Xbox just allcapsmaxxed: Meet XBOX. This isn’t a joke; Microsoft appears to be actually rebranding Xbox to XBOX. Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO, ran a poll on X earlier this week, asking fans whether Microsoft should use Xbox or XBOX. The results were in favor of XBOX, and the company has now renamed its X account. […]
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Being an open-source operating system (OS), Android offers a plethora of distinctive features for its smartphones. However, which ones are a bit less conspicuous than Circle to Search or even the Battery Saver feature? Numerous Android devices support screen pinning to keep your phone secure even when you pass it to someone else. Additionally, there are entertainment functionalities that allow you to stream your device’s screen straight to your smart TV.
It appears that these capabilities are readily accessible, yet they are occasionally somewhat obscured as menu layouts alter or become complicated due to updates. Although your experience with Android greatly depends on the device maker, the majority of these concealed features should be available on contemporary smartphones. While the terminology might vary slightly based on your specific phone model, their functionality remains consistently similar, regardless of whether you are within the Samsung, Pixel, Motorola, or OnePlus brands.
### Apple Cuts Prices on iPhones in China for 618 Shopping Festival
During the 618 shopping festival, Apple is reducing prices on iPhones in China, maintaining a pattern that has been evident since at least 2021. This yearly event, which initially began as a celebration of JD.com’s anniversary, has evolved into one of the largest online retail celebrations in the nation, involving multiple e-commerce platforms.
#### Major Price Cuts
In recent years, Apple has taken part in this significant shopping occasion, offering consumers limited-time trade-in discounts. Last year, the firm provided trade-in incentives that enabled customers to achieve considerable savings when purchasing new iPhones. Reports suggested that discounts on iPhone 16 models reached as high as 2,530 yuan (approximately $351), aiding a resurgence in Apple’s sales in China following a downturn in the prior quarter.
Data from Canalys indicated that while Apple encountered shipment decreases in Q1 2025, the company experienced a 4% year-over-year increase in iPhone shipments by Q2, signifying a successful rebound.
#### Current Promotions for 2026
This year, Apple has initiated its offers early, with the iPhone 17 Pro series experiencing a price drop of 1,000 yuan (about $146). JD.com, one of China’s major online retailers, is providing even larger discounts. Some iPhone 17 Pro models can be found for as little as 6,999 yuan, representing the lowest price since the series’ debut. Furthermore, the standard iPhone 17 has also undergone its first significant price reduction, with certain versions available for 4,499 yuan after utilizing various subsidies and trade-in offers.
An employee at an Apple store in Beijing verified that these discounts can be combined with trade-in subsidies and platform promotions, allowing some models to achieve their lowest prices since their original release.
For more information, you can access the complete report from the Global Times [here](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202605/1361027.shtml).
YouTube is expanding its AI likeness detection program to all users over the age of 18 – meaning just about anyone can have the platform hunt for potential deepfakes of themselves. The likeness detection feature uses a selfie-style scan of a person’s face to monitor YouTube for lookalikes. If there is a match, YouTube alerts […]
numerous timelines investigated in the “Star Trek” realm, but had NBC gotten its way initially, we may have found ourselves in one lacking its most cherished crew member. Prior to Captain Kirk becoming a well-known persona, and even before we met his forerunner, Captain Pike, Gene Roddenberry faced challenges with the network that would become a recurring annoyance as the series progressed. In addition to making the outdated request to replace Majel Barrett from a battle-ready protagonist to Nurse Chapel, they also had concerns about another member of the Enterprise crew: first officer, Mr. Spock. More precisely, his pointed ears.
As Herb Solow, the Desilu executive responsible back in 1965, noted, NBC was worried about the Vulcan character’s alien traits, which they believed had devilish implications. “It was almost as if they thought that, after Satan had been expelled from the Garden of Eden, he was reincarnated as actor Leonard Nimoy and cast into Star Trek as science officer Spock, a pointed-eared, arched eyebrowed ‘satanic’ Vulcan alien,” he clarified (per StarTrek.com).
The concern was that local stations and advertisers who ventured into uncharted territory would also face examination by religious organizations for endorsing a character that resembled Lucifer. A challenging exchange between Roddenberry and NBC followed, and while the show’s creator felt victorious in the dispute, the studio took cautious steps to avoid Spock, although later they would come to regret that choice.
<div class="slide-key image-holder gallery-image-holder credit-image-wrap" data-post-url="https://www.bgr.com/2172974/star-trek-creator-gene-roddenberry-fight-nbc-keep-popular-character
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Eugene Whang, a previous hardware designer for Apple who devoted 22 years to the corporation prior to teaming up with Jony Ive at LoveFrom, has shared his perspectives on the creation of the AirPods Max in a recent discussion with Highsnobiety.
Whang reflects on the comprehensive design journey that the Apple crew undertook for the AirPods Max, emphasizing the various elements they needed to take into account, including the wide variety of head and ear shapes. The design team examined the headphones as three separate products: the headband, the case, and the ear cushions. Whang highlighted that the cushions posed a specific challenge due to the numerous variations in human anatomy, resulting in the team investigating “hundreds and hundreds of variations” throughout the five years of development.
A noteworthy design decision was Apple’s choice to omit branding from the AirPods Max. Whang clarified that the company intended to steer clear of “branding your head,” concentrating instead on the product’s aesthetic and functional attributes.
Whang’s path to Apple commenced when he pursued mentorship from a designer within the team. Assuming that Jony Ive would be preoccupied, he reached out to a different designer he discovered in the Apple directory, showcasing his proactive mindset regarding career growth.
During his time at Apple, Whang played a role in the design of several iconic products, including the iPod nano, iPhone, and the original AirPods. He underscored Jony Ive’s influence in safeguarding the design team from the demands of the business side of the organization, permitting them to concentrate on creativity and innovation. Whang commented on the evolution of Apple during his tenure, transforming from a rebellious entity into a leading player in technology and the global economy, with Ive protecting the design team from outside pressures.
After departing from Apple, Whang became part of LoveFrom, a design firm co-founded by Ive and Marc Newson. However, he left a few years later due to personal circumstances and a reassessment of his priorities.
The complete interview with Whang offers additional insights and features images of other Apple products he helped design, along with sketches of an undisclosed piece of hardware. For those keen on discovering more, the full interview is available on Highsnobiety’s website.
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 test will allow you to reposition the taskbar and change the size of the Start menu. The update, which is rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Experimental channel, lets you place the taskbar on the bottom, top, left, or right side of the screen. Microsoft first teased its movable […]
Steam Deck outperforms the Switch 2 thanks to its superior memory and higher CPU and GPU clock rates. An additional aspect where the Switch 2 falls short compared to the Steam Deck is in terms of customization. The Switch 2 operates as a closed platform, which necessitates jailbreaking it to enable any customization. Yet, even with that, your options remain restricted.
Conversely, the Steam Deck utilizes the SteamOS, a Linux-based OS. This allows you to switch to Desktop Mode for installing a variety of tools that the Switch 2 does not support. For example, you can effortlessly set up alternative game launchers and emulators. Additionally, you can stream multiple services and even convert it into a Windows handheld. None of this requires any modifications to the system.
### Liquid Glass Begins More Extensive Rollout on WhatsApp
Following months of limited trials, WhatsApp is broadening the availability of its Liquid Glass redesign to a wider audience. This update comes after an initial launch last October, which brought the Liquid Glass look to a select group of iOS users, primarily impacting the bottom navigation bar of the app and specific aspects of the Chats tab layout.
Since the first testing phase, Meta has been diligently refining the Liquid Glass design across different user interface (UI) components. This encompasses changes to the voice message player, in-chat layout, message reactions, and contextual menus. Recently, some users have started reporting via social media platforms, especially X, that they are now encountering the updated interface on their devices.
The current rollout features the Liquid Glass redesign in the bottom navigation bar, several in-chat components, and the upper navigation bar of the main Chats interface. However, not all UI elements have adopted the new design at this stage. For example, the voice message player and the message reactions menu still display the previous design. Nonetheless, it is expected that Meta will persist in applying the Liquid Glass aesthetic to additional features in the app soon.
User responses to the redesign have varied, with some showing excitement for the fresh appearance while others have reacted less favorably to the change. As the rollout continues, users are encouraged to provide their feedback, particularly regarding the visibility of the Liquid Glass navigation bar on their devices.
In conclusion, the Liquid Glass redesign signifies a notable advancement in WhatsApp’s ongoing objective to refresh its user interface, with further updates anticipated as the company works to enhance the design throughout the app.
