it could transform how people learn, write, code, plan, research, and decide without depending on an employer, school, or government body.
Nevertheless, the design authority would remain with OpenAI. The company would dictate the system’s behavior, set its limits, and determine which capabilities are released first. Even an AI intended for universal use would still be delivered through the choices of a single organization.
When OpenAI must prove itself
The next hurdle isn’t merely describing a grand vision; it’s demonstrating a personal AGI that feels genuinely useful without being opaque, prohibitively expensive, or out of reach.
Watch for concrete information on pricing, availability, safety measures, and everyday use cases. Until those details emerge, OpenAI’s all‑knowing AI for everyone remains an ambitious direction, but not yet a product people can plan around.
Apple has yet to launch a touchscreen Mac, but macOS 27 Golden Gate hints that the firm is at least getting its desktop OS ready for more touch‑centric interactions. While waiting for actual hardware, Alogic is stepping in with a fresh series of external monitors that add touch and stylus capabilities to both macOS and Windows environments.
The lineup was revealed at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas and includes the wall‑mounted Fokus touchscreens, the Aspekt Touch 27‑inch monitor, Folio portable displays, and an Active Stylus. Windows users have long enjoyed a variety of touch monitors, yet Mac users typically need extra software to achieve comparable functionality on an external screen. Alogic claims its software lets users tap through the UI, annotate, draw, and employ a stylus on supported panels.
Looking for a touchscreen Mac before Apple delivers one? That’s the core idea behind Alogic’s new range. The Fokus models are the largest, aimed at meeting rooms, classrooms, and collaborative spaces where participants might want to present, annotate, or sketch directly on a big screen. They are offered in 43‑inch, 55‑inch, and 65‑inch sizes, all featuring 4K panels and multitouch support.
For desk‑bound users, the Aspekt Touch 27‑inch is the more practical choice. It mirrors Alogic’s existing 32‑inch touch monitor but is closer in size to Apple’s Studio Display. The unit sports a 4K panel, 600 nits brightness, 100 % sRGB coverage, USB‑C docking, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, Ethernet, and 90 W charging. It will be sold in Silver and Space Black, with Raise, Fold, and Omni stand options.
The Folio series targets people who need extra screen real‑estate away from a fixed workstation. The standard Folio provides a single 16‑inch QHD touch panel, while the Folio Duo adds a second screen that can be stacked vertically or placed side‑by‑side for a wider layout—ideal for traveling MacBook users who still want a multi‑monitor setup.
Pricing for Alogic’s new Mac‑compatible touch displays
Fokus 43‑inch – $2,799
Fokus 55‑inch – $3,299
Fokus 65‑inch – $3,999
Aspekt Touch 27‑inch – starting at $1,799
Folio – $899
Folio Duo – $1,299
Active Stylus with wireless charging – $149
Iris 2 4K autofocus webcam – $199
The Aspekt Touch 27‑inch and Active Stylus are slated for a July 2026 release, while the Fokus, Folio, and Iris 2 are expected by September.
Sony has filed a PSN login patent, first spotted by RespawnFirst, that would pull the DualSense controller into the sign‑in process. A PlayStation console would start the request, then the controller would help confirm that the account holder is close enough to approve access.
For players, the appeal is easy to see. PSN account abuse can lead to unauthorized purchases, lost access, and attempts to resell established accounts. Sony already offers 2‑step verification and passkeys, but this idea adds a hardware check to the login chain.
**How would the controller approve access**
The patent describes a handoff that begins at the console. A PS5 or another PlayStation system would send a sign‑in request, then the controller would scan for a nearby device such as a smartphone. The diagrams show the console, controller, and account screen as separate parts of the same approval flow.
The controller could use Bluetooth, NFC, proximity sensors, light, sound, or haptic feedback to make contact. After the nearby device responds, credentials would move through the controller and return to the console so the sign‑in can finish.
**Why would passkeys need backup**
Passkeys already give PlayStation users a cleaner way to sign in with a stored credential, including through the PlayStation app. Sony’s patent changes the burden on an attacker. A stolen login becomes harder to use if the console also expects a specific controller to join the process.
There’s a trade‑off, and it isn’t small. A lost, broken, or unavailable DualSense could become a lockout risk unless Sony builds in another way to get back in. The filing doesn’t confirm whether current controllers would support the system, or whether it would require future hardware.
**Where could the weak spot remain**
The harder PSN security problem may sit outside the console. Attackers can exploit account recovery by persuading customer support to provide sensitive account access using limited details.
That leaves Sony with two jobs if this ever becomes real. The controller check would need to be convenient enough for regular players, and account recovery would need tougher guardrails. Until then, the PSN login patent is worth watching, but it shouldn’t be treated as a full answer to account theft.
Caviar has created many outrageously priced custom phones before, but its newest iPhone accessory could be a true crossover (literally). The brand’s new Magnetic Custom Relict is a magnetic case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, priced at $4,490. The price sounds excessive until you learn what the case contains – a fragment of a Tyrannosaurus fossil set into the tip of its signature check‑mark design.
It’s pricier than the phone it protects
Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 in the US, meaning Caviar’s case costs more than three times the base phone’s price. For that amount, Caviar uses lightweight aviation‑grade titanium for the magnetic panel, alligator leather in a Himalaya hue, and blue jewelry enamel around the decorative check‑mark element.
The company describes the design as a modern object bearing a trace of prehistoric Earth, giving it a dramatic flair. The case attaches magnetically to the iPhone body, so it isn’t one of Caviar’s full custom iPhone rebuilds. Essentially, you’re purchasing an ultra‑premium backplate that gives the phone a fresh look without permanently altering the device.
How this becomes a highly exclusive case
Caviar is limiting this piece to just seven units, which also explains the steep price. Each unit arrives in the brand’s signature gift box and includes a personal certificate. While it may not be the most protective or drop‑resistant case, it will undoubtedly be the most premium and exclusive one available.
