TechSpot
Google is turning any headphones into real-time translation earbuds 14 December 2025 at 18:40

Google is turning any headphones into real-time translation earbuds

14 December 2025 at 18:40

Starting today, Android device owners can begin testing live speech translation in the Google Translate app, which now relies on Gemini. The AI makes text translations sound more natural and nuanced than before.

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Hollywood director received $11 million to finish a Netflix show - he spent it on crypto, a Ferrari, and five Rolls-Royces 14 December 2025 at 16:17

Hollywood director received $11 million to finish a Netflix show - he spent it on crypto, a Ferrari, and five Rolls-Royces

TechSpot

14 December 2025 at 16:17

Rinsch, best known for directing the 2013 film 47 Ronin, was entrusted by Netflix in 2018 to produce a sci-fi series titled Conquest, originally titled White Horse. Over the course of two years, Netflix funneled $44 million into Rinsch's production company to develop the show.

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A nonprofit is paying hackers to unlock devices companies have abandoned 13 December 2025 at 23:08

A nonprofit is paying hackers to unlock devices companies have abandoned

TechSpot

13 December 2025 at 23:08

When Google ended support for its first- and second-gen Nest thermostats in October, many users saw their devices lose key functions. The thermostats could still adjust temperature locally, but networked features tied to Google's services stopped working, leaving some owners feeling as if their expensive hardware had been turned into...

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Machine learning just helped researchers create the biggest 3D map of buildings around the world 13 December 2025 at 20:16

Machine learning just helped researchers create the biggest 3D map of buildings around the world

TechSpot

13 December 2025 at 20:16

A team of Germany-based researchers recently unveiled GlobalBuildingAtlas, which is likely the most detailed 3D map of buildings ever developed. Introduced earlier this month, the database covers 97 percent of the buildings on Earth's surface, with tiny three-dimensional polygons depicting more than 2.75 billion different man-made structures.

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A Florida school went into lockdown after AI flagged a clarinet as a gun 13 December 2025 at 19:29

A Florida school went into lockdown after AI flagged a clarinet as a gun

TechSpot

13 December 2025 at 19:29

In a message to parents, principal Melissa Laudani explained that the incident had prompted safety protocols but involved no actual threat. She wrote: "While there was no threat to campus, I'd like to ask you to speak with your student about the dangers of pretending to have a weapon on...

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Hobbyist 3D prints the Commodore 64 laptop we never got in the '80s 13 December 2025 at 15:43

Hobbyist 3D prints the Commodore 64 laptop we never got in the '80s

TechSpot

13 December 2025 at 15:43

YouTuber and industrial designer Kevin Noki recently published a video outlining how he built a 1980s-style laptop that emulates Commodore 64 games. Although Noki used a Raspberry Pi to emulate the software, his method for running the games is arguably the least interesting aspect of the project.

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Rivian expands hands-free driving system, builds proprietary AI chip 13 December 2025 at 02:38

Rivian expands hands-free driving system, builds proprietary AI chip

TechSpot

13 December 2025 at 02:38

Later this month, Rivian will expand its hands-free driving system to cover 3.5 million miles of roads across North America – more than 20 times its current coverage. The system, available on second-generation R1 trucks and SUVs, will no longer be limited to divided highways. Vehicles equipped with the updated...

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Hackers are pretending to be cops – and tech companies keep falling for it 12 December 2025 at 23:10

Hackers are pretending to be cops – and tech companies keep falling for it

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 23:10

According to information reviewed by Wired, the sender was instead a member of a hacking group that sells "doxing-as-a-service," offering access to personal data siphoned from some of the country's largest technology companies.

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Android phones can now share live video with 911 during emergencies 12 December 2025 at 21:52

Android phones can now share live video with 911 during emergencies

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 21:52

Mountain View's latest update turns Android smartphones into a powerful safety tool with the rollout of Android Emergency Live Video (ELV) across the US. Google explains that ELV allows users to quickly share a live video feed with 911 or other emergency services – a potentially crucial aid in dangerous...

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Google's latest experimental browser turns tabs into custom mini-apps 12 December 2025 at 21:08

Google's latest experimental browser turns tabs into custom mini-apps

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 21:08

Disco began as a hackathon project at Google and has since evolved into a prototype exploring what browsing might look like if each query functioned as an interactive workspace rather than just a list of links. Parisa Tabriz, who leads the Chrome team, told The Verge that the project is...

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Black Ops 7 markedly underperforms as sales and player count tumble 12 December 2025 at 20:12

Black Ops 7 markedly underperforms as sales and player count tumble

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 20:12

According to data shared by Alinea Analytics with GamesIndustry.biz, the latest title in the CoD franchise sold only 401,000 copies on Steam in its first 26 days – an 82 percent drop from Black Ops 6's 2.3 million sales over the same period last year.

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Hogwarts Legacy is free to claim on the Epic Games Store until December 18 12 December 2025 at 19:50

Hogwarts Legacy is free to claim on the Epic Games Store until December 18

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 19:50

Epic Games Store is giving away Hogwarts Legacy for a limited time, letting players claim the open-world RPG at no cost until December 18. Once added to your library, the game is yours to keep permanently, offering PC players a chance to explore Hogwarts without spending a dime.

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Intel's CEO is also a major startup investor, and it's starting to get messy 12 December 2025 at 19:12

Intel's CEO is also a major startup investor, and it's starting to get messy

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 19:12

When Tan pitched his board on acquiring the AI chip startup Rivos this summer, he did so from both sides of the table. Tan also chaired Rivos, the same company he wanted Intel to buy, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The board rejected his proposal, citing a...

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Elon Musk confirms SpaceX IPO plans, could value company at over $1 trillion 12 December 2025 at 18:46

Elon Musk confirms SpaceX IPO plans, could value company at over $1 trillion

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 18:46

The IPO plans were initially reported by The Wall Street Journal and The Information last Friday before Musk confirmed it on X this week. Replying to a post on the IPO rumors by Ars Technica Space Editor Eric Berger, Musk simply wrote that the reports are "accurate," but did not...

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Trump's executive order seeks to centralize AI regulation at the federal level 12 December 2025 at 18:11

Trump's executive order seeks to centralize AI regulation at the federal level

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 18:11

The administration argues that a unified national policy will eliminate what Trump described as a confusing patchwork of state rules that stifle innovation and jeopardize America's lead over China in AI development.

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2025's most-downloaded iPhone app is, you guessed it, ChatGPT 12 December 2025 at 17:47

2025's most-downloaded iPhone app is, you guessed it, ChatGPT

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 17:47

Apple has released a list of the App Store's most downloaded free apps, with OpenAI's ChatGPT predictably at the top. "The GenAI chatbot has seen tremendous growth since its introduction, which helped launch the ongoing AI craze.

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California startup's new fire-suppression system uses sound instead of water 12 December 2025 at 17:23

California startup's new fire-suppression system uses sound instead of water

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 17:23

Sonic Fire Tech, co-founded by aerospace engineer Geoff Bruder, has developed a system that uses infrasound – low-frequency sound waves below the threshold of human hearing – to suppress fire.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominates The Game Awards with nine wins; free DLC available now 12 December 2025 at 16:51

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominates The Game Awards with nine wins; free DLC available now

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 16:51

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won all but two of the eleven categories it was nominated in. Sandfall Interactive's title always looked like the strongest contender in the GOTY category, going up against Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

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Utah discovery could be one of the most significant US critical mineral finds in years 12 December 2025 at 16:13

Utah discovery could be one of the most significant US critical mineral finds in years

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 16:13

According to Ionic, independent analyses identified elevated grades of 16 minerals, including lithium, alumina, germanium, rubidium, cesium, vanadium, niobium, and scandium. These materials are essential to producing the semiconductors, defense components, and clean-energy technologies that underpin major industries.

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Nintendo Switch 2 could get more expensive as DRAM and NAND costs spike 12 December 2025 at 15:21

Nintendo Switch 2 could get more expensive as DRAM and NAND costs spike

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 15:21

The memory shortage crisis, a result of the huge demand from AI companies, has sent DRAM prices through the roof. According to Bloomberg, Nintendo is now paying 41% more for the 12 GB LPDDR5X modules used in the Switch 2 than it did three months ago.

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Single Stick vs. Dual Channel RAM: How Much Performance Do You Actually Lose? 12 December 2025 at 14:24

Single Stick vs. Dual Channel RAM: How Much Performance Do You Actually Lose?

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 14:24

DRAM prices just doubled, pushing many builders to consider running a single 16 GB stick. We test how much performance you give up when running a Ryzen system in single vs. dual channel.

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Notepad++ users urged to update immediately after hackers hijack the app's updater 12 December 2025 at 05:18

Notepad++ users urged to update immediately after hackers hijack the app's updater

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 05:18

The developers of Notepad++ recently discovered an actively exploited vulnerability that enabled hackers to hijack the popular editor's automatic updater. Version 8.8.9 addresses the issue, but users should avoid relying on the updater in earlier releases and instead download the latest installer directly from the Notepad++ website or from TechSpot's...

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Morrowind gets a modern glow-up thanks to an Unreal Engine 5 fan project 12 December 2025 at 02:44

Morrowind gets a modern glow-up thanks to an Unreal Engine 5 fan project

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 02:44

Greg Coulthard is a self-taught CG enthusiast and YouTuber with a passion for bringing classic games into current-gen visual technology. Using Unreal Engine 5, he updates aged classics to showcase modern graphics features. Recently, the modder applied the UE5 treatment to one of the best – and most heavily modded...

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Apple may be prepping a Studio Display 2 upgrade with ProMotion, HDR, and A19 chip 12 December 2025 at 01:04

Apple may be prepping a Studio Display 2 upgrade with ProMotion, HDR, and A19 chip

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 01:04

An internal pre-release build of iOS 26 points to a significant overhaul of the Studio Display – Apple's premium desktop monitor. Macworld got a chance to examine the code and found various clues confirming a long-rumored update. References found in the iOS 26 source code identify new specs for the...

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Instacart's algorithm is quietly charging people different prices for the same groceries 12 December 2025 at 00:16

Instacart's algorithm is quietly charging people different prices for the same groceries

TechSpot

12 December 2025 at 00:16

A months-long joint investigation by Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative has uncovered widespread price testing on Instacart's grocery delivery platform. The research shows that identical grocery items sometimes cost different amounts for each customer. The disparity is sometimes as much as 23 percent. Investigators detected the tests at several of...

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New poll shows 30% of US teens interact with chatbots every day 11 December 2025 at 23:19

New poll shows 30% of US teens interact with chatbots every day

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 23:19

Despite concerns surrounding the growing AI bubble, chatbots and other AI services continue to gain popularity. A recent Pew Research Center poll of US teens confirms earlier findings: young users frequently engage with AI products for both educational and personal purposes.

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NASA's Webb telescope spots ancient supernova and its host galaxy 11 December 2025 at 22:36

NASA's Webb telescope spots ancient supernova and its host galaxy

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 22:36

The space agency said supernovas typically brighten rapidly over a period of several weeks before they slowly start to dim. This example, however, took months to brighten. Furthermore, because it occurred so early in the universe's history, light from the explosion stretched over time. The actual blast likely lasted around...

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Disney strikes $1 billion deal with OpenAI to bring Mickey, Marvel, and more to generative video platform 11 December 2025 at 21:53

Disney strikes $1 billion deal with OpenAI to bring Mickey, Marvel, and more to generative video platform

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 21:53

Sora allows users to generate video sequences by typing descriptive text prompts. Under the new Disney agreement, users will gain legitimate access to more than 200 Disney-owned characters – ranging from Mickey Mouse to Iron Man and Darth Vader – within the Sora environment.

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Arm CEO says physical AI will replace most factory workers within a decade 11 December 2025 at 19:46

Arm CEO says physical AI will replace most factory workers within a decade

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 19:46

Haas shared his views on the future of factory jobs in the age of agentic AI and robotics during the recent Brainstorm AI live event hosted by Fortune in San Francisco. The Arm executive is confident that human-shaped robots, powered by advanced AI systems, will take over most factory jobs...

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Ayaneo reveals the Pocket Play, an Android slider phone inspired by the Xperia Play 11 December 2025 at 19:08

Ayaneo reveals the Pocket Play, an Android slider phone inspired by the Xperia Play

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 19:08

Ayaneo first teased the Ayaneo Pocket Play back in August, but has only now unveiled its design.

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Australia's under-16 social media ban triggers confusion, workarounds, and privacy fears 11 December 2025 at 18:07

Australia's under-16 social media ban triggers confusion, workarounds, and privacy fears

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 18:07

The legislation, which passed last year, requires Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube to verify the ages of Australian users and close the accounts of those identified as under 16. Although social media networks have begun to comply, gaps have already occurred in their age...

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Xbox suffers a brutal 69% drop in Pornhub traffic as PlayStation dominates 11 December 2025 at 17:19

Xbox suffers a brutal 69% drop in Pornhub traffic as PlayStation dominates

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 17:19

Pornhub's ever-interesting year-in-review shows that phones continue to make up the overwhelming majority of traffic to the platform – 87% – despite falling 3.5% compared to the previous year.

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Samsung is making 11 million OLED panels for Apple's first foldable iPhone 11 December 2025 at 16:18

Samsung is making 11 million OLED panels for Apple's first foldable iPhone

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 16:18

ETNews (syndicated by nate.com and translated by known tipster @jukan05) reports that Samsung Display will provide Apple with enough OLED screens for between 10 and 11 million foldable iPhones next year. As prior reports estimated between 6 and 8 million, the new number suggests Apple is confident regarding sales of...

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US to demand five years of social media history from foreign travelers under new proposal 11 December 2025 at 15:33

US to demand five years of social media history from foreign travelers under new proposal

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 15:33

Travelers from the 42 countries can currently visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa, provided they obtain an electronic travel authorization.

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Man arrested for allegedly wiping his Google Pixel before a CBP search 11 December 2025 at 14:20

Man arrested for allegedly wiping his Google Pixel before a CBP search

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 14:20

Tunick was indicted by a grand jury on November 13, and an arrest warrant was issued the same day. It says that on January 24, he knowingly destroyed the contents of the Pixel phone for the purpose of preventing or impairing government authorities from taking the property into their custody.

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Microsoft faces reality check on AI ambitions as Copilot and Foundry struggle to meet goals 11 December 2025 at 02:44

Microsoft faces reality check on AI ambitions as Copilot and Foundry struggle to meet goals

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 02:44

Microsoft's push to make artificial intelligence the core of its product strategy is running into resistance from the very customers it expected to embrace it. Multiple Azure sales units fell short of ambitious growth targets tied to Foundry, Microsoft's marketplace for AI models and agent-building tools.

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This PowerShell script promises to remove every AI feature from Windows 11 December 2025 at 01:57

This PowerShell script promises to remove every AI feature from Windows

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 01:57

A developer who goes by "Zoicware" has joined that resistance. He recently updated his tool for ripping AI features out of Windows 11. Called RemoveWindowsAI, the open-source PowerShell script is built to scrub Microsoft's growing stack of AI components, and the dev claims it does a far deeper clean than...

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AMD FSR Redstone Looks Sharp on Paper, Plays Rough, Launches Broken 11 December 2025 at 00:18

AMD FSR Redstone Looks Sharp on Paper, Plays Rough, Launches Broken

TechSpot

11 December 2025 at 00:18

AMD FSR Redstone launches with big promises, but Frame Generation is still flawed and major features are locked to RDNA 4. If you expected a leap toward Nvidia-level tech, this will disappoint.

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Analysts predict PC market will grow in 2025 despite recent quarterly declines 10 December 2025 at 23:41

Analysts predict PC market will grow in 2025 despite recent quarterly declines

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 23:41

Omdia recently released its latest quarterly report on PC shipments in the US. The market research firm, formerly known as Canalys, said the PC market fell for a second consecutive quarter, a decline driven primarily by US administration policies on tariffs, education, and government investment.

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Razer is resurrecting the Boomslang, its first ever gaming mouse 10 December 2025 at 22:53

Razer is resurrecting the Boomslang, its first ever gaming mouse

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 22:53

If the timeline of events isn't exactly how you remember, fret not. Razer technically got its start as a subsidiary of kärna LLC in 1998 and released the Boomslang shortly after. Some say the original Boomslang was the world's first purpose-built gaming mouse, but all I can remember for certain...

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Windows 11 is getting faster, smoother, and more "console-like" for gaming 10 December 2025 at 20:13

Windows 11 is getting faster, smoother, and more "console-like" for gaming

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 20:13

In a new post on the Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft revealed it is optimizing several key Windows 11 components for faster gaming performance. As part of the plan, developers are focusing on improved background workload management, better power and scheduling efficiency, graphics stack refinements, and updated drivers.

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AMD Radeon drivers add "FSR Redstone" features for RX 9000 GPUs 10 December 2025 at 20:01

AMD Radeon drivers add "FSR Redstone" features for RX 9000 GPUs

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 20:01

AMD Adrenalin 25.12.1 drivers add "FSR Redstone" support to the Radeon RX 9000 series, enabling new ML-enhanced upscaling and frame generation tech. The update also prepares the hardware for upcoming Redstone-enabled titles.

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EVs aren't more dangerous to pedestrians, but SUVs are, study finds 10 December 2025 at 19:06

EVs aren't more dangerous to pedestrians, but SUVs are, study finds

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 19:06

A study by the University of Leeds in the UK looked at British government road safety data from 2014 to 2023. Zia Wadud, Professor of Mobility and Energy Futures, and colleagues wanted to examine if EVs collided with pedestrians more often because of their quietness, and whether their extra weight...

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Biwin's ultra-compact 2TB SSD is smaller than the coins in your pocket 10 December 2025 at 18:21

Biwin's ultra-compact 2TB SSD is smaller than the coins in your pocket

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 18:21

Biwin says the new drive leverages technologies found in other SSDs including dynamic SLC cache, garbage collection, thermal throttling, wear leveling, HMB, and S.M.A.R.T. for improved speed, durability, and efficiency. It is said to be ideal for demanding tasks like 4K video editing, AI model training, and gaming....

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Watch the AI-generated Christmas ad McDonald's pulled after massive backlash 10 December 2025 at 17:19

Watch the AI-generated Christmas ad McDonald's pulled after massive backlash

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 17:19

McDonald's Netherlands unwisely decided that an AI-generated ad would be a good idea to promote its Christmas campaign. It's pretty easy to spot the tell-tale signs that something was created by an AI, especially when it includes "real" people, as this 45-second ad does.

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Google is turning Android XR into a visionOS rival with PC streaming and 3D avatars 10 December 2025 at 16:26

Google is turning Android XR into a visionOS rival with PC streaming and 3D avatars

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 16:26

In a recent presentation (above), Google outlined several new features that are now available in beta for Samsung's Galaxy XR headset. The company also explained its plans for upcoming extended reality smart glasses.

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Man who wanted $75 million for Lambo.com domain is forced to hand it over to Lamborghini 10 December 2025 at 15:33

Man who wanted $75 million for Lambo.com domain is forced to hand it over to Lamborghini

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 15:33

In February 2018, Arizona resident Richard Blair paid $10,000 for the Lambo.com domain, likely hoping to make a tidy profit by selling it – Lambo is a popular nickname for the company.

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Pentagon says its new military AI platform with Google's Gemini will make US forces "more lethal" 10 December 2025 at 14:19

Pentagon says its new military AI platform with Google's Gemini will make US forces "more lethal"

TechSpot

10 December 2025 at 14:19

"The future of American warfare is here, and it's spelled AI," Hegseth said. "As technologies advance, so do our adversaries. But here at the War Department, we are not sitting idly by."

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Run Android games on a larger screen with MEmu 9 December 2025 at 23:15

Run Android games on a larger screen with MEmu

TechSpot

9 December 2025 at 23:15

MEmu is a lightweight Android emulator that delivers smooth gaming on PC, with features like keymapping, multi-instance support, and high frame rates. Like other emulators, it offers the advantage of running mobile apps on a larger screen with improved performance and precise controls.

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