Buckle up, news hounds! It’s time again for another episode of “News You Probably Missed and Shouldn’t Have!” We’ve got a whirlwind of headlines that went under the radar this past week packaged together to make you go, “Wait, what? When did this happen?” From illegal roadblocks for wireless giants to who-knows-what, this roundup is sure to keep you informed and maybe even a little surprised. So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea, we don’t judge), and let’s dive in!
New Jersey town blocks T-Mobile from building a tower
A town in New Jersey is throwing a tantrum like a toddler refusing broccoli because it’s “icky.” They are not letting T-Mobile build a cellphone tower in the area because it is allegedly unsafe, an illegal claim. That’s despite the carrier meeting all the requirements mandated by the law for creating a telecom facility, including the radio frequency emission limit. T-Mobile is trying to improve your wireless network connectivity, townfolks. It certainly won’t be using the tower to communicate with aliens.
YouTube prepares a sleep timer to let you sleep
Insomniacs rejoice! YouTube might finally stop keeping you company all night with a built-in sleep timer. The Music version of YouTube already has the feature, so it’s nice to see the video counterpart copying it. The new feature doesn’t yet have an ETA but imagine falling asleep to cat videos without the worry of waking up to polka music at 3 am. That’s what it can do. It’s like putting your phone on bedtime with a teddy bear. Sweet dreams!
The EU wants Microsoft to keep Teams and Office separate
Microsoft seems to be in hot water with the EU again! This time, it’s over its bundling of Teams with Office products. Imagine getting broccoli shoved in your lunchbox every day, even if you only wanted the pizza. That’s kind of the situation the EU sees with Teams being forced down users’ throats alongside Office. The EU is worried this gives Teams an unfair advantage and limits competition. So, Microsoft might be facing a hefty fine if it doesn’t clean up its act fast. A “broccoli pizza” for lunch might not work.
Google Search rolls back to Goooooooooogle days
Google Search is going back to the drawing board! Remember that endless scroll that lets you see results for days? Yeah, it’s getting the boot. From now on, you’ll be back to clicking through pages like a digital explorer in the olden days. Google says this change will make searches load faster, but some folks might miss the convenience of that never-ending scroll. Think of it as a forced break from the rabbit hole of search results – maybe you’ll actually find what you’re looking for faster after all!
Your Google reviews are going public under one profile
Big brother Google is watching… your reviews! Get ready to be internet famous (or infamous) because Google just launched a new feature: public profiles for your reviews. Everyone can see if you think the latest Nicolas Cage flick is a masterpiece or a disaster. Bragging rights for that 5-star “Casablanca” review? You got it! Shame of admitting you secretly love reality TV? Uh oh. There is an option to make your profile private, but just like that time you accidentally posted a selfie you meant to delete… the internet never forgets.
You can now “Hype” up your favorite YouTube creator
Attention, YouTube devotee! Tired of just liking and sharing videos? Want to feel like a true patron of the arts (well, the art of cat videos)? YouTube is testing a new feature called “Hype”. It makes you a digital hype machine, boosting your favorite creators’ latest content. Think of it as showering them with virtual confetti (that grants them more views). It’s a win-win: creators get discovered, and you feel important. Now, someone just needs to invent a way to throw virtual tomatoes at bad content…
Apple aims to replace humans with robots in its iPhone factories
Ah, Apple and automation: a match made in…well, not exactly heaven for some folks. The company is looking to turn its iPhone factories into Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Instead of friendly humans, a bunch of robots will build your iPhone. It aims to replace at least half of human workers with machines. The good news: consistent quality control, maybe even lower prices. The bad news: saying goodbye to some human jobs, and the slight possibility of a robot uprising. Let’s just hope Siri doesn’t get any ideas…
Rimac is making a Level 4 robotaxi
Move over Bugattis, and make way for robotaxis! Rimac, the Croatian company known for its sleek and insanely fast electric supercars, is taking a sharp turn. Imagine ditching million-dollar rides for self-driving pod things. That’s basically Rimac’s new game plan. Their latest project is a Level 4 robotaxi called the Verne, and it’s aiming to hit the streets in 2026. So, ditch the dream of owning a Rimac supercar (unless you’ve got a Scrooge McDuck money vault), the future might involve being chauffeured around by one.
Verizon fined over $1 million for 911 outage
Verizon, the cell phone company that definitely isn’t run by pigeons in trench coats, blocked 911 calls in six whole US states for almost two hours! Instead of reaching paramedics or firefighters, all subscribers got was the soothing sounds of dead air. This happened sometime back, but the carrier couldn’t escape without repercussions. It had to cough up a cool $1 million for the blunder. Maybe invest in some signal flares for your next network upgrade, Verizon?
Korean internet provider installed malware on customer PCs
In a move that would make even a pirate raise an eyebrow, Korean internet service provider KT (aka Korea Telecom) is in hot water for allegedly installing malware on hundreds of thousands of customer computers (over 600,000). Why? To mess with their torrents, of course! Talk about a bad connection. This ISP decided to take a shady route to block a shady practice. Can’t wait to see how this plays out in court! Download justice may be slow, but it might hit KT hard.
Samsung to increase memory prices, blames AI for it
Samsung’s memory chips are suddenly in high demand, thanks to the booming world of AI. The company is using this as an excuse to bump up prices, which is about as subtle as a robot breakdancing. Imagine AI walking into a store, demanding memory chips in a robotic voice, and then accidentally tripping the inflation alarm. That’s basically what’s happening here. Looks like Samsung’s AI overlords are teaching it more about profit margins than processing power!
WhatsApp prepares a shortcut for video message replies
WhatsApp seems tired of seeing users fumbling around to reply to video messages (hey, WhatsApp claims it cannot see your messages). Its latest test update is saying “ditch the text, just react with a video!” Imagine a world where your grandma responds to your vacation clip with a thumbs-up video message – the future is here, folks! (Although, maybe hold off on sending that skydiving video to your parents just yet…)
Samsung to take a $3.6 billion loan to build chip factories
Samsung must be feeling like it’s swimming in a pool of money (or maybe that should be a sea of semiconductors?) because it is diving headfirst into a whopping $3.6 billion loan to build even more chip factories! Looks like the Korean tech titan is betting big on the future of tech, and who are we to argue? It might be planning to use all these new chips to build robots that will pay back the loan. Or maybe Samsung is just building a giant robot out of chips in the first place.
Instagram creators can now make AI versions of themselves
Buckle up, folks, because Instagram is getting meta. It is letting some creators cook up AI chatbot versions of themselves! Imagine your favorite influencer, but now in digital form, ready to answer your DMs 24/7. It’s like having a never-sleeping, never-hungry version of your idol to chat with. Of course, this also opens the door to some seriously creepy situations, but hey, that’s the future for ya! Just remember, if your AI influencer starts asking you to send money promising to return with interest later, maybe just wave a goodbye.
Opera adds new AI features to its Android browser
Opera’s Android browser is going full-on sci-fi! The firm has added some cool AI features, including the ability to generate images based on your browsing. Imagine searching for “dream vacation” and getting a picture generated of a beach paradise complete with robot waiters serving you unlimited pizza. Sounds amazing, right? Of course, with any AI stuff, there’s always a chance things get weird. You might search for “reliable car” and end up with a picture of a hamster driving a bathtub on wheels. But hey, that’s half the fun of AI, right? Plus, the browser also has a built-in AI assistant named Aria.
Google Messages gets a dedicated Gemini FAB
Google Messages is rocking a new “double FAB” strategy, but not for dancing. The app is trying to make its new AI buddy Gemini more popular by giving it a special button right next to the regular “new message” button. Think of it like a high school cafeteria where Gemini gets to sit at the “cool kids” table now. The only downside? The new button kind of squishes the regular button, making it look like Gemini is photobombing your chats. Hey, at least Gemini’s enthusiasm is undeniable!
Samsung ramped up its sustainability efforts in 2023
In 2023, Samsung aimed to be the eco-conscious friend you always wanted, but maybe never had. It reduced carbon emissions by a whopping 10 million tonnes, which is basically the weight of a small mountain (of laundry, if you’re thinking about all the washing machines it makes). The firm also said goodbye to fossil fuels, increasing the use renewable energy. It is like powering your phone with a giant hamster wheel… except, hopefully more efficient. Samsung also collected over 600,000 tonnes of e-waste. Maybe it’s turning old phones and gadgets into shiny new robots!
Hackers use Google Ads to distribute dangerous Mac malware
Mac users, beware of some sneaky malware posing as a popular browser! Hackers are using fake Google Ads that seem to promote the new Arc browser. Clicking the ad lands you on a phony website offering a booby-trapped version of Arc for Mac. It is a digital pickpocket that can snatch your personal data like passwords and other sensitive info. This malware isn’t alone! It comes bundled with a dozen other nasty programs, turning your Mac into a malware zoo. So, don’t blindly trust Google Ads… and anyone else.
AAA games fail to impress iPhone users
Looks like AAA titles on iPhones and iPads are about as popular as a brick phone in 2024. Apple’s been pushing hard to get these fancy games on its devices, but users just aren’t buying it (literally). Maybe folks just prefer Angry Birds over Call of Duty on the go. Who knew? Guess those high-powered chips aren’t enough to overcome the limitations of tiny touchscreens and wonky controls. Back to the drawing board, Apple!
Bluesky introduces starter packs for new users
Feeling lost in the vast emptiness of a new social media platform? Bluesky‘s got your back (or at least points you in the right direction) with its new “starter packs.” These packs are your social media training wheels. New users can build little bundles of cool accounts and custom feeds to follow, all curated by helpful Bluesky veterans. It’s like having a friend show you the ropes, except without the awkward chance of them accidentally following your cat account.
Google Lens could be the new home for Circle to Search
Google Lens is jealous of Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones and their fancy Circle to Search feature. The Lens app plans to steal that power, letting you circle anything on screen to instantly banish confusion! That’s one way of bringing a much-hyped AI feature to everyone without breaking a sweat. Get ready to be a search master, but hold on to your phone – it might morph into a detective gadget with a magnifying glass eye.
The post The “meh, I’ll read that later” pile: News you (probably) missed: Tantrum in Jersey, YouTube’s lullaby, and the EU’s no to broccoli bundles appeared first on Android Headlines.