Tech Geeks

Latest News

  • TechGeeks Contacts

    Tech Geeks is your trusted source for the latest technology news — from AI and gadgets to mobile, science, and entertainment.

    Got a question, tip, or just want to get in touch? We’re happy to hear from you.

    General Inquiries

    For general questions about our content or website: 📧 hello@techgeeks.news

    Editorial & Tips

    Have a news tip, press release, or a product you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our editorial team: 📧 editorial@techgeeks.news

    Advertising & Partnerships

    Interested in advertising with Tech Geeks or exploring a collaboration? 📧 ads@techgeeks.news

    Follow Us

    Stay on top of the latest in tech — follow us on social media for daily updates and breaking news.

    Publisher

    Tech Geeks Media

  • YouTube sticks new labels on AI-generated songs

    YouTube is adding a “Made with AI” label to tracks that were “altered or fully generated” using AI, with a similar approach to its existing process for applying AI labels to videos .

    It doesn’t sound like this will apply to any and all use of AI tools in making music, but according to YouTube, it includes things like “using a generative model to create the composition and vocals.” In its rules for music partners who upload their songs, YouTube lays out how to disclose generative AI use, and says that if there’s no disclosure, it may use “other signals” to decide if a song is AI-generated.

    The label is rolling out starting today in the YouTube Music app, and expanding to the main YouTube app later.

    Related

  • Musicians-turned-detectives are hunting for AI grifters
  • Does Big Tech actually care about fighting AI slop?

    • You’ll be able to see more details by tapping the label on the player page:

    When you listen to a track on YouTube Music where AI played a significant role, you’ll see a label directly on the player page. Tapping the label opens a simple menu that shares more information.

    We’re teaming up with music partners and using our own detection tools to identify AI-generated tracks, applying the same labeling principles already used across YouTube. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for viewers and listeners to have the right information and clarity when it comes to the music they listen to.

    Spotify launched a voluntary AI label earlier this year and said that it wouldn’t recommend songs from “AI personas,” and Apple Music is also reportedly getting an AI tag.

  • Apple missed an opportunity with the Apple TV 4K

    It’s been four long years since the last Apple TV 4K was released, and in that time there have been lots of hopes and dreams for features in whatever comes next. A new chip, 4K/120Hz support, audio passthrough, a remote locator, better home control integration — the 2022 Apple TV 4K is a great box, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

    With the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K announced on Tuesday, some of those hopes were met, while others were unfortunately left out.

    Coloring the announcement is the device’s price. Apple eliminated the cheaper 64GB, Wi-Fi-only model, leaving just the 128GB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet model — and bumped up its price to $300. I repeat, $300 for a streaming device. It’s a hefty price when every other major streamer on the market is at least half the cost.

    There are new features I like about this year’s Apple TV 4K. More processing power is great — although my third generation is still running plenty fast — as is the Find My support for when the remote inevitably gets lost in the couch cushions or tangled up in blankets.

    Built-in far-field mics for talking to Siri are nice, too, provided you don’t stuff the box into a credenza like I do. The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K also adds a dedicated AV1 decoder, which allows for higher-quality streaming from apps that support it, such as Netflix, which is excellent.

    Any potential improvement to streaming content is a welcome one.

    My primary concern, though, is how the Apple TV 4K performs as an integral piece of my home theater.

  • Google Messages Unveils AI-Powered Anti-Scam Defense System with Cloud-Based Analysis

    Google Messages Unveils AI-Powered Anti-Scam Defense System with Cloud-Based Analysis

    Android is rolling out upgraded anti-fraud defenses across Google Messages, featuring a new “enhanced protection” mode that leverages cloud-powered Gemini AI to rapidly analyze suspicious conversation patterns with unknown contacts.

    This system builds on the existing Scam Detection capability, offering faster identification of sophisticated fraud schemes through secure cloud processing where user data remains encrypted and inaccessible to third parties. The protected analysis also incorporates on-device Gemini Nano AI that evaluates real-time web signals from unfamiliar URLs before they are opened, helping to stop malicious links.

    Beyond message-level protections, the update adds features like blocking unauthorized call forwarding and automatically hiding sensitive information during screen sharing in Chrome and Android WebView.

    Additionally, the chat notification alert system—previously available only on Pixel devices—is being extended to other brands including Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi, and many more, with plans to reach hundreds of millions of additional users throughout the remainder of the year.

  • Now you can call anyone with WhatsApp, even if they don’t have WhatsApp

    Now you can call anyone with WhatsApp, even if they don’t have WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new guest calling feature allows you to invite anyone to a call, without needing them to make an account first. They won’t need the app, either, since Meta also added support for calls on the web version of WhatsApp earlier this year.

    You can invite guests just by sending them the call link, and guests still have access to call features like hand raising, screen sharing, and emoji reactions, complete with end-to-end encryption.

    However, you still need an account to start a call, and there are a few restrictions for guests:

    Anyone joining as a guest always needs the call host’s approval. Guests will enter a waiting room until the host lets them in and guests can be removed from the call at any time. Guests can’t see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or add anyone else directly to the call.

    Meta also says it’s launching Google and Outlook calendar integrations for WhatsApp calls later this year. After installing a WhatsApp plugin and connecting your account, you’ll be able to send a WhatsApp call link with your calendar invites.

  • The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is almost the Android tablet we needed

    The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is almost the Android tablet we needed

    We have to talk about this screen. It’s the first thing you notice, and maybe the only thing that matters, about the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro .

    It’s a 12-inch, 2800 x 1840 panel with a new technology Amazon calls “Nanomatte” that is meant to decrease glare and increase the feeling that you can reach out and touch the things you see onscreen. When Amazon set out to build the best tablet the company has ever shipped, it started with this screen.

    The $549.99 device I’ve been testing is one of four new models in the Alexa Tablet lineup, which ranges from a $229.99 8-inch model up to a $679.99 12 Pro with this Nanomatte coating and some extra RAM you don’t really need.

    The pitch for all those devices is the same: They’re well-made, midrange tablets that can access the full universe of Android apps through the Play Store and come with a whole bunch of Amazon bloatware whether you want it or not. I haven’t tested those other devices, but I’m glad they exist — cheap, good Android tablets are too hard to come by.

    6

    Verge Score

    Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro

    The Good

    • Screen is gorgeous
    • Android apps!
    • Nice design and build quality

    The Bad

    • Amazon bloatware everywhere
    • Alexa Plus isn’t great
    • Some middling specs

    But the Nanomatte. The Nanomatte! The etching on the display, which Amazon says it partnered with Corning to do at a sub-pixel level to reduce glare without causing the slight rainbow-shimmering effect you can get on other matte screens, absolutely does its job.

  • Ocarina of Time Remake Is Remarkably Modern and Shockingly Terrifying

    Ocarina of Time Remake Is Remarkably Modern and Shockingly Terrifying

    With the upcoming Switch 2 version, Nintendo may have captured the timeless appeal of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The 1998 3D action‑adventure that pioneered 3D graphics, movement, exploration, and open‑world design has been rebuilt with changes that give it a modern feel, while also introducing moments that are unexpectedly terrifying.

    After an early hands‑on session, it looks like the best‑looking and best‑playing iteration of the game, fixing many of the original’s most annoying aspects.

    More than just smoothing its rough edges, Nintendo has added modern conveniences to make the game more accessible to players familiar with later Zelda titles like Breath of the Wild. The remake includes a new progression marker called Threads of Time, visible when pausing, and integrates Zelda Notes into the Nintendo Switch app so you can view maps and other info on your phone.

    It also features a dedicated jump button.

    I spent about 90 minutes at a recent preview event in New York City playing through sections of the game, including the early control of Child Link and later the moment when you pull the Master Sword in the Temple of Time to become Adult Link. The story remains a standout element of the Zelda series, and the improvements make it even easier to become immersed.

    In some ways, the remake feels similar to modern Zelda games.

  • Apple’s HomeView ad perplexes everyone except parents

    Apple’s HomeView ad perplexes everyone except parents

    The advertisement for Apple’s new HomeView smart display is somewhat unconventional. It’s energetic and chaotic, showing a family of five hurrying through their morning routine with shouting, clutter, lost keys, and eggshells everywhere. While Apple usually presents a clean, simple, and organized image, this commercial is the opposite – it’s mayhem.

    This level of chaos is unexpectedly genuine for an Apple ad.

    However, the commercial resonates with parents, especially those with teenage kids, making them feel understood.

    This content isn’t visible due to your cookie preferences. To load this content, click the Allow button below to opt in to “Social Media & Embedded Content” cookies. These cookies are set and controlled by the third party sources from which the embedded content originates.

    I must confess, the first viewing also stressed me out. Getting my five-year-old ready in the morning is a unique kind of chaos, often ending with us inventing games to get him to wear his shoes.

    Yet, this ad is even more intense, showing a dad preparing French toast, a mom misplacing and finding her keys, a thermostat dispute, a teenager grabbing whipped cream, and a surprise video call. Additionally, there’s a minor drama about the daughter’s school ride with an unknown boyfriend, culminating in the family watching the security footage on the HomeView as they leave.

    It’s quite a lot for just over three minutes.

    Nevertheless, I trust my colleague Jen Tuohy, a senior reviewer and parent of two teenagers, when it comes to home-related topics.

  • Shopify opens its catalog up to more AI agents

    Shopify opens its catalog up to more AI agents

    More AI agents will soon be able to browse and purchase from Shopify listings, marking an expansion of the company’s agentic commerce ambitions.

    Shopify announced Tuesday it will let shoppers configure their AI agents to purchase products on their behalf, giving more agents access to over a billion listings in Shopify’s catalog.

    (The catalog consists of both items on and off Shopify storefronts.) In September, Shopify announced it was partnering with Meta to allow its Muse agent to browse and purchase items on a human’s behalf; now, shoppers can use any agent without a partnership integration.

    To set up the feature, customers connect an agent with their account on Shop, a Shopify-owned platform that consolidates orders, tracks packages, and recommends products. Like the Muse partnership, customers use the one-click Shop Pay feature to check out within the conversation with the agent.

    Orders placed through the agent are funneled back to the Shop app. Shopify is marketing the feature as a “personal shopper” that humans can give rules to, like setting budget guardrails or only displaying products with fast shipping.

    Buyers must approve each purchase.

    E-commerce has become one of the battlegrounds in the era of AI — it’s no coincidence that many demos of agentic tools end with a transaction, whether it’s buying clothing, booking a flight, or ordering takeout on a human’s behalf . The tech industry, including big commerce players like Google and Amazon , are investing in AI-driven shopping tools where the end goal is an “agent” purchasing things for a human user.

    It’s also the basis of an ongoing fight between Amazon and AI companies like Perplexity — and more recently, Meta’s Muse — over whether agents should be able to shop on a customer’s behalf.

  • It looks like Apple Music is getting a new icon

    It looks like Apple Music is getting a new icon

    Apple Music’s iconic red app icon has reportedly been replaced with a black-and-white version in the latest iOS 27.2 beta, 9to5Mac reports. The eighth note on the icon also appears to have a slightly sharper angle than the original. A new Apple Music logo was also spotted last month on the Apple Music Hall website, so the company could be refreshing its app icon to match.

    According to 9to5Mac, the new icon is a black music note on a white background in light mode, or the opposite in dark mode. The icon’s not the only thing that’s been drained of color, either — 9to5Mac also says Apple Music widgets now have black backgrounds and the app now uses a splash of blue in the tab bar to show the active tab.

    This content isn’t visible due to your cookie preferences. To load this content, click the Allow button below to opt in to “Social Media & Embedded Content” cookies. These cookies are set and controlled by the third party sources from which the embedded content originates.

    A user on X shared images of the new icon in the different color modes, including the tinted version. So if the new monochrome version of the app makes it to a public iOS release, you might be able to use the tinted homescreen option to make it look a bit like the previous red version again.

  • Russian bot farms are still trolling, even after Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex

    Russian bot farms are still trolling, even after Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex

    Days after Ukrainian military drones took down several Russian data centers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that the campaign had hurt Russia’s disinformation efforts. “It suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social platforms,” Zelenskyy said Monday. “There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations.”

    Zelenskyy isn’t the first to assert that the drone operation, which targeted data centers belonging to the Russian technology company Yandex, has cut down on spam and disinformation campaigns fomented by Russian bot farms. Social media users have claimed they’ve noticed less traffic on posts by MAGA-affiliated accounts, as well as those associated with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

    Some have even said they’ve noticed a steep drop in spam calls and messages.

    But these people are wrong. The drone strikes appear to have affected Yandex’s web crawlers, not any disinformation or political operations.

    In fact, the account antibot4navalny, which tracks state-sponsored troll farms, reports that bot traffic is steady as ever. On Monday, the same day Zelenskyy claimed that disinformation had died down, antibot4navalny reported that several Kremlin-aligned accounts posted videos falsely claiming that experts are demanding the European Union lift the ongoing sanctions on Russia.

    Danish analyst Valdemar Osted said interactions on MAGA and AfD accounts have actually increased since the strikes. And the charts purportedly showing a decline in bot activity appear to be AI-generated .

    Ironically, claims that the drone strikes hindered Russian disinformation campaigns appears to be a form of disinformation itself, no matter what Zelenskyy says.