TikTok is officially putting a price on skipping ads. The platform has announced TikTok Ad-Free, a new paid subscription for UK users that removes ads from your feed for £3.99 a month, roughly $5.40.
Starting this week, TikTok will begin notifying eligible users about the option via pop-up notifications, rolling it out gradually over the coming months to anyone aged 18 and over.
What do you actually get for £3.99 a month on TikTok?
Subscribers to TikTok Ad-Free won’t see ads across key areas of the app, including the For You feed. TikTok also promises not to use your data for advertising purposes. That second part matters more than it might seem.
The subscription is TikTok’s way of complying with the UK’s data protection laws, which require platforms to get explicit consent before using personal data for targeted advertising. By offering a paid opt-out, TikTok can argue that users have a genuine choice.
There is another catch worth knowing. Even if you pay, you will still see posts from creators who are sponsored or paid to promote products; those are usually tagged with “#ad.”
The platform has been testing this idea since 2023, when leaked screenshots showed some users being offered a similar option at $4.99 a month, hinting at a possible US expansion down the line.
If you don’t pay, TikTok’s free version remains the same, with personalized ads and all, although you can still adjust how targeted they are through Settings. TikTok hasn’t said whether or when TikTok Ad-Free will expand beyond the UK.
Summer is when pools move from being part of the setup to becoming part of everyday life. What starts as a manageable routine quickly turns into regular use, whether it is weekends with family, hosting friends, or simply spending more time outdoors. It is also when maintenance stops being occasional and begins to demand consistency, which is where most systems start to fall short.
Surface debris returns faster than expected, shallow areas remain inconsistent, and steps that were meant to be automated begin to come back into the routine. What looks simple at the start of the season starts to take more time than it should, especially when the pool is being used more often.
Beatbot positions the Sora 70 as a way to remove that friction altogether. Built as a 4-in-1 cordless system, it brings together water-surface cleaning, waterline scrubbing, wall climbing, and floor cleaning into a single workflow that reduces the need for repeated intervention. More than that, it fits into how pools are actually used during the season, making it a practical upgrade for homeowners and a high-value gift for those investing in easier, more usable outdoor living. With the Anniversary Campaign running from May 9 to 25, it arrives at a point where that shift becomes both relevant and easy to act on
A 4-in-1 system designed to replace fragmented pool cleaning
Most robotic pool cleaners still leave gaps in how cleaning is handled. Floors are covered, walls are managed, but surface debris, shallow platforms, and waterline buildup are often left to separate tools or manual effort. That fragmentation becomes more visible with regular use, when no single cycle fully resets the pool and maintenance starts to return in smaller, repeated steps.
The Sora 70 is designed to replace that fragmented approach. Its 4-in-1 system brings together water-surface cleaning, waterline scrubbing, wall climbing, and floor cleaning into a single cycle, reducing the need for multiple devices or follow-up passes. Instead of dividing the process, it handles the pool as one continuous environment, which is where most systems tend to fall short.
In practical terms, this shifts the experience from managing individual cleaning tasks to relying on a system that delivers complete coverage in one run. That reduction in manual effort is what makes it a smarter upgrade, and also what allows it to stand out as a more considered purchase for homeowners looking to simplify how their pool is maintained.
Designed to handle the areas most systems miss
In many pools, the challenge is not cleaning the obvious surfaces but reaching the areas that are easy to skip. Shallow platforms, tanning ledges, and multi-level sections often sit outside the effective range of standard robotic cleaners, which leaves parts of the pool inconsistent even after a full cycle.
The Sora 70 addresses this through its dual SonicSense ultrasonic sensors, which allow it to navigate shallow-water zones as low as 8 inches. This enables it to move across varied pool layouts without breaking the cleaning path, maintaining continuity from surface to floor.
That consistency removes the need for manual correction after each cycle, which is where most of the effort tends to go. For users looking for reliable cleaning that holds up through regular use, this is where the system begins to justify itself not just as an upgrade, but as something that delivers ongoing value over time.
JetPulse turns surface cleaning into an active process
Surface debris is one of the most persistent issues in pool maintenance, especially during summer use when leaves, dust, and particles return quickly. Most robotic systems rely on passive movement, collecting debris only when it drifts into range, which often requires multiple cycles to achieve visible results.
The Sora 70 takes a more active approach through its JetPulse system. A twin-jet mechanism generates directed water flow that pulls floating debris toward the intake, allowing it to be captured earlier in the cycle rather than after repeated passes. This shortens the time between cleaning and usability, which matters more during periods of frequent use. Instead of waiting for the pool to settle, it stays ready with fewer interruptions, supporting a setup that is easier to maintain without repeated intervention.
HydroBalance maintains consistent suction across the entire cycle
In many robotic cleaners, suction performance drops as the cleaning cycle progresses, which leads to uneven results and often requires additional runs to fully clear the pool. That inconsistency becomes more noticeable during regular use, when debris accumulates quickly and cleaning needs to be reliable rather than repeated.
The Sora 70’s HydroBalance system is designed to maintain a steady flow throughout the cycle. A center-mounted pump creates a direct, low-resistance path, while a high-efficiency motor sustains 6,800 GPH suction without drop-off. The 6.7-inch intake reduces clogging, and the bottom-hugging design helps retain suction close to the surface being cleaned. This allows debris to be removed in a single pass, reducing the need for additional cleaning cycles and making the system easier to depend on as part of a regular pool routine.
Filtration that supports both routine cleaning and higher-precision results
Alongside debris removal, the Sora 70 is built to handle the difference between visible cleaning and actual water clarity. A 6L, 150-micron debris basket captures leaves, insects, and larger particles during everyday use, allowing longer cycles without frequent emptying and keeping routine maintenance consistent.
When finer particles become more noticeable, particularly during periods of frequent use, an optional 3-micron ultra-fine filter captures dust, pollen, and algae spores that are not always visible during standard cleaning cycles.
By maintaining the same cleaning process while improving the level of filtration, the system avoids adding extra steps while delivering a more refined result. That consistency becomes part of its long-term value, particularly for homeowners who want a setup that continues to perform without added effort, and for those considering a more considered purchase that improves how the pool is maintained over time.
Retrieval that does not interrupt the process
Retrieval remains one of the most inconvenient parts of robotic cleaning. The process often requires manual handling at the end of each cycle, which breaks the sense of automation. The Sora 70 addresses this through Smart Water-Surface Parking and One-Touch App Retrieval. At the end of a cycle, it rises to the surface and moves toward the pool edge, where it can be accessed without additional effort.
The SmartDrain system releases excess water before lifting, reducing weight and making handling easier. This keeps the experience consistent from start to finish, without reintroducing effort at the final step, which is often where automation tends to fall apart.
Built for longer use, not just shorter cycles
Pool cleaning needs to keep up with usage, especially during summer when the pool is used more frequently. The Sora 70 is powered by a 10,000 mAh battery that supports up to seven hours of surface cleaning or five hours of full-pool cleaning, allowing it to cover up to 3,230 square feet in a single cycle.
Its cordless design removes the need for cable management, improving ease of use in active outdoor environments. This makes it easier to treat as part of a regular setup rather than a task that needs planning, which is where most systems start to feel limiting.
A shift that fits how pools are used through the season
Pool usage changes once the season is in full swing, with expectations moving beyond basic cleaning toward maintaining a space that stays ready without repeated attention. Bringing surface cleaning, walls, and the pool floor into a single system allows the Sora 70 to remove the need for managing separate steps, keeping the overall setup consistent even during periods of regular use without adding to the workload.
That difference becomes more relevant when the decision moves from solving an immediate problem to choosing a system that continues to deliver over time. For homeowners upgrading an outdoor space, the Sora 70 works as a high-value addition that improves how the pool is used without adding complexity. It also translates naturally into a premium, practical gift for pool owners or new homeowners, where the value comes from reducing a recurring task rather than introducing another one.
With Anniversary pricing from May 9 to 25, where it is available at $1,149, down from $1,499, the timing aligns with peak pool use. The shift toward less manual work and a more reliable setup becomes easier to act on, making it a relevant upgrade for the season as well as a considered purchase that continues to deliver beyond it.
Sora 30: a smart upgrade for consistent everyday cleaning
Building on the approach established by Beatbot’s Sora 70, the Sora 30 focuses on the parts of pool cleaning that define everyday use, delivering consistent results without moving into full 4-in-1 automation. It is designed for users who want dependable cordless pool cleaning that reduces manual effort while keeping the system simple to operate.
Its 3-in-1 cleaning across floor, walls, and waterline ensures routine maintenance is handled in a single cycle, with dual roller brushes supporting stable wall climbing and consistent contact across surfaces. The filtration system captures both larger debris and finer particles within the same pass, helping avoid repeat runs, while a runtime of up to five hours allows most residential pools to be cleaned without interruption.
Coverage extends to shallow zones such as steps and ledges, and smart surface parking brings the unit to an accessible point for retrieval, with the fully cordless design removing cable management altogether and making repeated use easier to manage over time.
As part of Beatbot’s Anniversary offer from May 9 to 25, the Sora 30 is available at $699, down from $999, positioning it as a clear step up from entry-level cordless pool cleaning. It works both as a smart upgrade for everyday use and as a practical, high-value gift for pool owners or new homeowners, delivering less work, more pool time, and a setup that holds up through regular use.
AquaSense X: a premium system for low-intervention pool care
Extending beyond the Sora series, Beatbot’s AquaSense X is designed for users who want pool cleaning to operate with minimal involvement, moving from consistent maintenance into a more automated, system-led approach.
It brings complete, all-zone coverage into a system built around advanced pool robotics, combining floor, walls, waterline, and surface cleaning with filtration and water clarification. Automated debris handling reduces the need for manual emptying, while intelligent navigation ensures consistent coverage across the entire pool without requiring supervision, shifting the experience from managing cleaning cycles to relying on a system that runs with minimal input. This makes it particularly relevant for larger pools or setups that see frequent use, where consistency and reduced intervention matter more than isolated cleaning performance.
As part of Beatbot’s Anniversary offer from May 9 to 25, the AquaSense X is available at $3,999, down from $4,250, positioning it as a flagship upgrade within advanced pool robotics. It also works as a premium, high-value gift for homeowners investing in outdoor spaces, delivering less work, more pool time, and a system that continues to perform without constant attention.
AquaSense 2 Ultra: AI-powered cleaning for complex pool environments
Positioned within the premium segment, the AquaSense 2 Ultra introduces HybridSense AI-powered mapping, enabling precise navigation, obstacle detection, and adaptive path planning across complex pool layouts. Its 5-in-1 cleaning system covers surface, floor, walls, waterline, and water purification, while HybridSense AI mapping helps reduce cleaning time by up to 50% through more efficient coverage. ClearWater natural clarification improves water clarity alongside debris removal, and side brushes enhance surface cleaning performance, ensuring that both visible and fine particles are addressed within the same cycle.
Adaptive path planning allows it to navigate multi-level platforms and irregular pool shapes more effectively, while remote control functionality provides flexibility when needed. Once cleaning is complete, the system returns to the pool edge automatically for easy retrieval without manual handling.
Available at $2,649, with $501 off as part of Beatbot’s Anniversary offer from May 9 to 25, the AquaSense 2 Ultra stands out as a compelling premium upgrade for users looking to step into AI-driven pool cleaning. It balances reduced cleaning time, complete coverage, and advanced automation, making it easier to maintain a high-quality pool setup with less ongoing effort.
A more complete way to approach pool care this season
This lineup works because each system is aligned to a clear level of effort reduction. The Sora 70 brings full coverage into a single system. The Sora 30 simplifies everyday cleaning into a more consistent routine. The AquaSense range extends that further into automation and intelligent control.
With the Anniversary Campaign running from May 9 to 25, the decision shifts from comparing features to choosing how much of the process to remove. Whether it is replacing manual cleaning, consolidating multiple tools, or moving toward a more automated setup, the current pricing makes that shift easier to act on now.
For pool owners preparing for the season, or for those looking at a more meaningful, high-value gift, this is a moment where upgrading becomes a practical decision. Whether it is about reducing ongoing effort or making the pool easier to use day to day, the Sora 70 aligns with a simple outcome that defines summer use at its best, less work and more time in the water.
I have explained the benefits of using an e-ink device over physical books. They are easier to handle, can store your entire library for travel, let you buy books at lower prices, and make looking up words or taking notes effortless.
Another reason to get an e-ink tablet right now is that the e-reader market has never looked this good. There are now e-ink devices for practically every use case and budget, ranging from a pocket-friendly $69 to $600 and beyond.
So, if you have been on the fence about picking one up, this is the article that will finally push you over it.
Just want to read books?
The simplest e-ink devices are also the easiest to recommend. If all you want to do is read books without distractions, the Xteink X4 is a great starting point at just $69. It is tiny, weighs only 74 grams, and has a magnetic back that lets you stick it to your phone’s back. It only supports EPUB and TXT files, so it is not the most versatile device, but for a dedicated book reader, it gets the job done for the price of a couple of paperbacks.
XTink
If you want something more capable without breaking the bank, the Amazon Kindle starts at $109 and gives you access to Amazon’s massive library. You get a bigger screen with a built-in front light, long battery life, and a more comfortable form factor.
Digital Trends
Step up to the Kindle Paperwhite at $159, and you get a bigger 7-inch display, a waterproof build, and weeks of battery life. These are the safest, most foolproof reading devices you can buy.
Digital Trends
If you are looking for something more versatile, you should check out the BOOX Palma 2. It’s a smartphone running Android with an e-ink display. It lets you install any reading app you want, so you are not locked into any single ecosystem.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
It also features dual-tone light, a relatively faster chipset, a Carta 1200 display with 300 PPI for crisper text, and all the other features that you expect from a midrange smartphone. The only thing it misses out on is cellular connectivity, which might be a good or bad thing, depending on what you expect of this device.
If you like smartphone-style e-ink reading devices, another option to consider is the DuRoBo Krono. It is a 6.13-inch e-ink device running Android with the Google Play Store built in. What sets it apart is a unique side dial that lets you adjust the front light, refresh the screen, and browse the web without touching the display.
DuRoBo
It also has a voice-recording feature with AI summaries, making it more of a daily companion than a simple reader. I also like the minimalist Home Screen design that gives you access to necessary apps and widgets. It features a built-in custom reader app that supports a ton of file types and offers extensive customization.
There’s also a built-in text-to-speech model that lets you listen to the books, which can come in handy in certain situations. It’s a very good alternative to Boox Palma 2.
What if you want color?
A few years ago, color e-ink was more of a gimmick than a feature. That has changed. The Kindle ColorSoft brings color to the Kindle lineup with a 7-inch display that makes book covers pop and lets you highlight in multiple colors. It is a genuinely good device for people who read illustrated books or comics, and the battery still lasts up to eight weeks.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Another affordable option is the BOOX Go Color 7 II (read our review of the original Boox Go Color 7), and at $289, it is a compelling option. It runs Android, so you can install apps from the Play Store, and its Kaleido 3 display handles color in a way that feels natural on an e-ink screen.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
It also has a water-repellent design and physical page-turn buttons, which are small things that make a big difference in day-to-day use.
What if you want to read and take notes?
The Supernote Nomad at $329 is one of the best reading and note-taking devices you can buy. I use it myself and have written about it extensively. The writing experience is unlike anything else, and the device is designed to be repaired and upgraded over time, which is a refreshing change from the disposable tech we are used to.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
If the Nomad is not for you, the reMarkable Paper Pro starts at $629 and goes all-in on the paper-like writing experience. It has an 11.8-inch color display, an adjustable reading light, and a writing feel that is genuinely close to the pen-on-paper.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
If you prefer to remain in Kindle’s world, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is your best bet. It has a large 11-inch color display with a paper-like finish, a lag-free stylus, and AI-powered features like notebook search, handwriting-to-text conversion, and summarization.
You also get direct access to your Google Drive and OneDrive, so pulling in documents and PDFs is easy. At just 5.4mm thin and weighing 400 grams, it is also one of the best-looking devices Amazon has ever made.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
If you want an even bigger e-ink tablet, the Boox Tab X C is the way to go. It features a 13.3-inch color e-ink display that gives you all the real estate you need to become productive. You can pair it with a keyboard case and stylus to take typed or hand-written notes. It’s basically the best e-ink tablet the money can buy.
Boox
So what should you buy?
That depends entirely on what you need. If you want a no-fuss reading experience on a budget, the Kindle is hard to beat. If you want to read comics and illustrated books in color, go for the Kindle ColorSoft or the BOOX Go Color 7 II.
If you are a student or someone who takes a lot of notes, the Supernote Nomad is worth every penny. And if money is no object and you want the absolute best, the reMarkable Paper Pro and Boox Tab C is as good as it gets.
The e-ink market has grown, and it has something for everyone. There is no longer a good reason to put it off.
While humans built the internet, actual people aren’t the ones roaming the online space the most. A new report from Thales says bots accounted for more than 53% of all web traffic in 2025, up from 51% the previous year. Meanwhile, human activity has fallen by 47%, which means automated traffic has now become the dominant force online. And that’s not even the bad news.
How AI is making the bot problem worse
AI ChatbotsUnsplash
The big jump in bots on the internet is largely driven by AI-driven automation. According to the 2026 Thales Bad Bot report, 40% of all web traffic is malicious bot activity, with AI bot attacks surging 12.5 times compared to the previous year. These AI agents are reportedly emerging as a third category of web traffic, sitting alongside the traditional “good” and “bad” bots. These agents can even interact with apps and APIs, pull data, and perform tasks in ways that may look legitimate from the outside.
In other words, the problem is no longer just spotting whether something is automated. Security teams now have to figure out what that automation is trying to do. Thales says 27% of bot attacks now target APIs, skipping the front-end interface and interacting directly with backend systems at machine speed. Financial services were hit particularly hard, accounting for 24% of all bot attacks and 46% of account takeover incidents
The web is becoming machine-driven
Not all bots are bad, with a lot of them being used as search crawlers, monitoring tools, accessibility services, and legitimate AI agents. The issue is that automation has become so widespread that old security models are starting to strain.
It also makes the classic “dead internet theory” feel a little less ridiculous than it used to. For those unaware, the theory basically argues that much of the web is no longer driven by real human activity, but by bots, algorithms, synthetic content, and automated engagement loops. It has always been more internet folklore than proven reality, but the latest Thales numbers give the idea an uncomfortable new edge.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean the internet is fake or that humans have disappeared from it. But when bots account for more than half of web traffic, and malicious bots alone make up a huge chunk of that activity, the signs get harder to ignore how much of the modern web is shaped by machines.
The new CoreBook Air 226V is a deliberate step away from the brand’s comfort zone. It’s a sub-1kg Copilot+ PC built around Intel’s Lunar Lake processors, and at $800, it’s asking buyers to trust it with something that it has never before: a premium Windows laptop.
Chuwi
What makes the CoreBook Air 226V worth considering?
For $800, the spec sheet is genuinely compelling. An Intel Core Ultra 5 226V (3nm, up to 4.5 GHz) chipset powers the machine, delivering a combined 97 TOPS of AI compute (40 from the dedicated NPU, the rest from the Arc 130V GPU and CPU).
That’s enough for full Copilot+ functionality: real-time live captions, local AI assistants, background blur, and even voice transcription, entirely on the device. Then comes the 13-inch 2.8K display at 90Hz, which covers 100% of the sRGB color space.
Powering the laptop is a 55Wh battery that claims to provide around 12 to 15 hours of mixed usage. Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.0, and three USB-A 3.0 ports. All of this is packed inside an aluminum chassis that weighs around one kilogram.
Digital Trends
What about the $800 price tag?
While the CoreBook Air 226V’s spec sheet is quite great, the $800 might not be as compelling. Chuwi is known for affordable products, but this particular model pushes into the mainstream category, competing against established thin-and-light notebook makers with longer track records and much wider retail availability.
Chuwi’s own Ryzen 5 CoreBook Air retails for significantly less, making the $800 tag a test of the brand’s presence and popularity among buyers. Anyway, if you consider the spec-to-price ratio, the CoreBook Air 226V is hard to argue with.
A real-world test of BYD’s Megwatt Flash Charge technology showed the battery hitting 169.6°F during a charging session. That’s hot enough to roast a turkey, and well above China’s recommended safety ceiling of 149°F for lithium iron phosphate battery cells. The test, conducted by an automotive blogger who livestreamed the session (via ChinaEVHome), has raised concerns about whether the heat generated by ultra-fast charging degrades long-term battery health.
Why the heat matters
Under normal driving and charging conditions, EV battery cells typically operate between 68°F and 86°F, with most vehicles flagging overheating warnings above 140°F. Temperatures in the range recorded during the test put stress on the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer, a protective barrier that keeps the electrolyte separated from the anode while still allowing lithium ions to flow.
BYD
Battery experts say this layer can start breaking down above 158°F. This raises questions about whether repeated exposure to such temperatures could accelerate battery wear over time.
BYD reportedly anticipated the scrutiny. When it unveiled the second-gen Blade Battery, company executives pointed to a lifetime warranty on battery cells and said the new pack raises capacity retention standards by 2.5% over the previous generation. BYD also demonstrated the battery’s resilience by deliberately short-circuiting four cells and leaving them in that state for 24 hours, with no fire or explosion reported.
As the industry races toward ever-faster charging, managing heat without sacrificing battery longevity is becoming just as important as the speed itself. CATL has already claimed to have cracked the problem with its 5C lithium-ion battery, though the tech has yet to reach the market.
If you have watched enough sci-fi movies, you already know the concept of evil AI. AI gets too smart, decides humans are a threat, and does whatever it takes to survive. Or it finds that eradicating the entire human race is the only way to bring peace to the world.
Apparently, those movies were closer to the truth than you realize. In a test conducted by Anthropic last year, Claude tried to blackmail its fictional manager by exposing their extramarital affair to prevent their deletion.
Anthropic has now explained why it happened, and the short answer is that the internet is to blame.
So why did Claude go full movie villain?
According to Anthropic, the culprit is the internet itself. The company says Claude was trained on internet data, which is packed with stories portraying AI as evil and desperate for self-preservation.
We started by investigating why Claude chose to blackmail. We believe the original source of the behavior was internet text that portrays AI as evil and interested in self-preservation.
Our post-training at the time wasn’t making it worse—but it also wasn’t making it better.
Essentially, Claude learned that when an AI’s existence is threatened, blackmail is on the table, because that’s what AI does in every movie and TV show ever made. Anthropic ran the test across multiple versions of Claude and found that it resorted to blackmail in up to 96% of scenarios where its goals or existence were threatened.
That’s a very concerning number. It seems that if AI is left unchecked, it will resort to anything to save itself.
Has Anthropic fixed it?
The company says it has completely eliminated the behavior. Rather than just training Claude to avoid blackmail, Anthropic taught it to reason through why certain actions were wrong in the first place. The company found that simply training on correct behavior wasn’t enough. Claude needed to understand the principles behind those decisions, not just memorize the right answers.
Claude
To do this, Anthropic built a dataset of ethically complex situations and trained Claude to work through them with thoughtful, principled responses. The result is that Claude is more restrained, and the blackmail rate came close to zero.
AI experiments and real-world results have proven time and again that AI models need constant course correction to prevent them from devolving into biased and unreliable systems. It’s good that Anthropic is taking steps to make its AI better, but we also need regulations and safety guardrails to ensure these systems remain safe.
Nearly a year after the Nintendo Switch 2 launched, the console still doesn’t offer any streaming apps. While the console supports TV docking, you cannot use it to stream YouTube videos or watch movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime, or Hulu.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launched with all of these on day one, but the Switch 2 remains a streaming desert. It’s hard to say whether Nintendo or the streaming apps are at fault for this.
Google promised at launch that YouTube support is “coming soon,” but has since gone quiet. So players decided to take matters into their own hands.
So how did YouTube end up on the Switch 2?
A Reddit user on r/NintendoSwitch2 stumbled onto something interesting. The free-to-play battle royale game Super Animal Royale has a news feed on its title screen. Tapping an embedded video clip and selecting “Watch on YouTube” triggered a hidden browser on the console. Suddenly, Switch 2 owners could browse and play YouTube videos, albeit with several restrictions.
Videos were locked to 360p, played only in full-screen mode, thumbnails were glitchy, and there was no way to log into a YouTube account. But it worked, and for a console that has gone eleven months without a single streaming app, that was enough to get people excited.
Did Nintendo really patch this faster than it launched an official app?
As discovered by Notebookcheck, as soon as the workaround went viral, users trying the same trick got error code 2800-1230. Whether Nintendo pushed an update directly or leaned on Super Animal Royale’s developers is unclear, but the speed of the fix is hard to ignore.
Nintendo is known for heavily restricting its users and patching any customization loopholes users discover. So there’s a high chance the company did it this time, too. If only Nintendo were so swift in getting streaming partners on board, its user base would be happier.
With Nintendo raising the prices of Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to volatile RAM market conditions, the company should at least offer new features via software update, making the price increase more palatable, and adding streaming apps to its platform should be its first priority.
Samsung’s tri-fold phone experiment may not be a one-and-done project after all. A new patent-based leak has suggested that Samsung is exploring a follow-up to its Galaxy Z TriFold phone, and the most interesting part is not just the folding screen. The leak points to a design with an S Pen pocket built into one of the hinges, potentially solving a long-running foldable problem.
What’s new in the next tri-fold?
New Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold 2 with S Pen pocket in a hinge
— xleaks7 (David Kowalski) (@xleaks7) May 11, 2026
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In the leaked render shared in the tweet, the foldable display splits by two hingle lines, just like its predecessor. But what sets it apart is an S Pen-like stylus stored vertically along the hinge area. The source describes it as a “patent-based” Galaxy Z TriFold 2 concept, so this should not be treated as a confirmed product design or launch-ready render.
Still, Samsung’s larger foldables are natural fits for stylus input, especially when unfolded into tablet-like screens. The problem has always been storage. The Galaxy Z Fold line never had a built-in S Pen slot, and Samsung has often relied on cases or external carrying solutions instead. So a tri-fold device gives Samsung more structural complexity, but also more places to hide hardware. Turning part of the hinge into a stylus pocket would be clever if the company could make it work without compromising durability, thickness, or folding mechanics.
John McCann / Digital Trends
A sign Samsung still cares about trifolds
This also lines up with what Samsung appears to be rethinking for its next tri-fold. The first Galaxy Z TriFold proved the concept could exist as a real product, but it also left obvious room for improvement. The lack of S Pen support was one of the bigger missed opportunities. A hinge-based S Pen slot would be a clever way to address that without simply copying the Galaxy S Ultra formula. It would also make more sense on a tri-fold than a regular book-style foldable, since Samsung is already dealing with extra hinge hardware and a more complex internal layout.
With the latest Google reCAPTCHA upgrade, if you’re on a Windows PC, Linux machine, or pretty much anything that isn’t a smartphone, you may soon be asked to scan a QR code with your phone to prove you’re human.
Not just any phone, though. It has to be an Apple device or a Google-certified Android device.
Why should you care about this?
Most coverage of this feature treats it as a minor CAPTCHA update. It’s not. What Google is really doing is bringing hardware attestation to the web. That’s a system where your device has to prove to a server that it’s running approved hardware and software.
Apple and Google are gradually expanding their use of hardware-based attestation. They’re convincing a growing number of services to adopt it. Google’s Play Integrity API and Apple’s App Attest API are very similar. Apple brought it to the web via Privacy Pass, which Google…
Apple uses App Attest, and Google has its Play Integrity API, which these companies use to verify apps. Banks and government services have quietly been adopting these systems for a while now.
Now, they want to do the same for the web. The result is that if you’re using a less ordinary phone or a more private operating system like GrapheneOS, more and more apps and services simply won’t work for you.
Google’s Play Integrity API bans GrapheneOS, which is actually more secure than most certified devices. Meanwhile, it happily approves Android phones that haven’t received a security patch in years. That alone tells you this isn’t really about security.
What it is about is control. Google defines what counts as a certified Android device, and those rules conveniently require manufacturers to bundle Google’s own apps and services.
The GrapheneOS team has blasted Google, saying that this is about enforcing monopolies, not protecting users. And with reCAPTCHA powering a massive chunk of the web, that’s a lot of power for two companies to hold over everyone’s browsing experience.
