Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Highlights Feb ’26
Posted: February 26, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: News, Samsung, Smartphone, Tech, technology Leave a commentAfter the usual multitude of leaks, today we got the official rollout of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series of smartphones with Galaxy Unpacked. Note that there are no folders today. Samsung generally releases those in late August, 2-3 weeks before Apple’s phone extravaganza. 9to5google. reports that maybe the biggest change is the pricing. We’ll get to that in a minute. The headline is that not much has changed from the S25 series. That’s not such a bad thing…the S25’s are great phones. The Galaxy S26 Ultra gets more rounded corners like the other top line S26 phones…which, in my opinion, it needed. It stays with the huge 6.9 inch display. The Ultra gets a unified camera bump, but visually, it’s pretty identical to last year’s model.
The S26 and S26+ are virtually identical to the models they replace, again except for the updated camera module. The S26 and Plus both rock the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 system. The Ultra gets a new Vapor Chamber. One new feature on the Ultra is Privacy Display. What does it do for you? Well, if the system detects something that could be sensitive, like incoming notification, it obscures them from off-angle viewers. It is customizable, by the way. This is a good feature and it would be nice to be offered on the other two models. The S Pen on the ultra now only comes in black and white.
The S26 does get a bigger battery, and the Ultra gets Super Fast Charging 3.0…up to 60W speeds. That’s great for people who seem to always forget to charge their phone overnight…we all know some of those people. You’re in the car and ‘Hey, can I borrow a cord and top off my phone…it’s about to die.’ The Plus and Ultra both get upgrades to their charging speeds with Qi2 at 20W and 25W respectively. NO built in magnets, though. That is a drag. Both Google and Apple offer those.
There are some minor software upgrades to the cameras, including the Ultra’s wider apertures and ‘Nightography Video’. Of course, Samsung is touting its more muscular AI. Samsung claims that with its One UI 8.5, it will ‘simplify’ your life. Nudge will make you ‘timely suggestions’ as you use the phone. Nudge…seriously? They named it Nudge.
The phones will be out March 11th, with the same colors available on all three models. You can choose Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, and Black, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow kept as Samsung.com exclusive. Now for what we were waiting for…the prices. The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $12.99.99 for 256 gigs. The Galaxy S26 starts at $899.99 for 256 gigs, and the S26+ starts at $1099.99. You can get 512 gigs on all three models, or pick 1TB for the Ultra.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ’Technified’ for now.
Galaxy Unpacked This Week, Apple Multi-Day Product Reveal; Conduent Data Breach Expands; New Gaming Head at Microsoft
Posted: February 23, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Samsung, Tech, technology Leave a commentThere are tech announcements pretty much continuously, but not many that get as much attention as those from Samsung and Apple. Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked is This Thursday…February 26th. The event is at 10am Pacific in San Francisco. In addition to new AI announcements, refreshed hardware is expected. Word is, the Galaxy S26, 26+, and Ultra will keep similar physical designs as the S25 models. The upgrades will be to screens, chips, and cameras sensors. The screens should grow slightly from 6.2 to 6.3 inches, and batteries will have a bit more life. One notable advance: the entry level S26 will get the 50 megapixel main cam its big brothers have. The Galaxy Z Trifold will probably get a mention, but as it was available in the US on January 30th- for the hefty price of $2900, don’t expect a lot of time to be spent on it.
What about Apple? Cupertino has announced that it will have the latest product introduction on March 4th. Unlike in the past, this looks to be a 3 day event instead of a single keynote rolling out all the new or upgraded hardware. According to techcrunch.com, some devices will be announced online, with the big finale being on March 4th. The events are going to begin New York, London, and Shanghai, instead of Cupertino. What is coming? It looks like the low-cost MacBook, iPhone 17e, iPad Air, a new entry-level iPad, and upgraded MacBook Air and Pro models.
Don’t you just love when you get a letter saying some of your data was leaked. I just got one a few days ago. Now, Mashable.com says that the data breach by Conduent…an intermediary that handles data for corporations…had a bigger breach than originally announced. A LOT bigger. At least 25 million have been affected by the breach in just Texas and Oregon! Conduent handles data for corporations, Clients include: Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Data leaked includes users’ names, Social Security numbers, medical information, and health insurance information. One has to wonder at this point what…if any…of our data hasn’t been hacked and aggregated somewhere on the dark web.
Microsoft had a shakeup after the head of gaming Phil Spencer exited after 38 years at the company. Now, Asha Sharma steps into that role. Geekwire.com notes that the new CEO of gaming will be tasked with turning around the ailing division. Sharma has been an exec at Facebook, Instacart, a startup, and finally Microsoft’s AI Platform. Although Sharma doesn’t have any video game industry experience, what she does bring to the table is decades of experience in running large tech platforms. She did say in an opening statement something that resonated with employees and gamers in this age of AI and ‘soulless AI Slop.’ Sharma wrote that “Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Unpacked Predictions; More iPhone Fold Leaks; Anthropic-Claude Will Stay Ad-Free; Homeland Security-Trying to Force Tech Platforms to Hand Over Data on Anti-Trumpers
Posted: February 4, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: iPhone, Samsung, Smartphone, Tech, technology Leave a commentSamsung Galaxy Unpacked is coming up…rumored to be February 25th. Engadget.com reports that we can expect to see the next gen Galaxy phones…S26 if the current naming scheme continues. Word is, the design of the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will stick with the form factor of the S25 series. All will run on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip…although like in the past, some areas of the world will get the Exynos 2600 chip. One upgrade users will notice…the S26 phone will have a 6.3 inch FHD+ display, which makes it a tad larger than the 6.2 inch display. The phones will have 12 gigs of RAM…becoming necessary for AI features these days, and will have either 256 or 512 gigs of storage…and a 4300mAh battery…which is a bit larger than before. The cameras will stay the same. One plus…the phones will fully support Qi 2 wireless charging. Also coming at Unpacked…Galaxy Buds 4 and the previously reported Galaxy Z Trifold…which as we noted earlier will run a mind blowing $2900!
We had a story earlier this week about how the iPhone Fold will have a bigger battery than most folders…a welcome bit of news. Now, according to 9to5mac.com, there are additional details that have leaked out about the folder from Apple…due out in September. One will require some retraining by users. The volume buttons aren’t on the left side, but have moved to the top right…like the iPad Mini. The power button…which also activates Touch ID…and the AI button (often used as the camera button) stay on the right side. Apparently Apple did this because the mother board is on the right side, and they didn’t want to run wires across and behind the screen to the left side for buttons. The Left side is completely screen structure and battery. There will be a single punch-hole camera, with a smaller and cleaner ‘Dynamic Island.’ The rear dual cams, microphone, and flash are all horizontal on the right side. It may be that only two colors will be available…black and white. This makes sense, since most people put a case on expensive smartphones like Apple’s.
OpenAI seems to be going whole hog on ads in ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Anthropic has announced that their AI chatbot Claude will remain ad free. Theverge.com notes that Anthropic announced in a blog post quote “We want Claude to act unambiguously in our users’ interests…so we’ve made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won’t see ‘sponsored’ links adjacent to their conversations with Claude; nor will Claude’s responses be influenced by advertisers or include third-party product placements our users did not ask for.” Many platforms and web sites, as well as services from tech companies are doing fees…just think of all those you pay out monthly…$9.99 here, $19.99 there, etc. Let’s hope Anthropic doesn’t cave and eventually charge fees for using Claude AND add in advertising…as some have done!
In a truly scary move, the Department of Homeland Security is low-key demanding tech platforms hand over user information about critics of the Trump administration. Techcrunch.com reports that the department has relied on administrative subpoenas in most cases. They have gone after anonymous Instagram accounts that share posts about ICE raids, as well as accounts that have criticized administration officials or protested government policies. Unlike judicial subpoenas, which are authorized by a judge after seeing enough evidence of a crime to authorize a search or seizure of someone’s things, administrative subpoenas are issued by federal agencies, allowing investigators to seek a wealth of information about individuals from tech and phone companies without a judge’s oversight. Note that administrative subpoenas can’t be used to get contents of your email, or do online searches, or get location data. They CAN demand things like what time a user logs in, from where, using which devices, and revealing the email addresses and other identifiable information about who opened an online account. Something to be aware of in this era of Trump.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Bows Trifold Galaxy Z; Amazon Releases New AI Chip; Apple AI Chief Retiring; Your Boss May See Your Google Messages
Posted: December 2, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Samsung, Smartphone, Tech, technology Leave a commentSamsung has rolled out its Galaxy Z Trifold smartphone. The three panel phone will be available in Korea on December 12, and also will be released in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the UAE. It won’t drop in the US until the first quarter of 2026. No pricing yet but it is widely expected to be over the $2000 price of the Z Fold two panel model. Interestingly, if you fold it improperly, it will vibrate and show an on screen alert to warn the user. It has a 10 inch inner screen, and a 6.5 inch outer screen when folded. It is a fat 12.9 millimeters closed, but a thin 3.9 mm…not counting camera bump…when unfolded. It is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 chip, and has a 5600 mAh battery. The cameras? There’s a rear 12 MP ultra wide, a 200 MP wide angle lens, and a 10 MP telephoto lens. The main screen and cover screen both have 10 MP front cameras.
Amazon Web Services, which has been building its own AI training chips for some time now, just introduced a new version known as Trainium3. According to TechCrunch.com, the 3 nanometer process chip brings a big performance jump from the last generation. Amazon says it is 4 times faster, and has 4 times more memory. The chips are also 40% more energy efficient. Also important…the Trainium4 chips are in development. That future generation will be able to interoperate and extend their performance with Nvidia GPUs while still using Amazon’s homegrown lower-cost server rack technology.
Apple’s head of AI John Giannadrea is leaving the position, and will retire from Apple in 2026. Macrumors.com notes that he will serve as an advisor until his retirement. His replacement is an AI researcher that used to work for Microsoft…Amar Subramanya…who will step in as Apple’s VP of AI. Besides Microsoft, Amar spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Google’s Gemini Assistant. This all comes in the wake of iOS 18’s major Siri failure. Apple is reportedly partnering with Google for a more advanced version of Siri and other planned Apple Intelligence features.
Google has added a new app to company-managed Pixel phones that allows IT administrators to see all the RCS messages sent and received on specific devices. Androidpolice.com reports that this only applies to Pixels that are owned by companies. The purpose is a bit less nefarious than at first glance. It is to satisfy regulatory requirements that make businesses archive business messages in the event of a legal discovery situation or a freedom of information requests. In the past, the info was archived by carriers, and companies didn’t have to mess with this. Now that RCS apps encrypt, that isn’t an option…so Google has rolled out this archival application. To avoid the encryption issue, the messages are archived on the phone…and IT can see them remotely. You want to avoid your private messages being seen? Use your personal phone if you are messaging your sweetie.
I’m Clark Reid and you are ‘Technified’ for now.
Galaxy S26 Price Hike Rumor; Apple-Budget MacBook in 2026; OpenAI Launches Sora on Android; Norway Wealth Fund Thumbs Down on Elon Billion $ Payday
Posted: November 4, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Elon Musk, Samsung, Tech, technology, Tesla Leave a commentSamsung is expected to goose prices on the Galaxy S26 models. Bgr.com reports that no exact money amount has been leaked, but with suppliers struggling to crank out memory and storage chips due to AI, it is looking more and more likely. Samsung upped prices in 2024 by $100. Apple effectively did this with its iPhone line…although Apple just quietly dropped lower memory options, which was an effective price hike…but needed, since the cheaper phones wouldn’t run their AI backed systems. With mobile chip prices up about 12% year over year, and camera modules up 7%, some sort of increase seems highly likely. Since they raised last year by $100, maybe we will see something like just a $49 increase if you preorder. We should know something before the end of the year.
A contingent of users of Windows, led by gamers, is not happy with a lot of Windows 11 features…Copilot for one, but especially the intrusive Recall feature that saves screenshots of everything you do. Some users have bailed for Linux, but a lot of people don’t have the tech knowhow or inclination for that. With the possibility of Windows 12 being subscription based, even more folks will be unhappy. There’s always Chromebook…and now, another option may be coming for those that want to ditch Windows. According to macrumors.com, Apple may launch a budget MacBook in the first half of 2026. A Bloomberg report has it coming in at ‘well under $1,000,’ which puts it in direct competition with reasonably priced Windows and Chromebook laptops. Right now, the cheapest Mac is $999, with $100 off for educational buyers. You can always get a Mac Mini for $599…but have to tack on a monitor, keyboard, and mouse…so no bargain there. The cheaper MacBook will allegedly have a 13 inch display and an A series iPhone processor instead of the beefier Mac processor….probably the A18 that came out in the iPhone 16 Pro. Bright colors are forecast like with an iMac…Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow. If they are able to do it for…say, $600, it might be a really big hit for Apple.
Android is finally getting OpenAI’s video app, Sora. Theverge.com notes that this will let users on Android create, share, and remix AI generated videos. You can download it from the Google Play Store now. The app has been out since September on Apple’s iOS. The app has gotten flack for its approach to deepfakes and copyright protections. OpenAI had to reverse its opt-out policy for rights holders and go to opt-in. OpenAI has also introduced the ability to create “character cameos” with reusable avatars, and eventually plans to give rightsholders the ability to “charge extra for cameos of beloved characters and people.”
Norway’s wealth fund has given a ‘thumbs down’ to Elon Musk’s trillion dollar pay package. TechCrunch.com says that at a bit over 1% of Tesla stock, this alone may nt be enough to defeat the proposal, but it will add to the recommendations of ISS and Glass Lewis that have recommended votings against the ludicrous package. Musk insists the compensation isn’t so much about money as control. Tesla doesn’t throw off near the profit to cover this kind of pay over a 10 year period, and Elon’s promise of robots and an upcoming ‘flying electric car’ hasn’t really moved anyone to throw strong support towards making him the first ‘Trillion Dollar Baby.’
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Galaxy Glasses; OpenAI Adding Parental Controls-ChatGPT; YouTube Flagging Premium Family Plans-Different Homes; Amazon Ending Prime Free Shipping Sharing Outside Your Home
Posted: September 2, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, gemini, Samsung, technology, YouTube Leave a commentThe smart glasses battles heat up, as now Samsung is expected to bow ‘Galaxy Glasses’ this month…specifically, at an Unpacked event on September 29th. The offering from Samsung will be powered by Android XR. Zdnet.com reports that the smart glasses are expected to be a direct competitor with Meta’s Ray-Bans. Besides the glasses, Samsung is expected to roll out an XR headset and a tri-fold smartphone. Back to the glasses, though. They are expected to be audio only, and focus on features like faster and more convenient access to an AI assistant, cameras, and audio…for calls, music, and podcasts. The glasses will also feature navigation, real time translation, and situational awareness. The glasses will be powered by A Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip…the same chip as in the Meta Ray-Bans.
OpenAI is now promising to release parental controls for ChatGPT. Once in place, the controls will allow parents to link their personal ChatGPT account with accounts of their teen kids. According to engadget.com, parents will be able to decide how ChatGPT responds to their kids, and disable select features, including memory and chat history. Additionally, ChatGPT will generate automated alerts when it detects a teen is in a “moment of acute distress.” According to OpenAI, “expert input will guide this feature to support trust between parents and teens.” While parental controls are nice as ‘eye-wash,’ or cover your butt acts for companies, expect most teens to figure out a way around the controls nearly instantly.
It appears to be the season for crack downs on sharing by tech companies. YouTube is starting to flag accounts on Premium family plans that aren’t in the same household. Androidpolice.com notes that YouTube’s Premium Family Plan lets you add up to 5 family members to your plan for the $23 a month subscription.The requirement that people all reside at the same address has actually been around since 2023, but YouTube has just started really enforcing it. They are presently testing out a new two-person Premium plan, too. One pain in the neck…YouTube is going to conduct an ‘electronic check-in’ every 30 days, to make sure each family member resides at the same address. If a member fails the check in, and isn’t at the same place as the ‘family manager,’ their access is paused for 14 days.
Amazon will end allowing Prime members sharing of free shipping outside their household, starting October 1st. Theverge.com reports that after that date, Amazon will let invitees who don’t live with the account holder to sign on for their own subscription at just $14.99 for the following year…but then the rate will go up to $14.99 a month. Amazon is replacing the program with Amazon Family. The new program will let account holders share Prime benefits, but just with people who live with them at their address. You can add one additional adult, up to 4 teens, and up to 4 child profiles.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Snares $16.5 Billion Deal for Tesla Chips; iPhone 17 Pro May Get 8x Zoom & Pro Cam App; Microsoft Dropping China Based DoD Support Teams; Amazon Refund Text Scam
Posted: July 28, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, News, Samsung, Smartphone, Tech, technology, Tesla Leave a commentSamsung has inked a deal to build the Tesla A16 chip. The pact is worth some $16.5 billion. Engadget.com reports that the deal runs through 2033, and that the chips will be produced at Samsung’s huge new plant they are building near Tyler, Texas. Until this deal, Samsung had been thinking about delaying opening the plant due to not enough business. Samsung makes the A14 chips that run Tesla’s Full Self-Driving platform, but the A15 contract went to their competitor, Taiwan Semiconductor. The deal does come with a short leash for Samsung…”Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency,” Elon Musk stated in a post on his X platform.
The camera apps have become a banner feature for all smartphones, and as they have gotten better across the board, major upgrades have gotten less common. According to macrumors.com, the iPhone 17 Pro models will be getting some cool cameral upgrades. A tipster has apparently seen a commercial for the handsets that shows the telephoto zoom will go from 5 power to 8 power optically…and may even have a moving lens, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. On top of that, there is apparently a new pro camera app for both photos and videos. There are already some pro camera apps available from third parties, but this would be a first from Apple. A third rumor…which seems a bit dubious…is that there will be an additional cameral control button on the top edge. Since case makers are already producing cases for the phones, and none seem to have an opening for such a button, take this one with a grain of salt. Finally, Apple will allow shooting video with both front and rear cameras at the same time. As with the pro apps, you have been able to do this with third party software, but not with Apple’s own until now.
From the ‘why were they doing this in the first place’ department…Microsoft is going to stop using China based teams to support the Department of Defense. Ya think? Propublica.org notes that Redmond had been using the teams to support the Defense Department’s cloud computing systems. The support supposedly was for information that is not classified…BUT is nonetheless sensitive. As you might figure, this was a fertile area for spying and espionage. With the increasing amount of data in the cloud servers and AI to analyze it fast, Microsoft is moving away from these China based teams.
Here’s a new scam you may not have heard about. It’s a text proported to be from Amazon about a refund. Zdnet.com reports that the texts may say it was due to the product being recalled, or it is below Amazon standards, or maybe failed a routine inspection. You don’t even have to return it to get the refund…just click the link. You are correct….DON’T click that link! It goes to a phishing page where you are prompted to enter your Amazon credentials, payment info, and contact info. It’s always good practice to refrain from clicking links in texts and emails. Go to the site saved in your bookmarks and check there to see if there are any messages from the merchant like Amazon.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Galaxy Z Flip 7-NO Display Crease; Redesigned iPhone 17 Models Get Revamped Dynamic Island; TikTok Ban May End Soon-New App & Sale; Prime Day(s) Start Tomorrow
Posted: July 7, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Smartphone, Tech, technology, tiktok Leave a commentIn just a couple days, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. We will cover the Samsung Unpacked then, but for now, here is a little nugget from a tester who got early access. Bgr.com reports that a hands-on video shows the edge to edge, corner to corner outside display, which is cool. Beyond that, it looks like there is NO visible crease on the inner screen. That is a huge deal. We know that Apple is planning a folder next year, and may use Samsung Display. This would allow Samsung to premiere the crease-free screen a year ahead of any Apple device. We’ll have more on Wednesday.
the iPhone 17 models are getting a revamped Dynamic Island. This according to macrumors.com, which found information on an account on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has leaked accurate info about Apple devices in the past. The missing detail is that we don’t know if the Island will be smaller or not. That was rumored previously, but may not make it until the iPhone 18 models next year. This one does feature some kind of change in the user interface. I would be happy if they made it work with two items better. Often, I am using it for the timer as I work out, and would like to be able to touch it to open and read a text, then have it go back to just the timer when I’m finished.
A sale of TikTok in the US FINALLY may be near. Theverge.com notes that the Trump administration believes it is close to a sale to a group of ‘non-Chinese’ investors, including Oracle…with present owner ByteDance keeping a minority stake. That would satisfy the terms of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Apparently, TikTok is working on a new version of the app, called M2 for now, which may drop in app stores around September 5th. The original app will leave app stores with the launch of the new one, and will stop working in March 2026.
Yes, it’s tomorrow…that event you’ve all been waiting for…Amazon Prime Day 2025. Remember when Prime Day was an actual day…then it became a day and a half? Now, they really ought to brand it Prime Week, with it lasting 4 days. Zdnet.com reports that in addition to the early offers already up, there is also a reboot of Prime for Young Adults…a discounted membership for those 18-24. Amazon is touting its AI shopping assistant Rufus (who names these things?) as a help in finding deals on things you are likely to purchase. A note-Amazon has said it will not introduce listed tariff prices next to products for sale. This had been looked at, but after blowback from the White House, it was dropped.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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