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Cutting YouTube Ads: 10 Ways to Watch Ad-Free
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Microsoft’s emissions climb as AI-driven demand outpaces sustainability efforts
Microsoft’s 2026 sustainability report shows carbon emissions rose 25% in 2025 to 34 million metric tons, driven mainly by datacenter expansion and a policy shift away from certain renewable-energy certificates, underscoring that AI infrastructure is increasing energy demand and outpacing scalable sustainability solutions on the path to carbon negativity by 2030.
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Microsoft to boost Windows security updates with AI
The Verge•1 day ago
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Pixel lineup could cost more this year
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PocketMage revives the PDA era with e-paper and dual screens
The PocketMage is a crowdfunded clamshell PDA from Talisman Design that pairs a tactile keyboard with a 3.1-inch 320×240 e-paper main display and a 1.8-inch OLED secondary display for a distraction-free productivity device. It runs on an ESP32‑S3 with 2MB RAM and 16MB storage (expandable via microSD) and comes with calendar, journal, dictionary, and a Markdown editor, plus other apps like a calculator, e‑book reader, and browser. It includes a week‑long 1,200 mAh battery, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, USB‑C, and a powered expansion port for hardware add‑ons. Crowd Supply offers two preorder options—$235 for a fully assembled unit or $185 for a DIY kit—in parchment gray or royal purple accents, with shipping not expected before March 2027 at the earliest.
Fi Ultra brings Starlink to pet tracking for off-grid dogs
Fi Ultra is the first dog tracker to combine Starlink satellite connectivity with GPS/LTE, enabling real‑time location in cellular dead zones via T‑Satellite. It costs $199 for the device plus a $20 activation fee and $189/year, attaches to standard collars (around 68g), and is IP68‑rated. In field testing near Charleston, updates came every 2–3 minutes when LTE wasn’t available, but the battery generally lasts about two days (draining faster during Lost Mode). The unit is large for small dogs, and reconnection gaps can occur, but it’s a compelling option for hikers who need off‑grid tracking, with Fi Mini/3 Plus offering longer battery life for everyday use.
Meta’s 'super sensing' glasses could record 24/7 for an AI assistant
Meta is reportedly developing prototype “super sensing” smart glasses that could continuously record audio and take photos for Meta AI to query, with raw footage potentially not stored and only metadata uploaded to servers. The approach, described by the Financial Times, would raise privacy concerns amid ongoing scrutiny of facial-recognition features and recording indicators. Meta says privacy is built in, and an update can disable the camera if the privacy light is tampered with, though the LED may stay off during “AI Feature” or “super sensing” use. Executives have signaled glasses could become a day‑long personal assistant, and FT reports detail, though release timelines remain unclear.
Solos cuts weight with camera-free AirGo A6 smart glasses
Solos unveiled the AirGo A6, a camera-free smart-glasses model weighing about 19g—roughly half last year’s AirGo A5—thanks to thinner temple arms and smaller internals, while still offering hands-free AI via voice commands, translations, and calendar reminders. It will support prescription lenses and come in multiple transparent styles, with pricing not finalized yet. Solos also announced privacy accessories for AirGo V2, including $39 transparent temples and a $49 privacy shield (bundled with sunglasses for $79) to physically block the camera, underscoring a privacy-first approach when smart features aren’t needed.
iRobot’s Roomba Electro Plus is a floor cleaner you push, not a robot
iRobot announced its first manually operated floor cleaner, the $399 Roomba Electro Plus, a 5‑in‑1 hard-floor cleaner that vacuums, mops, and sanitizes using electrolyzed tap water, eliminating the need for a separate cleaning solution, while also introducing five cheaper, smaller Roomba robot vacuums with higher suction, lidar navigation, and AI obstacle detection; preorder begins July 7.
Microsoft patches Windows 11 storage hog caused by permissions log file
An optional June 2026 update (KB5095093) fixes a Windows 11 bug where the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal permissions log file could balloon, freeing up disk space.
Nothing Ear 3A Buds Bring Built-In Recording to Budget Wireless Earphones
Nothing's Ear 3A wireless earbuds, priced at $99, add 32MB of onboard storage to enable Audio Snapshot recording of what you’re listening to and offer a two-hour call recording option; recordings sync to the Nothing X app, while the charging case remains storage-only to boost battery life, with a new pink color option.
Nothing’s first B-series phone skips the US again with big battery
Nothing’s first B-series phone, the Phone 4B, is skipping the US again and launching in the UK, Europe, and India for £299 / €329. It features a plastic unibody design, a 6.77-inch 120Hz OLED display, Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 with 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage, and a 5,200mAh battery (6,000mAh in India), running Android 16 with three years of OS updates. Availability starts July 17, with the US left out, while the cheaper Phone 3A Lite branding has been folded into the lineup, Ear 3A earbuds are launching in the US, and Nothing paused CMF budget phones due to RAM price rises.
Budget Vizio Mini LED TV nails picture quality, but Walmart data tracking looms
Vizio’s 65-inch Mini LED Quantum TV delivers standout brightness and color for under $400, and can function as a simple dumb TV by bypassing the OS, but Walmart’s data collection and required sign-ins during setup mean you may need to accept an activity data policy or use an external streaming device to avoid it.
Trump Phone lands: Verge’s first impressions of the gold T1
Dominic Preston reports on The Verge’s hands-on with Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone: a gold, tacky device that arrives with a charger and Truth Social preinstalled; setup is smooth and the fingerprint sensor works, but in the UK it won’t yet connect to LTE/5G, and there’s a tiny pre-existing scratch and a cheap-feeling build, suggesting it’s more novelty than a serious handset—full review coming next week.